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Reprise - Chapters 1-7
Okay-dok.
I started posting this like 2 years ago and never got any farther.
But since I received the entire set of RK yesterday in the mail (on sale, even!) I thought it might jump-start me back into writing.
So, here we go.
Reprise
Chapter One: It Was a Dark and Stormy Night
Dragging footsteps. Hoarse breathing. If it hadn’t been the middle of the night and pouring rain, someone would have noticed and done something about the whole situation. As it was, the man had managed to avoid all the police patrols currently out searching, as well as the others, the ones that wanted him dead. Instinctively, he had worked his way back from the warehouse district but now he wasn’t sure where to go next. Landmarks seemed to have changed and he was confused. But slowly, he began to move again.
***
‘Kenshin, we’ve received an invitation to go to Kyoto. Misao wants us to come and visit and see all the sights that we missed before. What do you think? We haven’t had a real vacation for awhile and I’m between classes at the moment.’ Kaoru beamed at the rurouni who sat back on his heels by the laundry bucket.
‘That sounds like a good thing to do, Kaoru-dono. Let me ask Sano when he gets back tonight and see if he’s agreeable. It would be nice to see all our friends in Kyoto, that it would.’ Kenshin smiled gently back at the girl, thinking how much easier life was since he and Sano had been accepted as a couple. Only his immediate friends/family actually knew about it, but not having to hide his feeling anymore was quite a relief.
‘All right, and I’ll see about getting tickets for the train! This will be so much fun!’ Kaoru walked away, calling for Yahiko to come and practice, not that he hadn’t gotten better since the Shishio incident.
Kenshin smiled quietly to himself, a train ride for Kaoru was exciting; he would wait to tell Sano that part, like just before they got on!
Kenshin finished the laundry, and by late afternoon, the dojo was clean and drowsing in the afternoon heat.
Everyone except Kenshin was out on errands and he was just sitting and relaxing, enjoying the peace and quiet of the dojo.
Suddenly, he looked up at the open dojo gate, his eyes narrowed.
‘Come on in, Saitou. No need to skulk around outside. I’m alone, as I’m sure you know.’
The tall secret policeman smirked as he walked through the gate. ‘Yes, I know. That’s why I came now. I have some information that you might be interested to hear.’
Kenshin just sat and looked at him, not allowing any expression to cross his face.
‘Why would any information you have interest me? We are living a peaceful life now, that we are.’ Implicit in his tone was, “and we’d like it to stay that way.”
Saitou looked calmly down at Kenshin. ‘Yes, but the Secret Police gather all sorts of data from many different sources. Does the name Yukishiro Enishi mean anything to you, Battousai?’
Kenshin’s eyes widened a bit as he slowly lowered his head so that his bangs hung over them, shielding him from the older man.
‘Hai.’
***
The man paused, leaning against the wall of an alley. He had a vague recollection of this place but felt that he should avoid it, to keep the people there uninvolved. He knew there was another, older connection in this city, if he could only find his direction.
Slowly, halting steps began to move away and were soon lost in the rain.
Chapter Two: Lost and Alone
He had slowly made his way into the more quiet neighborhoods, and was sure that he was close to his goal. But which house did he need? Standing quietly in the shadows, his clothes getting heavier as it rained harder, he watched as various men in blue came and went from one particular house. Could that be the place?
***
‘It’s good to see everyone, that it is. And I see that the entire Aoiya has been rebuilt now, including the garden.’ Kenshin looked around and smiled quietly.
‘Himura, Kaoru, everyone, come in, come in! It’s good to see you! Misao is out at the moment but will be back in a little while. Shiro will take you to your rooms and then we’ll meet downstairs.’ The old man grinned and laughed loudly. ‘I’ve made plans!’
Shiro quickly showed the group to their rooms and soon everyone was back downstairs, laughing and catching up on how each had been since they had last seen each other.
That evening, Misao dragged Kaoru out into the garden for a private chat.
‘How are you doing, Kaoru? Are Sano and Kenshin still…?’ Misao looked at her gravely.
‘I’m fine. And yes, they are. But… Kenshin is so much happier since they told us and stopped sneaking around. He even sleeps most nights now without having the nightmares he used to have. As I said when we were here before, as long as he’s happy, I’m happy.’ Kaoru looked back at the other girl. ‘And you, Misao?’
‘Yes, well, I’m moving on also. Aoshi is much better than he used to be, with spending so much time at the temple but…’ she shrugged and smiled wryly. ‘Like you said, as long as he’s happy, then so am I. But enough of this gloomy talk, let’s go back in and join the party!’
The two girls grinned at each other and returned to the party.
***
Yes, the one person he was looking for had just come out onto the porch of the house to give orders to several men. He didn’t look quite right, but looking down at his own clothes, neither did he. Now if the people would just go away for awhile so that he could have the chance to get into the house without being seen. He knew he hadn’t been followed but whole parts of his memory were missing or scrambled, making him confused.
Chapter Three: It’s a Long Road to Freedom
***
Saitou stood and watched the Battousai for a moment. ‘I thought you would recognize the name. He is the brother of your late wife, isn’t he?’
Kenshin didn’t look up but finally sighed and said, ‘Aa. Sit down, Saitou, looming over me is a waste of time, that it is.’
One corner of Saitou’s mouth quirked up, but he took his sword out of his belt and sat down.
‘So any of the others here know that I made it out of Shishio’s fortress alive?’ There had been a slight pause before the “others”, but Kenshin had caught and then ignored it.
Kenshin looked up. ‘No, I didn’t know if you wanted anyone to know after I saw you in Yokohama. You kept to the shadows during that time and when we came back to Tokyo, so…’ he shrugged. ‘I suppose I thought that if you wanted anyone to know, you would have shown yourself openly.’
‘Hn. Back to the matter which brought me here. It would seem that Yukishiro has put together a consortium and is moving into several areas of Japan. We hadn’t gotten any hard evidence but we know he’s involved in arms dealing and maybe drugs. But he’s also an information broker.’ Kenshin had gone back to looking down at his feet.
‘And some of the information is about me, correct?’
‘Hn.’
Silence reigned briefly as both men sat and watched as the sun started its downward trek.
‘Where is he currently based? Or is that top secret?’ Kenshin looked up at Saitou and waited patiently for him to answer.
‘He has several bases but at the moment, he is in Yokohama, as far as we know. We’re not sure if he knows you’re here but…’
‘Better to be safe than sorry.’ Kenshin glanced around the dojo and then said, ‘We plan on going to Kyoto for a short vacation. If you could keep me appraised of the situation?’
Saitou looked over at him and said, ‘Aren’t you worried about the rest of your little group?’
‘No, they are quite capable of taking care of themselves. Besides, as long as I’m forewarned…’ Kenshin looked over at the dojo gate. ‘If you don’t want anyone to know you’re alive, you’ll have to leave soon. Everyone will be returning and I should be getting dinner ready.’
Kenshin stood and stared Saitou straight in the eyes, not saying another word. Both men knew what was not being said, but were not willing to break the fragile truce they had between them.
‘I take it you will be at the Aoiya?’ Saitou picked up his sword and prepared to leave.
‘Aa. I will also be visiting my master but otherwise…’ Kenshin shrugged. ‘Is there anyone in Kyoto we could contact if there are any problems?’
‘Chou is still based there. He will know how to get in touch with me. Try and keep out of trouble while you’re there, Battousai.’ Saitou smirked and started walking toward the gate. ‘We don’t think he has a presence in Kyoto as of yet but you never knew.’
Kenshin watched as Saitou exited the dojo. It had been so peaceful the last few weeks. He supposed that it only followed that someone would have to pop up and disturb their peace. He sighed and went to fix dinner.
***
Chapter Four: Into Every Life…
It had calmed down at the house he stood across from. It had gotten busier briefly but all the men had finally left, oblivious to the man standing in the shadows, and now no one was standing around waiting for orders.
Unfortunately, now his body was weaker and even looking across to the house made him tired. But slowly, painfully, he started to move across the road toward the front door, staying in the shadows as much as possible.
***
Dinner had been eaten and their plans had been discussed with great enthusiasm, especially by Sano and Yahiko. Kenshin had tried to be cheerful and participate but knew that Sano in particular knew something was wrong. At least he knew that he would wait until they were alone later to ask any question.
After the dishes were done and everyone had gone to bed, Sano looked at his lover and said simply, ‘Give.’
Kenshin had to laugh, but became sober quickly. ‘I had a visit from a representative of the Secret Police today. It would seem that Yukishiro Enishi has become a criminal presence in Japan.’
‘He’s looking for you, ne? Should we be worried?’
Kenshin shrugged. ‘At the moment, no. But he knows that I’m still alive.’
Sano sighed and held his older lover a little tighter. ‘Oh well, we’ve had it quiet for awhile.’ He looked down at Kenshin who was laughing quietly. ‘What’s so funny?’
‘Nothing, it’s just that I had thought pretty much the same thing earlier. But we should be fine; I don’t want to worry Kaoru-dono with this unless I absolutely have to. When we go to Kyoto, I’ll let Aoshi know and that way we’ll know if anything is going on. Otherwise,’ Kenshin smiled up at his lover,’ I’m not going to worry about it all that much, that I’m not.’
Sano smiled back and then kissed him. ‘Hmmm, not when there are other more enjoyable things to do!’ as he rolled him over so that he could kiss him some more. ‘Like this!’
Kenshin giggled and then gasped as his lover kissed down his neck, over his shoulders and onto his chest. ‘Sano, yes…’
***
That night at the Aoiya, the group planned for some sight seeing along with a big party and Kenshin kept an eye out for the opportunity to speak privately with Aoshi.
‘Aoshi, a moment, please.’ Kenshin had waited until the party was winding down and most everyone had gone to bed.
‘Yes.’ Aoshi looked down at the smaller man. ‘There is something you need?’
‘No, just to let you know that there is a situation that I could be involved in.’ Kenshin and Aoshi walked slowly upstairs, discussing everything that Kenshin knew about Yukishiro.
‘I will put the word out. But if he’s not yet in Kyoto, maybe a few choice words will keep it that way.’
‘That would be good, that it would. We can talk more if anything changes.’ Kenshin smiled and slipped into his room where a sleeping Sano snored. ‘Goodnight, Aoshi. And thank you.’
‘Goodnight, Kenshin. And no thanks are needed.’
***
The man stood outside house, still in the shadows. He had gotten this far, but now his vision was fading in and out. He wasn’t sure that even knocking on the door was a possibility, let alone stepping up onto the porch. What had started out as shivering was now a steady shaking due to his wet clothes and a steady trickle of blood down his back. Plus, he didn’t seem to be able to take deep breaths without coughing.
All of a sudden, the door slid open and a tall thin man stood there, looking into the night.
‘Come on in, Battousai. I thought that sooner or later you would show up.’ Amber eyes gazed out at him, almost causing the man to back up a step. ‘Battousai?’
Saitou had felt the Battousai’s presence outside his house and had been surprised when he hadn’t knocked on the door or otherwise made an effort to announce himself. And now he wondered if there was more of a problem than anticipated.
The man slowly moved toward the porch, watching the Shinsengumi carefully. But he knew that there would be shelter here, and more protection then the other place could give him.
‘You do know that you’ve been missing for five days now, don’t you?’ Saitou’s eyes had widened and then narrowed as the smaller man moved into the light. ‘Your friends at the Aoiya are very unhappy with you, Battousai.’
Chapter Five: When You’re Down and Out…
‘So, do you want to come in, Battousai, or are you going to stand out there the rest of the night?’ Saitou slowly moved out of the doorway and stepped sideways on the porch, giving the Battousai enough room to come up onto the porch without feeling crowded.
For it was the Battousai he was looking at, golden eyes gazing at him from out of a semi-dazed expression.
‘Come on up, Battousai. Let me get some dry clothes and warm food for you.’ Saitou kept his voice low and easy as he watched the smaller man finally take the step up onto the porch. He would have tried to help, but felt that the Battousai would take any move on his part the wrong way. He watched as the Battousai stood on the porch, breathing shallowly and shaking from the cold rain and blood loss. ‘Just a little farther into the house, then you can get fixed up and more comfortable.’
The Battousai’s eyes narrowed briefly and then he slowly moved toward the door of the house. The warmth coming out of the door caused him to stagger and put a hand on the door frame to catch his balance, a soft groan coming from his lips as he pulled the muscles in his chest.
‘Hn, have a broken rib or two, Battousai? Well, that can be fixed, too.’
Finally, the two were in the house, although the Battousai stood against one wall and didn’t move even when Saitou disappeared down the hall into another room.
Saitou quickly wrote a note to the Aoiya, telling Shinomori to come and bring only Sagara with him. He also wrote a note to Hiko Seijourou who was staying at an inn at the edge of town, waiting for word on his baka deshi.
***
‘I’m glad that everyone is having such a good time, that I am. But tomorrow I’m going to go up and see my master. There are a couple of questions that I need to ask him.’ Kenshin smiled around the table and then shook his head at Sano. ‘No, you stay here, I’ll only be gone a day or two, at the most. Stay here and enjoy yourself.’
Sano frowned at Kenshin and then grinned weakly over at him. ‘Well, just remember, no wandering off too far, OK?’
Everyone laughed, but there had been a bit of strain in Sano’s voice. This was of course Kyoto and it had been here that he had almost lost Kenshin. The memories were still a little too close to be entirely comfortable.
****
‘Sano, hanging over Kenshin’s bed every day isn’t doing you or him any good. I want you to go take a bath and get a decent meal. Then maybe I’ll let you back in here.’ Megumi looked at him and sighed. ‘He’s getting better, Sano. But if you collapse, how will that help him? Go eat and bathe and then I’ll check your hand.’
Sano looked down at the still unconscious Kenshin and chewed his lower lip. ‘Are you sure? He hasn’t changed much since we got back from Shishio’s fortress.’ He looked up at Megumi. ‘I can’t lose him now, not along with…’ He jerked his gaze back down to Kenshin.
Megumi sighed. ‘I wondered when you would finally admit it. Silly boy, trust me. He’ll still be here when you get back.’
Hauling Sano to his feet, she shoved the now blushing boy out the door. ‘Go.’
Sano went downstairs and into the Aoiya’s dining room.
‘Hey, Sano! Come eat lunch with us! Glad you’ve finally come out of your funk!’ Misao yelled as Sano came into the room.
He sighed and then as he was served, picked up the chopsticks left-handed and slowly began to eat. ‘Not like I had a choice, Megumi kicked me out until I ate and took a bath. Bossy fox lady.’
‘Hey, I guess that means that Himura is getting better, ne? Otherwise, she wouldn’t have made you leave.’ Misao laughed and slapped him on his back.
Kaoru looked over at Sano, her eyes narrowed a bit. ‘Sano, Megumi didn’t say that Kenshin was worse or anything, did she?’
‘No, but he’s not really getting any better yet, either.’ Sano abruptly got up and started out of the room. ‘I’m going to bathe and then go back up. I’m not staying away too long.’
Kaoru waited until Sano was gone and then followed him to the bathing room. There she waited until she heard him get into the bath.
‘Sano, can I ask you something?’ Kaoru slid the door open just enough to peek into the room.
‘Kaoru! What are you doing! Get out! Shut the door!’
‘Just stop it, Sano. You haven’t been out of Kenshin’s room for more than five minutes at a time since you guys got back. You want to tell me what’s going on?’ Kaoru sat down, her back to the wall by the door.
There was dead silence from inside the room.
‘Come on, Sanosuke. No one’s going to be mad. We all love Kenshin, but… I think you’re a little more serious about it then the rest of us are. Am I right?’
There was a choked sob from inside the room. ‘I can’t lose him, I just can’t. I’m sorry, Kaoru, but yes, I really love him, a lot. And it’s killing me that he’s not waking up!’
Kaoru took a deep breath and then said quietly, ‘Well, get done with your bath and go back up to him.’ She got up, shut the door and went back to serving in the dining room, her head held high.
Sano sighed, wiped his face, got out of the bath, dressed in the clean clothes Megumi had left for him and went back upstairs to Kenshin.
As he walked into the room, he saw Megumi leaning over him. ‘Is he OK?! Megumi, what’s wrong!?’ Sano hurried over and then realized that for the first time in almost a month, Kenshin was awake.
‘Oh Kami, Kenshin! You’re awake!’ Sano knelt down beside the futon, not even seeing Megumi leave the room. ‘Don’t you ever pull this kind of stunt again, damn you!’ Sano was almost crying as he touched Kenshin’s face gently.
‘Sano…’ Kenshin’s voice was low and strained. ‘Sano…’ His hand weakly found and grasped Sano’s and with a satisfied smile, he drifted back into a healing sleep.
***
Chapter Six: If a Body Meets a Body
***
Kenshin started walking, enjoying the day and the nice weather Kyoto was currently having. He didn’t notice the boy who was staying ahead of him nor the woman who was chatting with another on a corner. And when he turned that corner, he was certainly not expecting the piece of wood which hit him on the side of the head, knocking him out and onto the ground.
***
Saitou came out of his study and stood frowning over at the Battousai. He had not moved from his position although his eyes were now half closed. Saitou went outside and whistled softly.
‘Yeah, Boss?’ Chou stepped out of the shadows. ‘How’s he doin’?’
‘Take these two notes to the appropriate places and then bring the police doctor back with you.’ Saitou handed the notes to him. ‘And, Chou…’
‘Yeah, Boss?’
‘Hurry.’
‘Yeah, and keep ma mouth shut, too, right?’
‘Go.’
Saitou stood quietly, listening for any sounds which were out of place, then turned to go back into his house, wondering how he was going to get the Battousai out of his wet clothes.
When he entered the room his uninvited guest was in, he was not surprised to see that he had slipped down the wall and was sitting down. What he was surprised to see was that the gold in his eyes was now more of the violet of Himura Kenshin, instead.
‘So, coming back to us, Himura?’ Saitou spoke softly, waiting to see what would happen when he spoke.
Kenshin blinked, trying to make his eyes focus. It was like trying to see under water, everything was wavy and distorted. And now someone was speaking to him. Fragmented memories pulled at him, told him to beware, that he had been… somewhere… and… someone… had hurt him.
He jerked, eyes flashing briefly to gold, but when nothing happened, slowly returned to violet.
‘So that’s how you avoided my patrols and made it here. Interesting. All right, Kenshin, we need to get you out of those clothes and into something dry and warm.’ Saitou moved slowly over to the smaller man. He noticed a slight blood stain on the wall but didn’t think it was bad enough to worry about. The fact that he was holding onto consciousness by sheer force of will was a miracle. And he had to get him warm and some liquid into him. Dehydration was a distinct possibility.
Saitou had prepared some tea before for himself and now wondered if he could get the Battousai to drink it. “All right, let’s see if you’ll take this and drink it.’ But even as he tried to hand the cup to him, Kenshin was moving, knocking the cup out of his hand, eyes gleaming goldly, until he stopped, his breathing ragged, against the opposite wall.
Saitou raised one eyebrow. ‘That was rude, Battousai. And I suppose that it means you won’t let me get you out of those filthy and wet clothes.’
Kenshin had gone back to his crouched position, eyes violet again but wary. Suddenly, a slight tremor went through his body. The voice speaking to him was familiar. ‘S…Sai…Saitou.’ More seemed to be too much for him to say.
‘Well, it’s good to see that not all of your wits are wandering. How about we get you moving toward the bathing room. You could really use a bath to clean and warm you up.’
Saitou slid open another door and waited to see what the other man would do. ‘Come on, Kenshin, this way.’
Kenshin blinked his eyes slowly several times and finally started to move slowly toward the door. Saitou stayed slightly ahead of him, letting him take his time but slowly and surely leading him to his destination.
They weren’t quite halfway when he heard quiet voices in the room that they had just left.
‘Well, Battousai, it would seem that some of your friends are here already. Rest here for a minute and let me see who it is.’
Much to his surprise, Chou must have taken the note the Hiko first, because he was standing just inside the front door.
‘So, my baka deshi made it here. Where is he?’ Hiko glanced at the other man, noting the wet floor, the blood on the wall and the splattered tea. ‘Well, not being very cooperative, either, I see. How very typical of him.’
‘He was more Battousai than Himura when he got here, although now it’s the other way around. But my immediate concern is getting him out of his wet clothes and into a warm bath.’
‘Ah, well then, I have just the person who can help with that.’ Hiko stepped aside and a slight shadow slid further into the house.
‘Good evening, Saitou-san.’
Chapter Seven: Déjà vu
Saitou raised one eyebrow. “How did my men miss you, Sword? I didn’t realize that you were here in Kyoto.’
‘Ah, well, shadows are often overlooked. Besides, I was worried.’ Sword stood beside Hiko and Saitou then realized something else. She was pregnant, very pregnant.
‘Do you think it’s a good idea to be here in your condition?’ Saitou gazed over at her, eyes narrowed.
Hiko raised one eyebrow, then grinned. ‘Casting doubts on our abilities, Wolf? But, let’s get on to the main business. Where is my baka deshi?’
‘In the hall. I tried to get him to drink something but…’ He motioned toward the splattered tea. ‘So, I got him moving toward the bathing room, he needs to warm up and get out of his wet clothes. As far as injuries go, I know he has a least a broken rib or two and something on his back is bleeding. And I’m not sure about his memory. He finally recognized me, but I’m not sure “when” he recognized.’
Hiko looked at him. ‘When?’
‘Yes, the way he’s acting is still more Battousai and especially the way he reacted to the patrols makes me think that he’s retreated to an earlier Kyoto, one that we were all in a long time ago.’ Saitou looked down the hall where Kenshin still leaned against the wall. ‘I think that, for the moment, until he begins to react to “now”, that we’ll have to treat him as if he’s still the hitokiri of then.’
The Sword slowly stepped around them both and then started down the hall. ‘Let me deal with this, then.’
Hiko nodded and looked over at Saitou. ‘He’s going to need food and medicine. I told Chou to go for the doctor after he left us. If what you say is true, he won’t recognize anyone from the Aoiya yet anyway.’
Meanwhile, the Sword went slowly down the hall toward Kenshin. ‘Elder Brother, may I help you?’ She stopped just short of where he leaned against the wall. ‘You need to get out of those wet clothes and warmed up, Elder Brother.’
Kenshin slowly turned his head and looked at her, a confused look in his eyes. ‘Little Sister.’
‘Yes, that’s right. Let me help you into the bathing room.’ She took his arm gently and helped him toward the open door. Once inside, she helped him to sit down on a stool by a gently steaming tub of water. ‘All right, Elder Brother, let me take your gi off and get a look at your wounds.’
Kenshin raised his head up and blinked slowly at her. ‘Talk more.’
‘Yes, I do. And at the moment, you talk less.’ The Sword slowly slid his gi off and winced as she looked at his back. It was completely covered with fist-sized bruises from his shoulders to his waist. A trickle of blood from the reopened sword cut on his back didn’t worry her as much as the deep bruising. ‘Kami, someone worked you over, Elder Brother.’ She slowly worked his hakama off, relieved to see that the bruising seemed to go no further. ‘All right, now to get you into the bath. This is going to hurt, so no hitting when we’re lifting you in, ne?’
The Sword stood up and walked over to the door. ‘All right, Hiko, I need you to finish disrobing him and get him into the bath. And I need medicine and bandages, I’m pretty sure that there are broken ribs under the bruising.’
Hiko walked in and said, ‘Yes, I figured you would, Saitou is getting all of it now. Let me get him into the bath.’ He walked over and looked down at his former student. ‘Well, Kenshin, it’s a fine mess you’ve gotten yourself into. Now let me get you into the bath. Don’t you do anything.’
Kenshin had jerked as Hiko started to talk. ‘Sho.’ He looked up and had involuntarily started to rise, grimacing as pulling muscles hurt his back and ribs.
‘No, sit still, baka deshi. I’ll lift you, you don’t need to do anything.’ Hiko gently slid his arms under Kenshin’s legs and around his back. Carefully lifting him, he walked over to the bath where he slid his fundoshi off and then slowly put him in, as he watched to see if anything else was wrong.
Kenshin gasped as the heat penetrated his cold muscles and started to loosen them. He swallowed convulsively, the heat almost making him ill.
‘Relax, Rika is getting you something to help with that. Then we’ll get you ribs wrapped so that you can breathe easier.’ Hiko slowly ran his hand over Kenshin’s back, checking for any noticeable breaks. Kenshin shivered and jerked as Hiko found two breaks. ‘Ok, that looks like the worst of it.’
The Sword came back into the room. ‘Found all the breaks?’
‘Yes, it looks like there are just two major ones, maybe others that are cracked. But nothing that can’t be fixed.’ Hiko smiled reassuringly at her, indicating that nothing other than beating had physically happened to him.
‘Good, now I need him to drink this.’ The Sword knelt beside the tub and gently tipped Kenshin’s face up as he drowsed in the tub. ‘Elder Brother, I need you to drink this…’
Kenshin’s eyes flashed gold and one hand came flashing out of the water and would have knocked the cup out of her hand. Hiko had been prepared and caught his hand before it could connect.
‘Oh no. None of that, baka deshi.’
‘Elder Brother, look at me!’ her eyes gazed deeply into his, then slowly, she raised the cup and took a drink from it. ‘See, I would not give you something that I would not drink myself. You must drink this, you are dehydrated.’
Kenshin watched as she drank again and slowly nodded, his eyes fading back into their normal violet.
‘Good.’ The Sword held the cup and let Kenshin take a couple slow careful sips. ‘Not too fast, it’ll make you sick if you drink too fast.’ Soon he had drunk all of it and his gaze was a bit brighter.
‘Where…’
‘You found your way to Saitou’s. Not sure why, we’ve been waiting at the Aoiya for the last two days for you either to show up or the Police to find you. They started combing the warehouse district yesterday…’ Hiko narrowed his eyes and then said, ‘You got away because that’s where you were, isn’t that right?’ He looked over at Rika and said, ‘I need to talk with Saitou.’
‘Go, I’ve got more drink for him and by the time you two are done, it’ll be time for him to get out.’ She smiled and then looked at Kenshin again. ‘Here, Elder Brother, more broth.’
Kenshin managed to hold the cup this time and started to sip it slowly. ‘Shadow.’
‘Yes, that’s right. But we’ll worry about all of that later. For now, just drink and recover your strength.’
Kenshin slowly drank the cup of broth but refused the next one. Having gotten two cups into him, the Sword smiled and said, ‘Relax, when Hiko comes back in, we’ll get you out and your ribs bandaged.’
A few minutes later, Hiko came back in. ‘The Aoiya party’s almost here. Let me get Kenshin out, you go talk to them. I can bandage his wounds as well as you. I don’t think Sano’s going to take any of this well.’
Kenshin had looked up at his old master as he spoke.
‘Sho.’ He frowned a bit and then looked over at the Sword. ‘How…’
‘Hmm, still not connecting everything. Let me get you out, baka deshi, then later we’ll talk.’
Rika walked out and down the hall. She had also heard the voices coming closer. And Hiko was right, Sano was not going to take any of this well.
This was the second of three stories, the first of which will probably never get written. *sighs* It's all in my head, can hear it plainly, it just doesn't want to be written down for some reason or another. Of course, it's Shadow's story and maybe that's the problem. Don't really know.
But at least I managed to get this much up. I'll post more of it later.
I started posting this like 2 years ago and never got any farther.
But since I received the entire set of RK yesterday in the mail (on sale, even!) I thought it might jump-start me back into writing.
So, here we go.
Reprise
Chapter One: It Was a Dark and Stormy Night
Dragging footsteps. Hoarse breathing. If it hadn’t been the middle of the night and pouring rain, someone would have noticed and done something about the whole situation. As it was, the man had managed to avoid all the police patrols currently out searching, as well as the others, the ones that wanted him dead. Instinctively, he had worked his way back from the warehouse district but now he wasn’t sure where to go next. Landmarks seemed to have changed and he was confused. But slowly, he began to move again.
***
‘Kenshin, we’ve received an invitation to go to Kyoto. Misao wants us to come and visit and see all the sights that we missed before. What do you think? We haven’t had a real vacation for awhile and I’m between classes at the moment.’ Kaoru beamed at the rurouni who sat back on his heels by the laundry bucket.
‘That sounds like a good thing to do, Kaoru-dono. Let me ask Sano when he gets back tonight and see if he’s agreeable. It would be nice to see all our friends in Kyoto, that it would.’ Kenshin smiled gently back at the girl, thinking how much easier life was since he and Sano had been accepted as a couple. Only his immediate friends/family actually knew about it, but not having to hide his feeling anymore was quite a relief.
‘All right, and I’ll see about getting tickets for the train! This will be so much fun!’ Kaoru walked away, calling for Yahiko to come and practice, not that he hadn’t gotten better since the Shishio incident.
Kenshin smiled quietly to himself, a train ride for Kaoru was exciting; he would wait to tell Sano that part, like just before they got on!
Kenshin finished the laundry, and by late afternoon, the dojo was clean and drowsing in the afternoon heat.
Everyone except Kenshin was out on errands and he was just sitting and relaxing, enjoying the peace and quiet of the dojo.
Suddenly, he looked up at the open dojo gate, his eyes narrowed.
‘Come on in, Saitou. No need to skulk around outside. I’m alone, as I’m sure you know.’
The tall secret policeman smirked as he walked through the gate. ‘Yes, I know. That’s why I came now. I have some information that you might be interested to hear.’
Kenshin just sat and looked at him, not allowing any expression to cross his face.
‘Why would any information you have interest me? We are living a peaceful life now, that we are.’ Implicit in his tone was, “and we’d like it to stay that way.”
Saitou looked calmly down at Kenshin. ‘Yes, but the Secret Police gather all sorts of data from many different sources. Does the name Yukishiro Enishi mean anything to you, Battousai?’
Kenshin’s eyes widened a bit as he slowly lowered his head so that his bangs hung over them, shielding him from the older man.
‘Hai.’
***
The man paused, leaning against the wall of an alley. He had a vague recollection of this place but felt that he should avoid it, to keep the people there uninvolved. He knew there was another, older connection in this city, if he could only find his direction.
Slowly, halting steps began to move away and were soon lost in the rain.
Chapter Two: Lost and Alone
He had slowly made his way into the more quiet neighborhoods, and was sure that he was close to his goal. But which house did he need? Standing quietly in the shadows, his clothes getting heavier as it rained harder, he watched as various men in blue came and went from one particular house. Could that be the place?
***
‘It’s good to see everyone, that it is. And I see that the entire Aoiya has been rebuilt now, including the garden.’ Kenshin looked around and smiled quietly.
‘Himura, Kaoru, everyone, come in, come in! It’s good to see you! Misao is out at the moment but will be back in a little while. Shiro will take you to your rooms and then we’ll meet downstairs.’ The old man grinned and laughed loudly. ‘I’ve made plans!’
Shiro quickly showed the group to their rooms and soon everyone was back downstairs, laughing and catching up on how each had been since they had last seen each other.
That evening, Misao dragged Kaoru out into the garden for a private chat.
‘How are you doing, Kaoru? Are Sano and Kenshin still…?’ Misao looked at her gravely.
‘I’m fine. And yes, they are. But… Kenshin is so much happier since they told us and stopped sneaking around. He even sleeps most nights now without having the nightmares he used to have. As I said when we were here before, as long as he’s happy, I’m happy.’ Kaoru looked back at the other girl. ‘And you, Misao?’
‘Yes, well, I’m moving on also. Aoshi is much better than he used to be, with spending so much time at the temple but…’ she shrugged and smiled wryly. ‘Like you said, as long as he’s happy, then so am I. But enough of this gloomy talk, let’s go back in and join the party!’
The two girls grinned at each other and returned to the party.
***
Yes, the one person he was looking for had just come out onto the porch of the house to give orders to several men. He didn’t look quite right, but looking down at his own clothes, neither did he. Now if the people would just go away for awhile so that he could have the chance to get into the house without being seen. He knew he hadn’t been followed but whole parts of his memory were missing or scrambled, making him confused.
Chapter Three: It’s a Long Road to Freedom
***
Saitou stood and watched the Battousai for a moment. ‘I thought you would recognize the name. He is the brother of your late wife, isn’t he?’
Kenshin didn’t look up but finally sighed and said, ‘Aa. Sit down, Saitou, looming over me is a waste of time, that it is.’
One corner of Saitou’s mouth quirked up, but he took his sword out of his belt and sat down.
‘So any of the others here know that I made it out of Shishio’s fortress alive?’ There had been a slight pause before the “others”, but Kenshin had caught and then ignored it.
Kenshin looked up. ‘No, I didn’t know if you wanted anyone to know after I saw you in Yokohama. You kept to the shadows during that time and when we came back to Tokyo, so…’ he shrugged. ‘I suppose I thought that if you wanted anyone to know, you would have shown yourself openly.’
‘Hn. Back to the matter which brought me here. It would seem that Yukishiro has put together a consortium and is moving into several areas of Japan. We hadn’t gotten any hard evidence but we know he’s involved in arms dealing and maybe drugs. But he’s also an information broker.’ Kenshin had gone back to looking down at his feet.
‘And some of the information is about me, correct?’
‘Hn.’
Silence reigned briefly as both men sat and watched as the sun started its downward trek.
‘Where is he currently based? Or is that top secret?’ Kenshin looked up at Saitou and waited patiently for him to answer.
‘He has several bases but at the moment, he is in Yokohama, as far as we know. We’re not sure if he knows you’re here but…’
‘Better to be safe than sorry.’ Kenshin glanced around the dojo and then said, ‘We plan on going to Kyoto for a short vacation. If you could keep me appraised of the situation?’
Saitou looked over at him and said, ‘Aren’t you worried about the rest of your little group?’
‘No, they are quite capable of taking care of themselves. Besides, as long as I’m forewarned…’ Kenshin looked over at the dojo gate. ‘If you don’t want anyone to know you’re alive, you’ll have to leave soon. Everyone will be returning and I should be getting dinner ready.’
Kenshin stood and stared Saitou straight in the eyes, not saying another word. Both men knew what was not being said, but were not willing to break the fragile truce they had between them.
‘I take it you will be at the Aoiya?’ Saitou picked up his sword and prepared to leave.
‘Aa. I will also be visiting my master but otherwise…’ Kenshin shrugged. ‘Is there anyone in Kyoto we could contact if there are any problems?’
‘Chou is still based there. He will know how to get in touch with me. Try and keep out of trouble while you’re there, Battousai.’ Saitou smirked and started walking toward the gate. ‘We don’t think he has a presence in Kyoto as of yet but you never knew.’
Kenshin watched as Saitou exited the dojo. It had been so peaceful the last few weeks. He supposed that it only followed that someone would have to pop up and disturb their peace. He sighed and went to fix dinner.
***
Chapter Four: Into Every Life…
It had calmed down at the house he stood across from. It had gotten busier briefly but all the men had finally left, oblivious to the man standing in the shadows, and now no one was standing around waiting for orders.
Unfortunately, now his body was weaker and even looking across to the house made him tired. But slowly, painfully, he started to move across the road toward the front door, staying in the shadows as much as possible.
***
Dinner had been eaten and their plans had been discussed with great enthusiasm, especially by Sano and Yahiko. Kenshin had tried to be cheerful and participate but knew that Sano in particular knew something was wrong. At least he knew that he would wait until they were alone later to ask any question.
After the dishes were done and everyone had gone to bed, Sano looked at his lover and said simply, ‘Give.’
Kenshin had to laugh, but became sober quickly. ‘I had a visit from a representative of the Secret Police today. It would seem that Yukishiro Enishi has become a criminal presence in Japan.’
‘He’s looking for you, ne? Should we be worried?’
Kenshin shrugged. ‘At the moment, no. But he knows that I’m still alive.’
Sano sighed and held his older lover a little tighter. ‘Oh well, we’ve had it quiet for awhile.’ He looked down at Kenshin who was laughing quietly. ‘What’s so funny?’
‘Nothing, it’s just that I had thought pretty much the same thing earlier. But we should be fine; I don’t want to worry Kaoru-dono with this unless I absolutely have to. When we go to Kyoto, I’ll let Aoshi know and that way we’ll know if anything is going on. Otherwise,’ Kenshin smiled up at his lover,’ I’m not going to worry about it all that much, that I’m not.’
Sano smiled back and then kissed him. ‘Hmmm, not when there are other more enjoyable things to do!’ as he rolled him over so that he could kiss him some more. ‘Like this!’
Kenshin giggled and then gasped as his lover kissed down his neck, over his shoulders and onto his chest. ‘Sano, yes…’
***
That night at the Aoiya, the group planned for some sight seeing along with a big party and Kenshin kept an eye out for the opportunity to speak privately with Aoshi.
‘Aoshi, a moment, please.’ Kenshin had waited until the party was winding down and most everyone had gone to bed.
‘Yes.’ Aoshi looked down at the smaller man. ‘There is something you need?’
‘No, just to let you know that there is a situation that I could be involved in.’ Kenshin and Aoshi walked slowly upstairs, discussing everything that Kenshin knew about Yukishiro.
‘I will put the word out. But if he’s not yet in Kyoto, maybe a few choice words will keep it that way.’
‘That would be good, that it would. We can talk more if anything changes.’ Kenshin smiled and slipped into his room where a sleeping Sano snored. ‘Goodnight, Aoshi. And thank you.’
‘Goodnight, Kenshin. And no thanks are needed.’
***
The man stood outside house, still in the shadows. He had gotten this far, but now his vision was fading in and out. He wasn’t sure that even knocking on the door was a possibility, let alone stepping up onto the porch. What had started out as shivering was now a steady shaking due to his wet clothes and a steady trickle of blood down his back. Plus, he didn’t seem to be able to take deep breaths without coughing.
All of a sudden, the door slid open and a tall thin man stood there, looking into the night.
‘Come on in, Battousai. I thought that sooner or later you would show up.’ Amber eyes gazed out at him, almost causing the man to back up a step. ‘Battousai?’
Saitou had felt the Battousai’s presence outside his house and had been surprised when he hadn’t knocked on the door or otherwise made an effort to announce himself. And now he wondered if there was more of a problem than anticipated.
The man slowly moved toward the porch, watching the Shinsengumi carefully. But he knew that there would be shelter here, and more protection then the other place could give him.
‘You do know that you’ve been missing for five days now, don’t you?’ Saitou’s eyes had widened and then narrowed as the smaller man moved into the light. ‘Your friends at the Aoiya are very unhappy with you, Battousai.’
Chapter Five: When You’re Down and Out…
‘So, do you want to come in, Battousai, or are you going to stand out there the rest of the night?’ Saitou slowly moved out of the doorway and stepped sideways on the porch, giving the Battousai enough room to come up onto the porch without feeling crowded.
For it was the Battousai he was looking at, golden eyes gazing at him from out of a semi-dazed expression.
‘Come on up, Battousai. Let me get some dry clothes and warm food for you.’ Saitou kept his voice low and easy as he watched the smaller man finally take the step up onto the porch. He would have tried to help, but felt that the Battousai would take any move on his part the wrong way. He watched as the Battousai stood on the porch, breathing shallowly and shaking from the cold rain and blood loss. ‘Just a little farther into the house, then you can get fixed up and more comfortable.’
The Battousai’s eyes narrowed briefly and then he slowly moved toward the door of the house. The warmth coming out of the door caused him to stagger and put a hand on the door frame to catch his balance, a soft groan coming from his lips as he pulled the muscles in his chest.
‘Hn, have a broken rib or two, Battousai? Well, that can be fixed, too.’
Finally, the two were in the house, although the Battousai stood against one wall and didn’t move even when Saitou disappeared down the hall into another room.
Saitou quickly wrote a note to the Aoiya, telling Shinomori to come and bring only Sagara with him. He also wrote a note to Hiko Seijourou who was staying at an inn at the edge of town, waiting for word on his baka deshi.
***
‘I’m glad that everyone is having such a good time, that I am. But tomorrow I’m going to go up and see my master. There are a couple of questions that I need to ask him.’ Kenshin smiled around the table and then shook his head at Sano. ‘No, you stay here, I’ll only be gone a day or two, at the most. Stay here and enjoy yourself.’
Sano frowned at Kenshin and then grinned weakly over at him. ‘Well, just remember, no wandering off too far, OK?’
Everyone laughed, but there had been a bit of strain in Sano’s voice. This was of course Kyoto and it had been here that he had almost lost Kenshin. The memories were still a little too close to be entirely comfortable.
****
‘Sano, hanging over Kenshin’s bed every day isn’t doing you or him any good. I want you to go take a bath and get a decent meal. Then maybe I’ll let you back in here.’ Megumi looked at him and sighed. ‘He’s getting better, Sano. But if you collapse, how will that help him? Go eat and bathe and then I’ll check your hand.’
Sano looked down at the still unconscious Kenshin and chewed his lower lip. ‘Are you sure? He hasn’t changed much since we got back from Shishio’s fortress.’ He looked up at Megumi. ‘I can’t lose him now, not along with…’ He jerked his gaze back down to Kenshin.
Megumi sighed. ‘I wondered when you would finally admit it. Silly boy, trust me. He’ll still be here when you get back.’
Hauling Sano to his feet, she shoved the now blushing boy out the door. ‘Go.’
Sano went downstairs and into the Aoiya’s dining room.
‘Hey, Sano! Come eat lunch with us! Glad you’ve finally come out of your funk!’ Misao yelled as Sano came into the room.
He sighed and then as he was served, picked up the chopsticks left-handed and slowly began to eat. ‘Not like I had a choice, Megumi kicked me out until I ate and took a bath. Bossy fox lady.’
‘Hey, I guess that means that Himura is getting better, ne? Otherwise, she wouldn’t have made you leave.’ Misao laughed and slapped him on his back.
Kaoru looked over at Sano, her eyes narrowed a bit. ‘Sano, Megumi didn’t say that Kenshin was worse or anything, did she?’
‘No, but he’s not really getting any better yet, either.’ Sano abruptly got up and started out of the room. ‘I’m going to bathe and then go back up. I’m not staying away too long.’
Kaoru waited until Sano was gone and then followed him to the bathing room. There she waited until she heard him get into the bath.
‘Sano, can I ask you something?’ Kaoru slid the door open just enough to peek into the room.
‘Kaoru! What are you doing! Get out! Shut the door!’
‘Just stop it, Sano. You haven’t been out of Kenshin’s room for more than five minutes at a time since you guys got back. You want to tell me what’s going on?’ Kaoru sat down, her back to the wall by the door.
There was dead silence from inside the room.
‘Come on, Sanosuke. No one’s going to be mad. We all love Kenshin, but… I think you’re a little more serious about it then the rest of us are. Am I right?’
There was a choked sob from inside the room. ‘I can’t lose him, I just can’t. I’m sorry, Kaoru, but yes, I really love him, a lot. And it’s killing me that he’s not waking up!’
Kaoru took a deep breath and then said quietly, ‘Well, get done with your bath and go back up to him.’ She got up, shut the door and went back to serving in the dining room, her head held high.
Sano sighed, wiped his face, got out of the bath, dressed in the clean clothes Megumi had left for him and went back upstairs to Kenshin.
As he walked into the room, he saw Megumi leaning over him. ‘Is he OK?! Megumi, what’s wrong!?’ Sano hurried over and then realized that for the first time in almost a month, Kenshin was awake.
‘Oh Kami, Kenshin! You’re awake!’ Sano knelt down beside the futon, not even seeing Megumi leave the room. ‘Don’t you ever pull this kind of stunt again, damn you!’ Sano was almost crying as he touched Kenshin’s face gently.
‘Sano…’ Kenshin’s voice was low and strained. ‘Sano…’ His hand weakly found and grasped Sano’s and with a satisfied smile, he drifted back into a healing sleep.
***
Chapter Six: If a Body Meets a Body
***
Kenshin started walking, enjoying the day and the nice weather Kyoto was currently having. He didn’t notice the boy who was staying ahead of him nor the woman who was chatting with another on a corner. And when he turned that corner, he was certainly not expecting the piece of wood which hit him on the side of the head, knocking him out and onto the ground.
***
Saitou came out of his study and stood frowning over at the Battousai. He had not moved from his position although his eyes were now half closed. Saitou went outside and whistled softly.
‘Yeah, Boss?’ Chou stepped out of the shadows. ‘How’s he doin’?’
‘Take these two notes to the appropriate places and then bring the police doctor back with you.’ Saitou handed the notes to him. ‘And, Chou…’
‘Yeah, Boss?’
‘Hurry.’
‘Yeah, and keep ma mouth shut, too, right?’
‘Go.’
Saitou stood quietly, listening for any sounds which were out of place, then turned to go back into his house, wondering how he was going to get the Battousai out of his wet clothes.
When he entered the room his uninvited guest was in, he was not surprised to see that he had slipped down the wall and was sitting down. What he was surprised to see was that the gold in his eyes was now more of the violet of Himura Kenshin, instead.
‘So, coming back to us, Himura?’ Saitou spoke softly, waiting to see what would happen when he spoke.
Kenshin blinked, trying to make his eyes focus. It was like trying to see under water, everything was wavy and distorted. And now someone was speaking to him. Fragmented memories pulled at him, told him to beware, that he had been… somewhere… and… someone… had hurt him.
He jerked, eyes flashing briefly to gold, but when nothing happened, slowly returned to violet.
‘So that’s how you avoided my patrols and made it here. Interesting. All right, Kenshin, we need to get you out of those clothes and into something dry and warm.’ Saitou moved slowly over to the smaller man. He noticed a slight blood stain on the wall but didn’t think it was bad enough to worry about. The fact that he was holding onto consciousness by sheer force of will was a miracle. And he had to get him warm and some liquid into him. Dehydration was a distinct possibility.
Saitou had prepared some tea before for himself and now wondered if he could get the Battousai to drink it. “All right, let’s see if you’ll take this and drink it.’ But even as he tried to hand the cup to him, Kenshin was moving, knocking the cup out of his hand, eyes gleaming goldly, until he stopped, his breathing ragged, against the opposite wall.
Saitou raised one eyebrow. ‘That was rude, Battousai. And I suppose that it means you won’t let me get you out of those filthy and wet clothes.’
Kenshin had gone back to his crouched position, eyes violet again but wary. Suddenly, a slight tremor went through his body. The voice speaking to him was familiar. ‘S…Sai…Saitou.’ More seemed to be too much for him to say.
‘Well, it’s good to see that not all of your wits are wandering. How about we get you moving toward the bathing room. You could really use a bath to clean and warm you up.’
Saitou slid open another door and waited to see what the other man would do. ‘Come on, Kenshin, this way.’
Kenshin blinked his eyes slowly several times and finally started to move slowly toward the door. Saitou stayed slightly ahead of him, letting him take his time but slowly and surely leading him to his destination.
They weren’t quite halfway when he heard quiet voices in the room that they had just left.
‘Well, Battousai, it would seem that some of your friends are here already. Rest here for a minute and let me see who it is.’
Much to his surprise, Chou must have taken the note the Hiko first, because he was standing just inside the front door.
‘So, my baka deshi made it here. Where is he?’ Hiko glanced at the other man, noting the wet floor, the blood on the wall and the splattered tea. ‘Well, not being very cooperative, either, I see. How very typical of him.’
‘He was more Battousai than Himura when he got here, although now it’s the other way around. But my immediate concern is getting him out of his wet clothes and into a warm bath.’
‘Ah, well then, I have just the person who can help with that.’ Hiko stepped aside and a slight shadow slid further into the house.
‘Good evening, Saitou-san.’
Chapter Seven: Déjà vu
Saitou raised one eyebrow. “How did my men miss you, Sword? I didn’t realize that you were here in Kyoto.’
‘Ah, well, shadows are often overlooked. Besides, I was worried.’ Sword stood beside Hiko and Saitou then realized something else. She was pregnant, very pregnant.
‘Do you think it’s a good idea to be here in your condition?’ Saitou gazed over at her, eyes narrowed.
Hiko raised one eyebrow, then grinned. ‘Casting doubts on our abilities, Wolf? But, let’s get on to the main business. Where is my baka deshi?’
‘In the hall. I tried to get him to drink something but…’ He motioned toward the splattered tea. ‘So, I got him moving toward the bathing room, he needs to warm up and get out of his wet clothes. As far as injuries go, I know he has a least a broken rib or two and something on his back is bleeding. And I’m not sure about his memory. He finally recognized me, but I’m not sure “when” he recognized.’
Hiko looked at him. ‘When?’
‘Yes, the way he’s acting is still more Battousai and especially the way he reacted to the patrols makes me think that he’s retreated to an earlier Kyoto, one that we were all in a long time ago.’ Saitou looked down the hall where Kenshin still leaned against the wall. ‘I think that, for the moment, until he begins to react to “now”, that we’ll have to treat him as if he’s still the hitokiri of then.’
The Sword slowly stepped around them both and then started down the hall. ‘Let me deal with this, then.’
Hiko nodded and looked over at Saitou. ‘He’s going to need food and medicine. I told Chou to go for the doctor after he left us. If what you say is true, he won’t recognize anyone from the Aoiya yet anyway.’
Meanwhile, the Sword went slowly down the hall toward Kenshin. ‘Elder Brother, may I help you?’ She stopped just short of where he leaned against the wall. ‘You need to get out of those wet clothes and warmed up, Elder Brother.’
Kenshin slowly turned his head and looked at her, a confused look in his eyes. ‘Little Sister.’
‘Yes, that’s right. Let me help you into the bathing room.’ She took his arm gently and helped him toward the open door. Once inside, she helped him to sit down on a stool by a gently steaming tub of water. ‘All right, Elder Brother, let me take your gi off and get a look at your wounds.’
Kenshin raised his head up and blinked slowly at her. ‘Talk more.’
‘Yes, I do. And at the moment, you talk less.’ The Sword slowly slid his gi off and winced as she looked at his back. It was completely covered with fist-sized bruises from his shoulders to his waist. A trickle of blood from the reopened sword cut on his back didn’t worry her as much as the deep bruising. ‘Kami, someone worked you over, Elder Brother.’ She slowly worked his hakama off, relieved to see that the bruising seemed to go no further. ‘All right, now to get you into the bath. This is going to hurt, so no hitting when we’re lifting you in, ne?’
The Sword stood up and walked over to the door. ‘All right, Hiko, I need you to finish disrobing him and get him into the bath. And I need medicine and bandages, I’m pretty sure that there are broken ribs under the bruising.’
Hiko walked in and said, ‘Yes, I figured you would, Saitou is getting all of it now. Let me get him into the bath.’ He walked over and looked down at his former student. ‘Well, Kenshin, it’s a fine mess you’ve gotten yourself into. Now let me get you into the bath. Don’t you do anything.’
Kenshin had jerked as Hiko started to talk. ‘Sho.’ He looked up and had involuntarily started to rise, grimacing as pulling muscles hurt his back and ribs.
‘No, sit still, baka deshi. I’ll lift you, you don’t need to do anything.’ Hiko gently slid his arms under Kenshin’s legs and around his back. Carefully lifting him, he walked over to the bath where he slid his fundoshi off and then slowly put him in, as he watched to see if anything else was wrong.
Kenshin gasped as the heat penetrated his cold muscles and started to loosen them. He swallowed convulsively, the heat almost making him ill.
‘Relax, Rika is getting you something to help with that. Then we’ll get you ribs wrapped so that you can breathe easier.’ Hiko slowly ran his hand over Kenshin’s back, checking for any noticeable breaks. Kenshin shivered and jerked as Hiko found two breaks. ‘Ok, that looks like the worst of it.’
The Sword came back into the room. ‘Found all the breaks?’
‘Yes, it looks like there are just two major ones, maybe others that are cracked. But nothing that can’t be fixed.’ Hiko smiled reassuringly at her, indicating that nothing other than beating had physically happened to him.
‘Good, now I need him to drink this.’ The Sword knelt beside the tub and gently tipped Kenshin’s face up as he drowsed in the tub. ‘Elder Brother, I need you to drink this…’
Kenshin’s eyes flashed gold and one hand came flashing out of the water and would have knocked the cup out of her hand. Hiko had been prepared and caught his hand before it could connect.
‘Oh no. None of that, baka deshi.’
‘Elder Brother, look at me!’ her eyes gazed deeply into his, then slowly, she raised the cup and took a drink from it. ‘See, I would not give you something that I would not drink myself. You must drink this, you are dehydrated.’
Kenshin watched as she drank again and slowly nodded, his eyes fading back into their normal violet.
‘Good.’ The Sword held the cup and let Kenshin take a couple slow careful sips. ‘Not too fast, it’ll make you sick if you drink too fast.’ Soon he had drunk all of it and his gaze was a bit brighter.
‘Where…’
‘You found your way to Saitou’s. Not sure why, we’ve been waiting at the Aoiya for the last two days for you either to show up or the Police to find you. They started combing the warehouse district yesterday…’ Hiko narrowed his eyes and then said, ‘You got away because that’s where you were, isn’t that right?’ He looked over at Rika and said, ‘I need to talk with Saitou.’
‘Go, I’ve got more drink for him and by the time you two are done, it’ll be time for him to get out.’ She smiled and then looked at Kenshin again. ‘Here, Elder Brother, more broth.’
Kenshin managed to hold the cup this time and started to sip it slowly. ‘Shadow.’
‘Yes, that’s right. But we’ll worry about all of that later. For now, just drink and recover your strength.’
Kenshin slowly drank the cup of broth but refused the next one. Having gotten two cups into him, the Sword smiled and said, ‘Relax, when Hiko comes back in, we’ll get you out and your ribs bandaged.’
A few minutes later, Hiko came back in. ‘The Aoiya party’s almost here. Let me get Kenshin out, you go talk to them. I can bandage his wounds as well as you. I don’t think Sano’s going to take any of this well.’
Kenshin had looked up at his old master as he spoke.
‘Sho.’ He frowned a bit and then looked over at the Sword. ‘How…’
‘Hmm, still not connecting everything. Let me get you out, baka deshi, then later we’ll talk.’
Rika walked out and down the hall. She had also heard the voices coming closer. And Hiko was right, Sano was not going to take any of this well.
This was the second of three stories, the first of which will probably never get written. *sighs* It's all in my head, can hear it plainly, it just doesn't want to be written down for some reason or another. Of course, it's Shadow's story and maybe that's the problem. Don't really know.
But at least I managed to get this much up. I'll post more of it later.