I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. Ohkami is a friend of mine, ohkamimajin. This is based on an RP that Ohkami, I, and a few other people did a few years ago. In this fic, Saito is not married. Thank you to FairyMage and ohkamimajin for reviewing! Reviews are welcome, flames mean more s'mores! A double line means flash back. Broken line means scene change.
Warning: Major Character(s) death. (Fan girls sob.)
Slowly, the darkness that had surrounded me seemed to retreat. I felt some sort of light on my face. When my vision finally cleared, I could tell that I was in some sort of dungeon.
As I tried to sit up, I felt something holding my arms back. Lifting my head I realized something. What the hell? I'm in a torture chamber? How can this be? Suddenly, a strange laugh interrupted my thoughts.
"Silly little girl." The voice seemed to be coming from all around me. "You have interrupted the order of the demon world and for that, you must be punished."
"What the hell?" I struggled against the bonds holding me down.
Just then, a figure emerged in front of me. I recognized it as the figure that had crashed the party the other night. Now I could tell, despite the cloak, that it was a man. As he came into the light I could distinguish his features, which included a pair of fox like ears.
"Who the hell are you?" I growled, inching away from him.
"Why should I tell that to someone who is about to die?" He sneered, moving his face closer to mine. "Then again, I don't see how it could hurt. I am Yuma, son of Lord Kuri."
"Lord who?"
"Insolent wench." He slapped me. "Do not pretend that you do not know the name of the most powerful demon in existence."
"If he's so powerful why doesn't he rule demon world?"
"Oh he will, and the human world as well. Once we get the Orb of Death no one will be able to stop us."
"Don't you mean him?"
"I said him."
"You said us."
"No I didn't."
"Yes you did."
"Stop it." He shrank away a little. "You're hurting my head."
"Yuma!" A man's voice echoed through the room.
"My lord." Yuma dropped to his knees.
"I thought I told you not to harass the prisoner."
"But, my lord-"
"Silence."
With that, Yuma flinched and I got my first look at this Lord Kuri. He wasn't much taller than Souzou and he had some sort of iron will look to him. For some strange reason he reminded me of Zeus, from the western mythology.
"I see you are awake Kitsune Majin." His voice was like ice as he approached me.
"No, I'm still asleep."
"You'd best to watch your tongue."
"No thanks."
"It seems that humans don't know when to shut up." He growled as he slapped me.
"No, it's just that I don't." I retaliated, ignoring the slap.
"Well, let's just see about that." He grabbed a fistful of my hair. "Now, you are going to help us get the Orb of Death."
"Go to hell." My voice was strained, and he pulled my hair tighter.
"You must convince the Princess to give me the Orb of Death. Otherwise, I will kill you."
"My life isn't worth the lives of the human population."
"What about demons?" Yuma asked, butting in.
"I believe that you all can take care of yourselves, or are you as weak as humans?"
"Silence!" Lord Kuri bellowed. "I will destroy Kyoto if you do not help me."
"Bullshit."
Suddenly, everything around me started to get darker. Lord Kuri's face was over mine, laughing. Eventually, everything went black.
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"Izumi! Izumi!" Ohkami's voice broke through the darkness.
Slowly, I opened my eyes and blinked. I was in some sort of forest, lying at the base of a tree. With a great deal of effort, I managed to sit up, for some reason, feeling drained. Leaning against the tree, I relaxed for a moment. Then Ohkami came into view, followed by Kenshin and Sano.
"Izumi!" Ohkami ran to me. "Are you alright?"
"I don't know." I replied as she knelt down beside me. "What happened?"
"We were hoping that you could tell us." Kenshin said as both he and Sano reached us.
"The last thing I remember is some Lord Kuri laughing and trying to make me get the Orb of Death for him."
"Then he let you go?" Ohkami sounded confused. "Didn't he like threaten you or something because if he didn't then he's a horrible villain."
"He said that he would destroy Kyoto."
"We need to find him then." Kenshin's voice was serious.
"He won't be getting far." I used the tree to help me stand up. "His son, Yuma I think, is helping him."
"What does that matter?" Ohkami helped me as I started to sway.
"Yuma is an idiot. Besides, we should probably find the Orb of Death first."
"You're probably right." Sano supplied. "But where is it?"
"Why do humans ask such stupid questions?" A familiar voice came from the tree above us.
"What are you doing here Neko?" Ohkami growled, stepping in front of me a little.
"This isn't your forest Princess." Neko jumped down from the tree and landed in front of me. "Besides, I wanted to see the Kitsune Majin when she awoke."
"You knew I was here?" I questioned. "How?"
"It's not very difficult to find a passed out human in a forest of demons." Neko started to circle Sano. "Like it isn't hard to find a willing human mate."
"Huh?" Sano looked stupefied.
"What do you say human?" Neko touched Sano's face. "Would you like to share a bed with me?"
"Stay away from him." In a blink of an eye, Ohkami was between Sano and Neko, her claws raised.
"Fine, I bet he wouldn't last long anyway." Neko said dismissively.
"Get out of here." Ohkami's voice was a low growl.
"I don't take orders from anyone, especially if they are named after a rabbit."
"Huh?"
"Rini means bunny rabbit, you idiot." Neko sighed. "Anyway, I need to go see my lover, he's probably wondering where I am."
All of us watched as Neko disappeared out the clearing. Suddenly Ohkami started bouncing up and down.
"Ohkami," I slowly backed away from her. "What are you doing?"
"I'm a bunny rabbit." She smiled and kept bouncing.
"Okay Ohkami." I sighed. "Let's get going; we need to find the Orb of Death."
"Okay." Ohkami said cheerfully and bounced behind us as we walked back to the castle.
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"So what are we looking for?" Sano asked as we stared at a map that Ohkami had randomly pulled off a shelf in the castle's library.
"I'm just as confused as you are Sano." Kenshin scratched his head.
"And we're trusting Ohkami why?" I looked at the other two questioningly.
"Because you love me, Izumi." Ohkami smiled and put her arm around me.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to me.
"What if we're looking at this wrong?" I said as I pulled out another map.
"What do you mean?" Sano looked at me curiously.
"What if this Orb of Death isn't hidden, what if it is in plain view."
"Your guess is as good as mine." Ohkami sighed. "Since none of us know much about the Orb of Death anyway."
"Maybe we should just ask the captain." Sano suggested.
Ohkami, Kenshin and I were all quiet. Then, I heard laughing in the hall. Into the room came Neko and Souzou, arm in arm. Neko was smiling but Souzou looked like he just wanted to get away from her. When he spotted me, a smile lit up his face. Unfortunately, Neko didn't look as happy.
"It is good to see you Captain." Sano smiled and walked over to Souzou. "We were just trying to figure something out and we thought that you'd know the answer."
"Oh really?" Souzou looked at us curiously.
"I don't see how human problems could bother you love." Neko tried to pull him away.
"I am human Neko." He unwrapped her arm from his. "And stop calling me love."
"If it weren't for me, you would have died at the hands of those humans who called you a traitor." Neko spat.
"Get out of my sight."
At that, Neko stormed out of the room. Souzou sighed and then looked at us. I avoided his gaze and I could hear him sigh.
"So, what did you need me for?" He asked.
"We were wondering if you knew where the Orb of Death was." Sano informed him.
"I don't know exactly where it is." He leaned on the table. "But I have an idea."
"Where?" Ohkami sounded excited.
"In a place called Wolves' Point. It's not that far from here, only two days travel."
"Well then what are we waiting for?" Ohkami jumped up. "Let's go."
"Go ahead." I said, looking up. "I'll meet you in a few minutes."
"Are you sure Izumi?" Kenshin stayed behind as Sano and Ohkami bolted toward the door.
"Yeah, go." I smiled a little. "I wouldn't want Ohkami and Sano to go out alone to find an item of total destruction."
"Alright. This one will see you soon then." With that, Kenshin followed the other two.
"I wondered who Neko's lover was." I whispered, mockingly.
"Izumi." He lifted my chin so I was looking in his eyes. "That's only one of her delusions. She thinks that because she helped me escape those men during the slaughter of the Sekihoutai that I owe her and she wants me as her mate. I don't love her Izumi, only you."
"You have an interesting way of showing it."
"Look, we both made mistakes, why don't we just figure a way to get around them."
"Mistakes are things like forgetting a birthday, or taking a wrong turn, not playing dead for ten years."
"Will you ever forgive me?" His voice got quieter.
"This isn't the time. We need to find the Orb of Death." I started walking toward the door.
"Izumi." He grabbed my arm and pulled me into an embrace. "I love you."
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I made my way through one of the halls of the palace. Souzou had gone ahead with the others and I had to find Hajime. At the end of the hall, I came to a balcony. The sun was setting and out of the corner of my eye I saw Hajime. He was standing on the edge of the balcony, looking at the sea.
"Jime." I slowly walked behind him.
"Izumi?" There was uncertainty in his voice as he turned.
We embraced and I relished being in his arms.
"I was so worried." He said as we released each other.
"What do you mean?"
"When you disappeared. The others acted strange as well, and you said something about them not being who they really were."
"You mean Lord Kuri hadn't used mind control on you?"
"Who?"
"Thank you." I buried my face in his chest.
"Izumi." His voice was barely a whisper.
Slowly, we parted again. This time, our faces stayed close. Without thinking, I closed my eyes, and we kissed. It felt amazing, as if I was floating on a cloud. I didn't want it to end, but we were both running out of air. Finally we pulled away.
"We should go after the others." He gently brushed a bang behind my ear.
"Alright."
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The trip to Wolf's Point was a very interesting one. Ohkami and Sano had been acting like teenagers in love, flirting the entire time. Kenshin was Kenshin, quiet and the only one saving us from having to eat Ohkami's horrible cooking. It seemed as if Souzou and Hajime had gotten over their differences, they didn't really seem to dislike each other during the trip.
"Wolf's Point is just over that ridge." Souzou informed us as we hiked up a trail on an extremely tall mountain.
"Good." Ohkami huffed. "I'm sick of climbing stupid mountains. They should have put the Orb of Death in a place that was easier to get to, like a bar."
As we came to the ridge, I had this weird sensation. Something inside me was telling me to run in the opposite direction. I shook my head a little.
"Something wrong Izumi?" I heard Kenshin behind me.
"Something just doesn't feel right." I sighed. "I'm probably worrying about nothing."
Suddenly, I heard a yell from up ahead. It sounded like Ohkami. I broke into a run and I heard Kenshin behind me. As we came to the top of the ridge, I barely stopped before running into a huge crevice. It was so deep I couldn't see the bottom.
"Do you think they fell in?" I asked Kenshin.
"It is very likely." He replied, leaning over a bit to look down.
"Well, then. Let's go."
"What?"
I jumped, pulling Kenshin down with me. We fell for what seemed like ages. Finally, I could see the ground rushing toward us. Out of the corner of my eye I saw what looked like a vine. Instinctively I reached for it and grabbed a hold.
The vine broke my fall and I held on for dear life. I saw Kenshin on another vine next to me doing the same thing. After a few minutes, we started to climb down. Eventually we made it to the ground. Kenshin dusted himself off and glared at me.
"What?" I asked innocently.
"This one thinks you are insane."
"Damn strait."
We made our way through a huge system of halls in this cave. Within a few minutes we had found our way into the center of the maze. Once inside, we ducked into the shadows to observe.
In the center of the room was Lord Kuri with Yuma at his side. Next to them stood Neko, an arrogant smirk on her face. Tied to what looked like a wall in front of them, were Souzou, Hajime, Ohkami, and Sano. Ohkami was spitting and hissing more than I thought were possible.
"What the hell do you want?" She growled, struggling against the chains.
"The Orb of Death." Lord Kuri replied, smiling. "And you are going to retrieve it for me."
"When hell freezes over."
"Oh as soon as I have the Orb, it will. You will help Princess Rini."
"You can't make me."
"Don't tempt me."
"Umm." Yuma interrupted the two of them. "Technically you can't."
"Shut up." Lord Kuri tossed Yuma against a wall. "Now, for my prize."
"Excuse me." Neko stepped in front of him. "Where is my reward? I did bring the Princess here. My half of the bargain is done now complete yours. Give me the money and Souzou Sagara."
"How about not."
Lord Kuri raised his hand and flash of black light shot out of it. It hit Neko square in the chest. She was tossed against the wall and as she fell to the ground, she seemed to stop breathing.
"How could you do that to one of your own people?" Ohkami asked. "Not that I'm complaining, she was a bitch, but still."
"She served her purpose." Lord Kuri took a step toward Ohkami. "And the same fate will befall your friend the Kitsune Majin if you do not comply."
"Ha! Izumi is a fox, she'll evade whatever trap you put out. You can't catch her, it's like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands."
"Really? Then explain why she's here."
Suddenly, Yuma appeared next to me. A devious smile was on his face as he pointed his sword at my throat. He directed me toward where his father was standing.
"Look who I found." Yuma's voice was filled with pride.
"Oh shut up." Lord Kuri's voice was filled with venom. "How good to see you Kitsune Majin. It seems you haven't changed from our last meeting."
"Bite me." I spat.
"What a clever idea, but I have no such plans now. Princess, my offer stands. Either you retrieve the Orb of Death for me, or I kill the Kitsune Majin."
"Don't do it Ohkami." I said without hesitation.
"Oh, so your life is worth more than that of thousands of humans? What if it is the life of the one you love most? Hmm? Or the life of your best friend? Or the kid you practically raised? I'm giving you a choice Princess, either save her or kill her."
"Izumi, I'm sorry." Ohkami sighed.
"No." I whispered.
The chains on Ohkami's wrist suddenly disappeared and she walked toward a huge pedestal on the other side of the room. I had failed to notice it before, probably because it was embedded in the wall. On top sat a green globe.
Ohkami reached for it and a green bit of light reached out and shocked her, but nothing happened. As she picked up the globe, I felt the room become colder. Something evil had just been released and Ohkami didn't look good. Her soul seemed to have just disappeared and just an empty shell remained. She then walked back toward Lord Kuri and handed it to him.
Laughter erupted from him, the most evil laughter I had ever heard.
"Finally, the world is mine." His voice was filled with glee.
"Like hell!" I yelled, trying to get at him.
"Oh Kitsune Majin," he turned to look at me. "You will not be left out, don't worry. I will put you out of your suffering."
"What are you talking about?" My voice was filled with venom.
"You won't have to see who is going to kill you. However, the last thing you will see is your true love's death."
Another black beam of light shot out of his hand and hit Souzou square in the chest. The beam had destroyed the chains and Souzou slumped to the ground. I ran over to him and held him in my arms.
"Izumi." I could barely hear his voice. "I love you."
"I love you too." I whispered as a solitary tear slid down my cheek.
Slowly, my vision became blurry and suddenly, I couldn't see anything. Lord Kuri's laughter erupted from behind me.
"How the mighty have fallen. I'm going to be the one to defeat the legendary Kitsune Majin, what a wonderful thought. And of top of that, it will be your best friend that will do the deed. Princess, kill her."
Suddenly, I felt someone grab my hair and I was pulled away from Souzou's body. A cold blade rested against my neck and I could hear Ohkami's breathing behind me. Every muscle in my body tensed.
"Ohkami, no…"
A/N: Wow this one was long. Yeah I know it is a major cliffie, but I love them. I thought this would be the perfect ending for this chapter. I know I killed Souzou, but Neko died too…. That probably doesn't make a good trade, but I had to do something. Anyway, on a note to FairyMage, thank you for that little info about the xanga, it took me a few days to figure out how to do that, XP, but anyway, the aol site is working out really well. Let me know if you think of it. Thanks.
Kitsune Battousai: (sobs.)
Kitsunemajin: What?
Kitsune Battousai: You killed Souzou!
Kitsunemajin: And Neko!
Kitsune Battousai: But she deserved it. Souzou! You're mean.
Kitsunemajin: I am not.
Kitsune Battousai: Are too.
Kitsunemajin: Am not.
Kitsune Battousai: Listen to yourself. You're having an argument with yourself and losing.
Kitsunemajin: (blinks) Shit. (goes to check herself into a mental institution.)
Kitsune Battousai: (waves) Bye for now!