Chapter 8! Wow, lots of reviews. I keep expecting to see flames.
::Ducks various thrown objects:: Sumanu minna for the delay! I keep getting swamped with unexpected jobs! Plus the cursed writer's block came at the most unwanted time and then of course FF.N went down...
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Chapter VIII: Yakusoku
Kyoto, July of 1864
Shiori smiled in her dreams, turning over into her pillow. Her dreams were always pleasant and could bring a genuine smile to her lips all the time.
Unfortunately, these particular dreams did not last as a familiar yet still strange odor reached her nose.
"Seta-san must be cooking again," was her first grumbling thought as she sat up from her futon, eyes still closed. When her senses began clearing her eyes snapped open, the screams outside in the streets and in the halls assaulting her ears loudly. This wasn't the same kind of smoke.
Grabbing the closest thing to her and jumping out of the futon, Shiori looked around, cursing as she saw her window was blocked by a burning beam that had just crashed down onto the place she had previously been. Out of routes, she rushed towards her door, intent on getting out of there FAST.
Unfortunately, flames were all ready burning the halls outside her door and the smoke that had made it's way in through small cracks now tumbled in by the lung full through the open door.
Trying desperately to ease her rising panic and remain calm, Shiori's eyes darted from side to side -- coughing from the thick smoke in the process -- before saying the only thing that came to her mind.
"Chikuso!"
* * * * *
"Sou-chan!" Kaoru called, one hand over her mouth as she ran over the bridge towards the other side of the river where everyone was and away from the burning inn. She had been inside the kitchen with Okami arranging a vase of red and white roses when a burning pillar had fallen in.
Luckily, they were smart women and that had given them the hint to get out. FAST.
"Kaoru-san!" Soujiro yelled, relief evident as he ran up and gave her a hug. "Have you seen Takarashiro-san? I haven't seen her yet."
Kaoru's once calm blue eyes widened and panic coursed through her again. "You mean she didn't get out?!"
Before Kaoru could turn and run back towards the inn, Kenshin held out an arm and stopped her. "Don't."
Kaoru frowned, eyes narrowing. "But what about-!"
"It will do no good to get yourself killed. She never did like people getting hurt on her account," he said flatly, belittling his wild emotions churning inside.
Opening and shutting her mouth, Kaoru reluctantly settled down, watching as the remaining structure of the Kohagi Inn collapsed in a pile of burning wood. "She's just a child...Kami-sama don't do this..."
"Where's Katsura-san?" Tomoe piped up, wrapping an arm around Kaoru's shoulders when the young girl's knees began to buckle from under her.
Kenshin's already clenched fist tightened. "I'm not sure."
"Himura," Katsura's voice came, startling everyone. Turning, they saw him running across the bridge, carrying an unconscious Shiori who looked a bit burned but otherwise fine.
"Katsura-sama," Kenshin said, the relief in his tone evident as his fist unclenched and Kaoru sighed in relief.
"Is she all right?" Tomoe asked, taking the unconscious girl from Katsura's arms while Kaoru took the bag that was in her lap.
"She'll be fine. Passed out from the smoke I believe," he said, sitting down on the grassy hill below the bridge.
"Shiori-chan no baka," Kaoru muttered, eyes brimming with tears as she took out the shinai and bokken sticking out from her small bag. "She went to go get them."
"Why would she do that?" Kenshin frowned, staring at the two weapons. They looked like any other bokken and shinai, no significant value that he could see.
"I told her these were the last things my parents gave me before they were killed so they are my treasures. Shiori no baka," Kaoru muttered furiously, blinking her tears back again. It was always the same, someone getting hurt because of her.
"What should we do now Katsura-sama?" Kenshin asked, placing a gentle hand on Kaoru's shoulder until she relaxed.
"All my ideas are dead and our hideout was discovered. We need to regroup but I don't know when that will be. Almost all of our men were killed." Sighing, Katsura turned to Kenshin. "I want you to go to a home I have in the country. Stay there until we can regroup." Turning towards Kaoru he let a small smile grace his features. "I'd like you to go with him Kamiya-san and pose as his wife. A young married couple is far less suspicious then a single male."
Kaoru and Kenshin both nodded, though Kaoru's blush could clearly be seen. "Where will Tomoe-san go? She doesn't have a place to stay."
Katsura nodded, turning towards Tomoe. "If you need a place to stay you should go with them. Perhaps pose as Kaoru's sister. Soujiro can stay at Shiori's home considering she will need some help getting on her feet and recovering."
Soujiro nodded, though he laughed slightly as he said, "I'll have to see if Kana-san or Haruka-san can come help me cook until she's better."
Kaoru's eyebrow arched. "Why can't you do it? I gave you some lessons."
"I tried but I nearly burned the kitchen down."
::THUD::
All sweat-dropped as Kaoru's fell to the ground, her own large sweat-drop on the back of her head.
"I'll contact you soon Himura," Katsura said while handing Kenshin a slip of paper. "Be careful of spies. We still haven't caught the traitor."
Kenshin gave a stiff nod, watching Katsura go off towards wherever he was going to hide.
"Should we go?" Kaoru asked, taking Shiori into her arms while Soujiro grabbed the small bag from her lap.
Nodding, Kenshin turned to Tomoe. "Are you coming with us?"
Tomoe hesitated briefly before nodding. "I have nowhere else to go."
"Then lets hurry, perhaps we can make it before sunset," Kenshin said, walking off with Soujiro beside him, Tomoe trailing a bit behind them.
Before Kaoru left, Okami grabbed her shoulder gently, turning her so she could place some white roses on Shiori's lap. "Roses are beautiful in the rain, even if the rain is red," Okami repeated before walking off.
Kaoru stared after her for a few moments blinking in confusion, still not understanding what Okami meant.
"Kaoru-san! Hurry up!" Soujiro called, looking back when he noticed she hadn't started to walk yet. Kenshin stopped and looked over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow at her.
Clearing her throat, Kaoru blushed a bit at the looks before sprinting towards them with a small, "Hai!"
They were her family now, even if it was only an act.
* * * * *
Otsu, July of 1864
Walking up the mountain side, Kaoru sighed. They had just parted ways with Soujiro who was heading north a little bit more, Tomoe walking with him to make sure they got there all right. It left her and Kenshin alone to find the house they'd use, and with that came an uncomfortable silence.
As much as she tried not to, her mind kept going back to their almost kiss. Damn Iizuka, he had to ruin it. She had seen the highly annoyed look that passed over Kenshin's face and couldn't help but blush faintly. He had really wanted to kiss her. The thought was both surprising and confusing.
"I believe this is the place," Kenshin spoke suddenly, jolting Kaoru from her thought filled trance.
Glancing around, Kaoru's eyes widened with suppressed awe. It was a beautiful cabin just big enough for the three of them with beautiful sakura trees in front as well as a large area where they could grow plants and flowers. It was the closest place Kaoru could think of to the small dream home her mother had often described to her; the quaint little home she had grown up in until she had met her father.
"You like it?" Kenshin asked, suppressing his smirk and settling for raising an amused eyebrow at her. She was entranced by the home and looked adorably innocent with her blue eyes wide and sparkling as she made her way towards the cabin.
"It looks just like the home my mother described to me once."
Kenshin rose an eyebrow. Her tone had both a wistful and incredibly sad sound to it and that startled him. He only belatedly realized he still didn't know much about Kaoru. Perhaps her tone had something to do with her past? What could have happened to make such a normally vibrant girl so sad? He made a note to himself mentally to ask her tomorrow. Right now he was tired from the hike. He needed some sleep.
Too bad it would be blood filled.
* * * * *
"Ohayo Kenshin," Kaoru called as Kenshin entered the quaint kitchen the next morning after practicing out in the forest. Tomoe looked up and gave him a brief wave in greeting before turning back to writing in her journal.
"Ohayo," he said, taking his katana and wakizashi from his side before sitting down at the table. "Smells good," he commented as Kaoru set down the food.
"Arigatou, demo, there weren't any daikon radishes for the rice," Kaoru explained, sitting down next to Tomoe.
"We can grow some for the fall harvest out front. I remember most of the things my father taught me about farming so it should be fine," he said, biting into the very over cooked rice.
Tomoe's and Kenshin's faces both turned a bit blue, though neither wanted to mention anything in fear of hurting Kaoru's feelings.
Note to self: Do the cooking or ask Yukishiro-san to, Kenshin mused inwardly, eating the rice with a straight face. It wasn't so bad -- it was actually better then some of the horrible stuff his shishou had cooked him once -- but if he had to eat it everyday he'd be driven insane by bad rice instead of his blood dreams.
"So how is it?" Kaoru asked, smiling while she ate hers without a care in the world.
"Fine," both answered flatly, not looking her in the face. If they did they were both sure Kaoru would see their expressions which clearly said otherwise.
Hopefully, Kenshin inwardly mused again, Shiori and Soujiro are having better luck with food.
* * * * *
Lake Biwa, July of 1864
"Is she going to be all right?" Kana asked, kneeling by her friend's side. When they had arrived at the house that morning after hearing of the fire in Kyoto, all of them had been horrified beyond belief to learn that what they had feared was true; Shiori had been hurt in the fire. Hachiro -- being the hot head he was -- had immediately ranted on Soujiro for not watching after her -- which Misa, Kana and Haruka yelled at him for considering it wasn't Soujiro's fault -- and had taken to glaring at him since.
"I think so..." he said, forcing his smile to be bright to keep their spirits up. He should have known it wouldn't last. Whenever he found any semblance of true peace something would shatter it. Now his friend was hurt because of the fire, which he had learned was planned. Soujiro now understood what Shiori had meant by, "Learning more then I want to know from people passing by from Kyoto."
That morning -- before Kana and the others had arrived -- he had heard a group of people talking about the burning of Kohagi Inn and how the job hadn't been a complete success. Apparently, part of the reason had been to specifically take Shiori out, for what reason he didn't know.
A small groan from Shiori snapped him to attention, unknowingly watching her with anxious eyes, waiting to see her wake up and say she was fine.
"Itai..." she grumbled, slowly opening her eyes. As soon as they did she nearly jumped up in fright as six worried faces invaded her blurry vision.
In fact, she did try and jump back, but the pressure she put on her legs to jump backwards from her partly reclined position proved to be a bad move. The burns on her legs screamed bloody murder as soon as she pushed on it the slightest bit and she gave a bit back cry of pain.
"Daijoubu?" everyone immediately chorused, Kana and Soujiro at her side helping her sit up without putting pressure on her injured limbs.
"My legs hurt..." she hissed, a few tears escaping her tightly clenched eyes.
"There were bad burns on your legs. They'll heal but you won't be able to walk on them for quite a while," Seiki explained. "My Okaa-san came to check them while you were asleep so they're patched up with some healing salve that should prevent any scars."
"Great," Shiori muttered. Now if someone wanted to kill her she was a sitting duck. It didn't take a genius to smell the suspicious substances that had most likely been poured around her room and on the floors in front of her door, nor did it take a genius to figure out someone wanted her dead for some reason.
"Takarashiro-san...uh...can I talk to her for a minute alone?" Soujiro asked, turning towards Misa and the others.
"Sure!" Haruka chimed, clapping a hand over Hachiro's mouth with Misa before he could start whining and protesting. "We'll be down by the lake fishing for dinner. We'll try and catch extra fish for you too."
"Arigatou," Shiori and Soujiro chimed, waiting until they were gone.
Soujiro coughed a moment, glancing at the crack in the door where he could see Hachiro still peering in. Once he heard the unmistakable sound of Kana's voice shouting, "Leave them some privacy baka!" and the loud protests of what could have only been Hachiro having his ear pulled, Soujiro turned to Shiori with a concerned look.
"You know this is bad ne?" he said.
Shiori nodded. "Someone wanted me dead, ne?" Soujiro nodded gravely. "I thought so. I could smell burning fluid before I passed out from the smoke. Looks like Kenshin-san isn't the only one with enemies looking for their head."
Soujiro's strained smile finally fell into it's rare frown. She was his friend -- a close one he had made over the past two months -- and he wouldn't let his new friend be taken away. "I'll protect you Takarashiro-san. I'll make sure you don't get hurt," he declared with a genuine smile. He would make sure his friend stayed safe; the feeling of companionship he had wouldn't disappear.
Shiori blinked once before smiling, holding out her pinky. "Yakusoku?"
Soujiro smiled, linking his pinky with hers and nodding. "Yakusoku."
"Awwwwwwwww!"
Shiori and Soujiro sweat-dropped, laughing nervously as they looked at the retreating figures of their spy friends, pinkies untangling in the process.
"They're definitely too nosy," Shiori muttered, lying back down as her head began pounding. "I wish the room would stop spinning."
Soujiro blinked, sitting himself cross-legged at her side. "Perhaps you should rest more. I'll ask Kana-san to stay and cook for us. I'll wake you up when it's done."
"Hai...sounds good..." she mumbled, drifting off to sleep. Soujiro smiled and tucked her in, surprised when he felt a tug at his sleeve. Looking down, he saw her fist had grabbed a handful of the blue gi she had given him their first day at the inn.
Shrugging, Soujiro laid down on his stomach, facing Shiori who was all ready sleeping. Yawning, Soujiro folded his arms together, resting his head sideways on them. He hadn't slept last night or that morning so it would do some good to take a nap. He'd wake up before Kana and the others came back.
That was his last thought before he too succumbed to a deep sleep.
* * * * *
Otsu, July of 1864
Stepping into the bedroom, Kenshin peered around for Kaoru, wondering where she was. Tomoe had gone off into a nearby village to buy some things leaving the two some alone time that Kenshin planned -- or was planning to -- put to good use. Unfortunately, the girl had seemingly disappeared leaving Kenshin frustrated and -- though he hated to admit it -- worried.
"Kaoru?" he called out, glancing from left to right. Where was that girl?
"Hai Kenshin?" her voice came from somewhere, easing Kenshin's inner worries a bit. Problem still remaining was where she actually was in the room.
Looking around, Kenshin glanced over everything, wondering where the hell she could be that he couldn't see her. There were futon's she and Tomoe would use -- since he liked sleeping against a wall -- and a table where Tomoe kept her journal and other small things, a clothes rack, two trunks, and a dressing screen.
"Dressing screen," Kenshin decided inwardly, leaning against the doorframe and looking away. Those trunks looked heavy and he didn't want to risk having it hurled at his head. Though the possibility Kaoru could pick something like them up and hurl it at him was doubtful, he still didn't want to risk misjudging her. Kami knew she had surprised him a couple times all ready with her surprising strength.
"Did you need something Kenshin?" she asked, walking from around the screen in her sleeping yukata. Her hair was let out of it's normal high ponytail and fell to her waist, some of the inky strands falling over her shoulders and blocking most of her chest that the deep neckline exposed.
"I was wondering about something," he started, turning around fully when he was sure she was decent. "The night I found you and Soujiro...what had happened?"
Kaoru's face darkened. "It's nothing Kenshin. I'm going to go get some tea before turning in."
"It's not nothing," he said sharply, grabbing her arm in a firm grip when she tried to get past him. "What happened? I remember you both were nearly covered in blood."
"Why the sudden interest?" she asked, wanting to avoid the subject.
"I never got a chance to ask you and when I did I didn't remember because of other things on my mind," he stated flatly, looking her in the eyes. "What happened that night Kaoru?"
Kaoru unknowingly shuddered, closing her eyes as her lip twitched into a rare frown. He was going to persist if she didn't tell him and she had seen his stubborn streak once before; it was nearly as bad as her own. "I had moved from Tokyo to my aunt's home that's some distance away from Kyoto a month before because of my mother and father's death. They told me my uncle had had a child with a local prostitute but the woman died and my uncle took the baby in but he died soon after. My aunt hated the child, but kept him around to keep a good image with the people since it was a respectable area," she started slowly, loosening up a bit.
Kenshin bristled as he let go of her asking quietly, "Soujiro?"
Kaoru nodded, sitting down while Kenshin did the same. "Hai, Sou-chan. He was badly treated. He was a slave to them more or less. They would beat him when he did the slightest thing wrong or sometimes he would just get beaten for nothing. He'd cry, but soon he realized they enjoyed his pain and he started taking it with a smile."
Kenshin nodded solemnly, his mind pulling up something Soujiro had once said.
"Why do you keep smiling like that?"
"I always do when someone's going to hurt me."
"I tried..." Kaoru whispered, clenching a fist full of her kimono skirt as her bangs hooded her eyes from Kenshin. "I tried to help him but they would always stop me. When the rice business had gone downhill, there wasn't enough money to feed everyone since I had come so they decided to kill him and claim it to be a murderer who broke in during the night since they made Sou-chan sleep outside. I protested the idea and tried to defend him with my skills but my cousins were much more skilled then me. We were slashed at, Sou-chan even fell unconscious, but neither of us got killed.
Fortunately for us, I was very well known in the town because I had given some local kids lessons in my father's style. The idea of killing us off was struck out because of that. Instead, they got a carriage and brought us into a forest a few miles away from Kyoto and dumped us out like trash hoping animals would eat us. I was awake though and walked to Kyoto with Sou-chan, but I passed out after he woke up and went searching for help." A rueful smile crossed Kaoru's lips as she looked at Kenshin and said, "You know the rest. I've just been trying to protect Sou-chan since then."
"What about you?" he asked seriously, looking straight into her deep sapphire eyes as she gave him a confused look. "Who protected you this whole time?"
"I did," Kaoru said forcefully -- bitterly even -- glaring down at the floor. "I don't have anyone to protect me anymore so I protect myself."
Kaoru's heart began to thump when she felt his arms wrap around her in an oddly comfortable embrace, despite his strong grip. "Kaoru," he said slowly, as if debating with himself. "You shouldn't have ever went through that." Hesitantly, Kenshin pulled away from her slightly, his hands resting on her pale cheeks and his fingers twisting themselves through her inky tresses. "I know you said you can protect yourself, demo," he paused, taking a deep breath as if he were heading into some kind of big battle alone. "As long as you are with me, I will protect you. Wakatta?"
Kaoru stared at him, her eyes unwillingly letting go of the tears she hadn't realized were in her eyes until her vision blurred. "Wakarinasai...demo...yakusoku?"
Kenshin nodded, giving her a small -- microscopic even -- smile. "Yakusoku, Kaoru," he said before taking her into another embrace, this one just a bit possessive. Inwardly, Kenshin made his own vow, never to let anything harm her like she had been ever again. Odd or not, this girl just did something to him that made him feel calmer, more peaceful then he had ever felt in a long time and for that alone he would make sure she was never hurt.
Kaoru nestled her head into the crook of his neck, inhaling the pleasant scent of sandalwood while smiling into his shoulder. It had been so long since she had felt cared for, safe even. She had always been the one giving the security, caring for others and ignoring her own desires. It felt nice to receive it instead of give for a change and Kaoru indulged herself to enjoy the security Kenshin was giving her now. She didn't understand why he would care about her, but whatever his reasons were she vowed to find out some other time. Right now she just wanted to enjoy the pleasant smell of sandalwood and the warmth of his strong embrace.
Through the crack in the door, Tomoe smiled, wiping away a tear that had escaped her eyes. She silently made her own promise, if only for Kaoru's sake, to not go through with her original plans.
The image of her beloved Kiyosato seemed to appear before her eyes, smiling at her as he held out a branch of plum blossoms in his hand, the other stroking her cheek.
Blinking, Tomoe rubbed her eyes to clear her vision, opening them to see nothing but the flickering light from the candle sitting on the table, the light bouncing off the tightly shut homes interior.
However, below the wax stick sat a plum blossom branch, a gentle breeze blowing across the room from out of nowhere.
"Wakarinasai..." Tomoe could of sworn she heard his loving voice say before the small breeze left, leaving one stunned Tomoe staring at the blossoms in front of her.
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Wow! Finally finished. Anyway, I have an offer I'd like to put up.
Many have asked I e-mail them when I update my stories so I extend the same offer to anyone reading. I'll send an e-mail to you as soon as I post/update any Rurouni Kenshin story (or my originals even if you would be so kind ^-^), but you have to leave your e-mail address in the review and tell me you want to be updated; or just e-mail me personally.
Notes:
1. Yakusoku - Promise
2. Cute enough? I hope this pleased all my readers ^-^ I know I'm cruel with no kiss yet but be patient! It will come in time! I kept Soujiro and Shiori cute too, and even stuck something with Tomoe and Kiyosato in it.