Ch: 3

"We're coming up on a town here," Aoshi said around midday. "we should wait until nightfall to enter it" they were coming up on a town called Kuwana it wasn't too far from Kyoto and only so happened to be near the river they were following. "Why wait until dark?" Lee asked as they came to a stop in a nearby clearing. "Easier to steal stuff that way." He answered offhandedly. "STEAL?" Lee yelled.

"Yes, steal, how else are we supposed to get supplies? Neither of us have money." Aoshi said in a "no duh" sort of tone, "but for now, we'll rest here."

Lee pulled out the Laptop she had now declared to be called "Betty" she figured she needed to call it by some name when she got mad at it or needed to coax it into working. To Aoshi the thing had a slightly longer title, "Betty the Evil Computer Demon" he had finally decided that the thing was loyal only to It's master, and like all demons would attack anyone else. Lee clacked at the thing for a while then Aoshi began to hear a human voice coming from it, singing,

"you're slipping in and out of time

who are you to decide

which one of us winds up broken for a lifetime

and so you'll never be satisfied

until one of us falls apart,

I've had enough of this

and these are the faces"

(Faces, by Orgy)

The voice sounded angry and whatever music was being played in the background was not known to him. But he liked it. It was different. And yet….how? How could it do this?

The expression on Aoshi's face obviously gave him away. Because Lee turned to him and said, "I don't quite know how it works either but I assure you, this is just a recording, the real people are living their own lives. Betty is not keeping human souls captive." He blinked for a moment then shrugged and went to lay against a tree, he decided not to Question Betty The Evil Computer Demon further…it may get angry. Lee then began to sing along to the song in a muted voice, whispering instead of screaming like the performers. She opened another window and began to write a message to Jeanie,

'I am all right but I have gone "missing". If I told you what happened…you wouldn't believe me anyway. To put it in simple terms I don't know where I am but this area seems to think it's in the 1870's, Japan. I'm not alone though, There's this guy with me. He's…' Lee looked over at Aoshi who had now climbed into a tree and was sleeping on a branch with one arm dangling off the side like a panther or a feral cat., 'Eccentric….to say the least. I don't know where I've seen him before but he looks oddly familiar. Whatever, but I just sent this to you so you know I'm all right.

-Lee'

She sent the letter and closed the lid on the laptop. She sighed, why wasn't she more lonely? 'well it's not like you're totally alone…' a voice in her head said, she looked into the tree at Aoshi. What kind of relationship did they have? They weren't hostile towards each other. Though, they couldn't be friends while he was her kidnapper. Sooooooo….why didn't she hate him? And why did she not want to get up when she'd woken up on his chest (even if it was for a split second)

Aoshi opened one eye and looked down at her, "what?" he got no answer because a cry of pain came over the trees. They both sat bolt upright and snapped their heads in the direction the scream came from. Aoshi could hear it, the growl and snarls of wolves…in one swift movement he jumped down from the tree and grabbed the dual Kodachi and ran in the direction of the sound. It took a few seconds for Lee to realize that he'd left but she still chased after him, she simply followed the noise because there was no way she could match his speed.

Sure enough, Aoshi came across a huge mass of wolves swarming and attacking someone in the middle of them all. A human life was not ment to wasted on wolves. He drew the swords and charged the mass of hair and teeth. The second he hit one the others all stopped biting at their victim and attacked at once. Aoshi unleashed his newly learned attack, the Kaiten Kenbu Rokuren, and it hit a few wolves sure enough. Three of them ran away but that was all. The better part of the pack kept coming. One latched onto his shoulder but he knocked it off with the hilt of his sword. The blunt edge came in contact with one's jaw, it ran away. The one that had bitten his shoulder now lunged at his face. He got a glimpse of the wolf's eyes. They were a strangely familiar icy blue. He was able to block it but now both arms were occupied and more attacked his now exposed flanks. He kicked one in the jaw and knocked it unconscious. He finially flung the one with icy eyes off. As it flew through the air in an unnatural arc, he swore he saw it smile maliciously, as though it knew something he didn't. It landed on it's chin with it's back arced over it's head. Though it's neck was almost undoubtedly broken, and blood trickled out of it's mouth and nose, it's lips were pulled back in a mocking grin. Aoshi didn't have time to think on this though, because more wolves were swarming him now. He couldn't fight like this, they were everywhere. He jumped over them and rebounded off a tree in the opposite direction. He had managed to get free for a split second and seized the opportunity. He began to move around the pack, mixing slow and fast movements so there was no way of telling where he was or where he was going to be. A few lunged and missed but soon they all got confused. They all huddled into a circle facing out. He stopped the movement and attacked hitting most of them at one time. The wounded fell unconscious the others ran into the trees. He stood for a moment panting and bloodied, then straightened up and heard, "that was awesome."

Aoshi turned to see Lee standing partly behind a tree. She timidly came out and approached him. He figured he looked even more scary than usual now, bloody and cut up. "damn man," she said looking at the nasty wound on his shoulder, "you got shredded…" Aoshi shook his head, "it's nothing," he turned to see if the person who had been attacked was alive. It seemed that they were wearing a massive fur coat that was now bloodstained, "hey, are you all right?" he called to them, they didn't move. He slowly approached them and kneeled down. It was then he saw that the coat was not a coat at all but an actual wolf/dog mutt….he had just risked life and limb…for a mutt….damn. The tail began to twitch and the mutt looked up at him and gave him a happy little smile. "don't you play cute with me, dog. Imitating a human voice like that," he stood and looked at the dog angrily. Lee, on the other hand, sat down and began petting it lovingly, "crafty Bitch aint'cha?" the dog's tail wagged harder at the attention. "don't do that, it'll get attatched to us and never leave." Lee continued rubbing the mutt's flanks, "I wouldn't mind, I like her." He crossed his arms and flinched at the pain from the multiple wounds. Lee reached up to touch his arm where a stray claw had ripped through his flesh, "you're gonna need someone to sew that up-"

"the coat or me?"

Lee laughed and shook her head, "you, ya Idiot! You're a bit more important…" at that, Aoshi's eyes softened and the corners of his mouth twitched in an attempt to do something the muscles weren't used to. He opened his mouth to say something but something moved before he could. That wolf with the blue eyes was standing, grinning, and stalking around him and Lee. Lee's eyes widened at the sight of it and she grabbed Aoshi's sleeve in fear. She saw it too, he wasn't seeing things.

How was it still alive? Nothing could've survived the angle it fell at, it's neck would've snapped. It moved unnaturally. It's limbs locked in odd positions which gave it an odd, stiffly, lumbering walk. Blood still trickled down it's chin and an odd swell was growing on it's neck. The wolf circled them, baring it's bloody teeth in a menacing grin. A gurgling snarl came from it's throat sounding more like a laugh than anything else. It stopped for a moment and looked at them. It's eyes moved to Lee and made eye contact it grinned wider than it's lips were meant to and it's icy eyes flashed, 'the girl' is what it sounded like it said…it lunged without warning and flew through the air as though carried by something other than it's own momentum. It's teeth dripped with a mixture of blood and saliva and it's lips cracked and split. Aoshi brought his arm back to swing but a reddish-brown mass hit the malicious wolf first.

The Mutt, who had been behind them before, had sprung and hit the other Wolf full-force in it's already injured neck. But she didn't stop there, she continued biting at it's legs and ripped at it's flesh until it had struggled free and they paused in a stand-off. The wolf's head dangled at an unnatural angle. And though it's flesh was totally gone in places, the blood only came in a slow ooze. It's eyes were unfocused and unblinking. It's mouth was slightly open and it's tongue dangled freely. It was no longer explainable; this thing should be dead…why wasn't it? Then the thing turned tail and left, but not before letting out a low growl that, to Aoshi, sounded like, 'well done, my twin'

The mutt watched the unnatural being go for a while then turned to her rescuers and wagged her tail, hoping for praise. The little one came right over and scratched behind her ears lovingly saying something in their weird human speech. The Unnatural One had only come that day to the once peaceful forest. By noon he had already turned an entire pack against one another. True she was always an outcast due to being part domesticated, but they had never been directly hostile to her. But now most of them lay defeated or worse because of these two humans. So the Mutt decided she liked them.

The tall one barked something at the pup. The little one turned and retaliated….

"well it's not like we're just going to leave her like this!" Lee yelled back at Aoshi, "honestly, she just saved our lives, we owe her." she added smileing back at the Mutt. "It does not serve any purpose for us." Aoshi shot back at the child.

"bet'cha I could train her to fight for us." Lee said looking into the dog's eyes, "she seems pretty smart." Aoshi was silent for a moment and Lee and the Mutt looked at him pleadingly. He sighed, "you have half a week while we're here in town, if you succeed to teach the beast one attack you can keep it." He figured that was impossible enough task.

"Jack" that was the new human word for the Mutt. "but it's a female, Lee." Aoshi said when he heard this. "I don't care," Lee said angrily, "she's my dog, and I have named her Jack." He shook his head and resumed his position in the tree. There was no way she was going to teach that mutt how to attack in a half a week, especially when she was starting from scratch. He drifted off to sleep. Lee looked in contempt at the man in the tree. He was wounded but wouldn't go into town for treatment due to lack of funds…stubborn ass. "c'mon Jack, come here. Come here, girl" She said to the dog, patting the ground. The dog cocked her head then obeyed. Astonished, Lee vigorously rubbed Jack's sides, "good girl, jack!" this was a very smart dog. Teaching her an attack would be no problem. But first the basics…

"I tried to do you a favor, brother." The voice said to him, he now knew who the wolf in the forest had been. "you bastard, that was totally unnecessary, you are crossing over, into the one world I thought I could be rid of you. You almost killed someone." Aoshi told the twin that had now grown more twisted than ever. Ihsoa, (ihs-O-uh)he had been the wolf that tried to kill Lee. "you are better off without the kid," Ihsoa said, crossing his arms, " she is distracting you." Aoshi Got angry, "nobody has distracted me from anything!" his twin smiled and sighed, "poor foolish child, I don't know why I even try to help you, it's better for me this way anyway." He walked backwards off a branch and two black wings shot from his back and caught the wind. "you can't win against me, brother." Aoshi stared in amazement at the pitch black wings that had bright blue veins, like ice ran in his veins, not blood. "ta" and the inner world slipped away and Aoshi heard voices from far away…

"oh Aoshi-san!" Lee called, he looked down to the girl, it was night now and he figured almost time to go. "thought I'd tell ya! She has learned all the basic commands in the span of a few hours, YOU'RE SCREWED!" he groggily rolled off the branch and landed on all-fours, "let's go, Lee. It's dark enough." He tossed the sheathed swords to her and walked off. "stay" Lee said to Jack before following him. The dog obeyed and sat down to wait for Lee's return.

Aoshi promised that if Lee got caught with the swords that he would bail her out somehow. "what if they don't buy it?" she asked nervously. "then I'll just cause an even bigger scene while you escape, then I'll follow you. There's no way they can catch me" he said. They split up once there, acting as though they did not know each other. Aoshi silently came into a few storehouse windows and stole some food and bandages for the wounds from the wolves. He continued until he heard a police whistle. He ran towards the noise.

It was incredible how large the crowd was, considering the time of night. "What are you doing out here with a sword? Little girl?" the Officer said to Lee, who was now cornered against a wall and was frightened. She couldn't understand them, so said nothing, "answer!" he yelled as he pulled out his own sword. Aoshi knew who these guys were, the sword corps. They were police officers who were permitted to carry swords around. They were almost never good news. The leader advanced on Lee looking at her with rage, "how dare you not answer me!" suddenly he looked calm again…a sly grin spread across his face, "this could be counted as an obstruction of justice…I think the kid needs to be taught some justice…what do you guys think?" he added looking to his comrades they all smiled and also drew their swords. A woman with long black hair in a doctor's kimono pushed through the crowd to try to pull the leader back and shouted, "This is wrong! She's just a child!" he got annoyed and threw her to the ground. Aoshi began to think of a good story but nothing would come. "please…someone…help me" Lee said pleadingly. "She's trying to confuse us! Now she really has to pay." They all began to advance on her. There wasn't any time left to think. Aoshi jumped in their way and kneeled so low that his face nearly touched the ground. He said the first thing that popped into his head, "please excuse my baka sister." They all stopped, confused. "my sister," Aoshi continued, still saying anything that popped into his mind, "she isn't right in the head, she doesn't quite know what she's doing or how the world works or even what you're asking her…so please don't hold her accountable, I'm taking her home right now and I'll see that my grandfather's swords are better hidden." He looked up with one eye to see if they'd buy it. They did. The leader sheathed his sword and the other's followed suit. He then walked away with his goons close behind. Aoshi and Lee sighed in relief then they got up and left.

Meanwhile the woman on the ground tried to see over the crowd at the brother who had saved the girl. She could've sworn she'd heard his voice before, but where? She shrugged and continued walking to the medicine dealer she had meant to see before she was distracted.

As soon as they were outside the city, Lee turned to Aoshi, "ummmmm, what did you say to them back there? To make them back off so fast?" something of an evil smirk spread across his face, "I told them you were my retard sister."

"WHAT!"

"HEY! It made them back off didn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Lee said begrudgingly. She was quiet for a moment then said, "thanks."

"No problem" Aoshi said softly. He looked at her and realized that the trees near her didn't seem as twisted and the animals were less menacing. The ground she walked on seemed to grow more alive when she trod over it. He shook his head, not that again.

When they returned to the fire site, Jack sat in the exact same spot that they had left her. "GOOD GIRL, JACK!" Lee said running over to the dog and rubbing it's sides. Aoshi flopped down beside a tree and pulled out some food he'd stolen that night. He tossed some of it to Lee then ate some himself. Jack came up to him and laid her head on his knee hopefully. He sighed and gave the dog some rice-balls. The dog ate them happily and then laid on his lap. "get off dog!" he yelled but Jack didn't budge. So he picked her up under the armpit and lifted her off. He staired into the faces in the fire. They were less distinct now and looked less menacing. Did that also have something to do with Lee? He shrugged and slouched down against the tree. "Hey Lee, you said you wanted to learn Japaneese?" she nodded in response. "I guess I'll start with the basic nouns then…"

At that moment, a passing spider, who wouldn't have stopped otherwise, caught the smell of food and turned toward Aoshi and climbed up his sleeve. This was a particularly small spider, but also particularly venomous. The spider hit a dead end at around the collarbone, but as it turned back Aoshi shifted, and a piece of cloth now trapped the spider and it panicked. And (like all spiders) it bit anything in sight when panicked. It hit flesh and the arm went straight out of shock. The spider scuttled out and ran off.

"what was that?" Aoshi asked, rubbing his collarbone, where the spider had bit. It hurt like hell. It burned like acid and was slowly spreading. "Are you all right?" Lee asked. His eyes kept on slipping in and out of focus. And Lee was beginning to sound very far away. The faces in the fire grew clearer. They grew limbs and reached for Lee and himself. Jack sniffed at him and backed away whimpering. The pain had spread around his shoulder and partly up his neck. He propped himself up and took off his shirt to look at the wound. It was an odd shade of green and HUGE. Under his skin, is veins ware visable and an unpleasant purple. And it was spreading. Lee saw it shoot up the left jugular vein. Aoshi went stiff and his pupils shrank to pinpricks. Lee panicked and said quickly, "stay here, I'm going to get help." Then she ran off to town as fast as her legs would carry her. "Lee…" Aoshi croaked feebly. His vision was growing darker but he could see that the light was fading the farther away Lee ran. He reached out to her but wasn't anywhere near reaching her. He felt alone again. It was only him and the faces in the fire… "Lee…don't…leave…" then he lost all consciousness and slipped into darkness.