Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ That Voodoo That You Do ❯ Aoshi's Connections ( Chapter 9 )

`This has got to come to an end!' she finally decided, with one fist full of hair, and the other balancing the voodoo book. Franticly searching for pictures concerning the undo of the predicament, Megumi was not in a mood to be trifled with. Her hair was her pride and joy.

At last she came to the end of the book, and to her horror only found a box with unreadable writing. This box was in a red frame, and she guessed this was the answer. At this moment she cursed herself for being a doctor and not a linguist.

Throwing the hair into an empty medicine bag, Megumi looked for something with which to conceal her identity. Eventually she found a hat, and deciding that would have to do, set off for the Kamiya dojo with her head down and a bag of severed tresses. Someone's head would roll. And that someone would be the keeper of the doll at that unfortunate point in their lives.

Aoshi and Misao also set out later that morning, together with Okon who had decided to come along. Her purpose was not only to keep an eye on things, but also to bring back some of those delightful little pastries for Okina on his own request, seeing as Misao always forgot and he didn't wish to trouble Aoshi with something so trivial. They covered many miles quickly, but the journey would still take them another day. Not bad, considering it took Misao and Kenshin about a week just to cover the same distance from Tokyo.

They had to rest in Gifu, due to arrive in Tokyo the following night. Misao and Okon went to sort out rooms, but Aoshi went to take a break, go over his notes, and in doing so, ran into an old friend. Easily distinguishable by her black kimono, scarlet obi, and cherry blossoms in the wind design, she was too absorbed in her own activities to notice much else. Her dark brown hair was loose, as her only intended activity that evening was sleep. She was sat in a corner, sipping cherry tea, and studying some paper or other. She growled in frustration, oblivious to the company she kept. To Aoshi, her presence hailed the fact that this was no ordinary turn of events, and things would either be very much in his favour or very much against him from that point on.

Soon enough, she was approached, and thus disturbed from her brief intermission between work and well, more work. Aoshi's hand on her shoulder made her jump, and in doing so, she spilled her tea.

"Hey, watch it!" she turned round, but noting him stood there, quickly bit her tongue and swallowed her insult. "Oh. Hello stranger." She smirked.

"Working?" he asked, his eyes jumping to the document before her.

"Not as such. I'm on my way back to Nara."

"What's that?" he asked, Aoshi's eyes indicative of the strange writings.

"This? I'm not too sure myself. Hoshi sent me a letter last week, with this in, and the piece of jewellery I ordered from Osaka. All I can grasp is its something about magic dolls."

That got his attention. It didn't take a genius to figure out why. Enraptured by her words, when she offered him a seat, he took it. "…So the translator said it's a poem.

Complete the cycle to end the pain

Make everything as right as rain

Make everything the same again

Complete the circle to break the chain

What a pointless bit of paper! But I mean, come on Aoshi, who would be stupid enough to do something like that without considering the consequences?"

Megumi had to pause her walk briefly to attend to a flurry of sneezes. When they halted, she resumed her scowl, her grip on the bag and hurried march.

"You… still have the paper? The translation, I mean?" She nodded. "Can I see it?"

"You can have it if it makes any head or tails worth of sense to you." She shrugged, drinking what was left in her cup. "It's in my room. I'll leave it somewhere you'll find it."

"Thank you." He bowed his head in appreciation. The girl could always be counted on truly when you needed her most. With a return of the gesture, she stood, and left the room, her discarded notes left for him to gather and read later.

Misao and Okon, who had returned moments before, but dared not interrupt the conversation, chose now to approach the former leader.

"What was all that about?" demanded the one with the weasel resemblance, getting very edgy over who she deemed as a threat.

Aoshi's head didn't move, but his eyes moved to focus on her with somewhat a glare. "The Angel of Death has done us a favour."