Chapter 4: The Search is On
Something was definitely wrong, Kenshin knew, with this situation. People who had died could never walk among the living the way his first love was now doing… Yet… no matter how hard he tried not to be, he was drawn to her like a magnet. Even though things that seemed too good to be true usually were, this seemed to of actually happened. He could feel her, see her, hear her voice… It was maddening.
Yukishirou Tomoe was alive.
What else would become of this event, he wondered.
-
Despite her own injuries, Kaoru scooped Yahiko into her arms and sprinted to Megumi's clinic, ignoring her own pain. "Megumi!" She screamed, her voice sounding more raspy and frantic than she remembered it ever being.
Megumi exited her room and gasped as Kaoru fell to her knees and Yahiko tumbled out of her arms onto the floor.
"What happened?" Megumi asked, lifting Yahiko and rushing him back to her room. The only other patient was leaving and seemed to have paused to be a spectator of the situation.
"I don't know…" Kaoru choked. "It's too much… Too much… Everything is…"
"Come on," Megumi told her, helping her to her feet and leading her into the room where Yahiko was so she too could be treated. "Tell me everything."
-
Dr. Gensai was touching up the spot on Kaoru's head as Megumi checked Yahiko over for any abrasions of the skin or something else that could be used to validate anything that was wrong.
"So, Kaoru, start from the beginning. Tell me what's going on."
"K-Kenshin… It's… ah…" She couldn't figure out how to word it in a way that wouldn't freak Megumi out.
"What about Ken-san? Does he need assistance too?" Megumi asked fearfully.
"KENSHIN'S WIFE IS BACK FROM THE DEAD!" Kaoru shouted, feeling a tremendous wait come off of her shoulders.
"What?" Gensai and Megumi both looked taken aback by this.
"Tomoe… She's back… She's alive… She's at my dojo…"
"That doesn't explain your injuries though," Gensai said tenderly, touching her face with his wrinkled hand.
"Partly it does," Megumi said, not completely believing her. Kaoru couldn't say that she blamed her.
"I was upset…" Kaoru continued, sounding embarrassed at what she had done. "I went outside and I punched a tree… That's why my hand is hurt… Yahiko followed me, and he took me into the town because I didn't want to go back to see… the living dead…"
Gensai was bandaging her hand and nodded for her to continue.
"We went into Akabeko to see if Tae or Tsubame saw something to help explain Tomoe's reappearance… I was told by Yahiko to wait for him while he went to find her… and this drunken man who was sitting nearby grabbed me and started telling me to tell him something… I don't really remember now… but when I tried to get away from him, he slammed my head into a post…"
Megumi was furious about this while Gensai just looked stunned.
"Yahiko went after him with his shinai," Kaoru pointed to it lying against the wall. "The man went outside, and Yahiko went after him, and they stared each other down for a few seconds… Then Yahiko coughed up blood and fell into the snow… The man disappeared in the crowd, but I know what he looks like."
"So, he didn't attack Yahiko at all," Megumi stated. "I would suppose that somehow he triggered something in his mind, do you think?"
"Like an illusion or something? Is that possible?" Kaoru asked.
"If he is skilled with hypnotism, than I guess it could be," Megumi deduced.
"Either way, we need to find him and have him arrested!" Kaoru said angrily.
"Yes, he assaulted you and Yahiko in a way. Give me a description, and I will take it to the police station personally," Megumi replied.
-
"I just… I don't understand it… You're real. You're alive, here, now!" Kenshin stammered, staring at the woman sitting across from him as if she would disappear. Sano had never left Kenshin's side and glared down the woman as if she would attack them.
"That's why it doesn't make sense. You should have some kind of CLUE about how you're back, right?" Sano inquired in an all but friendly voice.
Tomoe looked down at her white hands folded in her lap. "I do not know… I woke up as if I had just been in a long sleep."
"Was there anyone present when you awoke?" Kenshin asked in a much more tender voice than Sano's.
Tomoe was silent, going over it in her mind. "Yes… It was a man… He had these ghastly eyes in the color of blood. His voice spoke no words of hatred at first, but the very sound of it frightened me. I did not know what he would use me for… I… I was afraid, so I ran away… He was shouting evil things at me as I ran and threatened that he would… find… me…"
"Maybe this man is some sort of witch doctor or something," Kenshin suggested, looking to Sano for approval.
"Maybe this woman is in ties with him and it's all a part of their plan," San responded bitterly.
"-but… I…" Tomoe began, then looked down and silenced. "I really do not know anything… I really do not…"
Sano slammed his fist down on the table. "YOU REALLY EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE YOU!"
She gasped in fear, leaning away from him slightly.
"How can you possibly think that I'm going to sit here and listen to you claim that you've just up and come back from the dead! Kenshin, you can't honestly tell me that you believe this!"
Kenshin looked at Tomoe, then at Sano, then sighed, looking down at his hands. "Sessha can't say he believes it, but not because sessha believes she is lying to him…"
Sano took Kenshin's shirt within his fists and lifted him up to his face. "Don't be an idiot, Kenshin! You of all people should know that people can rise from the dead! You're the more rational of the two of us so start acting like it, c'mon! Don't be taken in by this!"
"Let go of me, Sano," Kenshin said calmly, looking rather surprised by his sudden outburst.
"NO! You aren't going to listen to me unless I make you! Normally I know I'm not the smart one, but because of who she is or who she's pretending to be, your senses have completely numbed! Try and think clearly for one second and tell me that you don't believe her!"
"Sano-"
"TELL ME THAT YOU DON'T BELIEVE HER!" Sano shook him fiercely and then threw him against the wall.
Tomoe screamed and got to her feet. "STOP, PLEASE!" She stood in his way to prevent him from attacking Kenshin any further, something he wasn't planning to do.
"Kenshin!" Sano shouted. "I beg of you to tell me that you don't believe any of this!"
Kenshin got to his feet slowly. "Sano…"
"Please," Tomoe's eyes filled with tears. "I am not out to do anything, I promise. Just leave Kenshin alone…"
Kenshin's hand placed itself upon Tomoe's shoulder. "I can take care of myself, Tomoe."
Tomoe nodded slowly. "Yes, I know that, but this man is supposed to be your friend…"
"He is," Kenshin said. "We're all just a bit confused right now…"
"I'm not confused," Sano retorted. "I'm pissed as hell." He marched away out the door. "I'm going to go find Kaoru and Yahiko, you bastard."
Kenshin ran his hands through his hair and sighed in frustration. "I don't know what to do!"
"Kenshin…" Tomoe whispered, beginning to approach him.
"No…" He shook his head. "I… I need some time to myself…" He sank down in the corner and buried his head against his knees. The frustration he felt was practically emanating off of him.
Tomoe knelt down next to him and leaned her lips into the top of his head, leaving a light kiss upon it. "I… will go and see if I can discover more about my existence… I am so sorry… to have made things so difficult for you, my darling…"
Kenshin didn't move or respond.
-
Saitou hated the winter. It was always too cold. Nobody did anything but stay inside. That meant that he was stuck in his office, smoking packs of cigarettes and being bored out of his mind. He rocked backwards in his wooden chair and stared at the ceiling. There was no excitement. He yearned for the fight and considered picking a fight with the Battousai, but the idiot rurouni was figuring out how to talk his way out of battle. He'd rather not sit through one of his hero speeches.
Suddenly, a light tapping on his door drew his attention away from the trail of smoke traveling towards his ceiling.
"What," He stated irritably. He wasn't in the mood to file paperwork.
Surprisingly, the one who entered was that doctor friend of Himura's… what was her name… Takani Megumi.
"What do you want?" He asked in a rather condescending way.
"Kamiya Kaoru and Myojin Yahiko were assaulted today at the Akabeko."
Saitou's amber eyes glittered excitedly, and a wolfish grin that only he wore spread across his face. This was the kind of excitement he had been thirsting for.
"Really now?" He asked, his tone changing to an interested one. "Do tell."
"A man attacked Kaoru physically while he somehow attacked Yahiko mentally," Megumi explained. "I suspect he might know how to create illusions."
"So we're talking about some sort of magician…" Saitou replied blandly. So much for a battle.
"He attacked Kaoru physically," Megumi repeated as dryly as he did.
"A bad-ass magician, then."
Megumi narrowed her eyes at him, but Saitou was far from affected. He'd learn to deal with such looks in his years of being wed.
"I want him off the streets before he hurts anyone else," Megumi spoke almost through gritted teeth.
Saitou smirked. The fox was a skilled creature indeed, but it could not win when cornered by a wolf.
"Sounds like he's out to piss Himura off."
Megumi slammed her fist onto his desk. He didn't even flinch. "You are the police! It's your job to take care of everyone in this city whether you like them or not! Get this monster off of the streets!"
Saitou's eyes danced with pleasure. Oh, how he loved screwing with people!
"What does he look like?"
"Well, Kaoru told me that he was tall and thin with messy black hair and a white kimono."
Saitou sighed in exasperation. "You do realize that's a needle in a haystack. Get into a little more detail, please."
"Um…" Megumi tried to remember. "Oh, yes… Kaoru said that he looked a bit unshaven… he was carrying a sake bottle… and his eyes were red."
"Drinking does that too you," Saitou shrugged.
"No, they were red. As in… they were the color red naturally."
"Well, that…" Saitou said, taking his cigarette out of his mouth and blowing smoke. "That is a detail that I can use."
Megumi looked relieved that Saitou had finally ceased messing with her. "So, you'll find him?"
"I'll look for him," Saitou shrugged. "Hell knows that I've got nothing better to do. Now, leave."
She bowed and walked out, muttering thanks.
Saitou placed his cigarette back into his mouth and pondered on the subject for a moment. "Maybe this magician can provide some entertainment to this dull town."
Megumi paused just before exiting the building. "Should I have told him… about what Kaoru said…? Tomoe… coming back from the dead…?" She honestly couldn't know since her belief was still slim and none.
Tomoe was passing her at that very moment.