"Mei! Get up! What are you doing out here?!" Came a very worried and confused voice.
Mei groaned silently in irritation. She noted arm were wrapped around her and a slight breeze glided against her skin a bit. When she noticed, the latter goosebumps formed on her arms and legs. Bright lightning orbs slowly opened as she blinked a bit of the tiredness from her eyes, trying to regain clear vision instead of the blurriness that she had awoken to.
"Mei what the hell?"
The woman lifted a hand up to her eyes and rubbed one of them. When she softly set her hand back down on her stomach she looked up to see it was Harada. She tilted her head a bit as their eyes met before she looked around them—she was outside. They were on the grass in the garden she liked. Had she accidentally fallen asleep there?
"Mei, are you okay? Please tell me." The samurai was more than a little concerned as to why he had found Mei sleeping in the grass first thing in the morning. The man slowly picked the woman up in his arms, an arm beneath her knees and another around her shoulders, then took her over to the veranda.
Mei looked at the man before looking at the wooden boards as her feet touched the veranda and she was set down.
"Nod your head if you're okay."
Mei nodded her head before looking at Harada, giving him an odd look. She was just as confused at why she was outside as he was but she didn't seem nearly as concerned about it as him.
"Geez… You need to be careful Mei. You'll get sick and Souji won't be happy and will probably make it worse by making you do work. Not even mentioning what Serizawa would do if he had seen you or if you got sick." Harada stated a bit like a concerned older brother or reprimanding father.
The thought brought a smile to Mei's lips; Harada as a father? She could see it, and see his children running around and getting into all sorts of trouble. Fighting off the smile now, she lifted a hand to cover her lips. Her shoulders began to shake slightly as if laughing.
Harada obviously noticed her actions and couldn't help but smiling warmly at her, "What's so funny, huh?" He chuckled before patting her head just a bit, "You finally smile after how long you've been here?" He jibbed. His hands gentle and warm.
Mei looked at him a bit surprised, more by the fact that she had realized it probably was the first genuine smile she had on her face since the first day. Probably the first genuine laugh and smile since that day. She smiled a bit more freely now before she looked down.
"You must miss your home, right? I'm sorry you got dragged into this life because of Serizawa, but I'm glad you're here. You bring a refreshing feeling here. Maybe one day you will get to go back to China, safe and sound." Harada said lightly, sitting down on the edge of the veranda, leaning back on his hands. "How long has it been since you last been home?" He asked lightly. It wasn't a complicated enough answer for her to have to write anything down. She simply could use her fingers, he figured.
As did she. But the question had gotten her to feel a bit melancholic. She looked down at the grass as she slowly sat beside him. It's been a pretty long time… Back then I was still just a kid… She thought absently before she sighed. Telling him at least this much wouldn't hurt anyone… She added in thought before looking at him, lifting 10 fingers then putting them back down on her lap.
"Weeks?"
She shook her head.
"Months?"
She shook her head again.
"Years?"
Mei nodded finally.
His words sounded saddened and a bit surprised. His voice was just above a whisper when he asked. But then another question crossed his mind, hoping it wouldn't cross any boundaries, "Souji mentioned you telling him you weren't always a mute—how long has it been since you last had your voice?"
Mei looked at her feet for a few minutes, as if contemplating on telling him. The pregnant pause a little suspenseful on Harada's end, and a bit confused on hers. But finally, she let out another silent sigh and lifted 10 fingers again. The look in her eyes told him years.
"How old were you?"
She lifted bother of her pointer fingers. 11… she tried to convey.
And her messaged was received. "Damn, Mei… have you tried talking at all since then? I mean… By now your voice must've changed a lot…" Harada said as he gave her a very surprised look. He couldn't imagine not having a voice for so long. Unable to clearly or openly speak up for yourself and what you believe in. To communicate freely with others.
Mei took another moment to think before shaking her head. She hadn't tried. She never had a reason to.
"Harada!"
The call of the man's name caught both parties' attention easily, both looking down the veranda towards the front gates, and coming towards them was Okita, Heisuke, and Hijikata. The one who had called him happened to be Hijikata.
"Oh! Mei! You're here." Heisuke said surprised before giving her a big smile.
"Good. Both of you are here. Get up and let's go." Hijikata stated.
"Where are we going?" Harada asked as he got up and then helped Mei to her feet.
"With Serizawa into town." Hijikata replied before already beginning to walk towards the gates.
Without another word from anyone, they all followed after the devilish man. Heisuke falling in step with Harada at his side, both right behind Hijikata. Okita and Mei fell into step with one another just behind them.
-A bit later-
The four were accompanied with Ryunosuke, Shinpachi, Kondou, and a few others aside from Nimi and Serizawa. In the end Serizawa didn't want to be seen with the woman and sent her off with Harada, Heisuke, and the other two comrades-in-arms off to find supplies. Mei intended only to get herself some more ink, brushes, and paper for her to write on. She didn't find the idea of being an errand dog for Serizawa the least bit pleasing.
"Damn Serizawa, he acts like a kid." Heisuke grumbled with his hands behind his head. "Why does he have to be such an ass to you. He treats you like the plague."
Harada chuckled, "You're a kid too Heisuke. But you've got a point. Mei's been with us for a while now, any grown man would have gotten over it by now. Plus, he should just admit that he started it." He looked over to Mei, who walked in front of them. "Maybe because he's a nationalist." He wondered.
"Probably." Heisuke replied.
Mei did nothing to really contribute to the conversation between both. He knew some of them were nationalists and her presence must have been irritating. Like she cared though. She didn't care if they hated her or liked her. She was there because she had lost fair and square against Okita, and he spared her life. Granted she had to become his page, it wasn't that bad, she had to admit.
"Mikoto!"
All five of them blinked at the sudden shout of a woman in distress. Looking around they spotted a man, with two men behind him, holding a young boy by his hair with a harsh grip. A woman, more than likely the mother, was a few feet away, frightened. Tears in her eyes she pleaded with the men, "Please…! Please let him go…!" She cried. No one around moved to help, no one looked to the obvious threat. No one did anything.
"Like hell. You don't want to help me out with a few drinks, an honorable samurai that risks my life for your safety, then let me teach you what will happen to this kid if I weren't around protecting our great country." The man laughed as he grabbed out his short sword and threw the kid onto the floor as he raised up the deadly weapon and brought it down to strike the boy in the head.
"MIKOTO!"
Blood dripping onto the ground, but there was no child screaming. Instead it was silence. In between the blade and the boy was Mei. Her blood staining the ground as she held the boy close to her person with one arm, her free hand gripping the blade harshly, tightly. Slowly standing to her feet with the boy in an arm she looked to the mother then the boy, trying to tell the woman to take her boy and go.
The mother was evidently frightened of Mei but as she saw her son, unharmed and safe, she nodded her head and rushed over, taking her son in her arms. "Thank you so much." She whispered beneath her breath before rushing off.
"Mei…" Harada whispered in surprise. Him nor his comrades moved towards her, as she was giving off a very heavy aura once the mother and child left. If they had rushed in now, whatever was going to happen next, they'd only get in the way.
Mei slowly turned towards the three men, and what they saw made chills run down their spine. Her eyes were bright with anger, and ice cold. Starring daggers into their own, and her grip on the sword didn't loosen as she reached for Kusanagi at her side.
"Huh? Who the fuck are you? Move aside bitch." The man growled, "Oh look, she's got a sword too. How laughable. Disgraceful of a women-"
But Mei didn't let him continue. As she unsheathed Kusanagi she kicked the man in the stomach, ripping the blade from his hands and to the ground before she pointed Kusanagi at the other two, daring them to try and fight her. Her movements were sharp, fluid. The air around her only got thicker as a small grin tugged at her lips like before, with Okita. The smell of blood wafting into her nose.
"Why you little-!" One man lunged forward.
Only to be knocked down and to get a blade through his thigh. His scream cutting through the silence of the street and his blood joining hers in staining the ground.
The last man had enough intelligence not to try and challenge her, getting the hint he stood no chance. He turned quickly to run off, but for some reason Mei didn't stop. She lunged forward and aimed to strike the man down before Heisuke stood in front of her. Blocking her path and stopping the sword with his own.
"Mei. Wake up." Heisuke urged as he tried to push the woman back a bit. But he couldn't help but notice her eyes, they were almost animalistic as they stared back into his, like the person before him wasn't the same person he had come to know. "Mei…! Harada some help please!" He growled.
Harada soon enough came behind the woman and knocked her out with the butt of his own katana. Catching the woman in his arms before she completely collapsed to the ground. Kusanagi clattering to the floor and the silence of the street following it. "Heisuke. She's burning up." He stated as he noticed how hot the woman's skin was getting, "She's sick, we have to take her back now." He instructed as he slowly stood up from the floor and shifted Mei in his arms so her head rested on his shoulder. "How did you get sick without any of us noticing, Mei? Geez…" He whispered lightly before beginning his walk back.
"How bad do you think it is?" Heisuke asked concerned for the woman they've come to know.
"It might be a few days before she gets better, her skin is pretty hot…" Harada explained before glancing at Heisuke. "Souji won't be happy…" He stated plainly.
"You got that right." Heisuke nodded, "When he asks us what happened… Do we tell him what we saw?" He asked slowly and low, so only him and Harada could hear. They both knew very well what he meant—the grin on her face. The overwhelming aura that emanated off her. The thick and heaviness they felt, and her quick to kill attitude. The fear she struck into those that watched, and the bloodlust that was in her eyes. That wasn't the Mei they knew.
"We'll tell the guys, but not a word to Serizawa…"
"Naturally."
Allo! Please follow, favorite, and review I would really appreciate it!
I'm so glad I finished this chapter within a reasonable amount of time~ Hehe~ I feel absolutely horrible when I don't update in months or in some cases a year. I feel a bit better now and kinda out of the writers block rut, so I hope I can get another chapter out soon in a reasonable amount of time. If I don't please yell at me.
Love always,
Chess