Prologue
"It's a girl, Akane-san," Takani Kei announced as a loud wail echoed in the halls of the small residence. As he cut the cord with sterile scissors, Takani Megumi prepared the bath for the baby.
She quickly wiped the child clean and wrapped the baby in a blanket, presenting her to her mother.
Akane burst into tears. Kei glanced at his sister in alarm, but she gave him a reassuring smile.
"Are you all right, Akane-san?" Kei asked, concern laced in his voice.
But the woman just continued to cry. Megumi grasped her brother's arm and they moved away, stripping their sterile gowns off.
"She's all right," Megumi responded in a soft voice. "She's been worried about complications as soon as they sent for us...and she needs an outlet for those emotions..."
Her brother smiled. "I see..." He then turned to his patient. "Shall I let Tetsuya-san in now?"
Akane nodded, her eyes still filled with tears. "Thank you...both of you...so much...for everything..."
Kei slid the door of the room open, nearly jumping to the side as the new father rushed into the room. The two young doctors laughed.
"Akane!"
"Tetsuya, come look at our new daughter."
The father breathed in amazement as he gazed at his first-born child. "She's so beautiful..."
Kei and Megumi quietly left, leaving the new family time alone together.
"I'm glad it went well," Megumi commented as they began walking back to the clinic they both owned and operated.
"Me, too. Akane-san will be a good mother," Kei added.
Megumi nodded. "She's very lucky to have Tetsuya-san. He remained calm throughout the entire procedure."
"Afterwards was another story," Kei laughed.
"You'd be the same way if you were in his position," she teased.
"You're probably right."
They walked in comfortable silence until the clinic came into view. Megumi smiled as they walked up the familiar path. She was content with her life. She considered herself very fortunate to have the life she had now.
"Kei-sensei, Megumi-sensei, how did everything go?" Ayu, their assistant, asked as soon as they stepped inside.
"Both parents couldn't be happier," Kei responded, "Tetsuya-san nearly knocked me over just so he could see them after everything was done."
Ayu smiled widely. "I'm glad to hear that." Then she picked up several letters. "Kei-sensei, you have letters from several of your contacts in Tokyo as well as newsletter circulation."
Kei sighed. "Don't I always?"
"Useless mail?" Megumi prompted.
"Yes."
"Megumi-sensei, you have a letter from Shinomori Aoshi."
Megumi's eyes widened. After taking the letter from Ayu's outstretched hand, Megumi tucked the letter inside her sleeve and turned to go to her office.
"You aren't going to open it?" Kei asked.
His sister shrugged. "No. It can wait."
"Just open it, Megumi-chan," Kei spoke up. "He could have said something important..."
Megumi sighed. The last time she saw Shinomori Aoshi was three months ago. Three and a half, to be exact. He had been in Aizu investigating a poison and sought her assistance. By a twisted turn of events, the man who created the poison had been Megumi and Kei's patient...as well as an old friend of the Oniwabanshu, a group of spies who had protected the Edo castle well over ten years ago. Aoshi had been their leader. It turned out that Aoshi's old friend had been blackmailed into making the poison for a small assassination group.
During his investigation, Aoshi had been poisoned as well. Megumi remembered the times she would stay up, researching everything he had found out, hoping to cure him. And when she had created the antidote, she had slept much better because of it. They had spent a lot of time together while he recuperated. And when she had been kidnapped by the assassination group, he had rescued her.
Considering their past together, she'd never believe that she and Aoshi would ever become friends. But ever since that night he brought her back to Aizu away from the kidnappers, she realized that she could trust him. Wasn't that a friend?
She opened the letter, skimming the characters he wrote quickly and neatly:
Megumi-sensei,
I hope everything is going well. The Oniwabanshu thank you again for informing us about Jiro and his family. He has yet to contact us personally.
I think you'll be pleased to know that Takeda Kanryu is dead. He was set to serve a twenty year sentence in a remote area north of Tokyo, but died during a prison break.
Shinomori Aoshi
Her breath escaped her lungs in a quick burst. If she hadn't been close to the wall, her knees would have given out. Megumi dropped the letter and stared at the floor in shock. Kanryu was dead. Flashes of her experiences with him flickered in her brain. He killing the doctor she studied under...he threatening to burn the Kamiya dojo...
"Megumi-chan?" Kei prompted.
She was free. Finally. Megumi always thought that she had gotten over what happened to her in the past...but now that Kanryu was dead...she really was free. It was as if a great burden had been lifted from her shoulders.
Kei picked up Aoshi's letter, his eyes widening in surprise. "Takeda Kanryu's dead?" He glanced at Ayu, whose eyes rounded.
Megumi took a deep breath and gave her brother and assistant a shaky smile full of relief and joy. "It's finally over..."
"Finally?" Kei echoed.
"I thought it was over a while back, but..." Megumi took a deep breath again. "If you'll excuse me...I think I need to take a walk..."
***
"It's been so quiet the last few weeks," Omasu commented as she brought in several mail and packages.
Okina took a sip of tea. "We'll have to think of something to promote business..."
"Aoshi-sama, you have a letter from Takani-san..."
Aoshi merely accepted it and placed it on the table, continuing to sip his tea.
Once she left, silence filled the room. The old man suddenly grinned.
"What?"
The old man chuckled. "You aren't going to open it?"
"Not yet," Aoshi replied calmly.
"Something might have happened to Jiro...if you aren't going to open it..." Okina quickly reached for the letter.
Barely making a sound, Aoshi's hand landed on one edge of the letter, holding it to the table.
Okina chuckled. "I'd almost think you're trying to hide something..."
"You're wasting time on speculation and prying into others' business..."
"I'm an old man, I have plenty of free time."
"You should do something more productive," Aoshi commented wryly.
"Staring at flowers and sipping tea can only occupy me for so long," Okina goaded.
Aoshi arched a brow before setting his cup down and picked up the letter. After unfolding it, he read:
Aoshi,
Thank you for your letter. Everything's finally over. Finally.
I hope everything is going well at the Aoiya. Take care and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Megumi
He folded the letter again, ignoring Okina's curious look. "I have to finish inventory..."
A/N: Okay, there's the prologue. I just had to get it out of my head. Now I can work on What Matters Most. Hope you guys enjoyed the teaser!
"It's a girl, Akane-san," Takani Kei announced as a loud wail echoed in the halls of the small residence. As he cut the cord with sterile scissors, Takani Megumi prepared the bath for the baby.
She quickly wiped the child clean and wrapped the baby in a blanket, presenting her to her mother.
Akane burst into tears. Kei glanced at his sister in alarm, but she gave him a reassuring smile.
"Are you all right, Akane-san?" Kei asked, concern laced in his voice.
But the woman just continued to cry. Megumi grasped her brother's arm and they moved away, stripping their sterile gowns off.
"She's all right," Megumi responded in a soft voice. "She's been worried about complications as soon as they sent for us...and she needs an outlet for those emotions..."
Her brother smiled. "I see..." He then turned to his patient. "Shall I let Tetsuya-san in now?"
Akane nodded, her eyes still filled with tears. "Thank you...both of you...so much...for everything..."
Kei slid the door of the room open, nearly jumping to the side as the new father rushed into the room. The two young doctors laughed.
"Akane!"
"Tetsuya, come look at our new daughter."
The father breathed in amazement as he gazed at his first-born child. "She's so beautiful..."
Kei and Megumi quietly left, leaving the new family time alone together.
"I'm glad it went well," Megumi commented as they began walking back to the clinic they both owned and operated.
"Me, too. Akane-san will be a good mother," Kei added.
Megumi nodded. "She's very lucky to have Tetsuya-san. He remained calm throughout the entire procedure."
"Afterwards was another story," Kei laughed.
"You'd be the same way if you were in his position," she teased.
"You're probably right."
They walked in comfortable silence until the clinic came into view. Megumi smiled as they walked up the familiar path. She was content with her life. She considered herself very fortunate to have the life she had now.
"Kei-sensei, Megumi-sensei, how did everything go?" Ayu, their assistant, asked as soon as they stepped inside.
"Both parents couldn't be happier," Kei responded, "Tetsuya-san nearly knocked me over just so he could see them after everything was done."
Ayu smiled widely. "I'm glad to hear that." Then she picked up several letters. "Kei-sensei, you have letters from several of your contacts in Tokyo as well as newsletter circulation."
Kei sighed. "Don't I always?"
"Useless mail?" Megumi prompted.
"Yes."
"Megumi-sensei, you have a letter from Shinomori Aoshi."
Megumi's eyes widened. After taking the letter from Ayu's outstretched hand, Megumi tucked the letter inside her sleeve and turned to go to her office.
"You aren't going to open it?" Kei asked.
His sister shrugged. "No. It can wait."
"Just open it, Megumi-chan," Kei spoke up. "He could have said something important..."
Megumi sighed. The last time she saw Shinomori Aoshi was three months ago. Three and a half, to be exact. He had been in Aizu investigating a poison and sought her assistance. By a twisted turn of events, the man who created the poison had been Megumi and Kei's patient...as well as an old friend of the Oniwabanshu, a group of spies who had protected the Edo castle well over ten years ago. Aoshi had been their leader. It turned out that Aoshi's old friend had been blackmailed into making the poison for a small assassination group.
During his investigation, Aoshi had been poisoned as well. Megumi remembered the times she would stay up, researching everything he had found out, hoping to cure him. And when she had created the antidote, she had slept much better because of it. They had spent a lot of time together while he recuperated. And when she had been kidnapped by the assassination group, he had rescued her.
Considering their past together, she'd never believe that she and Aoshi would ever become friends. But ever since that night he brought her back to Aizu away from the kidnappers, she realized that she could trust him. Wasn't that a friend?
She opened the letter, skimming the characters he wrote quickly and neatly:
Megumi-sensei,
I hope everything is going well. The Oniwabanshu thank you again for informing us about Jiro and his family. He has yet to contact us personally.
I think you'll be pleased to know that Takeda Kanryu is dead. He was set to serve a twenty year sentence in a remote area north of Tokyo, but died during a prison break.
Shinomori Aoshi
Her breath escaped her lungs in a quick burst. If she hadn't been close to the wall, her knees would have given out. Megumi dropped the letter and stared at the floor in shock. Kanryu was dead. Flashes of her experiences with him flickered in her brain. He killing the doctor she studied under...he threatening to burn the Kamiya dojo...
"Megumi-chan?" Kei prompted.
She was free. Finally. Megumi always thought that she had gotten over what happened to her in the past...but now that Kanryu was dead...she really was free. It was as if a great burden had been lifted from her shoulders.
Kei picked up Aoshi's letter, his eyes widening in surprise. "Takeda Kanryu's dead?" He glanced at Ayu, whose eyes rounded.
Megumi took a deep breath and gave her brother and assistant a shaky smile full of relief and joy. "It's finally over..."
"Finally?" Kei echoed.
"I thought it was over a while back, but..." Megumi took a deep breath again. "If you'll excuse me...I think I need to take a walk..."
***
"It's been so quiet the last few weeks," Omasu commented as she brought in several mail and packages.
Okina took a sip of tea. "We'll have to think of something to promote business..."
"Aoshi-sama, you have a letter from Takani-san..."
Aoshi merely accepted it and placed it on the table, continuing to sip his tea.
Once she left, silence filled the room. The old man suddenly grinned.
"What?"
The old man chuckled. "You aren't going to open it?"
"Not yet," Aoshi replied calmly.
"Something might have happened to Jiro...if you aren't going to open it..." Okina quickly reached for the letter.
Barely making a sound, Aoshi's hand landed on one edge of the letter, holding it to the table.
Okina chuckled. "I'd almost think you're trying to hide something..."
"You're wasting time on speculation and prying into others' business..."
"I'm an old man, I have plenty of free time."
"You should do something more productive," Aoshi commented wryly.
"Staring at flowers and sipping tea can only occupy me for so long," Okina goaded.
Aoshi arched a brow before setting his cup down and picked up the letter. After unfolding it, he read:
Aoshi,
Thank you for your letter. Everything's finally over. Finally.
I hope everything is going well at the Aoiya. Take care and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Megumi
He folded the letter again, ignoring Okina's curious look. "I have to finish inventory..."
A/N: Okay, there's the prologue. I just had to get it out of my head. Now I can work on What Matters Most. Hope you guys enjoyed the teaser!