Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Where Are You Now? ❯ Chapter 13: Battle ( Chapter 14 )

AN: LOL, kk, I had so much trouble with this chapter you really WOULDN'T believe me but it's the truth. Never knew I have to write sooo many fighting scenes but I do believe that I do well on them. As I say to myself as long as you can fully picture them and write down what you see then it'll turn out good enough.

Disclaimer: Okita! *pets Soushi's long black hair* Me missed you . . . even though you were always with me TEEHEE . . . Oh wait this is a disclaimer not a grope, grope, kissie, kissie . . .

Where Are You Now

Chapter 13: Battle

"It's what I see

And what I know

That when on knee

It's all for show

Your truth backed by lie

Your lie backed by trust

But for when it will die

All your lust for lust

A darkened gate

For mysteries to keep

Can't not be late

Plans not shallow, deep

Evil shinning less

Overcome by good

Secret men they bless

Showing how she could"

~ Shana Tout ~

June 12, 1879

Pitch darkness settled around him as he walked into the cave-like structure. His eyes soon becoming unusable from their daily watch and now his ears were his last hope. So long ago did he do the same thing when he approached a battlefield full of thick air that smelled of blood and decay. Now approaching this new field of battle he couldn't help but to ask himself if the one he loved that had never actually seen him fight would be there?

All he wanted was for her to be safe and away from such people that can cause her more harm then the death of her father. At this moment she was once again alone with people she didn't even know and he failed to protect her.

A strong light was finally visible and his eyes become pained by it, inside that very light is the person who took Aiko away from him. He'd make sure they regretted what they just did. As he began to walk in he could see the tidiness of the huge room, making it absolutely easy for any ninja to fight in that was for sure. Looking to the front of the room were two men asleep on the floor next to the wall. Okita walked up as quietly as he could up to the men and when he finally realized who they were he nearly fell to the floor. He remembered these two, the way they would torture the men at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. These two were always the first to dig into the well-prepared food.

Leaning over the two snoring humans Okita smiled, straightening up once more and raised his foot stomped by ones ear. The orange haired man bolted upward and put his hand to his ear rubbing it. The other unfortunately was asleep until his pillow went toward the ceiling and he had a horrible awakening when he banged his head on the floor. Both of them now evil eyed stared up toward the silhouetted figure.

"You guys really are a pain in the butt you know that."

Nagakura shot up to his feet and glared at the man until he recognized the smiling face of the former captain. Harada quickly stood to look at him, the man's eyebrows raised and his eyes closed but slightly bent upward and that smile . . .

Both of them jumped backward with their hands and arms to their side.

"No way, he's a ghost!"

"Ya can't be showing me this, there ain't no way he's alive!"

Shooting up to Okita they began to poke at his face shoulders and chest to see if they really weren't hallucinating. Okita couldn't help but to laugh at them, but then again it really was a miracle that he survived these many long years. Holding up his hands to push the two away, which wouldn't give in to the fact that he's alive, he was soon being hugged by his former comrades. How funny, he came here to fight but in return he got the laughter of two older men.

Nagakura raised his hand to the back of his head and stared at Okita in amazement, "I didn't think you'd live, boy do strange happen now a days."

"Yea, and to think you look twice as better then you were in the war."

'If only they knew . . .'

Taking in Saitou's loved strategy he went straight to the point, "Where's Aiko?"

The blunt question hit both the two men hard and they looked down to the floor, but he did want an answer. He had no idea where she was and everyone around him was beginning to feel worried, if he didn't do something soon then surely Saitou would've. Actually, if Saitou were Hijikata, Okita would be in some pretty big lecture right about now.

"Where ever she is," came a distant voice "you're not allowed to see her."

His eyes widened as he shot back a glance to the voice behind him. Over in a dark corner of the room was a man in a black cape, tilting a cup of tea in circles. His left leg raised and his right resting straight on the cold black floor. His head tilted toward the swordsman who had every intention to kill him. A small cheerless smile appearing on the only part of his face that was showing.

Standing up and setting aside the tea cup he calmly approached the only enemy in front of him though he only intended to fight that "whore," but this man will be good enough for his warm up. Reaching up for the topside of the cape which covered most of his face he pulled up down to reveal his features.

Nagakura and Harada both took a step backwards, the man they have been working under was none other then a Chinese ninja. The red head clenched his hands and thought forcefully, "Shit! Forgive me Kondo-san!"

Harada glared at the same height man as him, he'd lived in China for nearly ten years as a bandit but he never stooped so low to work with the men in that country. Glancing down at the man that was shorter then him Harada's eyes widened.

Okita Souji wasn't in the right position to be fighting . . .

The man looked pale and angry, something that he had never seen before. Okita's eyes were just as ice cold as the ninja's; did he know something that they didn't? Exhaling he stepped before the black ninja and grinned, "Ya know, I thought there was somethin' fishee about ya but now that I know the reason why I'm not fery pleased about it."

The ninja smiled, "Well I'm sorry that I'm not what you thought I'd be."

There was a pause for a moment or two before a single breath was passed, and then it happened. Throwing his sword over his head and heaving it downward only an inch from his enemy's neck, Nagakura came at him with all the might that he, an old man, could possess. And by each attack that he gave the ninja easily dodged them all.

Harada glanced back down to Okita, the man who stood there observing, concentrating on every single move the shinobi had but so far only nothing had been shown. He hadn't pulled a single move to Nagakura. Turning away to the wall and walking toward his most prized weapon, Harada gripped it tightly and began to remember the fond memories of using it during the old era.

Watching, hoping that he time wouldn't come but yet yelling for him to attack Okita stood there in anticipation. His brain was crying out for him to draw his sword and his hand for some reason would not listen but instead just sit there on the top of the hilt. At that point he saw a spear come quickly past his face and straight for the battle, and it was then that he stopped breathing. It wasn't one of his sudden coughing fits, this was different, and he had seen this before, this fighting.

(You all are under arrest)

(Hurry blow out the light!)

(KILL THEM!)

"Ikedya . . ." Okita mumbled under his breath that was when it all began, when his disease appeared in its truest form. When his life was no longer in the hands of him and his assailants but in the hands of a disease that couldn't be cured.

~ * ~

Lying there on the floor was Aiko not back in the state of consciousness. Eyes barely opened to the room around her, not focusing on any object in particular. 'Will I get out of here, will I live? Will anyone come for me? No Souji will come he has always come for me, but will he now?"

Her eyebrow twitched at the thought, surely he would come if not anyone else. He would come in the room with nothing on him but a smile, a sweet and tender smile that would warm her heart once more. She wanted him with her at this moment; she wanted him to wake her up as if nothing had ever happened. Aiko's eyes closed momentarily to the silence around her, but instead of comforting to her it seemed to suffocate her. It had only been two months with Souji and she could already feel him capture her soul.

(Does it hurt Aiko-chan?)

(What do you think baka?)

She had said some strange things to him but in reality . . . in truth she wanted to say other things to him. A smile touched her face in humor, 'A few more "I love you's" would have been nice."

~ * ~

Nagakura and Harada both flew away from their opponent in pain, one he had almost opened Harada scar again and two he's nailed Nagakura in the left arm. Thankfully he wasn't left-handed or else he'd be done for in the battle. Reaching over the two men with he long dagger, he attempted to finish them off. His arm flying over his other shoulder causing more momentum in the strike into their bodies. Then thrusting in down to where the lay he waited for the smell of blood to enter his nostrils but at that point something strange happened. His dagger went the opposite direction toward his body. Tightening his grip on the hilt of the dagger he used his force to keep it from jamming into him. Looking beyond the metal was a pained expression of the man he had invited to come here, brown eyes glaring at him with anger.

"Don't think you can win over these two as easily as that with me around."

Harada grabbed Nagakura by his good arm and lifted him up to a standing position both of them grinning evilly. Nope, they weren't done yet; they still had a long ways to go.

Okita slung his sword against the man's dagger causing it to slide to the side of his body.

'He's good.' Thought Long as he went back into his stance, moving his right foot behind him and his left slightly in front of him, 'but not good enough.' A sly grin replaced his small frown and his confidence only climbed higher when he jumped into the air. Okita quickly stopped and hopped backward from the man's landed spot. The moment Long touched the ground though he bent his legs and leaped toward the retreating man.

Okita's eyes widened and at that instant when he finally landed on his feet he knew what was coming. A sharp pain hit his stomach at full force and he could feel himself get pushed backward onto the floor. Squinting his eyes to the pain he forced himself off the dusty ground, his breathing blowing away the entire dirt under him. Okita rose to his feet with a katana in hand, his pupil's small and some of his teeth showing through his teeth.

Long stared at the rising man in front of him, his hands slowly clenching themselves into fists and the second that he straightened up and face him was the moment he fell back to the ground.

"You know what's annoying, men like you that just won't give up when they should."

Quickly the Chinese man drew out the dagger from behind his back and he plunging it downward onto the man that was moving as fast as he could to get out of the way. But when he thought it was to late, that he was going to be sliced open, something happened. The blade broke into two pieces and one of those pieces fell to the floor, clanging itself and little shards of the blade as well fell. Okita stared at them, puzzled, wondering what in the world could've broken his dagger but then again he was kind of happy that it happened. Looking up he stared at the split dagger in the man's hand and saw very easily that something had been thrown at it. The possibility though on throwing an object at a metal object was a skill that would be hard to accomplish.

"Don't even try it."

Long suddenly shot back a glare to the dark entryway, his black eyes soon becoming full of rage as he waited for that someone to enter the room. Soft footsteps echoed from wall to wall while the air grew thin and hard to breathe. The figure gradually became able to see and the footsteps grew louder.

"Yare, yare I truly didn't expect you to be the one I come after."

Harada and Nagakura's mouths dropped to the floor, both using each other to stand once more. Long quirked an eyebrow to his new opponent, the dangerous beauty that lingered in the doorway. Quickly the woman pulled out a ninja star and threw it to her enemy; flying through the air until it hit its unnamed target. Long caught it before it even reached his neck, only by a small fraction.

Long black hair tied up in a high-ponytail with brown eyes that seemed to freeze over everyone. A black outfit, baggy and easy to move in was her choice of attire and probably many daggers and ninja stars hidden in her clothing. Her hand reached up to her left temple as she rubbed it and returned her gaze to the man standing ten feet away from her.

Long smiled, "I welcome you . . . Okashira Phoenix."

She smiled back at him, "So I guess this means you no longer wish to be apart of the clan."

Turning fully to face her Long tilted his head to his side, "That's not true, you know exactly why I am doing this."

With that said her smile dropped quickly and her hand fell back to her side. This was not a battle for departure, it was a battle a revenge. It has been prolonged for over ten years and today was the day that the attack against her was going to happen.

But she had to congratulate him for working so hard on getting her in a trap.

Nagakura and Harada's gi's were looking rumpled as part of their shoulders were showing, shocked expression's with big bulging eyes made it an almost comedic site.

"The Okashira Phoenix is a . . . a . . . a woman?"

Nagakura Shinpachi fell to the floor dumbfounded, the first time they see the powerful okashira and the find out he's in fact a she. Harada also felt rather stupid, of course it would've been a woman, after all, the Chinese empress's symbol is a phoenix. Also falling to the floor he sniffed a couple of times, "I guess we are a pair of old men ne Shinpach-san." Nagakura nodded quickly to his companions comment.

Okita smiled at the two, he himself a little confused that the Okashira Phoenix was a young woman. But nonetheless a woman who recklessly killed men in the alleyways without mercy. Okita's eyes returned to the two glaring people, each one looking as loose as possible, ready for an attack that would drive the other to the floor. The woman stared beyond the man in front of her to the man sitting on the floor.

"I think this is a good time to go find a certain someone am I right."

Okita's eyes widened; that's right Aiko was in here, he would be able to see her and save her from this place. But never once has he once retreated from a battle.

Obviously the woman saw his need to stay for his sake of honor so she decided to do the one thing to dismiss the guy.

"A shinobi should only fight a shinobi, not a samurai."

Okita smiled and closed his eyes while nodding, that woman couldn't be any more right then . . .

(Shinobi's are tricky people Souji, that why it's only suitable that they fight one another.)

(Hai, hai Kondo-san!)

Souji's eyes opened in shock, his smile abruptly disappearing as he glanced back at the girl still watching him. Only silence continued after that for a few seconds until a familiar voice broke it.

~ * ~

'Souji, to find her go through the door behind us, then follow the hallway do not turn off in another direction. Then you'll come to a giant tapestry, go behind it is a room and in there you'll find whom you're looking for.'

His left hand held onto the sheath of his sword as he ran down the wooden hallway, his soft pants of air and the stomping of his feet could tell anyone that he was coming toward them. Urgency working up in his chest and the very thought of seeing Aiko again was the only thing that drove him to continue running down the long hall. How long had it been since he hadn't seen her, nearly four days since she was captured.

Very soon he saw the tapestry that Nagakura was talking about and did not wait to go behind it. The moment he did though he walked into a room with only a fire that lit it up with light. And in the middle of the floor was a figure he hadn't seen for a so many hours. A purple kimono with cherry blossoms, long black hair scattered by her body and a hand resting on her stomach as she lay slightly on her left side.

Okita wasn't hesitant about running toward her, rushing to her side as he tried to have part of her rest in his arms. When he looked at her, his arms began to quiver, a bruise, not a very large one but one above her left eye made him clench her kimono in his hands. Then the sense of feeling came to him as his hand gripped her arm; he felt something wet and yet dry that it made the kimono feel a little hard. Looking down at her right arm he saw the cause of this, dry and wet blood had soaked her purple kimono with an enormous gash following it.

Then next thing that happened was so uncontrollable for him; he shook her gently hoping she would wake up.

"Aiko, Aiko please wake up . . . please."

His gentle shakes brought a twitch or two to Aiko's eyes and quickly Okita stopped, watching her slowly wake up from her dead sleep.

Aiko cracked open her eyes and only saw the blurry tints of the room, but as she continued to blink and her hearing soon realizing slow breathing above her a face formed above her. Her eyes opened extremely quickly, as she threw herself upon the man she wanted to see again. And in turn two arms wrapped around her, grasping her ever so tightly. He was happy to have her again, to hold her in his arms again . . .

~ * ~

A loud crash came as the woman jumped back with her dagger in hand; she landed and approached Long quickly with the blade infront of her. Long hit it away with his Chinese sword by throwing it into the air but as he did so, she jumped once more and kicked him in the chest pushing him away. When she landed she began he stance once more and came quickly after the man who had got up once more. The distance between them both was becoming smaller as she advanced to him. Again jumping into the air she came down on him with a downward punch making him fall back to the dirty floor once more. A sound of frustration came from the man on the floor as he gripped tighter on his sword and swung it at her only cutting open her clothing and not connecting with her.

Long leaped up from the floor threw his sword in a curvy pattern at her. Jumping back and doing a back flip, Qi threw the dagger to her side and instantaneously pulled out from behind her the two steel fans and ran at Long. Swiftly dodging his sword she slid to his legs and hit them with her fans. Again Long fell to the floor, his sword flying away from him and stabbing the floor beneath them. Qi stood up slowly this time and watched Long's body but was rather shocked when she heard deep laughter from the man.

"Rather funny, I can try all I want to hit you but you always seem to knock me down at the last moment. You haven't even used any of you special attacks on me yet. I feel kinda hurt because of that."

Qi stared intensely at the man now watching him roll over onto his back.

"You're stronger then me and that's that, father picked a good leader, better then me but surely . . . Ling is MUCH better than YOU!"

Throwing three ninja stars at her, Qi attempted to roll off to her side and stand up again. Long's hand fell to the floor, and a disappointed look crossed his face.

"Stronger huh?"

Long's eye's widened a bit as he stared at the ground.

"When have I been stronger?"

His hand went into a tight fist.

"The only reason why I am able to dodge every single attack is because something is on your mind constantly."

He grated his teeth and his hand slowly went for the belt around him.

"Or maybe, it's because of the fact that I was the one who ended your father's life."

"SHUT UP!"

Long rose to his feet with the feeling of anger coming from him, and the sense of death surely occupied that anger.

"You say that like it was what he wanted!"

Calmly and coolly Qi replied, "No, it's not like that at all, your father had a job to fulfill until the end. Every time you yell at me because of your father's death I simply laugh." The shine of her fan reflected into his eyes, "You find it horrible that you just lost your father when I . . ."

(Somebody help me!)

"I . . ."

(Sister, father? . . . PLEASE COME SAVE ME!)

Qi kept her eyes closed and tilted her head downward, "I never got to even grow up with my family, to laugh with them and cry with them. My mother died giving birth to me and my father was killed here in Japan, the only family I really still have is the woman you captured."

Long smiled, "I thought that if I killed her then you'd feel the same pain I'm going through. That's why I -"

"YOU self-conceited, blinded FOOL!"

Qi slid the fan back into their rightful spots behind her legs, "Can't you figure it out, your father died because he wanted someone else to be the leader, that's how it goes!"

Long's eyes widened even more to her comment.

"Think about it, you're father was ill, dying and didn't REALLY want his family to die so quickly! He said you two weren't ready for the real world!"

"Then why the hell were you picked instead of us!"

"Because, unlike you, I have seen what wars can do to people. I have seen how horrible a person can turn from good too bad. SO DON'T THINK THAT I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!!"

"That's it!"

Long jumped into the air and came crashing downward toward her body, but the moment he landed by her he no longer wanted to move. Afraid of what had happened he could already taste to bitterness in his mouth and the excruciating pain overwhelming him. The sickening sound of the blade coming out of him made a ball in his neck and he fell to the floor.

"Ta . . . kara . . . . . why?"

Qi looked down at the man in pain; blood slowly making it's way away from his body.

"Long, I left the name Isami Takara behind me ever since I went to China. But don't think that I won't defend myself because you're the former leader's son!"

He said nothing but instead lay there and felt all his energy rush away from him.

"Listen to me Long, in that battle with your father I realized I wouldn't be able to walk away from it but I would be killed if I didn't kill him. I know how it feels to loose a father but then again do you know how it feels to never really have any true family by your side?"

"Takara."

She stepped nearer to him, her deep brown eyes not changing from a second ago.

"I'll finish what is in my way, I'll finish the traitor."

"Save . . ."

Takara stopped going near to him, his last word going through his shallow breaths.

" . . . Please save . . . . the clan."

Takara's eyes widened in shock as she rushed to him grabbing the front of his shirt she pulled him up to her.

"What do you mean save the clan? What the HELL did you do?!"

It was to late, Long was gone, there would be no more words coming from him. Takara released her grip on his shirt and the Chinese man fell to the bloody ground to soak once more in his blood. Her hands shook fiercely and clamped into tight fists, turning she ran away with all her might toward the one place where her feelings drove her.

"The clan is being attacked."

~ * ~

Both men smiled happily at the sight in front of them, but then humorously laughed at it. They never knew he had it in him. The sight of him holding onto Aiko's tired body, as smiles both passed over each of them. Aiko and Okita had finally found each other, their joy passing through each other. He was happy he hadn't failed protecting her and she was happy that he hadn't died by trying to find her.

Tbc . . .

~ * ~

Next Chapter

~ * ~

In the deepest of darkness waits the soul of a child, hoping to the one to save him from peril. In the next chapter of "Where Are You Now?"

~ * ~

Reviews

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Inca_dove: Laughs, well thank you with the little harem story that you added, I think everyone gave a little laugh. Took me long enough to write this GOSH DARN CHAPTER! I kill, I kill it dead!

JadeGoddess: I hope this chapter cleared everything up in you head, *Laughs* Ok, since I passed this chapter I can tell you. Takara is Qi, Qi is a Chinese name and Takara lived in Japan for five years of her life until the Osaka incident when she was shipped to China on accident. The Leader of the Art of Phoenix called her Qi over there in China and she uses that as her alias. Long used Aiko to get Takara out into the open so that . . . well I have to tell you the rest in the next chapter TEE HEE!

~ * ~

AN: (jumps up and down with joy) YAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!! It's over with er the chapter is anyway…. Eh hehehe! This chapter sucked but turned out relatively good I think.

Fanfic by ione