Unexpected Revenge by Sarun

CHAPTER SIX: To See Again

Author's Note: Hey there! I know it's been a while but I was going nuts over how to end the story. I finally came up with one I liked, so here it is. Also, I'd like to bring up a quote that greatly influenced this chapter:

He who does not understand your silence will probably not understand your words.
- Elbert Hubbard

Keep it in mind and enjoy the last chapter!

She had waited a week and half, both in order to regain some strength and to find the right chance to leave. Chance came on a cloudy, windy day. It seemed everyone in the Aoiya had their own errands to run, and worried by the threat of a storm, they decided to finish before it arrived.

Misao lay still, carefully listening to the discussion coming from the other room.

Okina's voice floated through: "I know it looks like a storm is coming, but I don't think we should leave Misao alone like this. She's still weak from her injuries."

"That's what you think..." Misao muttered stiffly.

"Misao-chan?" Shiro peered cautiously into her room. "We're going out for a while, will you be alright?" Rolling her head against her pillow, she glanced his way and answered with a brief "Yeah."

Seeing his hesitation, she sat bolt upright and snapped: 'Look, stop worrying about me. I'm fine, see? Fine!" She held out her arms to emphasize her point.

Shiro backed rapidly out of the room. Misao fell back upon the bed, trying to ignore the renewed pounding in her head caused by her little outburst. Shortly afterwards, Okina stepped inside. "Misao?"

"Yes, Jiya?" Misao did not look at him, gazing instead at the ceiling above her.

Okina took a slow, deep breath. "We'll be back soon, all right?"

"Hai" Misao answered in the same stale tone.

"Very well" Okina gently slid the shoji shut. His hands lingered on the handle for a few more moments than was necessary, but pulled away all the same.

After a certain time had passed, Misao sat up, listening carefully. As far as she could sense, they had all left. And although she hadn't seen him, she knew Aoshi was not in the house. Not long after her recovery began, Aoshi had taken up his old habit of visiting the temple, but now for longer periods of time than usual.

Is he angry at me? The single thought that had plagued her for days resurfaced. Come on, she chided herself, nervously twisting the ends of her hair, how could he not be?

In the few moments they spent in each other's company over the last couple of days, an invisible wall seemed to have materialized between them. Talk was short and to the point, physical contact avoided.

Not that she could blame him. She had outright lied to him, and to make it worse it had been right before they'd…

Misao's breath caught in her chest, she felt her face flush. It took several seconds to remember to breathe. Yes, they had. Not long ago the thought of it would have been unbelievable.

But not anymore, huh?

Shying away from the thought, she firmly pushed herself up off the bed and to her feet. Moving quickly, she put on her shinobi clothes, and tied her hair back in a braid for the first time in several days. Opening the door to her closet, she pulled out a lightly packed bag. After closing the door to her room she set off down the hallway. As she did, Misao risked a look in a mirror that hung in the hall. Her wounds, it seemed, although not completely gone from her face, had healed reasonably well.

Still it was a different face, and not only because of injury. Something else was there. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Hanging the bag over her shoulder, Misao sighed and forced her eyes away from the glass.

The skies were sullen gray, patches of dark clouds accenting the already dreary color. The telltale scent of wet earth reached her nostrils, confirming the threat of rain. Muttering grimly under her breath, she closed the front door, but not before stealing one last glance at the inside. Turning away, Misao spotted Akemi, a neighbor with whom she occasionally spoke.

"Akemi!"

Akemi looked up from sweeping the dooryard. "Misao! Hi, how have you-"

"Sorry, but could you give a message to Jiya and the others for me?"

"Oh…sure"

Misao leaned close and whispered the message. "You got that?" she asked. Akemi nodded, though she looked a bit puzzled. "By the way Misao, what happened to your-"

"It's not important." Misao cut her off, turning and rushing quickly in the opposite direction. "Thanks and don't forget!"

In the eerie silence of the temple, Aoshi stared unseeingly at the scroll before him. The scroll was inscribed with words supposed to help with peace of mind. However, peace of mind seemed to be giving him the cold shoulder, as it had done so for several days.

Aoshi sighed, his gaze dropping to the floor. It was impossible; ever since the entire incident had begun he had found himself unable to meditate.

Reaching into the pocket of his sleeve, he retrieved a small fragment of pink carved wood. It was the last piece of Misao's mirror, the one she had broken the previous week. He had heard the sounds of shattering glass shortly after he had left her room. He rushed back to her room only to find Misao unconscious and collapsed on her futon and the mirror in pieces on the floor.

As he had picked up the shards, he realized it was Misao's favorite mirror, the pale pink one with small carved flowers. He had seen her use it once, when she had left her bedroom door open as she fixed her hair. Passing by the room, he had only glimpsed the small mirror before she hurriedly hid it upon realizing his presence.

He had nearly smiled at the sight then – but he had caught himself in time – it had reminded him so strongly of Misao as a child.

Aoshi gazed intently at the piece. But now that had been shattered.

The loud rush of water was audible long before the trees gave way to the open clearing. It was funny; she didn't recall hearing it the last time. Misao glanced around cautiously. Once certain that no one was nearby, she walked into the middle of the clearing, searching.

The ground bore the marks of their battle: dark patches on the earth gave evidence of bloodshed, a faded array of footprints hinted of the fight's pattern. The tree where the sword had landed had the mark upon its trunk.

She found Yone's dagger among the stones by the cliff's edge. Misao stood for a moment in silence, gently scraping away the dried blood from the blade with her fingernail.

But where was…?

Misao tried to recall the order of things: When she had kicked Yone down after the sword scraped her forehead, the sword had fallen out of Yone's hand. When Yone fell into the river, it was not with her. And if it wasn't on the ground, it had most likely fallen off the cliff. It had to be down there, somewhere. That is if the river had not already claimed it.

"It doesn't matter where it is"…she muttered stubbornly… "I'm not leaving without it" Leaning out over the cliff, she began to scan the area below.

A shining glint caught her eye. There, by some amazing luck, was the sword, stuck in some tree branches on the cliff side. Misao hesitated briefly; eyeing the steep climb retrieving the sword would require. The wind began to blow harder, the currents below started to churn. Misao glanced upwards at the threatening sky, knowing the downpour could come at any moment. Decision made, she began to climb down the rocks, careful not to slip. One false step and she would fall into the churning rapids below.

The steep climb downward was much harder and slower than what would be usual for her, due to the pain from her injuries. After nearly half an hour of slow and cautious descent, she had secured herself onto a narrow rock ledge, a few feet away from the branch that held the blade. She reached out, managing to brush the hilt with her fingertips.

The sword slipped out from the branches.

Misao, ignoring her wounds, lunged forward, grabbing the blade at the last second. With the sword in one hand and the other grasping the rock surface, she managed to ease herself back onto the safety of the ledge, her breath coming in short, painful gasps.

It felt as though her side had been kicked, the sudden wave of pain actually causing bright dots of light to dance before her eyes. Not wanting to waste any more time, she painstakingly began the climb back up.

The climb back up to the surface took much longer; by the time she reached the top the first tiny droplets of rain had already begun falling upon her face.

Even less time to lose. Misao quickly wrapped the sword and hurried on as fast as her body would allow.

Taking a deep breath, Aoshi attempted once more. Clear the mind…think of nothing…

The feeling of her skin against his, the warm breath in his ear, the desperate grasping of their bodies, his fingers embedded in her long hair…

Aoshi snapped out of his remembrance, cursing under his breath. It was pointless, trying to block his thoughts. Giving up all pretense of meditating, he slowly stood up and walked outside.

Accept it…he thought to himself…it happened, accept it.

Out of all situations he had thought possible to happen to him, this had not been among them. The thought that he – Aoshi Shinomori – would end up being bait in a conflict that nearly cost Misao her life. The desires and longings he had fought to keep hidden even in his own thoughts had broken free, making him blind to danger he normally would have sensed. Misao had wanted to warn him, but he failed to see it. He and Misao made love at a moment's whim. Misao then merely left while he slept and nearly been killed.

Leaning against the wooden wall of the temple, he looked blankly out into the cloudy sky. It would be a lie to say he regretted what he and Misao had done. But nor had he meant for it to be so sudden. He could never express in words what it had felt to wake up, find her gone and then have to read that letter. And then seeing her by the river…wounded and acting as though she were about to jump…how she tried to comfort him after he hit her in his anger…

Is that the reason I am in the temple for so long now? Am I trying to hide from her? He paused, contemplating his own question. Have I always been hiding from her?

Taking a deep breath, he stepped away from the temple and walked back towards the Aoiya.

I have to see her.

The sounds of the shoji sliding open echoed throughout the empty house. Aoshi stepped inside, reaching out a hand behind him to shut it. The sound of the rain outside seemed to double moments later. The awaited rainfall had begun as he left the temple; he had just managed to avoid the worst of it.

He walked towards Misao's room, slowly and with a decent bit of hesitation. Upon reaching her room, he knocked once on her door. "Misao?"

No answer.

Aoshi knocked again. Frowning slightly at getting no response, he slid open the shoji slightly, peering into her room.

The room was empty. His eyes widened in shock – he set off at a run, searching from room to room throughout the entire house, calling for her. Kitchen - empty, garden, other bedrooms, training room – Misao was nowhere to be found.

Outside –

Despite the rain, Aoshi ran outside, his eyes scanning the street –

"Shinomori-san?"

Turning around, he saw Akemi-san calling him from the doorway of her house. "Misao-san asked me to pass on a message to you…"

The sun had set; the first stars of the night had begun to shimmer.

"I already told you, Okina." Aoshi face was impassive as he spoke, though his voice nearly exposed his impatience.

"That's –"

"That's all Akemi knew. I am sorry Okina, but all the information Misao left was that she was going away – for some time."

Shadows from the light of the candle deepened Okina's worried expression. Aoshi hoisted his traveling bag over his shoulder, "I am going after her. Alone." Okina looked up in surprise, but said nothing.

Aoshi continued. "I'm going to find her"

Okina spoke up – "what will you do then?" Aoshi hesitated. Force her to come back home? Reprimand her for causing them further worries? "I don't know." He finally answered. But I will find her." With that, he turned away from Okina, sliding open the shoji and stepping outside.

"Aoshi!" Okina's voice called out behind him.

He turned around to see Okina standing in the doorway.

"About you and Misao…"

Aoshi involuntarily clenched his hands. He did not know, if at all, how much Okina suspected…or knew about what he and Misao had done. Or if Okina even suspected anything at all. Okina seemed to hesitate on his choice of words, then spoke in a slightly constricted voice: "Remember what you endured when you began as a ninja. Then make sure you bring her back."

Aoshi gave no sign as to whether he understood or not; he turned and walked off into the rain.

Misao sat under the thatched roof of an abandoned roadside stop, idly watching the rain fall.

Her glance traveled down to the two blades in her lap, which were now tied tightly together with a piece of metal string.

Taking in a deep breath, she lightly pressed both blades to her chest. Pulling the hood of her traveling cloak back on to shield from the rain, she rose to her feet and continued on.

Through the thin dirt path that winded between the trees, marked by a cracked branch here and torn young green leaves lying on the mud. Finally, she emerged out in the familiar clearing.

Misao stared out into the waterfall. It had taken a while, but she'd managed to find it. Just by looking she could tell that the current was strong, much more than before due to the heavy rainfall. The lack of light doubled the challange at hand. Slipping here would be worse than if she had fallen climbing the cliffside.

She put a cautious foot into the stream. The current was strong, as she had guessed it would be. A branch from a tree near the edge stretched out over the water; it must have been how Yone reached the rock. Misao tucked the swords into her belt sash, then gripped the branch with both hands for support as she stepped out further into the river. The water was an icy cold, she had to keep blinking continuously to keep the falling raindrops out of her eyes, it took all her concentration to maintain her footing.

This was it. The water level reached up to her knees, any further would be too risky.

Securing her foot against a rock on the bottom, she took one hand off the branch, and pulled out the two blades. At this moment, she stopped in hesitation, looking back at solid ground.

Misao shrieked as a bolt of lighting struck the ground behind her, far enough but still dangerously close. The flash momentarily blinded her.

The dots clouded her eyes for several long moments. Heart pounding, she maintained her grip on both blades in her hand. Breathing in short, panicked breaths, she knew she had to finish what she had come to do. She held the blades in her outstretched arm, over the churning water.

A second, distant flash of lighting briefly illuminated the area; she opened her hand and released both into the water.

The reflection on the blades was visible for only a moment. The next second they sank beneath the surface, to be dragged to the falls and thereby returned.

"Wherever you are, I hope you two are together again" Misao whispered.

Turning around, she gripped her way back to the shore. Upon climbing back on land, she dropped to one knee, exhausted and shaking. Breathing deeply, she looked up.

Only to be caught in the piercing stare of ice blue eyes.

"Misao."

Her eyes widened in shock.

"A-Aoshi…"

Aoshi stood before her, arms crossed, an unreadable expression etched on his face. They stared.

"How-how did you find…"

"You didn't cover your tracks as well this time"

Aoshi's glare softened slightly as he took in her drenched appearance. He had arrived to see her standing knee-deep in the water, he had almost shouted at her to get back, but had stopped himself, knowing if she were startled she could lose her grip and fall.

"Why did you- ?"

Not letting him finish, Misao shouted back, her pounding heart and belated sense of fear letting words spill freely from her mouth. "Why what, Aoshi? Why did I leave? Why did I take this challenge from Yone in the first place? What choice did I have? If I had told you or Jiya or anyone else, what would you all have done? Run to my defense, that's what would have happened. I had no choice, Aoshi. This was my fight and I fought it."

Aoshi watched her with slightly widened eyes. The Misao he was facing now was not the one he had seen just days ago, injured and hiding from the rest of them. Nor was it the Misao from before the whole incident. She's changed…that look in her eyes…

Aoshi moved forward so fast, Misao barely had time to react. In a second, he had pulled her into a gentle, one armed embrace. "Gomen nasai, Misao." He whispered into her hair. "I'm sorry."

After a moment's surprised hesitation, Misao slowly wrapped her arms around him, pressing herself closer to Aoshi, who in turn did not attempt to distance himself.

Her voice broke the newfound silence. "Sorry for what, Aoshi?"

His other hand settled lightly on the back of her head, holding her against his chest. "I failed to see the obvious. You were in danger and I didn't see it –"

He would have continued, but Misao stopped him by placing her fingers over his mouth. "No. Don't start blaming yourself. All this has been my doing, and you know that. I-I put you in danger, you were almost..." Misao stopped herself there, collecting her thoughts as well as possible. Aoshi waited, understanding what the heavy silence meant.

Words began anew: "I didn't feel any remorse…And I didn't for a long time. Maybe a thief just got what he deserved? But I never thought about anyone else being hurt. Not until Yone came to confront me." Misao swallowed, and then went on. "When you came back all those months ago after the fight with Shishio, I was so happy. But I also grew afraid of you-"

Aoshi finally brushed her hand away. "You were afraid of me?"

"No, Aoshi. It wasn't, well – you that scared me."

"Then what did?"

"I saw how filled with remorse you were…When you came back …I was afraid to understand that. The pain I saw in you, if I tried to focus on that I would have been forced to confront myself. That's what I was afraid of." Misao looked away. "I was angry as well, even though I never showed it. Angry that you couldn't hide how you felt, so I kept trying to make you…well, snap out of it. But that was wrong of me. I get that now, after all that's happened."

Misao realized Aoshi's grip on her shoulder was now so tight it was painful; she placed her hand over his. "But I'm-" she began. She hesitated before continuing. But I'm not afraid anymore. Would he understand?

It was Aoshi's turn to silence her, putting his fingers over her mouth, gently. "I know." Aoshi whispered to her. "I know. You're not afraid anymore." Misao looked at him. "How-?"

"Your eyes have changed" Aoshi looked at her, hints of a smile playing around his lips. As he talked, his hand left her shoulder, moving to the side of her face. Their lips met, once and for all.

Sometime silence spoke louder than words.

"Wake up, Misao."

Misao murmured gently, her eyes squinting against the sunlight shining in through the thin roof. Apparently she had fallen asleep, her head resting against Aoshi's shoulder. Misao blinked up at him. "Are we going back now?"

"We don't have to" Aoshi replied, his gaze moving to her "But I thought you would rather prepare yourself"

Misao looked out at the river. It flowed gently now, glimmers of the morning sun caught on its surface. Lost in the thought, she was slightly startled to feel Aoshi stroke her hair; she looked back at him.

His face was impassive, but his hands clenched firmly on her shoulders, urging her to lie back. She did so, entwining her fingers over one of his hands. No words were spoken. None were needed.

After a few moments, Misao reached down to pick up her things, only to see that Aoshi was already carrying both their bags. She folded her arms and gave him a reproving glare, though the effect was ruined by the small grin on her face.

By late morning they had reached the main streets of the city. Soon they would be back at the Aoiya, most definitely with everyone awaiting them. Strangely enough, Misao for once felt no nerves about it, almost as though her body had exhausted its ability to do so.

Smiling at the thought, she looked away to the side. Aoshi looked straight ahead,

"Misao-?"

She had stopped a few steps behind him, looking off to the side, and an odd, startled expression on her face.

Yone? It had been the briefest flicker of a second, but she was sure she had just seen Yone standing there. A ghost? – Maybe her own thoughts trying to make some sort of sense– but Misao was certain of one thing – the expression on Yone's face…

Sensing Aoshi's gaze, Misao turned back to him, and then lowered her gaze.

"Aoshi - ?" she murmured

"Yes?"

"Do they ever fade?"

There was a pause. Remember what you endured when you began...

"No."

Gripping her gently by the elbow, Aoshi eased her away, back towards home.

He pressed her closer as a gentle breeze started up, their feet walking over the fallen sakura blossoms.

End