Light of the Snow Red Village:
Part VI - Flickering Shadows: Pine of Winter - Chapter 4
by Akai Kitsune ::: 05.Sep.2003
~*~
Creak. Creak. The figure stepped cautiously through the
halls, favouring one leg. Slowly, he made his way towards the door, making no
noise aside from the gentle groaning of the floorboards.
"Yahiko-kun?"
"... Aa?"
"Go to bed."
"Damn."
~*~
"Aoshi?" A figure at the window, gazing at the stars through
thin-rimmed glasses.
"Aa." A shadow against the far wall.
"You have news for me?" the figure spoke with a sharp,
lilting voice, full of persuasion.
"Takani Megumi has arrived," the shadowed man responded,
his tone cold and empty; official, and nothing more.
A broad, sickly smile crossed the first man's expression. "Mm... how
delightful..."
"I'll have Takani and her companions brought here, then."
"Iie," the man by the window shifted the glasses resting
on his nose, "I'll come down. You never know how negotiations will go with
guests. Especially if this man is who you claim him to be."
The figure in the shadows didn't move. "My information is never wrong."
"Well then, we'll simply have to deal with him properly.
Have your men lead them inside. You can handle them, can't you, Aoshi?"
Shinomori Aoshi pushed himself lightly from the wall and stepped towards the
door, fingering the sheath at his side.
"I can handle anything," he said quietly, disappearing
into the hallway.
At the window, Kanryuu smiled.
~*~
"Welcome," the small ninja greeted with a rather unpleasant
smile, as Kenshin, Sanosuke, and Megumi entered the courtyard of Kanryuu's
estate. "I bring greetings from Takeda Kanryuu and our okashira."
"Where is he?" Kenshin demanded curtly, his eyes guarded.
The ninja smirked. "Kanryuu? He's waiting for you. Follow me, and I'll bring
you to him."
Sano scowled. "Great, we get a welcoming committee. Kenshin, something's-"
Kenshin dipped his head in agreement. "I know. They're far too prepared, too
relaxed. They know something we don't."
"Damn," Sanosuke cursed, giving Megumi a sideways glance.
"You'd better keep close. Never know what these guys might do."
Megumi nodded nervously, keeping her eyes ahead and remaining close between
the two men as well as she could. Despite their fears, they entered the vast
mansion without any trouble. The ninja led them through several long hallways
until they entered a wide ballroom, sparsely decorated and carpeted in rich
colours.
'Wide enough for combat,' Kenshin noted, eyes searching for
possible ambushes.
"Ah, Megumi!"
The young doctor froze, the sudden voice sending darts of icy fear through
her heart. 'He's... he's been...' "Kanryuu," she whispered, looking up to
meet his eyes as he stood at the top of the stairway in front of them.
He smiled below dark eyes, his entire face joining in the unpleasant
expression he wore. "Welcome home," he said simply, stepping down to greet them.
"I knew you would return to me."
Kenshin took a step forward, interposing himself between Megumi and the
businessman. Kanryuu halted, looking the swordsman up and down.
"Well then," Kanryuu raised an eyebrow, finally continuing
forward, "You've brought friends, I see. New allies, then? I've heard rumours
about them. Tremendously strong men of repute, from what I know." He smirked,
holding out his hand. "So? Will you be joining my great enterprise?"
Kenshin reached out and, instead of taking the offered hand, pushed it aside
and gazed up at the man in challenge. "We're here to escort Megumi-dono safely
in," he paused, his eyes narrowing. "And out again."
Kanryuu blinked in surprise, then threw back his head and laughed, one hand
clutching the banister for support. Sano cursed, fists tightening, even as
Megumi backed away, flinching at the familiar sound of expected triumph Kanryuu
displayed.
"Out, you say?" Kanryuu finally regained his composure,
wiping his eyes beneath the spectacles. "I seriously doubt that. As soon as
Megumi stepped through the gate, she once again became my property." He turned
his eyes to Megumi, his eyes glinting like a hungry predator. "Isn't that right,
Megumi? You'll keep spinning the golden web for me until you die."
"I'll die before then," she murmured, her gaze on the
scarlet carpet at her feet.
Kanryuu's smile faded. "What did you say?"
Steeling herself, Megumi suddenly wrenched her eyes away to glare at him,
defiance and anger sparking her courage. "I said I'll die," she hissed, "Before
I make another grain of that killer's opium, Kanryuu. I've come here to tell you
that!"
Kanryuu's grip tightened on the wood under his fingers, his teeth clenching
in rage. "You... you bitch..." he muttered, his eyes dangerous. "You think you
have a right to speak to me that way? You think you have any right, coming in
here with only two men at your side?"
"Weak fools like you can't stand up to these men," Megumi
growled, surprising her companions and even herself.
'I'll trust these men. I'll put my life in their hands.'
'If they can do it... if they can stop him...'
"Bitch!" he shrieked again, lashing out a hand against
her. She flinched despite her resolve.
He never connected, she realized, and straightened to see Kenshin's steel
grip around Kanryuu's wrist.
"I swore to this woman that I would protect her," Kenshin
said quietly, his voice cold and infallible as the sword he carried, "And I will
not break that promise. Try to touch her again and I will retaliate, be assured
of that."
"Damn you," Kanryuu snarled, wrenching his hand away when
Kenshin released him, massaging his wrists. "How dare you!"
"If you want to fight over it," Sano grinned, shifting the
zanbatou on his shoulder, "I'll be glad to meet your complaints."
Kenshin raised his hand to ward back Sano's charge, his gaze never leaving
the businessman before him. "Megumi-dono is no longer your prisoner," he said
smoothly, "And you will not approach her or threaten her again. Take this as a
warning and let her go."
Kanryuu smirked then, stepped back towards the stairs. "I can't do that. You
see, she is the key to all my wealth now, and without her, how am I to continue?
It's very sad, you know. Either she or the opium recipe stays here. I will not
let go of either."
Megumi shook her head, her eyes narrowed sharply. "No matter what happens to
me, you'll never get that recipe! I won't allow anyone else to die!"
'It's already enough...'
"Your drugs killed my friend!"
'I'm so tired of it all...'
"Then call off your friends," the businessman shrugged,
giving a quick nod towards the far corner of the room, "If you don't want them
to die right now."
Kenshin turned his gaze in the direction of Kanryuu's nod, and caught sight
of a dark figure leaning against the wall. Slowly, the figure detached itself,
and a tall, slim man in a tanned trenchcoat strode forward. There was a sword
sheathed at his waist, and Kenshin's eyes were drawn to it; he was surprised by
its length.
'That's no katana... a wakizashi?'
'... no...'
"You are... Shinomori Aoshi, aren't you?" Kenshin followed
the man's path towards his employer, meeting the icy stare of the Oniwabanshuu
okashira.
The man merely nodded, his eyes jaded and unreadable. "And you are the Ishin
patriot, Himura Battousai."
The world around them immediately fell into silence, save for Megumi's sharp
intake of breath.
~*~
Hikari lay awake in her bed, staring at the ceiling in the
vague, consuming darkness. It seemed to gaze back at her, oblivious and
unsympathetic to her transparent distress.
'Tousan...'
"Hikari-chan?"
She blinked, surprised at the sudden voice, and glanced over to the girl who
lay in the extra futon beside her. "Yeah?"
"You can't sleep?" Tsubame stirred, raising herself up
from the pillowed headrest.
"No..." Hikari frowned tightly, turning her eyes back to
the wooden beams above. "I've been trying, but I can't stop thinking."
Tsubame nodded slightly, following her gaze. "I was listening for Yahiko-kun
for a little while. I hope he doesn't try to sneak out again..."
Hikari smiled, a glimmer of mischief in her eyes. "He's not gonna give up so
easily. But that's only half the reason I'm still awake."
"You're worried about Kenshin-san and the others?"
"Hai."
The older girl pursed her lips, uncertain for a moment. "I... I'm sure
they'll all be fine, Hikari-chan... at least, from what Yahiko-kun tells me,
Kenshin-san is very good..."
"He's the best!" Hikari bobbed her head in agreement. "I
shouldn't be worried. It'll only cause trouble and upset him when he gets back."
"But he's your father," Tsubame objected gently, "So you
have a good reason."
"That's true..."
They fell into silence, listening to the soft sound of the crickets chirping
outside.
"Those cakes were really good," Hikari began again, trying
to steer her mind from the prevalent conflict of her thoughts. "Did you make
them?"
"Hai. Tae-san taught me how."
"Do you think you could show me-?"
Tsubame smiled and gave her a nod. "Of course, I'd be happy to!"
Hikari shared her smile. "That's great. Tousan will just love them."
"I suppose we should have saved some..."
"Well, we can make up for it by cooking some tomorrow!"
Hikari suggested enthusiastically.
"Mm!"
Silence.
"Ne, Tsubame-san?"
"Yes?"
"Can we..." Hikari hesitated, struggling with the words
edging on her tongue. "Can we be friends?"
Tsubame blinked, then smiled slightly. "I'd be glad to, Hikari-chan."
The other girl's expression didn't change. "Even if I go far away?"
"What do you mean?" Tsubame asked, confused.
Hikari's fists curled around her blanket. "My father and I... we're
wanderers. Someday we'll leave, and I don't know when we'll come back, so... if
you're still here..."
The young waitress reached out and squeezed Hikari's hand, calm and
reassuring. "I'm sure we'll always be friends," Tsubame promised shyly. "Even if
you go away, I won't forget you."
The relief on Hikari's face, shadowed by the twilight, was so great, Tsubame
knew she would remember it forever.
"A... arigato..."
Creak. Creak.
"Yahiko, go to sleep!"
~*~
I'm frightened by what I see
but somehow I know that there's much more to come
immobilized by my fear
and soon to be blinded by tears
I can stop the pain if I will it all away
~*~
Megumi took a step backwards, bumping into the Sanosuke, who
stood behind her. She stared in utter disbelief at the man who was trying to
rescue her, unable to accept or deny what Aoshi had announced so casually.
'Hitokiri Battousai.'
'It can't be. This man... this man?'
'... can't be...'
Kenshin didn't seem affected or startled by the announcement, even though
when Megumi turned her head, she noticed a look or mild surprise on Sanosuke's
face. It was not as strong as what she felt must be clear in her expression, so
that told her he had known already.
'But... that would mean it's true, when it can't possibly...'
'... how?'
"You've researched our pasts?" Kenshin asked calmly, his
voice remaining unchanged.
"Yes," Aoshi responded, as he stepped up beside Kanryuu.
"We looked into the rumours involving the street fighter Zanza and his
companion, as well as the past occurrence with the Battousai impersonator. The
stories coincide with what we already knew of you."
Kenshin gave a small sigh, barely audible, and turned back to Kanryuu. "You
won't give her up, despite this?"
Kanryuu's lips curved into a feral smirk. "I won't give her up for anything,
Battousai. She's a real treasure, and if you want her, you'll have to fight my
men."
The swordsman grasped the hilt of the sakabatou, as Sano swung the zanbatou
to a forward position. Kanryuu let loose a brief, uncontrolled shriek and
stumbled back, away from those who opposed him.
"Then," Kenshin said quietly, his eyes once again meeting
the icy blue of Aoshi, "Let us fight."
~*~
Megumi was certainly not a warrior; that much was obvious,
and she would never dare to claim that she knew anything at all about combat
situations. However, she thought she knew enough to foresee how badly two young
men she met off the street might lose to a group of experienced soldiers of the
Bakumatsu.
She would be, of course, wrong.
The doctor was shocked to hear of Kenshin and Sanosuke's identities - a well
known fighter-for-hire in the underground of Tokyo, and the shadow assassin, of
all people - but she was even more surprised to see them in action.
Legends always far outshone the realities of life, but she was forced to admit
that such stories had merit.
As soon as Kenshin took a step forward, his fingers lingering near the hilt
of his sword, the little ninja known as Beshimi jumped at him, hands
outstretched, two glimmering bullets ready to launch. In a motion as quick as
lightning, Kenshin spun on his heel, slamming the butt of his sheathed sword
into the little ninja's stomach. Beshimi stumbled, choking, and fell to another
of the former hitokiri's blows. One down.
Scarcely a moment later, a huge, barrel-chested man charged in through the
vast doors at Sanosuke's right, roaring in challenge. Kenshin's arm wrapped
around Megumi's waist, pulling her to safety, as Sano leveled the zanbatou to
meet the massive Oniwabanshuu's attack. The man suddenly halted his movement,
snapping his teeth together. To Sano's surprise, fire shot forth from the man's
mouth, causing him to crouch behind his sword to avert the harmful flames. The
street fighter cursed, his ancient stone weapon charred black from the fire as
the wrappings burned away.
"Sano!" Kenshin called, whirling around when he and Megumi
were at a safe distance. "Charge-!"
Sanosuke didn't need any further urging. Weighing the zanbatou carefully in
his hands, he took two steps and shifted into a flying leap, slamming the flat
of his blade against the onmitsu's head and upper chest, cutting off the harmful
flames and sending him sprawling to the ground. Two.
Aoshi didn't move, didn't even blink at the defeat of two of his men. Behind
him, Kanryuu shook his head in disbelief, unable to speak.
'Where are your mocking words, your threats, now?' Kenshin
thought wryly, his eyebrow curved upward as he waited for the next assault.
'Megumi-dono said five...'
He felt a sudden hiss of air, directly above him, and jumped sideways without
thinking, bearing Megumi with him. She gasped in surprise and clung to him, but
her feet were steady when they landed. He blinked at this.
'She's accustomed to danger, it seems. Most likely her time alone
and the years with Kanryuu...'
Looking ahead, he met the masked gaze of the man who had attacked from the
ceiling; an onmitsu clad in a kenpo uniform, decorated with black and white
stripes. The masked man stood, facing Kenshin.
At the same time, the fifth man entered the room from the doorway already
opened by Sano's opponent. His huge, muscled body was riddled with old scars,
and he carried with him a large ball and chain for a weapon.
Sanosuke smirked, raising the zanbatou again. "You guys wanna fight too?"
"This is what we live for, boy," the muscled man replied
easily, weighing the iron ball in one hand without strain. "Don't assume you'll
have an easy time against us."
"We are well-matched," the kenpoist in the mask spoke in a
muffled voice, "Shikijou and myself, Hanya... strength and technique. Shall we
fight, Battousai?"
Kenshin fingered the sakabatou, still resting in its sheath, and turned to
Megumi. "Megumi-dono," he said gently, "If you could please stand back."
She hesitated, eyeing their opponents warily. "Be careful," she murmured,
finally shifting away to stand by the door by which they had entered, as far
from Kanryuu as she could manage. The businessman grinned nastily at the sight,
even as a bead of sweat rolled from his forehead.
The four men stood facing each other, Sano to Shikijou, Kenshin to Hanya. All
watched one another, silent and unmoving.
The sweat rolled at Kanryuu's chin, finally dropping to the floor... and four
men jumped forward, charging to attack.
~*~
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