Subject: [KFFDisc] That Which Lingers - Part 23 (very rough draft) Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1999 19:43:09 EST From: MadamHydra@aol.com Reply-To: kenshinfanfics@egroups.com Last modified: 03/04/99 Well, sorry for the lateness of this installment, but it was hard trying to find just the right tone. And now.... Gomen, gomen! Please don't kill me! The last scene with Saitoh... I couldn't resist! I think I've been listening to my Offspring "Americana" album too much. Punk rock, heh. ^_^; --------------- This story is set in my own ALTERNATE REALITY Rurouni Kenshin universe which I've called "The Nightwitch Tales" -- think of it as Rurouni Kenshin mixed with various supernatural and paranormal elements. It takes place after the end of the Kyoto story arc. After that, all bets are off. Other stories in this alternate reality are: "Night Visitor"; "All in the Family"; and "Romancing the Wolf". WARNING: This story is "semi-dark" -- it has dark elements (violence, profanity, etc.) but it's not a darkfic! Actually, there's quite a bit of romance in it.... ^_- As always, C&C is greatly appreciated! ^_^ ====================================================================== THAT WHICH LINGERS: A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfic by MadamHydra ====================================================================== Part 23: THE SACRED AND THE PROFANE ====================================================================== --------------- Disclaimer All rights and privileges to Rurouni Kenshin belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki, Shuiesha, Sony Music Entertainment, and associated parties. The characters of these series are used WITHOUT permission for the purpose of entertainment only. This work of fiction is not meant for sale or profit. Original portion of the fiction included here is considered to be the sole property and copyrighted to the author. --------------- Text Conventions ( ) are character thoughts / / and // // represent various sorts of mental dialogue [ ] denote visual or time notes ********************************************************************** [ Kyoto, mid-August, 1878 (11th year of the Meiji period) ] ----------------------------------- The cold wind blowing through the deserted streets of Kyoto did nothing to dissipate the ghostly form of the great wolf hovering before Sano and the others. And the lean, unmistakable form of Saitoh Hajime was no mere illusion either. "Wha... what the hell...!?" gurgled Sano. It was bad enough that Saitoh heard the nervousness in his voice -- that was obvious from the way his malicious grin widened just a fraction -- but Sano couldn't suppress a shiver when he saw the grin on the ghostly wolf's face widen simultaneously. It was NOT a reassuring sight. (That thing's only smoke and fog... I hope... but if that's true, how can those huge fangs look so damn sharp....?) Beside him, Yahiko muttered, "Oh man....." "Do you guys remember about something.... strange was going on with Saitoh," Misao whispered hoarsely. Sano managed to pry his gaze away from Saitoh and the wolf-shaped mist that hovered over the man like a dark and ominous aura -- an aura reeking with menace and impending bloodshed. "Is THAT what you were talking about!?" Sano demanded hoarsely as he pointed in Saitoh's direction. Misao whispered, "I... I can't be sure.... but I think... uh, Kaoru and Aoshi aren't the only ones being possessed...." Sano and Yahiko could only stare blankly at her, but before she could explain, Aoshi uttered a low, hateful laugh. "So you've finally awakened from your long slumber, oh great Hunter of darkness." The mockery in Aoshi's voice made every word a blatant insult. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to crawl out of your lair." Saitoh uttered a contemptuous snort, quite unmoved by the demon's words. As he leisurely stalked toward the others, the misty apparition of the great wolf gradually collapsed back into a formless, roiling mass of fog that seeped across the ground like a dark, thigh-high blanket of darkness. But if one looked closely, one could almost catch a fleeting glimpse of what could be lean, predatory forms lurking within. The shadowy mist poured forward, then abruptly halted about ten feet away from the spot where Aoshi and the semi-invisible monsters stood. Without hesitation, the fog parted, circling around the possessed man and the creatures like a pack of wolves surrounding its chosen prey. The demon's minions, so confident a few minutes ago, now cowered nervously near Aoshi, taking great care to stay within the small area not shrouded by the dark mist. Occasionally, a bold tendril of fog would crept into that cleared space, only to be driven back by a casual slash of Aoshi's kodachi. The darkness reached Sano, Yahiko, and Misao before they could react. Swiftly swirling around their legs, it seemed harmless enough. The fog did nothing to stop them from moving, but any idiot could tell that there was something most uncanny about it. And although Sano couldn't really see anything in the shadowy murk, every so often he thought he felt something brushing against him or a faint nudge against his leg. The fighter glanced over at Tokio to see her reaction to Saitoh's appearance. Unlike Misao and Yahiko who couldn't help twitching nervously every time there was a suspicious ripple in the fog, Tokio stood quite still -- a serene statue with a calm, yet acutely thoughtful expression on her face. (Doesn't ANYTHING rattle that woman? Any normal female would be scared out of her mind! Hell, -I- don't know how much more of this weirdness I can take! How can she just stand there like nothing's happened!) Sano thought resentfully. An icy shiver ran down his spine as Tokio's gaze flicked briefly in his direction, almost as if she had overheard Sano's last thoughts. Whatever was causing that discreet gleam in her eyes, Sano was pretty sure that it wasn't fear. ----------------------------------- Saitoh halted only a few yards away from the possessed Aoshi and monsters. As his lips curved upward in that familiar malicious smile, the unnatural creatures whimpered softly, terror obvious on their bestial faces. The demon, lurking in Aoshi's body, coldly ignored them. "And now here I am." "Yes, but doing what? Do you mean to tell me that you actually intend to waste your time protecting a herd of stupid mortals?" the demon said scornfully. "Quite a fall for one who was once the terror of my kind." "Protecting humans? Oh, but I'm not," Saitoh said with a decided smirk. "What?" the demon scowled irritably. The sight of such obvious negative emotions on the usually impassive Aoshi's face was rather disturbing, to say the least. "I guard. A subtle, but significant difference." Saitoh gave the demon a sinister smile. The demon shrugged Aoshi's shoulder and snapped, "Whatever. But why waste your time on such a trivial and meaningless task?" Saitoh shrugged nonchalantly and drawled, "Deciding what is worthy of my time is strictly my prerogative. And speaking of wasting one's time... at least I didn't spend over three hundred years sealed inside a damp cave somewhere, and then another four centuries stuck inside a sword." The demon drew Aoshi's lips back in a snarl of rage. "You DARE to bring up that matter! Seven hundred years of imprisonment and all YOUR doing, Hunter!" Saitoh laughed scornfully. "My doing? Idiot. That mess was entirely your own fault. You were the one who betrayed his own ally, Minobe Fuumi, all those centuries ago. He simply took his own revenge by sealing you away while you were still weakened from our last battle. And I had nothing to do with you getting stuck inside Kinslayer for all these years. You did that yourself through your own cowardice and haste. In your rush to hide yourself from detection and revenge yourself on the Minobe family, you never bothered to consider the consequences of binding yourself so thoroughly to an inanimate object. So don't talk to me about blame." ----------------------------------- As Sano struggled to follow the bizarre conversation going on between the demon and Saitoh, he couldn't help thinking, (Just who -- or what -- is doing the talking here? Saitoh or the Hunter thing that demon keeps referring to? I know the demon's controlling Aoshi -- there's no way he'd act like that on his own! -- but Saitoh.... The bastard's pretty much behaving like he always does! If it wasn't for all that weird supernatural shit with this fog and all the talk about stuff that happened hundreds of years ago....) ----------------------------------- "Of course, you're to blame! You and your relentless pursuit... your refusal to leave me alone.... And for what? Mere mortals who breed like rabbits anyway?" "To maintain order, that is the duty I have taken. Those who disrupt that order by sowing destruction and chaos shall be destroyed." A cold, hungry grin appeared on Saitoh's face. "Besides, I enjoy the hunt." The demon raised Aoshi's blood-smeared kodachi. "I see. So now that you've finally tracked me down, I assume you're here to destroy me." Misao inhaled sharply. "No," Saitoh coolly retorted. The demon narrowed Aoshi's eyes and snapped, "What do you mean, 'no'? Has the fabled Hunter of the dark become nothing more than a craven street cur?" "Hardly. What do you take me for? A fool?" was Saitoh's scornful reply. "Do you think I can't tell the difference between a weapon and the hand who wields it? Killing Shinomori would be a waste of my time. I want YOU, not your puppet." The demon sneered, "And you're so sure that your puppet can defeat mine?" "You know I can. Between the damage the Weasel Girl, your own creatures, and Tokio have done, Shinomori's in no shape to fight. More importantly, with all the schemes you have going on, you've spread yourself dangerously thin. Aside from having to maintain control of that fool Junichi so he doesn't end up getting prematurely slaughtered by the Battousai, you also have to deal with an unwilling host. Shinomori's not about to sit back and let you do as you please with his body." Saitoh grinned nastily, before continuing. "But I don't have that problem. No, I wouldn't have any problems killing Shinomori, but I have my eyes on a much more important goal... and so have you." The demon narrowed Aoshi's eyes and murmured, "Indeed." "Your choice -- we can continue playing games with each other from here to eternity, or we can finish the matter, once and for all, two days from now," Saitoh said with a shrug. Yahiko frowned. (Two days from now? What's so important about that date...? Hold it! Bon, the festival for the dead, takes place two days from today! Of course!) Yahiko blurted, "So happens at Bon?" "The Love-Eater will be powerful enough to free itself from Kinslayer," replied Saitoh. "What!?" Sano and Yahiko shouted. "You want... you WANT that to happen!? You WANT it to go free!?" shrieked Misao. "Of course." With a sly smile, Saitoh turned back to face the demon inside Aoshi. "Kinslayer is both sanctuary and prison for you. As long as you're trapped in that sword, I can't destroy you." He grinned maliciously. "But by the same token, you don't have the power to destroy me, either. So at this moment, any confrontation would be a waste of time and effort for both of us." Sano yelled, "You're going to let that thing just... just walk away!? What about your "Aku Soku Zan" shit you keep going on about!?" "Feh," snorted Saitoh. "And what makes you so certain that... that demon's going to stick around to face you at Bon!? What's to keep it from agreeing to this fight, then running away, never to be seen again?" Misao shouted. (What if it disappears... and takes Aoshi with it?) The demon glared at her and snapped viciously, "Stupid little bitch." Although she knew it was the demon speaking, Misao couldn't help flinching at the malice in Aoshi's voice. Saitoh chuckled. "Oh, but it can't afford to run away. It has too much to lose, don't you?" The look of frustration and barely suppressed rage on Aoshi's face confirmed the accuracy of Saitoh's words. "First, now that I have the Love-Eater's scent again, there's no place it can go where I can't find it. Second, the binding between it and Kinslayer can only be broken in the same place where it was forged -- here in Kyoto. Virtually everything it has done so far -- the disruptions at the local shrines, terrorizing Kyoto's inhabitants with ghostly apparitions, the revival of bloody memories of the Bakamatsu no Douran... all done to build the atmosphere of fear and suffering necessary to accomplish its long-awaited escape. But if it misses this opportunity, it might have to wait another hundred years or more before conditions are right for another attempt." Saitoh smiled with malevolent cheerfulness before continuing. "And that's the very last thing you want to do. It's so limiting to be trapped in an inanimate object, isn't it? You can't go anywhere on your own. You can only use a fraction of your power. Most of all, you miss not having a real physical body of your own. After all, there's nothing quite like the taste and the smell of fear and freshly spilled blood, is there? The feel of flesh shredding underneath one's fangs and claws?" At that moment, one of the demon's minions strayed a bit too far from its Aoshi's side. In a dark flash, several wolf-like forms erupted from the swirling fog, sank their fangs into the monster, and dragged it down into the seething darkness. Everyone could hear the bestial shrieks of agony intertwined with low snarls and the crunching of bones. The demon did nothing, but merely watched with a pensive expression on Aoshi's face. Suddenly the monster managed to partially claw its way out of the deadly fog as blackish blood poured from innumerable wounds on its body. Just as it appeared that the creature might escape, it was relentlessly dragged back down into the concealing mist. During the ensuing carnage, the feral smile lingered on Saitoh's lips as his amber eyes glittered in the dim light. There were a few more sickening noises, then all was quiet. Finally, the demon said thoughtfully, "Quite true. You understand too well, but that's only to be expected. We're not all that different, Hunter." "I never claimed to be." Aoshi's voice was taut with tightly controlled rage as the demon hissed, "Then you should understand just how much I LOATHE you. To be locked away and deprived of the bloody pleasures which are my very sustenance for seven long centuries.... You and the Minobe clan bear the blame -- you with your endless harassment and the Minobe for their treachery. Soon the destruction of the Minobe clan will be complete, but as long as you exist, I will have no peace. I know you, as you know me. Now that you have found me again, you're ready to hound me to the ends of the earth and time, if need be.No matter where I go, you will be lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to sink your hungry fangs into my flesh." "Absolutely," Saitoh calmly replied. "Very well. Then let us settle this forever, Hunter. The festival of Bon, it is. Two days from now. And if you know so much of my plans, then you know where." Saitoh gave a brief nod of acknowledgment. The demon smiled cruelly. "We were too evenly matched before, Hunter, but seven hundred years of hatred and rage has only made my powers grow. What about you? Has your strength increased or waned over the passing centuries?" "We shall see, won't we?" replied Saitoh. As the demon turned away, Saitoh drawled, "By the way...." It glanced over Aoshi's shoulder and gave Saitoh a suspicious look. "At this moment, the Battousai's busy chasing Kamiya Kaoru around Kyoto. You might consider the consequences if he manages to catch up with her. I don't think you want Kinslayer falling into the Battousai's hands. Trying to take the sword away from him is likely to prove surprisingly difficult." As the demon continued to stare at Saitoh, it snarled, "There's no way he can get that sword away from the Kamiya girl." "Of course he can. It's quite easy. All he has to do is kill her." The demon sneered. "Kill her? He's sickeningly in love with that female." Saitoh smiled evilly and replied, "Exactly my point. The Love-Eater opened Aoshi's mouth to make a nasty remark, then the expression on Aoshi's face turned strangely thoughtful. Then for some unknown reason, it turned to stare at Misao for a long moment. ----------------------------------- Misao felt a chill run down her spine as the demon directed its gaze toward her. She did her best to ignore the contempt and disdain that marred Aoshi's expression. Instead, she concentrated on his eyes, searching for some sign of the man she loved. She looked for it... and she found it. Perhaps the emotional maelstrom that she had endured the last few days -- or maybe it was because she loved and now knew that she was loved in turn -- that made her more observant and sensitive about other people's emotions. Aoshi was in THERE, somewhere. Just like with Kaoru, he knew exactly what was going on around him and what his body was doing -- he simply couldn't do anything about it. But she could deal with that. It was horrible, but certainly much better than watching Aoshi driven into insanity by misplaced guilt and a demon's lies. ----------------------------------- Deprived of any control over his physical body, Aoshi felt a thoroughly unfamiliar emotion. Stark panic. If the pain and torment he had been recently through was any example of the demon's cruelty and malice, Aoshi dreaded to think what sort of atrocities the demon might have in mind for Misao. And what -- if anything -- could he do about it? At the moment, the answer was both simple and totally unacceptable. Not much. All through the conversation with Saitoh, Aoshi prowled restlessly in his mind as he searched for a way to regain what the demon had taken, but the barrier that separated him from his body seemed impenetrable. Mentally and emotionally exhausted, he had been dangerously close to giving up, when Saitoh's -- or was it the Hunter's? -- words had provided Aoshi with a slim glimmer of hope. (No, I'm NOT totally helpless. It seems that an unwilling host can resist the demon's possession. Perhaps I won't be able to free myself, but I CAN interfere with the demon's use of my body. That's why the demon tried to make believe that I murdered Misao. That's why it tried to trick and threaten her into voluntarily surrendering her blood and her soul,) Aoshi thought furiously. Now he knew it was possible to fight back, but how? What sort of weapon could he use against this demon? He might not have control of his body, but thanks to Misao, he now had control of his own mind. However, some instinct told him that cold logic and reason alone would not be enough. He needed something more.... Almost reluctantly, Aoshi remembered that that there was more to a person than just a physical body and a mind. There were two more components to a human being, even though he did his best to ignore those things as much as possible. A heart and a soul. His mind would be his weapon against the demon, but it was the emotion from his heart and soul that would provide the power for that weapon. It was an uncomfortable idea. All through his childhood, Aoshi had been taught that emotions were dangerous -- something to be restrained and controlled at all times. They were a weakness all too easily exploited by others. Emotions made one careless and vulnerable. The events of the last year only served to strengthen the stern lessons of his childhood. His grief, guilt, and anger over the deaths of Hannya and the others had led him into obsession. His feelings, raging out of control, had caused him to sacrifice nearly everything -- his honor, his pride, the people who cared about him.... It had been the desperate need to restore the old mental discipline, to rebuild his protective inner walls, that caused him to withdraw from everyone, especially Misao, after Shishio's defeat. The traumatic events of the last several days had steadily chipped away at a lifetime's worth of emotional restraint and control. But now he was out of time and out of choices. Somehow, in the space of two days, he had to learn to accept the truths within his own heart and soul. Only then could he be strong enough to fight the demon from within. But could he do it without destroying himself? It certainly wasn't impossible. Misao made no effort to hide how she felt about people and it didn't do her any real harm. In fact, she seemed to draw strength from her very openness. And while she was certainly impulsive, it wasn't a destructive impulsiveness that injured herself or others. On the other hand, he had come to realize that Misao had more inner strength than he ever given her credit for. For far too long, he had merely thought of her as a flighty, somewhat frivolous young girl who would eventually grow out of a childhood infatuation. The last few days had proven just how wrong he had been about her. He wasn't sure if he had her type of strength. Strangely enough, the Love-Eater's vicious mind game had not tempted him to retreat behind a wall of indifference, nor had it caused him to deny his feelings for Misao. Instead, it had shown him that all his efforts to keep her at a safe emotional distance had only made Misao miserable and unhappy. She deserved so much more. And with the type of life they both led, he could lose her so easily.... Aoshi had never thought of himself as a coward, but the prospect of dealing with his own long-repressed emotions was enough to make him falter and hesitate. Finding the balance between his mind and his heart could be the most difficult task he had ever undertaken. If the stakes were not so high... if Misao's life and more were not at risk.... Difficult or not, he had to succeed. He might not be able to break free from the demon's control, but he might be able to give Misao and the others the opportunity to destroy this sickening monster they called the Love-Eater. With that decided, now what? He was used to meditating in order to distance himself from his emotions. So how did one set about getting in touch with one's innermost feelings? He had better figure out something and figure it out soon. Time was running out. He had two days. ----------------------------------- The tension steadily grew as the demon continued to stare thoughtfully at Misao. She met its stare unflinchingly as she quietly placed her hand on the tanto stuck in her sash. Finally, Sano had enough of the staring contest and moved to step between Misao and the demon. But to his surprise, he couldn't budge. The black fog that had been drifting so harmlessly around his legs suddenly had the consistency of impossibly thick mud. (What the hell...?) Sano glared at Saitoh, who watched the silent confrontation between Misao and the possessed Aoshi with an anticipatory, almost hungry gleam in his amber eyes. (The bastard! Saitoh... the Hunter... whoever it is WANTS the Love-Eater to attack Misao. But why...? Of course. If the demon goes after Misao, the Hunter gets an easy shot at it. Why pass up the opportunity? After all, compared to that demon, that blasted Hunter really has nothing to lose either way....) Just as Sano was about to start yelling obscenities in Saitoh's direction, Tokio moved effortlessly through the fog to stand behind Misao, then quietly placed her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Feh," snorted Saitoh in a tone of mild annoyance and disappointment, then dropped his hand to his katana. The demon's gaze flicked in Saitoh's direction. It nodded curtly in his direction, then the possessed Aoshi leapt effortlessly to a nearby roof. As soon as he left the ground, whatever force or power that had been holding back the black fog vanished. The mist poured over the monsters like a hungry tsunami and sucked them under as the beasts howled in fear and despair. As the dark mist seethed and boiled, nothing could be seen except an occasional glimpse of an inhuman limb groping frantically for freedom or a spurt of demonic blood. From the sanctuary of the rooftop, the demon coldly watched the slaughter of its minions as if to evaluate this demonstration of the Hunter's power. Then, without a single qualm, the demon left its minions to their fate. After the possessed Aoshi disappear from view, Saitoh turned his attention back to Sano and the others. Yahiko raised his shinai and stared defiantly at him. "Who... what the hell ARE you!?" Saitoh stared at the boy and said coolly, "I am that which I have always been." "No way! Who are you trying to fool!? And what was all that shit about Kenshin killing Kaoru!?" The boy fought down a childish impulse to shout 'Take it back!'. Saitoh looked down at the indignant boy and smirked. "It's very possible, in the right circumstances." "I don't believe you! Kenshin would never do anything like that!" With a bored look on his face, Saitoh drawled, "Then I ask you this. If the Weasel Girl really believed that killing Shinomori would save him from a fate worse than death, do you think she'd have the guts to slit Shinomori's throat herself?" Misao gasped, yanking her hand away from her tanto. In response to her frantic glance, Tokio gave the girl a soothing pat on the shoulder. A few days ago, before the appearance of Kinslayer, Yahiko would have laughed at Saitoh's question. The idea of Misao hurting Aoshi, much less killing him would have been utterly ridiculous. (But when he puts it THAT way... if she really thought there was no other choice... if she really thought that it was the best thing for him.... I mean, the way she turned down the demon's offer.... Yeah, I guess she would do it, no matter the cost to herself.) As if he could read Yahiko's thoughts, Saitoh continued relentlessly. "So are you telling me that the Battousai would have less courage than a sixteen year old, half-trained ninja girl?" "N-n-no.... But... but how can he... he cares about Kaoru so much...." Saitoh sighed in exasperation. "You mean he loves her. Which is, as I told that moronic demon, the precise reason why he may be prepared to kill her. "And what the hell would a psycho... a psycho whatever-you-are like YOU know about love, anyway!?" yelled Sano furiously. Saitoh narrowed his eyes and smiled unpleasantly at Sano. "More than you're ever likely to figure out, dumbass." With those words, Saitoh stalked purposefully over toward Tokio. His way was momentarily blocked by the animated clay figures surrounding her and the others. However, they abruptly melted out of his way, torn into harmless little chunks, by the ever-hungry mist. A few feet from Tokio, he paused briefly to examine her, his amber gaze missing nothing -- the torn clothes, the bruises and the cuts on her body, the blood on her face.... Then, without warning, he took a firm grip on Tokio's shoulders.... .... and kissed her. Sano, Yahiko, and Misao gaped in total disbelief. It was an incredibly sensuous kiss and the likes of which the three stunned onlookers had never seen before. It smoked. It smoldered. It was the sort of kiss that if one tried to sketch it, the paper would probably go up in flames. Sano waved his hands in front of Yahiko's and Misao's eyes. The kids were too young to see this sort of thing. Hell, Sano didn't know if HE was old enough to be watching this. Blushing furiously, both Yahiko and Misao yanked Sano's hands aside. With dumbfounded expressions, they continued to stare at the sight of Saitoh passionately kissing Tokio. Without breaking off the kiss, Saitoh absently ran his fingers through her disheveled hair and pulled out the last few pins that had once held her hair in a very tidy bun. It was all gloriously uninhibited, but what made that particular kiss so enthralling was the sheer intensity of emotion. Not mere passion or lust, but even to the three onlookers' inexperienced eyes, it was something much more profound... a feeling that encompassed both the spirit and the flesh. Of the three onlookers, Misao understood what she was witnessing the best. When Aoshi had held her in his arms... when he had said that he loved her... she had had a tantalizing hint of this very same feeling. And if fortune favored her and Aoshi, she would have the chance to experience it fully someday. This type of love would not come cheaply. It promised great joy but also demanded a willingness to make terrible sacrifices. Misao was already well aware of that. Still, to see something so blatantly... emotional?... erotic, even?... going on between Saitoh and Tokio left Misao in a state of total shock. Finally, after an apparent eternity, the kiss ended. Saitoh eyed Tokio with an air of smug satisfaction and said, "It's been too long since I've done that," as he absently licked away a small smear of her blood from his lips. As he loosened his grip on Tokio, she blinked, then reached for one of her fans. With a snap of the wrist, she flicked the lethal weapon open and briskly began to fan her slightly flushed face as she breathlessly murmured, "Well... quite... eight years, to be precise...." Saitoh turned to find Sano, Misao, and Yahiko still goggling at them, their mouths agape with shock. He calmly raised a thin eyebrow and spoke in his usual cool, sarcastic voice, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. "So what are YOU idiots staring at?" And on a nearby rooftop, a large raven shook its head and uttered an almost human sigh before breaking into a loud cackle, almost as if it was laughing itself silly. ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------- [elsewhere in Kyoto] After leading the Battousai on a long, convoluted chase through Kyoto, Junichi paused for a moment to give Kaoru's body a chance to rest. He took a quick peek backward, expecting to see the Battousai trailing far behind... but there was nobody there. A scowl appeared on Kaoru's face. With a feeling of profound annoyance, Junichi wondered, (Where did he go to? Did he finally get tired and give up?) However, his thoughts were also tinged with a little relief. Junichi had been a little bothered by the Battousai's stamina. Even with Kinslayer's magic, Kaoru's body could only be pushed so far, yet the Battousai still managed to keep up without much apparent effort. Junichi quickly shoved the thought aside as being trivial. He glanced around, but there was no sign of his enemy. Finally, after impatiently waiting several minutes, Junichi swore in frustration and stalked off down the street. He had nearly been ready to end this chase. Another block or more, and they would have been at the southern canal... the place where everything started thirteen years ago... the place where he would again challenge the Battousai. But this time, he would be the victor. Junichi was desperately eager for this confrontation. He wanted to see the Battousai's guts spilling all over the ground. He wanted to see the Battousai begging for his life.... ----------------------------------- Trapped in her mind, Kaoru was very much aware of Junichi's thoughts. If the situation wasn't so dangerous, she would be laughing hysterically. (What sort of world is this guy living in? Kenshin, begging for mercy? Ha! He'd never....) She paused a moment. (No. That's not right. If necessary, he might ask for mercy, not for himself, but for another person. But Kenshin certainly wouldn't beg for his own life.) ----------------------------------- Junichi wanted to destroy the Battousai NOW... but something kept holding him back. He told himself that it wasn't fear or nervousness. He was ready. He had the skill and the power. Why should he want two more days until the festival of Bon? (No. I... want to play with him a bit more. Make him suffer.... Yes, that's it. The timing has to be just right....) Fully occupied with his attempt to rationalize his lack of action, Junichi failed to pay much attention to where he was going until he nearly fell into the canal that blocked his path. For some strange reason, the bridge that had collapsed those thirteen years ago had never been rebuilt. Instead, a new bridge had been constructed a few blocks to the east. Junichi stood at the edge of the canal and stared down at the water. There was no wreckage to be seen. Two large stone blocks on each bank of the canal were the only traces that there had once been a major structure on this spot. Suddenly, Kinslayer quivered urgently in its scabbard. Junichi spun around, looking for danger. At first, he could see nothing out of the ordinary. The surrounding streets, normally full of bustling people, was empty. (Cowering in their homes, no doubt, if they haven't fled the city already.) Junichi tensed as he finally noticed a slim figure silently standing less than ten yards away. Dressed in a dark navy jacket and hakama, the man was nearly indistinguishable from the surrounding shadows. If it hadn't been for Kinslayer's warning, Junichi would not have noticed the other's presence until too late. As the man emerged into the dim light of the afternoon, more details become clear.... ....long red hair caught up in a high ponytail.... ....golden eyes that noted every possible weakness.... ....and the cold, deadly gleam of a drawn katana.... A katana whose lethal cutting edge was situated exactly where it should be. ----------------------------------- (end of part 23) ********************************************************************** Next part: The focus finally shifts to Kenshin and Kaoru! Does Junichi finally get a clue to what's really going on? And I just wanted to remind you that this NOT a darkfic... Well, to be more accurate, this story is not a SADfic. =^_^= -------------------------------------------- madamhydra@aol.com /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/:E http://www.geocities.com/~madamhydra/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ eGroup home: http://www.eGroups.com/list/kenshinfanfics Free Web-based e-mail groups by eGroups.com