This is a new story I wrote. It just came to me a while ago, but I waited till now to right it down. I hope you like this chapter. It might be Battousai/Kaoru. It depends on how this story turns out to be. Thanks and enjoy! Please leave any suggestions, comments, questions, and even flames in your review.
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin series. I wish I did, but I don't.
The Shades of the Dweller
Chapter One
Red images swirled through her mind, causing her heart to swell. Her very breath caught in her throat. Her sapphire eyes welled up with tears, which refused to fall. Her body protested to stay within the very walls of the manor house, she considered her prison. It was now or never. It was her chance to run, to finally be free from this hell.
Kaoru ran out the house, leaving her past behind her, to return to the place she originated, the place she once called home. She didn't know whether her parents would take her in or not, but after witnessing such a scene, after living her years, and wasting them in the hell of manor, her only option was to start all over again, and only hope her past never comes to seek her again.
The past is something one should never dwell upon. It comes and it goes. It shatters the heart, and leaves the remaining tears. Sacrifices are made, things are lost. However one should never dwell upon the past, or slowly they shall be consumed with hatred, remorse, with sadness until it finally kills them, Kaoru told herself mentally. Born from birth with supernatural abilities, always put her below the standards of being considered a high noble woman. Her parents were faithful to their roles in society. Being noble, took up most their times. They never took time off to see the real world, to see poverty, to see self-stricken people, the sick, and the ones who cry out in vain.
Her father worked as a politician trying to make his country better, however his insight of certain issues only complicated thing further. They were a family of class, a family of fame, a family of ideas, but for her the odds were uncertain.
Kaoru looked away from her given tasks she received earlier from her mother. She was lucky enough to still be alive, and walking. Praising to God and God alone, Kaoru kneeled to her knees in front of her idol, her statue she considered a God at her local temple. Her religious ways were the only things that soothed her soul. Her spiritual beliefs of her world heightened her senses giving her far better sense then the average human. Being reclusive to her family was her nature.
Slowly closing her eyes, images whirled through her closed up world in her mind. She saw things she couldn't understand, felt emotions that weren't hers. Screams could be heard from the distance. Then the shattering of glass, and the thumps of dull objects hitting the floor. Everything grew still, until only the color of blood red could be seen.
Kaoru opened her eyes as fast as she could. She didn't want to have to return back to those visions again. They haunted her night and day. They slowly consumed her soul, taking away her innocence, and binding her to darkness forever. As much as she never wanted to admit to herself she was different from the others, she had no choice but to confess it. Only God knew what was going to happen to her next. Only God can determine her outcomes. All she could do was kneel before her idol and pray for the past to never come and seek her again.
"Kaoru you wench get here right now! I don't know why you're even still breathing! Even all the maids in this house put together can move faster then you!" yelled Kaoru's stepmother from the drawing room.
Kaoru slowly set the cups on the golden handled tray. She picked two small different containers that contained sugar and tea bags. From her right side of the kitchen table, she picked a small plate which contained bread filled with butter for her family's newly arrived guests.
Footsteps could be heard from a distance. She knew exactly who entered the house by the sound of the greeting voice. Please God, tell me not another one. Her body panicked, her heart pumped, she could feel her head pounding, while her body shivered in fear. Another report on a missing victim. The vision, she had earlier, could it have something to do with the missing victim? Kaoru wondered who else would go missing. The fact was she felt a link towards the abductions that were happening lately. She felt a link for every victim that was kidnapped. The only weird thing that made no sense was, every victim that was taken, the bond she felt from that person grew much stronger, as if the victims that lived around her area were warning her of someone, of something.
Slowly she walked to into the drawing room, clutching the tray closer to her chest as she brought them their necessary products to make their tea. They already had clean cups waiting to be filled with hot water.
"Thank you, Miss Kaoru. Now will you please dismiss yourself since you're not going to be needed here any longer," said Kaoru's stepmother as pleasantly as she could, but Kaoru knew her evil façade behind the lying expression she had on her face right at the moment.
Kaoru nodded her head. Keeping her head bowed she left the room behind, with her step mother and the police officer who came by to see how they were doing. However before she could exit the room she could have swore she felt a strange gaze, staring hard at her figure.
Crisps of white fell from the trees above. Snowflakes glittered in the gentle sunset. Kaoru smiled slightly as she picked a handful of snow. It coolness swept through warm hand, leaving remnants of coldness. She shivered in delight. One thing she loved more then anything in her life was winter. When it came, it took away all her worries, all her fears, leaving peace to dwell in her heart. It was the only time a smile dared to play across her lips. The only time, the sunset beckoned her to show how vivacious she was. The only time she could be her true self without anything out of the ordinary to mess with her.
One by one, from the front of her father's home, she felt and saw snowflakes fall onto the garden. It looked so beautiful to watch her favorite garden shine so bright in front of her, especially with the sunset barely blinding her. Growing up on this garden was something she remembered very well from her childhood. This was where she used to hide from her mean stepmother when her father was away. She used to run here also to escape reality she was living in. Since from childhood, she wasn't brought up with the proper education most girls her age had. Her stepmother stressed her to learn how to cook and do house chores. She became more like one of the maids who worked in her father's house for free. Instead of having a luxury room, she had a servant's bedchamber. Her stepmother once got rid of her, and now to have her back in this house was something Kaoru dared not to think about.
Without thinking properly, Kaoru twirled around in circles, playing with the falling snowflakes. Each one gently touched her exposed face, clashing with her long raven hair, battling with her closed eyelids. She laughed, while she danced in delight on this particular snowy day. How she loved winter. So caught up with the snow, Kaoru never noticed someone watching her intently as she let a side of her show, which she never showed to anyone before in her life. It was only when she saw a dark tall figure from the corner of her eyes, did she stopped dancing in the snow. Her face flushed with embarrassment while she faced the tall dark stranger.
"A woman like you should always be cautious now a days," said a familiar voice.
"What makes you say that Mr. Saito?" asked Kaoru innocently. She tilted her head to look in the fiery of his amber eyes. Through the fire that burned in his eyes, Kaoru hoped that she didn't see what she saw before.
"You know perfectly what I speak about Kaoru," he replied simply, but for Kaoru it felt different. Something creepier.
"Please do tell me Mr. Saito what I should be cautious about."
"You haven't heard about the kidnapping that happened last night?"
"Nope Mr. Saito." Kaoru was right. She felt her whole body stiffened at knowing her revelations was proven true. From the moment he entered her father's house, she knew there was another kidnapping. Somehow they were linked to her. The only problem was, she didn't know why they were linked to her.
"I sensed a lie from you Kaoru. You and I both know that you aren't stupid as your stepmother believes you are. I know you know what's going on, however knowing what's been happening you're still out here unprotected," said Saito seriously. His amber eyes left her sapphire eyes, and wandered up and down her figure, as if undressing her with his eyes.
"Well thank you Mr. Saito for notifying me about these strange kidnappings, and thank you for worrying about my safety," she said as mannerly voice as she could. Kaoru just wanted to leave his sight. Pretend that he wasn't even around. He made her feel so uncomfortable, made her feel like she was some meat being auctioned off on the market.
"That is my job after all. Just be careful, because it would be ashamed if something bad happen to you right now." With those words he left her by herself in the snowfall of her garden.
Battousai read the newspaper one more time, before making his final decision. He heard about each girl's disappearance. None of them were ever found. No one knew about their disappearance. No one ever eye witnessed their disappearances, never noticed anyone or anything strange before the girls were reported missing. Whoever was up to the kidnappings, was clever.
~~*~~
Kidnapped Once AgainA young girl yesterday was reported missing from a woman who owned Akabeko. The last time the young girl was seen, was early in the morning before she left to run her early morning errands. The owner of Akabeko called Tae said, "She's really lovely. A hard worker she is. She does everything that I asked her, and now one a good girl is lost. Please if anyone found her, bring her back to me for she has no mother and father. I'm the only one who could look after her. Please I beg you whoever find her, please return to me."
The young girl reported missing was said to be about thirteen years of age. She had short dark brown hair up to her chin. She's about 4'11 in height and has dark brown eyes. If anyone sees her, please report this important information to your police commissioner Saito.
~~*~~
Battousai just threw aside his newspaper. He sipped the last of his sake in before handing it back to the waitress. He could not believe the kidnapper kidnapped a young girl who was probably going through puberty. It's been quite a while since the kidnapping has been going on. However to take a little girl, was like taking away a baby from her mother. It was time someone had to do something. If the police couldn't do anything, especially his long rival named Saito, then it was time that he finally stepped into this situation. There had to be someone out there who knew about these kidnappings. Someone who knew when they were happening. Something beckoned him, told him someone just knew, and it was linked to him or her. It was just to find that one person.
