Aoshionspeed1317: Chapter 4! Can you believe it? My little story has 4 chapters already! Woo-hoo!

Aoshi: yah….what's with you naming yourself after me? YOU'RE A BLONDE, HYPER, LITTLE GIRL! WE ARE NOTHING ALIKE!

Aoshionspeed1317: dude…note the "on speed"-ness and the "1317"-ness the names are different.

Aoshi: and why am I the one who gets bitten by deadly spiders that nobody's heard about?

Aoshionspeed1317: …eerrrrrrrmmm….Idono

Lee:……..( . ) ( . )WOO! ()

NOW THEN! To recap,

"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, his 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.

Lee ran as fast as she could through the forest. Someone had to have an antidote to whatever was happening to Aoshi. She came to the town that was now deserted. She desperately looked for someone that could help but saw nobody. She checked down the alley she thought there was a doctor's office, nothing.

The wall where the cops had caught her, deserted.

The row houses, nobody.

Finially she rounded a corner and saw the woman that had tried to stick up for her against the cops. She was carrying a medicine bag, and waving to a shop owner. Lee ran to her.

"arigatou" the woman said to the shopkeeper. Lee only knew a few words in japaneese that she'd just learned but she tried anyway. "please, miss, … friend is…ill…need help." Lee knew she sounded stupid but tried anyway. The woman nodded and motioned for her to lead the way. Lee smiled and ran off into the forest.

The woman decided to follow the child A) because someone was in trouble.

B) the kid was cute,

And C) now she could find out if she knew that guy or not.

They reached the clearing to see that the fire had nearly gone out and that Aoshi was nowhere to be seen. Lee called to him and was answered with a growl from behind her. She turned and saw that he was there but in much worse shape than she'd left him in. his hair fell in his face but his eyes glowed from beneath it. They were an odd turquoise color. he bared his teeth like a rabid dog and growled. She now saw that the purple had spread, covering half his body and face in an intricate design where his veins had all turned a deep purple and shone through his pale skin. His body didn't seem to be able to hold itself very well. And he panted like some kind of feral beast. "Who are you?" he growled in his native tongue.

He didn't recognize Lee. Or the doctor woman either for that matter. All he knew was what the poison had programmed into his brain, people meant pain. They were to be feared. Lee looked hurt and also slightly scared. She slowly walked to him. She now noticed the five large gashes across his chest and his bloody fingernails. His eyes widened and he backed away as she got closer. Soon he hit a tree, he had nowhere to go and became even more frightened. He looked more and more like a frightened animal.

Jack still cowered back in the shadows. The tall one didn't smell right. There was something desperately wrong with him. He smelled like the unnatural wolf did. Dead, alive by some force other than nature. Yet his usual scent was there too, just, not totally in control. What was happening? Why did the tall one have two scents? And…why the HELL WAS THE PUP TRYING TO APPROACH HIM!

The demon kept getting closer. It was a small one but it was evil nonetheless. He had nowhere to go. And something had impared the ability to think and walk straight. It was then Aoshi decided his new least favorite animal was spiders, fish weren't that bad anymore. "It's all right, nobody's going to hurt you." The thing said soothingly. It sounded like Lee. No. the thing was screwing with his head. There was no way it could be her. It looked worried and touched his face, where the venom had turned the veins purple. Her face became clearer. Was it Lee? If it was an illusion, it was a lot more pleasant than reality. Despite the voice in his head telling him not to trust her, he let himself relax. "Lee?" he asked quietly. His body couldn't last any longer and he dropped to his knees. Then back against the tree.

The doctor woman took this opportunity and walked over and examined the wound. The second the woman entered his view he tried to stand again only to fall on his ass.

"keep him still!" she yelled to Lee.

"YOU SPEAK ENGLISH!"

"of course! I'm a doctor! I have to be able to speak any language! Now hold him still before I take out the tiger tranquilizers."

(O.O) Lee obeyed. And tried to tell him to keep still but he didn't seem to comprehend much. So, instead, she grabbed his hand and held it like a mother does for a child getting stitches, (though Aoshi hardly looked like a child) incredibly he seemed to calm down. The other arm was covered in the purple, veiny, design and seemed to be paralyzed so the doctor was in no danger. The doctor muttered to herself then said, "the 8-ball spider."

"the what?"

"the 8-Ball spider," She repeated "extremely small but also very dangerous."

"like in pool, get the 8-ball and you automatically loose." Lee said to herself

"not really, it's antidode is extremely cheap and simple, but the venom is fast-acting, I have to work quickly, before all the veins turn purple. And he dies" the doctor said gravely. First she pulled out a pair of tweezers and plucked at the now dark green welt . she obviously got what she ment to for Aoshi yelled some word Lee didn't know.

"my, my, what a foul mouth we have." The doctor said.

"what was that?" Lee said, trying to ignore the fact that her hand was being crushed. (who'dve thought somebody half dead would still have enough strength to do so much damage)

"the fangs, they're built like bee stings, except that they grow back in the spider's mouth"

She pulled out a bottle and filled a needle with the contents. Lee looked away, she hated needles like Aoshi hated fish. He really didn't seem to notice the needle nearly as much as Lee did. She looked back at him and saw that he had passed out. still she held his hand.

"all right, the worst part is over, now we just have to bind up that wound on his chest, though it probably saved his life." The doctor said pulling out a roll of bandages from her bag.

"huh? How?" Lee asked.

"note that the purple color, that's the venom, doesn't pass the cut. It drains out, keeping it from spreading. But now we need to keep him from bleeding to death." She said pulling a small container from the bag, "my family's medicine, it stops the bleeding."

Lee looked down at Aoshi. He looked…remotely peaceful…or at least less feral. She pushed his hair out of his face and could see the purple receding back.

"by the way, what's your name?" Lee asked the woman as she applied the medicine.

"Megumi, Megumi Takani."

Megumi looked up and smiled at the girl then looked at the man. She gasped and fell back as her memories suddenly came flying back. Kanryu and the Oniwaban that had tortured her nightmares. "It's…it's…him"

Lee looked confused.

"DON'T YOU KNOW WHO THIS MAN IS!" Megumi yelled at her.

"errrm…Aoshi Shinomori?" Lee said questioningly, "do you know him?" she looked back at him, what had he done to deserve such a reaction?

"yes, he was nearly the cause of my DEATH!" Megumi said venomously, "or did he decide to leave that part of his story out?"

Lee was confused. At first she'd have believed this, but now…he seemed too gentle to do something like that. He was serious and scary but gentle anyway.

Megumi saw the confused look and began to explain, "he was once the Okashira, or leader of a small army called the Oniwaban…"

He was falling into blackness but the inner world didn't appear this time. he was floating in space, "why did you FIGHT ME?" an icy voice drifted from the darkness. "we could have been rid of that distraction, brother!" Ishoa came into view. Aoshi couldn't move but whatever he thought was heard aloud. "she is no distraction, why did you try to make me think she was a demon?"

"because she is!" Ishoa yelled, "she has distracted you from your goal!"

Aoshi doubted this until,

"WHERE ARE YOU GOING AND WHY?"

Aoshi blinked…and was surprised to find that he did have to think for a moment before he got the answer. "YOU HAVE BEEN DISTRACTED! DOES THAT GIRL MEAN MORE TO YOU THAN HAN'NYA AND THE OTHERS?"

That hit home. The mere suggestion had stricken Aoshi speechless. The oniwaban who had died…he needed to bring them glory, he couldn't be distracted…and yet…

"they were my friends, and they never wanted to kill more than needed…they don't want this…" he had come to a realization. The only one he was doing this for was Ishoa.

"you are the only one who benefits from this." he said, getting angry. Ishoa glared at him, "face it, brother. You need me as much as I need you. Without me you would be nobody. Just an out-dated deadbeat. You need the urge to kill, to fight, to shed blood. You are good for fighting and nothing else."

With quite some effort, Aoshi rose and stared his alter-ego in the face, "anything you say, cannot be trusted."

Ishoa got angry, " From now on, we are enemies."

"we always were"

Aoshi could feel himself falling again.

"know this, brother. When you loose this bet, the girl is to be the first kill in my rein of bloodshed!"

Ishoa faded away and Aoshi slept.

Megumi finished her story as the sun began to rise. Lee sat in shock. No wonder he never smiled, every single one…murdered by their employer. It used to be bigger, that army he had, but every one left except for those four, Beshimi, Hyottoko, Shikijo, and Han'nya. Since then he'd vowed to kill this Kenshin Himura in order to gain honor for them. She Looked down at Aoshi again. She noticed the multiple battle scars he had all over, some new, others were probably many years old.

"I have known more pain than you ever will…"

He had been telling the truth.

Megumi agreed to stay and take care of Aoshi, "but I'm not doing this for him. He can die a long, slow, painful death for all I care. But it's obvious you need him to keep from being lynched. Most people around here don't take kindly to foreigners, be careful."

Lee nodded sleepily. Jack had grown a bit braver and had slowly inched closer to the three during the night. She now had her head on Aoshi's shoulder. The swelling on the bite had gone down and it was only slightly discolored. And in some places, his veins were still a pale purple.

Megumi looked at the three of them and shook her head,

"he owes you so much you know."

Lee looked at her, puzzled. She smiled at the girl. "If it weren't for you, he'd be dead. You saved his life. And held his hand the whole time…hell, you still haven't let go!"

Lee looked down and noticed that…she was right! But she was too tired to care. She'd been up all night and now was simply waiting for Aoshi to wake up…just to be sure that he would…cuz he still looked like he was in bad shape. Megumi looked slightly annoyed, "why are you still waiting to make sure he's all right? You heard the story correctly didn't you? And from what you say, he's officially kidnapped you!" Lee thought for a moment then said, "I don't know…somehow…he just doesn't seem that bad. And think about the guilt he probably goes through because of that…I think he's paid enough."

After a while he finally woke up. He saw Jack laying on his shoulder and waved her off…and IMMEDEATLY REGRETTED IT! Pain shot through his arm like knives. He swore loudly in as many languages as he knew…a few Lee understood as being very bad. "Wow, you do have a foul mouth." She smiled absent-mindedly, "well now that you're awake, I can slee…" she didn't get any farther before she passed out cold.

Aoshi didn't really have the energy to push her off his stomach. She had obviously been up all night. His memory was fuzzy. From the time when the spider had bit him to now, he could only see vague pictures. But one thing he did remember was Lee holding his hand through it all. He sighed and stroked her head, the kid was annoying but he owed her for so much at the same time, she was in so much danger now. If he really did loose control, she wouldn't stand a chance…yet…she knew that, didn't she. He hugged her, "Baka-chan…"

"Just as I thought." A voice said from above him. "WOA!" He looked up into the face of Megumi Takani. He shook his head, just to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"Surprised to see me?" she said in a mocking tone.

Yep it was her alright, the most humanoid vixen on the planet.

"So tell me Megumi," he said, "how long till I die from whatever you've probably poisoned me with…if I'm not dead already."

She smiled evilly,

"Oh no, you'll drown in the crap you've created long before I commit murder just to get rid of you"

"Touché"

Jack came back to nudge Aoshi for food.

"Dog, does it look like I have anything to eat?"

Jack hung her head and trod over to lie next to Lee.

"so…why are you here then?" he asked hesitantly…afraid of the answer. He soon realized just how much he was at her mercy.

Megumi leaned against a tree, " To keep your sorry ass alive." She grinned triumphantly, "you might've been beyond help if you had gone for much longer without treatment." She laughed in her evil little, "I NOW OWN YOU!" laugh.

Aoshi glared at her, "I'm glad one of us finds this amusing…" he sighed and muttered, "thank you anyway though."

She stopped laughing and looked serious, angry even, "don't thank me, if it were just you here, I would have left you to die in the gutter without a moment's thought," (gee, that's pleasant) "but that girl there," she nodded at Lee, "needs you, hell she even cared enough to venture back into the city to find help…you owe her your life." She finished and crossed her arms.

"I know…" Megumi looked at him. "I know I owe her, never said I didn't. that's why I have to find a way to send her back home…"he finished then stared off into space.

"…AND ANOTHER THING, YOU PETOPHILE!" Megumi yelled at him, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER BRAIN? SHE SEEMS TO THINK YOU'RE THE GOOD GUY! AND YOU'RE STILL STROKING HER HAIR!" he realized that he was and immediately quit. He tried to move out from under her but remembered that his left arm was still useless when pain shot through it again. He swore,

"why does this always happen to me!"

Megumi started laughing again.

"SHUT UP VIXEN!"

"why don't you make me, gimp!"

Aoshi tried to lunge for her but couldn't make it due to the immense pain in his left side.

"I don't like you…" he said like a little kid who didn't get his way.

"I don't care for you much either, but I'm staying here to keep your sorry ass alive so DEAL WITH IT! Besides, what're you gonna do? Gnaw my legs off?"

"The suggestion is tempting." He said venomously. He now knew that this was going to be a looooooooong, bedridden week…

woot! Ch 4 dooooone! For my one reader who hates cliffhangers.

sorry to my friends who were worried Aoshi was going to die….BUT HOW STUPID WOULD I BE FOR KILLIN OFF A MAIN CHARACTER SO EARLY!

Okee, see ya in ch:5!

(remember…Megumi makes everything more interesting…hee hee hee)