Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ A Certain Clarity ❯ 9 ( Chapter 9 )

Title: A Certain Clarity (9/30)

Author: Franzi Dickson

E-mail: fdickson@ix.netcom.com

Archive: The SxSAS Archive, fanfiction.net and others (eventually). If you want it on your site, just ask.

Rating: NC-17 for wet dreams, sex, drugs, violence and other badness.

Warnings: m/m sex, lemon, assorted bad things in this part and future ones

Disclaimer: They don't belong to me. I'm just doing bad things with them. Don't sue me.

Saitou scrubbed his eyes. Damn case! They still hadn't had a single useful lead. Even the mess with the ahou had led to nothing. Nothing useful, he corrected himself. He still felt the cold weight of the dread that had settled itself in his stomach when he'd read the note:

'Gone to Golden Orchid Imports. Might have found something.'

Hadn't the ahou gotten the picture when they'd burned his home? He shook his head. He'd had to force the location out of that damn drug dealer, and he'd been so slow in getting there. He shuddered. Sanosuke's face had been so pale, his jacket hanging in pathetic tatters.

Too bad that psychopath didn't get the bandages as well.

Hentai. Baka. This was no time to think about that. For all his speed, he'd still been too late. If the ahou hadn't turned his chair over… Gods, he was going mad. He should have known what that coward with the gun would do, but he was a fool. The only action left to him was to launch himself at the ahou. For a moment, he hadn't even known if he'd been in time. He fingered the bandage on his arm. It made wearing his jacket faintly uncomfortable, but no worse than that; a small price to pay. At least *he* was safe. This time…

"Yo, Saitou!"

He snapped out of his reverie. "Ahou. What is it now?" He was becoming like an addict, he thought. The mere sight of the young idiot shouldn't make his pulse race like this. "Perhaps you didn't understand what I said before." And maybe you don't hate me yet. He shouldn't be glad to see him here. And yet…

Sano bounced into the office. "I got some information for ya!"

Not so much like a rooster. More like an overly large dog. He was surprised at the ahou's appearance. Funny, he hadn't ever pictured him wearing anything but that ridiculously flamboyant, white jacket. This subtle brown didn't suit him nearly so well. "Surely, something that tasteful couldn't belong to you, ahou?"

The youth reddened. "My old one needs a little repair. I borrowed it from a friend."

A friend? Surely not the penniless battousai. Who would he… And did this mean he was staying with said 'friend'? Aside from the various denizens of the Kamiya dojo, the ahou's friends would most likely be all female. He thought of the boy's face when Megumi had mentioned deceased's likely sexual behavior. That look of surprise and disgust, horror even… No, this train of thought led nowhere profitable. He tried to pull his thoughts into some sembelance of order. "You said you had information."

"What? Don't tell me you actually want to hear it?" the youth responded a little testily.

"Well, it's true that I doubt you have found anything of importance, but it would amuse me to know just how you have been wasting your time." And how much danger you're likely to have put yourself in doing it. He tried to keep his face at its blankest.

"Uh, well, you mentioned something about how there might be a religious aspect to the deaths… I came across this cult. Real weirdoes: Dress almost as unfashionably as you cops."

Unfashionable? Coming from the ahou…

"Anyway, I got one of their pamphlets. I thought maybe we could check it out or something." He looked awkward.

Trying to make peace? Stupid ahou. He regretted ever asking for his help. Information was one thing, but the ahou just couldn't seem to stay out of the action. This had to stop. He had to get rid of him more effectively this time. If anger wouldn't do it, what about shame or fear? He'd certainly looked scared enough after that idiot had almost succeeded in putting a bullet in him. "I will investigate. I do not require your help. Go home."

"But I was the one who found the information."

"And I am the one who will investigate it."

"But Saitou."

"You would only cause another debacle like the one with the import company. If you have no regard for your own safety, at least have a little for the people around you. Continue to behave like an idiot, and you will end up getting someone killed!" He stopped. Surely those words alone shouldn't have caused the sudden pain that bloomed on the boy's face. His neighbors had all escaped safely, after all. It wasn't the ahou's fault that the thugs had set fire to the whole damn row. Damn it! He always knew just the wrong thing to say. "Ahou?"

"I drew you a map on the back." Sano's voice was strangely breathy. He dropped the pamphlet on the desk and bolted for the door.

What the devil!? Had the ahou been about to cry? Still confused, he picked up the pamphlet. It contained the usual drivel about love and kindness. How nice of the ahou to leave this little accusation behind. Be kind and let him kill himself? I think not. Love?

"Boss?"

"What?" He didn't care if he sounded hostile.

"I just saw the rooster-head leaving. Is something going on?"

No, nothing at all. Ever. "He's discovered some cult. I'm going to go check it out."

"We're that desperate, huh?"

"Would you rather I spent the afternoon at my desk, uselessly going through the paperwork on the case?"

"I'll see you later then?" Chou refused to rise to the bait.

"Yes." He showed Chou the rough map. "The restaurant where the ahou saw them is near a major street. It should be easy enough to find." He looked at Chou. "It's better than nothing."

Better than nothing, perhaps, but not that much better. He'd seen no one who looked in the least conspicuous thus far, let alone anyone who looked like a cultist. What had the ahou meant about their clothing anyway? He really should have asked for a more complete account, but then the ahou might have thought he was actually interested and insisted on coming along. No. It was better this way, even if none of the people he had questioned had known anything about a cult. He was fairly certain they hadn't been lying; he could usually tell. Perhaps it was time he returned to the station.

Now that was odd: He didn't remember that shop being open before. 'Herbal Specialist' the sign read. His eyes narrowed. Herbs… Poisons… Drugs… Surely, it was worth delaying his return a little.

As he entered, he was struck by the smell of the place; musty, spicy, foreign. He waited for his eyes to adjust to the dimness.

"Welcome: I can see that there is much on your mind." A woman, ancient and bent, was seated behind the counter.

He smiled and bowed politely. "Please excuse my intrusion. I am officer Fujita Gorou. I have been trying to contact the persons who made this flier." He held it up. "I am told that they can be found near here."

"Oh, they're not here now. No, no; elsewhere now." She cackled. "I can see that you are much thwarted in love. Yes, much thwarted."

Bloody hell! A fortune-teller!

"Don't worry; we have every type of herb here. We can cure any sort of affliction from shyness to indifference." She gestured with one claw-like hand.

Saitou regarded the bottles. Many of them contained what looked like actual herbs, but others… He was not entirely sure that he wished to know what some of them were. The ones on the end nearest him seemed especially disgusting looking. Some looked like bits of dried animal, others bones or feathers. One contained a strange metallic looking green powder. It glinted even in the gloom of the store. Now why did that seem familiar?

"You've had dreams perhaps?"

He glanced back at the woman. "I'm sorry, but my dreams aren't what concerns me today."

"No? But dreams are everything! They let us know what is in our hearts!"

Well then his heart must be an unpleasant place indeed.

"Were they bad dreams?" She peered at him. "I could almost swear I see the mark of the gift on you."

"Pardon me?"

"Yes… the gift of sight. The gift of knowledge." She gazed at him distractedly.

His smile was starting to feel painfully wooden. "Could you perhaps tell me something about this group?" He gestured to the flier again.

She hissed. "Devils! They misuse the mysteries! Ungrateful pupils! Not like you dear." She cackled and waved at her assistant. The pale, nervous looking young woman retreated even further into her corner.

"Could you tell me where I might find them?"

"No one should find them! They shouldn't find anyone! Devils!" Her voice rose to an incoherent screech.

He decided it was time to go. "Thank you for your help. I fear that duty calls." He bowed and made his escape. Madwoman! It disturbed him to have her guessing about his dreams like that. Not that she would hit on anything like the truth, but they had disturbed him so much that he wasn't sure he could keep his face properly neutral. Definitely time to return to the station.