A Road Less Traveled by Tin Mandigma ---------------------------------------------------- This is a Rurouni Kenshin-inspired fanfic written entirely for entertainment purposes only. Standard disclaimers apply. ---------------------------------------------------- Part 10: "Okay," Kenshin said, running a hand through his hair tiredly. "Let's go through that again." He watched the others' dismayed expressions with an inward sigh of resignation and waited for the inevitable... He was not disappointed. Yahiko groaned. "Aw, Kenshin... We've been at it for three straight hours! One more S word and I'm gonna throw up!" "S word?" Megumi said curiously. "Shizuku," Sano drawled. Yahiko promptly flopped down on the floor with another heart-rending groan. "Yahiko, get up!" Kaoru scolded. "You're gonna catch your death with the cold..." She stopped abruptly, eyes going wide with embarrassment. "Um, sorry, everyone, I wasn't--" Kenshin smiled slightly. "It's all right, Kaoru-dono. There's nothing to apologize for. It's just that," he hesitated, "'cold' and 'death' in the same sentence convey rather, uh, bad memories..." "Tell me about it," Sano muttered as he stretched his legs out from his cross-legged position. "Ah... This feels much better," he grinned. "I thought my feet have died and all. Felt so numb--" "Hell, Sano," Yahiko grunted. "Talk about tact..." "And who are you to talk, brat?" Sano said mockingly. "Why you..." "Here we go again," Megumi said exasperatedly as she watched Sano hit Yahiko smack on the latter's forehead. "Guys, won't you settle down...?" Yahiko abruptly struck out with his foot and caught Sano in the jaw. "Excuse me..." she tried again. Sano promptly retaliated with an underhand swing aimed at the laughing Yahiko's mouth. She winced. "I don't think now's the time to--" Beside her, she heard Kenshin strike up a quiet conversation with Kaoru. And the very first thing he said was... The S word. Somehow that was a bit too much for her already strained patience. "I said 'settle down,' damn it!" she shouted. Silence rushed in the room faster than Kenshin's surprised 'oro.' Megumi stared at the others' wary faces and flushed slightly, ashamed of her brief loss of control. "Look, why don't we just get down to the business at hand, okay?" she asked evenly. "I'm sorry if I snapped at you. I'm just a little--edgy, that's all..." Unwillingly, her gaze strayed towards Sano. Kenshin watched her, his violet eyes glinting enigmatically. "No problem, Megumi-dono," he said, his tone casual. "I think we've all been under too much--pressure these days." His expression assumed a blank cast as he glanced at Kaoru and--Megumi's gaze darkened--Sano. "Some of us more than most..." Yahiko cleared his throat as he removed his fist from the squirming Sano's stomach. "Yeah, well, Megumi's right anyway," he mumbled uneasily. "We need a re-run. And," he looked up at the ceiling, "I didn't mean to complain, y'know, about the S-word and stuff... Sorry." He glared at Sano. "And 'no wisecracks' about that last bit, OK?" Sano raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, I wasn't going to say anything. I mean about the S word and all." He winked at Yahiko. "'Sides, S doesn't have to necessarily stand for 'Shizuku,' you know?" "Sano, shut up," Kenshin said succinctly. "Okaaay," Kaoru put in, clearing her throat loudly. She tapped the piece of paper which was spread on her lap with her pen. "Now that we've got *that* settled, how about... this?" Megumi peered over her shoulder to gaze at the scribbles which dotted every spare corner of the page. "It is kinda messy, isn't it?" she asked tentatively. "Maybe we should just have asked Sano to be our note taker. At least the rooster head knows the difference between a character and stick figures," Yahiko suggested slyly and earned a painful tug on the ear for his trouble. Kaoru gave an outraged sniff. "Hey," she protested. "If you guys stopped shouting proclamations around and opted instead for waiting for your turn to speak, we wouldn't have had to resort to *this*" She held up the tattered piece of paper with a cold glare. Everyone sweatdropped. "Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said carefully. "Maybe you could--decipher-- I mean, uh, explain what you've written...? "I'll get you later for that 'decipher' part, Kenshin," Kaoru muttered, her lips twitching slightly. "Anyway..." she brushed her bangs out of the way as she peered at the document. "We started by agreeing that what we--saw earlier this morning was definitely real *and* that it was a 'ghostly manifestation,' as Kenshin put it." "Hmph," Sano muttered. "I still say we went through it the wrong way, you guys." "Sano, we were all in *shock*," Kenshin said patiently. "There was no way we could have just stepped back and observed it detachedly..." "True," Sano acknowledged grudgingly. "But something as, well, important as that..." He shook his head. "I somehow couldn't help thinking that we *confirmed* each other's expectations by talking about it immediately afterward, you know?" "Impressions, surely, not expectations," Megumi retorted. Sano looked dubious. "Maybe. But I say that the next time something like this happens, we--" "Go our separate ways and reflect on it individually like it was some weird Zen tenet?" Yahiko drawled. "At least get our 'impressions' written down first *and* then compare 'em and see if they match," Sano shrugged. "That way, we can be more certain about what we *really* saw without the hype." Kenshin stared at him. "Whoa, Sano..." "Comes with the package," Sano grinned. "And since I decided to extend my two-day deadline--" "And we are utterly touched by your magnanimity," Megumi muttered. "Domo arigatou de gozaru," Kenshin added wryly. "All hail, Sano-sama," Yahiko said in monotone. Sano ignored them. "I wanted to make the entire experience worth my while so..." He waved his hand airily. Kaoru choked. "Point conceded," she said lightly as she bent down to her task once again. "Next item on the list..." Her brow furrowed. "Kaoru," Megumi said teasingly. "Don't tell me you got lost already." "Not quite," Kaoru retorted. "We have Kenshin's assertion that we are dealing with more than one strange--entity." She glanced at Kenshin for confirmation but he only nodded at her to continue. "Entity 1 is the," she faltered, "spirit which-- possessed me while Entity 2 represents what we saw in the Room." "And they're not necessarily related...?" Megumi asked. Kenshin shifted in his seat. "I'm not sure," he said in a hesitant voice. Sano rubbed his cheek reflectively. "Well, we did consider the possibility that Entity 1 and 2 are the same but Jo-chan..." "No," Kaoru said emphatically and she shook her head. "What we saw and felt in the Room was evil. It wasn't just out to terrify, Sano. It was out to *hurt*." She glanced at Megumi and Kenshin who were listening gravely. "And Entity 1 wasn't?" Sano asked curiously. Kaoru bit her lip. "It *was* hurt, that much I can tell," she responded, averting her gaze. "It wanted to lash out but in a, well, tormented sort of way, you know? Not deliberately." She tugged the sleeve of her kimono uncomfortably. "But the *other* one was..." Her voice trailed off. "I know," Kenshin interjected softly. He looked distant, as if caught in the act of reminiscence. Megumi, watching him, wondered why. She looked at Kaoru, caught the glint in the other girl's eyes, and knew she had noticed, too. Megumi lowered her gaze to the floor and felt a sudden urge to speak. Sano beat her to it. "But are you sure?" "Yes," Kenshin answered simply. "How?" Sano continued persistently. Kenshin's lips twitched though he didn't smile. "I still have to figure that out." His eyes darkened. Megumi forced a light laugh to dispel the sudden silence. "Hey, don't look so serious, guys," she said. "This is old ground... remember? We discussed this earlier--" "Unresolved old ground," Sano muttered. "Shit. Dealing with two deranged ghosts should be no sweat at all but..." Yahiko cleared his throat. "Actually," he offered tentatively, "I think there could be Entity 3." Everyone swiveled around to stare at him. "What do you mean, Yahiko?" Kenshin said quietly. Yahiko uncrossed his legs uneasily. "I should have mentioned this earlier but I kinda--forgot." He leaned back on his hands and stared up at the ceiling. "But how 'bout the voice Megumi and Kaoru heard?" "Do you mean was it evil, tormented or both?" Sano drawled. "Neither," Megumi said abruptly. "How do you know that?" Kenshin asked, watching her. Megumi shrugged helplessly, suddenly unsure of what had prompted her response. A feeling? A premonition? Instinct, probably. "I just--know," she said lamely. Kenshin studied her for a moment longer before turning to Kaoru. "What do you think, Kaoru-dono?" Kaoru looked troubled. "I can't say exactly what it sounded like, Kenshin. Or felt like, for that matter. But it was--" she paused, groping for the right word, "--different." "Better take this down, Jo-chan," Sano commented. "Amazing how many new insights we can come up with if we review the same old stuff over and over again, huh?" He grinned weakly as the others glared at him. "Hey, I was just joking." Megumi sniffed. "Your pitiful attempt at sarcasm, I take it." "Let's not digress, please," Kenshin murmured. "But are we making any progress, Kenshin?" Yahiko asked, his brown eyes strangely somber. The note of pleading in his voice struck Megumi suddenly and she realized for the first time just how affected Yahiko was by the entire situation. She'd thought it was just another exciting adventure for him, that he viewed everything that had happened with the aroused and yet detached curiousity of a boy who'd encountered something new, and nothing more. But as she watched him, she caught the flash of fear and trepidation in his eyes when he looked at Kaoru and she *knew* she had been deluding herself in other things as well. This was not a game. This was real. She knew she--they--needed the reminder. Instinctively, Megumi reached out and patted his hand. "Of course we are, Yahiko," she answered warmly. She glanced at Kenshin and Kaoru who smiled with reassuring if slightly shaky and, on Kenshin's part, strained smiles. Behind her, she heard Sano sigh. She tensed, bracing herself for another 'joke' but he only leaned forward to tousle Yahiko's hair. "Stop being a pessimistic brat," he muttered. Yahiko took the bait. He huffed indignantly. "Even a rock could be a pessimist if it got exposed to you, Sano." "Now, Yahiko," Kenshin said placatingly. "You know that's not true. Sano's just being his usual practical, cautious and critical self, right, Sano?" Megumi snorted. "Mostly, I think he was just being irritating, Ken-san." Sano smirked. "I wish." "So...?" Kaoru asked slowly, looking from one to the other. Kenshin blinked, confused. "So... what, Kaoru-dono?" She tapped her pen on the floor. "Do we have a consensus?" "That Sano's a pain in the butt? Of course," Yahiko retorted. He yelped as Sano grabbed him in a headlock. Kaoru shook her head. "I mean, do we accept that the voice is a discrete entity? Another ghost?" Kenshin nodded slowly. "All right. At least until after we have a better explanation." He frowned. "Mostly I think we're imagining too many loose ends but we can't be offhand now..." "Assume then, not accept," Sano remarked as he let go of the howling Yahiko. He smiled wryly at the bland look Kenshin shot him. "Less of a guilt trip, at least. Assumptions can be more easily explained away." He folded his arms across his chest. "Acceptance--and certainty--are not." Kenshin flashed him a brief smile. "Is it me or are you simply brimming over with profundity today, Sano?" "The former, of course," Sano retorted and tapped Kaoru on the shoulder. "Hey, Jo-chan, time's a-wastin while you're starin' at Kenshin..." Kaoru elbowed him hard. "Mind your own business," she said, flushing slightly. Megumi watched Kaoru bend diligently over her task, and knew that another piece was being pushed to the forefront in their hopelessly mixed up puzzle with each scratch of Kaoru's pen. Somehow, the thought was disquieting. "But we can't seem to go beyond the level of making tenuous assumptions," she observed quietly. "Well, then maybe it's time we take this discussion to a more practical level," Kenshin suggested mildly. Sano cocked one brow. "And how do we do that?" Kenshin grinned. "Precisely the question I was going to ask, Sano." He tapped his fingers on the floor. "What do we do now?" Yahiko frowned. "You mean, how do we beat the ghosts?" Kenshin tipped his head to one side. "So to speak," he murmured. Megumi fiddled with the hem of her kimono, suddenly perturbed. 'Beat the ghosts...' It didn't sound like much but with the various complexities of the situation, nuances she could sense but which have yet to be brought to light, she didn't think it would be as easy as Yahiko made it out to be. She looked at the others, sighing when she saw her frustration mirrored in their faces. Except for, she frowned, Kenshin's...? The door slid open, startling them. "I think Kozue has the answer to your dilemma." Megumi blinked at the stentorian tones. She swung around in her seat and saw Akiko standing poised in the doorway, smiling widely, tapping her folded fan against one hand. Sano grunted. "Come to bring us tea, Aki-san?" Akiko strode forward and tapped him loudly on the head sharply with her fan. "Your insolence is astounding, Sano. I fail to see how your friends get along with you." "You get used to it," Yahiko muttered. "Answer? To our dilemma, Aki-san?" Kenshin asked softly. "What--" Akiko beamed at him. "I told you we'll do something about this. I talked to Kozue and we managed to figure a way out..." "Run away, I guess," Sano muttered. "Hell, Aki-san, we've nearly fried our brains thinking about the problem. And you think we'd accept any solution out of hand?" He shoved his hand through his hair, ignoring Kenshin's pointed look. "Don't take this personally but I honestly don't see what Kozue-san could tell us now that we haven't thought about first--" "Are you sure about that, Sanosuke-san?" another voice murmured. Megumi started as Kozue emerged from the dim hallway. The woman was dressed in a simple blue kimono and her graying hair was pulled back in a stark bun. Megumi raised her eyebrow, wondering what had facilitated the transformation. She hadn't seen Kozue since that last fateful--she sighed--encounter back in the house. Kenshin had told them the woman was sincerely frightened of what she'd felt, maybe even seen, in the Room. Maybe she really could help them now. Megumi spoke up before Sano could utter something ridiculously profane. "You've got us there, Kozue-san," she said quietly. "We aren't sure of *anything*." She took a deep breath. "What do you suggest we do? About the ghost--" she hesitated, "--the ghosts, I mean?" "Megumi," Sano groaned. "Listen to her, Sano," Kenshin muttered sharply. Kozue glanced at Akiko who nodded. She sighed and turned back to the others. "Have you ever considered exorcism?" Megumi carefully brushed away the speckles of dust littered on the window sill. Her eyes darkened worriedly as she caught sight of the dark afternoon sky. Clouds clustered ominously in the horizon, covering the sun and lending a heavy stillness in the air. "Another thunderstorm," Kaoru murmured beside her. Megumi started and turned to the other girl who smiled wryly. "I'm sorry. Did I startle you?" "You scared me," Megumi stated matter-of-factly. She motioned outside. "We have to hurry or we might get caught in the rain." Her voice trembled slightly, betraying her nervousness. She hoped Kaoru didn't notice. Kaoru watched her, an enigmatic expression on her pale face. There was a short heavy pause and then Kaoru sighed, inclining her head faintly toward Sano and Akiko who were remonstrating hotly with a grim-faced Kenshin. Yahiko stood beside Kenshin, studying the floor guardedly. "You tell them that." Megumi rubbed the bridge of her nose tiredly. "What is it now?" Kaoru looked away. "Kenshin's having second thoughts," she murmured. Megumi blinked, startled. "Why?" Kaoru shrugged, her gaze still averted. "I don't know." Perplexed, Megumi stared at the small group clustered in the middle of the Room. She watched Akiko lean towards Kenshin, murmuring something in his ear. Kenshin shook his head, his features troubled, his stare riveted at a point beyond the wildly gesticulating Sano. She frowned as she followed his gaze. Her frown deepened when she caught sight of Kozue standing a short distance behind the group, her thin frame clothed starkly in white priestess-like robes. The woman looked calm, distant almost, as she in turn watched Kenshin. Megumi shifted uneasily, uncomfortable at the palpable tension in the atmosphere. She looked around tentatively, her stomach churning as her gaze spanned the low and broad ceiling, the smooth floor and the perfectly aligned walls before resting with longing intensity on the wide-open shogi screens which led out into the dim hallway. It would only take a few steps and then she would be out of this place, out of this Room. She swallowed nervously as her traitorous imagination dragged her attention towards the late afternoon shadows which draped the walls, edged between their feet, clothed their arms and their faces before crawling sinuously up the folds of Kozue's robes. She looked away then, afraid of the turn her thoughts had taken. If only she--they--hadn't agreed to this... But as Kozue pointed out last night with surprising eloquence, they had to give it a try, if only for the sake of completeness. The notion of exorcism had seemed so inviting, so definitive, at first. Now, it filled her with a sense of dread. 'It's the coming storm,' she chided herself. 'Stop being so paranoid.' "Megumi? What is it?" Kaoru sounded worried, almost fearful. Megumi forced a smile on her face. "Nothing. I was just thinking..." "You sensed something." It was Kaoru's turn to be matter-of-fact. Her laughter sounded hollow, even to her own ears. "Of course not. I was just excited." Again, that same unnerving stare from Kaoru. And then, "Me too," the girl whispered. Megumi's throat felt dry. "I--" "Megumi-dono, Kaoru-dono..." Kenshin gestured them close, his movement languid, cloaking the almost perceptible urgency in his voice. He smiled at the scowling Akiko. "Later, Aki-dono." He nodded slightly at Kozue's direction. "Why don't you talk to Kozue-dono first? Please?" Akiko shook her head, sighed exasperatedly, gave his arm a solid thwack for good measure before approaching the silent Kozue. Megumi and Kaoru exchanged confused and, on Megumi's part, worried glances as they drew near the huddled men. "I don't believe this, Kenshin," Sano whispered furiously. "You agreed last night, remember?" Kenshin sighed tiredly. "I know Sano," he answered. "But I made a mistake, OK? I don't think this is the right thing to do, after all." "Why?" Sano barked. "It's--" Kenshin paused hesitantly. "It's Kozue-dono," his voice dropped, became almost inaudible. "She can't--she *mustn't* do this." Sano scowled. "I thought you were her biggest fan," he muttered. Yahiko looked up at him, ignoring Sano. "You keep telling us that, Kenshin. But why?" Kenshin's brow knitted. "She's, well, she's good, Yahiko." "What?" Sano burst out. "Kenshin, that's the most ridiculous--" Kaoru held up a hand. "Wait, Sano." She stared at Kenshin. "What do you mean?" she asked softly. Kenshin cast another lingering glance at Kozue. "She told me she studied in the West, that she had lots of experience on matters such as these. Information she could--and did--provide. Theoretically, she could help now." He brushed a stray strand of hair away from his face. "But *practically*? My answer is 'no.'" Megumi nodded slowly. "And...?" "The ghost in this Room was evil," Kenshin said curtly. "We agreed on that, didn't we?" He didn't wait for a response. "Kozue-san, despite all outward appearances, has led a rather sheltered life. She doesn't know what it's like to live harshly, to wrestle with torment, with demons, real or imagined." He looked distant for a moment. "She may have the knowledge but the--the ghost will just use this against her." The others watched him warily. He smiled. "My point is, we should have asked help from someone more used to dealing with," he hesitated, "despair." "I don't think Kozue-san is exactly enjoying this," Yahiko pointed out. Megumi glanced at the woman, noted for the first time the clasped hands, the white knotted knuckles. She sighed. "If anything, I think she's scared." "Yes," Kenshin acknowledged. "But it still doesn't change--" "But she's here now," Sano interjected. "*We're* here now. Are you saying we should simply walk away...?" Kenshin fidgeted. "Maybe." "Or maybe not," Sano said cuttingly. "We should at least give it a try, Kenshin." He crossed his arms over his chest. Kenshin studied him intently. "But at what cost, Sano?" he asked gently. "We would never know until we tried, right?" Sano shrugged. "And if it doesn't work out then--" "You're taking this too lightly, Sano," Kenshin said coolly. "We should reconsider, talk about this more--" "And you're being too paranoid, Kenshin," Sano retorted. "Look, weren't you the one who dragged us all into this in the first place?" "Sano!" Megumi hissed warningly. He ignored her. "We have a chance now, Kenshin. To finally do *something* about this mess instead of snooping around looking for smelly old letters and consorting with a live walking *cloud*." He sighed. "We've been depending on intuition way too long." Kenshin shot him a wry glance. "Sometimes, doing so could save lives, Sano." "Not this time, it ain't," Sano asserted stubbornly. He turned to the others. "Look, why don't we take a vote? What do you guys think?" Yahiko frowned before looking at Kenshin hesitantly. "Well, I think we should..." Sano leaned forward expectantly. "What?" The frown turned into a scowl. "Stay." Yahiko crossed his arms tightly. "But I don't like it," he muttered. "Jou-chan?" Kaoru shook her head slowly. "I honestly don't know, Sano," she said. "Kenshin raised a valid point. I don't think we should discount it." "Why don't we stay, give Kozue-san a try but be really alert for the first sign of trouble," Megumi suggested haltingly. "In tactical terms, of course," she amended. She glanced at the silent Kenshin. "That way, we have our, uh, backsides covered. Both ends." Kenshin smiled slightly, his violet eyes warm. "You're becoming very good at establishing consensus, Megumi-dono." Sano snorted. "Yeah... But not where it *really* matters," he said slyly. Megumi finally gave in to her impulses. She stomped on his foot. Hard. "Trust you to think dirty at the *most* inopportune times, Sano." Sano grinned. "I live to please." Kaoru raised her eyebrow amusedly. "Watch your mouth, Sano. I think her next target's the one thing she wants to protect right now." "Oh? And what's that?" Sano drawled. "Your ass, moron," Yahiko snapped. Kenshin rubbed his cheek wearily. "Look, it's nice to know we could still banter at a time like this but--" "Kenshin," Akiko called out. Kenshin sighed and turned around. "Yes, Akiko-dono?" "If we're going to do this, we have to do it *now*," Akiko responded firmly. She motioned towards the sky, visible through the window and heavily swollen with clouds and darkened even more by the slow descent twilight. "Have you decided?" Kozue spoke for the first time since entering the house. "We mustn't wait any longer, Kenshin-san," she said softly. Her sunken eyes flickered in the dim light. "It--" Her hand tightened on the folds of her robe. "It might come soon." Kenshin didn't respond, staring back at her with a helpless look in his eyes. "Kenshin," Kaoru murmured, stepping forward and taking his arm. "Kenshin, remember what Megumi said. We can do this." Kenshin straightened with a visible effort. "Yes... Yes, of course." He nodded at Kozue. "Go--go ahead, Kozue-dono." Megumi tensed when she saw Kozue's face pale but the thin lips tightened with something like resolve. "Thank you," Kozue said. "Here goes," Yahiko mumbled as they watched Kozue step into the middle of the Room, ofudas clutched firmly in her veined hands. A gust of chill air suddenly blew in, rustling the Kozue's voluminous sleeves and clothing the surroundings with a thin veil of damp drizzle-ridden mist. Megumi shivered, not entirely from the cold. She clasped her hands tightly, her gaze intent on Kozue as the woman slowly circuited the room, eyes half-closed, chanting softly. Her voice carried liltingly in the silence, sounding strangely melodious to Megumi's strained ears. She shifted on her feet nervously, a sick anticipatory feeling dancing in her stomach, her body tensing in preparation for the first onslaught of cold. It was just a matter of time. She watched. She waited. But nothing happened. The ofudas rustled roughly, teased by the slight bursts of wind which came in through the open window and by Kozue's shaking hand. Her chants drifted in and out of the range of audibile sound, growing louder one moment, deafened the next. Paper prayers. Megumi wondered tightly if someone was listening. If something was listening. Kozue stopped abruptly, ofuda-clutching hand outstretched in mid-air. Megumi's breath caught. She sensed Sano stiffen beside her, could discern the stern set of Kenshin's shoulders in the half-light, Kaoru's instinctive movement towards him. Instinctively, she put an arm around Yahiko and drew him firmly to her. To her surprise, he didn't protest but merely uncrossed his arms to stand more easily beside her. And yet again, there was nothing. The cold was a natural chill; the shadows remained unmoving in their dark perches. Megumi frowned uneasily. She watched Kozue's face tauten for a moment, turn up to the ceiling as if she was trying to coax something out of the atmosphere and then sag in an obvious look of resignation. . . and disappointment. Megumi was suddenly swamped with helplessness as the realization struck her with disheartening finality. Kenshin was right. Kozue was not the right person for this, for the evil which lurked in this Room, coiled beneath the surface, waiting for the right moment to spring. Kozue would only tempt, not threaten. Megumi shivered again. They had to go now. Before. . . "It's coming," Yahiko said, his voice trembling and startlingly loud. Megumi's arm tightened around his shoulders. 'No. Oh no.' But the cold was merciless now; had revealed itself, in snapping bone-chilling strikes, clawing at their bodies, screaming: Too late. Megumi's vision swam as that horrible stultifying darkness which had haunted her dreams for days intruded her reality once again. She choked as an overwhelming sensation of nausea and paralyzing fear crept from her stomach, up to her throat, strangling her. Dimly, she saw Kenshin grab Kaoru and the frozen Akiko, dragging them towards the open door. "Megumi-dono, we have to get out," Kenshin called out harshly. "Now. Take Yahiko." He looked back at Sano. "Sano, lead them out. I'll take Kozue-dono." She forced herself to listen to him, to respond to his voice. She felt Yahiko put his arm around her waist and, with surprising strength, pushed her forward. "Megumi, come on," he whispered. Sano shook his head slowly. "N-no," he whispered roughly, almost slurring the words. Megumi looked at him sharply. "You go on ahead, Kenshin." "Damn it, Sano!" Kenshin said loudly, anger and consuming worry lining his pale face. "Listen to me!" The darkness poised, as if to attack, and then it retreated with terrifying rapidity. Megumi halted, horrified, and turned around. She saw Kozue standing rooted in the middle of the room, lips working soundlessly as the shadows surrounded her, gathering strength from the enveloping cold to form that swaying pillar of opaque smoke which Megumi knew so well now. "Ko-Kozue-san...!" she choked out. Kozue's face had gone very white against the blinding clarity of her own robes. Her entire body shook and Megumi watched as she took one step back... and then another... The darkness followed, slowly expanding with each movement forward, slithering after the frightened spiritualist with ominous intent. Shadows shot out from the side, leaving a space of grinning emptiness in the coiled pillar before embracing it once more. 'Gods, not again,' Megumi screamed inwardly, eyes wide, remembering scenes from last... 'Not again!' She dragged Yahiko along with her as she reached for the retreating Kozue, gritting her teeth. "Kozue-san...!" Her hand grazed the woman's sleeve and then slid, clawing into empty air, as Kozue abruptly wheeled around, back to the darkness. "Kozue-san! No!" Kaoru screamed. The spiritualist stood squarely in front of the shadowy apparition, ofuda raised shakily, as if in defiance. The darkness paused mockingly for a moment and then--Megumi stared in horror--*It* reached out. For Kozue. It was too much for any human being to stand. With a choked cry, Kozue turned and fled, barreling into Megumi's limp arms and pushing both her and Yahiko towards the waiting door. As she neared the hallway, where Kaoru and Akiko stood gathered around Kenshin, a strange sound assailed Megumi's ears. She stopped abruptly and whirled around again, forcing Yahiko's arms away from her. 'Oh gods, how could I have forgotten...?' "Megumi! Where's Sano?!" Kaoru called out frantically behind her. Terror-struck, she could only stare at the middle of the Room, where she had last seen him, last felt him standing beside her... Her eyes glazed over in shock when she finally recognized the sound she had heard. And now confirmed as reality with her sight. Laughter. Sano was laughing. End of Part 10 NOTES: I only have the faintest idea of how exorcism works in the Japanese setting or if, in fact, our notion of exorcism parallels that held by the Japanese (and even with definitions subscribed to, say, by the Roman Catholic Church.) I looked for materials on this in the library. Unfortunately, though, the best treatise I found described Japanese religion in detail but only hinted at the content of religious rituals and the like. After much deliberation with my Tokyo Babylon-loving friend, I came up with, well, *that* scene ^^;; I hope it wasn't too dissonant with what really is. In any case, Kozue's eclecticism should (or at least I *hope* it should) provide my excuse and maybe cover up mistakes...? ^_^;;