Forbidden Fruit
The heat of the sun blared down upon the dirt road, causing the very air to shimmer. Perhaps because of the too-bright sunshine, the road was deserted as it wound inevitable through the uniform plains towards the welcoming shade of the forest. On this empty road, one woman dared the summer heat as she made her way down the road, a wide-brimmed hat tilted over her face to shield it from the sun's rays.
She stared at the grassy scenery that surrounded her. The tall grass was completely still, and a bland, dry yellow. The fields extended as far as her eyes could see in either direction, right and left. Before her, the distant wood loomed. Searching for some point of interest, bored by the brown dirt of the ground beneath her feet, her eyes were drawn to a dark, tall shape to her right. It was an enormous apple tree, branches spreading out to form a circle of shade. She had been walking for hours; the tall tree was to her what an oasis was to a desert bedouin. Something else unusual distracted her. The grass moved, ever so slightly, near the tree. Someone had probably already taken shelter underneath the tree, needing to rest after traveling beneath the midday sky.
The dark-haired woman hesitated; the reason she had ventured out on this day was because she didn't want to be seen. She doubted that she could avoid the other traveler if she sought the tree; but to keep going in this heat was to invite exhaustion. Decision made, she threaded her way through the grass, taller than she, towards the apple tree. The apples were ripe and golden, but too high up to retrieve without climbing the tree. It was strange, for them to ripen at this time of the year. But she dismissed the thought as she reached a clearing around the tree.
The ground around the tree, extending out in a circle for about ten feet, was different. The grass was short, and green, dotted with wild flowers. Moss skirted the raised roots, and mushrooms poked up occasionally. Leaning against the bark was a man, eyes closed in sleep. His hair was long, and blood-colored. Long hair was common, but red hair was unheard of, so she stared at him rudely before shaking her head at herself and throwing herself down on the ground a few feet away.
Immediately, the stranger's eyes opened. They were eerily bright amber. She smiled nervously at him, hoping that he wasn't one of Gohei's men.
"Hello. Hot day, isn't it?" She asked, and wondered why she couldn't have said anything witty, or even original.
"Yes." He agreed in a low voice. He made no attempt to return the greeting. Miffed, she glared at him from behind her bangs and hat.
"Do you know what this road is called?" She inquired. She pulled off her head, tossing it lightly to the ground. Beneath the hat were blue eyes, and a sheepish expression.
"Woodland Road, from Kyoto through the Woodland to Haven on the other side. Shouldn't you know where it is you're going?"
"I'm just traveling right now. A homeless person doesn't care where they are, so long as it takes them somewhere new." She lied. He might be one of Gohei's, and it wouldn't do to get caught so soon.
"You've never used this lie before, have you? Or maybe you're not a very good liar."
Offended despite herself, she snapped, "And what, pray tell, makes you think that I'm a liar?"
"A number of things." He replied, unperturbed by her flaring temper. "You're not carrying any luggage."
"It was stolen, why do you think I'm traveling down an empty road?"
"Empty roads mean bandits of wars. Which, if you're really a wanderer, you should know."
"I'm new."
"Will you remember all these details the next time someone sees right through you?"
"Next time I meet a suspicious, paranoid, mocking swordsman," She motioned to the blades he was wearing. "I'll tell them I am a newly wandering, homeless, ignorant person who was robbed."
"With practice you might be able to manage it. Try and look whoever you're trying to fool in the eye."
She scoffed at the idea of her ever being a good liar, and then sighed. If he was one of Gohei's men, he would haven noticed the bandage covering the brand Gohei had left her with after their last encounter. He would have known to look for a woman covering it. Relaxed now, she continued the argument.
"I am not a liar. I just left out all the details."
"And what details might those be?"
"My mother died when I was six. My father died last year. And I'm technically not homeless, but my home isn't what you'd call safe. One of my father's former students got greed for land, or maybe he took offense at a woman wielding a word. Who knows? Because of him, I lost each and every last one of my students. When I refused to sell, he kidnapped me, told everyone we were engaged, and," Her voice had begun to shake with rage and sorrow. "he tried to force me to wed him. The law says that if a woman marries a man, all that she owns becomes her husband's. I escaped in time, but he follows me still, telling everyone he meets that I am an unfaithful woman."
He reached up and brushed away tears she wasn't aware of shedding.
"But I suppose that I'm lying about this too?" She added angrily. She hated to look weak in front of anyone.
"Didn't you hear me?" He asked quietly. "You couldn't lie about this to save your life."
"I'm not a liar." She insisted half-heartedly. Sniffling slightly she muttered, "Who are you, anyways?"
"My name is Kenshin." He told her. She was surprised to get any kind of answer from him, but then, he was probably an accomplished liar.
"Kaoru Kamiya." She offered. It would be rude not to give him her name, even if he might have made it up entirely. She was about to ask another question when the sound of talking reached her ears. Gohei's voice boomed out, making a disparaging comment about the tree, and her veins were flooded with panic. Kenshin reacted immediately, grabbing her hand. She started to rise but he pulled her back down, shaking his head and motioning for her to be quiet. She flattened herself against the trunk, eyes wide.
Gohei and a few of his men crowded around in the clearing, throwing their enormous blades onto the ground and gulping from huge jugs of sake. Kaoru drew a little closer to Kenshin, not realizing what she was doing until she ran into his shoulder. Blushing, she edged away, ignoring his sudden smirk at her behavior.
Despite her earlier panic, none of the men had noticed her or Kenshin. Either they were very, very drunk, in which case they would be less lucid, or some magic was afoot. They were discussing her, laughing as Gohei described in great detail what he was going to do with her once she was caught. Kaoru was extremely thankful she seemed to have become invisible.
One of the most nerve-wracking hours of her life passed by before Gohei finally led his men off to set up camp along the road. Her heart quickened; how was she going to escape if they blocked the road? When they were gone, she was relieved and pulled away from Kenshin, sliding her thin wrist from his hand. She glanced at him gratefully.
"Thank you so much, for whatever that was."
"Don't thank me just yet. I expect due repayment."
"Repayment." She repeated incredulously. "What kind of repayment, exactly?"
"Do you see that apple up there?" he asked, pointing at the branches above them. "I want you to get it for me."
Sure enough, there was one red apple among the mass of yellow. It was a deep, tantalizing red that seemed to invite passions and poison. It was out of place, like a stain on a new piece of clothing, and not just with the tree but with entire scene, colored in pale shades of yellow and green and blue.
"That red apple? Is it real?" She asked. He laughed, and she found herself leaning in to listen to him. Giving herself a mental slap- she hardly knew this man- she straightened her spine and continued. "A red apple in a tree where the others are all yellow? It ridiculous."
"Can you do it?" She looked carefully at the tree again. It was about ten feet from the ground to the branch where the apple hung mockingly, and there were no branches in between. It was too high to jump, but Kaoru was sure there was a way. Picking up her scarf from where she had tied it to her hat, she wrapped it once around the tree and looped the ends around her wrists. Testing it a little, and satisfied by its strength, she used the scarf and her feet to climb. Kenshin watched with interest as she seized her prize and then used the scarf to swing down to the grass. She landed with a muffled thump on her face, rolling over to glare at him.
"You owe me a scarf." Sitting up, propping herself up with an elbow, she offered him the apple. "Here."
"No." He pushed her arm back towards her. "Keep it."
"Why on earth did you make me get it if you didn't want it?" She asked, more curious then furious.
"Will you do something for me?" He said instead.
"Yes."
"Take that apple and hide it somewhere safe, where no one else will ever find it."
"Why?" Kaoru asked. "You still haven't explained to me what makes this apple so important."
"It doesn't matter. It is a magic apple- do not eat it." He replied. Looking upwards, he added, "It's nightfall already, Kaoru. You really should settle down for the night."
The sun burned orange on the horizon, had it really been that long? She had hardly noticed.
"Where will I sleep tonight? Gohei's blocked the roads."
"Come." He helped her to her feet and led her, through the field, away from the road. She couldn't see over the tall grass, and it felt like they walked for a long time before they stopped. They navigated some unknown route, and Kaoru stared at the pinpricks of rising stars and the enormous globe of the white moon. Enthralled she nearly walked into Kenshin. Glad that the night hid her embarrassment, she looked out at their destination. The grassy fields ended, leaving them at a sheer drop. Spanning the gorge was a narrow wooden bridge. She stepped forwards, walked slowly across. Halfway down the bridge, she looked behind her and saw that Kenshin was standing at the foot of the bridge, watching her cross. Waving lightly at him, she continued on.
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It was anther dark night, this time a new moon. Storm clouds blocked the starlight, while heavy rain emptied the streets of the townspeople. Kaoru was alone, her arms wrapped around the weighty jug of sake that she had been sent to fetch. Cursing Gohei's name with what was left of her voice, she hurried down the dirtied streets to Gohei's house. The collar and shackles on her wrists and neck clinked ominously, ringing harshly in her ears. It was not enough to force her to live with him, nor to lock her in the cellar and beat her, nor to starve her whenever he became dissatisfied with her appearance. No now she wore the adulterer's costume, even though technically they weren't married.
Turning another corner, she nearly screamed when something grabbed her by the shoulders and slammed her into the alley wall. The rough stone scraped her back, catching on loose threads and snarling her messy hair. Frightened blue eyes locked fiercely with those of her opponent.
The eyes looking back at her were amber and bright, eyes that had crept though her dreams many times in the past year.
"Kenshin?" She asked, wondering if he even recognized her in her current state. He loosened his grip on her but kept her pinned against the wall. Blinking against the rain in her face, she tried to stare angrily at him and failed.
"Kaoru." She jumped at the sound of his voice. "What happened to your voice?"
"Gohei happened to my voice." She replied weakly. "Please let go of me."
He scowled, not liking what she had said, and started to release her, then stopped. "Where is the apple?"
"Buried under my father's grave." She said softly. She pushed, ineffectually at him chest, but he didn't even budge.
He let her go then. She tried to slip around him and escape, but he caught her wrist reflexively.
"Where are you going?"
"Back to Gohei's house." She rasped. "If I come back any later he'll kill me and forge my signature on a wedding contract or something." She pried his fingers off her arm and started to run way. He grabbed her again, this time around the waist. Now she was glaring at him, wondering whether he wanted her to get killed.
Something pricked at her memory. She shoved it off. Kaoru inwardly yelled at herself, reminding her malfunctioning mind that with the combined threats of Gohei's wrath and all the recent sightings of the Battousai, it wasn't exactly smart to wander the streets at this hour-
Battousai. Everything she'd ever heard about him, including the dark tales Gohei often told when he was drunk, returned to her. How he had drunk blood of his enemies until his hair turned red and his eyes turned amber; how he had killed a man to steal his wife; how he had killed a sorceress who had turned his heart into an apple...
Kenshin was Battousai? This fact took her a moment to fully understand. The apple was his heart, not an apple and that was why he'd wanted her to hide it and why he wouldn't let her eat it.
But why not just take the heart from her when she offered it to him? Why let her escape with it? Why help her?
Her revelation must have been clear in her eyes, because Kenshin let go of her waist and stepped back slowly.
"You're Battousai." She whispered. He nodded. "That apple is your heart, isn't it?" Another confirming nod. "Oh, God..."
"Don't be afraid." Kenshin- no, Battousai said to her. "I swear I won't hurt you."
"How can I possibly trust you?" She asked. "And you called me a liar..."
"I haven't lied to you."
"No, you've just left out a hell of a lot of details."
"Kaoru-" but she had already turned tail and run off, not wanting to remain in his presence when her mind was so confused.
Standing amidst the broken shards of the sake jug she'd dropped, Kenshin stared at the place she had just been standing, as though hoping she might come running back.
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"You little bitch!" Gohei yelled, yanking her up by the hair. "Where is it?"
"Where is what?" She spat. She prayed he wasn't talking about the apple, although he would have found out about that she didn't know. There were legends of what would happen to anyone who ate the heart of Battousai. The details differed, but the outcome was always terrible power. Gohei would surely enjoy that.
Spittle leaked down into his bushy beard as Gohei screamed again. "Tell me where it is!"
"Go to hell." Kaoru replied. "I'll tell you nothing."
"Oh you will, will you?" Gohei asked nastily, shaking her again. The pain was terrible, but she knew it was only a taste of what would come. "Then I guess I'll have to get rid of you, you useless woman!" He hissed the last word as though it were some terrible curse. Kaoru supposed that in light of her current predicament, it was.
He dragged her out to the back garden, leading her to the dirty well, full of rain water. Fear crept up through her as she realized what he was going to do.
With an evil smile that made her hair stand on end, and a wicked laugh, he dumped her head first into the narrow well. Unable to turn around, she sank, inhaling water slowly. Her vision blacked, the inky death of drowning coursing through her lungs-
-and someone pulled her out. At first she thought it was Gohei, taunting her until she broke, but no torture followed, no demand for information. Instead she was set carefully on the ground as she coughed up water desperately.
When she finally turned to look at her savior, she was shocked to see Battousai watching her intently.
"Why are you here?" She asked, although she knew the answer. He wanted his heart.
Once again he surprised her. "I came to keep you from drowning."
"Why?" She asked. "If I die, your heart is safe, isn't it?"
"Why would I stand back and watch you die?" He asked her. Helping her stand, he pulled her toward the gate leading to the streets. "Come. There's no reason for you to stay here and let him know you're alive."
They walked in silence, Kaoru following Kenshin's lead. It wasn't until they had walked for a good fifteen minutes that she realized where they were going.
"We're going to the cemetery." She said aloud. "Why do you need me?"
"I cannot touch my own heart." He replied. "But we aren't going there. I'm taking you out of Kyoto."
Kaoru swore silently to herself that he was the strangest person she had ever met. He was an assassin, and his heart was lying underneath a gravestone somewhere in Kyoto Graveyard, and here he was helping her. His motivations made no sense to her.
Still, she wasn't going to stop her if he wanted to remove her from the unsafe environment of Kyoto, so she followed him without further comment. It wasn't until they'd reached the gates for the city that she spoke. The gates were locked, barred by heavy iron bars. She nudged him.
"And how do we pass through the locked gates?"
"We don't- not yet." He replied, leading her off to the side somewhere. "Stay here."
Nothing happened for a few minutes, and then people began to scream. She poked her head around the corner and saw people running around in utter panic. From what she could make out, the Battousai had just been sighted. In the ensuing chaos, no one noticed the gates opening. Kenshin came over to her, ducked a flying shovel, and pulled her easily through the mob. Within minutes, they were outside Kyoto.
"That was effective." She commented. "Mean, but effective."
"I can't help it if I scare them, now can I?" He asked smugly.
The silence between them as they walked in the early morning light seemed companionable, not awkward. The road was crowded at first, but somehow no one ever noticed them. Kenshin took her onto a dirt path, narrow and lined by trees that was well-beaten and partially disguised by the fallen branches that dotted every few feet. It seemed that every time she met him, they ended traveling down a deserted back road, Kaoru mused to herself.
Hey had been threading their way through the woods all day when Kenshin stopped her. They had reached a place where the road widened enough for them to sleep, and after piling up moss and a few branch's worth of leaves, Kaoru lay down and slept like a log. Beside her, Kenshin felt her forehead and found it burning. She had a fever, perhaps from walking through the woods all day with wet hair. He didn't sleep a wink that night, watching her toss and turn in nightmares.
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Kaoru woke slowly, relishing the warmth around her. Wherever she was, it was warm and safe and comfortable. A strange feeling to be invoked by a pile of leaves and moss, but maybe she had slept in and the sun had heated the makeshift bed. Memory returned in pieces, a kaleidoscope of deep red and dull grey, inky black and flashing amber. When she was secure in her grasp on her mind, she realized that the soft bed beneath her and what felt like blankets on top o her were totally unfamiliar. The other feeling that she became aware of was tiredness not unlike that of recovering from illness. With all that Gohei had put her through, she would hardly be surprised if she was sick...
Her eyes opened lazily, taking in a cream-colored ceiling with orange and yellow stripes of color across it. There was a brightly glowing crystal embedded there, casting a homey glow across the room. She had never seen anything like it; where was she?
"You're awake. How do you feel?" That was Kenshin. She turned her gaze from the ceiling above to the man sitting at her side. It was very difficult to think of him as Battousai in her mind, not after all he had done for her.
"I'm fine." She muttered. "Was I sick? I'm so tired..."
"You had a high fever. I was worried that you might not make it."
"How long have I been asleep?" She asked, looking around her more carefully. Propped up on a pile of pillows that were exactly the way she liked them, she examined the orange walls and the rugs that covered what looked like a polished stone floor. It was a larger room than she was used to, designed for someone with both good taste and money.
"About four days."
Kaoru nodded. "Where are we?"
"Demon Haven."
"Where?"
"A place where people like me live."
"People like you? And how did we get here?"
"I brought you here three days ago. You were sick, so I didn't bother waking you up."
"And no one thought to ask who the heck I was, or why I was even here?" Kaoru asked, giving Kenshin her full attention for the first time. "If they're like you, shouldn't they be suspicious and paranoid?" He pressed a cup of tea into her hands, forcing her to drink. She did; it was hot and strong, soothing to her slightly raw throat.
"They are. I told them we were engaged."
"You what?" Kaoru dropped her teacup and Kenshin caught it neatly. She paid no heed to the drops of tea staining the blankets and rugs, trickling across the floor. "As in bride?"
"Yes."
"As in wife?"
"Yes..."
"As in marriage?"
"Exactly."
"You complete idiot! Don't I get a say in this? You can't just marry me without my permission!" She asked, hitting him over the head.
"I'm sure I can convince you." Unperturbed by her violence, Kenshin's voice was calm and confident.
She stared flatly at him. "How?" She asked skeptically.
"Gohei has petitioned the Lord of Kyoto. If you return, you'll be forced to marry him on pain of death. Unless, of course you return as a married woman, in which Gohei's petition falls flat."
"You jerk. Now you're threatening me?" It became much easier for her to imagine him as Battousai in her mind all of a sudden.
"No, being a jerk would be turning you in and collecting the reward."
"I don't want to get married." She muttered. "I can just not go to Kyoto."
"And live away from everyone you know? Let Gohei declare you dead and claim your land?"
"Stop making so much sense." She ordered. 'Why are you so set on marrying me, anyway?"
"I'll tell if you marry me." he offered. She eyed him for a moment, wondering if he was teasing her, and saw that he showed no sign of amusement. Slumping against the bed, she groaned.
"Fine, I'll marry you on one condition."
"Condition?" He asked.
"You have to promise to take very, very good care of me."
"Consider it done." He replied. "So you'll marry me?"
"Yes, yes, I'll marry you. Now go find me breakfast."
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It was a bright, sunny day in Kyoto. The festival of the summer solstice was in full swing. The market was crowded with all manner of foreign goods, the town square was being used as a dance floor, and the sounds of laughter floated throughout the streets. Bright banners hung from the rooftops, and flowers were tucked into every woman and girl's hair.
"Come on, Kenshin!" Kaoru tugged at her husband's arm. She jerked her head toward the marketplace, her arms being occupied with a giggling baby. "Let's go see the market!" Kenji squealed with joy at the sound of his mother's voice, waving an arm in the air. The parents looked on fondly for a moment before heading into the crowded marketplace.
Shifting Kenji to one arm, Kaoru felt fine silks and tried on shiny hair pieces. They stopped to admire a street juggler's performance and paused to buy some sweets. Coming out of the market for some air, they ran into a familiar face.
"Misao! I thought you were in Tokyo?" Kaoru greeted her hyper friend. Her companion, a tall, stoic man with long black bans, nodded a fraction of an inch at Kenshin before resuming his emotionless state. Aoshi laid a hand on Misao's shoulder to remind her that they still had to go through the market. Grinning from ear to ear, the two ninjas left. Kaoru and Kenshin continued on but didn't get far, hearing a voice they knew.
"Sano?" Kenshin called. "Did you get into a bar fight again?"
The rooster-headed man scowled. "All the bars are closed today! On a holiday, too!" His wife, a stunning doctor with long, straight hair, dragged him off to find lunch by the ear. Waving goodbye at Megumi and Sanosuke, they finally made it out of the market street and onto the main thoroughfare. Stopping for lunch, Kaoru left to buy flowers for her hair, promising to return in a few moments. Kenshin waited for her with Kenji, who was pulling on his father's hair happily.
As she exited the stall, a white silk jasmine tucked above her ear, a hand roughly grabbed her shoulder. Whirling, she found herself facing Gohei Hiruma.
"So, you finally decided to come back and wed me, eh? Priest!" the bearded man called to an older man behind her. "Come and marry us, quickly."
The priest came, beginning to say the rites. Kaoru interrupted him midway through.
"I can't marry him!"
"And why not?" Gohei asked.
"Because I'm already married!" Kaoru replied angrily. "And unless you wish to deprive my son of his rightful mother, I suggest you let me go."
She pulled free of the stupefied Gohei's grasp and thanked the priest before making her way back to the place where she had left her family. Kenshin was trying to pry Kenji's hands off his hair with little success.
"Revenge is sweet." Kaoru told him, laughing at his plight. "I warned you not to wed me!"
"If you didn't want to marry me, why did you?"
"I was so addled with fever, it was a wonder I could think straight at all. It was either agree to marry you or be driven crazy."
"You were well enough to set a condition, weren't you? Speaking of which, it's been a year since we were married. Have I kept my promise?"
She kissed him lightly on the cheek, taking Kenji from his arms and coaxing the child's small fingers off his hair. "You have."
They crossed the dance floor with ease and made their way to the dojo where Kaoru had once lived. Standing outside the wooden gate, Kaoru grinned.
"Isn't it wonderful to be in Kyoto again?" She asked, giddy with joy. Here she was, at the house where she had been raised by her father and Tokyo-born mother, the house that was rightfully hers. It still stood proudly among the trees. The grass was a bit long and the gate was a little rotted, but the sign board was still there. It was home.
"So it is." Kenshin agreed. "It's been a long time."
"Almost a whole year! Not since we came and got your heart. Come on then! Let's go inside!"
She opened the gate and ran into the house, Kenji in her arms, Kenshin following.
And they all lived happily ever after.
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Yes, I should be writing Chapter Two of Mentoring, or Catholicon. But I'm not. So sue me. After, of course, you review.
This has been chickentyrant5.