Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Romantic Tales of the Meiji ❯ A Journey's End: Soujiro's return, Ayama Hates Him?! ( Chapter 3 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Rurouni Kenshin
Tear Stained Smile

Episode 3
A Journey's End:
Soujiro's return, Ayama Hates Him?!

Two Weeks later. . .

'As for me, I shall go to my place
And yet, I cannot see anything at all'

Silence.

Ayama quietly slide the shoji shut and tiptoed her way out of the house. She passed by the
dining room where Okon and Omasu sat sipping tea and talking over the events of the
days. She grabbed her umbrella from beside the front shoji and stepped outside into the
cold late October air. The sky was darkened by low clouds and the smell of unfallen rain
filled the air.

She drapped a dark purple shawl on her arms and walked out of the Oniwabanshu base and
home, unnoticed by it's inhabitents.

Kyoto streets were still awake and bright with lantern lights. The red dragon was open, as
it always was, but she passed by it without a second look. Instead, the woman went across
the street, gracefully going around other the people, mostly men. The small Sake bar she
went in wasn't too crowded, but full. She sat at a table, not in the back or front but
somewhere in the middle, somehwere unnoticed, at least she forced herself into that denial.

She ignored the looks she was recieving from the groups of men and geisha alike. The Geisha
were curious and a bit vindictive that she had come into their bar and were stealing the
looks of their customers. She knew the looks of the men all too well, the hunger in their
eyes, the way they looked at her as if she were a piece of freshly cooked meat.

It disgusted her.

She sipped her sake peacefully, speaking only to the Geisha that was serving her and then
only to order more sake. After three bottles she felt herself becoming a bit hazy
and her head felt heavy. Soon her sips became full fledged downings of sake. If felt
wonderful to forget everything. Forgetting that she had no family to speak of.
Forgetting that her life was in danger. Forgetting that she was weak.

Forgetting that she was a lone woman in a city of men.

She paid the Geisha and tipped her some extra coins. The Geisha's smile became
warm and grateful. Aya knew just how hard it was for a woman to make a living
on her own and was in no way stingy about giving a little extra.

Outside the rain began to sprinkle and the crowds began to part. Ayama made her
way outside and opened her blue umbrella, she wrapped the shawl a bit tighter as a
chill went up her spin.

She started on her way home. . .

* * * *

'To the flowing of tears Surely
No more shall I be afraid'

Seta Soujiro had entered Kyoto that morning. It had been a long two years since he'd
been there. He'd purposly avoided the city with it's glimmering lights, beautiful
rivers and parks, the interesting people and the good Sake. He wasn't much of a
drinker, but a good sake once in a while was okay.

He was ignored, he was invisible.

The rurouni pondered why he'd even come back here. There was nothing here for him
but bad memories and the ache it caused in his heart. Even after the unsealing
of his emotions by Himura, he still wasn't used to them. They often overwhelmed
him so much that he'd shut himself up in whatever room he was staying in for
days without eating or sleeping until they went away.

A Geisha stopped by his table and spoke with another. He unintentionally
easedropped on their converstation.

"She gave me 10 extra! Can you believe how generous that is?" The first Geisha
cried excitidly.

"She's probably to drunk to realize what she did," The other reasoned.

"No, she looked pretty sober to me."

The other rolled her eyes, "Toki, you really shouldn't let yourself be fooled. Women
like her look down on us, she wouldn't pity you unless she was dead drunk!"

He followed their gazes to the entrance of the Sake house, all he saw was the back
of a woman, her head hidden by a blue umbrella with a white ivy design.

The other Geisha sighed and came up to him. "Can I get you anything else sir?"

"No thank you," He smiled warmly, or so it appeared and handed her his tab.

"Good evening," She said her goodbyes, he waved back at her kindly. Once again it
was a facade.

He left and groaned in aggravation as the rain drops hit his skin. The air was
cold and the rain freezing, even if it was just sprinkles. He reminded himself
that he needed to get to an Inn. Across the street was the Red Dragon, but it
looked too full and bright. To flashy. A few stores down was the Old Country
Inn. Too big. He was being too picky tonight, dropping the first two, the
Rurouni walked down the partially crowded streets.

The rain started to really pour, his skin tingled with the sensation of it. He
looked down at his feet and walked. His pace quickened significantly in his
search for shelter. Suddenly he ran into the someone.

With a glance up he realized it was a rather large man with balding hair and
one missing eye.

"Watch it, brat!" Soujiro was forcefully pushed into another person. This one
was tall and slender with a rat face.

With a laugh, the slender man held a knife to Soujiro's throat, "This'll be
easy."

Soujiro's face broke into his traditional smile. "You're making a mistake,
please release me."

"Oh look, he's Mr. Polite." The big, stupid one mocked.

"All we want is your money and any valuables that you might have," Rat face
sneered. "No trouble, understand little boy?"

"I'll ask once again, please release me?"

"Let me think about this one for a second. . . um. . .no." Rat face laughed
bring the knife against the skin on Soujiro's throat.

With god-like speed SOujiro grabbed Rat-face's arm and brought him over
his back. The man fell a thud on the muddy ground, with a curse he
held his injured arm.

"Damn you!" The large stupid one lunged foreward, fist raised.

The Rurouni jumped and the fist was embedded in the ground where he once stood. Soujiro
sighed as he landed on the large stupid one's head, burying his face in the mud and
rendering him unconcious. He barely had time to dodge Rat-face who tried to
stab him in the ribs. He dodged the man once more, and getting rather careless
thanks to his intake of alchohal. He jumped, avoiding another strike. . .

And stumbled as he landed on the ground, his sandal strap had broke.

The sharp clang of metal could be heard as the dagger hit his sword. He had been
forced to draw his sword, SOmething Soujiro tried to avoid at all costs. He
pushed forcing the men back and slashed the man's wrist. The knife fell to
the ground along with Rat-face's hand. He gapped in shock and the numbness
from pain.

"Maybe now you'll repent your ways and learn from your mistakes," He gave the
theif a farewell smile and turned to once again run into the large stupid one."Excuse me."

"No, exuse me" The man pulled out a small derringer.

SOujiro's eyes didn't even have time to widen as the bullet entered his arm. Instintivly
he had moved away, and the bullet had missed his heart and struck into his left
arm. He fell to the ground on his knees, hot, seering pain shooting through his arm.
He couldn't move from the pain, it burned and the muscles inside his arm convulsed.

The large stupid one helped the rat-face and they retreated, leaving Soujiro in the
rain, alone and bleeding. A gasp drew his attention up.

Grey eyes looked at him, black hair framed a delicate, feminine face, a white kimono,
a dark purple obi and shawl covered a fragil body and an umbrella sheilded her from
rain.

A blue umbrella with a white ivy design.

"Are you okay," She knelt beside him, setting the umbrella aside and unwrapping the
shawl from her arms, she moved his hand from the bullet wound and tied it tightly
around his bleeding arm.

"Yes," He managed with a smile.

"Funny how you can smile," She said.

"Would you rather I scream in pain and be a baby?"

"I'm not sure," She looked at him, grey met blue as lightening crashed to the ground
behind them, "It would be expected."

"Thank you," He said.

"Don't thank me," She looked at him, "I'm only doing this out of duty. It's your
own fault you got shot, you should have just given those men what they wanted
instead of being some kind of hero and fighting them."

"I didn't know they had a gun."

"You should have been more careful," She was scolding him.

"Duty?" He asked finally, her words registering.

"I would be going against my elder brother's teachings if I neglected to help an
injured person before me." She stood and picked up her umbrella, her kimono a
bit soiled by blood. His blood. "Can you stand?"

"Yes," He picked up his sword and sheathed it.

"Good," She turned to go but looked back at him, "Are you coming?"

'The answer that man gave me
Really does not suit my true self'

* * * *

She slide the shoji open, the lights inside th Aoiya were still on. She knew they were
awake and probably aware of her disappearence. She let the strange man inside, a
twinge of fear played on her heart as she did. What would happen when they found out
she'd brought a strange man, a strange bleeding man, into their home. She didn't look
much better. She wasn't as wet as he was but her white kimono was still bloodied and
her hair a bit unkempt from the wind.

She shut the sliding door quietly and closed the umbrella. Her head throbbed from her
intake of alchohal, she could sense an impending hang over.

"Aya-chan," Misao ran in, "Oh thank God you're alri--"

Misao stopped as she looked from the man to Aya, and back agian. Aoshi came up behind her,
with the rest of Oniwanbanshu. His face darkened significantly and his usually calm,
serene face became hard and cold: full of controlled anger and distrust.

The man continued to smile that annoying smile and leaned in close to her ear, "You never
mentioned you lived with the Oniwanbanshu."

"You never asked," She snapped back.

He twitched, "Good Evening Aoshi-san." The irony of it all. . .

"Soujiro-san, what are you doing in Kyoto?" Was the very cold reply.

"And what happened to your arm??" Okon asked curiously.

"Into the kitchen," Ayama directed Soujiro, leading him. The Oniwanbanshu followed in one
large curious group, the only one emitting any negative reaction to Soujiro was Aoshi. The
other's were just curious, Okina was suspicious.

"Sit."

He sat and she put on a pot of water.

"You really aren't very polite."

"Of course I'm not," She glared at him, "At least not to garbage."

He twitched, "Garbage?"

She disappared for a moment and then came back in, a tray of medicince, rubbing alchohal,
bandages and a feared pair of tweezers. "Yes, garbage. Take off your shirt. Both of
them." She put the pair of tweezers and the bandages in the boiling pot.

With a sigh he smiled, ignoring her insults, and did as told. He wasn't all that comfortable
sitting there half-naked and so many eyes upon him. He glanced at Aoshi and sweatdropped, the
man was glaring up a storm worse then the one outside.

She sat next to him, tweezers that she'd previously boiled in water in hand. She took his
arm in her free hand.

"Now hold very still," Her voice a bit softer.

He gritted his teeth as the sharp metal entered his skin and dug around. It stung and
throbbed, his leg was banging against the floor to keep from crying out. Unconcious
tears fell from his eyes and his right hand gripped the chair arm. She extracted the
bullet and placed the bloody object on the table.

Soujiro didn't miss Aoshi's snicker.

"Misao-chan,"

"Yes?"

"Could you get those bandages out of the water. Use the tongs next to the pot."

"A--alright." Misao did as told, curiously watching the strange man as he rubbed his bleeding
arm.

She slapped his hand away, "Don't touch it."

He smiled at her and watched as her undereye twitched from annoyance, "You haven't told me
your name?"

"Souji Ayama, you can call me Souji-dono. Not Ayama-san, not Aya-chan."

"Okay then, I'm Seta Soujiro. You can call me Soujiro-san."

"No thank you Seta-dono." She made point of saying it politely, however strained.

'Perhaps I shall discover something
Perhaps there is something that I cannot discover'

Misao handed the wet bandages to her, she rang the water out at the door. Then returned. She
put aniticptant on one of them he was once again banging his foot on the ground as it
stung his arm.

"Are you Seta Soujiro of Juppongatana?" The question came out of nowhere and from Misao.

"Yes, but I was a bit different back then." He smiled, his face never faultering under
all the pain his arm was undergoing. "And you are the Okishira of the Oniwabanshuu,
Mackimachi Misao."

"Well actually, Shinomori Misao," A goofy smile spread on her face.

"Oh, congradulations Aoshi-san."

Aoshi growled in response.

She was now wrapping his arm with the dry bandages on the table. Her big grey eyes
met his then quickly adverted themselves.

"Wow! You're really THE TENKEN!?" Omasu cried. " That's so cool!"

"I know!!! And he's in OUR house!" Okon laughed, "Can you show us the Shukuchi!?"

They certinaly were excited.The two men just kinda glared at him jealously from the
attention he was suddenly recieving from the two ninja women and the one attending
his arm.

Misao laughed at their behavior, "I don't think he'll be doing anything with his arm
in that shape for awhile."

"Can he stay here then?!" Omasu asked jumping up and down excitidly around
Misao.

Aoshi cleared his throat trying to get their attentions.

It didn't work.

"It would be rather interesting to see some of his techniques," Okina smiled at
the thought.

Aoshi coughed loudly.

"I bet he's a match for Aoshi-Sensei!" Shiro muttered to Kuro. He laughed nervously as
Aoshi pounded his fist into the man's head once.

Soujiro wasn't really paying attention to the Oniwabanshuu, he was more interested
in the delicate, small fingers of the girl who was finshing up his bandages. They
were pale and cold from the weather.

"He could stay in Kuro and Shiro's room!"

"Yeah, there's enough room." Okona agreed.

"That's what you think," Shiro muttered.

"Now, you guys, we haven't even. . ." Misao never finished her sentence.

"Exucse me," Everyone stoppped and looked at Aoshi. He looked like his usual expressionless
self, except for the controlled anger boiling within his eyes. "I believe
this is Misao's decision to make as the Okishira."

Misao kind of laughed at that, "Well yeah, it is."

"Please Misao-chan?!" Okona begged.

"Yeah, he can show us a lot of cool techniques!!" Shiro pointed out.

"And he could help with the easy chores while his arm heals!" Kuro suggested.

"COme on, he could even help teach classes!" Omasu pouted.

"What do you think Gramps?" Misao turned to Okina.

He sighed and studied Soujiro with his wise brown eyes. THe look he was giving
Ayama was different from the way he'd looked at anyone else, like he was
trying to figure out a diffcult puzzle. By his build and slim muscular
features Okina could tell that he was fast and strong. Dangerous, but
his face betrayed the danger with a calm, serene smile.Then agian
the most beautiful snake was usually the most dangerous.

"I wouldn't mind, but like Aoshi-san pointed out, it's up to you."

"Ayama, what about you?"

Ayama had finished bandaging his arm and was now putting up the medical
supplies. She looked at Misao and then to a smiling Soujiro. That awful
smile, she felt her eye twitch.

"He could show you guys techniques, he could help with chores, and he could
help teach classes but he could also kill all of us in our sleep and then
rob us blind while we lay in pools of blood." She glanced at Aoshi who seemed to
be smirking ever so slightly. "But I dont care, it's your decision."

"You really don't like me very much do you?" Soujiro asked his smile never faultering.

"I think that's irrelivant," She said picking up his wet western style shirt.

"You don't lie very well." His smile. That smile!

She was twitching, her hands ready to wrap his shirt around his throat. Why was
she so angry with him anyway?? "I was not lieing, whether I like you or not
shouldn't effect Misao's decision!"

"True, but she asked for your opinion so invaribly it will."

Damn him! Damn that smile, "WILL YOU STOP SMILING FOR GOD'S SAKE!!!!" SHe
shrieked throwing his shirt at him.

He laughed as the shirt hit his face, "You've been holding that back
for quite some time haven't you?"

She twitched, "NO!"

"Yes."

"NO I HAVEN"T!"

"Yes you have!" He was laughing even harder.

"WHY. . .HOW DARE YOU LAUGH AT ME . . .YOU . . . YOU PIECE OF FILTH!"

He stopped and looked at her, "Well that's not nice. There's no need
for name calling, you stubborn little brat."

"BRAT!? I AM NOT A BRAT!"

His smile turned into a smirk,"Could have fooled me."

Her fists clenched, "You are a the rudest jerk I've ever met in my life! And
believe me, I've met a lot of jerks!"

"Really? People usually tell me how polite and kind I am. I guess a blind,
self-centered brat such as yourself can't see my good qualities." He stood
and patted her head.

A vain popped out on her forehead and she gritted her teeth. They stood there
toe to toe, she glared at him and he smiled at her.

"Um. . . is it just me or is that really strange?" Okon asked in shock at Ayama's
behavior.

"I've never seen Aya-chan so angry before?" Omasu said in a similar state of
surprise.

The two ninja men nodded their agreement, their mouths hanging open like a cod-fish.
Misao looked angry and tired. Aoshi was twitching in aggravation at the couple's
childish behavior. Okina was. . .asleep. Snot bubble coming out of his nose as he
snored.

"I didn't know you were so mesmirized by my stunning boyish goodlooks," He said obviously
trying to push her buttons.

"Oh you wish!" She crossed her arms. "You filth."

"There you go with the name calling again," He found his smile becoming
forced, "You brat."

She growled at him, "DON'T--"

"ENOUGH!"

The two looked at Aoshi, he didn't look happy, "Will you two stop acting like
immature four year olds. Misao can make her decision in the morning, right
now Seta-san will sleep in Shiro and Kuro's room. Okona please go set up a
palet for him. Ayama-san, go to bed and sleep off whatever it is that is
causing you to act like. . . like. . ."

"A brat?" Soujiro offered.

Ayama glared at Aoshi, just daring him to agree.

"NO! Just go to bed please, we'll all be easier to deal with in the
morning. Okona please, the bed." She did, and he turned to Shiro, "Can
Soujiro borrow some of your clothes until his are dry?"

"Sure," Shiro went up stairs, following Okona. They were used to Aoshi
taking command sometimes. Especially with Misao's violent mood swings,
and morning sickness and the docters orders of a 'no stress enviroment.'
He was their past leader anyway.

"Now let's go to bed."

And so, the Oniwabanshu Okishira, her husband and the Oniwabanshuu themselves, along with
their two guests went into their separete rooms and slept soundly. Except
for two certain guests who's minds seemed troubled.

* * * *

Wow! Chapter 3 already!!! O.O I'm shocked. Anyway, are we seeing major
future humor moments or what?? Well I once again hope you enjoyed this
chapter. Who knows what's going ot happen next!!! Maybe Saitoh will find out
that his little Ayama has made an enemy of Soujiro. 0.o Oh and the small lyrics
you saw came from Soujiro's Image song: Journey. They are the english version,
the song is in japanese.