Kimi looked over at the panting twins. “I see, so you’ve located the one. Looks like everything is going as planned. It seems we’re going to make it, with time to spare. Good work you two! ”
”No problem! Leave it to the Mukashi sisters...!” Mimi sighed happily, kneeling over, clutching her stomach, “Waah... I’ve never ran so much before…”
Lili glared at her, “But did you have to drop all the money we made?! There goes my trip!”
”Gomen, Nee-chan!”
Kimi turned to the others, “Are you almost finished with the preparations?” They were by the river close to Benten Shrine. Circling the forest they had put up talisemens that should weaken the evil forces, which were about to awaken. On the ground they were standing on, a pentagram made with rocks was recently completely. “Yoshi! By nine o’clock we’ll be ready!”
Stacey replied, “Ne, Brave Leader, I just wanted to let you know taht Mina-chan and Mi-chan left to do that errand for you. They should be back by the time we need them. We’re going to need Shena now to seal this area…”
Keiko pushed up her glasses and turned to leave, “I’ll go fetch her. Don’t worry, we’ll be back on time.”
“Bye Kei-chaaan~!” Stacey called after her, then turned to Kimi, “Now what, Brave Leader?”
Kimi sat down on the ground, taking out her pocket watch, “We wait... and don’t call me ‘brave leader’…”
Stacey sat next to her, hugging her knees, “Wish I could see Onii-chan… but I guess I can wait till the morning. That is, if we succeed and there is a morning… I’m sure we will! Nee, Kimi-chan?”
Kimi smiled in spite of herself, “You’re always cheerful no matter what the reason… And don’t call me ‘chan’.”
* * *
Minako was walking through the festival. “This is so not fair… it’s Tanabata and I don’t have a date or anything. Instead I’m working… like every Tanabata… woe is me!” She stopped for a moment, “Eh? Where’d Mi-chan go?!”
She turned around to see Mikawa speaking to a group of dojo boys. “Eheheh, no really! I’m not here with any guy.” she told them.
“Honto?! A pretty girl like you?!”
”Arigatou for the comment!”
Minako stomped over and took her by the wrist, “It’s time to go now, Mi-chan. We’ve got things to do, rather than flirt with these nerds…”
”Flirt??” Mikawa uttered, blinking her eyes, “I-I was just talking!” Minako rolled her eyes. Her friend was much to naïve to know when guys were trying to pick her up. Sadly, she wasn’t a hunk-magnet like Mikawa was. What a wonderful skill put to waste…
As the two girls walked on, they passed by the teahouse where Kenshin and Megumi were. “What a good feeling to finally sit down after all that walking around, ne Ken-san?” Megumi said, sipping her tea.
“Aa.” he uttered, still not touching his tea nor the cookies in front of him, “Megumi-dono… eto…” Lost for words, he stopped and stared at his reflection in the cup. He couldn’t bring himself to ask her – what tonight meant to her. He could see it in her face, the look of complete victory.
“Kyaaa! Somebody help me!” some woman cried, “My husband just collapsed!”
Without a thought, Megumi got up and ran over to examine him. “This man needs to be looked over at the clinic. Let’s get him there now.” she said, helping the woman and other people lift him, “Ken-san, gomen. I have to go. You understand.”
He nodded. “Hai de gozaru. You must do what you have to do, Megumi-dono.”
She smiled. “You don’t have to come with me. I’m sure you wanted to get away. Your mind has been elsewhere all evening.” she replied, “I guess I lost after all.”
”Megumi-dono?”
”Jaa, I’ll see you tomorrow, Ken-san. Tell the girl… ‘Happy Tanabata’ for me.” She then turned and left with the family and the patient.
Kenshin sat back down at their table. The tea was now cold. ‘Kaoru…’ he sighed to himself, thinking he should get up already and head back to the dojo. Before he could turn to leave, he saw a boy standing in his way. “Oro?”
”Ano, sumimasen, my name is Yuri. I was wondering if you…” He paused to dig in his coat, only to find nothing. A sigh and frown following, “Ch! I lost it! … Doushiyo?”
“Eto… how can sessha help, Yuri-dono?” Kenshin stammered.
“You see I’m looking for someone… she’s about my height, dark eyes, long hair – a red bow… ne? Have you seen her around??” the boy pleaded, “I thought she’d be at this festival for sure… then again I don’t have very good luck.”
”Is she your…” Kenshin blushed. ‘Why am I asking? It’s none of my busines!’ he snapped to himself. But Tanabata was the most romantic day of the year, or so Tae said it was. It would be the perfect for if this boy was reunited with his love…
”Iie.” Yuri replied, “She isn’t. Dakedo, I want to see her again. To hear her voice. You know… of all people, I never thought that I’d come to care for someone so strongly. I’m such an idiot…” Kenshin stared at the boy, whose eyes shining with tears. “When I finally told her, you know what she did?”
“Iya… nan de gozaru ka?”
”She smiled… that smile I loved so much… “ he sighed, closed his eyes for a moment, and then continued, “Soushite… she laughed. She patted me on the head and laughed. She said, ‘Surely, that’s the funniest thing I heard all day. You always seem to cheer me up.’ But I told her it wasn’t a joke. That I truly loved her… with all my heart. She stared at me like I was insane and…”
Minako lowered her eyes and shook her head. “Yuri… you don’t know what you’re saying. Don’t you know… it was a mistake we ever met.”
“Those words…” Yuri said faintly, “Those words hit me like a brick. She then went on to tell me how she couldn’t protect me all the time and how that was killing her. I was just a burden to her… a damn burden. She had more important things to do than worry about me and... boku… I was in her way.”
”Yuri-dono…” Kenshin uttered, looking over him with worry.
“And so I left.” he explained, “I couldn’t stand being just ‘something to be protected’. I thought if I could get away, I’d get over it and be back to normal. Demo… the weeks became months… then surely years. I found myself wandering in Europe four years later, deciding it was time I stopped running from my feelings.” He clenched a fist and smiled slightly. “I returned on the basis of pure selfishness. Even if I could only be her burden, I couldn’t bear being away from her another second…”
Kenshin stared at him in surprise. The seemingly frivolous boy was brought into a different light. He was brave, knowing his feelings were probably not going to be returned; absolutely crazy to be in love with someone who could only bring danger to his life; and strong – strong not to let those tears in his eyes fall. “Yuri-dono…”
All of a sudden, the wall of the teahouse crashed inward. On it was Yahiko, bruised and tired. He could only cry out, “TSUBAME! NAZE!? TSU BA ME !!!”
“Yahiko!” Kenshin exclaimed, rushing over to the boy and helping him up, “Dou de gozaru ka? Tsubame-dono – doko??”
”She’s… she…” Yahiko tried to explain, but jumped up and ran out the teahouse. Up ahead, the girl was walking down the street as if in a trance. “TSUBAME!!” he cried again, catching up to her and trying to grab her arm. A force erupted from her, sending him flying just like before. “YASUKO!!!”
Kenshin gasped, “W-What’s going on?!”
* * *
Shena and Sanosuke were walking through the less busy parts of the festival; Tae and Tsunan hot on their trail. “Just who is that girl?!” Tae exclaimed, “I’ve never seen her before in my life!!”
Tsunan grimaced. “You jealous?”
”ME? Of course not!! It’s just… it’s all wrong! I had made up in my mind that Sano-han was going to marry Takani-han! I mean, those two flirt all the time at my restaurant! It’s obvious that they’re in love with each other!”
He couldn’t help but laugh at her, “You know, you think awfully a lot about others…” She simply glared at him, making him nervous. “E-to… it’s not a bad thing, just… sometimes you got to think about yourself. Aa… I better shut up.”
”Ne, Sano-san!” Shena said, pulling him over by the arm, “Look! Someone’s lighting fireworks!” The two looked out at the black sky, being painted with bright colors. Sanosuke paused and looked down to her. She looked so filled with joy as though she was having the time of her life. “Because of you, Sano-san.” she whispered, “Arigatou.”
“Iya… it’s nothing really!” he stammered, blushing, “Hm??” She was still hugging his arm, and slowly her head leaned down on his shoulder, “Shena…”
”Demo, I know I’m not the one for you. The woman you will come to love… she really deserves you so I won’t get in the way. I just wanted to thank you for this great time. I’ve never enjoyed Tanabata before.”
”Same for me.” he said with a smile.
“GAAAH?! They’re sooo close!!!” Tae cried, “Tsunan-han, are you getting this!?!” Tsunan sighed and nodded, drawing the cute nishiki e of the couple leaning together with the fireworks.
It was the sound of gunshots that spoiled the moment. Keiko leaped down from the tree, chuckling as people were screaming and running away. Shena turned around and crossed her arms, “Kei! Why must you always make a racket when you enter a scene??”
”Heh, you know I love the attention.” Keiko replied, taking her by the wrist, “It’s time to go now.”
”Yamero! Hold on a moment!” Sanosuke exclaimed, still holding onto Shena’s arm, “We’re still on our date! I don’t want her to go just yet!!”
Keiko looked over to Shena, who turned to Sanosuke, “Gomen, Sano-san. I have to go. It’s my duty. Some things like personal happiness just have to be sacrificed for the good of everyone else. Please understand.” He sighed and let her go, frowning at the snickering Keiko. “Demo…” Shena uttered, “I know we won’t be able to meet again…”
”Nan de?!” Sanosuke gasped. But Keiko had already started to pull Shena along. “MATTE!!!” he cried, chasing after them. They took up full speed and leaped up on the buildings, “Masaka! WAIT!! SHENA!!!” he yelled, still following them the best he could.
* * *
Kenshin and Yahiko followed Tsubame all the way to the forest encircling the Benten Shrine. It was dark and they could hardly see the path. However, a strange glow was surrounding the dazed Tsubame as she made her way through the woods. “Tsubame!” Yahiko sighed at the back of her head, “I can’t even touch you… what’s happened to you?!”
Kenshin held his breath. He could tell someone was watching them, at any moment going to attack them. He felt it in his bones. “Yahiko! We’ve got company!”
All of a sudden, zombie-looking corpses rose from the ground. The two samurai screamed. But as the reaching hands went for Tsubame, they were averted by the forcefield around her. Intent on following her, Kenshin and Yahiko were now blocked off by the zombies.
“Shikigami.” said a voice, “These things are shikigami and the only way to get rid of them is…” A girl with two katana leapt from a high branch, slicing through the shiki, making the blood and guts smear all over the clean blades.
“Eh?!? Dare?!” Yahiko gasped, clutching his bokken, “Kenshin, what do we do?!”
Kenshin drew his sakabatou, but as he attacked one of the shiki, it didn’t even affect them. ‘The only way…’ He turned his blade over and tried again. This time, the shiki gave out a yell and fall apart. Kenshin closed his eyes, feeling he had killed again, but opened his eyes to see his blade and the remains of the shiki gone, as it was with the girl’s blades. ‘What in the world…’
The girl explained, “These things are not alive! It’s all right to destroy them! However, you can’t let them touch you! Ne, hurry and get out of here!”
“Hell no! Not without Tsubame!” Yahiko exclaimed. Just then, one of the shiki went for him, “Waaaaaah!!!” An ofuda came flying onto it and destroyed it. “N-NANI?!”
Shena smiled and leaped down from the tree, “Sorry if I’m late, Kimi-san. Looks like these two have wandered into the wrong type of forest and… eh?” She stared at them closely, “Friends of Sano-san…”
”Aa, sessha-tachi are friends. Are you part of this, Shena-dono?” Kenshin asked, destroying a couple more shiki, “The abduction of Tsubame-dono de gozaru.”
She nodded. “It’s the mission of the Celestial Dragons… to protect this town, we must make sacrifices…”
”Sacrifices!?!” Yahiko exclaimed, “You’re not going to sacrifice Tsubame, are you?! TEME! If you even hurt a hair on her head, I swear…!!!!” Kenshin had to hold the boy down before he attacked someone, “TSUBAME!!! I’M COMING!!!”
The girl with the katanas turned to Shena. “It’s getting too dangerous. Better seal off the forest…”
”MATTE!!!” Sanosuke yelled, running towards them, “SHENA!!!”
”S-Sano??” Kenshin gasped, as the sound of gunshots were heard. "SANO!!"
Sanosuke stopped, his face a sheet of one. Next to him, a shikigami fell and evaporated. "UWAAAH!!?"
“Sano! Daijoubu de gozaru ka?!” Kenshin asked frantically.
”Aa… demo…” he stammered, clutching his chest as his heart was pounding.
Keiko landed next to him, pushing up her sunglasses. “You owe me later.”
He just turned SD and started yelling at her, “YOU COULDA KILLED ME! TEME!!!!” She simply shot near his foot, making him even angrier, “YAMERO!”
“Shena,” Kimi said, “There isn’t enough time – we’ve got to seal the forest now!”
“Hai!” Shena concentrated, a glow circling her as she lifting an ofuda and chanted incantations. The entire forest was illuminated with beams of lights; the shikigami destroyed one by one. When she stopped glowing, Shena stumbled to her knee, gasping, “That’s enough for now… we’ll be safe until the clock strikes nine.”
Kenshin stared at his pocket watch. “We’ve got over an hour then…” He looked around the forest. It seemed different. This sealing, what ever it was, was powerful. ‘Who are these people…?’ he wondered.
Yahiko pushed his way over to Kimi. “Just what the hell is going?! Where is Tsubame!!”
Kimi stared down at him, then put her swords away in the case on her back. She crossed her arms and turned towards the direction she walked. “She went to the river, where the rest of the C.D.s are making further preparations for tonight’s sacrifice.”
”How dare you…!” he growled, pointing his wood sword at her, “Give her back or else…!”
“Suman… I cannot do such a thing. Otherwise, everyone in this town will die.”
“NANI?!”
Shena stood up and walked over to him. “Have you heard the story of Tanabata… about the two lovers separated, only given the chance to reunite once a year… on the seventh day of the seventh month.” She rested against a tree. “It is on that day, the two stars Vega and Altair are the closest to each other, creating the phenomenon in the Milky Way called, the ‘Celestial River’, from which the two lovers can cross and meet each other. However, if it were to rain, their chances will have to wait until another year.”
Sanosuke rubbed his head and asked, “Isn’t that just a folktale?”
Keiko crossed her arms, “In every folktale holds some truth. And the truth is that there is a Celestial River existing in this very town. On this day, an evil being will awaken and destroy anything living within 500 kilometers. Therefore, we must prevent it from crossing over to the living world, as we have done successfully for last couple years.”
Shena added, “With the help of Tsubame-san, we will be able to do so. Her kokoro is pure and full of light. Surely, she will be able to finalize the sealing and protect this town.” Yahiko clenched his fists and stared at the ground. She walked over and touched his shoulder, “Gomendesai… you cared about her a lot.”
“Aa…” he uttered, tears filling his eyes, “Tsubame is… my… my everything.”
Shena pulled him into a hug. “It’s never easy… this job. No matter what you do, someone ends up hurting… or losing. I’m terribly sorry.”
Keiko sighed and turned to walk away. “Ch! People die everyday! There’s no reason to be sorry!”
“Teme! How can you be so f--king cold-hearted?!” Sanosuke hissed at her, holding up his fists. She just ignored him and continued to fill her gun with new bullets, “Cheh! Kenshin, we can’t let them get away with this…!”
Kimi smiled slyly, “Aa, Himura Kenshin! I was hoping I’d get a chance to speak with you while I was in this town.” She walked up to the unsuspecting rurouni, “Since we’ve got some time left before the fireworks go off… let’s have a bit of fun.”
“F-Fun de gozaru?” Kenshin uttered.
He paused to hear something emerge from the bushes. He turned and saw a samurai, his yellow eyes burning. “Ore wa... Hitokiri Battousai.” the man said, two swords at his waist.
“Battousai?! Demo… masaka… Sessha…”
The angry-looking hitokiri stared the rurouni in the eye, “Dare… ch, it doesn’t matter. When I’m done with you, you’ll be nothing but ‘dead’.” Without a warning, Battousai leaped at Kenshin, drawing one sword.
‘Is this real or an illusion?’ Kenshin wondered as he avoided the blade. But Battousai drew his other sword, coming back fast with a double attack. Kenshin wasn’t lucky and got cut in the arm. Kneeling, he clutched the scratch, the pain and blood so real. ‘But how… ?’
“KENSHIN!” Sanosuke and Yahiko cried, “How can this be?!”
Kimi explained, “This is your all suppressed anger. Not to mention, your guilt and fear. Instead of dealing with it, you’ve let it grow inside you, becoming its own separate entity. You are one who has not obeyed the ‘Balance’. You must face your ‘other self’ otherwise pay the price.”
“Demo…!” Kenshin cried as he dodged another swing. He managed to hit Battousai with his sakabatou, but his own body throbbed with pain, “H-How can Sessha…?!”
Shena turned to Kimi, who shook her head. “He must do this on his own. The way towards the ‘Balance’ is always lonely and painful… tonight there will only be ‘one’ Himura Kenshin.”
Kenshin closed his eyes, the nightmare too overwhelming to accept. ‘What should I do?’ he cried within himself, ‘Kaoru!!’