Kami! She updates! It's been a while since I wrote the first chap of this fic, so here's the second chapter, or effectively, the first chapter coz the one before was just a prologue.
Anyway, I really don't have anything to say much, except, please read and review!
Disclaimer: yada yada yada… you know what I mean.
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:::::AMBER EYES:::::
He always played with a spinning top when he was a kid -- for it was the only toy he ever had.
But every boy has to stop playing.
He grew up, and his toy was no longer a spinning top, but a sword.
And his playground became a pool of blood.
"Kenshin-sama…" a feminine voice called out.
Kenshin opened his eyes and leaned back on the window sill. He always liked sitting by the window, looking up to the stars at night. Stars… they looked like gems glinting in a sea of tar at night, reminding him of innocence once lost in an ocean of sins. And an ocean it was, one that he was drowning in.
A spinning top, he repeated on his thoughts. His master once told him how life was very much like a spinning top, you spin it hard, you spin it slow, either way, it would always stop spinning at one point. I wonder, Kenshin thought, when would mine stop?
"Kenshin-sama," the feminine voice repeated.
Kenshin stood up and walked over to the large bed where a feminine figure had been wrapped in a bundle of silken sheets.
"What is it, Aiko?" he asked, sitting himself on the edge of the bed.
The girl named Aiko didn't reply, but instead, sat up and wrapped her arms around the red-headed man. Her hand snaked up to where his robe had parted on his chest.
But Kenshin caught the wandering hand before it got too far.
"I'm very tired. I will sleep," he said with a final note.
The girl withdrew her hand, her luscious mouth forming into an uncharacteristic frown before sulking back under the sheets.
Kenshin paid no heed for the girl's disappointment. He laid on the bed and closed his eyes as soon as his head touched the pillow.
With his life as pointless as it is now, his spinning top would stop spinning soon enough.
~~~~~~~~~
"Auntie Kaoru, there's a man looking for you outside," Ayame announced. Kaoru stopped washing the dishes and looked down at the young girl gently tugging at her kimono.
"Yeah! The guy with big beard from yesterday!" Suzume seconded. After delivering their message, both girls ran away chasing each other, their laughter echoing in the deserted hallways.
Kaoru sighed. How nice it would be to be a child again and not worry about anything. She dried her hands with her faded kimono and headed for the front door. So that Gohei guy is back again, Kaoru thought bitterly. She'd like to give that bastard a piece of her mind.
Taking a deep breath, Kaoru lifted her chin and stepped out, determined to fend off that goon once and for all.
"So, have you decided yet?" Gohei's voice boomed.
Kaoru heaved a dismissive sigh as if talking to this giant of a man was no more than a waste of her time.
"I've told you before, Gohei, I have no intention of selling this place. Now, why don't you just leave me be? I'm sure there are many other holdings that you can buy."
Gohei laughed. "This place suits my needs perfectly. I'm sure it would be to both our benefit if you would just sell this run-down inn to me."
Kaoru snorted. "This place would suit your needs perfectly? Oh, let me guess, a headquarter for your yakuza goons, right?"
"What I do with this place after I buy it is none of your concern," Gohei replied darkly.
"My late mother kept the Ohagi inn a respectable place, and I'm determined to keep it that way," Kaoru said firmly.
Gohei's expression darkened. "You're making me lose my patience, little girl," the large man threatened, his hand fingering the hilt of the wooden sword on his waist.
Kaoru's eyes narrowed. The sword strapped on Gohei's waist might look like a wooden sword, but for a guy like Gohei, there's no doubt there would be a Japanese sword hidden beneath.
"I'm not afraid of you!" Kaoru shouted, making a dash for a broom that was leaning against the wall. She took a fighting stance, broom in hand. Gohei and his men laughed. At another time, Kaoru would have thought the situation was quite laughable, but for now, there was nothing else she could use as a weapon.
"How pitiful," Gohei mocked, but I won't waste my time fighting a boring fight with a loudmouthed girl. The large man then nodded to one of his men.
Kaoru gasped. Two men stepped forward, holding a sobbing Ayame and a crying Suzume.
"You bastards!" Kaoru raged.
Gohei only laughed. "See, you shouldn't have let me lost my patience."
"That's playing dirty, Gohei," Kaoru gritted out.
"So, have you decided yet?" Gohei asked, grinning like a madman.
"You won't get away with this," she hissed.
But Gohei only chuckled. "Oh? I can forge a deed with no problem at all, thanks to some underground connections that I have. And don't even think about telling the police, or these two little girls here are gonna get big booboos."
Kaoru could only clench the broom handle and glare.
"I'll take it that it's a yes then," Gohei concluded. "Very well, I'll expect you to move out by tomorrow. If you hadn't been so stubborn, I would have been generous and given you a little payment, but you made me lose my patience, little girlie, so you brought this upon yourself." With that, Gohei walked away with his men, leaving behind nothing but their greedy laughter.
Kaoru ran to where the two girls huddled together in the dust, sobbing. At least they hadn't taken Ayame and Suzume with them.
"Auntie Kaoru…" the girls sobbed.
"I'll walk you over to Dr. Gensai's clinic now, Ayame, Susume," Kaoru managed between tears of relief.
"But Auntie Kaoru, what if those bad guys come back?" Ayame asked.
Kaoru gave a little smile. "No, they won't come back today, Ayame, everything is alright, don't worry about anything. Everything is alright," but in her heart, she knew, everything is far from alright.
Kaoru walked silently, keeping the girls as close to her as possible. Her mother had died a few months before, and after that, everyone just left, even workers at the inn. Maybe this was all her fault after all. Nothing like this would have happened if Okami was still alive. Her memory might be vague, but she had flashbacks and dreams of a certain dark night where the smell of blood filled the air and agonizing screams floated like a sickening singsong… and most of all, she remembered… amber eyes. What they all meant she couldn't quite grasp. Maybe they were just dreams after all, and Okami really is her real mother, but still she couldn't help but have a feeling, that she had had a different life before.
Her thoughts went back to Gohei and his men. What was she to do? Then the answer came, there's only one thing to do…
Kenshin Himura.
Her mother had spoken that name just before she died, Kaoru recalled, but her health had been too feeble to say anything more, save for a few incomprehensible words that didn't make any sense to Kaoru's grieving mind at all.
"T-tried… e-everything… y-you forget… p-past…" her mother had gasped between labored breaths. Kaoru had tried to tell her dying mother not to talk anymore, that her efforts were straining her even more, but Okami wouldn't listen.
"K-Kenshin… H-Himura… f-find… him…" those were her dying mother's last words, although at the time, she had been so beside herself with grief and sorrow that she didn't bother to understand what her words meant, but now, this man, Kenshin Himura… perhaps her mother was trying to tell her something?
::::
Kenshin walked forcefully down the corridor, his untied crimson hair floating on his back like a curtain of blood, his amber eyes had a glint that froze even the bravest of men, and melted the knees of countless ladies into jellies. Men who serve the mansion bowed their heads as he walked, their eyes held utter respect and admiration, while the ladies giggled as he passed.
Kenshin Himura, Lord of the Meiji Imperial Army might seem to have it all, but no… he didn't like his life at all. The only reason he continued to live was because he hadn't lost hope yet, that someday, he might find a way to atone for all the sins he had committed in the past. And here he was, being awed and hailed for the lives he had taken. The world sure is an ironic place.
After the Bakumatsu, he had been ready, ready to give his life up for the sake of repentance, to wander around Japan to save lives, and forget that he was once the most feared assassin in the land. But it would seem, that the world wasn't ready to give his life back. Yamagata fell fatally ill, and Kenshin was forced to take his place as head of the Imperial Army. Back then, he had agreed, in hopes that he might be able to save more people that way, than just a wandering swordsman… how wrong he had been. True, with a man as influential as he is now, he had successfully prevented corruption in the Meiji government. All the men and women who serve his mansion were all people he had saved from poverty, from cruelty, and what not. But no matter how many people he saved, and no matter how much effort he put into keeping the Meiji as immaculate as can be, the guilt in his heart never stopped gnawing.
How could a man as sinful as he is, deserve living such a high life?
::::
Kaoru stood in front of the mansion and breathed in awe. It was huge! The house still resembled some of the traditional Japanese architecture, but there was a touch of western gothic art about it, and Kaoru just couldn't help but admire the mansion in it's glory. Finding the man named Kenshin Himura was no problem at all, after all, she never expected him to turn out to be the Lord of the Imperial Army, for Kami's sake! She still wondered why she didn't know that before hand, maybe she should keep up with current events more often.
Kaoru took one stop forward, but then hesitated. The name Kenshin Himura might not be a common name at all, but still, her mother couldn't have known such a high ranking man, could she? Perhaps her mother was talking about a different man? And even if this was indeed the right place, there's no way a man of his status would remember her mother, and she didn't even know for sure if her mother knew this man or not. Kaoru started to withdraw… this was too embarrassing, really, asking help from a total stranger? And not just some common stranger at that. But still, his name was her mother's last spoken words, she should at least try.
Taking a deep breath, she walked forward.
Kenshin Himura… she thought. What kind of man is he?
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
A/N: As you might have guessed, yup, Kenshin never became a wanderer in this fic. Heheh, I think he's just drop-dead-sexy in the Battousai mode. Although, Kenshin just wouldn't be Kenshin without 'oro' and 'de gozaru' ne? So don't worry, if you are more like the rurouni mode fan, he will lighten up his mood a little bit in later chaps. Anyway, I still love Kenshin, rurouni or battousai, either way. Please review!
Anyway, I really don't have anything to say much, except, please read and review!
Disclaimer: yada yada yada… you know what I mean.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::AMBER EYES:::::
He always played with a spinning top when he was a kid -- for it was the only toy he ever had.
But every boy has to stop playing.
He grew up, and his toy was no longer a spinning top, but a sword.
And his playground became a pool of blood.
"Kenshin-sama…" a feminine voice called out.
Kenshin opened his eyes and leaned back on the window sill. He always liked sitting by the window, looking up to the stars at night. Stars… they looked like gems glinting in a sea of tar at night, reminding him of innocence once lost in an ocean of sins. And an ocean it was, one that he was drowning in.
A spinning top, he repeated on his thoughts. His master once told him how life was very much like a spinning top, you spin it hard, you spin it slow, either way, it would always stop spinning at one point. I wonder, Kenshin thought, when would mine stop?
"Kenshin-sama," the feminine voice repeated.
Kenshin stood up and walked over to the large bed where a feminine figure had been wrapped in a bundle of silken sheets.
"What is it, Aiko?" he asked, sitting himself on the edge of the bed.
The girl named Aiko didn't reply, but instead, sat up and wrapped her arms around the red-headed man. Her hand snaked up to where his robe had parted on his chest.
But Kenshin caught the wandering hand before it got too far.
"I'm very tired. I will sleep," he said with a final note.
The girl withdrew her hand, her luscious mouth forming into an uncharacteristic frown before sulking back under the sheets.
Kenshin paid no heed for the girl's disappointment. He laid on the bed and closed his eyes as soon as his head touched the pillow.
With his life as pointless as it is now, his spinning top would stop spinning soon enough.
~~~~~~~~~
"Auntie Kaoru, there's a man looking for you outside," Ayame announced. Kaoru stopped washing the dishes and looked down at the young girl gently tugging at her kimono.
"Yeah! The guy with big beard from yesterday!" Suzume seconded. After delivering their message, both girls ran away chasing each other, their laughter echoing in the deserted hallways.
Kaoru sighed. How nice it would be to be a child again and not worry about anything. She dried her hands with her faded kimono and headed for the front door. So that Gohei guy is back again, Kaoru thought bitterly. She'd like to give that bastard a piece of her mind.
Taking a deep breath, Kaoru lifted her chin and stepped out, determined to fend off that goon once and for all.
"So, have you decided yet?" Gohei's voice boomed.
Kaoru heaved a dismissive sigh as if talking to this giant of a man was no more than a waste of her time.
"I've told you before, Gohei, I have no intention of selling this place. Now, why don't you just leave me be? I'm sure there are many other holdings that you can buy."
Gohei laughed. "This place suits my needs perfectly. I'm sure it would be to both our benefit if you would just sell this run-down inn to me."
Kaoru snorted. "This place would suit your needs perfectly? Oh, let me guess, a headquarter for your yakuza goons, right?"
"What I do with this place after I buy it is none of your concern," Gohei replied darkly.
"My late mother kept the Ohagi inn a respectable place, and I'm determined to keep it that way," Kaoru said firmly.
Gohei's expression darkened. "You're making me lose my patience, little girl," the large man threatened, his hand fingering the hilt of the wooden sword on his waist.
Kaoru's eyes narrowed. The sword strapped on Gohei's waist might look like a wooden sword, but for a guy like Gohei, there's no doubt there would be a Japanese sword hidden beneath.
"I'm not afraid of you!" Kaoru shouted, making a dash for a broom that was leaning against the wall. She took a fighting stance, broom in hand. Gohei and his men laughed. At another time, Kaoru would have thought the situation was quite laughable, but for now, there was nothing else she could use as a weapon.
"How pitiful," Gohei mocked, but I won't waste my time fighting a boring fight with a loudmouthed girl. The large man then nodded to one of his men.
Kaoru gasped. Two men stepped forward, holding a sobbing Ayame and a crying Suzume.
"You bastards!" Kaoru raged.
Gohei only laughed. "See, you shouldn't have let me lost my patience."
"That's playing dirty, Gohei," Kaoru gritted out.
"So, have you decided yet?" Gohei asked, grinning like a madman.
"You won't get away with this," she hissed.
But Gohei only chuckled. "Oh? I can forge a deed with no problem at all, thanks to some underground connections that I have. And don't even think about telling the police, or these two little girls here are gonna get big booboos."
Kaoru could only clench the broom handle and glare.
"I'll take it that it's a yes then," Gohei concluded. "Very well, I'll expect you to move out by tomorrow. If you hadn't been so stubborn, I would have been generous and given you a little payment, but you made me lose my patience, little girlie, so you brought this upon yourself." With that, Gohei walked away with his men, leaving behind nothing but their greedy laughter.
Kaoru ran to where the two girls huddled together in the dust, sobbing. At least they hadn't taken Ayame and Suzume with them.
"Auntie Kaoru…" the girls sobbed.
"I'll walk you over to Dr. Gensai's clinic now, Ayame, Susume," Kaoru managed between tears of relief.
"But Auntie Kaoru, what if those bad guys come back?" Ayame asked.
Kaoru gave a little smile. "No, they won't come back today, Ayame, everything is alright, don't worry about anything. Everything is alright," but in her heart, she knew, everything is far from alright.
Kaoru walked silently, keeping the girls as close to her as possible. Her mother had died a few months before, and after that, everyone just left, even workers at the inn. Maybe this was all her fault after all. Nothing like this would have happened if Okami was still alive. Her memory might be vague, but she had flashbacks and dreams of a certain dark night where the smell of blood filled the air and agonizing screams floated like a sickening singsong… and most of all, she remembered… amber eyes. What they all meant she couldn't quite grasp. Maybe they were just dreams after all, and Okami really is her real mother, but still she couldn't help but have a feeling, that she had had a different life before.
Her thoughts went back to Gohei and his men. What was she to do? Then the answer came, there's only one thing to do…
Kenshin Himura.
Her mother had spoken that name just before she died, Kaoru recalled, but her health had been too feeble to say anything more, save for a few incomprehensible words that didn't make any sense to Kaoru's grieving mind at all.
"T-tried… e-everything… y-you forget… p-past…" her mother had gasped between labored breaths. Kaoru had tried to tell her dying mother not to talk anymore, that her efforts were straining her even more, but Okami wouldn't listen.
"K-Kenshin… H-Himura… f-find… him…" those were her dying mother's last words, although at the time, she had been so beside herself with grief and sorrow that she didn't bother to understand what her words meant, but now, this man, Kenshin Himura… perhaps her mother was trying to tell her something?
::::
Kenshin walked forcefully down the corridor, his untied crimson hair floating on his back like a curtain of blood, his amber eyes had a glint that froze even the bravest of men, and melted the knees of countless ladies into jellies. Men who serve the mansion bowed their heads as he walked, their eyes held utter respect and admiration, while the ladies giggled as he passed.
Kenshin Himura, Lord of the Meiji Imperial Army might seem to have it all, but no… he didn't like his life at all. The only reason he continued to live was because he hadn't lost hope yet, that someday, he might find a way to atone for all the sins he had committed in the past. And here he was, being awed and hailed for the lives he had taken. The world sure is an ironic place.
After the Bakumatsu, he had been ready, ready to give his life up for the sake of repentance, to wander around Japan to save lives, and forget that he was once the most feared assassin in the land. But it would seem, that the world wasn't ready to give his life back. Yamagata fell fatally ill, and Kenshin was forced to take his place as head of the Imperial Army. Back then, he had agreed, in hopes that he might be able to save more people that way, than just a wandering swordsman… how wrong he had been. True, with a man as influential as he is now, he had successfully prevented corruption in the Meiji government. All the men and women who serve his mansion were all people he had saved from poverty, from cruelty, and what not. But no matter how many people he saved, and no matter how much effort he put into keeping the Meiji as immaculate as can be, the guilt in his heart never stopped gnawing.
How could a man as sinful as he is, deserve living such a high life?
::::
Kaoru stood in front of the mansion and breathed in awe. It was huge! The house still resembled some of the traditional Japanese architecture, but there was a touch of western gothic art about it, and Kaoru just couldn't help but admire the mansion in it's glory. Finding the man named Kenshin Himura was no problem at all, after all, she never expected him to turn out to be the Lord of the Imperial Army, for Kami's sake! She still wondered why she didn't know that before hand, maybe she should keep up with current events more often.
Kaoru took one stop forward, but then hesitated. The name Kenshin Himura might not be a common name at all, but still, her mother couldn't have known such a high ranking man, could she? Perhaps her mother was talking about a different man? And even if this was indeed the right place, there's no way a man of his status would remember her mother, and she didn't even know for sure if her mother knew this man or not. Kaoru started to withdraw… this was too embarrassing, really, asking help from a total stranger? And not just some common stranger at that. But still, his name was her mother's last spoken words, she should at least try.
Taking a deep breath, she walked forward.
Kenshin Himura… she thought. What kind of man is he?
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
A/N: As you might have guessed, yup, Kenshin never became a wanderer in this fic. Heheh, I think he's just drop-dead-sexy in the Battousai mode. Although, Kenshin just wouldn't be Kenshin without 'oro' and 'de gozaru' ne? So don't worry, if you are more like the rurouni mode fan, he will lighten up his mood a little bit in later chaps. Anyway, I still love Kenshin, rurouni or battousai, either way. Please review!