Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is the creation of Nobuhiro Watsuki, with the manga and anime rights belonging to Jump Comics and Sony Entertainment, respectively. FF is non-profit, meant for entertainment only.

Obscuring Shadows

*************

A high-pitched scream rose high in the air. Scarring near by animals that jerked their head‘s, listening closely before running off. The air grew thick and heavy with the smell of danger. The moon rose high in the sky casting down it’s light over a lonesome road. Blood splattered around a large pooling of crimson liquid.

Blood, the lifeline of human beings, dark and thick, collated in the middle of the road in an almost perfect circle. Its perfect circumference, broken by one narrow trail leading off the road. The trail broke into two large streaks once on the grass. Large marks of red stained the earth all the way into the forest. Trails made by corpses as they were dragged off.

Slow moving clouds grew darker and leaden. Stealing the light as they passed over the moon, momentarily obscuring everything. A chant grew somewhere in the shadows. The musical whisperings of someone calling evil upon the dead. The invoking of power. The sound grew louder as the wind stirred, carrying the gypsy words.

külön . . . . .

kirobbant . . . . .

kezd . . . . .

*************

“D’a beads a’r made of blood dre’nched wood, especially karr-ved N’ especially kurr-sed. D’ey will serrve u’r purpose.” The phrase was spoken brokenly.

Her customer looked doubtful though he had seen the curse laid on the dark tainted beads. Still he appeared unsure.

“D’at is how much D’ey cost.” She said finally.

The large man sighed under his breath and paid what she asked for. She took her money and walked away. So quick, he could have sworn she vanished. It didn’t matter. He had what he wanted.

He’d waited so long for vengeance. Too long from his perspective. If these beads really did what she said they did though, he was set. This would be the ultimate revenge. He sneered then moved away from the alley and into a near by bar. He couldn’t hold these for too long, true they weren’t made for him but it’s affect might rub off him nonetheless. It worked fastest on those with blood on their hands.

A mixture of alcohol, sweat and sex hung in the air. The stench was strong in the bar but he hardly noticed. As seedy as this place was, he’d been to worse. He’d traveled some distance to meet the gypsy. Now he’d go back and find someone to give these to him. Someone he couldn’t possibly suspect.

_______________________________________________________

“Morning.” The sugary tone startled the little girl.

“Morning.” She was small and had to look up when she answered the smiling lady; she didn’t seem to be from town. Her red kimono seemed a little too fancy. Not just that but there was also the hair, it hung in curled sections over her chest and down her back. The pale face and stained lips made the small girl wonder. Just what did the woman do for a living?

“Would you do me a favor please? It’s nothing bad I swear all I want you to do is give these to my sister when she passes by here.”

The little girl looked thoughtful for a moment before she answered. “That’s all you want me to do?” She asked suspiciously.

“Aa. You see I made these myself but I’m afraid I shame her and she won’t take them from me but you. You sell these.”

The small girl stared at the string of beads the older woman held. There wouldn’t be any harm in doing her the favor then. Not if that’s all she wanted. “All right.” She agreed.

The older woman smiled. “My sister will be coming by here pretty soon. She has long dark hair held up in a high ponytail by a ribbon. She will be traveling with her friend a man with dark red hair and a cross on his cheek.” She held out the strings of beads to the child. “I know both sets of beads are black, but the one with red letters is for her friend the redhead and the one with blue letters is for her.” She looked at the small girl to see if she’d understood.

“All right.”

“You will have to sell them to her, I think she’d get suspicious otherwise.” The older woman sighed remorsefully. “Just don’t ask her for too much, she doesn’t have a lot right now.”

The little girl nodded, understanding in her eyes. The older woman bowed in thanks and left. She hid behind some buildings once out of view. She had a perfect view of the small stand and the little girl. She leaned against the building feeling her eyes heavy. She was usually asleep this early in the morning. She hoped the pair would make their appearance soon, she was dead on her feet. She slid against the building thankful for the gloomy morning. She yawned, and shut her eyes.

“Beads pretty lady?”

Her eyes snapped opened at the sound of the girl’s voice. It was faint but she could still here. She peeked around the corner of the building. The corners of her mouth turned up as the black haired woman took the beads into her hand.

Slowly she leaned back and straightened. She dusted her kimono straining to hear the faint conversation.

“ . . . . . . and the red one for your friend.”

“Thank you.”

She peeked over for a last look. She caught sight of the young woman wrapping one around the wrist of her redheaded friend. She strained her eyes and noticed that the woman was already wearing hers. Good. She‘d made sure, just like the job stipulated. Now she could get that bonus he’d offered. She yawned as she turned and left.

Chapter One

*************

The day was almost mournful in its gloominess. There were two weeks left in fall soon it would be winter. Despite the somber feeling in the air, the sound of laughter rang as children ran around. Men talked and woman giggled, all was fine on this dim morning.

Kenshin thanked the vendor as he took the tofu bucket back. This was the last item on their shopping list. “Did you need anything else Kaoru-dono?”

Kaoru turned her attention to him, smiling lightly as she did so. “No Kenshin, that was it.”

He nodded. Together they turned and walked back. Treading on the familiar road that would lead them back to the dojo. Kenshin thought absently as to what he still had to do. Such as making breakfast when they returned. From there he was to do laundry, fix her bath, fix the shoji to Yahiko‘s room but that he‘d do after he made lunch. Hmm from there he would be free for a while then he’d get started on dinner.

Kaoru looked at the sky as they walked back home. Biting her lip from time to time. The weather was odd. Just yesterday it had been sunny. It wasn’t just that either it was the air as well. It was heavy almost. Could it be a sign, an omen of coming danger? She had learned not to dismiss such things since meeting Kenshin. Trouble had a way of finding them. She frowned in worry. She would stick close to him the next couple of days just to be sure.

Giving the weather a rest her thoughts drifted to other things. Usually it was Kenshin’s hair but today it was his wrist. The beads hung on his wrist like a bracelet. She liked the way it looked on him. There was something about dark colors on him; it brought about a deeper sense of masculinity. Raw power and strength. Her eyes glazed over a bit as she thought about him.

This January would be their three-year anniversary, since meeting that is. They were friends, nothing more. She stopped herself from sighing though she still felt regretful. In all that time Kenshin had yet to make his move. And despite her impulsive nature and outspoken ways, she lacked the courage to confess her feelings to him.

There were days when she just knew she would die alone. Maybe not completely she could see Kenshin laying her to rest. ‘Poor Kaoru-dono,’ he would say. ‘She was so kind.’

Now she did sigh.

She knew that while he might not ever move their relationship to the next level he would also never leave her. Kamiya dojo was his home and she knew he would stay. She didn’t deny those days when she still feared he might leave but they were infrequent and they lessened in number as time move went on.

She played distractedly with the beads around her neck. Maybe she would wrap hers around her wrist then Kenshin and she could match. Her eyes moved from his wrist back to his profile and almost tripped when she noticed he’d been looking at her. She turned her flaming face away; she’d been caught starring. What must he be thinking? What would he think she was thinking?

Kenshin smiled at her, she of course had turned away but still he smiled. She was so innocent. Her gaze was strong or maybe he was just sensitive to her, he wasn‘t sure. He never could be, not really. She couldn’t possibly know that the way she looked at him sometimes made him feel lost. Consumed into a haze where desire dictated over order. But then he’d shake his head or turn away. And everything would be the same. Strong walls back between them and his rurouni mask into place as impeccable as ever.

He broke his gaze and turned back to the road. He’d come to terms with his feelings sometime ago. Gone were the days when he’d denied the existence of what she provoked. He knew he loved her but he’d never say anything. Never. Someone like him no matter what she said would never be good enough for her. He could never do that to her. He was too stained, too old, and it was just wrong.

Wrong to want to touch her?

Kenshin tripped.

“Kenshin, are you all right?”

“Hai, Kaoru-dono. Don’t worry.” He smiled out of habit, covering for what he really felt. Kaoru glanced at him doubtfully. “Sessha is fine,” he reassured her. She nodded and they continued back. He avoided glancing at her as they walked. He knew he was frowning.

His thoughts were always carefully screened. Control over a darker part of himself had always allowed him the luxury of avoiding certain thoughts. Sometimes they would rule over his dreams but he was quick to wake and it would be over. Thoughts about Kaoru specially were always kept light never dwelling on anything she might have done to keep himself from straying in thought. Unwarranted thoughts only escaped him in the middle of the night in the darkest of all places. Never during the day and most certainly never when she was present.

You do want to though.

That whisper had caused him to trip. This time though he’d kept his footing. He felt a rising feeling and it sent spikes of fear down his spine. Quickly and almost brutally he squashed the feeling. Pushing it back to where it belonged. What the hell?

He was thankful when he saw the familiar gates coming into view. Growing larger as they got closer. He quickened his step wanting almost desperate to be inside. This place was his haven. He hoped that whatever had come over him had stayed outside.

*************

Kaoru looked out into the yard, watching her rurouni fast at work. He seemed preoccupied with something today. He’d been quiet since they’d come back from town. She wondered what could possibly be driving him so hard.

Must be the weather. Maybe he sensed something too. He had away of knowing when it would rain it was the oddest thing. She shook her head and went back inside. She‘d been on her way to take a bath when she‘d spotted him. He often had away of distracting her. She smiled softly as she padded down the hall.

Kenshin relaxed once she moved back inside. He felt uneasy. There was something in the air, heaviness that that suggested a change in weather. Whether a storm or just a shower it was still too early to tell. Still he had the sense that something was stirring.

Despite his usual contentment when doing the laundry he just couldn‘t seem to find comfort in it today. His thoughts above everything else were the most troubling.

The murder from a couple of days ago troubled him as well. So much blood but no bodies, only a trail. When they’d reached the end of the trail though there had been nothing but a pool of blood, no bodies. The murderer was obviously unskilled; the scene was too messy. Someone with no experience at killing people that was the current theory. Though he couldn’t rule out the samurai completely since he knew there were some who lived for the sight of blood. For the kill.

Someone like Jineh.

He was dead but there were so many men just like him, unable to transition from one era to the next. It was only natural for him to think that it might have been someone from the Shinsegumi. What with having fought on the Ishin Shishi side and all. Kenshin frowned in thought. It was hard to believe that some small part in him still thought that way.

Suspicion is a feeling he though he’d buried long ago. Unnecessary in his journey as a rurouni. Though it resurfaced from time to time, it was almost never acknowledged.

He was just a rurouni now with no loyalties to any one group. Still he couldn’t help but think it might be someone from the Shinsegumi. During the Bakumatsu they’d someone who’d tortured prisoners. Much more than was really necessary.

There had been an Ishin officer who’d gotten away with just about every bone in his body broken. He’d died of course but not before giving up the location to where he’d been held. When they’d gotten there they’d run across a scene similar to the one he’d seen just a couple of days ago. The Shinsegumi members had almost all been caught all but the one.

Hijikata Toshi.

Kenshin sighed and wrung out a gi. That was his last item. He dried his hands on his gi and headed back inside. He still had to make lunch and to fix the shoji to Yahiko’s room. He walked slowly wondering what it was about the day . . . . . .

He stopped suddenly feeling a chilling breeze then a presence. It was hard to put a name to it yet they seemed to be too far. His eyes narrowed scanning around the yard. But the presence remained still. He took a couple of steps feeling the other moving just the same, almost mirroring his movements. He ran left, quickly, jumping right onto the wall and felt the other do the same. He landed on top with his sakabatou already in hand. His movement was quick as he slashed. Though he’d cut nothing but air. The shadow he thought he saw, had landed right where he’d been. Now it was nowhere to be found. The presence was gone; leaving no trace all, as if it’d never been there.

He didn’t trust that to be the case though. His eyes were guarded, deep pools of liquid metal. He scanned as far as the eye could see before he jumped over the wall to inspect the outside of the dojo.

How could there be nothing there?

There had been someone out there. With skills similar to his own. They’d moved in the same way as he, almost like they were toying with him. His mouth settled into a thin line. He walked back around the to the front of the dojo though rather than use the door he jumped again. His fear that they might already be inside spurred his movements. His senses were razor sharp, sensitive to any movement. He stole across the yard with a stealth that belonged to a different part of him. He made it back into the house without a problem, carefully making his way to where he knew Kaoru-dono to be. He knocked on the bathhouse door before he walked in.

Kaoru’s eyes widened and her mouth opened ready to yell but Kenshin made shushing movement that stopped her short of screaming. “Put your robe on.” He ordered then turned giving her a chance to dress. Kaoru was quick in getting out of her bath and doing as she was told. She dressed and moved to his side. “What’s wrong?” She whispered when she got close to him.

“You have to be quiet.” He said before he slid the door open and they stepped out. Kaoru gulped in fright. What was going? What would make him come for her? Was there someone in her home? It must have been someone he didn’t know, right? He hadn’t ever acted this way before.

They stepped out of the bathhouse and into the main house. He stopped to sense something, anything that might have been out there. He frowned when he found nothing. Reluctantly he turned back, smoothing out his features by the time he faced her. “It’s all right Kaoru-dono.”

“Was there someone in the house?”

“There was someone. They came close to the house, the way they moved . . . . they could have gotten in.”

She gasped, looking around anxiously. “But they’re not here anymore?”

“No,” he said in a much calmer tone. “Sessha has checked all around the property. There’s no one here but you and me.” He smiled lightly. “Come you can help me with lunch.”

She nodded, walking closer to him as they made their way to the kitchen.

*************

Lunch was a struggle for Kaoru, sitting there pretending everything was all right. But everything wasn’t all right. She felt ill and her head hurt. For some reason she just couldn’t excuse herself. Almost as if she were frightened, she felt the need to stay close to Kenshin. So she sat there in her usual spot, picking at her food while everyone else finished eating. The argument over the last rice ball hardly registered even as Sano tossed Yahiko off to the side and the shouting grew louder. It was like she was disconnected from it all.

Kenshin ate slowly. His face was downcast so his bangs covered his eyes and the worry he felt. In the past he wouldn’t have told her anything. Nothing to frightened her anyhow. But there was a problem he’d never had before. He couldn’t sense this other man and that worried him. The only reason he’d said something was so she’d be extra careful. Saitou had once told him that when he went off to fight, he always left his loved one’s behind. Sacrifices for those who meant him harm. It was true. Unintentionally and as much as he wished it weren’t so, it was.

The clink of a bowl brought his attention out of the misery it seemed to be trying to fall into. He rose, gathering their plates and taking them into the kitchen. He placed them off to the side and picked up the tray with their tea. He was troubled by the sense of foreboding, he‘d felt all day. Still he hurried back out, afraid of leaving her alone for very long. Because any enemy meaning him harm would be quick to notice that she was the fastest way of getting to him.

He picked up the tea tray and brought it back out. Serving Kaoru first he handed her the cup noting she looked a bit pale, his smile slipped off. “Are you all right Kaoru-dono?”

Kaoru smiled as brightly as she could. “Fine.” She lied. Kenshin’s eyes narrowed just the slightest. She didn’t look fine to him. Still he didn't push it. He would give it day, if she looked any worse tomorrow then she’d be going to the doctor.

Kaoru gripped her cup to keep her hands from trembling. Maybe she was coming down with something. She took a sip; hardly noticing the hot liquid as it burned a path down her throat. The cup fell out of her hands as a gasp froze in her throat. She clutched at her neck struggling to breathe.

“Kaoru-dono!”

“Kaoru-dono!”

Kenshin had rushed to her side at the intake of breath. He held her by the arms shaking her before he patted her back. When that didn’t work he eased her down on to her back, applying pressure to the middle of her stomach. He pushed and she let out a choking breath. Her eyes had teared at the lack of oxygen. He dabbed the perspiration on her forehead with a corner of his sleeve as he looked down at her.

“Jou-chan?”

“Is she all right?”

Kenshin turned at the sound of the other two in the room. He nodded his head and like him, their worry seemed to melt almost immediately. He turned his head back to the woman on the floor, she looked ill. “I think you should take a nap Kaoru-dono.”

Kaoru felt that sense of disconnection again. She nodded her head and sat up. With Kenshin’s help she was able to stand. He seemed reluctant to let go and since she didn’t protest at being helped, he guided her all the way to her room. He slid the door open, pausing when she squeezed his hand.

“Thank you Kenshin, I can take it from here.”

He nodded. “If you need anything . . . . ”

“I’ll call you, I know.” She finished for him. She smiled lightly at him before she slid the door closed.

He stood there a moment listening as she moved around the room, laying out the futon and then herself for the much needed rest. Only then did he move away from the door. He’d wanted to ask her to keep the door open but he knew she would never agree. He walked back out; glad the other two hadn’t left. Good.

“There is something sessha needs to discuss with the two of you.” He said as he sat back down

The other two nodded and so he began, “Earlier today someone tried to break in . . . . .”

*************

Yahiko sat out side the room, dozing off from time to time. He’d been sitting outside of Kaoru’s room for more than three hours he was sure. His butt had fallen asleep. He lay on his stomach with his head resting on his arms. He wouldn’t be out here like some kind of guard dog, if not for Kenshin asking him to. The rurouni seemed pretty worried about this other fighter. He wouldn’t have requested a guard outside her room otherwise. Yahiko felt his eyes growing heavy and he closed them. He wouldn’t fall asleep. He would just close them for a bit, he could still hear anyways so if something happened he’d be able to defend Kaoru or call for Kenshin.

“What are you doing?”

“No.”

“I can’t do that.”

“No. I said no.”

Yahiko’s eyes had snapped open at the sound of her whispering. At first thinking it was his imagination he didn’t move but as her tone grew more insistent he moved. He crawled to the door and slid it open a bit. Just enough to see what was going on. When he opened the door though he noticed Kaoru was still asleep. He frowned and slid the door open further. He stood up and walked in the whole way. There was no one there. Kaoru was completely still. Her blanket covered her all the way to the chin where she seemed to clutch at it with her hands. He drew closer noting she was sweating almost like she was hot but the way she clutched the blanket made him think that she might be cold. Yahiko turned and almost ran into the rurouni.

“I think she’s sick.” Yahiko whispered as he moved aside so the rurouni could see.

Kenshin frowned. He’d been right. But how could she have gotten sick so quickly. “Did something happen?”

“I heard whispering and thought there might have been someone in here but when I opened the door I noticed she was still asleep.” The boy answered truthfully.

Kenshin nodded and walked out of the room. Yahiko followed him, waiting till the rurouni closed the door before he spoke. “Do you think she was dreaming?” The boy asked, his brown eyes, full of worry.

Kenshin nodded. “Can you ask Sano to run to the clinic and get Dr. Genzai, please.”

Yahiko nodded and ran off. Kenshin waited till the boy disappeared before he entered the room again, closing the door behind him. He padded over to her and kneeled once he was at her side. He moved her bangs out of the way, noting they were wet, he pushed them aside and felt her forehead. His frown deepened. She was cold, too cold for his liking. He slid his hand down to her neck, where her pulse thumped under his fingertips.

Why was she so cold?

He walked over to the right side of the room and removed a blanket from her trunk. The blanket was think, deep green in color and made out of heavy wool. He laid it over her form tucking it around her body before he took a seat next to her. He doubted she’d be able to have dinner. She didn’t look well enough to sit up and eat.

Her face crumpled up and her lips parted, moving noiselessly. He drew closer wanting to hear what she said but it didn‘t seem to make sense.

külön . . . . . kirobbant . . . . . kezd . . . . .

They were all words he’d never heard before. They had a foreign ring to them like a different language. The words set off a prickling sensation under his skin, one that made his hands tingle. He fisted his hands recognizing the familiar sensation. It’s what he’d felt when he was forced to fight with Saitou. When he’d been trying to hold back. Restraining the darker part of his soul, the hitokiri.

A sense of danger crept into him and his head slowly rose. He listened intently, there was something out there. He rose, ready to dash out but stopped just as suddenly. What if they just wanted to draw him out? An inner battled waged within him stay and protect or go and fight.

He looked longingly at the door but didn‘t move. Slowly he sat back down. He was on edge he knew, probably because of what’d happened earlier in the day. He didn’t like the sudden feeling that had come over him. An indecisiveness that let him go neither forward or backwards.

He was slow to relax though eventually he did. His eyes drifted back to the ravened haired girl. Though still young she wasn’t so much a girl anymore, not at the age of twenty. Such a vibrant spirit despite her hardships. She still seemed cold despite the thick blanket.

Soft light emanate from the candles in her room. The flames seemed to flicker as they swayed to an unseen breeze. He wondered how long it would be before the doctor got here. It had been quite a while.

*************

“Ken-san.”

“Megumi-dono.” Kenshin said moving aside for the female doctor.

“Sorry it took so long but there was a murder near the river, some woman was found dead. They’d thought she was alive when they’d found her and well Dr. Genzai had been on the road when a policeman had hailed him to come down. So he sent for me to come here instead.” Megumi ended her speech, with her hand already on Kaoru’s wrist taking her pulse. She frowned after a moment leaning her head closer to Kaoru’s mouth. She drew back feeling her forehead and noting the clamminess.

“I think it’s food poisoning. I’ve had several people come into the clinic today with similar symptoms.” She could almost feel the rurouni relaxing at her words. He’d been worried of course. He always was when it had something to do with his Kaoru-dono. “She’ll just need to throw up what’s she’d eaten. Ken-san please go heat some water for tea. I have something that will help her get through this.”

The redheaded man happily complied. He nodded at the female doctor and the set off to the kitchen to prepare the water for the tea.

“What are you doing?”

“Leave him alone.”

Megumi turned back to her patient, she’d heard the young woman whispering though when she’d turned around. She’d been completely still.

“I said to leave him alone.”

Megumi’s eyes widened in fright as her heart sank into her stomach. She’d been starring at Kaoru when the whisper had come. It’d been Kaoru’s voice but not, she hadn’t moved her lips.

“Is there something wrong?”

Megumi turned to the child at the door. “Yahiko.”

“Are you all right, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Megumi closed her mouth and frowned. After a moment she turned back to the boy. “Yahiko has Kaoru been talking in her sleep.”

“Yeah, Why?”

Megumi hesitated before she dared ask. “Did you see her lips move?”

“What? I’m sure they did. They have to when you speak.”

“But did you see them?” She persisted.

“Well no. I was outside the door. I heard whispering and so I opened the door but she was still asleep.”

Megumi nodded. She wasn’t a superstitious person by nature but she’d seen a great many things. As a doctor she’d dismissed many of the things but some of the stranger occurrences had stayed with her over the years. She was sure that what the young woman suffered from was nothing more than food poisoning but she would double check just to be sure.

*************

Kenshin moved around the kitchen mindlessly. He’d been right, he’d felt someone around the property earlier. Though he couldn’t be sure he had a feeling it was the same person that’d killed the woman down by the river. He willed the water to hurry along impatient for it to be hot so he could take it to the doctor.

The water came to a boil and he almost burned his hands in his hurry to get the water into another teapot. He grabbed a cup on his way out of the kitchen and headed out. He walked down the hall, picking up the last bits of conversation as he neared Kaoru’s room.

“ . . . no. I was outside the door. I heard whispering and so I opened the door but she was still asleep.”

Kenshin wondered why the boy would choose to share that with the doctor though he didn’t mention it when he entered the room. He placed the tea pot and cup down near the doctor and backed away. “Do you need help, getting her to drink it?” He offered hoping to stay.

“Don’t worry Ken-san I can manage. Why don’t you boys go and have something drink or eat.”

Yahiko jumped in at the reminder of food. “That’s right, we haven’t had dinner.”

Kenshin sweat dropped before he nodded. “All right Yahiko let’s go get you some dinner.” He led the boy out of the room, quietly closing the door behind him as they left. He felt uneasy leaving Kaoru-dono alone with the doctor though he couldn’t fathom why that would be so.

Small Notes: It all starts with a murder. A sacrifice being offered in the dead of night to those who would grant power.

1. A mystery man buys beads from a gypsy woman knowing what they will do to his enemy. He is extremely cunning in his plan and it doesn't take much to find a woman to deliver them to the target. The beads will react as to how they were cursed though only on sinners. They will have a much different affect on one who's innocent.

ROMA-GYPSIES--- There is much speculation as to where they originated from so I won't go into the history lesson here. However I must say that the Romani culture is diverse and there is no universal culture per say but for purposes of the fic I will be using Hungarian dialect since the gypsies from those part are the one's that have always called my attention.

külön: separate

kirobbant: to unleash

kezd: to begin

I hope I dropped enough hints in this for you. Same as always if you have any question go ahead and email me. Thanks for review and don't forget to review.