I don't know the OVA's about Kenshin's past! Important for the following
chapters!
ON WITH THE STORY:
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There's a devil waiting outside your door
(How much longer)
Bucking and praying and pawing the floor
Well, he's howling with pain and crawling up the walls
There's a devil waiting outside your door
He's weak with evil and broken by the world
He's shouting your name and asking for more
There's a devil waiting outside your door
Loverman! Since the world began
Forever, amen till the end of time
Take off that dress I'm coming down
I'm your loverman
Cause I am what I am what I am what I am
words by Nick Cave ("Loverman")
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CHAPTER 6: FIGHT AND TALK
WARNING: As usual: OOC, Violence, lemon (not very detailed)
I flew across the room, through the next wall, down on the street. We were
on
the first floor, I had a hard impact on the mud in the street. My cheek
burned, my spine ached.
ENOUGH! I stood up and started to walk down the street, ignoring his yells.
I felt tears raising, people were staring behind me, I had to look scaring.
My hairwas messed up, I was covered with mud and was crying so hard,
frustrated, I wasn't able to see the street. I knew, I had no chance against
him in a bare-handed fight, he was strong AND quick, I was only quick.
Furthermore Okita was dying before my eyes, that was more than I was able
to
handle at once.
Where could I go? I knew nobody in Kyoto, was messed up and left my money
at
home. There was a temple I had passed when I had entered Kyoto one month
ago.
Only one month past? My Gods! The temple would be a good place for meditating
and regaining control over my disturbed emotions.
I climbed up the hill, entered the temple area, cleaned and refreshed myself
with water of the spring. That was good! I felt myself calming, my tears
were
drying and I looked for good place to meditate. There was one, between the
bamboo in the garden and I settled down, trying to concentrate, focus.
What an idiot that Saitou Hajime! I was his wife, but he couldn't tell me
what
to do, with whom I talked. Okita was one of the few persons, that respected
me, spoke with me and understood me. As I already said, I was an outsider
from the day of my birth.
***FLASHBACK***
I was six years old, I ran down the street, there were some children playing,
I had to pass them.
"Look, there is the bastard!"
"Bastard, bastard!"
"Your father is nothing but dirt!"
"Your mother is a bitch!"
I heard them, but I didn't understand them, we were a perfect family. What
was wrong?
"She thinks she is better than us!"
"She is nothing, her father was dishonoured!"
The children spoke out loud, what the adults in this district thought about
my
parents and me.
When I came home I ran to my mother, wondering, I really didn't understand.
"Mom, the children in the street made fun of me and insult you and Papa!"
When father was not around we always spoke French, she wanted me to remind
my
origins.
"O, Tokio!" she embraced me, caressed my hair, pressed me against her chest,
she smiled one of her wonderful smiles for me.
"They say so much dirty things about us."
"Come on, Tokio, you are too smart, my little lady, to believe what they
are
saying. You are such a strong, big kid, You don't have to care about them.
Come on I'll prepare you some sweet crepes."
She didn't understand me. I really didn't care what the other children thought
of me, but I was wondering what was wrong. But I stayed quiet, crepes!!
***end Flashback***
I smiled, remembering the sweet taste of crepes with sugar on it. Mmm, I'd
like to have one now.
"Aa, here you are!"
I shrieked up of my daydreams and recognised the intruder into my thoughts
"Hello, Soushi. What are you doing here? You are supposed to stay in bed!"
That idiot would be dead earlier then the doctor assumed, if he didn't remain
in bed. That reminded me, that he would die soon and there was nothing I
could
do to prevent it. No, I'd pull myself together! No moaning and crying!
He chuckled "I need the fight, I am a warrior, I can't lay down. I'm not
that
type of man."
Useless to discuss. If he wanted to jump around and got killed he would
do
that and not follow my advise.
"How did you find me? Why did you follow me?"
He settled down beside me in a comfortable position, preparing for a longer
talk.
"I managed to calm Saitou-san."
I felt my anger raising again "That idiot had no reason to hit you or me."
Soushi got serious, looking deep in my eyes
"Don't behave childish, Tokio. You were in my room, I was lying in my futon
and we were embracing each other. He had every reason to misjudge the
situation as he did, it was compromising. And he wasn't serious, believe
me.
Had he been serious, he had hurt us more. He had a bad day and that was
a
final blow. I believe he just wanted to show you who is the 'man' in the
house
or to provoke you."
That was not reason enough to punch his and my friend and to slam me on
my
cheek and throw me out of the house. Soushi believed, Saitou had only played?
What kind of game was this?
"He had no right to do that!"
"He is your husband, Tokio, he has to take care of you. You behave stubborn
and childish."
I laughed bitterly "Do you call this 'taking care'. This is possessive!
I'm
not his property and I'm not his underlining. I can take care of myself!"
Soushi sighed "Tokio, you are stubborn. Anyway, Kondou-sensei wants to see
you both two hours after sunset and talk with you."
That shocked me a bit. Kondou wanted to see us? He would wash our heads!
This
meant trouble. I must have looked scared, Okita chuckled, laughed about
my
expression.
"You shouted the house down, ruined one wall and two shouji's. He was not
very pleased, believe me."
"Hajime should have talked with me. There was a chance to clear the situation!"
"Tokio, you both are hopeless. You both don't like to talk and there is
too
much tension between you both. Furthermore you lost your temper again."
Maybe he was right, there was too much tension. Saitou attracted me, and
even
when he threatened me, I felt myself being attracted by him. That was not
a
problem I could solve now and there was something more I wanted to know.
"Tell me, what about your marriage? Does Kondou-sensei still look for a
woman
for you?"
Soushi laughed loud, tears were coming in his eyes.
"Do you want to know the truth?"
That didn't sound like I really wanted to hear it, but I was nosy and
suspicious now.
"Yes, Soushi, tell me, please!"
"Actually, Kondou-sensei wanted to look for a wife for Saitou-san. He is
quite
old now, 23, and it was time to get married. But he muffled something like
'keep this silly girls away from me. No need for a woman. Only trouble and
nothing more. Love is only for weaklings and idiots, morons.' That was his
summarised comment. Then Kondou-sensei asked me, he hoped, Saitou-san would
change his mind during the introducing."
Okita laughed loud now, tears running down his face now, holding his stomach.
VERY funny, Soushi! "What happened then?"
"You were the last woman, after you left, the broker excused for your
behaviour and left. Kondou-sensei stayed quiet for a while, thinking and
released Saitou-san, he wanted to talk with me alone. After we were alone,
Kondou-sensei told me that he wanted me to retreat and ask Saitou-san to
marry
you instead. He told me he knew your father from Osaka, that they had trained
together and had founded that aku soku zan together. He said something about
the spirit of your parents in you, I don't remember. Later he spoke with
Saitou-san, Kondou-sensei must have been really scaring, that Saitou-san
gave
his agreement, I don't know, I wasn't around!"
We both laughed, knowing that a scared Saitou was unimaginable, impossible,
but the image itself was funny. Soushi always found a way to cheer me up.
"Come, Tokio, we must go back, you have to talk with Kondou-sensei."
Oh my god, I nearly forgot about this one. There was some time left and
I
wanted to relax here.
"I'll follow, don't bother about me. I want to stay a little bit. No problem,
Soushi."
"Really?"
"Really!" I wanted to enjoy he silence and peace some more time alone, before
heading back.
"Bye, Tokio."
"Bye, Soushi."
After the sun settled down behind the mountains around Kyoto I left the
temple
area. I was still messed up and had mud on my hakama and kimono, but what
mattered. The moon was already high in the sky, red from the last sunbeams,
it looked beautiful.
What a wonderful city! But.. STOP! What was that, that smell? BLOOD!! Quickly,
without giving it a second thought, I rushed forward into the
direction I heard the noises of a fight and were the smell was coming from.
There were the first dead men. Shinsengumi, low-ranked. There were the next
three. It must be many opponents or a VERY skilled sword-fighter. I turned
around the next corner, there he stood.
It was a single man, his back facing me. He was definitely skilled, that
would be an interesting opponent, I longed for my swords,..
WHERE WERE MY SWORDS? OH MY GOD! They were still in the dojo, where Soushi
had broken down!
The man in front of me turned, he must have felt my ki, the bloodied moonlight
shining on his features.
He had red hair, bond in a high pony-tail and a crossed scar on his left
cheek. I panicked. I noticed a disturbing influence in his ki, similar to
my
own, no mercy, killing cold-blooded, hiding a deep wound in his soul. He
was
different.
He must have noticed the same in me, we stood there, facing each other,
staring at each other, nobody moved, I felt like facing death himself. I
was
dead. Why didn't he attack?
***FLASHBACK***
The katana was lying in front of me, in the middle of the room, the first
assassin stepped out of the shadows, I blocked every emotion. 'Focus, you
can
do that, Tokio! You have to stay alive for your parents, for their spirit,
for
their believe!'
"Look what we have here, the bastard. Properly she will be more fun than
her
mother, ne?"
A second man stepped into the light, now! I rushed forward, grabbed the
katana
and used the speed to dodge the first man while cutting his legs above his
knees. He fell to the ground yelling, I used the wall and my speed to kick
me
back to the second man decapitating him. He stood for some seconds, before
he
broke down.
'Run, Tokio, there are some more, they are skilled and alarmed now, I will
need the wakizashi, the element of surprise is gone.'
'Where is it?' I looked frantically around, there it was, pierced through
my
father's heart. 'His own sword! Focus, Tokio!'
But this moment was enough, I wasn't able to evade the shuriken.
'Ninjas! Getting worse! How many?'
The shuriken hit my left shoulder, it was supposed to hit my heart.
'RUN, Tokio!'
I rushed forward and grabbed the wakizashi, ignoring the pain in my left
shoulder and the sight of my father. 'I can stand this!'
The man, whom I had cut above the knees finally stopped yelling, he had
probably lost too much blood.
"Tokio!" Someone was calling me? My parents were killed, I had to be focused!
I raised my hand to pull out the shuriken.
"TOKIO!" My shoulder ached, where was the shuriken?
***END FLASHBACK***
"TOKIO!!"
I was distracted for a minute, or longer, someone was searching me, I was
standing in the middle of a street in a pool of blood in Kyoto. About six
corpses lying around me. The man in front of me had vanished. Why didn't
he
kill me? I was a witness and an easy prey!
Saitou and Soushi came across the corner, seeing me standing in the middle
of
the street, between the dead corpses, some Shinsengumi followed them. Saitou
and Soushi must have realised, how disturbed I was, Saitou rushed forward
and
pushed me behind him.
"What happened here, Tokio?" He was alarmed, his fighting ki got stronger.
"Hm, I'm not sure, there was a man.." I felt safe having him around and
began
to be attracted by his physical presence and strong fighting spirit, despite
his behaviour earlier that day.
"What man? Did he have red hair and a crossed scar on his cheek, Battousai?"
Saitou asked, his ki getting stronger and stronger, blood-thirstiness filled
the air.
Oh my Gods! It had been him! I felt my face pale even more.
Saitou got a glimpse of my face "What's wrong? Was he here?"
"He was here, just a moment ago!"
They both looked alarmed, prepared to draw their swords at any second and
fight.
"What?" Soushi asked "You saw him and he let you alive? Where did he go?"
"I don't know, he was too fast. I have never seen someone moving so fast
before."
No way I would tell them that I had been distracted.
"Tokio, where are your swords?"
"Back at home." I was an idiot running around this city without protection.
"Bad. You stay close to me, I'll bring you home. Okita-kun can you clear
the
situation here with Hijikata-san?"
"No problem."
"Wait a moment, please!" I looked around, there had to be a good one. There,
this man had a good sword. I opened his still warm hand, took the katana
and
grabbed the wakizashi out of his hakama. He wouldn't need it any longer.
"Good idea, Tokio. Might be necessary to defend yourself."
I walked closely behind him, we were both alarmed and watched our surroundings
carefully. We headed down some streets, before he suddenly stopped, there
were the first men, blocking our way, I could feel two more behind us.
"Can you take the two in our back?" Saitou whispered to me, I turned, facing
them, judging them. They were skilled, but it was not impossible.
"No problem." I felt him concentrating on the men in front of him.
"Aa, the miburo using little boys now, are you out of men?"
WHAT? I was NOT a little boy, idiot.
"Stop talking and fight!" I felt Saitou challenging his opponents, entering
the battle and concentrated on my own fight.
I would probably need a special attack, but I wanted to see their first
move
and prepared for the attack.
There the first man came yelling, the katana out of my sight behind his
back.
He raised his arm, 'to early, boy', I thought.
I realised he was aiming for my left shoulder, he increased the speed during
his final blow, I managed to evade in the last moment.
He wanted to cut me up from left shoulder to my hip, he only cut my kimono.
BAD for him, he was distracted, seeing I was not a small boy, and I took
the
chance to slam my katana right between his eyes. EE, I hated when the brain
came out, it looked a bit freaking.
The other man had realised by now, underestimating me would be a mistake
and
stared at me,trying to judge me. Attacking might be a possibility to reveal
more about him and I took an offensive stance.
By his eyes I could tell he knew what I was up to, I preferred the direct
approach. I leapt forward, raising my katana, pretending to slam it down
on
him, he made a defensive move with his katana, NOW. I kicked him my foot
in
the face, but he was quick and realised my intention. He hit me with the
hilt
in my knee before I reached his face and threw me aside, I landed in the
mud
and blood on the street, in an instant I was back on my feet.
OUCH, my knee. FOCUS.
I had to end this fight quickly, I could not move properly with this knee.
Special technique! I drew my wakizashi, and challenged him again, katana
in
my right hand and wakizashi in my left hand.
He smiled, he thought I would not have enough strength in my arms to handle
both swords and he was right. But it would be enough to finish him. I bet
you
had never seen someone using both swords, guy!
He attacked once more, not caring about hiding his aim, I blocked his katana,
not completely, I was too weak and knew that, it brushed along my right
arm.
Nothing compared to victory, he was wide open and now he realised what I
was
up to.
To late, I already cut his throat with the wakizashi, blood raining down
on
me. There came always a lot of blood out of these wounds.
Gods, I had to look awful! I glanced down on me, I was covered with mud
and
blood, my kimono gaping in the front. I sheathed the swords, it had been
a
good idea to pick them up, they had been useful, and I managed to arrange
my
kimono in a way that it appeared properly.
I turned around to look for Saitou, he just sheathed his katana.
"Ma, Hajime, that was a good kick." I started to approach him.
My knee! I suddenly remembered my injury, the excitement of the battle and
the
near victory had made me forget about it. No way, I would not show, that
I
was hurt!
"There are a lot Ishinshishi on the street tonight." He continued to search
the surroundings, but there was no one left, hiding.
"I think they aren't a real threat for us, but Battousai scared me, he had
a
strong influence on my ki."
"Yes, that's part of his style."
"Why he didn't kill me?"
Saitou jerked his shoulders "Ask him." VERY FUNNY, Saitou, very funny. I
actually started to laugh, imagining me asking Battousai, why he didn't
kill me.
Still laughing, I looked up to him "I must look awful, ne?"
Saitou took a closer look at me "You look terrible, you need a bath."
"WHAT?" That was not polite! I knew that! He didn't have to tell me that
directly.
"You look like something the cat dragged in, kitten."
Idiot, he was making fun of me, it couldn't be THIS bad. I tried to kick
him
playfully, ouch! The man had hit me harder than I thought, my leg gave in,
I
broke down, again I was lying in the mud and blood.
I needed a hot bath! Ouch, my knee hurt. SHOW NO WEAKNESS IN FRONT OF HIM!
Teeth-grinding I stood up, trying to evade his look.
"Let's go home!" Ouch, every-time I stained that leg, it ached, nearly giving
in. But I was too proud to show my pain.
Where was Saitou? Why he wasn't following? I turned looking for him, he
stood
on the same spot.
"What are you waiting for, come on!" I waved him to follow me.
"You are hurt!"
"No, I'm not. I'm o.k." I was not that weak! I was strong! It was only a
small bruise!
"Let's see how long you can pretend this, kitten. It will getting worse,
with
you walking around on it."
"I'm not that sensible." I turned around and started to walk, ignoring the
pain best I could, when I suddenly felt him picking me up.
"A good fighter has to care about his health, you are making it worse."
He threw me over one shoulder, my head hanging down on his back.
What was that? Couldn't he carry me like a normal human being?
"What? Can't you at least carry me like a normal woman? I'm your wife
and not a package!"
"Don't complain, you are too dirty. I'll have to wash you first."
What? I was too dirty! That moron! I tried to free myself, but his grip
was
too strong but I tried to wind myself out.
"Stop that, Tokio, or I set you back on your hurt leg."
I had a long, hard thinking about pain and pride and decided, it was time
to
stay quiet.
He carried me the whole way till the bath-house and dropped me in front
of the
bathtubs.
"Here's your bath, kitten."
"Can't you pay more attention? That hurts!" I opened my hakama, dropped
it
and had a look on my knee. It was swollen, in some days it would be green
and
blue, but I saw no outer injury. Perhaps it hurt because it had been twisted
during the attack and the hit of the hilt.
Saitou looked down, slightly concerned, or was I imagining things?
"That looks like you can't walk for some days. You'll have to see the doctor."
The doctor? No way! He would kill me for scaring him this afternoon and
this
would be a good chance for a revenge for him. I decided to discuss this
later.
I slipped out of my kimono, inspected it, it was ruined like my hakama.
No
chance to get the mud and blood out of the clothes and the cut was too long.
I'd have to wear kimonos from now on or borrow me some clothes.
Saitou inspected the cut and said with a sarcastic expression on his face
"I'd like to have seen the man's face."
I let myself glide in the warm water, giggling. I was rather tall for a
average Japanese women and slim, but I had a very womanly frame, I guess
that's my European ancestors fault. I paid attention to wear kimono and
hakama
in a way that hide my body, what was not easy.
"He was quite surprised, believe me. Distracted enough to get defeated by
me."
Aa, the water was relaxing! My muscles loosened up, my knee felt better,
the
scratch on my arm had stopped bleeding, I closed my eyes and dived.
I felt him coming in the tube, I dived up, my eyes snapped open, looking
directly at him, his eyes were gleaming. What an impressive man...
He grabbed me and pulled me close to his chest, I was too tired and exhausted
to protest and to struggle.
"You don't bare your teeth, kitten?"
"Come on, this was a hard day for me." He was attracting me too much, there
was no way I could pretend different. I sat down on his lap and leaned my
head against his chest.
He hissed me a bit and entered, I was so relaxed, that it felt great, I
just
wanted to enjoy the feeling of him inside me.
He began to change the position, leaning forward, kneeling in the bath-tube.
I closed my eyes, started to move, raising, sitting down on him.
When I felt him getting more aroused, I quickened my movements. I was too
tired and exhausted to have an own climax, but I liked the feeling of him
near and his dependence on my motions.
I fastened, it took some time, but I was satisfied when I felt him releasing
his seed.
We stayed in this position for some time, enjoying the closeness and nearly
fell asleep.
"We have to go to Kondou-sensei." Saitou raised, me sticked to him.
Mmm, I wanted to sleep. WHAT? Kondou? OH MY GOD! I forgot everything what
had happened today!
Wide awake again!
***
Saitou carried me to Kondou's audience room, I clapped in my hands in front
of the shouji.
Hearing the permission to enter, I shoved it aside and we entered. Saitou
sat
me back on my feet and somehow I managed to kneel down with my twisted knee.
Kondou sighed deeply, looked at us, we kept our heads lowered, he sighed
again. This was our first talk with him and it wouldn't be our last.
"I was afraid something like this would happen, but you two are sure quick."
He paused sighing, "I can ignore a lot of things, for example your clothes
scattered in the house, you waking us up in the morning or the evening."
He paused again "But I can't close my eyes, when you both are shouting at
each
other like idiots and ruin the house."
Saitou and I bowed deeply and said in one voice "We apologise, Kondou-sensei."
Kondou sighed once more, this was not his day. "You can sit up, you two."
"Tokio-san, what have you done in Okita-san's room?" HELP! I could't tell
him. I had promised not to tell that he was ill and nobody had been in the
house when I had looked for a doctor. In addition to that, no one noticed,
when the doctor had left.
"I'm sorry, Kondou-sensei, I can't tell you."
Kondou slammed his hand on his forehead.
"Tokio-san, that's enough! You are worse than your parents together! And
I
thought THEY were complicated. YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO BE IN HIS ROOM. So tell
me, what have you done there!"
"I'm sorry, Kondou-sensei" I bowed deeply again "I can't tell you. I promised.
I can't break a promise that I gave. But I assure you, that it was completely
harmless and not what it looked like."
"Saitou-kun?" he addressed him.
"I came home, was looking for her, she was not in our room, I heard her
in
Okita-kun's room. I opened the shouji, there she was, Okita-kun was lying
on
his futon and she was lying in his arms."
Oh,oh, this was worse for me. "You didn't open the door, you slammed it
open.
It is damaged. I was so shocked I couldn't move." I wasn't able to keep
my mouth shut.
Kondou interfered "Calm, Tokio-san, and apologise."
"What for, Kondou-sensei?"
"This was a compromising situation and Saitou-kun had every right to judge
as
he did."
"He had no right to punch Okita-san or to throw me out of the window!"
"APOLOGISE, TOKIO." HUH, he sure was threatening.
I bowed deeply in front of Saitou "I apologise, Saitou-san, I'm sorry."
Kondou looked relieved and turned his concentration to Saitou.
"Saitou-kun, did you punch Okita-san and Tokio-san?"
"Yes."
"And?"
"She has to learn where her place is. She needs to be reprimand. She can
not
do what she wants, she has to ask me first."
"WHAT?" Who he thought he was?
"Tokio-san, apologise!" WHAT? Kondou was on his side? THIS WAS NOT FAIR!
"WHAT? I have to apologise? WHY?"
"Tokio-san, you have to stick to the rules. I know, your parents were
different, but I'm sure you know the tradition. He has every right to do
what
he did, he is your husband."
He was right, I knew it. Stupid Japanese tradition. In this point I was
his property.
SHAMING! I had to lower myself in front of him! I felt myself bowing deeply
in
front of him, my cheeks were burning and I heard myself whispering
"I apologise, Saitou-san, I'm sorry. It will never happen again."
NO, I didn't want to raise and see his self-confident and arrogant grin!
"By the way," Kondou continued "Didn't I tell you to stop using your father's
swords?"
I felt the world crashing on me. NO! He couldn't do this!
"I told her to go on with training and fighting, Kondou-sensei. I'm sorry!"
Saitou bowed and apologised. What? Why he did this, he told me nothing!
Kondou stared at Saitou, saying "Why did you allow her to go on? She is
a
woman, she can not use the swords any longer, she won't need them any more!"
"You said it before, she is MY wife. I want her to continue."
He had done this whole scene on purpose! He was playing with my feelings!
But
he had managed to get Kondou's permission for my training and fighting.
My pride or my father's swords? It was not an easy decision.
A promise is a promise.
An obligation is an obligation.
Honour, duty, pride, justice, the way of a samurai.
Passion, obsession.
He had won this fight.
I felt myself falling completely for him.
But he had not won the battle.
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What's on next chap?
Next chapter is dedicated to hundreds, no, thousands of BORING, ENDLESS,
STUPID, USELESS, UNINSPIRED school lessons, university courses and
discussions.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TBC...
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