Of Roses, Scent And Rain

STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLY: I ABSOLUTELY DON'T own any of the characters from Rurouni Kenshin. And I DON'T make money out of this. This is for entertainment purposes only.




Author"s notes:

yeah....I definitely remembered this one. hmmm.....I had made this chap after watching an anime about mecca and death. *shivers* Back with the old days......while I was still schooling.





Then again, excuse me for the proper grammar excecution.







Chapter 7





The restaurant at the Aoiya is full of customers, diners, which

makes them some, busy from handling it. It is one of their disguises

and another form of income basis for the secret organization –

honest and dignified. Aoshi doesn't take much on the matters of the

restaurant. He charged Kirojou, the younger brother of Shirojou whom

he recently talked to about the secret mission, to take care all the

matters about the restaurant. He seldom touches or visits the

vicinity. At what reasons, they don't know. Almost lunch time and

the restaurant is filling much people at this time of day. Kirojou

ordered one of his subordinates at the kitchen to prepare meals for

Okina and their Okashira Shinomori. But two of his female workers

respond to his calling and do what he imposes. After preparing the

meal, the two ladies went on their way at the back of the

restaurant, a small passageway, to the proper residence. Upon

arriving at the house, they separated to each targeted goals. The

woman with kinky brown hair, wearing the restaurant's uniform – a

blue kimono with fish koi designs, goes to Okina's room while the

other woman with red long hair, wears the same uniform, goes to the

Aoiya's garden.



Aoshi currently meditates at his favorite spot in the garden. He

sits on a wooden platform, sheltered a bit by a Sakura tree's leaves

and branches near the garden's fish pond with plenty of fish koi.

The surroundings are at the peace, a good place for his solemn

meditation. This is the only place where he can momentarily ease the

pain he felt everyday in his life, struggling to forget the misery

and remembering those sweet beautiful moments when everybody that he

loved was still alive. He feels safe at this spot, a spot where he

used to teach Misao about the wonders of life in our world and few

basics of Kempo. Hearing her heavenly laughs and see her silly

antics especially to Okina and her father makes his day brightened.

Remembering the thoughts of lost friends and a special someone is

his everyday sweet dreadful punishment to his arrogance. The wind

blew gently upon his face and body, shivering him a bit. Misao's

laughter keeps coming to his thoughts, so as with the voices with

his fellow comrades and masters. He slowly closes his eyes, and then

brushes his bangs away from his face, remembering it all.



(Aoshi's memories – 12 years ago)



It was a warm, pleasant afternoon and all were resting.

Misao was hastily running towards Aoiya's garden, searching for

Aoshi. Many were disturbed by her foot noises thumping mindlessly

from the newly shined wooden planks of the house yet they let her

be. She is a child, still innocent from everything that surrounds

her. She is the youngest of them all but she has the wits of a grown

ninja, a thing which she had inherited from her father, the Okashira

of a secret government organization around the Tokugawa

Administration – their spies. She ran quickly hoping that her `love

interest' is there. And she was right. Young Aoshi sat solemnly at

the floor of the outdoor wooden deck found in the garden near the

Sakura tree and a pond with swimming fish kois. He was resting,

feeling what the nature could offer him. The wind brushes to his

face softly making his hair sways beautifully along with its

passing. Along with the mellow howling of the wind, he heard a

child's voice nearing to his pose. He is very assured that it is

from his lovely Misao-chan, catching her breath from all the running

she did. Though he knew that Misao was calling him, he didn't move

from the spot, continuing his meditation with the nature. He crosses

his hands and fingers behind his head for support and gently laid

himself from the wooden planks of the deck. The sun's soft rays

finds it way to escape from the hindering bodies of the Sakura

leaves, making their way through to his half icy blue eyes. The

peace….the peace he longed for.



Misao, upon docking herself to the platform, she removed her

slippers hastily and called out his name. "Aoshi-nii! Where have you

been?" She sat beside him, looking below to his face yet Aoshi's

vision surpasses her image. "Hey! Aoshi-nii! Aoshi-nii!"



His vision awakens to her. He looked at her, seeing her frowning and

mumbling. "What brings you here, my hime?" He puts his palm to his

forehead.



"Hmm….," she thinks. "Can we play? And please, stop calling me hime."



"And what would be my hime wanted to be called?"



She thinks again. It took moments until she finally decided what her

Aoshi should call her by. "Okashira! Yeah! Okashira Misao would be

fine! Perfect for me." She then smiles back at him.



"Don't you think that one Okashira for our organization is enough?

Two would be disastrous." He sighed blissfully.



"Kamawanai! I like it. And besides, I will be one in the near

future. Just practicing my rights anyway." She smiled even more at

Aoshi.



"I'll think about it, my hime." He flushes his adorable looks,

teasing Misao about the name she is imposing. Misao mumbled

irritably.



Aoshi turned his vision to the skies and the leaves above him. Misao

ceased from mumbling and stares at him then to the skies. "What is

with the skies, Oniisan?"



"You're too young to understand my ways, Misao-chan."



"Oh really? Maybe you're right. I'm too young for such things." She

sounded as if she already knew the things around her. Aoshi didn't

respond for quite some time, reviewing the peace he is embracing at

this very moment.



"Do you want to see angels in the sky, Misao?"



"Angels? Wow! Where?" She stood, looking up to the skies searching

for it.



Aoshi raised himself into a sitting position and grabbed Misao's

right hand, signaling her to sit beside him. She followed him

dearly.



Looking up to the skies, Misao searches eagerly everywhere view of

the sky. She wondered where they are and why Aoshi said those

things – are they for real?



"Where? I can't see them?"



"You won't be."



"Why? You said that I could see one in the sky." She irritably

retaliated.



"You will be in proper timing." Aoshi handed her eye shades to

protect her eyes from further radiation of the sun though it's a bit

subtle.



"I don't understand you." She scratches her forehead.



The cumulus clouds, setting with the glorifying color of crystal

blue slowly outlines the shape of the sky creating different

formations of beautiful creatures that everyone can image. A part of

it gradually forms animal shapes which Misao first noticed. She

shook Aoshi's forearm like a cradle the pointing her fingers towards

the sky. Aoshi looked at it then agreed dearly. He nodded, closing

his blue eyes. Misao projected a sweet innocent smile, pertaining

to the great happiness she's having with him. She hugged his left

arm, together; they look and imagine things in the clouds formation.



After an hour of watching the behavior of the clouds, Misao began to

get tired. "I'm getting tired, Aoshi-nii. I still don't see any

angels in the clouds." She began to yawn.



Aoshi kept silent, still staring towards the wilderness of the sky.

His eyes were fixed at the motions of the clouds and the flock of

birds flying by. After a few moments, Misao closes her eyes and

steadied her head at Aoshi's biceps. She's tired of watching the

clouds passing by, imagining things with him. Aoshi didn't expect

her to sleep but he heard the sound of her low snoring, he took

notice. He glances at her and gently lay her down, supporting by his

hands, to the wooden planks. He folded his trench coat by thirds and

put it under Misao's petite head. He looked back to the clouds,

imagining things again….meditating.



The sky began to clear, clouds are parting. Aoshi still wasn't tired

of staring the sky until a small portion of cumulus clouds left,

forming some sort of human form – a child like.



"There's one." He smiled. He pertains at the cloud as an angel, more

of Misao's physique. "Why should I look for an angel when I have one

at my side?" He glances back to Misao who is now sleeping soundly.

The wind blew gently at his bangs, brushing through his face.



"Aoshi-nii….." She mumbled while sleeping. Aoshi chortled.



"Sleep tight, my hime." Aoshi bend down his head to kiss Misao

lightly on her right rosy cheek. He safely took one white rose to

the pocket of his trench coat without much movement to disturb the

sleeping princess, tore the thorns away and put it, near at Misao's.



( the present )



"Shinomori-sama," the maiden nervously waits for the Okashira's

response "I'm here to deliver your lunch." She bowed her head down.



Aoshi opens his eyes to perceive her. The wind blew swift and took

away the server's hair cap, making it all exposed to his view – the

red flaming hair of his subordinate. The server tries to cup all of

her flowing hair, trying to hide it from the eyes of her Okashira.

Somehow, she already knew that her master would have a negative

initial response on seeing her red long hair. And it is true. Aoshi

turned his view to the other side, avoiding the sight of her red

long hair.



"Battousai," he hissed, grabbing heatedly at one of his kodachis, to

its sheath.



The tense maiden quickly sets Aoshi's lunch upon the wooden floor,

beside him. "Is there anything you want to order me to do? Is there

anything else?"



Aoshi didn't reply. Things are getting colder as it continues to

berate in his mind the damn fool – the damn incident - he

encountered 10 years ago.



"Okashi…"



"Go."



"Demo…"



"I said go!" Aoshi yelled at her without any remorse.



"Gomen Nasai…." The terrified server quickly abandons her leader,

fleeing away from his outraging anger that he had kept from all

these years.



"Never ever show yourself to me again. Kuso!" Birds from the Sakura

Tree's branches flew rapidly to the air, escaping to his wrath –

signifying of his previous state.



Not from a far, seemingly in stealth, Kirojou stood silently behind

another big tree of the garden. He saw what had happened. He shook

his head in despair seeing his master, his Okashira, continues to

devastate himself from the past he longs to forget yet he cannot.

How can he? It's so much painful and it was his entire fault. He has

to be blame by that matter – the unbearable truth of his other self –

the hunger deep inside of him wants to be unleashed by that

specific moment. Aoshi often asks himself whether he is worth to be

their okashira. Damn it! Damn it! Those were the words he seldom

points to himself. From all these silent and dreadful years of their

master, Kirojou and his brother Shirojou saw and knew everything.

They wish him to depart from his dilemma. How will it be? Kirojou

returns inside the busy restaurant, back to his workings.



Holding the sheath strongly, Aoshi cursed the heavens for taking

away the only family he have. Why does it have to be them? Why their

family? He had finally found a new home yet it was taken from him

with no amends – no signs of everything. He did tries to commit

suicide yet he was still honor left in his personality. Suicide?

Yes. He did try once. It was raining and he freely accepted the

harsh drops of rain to his face and body outside the Aoiya's dojo.

Every sounds are the beats of the dropping water of rain continues

to berate him the past. Holding one of his kodachis to his weary

hands, he slowly draws it from its sheath and raised it up to the

dark skies. The kodachi's blade shines beautifully to his eyes

though no sunshine penetrates through it. His kodachi invites

something amusing to his confused mind at that moment. The shine,

the sharpness of the blade tempt him to close his misery. His eyes

were at trance and the kodachi hinders more rain come to his sad

eyes. Kirojou, who walks with his elder brother inside the dojo,

accidentally saw their Okashira Shinomori `playing' with his

kodachi. He was alarmed and tries to stop him yet his elder brother

stopped him. It is better to leave that decision to the master – to

Aoshi. Kirojou wasn't convinced. At their Okashira's state of mind,

it will be impossible to him to decide what is truly right. Still,

Shirojou remained loyal to his thoughts.



"Let him be. Let him face his problems, Kirojou."



"Demo…."



"Believe in our boss. He alone knows what he is doing. He has

reasons."



"Reasons of what? For Kami's sake, brother! Don't you see he is not

in his right thinking? He is about to commit suicide and we have to

stop him." Kiroujou was about to make his move out of the dojo when

his brother's hand touch his right shoulder.



"Then what? Yes, you stopped him from doing this now, but are you

sure that he will not do this again? Let him face, let him decide

for himself. If he wishes to go with them to the other world, let

him be if it is the only answer on saving him from the misery he is

in now."



"Why are you saying such things brother? Don't you care any damn

thing to our boss?"



"I do care about him. More than a subordinate to his okashira. A

friend. A good loyal friend. I'm saying these because I believe that

he will not do such dishonorable things to himself and to the group.

I know him. He will not put shame to his name or to the family that

left him and us."



Shirojou was right. Their okashira won't do such disgraceful things.

Kirojou ceased. "I….I hope you are right. Then he fisted the wall.

"I know he will."



Aoshi hear voices from the back of his mind, pursuing him to trigger

the blade to his throat. Voices…voices of his comrades are heard

everywhere, crying for his help. Holding the kodachi up, he heard

the plea of the couple – the old Okashira and his wife.



"Come….come with us….."



Aoshi turned his head to his left and saw their image, holding

tightly at each others embraces. White aura surrounds the two with

such opposite peace with their faces.



"Come….come with us….."



Aoshi lowered the weapon to his neck and shoulder. The rain

continues to pour out from the dark skies.



"Come….come with us….."



He turned the sharp edge at his neck, abiding the prelude on ending

his life.



"Come….come with us…..with Misao…."



Aoshi woke from his trance, widens his blue depressed eyes and

instantly thought of someone he cherishes. "Mi…Misao…." He hissed.



"Come with us….with Misao…."



"Misao. Misao."



"Yes….come with us….."



Kirojou was shocked on seeing things before his eyes his leader's

doings. He tries to wait patiently on his moves. Shirojou silently

watches Aoshi, thinking that all will be alright in a matter of

time.



Aoshi slowly took the blade from his neck downward yet creating a

long shallow wound to its side. Dilute red blood spurted out from

his neck, no reaction to the pain. He waved the kodachi to the view

of his eyes, seeing the marks of the blood – dripping. He then

looked again to the ghost couple with eyes aware.



"Where is she? Is she with you two? Tell me, sir."



The ghosts continue to say the exact words. Kirojou and Shirojou

were puzzled at what their leader has been doing. Still, they waited.



"Come….come with us…."



Aoshi closed his eyes and held the sword to his nose, smelling his

fresh blood dripping. Unexpectedly, his tongue licks the blood from

the blade. "My time isn't over yet. I have many things left to do.

The requiem of my death will be on the other occasion. I will be

with you all if I finally gained what is truly meant to be mine and

ours. Wait for me." He whisked his kodachi away from his face,

cleaning away the excess blood from its blade. "The rain won't be

able to clean away all the pain I have." He looked at his kodachi.

The rain pours from the sky touching the blade to cleanse the

abiding tints of his blood. "Blood is still there….it have been

marked ever since. I will not run away." Thunder and lightning

stroke its might.



The two ghostly figures at his left slowly disappear upon receiving

his message. Aoshi stood there, feeling all what the rain could

offer him. He chortled. He knew rain won't be able to erase all the

pain and doubts he felt yet he is here, hoping for the opposite. At

the pocket of his trench coat, he took one white rose.



"This I promise." He viewed the white rose and patted it with is

gentle kiss.



To some unknown reasons, he impassively dropped it to the wet brick

floor and went on his way inside the house. The white rose is soaked

in the ground, harshly raped by the rain. It has the kiss of blood

marked on its white clean petals…..



Inside the dojo. Kirojou and Shirojou are silent. They felt his

severe anguish upon the death of his new loved-ones. History

repeated itself.



"Okashira…."



"It's up to him to decide what should be done, Kirojou."



"He lost two families for now. If I were him, I wouldn't able to

bear to loose someone in my family."



"Me too brother but the truth is, death is inevitable."



"Oh yes….It surely does yet dying in a dreadful way is unforgivable"



"You have to learn and accept the ways of nature, my brother. All

has its purpose. It molds what were are and what we should be. That

depends whether you accept it or not and surpasses the dilemma."



"Do you want to be killed by that way?!" Kirojou raises his voice

and widens his eyes.



"Of course not. But if it's marked on your destiny, no one will

escape at that reality. People should accept the outcome and live

on, be stronger. Time will come that the fools will pay to what they

did."



"Man should control their path, my brother, and you know that."



"Yes. I'm trying to say here is that whatever tragedy happens to

your life, you should never change your faith and principles in

life. Be strong to accept and fight things in right and harmonious

in order to see what lies beyond you, the one that is meant for you

alone. I still hope that he will do the same." Shirojou walked

towards the wooden sliding door and opened it.



"Brother….I might not be able to face the truth, the pain when

you….when one of my loved-ones departs." He sobbed.



"My body will die and deteriorated but my soul will not. Revenge

will only result to another carnage, leaving your hands into

disgrace. Be strong for me. Don't let the dark side covers you."

Then he walked away.



"Gomen, brother. But he is already in the dark side."





*******



Aoshi stares at the skies like he used to do when he is with Misao.

The sun's ray is getting hotter and hurtful to the eyes. He stood up

and walked, leaving his tray of lunch upon the wooden floor of the

platform. With his kodachi, he walks silently when something had

happened. Okina is, again, rampaging to his futon. He is widely

awake, searching again for his Misao. The server who tends to give

and feed him his lunch hurried back to the restaurant to seek help.

She passes through the Okashira in the corridor without minding him

due to very confusing dilemma. Aoshi heard Okina's yellings and he

quickly went at his domain. Upon opening the shoji widely, he looked

at the out bursting old man, shouting the name of Misao. He is

finally awake from 10 years of coma – deep sleep.



"Misao! Misao! Misao!" Okina, who is half paralyzed, tries to move

out from his futon to search for his missing grand daughter.



Aoshi's ear continues to be pierced as Okina repeatedly yells her

name. Now, it was gone to his nerves, to his mind. Aoshi approached

Okina.



Kirojou, the two other men and the lady server a while ago, went

quickly towards Okina's room. Before opening the shoji door, Kirojou

stopped and so as the others. Something odd at the setting. Okina is

no longer yelling like what the server lady said. Kirojou slowly

peeked at the shoji door without making the people inside the room

notice. He saw Aoshi hugging the old man, embracing him well enough

for him not to further hurt himself from all the banging and

spanking he does to his head and body. By that scene, Kirojou closed

the shoji and talked to others about what should be done.



"All is fine. Back to your post."



"How about my duty, Kirojou-kun?" The lady server asked.



"Okashira will do the rest."



The 3 members at his side where all shocked at what revelation he

told.



"Now, off you go. We have any things to do. The restaurant is

flowing with many diners and we have to our duties."



So the four left the room.



Aoshi embraced the old man tightly. "Yameru!"



Okina, with his displaced mouth, still yells for Misao. At his eyes,

tears began to roll. "I….I…I killed Misao."



"Stop it, Okina. You are making things harder on us."



"I killed Misao. I killed her because of my old age, because of my

weaknesses. I left her there knowing the scums will kill here. If

I'm only strong enough to fight them all, maybe…maybe…maybe the

tables would turn. I would have been able to save her from those

demons." He cried.



"No. It isn't your fault. You did the best that you can. And she

knows that." Aoshi half closes his eyes.



"How I wish to hear her voice again, to see those glittering playful

eyes, to hug her once more from these dead useless arms."



"Her death will not be put in vain." Aoshi responded coldly.



"What are you saying, Aoshi?"



Aoshi pulled himself up away from Okina then looked through his

eyes. "Nothing. You should go to sleep now or maybe yet, I'll call

someone to help you eat your food."



"But Aoshi," Okina perceived the scar from his left side of the

neck. "What is that? A scar?"



Aoshi stood up. The young man held his hand to his neck, touching

the wound he previously created when he was on the verge of killing

himself. "You are right, old man. It is." Back to his cold ways

again.



"As far as I remember, you don't have one in there."



"People change."



"Demo…"



Aoshi turned his back to Okina, walking towards the shoji. "There

are things that are not meant to talk about. Don't worry. Our misery

will soon be over." He opens the shoji door.



"Aoshi-kun!" Okina pleaded. "Don't run away from me, from us again!"



Aoshi quickly faced back to Okina with flaming eyes. "Running away?

Running away! I never did run away and you know that dearly, so as

the previous okashira."



"So why? Why are you not there at that night?"



"Some of my personal work."



"Huh! Some personal work huh? It caused us their lives, Aoshi. With

you there, we maybe able to save them all."



"Now, it's my fault! Well yes! You are right again, Okina! It's all

my fault! I should be blamed! I should be! Is that it? Don't you

know that I suffer the same consequences? Heck!"



Okina ceased a bit, knowing things would not change even he

continues to blame the young depressed man standing at his

front. "They killed them without any remorse in their eyes. All of

them were laughing like pigs! Damn it! They murdered them all. They

even took the heart of the okashira." He sobbed.



"Kuso!"



"Why? Why?" Okina slowly lay himself down to his futon, facing back

to Aoshi. "Gomen."



"Gomen for what?"



"For accusing you of running away. I should have known you better."

Silence again swept over the room. "Please, I want to be alone."



"Tell me."



"Tell you what?"



"Who killed them?"



Okina closes his eyes, tears continues to roll down to his checks.

Even his right arm couldn't move much because he is present body

condition; he tries to wipe the tears. "I'll tell you when I'm

ready."



"Fine. I'll wait for it." Aoshi exited the room.