Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Sei Shi ❯ Chapter 9

Pink eyes warily watched the man sitting across from her, his piercing golden gaze not wavering the slightest as he waited for her to speak. Swallowing the lump in her throat she licked her lips nervously before chewing on her bottom lip.

Her mouth opened and closed a couple times as if she wanted to speak but no sound came out. After a few more failed attempts at this she cleared her throat and looked away from him, her soft voice coming out moments later to retell the horrifying story she had bared witness to.

" It was when I was only a pup, I remember racing into the den happy that my brother was going to be coming home. I was too excited to notice the person standing outside the den's opening and I collided with them."

"It was a young man-he had such tired and sad eyes. He smiled down at me before turning back towards the opening. My mother was there along with the elders, they were holding some objects."

Phiona fidgeted with the hem of the shirt tugging on it before smoothing it out, her gaze never moving up off the floor before her.

"He thanked them before turning away and leaving, the sadness still lingering in his eyes along with the feeling of a heavy burden so deep that your soul becomes worn from bearing it for so long. I knew I would never see him again in this world."

/'Hn, the monk.'/

She took a deep breath letting it come out in a shaky sigh before continuing on.

"We were told that our clan was given the privilege to protect these two items until the time when they were needed again. So we watched over them. The days turning into weeks, slipping into months before we knew it we have guarded the treasures for five years. Protecting it from those that would use it for wrong and upset the balance. It wasn't until the night of the harvest moon that they came for it."

He watched the tremors rack her small frame as her slender fingers gripped the fabric turning her knuckles white from the force she used. He could smell the fear rolling off her body in waves and it was causing his chest to constrict.

"We didn't have a chance. We were only being toyed with from the beginning and once the elders were gone we were lost-engulfed by the flames of battle. The woman…"

She stopped a sob bubbling up form her throat and escaping her lips just as the tears began to fall, dotting the material clutched in her hands.

"That woman was not human. She swept through our barriers and seals as though they were nothing, breaking through the enchantments as if they were nothing. She had such a cold eyes but her soul…her soul burned with such fire…"

She lifted her hand to scrub the tears away, sniffling every once in a while before continuing with her tale.

"The boy with her destroyed everyone with in a matter of seconds. His speed rivaled even the quickest of out clan and his blade was deadlier than any wolf's fang. And through it all he kept a smile. Strange creature, he didn't smell human nor did he smell like the woman-she smelled of sulfur, ash and Dictamnus."

/'Ditlany, a flower?'/

"The boy- I could not smell him, he had no scent. It was as if he wasn't even there. They broke through us and took the staff and shell we were given to protect. So many slaughtered…all the screaming and the smell."

Her arms wrapped around her body as it began to shake more violently the tears coming faster and heavier as they hit the floor and material, her words coming out jumbled and in coherent as she relieved the past.

Saitou sat there digesting all the information she had given him before he noticed that she had stopped shaking and the scent of salt was no longer present. Leaning over towards her he tipped her head up towards him to see dulled pink eyes staring blankly at him.

Swearing at his own stupidity he quickly picked her up taking her to his room and setting her on the futon. Moving back towards the hall he glanced at her once more before heading to the kitchen and grabbing the phone off the wall, punching in a well-memorized number.

Kenshin waited for the woman across from him to speak but she only seemed to move further away from him, her stormy blue eyes flashing with pain and fear before the emotions disappeared behind the placid blue and a smile plastered itself on her face.

"I'm fine Kenshin really. I've just had a stressful day at work, that's all. Really."

Violet eyes re-guarded her skeptically making her fidget slightly. He was still watching her when the phone rang startling the young woman causing her to jump slightly. After a couple more rings Kaoru arched a brow at Kenshin.

"Aren't you going to answer that? It might be important."

Kenshin kept his gaze locked with hers before standing up and moving to answer the phone breaking the hold he had on her. She let out the breath she had been holding and sagged in the chair suddenly feeling very tired again.

Kenshin came back a few moments later a small frown on his face. Glancing up he let his face become neutral.

"We are needed back at head quarters."

"Then lets hurry up." She said standing up and heading towards the door

"Kaoru as much as love seeing you in nothing but my clothes. I think you should change in to something else." He said smirking slightly when a blush appeared on her cheeks

"Right." She mumbled before moving out of the room towards the back bedroom where she had been before.

Deep amber eyes watched her leave, locked on the gently sway of her hips before moving down a pair of long shapely legs. Taking in a deep breath and closing his eyes, Kenshin tried to calm down the fire coursing through his blood. Exhaling he opened his lids to reveal gentle violet orbs.

`Temptation. That is what you are koishii and I am not sure how long I can resist you.'

A few moments later Kaoru came back still wearing his shirt and it blended well with her dark blue t-shirt.

"Ready?"

She nodded her head and the two left the apartment and into the dark streets below. They walked in silence the whole way there both lost in their own thoughts neither one knowing that their thoughts seemed to mirror the others.

They arrived at head quarters and entered the large building. Heading towards the back Kenshin stopped outside the Division A door, peering at Kaoru from under his bangs he watched her as she watched the people move about. The sound of a lock clicking open softly caused her to glance his way.

"Come on, Aoshi and the other's are waiting."

Kaoru nodded her head and followed him through the doors a feeling of excitement and dread filling her as she passed through the doors and made her way down the dimly lit hallway.

They entered the last door on the left. It was a stairwell that led down.

Kaoru frowned turning her face towards Kenshin she opened her mouth to ask why they were going down when they just went up.

"This is the only way to get to where we are going. Its safer this way."

"Oh." Was the only thing she could manage to say as she followed him down the metal stairwell, stopping at a large black iron caged door.

She noticed there was no keypad or lock so she was confused as how they were to get in. She got her answer when she felt the air around Kenshin become thicker and it became harder to breath. Suddenly the door swung open and the air around them thinned out returning to normal.

She turned curious eyes towards Kenshin wondering what he did and how he did it. He only glanced once at her before turning away and walking inside expecting her to follow. Frowning at his lack of talkativeness she followed him inside, glancing behind her when the sound of a door slamming shut reached her ears.

They entered a small room that looked to belong to Kenshin and Aoshi. The later was already there leaning up against the wall with Misao swirling around in a near by chair a look of utter boredom on her face. She glanced up her jade eyes sparking back to life when she spotted Kaoru.

"Kaoru! I was so bored here with out anyone to talk too."

"Stop lying weasel. You were bored because there was no one else to pick on."

Misao turned towards the sound of the voice bristling instantly as a tall lanky man with wild brown hair and soft brown eyes walked out from the shadows.

"Shut up Sano! I wasn't talking to you!"

He only smirked at her before turning towards Kaoru.

"Hey missy, long time no see. Glad to know you haven't starved to death."

He laughed when a glare was shot his way from the young woman, her eyes promising pain once she got her hands on him.

"You're as bad as that brat Yahiko."

"You were always easy to get a rise out of missy."

"Sano."

The young man stopped and turned towards Aoshi before grinning. Walking further into the room he stuffed his hands into his pockets before speaking.

"Right, well down to business, ne? I have some information that was very hard to get so be glad."

A look from the stoic man across from him stopped his chatter.

"Any way it would seem as though the little wolf was right. The two are about to be resurrected and we only have three more days until then. Yumi is back along with a few other ghosts from the past. She already has the staff and shell. She's going after the book."

"Where is it."

Sano glanced at Kenshin noticing the red head had his head bowed down shielding his eyes from view.

"Now that's rather hard to say, I have to answers to that. One is that a monk in the mountains of Sapporo has the book. The second is that a monk in the Himalayas is keeping the book. Both come from very good sources."

"So which is it?" Misao asked as she swiveled around on the chair

"Well there's the problem. Not sure and I found out that Yumi has sent a warrior to each one. So it's safe to say she doesn't know either."

"Aoshi you and Misao will go to the Himalayas while Kaoru, Sano and myself go to the Sapporo."

"Whoa there Kenshin! I never said anything about going along with you guys."

Kenshin turned towards Sano and glanced up, flashing amber met shown through the slits of red causing the taller man to step back and wave his hands around in a placating gesture.

"Ok, Ok, I'll go! Not like I have a choice."

Soujiro walked quietly down the small dirt path, his eyes taking in everything around them. He turned back towards his traveling companion to see he had stopped a few feet a head of him.

"Is there something the matter?"

(Name) stopped and turned slightly to the sound of the young boy's voice behind him. Listening a moment longer he turned back around, shifting his staff to his other hand before continuing on down the road.

Soujiro watched him for a few seconds before following after the older man. His smile still in place as they made their way up the mountain towards the small Buddhist shrine that resided there.

Megumi pressed a cool hand against the young girl's forehead before pulling it back a frown set upon her features. She turned towards the man standing behind her, showing her anger plainly.

"You should have told me sooner. This has been lingering for a couple days. I am surprised that you did not pick it up with that nose of yours."

"I was busy with other things fox. Just do your job and let me worry about the rest."

Brown eyes narrowed to slits as the woman glared at him. She growled once before whirling around setting to work immediately. She quickly dosed a cloth in water setting it on the young girl's forehead before digging through her bag and pulling out a needle and syringe filled with a deep amber liquid.

"This will bring down the fervor and stop the infection from spreading. She is also to be given this every two hours." She said nodding to a small brown envelope to her left.

"Now she is not to move at all. Understood and please try to at least look as though you care."

"Hn."

She gathered her things and stood up walking past the wolf she glared at him one last time before leaving, a faint thank you echoing in the recesses of her mind. Smiling she quietly shut the door, hoping he would at least try to take better care of the young charge.

Saitou kept his gaze on the young girl currently sleeping on his futon. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, the fervor already going down. She seemed calmer also, and her scent seemed to have shifted back to its original, orange blossom.

Taking one last look at her he picked up the envelope and headed to the kitchen. Setting it down he pulled out a small pot filling it up with water before placing it on the stove.

Leaving it for the moment he moved towards the back of the house. Entering his study he made his way to the far way where he pulled a book off the shelf, triggering a small compartment to open up. Digging around inside he pulled out a black satchel.

Walking to the large oak desk he sat down before emptying the content of the satchel out. Ten ivory stones scattered across the smooth surface of the desk, the dark red symbols standing out against the pure white background.

Picking up a few he rolled them over his fingers before studying the markings on each one. After a few moments he scooped them up and placed them back in the satchel. Hefting the bag in his right hand he gently placed it back into the small compartment before turning back to his desk.

/' Where are you hiding-Shisho.'/

Sorry I took so long in getting these up but I have no excuse that you would deem expectable so I won't say anything but enjoy until the next post! ^__^