Opium Dreams

A mysterious woman arrives in Tokyo . She has the face of an innocent, but behind her peaceful amber eyes lie dark secrets she alone knew...

After Sanosuke was gone, Megumi cried for a few more moments before a cold calmness crept through her. She rose from the futon and put on all her clothes. For a moment, as she fingered the silken garments that Sano had carelessly thrown on the floor in the heat of passion, she felt her resolve give way but her will was iron. And so with a determined glint in her molten amber eyes, she sliped on her kimono and brushed her fingers through the long silk that was her hair the color of a raven\'s wing.

Her pale face was carved marble under the pale moonlight as she stared listlessly at the wall before her. Sano, her mouth formed the words but her voice refused to budge from her throat. He had hurt her. But that shouldn\'t surprise her at all. All the men in her life had in one way or another failed her. Her father, the standard to which she held all men, died before his time. Henry Takada, the family friend who did not turn out to be, used her to fuel his ambition. And finally, Sano, the gentle brute. Brash and uncouth, he had nevertheless managed to steal her heart.

And shattered it.

But she\'ll never let him know that. Tonight, the intimacy they shared rendered her vulnerable. But no more. He will never know, she thought in an oath to herself. And with a deep, steadying breath, Takani Megumi squared her shoulders and raised her chin, a saucy smile plastered on her beautiful lips. A smile that did not reach her eyes.

At the Kamiya House, Himura Kenshin was just preparing to sleep after checking that everything was in order when a loud banging could be heard coming from the front.

\"Kaoru-san! Kenshin-san!\"

It was Tae\'s voice.

The red-haired swordsman was instantly alert, his Battousai\'s senses quickly picking up the panicked undertone in the voice of the restaurant owner. He hurried over and slid the door open. A bewildered-looking Tae fell inside, panting heavily as though she had been running the whole way to the dojo.

\"Tae-dono, o-oro?\" Kenshin asked. Behind him, the door to Kaoru\'s room opened and out came the still, sleepy-looking dojo master, her hair down and clad only in her yukata. Kenshin was quick to avert his eyes, a telltale pink coloring his cheeks.

Kaoru didn\'t even notice as she saw the panicky Tae. She immediately ran over to her friend and inquired, \"Tae-san, what happened? Has there been an attack?\" She asked this last bit seeing the state her friend was in.

Still trying to catch her breath, Tae could only nod. And then, she added, \"Sanosuke-san.\"

The sun was slowly beginning to rise when Megumi left the hut and arrived at a clearing in the woods. Her beautiful face said nothing of the turmoil she had gone through the previous night as she stood there, waiting.

Finally, a step sounded from behind her and she turned in time to see Hannya come out from the shadows. How long had he been standing there? She wondered, feeling herself tense, remembering that it was only yesterday that the demon-ninja had held a knife to her throat. It was obvious that Hannya had been waiting there for some time. Perhaps, waiting to see if the sly woman had brought some help along. When it appeared to him that there was no one else, he deemed it necessary to inform her of his presence.

\"You came.\" It was a statement devoid of any questions. It was as though he knew all along that she would come. Megumi merely nodded. And with not another word, both of them set out to the Oniwabanshuu\'s secret hideout.

** TO BE CONTINUED **