Disclaimer: Do I own Rurouni Kenshin? Hold on, let me check with my
secretary, my mystical #8 ball.. And it says.. 'In your dreams'.. Why you
little. (throws agaisnt wall).. So as you can see, I don't own RK. wish as
I might.. I never will.. BUT I CAN DREAM!!!
Authors Notes: Okay. this is probably going to be VERY OOC-ness when it comes to Battousai for this chapter. Or at least it will seem like it. It's just a forewarning to those of you who think I'm already going too far as it is. Okay? 0_~, I'm trying though!
~Coming of the Dawn~
***Chapter 4- Resurfacing Memories***
Kaoru looked around the room. She was still in Battousai's room. she hadn't been moved into her new room yet. They wouldn't do that until he was back from his meeting. It had been by his request. So she waited while sitting on the futon. She looked over at the kimonos the Innkeeper had been nice enough to donate to her. They were all very pretty, but they weren't exactly what Kaoru was used to. But, then again, she thought, she wasn't used to being the Battousai's prisoner.
She began to wonder inwardly if Battousai was really his name, if he even remembered his real name. She supposed it wasn't a good idea to ask him. He already hated her enough as it was, she noticed that. But the thing that was really bugging Kaoru was that she couldn't figure out WHY he had been willing to give mercy unto her and he hadn't done so for so many others.
Suddenly the door burst open, and her eyes shot down to her lap. She didn't want him to see the look of thoughtfulness in her eyes. She realized that he could tell what she was thinking about and sometimes it angered him. He was already grouchy enough around her, she didn't need to get him more angry.
A hand pulled her up from her sitting position. Her eyes shot up to see his amber eyes glaring down at her.
"Do you want to move into your room or not?" he asked, clearly annoyed.
'Did he have a bad meeting or something?' She wondered. "I. yes."
He rolled his eyes. "Then pick up your kimonos and stuff. I'm not carrying it for you."
She glared at him. He was REALLY making her mad today. Usually she'd be scared of him, but today she was just plain mad. Making the Oniwabanshu work for the Ishin Shishi, using her for ransom, she couldn't believe that this was what his mercy was like. She didn't let him see the full extent of her anger, though. He did have a grip on her wrist, and he did have that sword tucked away in his belt. If she angered him he might just kill her on the spot, she didn't know.
Kaoru picked up her things and was then roughly led to the stairs. She winced at the grip he held now on her upper arm. He defiantly wasn't a gentle man. She could already see the bruise forming on her wrist when he had pulled her up off the futon earlier. She let him pull her around, and then stop in front of room with a tall wooden door. He opened it, and led her inside.
Kaoru gasped. This room was much nicer. more fit for a woman. than the one Battousai stayed in. There was a closet and a full body mirror in case she felt like really looking nice. She noticed the blue blankets on the futon. Blue. her favorite color. She looked around, and then noticed that she wasn't too far from the bathhouse, either. And her jobs in the kitchen (not cooking, mostly cleaning) and dining areas weren't too far away, either.
She turned for a moment to look in the mirror, trying to see if she looked like the total wreck she felt like. She guessed she was at least semi presentable, but in her mirror she saw the Battousai. He was still in the room. She was about ready to ask why he hadn't let, but then she saw him gently touch the door, and then some of the kimonos that were in the closet, as if remembering. She watched him from the mirror as he shut his eyes and sighed, as if he had known someone that had once been in this room.
Kaoru wondered. so she kept her attention fixated on him.
*************
Battousai felt the cloth of a purple kimono. He sighed inwardly at the flood of memories it produced. 'Tomoe.' he thought inwardly. 'They gave her Tomoe's old room. it hasn't been messed with since she last stayed in here.'
He didn't notice Kaoru watching him. Then he touched the red kimono, and then his other hand went straight to the cross-shaped scar on his face, his fingers tracing the rough skin that had grown to cover the wound. 'I'm sorry Tomoe.'
*************
Now Kaoru was interested. He had touched his scar when he had touched the kimono that was as red as blood. She wondered if he knew the woman that had stayed in here before her. maybe he had been ordered to kill her. Maybe..
Then she saw it before her thoughts could continue. A tear, coming down from his closed eye and running over his scarred cheek. She took in a breath. 'So he does have feelings. but why sadness? Or are they happy tears? He doesn't seem happy. but he doesn't seem sad. Then again I thought he couldn't feel.'
She took in another breath, not sure if she should do what her gut was telling her to do. She wasn't sure if it was right.
But he was human.
He would forget anyway.
But everyone deserved peace.
He would go back to hating her.
They would still be enemies.
They could still be enemies.
Maybe she could get Hitokiri Battousai off the streets
Kaoru breathed in deeply again, and then decided to let her wall fall and do what her heart told her to. 'I'm too compassionate..' She thought.
"You knew the woman who stayed here before me, didn't you?" she asked him, keeping her voice even so that he couldn't hear the sympathy in her words.
Battousai's amber eyes opened quickly upon hearing her voice. She winced, thinking she had angered him.
"Yes." Came the soft, emotionless yet overwhelming response.
She sucked in a breath. "You killed her, didn't you?"
He didn't look at her, just kept his eyes glued on the kimonos. "Yes."
"You regret it?" she pried.
Battousai tried to ignore the statement and question. He did regret it, oh Kami-sama, he regretted it so much, even if it had been purely accident.
"I was an accident." He answered, keeping his answers vague as he let himself go back into his memories.
She nodded. That's why he was crying. It was an accident. "Did you know her well, Battousai?"
He nodded. "You could say that."
Kaoru thought inwardly. 'He's easier to get along with when he's remembering and only paying half attention to me. either that or when he's actually feeling. maybe he's getting something out of explaining this.'
"She was my wife." He added before she ask anything else.
Kaoru stood there, frozen. His WIFE? He had a WIFE? She wondered who in their right mind would want to marry a hitokiri, let alone fall in love with the Battousai out of every hitokiri in Japan. Surely this woman was drugged when she said her vows.
"Oh." Kaoru responded. "You can tell me about it if you want to."
Battousai shook his head. He had already told her more than he had intended to tell her in the first place. He wasn't even going to tell her about the fact that this was a room he remembered, had a connection to. But when he opened the door, the memories were too much, not the mention that the room was no different than it had been when he and his wife had been told to move away.
"Alright." Came Kaoru's voice. "You can keep your silence. We are enemies, that's all we can ever be."
Battousai turned to look at her. Kaoru could have swore she saw a gratefulness in his eyes before they went back to their normal angry hue. He glared at her, away from the kimonos.
"And keep it that way." He said, his words laced with acid.
She winced at his sudden change. "Yes."
She bowed her head so she wouldn't have to look at him. He really scared her. She used defiance to not show that, but he really did scare her.
Battousai turned and walked out of the room, slamming the door. Upon entering the hall, he motioned to two swordsmen to guard the room. He walked past them up to his own room, and walked inside, shutting and locking the door.
He had never been so glad in his life to be away from a woman. This girl was turning out to be more a burden than he had thought. Now, what had she said her name was? Oh yes, Kamiya Kaoru. This Kaoru. she was not what he thought she would be. He thought she would have been easy to manipulate, but she hadn't been. She just distanced herself from him. He took that as a plus. Even if he would never kill a woman, he couldn't chance getting close to another one.
Not after Tomoe.
************* *************
Aoshi looked at the piece of paper in his hand. The Ishin Shishi had been giving them 3 jobs that day, all of which spying jobs. He groaned. The rest of the Oniwabanshu was already out, and he got this 4th mission, a scouting one. The only members of the Oniwabanshu left at the Aoiya were him and Misao. And they were never supposed to go out alone, even if he was the leader.
"Misao." He stated.
Misao came bounding into his room, kneeling at his feet as she looked up at him with big eyes, her braid falling next to her swiftly.
"Yes Aoshi-sama?" she asked.
"There is another mission. you and I will go on this one." He explained.
She smiled at him. "Finally! I get to do something besides stay stuck here at the Aoiya! I will show you I can do this, Aoshi-sama, I promise!"
He had to smile (inwardly, of course) at her enthusiasm. Maybe he underestimated her sometimes. He stood up.
"Gather your weapons and be ready in a half hour. Meet me in the kitchen and we will leave." He stated.
She got up, turned to leave, and then turned around. "Why isn't Okina coming with us, also?"
Aoshi had thought of that. He could have gone with Okina, but part of him felt better knowing Misao was with him instead of alone there at the Aoiya. "Someone must stay behind and watch the Aoiya."
She nodded and then ran off, not about to question him anymore, in case he decided to change his mind. She was bursting with happiness. She was getting to go on a mission with her Aoshi-sama! She calmed down, though. That was one thing that could screw her up. Too much excitement.
Then she thought of Kaoru. She missed Kaoru. It had only been a week since they had agreed to work with the Ishin Shishi, but she couldn't help but wonder how the Battousai was treating her friend.
Authors Notes: Well.. There's that chapter. I guess this is kind of turning to have a little A/M in it, too! I think this one is slightly longer than the rest. or maybe I'm imagining things? I want to thank my ONE reviewer, Liz (I think I got her name right. I responded to your review, and THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR your review! That's what sparked the writing of this chapter. which I wasn't going to write for a while!). Please review the story! I need, want, and WISH to know what you think (good or bad. but please go easy on the bad reviews if you must review bad. I am sensitive! 0_~).
Luv,
Crystal Renee
Authors Notes: Okay. this is probably going to be VERY OOC-ness when it comes to Battousai for this chapter. Or at least it will seem like it. It's just a forewarning to those of you who think I'm already going too far as it is. Okay? 0_~, I'm trying though!
~Coming of the Dawn~
***Chapter 4- Resurfacing Memories***
Kaoru looked around the room. She was still in Battousai's room. she hadn't been moved into her new room yet. They wouldn't do that until he was back from his meeting. It had been by his request. So she waited while sitting on the futon. She looked over at the kimonos the Innkeeper had been nice enough to donate to her. They were all very pretty, but they weren't exactly what Kaoru was used to. But, then again, she thought, she wasn't used to being the Battousai's prisoner.
She began to wonder inwardly if Battousai was really his name, if he even remembered his real name. She supposed it wasn't a good idea to ask him. He already hated her enough as it was, she noticed that. But the thing that was really bugging Kaoru was that she couldn't figure out WHY he had been willing to give mercy unto her and he hadn't done so for so many others.
Suddenly the door burst open, and her eyes shot down to her lap. She didn't want him to see the look of thoughtfulness in her eyes. She realized that he could tell what she was thinking about and sometimes it angered him. He was already grouchy enough around her, she didn't need to get him more angry.
A hand pulled her up from her sitting position. Her eyes shot up to see his amber eyes glaring down at her.
"Do you want to move into your room or not?" he asked, clearly annoyed.
'Did he have a bad meeting or something?' She wondered. "I. yes."
He rolled his eyes. "Then pick up your kimonos and stuff. I'm not carrying it for you."
She glared at him. He was REALLY making her mad today. Usually she'd be scared of him, but today she was just plain mad. Making the Oniwabanshu work for the Ishin Shishi, using her for ransom, she couldn't believe that this was what his mercy was like. She didn't let him see the full extent of her anger, though. He did have a grip on her wrist, and he did have that sword tucked away in his belt. If she angered him he might just kill her on the spot, she didn't know.
Kaoru picked up her things and was then roughly led to the stairs. She winced at the grip he held now on her upper arm. He defiantly wasn't a gentle man. She could already see the bruise forming on her wrist when he had pulled her up off the futon earlier. She let him pull her around, and then stop in front of room with a tall wooden door. He opened it, and led her inside.
Kaoru gasped. This room was much nicer. more fit for a woman. than the one Battousai stayed in. There was a closet and a full body mirror in case she felt like really looking nice. She noticed the blue blankets on the futon. Blue. her favorite color. She looked around, and then noticed that she wasn't too far from the bathhouse, either. And her jobs in the kitchen (not cooking, mostly cleaning) and dining areas weren't too far away, either.
She turned for a moment to look in the mirror, trying to see if she looked like the total wreck she felt like. She guessed she was at least semi presentable, but in her mirror she saw the Battousai. He was still in the room. She was about ready to ask why he hadn't let, but then she saw him gently touch the door, and then some of the kimonos that were in the closet, as if remembering. She watched him from the mirror as he shut his eyes and sighed, as if he had known someone that had once been in this room.
Kaoru wondered. so she kept her attention fixated on him.
*************
Battousai felt the cloth of a purple kimono. He sighed inwardly at the flood of memories it produced. 'Tomoe.' he thought inwardly. 'They gave her Tomoe's old room. it hasn't been messed with since she last stayed in here.'
He didn't notice Kaoru watching him. Then he touched the red kimono, and then his other hand went straight to the cross-shaped scar on his face, his fingers tracing the rough skin that had grown to cover the wound. 'I'm sorry Tomoe.'
*************
Now Kaoru was interested. He had touched his scar when he had touched the kimono that was as red as blood. She wondered if he knew the woman that had stayed in here before her. maybe he had been ordered to kill her. Maybe..
Then she saw it before her thoughts could continue. A tear, coming down from his closed eye and running over his scarred cheek. She took in a breath. 'So he does have feelings. but why sadness? Or are they happy tears? He doesn't seem happy. but he doesn't seem sad. Then again I thought he couldn't feel.'
She took in another breath, not sure if she should do what her gut was telling her to do. She wasn't sure if it was right.
But he was human.
He would forget anyway.
But everyone deserved peace.
He would go back to hating her.
They would still be enemies.
They could still be enemies.
Maybe she could get Hitokiri Battousai off the streets
Kaoru breathed in deeply again, and then decided to let her wall fall and do what her heart told her to. 'I'm too compassionate..' She thought.
"You knew the woman who stayed here before me, didn't you?" she asked him, keeping her voice even so that he couldn't hear the sympathy in her words.
Battousai's amber eyes opened quickly upon hearing her voice. She winced, thinking she had angered him.
"Yes." Came the soft, emotionless yet overwhelming response.
She sucked in a breath. "You killed her, didn't you?"
He didn't look at her, just kept his eyes glued on the kimonos. "Yes."
"You regret it?" she pried.
Battousai tried to ignore the statement and question. He did regret it, oh Kami-sama, he regretted it so much, even if it had been purely accident.
"I was an accident." He answered, keeping his answers vague as he let himself go back into his memories.
She nodded. That's why he was crying. It was an accident. "Did you know her well, Battousai?"
He nodded. "You could say that."
Kaoru thought inwardly. 'He's easier to get along with when he's remembering and only paying half attention to me. either that or when he's actually feeling. maybe he's getting something out of explaining this.'
"She was my wife." He added before she ask anything else.
Kaoru stood there, frozen. His WIFE? He had a WIFE? She wondered who in their right mind would want to marry a hitokiri, let alone fall in love with the Battousai out of every hitokiri in Japan. Surely this woman was drugged when she said her vows.
"Oh." Kaoru responded. "You can tell me about it if you want to."
Battousai shook his head. He had already told her more than he had intended to tell her in the first place. He wasn't even going to tell her about the fact that this was a room he remembered, had a connection to. But when he opened the door, the memories were too much, not the mention that the room was no different than it had been when he and his wife had been told to move away.
"Alright." Came Kaoru's voice. "You can keep your silence. We are enemies, that's all we can ever be."
Battousai turned to look at her. Kaoru could have swore she saw a gratefulness in his eyes before they went back to their normal angry hue. He glared at her, away from the kimonos.
"And keep it that way." He said, his words laced with acid.
She winced at his sudden change. "Yes."
She bowed her head so she wouldn't have to look at him. He really scared her. She used defiance to not show that, but he really did scare her.
Battousai turned and walked out of the room, slamming the door. Upon entering the hall, he motioned to two swordsmen to guard the room. He walked past them up to his own room, and walked inside, shutting and locking the door.
He had never been so glad in his life to be away from a woman. This girl was turning out to be more a burden than he had thought. Now, what had she said her name was? Oh yes, Kamiya Kaoru. This Kaoru. she was not what he thought she would be. He thought she would have been easy to manipulate, but she hadn't been. She just distanced herself from him. He took that as a plus. Even if he would never kill a woman, he couldn't chance getting close to another one.
Not after Tomoe.
************* *************
Aoshi looked at the piece of paper in his hand. The Ishin Shishi had been giving them 3 jobs that day, all of which spying jobs. He groaned. The rest of the Oniwabanshu was already out, and he got this 4th mission, a scouting one. The only members of the Oniwabanshu left at the Aoiya were him and Misao. And they were never supposed to go out alone, even if he was the leader.
"Misao." He stated.
Misao came bounding into his room, kneeling at his feet as she looked up at him with big eyes, her braid falling next to her swiftly.
"Yes Aoshi-sama?" she asked.
"There is another mission. you and I will go on this one." He explained.
She smiled at him. "Finally! I get to do something besides stay stuck here at the Aoiya! I will show you I can do this, Aoshi-sama, I promise!"
He had to smile (inwardly, of course) at her enthusiasm. Maybe he underestimated her sometimes. He stood up.
"Gather your weapons and be ready in a half hour. Meet me in the kitchen and we will leave." He stated.
She got up, turned to leave, and then turned around. "Why isn't Okina coming with us, also?"
Aoshi had thought of that. He could have gone with Okina, but part of him felt better knowing Misao was with him instead of alone there at the Aoiya. "Someone must stay behind and watch the Aoiya."
She nodded and then ran off, not about to question him anymore, in case he decided to change his mind. She was bursting with happiness. She was getting to go on a mission with her Aoshi-sama! She calmed down, though. That was one thing that could screw her up. Too much excitement.
Then she thought of Kaoru. She missed Kaoru. It had only been a week since they had agreed to work with the Ishin Shishi, but she couldn't help but wonder how the Battousai was treating her friend.
Authors Notes: Well.. There's that chapter. I guess this is kind of turning to have a little A/M in it, too! I think this one is slightly longer than the rest. or maybe I'm imagining things? I want to thank my ONE reviewer, Liz (I think I got her name right. I responded to your review, and THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR your review! That's what sparked the writing of this chapter. which I wasn't going to write for a while!). Please review the story! I need, want, and WISH to know what you think (good or bad. but please go easy on the bad reviews if you must review bad. I am sensitive! 0_~).
Luv,
Crystal Renee