Standard disclaimers:
I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. Watsuki and some big name companies do.
ON WITH THE STORY:
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For so many years we were friends and yes,
I always knew, what we could do
But so many tears in the rain felt
The night you said that love had come to you
I thought you were not my kind
I thought I could never feel for you
The passion of love you were feeling
And so you left for someone new
And now you are far and away,
I'm sending a letter each day
"From Sarah with love"
So maybe the chance for romance
It's like a traiting catch, before it's gone
And I'll keep her waiting and dreaming
You're strong enough to understand
As long as you are so far away,
I'm sending a letter each day,
"From Sarah with love"
Sarah Connor (From Sarah with love)
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CHAPTER 9: OKITA'S DEATH
I dressed in Okita's cloths, Hajime's cloths were definitely too large for
me, and it would be less suspicious than dressing in a kimono. Furthermore,
I
could take the swords with me.
We set off for the woods, Hajime was dragging Okita with him, I supported
him
on the other side to prevent Okita staggering. The weather was still hot
and
muggy, and we were soaked in sweat after heading down the streets and
entering the forest.
We walked deeper into the woods and looked for a good place, secluded, hidden,
we didn't want to be discovered. Finally we found a small clearing, perfect
for our plan. We helped Okita to kneel, he was already exhausted from the
short way, coughing, breathing heavy.
Why was it so hot and muggy? Sweat was running down my face as well as
Hajime's and Okita's. My clothes were soaked and heavy from the high humidity.
Hajime longed in his sleeve, revealed a cigarette, put it into his mouth
and
lightened a match. I felt like my eyes would bulge out of their sockets.
What was this idiot thinking this is? A picnic?
I made up to him, snatched the cigarette out of his mouth, flung it to the
ground and stamped enarged on the cigarette. Okita actually laughed at
Hajime's expression, who stood there, dumpfolded, the lightened match in
his
hand until it burned his fingers.
"Ouch! What was that?" The match fell to the ground. It was the day, I decided
to educate him and pound some manners into him.
"AAAAAA! You are such an insensitive moron! What do you think is this? A
party? Can't you at least be a bit more considerate?"
I turned my back to him and knelt by Okita's side, who was still
chuckling despite his near end.
Gently I embraced him "Please, Soushi, don't leave me alone with this
insensitive idiot."
"Maybe in our next life, Tokio. But I'm afraid there is no possibility
in this one."
Hajime stepped closer, a concentrated look in his eyes and Okita turned
to
him "I hope you two behave, when I'm not around and you won't tear down
the
whole house."
Heartfeltly I squeezed him "I'll miss you, Soushi."
Okita smiled evilly at Hajime "Next life she'll probably be my wife, Saitou-san."
I squeezed him even more "Stop making bad jokes, Soushi. I'll never forget
you."
"How do you want to end it, Okita-kun?" Hajime. Straight to the point.
"As honourable as possible, that is all I can ask for."
I knelt behind him, laid my hands on his shoulders and supported him, so
that he was able to sit upright and Hajime knelt in front of us, facing
us.
Okita longed for his wakizashi, tried to draw it, he was already too weak.
I
laid one hand over his, helping him to unsheath the sword and placed my
hand
back on his shoulder. He would not be able to handle the sword, he was barely
in the position to hold it.
Hajime stretched out both hands, laying his hands on Okita's. Do I really
want
to witness this? I tightened my grip on Okita's shoulders, as the short
sword
entered the lower part of his body, he stiffened in my grip.
They led the sword up to his chest, cutting him up, the traditional suicide.
He twitched, I pulled him close to me, his back lying on my chest, I looked
in
his face, he had a peaceful expression, smiling, the end of his suffering
was
near.
"Thank you both." With Okita's last words, Hajime drew his own wakizashi
and cut hiss throat.
His body still twitched, I could see the intestines moving a last time,
I
caressed his shoulders for a while though I knew he couldn't feel it anymore.
His eyes were clouded, the last thing he had seen had been my face.
Okita was dead.
I was prepared for this for some weeks now, despite this I felt tears raising
up, remembering our time together.
***flashback***
Our first meeting in the streets of Kyoto:
"Ma,ma. calm down."
"Remember, we are still looking for man like him."
Sitting in the pub with him and Saitou, discussing.
Looking in his face during the marriage meeting.
Okita smiling warmhearted at me in the eating room, after my first night
with
Saitou:
"How inconspicuous." I whispered to him.
"You two were loud enough. You waked up the whole house. Your clothes were
scattered everywhere." He whispered back.
"That was nothing special. They should concentrate on their own business."
"Believe me, THIS was special."
Okita standing in the dojo:
"You need to improve your speed during the first step!"
"It is based on offence."
"You have to judge your opponent and not to overestimate yourself."
Okita giving my company and guidance during my wedding.
Our fateful session after the marriage:
*Cough, cough* He wasn't able to defend himself.
"It is nothing, Tokio, nothing to worry about!" Spitting blood.
The horrified doctor and Okita coughing and laughing:
"Tokio, what have you done to the poor man! Sorry, doctor, she loses sometimes
her temper. Nothing to worry about."
"Ma, ma, Tokio. I was afraid it would be serious and I knew I would die.
Please calm down and don't tell Saitou-san."
"I promise, Soushi!"
Saitou stormed the room and punching his fist in Okita's face and smacking
me
out of the house.
The talk with him in the temple area:
"I managed to calm down Saitou."
"He is your husband, Tokio, he has to take care of you. You behave stubborn
and childish."
Earlier today:
"I can't die like this, understand me. Lying on a futon, suffering of a
disease. This is no ending for a samurai like me."
Short before his death:
"Thank you both."
***end flashback***
"Tokio, we have to bury him." I felt a hand on my shoulder, I had my arms
wrapped around Okita's head, my face buried in his hair, and Hajime was
kneeling beside me.
No time for being sad and depressed, we had a more important thing to do.
I
placed Okita carefully on the ground.
I WON'T CRY! I stood, looking up to Hajime, I grabbed his gi, raised to
the tip of my toes "Please, promise, you'll never leave me."
Was I nuts? Why was I so sentimental? Something must be wrong with my hormone
balance.
He looked at me as if I was crazy, I felt tears raising, when he suddenly
embraced me.
He hugged me? I thought I was dreaming! "I promise."
We hugged each other for some minutes, I felt safe, comforted, before we
turned to bury Okita.
We knelt pious some minutes in front his grave before we prepared to leave.
I took Okita's swords, they would get in the way when we would need to fight
on our way back, I was less skilled, minor important to be prepared to fight.
We walked back in silence, and didn't exchange one word, Hajime in front,
me
hard on his heels. People on the street evaded us, looked in another
direction, we must have given them a scaring impression.
The first thing I did when we reached our room: I placed the swords on a
rack,
they had been a heavy weigh on my my mind, I wanted to get rid of them.
Suddenly I felt Hajime's hand on my shoulder again
"Tokio? Is everything all right?"
I must have stared too long, making Hajime attentive.
NO, I was strong, I could stand this alone! I flicked away his hand,
"Everything is all right, no need to worry."
I turned around, put on one of my fake smiles, Saitou seemed irritated.
No,
I'm not strong, I can't pretend this any longer!
All of a sudden I grabbed his gi, pulled him closer and buried my face on
his
chest. I was sure I demanded too much of him with my changing moods and
my
need for closeness, but he placed his arms around me, to comfort me.
It was so wonderful to be so close to someone, I let myself fall completely,
inhaling his scent, feeling the heat of his body close to mine.
For the first time I was not alone, not around someone I distrusted, after
the
death of a person close to me. I wanted to feel him even closer.
"Please make love to me." He looked questioningly, irritated.
"I want to be as close as possible to you, feel your heat, feel your
closeness, feel YOU. Please, Hajime."
Longingly I looked up to him, he loosened his grip around my waist, raised
one hand, touched my cheek, caressed it.
"Tokio?" I waited for him to finish the sentence, he didn't, looking into
my
pleading eyes. Whatever he wanted to say, he didn't.
He raised his other hand, cupped my face and kissed me on my mouth, gentle.
I started to open the first knot of his gi, the second knot, he was soaked
with sweat as me.
I dropped to my knees, opening his hakama, embracing him around his knees,
laying my head between his legs, pressing me against him.
He laid his hands on my head, and knelt, too. Placing one hand in my neck,
kissing me again, more loving, more passionate, I never felt like this before
in my whole life. Burning inside with one kiss. His other hand ran down
to my
chest, opening my gi, wandering further down, opening my hakama.
He never let me go, our mouth still fused, one of his hands in my neck and
my
hair, the other around my waist, pulling me close, pressing me against him.
I leaned forward to lay him down on his back, and placed myself on top of
him.
We broke our kiss, looking each other deeply in the eye as I moved down
to let
him enter. It felt great. It was the feeling of closeness that let me feel
this
way, not the sex or climax itself. A lot of laundry to do tomorrow.
I really hated to sleep clinched to someone, it felt always so uncomfortable
and was disturbing when the other moved. This night I didn't mind, despite
the
muggy weather, I needed his comforting presence as close as possible.
***
During the next days I began translating the paper Yoshinori had given me
and
my feeling of uneasiness, fear got stronger. This paper was really hot stuff
about trading contracts between a French merchant in Marseille and a Japanese
one in Nagasaki with connections to Osaka.
I paid attention not to show the translation to Hajime, there was no need
to
hide the original, he wouldn't be able to read it anyway.
Furthermore I started to feel sick and my moods changed and swung more than
usual, my reactions were unpredictable, poor Hajime... and it was impossible
to keep my thoughts in line... I needed to concentrated back on this affair
Yoshimori had drawn me in.
Japan was still closed for foreigners, the Dutch settlement on an island
near
Nagasaki being an exception. But maybe the Shogunate would lose in this
revolution, the country would be opened to foreigners,..
The paper was definitely the death sentence for this Japanese merchant and
his
family. How had they been able to establish this connection?
Nagasaki was far away from Osaka, but it was still a risk. Anyhow, the content
of the paper was clear, no misinterpretation possible. I would need some
days
to finish the translation, a lot of business and trade expressions were
inside
it, I had to clear this correctly, I didn't want them to get killed, based
on a wrong translation.
Only one week was left, until Yoshinori would come to get the translation,
the feeling of uneasiness and discomfort got stronger and stronger.
It was high time to complete my equipment, and it was already late in the
evening, Hajime was on his round through Kyoto.
I dressed in gi and hakama, I chose neutral colours, no need to be more
conspicuous as I already was. Arranging my hair in
a high pony-tail, mine and Okita's wakizashi in my sash, I left the house.
I
had saved enough money to buy what I was up to.
I wouldn't been able to contact the ninja-group in Kyoto without drawing
more attention to me than neccesary, I would have to fend for myself. The
streets seemed to be save and quiet, I reached the swords-smith I visited
on
my second day in Kyoto without any incidents.
I managed to persuade the swords-smith with some recommendation, and some
code
words that I had been told in Osaka and some extra money, to hand me what
I
wanted.
I left him a bit more relieved, a bit more assured, I had the dagger I wanted,
some shuriken and kunais. The shuriken and the kunais had been a real problem,
but I'm a really persisting and scaring person when I was up to something.
It
took me about two hours to persuade him by scaring the hell out of him,
but
it was the success that counted.
It was in the middle of the night now, the moon high in the sky, it seemed
to
be bloodied. This was definitely a perfect night for a killing on the streets,
assassinations, a night for bloodshed, I could almost sense it.
Only a few minutes later the smell of blood reached my nose, as expected.
Without giving it a second thought I headed into the direction. The smell
of
blood grew stronger and stronger, it was intense now, mixed with the smell
of
intestines that have been cut up. I heard the cutting of metal through flesh,
through bones, battle-cries, the last cries before death.
I came around the corner and stopped dead in my tracks, this was really
a
bloodshed. The Hitokiri was cutting up the last man standing, his sword
still
high in the air from the last attack, he lowered his sword and started to
clean it. I would recognise him everywhere by now, he was too similar to
me.
Battousai. In between us lay about fifteen dead men, some cut up, some cut
through the throat, some cut through the head.
I was sure he must have spotted my presence by now, two related souls would
recognise each other everywhere at every time. I had to disturb him in a
similar way as he disturbed me. Why did I feel safe in Hajime's company,
but
felt threatened in his aura?
There he turned, sheathing his sword, the bloodied moonlight reflecting
on his
face once more, staring at me.
This couldn't go on forever like that, say something, Tokio!
"Hello?" I put on a fake smile, knees shaking, sure he knew everything I
was
thinking, he could see through my disguise without any effort.
"It is you again!" Ha, he was able to speak, he stepped closer, he was
alarmed, on guard, I was relieved that I dressed neutral.
"Yes." I stepped closer, too, on guard, paying attention if he would draw
his
sword, our gaze locked. We were trying to figure out, what the other one
was
up to. Wasn't he surprised to see me once in a kimono and the other time
in
man's clothes? Only a few steps divided us now.
"TOKIO!" Someone was calling me? I was distracted, closed my eyes for a
brief
second.
"TOKIO!" I opened my eyes, Battousai had vanished, someone grabbed
my wrist, turned my around and shacked the hell out of me, it was Hajime.
"What the Hell are you doing in the streets? Are you nuts? Going outside
alone? Didn't I tell you to stay at home?"
I needed a second to gather my thoughts "I wanted to have a walk through
the
streets."
I felt that he was fuming mad at me, dragging me home behind him. Damn,
I got
myself into trouble everywhere!
When we reached our house, he grabbed me around my waist, threw me over
his
shoulder, ripped of my sandals and carried me up to our room, where he dropped
me roughly. He was still fuming mad.
"TOKIO; what is wrong with you?" What was that for an introduction and tone?
Who he thought he is?
"NOTHING!"
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE THERE?" Can't he be less commanding?
"Enjoying the fresh air and Kyoto by night."
"ARE YOU COMPLETELY INSANE?" What? I'm definitely not insane!
"THAT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!" Gods, I pissed him of! I couldn't keep my
mouth shut, I couldn't stand this any longer.
I ran outside, heading for the kitchen, to catch food and sit down in the
eating room among some other Shinsengumi, fuming mad by myself now.
I knew exactly when he entered the room, I had sat down with my back to
the
entrance, but I saw the other holding their breath, NOW.
"DON'T RUN AWAY WHILE I'M TALKING TO YOU!" Enough! This commanding
words and voice were driving me crazy.
I took the tray with rice-bowl, tea-cup and fish-plate on it, turned and
threw it with all my strength at him.
The rice-bowl hit the head of a Shinsengumi sitting in the way, the tea
spilled over a second man and the fish hit the face of the wife of the
second man. Saitou evaded the tray.
AAAAAA! I threw my chop-sticks, too, useless. AAAA!
"TALKING? YOU CALL THAT TALKING? YOU WERE YELLING AT ME AT
INSTANT, INSULTING ME!"
"TOKIO; STAY QUIET!" He came closer, threatening, grabbed me on my gi,
pulled me closer, his eyes gleaming, the others fled the room as fast as
they
could. Something snapped inside me.
I was sure, he was only concerned about me, why had I lost my temper again?
He
wasn't able to show his concern in a appropriate way and I reacted childish.
Maybe he was right being mad and yelling at me. I calmed down.
"I didn't mean it this way, Hajime."
Looking deep into my eyes and seeing the regret there, he seemed to calm
down, too.
We had our forth talk with Kondou.
***
"We apologise, Kondou-sensei." We both bowed low, Kondou sighed, the two
men from the eating room sat by his side.
"Tokio-san?" Kondou was definitely at the end of his tether. It was early
in
the next morning, we were all tired. Again, the first step that led to this
escalation was my fault.
Bowing, saying "I'm sorry, Kondou-sensei. It was my fault. I was on the
streets last night and got into some trouble with the Ishinshishi and my
husband found me."
Hajime swallowed, Kondou's eyes nearly bulged of their sockets, the others
looking astonished. I had four men against me, no chance to succeed.
Kondou gained control, raising an eyebrow at Hajime before addressing me.
"Tokio-san, what for Heaven's sake have you done in the middle of the
night in the streets? You know it is dangerous."
"I can't tell, I'm sorry, Kondou-sensei." Now I had managed to flip his
lid.
He grabbed me by my gi, shaking me to oblivion
"Is there some sense inside of you left, Tokio?" @_@ lying swirly-eyed
on the floor, not able to answer. Kondou turned his attention to Hajime.
"Saitou-kun?"
"I thought she would be at home, when I suddenly heard noises of a fight,
I
rushed forward, she stood in the middle of the street, about fifteen dead
Shinsengumi around her. She could be dead by now. I assume it was Battousai."
Kondou fuming mad, Hajime back to annoyed, the eyes of the others bulging
out
of their sockets. I regained full consciousness and wished to faint again.
"Tokio-san, apologise." I had been expecting that.
"There was no need to be so rough to me!" Tokio, learn to keep your
mouth shut!
"APOLOGISE!" Kondou exploded.
"I'm sorry, Saitou-san."
"Second point: Why were you yelling at each other and disturbing the men
in
the eating room? Tokio-san?"
"He was very rough, dragging me through the streets, yelling at me, I wanted
him to be more gentle."
With a self-control I admired deep down inside,Kondou managed to stay
quite calm.
"By yelling back, being sarcastic and throwing a tray at him?"
Huh, the situation was very bad. For a second I considered to mention that
I was from Osaka and had the spirit of my parents, but he looked so
threatening, no need to tell me what to do.
Bowing, saying "I apologise, Saitou-san. I apologise, Kondou-sensei. I
apologise for hitting you two and your wife with the food, I'm sorry."
Still bowing, eyes locked to the ground.
"Saitou-kun, apologise!" Hey, I wasn't expecting this, Hajime obviously
not,
too.
"Why?"
Kondou sighed "Don't question me, Saitou-kun! For being rough to her? I
don't know exactly, apologise, I want to get rid of this."
Saitou bowing in front of me "I'm sorry, Tokio-san." AAAA! It felt better
with every time.
Kondou looked desperately at the two men by his side, raising an eyebrow,
questioning.
"We want them to have their own eating room, we want to finish our meals
quietly and in peace."
Kondou sighing deep "I'll see what is possible. You can leave, you two."
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TBC...
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