Disclaimer: This is not my series, blah blah blah. I own nothing, If I did, shit would have gone down way differently.

*****Yumi's POV****

Moonlight shown through a large glass window as Yumi anxiously paced her boudoir. She ran her fingers through her hair as she ruminated. Shishio had been questioning Kaoru off and on for three days.

As much as Yumi hated the Battousai, she didn't agree with Shishio's treatment of this young woman.

Realistically, she'd known that there was a strong possibility that Kaoru could come into harm's way. That was why she had tried to help coach her on how to act with Shishio. The girl was too stubborn for her own good, and didn't listen until it was too late.

Kaoru's suffering could be heard all over the mansion, each cry tore at Yumi's heart. She was having second thoughts about this plan. Yumi loved violence and revenge almost as much as Shishio. The problem was that this particular victim flouted all of the standards that they'd had.

She hadn't wronged them, she didn't pose a threat, and she was barely an adult.

This was wrong.

I have to find a way to stop him.

Each day when Kaoru was escorted out of Shishio's lair she looked progressively worse. Yesterday she had to be carried out by one of his burly guards. He had slung her over his back like a sack of potatoes. Everyone in the mansion minus herself had rough housed Kaoru, and shown her nothing but animosity.

Yumi knew that at this rate Kaoru would be dead soon. Shishio was sick with his need for revenge.

His neurosis had taken him beyond the point of reason, and no answer that Kaoru could give him was good enough.

He had tried questioning her at different times of the day but hadn't gleaned any valuable information.

Now every time her door opened, Kaoru would whimper and curl into a ball.

Kaoru was refusing to eat. She didn't cry when Yumi changed her bandages. Instead, she would stare off into space with a faraway look in her eyes.

Regardless of how often Kaoru's wounds were cleaned or the bandages were changed, Shishio would just burn them off again.

Yumi approached Shishio's study and knocked on the large wooden door. She took a calming breathe before coming in with a tray full of whiskey and two glasses.

"What is it?" came an irritated voice.

"It's me, I came to drink with you." Yumi called.

"Fine. Enter."

Yumi set the tray down and poured him a drink. He sat in his usual position on the couch.

His scowling face looked angrier than usual.

"What's troubling you, my lord?"

"The girl. She is proving to be useless." He growled.

Shishio massaged his brow with a gloved pointer finger and thumb.

"While we're on the topic, she is refusing food."

"Let her die." Shishio shrugged.

"Is that the plan?" Yumi pushed.

"NO. I need her to lure out the Battousai."

Shishio's hand released his brow and formed into a fist. He was troubled, he had expected things to go differently. The fact that Kaoru couldn't offer any insight had become a major stressor. His initial enjoyment in watching her suffer had faded. Now she was a punching bag for his anger against the Battousai.

Yumi sat next to him and put a hand on the back of his shoulder, attempting to comfort him. She leaned in close to the nape of his neck as she spoke.

"Perhaps I could try a different tactic?" She asked gently.

"Such as?" He scoffed.

"I've gained her trust, let me curse her to entrap him. Your way is too harsh, she will die soon if she gets any weaker."

"Hmph. Go on?"

"My lord, Let me perform a blood curse on her."

"You have the ability to execute a blood curse?"

Shishio was skeptical. A blood curse required a specific skill set and tremendous amount of power from it's caster. it was hard to execute. Prior to their meeting Yumi had served and trained in Kyoto at the Jinshu Jinja, and other nefarious shrines that practiced black magic.

Blood curses had fallen out of regular practice among the darker community in Japan since their emergence in the Heian period. The shaman, priests, and priestesses who first created them were long since dead. Any practice of curses or jinxes happened underground, and Yumi had been out of touch with that community for years. Would her experience be irrelevant at this point?

"Let me try. If I curse her, then any demon she sleeps with will be affected immediately. They will begin to weaken whenever she is not in close proximity to them."

"Yes but that rests upon the fact that she loses her virginity to the battousai." Shishio pondered out loud.

"Yes, it will parasitically bond him to her without any mutual benefit."

"He won't be able to fight.." Shishio started to argue.

Yumi cut him off.

"Unless she is there, then he can fight you at full strength."

Shishio stood up with a scowl on his face and stomped around the room. He wanted to believe in Yumi; she and Soujiro had become the two most reliable people in his life. Shishio wasn't completely opposed to this idea, but his patience was wearing thin.

"He took everything from me I will not rest until I have torn him to pieces. The fame, the glory, the power! He won over those stupid humans and their puny government after he killed thousands of their people! He does not deserve to love, or to be loved!"

"How cruel would it be, to have his love watch him die at your hands?"

Shishio paused his movement and turned towards her, glaring pensively. Yumi made a good point, in that if the curse worked it create more pain and suffering for the battousai. Shishio conceded to the idea, and decided that he would let Yumi try.

"Yumi, you remind me of why I chose you. You have my permission to proceed."

"My lord, I too wish to see him perish. If he is as possessive of a demon as you say, he will want her back, to claim her."

As they spoke, they inched closer to each other.

"Yumi, I'm never wrong."

"I know my lord, that's what I love about you." Yumi said sensually.

Shishio pulled her to his waist and into a passionate kiss, his anger now forgotten.

Yumi moaned into his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck.

She felt relieved that Shishio would let her help.

All I want is to be of use to him.

Shishio broke their embrace to finish his thought.

"You have two days with her. Then I expect a full report. If you're able to complete the curse, I'll have Soujiro take her back in one piece."

"Understood my lord." Yumi nodded at him eagerly.

She laced her fingers under the edge of her robe and let it fall to the floor in front of them.

Then Yumi pulled him down back into another kiss.

*****Kaori's POV*****

"Kaoru?"

Yumi gently shook Kaoru's shoulders.

The girl lay on the bed huddled in a ball of blankets and sheets in the corner. Her thin frame was swallowed whole by the bedding. The room was dark, with no windows. It was similar to a dungeon cell.

Kaoru hadn't been sleeping when Yumi entered the room. She existed in a dissociative state, where thoughts were fleeting. Sleep eluded her these days. If she could get 30-45 minutes at a time, she was lucky.

"Mmm no." Kaoru muffled.

Kaoru's body was sore, and enflamed. She had broken bones, burns, bruises, that made It hard to move. Laying still, in one spot was the easiest way to avoid the pain.

"Kaoru don't make me force you again."

"Please no." Kaoru's form stiffened on the bed.

"You won't be seeing Lord Shishio today, Kaoru."

"Mmm…I won't?"

"No. Today is different it's just you and me. "

Like a turtle sticking it's head out of a shell, Kaoru's face emerged first from the blankets.

She sat up groaning in pain as she did so. She wore an old shirt and her same panties from the day she had been abducted. The borrowed yukata had been burned to a crisp days ago much to Yumi's disdain. Kaoru's hair was so tangled that it looked like dread locks.

Head to toe she was covered in bandages. Yumi sat down next to Kaoru on the bed to assist her. Yumi pealed the bedding back layer by layer, to help Kaoru get out of bed.

Her body looked pale and thin. Yumi glanced over at the neglected food laid by her bed.

Kaoru swayed as she sat up, the lack of food had robbed her body of the nutrients it needed to function.

Yumi opened the door and motioned a guard to come in.

"Can you pick her up and carry her to my boudoir?"

The guard nodded and kneeled down to Kaoru's level. He placed one hand behind her back while another swept under her legs.

He lifted her with ease and followed Yumi down the hall to her room. Yumi opened the door and held it for the guard. In Yumi's room he laid her down on the chaise lounge.

"Thank you. You may leave."

The guard saluted and exited the way he came in.

Kaoru started blankly at the ceiling, too tired to notice that the floating gun was gone.

Yumi sat down next to the chaise lounge in one of her red velvet chairs. She wore her typical revealing robes. Her hair was pulled back into it's usual bun. Something was different about her today, she wasn't acting like her extravagant self.

"Let me check your wounds."

Kaoru didn't verbally respond but her body remained still.

Yumi had prepared a bucket of warm water, burn ointment, fresh bandages and a rag.

Yumi initiated the tedious task of undoing Kaoru's bandages while she laid there. Once unwrapped, she assessed the damage done to Kaoru's body.

Kaoru's wounds oozed, and a green liquid came out of them. The burns had become infected. There were a few swollen bumps on Kaoru's arms, legs, and one swollen ankle.

She tried to run away from Shishio and he had beaten her down. Yumi realized this with concern. Her fears had been confirmed, Kaoru was being regularly beaten. Yumi observed her thoughts take an angry turn towards Shishio. How could he have been be so careless?

A lair of sweat covered Kaoru's body. Yumi put her hand to Kaoru's forehead and noticed it's sweltering temperature. Kaoru had a high fever.

"This is worst than I imagined. Your wounds are infected, and you have a fever." Yumi commented.

Kaoru groaned and shifted on the lounge chair. This was not the news she wanted to hear right now. It was just another burden added to her plate.

"I will seal your wounds, and that should help with the infection. Be warned, that healing is not my forte. We will need to get you out of here. The longer you stay, the worse things will get for you." Yumi stated.

Kaoru furrowed her brow in confusion.

What? Yumi was talking about helping her?

"Really, you'd let me leave?" Kaoru dared to ask. Kaoru didn't want to believe that this female was actually feeling empathetic.

"If it were up to me, you'd have left days ago. Shishio is willing to let you leave If you are complicit today." Yumi sighed.

"Complicit how?"

"Let's get you cleaned up and then we'll talk."

"What's the catch Yumi?" Kaoru was cynical.

"You need to give me something, any information on your relationship with the battousai, his hideout, his next move, then you're free."

"I've already told him everything I know." Kaoru growled.

"I know that. Fabricate something up, give me something to report to him."

Yumi waved her hand in the air frivolously with this statement. Her tone suggested that this was a meager task.

"Lie? Why are you helping Me?"

"Because I was once a young woman like you, tortured and put in the middle by men. I don't want your blood on my hands."

"You were?"

"Yes, I was the most precious and prestigious geisha in all of Gion. I was a slave to the petty desires of men, and constantly subjected to their sick and twisted needs."

Yumi had stopped dressing Kaoru for a second to make eye contact. Her tone was very matter-of-fact.

It took Kaoru a moment to wrap her head around that.

Yumi sympathized with her?

"Wait that would mean that you're…" Kaoru attempted to refer to a historical timeline.

"Yes I'm very old. Don't say it." Yumi stared icily at her.

"How?!"

"Shh. During that time, I was a star in the Miyako odori at the Gion Kobu Kaburenjo Theater."

"Whoa… I'm confused, How did you meet Shishio?"

"He saw me perform, then booked a private tea meeting with me."

"And then.."

Yumi huffed and cut her off. She had paused her work to story tell and now she regretted it.

"He asked me to join him. The rest is history. Now lay still." Yumi replied curtly.

Before Kaoru could ask more questions Yumi ripped off one of the bandages on Kaoru's thighs more harshly than she had with the others.

Kaoru yelled in pain. She looked down to see the wound on her thigh.

It was red, infected, and oozing. She began to squirm. Exposing it cold air caused it feel sensitive and burn more.

"Ahh! My leg..it's"

"Shh. Yes, it is infected. Lay still so I can clean it." Yumi tried to still Kaoru by holding her in place.

Kaoru body burned more with each bandage Yumi removed. She was now essentially naked except for that pair of cotton panties. Yumi was unperturbed by her nudity and continued to attend to her.

Kaoru's body twitched each time Yumi dabbed the warm rag into the water and over her wounds.

Each minute Yumi dressed her wounds felt like an eternity.

Once Yumi had cleaned them all, she put down her rag and stood above Kaoru.

"Okay, straighten out for me Kaoru."

Kaoru stretched out and flattened her body like a board.

"Yes like that, now hold still. I'm going to seal your wounds."

Yumi opened her hands and hovered them over Kaoru's chest. A yellow light, brightened, from her palms. As the light grew it closed in over Kaoru's chest.

"What is tha—-AHHHHHH," she screamed as her back bowed off the bed in agony.

"HOLD STILL. I'm sorry this is going to hurt." Yumi warned.

"You could have told me that before…ahhhhh!"

Yumi's hands descended down Kaoru's body, closing each wound. This spell was a painful one in that it was essentially using magic to reconnect damaged tissue and fuse together skin.

Kaoru felt like her body was being sewn back to get her with a hot rod. She was being wielded by hand. Yumi watched her eyes roll to the back of her head body go limp. She had passed out from the pain.

Poor thing.

Unfortunately, Yumi had to continue her work. Things would only get worse for Kaoru if she stopped now. Besides Kaoru would need to be in a healthier state in order to receive the blood curse.

After Yumi finished up she laid a blanket over Kaoru.

While Kaoru laid there, Yumi went over to her vanity. Inside one of the drawers she pulled out a pipe, and a box. Opening the box, she withdrew its contents and loaded the pipe.

This should move things along.

She smiled to herself.

If there was ever a natural truth serum, this was it.

Yumi let Kaoru rest for a few hours before she decided to wake her up. In the meantime, she requested that the guard bring her some fresh food and water.

A little while later, Yumi nudged Kaoru with her shoulder with her knee.

"Wakey wakey."

Kaorus eyelids opened halfway. She blinked a few times.

"Ohhhh…"

"I hope you enjoyed your nap. It's time to eat up."

Kaoru tried to raise her head only for it to fall back against the pillows.

"Ahh..it hurts."

"What hurts?"

"Everything. Oh god." *Dry heave*

Kaoru leaned over the side of the chaise lounge preparing to regurgitate anything in her stomach. She unsuccessful in her efforts to purge anything since her stomach was running on empty.

"I'm sorry Kaoru it was the only way."

"Ahh just kill me I can't take anymore!" Kaoru yelled in frustration.

Kaoru's body had been through so much. She was sick of feeling like shit. Her life consisted of different variations or levels of pain. When would it end? Maybe the only way out of this was death. Kaoru found that she was starting to care less.

"I have something that can make the pain go away?"

"Please! Anything! I don't care! just make it stop!"

Kaoru heaved again and her body spasmed.

Yumi reached for her pipe and the bowl. She took a small hit and then handed it to Kaoru.

"Here, take a drag from this." Yumi offered.

"No!"

"Do you want to feel better or not?"

Kaoru wrinkled her nose at the earthy smell of the smoke.

"What is it?"

"It's Buddha, it's a natural painkiller made from marijuana and opium."

"Drugs?" This went against everything Kaoru had been taught.

"Sweetheart, what do you think is in the medicine they give to post surgery patients? It's either morphine or opium! This is all we have here."

"Ugh…fuck it." Kaoru decided.

Yumi guided the pipe into Kaoru's mouth, and she took a hit. After half a second she pushed it away weakly with her hand and started coughing

"Ahhh-" *cough cough*

Yumi handed her a glass of water and Kaoru chugged it so fast it spilled down her face and neck.

"Slow down!"

Yumi grabbed a rag and whipped off the dribbling water from Kaoru's chin. Then she continued with her original objective.

"You're going to need more" Yumi insisted shoving the pipe back in her face.

Kaoru growled and took another drag. This started another coughing fit. Yumi patted Kaoru on the back as she coughed, and set the pipe down on a nearby side table.

"Okay, I think that's enough. Have some more water."

Kaoru chugged her second glass of water and then held it to her chest.

She tried to suppress her cough and took a few deep breaths.

Her body felt like it was floating. She felt like her head was full of air. She no longer felt like she was burning. The ache in her muscles had ceased.

Surprised, Kaoru looked at Yumi in wonder.

"What the fuck?"

Yumi stared back at her expectantly, a small smile curled her lips.

"Feel any better?"

"I feel good..too good?"

"Yes, Buddha will do that."

"Is this why people do drugs?"

Yumi laughed. There were lots of reasons why people did drugs.

"Drugs create a euphoric feeling."

"I'd fucking say so!" Kaoru exclaimed.

Yumi walked over to her wardrobe, pulled out a long pale green night gown and handed it to Kaoru.

"Put this on."

Kaoru looked at her with a silly grin and slipped it on over her body. She had forgotten about her nudity.

Yumi grabbed the tray of food the guard had left her and pushed it in front of Kaoru.

"Try eating."

Kaoru didn't have to be told twice, she shoveled food into her mouth with ferocity. Her tense stomach was now relaxed, and ready to receive.

"Good girl, it would seem your appetite is back."

"What?! Where'd it go?"

Yumi stared at her puzzled.

"Where'd what go?"

"My appetite? You said it came back, where did it go?"

Yumi stared back at her again with a blank look.

This girl was as high as a kite. Time to redirect.

"Never mind that, let's make you comfortable. Yumi grabbed a few pillows and handed them to Kaoru who continued to smile lopsidedly.

"Gee thanks!"

Yumi decided she would take advantage of stoned Kaoru and make this interaction reminiscent to girl time. Truthfully, she had missed being surrounded by her Geisha comrades. Yumi hadn't had close friends outside of her life with Shishio for a long time. Once she had become a part of his world, Yumi had become isolated from regular socializing.

"Kaoru, would you let me braid your hair?"

"Would you really? I'd love that!" Kaoru beamed.

Yumi grabbed a comb and started brushing out Kaoru's hair. The mess she was met with made this no easy task.

This is going to take a while.

"You know Kaoru, this was one of my favorite parts of being a geisha." Yumi tried.

"What was?"

"Getting dolled up and pampered for a night of work."

"I've never really given a shit about make up, but if I lived a life like that, I'm sure I would."

Yumi snorted at Kaoru's blunt response. Kaoru had such a way with words.

She really didn't want to like Kaoru, but this petulant child had really grown on her.

"Yumi, tell me something."

"Hmm?"

"What made you go for a demon?"

"He gave me something that no human man could offer me at that point in my life."

"Demon Dick?"

"No! Power and freedom from society!" Yumi corrected.

"Ohhhh….ya. Society must have sucked for women back then." Kaoru recalled information she had read in her history book on Gion and it's entertainment district. Not all women who worked in that industry had become employed in that occupation by choice.

"I would ask you the same question?"

"Uhh. I didn't know he was a demon."

"You didn't?"

"No, I found that out that hard way."

"Ah, I see. You wouldn't have picked him if you knew that?"

"I don't know. There are so many things that make him great ya know? I just fell in love."

"I don't know, but I'll take your word for it." Yumi replied sarcastically.

"Yeah, he's just so dark and sexy, like a real hunk of a man." Kaoru gushed throwing all caution to the wind.

"If that's the case, why haven't you guys had sex?"

Kaoru laughed loudly. "Oooo Yumi, going in for the kill!"

"You don't want to?"

"No! Umm, I mean I kinda tried to go for it and he shut it down."

"He rejected you?" Yumi's hands stilled in her hair.

"No, not like that. I came onto him, and then he took control, I orgasmed, and I fell asleep."

"That statement makes no sense. What did he do exactly?"

"He went south on me." Kaoru clarified.

"Is that what they call it now? Times have changed." Yumi laughed resuming her task.

"That's where we left off and now I'm stuck here."

"Do you know anything about demon sex Kaoru?"

"Umm? Doesn't the penis still go in?"

"Yes, idiot. Demons still have penises." Yumi answered with annoyance.

Yumi glared at Kaoru in disbelief.

This girl really doesn't know anything.

"Kaoru, when you lay with a demon, life is never the same again after that. "

"Do they like have spooky kinky sex or something?"

"Demons can be dangerous when they fuck Kaoru, they can experience bloodlust, and want to inflict pain."

"Then why did you bed one?"

"Because it's the most glorious sex you will ever have. No human touch will ever rival that of a demon lover. They aim to please, and they can use their powers to manipulate the experience. It's very pleasurable. "

"Huh? What does that mean?"

"Demons can give you energy, new sensations, and they can take that away from you as well."

"Like some kind of energy vampire?"

"I am not familiar with that reference."

"Is that why I am always exhausted after hanging out with Kenshin?"

"Yes, his demon is feeding off of your life force energy."

"How do I stop that? I am tired being sick, winded, or sleepy around him."

"I wish I had the answer for you."

Yumi finished up Kaoru's hair and sat down next to her.

"How are you feeling now?"

"I'm actually pretty tired, I need another nap." Kaoru giggled.

"Then go ahead and enjoy your nap."

Within minutes Kaoru was fast asleep again. The drugs would keep her down.

Yumi had the information that she needed. If Kaoru was in love with the battousai it would make the curse stronger.

While Kaoru slept, she gathered the supplies to form the curse.

She formed a circle of salt around Kaoru. Then she created an altar with a black candle and a red candle. Fastened around the red candle was a piece of Kaoru's hair.

On the surface of the altar a rune had been carved.

For the last step, Yumi walked over to Kaoru who was now snoring loudly.

Yumi took a thin razor blade and made a one millimeter cut across Kaoru's point finger.

Blood welled up in the cut and Yumi collected it in a bowl.

Once she had enough, she poured the blood into the rune on the altar until the symbol connected at all four parts.

Yumi chanted in an old language to cast her spell. She had been trained in the black magic in Kyoto when she was a young priestess. Few knew of Kyoto's black magic scene or it's secret society of covens and lived to talk about it. Yumi had left that scene to work in the entertainment business. She had used her new found powers to use and manipulate men.

A Red circle of light formed Kaoru's body and she levitated off of the chaise lounge for a second.

Yumi completed the spell. She left the two candles burning on the altar.

By the time they finished burning, the blood ritual would be complete. Kaoru didn't need to be here for that part.

In fact, Yumi wanted her gone. As soon as possible.

"Guard?! Come in."

"Yes, my lady, how can I assist?" The same guard from before answered.

"Get Soujiro, and get the car ready. It's time to take the girl back."

****Author's Note***

I didn't want to do your stereotypical rescue scene where there is big show down between Kenshin and Shishio.

Yes, they will have their epic battle, only much later. I wanted to have more character development with Yumi. She is one of my favorite characters in the series because she can't be strictly labeled as good or bad.

Next chapter will be out shortly. I AM ON A ROLL! *cracks knuckles dramatically*