From: "Sakka-chan" Here's the second half of Chapter 18 -- see the first half for disclaimers, etc. Ja ne! Sakka-chan ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- < > - denotes thoughts * * - denotes emphasis // // - denotes flashback dialogue Translation Note: "Kaiten Kenbu -- Tengeki Kourin" roughly translates to "Kaiten Kenbu -- Heaven's Strike" (thanks again Serizawa-san! ^__^) Chapter 18 -- Reckonings, Part 1 (cont'd) Megumi sighed as she slid the door to the thief's room closed. "That medicinal tea should keep him sleeping for awhile," she said to Tatsuya. The young doctor took the empty cup from Megumi's hand. "You look tired, Megumi-san," he said. "Why don't you go lie down for awhile? I can handle anything else that comes up." Megumi turned weary eyes on her assistant's concerned face. "I *am* tired," she said. "Arigatou, Tatsuya-san... I think I will --" Her voice trailed off as an anxious bellow resounded down the hall. "Megumi? Genzai-sensei? We need a doctor here!" "Sanosuke?" Megumi gasped as the fighter rounded the corner carrying an unconscious Misao. "What happened?" "No time to explain," Sano panted. "She took a real beating, Megumi... and she feels so cold and clammy..." "Calm down and be quiet for a minute," Megumi snapped. She felt Misao's forehead and cheeks. "She's in shock," the doctor said, touching the bandages bound around her middle. "There's no blood... did she break a rib?" "I think so... maybe more than one," Sano said. "Her abdomen's all bruised up... and it hurt her to breathe..." "I'll have to take a look," Megumi said, turning to Tatsuya. "Could you heat some water for me, please, Tatsuya-san? We'll need some fresh bandages as well. Sanosuke, follow me." The three entered a nearby room, where Sano laid Misao on an examining table. Megumi handed Sano a blanket. "Put this over her... we need to warm her up," the doctor said, picking up a scalpel from a tray and turning back to Misao. "For the bandages," she explained as Sano's face paled. Within seconds, she'd ripped them open and was deftly pressing her fingers over Misao's stomach. The young onmitsu stirred, whimpering, before sinking back into unconsciousness. "Three broken ribs," Megumi said, a note of exasperation in her voice. "Mou, Misao-chan... what kind of trouble did you get yourself into this time?" "She tangled with the leader of those bandits," Sano said. "And did some damage of her own, too. So don't give her a hard time, okay, kitsune-onna?" He started for the door. "Chotto, Sanosuke! Where are you going?" Megumi said sharply. Sano's eyes met the doctor's, then lingered on Misao's prone form, shining with such intense emotion it took Megumi's breath away. "To keep a promise," he said simply. "Tell Misao that when she wakes up. It'll make her feel better." Megumi stared at him, speechless, as he ducked out the door... then turned back to the girl lying on the table, mumbling -- "I don't know whether to consider you lucky or cursed, Misao-chan... because that baka tori is most definitely in love with you..." .................... Aoshi had little trouble keeping up with Toushi as he slipped swiftly from roof to alleyway to fence-top. he thought with satisfaction. Aoshi stopped and ducked out of sight as Toushi came to a sudden halt at the end of an alley. He peered around the corner of the alley, watching as Toushi scanned the street in front of him. As his quarry slipped into the street, Aoshi stealthily made his way to the end of the alley... And froze, his eyes widening as he saw Toushi head straight through the open gate to the Kamiya doujou. Aoshi sprinted toward the opening, rushing inside just as Toushi began unsheathing his swords to attack the two kenjutsu students that stood protectively in front of two terrified young girls. In the time it took Toushi's swords to leave their sheaths, Aoshi drew his own kodachi and leaped over Toushi's head, whirling in midair and landing lightly on his feet in front of Yahiko and Yutarou. "Sugoi," both boys breathed, their eyes bright with excitement. "Your fight is with me, not these children," Aoshi said calmly. Toushi grinned evilly. "You're right, Shinomori," he said, charging at the Oniwabanshuu's okashira, swords flying. Aoshi parried Toushi's blows, yelling over his shoulder -- "Yahiko-kun! Get those girls out of here!" "Right!" Yahiko said, nodding to Yutarou. The boys turned to Ayame, who was holding her weeping sister tightly and fighting to control her own shaking. Yahiko took Suzume from Ayame, and Yutarou helped the older girl to her feet. Aoshi relaxed almost imperceptibly as he watched the children scurry toward the back of the doujou. Toushi frowned and threw a round-house kick at his opponent's head, which Aoshi dodged at the last minute. "You'd best pay attention to me, Aoshi-*sama*," Toushi said, drawing the honorific out in a high, mocking voice. "Or I'll beat you to a pulp... like I did your little apprentice." Aoshi's jaw visibly tightened as he pictured Misao's battered face... the way she'd struggled to breathe... the tears glistening in her eyes. He took a deep breath and released it, hearing the voice of his okashira Akihito-sama rising from his memories -- // Breathe in... breathe out... let the anger flow out of you like water, Aoshi-kun. Anger... frustration... fear... these emotions are your worst enemy in battle... they cloud your vision... dull your senses... // His equilibrium restored, Aoshi fixed his eyes on Toushi as the two men moved in a slow circle, each assessing the other, hoping to find the slightest opening... the tiniest hint of weakness. Several long, silent minutes passed before Toushi addressed Aoshi again -- "This is getting boring, Shinomori. I didn't spend the last 13 years of my life in training to stand here and gawk at you..." Aoshi braced himself as Toushi charged toward him. .................. Kenshin stood up from the washtub, his eyes narrowed as he heard the faint clang of swords meeting and a familiar voice shout -- "Yahiko-kun! Get those girls out of here!" Kenshin absently fingered the hip where his sakabatou used to hang. He started for the doujou, but stopped short as Yahiko, Yutarou and Ayame came racing toward him, Yahiko carrying Suzume, Yutarou supporting Ayame. "Doushita, Yahiko?" he asked. "Kenshin... it's Aoshi and some strange guy with bloody clothes," Yahiko panted. "I think he might be one of the guys Misao trains with at the Takashi doujou... but I can't be sure. It was really weird." "And scary!" Suzume whimpered, burying her tear-streaked face against Yahiko's neck. Kenshin frowned, his mind working feverishly. "This is what I want you to do, Yahiko," he said in a low voice. "You and Yutarou-dono take the girls home... then go to Yutarou-dono's house and wait for news from me there." "Chotto, Kenshin!" Yahiko protested. "I can help you... I know I can..." "Me too!" Yutarou chimed in. "You're both very strong," Kenshin agreed. "That's why I need you to protect Ayame-chan and Suzume-chan right now. The man Aoshi is fighting is extremely dangerous... you need to get them to safety right away. Go now." Yahiko gritted his teeth and gave a brisk nod. "Come on, Yutarou," he said. "Hang on tight, Suzume-chan... we're going to be running. Can you be brave for a little while longer?" Suzume nodded against Yahiko's neck. "Yahiko-nii and Yutarou-nii will protect us," she said confidently, her wet brown eyes fixed on his trustingly. Yahiko felt a surge of pride swell within him, quashing some of his irritation at being left out of the main fight. As the four hurried toward the back gate, Ayame said in a voice meant for Yutarou's ears alone -- "You were so brave, Yutarou-nii." The blond boy blushed. "C'mon," he said, taking her hand. "We'd better move fast or we'll lose Yahiko." .................... For a time, it looked to Aoshi as if he and Toushi would fight to a stalemate. The Oniwabanshuu's okashira gracefully swung his blades in a perfect mirror of Toushi's attacks, able to anticipate each before it occurred just by watching the position of the younger man's blades and the movements of his feet. Toushi brought both swords around in a deadly arc, using one blade to push the second, increasing its speed. Aoshi simultaneously dodged the first blade and brought his kodachi down hard on the second. Toushi grunted as the force of Aoshi's counter nearly jarred the blade from his grip, but he managed to hold on, jumping away from Aoshi to regain his hold on his sword. He paused only for the space of a breath before launching his next attack. Aoshi swiftly countered with the same simultaneous horizontal and vertical swordstrokes, the attacks cancelling each other out. Toushi gritted his teeth in frustration. Growling, he danced backward, then leaped at Aoshi, his swords twisted at an angle Aoshi instantly recognized. Aoshi jumped over Toushi's head just before his swords descended in the distinctive, blindingly fast slashing pattern that marked Kodachi Nitou Ryuu's succession technique. The instant his toes touched the ground, Aoshi whirled around and came at Toushi with all his speed and strength -- Toushi managed to turn in time to deflect one lightning-fast blade, but when his second kodachi met Aoshi's, the power of Aoshi's swing knocked Toushi's sword loose. As it fell to the ground, Aoshi flipped his blade and slashed Toushi's shoulder. The younger man grimaced, but didn't cry out. Aoshi parried Toushi's remaining sword and backed away, flicking the blood from his blade. "So," Toushi panted, ignoring the blood trailing down his sleeve as he picked up his kodachi. "I see your tendency to attack from behind like a coward hasn't changed." Aoshi frowned. "Who told you that... your grandmother?" he said sharply. "She's confused... it's your father Taki who specialized in attacking when the fight was done and his opponent's back turned." "Liar!" Toushi shouted, hurling a kodachi at Aoshi's head. Aoshi mentally snorted in disdain as he knocked it away. Aoshi dodged what he expected to be the second kodachi, thrown directly behind the first so as to be hidden from view. But it never came. Instead, Aoshi heard from above -- "Kaiten Kenbu -- Tengeki Kourin!" Aoshi had barely raised his swords when Toushi came crashing down upon him like a strike from heaven, his single kodachi a gleaming, deadly blur. The force behind Toushi's first swing knocked one kodachi from Aoshi's hand. With his remaining sword, Aoshi managed to parry the second slash, but Toushi deflected Aoshi's kodachi on the third and struck the older man in the chest. Toushi laughed triumphantly... until a vicious kick in the face from Aoshi sent him flying across the yard. "Enough," a cold voice commanded as Toushi jumped to his feet, wiping blood from his nose. Toushi looked up wildly. "Who dares to interrupt --" he began, then fell silent, his eyes widening as he caught sight of the speaker... a short man with red hair... narrowed violet eyes... a sword at his side... and a faint cross-shaped scar on his cheek. "Kuso," he muttered. "Himura-san," Aoshi said gravely, bowing. "I apologize for the intrusion." Kenshin stared at Aoshi, then at Toushi. "Who is this man, Aoshi?" he asked. "Takashi Toushi," Aoshi replied. "Leader of the thieves that have been attacking Tokyo's citizens in the name of the Oniwabanshuu." "Oi!" Toushi snapped. "You have no proof of that!" "He attacked Misao... then held her hostage," Aoshi continued, ignoring Toushi's protests. "I am here to bring him to justice." Kenshin flicked the hilt of his sakabatou up with his thumb, unsheathing the blade by an inch. "Allow me to assist you," he said, his eyes flashing. "I appreciate the offer... but this isn't your fight, Himura-san," Aoshi said firmly, seemingly unaware of his own chest wound, which was dripping blood. "You made it my fight when you both invaded my home," Kenshin retorted, a thin thread of amber piercing the violet of his eyes. "But I will respect your wishes and leave this to you, Aoshi." He pushed his sakabatou back in its sheath and rested a hand lightly on the hilt, adding in a low, ominous voice -- "For now." Toushi shivered in spite of himself. he thought in an attempt to reassure himself. "Shall we continue, Shinomori?" he said with a mocking smile. "I have several other surprises for you..." -- to be continued -- --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- GET A NEXTCARD VISA, in 30 seconds. Get rates as low as 2.9 percent Intro or 9.9 percent Fixed APR and no hidden fees. Apply NOW. Click Here ------------------------------------------------------------------------