Under the circumstances.

an r.k. fanfic.

 

 

 

CHAPTER TWO

 

"Fate"

 

"Maybe I should drop you at your door,

Leave tonight and then push up the shore,

Anywhere but here…"

 

Better than Ezra.

 

 

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Misao sighed as she walked along the streets of Tokyo. She had developed the habit of taking long walks by herself to clear her mind as she never really liked meditating the way Aoshi did. It was too hard to sit still, too boring. Her body needed to be occupied even as her mind relaxed itself, and she found that a nice long walk in the afternoon did the trick.

 

For the first few days of her stay, she just walked along the river's edge, but she soon found that she missed the bustle that usually went on around Ido. That's why she offered to buy the tofu for dinner that evening, it was the perfect excuse to go into town alone, and Yahiko was glad to have been spared the trip.

 

As she walked, she found herself humming a tune that Hannya had taught her as a little girl growing up in the gang. It was a sort of lullaby of his own making, and she found that whenever she felt lonely or homesick, it helped to remember him singing it to her...

 

Beautiful one

Our paths have separated

And every step I take toward you

Seems to carry me farther away

 

Song to my heart

The journey is so long

But take one more step for me

My love will be your strength

 

I miss you

Please come home

My lovely one

Where we can be together forever…

 

 

Suddenly she stopped dead in tracks, every nerve in her body screaming a warning that catapulted her mind into the present. Her eyes instantly went from the color of a quiet lagoon to that of a storm tossed sea.

 

She was being followed.

 

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She looked around quickly, not for her stalker, but for a an escape route if should she need it. She slipped one hand into her obi and cleared her throat, "I know you're there," she said bravely, "You might as well come out now."

No answer. She was beginning to feel a little panicked, someone was definitely there. She heard a light scrape behind her and spun to see a large man standing in the path. Without thinking, she took a step backward.  "What do you want?" she asked, hoping that she didn't sound as anxious as she felt.

 

"You." he said matter-of-factly as he took a step towards her.

 

Misao's eyes narrowed slightly and she tightened her grip on the kunai hidden in her obi.  "I don't think I understand…" she drawled as she measured him with her eyes.

 

"You're not supposed to, doll." another voice came from behind her.

 

She spun sideways so that the first man didn't leave her line of sight. Two more men had crept up behind her while the first one had kept her talking. "Nice going baka!" she thought, "While you were shooting the breeze with this one, his buddies got you surrounded.

 

"How stupid of me," Misao muttered under her breath.

 

"What do you say you come have some fun with us pretty one?" the second man asked, "A nice girl like you shouldn't be out so late alone."

 

"Thanks, but I'll take my chances," Misao replied hotly, preparing to draw.

 

Suddenly, several hands grabbed at her from behind. She had left that side completely unprotected. She let out an enraged yell as the tofu bucket slipped from her hand. "Gahhh!!! Let me go!!!" she screamed as they dragged her into an alley. She could smell the sake on their breaths and the sweat of their bodies, she could hear them laugh as she struggled desperately to be free. Her heart filled with panic. "Kami-sama, help me!" she prayed.

 

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Soujiro raised his head. He could hear the sound of a struggle in the next street over, his eyes widened as he heard the faint, unmistakable scream of a terrified woman. Looking around quickly to see if anyone was watching, he tapped his sandal on the ground and then he was gone.

 

"Let me go you bastards!!!" Misao shrieked. She managed to wrench one hand free and sink a kunai deep into the flesh of the man who had his arm around her throat. He hissed with pain as he released her. "You bitch!" he snapped, raising his good hand to slap her in the face. Misao winced, preparing for the impact, but…the hand never connected. When she opened her eyes her 'would be' assailant was lying unconscious on the ground.

 

"What the hell…"

 

Misao felt their hands slip from her body. She fell to the ground and looked about in disbelief. All of her attackers were sprawled on the ground either unconscious or groaning in agony. "Hi…Himura-san?" she squeaked.

 

She caught some movement out of the corner of her eyes. A young man wearing a light blue gi was standing with his back to her. He held a sheathed sword at his side. Misao blinked, somehow he seemed familiar to her...

 

"Are you all right?" he asked softly.

 

"H..hai. Arrigatou...eeto…"

 

"My name isn't important." he interjected, "I'm just glad you're all right."

 

Wait a minute!

 

 Misao knew that voice, she was sure of it! Her eyes widened with recognition, the image offered up by her memories was unmistakable. A calm face with a steady, deceitfully benign smile.

 

" Seta Soujiro!" she whispered.

 

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At the sound of his name, Soujiro paused. He didn't recognize the young woman who had addressed him. "You must be mistaken," he said quickly, "That's not my name." he insisted as he continued to walk away.

 

Misao's temper flared, "THE HELL IT ISN'T!!!" she roared throwing a kunai at his head. Soujiro leaned to the side to avoid getting his brain skewered. He watched the projectile imbed itself in the wall in front of him. It was then he recognized the voice of the young woman whose life he'd saved. "Makamachi Misao?" he asked in disbelief, he turned around and looked at her again. If this was the "weasel-girl", she certainly had changed since he'd seen her last. She was no longer the scrawny little loudmouth who had tagged along with Himura during Shishio's reign of terror. Instead, he saw a willowy young woman who looked nothing like the little spitfire he remembered.

 

"Fancy seeing you here." she sneered, rising from her sitting position. Suddenly she hissed and clutched her left arm. The guy who was holding it had twisted it badly and now that the panic had faded, the pain started to settle in. A lot of pain. She wondered if it was broken.

 

Soujiro saw the way her face twisted and hesitantly walked over. "Here," he offered putting down the sword, "let me look." Surprisingly, his hands were warm and gentle as he touched her injured arm, Misao clenched her teeth as she fought the urge to twist away from his probing fingers. "I think we should put it in a sling," he murmured, "if we had a strip of cloth…"

 

Misao thought for a second, came up with an idea and hastily dismissed it. No way. she thought, then a gut wrenching pain exploded in her shoulder forced her to reconsider. "If it's the only way…"

 

"My kimono has two layers," she muttered, "You can rip a piece from the bottom layer and use that." Soujiro looked at her face for a minute to see if he'd heard her correctly. Her cheeks colored slightly, "Well, do you have a better idea?!" she demanded angrily.

 

Improper as the suggestion was, it was also the most logical solution available. Soujiro sighed and stooped down, his hand hovering over the hem of her skirt.

 

"You sure?"

 

"Just get on with it!"

 

Soujiro lifted the top layer and proceeded to rip a strip of cloth from the second. When it was done, he quickly tied it around Misao's neck and shoulder. "Arrigatou." she mumbled stalking over to the tofu bucket which had mercifully fallen upright. At least dinner wasn't ruined. she thought.

 

"What are you doing in Tokyo?" she asked suddenly.

 

Soujiro smiled in that oblivious, engaging way of his, "Nothing," he said noncommittally, "Just passing through is all…"

 

"Bullshit." Misao growled.

 

Soujiro rubbed the back of his head, "She's oniwabanshuu alright," he mused.

 

"Actually…" Soujiro confessed, "I wanted to see Himura-san…to thank him."

 

Misao bit her lip and looked down at her tabi for a moment, then she sighed.

 

"I'm staying with them right now, if you want…you can come with me." she offered.

 

Soujiro was surprised to say the least. He hadn't expected to be invited to Himura's home, or anyone else's for that matter. He honestly didn't know what to say.

 

"I..I couldn't…" he began.

 

Misao glared at him so hard that he almost sweat dropped.

 

"You can and you will," she insisted, "Himura-san would want to see you and somebody has to help me explain this, " she nodded towards the sling. "So you might as well come with me."

 

 

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Moments after the odd pair had left, another man entered the alley. He stalked over to the man who had first confronted Misao and grabbed him by the collar.

 

"What happened?!" he hissed.

 

"We..we were attacked sir," he stammered, "They were too fast, none of us had a chance to react. I'm sorry sir, we, we'll get it right the next ti...”

 

The terrified man never finished his sentence, the words were lost in a torrent of blood flowing from his lips as a dagger twisted it's way into his heart.

 

"The hell you will."

 

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Japan-speak

 

eeto- um (pause filler)

Kami sama - God

tabi- two toed socks worn with sandals

 

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