(A/N) Ummm, heh heh, sorry for the long intermission but as always I was busy and I couldn't figure out how to format this chapter. Anyway, it's here now, though a bit shorter than usual. Hopefully no one minds. Also, I hope the mailing list was a success. Anyway, I don't have much to say about this chapter, so read on !!
If you love to read a good story and don't mind angst, I would strongly suggest reading a fantastic piece by Maeve Riannon entitled "To Look Into Her Eyes". It's a wonderful story and I would encourage everyone to read it despite the fact that it is a bit melancholy.
Disclaimer: Concepts and Plot Poppy , Characters and Setting Watsuki Nobuhiro
A Bittersweet Elegy
Chapter 7: The Truth About Sparrows
"How can anyone be happy forgetting the one they love?"
-Makimachi Misao
The next early morning greeted Kenshin with the sound of two male voices approaching his room and surprisingly reaching his very door. A few excited words were exchanged just outside the door before it was opened and said voices molded into the shapes of a tall, lanky man and a younger boy possibly in his preteenage years. They squabbled between themselves about inside jokes obviously unaware of the third presence within the room huddled against the wall with a katana against his shoulder and a short blanket warding off the early morning chills.
"I don't know if busu is gonna be glad about us coming so much earlier than we told her we would," the younger spoke breaking apart from the hold the older man, though probably only in his early twenties, had upon his head.
"Why wouldn't she? Jou-chan sounded anxious for us to get here when she left."
"Yeah, but that's cuz she thought we wouldn't be here for a month rooster head!" the spiky haired youth retorted stomping over to the opposite corner to deposit his sparse belongings. "She'll probably want more time alone with Iwasaki-san." He paused for a moment in thought before continuing, "What was it that he wanted to talk to you about anyway?"
"Who?"
"Iwasaki-san, who else?" he said in apparent impatience with his older counterpart.
"Oh yeah," the man said simply. "He was just asking if it would be wise to ask her tonight or if I thought he should wait longer or until the end of the week. He wanted my opinion, you know, since I've been her friend for so long."
Kenshin felt his interest take an extra peak besides the surprise of having two of his old friends suddenly barge into the room. That in itself had nearly caused him a heart attack, but just what was it they were implying Iwasaki was going to ask Kaoru? Anyway, he assumed it was Kaoru considering their 'friendship'.
"What did you tell him?"
Sano shrugged beginning to turn around to the opposite corner where Kenshin had remained hidden and unnoticed in the early morning shadows. "I told him that I didn't see any reason why he couldn't ask her tonight."
"Is that all?"
"What else is there?"
Yahiko sighed loudly in exasperation and began to rummage through his things leaving Sano to himself as he absently scratched the back of his head a moment before shrugging once more and returning to his own corner looking over his shoulder at the boy for a few steps before shrugging to himself and turning to face a pair of amber eyes glaring up at him with inherent, brazen danger. He started and faltered in his steps before flailing to the side and reaching desperately for Yahiko whom glanced at the corner after his companion's exaggerated upset. With a gasp from the boy, Sano threw Yahiko behind him, shielding the younger from the prying eyes of this new possible threat while managing to gather himself into a protective fighting stance.
"Who are you?" Sano demanded his fists clenched before him in a defensive gesture. "Why are you in our room?"
A fine brow raised on Kenshin's behalf as the assassin made to gain his feet in a slightly unbalanced though graceful display given his injury and causing Sano's wary demeanor to drop fractionally as the apparent danger seemed to dwindle into the form of a short, wounded man.
"I had thought that this was my room," he said slowly adjusting his grip on the katana as he took a few steps forward from the shadow, his face downcast to hide the expression in his eyes and possibly his identity from curious onlookers. "I guess I was wrong. Pardon me."
Despite not being given a name and his suspicion over this new stranger, Sano shook his head and stepped away from Yahiko to relinquish their room. "No," he said moving to pick up his stuff from where it had fallen in his haste. "This is your room. It's just that we usually stay here when we visit." He stood up straight and motioned toward the boy. "Get your stuff, Yahiko. We gotta ask Iwasaki-san where we're supposed to stay this time." With that he turned completely from the vividly red haired stranger and began to make his way towards the door.
Kenshin stared at the boy from his vantage against the pale, shadowed wall that was not yet touched by the early morning light. He had grown in the past few years filling out into his muscles a bit and formulating nicely into the structure of a young man. His eyes still held the same inquisitive gleam they had possessed years ago as they currently watched him curiously searching over his tired and wary form. They stood like that for a moment assessing one another and collecting together broken pieces that had yet to mend themselves in the younger boy's mind until a deep voice cut through their telepathic conversation efficiently drawing the boy's attention elsewhere.
"Come on, Yahiko," Sano bellowed impatiently from the door way. "What's the matter with ya?"
Yahiko stared befuddled at him a moment before shaking his head and following after his spiky haired comrade. "Nothing. I guess I'm just seeing things."
"Like what?" Sano asked waiting for him to step through the door so that he could close it and gave a short, curt nod to Kenshin as a farewell.
Curious eyes glanced back over his shoulder at the figure that once again sat in the secluded shadows brooding in his own thoughts before shaking his head amusedly to himself and answering, "I thought I saw Kenshin. An older, more masculine looking Kenshin, but still Kenshin."
As he passed through the doorway, belongings slung over his shoulder, he gave Sanosuke a sad, hopeful smile before continuing down the hall in search of Iwasaki. Sano stood in the doorway a moment longer glancing back himself to the figure that had once again sat reposed against the wall and looked to be seeking sleep in his makeshift, comfortable position. His eyes strove over the slight build and possibly auburn hair shielded in the dark recesses of the corner and allowed a small smirk to raise the corners of his mouth as he noticed the short facial hair that adorned the man's jaw and chin. An older version of Kenshin maybe, but not Kenshin.
He stepped out of the room fully and closed the door as soundlessly as he could manage before turning down the hallway and following after Yahiko to Iwasaki's office careful not to create too much clatter unless he dare risk waking others from their sleep. He never even noticed the top of an old, worn scar peeking out from behind the cover of a crimson beard.
It had been several days since Himura's last report. Despite any and all occurences, his most trusted and efficient employee should never be more than a few hours late. Of course, he didn't know exactly what the intentions of the small band he'd previously assigned the assassin to extinguish had been, but he was certain that they were of little correlation to the lapse in time he'd had to deal with between updates. Katsura sighed to himself and ran a hand over his temple in dismay. A small nagging already established itself hours ago in the back of his head taunting him that his indestructable Battousai had finally fallen to the sword of another man...
"Katsura-san!" came a jocular, male voice from the doorway.
He gave a small smile to the young man he had grown to adore similarly as a son in the past few years and nodded quietly to him before allowing his eyes to move to the small, elegantly dressed woman beside him. He marvelled at her for a moment.
... or fallen to a woman perhaps.
The bleary night hardly affected him, hardly rendered him in his nearly hypnotic state. His entire day had been spent within the confines of his alloted room pondering his situation and the wisest measures to take in acting against it. Except for the momentary and intriguing interruption that morning by his two former comrades, he had remained undisturbed the entire day and expected he would remain so without any further hindrances. That was the way he would have preferred it anyway. Maids had been summoned earlier to leave meals at his door with the belief that he was resting and it would be rude to intrude upon his reposing state. Such meals had been noted and imbibed only enough to keep his caretakers from worrying on his behalf when he left the partially eaten trays outside his door once more when he was finished.
With such substantial solitude, it had been almost surprising to him when his senses had picked up upon the life force lingering outside his door for long moments at a time only to leave and return later to linger at his doorstep once more. It was even more shocking when in the evening hours just before he supposed another maid would bring his dinner a soft knock was rasped against the heavy door. Moments later when he had not answered, the knob slowly turned with an audible sigh and the door tentatively creaked open just enough for a head of dark, mussed brown hair to peer through from the safety of the hallway.
"I'd like you to meet Kamiya Kaoru," Iwasaki chatted guiding the young woman forward. She leaned heavily against his broad arm, the art of walking obviouisly causing a strain to her diminuitive form.
Iridescently blue eyes stared demurely, uncertainly at him from below a modest brow as they reached him, her tiny hand extended for him to take.
"It's an honor to meet you, sir," she supplied in a svelte, soft voice as she gave a shallow bow.
"The honor is all mine, Kamiya-san," he parried taking her hand and reciprocating the bow. "I have heard many great things about you both past and present."
Her cheeks visibly flushed at the comment and she tried to conceal her embarrassment with a soft chuckle. "I'm not certain that you should take it all to heart, Katsura-san. People love to indulge in stories and I've done nothing worth mentioning."
"Then please," he said lightly gesturing toward the dinner table and silently asking them to sit, "enlighten me as to what you have done."
She took her seat, blushing a bit more when Iwasaki pulled her chair out and in for her before taking his own seat to her left, Katsura situating himself across from her. She looked to her plate hoping to find some sort of answer there before settling on the obvious. "What would you like to know?"
"I suppose we could always start with how you met Himura-san," he replied neutrally reaching for the cup of sake placed in front of him a moment ago.
Kaoru nodded returning her gaze to the table and wringing her hands anxiously in her lap as she thought.
It must have been particularly dark in the room. Though Kenshin could see his curious visitor with his already adjusted eyesight, it took a few moments for the boy to locate his object of interest situated in the same corner he had been in previously that morning. However when his bright, inquiring eyes finally alighted on him sitting hunched in the corner he immediately sobered and stepped into the room completely giving a deep bow and looking almost lost in his suddenly fidgetty state.
The youth's gaze remained on his feet for several moments unable to meet the gaze of the room's other occupant. His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides as he obviously agrued an introverted battle on his next course of action.
"Would you mind closing the door, please?" he asked mildly his voice unaffected by any emotion.
It was a simple request that somehow caused a great deal of confusion to cross the boy's face as he stared between the door and the shadow in the corner trying to comprehend what the purpose of such an inquiry could be.
"I don't enjoy it when people try to look in on me," he offered off-handedly and then added when he saw the boy's eyebrow crinkle slightly in a perplexed manner, "Some of the people here seem to think it's fun to gawk at newcomers."
The teenager nodded his understanding, the crinkle in his brow straightening and his expression rounding once more. A moment later the door was closed and the soft light from the hallway was permitted only from the small crevices around the door's frame leaving the room's occupants with only a faint glow.
"It was silly really. He came to Edo as a rurouni and I attacked him thinking he was the Battousai whom had been terrorizing the city and using my family's technique as his weapon. I realized my folly and extended my home to him only to later find out I had been mistakenly correct in my first assumptions. He lived with me as my friend ever since, even after his trials with Shishio Makoto."
Katsura nodded calmly returning the sake to his lips again. "I've heard of his experiences with Shishio Makoto. I also heard that in order to kill Shishio he tried to abandon everything dear to him and..."
"Yes, Katsura-san. That's very true," she interrupted softly her eyes watching the table placatingly. "But I don't think it would be very comely to speak of things like that so openly. Everything he did, he did to help others. No one can patronize him for that."
She kept her head down expecting Matsuyo to reprimand her for speaking so boldly, but instead he nodded and said, "It sounds as though you became quite attached to him."
"Hai," she answered feeling withheld tears begin to grow more insistently against the corners of her eyes. She felt the weight of Iwasaki's hand squeeze her own comfortingly and relaxed. He had offered her his support ever since she began to mention Kenshin's departure to Kyoto and she felt consoled to know that he cared enough to give her such solace while she talked about another man.
"What happened to make you split ways?" Katsura asked after a pregnant pause only to create another.
Kaoru glanced around the room uncomfortably before answering in a wavering voice, her bottom lip trembling, "He died. Two years ago, in the accident."
Yahiko took a mild step forward careful to keep his posture straight and proud though his eyes spoke of clear uncertainty. His hands were casually placed into the pockets of his hakama a moment later as he relaxed his stance slightly and willed himself to speak with a clear and steady voice.
"I wanted to thank you," he said deeply looking beyond the brazen, golden gaze across from him to the brandished wall.
"There's really no need," was the honest reply though starkly serious in its tone.
"Kaoru told me about how you saved her the other night." He paused a moment waiting to see if his audience would comment. When none came he continued, "She's like a surrogate sister to me ya know. Always been there for me when I needed her. It means alot to me that she's alright. I'm sure you understand."
When his eyes fell to attempt meeting the eyes of the other man, he was surprised to see that those golden orbs had closed and his only answer was a brief nod of understanding accompanied by a short sound of agreement.
He waited another moment for the man to say something else, but then reprieved himself a moment to find a seat in the nearby chair of the room's desk bowing his head into the solace of his hands and lifting it slightly to cup his chin within his fingers.
"I thank you for that, really I do," he began staring intently at the opposite wall far enough away from Kenshin for the assassin to be confident that his form was still well hidden in the darkness. "But there's something about her story that just doesn't seem to make sense," and his eyes fell warily upon the morose stare of his nightmares' demon.
"What accident?" He leaned forward unconsciously hoping for her to continue as his intrigue greatly grew. He knew remotely of the incident, but he needed to know more.
"I had been sick," she began, her eyes closing themselves to everything but the napkin in her lap already moist from her earlier tears. "He left to go to the market while I rested." She paused, a ragged breath drawing back her voice as she fought her emotions. "The dojo... it... somehow caught on fire while I was asleep... and..." she broke off, a hand going to her mouth to stifle a few earnest sobs incurred by the memory.
"Perhaps we should continue this another day," Iwasaki put in placing a bracing hand against her back.
Katsura began to nod in agreement when she shook her head violently looking the older man straight in the eye.
"No, I can tell you," she stated evenly, another sob nearly overtaking her. "I was about to be burned alive, and he tried to save me. I was surrounded by fire and all I heard were his shouts and screams as he tried to get to me." She sniffled softly turning red, swollen eyes to the man across from her, willing him to understand her story. "I was eventually saved by my dear friend Sano, but as he was carrying me away I saw him. He still thought I was inside, but the police were having far too much trouble restraining him." Her eyes suddenly hardened fractionally. "They slew him where he knelt because of me."
The older official sat back slowly in his chair, taking in this new information as she continued to stare at him with her angst ridden eyes.
"You see, Katsura-san, I have done nothing of importance because I killed the greatest man I ever met, the greatest man Japan has probably ever known." She hesitated a moment leaning forward slightly in her seat to peer at him through her glossy eyes. "I killed him. That's the sad truth."
Unconsciously, Kenshin shifted nervously in his spot, the heat of Yahiko's gaze nearly burning the small hairs from his skin. The sake of his safety and identity rested upon the components of this young man's inquiry and to not answer auspiciously could jeopardize said matters.
"I'm afraid I don't understand," he said hoping to delay any convictions.
To his utter surprise, the boy merely grinned and perched his elbows upon his knees. "Don't worry," he seemed to chant in a friendly manner. "She doesn't really either."
Silence remained as the three occupants of the table waited for another word to break the melancholy air that had settled upon their dinner.
Finally, she spoke again. "I apologize. I didn't mean to get so emotional."
"Not at all. I'm sorry to have brought up such painful memories." Katsura reached into his breast pocket and extracted a handkerchief which he mindfully handed to her upon inspection. "Please accect my apologies."
She waved him off with a curtious hand before graciously accepting the cloth and drying her eyes. "There's really no need, sir. I've been quite alright lately."
"Is that so?" he inquired offering her a mild grin.
"Hai," she said returning the grin with a small smile of her own.
"How so?"
"I seem to have found myself a new project," she gave a short giggle realizing who she was referring to.
"And what's that?"
They stared at each other a long while, one smiling and the other expressionless until the one smiling relinquished the hold to shake his head mildly and pinch his nose netween his fingers.
"I apologize," he suddenly said raising his head from his fingers and offering another mature smile. "I haven't introduced myself. I'm Myoujin Yahiko."
"Kiyosato Akira," Kenshin replied automatically hoping to still manage his farse.
A strange gleam met the boy's eyes and for an instant he appeared ages older than he truly was. "It's nice to meet you Kiyosato-san." He smiled only a moment longer before rising from his chair and turning toward the door. Halfway through he turned once more to peer at the figure watching his departure stoically in the edge of the room. "Yet still I can't help but wonder..."
"What is that?" he responded brusquely.
"I've found a new haunted soul to heal," she replied her smile slowly turning genuine. "The man that I met last night when I was attacked, I want to help him. It's my new goal. I want to help him just like I helped Kenshin."
"Kaoru always has been charitable," Iwasaki chimed in giving her hand a short squeeze of reassurance.
"I just want to help him, that's all. Sometimes we all need help to find our way." The men nodded.
"What does he look like?" Katsura inquired wondering if he'd ever passed the man before in his travels.
Kaoru floundered for a moment before Iwasaki answered for her, "He's a shorter man in maybe his early thirties. A bit shorter in stature I'd guess with a topknot and auburn hair and a short beard."
A restless chill suddenly tore through Katsura's spine as realization made its mundane and ironic appearance.
"If you met up with Kaoru already," he began tearing his gaze away to face the window where the moon was beginning to show, "Then why is it you're still alone here in your room while she's alone with Iwasaki-san in the parlor?"
Dinner soon excused itself as both parties separated to their own factions, Katsura to his office and Iwasaki bidding Kaoru to follow him into the side parlor. In the end he won out and she willingly followed her handsome host to the parlor where they sat on a western couch before a blazing fire burning in the hearth. They sat for a minute staring dazedly at the flames in silent awe until She felt Iwasaki's fingers curl around her own and gently offering her the comfort he somehow knew she needed.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she asked quietly, her eyes still remaining on the fire.
"What do you mean?" he asked, his eyes moving to find her face in the room's soft light.
"The fire," she responded, the nostalgia in her voice and expression nearly catatonic. "It's so comforting and yet so disturbing. The colors always remind me of him."
"I can imagine that any fire would make you remember what happened two years ago."
She gave him a soft smile and shook her head calmly. "That's not what I meant, though it's true I still think about the fire all the time." After saying this she turned away once more to gaze at the hearth. "I meant that the colors remind me of Kenshin, the mixing and swirling of the bright crimsons and the mysterious blue hue that somehow comes to life at times. The flames look the same as his hair on windy mornings and the odd indigo of his eyes."
Again she sat in stony silence, her expression suddenly turning more grave till he could hardly stand to see her so upset any longer. "You really miss him don't you?"
"Of course I do," she said quietly and then continued almost too softly for his ears to hear never daring to meet her companion's eyes, "I love him."
Absolute befuddlement etched itself into the assassin's face as he pondered the sense of the question again and again in his head despite his puzzling and questionable understanding of the statement. Still he answered to regain his demeanor, "I don't understand what you mean."
Another sad smile passed Yahiko's features as he continued to stare out the window, his figure illuminated by the light of the hallway. He gave the man one last glance as he turned in the doorway muttering under his breath just loud enough for keen ears to hear, "Of course you don't, Kenshin. Of course you don't."
Next Chapter:
The Truth About Ravens
(A/N) Wow, author notes just aren't coming easily to me today. I just don't know what to say. I guess I can say that I'm sorry, but you're all gonna hate me for the next chapter... heh heh. Oooppps...
REVIEWER RESPONSES:
- Oro-man, Strawberry Shortcake of Doom, Sapphire-Starlight, The Girl Wo Cried Oro, Fairurth, Ariel, Kouri, Vegeta26, April, Shimizu Hitomi, Selena, Thunderstorm2, Lizzy44, Steph-chan, raine84, kana173, blue jeans - Thank you all so much for reviewing!! It means alot to me and I hope to hear from you again soon!!
- Linay - I didn't really mean it when I said stop reviewing, but it's still such a shock. I mean, I love you man, you and your stories. I just thought it would be a nice little touch to add Kiyosato's name in there to add to the...uh, feel. Thanks for reviewing again!!
- Sheer Bliss - Your review was so sweet and touching I think I started blushing when I read it. Thanks for that, I really needed it. Also, I agree that Battousai is just yummy dude, and Kenshin will turn back into his former appearance... later. teehee. Thanks again so much for reviewing.
- Aglaia102 - It is a bit of a heart-wrenching story I guess, but I suppose what keeps me from feeling too depressed about writing it is that I'm currently already feeling all lost and separated from the one I love. I suppose writing an angsty story is my way of dealing with it. Thanks for reviewing.
- Indygodusk - twiddles thumbs nervously Heh heh... yeeeaahh... maybe Iwasaki like Kaoru nervous cough. I suppose you'll just have to wait and see. Also, yes she has scars from the fire and yes someone did lie to Kennie in the beginning. Such a clever one you are Thanks!!
- Cat - Hmmm... I think this puppy is looking to be around 13 chapters, maybe. Depends on where I go with it since I have many ideas. Thanks for not minding the late chapters and reviewing.
- Bokken of Doom - Mmmmm, you've definently made my efforts worth while. I wanted that effect with the "Oyasumi" and Kaoru describing Kenshin. I'm so happy it came across. By the way, when are YOU updating "Bonds"? Hope it's soon, you drew me in only to leave me hanging you evil person.