Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Crossing Boundaries ❯ The Organization ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter 2: The Organization



It was cold and dark. The dark pressed in from all sides. Pushing down on her, suffocating her. It filled her mouth, her throat, her eyes. She was drowning in dark. Suddenly, there was a lightening. Not a light. Just a less dark area. For a moment, she was relieved. The dark terrified her. Then she realized the lightening area was a person or rather something in the shape of a person. The image solidified. Moth-eaten rags covered half-rotten flesh. A scream rose in her throat but the darkness choked her. Sightless eyes stared wildly at her a mouth opened and beetles spilled out. The thing reached for her, grabbing at hair and clothes. Sound rushed past her ears. Words half formed and quickly forgotten echoed around her in a dizzying cacophony.

Fire erupted around her. Heat so intense she could feel her skin tighten and shrink. Too hot. She was going to die. Darkness.

* * * * * * * * * * *

“I think she's coming to.”

The words came from far away, distorted and incomprehensible to her. Her head felt like cotton and her limbs felt like lead. Her eyes opened but everything was blurred and her vision swam. She was lying down. A shadow loomed over her and she screamed. Or rather, tried to. The sound that came out was gasping and weak.

“Give her some space. What did you do to her, Misao? The poor girl looks like you beat her over the head to get her here.”

The words were becoming clearer and her vision was returning to normal. Piercing brown eyes framed by thick lashes stared down at her, analyzing every muscle twitch and blink.

“I didn't do anything. At least nothing unusual.”

The eyes grunted and Kaoru distantly realized there was a face that belonged to those eyes. A woman. The face disappeared and Kaoru heard her move away. “You Shadow People think you can just throw around your magic and not have a single side effect. Do you know anything about her, Misao? Your little light and smoke show could've killed her.”

Kaoru's eyes felt heavy and the words were sounding foreign. Cool hands pressed at her temples, stroking down over cheek bones, gliding past her throat to come to a rest over her heart. The hands spoke. “Rest easy, Miss Takani, Miss Makimachi did not cause this. At least, not all of this.” The argument paused at the entrance of a new voice. “It's odd that there would be two of us in one life time, Miss Kamiya.”

The hands lifted, taking with them the remaining fog and heaviness. Kaoru opened her eyes to find a different pair of brown eyes, fathomless and knowing, smiling down at her. The woman nodded, already anticipating her question. “I am Tokio Saito, the Organization's resident Seer. This is Miss Megumi Takani, the resident doctor, and of course you already know Miss Misao.”

“Seer?” her voice cracked and Tokio pulled her upright, immediately pushing a cup of water into her hands.

“Why, yes. Is that so hard to believe?”

“I—” Kaoru cut herself off, taking in the three women who stared back at her. Something shifted in her mind and she stiffened, expecting to be launched into another episode. “What's going on?”

Tokio's expression softened. “Yes, I'd expect you to be confused. How long have you had the visions?”

Terror seized her and her mouth worked uselessly. “I—”

“She can't be a Seer!”

Kaoru startled, upsetting the water cup and spilling it down the front of her shirt. Megumi snatched the cup from her hand, handing her a towel, as Tokio frowned at Misao. “Why not?”

Misao sputtered, pointing from Tokio to Kaoru. “I—She—You—”

“Relax, weasel girl. I could hear you all the way from my office.”

The three women turned towards the door. Kaoru's nose wrinkled as the scent of cigarette smoke reached her. A tall man had silently entered the infirmary without drawing attention to himself until he'd spoken. Megumi scowled, rising to her feet. “Get out if you're going to smoke, Saito. You know I have no tolerance for such filth.”

Eyes flicked over the young doctor before he released a nearly silent exasperated sigh and held the cigarette out to her. Megumi huffed, snatching it from him and depositing it down the hazardous waste chute. Misao wasn't much happier to see him. “I'm not a weasel!”

Only Tokio seemed to not mind his presence though her eyes had narrowed when she noticed he had been smoking. Kaoru noticed a slight softening of his features when he looked at the Seer before sharp, gold eyes settled on her. Kaoru could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand on end and her vision darkened. A wolf seemed to stare her down and she could only gasp, pinned in place by his eyes. A hand touched her arm and Kaoru jerked, her vision clearing and settling back into place. Tokio stared at her thoughtfully. “You, my dear, should learn to control those visions.”

“What did she See?”

Kaoru almost yelped, drawing away sharply. He'd approached without her noticing. Tokio tightened her hold on her arm, focusing dark eyes on him. “Hajime, you should know that I can't reach inside someone's head. Miss Kamiya will have to decide if she will tell. Not all Seers choose to tell.” Kaoru shrank under his searching look and Tokio sighed. “Stop scaring the girl, Hajime. Miss Kaoru, this is my husband, Hajime Saito.”

Gold eyes ran over her features. “She looks more like a raccoon than a bird.”

Indignation flooded through her. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Amusement seemed to come to his eyes and he leaned closer. “So, little tanuki, what do you See?”

Her eyes widened and the room started to spin. A howl echoed in her eyes, a wolf lunged at her, jaws shining red with blood. A scream tore from her throat. Dimly she was aware that she was in an infirmary surrounded by stark cleanliness and unfamiliar people shouting at each other.

“Hajime! Don't!”

“What did you do to her, Wolf?”

“So she can See.”

“Shinomori, when did you arrive?”

“Enough! Everyone, out! My clinic is not a conference room!”

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Darkness surrounded her for the second time that day. A darkness that was comforting and free from the terror of the previous one. She sighed, burrowing her face into the softness of her pillow, inhaling deeply. A frown pulled at her lips. That didn't smell like her pillow. Her eyes opened and it was a struggle for her eyes to focus. An infirmary. Movement to her right made her turn her head. A woman sat quietly next to the bed, reading a magazine. Kaoru squinted. Glamour. She snorted softly and the magazine lowered for dark eyes to peer over the top of it at her before the magazine was closed and put to the side. “I'm glad to see you're awake, Miss Kaoru.”

Kaoru nodded, putting a hand to her head when it felt like her brain rattled around the inside of her skull. “What happened?”

Tokio's lips pursed and her eyes narrowed in annoyance. “My husband forgets that he has a strong aura.”

“What does that mean?”

She looked as if she were going to say something but her features smoothed and turned thoughtful. “Did you See anything?”

“I...” Kaoru trailed off, biting her lip as she frowned. “It's silly.”

Laughter fell over her ears, strongly reminding Kaoru of velvet. “I doubt it's silly, Miss Kaoru. You nearly deafened my husband with your screams. Now, what did you See?”

Kaoru hesitated for a brief moment before words spilled from her. Thoughts she'd kept to herself since she was old enough to realize the visions she saw weren't normal. Her parents had been at a loss when she'd tell them of the things she saw and they insisted she was dreaming such things up. After her mother's death, her father had taken her aside and made her swear she'd never tell another living soul what she was capable of. Shortly after that her father suddenly died and she was alone. Tokio listened quietly and Kaoru eventually calmed, breathing deeply. She had avoided mentioning any visions containing fire and swords but Tokio had asked what she'd seen when Saito had leaned so close. “I thought it was after me. I've never been attacked before in my visions.”

Tokio hid a small smile behind her hand. “Oh dear, Hajime will be pleased that he's still terrifying in that form.”

“W-what?”

The older woman waved off her fear, reaching out to pat her arm. “Don't worry, Miss Kamiya, he's really just a big puppy.”

Kaoru scowled, folding her arms. She highly doubted the gold-eyed man was a harmless puppy and she said as much. Tokio laughed, leaning back in her chair. “Perhaps you're right. He certainly isn't harmless. I wouldn't worry too much. You have no reason to fear him.”

“I've never met another...Seer.”

Tokio nodded. “I doubt you will again. There's usually only one in the world at a time though there's always the potential for more.” She leaned close, staring into Kaoru's eyes. “You're different.”

The door crashed open, startling Kaoru though Tokio merely blinked toward the newcomer, her expression serene. Heat rolled through the room like a blast from an open furnace and, despite the heat, the overpowering aura made a chill run down Kaoru's spine and her hair stand on end. The large man in the door surveyed the room with sharp eyes, resting on her with a piercing gaze. Suddenly, she felt like a small animal cornered by a much larger predator. Tokio seemed unaffected by the man's power as she rose to greet him. “Good evening, Mr. Hiko. We were not expecting you.”

Dark eyes shifted to the Seer before settling back on Kaoru as he stepped closer. “I hardly expected to leave my furnace but when I received word that my idiot apprentice has run off with nary a word to the Organization and then a beautiful girl arrives, I felt I had to make an appearance. If at least to show off my handsome features.”

Kaoru blushed furiously, blue eyes wide as she took in the stranger Tokio called Hiko. Tokio smiled placidly, lifting a hand toward Kaoru. “Of course. This is Miss Kaoru Kamiya. You might have heard that she's a Seer. Miss Kaoru, this is Seij?r? Hiko, XIII, the chief of the Organization.”

Kaoru only stared. Hiko's lips curled into an arrogant smirk. “I've overpowered her with my charms. I am a fine specimen of a man. The finest you will ever see.”

“What are you?” Kaoru blurted, interrupting Hiko's self-adulation.

Dark brows rose. “I'm a potter who creates beautiful works of perfection.”

“No. What are you?”

Hiko and Tokio exchanged glances, Tokio shrugged, shaking her head and a slight frown pulled at the large man's mouth. Kaoru shrank away as Hiko stepped closer but he only settled into the chair Tokio had abandoned, ignoring the creaking as the legs protested to his weight. Dark, serious eyes looked at her. “What has my idiot apprentice told you?”

Kaoru floundered for words, flustered at his proximity. “What—I don't—who—”

He brushed off her stammering. “Kenshin. Has he told you nothing?”

“Your appren—He—he's my professor—”

Hiko folded his arms, ignoring Kaoru's wide-eyed look as she focused on his biceps. “So the idiot's told you nothing. I taught him better than that. Very well. The Organization is a high class, secret society dedicated to protecting the supernatural and the balance of the world. It contains individuals with special talents and skills. Well, that's the shit we usually tell the new people.”

“Mr. Hiko.”

The quiet reprimand in Tokio's voice caused Hiko to pause, frowning slightly. Kaoru cleared her throat, trying to relax. “You still haven't answered my question.”

“I am what you see, silly girl.”

Tokio coughed quietly. “Miss Kaoru is not the normal Seer, Mr. Hiko. While I See what can and might be, Miss Kaoru Sees what is and will be.”

Understanding entered the large man's eyes and he sat back, giving Kaoru a speculative look. “I see. What did you See when you looked at my idiot apprentice?”

At Tokio's encouraging nodded, Kaoru took a deep breath, closing her eyes to find the memory. “I saw fire and sand and a sword.”

“Is that all?”

Her eyes opened. “And a scar.”

A moment of silence passed. “You're not telling us something.”

Kaoru blushed, dropping her eyes to her fingers. “It's silly.”

“But you Saw it?”

Kaoru bit her lip, nodding. “It was—It was a chicken—A rooster actually. It wasn't even a vision really. It was just there. I Saw it and that was it.”

Tokio smiled. “That would be Mr. Sanosuke. The rooster Gullinkambi.”

Kaoru's jaw dropped. “A rooster! That's impossible.”

Hiko laughed, his voice booming. “Impossible, girl? It's highly possible! But you didn't see my idiot apprentice's form?” She shook her head and Hiko rubbed his chin, frowning at his thoughts. “It's just as well, I suppose. The moron is too sensitive.”

“Kenshin isn't—isn't human?”

Dark eyes focused on her with startling intensity. “Of course not, girl! You should know that by now. My unearthly good looks should establish—”

“Mr. Hiko.”

“Right. I've decided to send you to Egypt with Misao. You are to join my idiot apprentice and that bird-brained friend of his and help him locate the Book of Thoth.”

“Thoth?”

“No, his book. The Rokunin Nakama and the Juppongatana are seeking mythical objects of great power. You are to help Kenshin find it.”

“Why me?”

She suddenly felt ridiculous for asking when both Tokio and Hiko turned serious stares on her. Tokio finally soften her expression to allow a smile. “Do you not know, dear? You hold the key.”

Something inside of her seemed to shrink and cower. Nausea rose up in her and she swallowed hard to push it back. “The key to what?”

Her voice shook but neither Tokio or Hiko seemed to notice. Dark, too wise eyes regarded her solemnly, searching for something only the Seer could see. “I don't know.”

Hiko grunted, rising to his feet and towering over the women. “Never mind that. She's going. Kenshin can make use of her.”

Kaoru squeaked, blue eyes widening. “Use?”

Tokio placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I can't See what's going to happen, I just know that you're needed for the book.”

“But I don't know—”

The older woman shushed her. “You'll know when you need to.”

Hiko nodded definitively, smirking down at her before turning with an arrogant toss of his hair. “Excellent! Now get going or you'll miss the plane.” He paused at the door, looking back at her. “Kamiya.”

She started. “Yes?”

His eyes narrowed. “Bring that idiot back alive.”