Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Bloodline ❯ Realizations ( Chapter 6 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Angie-san 
Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 06.18.2005 | Updated On: 06.05.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.0K | Visits: 763 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 06.18.2005 | Updated On: 06.05.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.0K | Visits: 763 | Status: Completed
Disclaimer - Sadly, I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. It is the sole property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and the many companies who have purchased the rights.
Chapter 6 – Realizations
Kenshin stared blindly at the dirt passing under his feet as he walked through the steadily brightening streets of Kyoto, trying to quiet the nagging feeling that had settled into the back of his mind when he'd heard Kaoru's voice on the train last night. A knot of anxiety curled in his stomach, remembering the softly whispered entreaty that had suddenly echoed in his mind as he'd watched the darkened landscape pass by. Gomen...nasai...Kenshin. Her voice had shocked him so badly he'd searched the entire car for her. It had taken all of his strength to fight the urge to jump off the train and rush back to Tokyo to make sure she was okay. A heaviness settled in his chest as his feet continued to carry him towards the reason he was here, Kaoru's voice whispering over and over in his mind, the feeling that he'd made a terrible mistake continuing to grow with each step.
Finally, he dragged his eyes off the ground and looked up to find himself before the graceful arches of the cemetery that held Tomoe's grave. His chest tightened slightly as he stared through the entrance at all the headstones marching off into the distance. It had been ten years since he'd come to Kyoto to visit her grave and now someone had used it to leave him a message. Fisting his bandaged hand, he slowly made his way towards her resting place as a soul-searing anger began to simmer deep in his belly. Coming upon what should have been untouchable, his anger exploded into full blown rage and he knelt down to sift through the tiny shards of the obliterated headstone. Most of the pieces littering the area were so small they could be called dust instead.
"Why?!" he growled to himself as he fisted a handful of the demolished stone. His rage was so intense that he didn't hear the soft tread of feet come up behind him.
"Battousai."
Kenshin didn't bother to turn around and instead released his hand and absently smoothed the dusty remains, trying to temper his anger. "Do you know who did this yet?” his asked, his voice razor sharp.
"No" Aoshi replied, as he stood gazing over Kenshin's shoulder at the broken mess before them. "We have been unable to find the one who did this or committed the murders."
"Why would they destroy something so sacred?" Kenshin remarked, more to himself than the man behind him. A dull ache replaced his anger as the memories of he and Tomoe's time rose up to invade his thoughts.
"The only answer to that is they wanted you here." The tall man replied evenly.
Kenshin scowled. "Why do this instead of search me out? She is innocent of the deeds I did during the Bakumatsu." He grated angrily, rising to face Aoshi. “This is the act of a coward!”
"That I cannot answer, but they will show themselves now that you are here."
Kenshin frowned, not sure if he believed that anymore. The nagging feeling that continued to throb dully in the back of his mind whispered that he was missing something very important, that everything was not as it seemed. Casting one last glance over his shoulder, he walked past Aoshi and made his way out of the cemetery trying to piece together the puzzle that he couldn't see.
Sensing the tall man come up beside him, Kenshin matched his pace. "Who were the men that were killed?"
"Three were homeless samurai, the other two were shopkeepers," The stoic Okashira answered smoothly. "Nothing to link any of them except the way they were killed."
"Simply chosen at random to force a confrontation." Kenshin whispered softly angry all over again by the heartless act. “We have to find whoever did this quickly. I need to return to Tokyo as soon as possible."
"Why?" Aoshi asked.
Kenshin sighed, "Just a feeling I have, Kaoru needs me there."
"Why would Kaoru-san need you there?" Aoshi asked, clearly surprised, "She can take care of herself."
Taken aback by the familiarity with which the Okashira spoke of Kaoru, Kenshin glanced up at him suspiciously, "What do you know about Kaoru?"
Aoshi shrugged. “Not much. A few years ago her father left her at the Aoiya when he had to attend to some business in Kyoto. That's when she and Misao became good friends." A faint smile came to the stoic man's lips. "I know she's excellent with the bokken but she's too hot tempered to be a ninja. I attempted to train her some when she stayed that time with minimal success."
Kenshin whispered a silent 'ah' then chuckled to himself at the thought of his feisty Kaoru attempting to be stealthy. Aoshi was right, she was much more suited to brandishing her bokken, his head could attest to that.
"That she is." Kenshin finally agreed as he continued to thread his way through the near empty streets of Kyoto.
Within moments they reached Aoiya and Kenshin paused outside the door. "Will you have a new headstone made, she didn't deserve this."
"It's already been taken care of, it will be ready in a couple of weeks." Aoshi replied as he headed inside.
Kenshin murmured his thanks and left the tall man to make his way to the room Misao had designated for his use when they'd in the early hours of the morning. At the time he'd simply dropped his bag in here and left without a word to wander the dark streets, pondering what he'd heard on the train. But now that he was back he sifted through the bag until he found the blue hair ribbon he always carried and tucked it into his gi, needing the feel of it against his skin.
"Himura, there's food prepared if you're hungry?" Misao said from the open door.
Kenshin glanced up to where she leaning against the door frame and nodded as he headed out of the room. He hadn't eaten anything since yesterday morning before he'd left Tokyo. All of a sudden his stomach growled loudly in anticipation and he smiled sheepishly as Misao busted out laughing. Settling down at the low table laden with food, Kenshin filled the bowl laid out for him with some noodles and tucked in as Misao sat down across from him and did the same.
"Why did you say that Yahiko and Sano needed to stay with Kaoru?" Misao asked as she filled her bowl. "Is something going on?"
Kenshin glanced up from his food and looked her square in the eye. Should he tell her? She was one of Kaoru's closest friends, maybe she would know something. "Have you ever seen a faint golden glow surround her?" he asked instead of answering her question.
Misao simply looked at him for a long moment before she nodded. "Yeah, it happened right after she had a wicked headache once. When I told her about it she did some sort of meditation and suddenly the glow was gone. All she said was that both her and her mom had it and she wasn't supposed to talk about it. Why?"
Kenshin frowned. So it was real.
The nagging feeling he'd been feeling since he'd left suddenly intensified as the realization that Kaoru was something truly unique struck him hard. Fixing a hard look on Misao, he pressed, "She never told you why she had it?"
Misao gave him a long suffering look. "She was twelve and I was ten, so really once she told me about her and her mom that pretty much ended the conversation. Besides, I haven't seen it since."
"What happened to her mother?" Kenshin asked suddenly. Kaoru had never really spoken to him of her mother, only her father.
Misao shifted nervously. "She died before I met Kaoru, and she doesn't like to talk about her. I guess it was a painful death, at least that's what Aoshi-sama said."
"I said what?" Aoshi asked, as he entered and sat down beside Misao. His eyes softening a little when he glanced to her. "And didn't I tell you to quit calling me Aoshi-sama" he added, brushing his fingers lightly along her jaw.
Misao's cheeks pinked at the contact. "H..hai Aoshi-sa...Aoshi."
"So, what did I say?" He asked again, smirking at her slip.
"Kaoru's mom died a painful death." Misao mumbled ducking her head to try to hide her embarrassment.
Aoshi shifted his attention to Kenshin and nodded. "She died of tuberculosis, Kaoru was with her when she died and it traumatized her badly. She doesn't talk about it."
Kenshin's brow furrowed and he turned his attention back to his food, wondering how it could be that he'd known her for the last six months but it seemed he really didn't know her at all. What confused him the most was that the glow that had surrounded her was real. He'd never heard of anything like that before in all of his travels. Sifting through everything he'd seen and heard over the past couple of days bits and pieces started to come together. With an almost growing sense of apprehension he slowly realized that maybe what had happened to Tomoe's grave was just a way to draw him away from Kaoru’s side.
Suddenly Saitou's warning echoed loudly in his mind again. Don't leave Tokyo anytime soon Battousai or you may regret it.
"Himura, something wrong?" Misao asked, noticing the sudden still and pale expression on the rurouni’s face as he sat frozen in his seat. She would say almost horrified.
The question snapped Kenshin from his thoughts and he raised his eyes as he came to a decision. "I need to go back to Tokyo today."
aoshi seemed taken aback by the statement. "Will you not stay and find those who destroyed your wife's grave?"
Kenshin shook his head and met the Okashira's surprised gaze. "I don't think they're here anymore, I don't think they wanted me in Kyoto...just out of Tokyo instead."
"Why would they want you out of Tokyo?" Aoshi asked confused.
"Because the one they're after is Kaoru", Kenshin stated, knowing as soon as the words fell from his lips that the statement was true. Rising from the table he glanced at Aoshi. "Will you arrange for the train ticket, get it for me as soon as possible."
With a nod Aoshi rose and turned to Misao, "Come with me, I'll give you the money to go purchase the ticket."
With that they split at the door, Kenshin to make one last visit to Tomoe's grave as Misao and Aoshi made the arrangements for his return to Tokyo.
oooooooooooooooooo
Megumi leaned back on her heels and washed the blood from her hands as she eyed the deathly pale man in front of her. When she and Dr. Genzai had gotten there she had nearly lost all hope when she'd seen the wide pool of blood Sano had been lying in. The wide gash across his chest had revealed the white of his ribs and the dagger had been embedded so deeply in his shoulder that part of the hilt had been driven in. With Yahiko's help they'd managed to move him into the training room and she and Dr. Genzai had set to work. Keeping tight control on her emotions, they moved as fast as they could to stem the flow of blood and stitch him up before he lost too much. It had been a fight the entire time, twice they had almost lost him, but somehow he'd fought tenaciously for life and succeeded.
Now as she gazed at his peaceful face, his breathing finally leveled out, all the emotions she had kept at bay came rushing forward. Her heart twisted painfully and tears began streaming down her face as she realized just how close she'd come to losing this big lug of a man. The only one who'd ever managed to weasel his way into her heart. Wiping them away with the back of her hand she began to rise up when a hand gripped her wrist loosely.
"Where're you going, fox?" Sano whispered, barely able to put voice to the words.
Megumi swung watery eyes to his pale face. A fresh bout of tears spilled down her cheeks as her eyes met his.
Smiling weakly, Sano let go of her wrist and touched his fingertips to her wet cheek. "Don't cry, it's gonna take more than this little scratch to kill me."
Mirroring his smile, Megumi grasped his hand and placed it on his chest once again. "You need to sleep, I'll be back to check your wounds later."
Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she rose and made her way to the door before she completely lost her composure. Just as she started sliding the shoji closed she heard a soft whisper behind her, "I'm not so bad after all, eh fox?"
Smiling to herself she left the room and padded out to where Yahiko sat on the front steps. His body visibly tense, arm wrapped tightly against his side to prevent any more damage to his shoulder. Laying a reassuring hand on his uninjured shoulder she sat down beside him. "He's going to be okay."
Yahiko relaxed somewhat at that, but his insides remained twisted up at the memory of the man's mismatched eyes boring into his. He was sure the man would've killed him without a second thought if he hadn't had Kaoru over his shoulder. The thought of Kaoru being in the hands of that man caused a shiver of dread to race down his spine and he wondered if his adopted sister was okay or if she was dead on the side of the road somewhere. The only reassurance he had that she might be safe was that the man had said he was going to take her home, whatever that meant.
"Have you sent a message to Ken-san yet?" Megumi asked, trying to get his attention off whatever was worrying him.
Yahiko shook his head. "No, I don't know what to say."
Megumi smiled. "Just tell him he needs to come home as soon as possible and leave it at that. Don't worry, he'll come."
With a sigh, Yahiko nodded and rose to head into town to send the letter. Rubbing a fist across his eyes in an attempt to clear his mind of the previous night’s events he scowled, they really needed Kenshin back. If anyone could find her, he could. Tugging the gate open he was just about to step out into the street when he caught sight of the stranger standing in front of him staring at the dojo.
"Where's Kamiya?"
Yahiko's highly strung nerves finally broke at the harsh tone. "Who the hell are you and how do you know Kaoru?!" he all but shouted at the man.
"That's none of your business." Saitou replied, pushing past the kid into the front yard. Scanning the empty area, his eyes finally came to rest on the woman and her bloody apron. Leveling a hard look on her, he asked "Where's Kamiya?"
"Gone," Megumi replied, glaring right back at him. "She was taken last night by someone who must be after Himura-san."
Quickly realizing what must have occurred, Saitou scowled blackly. "Where's Battousai?" he demanded, already knowing the answer. The idiot had left her unprotected even after he'd warned the redhead not to leave.
"He's gone to Kyoto to settle some business." Megumi replied haughtily, tired of his condescending manner.
"So he left her unprotected." Saitou stated coldly.
Megumi's hackles rose at the bald statement. Angrily, she shot to her feet and strode to where he stood glaring hard into his uncaring face. "She was NOT unprotected. There's a man in there fighting for his life after trying to defend her," she bit out motioning to the dojo. "And Yahiko has a cracked shoulder blade from being thrown around by the bastard who took her!" And then it suddenly hit her, what the man had said she eyed him confused. "What do you mean unprotected, why would she need protection?"
Saitou ignored her question and turned to Yahiko, nailing him with an icy look. "You saw who took her?" When the boy nodded, he pressed, "What did the man look like?"
A shiver whispered down Yahiko's spine at the memory of the man's eyes. "He's about as tall as you and he had really strange eyes. One was almost pure black eye and the other was almost pure white." Yahiko paused, as the memory of what the man had said flashed through his mind. "He said he was taking her home. Do you know what that means?"
Saitou nearly snarled. "So he's got her." he growled more to himself than those in the yard. Ignoring the boy's question, he headed for the gate as his anger burst into full blown rage.
Yahiko grabbed his arm before he could pass and asked, "What do you mean, who's got her, where is she?"
Saitou swung a withering glare to the boy that caused him to let go and said in a dead cold voice. "Get Battousai back here now!"
And with that he strode out the gate, his fury simmering as he went over the information he'd just received. If he'd known sooner he could have prevented what was soon to come. Fisting his hand he made his way back to headquarters knowing Battousai would soon be paying him a visit.
oooooooooooooooooo
Shishio knelt down at the low table in his room and flipped open the journal that had once belonged to his ancestor and reread the passage that promised him his heart's desire. Ginning devilishly, he tried to temper his growing anticipation as he waited for his angel to wake. Soon he would be able to attain such a glorious thing, his heartbeat quickening at the mere thought. Oh, but he knew his angel wasn't about to just give it to him and taking it from her would be half the pleasure.
Feeling Yumi kneel down beside him he turned his eyes to her and saw the murderous glare she was fixing on him. "Are you jealous, my dear?" he purred, lifting a finger to trace her jaw softly. Watching her eyes narrow dangerously he leaned in to mere inches from her full lips and whispered, "You have nothing to worry about, my dear, she's not nearly as beautiful as you. She is simply the vessel holding what should have been mine."
Hearing the soft tread of bare feet pass his door he placed a soft kiss on her lips and rose. "She has awakened, It's time I go welcome her to her ancestral home, we will meet you in the dining room soon."
oooooooooooooooooo
Kaoru woke slowly from her forced sleep with a dull throb in her head, her thoughts muddled and hazy. Feeling the soft blanket covering her, she snuggled in fully intending to sleep the morning away as long as every left her alone. Yet her head had other ideas and another rather sharp pain woke her even more and she slowly started to realize that the futon beneath her was far too comfortable to be the one she'd slept on all her life. Cracking one eye opened cautiously, she gazed at her surroundings in consternation until it became clear that the elegant room she now rested in was most definitely not hers.
Sitting up as quickly as her sore head would let her, Kaoru took in her surroundings with widened eyes. The wall she was facing was made entirely of wood with a huge sakura tree etched gracefully into the smooth surface, the blossoms carefully painted to look as if they were truly there. Swinging her eyes around the room she noted the low table that rested in front of the shoji that she assumed lead to a porch or garden of some sort. Another wooden mural lay opposite the sakura tree, this one of a gentle waterfall flowing through a heavily wooded area also carved and painted to look like you could reach out and dip your hand in the glimmering pool. A privacy screen stood in the far corner of the room with a large standing chest right beside it she guessed most likely held clothing of some sort.
Turning her attention back to herself she noticed that she was dressed in a thin sleeping yukata made of the softest material she'd ever felt, her hair flowing free around her shoulders. Confused and a little bit worried about how she had come to be dressed like this, Kaoru rose from the futon and grimaced as pain shot up her legs. With a hiss, she glanced to her feet wondering what had happened and then it all came rushing back when she saw her carefully bandaged feet.
A shiver of dread flew through her veins as she fell back to her knees, the mismatched eyes of her captor flashing through her mind. There was no doubt in her mind that she had reached wherever the man had been bringing her to. But the worst part about it was that she had absolutely no idea where she was, who else was about or how long she had been here. Fear threatened to constrict her throat, as she contemplated the reality of her situation. The image of Sano crumpled on the ground flashed through her mind and she almost lifted her hand to see if his blood still stained her fingers. Clenching her hands instead she bit down on her lower lip and narrowed her eyes. There really wasn’t any other choice, she had to escape before whoever it was came for her.
Latching onto her new cause like a life line, she pushed everything else out of her mind and rose shakily to her feet again. Quietly making her way to the door and slowly slid it back and sagged in relief when she saw an empty hallway leading away in both directions. Choosing to go right, she silently began walking along the polished wood, careful not to make any noise. Several steps later she rounded a corner and found herself facing an intersection at the end of the hall, corridors leading away in both directions.
Without warning the nightmare from two nights before surfaced, causing a wave of disorientation to pass over her. The feeling of being watched suddenly crawled across her skin as it had that night. With her heart hammering in her chest Kaoru chose the hallway to her right and cautiously glided down it on silent feet, one hand trailing along the wall she stayed close against. The unease grew, as if knowing before she reached it, that the door from her dreams lay ahead. Swallowing to relieve the knot of tension in her gut she let her eyes dart behind her quickly, trying to shake the sense of deja vu. It was almost anticlimactic when she came upon the familiar door. A cold sweat broke out all over her body as she reached out and grasped it, her nerves so taut she was sure the slightest noise would send her over the edge. Sliding it back slowly she heaved a sigh of relief when she saw an actual room beyond.
Taking a moment to settle her nerves, Kaoru stepped into the huge, golden lit chamber that was empty save for the low dais and found her eyes immediately drawn to the painting on the far wall. An undeniable curiosity pushed aside her trepidations and she approached it, almost as if she was drawn across the polished floor. Intent on identifying the figure that seemed to be the focus of the artwork she stepped onto the dais.
Kaoru inhaling sharply and simply gaped at the face of a woman who looked almost exactly like her, even down to the golden highlights in her hair. Lifting a hand to touch the surface she peered closely at the painting and saw in small kanji along the edge, a name she knew, one that caused her eyes to widen in shock... Shishio Aiko.
"It's almost like looking into a mirror isn't it, sweet angel?"
Kaoru's blood froze in her veins as the voice from her nightmare washed over her. His whispered threat echoing loudly in her mind, ‘You are mine now...there will be no escape.’ Slowly turning around she flinched when her eyes came to rest on the owner of the voice. Underneath the clothing the man was heavily bandaged from head to toe, the only visible skin being around his eyes and mouth and that skin blackened. His onyx eyes bored into hers as a smile slowly graced his lips.
"I see you don't find me pleasant to look upon, but don't worry my dear, that will soon change."
"W-w-who are you?" Kaoru stammered, fighting to calm her racing heart. Her mind leaping from the discovery of the painting and the name to the man’s appearance to the attack and kidnapping... she knew that it was all coming to a head. Her instincts were screaming for her to run, to get away.
The man moved forward slowly and Kaoru took one step backwards for every one he made towards her until he finally drove her up against the wall. And then he stopped and bowed low. "My name is Shishio Makoto. A direct descendant of the woman you were gazing at, as are you."
Kaoru started. "What?" she asked, surprised out of her fear yet thoroughly confused. Her hand crept up to the brass key hanging around her neck, wishing fervently that she'd been able to open the box. "What do you mean as am I?"
For a long moment Shishio simply gazed at her surprised face, and then he suddenly realized that she didn't know anything about who she truly was. A small chuckle escaped his lips at the discovery, his eyes lighting up at the knowledge that she was going to be much more fun to break this way. Her ignorance and obvious naivety would make the experience that much more gratifying. Deciding to leave her in the dark for the moment, he extended his hand instead. "Please join me for dinner. Food has been prepared, I'm sure you are hungry after your ordeal."
Kaoru shied away from the hand, the thought of being touched by him turning her stomach, and prepared to bolt for the door. Her confusion and fear flooding up again. Lifting her eyes to the only escape route she could see she was just about to bolt for it when the man who'd made her life a misery recently filled the doorway. The look on his battered face inviting her to try to get past him.
Seeing that route blocked she searched the room for some type of weapon to use against them and was greatly disappointed to find the room bare of anything save the painting beside her. In one last effort to escape she sprinted for the shoji doors to the right, hoping they led outside. Desperate enough to gamble the chance that if she could get outside maybe she had a possibility at getting away. Flinging one open she ran out onto a porch and was stopped dead in her tracks by a railing waist high that guarded against a 200 foot plunge to the bottom of the ravine that the porch overlooked.
"There's nowhere to run, sweet angel," she heard Shishio taunt from the doorway, a hint of laughter lacing his voice.
Clenching her teeth in defeat Kaoru fought the tears trying to surface and moved back into the room, brushing past him as she made her way towards the door where the strange eyed man still stood.. Her chin lifted in false bravery she halted a few feet away from her captor, waiting to be lead to the dining area. Her mind swirled with the uncertainty of what her fate was going to be from here on, her heart pounding so hard she was sure they could hear it.
Without a word her captor lead the way and she walked between the two men as they made their way down the hallway. Suddenly the feeling that she was being led to the sacrificial altar with absolutely no means of escape nearly stole her breath away and one lone tear escaped her downcast eyes when her thoughts turned to a particular redheaded rurouni. Her heart clenched painfully and she wondered if she would ever have the chance to see him again.
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Chapter 6 – Realizations
Kenshin stared blindly at the dirt passing under his feet as he walked through the steadily brightening streets of Kyoto, trying to quiet the nagging feeling that had settled into the back of his mind when he'd heard Kaoru's voice on the train last night. A knot of anxiety curled in his stomach, remembering the softly whispered entreaty that had suddenly echoed in his mind as he'd watched the darkened landscape pass by. Gomen...nasai...Kenshin. Her voice had shocked him so badly he'd searched the entire car for her. It had taken all of his strength to fight the urge to jump off the train and rush back to Tokyo to make sure she was okay. A heaviness settled in his chest as his feet continued to carry him towards the reason he was here, Kaoru's voice whispering over and over in his mind, the feeling that he'd made a terrible mistake continuing to grow with each step.
Finally, he dragged his eyes off the ground and looked up to find himself before the graceful arches of the cemetery that held Tomoe's grave. His chest tightened slightly as he stared through the entrance at all the headstones marching off into the distance. It had been ten years since he'd come to Kyoto to visit her grave and now someone had used it to leave him a message. Fisting his bandaged hand, he slowly made his way towards her resting place as a soul-searing anger began to simmer deep in his belly. Coming upon what should have been untouchable, his anger exploded into full blown rage and he knelt down to sift through the tiny shards of the obliterated headstone. Most of the pieces littering the area were so small they could be called dust instead.
"Why?!" he growled to himself as he fisted a handful of the demolished stone. His rage was so intense that he didn't hear the soft tread of feet come up behind him.
"Battousai."
Kenshin didn't bother to turn around and instead released his hand and absently smoothed the dusty remains, trying to temper his anger. "Do you know who did this yet?” his asked, his voice razor sharp.
"No" Aoshi replied, as he stood gazing over Kenshin's shoulder at the broken mess before them. "We have been unable to find the one who did this or committed the murders."
"Why would they destroy something so sacred?" Kenshin remarked, more to himself than the man behind him. A dull ache replaced his anger as the memories of he and Tomoe's time rose up to invade his thoughts.
"The only answer to that is they wanted you here." The tall man replied evenly.
Kenshin scowled. "Why do this instead of search me out? She is innocent of the deeds I did during the Bakumatsu." He grated angrily, rising to face Aoshi. “This is the act of a coward!”
"That I cannot answer, but they will show themselves now that you are here."
Kenshin frowned, not sure if he believed that anymore. The nagging feeling that continued to throb dully in the back of his mind whispered that he was missing something very important, that everything was not as it seemed. Casting one last glance over his shoulder, he walked past Aoshi and made his way out of the cemetery trying to piece together the puzzle that he couldn't see.
Sensing the tall man come up beside him, Kenshin matched his pace. "Who were the men that were killed?"
"Three were homeless samurai, the other two were shopkeepers," The stoic Okashira answered smoothly. "Nothing to link any of them except the way they were killed."
"Simply chosen at random to force a confrontation." Kenshin whispered softly angry all over again by the heartless act. “We have to find whoever did this quickly. I need to return to Tokyo as soon as possible."
"Why?" Aoshi asked.
Kenshin sighed, "Just a feeling I have, Kaoru needs me there."
"Why would Kaoru-san need you there?" Aoshi asked, clearly surprised, "She can take care of herself."
Taken aback by the familiarity with which the Okashira spoke of Kaoru, Kenshin glanced up at him suspiciously, "What do you know about Kaoru?"
Aoshi shrugged. “Not much. A few years ago her father left her at the Aoiya when he had to attend to some business in Kyoto. That's when she and Misao became good friends." A faint smile came to the stoic man's lips. "I know she's excellent with the bokken but she's too hot tempered to be a ninja. I attempted to train her some when she stayed that time with minimal success."
Kenshin whispered a silent 'ah' then chuckled to himself at the thought of his feisty Kaoru attempting to be stealthy. Aoshi was right, she was much more suited to brandishing her bokken, his head could attest to that.
"That she is." Kenshin finally agreed as he continued to thread his way through the near empty streets of Kyoto.
Within moments they reached Aoiya and Kenshin paused outside the door. "Will you have a new headstone made, she didn't deserve this."
"It's already been taken care of, it will be ready in a couple of weeks." Aoshi replied as he headed inside.
Kenshin murmured his thanks and left the tall man to make his way to the room Misao had designated for his use when they'd in the early hours of the morning. At the time he'd simply dropped his bag in here and left without a word to wander the dark streets, pondering what he'd heard on the train. But now that he was back he sifted through the bag until he found the blue hair ribbon he always carried and tucked it into his gi, needing the feel of it against his skin.
"Himura, there's food prepared if you're hungry?" Misao said from the open door.
Kenshin glanced up to where she leaning against the door frame and nodded as he headed out of the room. He hadn't eaten anything since yesterday morning before he'd left Tokyo. All of a sudden his stomach growled loudly in anticipation and he smiled sheepishly as Misao busted out laughing. Settling down at the low table laden with food, Kenshin filled the bowl laid out for him with some noodles and tucked in as Misao sat down across from him and did the same.
"Why did you say that Yahiko and Sano needed to stay with Kaoru?" Misao asked as she filled her bowl. "Is something going on?"
Kenshin glanced up from his food and looked her square in the eye. Should he tell her? She was one of Kaoru's closest friends, maybe she would know something. "Have you ever seen a faint golden glow surround her?" he asked instead of answering her question.
Misao simply looked at him for a long moment before she nodded. "Yeah, it happened right after she had a wicked headache once. When I told her about it she did some sort of meditation and suddenly the glow was gone. All she said was that both her and her mom had it and she wasn't supposed to talk about it. Why?"
Kenshin frowned. So it was real.
The nagging feeling he'd been feeling since he'd left suddenly intensified as the realization that Kaoru was something truly unique struck him hard. Fixing a hard look on Misao, he pressed, "She never told you why she had it?"
Misao gave him a long suffering look. "She was twelve and I was ten, so really once she told me about her and her mom that pretty much ended the conversation. Besides, I haven't seen it since."
"What happened to her mother?" Kenshin asked suddenly. Kaoru had never really spoken to him of her mother, only her father.
Misao shifted nervously. "She died before I met Kaoru, and she doesn't like to talk about her. I guess it was a painful death, at least that's what Aoshi-sama said."
"I said what?" Aoshi asked, as he entered and sat down beside Misao. His eyes softening a little when he glanced to her. "And didn't I tell you to quit calling me Aoshi-sama" he added, brushing his fingers lightly along her jaw.
Misao's cheeks pinked at the contact. "H..hai Aoshi-sa...Aoshi."
"So, what did I say?" He asked again, smirking at her slip.
"Kaoru's mom died a painful death." Misao mumbled ducking her head to try to hide her embarrassment.
Aoshi shifted his attention to Kenshin and nodded. "She died of tuberculosis, Kaoru was with her when she died and it traumatized her badly. She doesn't talk about it."
Kenshin's brow furrowed and he turned his attention back to his food, wondering how it could be that he'd known her for the last six months but it seemed he really didn't know her at all. What confused him the most was that the glow that had surrounded her was real. He'd never heard of anything like that before in all of his travels. Sifting through everything he'd seen and heard over the past couple of days bits and pieces started to come together. With an almost growing sense of apprehension he slowly realized that maybe what had happened to Tomoe's grave was just a way to draw him away from Kaoru’s side.
Suddenly Saitou's warning echoed loudly in his mind again. Don't leave Tokyo anytime soon Battousai or you may regret it.
"Himura, something wrong?" Misao asked, noticing the sudden still and pale expression on the rurouni’s face as he sat frozen in his seat. She would say almost horrified.
The question snapped Kenshin from his thoughts and he raised his eyes as he came to a decision. "I need to go back to Tokyo today."
aoshi seemed taken aback by the statement. "Will you not stay and find those who destroyed your wife's grave?"
Kenshin shook his head and met the Okashira's surprised gaze. "I don't think they're here anymore, I don't think they wanted me in Kyoto...just out of Tokyo instead."
"Why would they want you out of Tokyo?" Aoshi asked confused.
"Because the one they're after is Kaoru", Kenshin stated, knowing as soon as the words fell from his lips that the statement was true. Rising from the table he glanced at Aoshi. "Will you arrange for the train ticket, get it for me as soon as possible."
With a nod Aoshi rose and turned to Misao, "Come with me, I'll give you the money to go purchase the ticket."
With that they split at the door, Kenshin to make one last visit to Tomoe's grave as Misao and Aoshi made the arrangements for his return to Tokyo.
oooooooooooooooooo
Megumi leaned back on her heels and washed the blood from her hands as she eyed the deathly pale man in front of her. When she and Dr. Genzai had gotten there she had nearly lost all hope when she'd seen the wide pool of blood Sano had been lying in. The wide gash across his chest had revealed the white of his ribs and the dagger had been embedded so deeply in his shoulder that part of the hilt had been driven in. With Yahiko's help they'd managed to move him into the training room and she and Dr. Genzai had set to work. Keeping tight control on her emotions, they moved as fast as they could to stem the flow of blood and stitch him up before he lost too much. It had been a fight the entire time, twice they had almost lost him, but somehow he'd fought tenaciously for life and succeeded.
Now as she gazed at his peaceful face, his breathing finally leveled out, all the emotions she had kept at bay came rushing forward. Her heart twisted painfully and tears began streaming down her face as she realized just how close she'd come to losing this big lug of a man. The only one who'd ever managed to weasel his way into her heart. Wiping them away with the back of her hand she began to rise up when a hand gripped her wrist loosely.
"Where're you going, fox?" Sano whispered, barely able to put voice to the words.
Megumi swung watery eyes to his pale face. A fresh bout of tears spilled down her cheeks as her eyes met his.
Smiling weakly, Sano let go of her wrist and touched his fingertips to her wet cheek. "Don't cry, it's gonna take more than this little scratch to kill me."
Mirroring his smile, Megumi grasped his hand and placed it on his chest once again. "You need to sleep, I'll be back to check your wounds later."
Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she rose and made her way to the door before she completely lost her composure. Just as she started sliding the shoji closed she heard a soft whisper behind her, "I'm not so bad after all, eh fox?"
Smiling to herself she left the room and padded out to where Yahiko sat on the front steps. His body visibly tense, arm wrapped tightly against his side to prevent any more damage to his shoulder. Laying a reassuring hand on his uninjured shoulder she sat down beside him. "He's going to be okay."
Yahiko relaxed somewhat at that, but his insides remained twisted up at the memory of the man's mismatched eyes boring into his. He was sure the man would've killed him without a second thought if he hadn't had Kaoru over his shoulder. The thought of Kaoru being in the hands of that man caused a shiver of dread to race down his spine and he wondered if his adopted sister was okay or if she was dead on the side of the road somewhere. The only reassurance he had that she might be safe was that the man had said he was going to take her home, whatever that meant.
"Have you sent a message to Ken-san yet?" Megumi asked, trying to get his attention off whatever was worrying him.
Yahiko shook his head. "No, I don't know what to say."
Megumi smiled. "Just tell him he needs to come home as soon as possible and leave it at that. Don't worry, he'll come."
With a sigh, Yahiko nodded and rose to head into town to send the letter. Rubbing a fist across his eyes in an attempt to clear his mind of the previous night’s events he scowled, they really needed Kenshin back. If anyone could find her, he could. Tugging the gate open he was just about to step out into the street when he caught sight of the stranger standing in front of him staring at the dojo.
"Where's Kamiya?"
Yahiko's highly strung nerves finally broke at the harsh tone. "Who the hell are you and how do you know Kaoru?!" he all but shouted at the man.
"That's none of your business." Saitou replied, pushing past the kid into the front yard. Scanning the empty area, his eyes finally came to rest on the woman and her bloody apron. Leveling a hard look on her, he asked "Where's Kamiya?"
"Gone," Megumi replied, glaring right back at him. "She was taken last night by someone who must be after Himura-san."
Quickly realizing what must have occurred, Saitou scowled blackly. "Where's Battousai?" he demanded, already knowing the answer. The idiot had left her unprotected even after he'd warned the redhead not to leave.
"He's gone to Kyoto to settle some business." Megumi replied haughtily, tired of his condescending manner.
"So he left her unprotected." Saitou stated coldly.
Megumi's hackles rose at the bald statement. Angrily, she shot to her feet and strode to where he stood glaring hard into his uncaring face. "She was NOT unprotected. There's a man in there fighting for his life after trying to defend her," she bit out motioning to the dojo. "And Yahiko has a cracked shoulder blade from being thrown around by the bastard who took her!" And then it suddenly hit her, what the man had said she eyed him confused. "What do you mean unprotected, why would she need protection?"
Saitou ignored her question and turned to Yahiko, nailing him with an icy look. "You saw who took her?" When the boy nodded, he pressed, "What did the man look like?"
A shiver whispered down Yahiko's spine at the memory of the man's eyes. "He's about as tall as you and he had really strange eyes. One was almost pure black eye and the other was almost pure white." Yahiko paused, as the memory of what the man had said flashed through his mind. "He said he was taking her home. Do you know what that means?"
Saitou nearly snarled. "So he's got her." he growled more to himself than those in the yard. Ignoring the boy's question, he headed for the gate as his anger burst into full blown rage.
Yahiko grabbed his arm before he could pass and asked, "What do you mean, who's got her, where is she?"
Saitou swung a withering glare to the boy that caused him to let go and said in a dead cold voice. "Get Battousai back here now!"
And with that he strode out the gate, his fury simmering as he went over the information he'd just received. If he'd known sooner he could have prevented what was soon to come. Fisting his hand he made his way back to headquarters knowing Battousai would soon be paying him a visit.
oooooooooooooooooo
Shishio knelt down at the low table in his room and flipped open the journal that had once belonged to his ancestor and reread the passage that promised him his heart's desire. Ginning devilishly, he tried to temper his growing anticipation as he waited for his angel to wake. Soon he would be able to attain such a glorious thing, his heartbeat quickening at the mere thought. Oh, but he knew his angel wasn't about to just give it to him and taking it from her would be half the pleasure.
Feeling Yumi kneel down beside him he turned his eyes to her and saw the murderous glare she was fixing on him. "Are you jealous, my dear?" he purred, lifting a finger to trace her jaw softly. Watching her eyes narrow dangerously he leaned in to mere inches from her full lips and whispered, "You have nothing to worry about, my dear, she's not nearly as beautiful as you. She is simply the vessel holding what should have been mine."
Hearing the soft tread of bare feet pass his door he placed a soft kiss on her lips and rose. "She has awakened, It's time I go welcome her to her ancestral home, we will meet you in the dining room soon."
oooooooooooooooooo
Kaoru woke slowly from her forced sleep with a dull throb in her head, her thoughts muddled and hazy. Feeling the soft blanket covering her, she snuggled in fully intending to sleep the morning away as long as every left her alone. Yet her head had other ideas and another rather sharp pain woke her even more and she slowly started to realize that the futon beneath her was far too comfortable to be the one she'd slept on all her life. Cracking one eye opened cautiously, she gazed at her surroundings in consternation until it became clear that the elegant room she now rested in was most definitely not hers.
Sitting up as quickly as her sore head would let her, Kaoru took in her surroundings with widened eyes. The wall she was facing was made entirely of wood with a huge sakura tree etched gracefully into the smooth surface, the blossoms carefully painted to look as if they were truly there. Swinging her eyes around the room she noted the low table that rested in front of the shoji that she assumed lead to a porch or garden of some sort. Another wooden mural lay opposite the sakura tree, this one of a gentle waterfall flowing through a heavily wooded area also carved and painted to look like you could reach out and dip your hand in the glimmering pool. A privacy screen stood in the far corner of the room with a large standing chest right beside it she guessed most likely held clothing of some sort.
Turning her attention back to herself she noticed that she was dressed in a thin sleeping yukata made of the softest material she'd ever felt, her hair flowing free around her shoulders. Confused and a little bit worried about how she had come to be dressed like this, Kaoru rose from the futon and grimaced as pain shot up her legs. With a hiss, she glanced to her feet wondering what had happened and then it all came rushing back when she saw her carefully bandaged feet.
A shiver of dread flew through her veins as she fell back to her knees, the mismatched eyes of her captor flashing through her mind. There was no doubt in her mind that she had reached wherever the man had been bringing her to. But the worst part about it was that she had absolutely no idea where she was, who else was about or how long she had been here. Fear threatened to constrict her throat, as she contemplated the reality of her situation. The image of Sano crumpled on the ground flashed through her mind and she almost lifted her hand to see if his blood still stained her fingers. Clenching her hands instead she bit down on her lower lip and narrowed her eyes. There really wasn’t any other choice, she had to escape before whoever it was came for her.
Latching onto her new cause like a life line, she pushed everything else out of her mind and rose shakily to her feet again. Quietly making her way to the door and slowly slid it back and sagged in relief when she saw an empty hallway leading away in both directions. Choosing to go right, she silently began walking along the polished wood, careful not to make any noise. Several steps later she rounded a corner and found herself facing an intersection at the end of the hall, corridors leading away in both directions.
Without warning the nightmare from two nights before surfaced, causing a wave of disorientation to pass over her. The feeling of being watched suddenly crawled across her skin as it had that night. With her heart hammering in her chest Kaoru chose the hallway to her right and cautiously glided down it on silent feet, one hand trailing along the wall she stayed close against. The unease grew, as if knowing before she reached it, that the door from her dreams lay ahead. Swallowing to relieve the knot of tension in her gut she let her eyes dart behind her quickly, trying to shake the sense of deja vu. It was almost anticlimactic when she came upon the familiar door. A cold sweat broke out all over her body as she reached out and grasped it, her nerves so taut she was sure the slightest noise would send her over the edge. Sliding it back slowly she heaved a sigh of relief when she saw an actual room beyond.
Taking a moment to settle her nerves, Kaoru stepped into the huge, golden lit chamber that was empty save for the low dais and found her eyes immediately drawn to the painting on the far wall. An undeniable curiosity pushed aside her trepidations and she approached it, almost as if she was drawn across the polished floor. Intent on identifying the figure that seemed to be the focus of the artwork she stepped onto the dais.
Kaoru inhaling sharply and simply gaped at the face of a woman who looked almost exactly like her, even down to the golden highlights in her hair. Lifting a hand to touch the surface she peered closely at the painting and saw in small kanji along the edge, a name she knew, one that caused her eyes to widen in shock... Shishio Aiko.
"It's almost like looking into a mirror isn't it, sweet angel?"
Kaoru's blood froze in her veins as the voice from her nightmare washed over her. His whispered threat echoing loudly in her mind, ‘You are mine now...there will be no escape.’ Slowly turning around she flinched when her eyes came to rest on the owner of the voice. Underneath the clothing the man was heavily bandaged from head to toe, the only visible skin being around his eyes and mouth and that skin blackened. His onyx eyes bored into hers as a smile slowly graced his lips.
"I see you don't find me pleasant to look upon, but don't worry my dear, that will soon change."
"W-w-who are you?" Kaoru stammered, fighting to calm her racing heart. Her mind leaping from the discovery of the painting and the name to the man’s appearance to the attack and kidnapping... she knew that it was all coming to a head. Her instincts were screaming for her to run, to get away.
The man moved forward slowly and Kaoru took one step backwards for every one he made towards her until he finally drove her up against the wall. And then he stopped and bowed low. "My name is Shishio Makoto. A direct descendant of the woman you were gazing at, as are you."
Kaoru started. "What?" she asked, surprised out of her fear yet thoroughly confused. Her hand crept up to the brass key hanging around her neck, wishing fervently that she'd been able to open the box. "What do you mean as am I?"
For a long moment Shishio simply gazed at her surprised face, and then he suddenly realized that she didn't know anything about who she truly was. A small chuckle escaped his lips at the discovery, his eyes lighting up at the knowledge that she was going to be much more fun to break this way. Her ignorance and obvious naivety would make the experience that much more gratifying. Deciding to leave her in the dark for the moment, he extended his hand instead. "Please join me for dinner. Food has been prepared, I'm sure you are hungry after your ordeal."
Kaoru shied away from the hand, the thought of being touched by him turning her stomach, and prepared to bolt for the door. Her confusion and fear flooding up again. Lifting her eyes to the only escape route she could see she was just about to bolt for it when the man who'd made her life a misery recently filled the doorway. The look on his battered face inviting her to try to get past him.
Seeing that route blocked she searched the room for some type of weapon to use against them and was greatly disappointed to find the room bare of anything save the painting beside her. In one last effort to escape she sprinted for the shoji doors to the right, hoping they led outside. Desperate enough to gamble the chance that if she could get outside maybe she had a possibility at getting away. Flinging one open she ran out onto a porch and was stopped dead in her tracks by a railing waist high that guarded against a 200 foot plunge to the bottom of the ravine that the porch overlooked.
"There's nowhere to run, sweet angel," she heard Shishio taunt from the doorway, a hint of laughter lacing his voice.
Clenching her teeth in defeat Kaoru fought the tears trying to surface and moved back into the room, brushing past him as she made her way towards the door where the strange eyed man still stood.. Her chin lifted in false bravery she halted a few feet away from her captor, waiting to be lead to the dining area. Her mind swirled with the uncertainty of what her fate was going to be from here on, her heart pounding so hard she was sure they could hear it.
Without a word her captor lead the way and she walked between the two men as they made their way down the hallway. Suddenly the feeling that she was being led to the sacrificial altar with absolutely no means of escape nearly stole her breath away and one lone tear escaped her downcast eyes when her thoughts turned to a particular redheaded rurouni. Her heart clenched painfully and she wondered if she would ever have the chance to see him again.
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