* Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer applies.

In Search of the Lost Sapphire
Chapter 3: A Cry and an Answer

Hiko gazed at those piercing blue-sapphire eyes. 'That he will never lose Hope again… like this little girl who smiled despite her overwhelming circumstances…. Yes, it was truly a smile amidst the rain of tears….'

*****************

Months later… February 2006.

It's already late at night. A nautic blue-pearl Volvo S60 stopped in front of Kenshin's house. The driver, which was Kenshin himself, turned off the engine and got out from the car. Phew, what a tiring day! Kenshin opened the baggage car and took out his photographing equipment. After dropping the tripod onto the ground he opened the door.

Once inside the house he immediately turned the light on. I hate formal clothes… That thought crossed his mind as he took off the dark gray suit he was wearing. But what can I do? It's Misao's wedding and I don't think that as the photographer I could show up with just jeans and T-shirts….

It wasn't until he removed his light blue shirt that he noticed the incoming mails in his mailbox. Unlike his shishou, Kenshin had his mailbox attached to his front door.

"Hm… let's see… Invitation for exhibition in Toronto…. And here's another one from National Geographic…." Finally he got to the last mail. The name of sender was written on the envelope. "The World Press Photo Foundation?" The redhead quickly tore the envelope open. He was dying to read the content.

Dear Mr. Himura, hereby we would like to invite you to attend the award ceremony of World Press Photo Contest 2005. Your photo, namely The Japanese Girl, has been selected as World Press Photo of the Year 2005.

The ceremony will be held at…..

Kenshin didn't finish reading it. I can't believe this!!! I'm dreaming…. He pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. No, I'm not dreaming…. My photo has actually been chosen as the winner of the most prestigious photography award!!!

The redhead was still staring at the letter in disbelief when he remembered something. "Oh yeah, gotta tell Shishou this wonderful news!!"

With that thought on his mind he ran to the telephone and started to dial Hiko's number. On second thought… Kenshin put down the telephone and looked at his watch. It's past midnight already. I don't think Shishou would appreciate it if I call him now…

***

Kenshin had indeed sent that photo to World Press Award Foundation just as Hiko had suggested. Accompanying the photo was an article he himself had written. He began with a short story about the Kobe disaster itself, the circumstances when the photo was taken, etc. He had also sent another photos that were witnesses to that great ramp more than 10 years ago. Then he continued with his thoughts about it.

The article was closed with these following lines: Our world is deteriorating. Prolonged wars in the Middle-East, poverty and starvation in Africa, nature ramps in Asia, hatred among races; this world is becoming uninhabitable... But I do believe that if we all had smiled the way this Japanese girl smiled; if everybody had believed in Hope no matter what may come; if every single soul in this world had never lost faith in one another… then we would have been living in a far better world than we're all living now.

Finally there is only one question left for us. And that is: how do we make sure that we will see smiles like this more often in the faces of our children?

***

Minutes later, Kenshin was already lying on his bed. A smile appeared on his lips. It's so hard to believe. They will have published the prizewinning images by the end of this month. And the formal presentation of prizes will take place in April. I really can't wait to be there! I've only been in the Netherlands once, and I'm looking forward to visit that land again…

He turned on the hi-fi stereo. After a short intro, the sweet voice of Sharon Corr immediately filled the room. If life is a river and your heart is a boat. And just like a water baby, baby born to float…

An old song…. Kenshin thought as sleep began to claim him. But it is still one of my favorites…

In your eyes faint as the singing of a lark,
that somehow this black night feels warmer for the spark.
To hold us 'til the day when fear will lose its grip and heaven has its ways.
Heaven knows no frontiers, and I've seen heaven in your eyes…

***

Kenshin found himself walking through a refugee camp. Children and adults were crying over the loss of their loved ones. Medical staff and volunteers did their best to help those victims of war. His heart was wrenched to see people suffering like that. Sometimes he really wished that he could do something to prevent it.

Then he turned his head just in time to see a dark-haired little girl staring at him intently. Violet eyes met blue sapphire eyes at that moment. Kenshin's eyes held so many unspoken questions, while those sapphire reflected the very same expression Kenshin saw on that photo.

The tension between them melted when the girl finally smiled warmly and ran off. "Hey!!" Kenshin called and went after her. "Wait!!" This time I'm not gonna lose you again...

The redhead finally caught her arm. He had expected that she would react violently and kicked him or whatsoever. But she didn't. She just stopped running and turned to face him. Her sad eyes gazed directly at Kenshin's.

"I will not hurt you, Child. Don't worry…" Kenshin said softly to that girl as he knelt down before her.

With broken English she managed to reply, "Kaoru know… Mister will not harm Kaoru…"

"Kaoru? You're name is Kaoru?"

The little girl nodded slowly. A small smile appeared on her lips.

"Kaoru, tell me, why do you smile? Are you not sad?"

"Kaoru sad…" Little Kaoru bowed down her head, her smile disappeared. "But Kaoru…" She trailed off.

"But what?" Kenshin probed further impatiently.

Little Kaoru didn't answer it. Instead, she lifted up her head and met Kenshin's violet eyes once again. "Mister will help Kaoru…? Please…?"

"Help you? But how?"

BOOM!! A bomb was dropped near their position. The loud sound of the explosion deafened his ears. The next thing Kenshin knew was that he was sitting at his bed, sweating all over his body. It took his mind a few seconds to register his surroundings.

It was just a dream… Kenshin sighed and leaned his back to the wall as he wiped off the sweat on his forehead. Recently I've got the same dreams, only the places were different. This time it was a war. The last time it was a great flood. But she was always there… with the same expression she had worn the day I took the picture, and that haunting smile too…. This was the first time I got to talk to her. She has always disappeared, until tonight… And she actually told me her name. Kaoru, her name is Kaoru…. And her voice, it was so sweet like the voice of an angel…

What are you thinking about, Kenshin? He scolded himself. You don't even know if she's still alive. And about she telling her name, it's utterly ridiculous!!! You're getting out of your mind…

But why do I keep dreaming about the same thing? The other part of mind replied. She even asked me for help…. What if it's true? What if she's alive and needs help? Kenshin held his head with both of his hands. I've been getting those dreams since I found that photo…. I think I'm going crazy… He closed his eyes with hope that he could forget all that.

But whenever he closed his eyes he would just see those blue-sapphire eyes. Her plea rang at his mind like a bell. Mister will help Kaoru…? Please…?

"Arghh!!!" He yelled in frustration and confusion. Then Kenshin got up from his bed and walked to the bathroom. There he splashed his face with water and looked at his own image at the mirror. I've gotta stop thinking about her or I'll be going to the asylum…

***

But unfortunately for him, only words alone could not stop him from thinking about her, no matter how resolute they were. In the months that came he found himself thinking about her every time her photo appeared on the newspaper. Where is she now? Is she still alive? Is her name really Kaoru? How does she look like now? Why did she smile? Kenshin often wondered the reason behind that smile. Whenever he met Kaoru on his dreams he always asked her why, but she never told him.

Kenshin would scold himself for thinking about her, but it was of no use as the dreams kept coming to him.

As for the photo itself, within a short amount of time it had gained its fame. It had received so many approvals from professional photographers all around the world for the composition and the sharpness of the image, and also for the excellent exposure. They admitted that it was once in a million; not every day did you get a chance to take a shot like that, and Kenshin surely hadn't missed it.

Common people thought of it as inspiring. A lot of people felt comforted just to look at those eyes, knowing that they could always hope. They agreed with Kenshin, who in one of his interviews said, "Looking at those eyes makes me realize that whatever you have gone through, nothing could break your soul down as long as you've still got hope in your heart and hold on to it. Hope is still there. Hope has never left us at all. It is us who forgets…."

That Japanese girl had become a symbol of the suffering of mankind, yet a lot of people had seen her as more than just a symbol of misery and agony. That smile reflected the everlasting hope she had in her and marked her sheer determination not to break down and not to give up. That smile showed her courage, her steadfast endurance and her strong will to live. She had become a symbol of victory as well….

***

April 2006.

Hiko Seijuurou stopped his Saab 9-5 right in front of his house and turned off the engine of his car. He frowned when he noticed a metallic dark blue Volvo S60 parked not far from his house. Baka deshi? What could he be doing here?

He entered his own house, and found Kenshin sitting on his couch. To be more precisely, he found Kenshin dozing on his couch. Hiko smirked at the familiar scene. Years ago when Kenshin had been a mere boy he had often waited for Hiko to come home. But in the process he had always fallen asleep, because the actor usually came home very late.

Back then Hiko would usually put him to bed. But now that Kenshin was already grownup, he decided to wake him up with a more 'violent' manner. Hiko took the remote control of the television and turned it on. Color blue appeared on the screen because it was the channel for VCR. Hiko was grinning widely when he turned up the volume and changed the channel. It was Kenshin's pure bad luck that 'the Patriot' was played on that channel...

The loud sound of explosion woke Kenshin abruptly from his sleep. For the first few seconds he really thought that he was in the middle of a war in one of his dreams. But then he saw Hiko standing behind the couch, grinning like a madman. "Shishou!! What did you do that for?!!"

"Heheh, did I scare you to death, baka deshi?"

Kenshin grumbled exasperatedly. "I could have had heart attack, you know…" Why does he always wake me up with such violent manners?

"Anyway," Hiko took a bottle of sake and sat at the couch as well. "What are you doing here?"

Kenshin shook his head slowly. "Nothing. I've been at a friend nearby and I thought it would be nice if I dropped by for a moment." He eyed the sword at Hiko's hand. "Another fight-scene shooting?"

"Yup."

"And did it go well?"

Hiko raised his eyebrows. "Of course it did! Who do you think I am? They are no match against my Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu…. Anyway, when are you going to depart for the Netherlands? The ceremony takes place at 25 April, doesn't it?"

"I'll leave this Thursday. National Geographic wants me to make coverage about Dutch people. I'll stay there three weeks, so that means until the end of April. Dutch people have special celebration that takes place on 30 April. I still have to do further research, but 30 April was said to be the birthday of the queen, if not the former queen. There will be a lot of attraction in the streets, and so on. I thought it would be interesting if I include it in my story…."

Hiko watched his baka deshi carefully. He's hiding something… I can see it in his eyes… Then he said loudly, "Spit it out, baka deshi. I see something's been bothering your mind, hasn't it? You're hiding something…"

He really reads me like a book… Kenshin grumbled inwardly. "You're right. Something has indeed been bothering my mind…." The redhead paused a while before he continued, "From the Netherlands I will head to Japan. I'm not sure how long I will stay there, but I won't be coming home for at least six weeks. Miss me already, Shishou?" He smirked at Hiko.

"Yeah right…" Hiko retorted sarcastically. "Miss you?!! Why should I? But by the way, if I may ask, why Japan?"

"I have always wanted to visit the land of my birth again. I want to take photographs too. At least that's what I told people…" Kenshin's eyes gazed at the newspaper on the table. On the cover was the photo of 'The Japanese Girl', a.k.a. Kaoru. "It was because of her…"

"Who?" Hiko inquired. "Have you got a girlfriend there?"

"No!!" Kenshin pointed to the photo. "Her…" He saw the frown at Hiko's face and proceeded, "You may find it weird, but lately I've been getting strange dreams…. They were always about war, nature ramps, disasters and so on. I've always seen her in those dreams. Sometimes she would just run away and I lost her. But at another dream I got to talk to her. She even told me her name."

Kenshin closed his eyes. He had expected his foster father to laugh at him, but apparently he did not. Instead, Hiko asked further, "And who is her name?"

Kenshin was surprised by Hiko's interest. He hadn't expected it. But nevertheless he answered the question. "Kaoru. Her name is Kaoru…."

"Her eyes have been haunting my mind ever since I found that photo. I've tried not to think about her, but the dreams never stop plaguing my mind…. I've gotta settle this once and for all."

Hiko frowned. "What do you mean with 'settle this once and for all'?"

"In my dreams she asked me to help her. That's what I'm gonna find out. I want to look for her. Besides, I've been wondering the reason behind that smile. I want to ask her that…." He trailed off. "I know, you may think I'm crazy. It's just a dream, and I don't even know if she's still alive. But… I have to go anyway."

Hiko didn't say anything at first. After a while he said, "Well, then good luck, baka deshi. I hope you'll find her. Now get out of here. I'm tired and I want to get some sleep."

"All right." Kenshin nodded and walked out of the house. He was just about to get into his car when he turned around and asked Hiko, who was standing at the front door. "Shishou, honestly, didn't you think I was crazy?"

Hiko sighed as he replied, "Believe me, baka deshi, as much as I want to think you're crazy, I can't do that."

"Why?"

"I don't know." Hiko shrugged his broad shoulders. "Somehow I feel that those dreams are no nonsense, that's all."

"I see…" Kenshin nodded slowly as he got inside his car. "Then I'll get going. Bye, Shishou!"

Hiko only nodded. But when he noticed the worry in his eyes he said, "Don't worry, baka deshi."

That one stopped Kenshin from turning on the engine. He always knows what I'm thinking about! Is he a mind-reader or what?! "What, Shishou?"

"You'll find her, trust me. I believe that she's still alive."

"How can you be so sure?"

"She wouldn't die. Someone with such strong will to live wouldn't die that easily…"

"I guess so…" Kenshin smiled as he waved his hands. "No need to worry then! See ya, Shishou!"

And so the search began…

- End of Chapter 3: A Cry and an Answer -

Author's Note:

* Not much to say.… Honestly I'm not quite satisfied with this chapter, but then again.... I just hope you didn't find it that lousy.

* Gypsy-chan: about Kenshin dating Misao and Tae, I didn't really have special purposes. It wasn't my fault, it was my hands' fault for typing it… :-)
- nemo: please do forgive me for grammatical error and improper words. It's what you get when English isn't your native language. Believe me when I said I'm trying my best…. About the dialogue during the phone call, you're right. Thanks for pointing this out. I'll try to fix it in the next chapters. Bingo, Kenshin is a photojournalist! I've been looking for that term…. Last but not least, Kaoru is going to appear at… I can't tell ya! Or else I'd be spoiling the plot! :-P
- Jason M. Lee: Hiko doesn't really hate people. It's just that sometimes he wants to be alone. How did Kenshin get to Hiko? You may find out in the next chapter…
- chibi-angel: nice to know you liked it. By the way, I personally would like to see your own version with similar idea. I'm sure it would be a great fic! ;-) And no, I'm not a photographer, though I wish I were… I can say that I'm interested in it, but here where I live, photography is such an expensive hobby. A poor student like me couldn't afford to do it. But I do know someone who is a photographer himself. In fact, it was from him that I know that photo and the story behind it…
- hotohori: you're right. Never seen a Japanese with purple eyes, unless they wear contact lenses…. :-D Anyway, such rare eye-colors only exist in anime world…
- Onna, Nimbus Rey, Kawaii Ayame, Raziel the Reaver, SAGE, lieveit1, marstanuki, dfourthhorseman, Shin-chan, raphie, poochy: thanks for the encouragement!! I hope you'll bear with me and keep reading…