Chapter 22

(Kenshin)

"Kenshin!"

The sound of my name being called brought my attention away from the laundry I was currently folding. I looked up to see Kaoru running towards me, a man trailing behind her. Instantly all my senses were on high alert.

"Kenshin!" Kaoru ran up to me, panting slightly in the warm day after her run. "This man wanted to come and stay with us, he said that he needs a place to stay for a little while. Is that alright?"

I blinked. "Why are you asking me? It's your dojo Kaoru."

She smiled. "Hai, but it's yours too." She leaned closer to me. "Will you come inside with me for a moment anata?" She turned and smiled at the man behind her, who was wearing a heavy cloak, strange for this warm weather. "Excuse us for a moment."

He nodded as I stood and followed Kaoru inside. She turned to look at me with a serious expression once we were out of the man's earshot. "I told him that we're married, so you'll need to keep with that."

My jaw dropped. "N-nani!"

She patted my scarred cheek playfully. "Why are you so shocked about it? We love each other, why shouldn't we pretend that we're married for this man?"

I blinked rapidly. "Well, why did you tell him that you're married?"

She looked down. "I'd better tell you all of it. I met him in the market, and he said that I was a very pretty girl. It didn't seem to cause much harm at first. He said that he was staying in town for a few days, and he wondered if I knew of an inn that wasn't completely booked, like most of them are right now. I offered to let him stay at the dojo; we've taken people in every now and then."

I tilted my head. "But what does this have to do with you telling him that we're married?"

She frowned. "Well, on the way back to the dojo he started to make some suggestive comments and move closer to me. It made me a little nervous, so I just sort of announced that my husband was waiting for me at the dojo. That stopped his advances, and it made me feel more comfortable, and then he asked who I was married too. You were the first person who came to mind."

I sighed slightly, running a hand through my bangs. "Alright Kaoru, I can understand why you were nervous." I suddenly grinned. "But does that mean we get to sleep in the same room?"

She smacked my arm. "Hentai! Of course not! We're not really married; you'll have to sleep in your own room! Now come on, let's get back out there."

I chuckled slightly. I just couldn't resist the slight jab at my beautiful lover, and it was quite fun to watch her face flush. I followed her back outside quietly, finding the man in the same position we had left him.

Kaoru smiled. "You can stay, I'm sorry for making you wait. My husband's always a little tense about letting people stay that we don't know."

I extended a hand to him. "Gomen…."

He took my hand with a smile. "Akki. My name is Akki. And I don't mind at all, it's completely understandable. I'm sorry about my advances on your wife earlier; I couldn't help myself around such a beautiful woman."

The moment his hand touched mine my entire body went still. Something about this man was not right, and I knew in that moment that I did not like him. His name said volumes to me, and yet I didn't know why. I forced a shaky smile. "It's perfectly alright Akki-san. And arigatou for understanding. My name is Kenshin."

Kaoru put a hand on my arm. "Come on anata, why don't we show him to a room he can stay in?"
I nodded slowly, releasing Akki's hand and stepping back to her side. "Um, why don't you koishii, I think I'll finish up folding the laundry, and then I'll start dinner. It's getting late anyway."

She nodded. "Alright." She smiled brightly at the man standing in front of me. "Come on Akki-san, I'll show you to your room, and you can hang up that warm cloak."

I watched them walk away with pensive eyes. 'Something's wrong with that man…' I thought as I turned to continue the laundry. 'I don't know what it is, but I'm going to find out.'

We ate quietly in the dim room, the only light coming from the lantern I had lit a little while ago as the sun had set. Kaoru had helped me a little, and Akki had watched silently from across the room. His mere presence made me nervous, and I couldn't help the way my hands were shaking as I handled the vegetables. I nearly cut myself on the knife, and Kaoru had taken it from me worriedly.

Akki had made no comment so far, other than a soft 'arigatou' for the food in the first place. I watched him through my bangs as I ate. I saw now that he had brown hair, though the color was a bit strained, and pale skin. He was still a bit threatening in my mind. I knew that this was no mere gut feeling that I had, but a solid instinct. The hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end, as were my feathers, even though they weren't visible.

I set down my bowl, getting ready to stand. "I'll get the teapot." I had put it on the fire not long ago so it would be warm.

Akki, who was closer to it than I, shook his head. "Iie, I'll get it Kenshin. It's the least I can do for such gracious hosts." He took my cup and Kaoru's, turning and pouring tea into them.

I looked down at my food, narrowing my eyes slightly. He seemed nice enough, but something about him was still unnerving. He handed Kaoru her teacup, and then extended my cup to me. I took it with a nod, and then he turned to fill his own. I sipped the liquid, its warmth making me feel a little bit better.

"Lovely dinner anata." Kaoru murmured after setting down her cup. "One of your best yet I'd say."

I smiled, leaning over to kiss her cheek, wanting to keep up the illusion of the two of us being married. "Arigatou koishii." I gave a playful smile. "Akki-san should be glad that you didn't cook, he might have left."

She glared at me and smacked my arm again, jostling my teacup. "Kenshin!"

Akki laughed with me, and I grinned. "I'm just kidding Kaoru. But you really do need to work on your cooking skills."

She folded her arms. "I know… Just don't rub it in!"

I continued to put on the outside exterior that I was calm and collected, not wanting Kaoru to be anymore worried than she was. She had been giving me strange looks throughout the meal, and I knew that her suspicions were up. If I acted like I was laid back then she would let it go, and I could worry about Akki's presence in the safety of my own room.

Kaoru suddenly stood, picking up our dishes. "I'll clean these dishes since you cooked tonight anata. Why don't you get to know our guest a little better?"

I shook my head slightly. "Gomen Kaoru, but I think I should help you. That way we can be done a bit quicker, and get to bed. You look a little tired."

She blinked, and then smiled. "Arigatou for noticing Kenshin, but I'm okay. You sit in here; I'll be done before you know it." With that she picked up the dishes and disappeared into the kitchen.

I grudgingly returned to my position near Akki, putting a smile back on my face. "Gomen, Kaoru can be a little stubborn sometimes." I chuckled with him, and then thought about what I could say to this man, the one that caused all of my senses to ring. But before I could open my mouth a blinding pain raced through my skull. I winced, a hand going up to rub at my forehead. I looked back up as it receded, but my vision was blurry, and I nearly reeled when I sat up straight.

I swayed, and then fell to the side. But I never hit the ground. Akki caught me, and I looked up into his maliciously grinning face. "Whatever could be wrong? Tell me Battousai…"

I blinked fuzzily, and then fear shot through me. "Oh Kami… Enishi!" I struggled to move away from him, but it was like moving my limbs through sand. I opened my mouth to scream, but he clamped a cloth over my mouth and nose. I held my breath, knowing very well what was on that cloth.

He grinned into my face. "I'm surprised you didn't figure it out earlier Battousai." He threw a punch to my stomach, and I instinctively inhaled. As my world went dark I heard his words. "After all, they say the devil owns the demon………"

(Enishi)

I calmly threw my oni over my shoulder as his body went limp, going back into the dojo and finding his room fairly quickly. I identified it by the collar still sitting in the closet, hidden from view.

He did nothing to resist me, the drug on the cloth keeping him deep in sleep. The sedative I had slipped into his tea wouldn't last long, and that was why I had put him under with the cloth. I lay him on his futon, covering him with the blanket so it would seem like he had put himself there.

I removed two needles from my coat, slipping one into his arm first, injecting the stuff into him. It was a poison that my prize specialists had come up with themselves, and it would freeze his vocal cords, rendering him mute until the antidote was administered. The second was a slower working poison, one that would attack his immune system, and then begin to deteriorate his health.

I was tired to dealing with him, and I finally had a way to make him suffer. Let him die slowly, with no way of telling the woman that he loves the reason why he was dying, and that I had been the one to do it.

I went back out into the main room, sitting back in my spot. At about that moment Kaoru came back into the room. She frowned. "Well, where is Kenshin?"

I smiled slightly. "He said that he was tired, and he left only a moment ago."

Her frown deepened. "I think I'll go to bed to, and check on him. Why don't you get some rest to Akki-san?"
I nodded. "Oyasumi nasai Kaoru-san." I turned, going towards my room, the opposite way that she went. 'Because it's going to be your last one…'

Akki – devil
Oni – demon
Oyasumi nasai – Good night

Alright, I've got two correct guessers here. Skenshingumi, you were my first, and you are absolutely right. Kenshin has asthma, plain and simple. That's the only thing that's been wrong with him the entire time. You were right with your words, I was thinking, well finally. But hey, I suppose it is a little hard to figure out if you don't research it or have family members with it. -gives plushie to skenshingumi- PLUSHIES! And my other was an anon review, but you posted as MeMeMe. Interesting name... PLUSHIE! -throws plushie- Please review, and thanks again Skenshingumi and MeMeMe!