Standard disclaimers: We don't own Ruroken. We wish we did, but
unfortunately
Watsuki and some big name companies already have this privilege.

Sorry for the delay...completely my (Mara's) fault. =^^= again....

mmm, for any remaining errors I want to blame xemacs spelling check which
was driving me insane this time =^^=

mmm, I (Mara) started my homepage (first attempt *COUGH*). You'll find my
latest chapters there, I try to update every week, but I can't promise it...
So if you want, have a look: http://www.geocities.com/mara_amber1
I hope there is no typo in it =^^=...

mmmm, yes, Mara admits it... I am a HUGE 'Blade of the Immortal' fan...
and the fighting scene WAS 'inspired' by Shiro =^^= the mega-psychopath.
MORGANE YOU NEED TO READ THIS GREAT MANGA!!!!




Chapter 7



Seeing her brothers in their Shinsen-garments became daily routine to
Tokio, although it still was nothing she wanted to get used to. Her
annoyance at their new work was even increased by the fact that both
were so
busy with training, patrolling, taking part in briefings and learning
about the organisation that she barely saw them during the first week.
When they came back late in the evening they were so exhausted most
times that they hastily finished their dinner to get to bed as soon as
possible. With the first rays of the raising sun they stood up and left
their sister back alone.

The only thing that helped her not to die from boredom were her strange
rounds through Kyoto together with Saitou to which he used to order her
to join him in the late afternoon. She usually insisted to drag him to the
Aoiya in the evenings, knowing that the wolf, in spite of his
bad-tempered grumbling, enjoyed the well-prepared dinners at the
restaurant as
much as she did since they were a lot better than the meals in the
headquarters.

But although these rounds were an interesting chance to get to know her
to-be-husband better, she couldn't suppress the thought that it wasn't
actually her he was interested in but that he had some ulterior motive.
But well, that made the whole thing even more challenging. And, she
added grinning, it had one more positive side-effect: Since the vendors
knew
her already as belonging to the Shinsen-gumi, she got discount everywhere.

Shortly after one week staying at the headquarters her brothers got a
free morning and with anticipation she waited for this first
opportunity to speak with them for a longer time. But naturally enough,
Keni,
as soon as he was alone with her for some moments, would spoil the
familiar atmosphere.

"Did you enjoy the last trips through Kyoto together with Saitou?" he
started the awkward questioning short after they had sat down together
around their little table with some tea.

"Do you mean if I enjoyed Kyoto or if I enjoyed your captain's company?"
She twinkled teasingly at him, although she saw very little hope to save
herself with her charm. With Michinori it would have worked, but
Keni was another calibre.

"He is not MY captain." Kenichiro snapped back.

This was interesting. She hadn't realised yet how sensible Kenichiro was
about Saitou.
"But you agreed to fight in his squad." Stubbornly she insisted on this
fact,
maybe a chance to reveal more.

"That I agreed to fight in his squad doesn't mean that he is 'my' captain.
I don't want to hear this suggestive under-tone in your voice again, Tokio."
Kenichiro's dangerously gleaming eyes told that it would be wise to drop
the
matter for now.

To ease his mood, she blinked at him using all her charms
"I would never hand him this easily over to you, Keni."

Like she had already guessed, he twisted his face in response,
obviously displeased with her girlish coquetteries. "Be serious for once,
Tokio."

Sighing, she poured herself another cup of tea, hesitating how to
answer the question. Finally she choose to tell her brother the truth.
"Yes, I have... somehow. He is a quite interesting man."

"Quite interesting?" Kenichiro raised an eyebrow and settled back with
a wide grin.

Thoughtfully she nodded. Nice, handsome, cute, friendly, attentive
werenīt attributes that described Saitou well, that was for sure, but he
fascinated her in some way and that was all that mattered. "Yes, thatīs
what I think." She giggled and nearly spread the tea across the table,
imagining what Kenichiro would say when she would call this man handsome.
Maybe forcing her to visit the nearest doctor?

Her brother wasn't as amused as her and picked up his swords and arranged
them in his hakama before he glanced seriously back at her.
"You know that you have to marry as soon as possible."

Tokio clenched her teeth and forced herself to stay calm while sipping
on her
tea. "Like you might remember, I had the chance, Keni, but it was you who
ruined it."

"I couldn't accept your choice, Tokio." Keniīs eyes narrowed. "It was for
your best."

Sneering the girl laughed. Ruining her relation-ship, dragging her through
half of Japan only to strand in Kyoto was the best for her?
"The best? You do have an odd idea and definition of what is the best
for me."

Kenichiro sighed, obviously tired of this topic. Nevertheless he insisted,
"Do you really find him interesting? Would you marry him?"

Tokio just shrugged her shoulders and sipped on her tea once more.
Interesting? Marrying him? He was for sure not as unbearable as Akira
who had
showed her with flowers and poems and had said "yes" to every little
word from her. This man had an own will and as she had already
resumed before, she felt oddly attracted to him.
"I think so. But I'm not sure if he will actually choose me." Defiantly
she raised her head. "I can't assess him appropriately.
I could swear that he had some ulterior motive to show me around Kyoto
every day but I simply can't figure out what it might be."

Just in this moment Michinori returned from his relaxing bath and
Kenichiro decided to change the theme. Michi was always sensible about
Tokio's marriage and reluctant to discuss about Saitou as a proper
candidate.
"Is a bath-tube vacant, Michi?"

His younger brother simply nodded, not noticing how funny he looked
with a cloth wrapped around his head to dry his hair.
While Kenichiro gathered his utilities, Michinori
went over to his sister and hugged her cordially. "It is so wonderful
that we can spend this morning together!" he exclaimed cheerfully.

"Oh, how sweet you are today!" Tokio purred, hugging him back and
kissing him fiercefully on the mouth. He returned the kiss
enthusiastically until he felt a hand on his shoulder and grumbling he
turned to look at his older brother to hear what he wanted.

"Can't you two at last wait till you're alone?"
Murmuring something about that really not being the first sight he
wanted to witness in the morning, Keni left the room.

Unmoved his two siblings remained in their embrace.
"Do you know what I would like to have now, kitten?" Michinori
whispered into his sister's ear.

Delighted she giggled.
"Not here and now, Michi."

Roguish grinning Michinori continued to tease her ears with his lips.
"I would LOVE to have one of these delicious fishes you prepare."

Laughing Tokio freed herself from her brother. "You want fish?" In
mocking disapproval she shook her head. "You mean, instead of having a
really good time with your sweet, lovely sister, you prefer to satisfy
your lower instincts by eating?"

"Well, I'm hungry!" He twinkled at her. "Be an angel, kitten, and buy
some of these fish for lunch."

Playing the sulking for a little more, Tokio finally nodded her
agreement and went to the door. "Fine. But make sure that you are right
here when I come back."

"I would never disappoint you."

Giggling over Michi's flirteous tone, Tokio left him and hurried the
steps of the headquarters down.

She still remembered her first shopping tour with Saitou and the sweet
old lady who had sold her the excellent fish. Although she had already
visited some other fish-shops, no-one of them had compared to her goods
and so she decided to head to her stall. Thanks to her well-trained
sense of orientation, she had no difficulties in finding it immediately.

Recognising the old woman, she gave her the brightest, most enchanting
smile she was capable of while approaching her with her typical
graceful movements.
"Good morning."

The fish woman looked up. As she made her out, a warm smile appeared on
her lips. "Oh, itīs you!" she said delighted. "I'm honoured that you
visit my humble business again, Mylady."

"You still remember me?" Astonished Tokio raised an eyebrow, she had
only been here once and that had been one week ago. Moreover she had only
bought some cheap fish. Barely a condition to be well-remembered.

"How could I forget you!" Forced discreetly she looked behind Tokio,
obviously searching for a company. When she saw no-one of them, she
sighed in visible relief before turning towards her customer with even more
enthusiasm. "May I ask where your sweet little daughter is?"

Tokio had no interest to clear the wrong assumption of the fish-trader.
"Misao's at home." What wasn't a lie, she was at the Aoiya. With her
most winning expression, Tokio smiled friendly at the old woman. "I
would like to have some of this fish I bought the last time. Do you
have it again?"

The vendor blinked warmhearted.
"For you of course." She bend over and picked up some fish from an
extra box and offered it to her. "How many of them do you want?"

Thinking of her insatiable brother, Tokio wrinkled her nose. "Well,
let me see. One for me, one for Keni and ... I'll take six of them."

"So many?" The old woman raised a brow. "You know that this sort of
fish has to be eaten immediately the day when it is bought, don't you?"

Tokio laughed girlfully as the old woman began to wrap the fish. "Oh,
you don't know how much he is capable to eat! He makes up for four men
coming right out of the desert."

"Really?" Laughing the fish-woman offered her some extra fish. "To
nibble for your daughter", she explained.

Without bating an eyelid, Tokio accepted. "She will be very pleased,
I'm sure."

"Well and..." The fish-woman stopped in mid-sentence and the girl could
literally see how her warm smile froze and made place for a nearly
fearful look. But she had only a few seconds to wonder what was wrong.

"What are you doing here?"
The incisive, sharp, demanding under-tone of Saitou's voice behind
here was proof for the old woman's sudden change of behaviour and
slowly she turned around, wondering why he was bothering about her
buying fish.

"I just wanted to get some lunch."

He grabbed her by her shoulder and she could see a cold fire burning in
his eyes. He was angry. He was more upset than she had ever seen him
before. It was no wonder that the stall-keeper had been frightened.
"There are others in the house you could have sent."

Defiantly she raised her head. Who did he think he was?! "But I wanted
to have this special fish", she insisted stubbornly. "And now release me."

She realised that he scarcely stifled his anger as he continued to drag
her down the street.
"I can't remember that you were allowed to leave the Shinsen-headquarters
alone."

"And I can't remember that someone told me that I need a permission to
leave the area.." Tokio protested.

"Well, than you are told now: You are not allowed to leave the area
without your brothers, Okita or me in your company."

"You can't lock me away."

Quickly he turned and glared at her, her next words stuck in her throat
"I CAN, if I have to, Takemoto."

Deciding not to push him further she swallowed her comment.
He accompanied her until they were in front of their room and without
any announcement Saitou pushed the door aside. The two brothers looked
up startled with different expressions on their faces. Michinori was
visibly shocked about the intrusion while Kenichiro looked pleased, most
obviously about his sister's company.

Politely and respectfully he bowed to his commander, before elbowing his
brother to do likewise.
"Good morning Saitou-sensei."

Tokio thought her ears were playing tricks with her. Did her proud
brother, who even dared to challenge the Daimyo, say 'Saitou-sensei'?
Something had to be wrong with her listening.

"You seem to enjoy the company of our sister."

"I wouldn't dare to say so. I found your sister on the streets."
He paused for an effect before he emphasised the next words "Alone. Again."

With a guilty look on his face Michinori quickly interfered.
"She just went to buy lunch for us...."

A deadly glare from Saitou stopped his jovial excuse and if this was
possible Kenichiro bowed even lower.
"I'm sorry, Saitou-sensei. It will never happen again."

Tokio swallowed, her ears hadn't played tricks with her, Kenichiro
really accepted this insufferable man as his leader and commander.

"I hope so, otherwise I'll have to care about this myself." he nodded
to Kenichiro "I need you in the dojo for some training." Immediately
Kenichiro stood up and followed Saitou to the training hall. Both,
Michinori and Tokio shot daggers behind them with their glares.

"I really can't see what you find fascinating about this bastard",
Michi finally sputtered, his voice reduced to a murmuring. "and for
sure I have no idea what Kenichiro is putting on stage here."

Due to her incredible good hearing Tokio had understood every word her
brother had mumbled. So he was as clue-less as her, but she couldn't
ignore the 'bastard'-comment.

"I consider him fascinating, because he is so different from the other
men", she defended herself. As Michinori only raised a brow in
response, she sighed displeased and continued. "You know, either they
feared me because of our family and treated my with overdone respect or
they
kissed the ground I was walking on, never opposing me. Though this is
flattering it turns to be boring on the long term."

Michinori chuckled as he finally understood his sister's strange taste.
"Oh, I see. That's why you never lost your heart on one of these men."
Once more he took his sister in his arms "Okay, I begin to understand
why our 'Saitou-sensei' arouses your interest..." he hold her back in
his arms "...maybe I simply cannot accept the fact that you might
be his wife."

Tokio smiled up warmly to him.
"Sooner or later this will happen."

Dryly Michinori turned away from her
"I'd prefer later. Honestly."

Laughing Tokio turned to the door to head for the kitchen and prepare
the fish.
"Don't be so negative, Michi." Coquettish she cast a glance back over
her shoulder at her brother. "How about a round through the pleasure
quarters tonight? Just you and me with no Kenichiro and Saitou around
like back in Osaka?"

She smiled as she realised her brother's lightening mood.
"Great."

****

"Can we go now?"
Tokio looked impatiently at her younger brother who smiled brightly at her.

"No need to hurry, Tokio."

"Don't be out too long, you two."

Automatically as if they had studied it, doing it very often, Tokio and
Michi bowed. "Yes, yes."

They exchanged a glance and started to giggle.

Kenichiro sighed resigned. "You are like two little children, honestly.
Well, go on your pleasure trip, I will enjoy my evening in peace."

"You're so merciful", Tokio purred teasingly. Before her boresome older
brother got the chance to return something, she took the still laughing
Michi by the sleeve. "Until then, Keni!"

Together they ran out the house, giggling like two kids and ignoring
the disconcerted stares they aroused, until they had left the
Shinsen-gumi area. Breathless they stopped at a little corner.

"We haven't done this for a very long time"; Tokio panted hardly.

Michi was equally breathless. "Boy, back then in Osaka, we used to run
away once a week at least."

Though fighting for air, Tokio giggled
"And Keni always came chasing after us and scolding us for hours,
telling that this was not the appropriate behaviour he expected from us."

Her brother shrugged his shoulders. "He tends to take things too serious."

Tokio had to agree. "But you can't blame him", she added in a
thoughtful voice. "After all he is the one responsible for us."

More sedately they started their walk to the pleasure quarters where
they planned to have dinner. Though passing some attractive women who
looked behind Michinori, Tokio noticed with satisfaction that her
brother's undivided attention was on her. Perhaps he was a bit *too*
fond of
her, that was true, but she couldn't help but appreciate his feelings.

"He was already like this when he was younger", her brother interrupted
her thoughts. Obviously he was still trying to analyse the unanalysable
Keni. "For example when mother prepared this mochi we both liked so
much...."

Tokio began to giggle delightfully when she remembered the occasion.
"Oh, you mean the time when we sneaked into the kitchen and caught them
while mother was distracted...."

"...and then we hid in the cherry tree and Keni tried to get us down by
climbing up the tree!" Michinori began to laugh. "The poor tree was
irreparable damaged. And mother was enraged to no end. It was the one
father had planted when they married. Man, if Keni hadn't been so damn
responsible, he would have joined us with the mochi and the tree would
still be standing on its place."

"Well, that was typical Keni from the very first day of his existence."

Subdued Michinori looked aside.
"And now father and mother are dead and we haven't even the cherry-tree
to remember them."

Tokio raised an eyebrow. Such a depressive statement was absolutely
atypical of her younger brother. "Hey, we have our memories of them and
nobody can take them away", she tried to cheer him up. "It is through
our memories they stay alive for us."

"That is surely true." Michi nodded. Then he sighed again, this time in
nostalgia. "Do you still remember the great respect they felt for
each other and the deep love they shared?"

"Michi..." Tokio felt the old pain dwelling up in her again and fought
hard to suppress it. "I was still too young when mother died. All I
remember is
that father never smiled so warm-hearted as he used to do before. When
he left
to fight..." she shuddered at the remembrance "his eyes seemed only lost
and left behind, as if no reason for him to stay alive was left on earth."
For one moment she stared into nothing, before forcing herself to smile
again.
"Well, let us enjoy this evening, this is what our parents would have
expected from us: continue our life for them."

She was rewarded with a loving look from her brother.
"You are right. How about this restaurant?"

Tokio wrinkled her nose at the yakitori-ya they had stopped at.
"Michi, you are insatiable!"

***

In the following hours they strolled through the district, looking for
every distraction they could think of:
Trying various pubs -they had astonishing different offers than in Osaka-,
gambling -much to Tokio's dismay Michinori lost more money than he won-
and watching and chatting about the passing people.

It was already deep night and near the closing of the district when
they reached the next street and all of a sudden Tokio stopped dead in
her tracks, grabbing her brother by his sleeve.
"Stop, Michi."

Astonished, her brother followed her sharp order.
"What is it, Tokio?"

Furtively his sister eyed the surroundings, the empty street, feeling
an undefinable threat in the air. A sudden hint of cold fear caught her
heart, the frightening knowledge that she definitely shouldn't be here.
"Something is wrong around here, we shouldn't go along."

Michinori smiled warmly at his younger sister.
"You are getting paranoid, Tokio", he scolded her gently. "What should
be different here in comparison to the other streets we had walked down."

"I don't know, but something feels wrong."

"Come on, don't be afraid." Lovingly he smiled back at her "You have me
beside you, there is nothing you need to fear."

Insecure she returned his smile, not sure whether she could trust this
judgement. The fear increased steadily, engulfed her heart completely.
Something was going to happen, something terrible...

"Tokio, that's ridiculous. You are just..."

He did not finish his sentence as he made out the figure who appeared
behind the corner in front of them.
"Michinori Takemoto."

Alarmed Michinori's hand moved to the hilt of his sword
"Who are you?"

"There is no need for you to know my name for you won't need it in
afterlife."

Michinori's eyes narrowed and his grip around his hilt tightened,
his voice was rough "Tokio, go away."

The man in front of them stared at her for a moment, and for the flash
of one second Tokio felt the world around them freezing and leaving
nothing back but the two of them. It was the assassin! He was even wearing
the same kimono he had worn in her vision and when he had killed the
two informants on the street. Seeing her eyes widening, the men smirked
playfully cruel, before turning back to Michinori.
"Your companion's got interesting eyes."

It enraged Michinori to no end, no stranger had the right to state
something like this about his beloved sister. They were still in the red-
light-district.... how could one mistaken his precious and refined
sister for
a whore?

Shocked Tokio watched him drawing his sword. Michinori wouldn't stand a
fight
against this man; he was no gifted fighter, while the other one was a
blood-thirsty assassin. Again the fear increased as she stretched out
her hand
for him.

Something terrible...

"Michi..." her voice trailed away as she noticed that her brother was
already too enraged to listen to her and challenged the sadistically
grinning man.

A chill run down her back and as in trance she heard the attack-yells
and witnessed them passing. The murderer didn't used his odd movement
and relieved she noticed that her brother got out of the first encounter
unscratched...
...as well as his opponent who was now standing right in front of her
as she realised just a second too late; he had already grabbed her chin
and tilted her head up to face him.

"It has been a while, hasn't it, sweetie?" She struggled to get free,
her fear turning into panic. He had recognised her! He knew who she was!

Obviously enjoying her fear, the murderer now encircled her with his
arms exposing them to Michinori who realised that the move had only been
a trick to get a hold of his sister.

Tokio saw that he lost control over his last senses, but the strange
man heightened his rage even more.
"We fight to protect, don't we? What about when you are even too weak
to protect what is dearest to you?"

He took a strand of Tokio's hair in his hand, let it flow through his
finger. Unable to move for some reason, Tokio just stared pleadingly
at her brother. Why didn't he go away? Deep inside she knew that the
assassin wouldn't harm her yet. Not yet.

Michinori's eyes were barely slits in his face as he glared at them and
as the
man raised his sword to Tokio's head, they widened in shock. Paralysed the
girl felt the sword moving down, on the back of her head... she felt a
breeze
and heard the chop... and saw her hair falling to the ground!

The challenger threw his head back, laughing maniacal and pushed Tokio
roughly
aside, she had to stumble about the movement.

The last restrain on Michinori was gone and he attacked again, the
murderer kicked Tokio out of his way against the next wall. Holding
her stomach where his feet had hit her, she wanted to yell at her
brother, to tell him to break off the attack, but she felt the word
stuck in her mouth.

Shocked she had to witness him leaning back, letting her brother pass,
using
the move on Michinori she remembered so well. As her brother hit the ground
with a scream, she closed her eyes and felt sobs shaking her body. She
had to
force herself to open her eyes and to observe the scene.

Michinori had blocked and absorbed some power of the attack, he was still
in possession of his legs and arms and hope raised inside Tokio. But... what
was that? The cruel torturer grinned and shocked she saw that Michi's
sword-arm was bleeding, he clenched his teeth together, tried to ignore the
pain he must feel in his bleeding arm. To be precise it wasn't only
bleeding... it dangled on some muscles, the murderer had cut through his
bones, but not fully. Her hope began to sink again.

The tormenter laughed loudly
"What is the price of this fight, Takemoto? This sweet lady of yours? Oh,
sorry. She isn't a lady, I forgot... give her a few mon and she does
whatever
you want. We all still remember what happened."

Teeth-grinding Michinori took his sword in his other hand and Tokio hold
her
breath. He wouldn't come out of this alive, that was sure. She reached
out her
hand "Michinori..."

He didn't hear her and attacked yelling his opponent, Tokio's sight veiled

*****FLASHBACK*****

She was sitting on a small pond, depressed about her latest sad visions,
looking into the water, observing the kois swimming slowly in it.
"Tokio! Here this is for you!"

She looked up and saw Michinori standing in front of her, smiling widely
across his whole face and holding out a bunch of flowers. They were
dilettantely picked up from the garden, the colours didn't match at all,
but as
always, Michinori tried to cheer her up, he had felt her depressive mood.
"They are only for you, Tokio. They are as beautiful as you."

"But you destroyed them by picking them up, cutting them from their roots."
In this depressed mood, she felt even sorry for these flowers.

But Michinori never lost his warm smile, trying to cheer her up.
"It is for you, Tokio. Every sacrifice is worth it when it is for you. Even
if it means to die for you."

****END FLASHBACK****

Maybe this had been the day when she should have realised what she meant
for
Michinori.

The fighters passed again, Michinori's hurt arm dangling in the storm of
the
movement of the attack, it must hurt badly and again the assassin
leaned back....

Michinori had nothing to defend but his weaker left arm, he had never
been able
to reach the same level of skill as Kenichinori...

She wasn't able to divert her eyes from the scene... this odd attacker with
his smooth and extraordinary flexibility... he leaned back... he saw no
necessity to vary his move for Michi who was carried away by his emotions,
let his fury control him and attacked enraged. The murderer leaned back...
further, further,...

And the unavoidable happened...
Michi's other hand, still holding the sword flew high through the air,
landing
just in front of her feet, spilling Michinori's blood all over her kimono.
She heard a horrified scream escaping her throat as Michinori clashed on
the
street, into the dirt, squirming from pain and unable to defend with
only one
leg left.

The assassin stepped closer to her now defenceless brother, but still
proud and not whimpering, he stood his executioner's stare without fear.

She had shared many discussions with her brother about death, and she knew
that he feared it. But now, facing his near end he showed no horror and
panic.

Tokio couldn't turn her head away as the sadistic man enjoyed her
brother's obvious pain, squirming in the dirt of the street.
"Please spare my sisterīs life."

The sadistic smile widened
"She would be dead already if you were stronger. Your weakness saved her
life,
Takemoto."

Frightened Michinori stared at his torturer as he raised his sword
and horrified Tokio had to observe how the sword moved down,
in the fluid movement that was so characteristic for this man,
everything seemed so smoothly about his moves, and cut up
her brother's chest in the final move.

He had cut deep enough to leave a deadly wound, but not
deep enough to kill Michinori at instant. Her brother bucked
under the pain but stifled a scream and stretched out his remaining
hand for his sister. Satisfied with his work, the murderer
stepped back to watch the last moments of his victim.

Tokio hurried over to Michinori and embraced him
"Michi."

She pulled him closer, never minding the blood that ran out of the
wound in his chest.

Reaching out one hand, he caressed her cheek, leaving a bloody trail
behind.
"Tokio,...."

"Sssshhh, Michi, I can still help you. Just keep quiet."

She saw that her brother's eyes widened and once more he begged
"Please ... spare my sister."

The murderer smirked as his ice cold eyes examined Tokio once more.
"Do you love her so much?"

A beatific little smile appeared on Michinori's bloody face. "More than
everything", he whispered. "More than life itself."

Tokio began to sob uncontrolled, but the murderer's cold expression did
not change. "People should not care for others that deeply", he
returned in his unconcerned voice. "Such love always ends up miserable.
You should have run for your life the moment you saw me, but because you
wanted to protect the girl, you must die now. Your love has killed you."

Michinori still smiled. "That's fine with me...as long as... it's for
Tokio.
She always was.." Whatever he wanted to say remained unsaid since his
words turned into a moist cough. A painful groan escaped him when he
saw that blood had been seeping from his mouth.

With a growing sense of dread, Tokio caught her breath. "Hold on,
Michi, we will call a doctor and..."

"You won't do anything at all, sweetie, he is going to die", the
murderer told her with what seemed to be complete indifference. "Say your
final good-bye to him. You will probably never find another fool who will
love you that badly."

Helplessly Tokio stared down on her beloved brother. Her...good-bye?
Something inside her refused to comprehend what that meant.

Michi's fingers inclined with hers. "I love you so much, Tokio", he
whispered. Again a wave of pain overwhelmed him and he paused for a
long minute before continuing, his voice even hoarser than before.
"I've always loved you. Perhaps more than a brother should love his
sister."

Still she didn't really understand. She understood nothing but that he
was going to leave her alone. With a sharp wail she threw her arms
around him and buried her face against his chest. "Michi! Michi, no!
You can't...you can't leave me like that, do you hear me? You must stay,
you simply can't..." sobs overwhelmed her as she felt the body of her
brother going limb in her embrace. "No! NO! That cannot..."

A firm grip laid on her shoulder ripped her away from her brother, and
she found herself caught by merciless strong hands. Two cold eyes
burned themselves into her tearful look. "Those who seek power must
pay a price in return", her brother's murderer whispered near her ear.
"Remember this well."

All of a sudden he dropped her to the ground and vanished into the next
street, leaving her sobbing uncontrollable behind.

****

Too late.
This was the first, nearly analytical thought that entered Saitou's
mind when he approached the crying girl with her dead brother in her arms.

He quickly looked around, but like he had already guessed, the murderer
had already disappeared. Then he focused his attention back to Tokio.
"What happened, Takemoto?"

She looked up, her delicately beautiful face ravaged by tears and
grief. Her eyes, young and old at the same time, seemed absent, too
drown in
the depths of their sorrow to notice him and for an instant she
reminded him of a broken doll, beautiful and delicate, but empty and
lifeless.
Then she focused him and her face twisted into a demon mask of pain.
"Saitou?"

He approached her, noticing the wound on Michinori's chest. Yes, it had
been the same man who had already slaughtered his other men. "What
happened?"
he repeated his question.

"We were just..." sobs overwhelmed her again. "It was this man and
he...oh God, Michi!"

Barely able to suppress his reflex to tell her not to stutter at his
account, he stepped back a bit.
"Listen, Takemoto, I know that it is hard, but you must tell me..."

"Tokio! Michinori!" His interrogation was interrupted by Kenichiro
who turned around the corner and caught sight of his siblings.

When he saw the bloody scene, his features froze. For one moment Saitou
thought he would break down just in front of him, but an instant later
the young Takemoto already snapped back with the cold self-sufficiency
that was so characteristic for him. No sign of emotion could be seen as
he knelt down beside his sister to examine their brotherīs body.

"Keni!" he barely seemed to hear that broken little whisper from his sister.
"Keni!"

Still ignoring his sister, he stretched out his long slender finger,
touching the blood on Michinoriīs chest. Saitou could not even guess what
was running through Kenichiro's mind right now.

Tokio followed his movement with pleading eyes. Obviously she was
longing for an embrace or any other sign that her brother cared, that he
shared her pain.
"Keni?" she asked in a shy voice, so different from her usual
self-confident manner. Then she began to cry again, barely audible this
time,
so that Saitou had difficulties to understand her next words. "It's all
my fault, Keni! I've know that something would happen."

The Shinsengumi captain looked startled at her but her expression was
of deadly seriousness, while her black eyes were still widened with a
terror beyond his understanding. Again, she seemed absent-minded, far
away from the bloody scene and her two brothers, the one living and the
one dead, wandering in spheres she alone could see. "I have sensed the
dread", she whispered. "Like on the day when they killed mother. I have
felt it coming, but ..."

"Stop it, Tokio!" Roughly the young man cut his sister of and pushed her
aside. "I have already told you that I don't want to hear any of this
ever again!"

Saitou raised an eyebrow. Takemoto Kenichiro was not the caring kind of
brother, so much for sure, and he had already witnessed the young men's
mercilessness and ruthlessness in fights, but nevertheless he had
assumed that he would treat his delicate sister differently - especially in
a situation like this!

But strangely his harsh tone seemed to help Tokio to regain her senses.
Still shaking a bit, she forced herself to stand up, her eyes filled
with the steadiness, the fierce exuberance he had felt from the very
beginning inside her and moved towards him. No ordinary girl, that Takemoto
Tokio.
"Take me away from here", she demanded in a hoarse yet determined voice.
"Then Iīm going to answer all your questions. Just take me away, please."

For one moment Saitou looked right at her, his face expressionless.
Then he just nodded.

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

TBC...

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started: June 15th 2002
finished: July 28th 2002
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