[kenshinfanfics] That Which Lingers - Part 1 (draft)

This is a draft of Part 1 my new story.  It was originally supposed to
be a crossover with Highlander, but that's all changed  ^_^;

This story is set in my own ALTERNATE REALITY universe which I've
called "The Nightwitch Tales" -- think of it as Rurouni Kenshin mixed
with various supernatural and paranormal elements.  Other stories in
this alternate reality are:
        "Night Visitor"
        "All in the Family"
        "Romancing the Wolf"

WARNING:  This story is "semi-dark" -- it has dark elements
(violence, etc) but it's not a darkfic!  Actually, there's
quite a bit of romance in it....     ^_-

This story takes place after the end of the Kyoto story arc.  After
that, it takes a sharp left turn into its own world.  Elements of the
Revenge story arc may or may not show up later on in the story.  The
Kenshin Gumi already know that Saitoh survived the destruction of
Shishio's stronghold.

As always, C&C is greatly appreciated!   ^_^

======================================================================
    THAT WHICH LINGERS:  A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfic by MadamHydra
======================================================================
        Part 1: Unexpected Encounters
======================================================================

---------------
Disclaimer
    All rights and privileges to Rurouni Kenshin belong to Nobuhiro
Watsuki, Shuiesha, Sony Music Entertainment, and associated parties.
The characters of these series are used WITHOUT permission for the
purpose of entertainment only.  This work of fiction is not meant for
sale or profit.  Original portion of the fiction included here is
considered to be the sole property and copyrighted to the author.

---------------
Text Conventions
    (  ) are character thoughts
    * ----- * ----- *  marks the start and end of flashbacks
    [ ] denote visual or time notes

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[the present, 11th year of the Meiji period, late summer]

    Strolling down the street, Kamiya Kaoru glanced at the girl beside
her and said, "Misao, I'm glad you came to Tokyo for a visit."

    The girl laughed and said, "Well, actually it wasn't entirely my
idea.  Jiya suggested it.  I think he wanted me out of his beard for a
while."

    "Why?"
 
    Misao sniffled.  "Aoshi-sama."
 
    "Oh....  I'm beginning to see.  Uh, how is Aoshi?"
 
    Flicking her braid over her shoulder, Misao said morosely,
"He's... he's so quiet!   No matter what I do,... no matter what I
say,....  All he does is drink tea, meditate, and read books on Zen!
I've tried and tried and tried to get him to smile, but nothing ever
works!  I've told him jokes, read him funny stories, dressed up in
silly costumes,..."

    Kaoru thought uneasily, (I'm beginning to understand why Okina
suggested she take a little trip away from Kyoto!)

    "But I refuse to give up!  I'll going to make him smile...
somehow!"  There was a gleam of ferocious determination in Misao's
eyes.  "Aoshi-sama is like an injured bird, one that's forgotten how
to fly.  And I'm going to teach him, one way or another... even if it
kills me!"

    Kaoru laughed nervously, "That's... that's nice."
 
    Catching the uneasily look on her friend's face, Misao relaxed and
chuckled.  "Oh, don't worry.  I'm not going to do anything stupid.
Patience and persistence.   That's my motto!  And Jiya was right.  I
did need to get away from Kyoto for a while."

    "I'm glad you're enjoying your trip."
 
    Misao said, "Well, I have to confess that it's not entirely all
fun and games.  I'm sort of playing errand girl."

    "Oh?  If you don't mind me asking...."
 
    Misao's expression become somber.  "One of Jiya's old friends was
recently killed under very suspicious circumstances."

    "Oh no!"
 
    "Yes!  Mr. Uboshita and his entire family were killed just about a
week ago.  And on the very same day of their deaths, his son's fiancee
threw herself off a bridge and drowned, in full view of everyone on
the street!"  Misao frowned.  "That was bad enough, but when I got
here, I found out that they weren't the only suspicious deaths that
have occurred recently."

    Kaoru bowed her head.  "Yes, I know.  Everyone in Tokyo has been
talking about it.  In the last week, nearly thirty people have died.
Five entire families!"

    Misao nodded grimly.  "And most killed by a sword."
 
    "Yes.  Chief Inspector Uramura has been by the dojo to talk to
Kenshin...."  Kaoru's voice trailed off.

    The ninja girl blinked, then shouted, "The police don't think
HIMURA had anything to do with this!?"

    Kaoru shook her head emphatically.  "No.  They know that Kenshin
couldn't possibly be responsible.  One of the families were murdered
at the exact same time Chief Uramura had his meeting with Kenshin."

    "And was Himura able to tell them anything?"
 
    "He went to take a look at the bodies, but...."
 
    "But what!?"
 
    "He said that there appeared to be only one, extremely skilled
attacker.  Kenshin also said that he had never seen that exact style
before, but that some of the injuries reminded him of the work of the
Shinsengumi."

    "You don't mean to say that it's Saitoh...!"
 
    Kaoru shook her head again.  "No.  It can't be him either.  He has
an even better alibi than Kenshin.  He was apparently in Osaka meeting
with government officials for the last several days.  And... Saitoh
may be a ruthless killer, but he doesn't kill without reason."

    Misao muttered, "I suppose that's true.  But there can't be that
many master swordsmen or assassins around capable of doing this sort
of work."

    "I know.  But what's even worse is the total lack of rhyme or
reason to the deaths.  I could see a rich and influential person like
Mr. Uboshita having enemies, but two of the families were just
ordinary shopkeepers.  There doesn't seem to be any connection, so
there's no way to predict who's the killer's next target.  Then
there's still the matter of the suicides."

    Misao frowned.  "All were members of the massacred families or
close friends?"

    "That's right.  A mad killer is bad enough, but those
suicides...."  Kaoru shivered.  "The police have been trying to hide
the true extent of the problem to keep the public from panicking, but
there are already rumors.  People are trying to act like nothing's
wrong, but you can feel the fear and tension in the air."

    "Yeah.  Everyone's twitchy."
 
    There was a long silence, then Kaoru abruptly shook her head.
"Listen to all this doom and gloom!  You're here and we're going to
have a celebration dinner."

    Misao grinned and said, "Is this the reason for the long walk?"
 
    "Yes, Tae told me about this little shop that has the best fish
and shellfish in the city.  Their merchandise is a bit expensive, but
it's going to be worth it!  Here we are."  She stopped outside a
prosperous looking store.

    The ninja girl said, "Then I hope you're going to let Himura do
the cooking....  Eep!"  She clapped both hands over her mouth and
nervously watched Kaoru.

    She glared at Misao and muttered, "Hmph!  Just because I'm not the
best cook in the world...."
 
    Inside the store, the shopkeeper was busy chatting with a female
customer.  The woman was not young, perhaps in her early thirties, but
she had a serene, ageless sort of beauty that invited people to take a
second look.  Beside her stood a young boy with spiky black hair.  He
was carrying a shinai slung over his shoulder.

    For a startled moment, Kaoru thought it was Yahiko, then quickly
realized that the boy was too tall and too scrawny to be her
irritating pupil.  When the boy turned and glanced at her, she was
struck by the bleak stare and the harsh lines of the still young face.

    (Such old eyes.  Yahiko's had a hard childhood, but his eyes are
nothing like this.  This boy's seen truly terrible things....)

    The boy suddenly blinked in surprise, then said, "Hey, it's the
Weasel Girl!"

    Misao turned bright red and yelled, "What do you mean 'weasel'...
Eiji!?"  Her jaw dropped open as she gave the boy a stupefied stare.

    Kaoru said, "Uh, Misao?  Do you know him?"
 
    The ninja girl ignored Kaoru for the moment and blurted out, "What
the hell are you doing here in Tokyo!?"

    He scowled at her and muttered, "You're SO stupid!  I live here
now."
 
    "Live here?  In Tokyo?"
 
    "Didn't I just say that?  You're sounding like a brainless
parrot!"

    "But... but... I thought you were going to live with... with...,"
Misao babbled.

    The boy said irritably, "I AM living with her!"
 
    As the shopkeeper bustled away into his storeroom, the woman
turned around and put her hand lightly on Eiji's shoulder.  In a soft,
gentle voice, she said, "Are these friends of yours?"

    Eiji glanced up at the woman.  Kaoru was astonished to see his
scowl turn into a relaxed grin.

    "Oh yeah.  She's the Weasel Girl that I told you about."
 
    The woman gave Kaoru and the still speechless Misao a warm smile.
Her dark brown eyes were calm and patient, but there was also a faint
twinkle in them which hinted at a playful sense of humor.

    "So you're the girl who saved Eiji's life on more than one
occasion.  I would like to thank you very much."

    Eiji snorted loudly as the woman gave Kaoru and Misao a deep bow
and said, "Allow me to introduce myself.  I am Fujita Tokio."
 
    "T-T-Tokio!?" stuttered Misao, who looked like someone had hit her
over the head with a brick.

    Kaoru couldn't quite figure out why Misao was behaving so
strangely.  (Fujita?  Fujita... why does that name seem so familiar?)

    Misao continued to babble incoherently, her eyes bulging.
"You're... you're... S-S-Saitoh's... Saitoh's...."

    (Saitoh?  What does Saitoh have to do with Fujita....)
 
    "....w-w-wife....!?"

    Kaoru's packages toppled to the ground.  She turned to stare at
Misao, who was still gaping like a beached fish.

    "She's... she's...."  It was Kaoru's turn to start babbling.
 
    Misao slowly nodded.
 
    In a strangled voice, Kaoru whispered, "You're Saitoh Hajime's...
wife!?"

    Tokio said mildly, "Yes, I am."
 
    "Here you are, Fujita-san!  I was saving those fish just for you!"
 The shopkeeper reappeared in the store.  With a flourish and a deep
bow, he handed Tokio a carefully wrapped package.

    She gave him a happy smile and said, "Oh, thank you!  They're one
of my husband's favorites."

    The shopkeeper turned to Kaoru and Misao.  "Now, ladies, can I
help you?"

    "...."
 
    "Uh, ladies?  Would you like some fish?  Clams?  Shrimp?  Squid?"
 
    "...."
 
    Eiji gave Misao a sharp nudge with his elbow.  "Hey, stupid!  The
guy's talking to you!"

    "Wha...?" the ninja girl mumbled.
 
    Tokio walked up to Kaoru and said, "Excuse me, I didn't catch your
name?"

    "....Kamiya Kaoru...," she answered in a dazed voice.
 
    In a gentle, coaxing voice, Tokio said, "What were you planning to
buy?"

    "Uh.... octopus... eels....."
 
    Without appearing the least bit pushy, Tokio managed to get a hold
of Kaoru's shopping list.  A few minutes later, with Kaoru's purchases
completed, Tokio deftly ushered the two young women out of the shop,
leaving behind a very confused shopkeeper.

-----------------------------------

    Before she quite knew what hit her, Kaoru found herself standing
in a quiet side street along with Misao, fresh seafood in hand.  Eiji
was holding Kaoru's other packages with a bored look on his face.
 
    Kaoru said, "I'm sorry, Fujita-san.  It's just that I can't
imagine a man like Saitoh being married...."  Her words came to an
abrupt halt and she turned bright red.  "I mean... that is... it's
such a shock....  Oh dear, I'm making such a mess out of this...."

    Tokio chuckled softly.  In a placid voice, she said, "Don't worry,
Kamiya-san.  I've seen some much more extreme reactions before.  My
husband's known to be a little difficult to deal with at times."

    Misao finally managed to get her mouth back in working order.  "A
little difficult, she says!"

    "Misao!" Kaoru hissed angrily.
 
    The ninja girl mumbled, "Sorry."
 
    Before Misao could say anything else, there were faint shouting
noises, followed by the distant sound of gunfire.

    Misao immediately stiffened and said, "What the...?"
 
    Several minutes passed, then they heard a crash and the sound of
stumbling footsteps from around the corner.  As Misao reached for her
kunai, a fat, middle-aged man staggered into view, bleeding heavily.
In one hand, he clutched a bloodied sword.

    Kaoru dropped her package and snatched Eiji's shinai.  Both she
and Misao stepped protectively in front of Tokio and the boy.

    The man didn't even seem to notice them.  He stared down at the
sword in his hand, then flung it down on the ground with an anguished
cry.  He babbled, "No... no... I didn't... I couldn't stop myself... I
loved them!  What have I done!  WHAT HAVE I DONE!?!?"

    With that final wail of despair, the man turned and charged head
first into the nearby stone wall.  The impact was strong enough to
send blood flying.

    "What are you doing!?" Misao shouted.
 
    Kaoru jumped forward and grabbed the man in a frantic effort to
stop him.  He flung her aside and continued slamming his skull into
the wall, over and over again.  In front of their horrified eyes, he
kept beating his head repeatedly against the unyielding stone,
apparently hellbent on his own destruction.

    There was a final, sickening crunch, then the man slowly sagged to
the ground, his face now only a bleeding mass of bone and flesh.
 
    As Kaoru slowly got to her feet and walked over to the mortally
wounded man, Misao glanced away from the pathetic sight.  She frowned
as she noticed something odd about the bloodied weapon lying discarded
on the ground.  She bent down to take a closer look.

    (That's strange.  I've never seen a black sword blade like this
before....)  The ninja girl reached out to pick it up.

    With her hands on Eiji's shaking shoulders, Tokio quietly asked,
"Is he dead?"

    Kaoru stepped away from the man's body.  "Yes... yes, he is.  I...
I don't understand.  How can someone... DO... something like that to
himself?  How can someone... beat their own brains out?"  She glanced
around in a slight daze, then saw Misao kneeling on the ground,
holding the man's sword.

    "Misao, what do you have...."
 
    Without warning, the ninja girl whirled and slashed upward.  Only
Kaoru's excellent reflexes kept her from being gutted as the razor
sharp blade sliced across her stomach.

    Staggering backward in both pain and shock, Kaoru fell against the
wall, clutching at her belly.  She could feel warm blood seeping
between her fingers.

    "MISAO... WHY!?"
 
    Eiji yelled, "Have you gone crazy, you stupid bitch!"  He tried to
lunge at her, but was firmly held back by Tokio.
 
    The hairs on the back of Kaoru's neck rose as the ninja girl
chuckled softly.

    "Why?  Because I felt like it."  With a pantherish leap, Misao
jumped onto a nearby rooftop.

    Her vision going dim, Kaoru shouted, "Where are you... going!?
Misao!"

    With her braid angrily lashing back and forth like the tail of a
great cat, Misao tossed her head and said, "I'm going to give my love
to my darling Aoshi-sama!"  With those words, she disappeared from
view.

    The vicious little smile on the ninja girl's face and the maddened
gleam in her blue eyes left Kaoru with no doubt of Misao's intentions.
 
    As Tokio quickly moved to Kaoru's side to examine her injuries,
the young woman frantically whispered, "She's going to try to kill
him!  And... she might... be able to do it!  We have... to warn...
Aoshi!"

-----------------------------------
(end of part 1)

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Next part:  It's not exactly a roll in the hay for Aoshi.  ^_^

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