Here are Parts 1-3 of "That Which Lingers"
Parts 00-23 of "That Which Lingers" are located at:
http://www.geocities.com/~madamhydra/TWL.html
As always, C&C is greatly appreciated! ^_^
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THAT WHICH LINGERS: A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfic by MadamHydra
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Part 1: Unexpected Encounters
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[the present, 11th year of the Meiji period, late summer]
Strolling down the street, Kamiya Kaoru glanced at the girl beside
her and said, "Misao, I'm glad you came to Tokyo for a visit."
The girl laughed and said, "Well, actually it wasn't entirely my
idea. Jiya suggested it. I think he wanted me out of his beard for a
while."
"Why?"
Misao sniffled. "Aoshi-sama."
"Oh.... I'm beginning to see. Uh, how is Aoshi?"
Flicking her braid over her shoulder, Misao said morosely, "He's...
he's so quiet! No matter what I do,... no matter what I say,.... All
he does is drink tea, meditate, and read books on Zen! I've tried and
tried and tried to get him to smile, but nothing ever works! I've told
him jokes, read him funny stories, dressed up in silly costumes,..."
Kaoru thought uneasily, (I'm beginning to understand why Okina
suggested she take a little trip away from Kyoto!)
"But I refuse to give up! I'll going to make him smile... somehow!"
There was a gleam of ferocious determination in Misao's eyes.
"Aoshi-sama is like an injured bird, one that's forgotten how to fly.
And I'm going to teach him, one way or another... even if it kills me!"
Kaoru laughed nervously, "That's... that's nice."
Catching the uneasy look on her friend's face, Misao relaxed and
chuckled. "Oh, don't worry. I'm not going to do anything stupid.
Patience and persistence. That's my motto! And Jiya was right. I did
need to get away from Kyoto for a while."
"I'm glad you're enjoying your trip."
Misao said, "Well, I have to confess that it's not entirely all fun
and games. I'm sort of playing errand girl."
"Oh? If you don't mind me asking...."
Misao's expression become somber. "One of Jiya's old friends was
recently killed under very suspicious circumstances."
"Oh no!"
"Yes! Mr. Uboshita and his entire family were killed just about a
week ago. And on the very same day of their deaths, his son's fiancee
threw herself off a bridge and drowned, in full view of everyone on the
street!" Misao frowned. "That was bad enough, but when I got here, I
found out that they weren't the only suspicious deaths that have
occurred recently."
Kaoru bowed her head. "Yes, I know. Everyone in Tokyo has been
talking about it. In the last week, nearly thirty people have died.
Five entire families!"
Misao nodded grimly. "And most killed by a sword."
"Yes. Chief Inspector Uramura has been by the dojo to talk to
Kenshin...." Kaoru's voice trailed off.
The ninja girl blinked, then shouted, "The police don't think HIMURA
had anything to do with this!?"
Kaoru shook her head emphatically. "No. They know that Kenshin
couldn't possibly be responsible. One of the families were murdered at
the exact same time Chief Uramura had his meeting with Kenshin."
"And was Himura able to tell them anything?"
"He went to take a look at the bodies, but...."
"But what!?"
"He said that there appeared to be only one, extremely skilled
attacker. Kenshin also said that he had never seen that exact style
before, but that some of the injuries reminded him of the work of the
Shinsengumi."
"You don't mean to say that it's Saitoh...!"
Kaoru shook her head again. "No. It can't be him either. He has
an even better alibi than Kenshin. He was apparently in Osaka meeting
with government officials for the last several days. And... Saitoh may
be a ruthless killer, but he doesn't kill without reason."
Misao muttered, "I suppose that's true. But there can't be that
many master swordsmen or assassins around capable of doing this sort of
work."
"I know. But what's even worse is the total lack of rhyme or reason
to the deaths. I could see a rich and influential person like Mr.
Uboshita having enemies, but two of the families were just ordinary
shopkeepers. There doesn't seem to be any connection, so there's no way
to predict who's the killer's next target. Then there's still the
matter of the suicides."
Misao frowned. "All were members of the massacred families or close
friends?"
"That's right. A mad killer is bad enough, but those suicides...."
Kaoru shivered. "The police have been trying to hide the true extent of
the problem to keep the public from panicking, but there are already
rumors. People are trying to act like nothing's wrong, but you can feel
the fear and tension in the air."
"Yeah. Everyone's twitchy."
There was a long silence, then Kaoru abruptly shook her head.
"Listen to all this doom and gloom! You're here and we're going to have
a celebration dinner."
Misao grinned and said, "Is this the reason for the long walk?"
"Yes, Tae told me about this little shop that has the best fish and
shellfish in the city. Their merchandise is a bit expensive, but it's
going to be worth it! Here we are." She stopped outside a prosperous
looking store.
The ninja girl said, "Then I hope you're going to let Himura do the
cooking.... Eep!" She clapped both hands over her mouth and nervously
watched Kaoru.
She glared at Misao and muttered, "Hmph! Just because I'm not the
best cook in the world...."
Inside the store, the shopkeeper was busy chatting with a female
customer. The woman was not young, perhaps in her early thirties, but
she had a serene, ageless sort of beauty that invited people to take a
second look. Beside her stood a young boy with spiky black hair. He
was carrying a shinai slung over his shoulder.
For a startled moment, Kaoru thought it was Yahiko, then quickly
realized that the boy was too tall and too scrawny to be her irritating
pupil. When the boy turned and glanced at her, she was struck by the
bleak stare and the harsh lines of the still young face.
(Such old eyes. Yahiko's had a hard childhood, but his eyes are
nothing like this. This boy's seen truly terrible things....)
The boy suddenly blinked in surprise, then said, "Hey, it's the
Weasel Girl!"
Misao turned bright red and yelled, "What do you mean 'weasel'...
Eiji!?" Her jaw dropped open as she gave the boy a stupefied stare.
Kaoru said, "Uh, Misao? Do you know him?"
The ninja girl ignored Kaoru for the moment and blurted out, "What
the hell are you doing here in Tokyo!?"
He scowled at her and muttered, "You're SO stupid! I live here
now."
"Live here? In Tokyo?"
"Didn't I just say that? You're sounding like a brainless parrot!"
"But... but... I thought you were going to live with... with...,"
Misao babbled.
The boy said irritably, "I AM living with her!"
As the shopkeeper bustled away into his storeroom, the woman turned
around and put her hand lightly on Eiji's shoulder. In a soft, gentle
voice, she said, "Are these friends of yours?"
Eiji glanced up at the woman. Kaoru was astonished to see his scowl
turn into a relaxed grin.
"Oh yeah. She's the Weasel Girl that I told you about."
The woman gave Kaoru and the still speechless Misao a warm smile.
Her dark brown eyes were calm and patient, but there was also a faint
twinkle in them which hinted at a playful sense of humor.
"So you're the girl who saved Eiji's life on more than one occasion.
I would like to thank you very much."
Eiji snorted loudly as the woman gave Kaoru and Misao a deep bow and
said, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Fujita Tokio."
"T-T-Tokio!?" stuttered Misao, who looked like someone had hit her
over the head with a brick.
Kaoru couldn't quite figure out why Misao was behaving so strangely.
(Fujita? Fujita... why does that name seem so familiar?)
Misao continued to babble incoherently, her eyes bulging.
"You're... you're... S-S-Saitoh's... Saitoh's...."
(Saitoh? What does Saitoh have to do with Fujita....)
"....w-w-wife....!?"
Kaoru's packages toppled to the ground. She turned to stare at
Misao, who was still gaping like a beached fish.
"She's... she's...." It was Kaoru's turn to start babbling.
Misao slowly nodded.
In a strangled voice, Kaoru whispered, "You're Saitoh Hajime's...
wife!?"
Tokio said mildly, "Yes, I am."
"Here you are, Fujita-san! I was saving those fish just for you!"
The shopkeeper reappeared in the store. With a flourish and a deep bow,
he handed Tokio a carefully wrapped package.
She gave him a happy smile and said, "Oh, thank you! They're one of
my husband's favorites."
The shopkeeper turned to Kaoru and Misao. "Now, ladies, can I help
you?"
"...."
"Uh, ladies? Would you like some fish? Clams? Shrimp? Squid?"
"...."
Eiji gave Misao a sharp nudge with his elbow. "Hey, stupid! The
guy's talking to you!"
"Wha...?" the ninja girl mumbled.
Tokio walked up to Kaoru and said, "Excuse me, I didn't catch your
name?"
"....Kamiya Kaoru...," she answered in a dazed voice.
In a gentle, coaxing voice, Tokio said, "What were you planning to
buy?"
"Uh.... octopus... eels....."
Without appearing the least bit pushy, Tokio managed to get a hold
of Kaoru's shopping list. A few minutes later, with Kaoru's purchases
completed, Tokio deftly ushered the two young women out of the shop,
leaving behind a very confused shopkeeper.
-----------------------------------
Before she quite knew what hit her, Kaoru found herself standing in
a quiet side street along with Misao, fresh seafood in hand. Eiji was
holding Kaoru's other packages with a bored look on his face.
Kaoru said, "I'm sorry, Fujita-san. It's just that I can't imagine
a man like Saitoh being married...." Her words came to an abrupt halt
and she turned bright red. "I mean... that is... it's such a shock....
Oh dear, I'm making such a mess out of this...."
Tokio chuckled softly. In a placid voice, she said, "Don't worry,
Kamiya-san. I've seen some much more extreme reactions before. My
husband's known to be a little difficult to deal with at times."
Misao finally managed to get her mouth back in working order. "A
little difficult, she says!"
"Misao!" Kaoru hissed angrily.
The ninja girl mumbled, "Sorry."
Before Misao could say anything else, there were faint shouting
noises, followed by the distant sound of gunfire.
Misao immediately stiffened and said, "What the...?"
Several minutes passed, then they heard a crash and the sound of
stumbling footsteps from around the corner. As Misao reached for her
kunai, a fat, middle-aged man staggered into view, bleeding heavily. In
one hand, he clutched a bloodied sword.
Kaoru dropped her package and snatched Eiji's shinai. Both she and
Misao stepped protectively in front of Tokio and the boy.
The man didn't even seem to notice them. He stared down at the
sword in his hand, then flung it down on the ground with an anguished
cry. He babbled, "No... no... I didn't... I couldn't stop myself... I
loved them! What have I done! WHAT HAVE I DONE!?!?"
With that final wail of despair, the man turned and charged head
first into the nearby stone wall. The impact was strong enough to send
blood flying.
"What are you doing!?" Misao shouted.
Kaoru jumped forward and grabbed the man in a frantic effort to stop
him. He flung her aside and continued slamming his skull into the wall,
over and over again. In front of their horrified eyes, he kept beating
his head repeatedly against the unyielding stone, apparently hellbent on
his own destruction.
There was a final, sickening crunch, then the man slowly sagged to
the ground, his face now only a bleeding mass of bone and flesh.
As Kaoru slowly got to her feet and walked over to the mortally
wounded man, Misao glanced away from the pathetic sight. She frowned as
she noticed something odd about the bloodied weapon lying discarded on
the ground. She bent down to take a closer look.
(That's strange. I've never seen a black sword blade like this
before....) The ninja girl reached out to pick it up.
With her hands on Eiji's shaking shoulders, Tokio quietly asked, "Is
he dead?"
Kaoru stepped away from the man's body. "Yes... yes, he is. I... I
don't understand. How can someone... DO... something like that to
himself? How can someone... beat their own brains out?" She glanced
around in a slight daze, then saw Misao kneeling on the ground, holding
the man's sword.
"Misao, what do you have...."
Without warning, the ninja girl whirled and slashed upward. Only
Kaoru's excellent reflexes kept her from being gutted as the razor sharp
blade sliced across her stomach.
Staggering backward in both pain and shock, Kaoru fell against the
wall, clutching at her belly. She could feel warm blood seeping between
her fingers.
"MISAO... WHY!?"
Eiji yelled, "Have you gone crazy, you stupid bitch!" He tried to
lunge at her, but was firmly held back by Tokio.
The hairs on the back of Kaoru's neck rose as the ninja girl
chuckled softly.
"Why? Because I felt like it." With a pantherish leap, Misao
jumped onto a nearby rooftop.
Her vision going dim, Kaoru shouted, "Where are you... going!?
Misao!"
With her braid angrily lashing back and forth like the tail of a
great cat, Misao tossed her head and said, "I'm going to give my love to
my darling Aoshi-sama!" With those words, she disappeared from view.
The vicious little smile on the ninja girl's face and the maddened
gleam in her blue eyes left Kaoru with no doubt of Misao's intentions.
As Tokio quickly moved to Kaoru's side to examine her injuries, the
young woman frantically whispered, "She's going to try to kill him!
And... she might... be able to do it! We have... to warn... Aoshi!"
-----------------------------------
(end of part 1)
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THAT WHICH LINGERS: A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfic by MadamHydra
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Part 2: Pursuit and Prey
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Somehow, Tokio managed to flag down a passing carriage. Before
anyone quite knew what happened, the wealthy carriage owner was falling
over himself to be helpful to the beautiful lady with the injured
companion. Of course he wouldn't mind letting her borrow his carriage
for a few hours. Just send it back when she's through using it. A few
bloodstains on the upholstery? No problem....
"Kamiya-san, I'll take you to a doctor...."
Kaoru grabbed Tokio's arm with a bloodied hand.
"Saitoh-san...."
"Yes?"
"Take me to Megumi... Takani Megumi. She's a doctor.... Please,
it's very important!"
Tokio checked the long slash along Kaoru's stomach. It was bleeding
steadily but not too heavily. Reapplying her makeshift bandage, she
said, "All right, if it's not too far away."
She raised her voice slightly. "Driver? Do you know where a Dr.
Takani lives?"
He said, "Oh yes! She's a very good doctor. Here we go." The
driver snapped the reins and the horses headed off at a brisk trot.
Inside the carriage, Tokio held Kaoru against her and applied firm
pressure on her wound. A very quiet Eiji sat on the opposite side of
the carriage, clutching Tokio's and Kaoru's packages.
"Saitoh-san...," Kaoru murmured.
"Call me Tokio."
Kaoru smiled weakly. "Then... you can hardly go on calling me
Kamiya-san." She took a few deep breaths. "Tokio, no matter what
happens, please make sure... that Megumi gets in touch with Kenshin and
Sano. Tell them... that they have to... stop Misao. Something's...
terribly wrong with her. Tell them to warn Shinomori Aoshi. She means
to... kill him...."
"Yes, I will. Now relax, Kaoru."
The quiet confidence in Tokio's voice reassured Kaoru that no matter
what happened, Kenshin would get her warning.
(I don't understand. Why are you doing this, Misao? What are you
trying to do? Is she really capable of killing Aoshi? Does she have a
chance of succeeding? Yes, she just might. He'd never expect an attack
from her....)
As she fretted about Misao's inexplicable actions, Kaoru gradually
slipped into unconsciousness.
-----------------------------------
It had been a quiet morning at the clinic so Megumi took the
opportunity to do a little reorganization of her medical supplies. She
was trying to figure out just where to put that last stack of bandages
when she heard the clatter of hooves outside the door.
A few seconds later, a man ran in and shouted, "Dr. Takani! There's
an injured woman in the carriage!"
Megumi quickly ran outside and flung open the carriage door.
Inside, there was a thin, almost scrawny boy. On the other side of the
carriage was a beautiful woman who was holding a blood-soaked bandage
against the stomach of a younger woman....
"Kaoru!" Megumi glanced to the other woman and demanded, "What
happened to her!? Never mind! You can tell me later! You, driver!
Help me get her inside!"
A few minutes later, Megumi had Kaoru in bed and was examining her
wound. Fortunately, it wasn't too deep and was bleeding only
sluggishly. She stared at the long clean slash and turned to Tokio.
"What was it? A knife or a sword?"
"It was a sword."
Megumi gasped sharply.
"She was very quick. If she hadn't managed to dodge, she would
probably be dead."
"Yes.... It will require stitches, but she should recover without
any complications."
"Takani-san. Kaoru insisted that I give you a message. She wants
to you get in touch with Himura Battousai and warn him...."
Megumi interrupted before Tokio could finish speaking. "Warn him
about what!?"
"I think it would be best if I explained things personally. The
matter is somewhat complicated."
The doctor rushed over to the table and quickly scribbled out a
note. Sticking her head outside the clinic, she called one of the
neighborhood boys over.
"You know Kenshin?" When the boy nodded, she said, "Give him this
note right away. If you can't find him, get right back here. Run!"
Megumi watched the boy scamper off on his errand, then turned back
toward the patiently waiting Tokio.
"I'm sorry, I haven't had an opportunity to thank you for taking
care of Kaoru."
"I'm glad to help in any way I can."
"Well, I better take care of that wound."
However, before Megumi took another step, there was a tremendous
commotion in the clinic as a whole crowd of people rushed in. One of
the men was holding a severely bleeding child. The sound in the clinic
was deafening as the child wailed, women cried, and men shouted. The
only thing Megumi could figure out was that the child had an accident in
his father's workshop.
She bit her lip. The child was much more badly hurt than Kaoru. If
should didn't do something immediately, the boy could die within
minutes. Megumi turned to Tokio and said, "Excuse me, but could you
keep an eye on Kaoru? Dr. Genzai's out of town visiting some patients
and I have to deal with this first. Just make sure the bleeding doesn't
get any worse...."
"Of course." Tokio give Megumi a deep bow. "If you will forgive my
presumption, but I do have some medical skill. If Kaoru's injury only
needs stitching, then perhaps you will allow me to take care of it while
you tend to the child?"
Megumi liked her quiet air of competence. An extremely loud scream
from the boy made her decision easy. "Thank you! The supplies are in
that cabinet. Excuse me!" She rushed over to the seething crowd of
panicked people.
"Sir, put the child down here. No, let go of him! Please you have
to give me room to work. Can you please get that woman out of here! I
can't tell you how bad it is until I've had a chance to examine.... BE
QUIET!!!"
-----------------------------------
At the Kamiya Dojo, Yahiko was watching Kenshin absently washing the
same shirt for the fifth time in the row.
(He's really out of it today. He's been like this ever since the
Chief Inspector dropped by.)
Sano was sitting on the porch, chewing on a twig. He yelled, "Hey!
Aren't you supposed to be scrubbing the floor or something?"
Yahiko stalked over to him and snarled, "I finished that an hour
ago! So there! Bleeh!" and stuck out his tongue.
The sounds of the ensuing wrestling match barely registered on
Kenshin's mind. He thought, (Something's not right. The sun's shining
and there's only a few clouds in the sky... but it just doesn't feel
right. I can almost smell the stench of death and violence in the
air.... Just like Kyoto, all those years ago... when blood ran in the
streets like rainwater....)
(Over thirty people dead in a week. But who can it be? It can't be
Saitoh. This isn't his style at all... it's much too wasteful. But I
definitely saw traces of Shinsengumi blade work....)
He glanced up as soon as he heard the patter of footsteps. A local
boy ran into the compound and stopped in front of Kenshin, gasping
heavily for air.
"Here... a... message... from Takani-... san.... Important...."
Yahiko and Sano stopped in mid-grapple and watched as Kenshin
quietly rose to his feet and wiped his hands dry. He opened the note
and started reading.
Sano dumped Yahiko on the ground as soon as he saw Kenshin's jaws
clench and his hands tighten on the paper.
"What's up, Kenshin?"
Crumpling the note in one hand, Kenshin reached for his sakabatou
and said in a flat voice, "It's a note from Megumi-dono. Kaoru-dono's
been hurt."
As one, the three of them headed out of the Kamiya compound at a
dead run.
-----------------------------------
When they arrived, the clinic looked like a disaster area. There
was blood all over the floor, hordes of people crying or shouting, and
general chaos everywhere. Just as they entered the building, a thin boy
ran past them out the door.
(That boy... looked familiar,) thought Kenshin, before concentrating
on more important things like....
"Megumi-dono! Where's Kaoru-dono?"
The doctor glanced up at them with a harried look on her face. She
snapped, "Didn't you get my message? Her injuries aren't
life-threatening. However, this boy's injuries ARE. Sano! I don't
care how you do it, but get these fools out of here! I can't work with
all this commotion! Yahiko, get me a basin of cold water!"
"Ah... right." The boy scurried off while Sano started to haul away
various people.
"Where's Kaoru-dono?"
"She's over in the other room." Megumi jerked her head toward the
back of the clinic.
Kenshin swiftly walked to the door and flung it open. The first
thing he saw was Kaoru, lying pale and still on the bed. There was
another woman in the room, who was just drying her hands.
He closed the door behind him, shutting out the shouting and other
noise. Kenshin sank down beside the bed and gently grasped Kaoru's
wrist. He could feel her pulse under his fingers... a bit fast, but
reassuringly steady. He sighed quietly and closed his eyes in relief.
"She'll be fine with some rest."
Kenshin glanced up at the woman standing next to the bed. She gave
him a gentle smile in return.
"I see."
"Excuse me, but you are Kenshin, correct?"
"Yes. Why...."
Tokio gave him a polite bow and said, "Then I have an very important
message and a warning for you from Kaoru."
He rose to his feet and said, "What is it?"
Behind him, Sano and Yahiko rushed into the room. Sano said, "How's
Jo-chan...."
Kenshin made a sharp gesture. "Sano. Wait a moment." Turning back
to Tokio, he said, "What is the warning?"
"She said that you must stop Misao from killing Shinomori Aoshi."
-----------------------------------
They stared at Tokio for a long moment, before Sano blurted, "That's
crazy! I don't know who the hell you are, lady, but you've got no idea
what or who you're talking about!"
"Yeah!" chimed in Yahiko.
Tokio didn't appear to be the least bit offended by their comments.
She patiently waited for Kenshin to respond.
In even tones, he said, "Why would Misao do such a thing?"
She bowed her head. "I don't know. I met Kaoru and Misao for the
very first time this morning. I can only tell you what I saw."
"Which is?"
"I saw Misao attack her friend Kaoru with no apparent provocation."
"Hold it! You mean to tell us that MISAO did this to Jo-chan!?"
"Yes."
Sano reached out and grabbed a hold of Tokio's wrist. She gasped
quietly, but didn't try to struggle. Clutching the front of her kimono
with his other hand, he hauled her halfway into the air and snarled, "I
don't know what your game is, you lying little bitch...."
"She's not lying," a weak voice whispered.
Kenshin was instantly kneeling by Kaoru's side. "Kaoru-dono! Are
you all right?"
"I'm fine. And it's all true. One moment she was fine and the next
moment, Misao tried to kill me." Tears shimmered in her eyes.
"Kenshin, something's horribly wrong with her! I don't know what's
going on, but she really means to kill Aoshi! I could see it in her
eyes! You have to stop her!" She struggled to sit up, but Kenshin
gently pushed her back down again.
"Fine, we'll take care of that. You just rest, Kaoru-dono."
Lying against the pillows, Kaoru gave them a faint smile. Her eyes
abruptly widened as she saw what Sano was doing. With a definite
expression of panic, she yelped, "Sano, you idiot! What are you doing!?
Let go of her!"
"Huh?"
"Baka! She's Saitoh Hajime's WIFE!"
Dead silence followed.
Sano stared blankly at Kaoru's anxious face. Without even noticing,
his hand opened and dropped Tokio. She landed on the floor with a hard
thump. She sat there for a moment, giving them all a faintly bemused
look.
With a stunned expression, Kenshin stammered, "You're... you're...
T-T-Tokio!?"
"....duhhh...," was Yahiko's only comment.
Tokio slowly got to her feet, discretely rubbing her sore hip. She
edged away from a still frozen Sano and gave them an exquisitely
graceful bow.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Saitoh Tokio. I've heard a
great deal about you, Himura Battousai."
"You've GOT to be kidding, Jo-chan," mumbled Sano.
"Do I look like I'm joking!?"
Tokio coughed delicately and said, "Um, about Misao...?"
Kenshin shook his head rapidly. Shocking as this discovery was,
they had much more serious things to worry about. "Kaoru-dono, is there
anything else I need to know right now?"
"No, that's it. I can tell you the rest when you get back."
"Sano! We need to get a message to Kyoto right away! Yahiko, stay
here with Kaoru-dono."
Getting no response from Sano, Kenshin ended up forcibly dragging
the still stupefied man out of the clinic.
-----------------------------------
As they ran down the streets, Sano muttered, "I don't believe it!
It can't be! How can an total, psychotic bastard like Saitoh be
MARRIED!?!? It's impossible! Someone's playing a bad joke on me...."
Kenshin said, "No. It's true. So that's Tokio."
Sano gave his friend an accusing stare. "You knew!? And you didn't
tell me!?"
"It didn't seem that important...," Kenshin mumbled.
"I still don't believe it.... Naw, can't be.... Uh, Kenshin? Just
where are we headed, anyway?"
With a grim look on his face, the swordsman replied, "To one of the
Oniwabanshuu message centers. They have carrier pigeons. I'm not sure
what's going on, but we need to put Okina and Aoshi on guard."
"Oh, I get it!"
-----------------------------------
Kenshin abruptly skidded to a stop in front of a small shop and put
his hand on the hilt of his sakabatou.
"What's wrong, Kenshin?" Sano whispered.
"I smell... fresh blood," was the quiet reply.
"Oh hell...."
They circled around to the backyard. There was a large wooden shed,
its door smashed open. Kenshin carefully pushed it open a bit further.
The room was littered with gray feathers and the corpses of dead
pigeons.
Kenshin said, "We're too late."
"Do... do you think that Misao did this?"
"I don't know. It's a strong possibility. The person who did this
was good. Most of these birds have been sliced cleanly in half,
probably while on the wing."
"So what do we do now?"
"The Oniwabanshuu must have more than one station of carrier pigeons
in Tokyo, but I don't know where they might be."
"The pigeon handler... do you think... Misao killed him?"
Kenshin sighed, "I don't know. I can't imagine Misao trying to kill
Kaoru-dono or Aoshi, but Kaoru-dono and Tokio-dono both said.... We
need to concentrate on finding her first. Once we've done that, maybe
we can figure out what's really going on."
As they stepped back into the street, they saw an elderly man
trudging in their direction. The man stopped suddenly, then quickly
walked forward. "Himura-san! What can I do for you today?"
"Where have you been?"
The man blinked. "I just stepped out to get some food."
"Have you seen Misao?"
"No, I haven't. And I have an important message for her."
"What is it?"
The man blinked. "Uh..."
"It's very important! Something terribly wrong has happened to
Misao and we need to get in touch with Okina and Aoshi as soon as
possible!"
"Well, certainly, I'll send a message to Okina right away...."
"You can't. Someone's slaughtered all the pigeons. And I suspect
that if you had been here, you would have suffered the same fate."
"What!?"
"You must have an alternate way of getting in touch with Kyoto!"
"Yes, yes. I'll take care of it right away. But don't worry about
Aoshi-sama."
Kenshin frowned. "Why not?"
"He's already on his way here. He should be arriving either today
or tomorrow...."
"WHAT!?" Kenshin and Sano both shouted.
"Yes, I was about to forward that message to Misao."
"Where is the actual message? The one delivered by the pigeon?"
"In the shed. Why?" the old man said.
A few minutes later, their worst fears were confirmed. The message
was missing.
Sano said, "Kenshin, do you think...?"
"If she's found it, Misao will know he's coming. And there's no way
to warn him!"
Kenshin turned back to the old man. "Is there a special trail that
the Oniwabanshuu prefer to use between Kyoto and Tokyo?"
Unnerved by Kenshin's urgency, the old man said, "Uh, yes, there is.
It's a forest track that runs parallel to the Toukai Way."
"Come on, Sano! She can't be more than a hour or two ahead of us.
We have a chance of catching up with her, especially if she decides to
wait in ambush." Armed with the old man's detailed directions, they set
off in the direction of Kyoto.
"Kenshin, what are we going do when we find her?"
"I don't know, Sano."
-----------------------------------
[Kyoto, five days earlier]
Okina walked into Aoshi's room and said, "I would like you to go to
Tokyo."
Aoshi glanced up from his book, but said nothing.
"You know I sent Misao away for a little vacation. Aside from the
fact that she was driving everyone crazy with her antics, she was also
supposed to check with our local agents about the suspicious deaths of
my old friend Uboshita and his family."
Aoshi nodded impassively.
"I just received news of more suspicious deaths. Another fifteen,
to be exact."
"What?" Aoshi looked visible surprised.
Okina nodded grimly. "All dead within the last two days. Which
brings the current total to over twenty. Three entire families and
close friends... all killed by the sword. Something's going on in Tokyo
and I don't like it. I don't like the idea of Misao wandering around
alone in that mess."
Aoshi glanced down at his hands. "She's hardly unprotected,
considering that she's staying with Himura Battousai."
"But you know Misao. She's as curious as a cat. And like a cat,
she's liable to go snooping a bit too far and a bit too carelessly.
Besides, I think Himura has more than enough to do keeping an eye on
Kaoru and that scamp Yahiko. I would prefer that you were there to keep
Misao out of trouble."
Aoshi was silent for a long moment. Okina could only guess at the
thoughts going on in the young man's head. Finally, Aoshi uttered a
faint sigh. "Very well. I'll leave after lunch."
-----------------------------------
(end of part 2)
======================================================================
THAT WHICH LINGERS: A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfic by MadamHydra
======================================================================
Part 3: Cat Scratch Fever
======================================================================
Makimachi Misao was in the mood for mayhem and murder. Perched in a
tree overlooking the forest path favored by the Oniwabanshuu, she waited
impatiently for her victim to show up.
(It's destiny, I suppose. I didn't even have to travel all the way
back to Kyoto to finish the fool off. Instead, he's walking right into
my lap.) She chuckled evilly and admired that lethal black sword in her
hands.
(Just you wait, Aoshi....)
She suddenly stiffened as she saw a familiar figure, dressed in a
trenchcoat swiftly making his way toward her. As she concealed herself
in the thick summer foliage, she could barely keep herself from
quivering with anticipation.
There was a small dip in the path and Aoshi disappeared from view.
She waited eagerly for him to reemerge.
Nothing.
After a few minutes, she snarled impatiently and hopped down from
the tree.
(Isn't just like that bastard to screw up a perfectly good ambush!)
She carefully searched both sides of the track and soon located
exactly where Aoshi had gone. Misao clutched the sword tighter and set
off after him.
-----------------------------------
Shinomori Aoshi had plenty of reasons to go to Tokyo. They weren't
necessarily pleasant reasons, but that didn't matter. This brief side
trip was long overdue. He should have come here much sooner, but he
keep postponing the journey. Now there were no more excuses.
He made his way along a barely noticeable track. It was hard to
believe to that he travelled this same path just over two months ago.
Two months... two totally different men. The Shinomori Aoshi of early
May had been nothing more than a hollow shell, utterly consumed by his
quest for the title of the "Strongest" and his pursuit of Himura
Battousai.
He sighed wearily and glanced up at the blue sky. (And who is the
Aoshi of today? What kind of person am I?)
That brief look upward saved his life as a slim figure dropped from
the trees with an angry scream.
Aoshi flung himself aside. When he rolled to his feet, he was
holding his two kodachi, ready to meet his attacker. But the sight that
met his eyes left him totally dumbfounded.
"MISAO!?"
She glared furiously at him, a katana with an eerie black blade in
her hands.
"What are you doing!?"
Misao's only response was a lightning swift lunge. Aoshi barely
managed to fend off the attack, staggering backward a few steps from the
sheer force of the attack.
(What the....!? That's impossible! She's moving nearly as fast as
the Battousai! And where is she getting that strength!?)
The next instant, Aoshi was too busy trying to survive the lethal
storm of thrusts and slashes Misao unleashed.
(This can't be happening! Misao knows how to use a sword, but
there's no way she could have gotten THIS skilled!)
"Misao! What's wrong with you? What are you doing!?"
She sprang out of range and chuckled viciously. "What am I doing?
Isn't that obvious, my dear Aoshi-SAMA!? I'm trying to rip your stupid
guts out!"
Aoshi shook his head. The whole encounter was taking on the aspect
of some horrible nightmare.
"Why....?"
"Why? WHY!? Because I HATE YOU, YOU FILTHY STINKING BASTARD!!!"
He flinched from the sheer rage in her voice.
"Misao, I...."
"I don't want to hear it! You don't care about me! You never cared
about me! You're a selfish, traitorous coward and you deserve to DIE!"
Misao lifted her sword and held it horizontal, then charged.
Aoshi, stunned both by her verbal attack and what he was seeing,
barely managed to parry Misao's thrust, but couldn't move quickly enough
to fully block the sweeping side slash that opened a deep cut down his
right leg.
(That's... that was a version of Saitoh's Gatotsu!)
"You're wrong, Misao! I... I...." (I do care about you....)
Misao hissed furiously, "Don't you DARE say care about me! You
deserted me without so much as a second look, just so you could run
around and feed your damn ego with all that 'glorious Oniwabanshuu'
crap! It's all your fault Hanya and the others died!"
"No...."
She came in low and stabbed upward. Aoshi lashed out with a kick
and nearly lost his leg to her incredibly fast counterattack.
Misao shouted, "You knew that they'd follow you wherever you went!
You were the one who hired yourself out like some damn whore to that
drug dealer Kanryu! Don't try to tell me that you didn't know EXACTLY
what sort of cowardly scum he was! You knew, but you just didn't care!
All you were concerned about was the chance to play around with the
Battousai!"
In a blur, she slipped behind him. He spun away, but not before she
managed to inflict another deep cut on his shoulder.
"And then you betrayed us by getting all cozy with Shishio just
because you were too stupid and too lazy to find the Battousai by
yourself! You abandoned us without a second thought! You probably
would've led the the attack on the Aoiya yourself if you thought it
would get you closer to Himura! Don't lie to me! I know it's true!
You would have!"
Aoshi dazedly shook his head. (Would I have actually done that?
Instead of just turning my back on them, would I have attacked them...
killed them.... I might have.... I was ready to do anything, no matter
how ruthless.... I... I don't know!)
Misao stood across the small clearing, panting slightly, but she was
clearly in much better shape than Aoshi who was bleeding from several
wounds.
"Last, but not least, you're a damn coward! After Himura managed to
pound some sense into that thick skull of yours, what do you do? Crawl
away and hide! That's all you did... all you've ever done. You act so
cold and controlled, but all you are is a snivelling coward! I can't
believe that Hanya, Beshimi, Shikijyou, and Hyottoko all died to save
your miserable, worthless hide! Well, I'm tired of all your shit! If
you're too scared to live, then I'll be happy to bury you myself!!!"
(Is... is she right? Is that all I am? Did Hanya and the others
sacrifice their lives to protect a selfish coward?) He felt his guard
slipping, then suddenly shook his head. (No. I've got to get myself
together. This... this isn't right. This isn't Misao. I have to stop
her... but can I? I don't know where all this skill, speed, and
strength is coming from... I can't afford to hold back if I want to
survive... but Misao could die....)
Aoshi had no more time to think as Misao pounced toward him,
launching a furious series of strikes. He managed to parry or evade
most of her attacks, but his reluctance to take the offensive proved his
undoing as a last, vicious blow broke several ribs and sent him crashing
through the undergrowth. His head slammed into something hard and
everything went black.
-----------------------------------
/ Okashira, wake up! /
(Wha...?) A misty form with a familiar demon face seemed to
materialize before Aoshi's eyes. (HANYA!? No, it can't be!)
/ Yes, it is I. /
(I'm sorry. It seems as if all of you wasted your lives saving a
selfish fool of a coward.)
/ No! You merely lost your way for a while, but you are finding
your way back. These things take time. /
(I think I'll be joining you quite soon....)
/ Okashira, listen to me! You can't die, especially by Misao's
hand. It would destroy her utterly. If you want to save her, you have
to stop her, no matter what it takes. /
(I don't want... to hurt her anymore.)
/ Sometimes that can't be helped. /
(If I make a mistake, I could kill her....)
/ It could come to that. /
(NO! I can't!)
/ If you fail, our Misao will be dead... as dead as if you stabbed
her through the heart,... perhaps more so. /
(....)
/ Do you care about her enough to run the risk of killing her in
order to save her from a much worse fate? /
(Like what?)
/ Madness. Damnation. /
(....yes.... What do I have to do?)
/ Get that sword away from her. /
(I see. Hanya?)
/ Yes? /
(The others... are they... here?)
Three more shadowy shapes appeared in his vision... blurry but
instantly recognizable. Aoshi heard no words from them, but he could
sense both their support and their urgency.
(All right. Himura made a promise to bring me back, no matter what
the cost. Hanya... Beshimi... Shikijyou... Hyottoko.... I make you THIS
promise. I'll bring our Misao back, no matter what it takes.... )
-----------------------------------
Misao jumped into the clearing and sneered at Aoshi as he lay on the
ground. "That's pathetic! I was hoping to play with you some more, but
I can see that it's just a waste of time." She lifted her sword, then
stopped as Aoshi slowly rose to his feet.
"Not... so fast." He could feel the blood trickling through his
hair and down his neck. He was steadily losing blood from his other
wounds, also. He would have only this one chance.
"Oh, now you're getting serious?" Misao snarled.
"Yes."
"Then come on... if you dare, coward!"
Aoshi silently flipped his grip on his two kodachi, then turned them
over, presenting the back edge of the blades.
She narrowed her eyes, but didn't move. They stared unblinkingly
each other.
(Misao knows she can outwait me. I'm losing too much blood. If
this goes on, I'll be too weak....)
Suddenly there was a snapping noise in the undergrowth. Misao's
attention was shifted ever so slightly and Aoshi made his move. With
every bit of speed he could muster, he pounced. His kodachi attack
broke Misao's two handed grip on her sword. He twisted and brutally
yanked the hand that was still holding the sword off to the side.
Aoshi was all too aware that Misao's other hand was free, but he
concentrated all his attention on breaking her grip on the black sword.
Even with all his effort, he was losing to Misao's unnatural strength.
Steeling himself, he slammed her arm across his knee and felt her
bones crack. The blade dropped from her hand as Misao screamed in pain.
That scream was echoed by Aoshi as he felt the enraged girl plunge one
of her kunai deep into his side with her free hand. Somehow he managed
to both punch the struggling girl unconscious and kick the sword across
the clearing before finally passing out, still tightly clutching Misao's
broken arm.
The clearing was silent, except for a faint, dripping noise.
-----------------------------------
Misao slowly awoke to an agonizing pain in her left arm and a
slightly lesser pain in her jaw.
(What... what's going... on? Oh, I hurt....)
She gradually became aware of a warm body lying on top of her... a
man's body. Misao squinted until the face came into focus.
"Aoshi-....sama? AOSHI-SAMA!?"
And then, to her utter astonishment, the moment she had been waiting
for so long arrived.... he opened his eyes and smiled at her... REALLY
smiled at her.
In a faint, breathless voice, he whispered, "Misao... you're...
back...."
"You're smiling... you're smiling at me!"
"Yes... I guess... I am." He closed his eyes as his grip on her
injured arm slackened.
Misao watched in horror as Aoshi's quiet sigh turned into a moist
cough. Blood seeped from his mouth and splashed her cheek. Only then,
she realized that there was warm liquid dripping all over her stomach.
With a growing sense of dread, she touched the wet spot and looked at
her hand.
It was covered in dark red blood.
"Aoshi-sama! Aoshi!" Getting no response, she struggled to wiggle
out from under his limp body. Once free, she carefully turned Aoshi
over. The amount of blood he was losing appalled her.
And sticking out of his side was one of her own throwing knives.
The memory of the last few hours hit Misao with a vengeance.
"NO!!! Aoshi, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!!!" Tears mixing with the
blood on her face, she clutched at Aoshi's body and started to sob
hysterically.
"Mi... sao...."
She choked back her tears and leaned close to him. "Yes,
Aoshi-sama?"
"Is... that... any... way... the Okashira... of... the Oniwa...
banshuu... should... act?"
Misao took a few gulping breaths and said, "R-right.... I... I need
to get some help! But... but it's too dangerous to leave you alone in
the forest!"
Aoshi smiled again... another small but genuine smile.
"I think... this spot... is probably... the safest place... in
Japan... for me. And... yes, I... care... about... you. A lot.... Get
going.... Misao." He quietly passed out again.
Misao staggered to her feet and looked around in confusion.
(He... cares...?) Since her mind wasn't up to dealing with that
particular topic at the moment, Misao concentrated on the first part of
his statement. (What on earth is Aoshi-sama talking about? What's so
special about this place?)
Then she noticed the short standing stones in the clearing.
Four of them.
In a neat row.
With a low mound of earth next to each stone.
Misao collapsed to her knees next to Aoshi's wounded body. As her
eyes drifted from the smallest mound which was the size of a child to
the largest which was large enough to contain ten men, her voice was the
softest of whispers.
"It... it can't be! Beshimi... Hanya... Shikijyou... Hyottoko...."
The rustling leaves in the summer breeze sounded like a murmur of
reassurance.
-----------------------------------
(end of part 3)
**********************************************************************
--------------------------------------------
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