King's Box

by Lil-Sun-Rie

[AU][COMPLETE and REPOSTED] Amber eyes glowed eerily in the dark shadows. The heart must be of stone, so as to carve the law of living: The strongest survive. Will a light be able to pierce the dark abyss they call insanity?

1. Chapter One: Mute

King's Box

Lil-Sun-Rie

Author's Note I hope you like this story and I await a new review.

Summary Amber eyes glowing eerily in the dark shadows. All he knew was that a soft heart is not a heart at all. It must be of stone, so as to carve the law of living: The strongest survive. Will a light be able to pierce the dark abyss the call insanity?

Disclaimer Sadly, I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.

King's Box
Chapter One: Mute

Kaoru pulled her gi tighter around her trying to keep out the cold. She heard footsteps outside her door, but she ignored them. She reached out for her water. Her throat was dry. The ceramic cup fell through her grasp and broke against the stone floor.

She climbed out of her bed and kneeled next to the broken pieces. She cupped them in her hand and slowly tried to piece them together. Kaoru closed her eyes and pictured the cup in her mind. She felt the pieces shift in her hands and when she opened her eyes the cup laid fixed in her fingers.

She silently placed the cup back on her table when the door busted open. Kaoru looked up at the candle light and saw her father.

"Kaoru," he whispered. Kaoru looked up at him. He held his sakabuto in one hand and a small bundle in the other. Kaoru smiled up at him, but when she saw his urgent eyes she opened her mouth to ask what was wrong.

"Kaoru don't speak," he hissed. "Come we must go." Kaoru followed him out the door. She turned to lock it, but her father grabbed her hand and dragged her away. He brought her to his room.

He cradled the bundle in his arms and unwrapped it to reveal a medium sized mahogany jewelry box. The lid was carved with intricate designs. There were angels flying towards one another with a flowing banner following them. In between them was a dove with eyes of emeralds.

Her father held the box out to her.

"I want you to run away. As fast and far away you can get." He gently placed the box in her hands. "I want you to deliver this to Saito-San."

Kaoru looked at the box in her hands. "Father, who is Saito-San?"

"A man."

"I promise to get this to Saito-San."

Kaoru hugged the box to her breast and looked wide eyed at her father. He was pushing a trunk out of the way, as if there was something behind it. He started to grope the wall. He sighed in satisfaction and pushed in a brick. The wall started to move slowly to reveal a tunnel. Just when the wall was all the way opened three men clambered in the room.

"Kamiya-Sama the soldiers are coming." Kaoru's father just nodded, shaking his head at the same time.

"Protect my daughter." Was his lasts words before he dashed out of the room and out of Kaoru's life.

The three men surrounded Kaoru and silently lead her down the stairs in the tunnel. Kaoru walked down slowly, being ten steps behind them.

Suddenly a laugh from behind stopped their trek. Kaoru felt a sharp push from behind and fell forward. Kaoru pulled the box closer to her chest as she fell down the steps and knocked into one of the soldiers.

She hit her head on his knee and gotten dizzy. The world started twirling and her grip on the box loosened. And she fell into unconsciousness.

Kaoru felt like she was floating. Like all worries were gone. Then the rock hard pain of reality hit her. She failed her father. She lost the box.

Kaoru laid groaning on a small cot.

Megumi Takuni sat upright when her patient started groaning on the bed. She sighed in relief when Kaoru's eyes opened.

"Megumi-Dono? Where am I?"

"Shh.. Tanuki be quiet." Kaoru ignored her protests.

"What happened to father?" Megumi went silent.

Kaoru turned to her. "Megumi-Dono?"

Megumi shook her head. She stared at the floor. She felt two hands grip her shoulders.

"Megumi-Dono, please tell me."

Megumi fiddled with her hair and whispered.

"Kamiya-Sama is dead. They killed him to get that box." Kaoru's grip on her shoulders tightened.

"It can't be true," she whispered shaking Megumi. Tears welled up in her eyes threatening to fall.

"It just can't!" Megumi silently nodded and gently pulled Kaoru's hands from her shoulders and walked out of the room leaving Kaoru alone. Kaoru stared at the door that Megumi left from. She felt a chill climb up and down her spine as she thought about her promise.

A cold sorrowful chill. Finally, the tears fell, rolling down her cheeks one by one and dropping to the floor in forms of diamonds.

Kaoru cupped her face in her hands and cried. The diamonds filled her hands and she let them fall to the ground. Kaoru fell asleep on her bed with tears in her eyes.

Megumi pressed her ear to the door and heard Kaoru cry. She looked up into the worried face of Sanosuke.

"Sano, she's crying."

"I should have helped him."

"Sano you couldn't do anything. Kamiya-Sama told you to protect her for a reason."

"And what might that be?"

"Sano, I have been Tanuki's nurse ever since she was born. She has a special 'gift.'"

Sano looked down at Megumi. "What are those 'gifts?'"

The next morning Kaoru woke up. The first thing she saw were her diamond tears shining on the floor. Kaoru slowly took out her lucky pouch.

It was a velvet coin purse her father had given to her on her tenth birthday three years ago. Kaoru slowly withdrew her personal stash of gold coins. She threw them on the ground and scooped up the diamonds.

"I swear to keep these tears with me forever." She whispered as she gently piled the diamonds in her pouch. That was when Kaoru's heart hardened and her voice left her throat. She never spoke to any one after those words left her lips.

"Tanuki, what do you want to eat?" Kaoru didn't answer. She just stared at the wall in front of her.

"Tanuki?" Still no answer. Megumi gently brushed the hair out of Kaoru's face. Her eyes were set on the wall in front of her.

"Kaoru," Megumi whispered. She only used Kaoru's real name when she was worried. "Kaoru, Shishio wants to meet you later. You might as well eat first."

Kaoru didn't answer. Megumi got up and faced Kaoru, "Stop this childish manner. You need to speak to me and tell me what's wrong."

Kaoru glared at her before looking away. Megumi sighed and left. She returned a few minutes later only to find Kaoru in the same position she left her in. She stared at the wall in front of her as if staring at it would bring her father back.

Megumi gently laid the soup in Kaoru's lap. Kaoru looked down at the soup. She decided she didn't want to die till she avenged her father. She ate a little, only enough to survive.

There was a knock at the door and Sano entered.

Kaoru stared at Sano. It was the man that her father wanted to protect her. Sano looked at Megumi then at Kaoru.

"Master Shishio wants to see Tanuki."

Megumi gently helped Kaoru up and led her into the main room. She looked up and saw a man covered in bandages. Kaoru glared at the man as he laid luxuriously on a large cot filled with pillows.

There was a woman with dark hair and pale skin on his side, messaging his back. Her kimono was well bellow her shoulders showing off the creamy skin of her neck. Kaoru glared at them with distaste.

"Shishio," the woman moaned in a seductive way. "The little girl is here."

"Ah.. Kaoru-Chan." He smiled. "I understand your father gave something to you."

He waited till a recognition of what he was talking about flashed in her face. Nothing.

"Something important." Still nothing.

"The King's box?" Still she glared, nothing changing in her expression.

Shishio stared at her. "You will speak when I'm speaking to you!"

The girl didn't make any move to speak.

"Speak you worthless scum!" Shishio grabbed the bowl of fruit from the woman's hands and flung it at Kaoru. It whizzed past Kaoru, barely missing her head. Kaoru didn't even flinch. She made no movement to protect from the flying bowl. Her eyes just narrowed and flashed red. Shishio stared into Kaoru's eyes.

'Those eyes,' Shishio thought quietly. 'They're not human eyes.' Shishio looked away knowing that those eyes would be haunting him.

The woman at his side sat up and pointed at the girl.

"Dear Buda! Lord Shishio, she's mute!"

"Yumi sit still!" Shishio snapped, "I know that!"

He turned his gaze once again to the girl. Only thirteen and so much hate in her already.

Megumi appeared behind Kaoru. She approached Kaoru.

"Leave her alone! I'm not done yet!" He grinned at her, "What about your father, girl? What happened to him?"

He watched her facial expression and still it didn't change. What kind of girl is this? Was she so heartless that she already forgot her father?

Shishio shifted her attention to Megumi, "Does she have any living relatives?"

"Hiko-San," Megumi stated firmly.

Kaoru's eyes widened, Shishio observed this.

Kaoru's eyes widened. She didn't know any Hiko-San. None at all. How could Megumi-Dono send her to someone she didn't know?

"Let her stay with Hiko-San. When she's ready to talk, I'll take her." Shishio fanned his hand as a sign that they were dismissed.

Megumi approached Kaoru and laid her hand on Kaoru's shoulders. She gently pushed Kaoru out of the room, down the hall, and into her own.

"Tanuki, I know you have lost someone. But, don't play with Shishio like that. You can get killed."

Kaoru appeared to be ignoring her, when in reality she was engraving every word in her mind.

"Tanuki, I just want you to be good for Hiko-San. He just lost his student, kind of his son."

Kaoru silently prayed for the student she never knew.

Megumi started to pack Kaoru's clothes. Then sat on her bed watching Kaoru. Kaoru laid down in her cot and pulled her blanket all the way up to her eyes. Then she fell asleep with her hand clutching her tears pouch.

Kaoru arrived at Hiko-San's place. It was a small pottery hut. Hiko was outside waiting for them. He was a very tall man with long black hair. He looked down at Kaoru and noted that she looked small and frail. She looked as if she were about to break.

Hiko made a silent vow to protect this young girl as he would his own daughter. Hiko led Kaoru to her room. Kaoru immediately sat in the chair next to the window and stared out it. Hiko left her knowing that she needed time to get used to her new life.

That evening Hiko brought Kaoru's dinner to her room only to find that she was still staring out the window. He laid the bowl on the table next to her and sat on another chair. He started to eat.

He watched as Kaoru picked up the spoon and started to eat. After about ten spoonfuls she placed the spoon on the bowl and went to her bed. She laid down in it and pulled the blanket all the way up to her eyes and slept.

That was the way it was for five days. Kaoru would sit in her chair staring out the window and eat when Hiko brought in the food. When she finished her dinner she would sleep.

It was morning. The sixth day since Kaoru's arrival. It was normal and quiet just like the other days. Hiko was preparing breakfast when he heard a creak and Kaoru appeared next to him. Hiko stared at her in surprise. She looked sad and skinny. Too skinny in fact.

"Today you're going to help with chores. Hai?"

Kaoru only nodded her head.

That day Hiko put Kaoru to work. She carried buckets of water, cleaned out the horse's stables, and swept up the floor of the house. Hiko seemed pleased with Kaoru's chores and smiled.

They went to the house together and resumed their nightly ritual. Eat in Kaoru's room and Hiko watch Kaoru sleep. A month passed and Kaoru has been taking on more chores every day. Soon her whole day was spent outside till way passed sunset. One morning Hiko waited for Kaoru by the stables. He had grown to love Kaoru as his daughter although he has never heard her talk. Kaoru soon grew to love Hiko as a father.

"I have a treat for you." He picked up a bokken from next to him and handed it to Kaoru.

"I'll teach you the Kamiya style. The one your father taught me." Hiko smiled down at Kaoru.

Kaoru only stared at the bokken in her hand.

"The Kamiya philosophy is 'The sword that protects.' This means that the Kamiya style is more of a defensive style than offensive." Hiko looked down at Kaoru and watched her. "But, in order to be a strong swordsman you need offensive techniques too. So I'll teach you the basics of the Hiten Mitsurugi."

Kaoru only listened nodding her head.

"Okay first things first. Stand up straight, feet apart, and bokken up." Hiko demonstrated the stance with his sakabuto.

Kaoru mimicked his stance.

"Head strike." He said while lifting his sword above his head and bringing it down while stepping forwards.

"Left side strike." He swung his sword to the left stepping in that direction.

"Right side strike." He swung right stepping in that direction.

Kaoru watched him with hawk's eyes and repeated the form with utmost perfection.

Hiko crouched low, "Feet swipe strike." He swung it in an arc motion.

Kaoru mimicked him.

"In the Kamiya style, it is proper to remember that all humans have the right to live so that the targets are the arms and legs. The Hiten Mitsurugi Style contradicts this belief. The targets are the head, eyes, chest, and crotch."

"Chest strike," He plunged his sword towards the center with speed and force enough to kill.

"If your chest strike is blocked move the swords to the side so your opponent's defense goes with your sword and elbow your opponent's face with your swords arm." He spoke while he demonstrated. He swung the blocked sword to the side and elbowed the air.

Kaoru copied his stance. She charged at Hiko with a chest strike. It was blocked so she swung both her bokken and Hiko's sword to the side and elbowed him in the face, stopping her elbow just a few centimeters away from actually hitting him.

Kaoru withdrew her arm and stood straight waiting for her next lesson.

"That was terrific. Not many people, including masters of swordsmanship would be able to stop as accurately as you just did." He smirked. "That shows your precision. Now fifty head strikes, then you can come in."

Kaoru didn't argue but started. Hiko watched as she did the first ten then turned to go back in the hut.

After a few minutes Kaoru was finished. Hiko was amazed by the speed in which she finished fifty head strikes. She didn't seem at all tired. In fact she seemed as if they didn't go out at all. She set up the table like she always did. She helped put the food on the table as she always did.

When they finished her meal she went to bed like she always did.