Same old disclaimer drill: I do not own these two wonderful animes, Ruronin Kenshin and Peace Maker Kurogane.

This is a continuation from the earlier chapter.

Friend or Foe

"Neesan, please go- OW!" Katsura yelped as Umeko took a mouthful of strong liquor and sprayed the liquid liberally on his back todisinfect the wound. Sakamoto stifled a chuckle. Thankfully, the wound wasn't as bad as they had initially thought. Most of the blood was from the dead bodyguards. Poor chaps. Katsura Kogoro was only a little disoriented by a bump to the head when he was fleeing down the stairs in the escape. No serious harm was done.

"There, all patched up." To emphasize her point, Umeko slapped a poultice on the wound that she had stitched up. She bound it with bandages. "Sakamoto, I told you we should have gone to Ikimatsu's…" Kogoro grumbled as his colleague started laughing.

"What? And miss the pleasure of listening to your sister tell you off? Besides, your mistress' place is a tad out of the way."

"Kogoro, you better make an honest woman out of Ikimatsu soon. I'm sure our dear parents will love to see you properly settled. She's a good woman, you know," Umeko coaxed. "What do those foreigners say? Go for it?" Sakamoto patted her shoulder in agreement, much to Kogoro's chagrin.

"Sakamoto, stop influencing my sister with your foreign ways."

"Oh dear, Umeko, looks like we have to stop our nightly discussions on modernization and democracy."

"Sakamoto! What ideas have you been filling my sister's head with? By the way, where's Kenshin?" Kogoro suddenly realized his loyal bodyguard was missing. "Probably spying on the Miburou den and making sure his buddy Okita is alright." Kogoro almost died from shock at his comrade's words. Kenshin entered the room at this moment. Seeing the look on Kogoro's face, he knew he has a lot of explaining to do…

Katsura was as understanding as he could possibly be as he shot glares at Umeko and Ryouma. How could they keep this from him? Especially Umeko. She should know better than to encourage Kenshin's friendship with Okita. Think of the trauma it could have caused Kenshin after Tomoe… Alright, he didn't check up Tomoe's background thoroughly. If he knew she was once engaged to a Mimawarigumi guy, he would never have attempted matchmaking her with Kenshin. And Ryouma! If risking his own life sneaking into the Miburou den ain't enough, he has to encourage Kenshin to do likewise…

"Sorry, Katsura-san. I will not see him again…" A shamefaced Kenshin piped.

Katsura's heart softened a little and he swallowed all the harsh words he had on the tip of his tongue for Kenshin. He was just a kid. Takasugi had been reluctant to allow Katsura to take him to Kyoto for that reason. "So how's Oki- your friend?"

"He is unhurt…" Kenshin replied. Okita was ill. Part of him wanted his friend to recover. Part of him didn't because if Okita recovered, they could meet on the battlefield again as foes.

No more was said on Okita between Katsura and his trusted bodyguard.

A few days later, Kenshin was still troubled. Did you really want it to end this way? Katsura Kogoro was recuperating in the capable hands of his Ikimatsu. Watching loving exchanges between the lovers from a distance, Kenshin was painfully reminded of his short marriage. He slipped out to Umeya. Rumours were rife that Okita was ailing, that he would lead his patrol no more.

Poor Okita. Kenshin bought a box of cakes. Maybe he could drop in, and Saitou would try to kill him, as well as all the other captains… Okita included? The poor youth felt so torn. He was a man of his word. He had given it to Katsura to see this Restoration though. Now they still needed his sword. He could not allow himself to be caught or killed. Then he caught sight of a redhead in the street…

His violet eyes gleamed with childish delight as a plan occurred to him. He hastily scrawled some words on the cake box, slapped a plaster over his telltale cross-scar, hid his sword behind the Umeya counter and ran out after the Shinsengumi page boy…

Okita tossed and turned in his futon. He was troubled. Everything he held dear was slipping away. He was losing his strength, his health and his life bit by bit. He had pledged his strength to help Kondo and Hijikata in the Shinsengumi. That strength that the Shinsengumi prized was leaving him. Every day the sword seemed heavier, his feet slower and he tired more easily.

He had stopped sparring with young Tetsu and had cut back on his practice because it took the very breath from his body. Hijikata knew of his condition. Okita had chosen to keep it hidden from the others for fear of damaging the morale of the troops. Okita was a legend. Okita would not leave this life an invalid. It wasn't that the young captain feared death. He had faced it countless times in the heat of battle. Rather it was the manner of death he feared.

There wouldn't be a next time. Hijikata had spoken of taking him off active duty and handing command of his patrol over to Nagakura. He felt helpless, like when he was a child. He was too old for tears. He was not a child now. There was no way he could run bawling to Kondo or Hijikata the way he did as a nine-year-old.

Dawn. He had not slept. A shaft of sunlight sliced into the room. It glinted off Okita's sword on its stand. The instrument of death called out to him with its siren song as it did when he was a little boy. The tune had changed. Back then, it sang of adventure, promises of glory and brave deeds. Now it sang of death, that of its master's.

What manner of death? Not seppuku. Okita had not done anything to disgrace himself such that ritual suicide was the only means of redemption. Besides, after that fiasco with Sannan, the men's morale had taken a severe beating and was just rebounding. Having another leader die that way could be disastrous. A samurai duel to the finish. Okita Souji smiled grimly. He would die in battle.

Saitou was his equal as a swordsman but there was no way he would agree to Okita's request for a death duel. None of the other men in the group would possibly agree to that. They were comrades-in-arms. No, his opponent had to be a foe. There was only one sword he could count on.

Ever since the hitokiri Battousai's handiwork appeared, Okita had been consumed by a desire to spar with the man. Just because it turned out to be Kenni wouldn't dampen his longing to meet him in a duel, would it? It shouldn't! Steeling his resolve, Okita fumbled about his writing desk before slipping out of his room. Tetsu was feeding the pigs. The captain called out to the boy.

"Okita-san, Saizou bit me again!" Tetsu complained. From the pen, Saizou protested his innocence. Okita did not laugh and chide the pig as he usually did. Tetsu was ill at ease with the serious look on Okita's face. "Okita-san?"

"Tetsu-kun, I want you to pass this letter to Umeko-dono of Umeya now. You are not to open it or let anyone else open it except Umeko-dono." Tetsu nodded and took the sealed envelope from Okita. He put it into his belt. Then he recalled something…

"Okita-san, I almost forgot!" Tetsu slapped his forehead. He trotted off and returned with a box of cakes. "Kenni-kun asked me to pass this to you when I met him on the streets yesterday." Get well soon. The childish words were scrawled on the box. A speechless Okita was left holding the cakes as Tetsu sprinted off on his errand.

Should he be mad at Kenni for hiding the truth from him? Kenni was not mad at him for turning out to be a bloody-handed Miburou captain… Heck, Kenni has probably spilled more blood than the entire first patrol! Kenni, are you my friend or my foe?

Author's notes

Of course the boys gotta meet again.