[KFFDisc] That Which Lingers - Part 12 (very rough draft)

HELP!!!  This part has been giving me conniptions!  Is this part
working?  Is Kenshin's response the least bit plausible or am I
forcing things?  Am I going too fast?  What else needs to be
explained?  Let me know!  ^_^;;;;

Oh yeah... I deliberately didn't say what's happening with Kaoru at
the moment in order to increase the suspense.  :P

---------------
This story is set in my own ALTERNATE REALITY Rurouni Kenshin 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"; and "Romancing the Wolf".
 
It takes place after the end of the Kyoto story arc.  After that, all
bets are off.  Elements of the Revenge story arc may show up in the
story.
 
WARNING:  This story is "semi-dark" -- it has dark elements
(violence, profanity, etc.) but it's not a darkfic!  Actually, there's

quite a bit of romance in it....     ^_-

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

======================================================================
    THAT WHICH LINGERS:  A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfic by MadamHydra
======================================================================
        Part 12:  THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL
======================================================================

---------------
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
    / / and // // represent various sorts of mental dialogue
    * ----- * ----- *  marks the start/end of dreams or flashbacks
    [ ] denote visual or time notes

**********************************************************************

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

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

    "KAORU!!!" shouted Aoshi.  His cry was echoed by Misao who stood
frozen in a doorway.

    Torn between pursuing Kaoru and tending to Aoshi, she ran first to
his side.  A quick glance told her that although he was in obvious
pain, he didn't seem to have any new injuries.  Biting her lip, she
turned to pursue Kaoru. However, she nearly fell on her face as Aoshi
hastily grabbed her bedrobe.

    "No, Misao!  You can't handle her, especially with a broken arm!"
 
    Still trying to pull free, Misao protested, "But... but...
Aoshi-sama!  I can't just let her...."

    Aoshi refused to relinquish his grip on her bedrobe, which was
perilously close to coming off her shoulders.  Shaking his head, he
gasped urgently, "Misao, please!  It's too dangerous for you."

    His tense plead stopped her dead.  She stopped struggling and sank
down beside him.

    "You said... 'please'...."
 
    He shifted uncomfortably under her wondering gaze and refused to
meet her eyes.
 
    The sound of rapidly approaching footsteps eliminated any chance
for Misao to pursue the topic further, but she swore to herself that
she WOULD discuss it with him later.

    Sano ran over to Kenshin's limp body and yelled, "What the hell
happened!?"
 
    Megumi peered into the wardroom and shouted, "Kaoru's gone!"
Noticing Kenshin lying unconscious on the floor, she exclaimed,
"Ken-san!" and dashed over to examine him.
 
    "How is he?" Sano asked worriedly.

    After a quick, but thorough examination, she said, "He has a cut
and a lump on the back of his head.  Scalp wounds tend to bleed a lot
so they always look worse than they actually are.  Other than that, I
can't find anything else wrong."

    "I don't believe it!  How did someone manage to sneak in here,
knock out Kenshin, and grab Kaoru!?"  Yahiko stared around wildly.

    "Don't ask me!  I don't know!"  Sano jumped to his feet and turned
to run outside.

    Misao hastily grabbed the fighter's sleeve and yanked hard in an
effort to get his attention, but with Megumi, Yahiko, and Sano all
talking at once, no one was paying any attention to her.  Finally, she
shrieked at the top of her lungs.

    "HEY!!!  LISTEN TO ME!!!"
 
    Sano, Yahiko, and Megumi fell silent and stared at her.  Misao
took a deep breath and said, "You don't understand what's going on!
There wasn't any mysterious intruder!"

    "What?  Girl, you're making absolutely NO sense!" Sano snapped.
 
    It appeared that all the shouting had managed to rouse Kenshin.
His quiet groan cut through the raised voices.  As everyone watched
him with concern, he slowly opened his eyes and tried to sit up.

    "Take it easy, Kenshin.  You took one hell of a whack on the
head."  Sano tried to get his friend to lie down again, but Kenshin
resisted.  Grimacing at the throbbing pain in his skull, he whispered,
"What... happened?  Where's Kaoru-dono?"

    The ominous silence that followed was like a dagger in Kenshin's
guts.  He stared at all of them and repeated very evenly, "Where's
Kaoru-dono?"

    In a flat voice, Aoshi said, "Gone."

    "Gone?  Where?"

    "I don't know."

    "Who hit me?"

    "It was Kaoru."

    The exchange of short, emotionless words was making Yahiko's skin
prickle.  It was like the lull before a big thunderstorm.

    "What?"

    Kenshin's voice was frighteningly soft and even.  However, Aoshi
didn't let that rattle him.  He slowly rose to his feet, helped by
Misao.  Straightening with some effort, Aoshi said quietly but firmly,
"I didn't actually see what happened.  I heard a thud, then the sound
of someone falling on the floor.  When I went to check, I saw you
lying on the floor.  Kaoru was standing over you holding THAT in her
hand."  He pointed at the small stone statue lying on the floor.

    Yahiko picked up the chunk of rock and held it up for everyone to
see.  From the fresh blood and reddish hairs stuck to the stone, it
seemed pretty obvious that it was the weapon used to knock Kenshin out
cold.

    "Then what happened?"  It seemed impossible, but Kenshin's voice
became even colder.

    "Kaoru dropped the statue and picked up the sword."

    "You're not telling me that she's been taken over by that damned
cursed sword!" Sano groaned.

    Aoshi nodded.

    "I thought you two said you wrapped it up so no one could touch
it!"  Sano glared accusingly at the two ninja.

    "We did!" Misao protested.

    "It WAS securely wrapped, but...."  Aoshi hesitated before
continuing.  "But when she picked it up, it almost seemed to... unwrap
itself...."

    Megumi gasped and turned pale.

    Yahiko snapped, "I don't get it!  How the hell could Kaoru get
taken over by the sword if she wasn't touching or holding it when all
this shit started!?"

    "I don't know," said Aoshi.

    Grasping at straws, Sano blurted out, "But you said yourself that
you didn't see her actually hit Kenshin!  Maybe she just happened to
pick it up after someone else...."

    Both Misao and Aoshi shook their heads.

    "I'm quite certain that it was Kaoru's hand that struck Kenshin."

    "How so?" said Kenshin in the same terse, flat voice.  By now, his
eyes -- normally a warm, dark violet -- looked like shards of pale
purple ice and were just as cold.

    Aoshi looked steadily at the others.  "It was the look in her
eyes."

    Kenshin blinked suddenly.

    With an emotionless voice, Aoshi added, "She was perfectly aware
of what she was doing... and she was crying."

    Sano, Yahiko, and Megumi stared speechlessly at Aoshi.

    Misao fell to her knees in front of Kenshin, who was still sitting
on the floor.

    "She was WEEPING... I mean, the tears were just pouring down her
face... and the guilt and pain in her eyes....  Himura... Kaoru KNEW
what was going on... she KNEW what she had just done to you... but...
but it was like she just couldn't stop herself!"  The ninja girl hung
her head, her lips quivering as she fought back the impulse to burst
into tears.

    Kenshin's eyes darkened as Misao's words seemed to shatter the
frozen calm slowly encasing his heart and mind.

    Aoshi gave Misao a quick, concerned look and said, "Kaoru picked
up the sword, then left a message for you before she fled into the
night."

    Megumi hissed angrily, "Why didn't you try to stop her!?"

    Misao jerked her head up, but Aoshi forestalled the angry retort
hovering on the girl's lips.  "I tried to, but somehow... she did
something with the sword.  The next thing I knew, I was on the floor
barely conscious."

    Sano thought, (Whatever happened, it must have hurt like hell to
stop him in his tracks like that.)  Even Aoshi's extraordinary
self-control couldn't hide the traces of pain in his face.

    "You said something about a message?" Kenshin said softly as he
reached out to gently grasp Misao's shoulder.

    Aoshi took a deep breath and said, "Yes.  She said, 'It ends where
it began.  The Battousai and the Mibu's Wolf will both pay dearly for
their sins against Minobe Junichi.'"

    "And... and it wasn't Kaoru's voice at all!  It sounded completely
different!  It was all gravely and hollow." Misao added, wiping at her
nose.

    "Oh hell... that sounds bad... really bad," Sano whispered in
dismay.
 
    Yahiko muttered, "What the hell does she mean by 'It ends where it
began'?  Where what began?"

    "I don't know the 'what', but there's no question about the
'where'," murmured Kenshin, his head bowed and his hair obscuring his
eyes.

    "Huh?"

    Still on his knees, Kenshin whispered, "Kyoto.  The dreams, the
flashbacks, the memories....  It all goes back to Kyoto."

    He slowly got to his feet and headed for the open front door, but
stopped suddenly.  Kenshin stared down at the splotches of moisture
dotting the wooden floor.  Crouching down, he touched a droplet.
Kenshin stared blankly at the liquid on his fingers, then delicately
tasted it.

    (Salty....  Of course....  Kaoru's tears....)

    Sano marched up behind his friend and said, "Kenshin, why are we
just standing around?  We've got to go looking for her...."

    Kenshin closed his eyes as he struggled to maintain his calm, then
he shook his head slowly.

    "No, Sano.  It's too dangerous for any of you to go hunting her
down, especially at night.  And I suspect it would be totally futile."

    Aoshi said, "If she displays half the skill that Misao had when
she attacked me, recklessly pursuing her in the darkness would be
foolhardy at best.  I wasn't exaggerating when I said that the sword
apparently bestows its user with uncanny physical abilities and sword
skills.  At the moment, the only person capable of facing a person
possessed by that sword is Himura."

    "But... if she hasn't been taken over completely, maybe she'll be
able to hold back...," Megumi said.

    Rising to his feet and staring out into the night, Kenshin said
quietly, "Perhaps... but I'm not willing to risk anyone else's life on
that chance."

    Sano stomped back and forth.  "So we're just going to sit here and
do NOTHING!?  There's got to be a way to find her!"

    Aoshi said in a cool voice.  "Do you have any idea where to look?"

    The fighter opened his mouth, then shut it abruptly.

    "Exactly.  She could be nearly anywhere in the city by now."

    Kenshin added quietly, "We don't know where she is at the moment,
but I know where I'll eventually find her... waiting for me."

    Yahiko muttered, "Kyoto."

    "How do you know that!?" shouted Sano.

    "That sword -- or whatever entity's responsible for causing all
these events -- doesn't want to simply kill me.  It had a perfect
opportunity tonight, but didn't use it.  This enemy wants a
confrontation, but only in Kyoto.  Kaoru's probably long gone from
this area."

    "So you think that she's already on her way there."

    "Yes."

    "Then shouldn't we follow her?  What if she gets hurt?  A hell of
a lot could happen to her along the way to Kyoto."

    "I'm ... well aware of that."  Kenshin was totally still,
unmoving.

    Misao muttered, "Sano... how can we follow her if we don't even
know how she's planning to get to Kyoto?  Besides the Toukai Road, she
could be taking any of a dozen different routes."

    The fighter muttered, "We could ask if people have seen her...."

    Aoshi said, "Do you have the time to spare for such a search,
especially if she makes an effort to hide her presence?"

    "We can't just sit here!  We've got no idea what that sword's
doing to her or what it's going to make her do, damn it!  Kenshin...!"
 But Sano's voice faded as he saw the stark expression in Kenshin's
face.  The fighter thought, (He knows... he knows all too well what
could happen to Kaoru... what could be happening to her at this very
moment....)

    Kenshin took a slow, shuddering breath.  "Our only hope is that
the sword has an interest in keeping Kaoru relatively unharmed and in
'good condition'."

    "I hope you realize that you're talking about this goddamn sword
like it's got a mind of its own!" Sano complained.

    "I think that's fairly obvious by now."  Aoshi said coolly,
"Sagara, before yesterday, the sword's influence was mostly random.
But as soon as it became 'aware' of Himura and Saitoh, all that
changed.  It's as if that recognition has somehow 'awakened' whatever
dark spirit is inhabiting that weapon.  That sword now has a definite
purpose and goal."

    Misao added, "Personally, I think Kaoru was anything BUT a random
choice of victim.  Somehow, it must know what Kaoru means to Himura.
It's basically taken Kaoru as a hostage and bait.  It wants a
confrontation with Himura and Saitoh in Kyoto and it's going to do
whatever it takes to make sure Kenshin gets there."

    Kenshin nodded.  "Sano, the form isn't important.  Whatever its
shape, that thing's appears to be a sentient enemy --  capable of
deliberate, calculated action -- and must be treated as such.  I can
only hope that the sword will want to keep its 'hostage' in...
reasonably... good shape.  If not...."  Yahiko gulped audibly as
Kenshin looked away.

    Sano ran his hand through his hair, then sighed.  In a reluctant
voice, he said, "Kenshin, I hate to bring this up, but... how can you
be sure?  What if you're wrong about this mysterious enemy wanting to
keep Kaoru as a 'hostage', so to speak?  What if something happens to
her and she doesn't make it to Kyoto?"

    Megumi sputtered, "Sano!"

    The fighter gave the doctor a pained, but determined look.

    "No, Megumi-dono.  Sano is quite right to ask those questions."
Kenshin put his hand against the doorsill and leaned heavily.  In a
whisper, he said, "No, I don't know if I'm right.  For all I know,
Kaoru... Kaoru could be already lying dead in a ditch somewhere.
But... but my instincts tell me that this black sword possessed Kaoru
deliberately for a specific purpose and that purpose involves Kaoru
being in Kyoto."

    Kenshin turned to look at Sano and the anguish in his violet eyes
was heartbreaking to behold.  "Sano, I want to do something...
ANYTHING, but there's very little that can be done at the moment.  I
have no idea where Kaoru is right now.  I can't find her.  I can't
follow her.  All I have is a meeting place and a grim promise."

    Sano took a deep breath and heaved a great, exasperated sigh.
"Okay.  If we're not going to look for her, just WHAT are we going to
do?"

    "Meet Saitoh at the harbor at dawn and take the boat to Osaka."

    "So... we hop on the boat to Osaka, then trot off to Kyoto.  And
what do we do when we get there?  Sit on our hands while we wait for
Kaoru to show up!?"

    The red-haired swordsman shook his head sharply.  "No.  We gather
as much information as we possibly can on that sword and that man
Kaoru mentioned... anything which can give us a clue as to what's
going on and what this... thing... wants from me."

    "Do you know anything about this Minobe character?" Yahiko said.

    "Not the specific person, but the family name is familiar.  An old
Kyoto family fallen on hard times even before the civil war started.
I believe they were aligned with the government forces and had ties
with the Shinsengumi," replied Kenshin.

    "In that case, I can understand why someone might be after you,
but why Saitoh?  Weren't they on the same side?"

    As Kenshin stared at the bloodstains on the floor, he murmured,
"That doesn't mean anything.  The Shinsengumi itself was rife with
personal and factional rivalry.  The Black Hat assassin, Uduo Jine was
formerly a member of the Shinsengumi.  His fellow squad members turned
on him and tried to hunt him down."

    Kenshin turned to Misao.  "You need to warn Okina and the others
about... what happened to Kaoru.  Tell them to keep an eye out for
her, but... to be careful and... not to approach her."

    Misao nodded grimly and glanced at Aoshi.  He gave her a sharp nod
in return.
 
    "Right, Himura.  I'll also let Jiya know that we're coming."  She
reached out and clung briefly to Kenshin's hand.  "We'll find her and
set her free, no matter what it takes."

    "Thank you, Misao."

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

    After Misao left, Megumi firmly took hold of Kenshin's arm.
 
    "Let me tend to that scalp wound.  You may need stitches."
 
    "It's not...."
 
    "Ken-san!  I'm the doctor, you're the patient, so just sit down
and stay still."  She then glared at Aoshi.  "And you need to go back
to bed!"

    Aoshi was too tired to even make a pretense of resisting.  He was
appallingly weak from blood loss from his battle with Misao.  Even
more unsettling, the wounds inflicted by the black sword continued to
throb and ache, although only mildly.  He barely made it back to bed
before passing out.

    As Megumi dabbed away the blood and tended to his head, Kenshin
murmured, "I hope Kaoru doesn't run into any trouble...."

    Sano bit his lip.  "You're afraid she might attack anyone who
tries to interfere with her getting to Kyoto."

    An attempt to nod get Kenshin a mild smack from Megumi.  He
grimaced slightly and said, "Yes.  Even worse, the sword could
possibly force her to kill with little or no provocation."

    "Oh hell!  Just great.  If Kaoru goes on some sort of crazed
killing spree...," growled Sano.

    Kenshin said, "But if that sword's got its mind set on facing me
in Kyoto, then hopefully, it'll decide to play things safe by staying
hidden and inconspicuous until it's ready for its confrontation."

    "That reminds me.  Kenshin, what the hell happened?  I mean, what
do you remember?" asked Sano.

    The redhead shrugged and said, "There isn't much to say.  I was
sitting out on the porch with the door open.  I though I heard Kaoru
whisper my name so I walked inside to check on her... then something
hit me.  The next thing I remember was waking up on the floor."
 
    After Megumi finished stitching the wound on Kenshin's head, she
lightly touched Kenshin on the shoulder.

    "Ken-san... I wish I could go with you but...."
 
    Kenshin shook his head.  "But you have people who need you here,
especially with Dr. Genzai still away.  It wouldn't be fair to them."

    "I know... but still...," she murmured regretfully.
 
    "Thank you for the thought, Megumi-dono.  We'll keep in touch and
let you know what happens."  Kenshin glanced at Sano and Yahiko.  "We
need to go back to the dojo and get packed.  We'll return here before
dawn to get Misao and Aoshi."

    "That's only a hour or so away."

    Kenshin shrugged.  "We'll have plenty of opportunity to get some
rest onboard the ship."

    Megumi smiled wistfully as she watched them walk away, but as she
returned to her own room, she couldn't help but remember what had
happened the last time Kenshin had gone to Kyoto.

    (He had nearly died from all those injuries he sustained in all
those battles... and that was just over two months go.  He's still not
fully recovered.  I'm afraid to guess what might happen THIS time.)

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

    The walk back to the dojo was accomplished in near total silence,
with everyone being caught up in their own thoughts.  Fortunately,
there were no strange phenomena along the way.

    As soon as Yahiko left them to go to his own room, Sano shuffled
his feet and muttered, "Kenshin... I'm sorry about giving you such a
hard time about...."

    "You have no idea how badly I wanted to searching for Kaoru.  Part
of me wants to go chasing after her, but another part of me knows that
it's a stupid and useless thing to do."  Kenshin's shoulders shook as
he whispered, "Here I am, gambling Kaoru's life and sanity on my
ability to predict the behavior of a thing which may not even be
human... and if I guess wrong....  I don't know what I'd do."

    Clenching his fists, Kenshin looked at Sano and cried, "I feel
that I'm abandoning her, but I can't think of anything else to do
right now!  What kind of idiot does that make me!?"  His voice dropped
to a whisper again.

    "I can't help wondering... is Kaoru expecting me to show up at any
moment to rescue her?  And when I don't, is she going to think that
I've deserted her?"

    Sano shook his head.  "No way!  Kaoru knows you way better than
that!  You're right.  There's no point in wasting precious time and
energy running around without a clue.  The best thing for us to do is
go to Kyoto, dig up as much information as we can on this Minobe guy,
and get ready."

    The fighter stuffed his hands in his pockets and mumbled, "I've
got to get packed myself.  I'll head to Megumi's and wait for you
there."

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

    After Sano departed the dojo, Kenshin slowly made his way back to
his own room and began packing.  In the middle of folding a spare
hakama, he abruptly froze.  He stared down at his hands, then closed
his eyes and shuddered as he remembered the sight of blood all over
Kaoru's hands.  Had that moment been some ghastly foreshadowing of the
future?  He desperately hoped not and pleaded silently to whatever
gods might be listening.

    (Please... give her a swift and safe journey... don't let the
blood of the innocent stain her hands... not Kaoru... please....)

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

    Tokio gently slid out of Saitoh's arms.  As soon as she rose from
their futon, he frowned slightly and started to stir.  Tokio smiled to
herself.  A light brush of her fingers across his forehead and he
subsided back into a dreamless sleep.

    Slipping on a bedrobe, she drifted through the house in utter
silence, finally stepping out into the moonlit garden.  She stood
there for several minutes, listening to the soft rustle of leaves in
the night breeze and thinking about Kyoto.

    A small grey owl swooped down out of the dark sky and perched on a
branch nearby.  Tokio lifted her hand and the owl hopped onto her bare
wrist.  It stared at her, blinked twice, then started hooting very
softlyfor a minute or so before stopping.

    With a quiet sigh, Tokio gently tickled the owl's belly, causing
the bird to make almost a purring sound.  With a graceful gesture, she
tossed the owl into the air and it headed off purposefully toward the
south-east on silent wings.

    She returned inside the house and went to one of the back storage
rooms.  Tokio opened a chest and removed a silk-wrapped bundle that
was just about two feet long.  She untied the binding strings and
pulled open the wrappings.  Moonlight glinted off of steel as she
picked up one of the objects lying on the dark silk.  She twirled
slowly it in her fingers, then returned it to the bundle.

    Tokio left the storage room and began preparing for the trip to
Kyoto.

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

    An hour before dawn, Saitoh came downstairs to see his wife
dressed, packed, and ready to go.  As she set out a modest breakfast,
Tokio said, "Do you think the others will join us on the boat to
Kyoto?"

    Saitoh sipped his tea.  "Shinomori and the Weasel Girl, most
likely.  As for the others, who knows?  But I suspect they will end up
in Kyoto, one way or another."

    Finishing the meal, Saitoh got to his feet.  Taking advantage of
the last few minutes of true privacy they were likely to have for at
least the next several days, he put his arms around Tokio... and
momentarily froze.

    There was a brief instant of silence, then he said softly,
"Ah...."

    Tokio tipped her face up and gave him an innocent look.
 
    He smiled ruefully at her.  "I see that you really are... packed
and prepared."

    She shrugged.  With a playful little smile, Tokio murmured,
"Considering what happened at the clinic... well, just in case."

    "I won't even bother asking you if you've stayed in practice."
 
    "It's an useful way of occupying time when you're not home."  She
chuckled and took the opportunity to snuggle against him a bit.  "I
hope you realize that we'll be obliged to visit my family this time.
They found out that you were in Kyoto only recently and they wanted to
know why you didn't drop by to see them."

    Saitoh winced at the mere thought of drinking tea with over ten
eagle-eyed, cantankerous old harridans... and the less said about
Tokio's younger female relatives, the better.

    She gave him a quick hug.  "Don't worry.  I'll protect you."

    He sighed and muttered, "Only a person like you could making
dealing with your family worthwhile."

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

    The sun was just peeking over the horizon as Kenshin and his
friends arrived at the harbor police station.  Saitoh didn't miss the
exceedingly grim and somber expression on all their faces --
particularly in Kenshin -- but he merely said, "You're late."

    "You bastard!  We've had one hell of a night!" Misao shrieked at
him.

    "Oh?"  Saitoh lifted an inquiring eyebrow.

    Kenshin said in a cold, tightly controlled voice, "Kaoru's gone.
With the sword."

    Saitoh blinked.  "Hmph.  So this time you've managed to lose both
a cursed sword AND your woman at the same time.  And how did this
little catastrophe occur?"

    It seemed that the policeman's sly provocation was too much for
even Kenshin's exceptional self-control.  The others tensely waited as
the redhead gave Saitoh a long, bone-chilling stare before abruptly
turning and stalking away toward the edge of the dock.  Kenshin stood
there and stared out at the water, leaving the others to do the
explain the situation.
 
    Tokio emerged from the police station and stood behind her husband
as Aoshi, Misao, and Sano described the events of the previous night.
When they finished, Saitoh smirked slightly and said, "So you're all
now headed to Kyoto to 'rescue' her, hm?"

    Sano shouted, "Don't be so damn cool about this, Saitoh!  Don't
forget, Kenshin's not the only person on this... this... THING's hit
list.  That message wasn't just meant for the Battousai, it was also
meant for YOU, the goddamn Mibu's Wolf!  And if it hadn't been for you
dumping the damn sword in Kenshin's lap, maybe Kaoru wouldn't be in
this mess!  It could have easily been your own wife who's gone missing
and how would you have liked THAT!?"

    Saitoh's eyes narrowed for an instant, but he shrugged carelessly.
 "Hardly my fault.  I didn't force him to keep the sword around."

    "Damn you!  You fucking well know that Kenshin would never
endanger innocent people by throwing such a dangerous thing away!"

    "Then it's entirely his decision, isn't it?"

    "Why you...!"

    Just before Sano was about to pounce on the infuriating policeman,
Tokio stepped forward and said in a very polite but firm voice, "The
ship will be leaving soon.  Perhaps we should go onboard?"

    Aoshi said coolly, "Sagara, we have more important things to do
than to nurse you back to health if you get hurt fighting with
Saitoh."

    "Grrr...."  Sano glared at the smirking policeman.  "FINE.  Come
on, Kenshin!"

    The red-haired swordsman did not immediately reply.  He stood near
the edge of the dock, staring blankly out into the harbor as he rubbed
at his temple.  As they watched, he shook his head sharply as if
trying to clear it.

    "Kenshin?"  Yahiko called out worriedly.
 
    Misao muttered, "Maybe that knock on the head was worse than we
thought."

    With their attention all focused on Kenshin, only Tokio noticed
that her husband also had an alarmingly vague and confused expression
on his face -- vague and confused for him, that is.  Most people
wouldn't have even suspected that anything was wrong, but Tokio knew
her husband too well.  She briefly touched his arm and murmured,
"Hajime?

    He blinked, then shook his head sharply before giving his wife a
quick, uneasy glance.
 
    "Is there something wrong?" she discretely asked.
 
    Saitoh scowled slightly.  "For a moment there...."
 
    In the meantime, Sano walked up behind his friend and said,
"Kenshin, we need to get on the boat to Osaka!"

    "Osaka....why TO Osaka...?"  Kenshin scanned the harbor in
bewilderment as if he couldn't quite figure out what the hell he was
doing there.  The stiff breeze from the water whipped his long red
hair, still gathered in that high ponytail, into his face.

    Misao and Aoshi exchanged decidedly worried looks.
 
    Yahiko yelled, "Yeah, to Kyoto!  Remember, we're going to Osaka so
we can get to Kyoto and find Kaoru?"

    Kenshin turned and stared at them with an aloof, if mildly
confused, look in his pale violet eyes.  In a perfectly calm and
coherent voice, he asked a very simple question.

    "Kaoru?  Who's Kaoru?"
 
-----------------------------------
(end of part 12)

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Next part:  Things definitely start getting 'edgy'!   =^_^=

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madamhydra@aol.com         /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/:E

http://www.oocities.org/~madamhydra/