Disclaimer: ...do I have to say them?
*thoughts*
/what had happened in the past/
(time setting)
Ayame-chan says: Ayame-chan is back again! Sorry for the delay, minna, but there's something in my life called High School. And High School SUCKS. Ayame-chan no like school. Too much work to do, wah!! Don't be surprised if I say that Kenshin's Aiko's brother and Aiko Kenshin's sister. They vowed to be brother and sister for life, remember?? Well, anyhoo, hope you enjoy and R&R!!
Chapter Nine ~ Hitokiri Kaede
Enishii smiled cruelly in the moonlight. He turned to a man wearing a dark cloak who was making something.
"Gein-san, are you sure you'll finish in time?" he asked the man.
Gein chuckled lightly. "You shouldn't worry, Enishi. It will soon be finished."
"You're pretty good, making this," Nakago regared the creature that Gein was making.
Gein chuckled sinisterly. "'Pretty good'? This is my masterpiece, Nakago, so don't be calling it 'pretty good'."
Nakago was about to reply when an unfamiliar woman's voice interrupted. "Nakago-sama?"
"Nande, Soi?" Nakago asked.
"We found Yui-sama's whereabouts," Soi answered. "Suboshi is on his way."
Enishi turned to his blond companion. "'Yui-sama'?"
Nakago smiled just as cruelly as Enishi had. "My miko. Maa, this will make things much more interesting."
<Sanosuke's place ~ morning>
Warmth, a feeling she hadn't felt in years. A musky scent and the warmth of the sun streaming through the darkness filled her senses. A heavy weight wrapped around her body. It wasn't so close as to suffocating her, but it was wrapped tight enough to keep her from moving as freely as she had wanted to. Ukiyou slowly opened her eyes to find herself in Sanosuke's arms. Carefully, she sat up in hopes of not awaking her friend and checked herself.
*Okay, I'm still clothed, he just only has his jacket off, so we didn't do anything...* She took out the dagger-like pin that had held her hair up. It fell waist length in silky strands and she began brushing it out with her hands.
Suddenly, what she remembered to her the night before dawned into Ukiyou's mind. Unconsciously, she gently touched her lips and blushed a faint pink when Sanosuke's voice startled her back to reality.
"If ya think we did it, think again," he said.
"You're awake?!?" Ukiyou exclaimed.
"Been awake for a while," he answered, sitting up as well.
Ukiyou couldn't help but stare at the...nice abs that he had. She mentally shook her head. *Oh, mou, just what the hell is wrong with me today???* Thinking of this, she decided to change the subject.
"Anno...what happened?"
"You fell asleep. I'm guessin' you were still tired from yesterday." He paused for a moment. "And you were shivering, so that's why..." he pointed.
She looked at herself to find that Sanosuke's jacket was wrapped around her. *Oh...* A mental smack upside the head for Ukiyou.
"You know...if we keep on staying here like this and somebody that we know like Katsu stumbles in, they'll think that we REALLY did it," Sanosuke teased.
That remark was answered by a whap in the head by a pillow.
"Oi, I was just kidding!"
Ukiyou glared at him, death lingering in the air and a deadly pillow in her hand. "Are you SURE you didn't do anything to me?"
"I'm positive, I swear!" He gave her a puppy dog look.
*He just ALWAYS has to do that...* Ukiyou thought as she put the pillow down. "Okay, I believe you..."
<Kamiya Dojo>
"Oro? Ukiyou-dono and Sano didn't come back last night, de gozaru ka?" Kenshin asked.
"Aa," Nuriko answered. "I checked U-chan's room and she wasn't there."
"Heh, maybe that 'catching up on old times' was something ELSE," Yahiko comically suggested.
"And what the hell is on YOUR mind today, Yahiko-CHAN," Sanosuke's voice called out.
He came out from the side along with Ukiyou, eyes narrowed for a split second. Then he grinned maniacally and waved.
"Yo! Sorry for being late. The little lady here got tired, you know?" Sanosuke greeted, jabbing his thumb at Ukiyou.
"And what's THAT suppossed to mean, Sano?" Ukyou asked dangerously.
"Yahiko! Just where are you?" Kaoru called out and then stopped as she appeared. "Ara! Ukiyou, you came back! I was beginning to think that you decided to stay with Aiko-san."
Ukiyou let out a laugh. "Ie, I was just tired on the way back home last night so I stayed with Sano."
"Oh, sou ka..."
"Are you planning to go visit Aiko sometime today, Ukiyou-dono?" Kenshin suddenly asked.
Ukiyou blinked a few times in confusion before the question kicked in. She was guessing it was due to her slight hangover from last night that was making her mind a bit fuzzy. "Huh? Oh, anno, I guess so. Why do you aske?"
"Se...sessha wanted to ask a few questions with her."
Kaoru looked at her red-headed rurouni with a touch of concern. Although nobody else had noticed, Kaoru saw the slight flicker of amber in his eyes. That could only mean one thing: Battousai was regaining control. "....Kenshin?"
"Maa...I guess it shouldn't be a problem," Ukiyou replied. Then she looked around, realizing that some people were missing. "Hey...where's Chichiri and Tasuki?"
(AN:To All FY Fans who are Tasuki/Chichiri fanatics ~ NO, it is not what you think where they are.)
"Chichiri's meditating in his room," Nuriko answered. "And Tasuki...well, you know him. Out like a light from all the sake that he had last night."
"....sou...." Ukiyou was lost in thought. An evil, evil idea popped in her head. "Ne, Nuriko, do you want the honors of waking him up or me?"
Getting the hint, Nuriko grinned like a maniac, cracking his knuckles in the process. "Oh, just leave that to me..."
Nuriko then disappeared, heading towards the ex-bandit's room. A few minutes later, the birds flew away and glass broke due to the horrendous cries for help by a particular fanged bandit under the mercy of a crossdressing, extraordinary strength man's delight.
<That afternoon ~ Tokio's home>
"I'm not so sure if putting her in your safety is such a good idea," Aiko stated to the thin, lean man in front of her.
"Then what do you suggest to do; leave her waiting to get pounced on?" the man replied. He didn't mind the look that Aiko gave him, it was something that he was already used to. "I'm just kidding, Aiko. With that look you're giving me, you look like your brother, Battousai."
"You know, I sometimes wonder how my cousin puts up with that attitude of yours, Saitoh," Aiko curtly replied.
Saitoh Hajime, third captain of the Shinsengumi, Mibu's wolf, gave back an arroganty smirk.
"It's my charm."
<outside>
"Do we really have to go all together like this?" Yahiko asked up to the sky. "It feels like we're going to some party or something."
"Maa...you didn't all have to come, de gozaru," Kenshin pointed out.
"But Kenshin, we WANT to come. Besides, I don't wanna be stuck with whatever chore that busu here wants me to do."
"What was that, Yahiko?" Kaoru warned.
They saw Tokio sweeping the front gates of her home.
"Tokio-san!" Ukkyou shouted.
Tokio lifted her head, stopping what she was doing. She greeted the rather large group coming towards her with a warm smile.
"Oh, minna-san, konnichiwa," she bowed. "What are all of you guys doing here?"
"Just came ot visit," Ukiyou said. "And these guys wanted to know where you lived."
As the two ensued conversation, Kenshin was trying to peer through the open gate. It wasn't because he was nosy or anything...it was just out of curiosity. Curious to know who exactly Fujita Tokio really was besides his sister's cousin. Two people came out of the home. One was Aiko who looked a bit peeved. The man next to her was someone that he totally unexpected.
"Oro?!? Saitoh?!?!?!?"
With the exception of Tokio, Ukiyou, and her fellow seishi, everyone was a bit...well, shell-shocked.
Saitoh arched an eyebrow at the dumbfounded, stupified gang. "Tokio, since when did you have a lot of guests?"
Tokio smiled sweetly back at him. "Oh, I just met them when I found Aiko, anata."
The world was beginning to crumble.
"A-a-anata?!?!?" Kaoru sputtered out.
"T-t-t-tokio-dono," Kenshin stammered. "Y-y-you're his...."
Tokio nodded. "Hai. Minna, this is my husband, Fujita Goro or you might know him as Saitoh Hajime."
If the Kenshingumi were to die now, they would have died out of sheer shock and fear.
"USO!!!!!"
"U-chan, Chichiri, Tasuki, Nuriko," Sanosuke addressed them. "Did YOU guys know????"
"Da!" That was Chichiri.
"Unfortunately, yes." That came from a grumbling Tasuki.
"Well, we kinda had to..." That was Nuriko's happy-go-lucky way of saying, "yes".
"Of course, baka. Why do you think I'm not surprised?" That was from Ukiyou in her "nice" way of saying: DUH!!!
"A-aiko..." Kenshin attempted to ask her.
Aiko sighed, gesturing to Saitoh. "I forgot to introduce you. Yes, meet my ahou-cousin-in-law, Saitoh Hajime."
Saitoh lit his cigarette, one of his many trademarks. Maybe it was to get off all the hidden embarrassment that he had....
<later>
Kenshin politely waited as Aiko took care of her children. To waste time, he watched Kaoru entertain Asuka and the twins. He smiled to himself, watching her. *She's so beautiful.*
"Okay! I'm done!" Aiko announced, breaking him out of his little reverie. She quickly sat down next to him, smiling. "So, what did you want to ask about?"
"First things first," Kenshin said after reluctantly taking his gaze away from Kaoru. Of course, this wasn't what exactly was on his mind, but he just had to know. "HOW did Tokio-dono marry Saitoh in the first place?"
Aiko smiled even more. "You got me on that one. I'm not sure how she fell in love with him, but I'm pretty sure it was during her missions back during the Bakumatsu. Saitoh, I've met a couple of times even BEFORE they got married. The Shinsengumi always stayed at Tokio's father's home whenever they passed by. To pay their respects, I guess."
"During her missions, de gozaru?" Kenshin repeated. "You mean that Tokio-dono was a part of the Riskbreakers, too?"
"She still is, actually," Aiko said. "Took half of my work while I was pregnant with Shunsaku, Asuka, and then the twins. Have you ever heard of Hitokiri Kaede?"
Kenshin's violet eyes widened in surprise. He had heard rumors about the increase in female hitokiris during the days of the Bakumatsu. The two most infamous were Hitokiri Rekka, which was Aiko, and Hitokiri Kaede. He had never faced the other one...
"Masaka...Tokio-dono..."
"Hai, Tokio' Hitokiri Kaede, although you really can't tell unless you look at her callused hands."
"But she seems such a..."
"Nice person? Well, I was like that, too, ne?"
"Hai...shikashi..."
"Tokio hasn't failed a mission except for one. That was the one when she was ordered to assassinate Saitoh. I was suppossed to take it, but whaddya know, I'm carrying the twins around in my body."
"Sou de gozaru ka...." That was when everything seemed to click in. Of course Saitoh wouldn't marry just an ordinary woman. She had to be one who can take care of herself or else be left behind.
"Now, about you love life, my dear brother..." Aiko continued.
"Oro??"
"Don't you 'oro' me. I saw how you were looking at Kaoru-chan. You can't fool me. You love her with all your heart, don't you?"
Kenshin looked at his hands. "....Sessha don't deserve someone like her."
Aiko sight. "Of course you do, baka." She leaned in closer, looking at him straight in the eyes. "I know that you're afraid of losing her like how you lost Tomoe, demo you have to move on in life, taking the risks. If Tomoe were to see you now, she wouldn't be happy in you denyling yourself all the time."
"I know...but...."
"Denying your own happiness isn't good for you or for anyone that matter. Nobody can live alone, Kenshin. Not forever. And I can tell that Kaoru deeply cares about you, but she's afraid."
That surprised him. "Afraid? Naze?"
Aiko smiled again yet sympathetically this time. "She's afraid that you might reject her because of her imperfections. A woman can be like that. And we can wait as long as we can, but we can't wait forever, Kenshin." She stood up and began to leave. "Tell her before she's taken away from you."
Kenshin watched her go, stunned. Although he didn't want to believe it...Aiko was right.
<Musashi Police Station ~ nighttime>
Yui was finishing packing her belongings. Why was she getting transferred to Tokyo, hell would she know.
"Yui-sama?"
She stopped, her blue eyes wide with shock at the voice's familiarity. With trepidation, she turned around to face a young man with greenish hair and hazel eyes. A blue bandana, a too familiar face.
"Suboshi..."
Suboshi stepped out of the shadows, approaching her. With each step he took, she took a step back.
"Suboshi, w-why are you here?" she asked.
"Yui-sama, why did you leave?" Suboshi asked, still approaching her.
Panic was rising her mind as she continued to walk backwards. "D-don't..."
Suboshi went out to reach her. "Yui-sama..."
That was when she was about to bolt when Suboshi quickly grabbed her arm and swung her back in his arms. Yui struggled in his grasp. "Suboshi, let me g---"
Her eyes widened in shock as he kissed her. *No...Kodoku...*
The last thing that Touma Yui remembered before she hit darkness was Suboshi's remorseful face...
( Chichiri )
[ Tasuki ]
/ Taka-neko \
** TrowaPlushie **
AUTHORESS NOTES: Wahahahahahaha.....that's all for now! Sorry if it's a bit short....
[Oi, Ayame-chan, why'd you have to make me get beat up by Nuriko for?!?!?]
(I didn't get as many lines as I used to, no da.)
/Mreow?\
**...No comment on that.**
*grabs back keyboard* Oi, can I get back to this now? Anyhoo, hope you enjoy!! And Tasuki, that was punishment for you.
[!@@#$%$^#^%&]
^_^ I'm so nice....