AN: So like most people I love to listen to music while cleaning and I had my music shuffling. On came What Lies Beneath by Breaking Benjamin (awesome band) and as I'm listening, I realized how fitting the song was for Soujiro. Maybe even the whole battle scene between Soujiro and Kenshin and I couldn't help but share the lyrics.
Take a breath, hold it in
Start a fight, you won't win
Had enough? Let's begin
Never mind, I don't care
All in all, you're no good
You don't cry like you should
Let it go, if you could
When love dies in the end
So I'll find what lies beneath
Your sick twisted smile
As I lay underneath
Your cold jaded eyes
Now you turn the tide on me
Cause you're so unkind
I will always be here
For the rest of my life
Here we go, does it hurt?
Say goodbye to this world
I will not be undone
Come to life, it gets worse
Don't carry me under
You're the devil in disguise
God, sing for the hopeless
I'm the one you left behind
Now tell me those lyrics don't fit his character! Had to share that ^-^
Now onward with the story.
"You never cease to amaze me Soujiro," Koharu praised as he slowed the horse down a few paces. The horse was an older one so Soujiro did not want to push it to its limit the whole way to Kofu. It had clearly not been used for riding for some time and that was evident by the dusty saddle he sat upon and the uneasiness of the horse when he first tried riding it.
Koharu barely got a response out of him. His gaze remained on the horizon as he continued to hold onto his sober expression. The morning's events were sinking more deeply in his mind and he wondered if going to Kofu was not such a good idea. He knew for sure he couldn't hold on to the horse and care for it and the horse would not be able to travel far and carry two. It was much too difficult to hide and they could barely go off the main road to travel with it. The horse had just been useful in making a quick getaway and to put distance between them and the police officers. They would become a spectacle if they remained too much longer on the horse. He needed to work to disappear all over again.
"Sou?" Koharu called to him with concern. She sat with her side against him so that both her legs hung off to one side. She clearly saw the stress he was under.
Soujiro finally turned his gaze to her and offered a half hearted smile. "You were never going to let me go, were you?" He had noted before that Koharu had found the time at some point to change back into her original clothes while Soujiro threatened Ayaka and attempted to get away on the horse. Thankfully, Ayaka had stitched the pants where Koharu had torn them in the river a few days before. She had even tried her best to clean the blood off of Soujiro's shirt, but obviously it would not be perfect and as long as he wore the gi over it, it wouldn't draw attention. He was thankful she had decided not to toss it simply for the sake of staying warm.
"At first no," Koharu answered. "But when the policemen came, I knew revealing myself would only make things harder on you...and I know it did because you had to rescue me all over again. When I saw that policeman recollect his gun and go after you... I couldn't just stand by." She smiled as she looked up at him. "But I was prepared to fight with you again. There's no doubt in my mind that I should stay with you."
What was left of Soujiro's smile faded from his face and he fell back into a more sober expression. "Why Koharu? Why do you want to stay with me?" He was confused by her willingness, her determination to stay by his side.
She blushed shyly, but felt no shame as she said the words. "I love you."
The horse Soujiro directed came to a halt as she spoke those words. She mustard the courage to raise her head to see how those words affected him. His expression remained nearly unreadable, but she saw he looked rather irritated and his eyes narrowed. When he did direct his eyes at her, she clearly saw his exasperation and she lowered her head with a pout. She couldn't stand it when he looked at her like that. "There is no reason to look so upset. It's not a bad thing. It's your fault."
"It's hardly a reason."
"It hardly seems to you because you don't know what it is," she stated honestly. The words might have seemed cold, but Soujiro didn't even argue it. He would be the first one to admit that. Koharu wasn't finished."You don't know what it is, but it doesn't mean you haven't expressed it. If anything, you're the reason why I know what I'm talking about."
He baffled her as usual when he laughed, except he burst out laughing in a way he was actually laughing at her. He laughed the way he would had if someone had said such a thing to him as the Teken. The idea of it still sounded so nonsensical to him. "It sounds absurd." He said in the midst of his laughing.
Koharu only smirked. "It's the truth Soujiro. I love you and there's no one to blame for that except for you. I'm not going to love someone I hate."
Soujiro let out a more sincere laugh. "All right, I guess that makes sense...in an odd way."
He urged the horse to pick up the pace again. "We need to get this horse to Kofu and then be swift to put Kofu far behind us if we're to get ahead again."
Soujiro's earlier anxieties now started to weigh more heavily upon Koharu's mind at the thought of entering Kofu. She always thought of Soujiro as being more invincible than anything, but there had been instances where she had been reminded he was still just a human being and as fragile as any human being. She had never been more afraid for his life when he had been thrown from the horse and lay completely vulnerable while the police officer shot at him.
She then remembered something she found strange when the officers had referred to him.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she tried starting in respectfully, "but you never mentioned Teken as being part of your name."
"It was a name given to me by my former master. It's only common to those who knew my master, which is the whole Meiji government and I'm sure the former Juppongatana told them enough about me."
"Juppongatana?"
"An elite attack force that was led by me but commanded by my master, Shishio. Orders often went through me to them. I never meant to keep the name Teken a secret. It just never came up."
Koharu was stunned by how much she was suddenly learning about him. She had just never known what questions to ask. She figured it must have nothing to do with the scars on his back by how open he was being, but she still was finding out more than she had the whole time she had been with him. She wanted to know more. "Why did Shishio call you Teken?"
Soujiro smiled. "It's not a bad name in itself. He believed I was gifted with supernatural abilities. You know how you and others say I'm fast?"
"Yes?"
"You've seen nothing compared to what I can actually do," Soujiro gloated. "Few have."
"I'll take it the Meiji Government knows your capabilities," Koharu remarked sadly. "That's why they want to take you away. Why did you get on their bad side?"
"Well, I sort of tried to help my master overthrow the government and take control of Japan."
"Sou! Why in the world would you want that?"
"It's what my master wanted. And at the time I thought it was for a better cause. You see, Shishio is the one who taught me that the strong are the ones who live and the weak die. He wanted a stronger Japan and to do that we had to overthrow the Meiji Government. It made so much sense to me at the time because all my targets fell so easily to me. They didn't deserve to be in power for that reason alone. Shishio seemed like Japan's last hope to become strong, so I took out anyone who got in the way or who even might become a threat. That's why I got on their bad side, Koharu."
"That sounds frightening," she hugged her arms tightly. She couldn't imagine Soujiro having been so cruel and heartless. "The Meiji Government sounds unpleasant but what your master wanted sounds no better.
"I suppose," Soujiro could admit. "But Shishio would have made a far better and fearsome ruler." He grinned at the thought.
Koharu could tell even now that Soujiro seemed to worship and admire this master of his. She made a mental note to never disrespect his master in front of him, even though he clearly sounded insane to her and it sounded like Soujiro had just been a tool to him. She even wanted to say that, but she could be thankful that Soujiro could at least admit that maybe his master's way was not the best either. "What made you leave your master?"
"Despite the fact he's dead now?" His face twisted into one of repugnance. "I was defeated by a certain former hitokiri. He's the one who made me question my master's ways...especially when he defeated me without having to kill me. I was not even close to showing him the same mercy, and he still defeated me and let me live. He made me feel weak all over again, and a fool. Sometimes even now I feel like I deserve death for that reason alone, but that's my master's thinking. Himura Kenshin encouraged me to find my own way and set me on this path. So here I am now...a wandering fugitive. Maybe that's why I never brought up my former name Teken. I hardly feel like the Teken anymore."
"Nope!" Koharu happily agreed. "You're just sweet Seta Soujiro."
"Maybe to you," he chuckled softly. "I did just attack a police officer and frankly, I have no problem doing it again if they keep getting in my way." It sounded dark, but it made her smirk at the thought.
Just like Soujiro, she wasn't as innocent as she appeared. She looked up at him with her devious smile. "They'll have to fight both of us, Sou. I may not be strong like you, but I can still put up a good fight."
"You sure do," he agreed, remembering how she practically fought off two police officers for his sake. "You saved my life." He never imagined a girl like her ever being able to save him in such a way. That he would ever need it.
"Hey, I guess I did!" She beamed. She didn't feel so bad about revealing herself to the police now.
A gust of chilling wind suddenly blew into them, startling the already timid horse. The horse halted with a jerk and staggered backwards like before with an agitated neigh. Soujiro kept a firm grip on the reins but instead of yanking at them to force the horse's submission, he reached his other hand over to the horse's long neck to pet and console the frightened pony. If he knew anything about horses, it is that no good came from trying to force their obedience by yanking upon the reins, especially a frightened one not used to carrying two people. The horse eventually stopped on its own and whinnied softly in response to Soujiro's gentle touch.
He sat back when he felt Koharu shiver against him and saw her still holding onto her arms as she shook. "I'm fine," she continued to smile like before. "That gust was just really cold." She was trying to fool the wrong person with her smile. "Sou," she huffed softly when he promptly sat his palm against her forehead. For the second time, she pushed his hand away.
"You're still feverish."
"I'm fine! Just focus on getting to Kofu, better yet, escaping Kofu.
"I am, Koharu. But I'm still responsible if something happens to you. It would help me out if you would communicate these things to me."
"There's nothing to be done about it, so why bother?"
He rolled his eyes but proved her wrong when he gave control of the reins over to one hand only and raised his free arm in front of Koharu to rest on her shoulder so that the sleeve of his gi fell over her to add an extra layer of warmth. "Because I said so."
When he turned away to focus back on the road, Koharu's defiant glare softened and she hid her smile when she relaxed her head against his chest. She never expected him to actually say the words, I love you, but he really did have other ways he revealed it. He might as well as said, 'because I care for you,' or 'because I love you too,' because that's what she really heard.
The rest of the ride to Kofu was mainly a quiet one, especially when Koharu fell asleep. Flurries of snow happened sporadically throughout their travel and he found himself praying that it wouldn't turn into a winter storm. Technically, it wasn't even winter yet, but it was upon him and he had yet to find shelter of any kind to survive what would clearly be a harsh winter. The only thing he could do was keep trying even though the odds were against him.
Masumi had mentioned Kofu being a day's journey on foot, and that was coming from someone who wasn't quick to begin with. On horseback, he arrived within a few hours. Due to the shorter days, the sun was already setting by the time they neared the city and with the overcast of clouds, it made it seem even later within the day. Soujiro stopped the horse well before the borders of the city so he could not be seen riding in. Often, riding on a horse meant you were a somebody, or you at least had money. Either way, it drew attention.
"Koharu, it's time to get off the horse," he nudged her shoulder his hand had been resting on. She didn't move or respond and didn't even moan out sleepily like she usually did. "Koharu?"
She softly clenched his sleeve and she slowly exhaled to began gathering her strength. When she finally did pull away, he saw her skin seemed paler than usual and her cheeks were flushed. She bent forward slightly with a moan as she clutched her head. "My head... It hurts so bad."
"You should have taken better care of yourself while at the Ochies. Maybe if you ate and slept more, you would have actually gotten better."
"You shouldn't stress me out then!" She snapped in her irritability. She promptly helped her self off the saddle and ended up landing painfully on her feet before she slammed into his hands and knees against the ground. "Damn it!" She cried out. "I thought the ground was closer!"
Soujiro felt like it shouldn't matter to him, but Koharu's language did bother him. Maybe it was just the fact that she was a girl, a young girl at that and he knew of no bright future for a girl that used such language. He still wasn't moved to correct her, especially when his language wasn't that much better. She had also spent all her life around those who probably had cursed is every sentence they formed. He felt like he probably should mention something about it, but now was not the time. Koharu was already in a bad mood and honestly, he didn't feel like it was his place to. Too bad Yumi isn't here to help. She could teach Koharu everything I can't. He smiled at the thought of that. He would have liked to see Yumi with Koharu. He could already picture the fights they would have had and Yumi knowing exactly how to put Koharu in her place. He felt an ache in his chest at the thought of Yumi. Sometimes, he forgot how much he actually missed her. She had been the closest to a mother figure he had.
He climbed off the saddle and approached her side. "Get up, now," he said in a firm tone of voice. "We need to keep moving."
Koharu nodded, but the moment she stood and put pressure on her right ankle, pain shot up her leg and she whined as she fell back on her knee. "I'm fine!" She yelled before Soujiro might question it. He was already kneeling beside her. She twisted around and pulled up her pantleg to inspect her leg herself. It looked fine to her until Soujiro took it upon himself to lift and clutch around her ankle. He seemed to know exactly where to put the the pressure and caused Koharu to screech and twist in pain.
"You're really a piece of work, Koharu. You sprained your ankle."
"I didn't mean to!" She whined.
"Think before you act!" He snapped. He exhaled to calm himself. Koharu certainly did know how to make him express strong emotion and it about nearly made up for the lack of emotion he had for ten years. If anything, she would keep him from ever suppressing emotion again.
Still, he regretted snapping at her when she started to weep and dry her tears at the same time. Sure, her ignorance was still to blame for it, but he had antagonized her right after she had complained about her head hurting. Her head pain and illness were probably affecting her eye sight as well and attacking her like that had not helped.
Despite what he thought, Koharu wasn't crying because he had yelled at her. The tears came from the fact that she just made it that much harder on Soujiro, given the gravity of their situation before she sprained her ankle.
"Just leave me here Sou and take the horse. I'll be all right until you come back."
"I'm not going to leave you. I'm not the only criminal out here."
"Fine!" She yelled as she forced herself to her feet and grunted from the effort it took. "Let's get moving!" She still yelled angrily as she limped.
He stood and grasped her shoulders to stop her from taking another step.
"Sou, please! I don't want to be a hindrance. Let me go!"
"It's a light sprain. It won't take long to heal, but you'll just make it worse if you keep walking on it. Just wait here a moment. I'm going to dispose of the saddle so nobody can assume we rode in," he looked at their surroundings to quickly ascertain where to dispose it so it wasn't seen from the road. He looked back at her. "I can carry you. It won't slow me down that much. Just wait here."
He turned away and approached the horse to begin loosening the saddle off it. I hope this dusty, old thing didn't have sentimental value, he thought as he tossed the saddle into a ditch a few yards off the main road. One can't be too careful, right?
By the time he returned to Koharu, snow had begun to softly fall again. As he promised, he carried her on his back and clutched the reins to the horse before they carried on in their journey.
Koharu buried her forehead in shame into against the back of his neck as she held onto him. I don't care how bad his crimes are. I'll never deserve him as a brother, nor a friend.
Koharu only raised her head from him once when they entered Kofu before the scenery bored her already and she rested her head back against him. It looked worse than Gifu with the lack of scenery that Gifu at least had going for it. The buildings felt more cramped and cluttered and the population more dense than she was used to. What does this ugly place have that Gifu doesn't? She was more of a country girl, however. At least Soujiro would be harder to spot within the city.
So far, no one cared to pay Soujiro a second glance as he maneuvered through the streets carrying her and guiding the horse. To any onlooker, it looked like Soujiro was just going about his daily business, perhaps running family errands or caring for a family member in need. His sword was well concealed for the moment with him supporting Koharu's legs and his sleeves naturally falling over the weapon.
Soujiro found a stable close to where he entered Kofu and brought the horse in knowing the Ochies could safely assume their horse would be here.
"Hello?" He called out once he was inside. Nobody was within the building to service the horse for him. He carefully released Koharu and had her wait at the entrance while he brought the horse in himself. "That's strange. There's no one here," he noted out loud. There was only one other horse within the building and Soujiro clearly saw it had not been cared for in some time by how thin and frail it looked. No one had been here in days, maybe even a week. "Something isn't right.…"
"You think it's a trap?" Koharu asked fearfully.
"No. That's not what I mean. I mean Kofu overall. Something seems...off about it. On my way in, I noticed businesses here are either shut down or even abandoned. Even homes in the streets looked...forgotten."
"You don't think the season has anything to do with it?"
"A blacksmith has no reason to shut down yet. Nor do restaurants." He gave a few examples of what he saw. "And there is usually at least one person here to care for the horses, no matter the time of the year." He continued to guide the Ochies' horse into its own stall. He pet the horse for the last time as he removed the reins and sat them aside. He didn't know what would become of the horse with no one here to care for it, but he couldn't let himself stress about it. The well being of another was weighing more heavily on his mind and he turned back to face her. Koharu wasn't looking any better and was shivering as the cold air blew in. He stood there for a moment longer as he contemplated his next course of action.
"Sou?" She called to him in a slightly frightened tone of voice. "Can't we go now?" She then sneezed and it seemed to make up Soujiro's mind for him.
He hastily approached and pulled her back to his arms. "Come on. I'm getting you to a doctor first."
"What? No Soujiro! We'll get caught!" She resisted his hold. "We have to leave Kofu now!"
"You could be dead by tonight if I leave Kofu now," he stated bluntly. "At least in a clinic you'll be warm and taken care of. I'll figure something out for money. Plus, if the snow keeps falling like this I can be tracked more easily. Leaving now could be as dangerous as leaving so I might as well as try to help you."
"No!" She screamed. She turned away angrily when he immediately cast those indignant eyes upon her. She knew then not to say another word.
When he knew she would be quiet, he entered back into the streets of Kofu and began searching out for a clinic to take her to. Koharu started to weep silent tears from her growing fear of losing him. Maybe he's right. Maybe the weak do only get in the way.
Soujiro was in the heart of Kofu when he finally caught sight of the clinic. He didn't have money, but he was prepared to wing it if he had to. He quickened his pace in an effort to get Koharu out of the cold and finally in a place she could be safe and recover her strength completely. He didn't get very far when someone from the surrounding crowd threw their weight into his back. Koharu was thrown from his arms as he was shoved against the ground on his side into the cold snow. Laughter erupted in the air from behind.
"You better watch where you're going, kid." A man bellowed from behind.
Soujiro had fallen against his sword, which had hurt, but he guessed the imbeciles had failed to notice he was even carrying one. When he attempted to move to just press on for Koharu's sake, another foot was planted into his side causing him to collapse back into the snow.
"Sou!" Koharu yelled. She started to maneuver towards him before one of the men blocked her. She glared defiantly. "Baka! You don't know who you're dealing with!" The man yanked at her gi to pull her off the ground. Koharu stumbled with a cry and fell to her knees.
"You've got a big mouth for a such a weakling."
Soujiro kept his sleeve over his side to keep the weapon concealed. The only reason he hadn't reacted yet was because of the strong desire to not draw anymore attention. The crowd had only dispersed from around them to not risk becoming involved and treated it like it was a rather normal thing. Starting a fight would only draw in the police and while Soujiro could get this fight started and ended in a matter of seconds, he wouldn't be allowed to take Koharu to the clinic without being spotted.
"Let her go." Soujiro swallowed his pride again. "What do you want?"
Both Koharu and her assailant turned their attention down at Soujiro, Koharu clearly flabbergasted at Soujiro for allowing them to be bullied like this. He shook his head sternly at her to warn her not to add to their trouble. His hand, however, twitched at his sword when Koharu's assailant tossed her back against the ground. "Good decision, kid. But surely, I don't have to tell you what I want."
"I don't have any money." He immediately responded.
"Check him," he ordered the two standing over Soujiro.
The moment he started to resist, the two men grabbed at him and Koharu's assailant grabbed at her arm and twisted it behind her back to make her scream to try and force Soujiro's cooperation.
That was a mistake.
Soujiro was pinned back against his side, his hand and sleeve still concealing the weapon. He only looked around one more time to make sure no government officials were around as one of the men began inspecting his pockets. He only found the music box and held it up to reveal his find. "What's this piece of junk?"
"We can probably get something for it. Check his other pocket."
"No! That mine!" Koharu cried out.
The moment they tried to force Soujiro around, he swung his elbow out to strike the man who took the music box. He was thrown back while Soujiro was already falling back on his palms and following his attack by thrusting his leg overhead to strike his other assailant. As soon as he put some distance between him and the other two, he finished his attack by grabbing the sword above the hilt to keep the scabbard on and twisted around into a lunge as he struck both men across the face in one swift move and knocked both men flat against the cold ground. He turned to face Koharu and her assailant.
"That's my Sou," Koharu uttered proudly.
She let out a cry when her assailant, unaware of her having a sprained ankle, forced her to her feet and tried to drag her back as his last desperate means for protection against the samurai he had terrorized.
"Stay back and the girl won't be get hu-" he was suddenly struck in the face from behind with a parasol. He cursed out loud when the bamboo end of the open parasol planted itself right in his right eyeball.
A girl in a dark green kimono tied with a navy blue obi stepped aside keeping her parasol raised like a dangerous weapon. She grabbed at Koharu's arm and pulled her from the man's hold in the midst of all his screaming and cursing. When he attempted to lunge at both girls, she closed the parasol and struck upwards into the man's throat making him choke and release a horrid retching sound. She only managed to stop his attack, but not him as he plowed into her and fell over her against the ground. Koharu barely managed to roll out of the way. The girl released a frightened scream as she fought to shove the man off. Her auburn hair had been in a braid twisted in a messy bun with an ornate hairpin and it fell from her head on impact when she struck the ground.
Soujiro's cold, intense eyes had turned into ones of bewilderment at the first sight of the girl and her parasol. It had been so random.
"You'll pay for that -" The man was interrupted by the sound of a sword being drawn and he flinched when he saw the end of Soujiro's blade to his face. He had not even heard or seen Soujiro approach so quickly until he drew the sword. He slowly sat up from the girl and kept his hands up with his one eye squinted shut.
"Get out of my sight, now." Soujiro spoke assertively. When the man just continued to glower at him, Soujiro helped him along by stepping forward and kicking him completely off the girl. "Leave!" Before I change my mind about letting you waste-of-space live.
The man was thrown to the ground by Soujiro's powerful kick and was quick to scramble back to his feet and run in the opposite direction. Soujiro snapped his head to the side when he saw the other henchmen getting back on their feet as they saw their companion running by to leave them in the dust. The moment they met Soujiro's eyes, they started to follow suit. One of them didn't get very far before Soujiro was already behind him to grab his arm and twist it behind him until he gave up the music box.
"You're insane!" The frightened man squealed in pain as Soujiro relieved him of the stolen item.
Frankly, Soujiro didn't like being reminded of that. "You're the ones that attacked me," he said as he sat the cold blade to the back of the man's neck. "And you've only been seeing me hold back."
"Stop!" The girl had run to catch up and was there in time to clutch his arm to halt his attack in case he acted upon it. She had opened her parasol back up and held it directly behind her. "Stop it, now." When he turned a defiant glare upon her green eyes, she released his arm and stepped back slightly. She at first looked fearful, but then her face twisted into one of confusion at the sight of him. She seemed unsure.
He released the man and he scurried off with the others. When he turned back to face the girl, she cleared her throat as she lifted and angled her parasol slightly off her shoulder for Soujiro to see two policemen hurrying down the street after finally hearing the commotion, and here he was now with an open blade. He quickly sheathed the blade and inwardly panicked. He had left Koharu behind and to go back for her would allow the policemen to see the weapon he carried. He couldn't just leave the injured girl on the street though. Still, the moment he stepped out from the parasol that blocked most of the policemen's view of him, the weapon would be seen and his identity, unmistakably known.
"Give me the sword."
Soujiro glanced incredulously at her .
"Give me the sword or that little girl will end up left on the streets to fend for herself."
Soujiro had seconds to decide whether or not to trust this girl and couldn't imagine what she planned to do with the sword. He rested on the fact that she had just intervened in Koharu's behalf and even now, was keeping him from being discovered. He gave the sword to her.
Once the sword was in her grasp, she lowered the parasol quickly and stepped ahead of him to use him to obstruct her as she closed the parasol and tucked the katana into the paper umbrella. The parasol very nearly concealed the weapon completely and she used her hands to fold neatly over the hilt that stuck out against the stem of the parasol and her sleeves fell over her hands.
Soujiro did not escape suspicion, however. The moment he turned to face them to get Koharu, the policemen grabbed at his arms to restrain him. "You're under arrest!"
"Let go of me!" Soujiro resisted. He was shoved to his knees as they tried to restrain his arms behind him. If they didn't let him go soon, he would have no choice but to fight back anyway.
"No!" Koharu yelled in his defense as she limped towards them. "He didn't do anything!"
"Are you all right, miss?" The second asked the girl in the kimono, assuming she was the actual victim.
"I'm fine. He's not the one who attacked me. They're getting away," she pointed down the street where the three culprits ran.
"He's not?" They loosened their hold on him.
"Of course not! Go! They're getting away!"
Koharu aided in proving his innocence when she threw herself into him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Stop doing that, Koharu!" Despite him just yelling at her, he did nothing to stop her and she smiled in relief. She had thought she was about to lose him again.
Seeing how both girls were clearly defending him, all suspicion of him dropped.
"Make sure these girls get home safe then. You three should look into getting indoors. Understand?" The policeman gazed at Soujiro to make sure he understood his responsibility now.
Soujiro only offered a begrudging nod before the policemen turned and hurried after the real culprits. He directed Koharu's arms from around his neck as soon as they left and saw Koharu tightly grasping something in her hand.
"Koharu, what's this?" He clutched her wrist and made her open her palm to reveal the ornate hairpin that had fallen off the girl's hair.
"Oh, um, I was going to give it back," she chuckled nervously.
He gave her his usual frown and passed the expensive hair ornament up towards the girl. He paused briefly when he saw how the girl was staring at him again.
"Oh! Arigato." She smiled and took the hairpin from him.
"Why did you decide to help me? I was the one threatening them with the sword." He asked in a suspicious tone of voice.
"I saw the whole thing happen." She started. "Not to mention there's a terrible sickness going around. Most who get it die. It leaves others with the excuse to loot out in the open. Business, house or traveler, they don't care. It wasn't hard to see who was in the wrong. The policemen are trying to contain it, but many of them have fallen ill too."
"Not enough," Soujiro mumbled. They had still sent men after him. "Why are you out here alone then? That hairpin would draw such attention from guys like that."
"Says the samurai carrying a sword out in the open." She opened the parasol and passed the sword to him before twisting her long braid back in a bun with the hairpin. "Don't question my ways and I won't question yours." She smiled kindly. Though clearly, something about Soujiro was making her question him in thought by how she kept staring at him. She opened her parasol all the way so she could hold it overhead again. "My aunt needs medicine and I'm afraid she's a little more helpless than I am."
"She sick?"
"Oh, no," she quickly made clear. "We're leaving for Tokyo tomorrow...if the train isn't delayed again. Her stomach just doesn't do well when we travel."
"Sou?"
Soujiro turned to face Koharu and was reminded of her sickening state. "The clinic...it's just over there ." He started to take her back in his arms.
"No, Sou." Koharu pushed away. "This is stupid! We need to go. Please."
"We've been over this. "
"They're going to take you away!" She cried out.
He hushed her harshly raising a palm over her mouth, but he paused and then clenched his fist in frustration. The damage was already done. Koharu covered her own mouth and slowly looked to at the girl in the kimono. She had practically announced the trouble they were in.
"He's right," she said. "You look very pale and you can barely walk. You need help." She drew no attention to what Koharu said before. "I'm headed there myself. If you don't mind, I'll accompany you."
Koharu didn't object so openly again when Soujiro put her arm over his shoulder and picked her up off the cold ground. She was surprised when Soujiro smiled at the girl. "Not at all," he said, but Koharu could sense the uneasiness in his voice. She realized she rarely got to see him interact with other people, especially friendly ones. Even when Soujiro spoke his mind openly when first meeting the Ochies, he had still been respectful, even to Ayaka. He was still proving to be respectful to this girl. He had more reason to be than he did with the Ochies. She had actually stepped in for him instead of the other way around. He really is a gentleman, Koharu thought fondly, he just hardly gets to show it because of how he has to isolate himself.
She raised her head suspiciously when she saw how the girl was still staring at Soujiro again, especially when he had smiled at her. She seemed to be studying him a bit more intensely now as he walked beside her. Does she know him? Koharu wondered. She was going to draw attention to it until the girl met Koharu's eyes with a smile and directed her parasol over Koharu's head as he carried her. "My name is Ohara Avaron, but you may call me Avaron," she smiled at both of them.
She seems nice and did protect him, Koharu thought. Maybe she just thinks she knows him.
Soujiro hesitated, but kept up the friendly facade. "Seta Soujiro. This is my sister Seta Koharu." Koharu didn't care if it was just a cover, that made her smile. To hear it from someone else's lips, especially his, made her feel like someone. She was his family now, because he actually said so. He didn't have to. "You can just call us by our first names as well," he felt he should add. He still didn't want to be too friendly, but the least he could do was walk her to the clinic.
The girl hardly acted like she was familiar with his name, so Koharu let it go. Surely, Soujiro would have recognized her by now if he did know her and he had hardly paid her the same attention she had been given him. Maybe she's just attracted to him. Koharu snickered inwardly. Though, Avaron's stares had hardly been ones of infatuation.
When they finally got to enter the clinic, Soujiro was surprised to how empty the building was for there to be some epidemic within the city.
"Mine isn't an emergency," Avaron said as they entered. "You go first."
"If she's sick, there's nothing that can be done for her," a voice was heard before a man could be seen entering from the back room. He maintained a certain distance from them. "You might as well as leave."
"She just needs medicine," Soujiro stated to explain. "And she has a sprain."
"Is she coughing blood?" The man questioned.
"What?" He was shocked by the blunt question. "No. It's nothing like that."
"How long has she been sick?"
"A week," Soujiro lied so the man could be fully assured that Koharu's illness had nothing to do with the city epidemic. "She fell into a river and got sick. She hasn't been well since."
The man studied her for a moment longer before he finally gave an approving nod. "Fine. Bring her in. I'll take a look at her."
Soujiro started to follow, but only managed a few steps further before he slowed to a stop. "I don't have any money."
The man was quick to turn back on his heel to face Soujiro. "Well, you can forget taking advantage of my business, boy, because that's what this place is. It's not some charity."
"Please," Soujiro found himself begging. He had never had to beg before. "She could die and there's nothing else I can do."
"It's not my problem. Leave and don't come back unless you can pay ."
It's not my problem, the words echoed in Soujiro's head. He had spoken those exact words often and more than he wanted to admit now. He had never hated the sound of them until now.
"I can pay for them," Avaron stepped forward. "You can pay me back later," she said to him.
"Stay out of this," Soujiro spat over his shoulder at her. He sat Koharu on the ground and pulled the sword with the scabbard from his side. He stood as he held it out to the man. "This will more than suffice as payment," he said, and then threw the sword at the man's feet. "Just help her."
"No! Not you sword!" Koharu cried out. "There has to be another-"
"Don't speak another word, Koharu." He turned those vehement eyes upon her. He looked back at the man. "Will you help her now?"
The man bent over and picked up the sword. He seemed skeptical of the offer until he drew the weapon out halfway to inspect the blade. "I suppose I could trade this thing in. Fine. Leave the girl."
"You mean he can't stay with her?" Avaron questioned.
"It's a clinic, not an inn."
"Just take care of her. I'll come for her tomorrow if she's well." He looked at Koharu one last time with a softer gaze. "It will be all right. I just need you to get better."
Koharu said nothing in response. She was devastated at what she was making him do. He was already in danger and now was going to be without his sword, and worse, he was going to be alone.
Soujiro turned and trudged out the door before Koharu could think of something else to say. He slammed the door shut behind him that clearly expressed his anger over what just exchanged between him and the doctor.
"It's just business," the man protested when Avaron continued glowering at him. "I don't expect a woman to understand."
"Whether he had the money or not, her death would be blood on your hands if something did happen to her," Avaron pointed out. "You would let her die because of something as worthless as money. Rest assured that you'll be held responsible if you don't give her the best care. It's not like you're busy."
Before she could promptly take her leave, Koharu spoke up. "Wait!"
Avaron turned to face her.
"My brother...he shouldn't be alone." While Koharu felt that to be the honest truth, she was more afraid of something happening to him and her not knowing about it. Maybe if Avaron stayed with him, she could somehow provide a measure of protection like she did against the police. "Could you...could you stay with him?"
"It's really up to him, Koharu," she said, but then offered a warm smile, "but I can see if he would like some company. Get well, dear." She turned and left.
Soujiro was standing off to the side of the road near the clinic still. He was staring off into space with his brow furrowed and his arms crossed over one another. Koharu had once told him that he should help others when it was in his power to do so. He had scoffed at the idea, but now, he was starting to feel differently about it. He didn't feel like he was asking a lot out of the man. Koharu just needed medicine, warmth and sleep to recover properly or she may not last the night. He could understand the whole business aspect of it, but just to let her die was cruel. He was angry at that. But he was also angry at his own hypocrisy. He had very nearly let the Ochies die because he didn't feel like they should be any concern of his. He had nearly let Koharu die from the beginning for the same reasons. He could better understand Koharu's bitter attitude towards him from not wanting to help people. It was easily within the doctor's power to save Koharu, so he should, money or not. Soujiro knew this truth didn't mean seeking out others to help them, but it was ignoring it when he was equipped to aid them. He couldn't imagine where he would be right now had he not turned back to rescue Koharu. Sure, he might have reached Hokkaido by now, but what would he had learned on the way? He would still be stuck in Shishio's ways and Koharu would be dead.
You should help someone when it's within your power to help them without expecting anything in return. He knew that now. That was what he had desperately needed the doctor to do for him.
"That was an honorable thing you did for your sister, Seta Soujiro," Avaron said as she approached his side. She addressed him respectfully after feeling like she had embarrassed him by offering to pay for him. "I hope you can forgive me for earlier. You were right. It wasn't my business."
While Soujiro had been flustered by her offer to pay for him, he had already gotten over it. In the end, he had handled it like a responsible adult...like a responsible brother. Koharu had foolishly proven she would do the same for him when she first chose to come after him instead of searching for her treasured music box. That music box held more meaning to her than that sword did to him. Like Koharu said, it was foolish to choose an object over the life of a human being.
Soujiro acknowledged Avaron by shifting his gaze to her and softened the intensity that had been burning in his blue eyes and he loosened the tight hold he had on his sleeves. He now just looked cold as the wind blew into him and the snow fell. He said nothing in response to her and looked back towards the street at the troubled locals going about their business. Avaron accepted that as him accepting her apology and was moved to hold her parasol over the both of them. For awhile, they both just stood there in silence.
AN: Another chapter down... Hope you're liking the story!
Avaron kind of happened by accident. Names are one of my favorite things to look at when writing stories and recently, I've had to look up Japanese names for this story and I've found some awesome names. My absolute favorite names are Celtic names and I ended up stumbling across the Japanese name Avaron, which means Avalon and to me that was one of the coolest finds! Then I find the Japanese family name Ohara. So, her name Avaron Ohara was born, which sounds so Irish, especially if I spelled it out as Avaron O' Hara. Even then, I had not planned on adding her in the story at first. I drew her out in a sketch so I could just better envision my celtic/japanese character maybe for another story XD but then I saw a spot for her in this story and couldn't resist. I simply tried her out in this chapter, which is why writing and posting took a little longer and I happen to really like it.
And I actually looked up the length of parasols compared to katanas. I found Japanese parasols that range from 22 - 33 inches and according to Wikipedia, katanas range roughly between 23 to 28 inches.