The Intricacies of Fate
Disclaimers: Standard Disclaimers apply. I'm a good kid, please don't sue.
Author's Notes: Hau! This is not really a chapter of "Binding Hearts". This is an independent fic so it's really not necessary that you read the former. But if you did read "Binding Hearts" you'll surely understand this RK- Flame of Recca crossover better. So, happy readings! For comments, flames and suggestions, email me at
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Chapter 1- First Impressions
Present Time
Dear diary,
Mou! Misao is asleep right now, so I have no one to talk with in this flight. Do you know that we're going back to Japan? I should be excited but I'm not, I dread going back there. The only reason Misao-chan and I used to visit Japan was because of Otusan and my Kamiya Kasshin training when I was younger. Misao tolerated being in Japan every summer just to pursue kenpo. Sigh. Now that father is dead and his will having stipulated we stay in Japan to protect our stocks and business, we had to give in to okaasan's wish that we settle here. She's in New York right now, lucky her! I just wish we could have stayed in New York or Paris at least, but Tokyo! She told us we'll be staying with my otusan's mother, our obasan Jiya. I don't know why, but I feel such uncertainty in this trip. Like pain is waiting for us in our new lives.
Celeste Kaoru Kirisawa
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In the rooftop at a Tokyo high School
Fuko Kirisawa looked at the view for a moment before turning to look back at her friends. A huge sweatdrop appeared on her face when she realized that Domon was making those puppy-dog eyes at her. She threw one of her daggers at him and turned to Recca.
"Hey, Hanabishi, I'm so glad you'd accompany me pick my cousins up at the airport," remarked Fuko eyeing Recca who was being lovey-dovey with Yanagi-chan.
Recca flashed his trademark cocky grin and answered, "Yeah well, no problem, we'll be picking them up at 7:30 ne?"
Fuko flashed her bright smile and nodded, "Hai, they'll be enrolling in our school too, isn't that great?" enthused Fuko.
Yanagi looked up and asked Fuko, her eyes wide, "Demo, they're rich! They set up chain of Aioya Hotels all over the world! Why would they want to study here when they could study in a private school?"
Fuko shrugged, "Well, Kaoru-chan and Misao-chan are not stuck-up! They told me they didn't want to study in a school with bratty kids! They're really cool I'm telling you!" answered Fuko.
Koganei just stuck his tongue out at Fuko, "Well, if your cousins are just like you, count me out of welcoming committee. Sayonara folks" he said before running off barely avoiding another one of Fuko's daggers.
"Why that little brat!" exclaimed Fuko before calming down and looking out pensively again. "Where is Tokiya?" she asked, praying her voice was casual.
Yanagi answered, looking up briefly from one of Recca's stories. "He has an apprentice, being a master of Dark Water, so he said he couldn't make it today."
Fuko sighed before resting her elbows on the rails. The wind toyed playfully with her purple hair and her dark blue eyes showed wistful memories. She shook herself and flashed the others a big smile, "Let's go wait for Misao and Kaoru in the airport now ne?"
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At the Tokyo International Airport
Two petite raven-haired girls stood side by side, their luggage at their feet, both of them wearing scowls of impatience. It was 8:15 and Fuko hasn't arrived yet! The hustle and bustle of the airport was giving Kaoru a headache and suddenly.
"Kaoru-neechan! My Benetton bag isn't here!" exclaimed Misao looking distressed enough to start killing somebody.
Kaoru sighed. That particular bag of Misao contained all her kunais, a Japanese weapon she favored whenever she trains in Kenpo. Suddenly, she realized that her shinai was also gone!
"Shit!" exclaimed Kaoru in heartfelt English. Misao was already throwing tantrums at the disappearance of her beloved kunais. "Kaoru-neechan, let's go to the lost and found," suggested Misao already picking up her suitcases and walking.
What else can Kaoru do but follow her headstrong sister? "Hai" she muttered flipping her ponytail over her shoulder as she picked up her own baggage.
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"Hey, doko wa Kaoru-chan and Misao-chan?" asked Fuko in exasperation. They came a little late. That big dope Domon actually forgot his license! They got detained and had to wait for his mother to come and bring his license.
"Eto, Fuko-chan, maybe they just got a cab and left," suggested Yanagi.
Recca yawned and nodded as he said, "Aa, if your cousins are like you they would have had little patience to wait for us and go right on ahead."
Fuko shook her head, biting her lip worriedly, "Iie, our obasan Jiya told me that I should pick Kaoru and Misao up... Their father was killed in a bombing you know."
Domon looked surprised. "Nani? But there was no news about that in Japan!"
Indecisively, Fuko contemplated, if she divulges the family secret, who knows what would happen! But at the same time, concern for her cousins' safety made her decide to confide in Recca and the others how important it is that Kaoru and Misao always have company. " Remember that the intelligence base of the military got bombed two weeks ago? Well, their father, my uncle was the commanding officer of that base. It was made to look like an accident but it isn't, it was a terrorist attack!" divulged Fuko.
A sudden noise drew their attention. As one, they started running and found themselves in the baggage section.
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Misao was standing on her toes, trying to look through the crowd of irate people who also misplaced their baggage. "Ano, excuse me!" she yelled. A couple of people turned only to give her a nasty look before going back to arguing with attendants. Misao sighed. 'This was not how she planned when returning to Japan!' Even as she stepped down from the plane, a strong, overwhelming sense of nostalgia swept through her, a feeling she has learned to accept whenever she goes to Japan.
The atmosphere in Japan felt totally right and yet somehow, threatening. There is a feeling of past pain, a feeling which according to her older sister Kaoru is similar to her own.
This was crazy! Her benetton bag of all bags! Why don't they just take her wallet! Her missing bag was quite colorful but faded, her name tagged securely because of her paranoia of being defenseless. She had only three kunais hidden in her pockets. This was trouble.
Kaoru put a hand on her shoulder but then she whipped her head so fast, her long ponytail hit Misao's face.
"Itai!" yelped Misao as she glared at Kaoru.
"Hey, Misao, is that your benetton bag?" asked Kaoru who was pointing at a colorful backpack slung over a tall darkly dressed man's shoulder. Misao turned to look and her entire face lit up.
She began running, trying to catch up with the man. He appeared to be in a hurry too. Misao began jumping, losing sight of the man at every shift of a broad shoulder. Finally, she sighed. She's tired of running. She stepped on one of the chairs and began leaping from a chair, a huge luggage, a cart, a rail, moving from one location to another nimbly, her black cargo paints and tank top moving in a blur. Finally, when she was close enough, she gave another leap, springing against the wall and twisting her body, she landed right in front of the man.
She scowled at the stupefied man and tried to snatch her bag back. She looked surprised when he began backing away, her bag clutched against his chest protectively.
She tried to act reasonable, ignoring looks from awestruck observers. "Excuse me sir, but that's my bag, see, my name Meredith Misao Kirisawa is tagged there in a bright green tag, see?" she pointed out.
The observers began murmuring in agreement and Misao held out her hand, waiting for the man to turn over her bag. She barely avoided a striking, silvery blur as the man whipped out a curved knife, trying to stab her. She backed away and sprang into a backflip, her feet connecting solidly against the man's jaw as she turned. She landed on her feet and whipped out one of her kunais, her eyes never leaving the staggering man.
Several people cried out when Misao was attacked. More ran away, not wanting to be hurt in the fight. Vaguely, Misao can hear Kaoru's voice as her sister kept screaming 'be careful'. But Misao was too immersed in the battle. Her nerves were flooded by adrenaline and at once she felt comfortable.
The man was still holding her bag. She had only three kunais with her but she didn't think she'd need more to incapacitate the man. BUT SHE STILL WANTED THE REST OF HER KUNAIS BACK! The man growled at her and she flashed him a smirk. He began circling her warily and Misao waited for his attack. He pounced and she moved out of his way and she lashed out with a high kick right into his chest and while he was catching his step, she released her kunai and it landed right where she wanted it, on his left breastbone. He fainted after she jumped and slammed her elbow on his head.
She grinned, this was too easy. She bent down to gather her bag and she heard a solid thud as flesh connected against flesh.
"Misao no baka!" shouted Kaoru as she swept the feet off a man who was sneaking behind her sister. Misao had the grace to look guilty before she collected her bag and whipped out her kunais. Kaoru was holding her shinai, having retrieved it from the man who took it too. Misao was holding three kunais in each hand; Kaoru was holding her shinai in an aggressive stance. Four men circled them, all were wary now, made aware of each girl's ability. Kaoru was wearing dark slacks and a white silk blouse. She looked almost unthreatening but to an expert swordsman, the way she held her weapon was an indication of her high level of expertise. Her countless drills with Myojin Yahiko III, her sensei has been a hard and rigorous training and she found herself grateful for his instructions. The men took their own weapons out.
Misao grinned when the men took their weapons out. With an utterly wicked grin, she whipped out her hands, each holding three kunais. The men started backing away a little but then, one of them attcaked Kaoru. Misao watched them fight, she wasn't that worried about her sister, her sister was pretty good with her shinai. Two men charged at her and she jumped back and gave a long side kick to those two men. She began throwing her kunais, each throw was made with enough force to make them stagger away. By the time she emptied her hands off her weapons, the two were goners. She looked back at her sister just in time for her to see Kaoru knock the fourth guys unconscious with a flick of her shinai. Misao sighed. 'Oh well, excitement's over!!' Just then, they both turned simultaneously to confront their cousin Fuko, still panting demanding why the heck they didn't leave any opponents for her.
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"Kaoru, Misao-chan, I want you to meet my friends. This is Recca, Domon, Yanagi-chan," said Fuko starting the introductions.
Kaoru and Misao bowed respectfully and straightened before meeting the inquisitive gazes of the others head-on.
Fuko was grinning widely. She couldn't have asked for a more diverting first impression. When Kaoru and Misao turned to find her just behind them, they had given Fuko the customary welcome. Misao threw a kunai at Fuko while Fuko unleashed some of her needle-like daggers too. It was a game they had since they were kids.
Smoothly, Fuko caught Misao's kunais as easily as Misao caught hers. Kaoru was laughing and exclaiming Fuko hadn't changed a bit even a she plucked one of Fuko's daggers off the air that was speeding straight at her.
They got a little embarrassed when Domon and Yanagi were looking at them strangely and Recca was quite nonchalant as he greeted them.
"Welcome back to Japan girls. Now I can see that you really are Fuko's relatives." He said with a grin.
They all laughed but in the back of everybody's mind there was a thought, "These two are going to be interesting friends."
TBC
Author's Notes:
Sheesh, I seem to be doing a lot of cliffhangers lately. Sigh, I am out of inspiration. I feel kinda sad because the RK television series is about to end here. But anyway, you guys, you know how to reach me if you want me to continue this story. In the next chapter, Kaoru meets Kenshin. And I made some radical changes in some characters. Ja!
~ jo-chan ~