Two Sides of a Sword: Two Lives, One Survivor (II)

AN: Okay, here's part two of chapter 17!! It may be a bit long (as it's longer than the usual chapters), but hey, that's bad for me to type it up and not for you, ne?

Chapter 17.5 ~ Two Lives, One Survivor (Part Two)

How many lives must be destroyed before life itself was destroyed? Why couldn't others see that there were other alternatives than fighting?

Misao wandered through the darkness with a blind guide, not knowing where she was or what she was doing. She didn't understand anything that was happening at all except for one thing: this was not her time. The mourning of the living and the screams of the dying were heard everywhere, surrounding her like a bubble not yet ready to burst. People running for their lives ran though her as if she didn't exist. Perhaps she really didn't --- or she wasn't even born just yet.

What's going on? she asked herself. What is this place?

"Okaasan, is it over yet?"

She turned around to see two forms huddled in a corner in what seemed to be an underground hideout. A young boy barely eight years of age curled against his pregnant mother's side who in turned seemed intent on listening to the screams above.

"Ssh, not yet, Ao-chan, not yet," his mother replied in a soft voice, her features obscured by the darkness. Thick ebony hair was tied loosely in a bun.

Misao knew that voice and stepped closer. "Ling-san?"

The two people didn't hear her, which was what Misao seemed to get most of the time in this horrid, chaotic darkness.

"Is otousan going to be back soon?" the boy asked, staring up at his mother with unusually calm ice blue eyes. Misao couldn't help but gasp in recognition. She knew that face...

"I don't know, Ao-chan, I don't know..." his mother replied; her head unconsciously went to the her swollen stomach and pulled her son closer to her.

Although he was just a boy, she could still recognize him. He hadn't changed, not one bit.

"Aoshi-sama..."

Ikumi let out a yawn as she stepped out of her room to greet the morning with Setsuko in her arms. The two and a half year old was still quite sleepy, rubbing her eyes for a minute only to wrap her arms around her mother's neck and sleep some more. Despite how early it was, there were other activities already bustling about in the school that disturbed the peaceful, silent atmosphere of the mountains.

"Ara? Oniichan, you're outside early," Ikumi greeted her brother with mild surprise. Aoshi was dressed in his typical uniform after a day in the Chinese clothing, and he was preparing to leave.

"I just needed some fresh air," he replied in a somewhat dull tone. Ikumi could see that her brother's mind was elsewhere.

"Fresh air?" she repeated, slightly confused. She continued to watch him as he slipped in some shurikens in his sleeve, wondering what her brother was worried about. Aoshi had stopped when he realized she was watching him.

"Nani?" he asked with curious eyes.

However, Ikumi shook her head and adjusted Setsuko in her arms. "Nothing. Just wanted to say that I'm not coming with you today. We're here to see you guys off."

Aoshi stared at her, not surprised, and began re-lacing the hilt of his kodaichi. "Sou ka..."

A wry smile curled on Ikumi's lips. "And I thought you'd be surprised. Did Ryu tell you earlier?"

"Ie, I kind of expected it. You have Setsuko-chan to take care of and---"

"You're entrusting Misao-chan to me." She smiled again at the surprised look on his face. "You can be as easy to read as a book sometimes."

"I take that as a compliment."

"Oh ho, my brother is actually being sarcastic for once?" Ikumi asked with mock surprise. "I think my influence is beginning to rub off on you, even after twelve years."

Aoshi gave his sister the slightest hint of a smile before focusing his mind back onto the subject. "You have something else to say..."

Ikumi sighed, knowing that it was impossible to hid the truth from him. "Although we're giving her everything we have to impede the poison's progress, Misao-chan doesn't have that much time. She's already...starting to hallucinate, mumbling things that don't mock much sense. So..."

Aoshi, being much taller than her, patted Ikumi on the head like how head used to when they were still children. "I'll try, Iku, I'll try."

Ikumi couldn't help but laugh, swatting away Aoshi's hand from her head. "Geez, I'm not a little kid anymore, oniichan; you can do that to you niece."

"I guess you can say that I'm trying to ignore the fact that you're married and happy while I'm not."

"Now don't you go saying that you're not happy! Didn't you ever realize that denying your happiness was a bad thing?" She paused. "Isamu-kun is coming along with you and Ryu as well. Daijoubu, he's very resourceful when it comes to stealing."

Aoshi arched an eyebrow at the comment. He could barely remember the younger man's face. "I'll...take your word on that."

Miraimoto Rokou crushed the piece of paper he had in his hands as the messenger behind him trembled in fear. His okashira was not one to be in the same room with when angry.

"That stupid little bitch!" he growled and paced the floor to grab a nodaichi in his collection. "I should have killed her on the day I found her in Shanghai."

He spun around towards a statue and sliced it in half with the nodaichi. The messenger flinched at the noise when it shattered into pieces, and he instinctively jumped away from the tip of the seven foot long weapon. Rokou turned around, facing the messenger and aimed the nodaichi at him.

"You," he ordered in a voice as cold as ice. "Send this message to Miyuki: kill her sister. I don't care how se does it nor the consequences; I want Sai dead."

"B-but, Rokou-sama...Sai has been a loyal servant to the Azuma clan," the messenger tried to explain.

"She may be loyal, but underneath that false loyalty lies hatred. The hatred she has towards her own clan will lead her to give the antidote to Shinomori to save that whore of a woman of his," Rokou calmly explained. "Do I make myself clear?"

The messenger reluctantly bowed at his okashira. "Hai, Rokou-sama."

<Misao's situation>

She didn't know where she was; time was flying right before her eyes. Misao ran out as fast as she could to catch up with the young Shinomori Aoshi who was carrying Ikumi and running away from a group of bandits. No matter what she tried to help them, she was nonexistent.

"Doushite?!? Why are you showing this to me?!?" she screamed at the darkness above her. "If this is Aoshi-sama's past, then why are you showing this if I can't help him?!?"

It is to show you WHY Aoshi-sama hides form you, Misao-chan, a familiar voice replied in the darkness.

Aoshi had tripped over his own feet and twisted his body just in time so to not injure the one year old Ikumi from the fall. He was tired, breathing heavily with tears in his eyes, as he vainly tried to soothe Ikumi's cries. The bandits had caught up to them and one raised his weapon above his head ready for the kill when...

Misao looked above her, the familiar husky voice haunting her memories.

...the bandit suddenly had no arms. A whirlwind swept through the small group, each and every man screaming in pain as the sharp edges of the kodaichis sliced through their bodies. The assailant glared at the last man to fall by her hands, breathing heavily and blood staining her well-kept kimono. She dropped the ni-kodaichi in her hands and ran to her children, picking them up.

"Ao-chan, hurry, we have to hide," she demanded as gently as possible.

"Who are you?" Misao asked the darkness, not wanting to play guessing games.

I have taken care of you ever since your grandfather's death, Misao-chan, the voice replied.

Misao's eyes widened as it hit her. Tears began to fill her eyes as the action around her continued. "Hannya-kun..."

"Hannya-kun..."

Ling's head snapped up at the sound of Misao's voice and quickly went to Misao to feel her temperature. Fever's down a little.

"Misao-chan, what did you say?" she softly asked the young, poisoned woman.

"Hannya-kun, I thought you died...," Misao softly cried as tears fell from her closed eyes, "...you protected Aoshi-sama..."

"Hannya..." Ling softly repeated the name as she wiped away Misao's tears. Her mind slowly drifted back to memories locked away in her heart.

Isamu let out a yawn of boredom while he, Ryu, and Aoshi rode on horseback along a hidden mountain trail unknown even to him. Nobody seemed to want to speak, which was something that Isamu could not stand. Silence was something that he abhorred.

"Oi, how much longer till we get to this place?" he asked to break the silence.

"'This place' is a little detour," Ryu calmly explained; he was used to the younger man's antics. "Knowing what nay Azuma member would do, they'll be on the lookout for us."

"How long will taking this...detour take?" Aoshi asked. Time was running low for Misao; they all knew this.

"Maa, depending on how fast we can get through there, pretty quickly," Ryu replied. "It's a pretty short and straightforward path if no distractions appear."

The last comment was addressed to Isamu who had not yet gotten it through his head for a few minutes until,

"Hey, have some faith in me, will you?" he blurted out, feeling betrayed. "I've changed the past few years."

"Sure and the restaurant was a good example of how you 'changed'," Ryu replied just as casually.

Aoshi remained silent, amused. He reminds me of Himura-san's rooster head friend.

"That was only one mistake!" Isamu tried to explain without thinking. "If you were here the last two yea---"

He stopped himself once he saw the look on Ryu's face, but Isamu was too late. The damage had been done.

The trio faced the remains of what used to be a beautiful and sacred temple, but time had not been so gentle. The temple had been disturbed by gypsies and bandits who used the building as a safehouse form the local authorities who were on the hung for them. The three men got off of their horses, and Ryu approached the shrine's entrance. Two disfigured statures stood in front of the entrance as if to guard what was left of its property. Ryu approached one of the statues and examined it to make sure that its secrets had not been discovered. He then tapped its hollow right eye and turned to his companions behind him.

"Isamu, do you still have that jade Jun gave you?" he asked.

"Yeah...what do you need it for?" Isamu asked and sifted through the inside pocket of his shirt.

Ryu just smiled. "You'll see."

"How do you know of this place?" Aoshi asked him as Isamu handed over a small jade stone.

"Your sister, Fei and I used to play around here as children," Ryu explained and inserted the stone into the right eye. He took a step back as the ground trembled beneath them. The statue sunk to the ground to reveal a passageway. "Although I didn't know until I came to the Azuma that it led to one of their safehouses. Sai should be residing at the end."

They jumped down into the passageway where torches lit the way, unusual for an escape route that had not been used in many years.

Isamu let out a low whistle. "Che, somebody's kept this place up."

"They've probably been expecting us for a long time," Ryu murmured as he led the way to disarm the traps.

Or they've been waiting for escape, Aoshi thought otherwise.

As the trio ventured further and further into the passageway, they began to notice a strong, rustic stench filtering in the stale air. Each step they took, the stench got stronger, almost to the point where it became unbearable. Each man knew that stench, that smell, from the dark years spent on the death of another: blood. A foreboding feeling slowly began to surface in Aoshi's heart. Something was wrong; the air just didn't feel right.

At the end of the tunnel lay Nakamoto Sai in her own pool of blood.

<Misao's situation>

"Hannya-kun..."

The former Oniwanbanshuu ninja, the master of disguise, the man who dared not reveal his face to anyone but himself, stepped out of the darkness that held him away from the light. Misao couldn't help but let the tears escape from her eyes. Hannya stood where he was as Misao slowly walked towards him, hand outstretched and trembling. When she finally reached him, Misao finally let herself cry on his shoulder like times of old. Hannya tried to comfort her, brushing away the stray strands of hair that clung to her damp cheeks.

"Hannya-kun...I thought you died," she murmured.

"I did, Misao-chan," he replied. "I protected Aoshi-sama for you."

"...You protected Aoshi-sama...?" she repeated. The words seemed as if they were a part of a dream.

Then the impact of the words hit her, and Misao looked back up at Hannya who seemed to fade away from her grasp for a moment before rematerializing. Her care taker was...

"Uso..." Misao uttered out.

"I am no longer a part of this world, Misao-chan," Hannya explained as he faded back into the darkness.

"Matte, Hannya-kun!" Misao called out to him only to fall into the light.

(AN: Sorry to interrupt, but the following is my rendition of episode 11, or chapter 28 in the manga...I mixed the two together)

A memory ran past by Misao's eyes. Gunfire ran around her; the sound of a man's maniacal laughter echoed in the grand foyer. She saw blurs of colors around her, running away from the bullets that hailed on them. Misao cringed as the bullets flew in her direction, but of course they went through her body as if she had never existed.

"What the hell?!?" He's just shooting randomly on purpose!" she heard Sanosuke's voice yell.

Nani? What's going on? Why do I hear the rooster head? she wondered.

A flash of red hair swept past. "Himura?"

"The strongest one is ME!!" an unfamiliar voice cried and continued to laugh.

Chotto matte...masaka...

She turned around to see the bullets fly in Beshimi's direction. Her heart stopped. Just before Beshimi could be hit by the gunfire, Aoshi shoved the shorter man out of the way only to find himself get shot down by the bullets. Time seemed to have stopped as he crashed to the marble floor, clutching his bleeding legs. The man with the gatling gun laughed hysterically.

"Kanryuu! Why are you doing this?!?" Hannya demanded.

Misao's legs faltered as she sunk down. "Takeda...Kanryuu..."

She was witnessing the beginning of Aoshi's fall to chaos.

Jun squeezed out the excess water from the cloth and placed it back on Misao's forehead.

"...stop it..." Misao whimpered in her nightmare, her cheeks flush with fever. She unconsciously grabbed Jun's hand who gently pried it off and set it back in its original place. Jun let out a heavy sigh, looking out the window. The mist had not yet cleared, and she prayed that the others would get the antidote and return safely. Time was running out.

Isamu quickly ran to Sai's body and checked to make sure that she was alive. The source of her wound came from a deep slash across her neck, but it had not yet reached bone. He turned to Aoshi and Ryu.

"She's still alive," he said in surprise.

"It's typical..." Ryu muttered as he and Aoshi stepped into the clearing. "But why would they take her out so soon?"

Sai slowly began to regain consciousness as Isamu administered to her wound. In doing so, the impact of her injury shot through her nerves, causing her to cough up her own blood.

"Oi, don't try to struggle, Kai Xuan," Isamu warned her. He gently lifted her head and wrapped a makeshift bandage around her throat.

"You...still call me...Kai Xuan," Sai replied in a hoarse whisper. "Even...after what...I've done."

"You never betrayed us, Kai Xuan," Isamu countered. "Students of the Wandon can always redeem themselves."

Aoshi knelt down beside the injured woman as Ryu warily looked around the clearing. As always, he was one to show no emotion, no sympathy. All that Aoshi wanted was the facts.

"Who did this to you?" he asked her.

Sai didn't reply immediately; she only stared into his eyes while painstakingly searched through the inner portion of her shirt. She finally took out a small pouch that had the insignia of the Azuma sewn into it, handing the pouch to Aoshi. He looked at the pouch then back at her questionably. She just smiled.

"My...betrayal to...Azuma," she whispered before closing her eyes into the sleep she had waited for.

Isamu quickly checked for a pulse; it was still there but barely. He silently nodded to them.

"Let's get out of here, then," Ryu announced.

As Aoshi stood back up while Isamu carried the unconscious Sai, something caught the corner of his eye. The very little light that glowed in the room reflected off something metallic like just above him on a ledge not fare from their position. When he turned around, the kunai struck his shoulder, sending him back one step. Ryu and Isamu went on their guard, looking around for the enemy. A woman's sadistic laughter echoed above them, hidden in the shadows.

"You won't be able to escape alive, I'm afraid," the woman's voice sweetly called. "You're pathetic, my dear sister."

"Sister?" Aoshi repeated, taking out the kunai that had dug deep within his shoulder. For some odd reason, his vision had begun to blur. He took a glance at his "comrades". Isamu did not look prepared to fight with Sai on his back and Ryu was cautiously pacing around, searching for the voice's owner.

"Miyuki, why don't you just get this over with?" Ryu asked, drawing his weapon.

Silence remained his answer for a few moments; Miyuki was surprised that he had known it was her.

Then she realized, "...You are the traitor."

Ryu smiled. "I was never a traitor to begin with. More like a spy."

Miyuki laughed. "So that's how you three arrived here so easily. However, the search only ends here."

Aoshi blinked a few times to clear his vision as ninja circled around them. Sweat dripped down his face and his muscles ached. He was determined to fight them off. What is wrong with me?

"Try to find which mask I hide behind, if you can," Miyuki dared.

Weapons drew themselves out from their sheaths and the blood dance began.

<Misao's situation>

Misao helplessly continued to watch Aoshi's suffering, his inner torment. After Kenshin's departure, Aoshi had just remained where he was for a few minutes, quietly seething out his anger. He ignored the whimpers of Takeda Kanryuu, pathetic as they were, and clenched his fist so tightly that his nails pierced the skin and drew blood. Misao did not know what was going on in his usually calm mind, but she could guess. Part of him was torn, torn into the teenager he was before when Ikumi had been kidnapped eleven years before and the okashira he was now.

"What kind of a leader am I?" she finally heard him whisper in such a low voice that it was barely audible.

"Aoshi-sama..." Misao murmured, incapable of doing anything for him.

He lifted his head as if he had heard her, quickly glancing around the grand foyer to see if anyone was there. His eyes fell on the bodies of the four men whom he could truly call his comrades.

They didn't deserve to die... his thoughts echoed in the darkness she inhabited. He struggled to stand up, ignoring the pain stabbing into his legs. He used his kodaichi as a support and slowly hobbled over to each of his comrades' bodies, swiftly slicing off their heads from their bodies and reverently carried them out of the hell that caused them to die.

His, however, had not ended there.

She continued to follow him, followed him out of the mansion, out of Tokyo, and out of society. He had taken the less inhabited route and quickly hid himself if somebody came despite his bad legs. Infection had come quickly; he hadn't bothered with bandages. Misao could see that Aoshi was struggling to keep awake as he used his kodaichi to dig out four holes to bury the heads of his four comrades. Beads of sweat dripped down his face; his breathing was labored, eyelids heavy with fatigue. Still, he tried to fight it and got himself standing upright once again to gather himself only to fall forward and stumble to the ground. He kneeled before the fresh graves a near death, leaning against his kodaichi as if it was the only thread of support he had left. Waves of emotion swept though his mind like a flood, but Aoshi dared not let it break, only concentrated on staying awake.

But even that could not let him fall into unconsciousness. Not able to watch anymore, Misao closed her eyes and let the tears fall.

"Please...stop it, I've seen enough..."

He lifted his head, hearing her voice. "...Misao?"

A bright flash of light appeared before Misao could do anything else, and she could see nothing. Nothing at all.

The ninja surrounding the three men proved to be much harder than they had expected. These were not the lackeys, the disposable followers of the Azuma, that Miyuki had dispatched. Most were highly skilled ninja; masters at their element. Especially with Isamu hindered with Sai on his back, the fight turned out much harder than expected. Miyuki laughed sinisterly above her perch of safety. Ryu cursed to himself as he ducked under the sword arm of one assailant to block the strike of another. They were going to get nowhere if they continued to be cornered like a frightened rabbit trapped by a pack of wolves. He stole a look to Aoshi, who seemed to be faring well against them. However, Shinomori Ikumi's husband noticed that Aoshi's movements were slow, hindered by something not seen by the naked eye.

Too absorbed in his own thoughts, Ryu almost didn't see Miyuki leap out of her hiding place above him to attack in the midst of confusion. He blocked the tanto that flew towards his head, but he couldn't see her jump back to her hiding place and lopped off the head of one assailant that dared to use the distraction to an advantage. He turned to Isamu who was busy fending off the ninja with various kinds of kicks, using the wall to his advantage. Although it didn't cause any casualties, the kicks were powerful enough to break a couple of bones and rend the enemy unconscious.

"Isamu, get her out of here!" he ordered the young bandit over the clash of steel and screams of the dying.

"NANI?!?" Isamu asked in bewilderment. He side kicked one ninja coming towards him, hurling the bewildered ninja back into his comrades. He adjusted Sai on his back, wondering if the young woman was just asleep or dead.

"You heard what I said, get her out of here!"

A flash of red and Miyuki's scent filtered Ryu's nostrils. He turned around to see the woman head straight for Aoshi who was both target and holder of the medicine that would save the old Makimachi's granddaughter's life. Aoshi, in the midst of his fighting, had too sensed something coming behind him. He turned around, thrusting his second kodaichi forward while the other killed the last ninja behind him. Something hit in his blurred vision.

Metal sunk into flesh.

Drops of red dripped to the cold ground.

And Aoshi pulled back his weapons. Miyuki staggered back in surprise, her hand covering the wound that Aoshi's kodaichi just made, while the ninja behind him fell to the ground, split from head to toe. An explosion, smoke, and confusion filled the room. Aoshi could see the woman being carried away by someone in the smoke, the green eyes piercing into his own. Then, succumbing to the poison's taint, he fell into a sea of red.