Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, nor do I own The Bride of the Water God.
Author's Note: Hi there! Long time no see! I know, it's taken me FOREVER to write the second chapter of UTSM. But with college approaching quickly and other important matters, I had to put off writing this for a while. But I'm back! Please enjoy this chapter~
Under the Scarlet Moon
II. Meeting
"Where else? I'm going to bring you to the water god."
Kaoru felt her stomach drop. A small "eh?" escaped from her mouth. She clenched the bed sheets tightly in her hands, trying to control the tremble of fear that was spreading through her body.
"Frozen with fear?" Megumi asked with a smirk.
Kaoru tilted her head up defiantly. "No," she answered curtly.
"Then, let's go," Megumi said. "He's been waiting for you to wake up for quite some time now."
"He's been waiting for me?" Kaoru exclaimed.
The water has been waiting for me…and why? To kill me? Kaoru thought grimly.
Megumi shrugged. "Not necessarily waiting…more like wondering about you," she said slowly. "He said that you didn't resist; you didn't fight for your life when the water consumed you."
Kaoru was suddenly alarmed.
"Did you want to die?" Megumi pressed her.
The younger girl looked away. She didn't want to die…but rather, she was accepting her fate. She really didn't want to see any more of the villager's false love and admiration of her, her father's indifferent face, her mother's guilty tears…
She didn't want to see any more of it. None of it!
Megumi didn't further her question. She merely stood up and grabbed Kaoru's arm. She pulled her out of bed and to her feet. "Let's go," Megumi said.
Kaoru would much rather pass up the option of seeing the water god, her new husband. She shivered at the word. She had a husband that would probably eat her soul with cold and emotionless eyes…It was probably what he had done with the other girls from the village that Kaoru never saw again.
"Are you coming or not?" Megumi said with a smirk, interested at how unnerved the Kaoru was, and how she was trying hard not to reveal it. Megumi left the room with Kaoru scurrying after her.
The palace corridors were silent; nothing but the crashing of waves could be heard. Kaoru loved that sound…it reminded her of home.
She passed by a window again. As she peered out, everything about this foreign place was breathtaking. The skies were the bluest Kaoru had even seen and the sun was illuminating. The sakura trees blossomed like they would back at the village, had there not been a drought. The entire atmosphere of this place was relaxing, comforting, and serene.
Maybe she wouldn't be killed by the water god…because she was already dead. This wonderful country could be heaven…a paradise that she could not have found back on earth or any where else.
Megumi suddenly halted, and Kaoru, lost in thought, collided with the older woman's back.
"Sorry!" Kaoru gasped out, surprised.
Megumi merely opened a large door that led into a dark room. She pushed Kaoru inside. "Wait in here. He'll come out once he senses your presence." Megumi promptly shut the door behind Kaoru.
Kaoru frowned. What kind of farewell was that?
She looked around and realized that this room was not as dark as it appeared from the outside. Rather, it was simply a room that had its own personal garden and small pond. Flowers bloomed all over and plants Kaoru had never seen before were growing by the waterside. It was dazzling.
She ventured further into the room. The aura of this garden drew her in somehow. Kaoru looked out over the garden when something caught her eye. She carefully approached the waterside and saw that in the pond, there were small stumps of stone leading to the other shore. She abruptly felt like walking across them.
She quickly glanced over her shoulder. No one was there and no one was watching. She could easily walk across and back before anyone came into the room.
After all, if the water god would come out once he noticed my presence, he should have come out long ago, Kaoru mused cheerfully. The feeling of boldness she felt was unexpected.
She slipped out of her sandals and socks and cautiously set a foot down on the cool, wet stone. She steadied herself before setting her other foot on the stone as well. Pulling up the hem of her kimono, she jumped to the following two with ease. But when she was going to hop over to the next one, she miscalculated the distance. She felt her feet land on emptiness as she missed the stone completely. She mentally slapped herself as started to plunge towards the water, preparing to be soaked.
But a something caught her fall. An arm landed on her back and another slipped beneath her knees. Startled, she looked up and gazed into the most beautiful molten eyes.
"You're different from the others. They were much more obedient. But it seems like you can't sit still," the voice overhead commented smoothly.
Somehow, Kaoru managed to tear her stare away from the stunning amber orbs and looked clearly into the face of the man that was saved her from her fall. He was watching her with an amused expression but was belied by the coolness in his eyes. His hair was a shocking red—like burning flames. His features were undoubtedly handsome. He held her in his arms with ease and grace, and he made no motion to put her down because then she would plummet into the cold water below.
But something struck her as odd. How had this strange man gotten to her so quickly? He was not in the room with her…was he? And there was no land surrounding them except for the one stone that Kaoru attempted to jump on. How could he have caught her without falling into the water himself? She looked down to his feet and gasped.
He was standing on the water. Not in the water, but on it. The soles of his feet stood on the water like it was solid, like he was standing on land.
Water…god…?
Kaoru was speechless.
The water god started walking across the water's surface effortlessly and set Kaoru down once they reached the shore. Her legs felt a little weak from the sudden realization that she was with the water god. He was the reason why she was forced to leave her village and sacrifice herself. She steadied herself on her numb legs and stood face-to-face with the water god, whom, she realized was only about a head taller than she was.
The water god studied her face. He was close enough for his warm breath to touch her skin. "So, you're my newest wife."
Kaoru didn't say anything. But reality, she couldn't say anything. She felt like her voice had vanished from fear.
"You don't look like the other girls that that village has sent me." His gaze lingered on her exotic blue eyes. "You're pretty young too. I see that they were getting desperate for rain."
It's true. We were desperate. It hadn't rained in several weeks. The crops were dying…children were starving…it wasn't going to be a fruitful spring…
"I've had prettier brides," the water god said arrogantly, pulling his face away from hers. "But I guess you'll do as a sacrifice in exchange for rain."
A vein popped in Kaoru's head. W-What a conceited man—I mean, god!
He stepped around her and into the room, away from the garden."It looks like they think that any girl can be my bride," the water god continued haughtily.
Another vein popped. And yes, all the girls are just dying to be your bride!
"For their foolishness, I'll let them suffer for a few more weeks in drought," he said coolly.
Kaoru snapped. "You can't do that!" she exclaimed angrily.
The water god turned around and faced her, surprised.
Kaoru marched right up to him, forgetting her earlier fear. "I'm here. I'm your sacrifice and that means that the exchange has been made! Make it rain now!"
The water god's eyes went from surprised to hard and cold. Then, a loud burst of thunder shook the room. The water in the garden behind her began to thrash around violently. The skies started to darken to an ominous gray.
Suddenly, Kaoru was pushed away by a strong unexpected force. The water god grasped her wrists and held her up against the wall of the room. His eyes were burning with rage.
"Don't think you can command me, little human," he growled in a powerful voice that shook Kaoru to the core. "You mean nothing me and neither does your little village."
Kaoru was shaken by his sudden fury. But she somehow managed to keep her dignity. She didn't cower from his rage as he would expect her to. She titled her chin up indignantly.
"Then, if you weren't going to make it rain, you should have just let me drown," Kaoru snapped.
The water god snarled at her. "Don't think that I wouldn't take your life here and now. I do as I wish. If I do not wish to make it rain, it shall not rain. You can't change that. If I want to take your life—" Water started to convulse around her ankles. "—then I will do it."
"Then do it," Kaoru challenged him.
"Don't test me," he spat at her. He released her and the weather returned to how it was before. He walked away from her, leaving her stand there with her bruised wrists and dissipating courage. "I am a god, and you can never forget that."
He vanished in a rush of water.
Kaoru slid to the floor. What had she gotten herself into?
Author's Note: Hope that you guys enjoyed it! I'll try to update again soon. If you have time, please check out my new Rurouni Kenshin fic called This Heart of Mine.
Please read and review both of my stories! I'll love you for it~ ^-^
