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Misao-chan & Mibu's Wolf a Rurouni Kenshin fairy Tale "I'm leaving!" Misao cried, already halfway out the door of the Aoi-ya. Okina stuck his head out of an upstairs window. "Misao-chan, matte! Where are you going?" His eyes widened as he spotted her in the crowd below, his tone changing from mild curiosity to intense shock. "Why are you dressed in red?!" Misao looked up at him from the street, her hands on her hips, her stance projecting more than a little annoyance. "Ji-ya!" she yelled in exasperation, "I told you all about this last night -- don't tell me the sake made you forget!" As he began to stammer a protest, she calmly waved her hand in dismissal, "Hai, hai, hai . . . I've heard the excuses before." She gestured cheerfully at the basket hanging from her arm. "Since you're getting too old to remember: I'm going to visit Kaoru-san! She and Himura should be back from their shinkon-ryokou -- I want to congratulate them, and give them these wedding gifts!" "Demo, Misao-chan," Omasu chimed in, joining Okina at the window, "that still doesn't explain your red manto!" "Isn't it splendid?" the ninja girl laughed, "I think red is my color!" Turning a little pirouette, she modeled her brightly-hued finery. "Himura sent it to me. He said it was a replacement for the one he ruined." "Don't you mean the one you ruined?" Okina asked pointedly, pulling thoughtfully on his beard. He sighed, shaking his head mournfully. "It's a pity that one so young should be so forgetful." The glimmer in his eye was a mixture of humor and spite: Tease me about being senile will you? Misao glared back at him, stamping her foot in irritation, "It was his fault!" Gritting her teeth when the old man merely grinned in answer, she struggled to stifle her anger. "Oh, never mind! Just forget it!" Her chin jutted out pugnaciously, daring him to comment further. "If you've no more questions about my wardrobe, then I'll be leaving now!" She waited the space of two heartbeats for his answer, then turned on her heel and stalked off into the crowd, muttering under her breath. "Be careful, Misao-chan!" Omasu called after her, "And for heaven's sake, stay out of mischief!" Kyoto was busy with mid-morning bustle, the streets teeming with shoppers and errand boys, business men and house wives. Already a familiar figure around town, Misao drew even more attention in her startlingly scarlet manto. Vendors greeted her as she passed by their stalls, friends stopped her in the street to say hello. "Misao-chan!" an elderly woman called, pausing in an open doorway with a tray of sweets in her hands, "We've got your favorite maizuru today --and Ayai-san's sakura-mochi! Come see! Come see!" When the ninja girl hesitated, the woman's voice turned cajoling, "Ayai-san will be hurt if you don't try some. Just a few pieces, ne? For Ayai-san?" "Well . . ." Misao grinned, the bell-like drape of her cowl giving her features an elfin cast, "all right, Eru-san. If it'll make Ayai-san happy." Pushing the red fabric away from her face, she entered the tiny confectionery, breathing deep to savor the mingled scents of ginger and cinnamon, peppermint and citron. "Ohhhh, Eru-san," she sighed, "it always smells heavenly in here!" The shopkeeper's eyes glowed with pleasure as she placed the tray she'd been carrying on the counter. "Arigatou, Misao-chan! Demo, I think you're a bit biased, seeing as you're one of our most frequent customers!" Laughing, a little embarrassed by the older woman's observation, Misao leaned against the counter to watch as Eru prepared a small box of the treats that had tempted her into the store. "Not so many, Eru-san!" she protested, even as another part eyed the sweets greedily, "Just a few!" "Oh, shush! As thin as you are, a few more than a few won't hurt!" Smiling, the cheerful shopkeeper passed Misao one of the wedge-shaped maizuru. "Taste that, and then tell me you want me to put the others back," she teased, one eye closing briefly in a knowing wink. Misao shook her head at Eru's grin, but obediently slipped the white confection into her mouth. Sturdy legs turned ever-so-slightly weak as the sugar melted, gingery sweetness tingling over her tongue. Through a haze of delight she heard a woman's voice ask if she'd like another, and nodded fervently in response. Impossibly, the second was even better than the first, making it that much more difficult to refuse a third. Reluctantly remembering her waistline, Misao shook her head. "At least have one of the sakura-mochi, then," Eru coaxed, "so I can tell Ayai-san that you liked those as well." Her gaze shifting from the beautifully prepared mochi to Eru's hopeful face, Miso felt her resolve weakening. She knew the shopkeeper's wistful expression was just for show . . . but still found herself unable to resist that pleading look or her favorite Kyoto confection. "Demo, only one Eru-san!" she scolded lightly, accepting the sweet, "Only one!" Eru merely laughed, knowing the ninja girl's weakness for wagashi as well as Misao did herself. The distant whine of a train whistle sounded as Misao bit into the soft mochi, reminding her that she had a train to catch -- and if the clock on the wall was correct, she was going to miss it if she didn't hurry! "Gomenasai, Eru-san!" she cried, hastily swallowing the half-eaten treat, "I've got to get to the railroad station! I'm going to miss my train!" Tucking the box of confections into her basket, she took two steps toward the door before remembering that she had yet to pay. "How much do I owe you?" she wailed, frantically searching through her pockets for her money. "Daijoubu, Misao-chan, daijoubu!" Eru patted her hand as she calmly led Misao toward the door. "You can give it to me when you get back, ne? I know you'll be stopping by!" Her teasing words were accompanied by an affectionate squeeze. "Now, hurry and catch your train!" Smiling her thanks the ninja girl dashed off, running toward the train station as fast as the crowded streets would allow. She darted between the other passersby with reckless abandon, unaware that a pair of wolfish amber-brown eyes were monitoring her progress. Letting her training guide her footsteps, Misao slipped between an elderly couple with scarcely a pause, spun on her heel to avoid a group of women chattering in the street, jumped over a child bending to admire a kitten . . . and suddenly collided hard with a tall male body. A body wearing the uniform of a police officer. "Weasel girl," a uniquely familiar voice said, "your reckless weaving and dodging is going to cause an accident." Don't let him provoke you, you don't have time! Forcing a laugh, she raised wide blue eyes to meet Saitoh's cool stare. "Masaka! I'm Oniwabanshuu, aren't I? We're nothing if not nimble!" The sardonic arching of one slim eyebrow was his only response, prompting a faint, guilty blush. After all, she had just tried to run through him. "What's the hurry?" he demanded in his sarcastic drawl, making her fingers yearn for her kunai. "I'm on my way to Tokyo -- I'm going to miss my train!" Her need for haste reasserting itself, she shifted to walk around him; his hand on her arm halted the motion. "Let me go!" He ignored her protest, his thin lips twisting into a mocking smile. "Tokyo? Aa-- to see the happy Himuras. I heard the Battousai had stopped playing at housekeeping and made it official." Misao reminded herself that arguing with him would just delay her further. "Himura married Kaoru-san a few weeks ago. I wanted to congratulate them in person." Mibu's wolf took a long pull on his cigarette, eyeing her thoughtfully. "Traveling alone? Aren't your keepers worried you'll get into trouble?" He leisurely exhaled, his sharp gaze assessing her through the smoke, noting the reflexive clenching of her fist, the tense line of her jaw. "Behave yourself while you're in Tokyo, weasel girl," his hold on her arm relaxed, allowing her to pull free, "or we'll be seeing each other again -- under less pleasant circumstances." His smile widened slightly as she tossed him an infuriated look, before resuming her headlong rush toward the train station. He followed at a more sedate pace, his business in Kyoto concluded, the conductor under orders to hold the train for him. Maybe I'll pay a visit to the Kamiya dojo myself. The Battousai in a state of wedded bliss should prove amusing. Misao stood on the train platform and stretched, her arms and legs feeling stiff after several hours of sitting still. Sitting still had never been one of her strong suits; doing so when agitated was even more of a trial. Damned freaky psycho cop! Her hands curled into fists again at the memory of his mocking words, his insufferable attitude. Just once I'd like to see someone get the better of him, to see him shaken. She grinned at the image that conjured. Physically as well as mentally! Still smiling, she bent to pick up her basket, setting out for the Kamiya dojo with a light heart. After all, Saitoh was still in Kyoto. "Kenshin isn't here, and even if he was, he doesn't have any business with you!" Kaoru glared at the policeman standing in the dojo's open gateway. How dare he?! She and Kenshin had only been home a handful of days, and already Saitoh had seen fit to darken their door. He's only here because he finds provoking Kenshin amusing! I just know it! He heard that we were married, and couldn't let it pass without harassing Kenshin about it. He'll tell my rurouni that he's weak -- unable to protect his family, unfit to be a husband -- or whatever else he can think of to make him angry! Blue eyes narrowed with determination: Not in my house! Not to my husband! "I have things to attend to. Would you please leave?" Her tone made it clear that this wasn't a request. An angry tanuki. My, isn't she fierce? "I came to see the Battousai, and I'll stay until he returns - when are you expecting him?" Although the words weren't mocking, they were tinged with the same sarcastic humor coloring his thoughts. He's laughing at me! The thin thread of Kaoru's temper snapped. "It doesn't matter when I expect him to return, you're not going to be here!" She stamped her foot in irritation, punctuating her words, "This is my home and I don't want you in it!" One finger pointed commandingly at the open gate behind him, "Get out!" Saitoh raised an eyebrow, taunting her further. "I wonder: Does he find your anger charming? Your yelling and glaring attractive?" He tilted his head slightly, assessing her, "I suppose he must, since he married you." She flew at him with a screech, one hand reaching for his shirt, the other fisting to strike -- an approach that always worked on Kenshin -- and found both hands held in a vice-like grip. "Himura-san," she heard him say, "striking an officer is against the law." Heedless, she drew back a foot and kicked him as hard as she could in the shin, felt his laughter as she winced at the smarting in her toes. Ever stubborn, she pulled her foot back to try again, her hands twisting in his grasp, when Misao's voice sounded behind them. "Kansatsu tobikunai!" Turning slightly, Saitoh easily avoided the ninja girl's attack, the small projectiles embedding themselves in the wood of the dojo's gate. "What are you doing to Kaoru-san?! Let her go!" "Weasel girl, didn't I tell you to behave when you got to Tokyo?" The question was asked with a quiet air of exasperation -- as if she were a child that was constantly misbehaving, her attack and her demand beneath his notice. Misao ground her teeth. "What a nasty voice you have," she muttered. "The better to keep idiots like you two in line." Surprised that he'd heard her, Misao's gaze shifted from Kaoru's face to his, meeting his amber-brown stare with her own. "What cold eyes you have." "Beady, Misao-chan," Kaoru chimed in, still struggling to get free, "the word is beady." "Calculating." Saitoh rolled his cold, beady, calculating eyes. "The better to watch you with." He flinched as Kaoru landed a third blow to the same spot on his shin, almost wishing he'd been watching her rather than the weasel girl. "What big hands you have!" Kaoru exploded, tugging fiercely against his hold, "Would you let me go?! That hurts!" "The better to restrain you with. And as for letting you go . . ." his thin lips curved in a wolfish smile, "I'm afraid I can't do that. Assaulting an officer is against the law." Kaoru and Misao exchanged glances, gulping at the implications of Saitoh's statement. He couldn't seriously be planning to arrest them, could he? A quick look at his face confirmed that he could. "What a cruel smile you have," Misao told him. His smile widened, baring his teeth. "Aa." In Tokyo on Oniwabanshuu business, Aoshi decided to pay a visit to the Kamiya dojo before he left. Misao was sure to ask him how Himura and the Kamiya girl were faring -- especially since he vaguely recalled her telling him that the two were now married. As he approached the dojo he was surprised to hear raised voices, Misao's among them. Slowing his pace, he slipped to the corner and peered around it, watching as Misao and Kaoru argued with Mibu's wolf. Sensing the officer's perverse amusement and mocking intent, he groaned silently when the women played right into his hands. What better way to provoke Himura than by arresting his wife and his guest while he himself was out? Both women protested loudly as they were handcuffed together and escorted down the street. "Oi!" Misao yelled, half-running to keep up with Saitoh's long-legged stride, "Didn't that wife of yours teach you how to treat women?!" "He's married?!" Kaoru's voice was startled and slightly breathless, working harder to keep pace in her constricting kimono. "Who in their right mind would marry him?" Misao nodded emphatically. "Sou deshou! I'm surprised Himura never told you. Her name is Tokio. She must be some sort of goddess to put up with him . . . but she really needs to teach him some manners!" Their complaining voices faded as they moved away, but Misao had already given Aoshi the information he needed. Saitoh had tensed at the mention of his wife, his pace increasing slightly in either an unconscious attempt to avoid overhearing the women's conversation, or to prevent them from making any further comments. Aoshi wasn't sure which, nor did he care. Witnessing the exchange had allowed him to learn one very important thing: Mibu's wolf was afraid of the mysterious Tokio. Now all he had to do was find out why. Saitoh wasn't the slightest bit surprised when Shinomori walked into his office. His sources in Kyoto had reported that the Oniwabanshuu okashira was in Tokyo on business; Shinomori would have been notified the instant one of his people was arrested. And -- of course -- he wouldn't let anything happen to the little weasel girl. It was mildly curious, however, that it had taken him several hours to show up. The clock quietly counted the minutes as they regarded each other silently. "What took you so long?" Saitoh finally asked, leaning back in his chair, "Looking for Himura? I see you haven't found him, or else he'd be with you. Your network must be slipping." Shinomori's face remained leaden. "Iie. I decided not to involve the Battousai. I was merely waiting for the report on you." Saitoh froze, his head turning slightly as if sensing danger. "Oh?" "Aa," Aoshi's response sounded both bored and distracted, his gaze traveling nonchalantly around the room. "It made for quite interesting reading." Saitoh didn't react, choosing instead to wait for the other to reveal himself. Aoshi silently approved. "Nice office," he offered suddenly, offhandedly, "it looks like it was recently redecorated." Saitoh inclined his head slightly. "You're observant," he conceded. Exactly how observant is the question. "Very," Aoshi agreed. He gestured in the general direction of Saitoh's chair, "You probably should have replaced that, though. You can still see the cuff marks under the varnish." His humor was palpable as he raised one eyebrow quizzically, "How is Tokio-san, by the way? I wanted to be sure to ask." Growling a response, Saitoh reached for his keys. "Aoshi-sama!" Misao catapulted out of the cell, throwing her arms around his neck in a jubilant hug. "I'm so glad to see you!" She looked back over her shoulder at the small, dark room in which she and Kaoru had been confined, unable to suppress a tiny shudder. When Saitoh had thrown them in there, it had felt strangely like they'd been swallowed alive. Eaten by Mibu's wolf. She shuddered again. "I'm so glad!" "Arigatou, Aoshi-san." Kaoru followed Misao out of the cell at a more sedate pace, but her gratitude was no less heartfelt. Aoshi nodded at her over Misao's head, trying -- gently -- to extricate himself from the ninja girl's embrace. "Here are your things." Both women jumped at the strained sound of Saitoh's voice, hastily reaching out to collect Misao's basket and manto from the obviously less than pleased officer. "Shinomori." The two men exchanged brief nods, then Saitoh turned his back and stalked quietly away. "What did you do to him?" Misao asked as Aoshi led them out of the police station. She mimicked the expression Saitoh had worn when he released them. "I've never seen him make that face before! He looked like he'd eaten something rotten. Or sour. What did you do to him?" Aoshi shook his head, his eyes filled with laughter at some unknown joke. "Never mind Misao. Maybe I'll tell you after we get back to Kyoto." "Mou! If you wait until then, I won't get to hear!" Kaoru smiled merrily, imagining what Aoshi might have done to the ill-tempered officer. "Onegai, Aoshi-san, what did you do?" She and Misao wheedled and pled all the way back to the Kamiya dojo, but Aoshi remained stoic. "Kaoru?" Kenshin was waiting at the gate, his expression a mixture of worry and relief, shifting to surprise as he recognized her companions. "Misao-dono? Aoshi? What are you doing in Tokyo? Did you just arrive?" Kaoru hesitated, not quite certain she should tell her fretful husband about her afternoon adventure. Misao bounced forward to catch Kenshin in a hug, easily covering any awkwardness. "Himura!" she cried, giving him a slight shake, "I came to congratulate you on your wedding of course!" She winked reassuringly at Kaoru as she released him. "Aoshi-sama was here on business; he and Kaoru-san came to meet me at the train station." Kaoru let herself relax as Aoshi inclined his head in mingled greeting and agreement. "Is dinner ready, Kenshin?" she asked, stepping forward to link her arm through his, drawing him through the gate with her. "Gomen, I didn't realize we'd be so late." Following behind them, listening to their chatter, Misao smiled with satisfaction. The two made a lovely couple, and -- thanks to Aoshi-sama -- Saitoh hadn't managed to put a damper on things. Her smile turned to a slight frown as she realized she wouldn't be able to pressure Aoshi until they were on their way back to Kyoto. At least, not unless she wanted Himura to find out what had really happened. Mou! Curiosity was going to drive her to distraction in the meantime. Saitoh had looked . . . he'd looked . . . angry. Surprised. Poleaxed. Shaken. Her grin returned at that thought. However he'd done it, Aoshi had given her what she'd wished for -- she just hadn't been there to see it when it happened. The Oniwabanshuu's hunter had gotten the better of Mibu's wolf. Index of Japanese Terms:
Author's Notes: I decided not to elaborate on what Aoshi dug up about Saitoh. I think it's more fun that way - I'm sure that whatever you imagine is worse than whatever I could make up! So, instead, I just gave a few hints toward my favorite possibility. I hope that satisfies everyone's curiosity. I would like to note, however, that although the setup may seem ecchi, my idea was most definitely not. |