[KFFDisc] That Which Lingers - Part 14 (very rough draft)

Like it says, a very rough draft.  Pardon any stupid mistakes or
incoherency.  The end of the fiscal year is rapidly approaching and
work is driving me crazy!  O_o

---------------
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 14:  ON A SLOW BOAT TO OSAKA
======================================================================

---------------
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, summer]

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

    Sano soon realized that there were both good things and bad things
about boat travel.  The good thing was that it was really easy.  You
didn't have to do a damn thing.  The bad thing was that boat travel
was boring as hell.  Except for some casual gambling games, there
wasn't anything to do.  That gave Sano and his traveling companions
way too much time to think... and worry.

    The fighter was especially concerned about Kenshin.  Sano and the
others had developed an unspoken policy of never leaving their friend
totally alone even as they tried their best to give him as much
privacy that they could.  Of course Kenshin was aware of what they
were doing, but he didn't say anything.

    The red-haired swordsman spent most of his time staring out over
the water, the very picture of patience.  Sano would often see Kenshin
tenderly fingering the blue silk wrapped around his right wrist.  The
fighter knew what that meant -- his friend was thinking about Kaoru.

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

    After lunch on the second day, Sano was up on deck.  He was doing
nothing in particular when he caught sight of Tokio standing by the
deck rail.  Sano stepped back into the shadow of the deck house and
silently watched her as she smiled at the gulls as they swooped and
squabbled over bits of food.

    One of the gulls landed on the railing a few feet away from Tokio.
 It cocked its head and stared at her, then hopped closer.  Finally,
after a moment or two, it pecked audaciously at her kimono sleeve.

    Tokio turned at the tug on her arm, then chuckled softly.  The sea
gull started to squawk enthusiastically at her, hopping from foot to
foot.

    Sano jumped as someone jabbed an elbow into his ribs.
 
    "Hey!  I don't think the psycho cop's going to be happy if he
catches you ogling his wife.  And what about poor Megumi, huh?" hissed
Misao, her eyes bright with mischief.
 
    The fighter turned bright red with embarrassment.  Waving his
hands in denial, he blurted, "No!  You've got it all wrong!  I wasn't
doing that!"

    In a skeptical voice, she said, "Really?  Then WHAT are you doing?
 You've been staring at her constantly!"

    Sano raked his hand through his hair, rumpling it even more and
mumbled, "I admit she's a good looking woman...."

    "Beautiful, you mean," Misao muttered back.
 
    "Yeah... but that's not why I keep thinking about her."
 
    "Oh?"
 
    "I just don't understand how a woman... especially one as... as...
ladylike as Tokio could stand being married to a guy like Saitoh.  The
man barely looks at her, has hardly a kind word to say to her, doesn't
seem to care that he nearly pinned her to the wall like a damn
bug...."

    Instead of agreeing with him, Sano was astonished to see a
thoughtful, almost envious look on Misao's face.

    "Hey, Weasel girl?"
 
    She barely reacted to the insult as she thought about yesterday
evening and that brief exchange of touches she'd seen between Saitoh
and his wife.  She turned to him and said quietly, but with total
confidence, "Because he loves her."

    Sano stared at her blankly, then sputtered, "What!?"
 
    "You wondered how she could stand being married to Saitoh.  He
loves her.  She loves him.  It's all so simple."

    "You're kidding!  I think you've got romance on the brain, girl!
That's ridiculous!  Saitoh in love.  HA!!!"
 
    She scowled.  "I might've agreed with you, except... last night, I
saw them talking in the back after Saitoh had that weird memory
slip...."

    "You mean like the one Kenshin had on the dock."
 
    "Right.  Anyway, I caught a peek at them."  She sighed wistfully.
"They were so... so together.  I can't explain it any better.  It
makes me sort of jealous...."  Misao then perked up.  "But it also
gives me hope.  After all, if Saitoh can fall in love like that, then
certainly Aoshi-sama can!"

    Sano was wondering when Shinomori was going to show up in Misao's
conversation.  The guy always did, sooner or later.

    "Let me guess.  You're wandering around the ship looking for him,
right?"
 
    "No matter how he tries to hide it, he's still in pretty bad
shape."  Misao shrugged carelessly, but Sano saw the raw pain and
guilt in her eyes.  "I really hurt him, Sano."  Her lips quivered.  "I
nearly killed him.  If I hadn't run into you guys on the trail, he
could have bled to death before I got back with some help."

    "Nah, he's tough, girl.  He wouldn't have...."
 
    "He wouldn't have said what he did to me if he didn't think he was
going to die!"
 
    Sano took a few seconds to puzzle through Misao's tangled words.
With a curious look, he said, "Uh... just what did he say to you?"

    She simultaneously blushed and sniffled.  "He said he... cared
about me."
 
    "Hell, he's always cared about you.  Any idiot could see that!"
 
    Misao glared at him furiously.  "It wasn't that sort of 'care',
you jerk!  He smiled at me... I mean, REALLY smiled at me!"
 
    Sano blinked.  "O-kay...."
 
    "Oh hell!  Why am I trying to explain this to you?  I don't think
you'd recognize love if it jumped up and bit you in the butt!"

    "Now wait a minute here!  Leave Megumi out of all this!"
 
    "Megumi?  Did I say anything about Megumi?"  She gave him a mock
innocent look.
 
    "Oh, shut up, brat!  That's none of your business!"

    Misao abruptly went very quiet.  She stared down at the deck and
shuffled her feet.  "I... I feel so responsible for getting you guys
caught up in this whole stupid mess.  If I hadn't picked up that
sword... then Kaoru and Aoshi-sama wouldn't have been hurt... and that
sword wouldn't have awoken up... and Kaoru would be safe back in
Tokyo... and Himura...."

    Sano grabbed her shoulders and gave her a sharp shake.  "Hey, stop
that!  It isn't your fault, okay?  That sword-thing screwed around
with your mind so it's to blame, not you.  Things like... like curses
and stuff... they don't just go away by themselves.  That sword would
have crossed Kenshin's path eventually.  It probably would've been
just a matter of time."

    Misao stared up at him.  "Sano, I'm really frightened.  What's
happening with Kaoru?  What is that sword doing with her... TO her
this very minute?  And what's going to happen to Himura when we get to
Kyoto?  It was scary enough when he had that memory slip in Tokyo, but
what if he has one in Kyoto where the memories of the Battousai are so
strong?  What if he completely loses his memories of the last ten
years?  The Himura we know could disappear... forever!"

    Sano sighed wearily.  "I know that.  And not to be mean, girl, but
I'm sure Kenshin knows better than anyone else just what's at stake...
after all, it IS his head.  But... like he said, he's got no choice.
It's our only hope of getting Kaoru back."

    She shuddered.  "I can handle a physical fight, but how can we
fight something like this?  Something that gets inside your head and
twists it all around...."

    Sano muttered, "Hell if I know.  But I don't think that fighting
is our real job this time around."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Oh, I think we're here to fight all right, but not physically.
Our job is to remind Kenshin of who and what he is now... to remind
him of what he's gained since he left the Hitokiri Battousai behind
all those years ago.  We're like his anchor to the present, especially
since Kaoru isn't here.  But it won't be easy."

    "Like that's a big surprise," Misao muttered.
 
    "No.  I mean it.  Saitoh's a lucky bastard in this instance.  If I
figure right, he met his wife at the very beginning of the civil war.
If you're correct about how he feels about her, that means it's pretty
likely he'll recognize her AND believe what she tells him no matter
how shaky his memory gets."

    Misao groaned.  "But we don't have that sort of past history with
Himura."
 
    "Nope.  Kenshin met all of us long after the Douran.  That means
that if he really gets trapped in his memories of the past... well...
we can be shit out of luck."

    "Surely Himura would have some old friends from those years in
Kyoto... someone he could recognize and trust."

    Sano shook his head.  "Recognize, maybe.  But trust?  That's the
big question.  We're not talking about little things here.  Tell me,
girl, how many people would YOU trust and believe if they walked up to
you this minute and told you that half the stuff going on around you
isn't real, that you're actually thirty years old, and that your worst
enemy is now your ally?"
 
    Misao sighed quietly and whispered, "If it was Aoshi-sama... yes.
Probably Hannya or Jiya, too."  She fell silent, then said, "There's
one person that Himura's bound to recognize and trust."

    Sano and the ninja girl looked at each other and simultaneously
said, "Hiko Seijuro."

    "IF we can find him... and that's a big 'if'."  Misao sighed, then
turned to leave.  "Well, we can't do anything until we get to Osaka.
See you later.  I've still got to track down Aoshi-sama."

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

    Sano watched Misao head off in her search for Aoshi and shook his
head ruefully.  (I think the poor guy's days of freedom are numbered.
Now that she's sure that he returns her feelings, there'll be no
stopping her.)

    As he rounded the corner of the deckhouse, Sano froze as he saw
Saitoh leaning against the wall, cigarette in hand.  The fighter
started to sweat nervously.

    (Oh HELL!  Just how long has he been standing there!?  How much of
my talk with Misao did he overhear?  Shit... what if he heard us
talking about his WIFE!?)

    The inscrutable little smile on the policeman's lips gave Sano no
clues.  The man didn't appear the least bit angry or upset.  Of
course, this was Saitoh so who could tell what the guy was really
thinking?

    Saitoh glanced at Sano and his smile widened just a fraction.
That made the fighter even more nervous.  The policeman then pushed
himself away from the wall and walked past Sano without so much as an
insult or a sneer.

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

    Misao stepped out onto the deck and peered around.  Aoshi was
nowhere in sight.  She wandered over to Tokio and said, "Excuse
me...."

    Tokio turned and said, "Good afternoon, Misao."
 
    "It would be a better afternoon if I could find him," the girl
muttered irritably.  "Where did he run off to?  He should be resting."

 
    "Sorry, I haven't seen Shinomori-san today."
 
    The sea gull on the rail eyed Misao with disapproval and let out a
raucous squawk.

    The girl glared at the noisy bird and tried to shoo it away.  It
hopped aside, then gave her a sharp peck in retaliation.

    "Why you...!"  She went for one of her throwing knives.
 
    Tokio chuckled, scooped up the gull, and gently tossed it into the
air.  The bird circled overhead twice, then nearly hit Misao on the
head with a parting gift before it soared away with a triumphant
cackle.

    "You stupid BIRD!!!" Misao shrieked.  She slowly turned red as she
realized how silly she must look, yelling insults at a brainless sea
gull.

    Tokio murmured, "A little exercise won't hurt Shinomori-san."
 
    "I suppose, but...."  After a moment's silence, Misao glanced at
Tokio.  "Do you think I worry too much about him?"

    "Hm?  Oh, he undoubtedly appreciates your concern, but....  If
you'll forgive me for being so blunt, you shouldn't allow yourself to
get carried away by guilt."

    "You think I'm pestering him."  Misao's shoulders sagged.
 
    "No, but I'm under the impression that Shinomori-san is a
rather... reserved person by habit, if not by nature.  Displays of
obvious emotion tend to make such people uncomfortable."

    "How else am I supposed to let him know that I care about him!?"
 
    Tokio lifted an eyebrow.  "You're asking me?"
 
    Misao muttered, "Like who else am I supposed to ask?  I don't know
that many people who are happily married or have experience in this
sort of thing!  Besides, if you managed to deal with someone like
Saitoh for so long...."  She abruptly clapped her hand over her mouth.
 
    The older woman giggled at the embarrassed look on Misao's face.

    "Uh... I... that is... I didn't mean to...," the ninja girl
babbled in a flustered voice.

    Tokio chuckled gently.  "I understand.  My husband is a bit... um,
unique.  I may not be the right person to ask for advice about
male-female relationships."

    "Oh."  Misao's voice sounded a bit wistful.
 
    Tokio sighed, then said, "Misao, just remember that you really
should fall in love with a man as he is, not as you hope him to be.
If he desires to change, that's one thing.  Expecting him to change is
a different matter altogether."

    "Aoshi-sama can act so cold, but he's not really like that!  He's
kind and caring, but he keeps it buried so deep inside.  I wish I
could set him free so he could show people...."

    The older woman stepped closer to Misao.  "Set him free... or
deprive him of what little protection he has from a harsh and
difficult world?"

    "What's THAT supposed to mean?" asked the bewildered girl.
 
    "Oh dear.  This IS difficult to explain."  Tokio took a deep
breath, then gave the girl a sympathetic look.  "Misao dear, you're a
young, exuberant girl.  That's just the way you are.  The problem is
you have very little to hide from the world while Shinomori-san has a
great deal to hide."

    "To hide?"
 
    Tokio nodded.  "You see, Shinomori-san and Himura-san are men of
deep feelings.  But it's very dangerous for men like them to express
those emotions freely, so they develop masks or personas to protect
themselves.  And after a while, those masks or personas take on a life
of their own.  It becomes very difficult, sometimes even impossible,
to put these masks aside... even if they want to."

    "You mean... like for Himura, the Hitokiri Battousai was a sort
of... mask?"

    "To handle a difficult and almost unbearable task, he developed
the persona of a cold, relentless assassin.  When he tried to leave
that persona behind, he took on the persona of a mild-mannered
wanderer."

    "Oh... and Aoshi-sama...."
 
    "I imagine that taking over as the leader of the Oniwabanshuu at
the age of fifteen was no easy task.  To maintain his authority,
especially over the older ninjas, he had to appear calm, mature beyond
his years, and in complete control at all times.  It's a habit that
he's obviously retained to this day."

    "Oh great!"  Misao rolled her eyes and slumped against the rail.
"Now what do I do?"
 
    Tokio smiled.  "I think you've already had a glimpse of how
Shinomori-san really feels about you.  The question now is whether
you'll be satisfied with that knowledge or do you want him to tell the
entire world how he feels, too."
 
    Misao snapped, "I don't care WHAT everyone else thinks!  I just
want him to be... happy."  She sighed.  "So... you think I should stop
pushing him so hard and back off?"

    Tokio said gently, "Oh no.  Make sure he knows how you feel and
let him know that you're aware how he feels.  Just don't try to force
him into... uh, gushing about how much he loves you in front of an
audience.  He won't do it."  She giggled.  "Or if he does, he'll be
very, very embarrassed."

    Misao attempted to picture Aoshi making some sort of passionate
declaration of love in front of Jiya and the other Oniwabanshuu... and
burst into giggles herself.

    Tokio patted the girl on the arm.  "I'm not saying that something
like that will never happen.  It's simply going to take time.  He has
to learn that it's safe to put his mask of control aside.  Persistence
and patience, my dear."

    With a mischievous grin, Misao said, "Is that how it is with your
husband?  You know how he feels about you, even though he never lets
it show in public?"

    Tokio's only reply was a soft chuckle.

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

    Aoshi found Saitoh on the stern of the ship, smoking.  Without
turning to look at him, Saitoh said, "Hmph.  Managed to slip away from
your keeper, eh?"
 
    The former leader of the Oniwabanshuu ignored the silken malice in
Saitoh's voice.  Somehow, thinking of Misao as 'his keeper' didn't
seem to sound all that... bad.  He briefly pondered the idea, then put
it aside for a later moment.
 
    "I could say the same thing to you.  After all, that's why you
asked your wife to come along on this trip to Kyoto, isn't it.  You
wanted her to keep an eye on you."

    Saitoh said nothing, but continued to leisurely work on his
cigarette.  Finally he said, "It's probably going to get worse.  Much
worse."

    "Meaning?"
 
    "It's not a matter of 'if', but a matter of 'when'.  The situation
in Kyoto needs to be stopped now, while it affects only a few people.
If we wait, it's just going to grow in magnitude like a damned
tsunami... one that liable to drown the entire city of Kyoto.  Maybe
more."

    Aoshi glanced at Saitoh.  "You seem to know a lot about this sort
of thing.  Not exactly what I would've expected from such a...
pragmatic... person like yourself.  Are you talking from personal
experience."

    The policeman shrugged.  "Oh, there's nothing more stubborn than
the dead.  They don't give up.  Instead, they just grow in strength
until they get what they want.  That stupid sword would've happily
killed half the population of Tokyo trying to locate either me or the
Battousai."  Saitoh turned to Aoshi and gave him a sly look.  "So I'm
rather glad that Weasel Girl and that Kaoru female ran into that sword
before too many people died."

    "You can hardly expect me or Himura to agree with you about that."
 
    Saitoh snorted.  "Don't tell me you think the brat's delicate.
She'll recover from the experience.  Besides, if Weasel Girl wants to
hang around with you, she's going to need toughening.  She's much too
sheltered."

    Aoshi glared at him and snapped.  "Really?  And what about your
wife?  Don't you think SHE needs more 'toughening' to deal with
someone like YOU?"

    Saitoh stared at the younger man for a second or two, then flung
his head back and burst into loud, hearty laughter.

    "Hahahaha!  Tokio... toughening?  Hahahaha!!!"
 
    Aoshi gave Saitoh a startled look.  It took a minute or two before
the policeman eventually subsided into quiet chuckles.

    Looking over Aoshi's shoulder, Saitoh chucked his cigarette
overboard and said in a terribly amused voice, "Shinomori here was
worried about you.  He seems to think you're too delicate and fragile
to be my wife."

    The former leader of the Oniwabanshuu turned with a start,
surprised that he had totally missed Tokio's approach. She stood
several feet away, looking as serene as ever.  With a faint sense of
embarassment, he said sharply, "Now wait a moment.  I did NOT say
anything of the sort...."
 
    Saitoh smirked evilly.  "No, but that's what you were implying,
wasn't it?"

    Tokio blinked once at her husband's words, then gave Aoshi a
polite bow.

    "Thank you for your concern, Shinomori-san, but I've always been
in the most robust of health."  She hesitated slightly, then murmured,
"Misao's looking for you."

    Aoshi give Tokio a polite nod, then glared at Saitoh one more time
before stalking away from the stern.

    Tokio glanced at her husband and said mildly, "You were teasing
him."

    Saitoh smiled slowly, but said nothing for the moment.  They stood
at the railing and watched the foaming water pass by.

    "Minobe Junichi.  What an idiot."
 
    Tokio murmured, "If it wasn't for Minobe, we wouldn't have had the
opportunity to know each other better."

    "Hmph.  Perhaps he did me a favor, but he's still an idiot.  Or
was an idiot."

    "Do you know if he's alive or dead?"
 
    "He disappeared after he was crippled during that bridge fiasco
with the Battousai.  Whether he's alive or dead, who knows?  I hope my
men will have some information by the time we reach Osaka."

    Tokio said thoughtfully. "Something must have happened recently.
The murders associated with that black sword didn't start until just
over a week ago."

    "I know.  Something happened to trigger this chain of events.  But
what?  And what are we going to do about it?"  He scowled
thoughtfully.  "Tokio, do you know someone in Kyoto who's an expert on
the occult?"

    "My great-aunt Asuko...."
 
    Saitoh grimaced.
 
    "She keeps an extensive library.  And I'm sure she knows other
knowledgeable people in Kyoto."
 
    "Well, that settles it.  I suppose we'll end up staying with your
family while we're in the city."  Saitoh didn't seem at all happy with
the prospect.  "Don't look so damn pleased about it," he muttered.

    His wife merely gave him a placid little smile.
 
    As he stared over the water, he said somberly, "Tokio."
 
    "Yes, Hajime?"
 
    "The important thing here is my duty to halt whatever that sword's
doing in Kyoto.  The manifestations and apparitions have to stop
before they get any worse.  The last thing I want is have the city
plunged into chaos just because of some idiot's personal desire for
revenge."

    Tokio nodded quietly.
 
    "If that point slips my mind for any reason -- especially memories
of the past or the Battousai -- remind me of it.  By whatever means
necessary."

    "As you wish, my husband."

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

    Yahiko was on deck, practicing.  Normally, someone wielding a
shinai would have attracted curious observers, but something about the
boy's intensity and fierce concentration made people uneasy.  They
left him alone.

    Yahiko finished the last series of strokes, then took a deep
breath.  He turned and jumped a bit to see Kenshin silently watching
him.  The boy was relieved to note that Kenshin had returned to tying
his hair back at the nape of the neck like he usually did.

    The swordsman smiled slightly.  "You've been practicing almost
constantly since we've been onboard."

    Yahiko shrugged.  "Well, it's not like there's too much for me to
do.  Sano usually finds a gambling game or something.  Misao's always
bugging Aoshi.  And you're crazy if you think I want to hang around
Saitoh!"

    Kenshin sighed.  "I'm sorry for ignoring you...."

    The boy glared at him.  "Don't give me that!  You've got a hell of
a lot to worry about.  I don't need a baby-sitter, okay?"  Yahiko
noticed Kenshin absently stroking the blue ribbon wrapped around his
wrist.

    "Uh... Kenshin?"

    "Yes?"

    Yahiko struggled to find a tactful way to ask, but soon gave up.
He bluntly said, "How are YOU doing?  I mean, how are you feeling?"

    "I'm fine for the moment, but...."

    "Yeah?"

    "If I let my thoughts wander, I tend to find myself thinking about
those years in Kyoto...."

    "Kenshin...."  Yahiko couldn't hide a twitch of alarm.

    The redhead looked at the worried boy.  (He's the future... the
promise of things to come, of a time free of the death and violence
that ruled in years gone by.  So many lives were lost trying to give
birth to a new future.  I won't allow Kyoto to drown in blood and
darkness again.)  His gaze drifted down to the brilliant swatch of
blue silk on his wrist.

    (Kaoru....  I almost wish that I'd never met you.  You would've
been safe... content.  If I'd had any idea of the dangers I'd put you
in... the pain I'd cause you... I would have taken you home after your
first run-in with Goheh and left, never to see you again.  And when
you asked me to stay, I should have known better... but I was tired...
and lonely.  If I could do it all over again....)

    (Turning back time....  That's what this is all about, isn't it?
My enemy's turning back time just so he... it... can relive a moment
of the past.  But that's not right.  No matter how wrong, no matter
how painful, the past is just that... the past.  You learn from the
past, make the most of the present, and live for the future.  That's
what both Saitoh and I are both doing, in our own very different
ways... trying to build a better future.)

    (I almost wish that I'd never met you, Kaoru... but I'm so glad I
did.  I'm sorry that I never told you what you meant to me while I had
the chance.  And now this enemy is trying to make me forget you...
forget that you ever existed.  I won't let that happen.  Because if I
forget you, that makes everything you've endured to keep us together
totally worthless... meaningless.  I promised that I wouldn't leave
you.  And I won't.)

    He lifted his dark violet eyes and glanced at Yahiko.

    "Uh... what is it, Kenshin?"

    The boy was startled to see a sad, yet beautiful smile appear on
Kenshin's face.
 
    "I was just thinking of a promise I made to Kaoru."

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

    In the late evening, three days after leaving Tokyo, the steamship
entered Osaka harbor.

-----------------------------------
(end of part 14)

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

Next part:   A chance to meet a group of people capable of
intimidating Saitoh... his in-laws!  =^_^=

Never fear!  I'm continuing work on this story, but the rate of
posting will decrease a bit.  I need to work on the next part of my
Final Fantasy VII story CONFLICTS OF INTEREST before I get lynched by
some of my more impatient readers.   ^_^;;;

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

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