by: Saku-Yume
Chapter Four: The Lady or The Tanuki?
Kenshin woke early the next morning feeling uneasy. He knew his behavior the previous night had hurt Kaoru. His nagging inner voice wouldn't let him sleep in peace any longer, so before sunrise he decided to begin preparing breakfast; all of Kaoru's favorites.
He got to the kitchen and saw the untouched food he gave her. His heart sank. A bit choked up he cleared the dinner away and hoped Kaoru would even speak to him today.
Soon after getting breakfast on the table everyone started to wander into the kitchen, drawn by the wonderful smells. Even Dr. Genzai, Ayame and Suzume joined them. But there was no sign of Kaoru. He figured she was still sleeping and went to wake her up.
"Kaoru-dono," he said rapping gently on the frame of the shoji. No answer. He sulked a bit. She was still upset. "Kaoru-dono, I've made your favorite breakfast… please come out and… have…" he slid open the shoji.
Inside all he found was her neatly made futon and an empty room.
* * * * *
Kaoru stared blankly at her reflection in the mirror. Her face was done up perfectly in delicate makeup and rouge to make her cheeks extra rosy. Kurokami had commissioned all of his girls to attend to her for the dinner that evening.
Ame gently applied a heavy outline of black liner to Kaoru's unblinking, expressionless eyes. She sat motionless not speaking a single word. Ame looked at her and stopped the application. "Finished. You're done. Perfect."
Kaoru looked slowly at her sideways, then at herself in the mirror. She was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. "Arigatou, Ame. Shouri-san should be pleased, ne?" He tone was flat and melancholy.
Ame didn't answer for long moments, not that Kaoru noticed. She sighed despondently. She'd seen many girls fall into Shouri's irresistible grasp but none pained her more than this one. What had once been a vibrant and fiery, even if a bit insecure, young girl was now a hollow shell of a woman. A broken, confused project for Shouri turned perfect plaything. She was his now. She was the vain manifestation of himself that he needed to make himself feel absolute and accomplished in his magnanimity. She was a solemn doll that would love him soullessly. Pretty. Perfect. Most importantly; His.
"He's changed you. You never had a chance…"
Kaoru turned slowly to Ame and stared into her eyes, expressionless. Nothing within her was disturbed. Ame was truly frightened to think Shouri could succeed in totally gutting this soul…
"You- you're not the same girl anymore…"
Kaoru smiled for the first time. A small smile. A weak smile. "Of course I'm not." She turned back to her reflection and pouted then blotted her blood red lips. "But at least I'm grateful for the changes within me." She looked sideways at Ame with derision.
Ame gasped lightly. Before she could reply, Shouri came in.
"My love, my flower." For a moment Ame thought that he'd been addressing them both. But he walked up behind Kaoru and caressed her neck then kissed her ear, his eyes taunting Ame. Kaoru didn't notice and leaned into him practically purring. "Ame, I certainly hope you haven't been filling Kaoru's head with any of your erroneous ideas…"
"No more than you have," Ame said reddening angrily.
Kaoru looked at her blankly. Shouri looked sickeningly amused. He touched Kaoru's shoulder lightly. "Leave us, my pet. I will come to dress you momentarily. Get out the black satin dress I had imported yesterday from China. That is what I wish for you to wear when I present you tonight."
Kaoru smiled a small smile and nodded. Gracefully she rose and glided from the room, sliding the doors closed behind her.
"What manner of absurdity is this?!" Ame burst as soon as she was gone.
Shouri continued to smile and gazed at Ame. "Isn't she lovely. Perfection in motion as I said she would be. I made her…" There was a lilt to his tone that reeked of self-importance and ironic satisfaction.
"You arrogant bastard! You self-absorbed, manipulative, bastard! She's a human being, not a puppet of your making. She is, however, unusually and exceptionally yielding towards your advances today. What have you done to her?"
"Nothing she didn't willingly accept."
Ame stood and clenched her fists. "You son of a bitch!"
Shouri feigned insult then smiled. "I know what's bothering you. You feel like she's taken your place. Don't worry, Ame, my love. You're all my beautiful flowers. But she's my new bud. She needs extra care and attention. You were once like her, surely you understand."
"You're insane and completely delusional!" Ame screamed, irritated.
Shouri's cheerful veneer changed instantly to a visage of rage. He gripped Ame's wrist roughly causing her to falter on her feet. "You will not raise your voice to me, my pet. Don't forget to whom you owe yourself. I made you. All of you! And you will respect that!" He let her go roughly and stalked from the room.
Ame shook, alone in the room. She'd never seen him like that. She knew it was her innate fear of such an instance that kept him subservient and obedient to him in the future. But things had changed. She couldn't take any more. Not for the other girls and not for herself. She sobbed as she got to her feet. Something had to be done and she felt that the only way was through Kaoru. The Gods had sent her for a reason. And now action had to be taken. She ran from the room and out of the Kurokami School toward the Kamiya dojo…
* * * * *
Inside the room Kaoru had been given the previous night after leaving the Kamiya dojo, Kurokami walked toward her slowly. She stood by the window solemnly. Beautifully. Perfectly. He smiled. She was…
"…perfect," he whispered holding her around her waist from behind. He placed open-mouthed kisses on her neck. Kaoru remained motionless and stared forward, not seeing or wishing to see. "What do you see, my flower?"
"Ame…" she whispered almost inaudibly.
"What, my pet? I don't…" He looked down at the lawns and saw Ame running out of the schoolyard. "She is a little upset, my love. She is jealous of your superiority over her. Until you arrived, she was my favorite flower. But now," he turned her to face him. "Now, you. You are my only favorite. My most immaculate creation."
Kaoru stared up at him impassively but smiled pleasantly. He smiled back and kissed her deeply. Kaoru allowed him to do so.
When he was contented with kissing her he led her over to the mirror and began dressing her in the fine black garment with millions of silver sakura printed on it. It was a strange garment to Kaoru, without sleeves and a collar that buttoned diagonally from the hollow of her neck to her shoulder. It fit her closely all the way down until it met her hips where it split dramatically on both sides and stopped at the floor. It had to be the most revealing thing she'd ever worn or planned to wear in public. The old Kaoru wouldn't have worn it. The new Kaoru wore it because Shouri wanted her to.
Shouri smiled at her when he was done. "Yes, my love. That is wonderful. Now, go and prepare for tonight."
Kaoru inclined her head elegantly and walked from the room. "Hai, Shouri-san."
* * * * *
Ame slowed as she entered the grounds of the Kamiya Dojo. There was the redheaded man folding the dried laundry and looking terribly downtrodden.
"Excuse me," she said.
Kenshin looked up and saw the same beautiful girl from the market more than a month earlier. The one standing next to Kurokami. "Yes?" He said as politely as he could.
Ame took a deep breath. She hadn't actually thought about what she would say once she got here. "Kaoru is in trouble."
Kenshin's eyes flared. "You know where she is?"
Ame said, puzzled, "yes. She's at the Kurokami School…" When she saw the hurt in Kenshin's eyes she continued, stepping closer to him. "She must have returned last night then… after everyone went to sleep."
"I don't want to hear this," Kenshin said, eyes tearing. He turned abruptly and headed for the dojo.
"But you must. You have to help her. I don't think anyone else can. Please," Ame followed him.
"Kaoru knows what she wants and is old enough to make her own choices. She decided to become a lady and now she's had enough experience to become…" Kenshin dropped the basket unable to hold the tears back. "I should have stopped her a long time ago. I should have told her I loved her a long time ago. I drove her into that… that man's arms. And now she's…"
Ame's heart broke. To think how many more people he'd broken with his selfishness only made her angrier. She walked calmly over to Kenshin and took his face in one delicate hand. She made him look at her. "It is true. You may have driven her there but I can assure you that until today, she never, ever loved anyone but you. And I still believe she loves only you. But she's in trouble because Kurokami has sucked all of the love from her. She does not love him. And if you don't save her, she'll never love anyone again. Not even herself."
Kenshin looked at Ame's calm face for long moments and then nodded. "So what can I do?"
"Did she tell you about the dinner this evening?" Kenshin nodded. "You will be my guest. This way I can fill you in on everything that has happened. Perhaps her seeing you will be enough but with the way she is now…"
Kenshin squinted slightly. "What exactly has he done to her?"
Ame looked away sadly. "It is something you will have to see to believe."
* * * * *
Ame led Kenshin to the place she'd spotted Kaoru. It was the first time that night that she'd been alone. Shouri was in the middle of playing charming host and didn't notice the void at his side.
"You must speak to her now," Ame said gently pushing him in the direction of the balcony.
"I don't know what to say."
"Yes you do. You'll have to tell her everything you've always wanted to because this may be your last chance. Now go." Ame turned and closed the doors to the balcony, closing them off from the party. Kenshin looked at Kaoru, her back to him. She was bathed in the light of the full moon. She looked like an angel…
He swallowed hard and walked up next to her. Kaoru held her gaze forward.
"Ohayo, Kaoru…" he started lightly. She didn't respond. He looked at her. She seemed serene but somehow hollow. Like she couldn't hear him or see him. "Kaoru, I wanted to apologize."
Kaoru turned slowly to him, face expressionless but smiling slightly. "There's nothing to apologize for, Kenshin."
"Yes there is," he began. "I'm sorry for never telling you how I felt about you. I'm sorry I didn't respond when you showed how much you loved me. But most of all I'm sorry I drove you into the arms of this man. This man who deserves you far less than I do. I never should have…"
"Why? Is it because I'm perfect now, that you feel the need to express these feelings? I think you are just jealous and sadly possessive. But still, you don't need to apologize. I'm happy." Her tone was somber.
"Are you really? Then why don't you smile? Laugh? Why is it that ever since you've started coming here you've seemed so sad?" he asked firmly.
"Because I so wanted you to love me, Kenshin," a tear actually fell from her eye; the first sign of expression. "I wanted you to notice. To care. To anything. But all you did was get angrier and angrier with me. But Shouri was here for me. He loves me…"
Kenshin grasped her arms and stared into her eyes directly. "Kaoru, this is nonsense. He does not love you… I…"
Kaoru twisted from him and the tears streamed down her face. "Oh, I see. He couldn't love me right. I am just so unlovable. Nobody loves me. Not you, not him, not anyone, right?"
"No, Kaoru, that's not what I meant…"
"Then say what you mean, Kenshin! Tell me what you feel! I can't take this anymore! I've never been so mixed up and confused!" She held her head in her hands breaking down. Every emotion she'd been holding in came flooding out with her screams.
Kenshin held her close for a long time, letting her cry. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. And in his quest not to do so, he'd hurt her more than he knew. He pulled away and forced her to look at him. "Kaoru, I know you can be loved. You're a wonderful person. You always were. That's why I don't believe Kurokami loves you because he doesn't love you for who you are. Who you were. He had to change you. And I don't care what you tell me, Kaoru, you are not happy." He sighed and she continued to sob. "I know I may not have showed it Kaoru but I…"
Shouri burst out onto the balcony in a fit of rage. "Kaoru what are you doing out here?!"
Kaoru reverted back into her protective puppet's shell and shrank out of Kenshin's embrace. She hurried to Shouri's side. "Gomen na sai," she said reverently.
Kenshin couldn't believe what he saw. He watched in awe as Kurokami gripped her wrist and forced her back inside. Then he became animated again. He rushed behind them and twisted Kaoru out of Kurokami's grasp. "Don't you ever touch her again, you bastard!" he practically growled.
Shouri laughed, amused. "It's the redhead from the market! What, have you come to beg her to return to you only so you may ignore her again?"
Kenshin ignored his remark. "You will not control her anymore, do you understand me? I don't know who you think you are but…"
"I am her true love. I adore her."
"You adore the doll that you have made her. She'd not the same anymore and it's your fault."
"Not my fault, my doing. She is perfect and you can't stand it, can you?"
"What I can't stand is your attitude. To think that you can do as you please with any of these girls. You find the vulnerable and impressionable ones and suck the souls out of them. You turn them into your puppets."
They were drawing quite a crowd and Shouri didn't like the way the people were beginning to look at him. He took Kaoru's hand. "Come with me, my pet." Kaoru followed him.
Kaoru looked back at Kenshin helplessly. And he finally saw that she did want him to save her.
"Kaoru, I love you!" Everyone stopped. Kaoru's face held a look of utter disbelief.
Shouri grinned in his state of security. "Isn't a little late for that now?"
Kenshin ignored him. Instead he looked directly at Kaoru. "That's right, Kaoru! I love you! I loved you before the way you were. I love you now and I'll always love you. And you know inside that it's true! You also know that he doesn't truly love you. He never will!"
Shouri resumed trying to lead Kaoru away. But Kaoru had stopped now. All the voices within her were screaming, but none louder than her old inner self. She was slowly taking it all in…
"Come on, Kaoru! You aren't going to listen to this nonsense anymore!" Shouri yelled angrily.
"No…" Kaoru whispered slowly.
"He'll tire of you, Kaoru, when he finds a more beautiful plaything! You're more to me than that! You're everything to me!"
Kaoru began to resist Shouri's grasp but he still pulled her, demanding that she follow him.
"I'm not going to force you into anything, Kaoru. You have to do as you please but I want you to know that it's the truth. I love you!"
Tears streamed down her face again and she struggled out of Shouri's grasp. "Let me go! Let me go!" she screamed. The people looked on in disbelief. "You don't own me! I won't let you have me anymore!"
"I will always own you!" Shouri screamed back. But Kaoru was free again. Here eyes never left Kenshin's and she finally got free of his grip. She ran to Kenshin recklessly, in her natural fashion. She ran into his arms and held him tight. The tears wouldn't stop coming.
Kenshin held her closely and repeated the words to her over and over. "I love you. I love you."
Enraged, Shouri made his way over to them and attempted to get a hold on Kaoru again. This time, Kenshin didn't allow it. He spun Kaoru out of the way and drew his sword in a matter of seconds. Everyone gasped. Then there was silence. "I told you not to touch her," Battousai said voice laden in the rich hues of amber. "She is coming home with me. And she will not return here. This will be the last girl you will have manipulated, you son of a bitch."
Kaoru stepped in holding Kenshin's wrist firmly so he could not run Shouri through. "No, Kenshin! No." She made him look into her eyes. "Don't let him be the reason you're arrested. He's not worth it."
Kenshin thought momentarily and then nodded once to Kaoru. He backed off and sheathed his sword. "Come on, Kaoru. Let's go."
The crowd parted for the fierce samurai and the beautiful girl. They watched as the two made their way to the door. Kaoru caught Ame's eyes and stopped. She walked toward her. "Come with us, Ame. Please don't stay here. I am so sorry for all the things I said. But you can't stay here. You saved me. Now let me save you."
Ame looked tearfully at the raven-haired beauty and smiled ruefully. "Where would I go, Kaoru-chan? He's already spoiled me for the world. I can do nothing but exist within his walls."
"That's right, my flower," Shouri said slithering up behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders already preparing to re-work his magic on her.
"No, Ame. That is not true. You know that. You can come live with me. I will help you. You're good at so many things and so smart. You could be a teacher."
"Don't listen to her, my pet. You are too good for such menial labor. You are only fit for…"
Kaoru gritted her teeth angrily and gave Kurokami the knockout punch of the century. "Shut up! Dear God, just SHUT UP!!"
Ame, along with the other guests, looked at Kurokami on the floor in disbelief. Then she looked back at Kaoru. "What if he's right? What if I can't do it?"
Kaoru held a hand out to her. "I know it's not true, and even if it is, you can not stay here. And I, as your friend, can not, will not allow you to."
Ame slowly took her hand and smiled. "Okay."
Kaoru smiled and the three left without a final glance behind them.
* * * * *