Disclaimer: I do NOT own PMK or its characters.
Who's in charge? His Craziness or the sorcerer? One thing I noted is that when the spell fell apart, Furube upped and ran. And Kichi started acting really psychotic around this point as well. Hm…
I'm on a roll! A huge arigato to all who have reviewed. I am pleased my attempt to develop the OCs and fill in the blanks in the anime's going well…
An Assassin's Tale
Chapter 12
A good way outside the city, in view of the spooky mansion, Emiko the medium stared into a pool of water. This spell was unobtrusive, working with the natural flow of power instead of against it. Furube wouldn't sense the disturbance as she reached out, mentally following Hotaru. The girl was way too innocent to go without some protection, however small. Kitsu-dono and Osu-dono should be able to take care of any human guards or non-magical booby traps.
Hotaru happily ventured on, leaving a trail of ripped ofuda in her wake. Behind her, the black clad kunochi retirees stifled a chuckle as they picture the look on Furube's face as his careful woven spell came unravelling. "Saneakira's nursery…" Okitsu paused a while to survey a musty room. A boy who should have been a prince so his Craziness always said. But everyone knows the man's three bricks short of a mansion. And the boy's most likely some distant young relation entrusted to his care. Kami, they must really, really hate the kid's folks.
She had been the little boy's nanny for a while. Poor kid. Just because his folks believe in the foreigners' god... Wonder where his real parents were? In exile? Dead? She could recall the boy sitting by the window playing with his mother's pendant. If there is a heaven let him be reborn into a happier life. Osu was making irritated sounds and gesticulating. Hotaru was getting ahead of them. There was no time to indulge her memories. Okitsu shook her head sadly before moving on through the corridors.
Furube was sweating buckets as his charms fell apart and that Malaa-bead toting Miburou was proving a formidable opponent. Already, Saitou has broken one of his barriers…
He had to do something. Only one ofuda remained. The Miburou were trapped in his last illusion, fighting his shadowy warrior. If that ofuda were to fail… He hurriedly muttered a spell. Unsuspecting Hotaru reached out to tear it off when, a claw grabbed her wrist.
"AAIIIEEEE!" Still, Hotaru tore off the piece of charm. The scream jolted both kunoichi and they ran smack into a terrified Hotaru. The poor girl let out a squeak of shock at the sight of the two black clad figures before falling in a dead faint. Okay, this was so not in the plan. "What now?" Okitsu whispered.
"You get this child out and I go get Kichi," Osu replied.
"His Craziness will be in the large hall up front. Be careful."
"One more thing. When she awakes, advise her to take a nice long vacation in Yokohama or something. I think she has more than enough of Kyoto."
Shouldering Hotaru, Okitsu made her way out.
Furube almost shrieked in anger as the last barrier crumbled. All traces of the spell dissipated and he found himself facing… Wait, he shouldn't need to face those dogs! He fled, vanishing into thin air as Saitou slashed at him. Unseen, he brushed past Kichi and muttered a hasty spell. Let the sorry little upstart hold back the bakufu dogs… Too bad about his Lordship though. It was fun while it lasted. He'd have to find someone else to start on again. Maybe that cousin of the Emperor nursing a grudge he's not on the throne…
Kichi felt the sudden jolt. His mind seemed fuzzy. He was aware of Soujirou standing in front of him, with Hijikata and that black-clad swordsman, come here to die by his blade. Wait, it didn't seem quite right. Why was he reaching for his katana? What was he saying? The sorcerer must have slipped something to him…
Soujirou was looking at him with shock and disbelief, frozen. Kichi felt himself closing in for the killing blow. Kill me, you baka! Kill me before I kill you! He screamed inside his mind even as the blade sang through the air.
Emiko sensed the disturbance in the aura. Damn! That bastard's cast a puppet-spell on Osu's boy. This could be trouble. She whipped out her ofuda closed her eyes and chanted the protection spell… Work with me, please… It'd be up to the lad's will power.
Okita Souji was frozen, totally unable to raise his blade. Thankfully, his companion leapt before him, blocking the attack. "Souji, snap out of it…" Hijikata hissed. He wants to kill me… he hates me that much… A voice in Souji's mind cried out. Kichi leapt a step back, out of harm's way.
Fight it! Kichi was trying to get a grip on himself. He had to admit. He didn't really want to kill Soujirou, even if he blames him for all those terrible years he spent… Had Soujirou been looking for him all this while? Osu did mention something but he didn't hear her out… Was there still a chance? Pleasant childhood memories came back as if a door had been opened in his mind.
Soujirou and Akira catching summer minnows in the ditch, Soujirou taking the rap for him when he broke that old vase and those red bean cakes smuggled to him when Father punished him for that obi-prank he pulled on Kino-nee with a night of self-reflection in the wood shed… Soujirou would have searched for him somehow… someway… no matter how long…because that is Soujirou…
It took all his effort for Kichi to lower his sword. Emiko could sense the young man's spirit fighting back against the spell controlling him. Fight it! Kichi was still struggling as he sat down and left his master to shoot flaming arrows at the Miburou.
Meddlesome old woman. Hajime's voice snapped in her mind. He has felt her presence. I'll take care of breaking that spell. You take care of that sorcerer. The painted freak was shooting a burning arrow straight at him. Emiko gasped and the image in the pool wavered for a moment. Saitou spun to the side and grabbed the shaft of the arrow. In a fluid movement, he flung it at the dais, straight at Kichi. Hajime! I didn't mean kill him! Emiko yelled mentally.
There was no time for berating her grand nephew. A malevolent force struck Emiko, Catching her off-guard and knocking her off her feet… Furube! She realized the identity of her attacker even as the image she conjured up in the pool dissolved into inky darkness.
Author's Notes:
Saneakira's pendant: There is one screenshot in the anime during Saneakira's cremation of the nobleman throwing a little cross into the flames. It is a fact that for many years in Tokugawa Japan, Christians were persecuted. I sort of wove this bit into my fic.
Emiko gets a chance to shine and demonstrate the abilities of Yamaguchi family psychics in this chapter and possibly the next.