Yoshiwara
Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is not mine. It belongs to its respective owners: Watsuki-sensei, Sony, Shueisha, and other much cooler peeps than me. I am just a poor university student.
A/N: Hello everyone! I am perfectly aware that I have to update my other RK ficcie (which is btw, nearing its end), My Little Princess--thank you very much to all the readers and reviewers. Yoshiwara isn't supposed to be out as early as now, but, for some unexplainable reasons, I decided to turn the ignition key on. Yoshiwara tells a very different story of Kenshin as Battousai, a complete alternate universe inside the same universe if you may. I still do not have a complete decision as to who of the original characters will appear in here.
Yoshiwara is a complete retelling of Battousai's life with the fact that Tomoe Yukishiro never existed. I express my apologies to all Tomoe fans. I hope this doesn't stop you from reading this fic. I just don't want this story to be a "Battousai meets, kills ,and contemplates on the death of his wife and then Battousai meets, and lives happily ever after with another woman". No, I don't want to start and end with a predictable storyline. Also, I want to remind everyone that any OOCness present in a character is intended and nevertheless cannot be helped because of the story's nature.
Anyways, I think I have said a lot already, and I don't want to spend much of your precious time reading my notes. With hope that everyone will enjoy the story, I give you the first first installment of Yoshiwara. bows
Prelude
The ghostly cry of the evening wind swept carelessly through the tree tops in a swift but rugged manner--a reminder of emptiness and redemption.
But this was just like any other night in a war torn world...
The moon was hiding from among the thick clouds, not giving anyone a chance to marvel at its gentle beauty--something that any person would need in a time of loneliness and uncertainty.
But this was just like any other night in a war torn world...
Another gust of wind came, momentarily shaking a panel in a series of closed shouji doors. After a few moments, the outline of a woman's body unmistakably in a kimono, carrying a lamp appeared, and then she sat down noiselessly.
"What is it?" a voice whispered, but enough for the woman on the other side to hear.
"Your messenger has something for you." the woman on the other side returned.
Without any other word, the shouji door was opened revealing the woman, and a piece of folded paper in front of her. She picked it up and then handed it to the man standing in front of her with open palms.
"You may go." he said after receiving the paper.
The woman bowed down and stayed that way until the shouji door was closed with a quick rasp. Standing up, she picked up the lamp and then walked away silently as she had arrived.
An oil lamp was lit in the seemingly empty room, where, as the light grew, revealed about six men quietly sitting with their backs on the walls. Moving closer to the light source, the man opened the letter while the others waited in complete silence.
"It's from Katsura."
At that instant, all heads went up and turned towards the him.
"He wants to meet some of us in Edo." The man supplied as he folded the paper back into its original form.
"Edo! Is he out of his mind?" Someone exclaimed but was careful to confine his voice inside the room.
"These are the orders: Three people will be sent to Edo to meet up with Katsura and the other members. A rendezvous has been set." The man spoke, not minding the earlier outburst of his comrade--the latter merely went back to his original sitting position.
"Did the letter say anything about who are supposed to go?" Another one asked as he raised his back a little and then leaned back again.
The man with the letter nodded. "Tetsuya, Takasugi, and Himura. You are to leave in two hours."
"Where in Edo?" Everyone turned their eyes to the figure that lay sitting in the darkest corner of the room. The lamp's light flickered ever so swiftly in his glowing amber eyes.
"In Yoshiwara..."
The year is 1866. The Shogunal army of the Tokugawa Empire tasted a humiliating and discrediting defeat against the Satsuma and Choshu forces. Along with this was the obvious fact that Western influence of a capitalist society and concepts about democracy seemed to pick up speed since Commodore Perry arrived in 1853. Since then, Japan was forced to open its borders for trade with other foreign nations after being secluded for almost hundreds of years.
It was a time when the desire for control of the status-quo was being challenged by the demands of progress and unity. Thus, a civil war broke out.
It was in these chaotic times that a legend became known. Among his comrades, he was a prized asset. Among his enemies, he was ruthless killer. No one might have had the courage, nor time if it was in the battle field to stare at his face. Indeed, the legend would later live on that, the mere mentioning of his name would elicit the same fear and respect as meeting the person himself.
His name was...
Hitokiri Battousai.
"Anou, sumimasen Nee-san." A meek voice called out from behind the shouji. It was followed by the gentle sound of cloth making contact with the wooden floor.
"Hai." An equally soft voice returned from inside the room and the shouji door was opened from the outside.
"The tayu says you will be leaving in thirty minutes." She was a rather young girl, perhaps ten or eleven years old with short, brown hair. She was talking to a much older girl, kneeling in front of the mirror making some minor adjustments in her hair.
"Ah, sou ka. Arigatou, Tsubame-san." The older girl craned her head to look back at Tsubame with a smile and gave a single nod.
Tsubame, as she called her, returned a bow which reached the ground. Smiling, she closed the shouji door and walked away, trying to keep her footsteps as quiet as possible.
The older girl turned to look at the mirror again. Her black hair was arranged with lobe-like figures on the right and left side of her head while the third lobe was on-top of her head serving as a partition. Her hair had but one accessory--a simple crescent-shaped comb that was inserted neatly on top of the center lobe where the rest of her hair was fixed in a small bun.
She closed her eyes, breathing her own scent--jasmine rose. When she opened them again, she stared at her reflection. The gas lamp that hung above the low ceiling was all that accompanied her. She blinked--was there any way to hide those blue eyes of hers?
Those eyes that everyone adored and praised.
Yet those were the same eyes that reminded her of an unhappy past.
A past so distant yet so near.
A past so painful yet she held dear.
She closed her eyes, tightly this time and sighed, a bit shaky.
Are you ready? Kamiya Kaoru...
Kaoru pulled her cloak lower to cover almost half of her face though she was careful not to ruin her hair. She walked in a straight path making sure not to bump into anyone. Her ever vigilant eyes looked from side to side to check if anyone or anything was on to her.
She quickened her pace as she saw the setting sun over the horizon, remembering what her tayu told her before they parted ways.
"Listen, Kaoru, we will go out together, as always. When we reach our usual drop point, we will split and you'll meet up the remainder of Katsura's men in this place." The older woman pointed to a single line of characters amongst a seemingly long list of other rendezvous. She was dressed in an exquisite kimono, her hair beautifully arranged in lobes adorned with two black sticks that had a u-shape pattern at each end where a string of pearls hung.
"How many will I be meeting?" Kaoru asked looking at her superior.
"Three men."
Kaoru nodded in response.
"After that, you'll lead them back to the drop point. I will be there to give the next set of instructions." The older woman closed the notebook that she showed to Kaoru and returned it to her drawers, enveloping it in between her other kimonos.
"Hikaru-san..." Kaoru called her name as they sat kneeling on the tatami mats.
"Hai?" Hikaru turned around to face her.
Kaoru couldn't help but admire her mentor's beauty. Sure, she was somewhere in her forties, but she seemed to have mastered the old saying, "growing old gracefully". There were a few visible lines here and there, but every time she smiled, it's as if they suddenly disappeared, and that youthful glow came in again.
"I wish us a successful errand." Kaoru bowed low not waiting for any facial response from her superior.
Hikaru smiled taking the chance that Kaoru wasn't looking. "Sou desu you ne..."
A sigh went out of the young girl's mouth as she stopped musing. She was already at the meeting point--a rather shabby looking inn at the outer part of town. Kaoru went in through the door that was barely supported by rusting door hinges and some ropes. The place smelled of sake and of the usual cheap perfumes women use nowadays, mixed with damp wood. The place was poorly lighted, there were only two candles in the reception desk.
Just suddenly, an old man with long white hair and beard came from a corner.
Kaoru kept herself from gasping and bowed politely but didn't remove her cloak. "I was sent by Hasegawa-sensei."
"Ah, sou ka." The old man retorted in his hoarse voice while nodding.
"Douzo." He added as he shakily raised his wrinkled arm showing the way.
The walk upstairs felt like forever--the creaking sound of the almost rotten wooden staircase made Kaoru conscious of her every step while the old man seemed to not mind it at all. She took a deep breath as they reached the second floor and had a relieved glance at her back before continuing to follow the old man--she made it without a scratch.
The corridor was a bit narrow. The left side was lined with windows, the panes broken and were just covered with tattered cloth. If the cloth was meant to be a replacement for the glass or as a curtain, remained a question. Finally, the old man stopped in front of a door.
"Well, I will leave everything to you now, young miss." The old man put his arms at his back and bowed briskly. He was about to leave when he heard Kaoru speak.
"Doumo Arigatou Gozaimasu, Ojii-sama." She bowed, and it was then that the man made his way back down. Kaoru followed his movements until he disappeared from her sight. It was then that she noticed that he took her to the last door, five doors away from the first one near the corner going down the stairs.
Fixing her cloak one more time, she spoke the same words, "I was sent by Hasegawa-sensei."
"Come in." A voice from inside answered her.
Without any more prompting, she eased her hand on the knob and turned it open. Like the stairs, the door creaked so wickedly that it made the hairs on her nape stand.
Inside, she was met by darkness that she had to queer her eyes and remove her cloak partly to make sense of who were inside. She heard the familiar sound of a match being lit, and slowly, a light illuminated the small room.
As Hikaru told her, there were three of them. The one who lit the candle was half seating, half leaning on top of the table. The other one was sitting Indian style on the floor near the bed. And the third--the third was the one that caught much of her attention. He was leaning on one corner, arms crossed in an uninviting manner, his long hair tied up tightly. Before Kaoru could scrutinize the last person more, someone spoke.
"Oi, would you mind telling us what to do next?" He was the one who lit the candle.
"M-my orders are to bring the three of you to Yoshiwara." Kaoru snapped. She cursed herself for being lost in her thoughts.
"Alright then, let's go." The guy secured his katana and wakizashi in his belt and gestured the other two to follow. Faint footsteps echoed in the room, and it was then that Kaoru remembered something.
"One more thing before we leave gentlemen..." Kaoru removed the knot that secured her robe around the neck area--the three men exchanged glances for a moment and then their eyes were met by a lavishly clothed woman. In those scant seconds, a mix of confusion and awe emanating from the men's crumpled foreheads went directly at her.
How old was she? Twenty, perhaps? No, her physique and stature suggested she was much younger than that--how young was a little difficult to guess. Her make-up and clothing made all the difference. To the untrained eye, she looked very mature. Aside from that, there was something very different about her...something quite bizarre.
"But miss, we don't have time for this." The guy who was at the bed a while ago joked.
Kaoru never smiled, but amusement settled in her eyes.
"It's not that way, sir. I have been told to give this cloak to a comrade of yours. I do not have his name, but I do believe it should be him."
Kaoru's eyes traveled to one side and was met by the figure of a rather young swordsman. He was obviously shorter than the other two, and had a few distinctive features--red blood hair and an x-shaped scar--that she was earlier told of to look out for.
Kaoru moved forward, somewhat cautious as the cloak neatly hung in her right arm. She stopped a few inches from him and then gave a short bow--they were so close, but for some reason, his face remained hidden not only by his long bangs but some sort of an invisible barrier. Kaoru pursed her lips as she took a few steps to get at his back, his proud chin sent a sudden rush of chill through her spine.
"Ikouzu, Testsuya." The guy who lit the candle lifted his index finger gesturing for the other man to follow.
Kaoru never heard their footsteps, but before she knew it, she was left alone with a stranger in that room. The sound of the fabric being spread in the air drowned out the candle's flickering.
"Here." Kaoru offered the right sleeve of the brown colored robe and the man followed without flinching--inserting his arms in an almost cold attitude. Kaoru raised the other sleeve, and the same thing happened. She went in front of him for the second time and was about to reach for the strings when...
"Stop."
That one word was enough for Kaoru's hands to be left suspended in the air. Her eyes slowly traveled up to be met by his right eye looking down at her with an unexplainable authority and intensity. She pulled her hands back and lowered her head before stepping back with a silent gulp.
She turned her heel, and then quietly left the room leaving him to do his own bidding.
That scar...the red blood hair...and those eyes...I, I have heard about him sometime ago... Kaoru's mind raced with thoughts.
Reaching the corner that led to the stairs, her hand came up to her chest with a realization. Her eyes suddenly turned wide.
Masaka...! A gust of wind opened one of the already dilapidated windows letting in some of the moon's rays.
Kaoru stopped and slowly looked back at him, now with the cloak. He came closer and closer.
Her heart beat once.
Twice.
Thrice.
And then it went on.
What was it?
Shock?
What was it that she just felt?
Disbelief?
What was making her heart beat so fast just now?
Fear?
Fear of what?
Kaoru woke up from her stupor and found that she was already outside the inn with the three swordsmen. Seeing the old man was at the door, she gave a quick bow and then gestured for the others to follow her.
She pulled out a locket type clock from her kimono as they started to walk.
Six forty-five... She idly told herself. At this rate, we can reach the safe house in less than thirty minutes.
In this world where there are rules that define what is right and wrong, what does it take to be happy and free? If, by any chance, breaking the rules is the only way to know you're living, would you go against the same rules that dictate your fate?
Welcome to Yoshiwara--a refuge outside the turmoil of war and loneliness. A world where the glittering lights hide every person's sorrow and regret. A world that encases happiness and freedom inside its walls. This is Yoshiwara and the lights of the floating world.
To be continued...
A/N: It was quite a short prelude, and kind of slow too. All the formality and stuff made it a little boring to read, don't you think? sweatdrops Anyways, please do standby for the first (official) chapter which will be out anytime soon! Matane!
Translations (please cite any corrections if any)
Yoshiwara: The Tokugawa shogunate passed rules to confine prostitution in single sections of citites--Yoshiwara used to be the red light district in wartime Edo (there were other two: Kyoto's was called Shimabara; Osaka's was called Shinmachi). I don't want readers to think that this is a story about prostitution in the realms of RK, but a tribute to all the women who became keystones in the upheaval of the Meiji Restoration.
Shouji - Japanese sliding door(s) with rice paper serving as panes.
Satsuma and Choshu - Satsuma is an area at the southern edge of Japan, and Choshu is an area with many competent leaders, united to attack the shogun's army in Kyoto.
"Anou(1), sumimasen(2) Nee-san(3)." - (1) a form of an "err-ing" expression (um, uh) (2) pardon me; sorry; forgive the interruption (3) older sister.
Tayu - Highest rank of a courtesan.
"Ah, sou ka(4). Arigatou(5)" - (4) Ah, I see; (5) thank you; thanks.
"Sou desu you ne." - That is correct; You are right; That is agreeable.
"Douzo" - said to induce an act or action.
Ojii-sama - a polite way of calling an old male.
"Masaka"- No way!; It can't be; This is not right!
