Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin (including its songs and lyrics) and the Princess Bride are too beautiful for mortal man (or woman) to own, especially by my unworthy self.
Author's Note: *evil laugh* Ooh, I'm rubbing my hands now… I think we're really getting somewhere… *getting excited* The plot thickens, the pace quickens, and don't look now but things are getting tricky!
Note to people who've been anxious/mentioned it: I have been deviating from the PB storyline a lot lately, but please be assured the reason is this: I have been devoting some time to giving a kick-start to the integration of the RK elements of the story. This is to make the RK parts feel more natural and fluid within the PB context. I know it's been worrying some people, but I'm NOT using the PB as just a starting point: it is the beginning, end and much in-between of this story!
The Princess Bride: Kenshin Style SixTime went by more peacefully for a while. Kaoru's responsibilities had increased a little with her father's increased health problems- he found it difficult to do as much physical work as he had before. Kaoru didn't mind the greater workload that had been placed on her shoulders. Her father was still in charge: he still made all the important decisions and made sure she and her mother never had to worry about things.
In a way, Kaoru was grateful for the longer hours she filled with work: it kept her mind off her feelings for Kenshin. She still felt like her legs might give out from underneath her whenever she saw him, and her voice still stuck in her throat sometimes when she spoke to him, but she'd developed a tactic of staring him down that gave her a sense of control over things. She'd also managed to avoid Kenshin at every opportunity: simply not seeing him made things a little easier. She had her dreams, whenever she needed to see him: and in her dreams, he loved her and was kind to her, as a husband to his wife, and she never wanted for anything that love and kindness could give her. Over time, Kaoru managed to convince herself that she was content, if not truly happy.
So, as they do in quiet times, the days melted into weeks, and a month had passed by without anything particularly exciting happening. That woman had visited a couple of times again, but, while she watched Kenshin with the avid eyes of a tigress eying its prey, she didn't seem to be able to do anything: as far as Kaoru could see, while Kenshin didn't rebuff that woman's advances, he didn't really encourage them either. Kaoru made sure she didn't think about it too much: she tried to stay away from the house on the occasions when that woman was around.
As the days slipped peacefully by, Kaoru felt her heart going a little numb. It made her sad sometimes, usually at night when loneliness crept up on her unawares, but she supposed it was for the best: Kenshin would never love Kaoru, she was sure of it. She had persuaded herself to believe that she had no hopes in him anymore: she carefully ignored the little ray of hope that continued to shine, undaunted, in her heart.
Kenshin had been battling with himself for what felt like an eternity. He couldn't think that Kaoru could possibly imagine how much she tormented him, for if she could, she would have said or done something, he was certain of it. And yet, sometimes, when their eyes met, and the air between them almost sizzled with tension, he thought there was something in her eyes that concealed a secret grief…
The quietness of the days would have lulled anyone else into a sense of security: but Kenshin was not anyone else. Now that his past had caught sight of him, he found himself sleeping as lightly as he had when he'd had to expect attack any moment: he kept waking up in the night at the slightest sound, perhaps of a far-off night bird calling, or a night-creature trotting through the garden. He slept holding his sword again, a habit he hated, and one that had taken him a long, long time to get rid of. He refused to be saddened at this necessity: there was nothing else to be done, and it was out of the question, now, for him to leave the sword out of arm's reach: every instinct he had shouted out against it. He had no choice but to slip back into a routine he had wanted to leave behind forever.
He hoped Kaoru was more relaxed than he was. He could never wish anything bad upon his young love: rather, he spent every spare moment wishing for happiness and peace for her.
The rest of the time, he dwelt on his dark past, and recounted things that would have been best forgotten.
It was another quiet day for Kenshin, until he heard the sound of a carriage pulling up by the house. He drew a long, weary sigh. It meant old Hawk-Eyes was visiting again. He hated these visits. True, she'd only visited twice since that first time, but he couldn't stand the woman: she was always watching him. That was why he called her Hawk-Eyes: all she did was follow his every move with a gleam in her eyes that he had grown to loathe with a passion. And he was sick of the game, too. Kaoru did seem to get a little jealous, but nothing had actually come of it, so what was the point anymore? Kenshin felt like poking Hawk-Eyes until she just went away.
He sighed again. Maybe he'd just try playing truant this time. That sounded like an awfully good idea just then.
With that thought, Kenshin ducked into the stable and picked up the pony's saddle. He'd just sit here and clean tack for a while, he decided. A nice, easy job, and one that would make Kaoru happy: she loved it when her fat little pony friend had clean and shiny tack. Kenshin actually smiled then, already feeling better. He wouldn't have to see Hawk-Eyes, and he'd be doing something nice for Kaoru: two birds and one stone sprang to mind.
The stable was the perfect hideout, too: Hawk-Eyes would sooner walk through a mile of mud than risk the straw and dust of this old stable. He was safe.
Kaoru was walking back from town when she saw the carriage in front of the house again. She gritted her teeth. She wanted to scream. This was the fourth time that woman had visited, now. Why couldn't she just leave Kenshin in peace? He obviously didn't want to run off and marry her: what could that woman mean by this persistence? It only made her look desperate, Kaoru thought.
She decided to head straight for the stable. She wasn't in the mood for dealing with any possible emotional turmoil that day. Not that she ever was.
As she approached the stable, she could hear voices. Two voices. Two familiar voices.
She slowed as she stepped up to the door, which was pulled almost shut. Moving as silently as she could, she strained her ears.
We must forgive Kaoru for eavesdropping: she hadn't stopped to think that she was in fact invading someone's privacy, and that to do so was very unladylike. All she knew was that one of those voices was Kenshin's, and that the other voice made her fists clench and her whole body stiffen with a taut anger. She had recognised the voice by now: it was that woman, and she was alone in the stable with Kenshin. Kaoru had to stop herself from growling aloud. She vented her annoyance by imagining hitting them both with a bokken, and that helped a bit. She took another step, and listened. Their voices were slightly muffled, as if coming from a strange angle, and she could hear them breathing.
"I am a woman who knows what she wants, Kenshin."
Kaoru drew in a silent near-gasp. How could she be so… so… so abrasive, so presumptuous! Kaoru was well nigh shocked.
There was a rustle of straw being disturbed.
"I know that." Kenshin sounded different to how he usually sounded- more serious, more mature. Kaoru wanted to stamp her feet at those words. They sounded almost like he liked that woman. Kaoru shuddered and listened still more.
That woman's voice went low and throaty. "I have a lot to offer someone like you, Kenshin. And I want what you have to offer me…"
There was a tiny pause, and then a sudden rustling of straw again, and more audible breathing. Kaoru leaned in quickly to peer through the little gap in the doorway.
This was probably not the best thing to do: though, indeed, 'the truth will out', it has also been said that curiosity killed the cat, and, certainly, Kaoru could not escape unscathed from what she was about to discover.
For it was, at that moment, that Kaoru's carefully nurtured belief in the quietude of her life, her relative peace that she had worked so hard on, and her self-imposed conviction that she could live without Kenshin's love, shuddered and fell completely apart.
Her eyes opened wide, full of shock and ready to fill with tears. A sob caught in her throat and jarred her lungs painfully.
Sure enough, the pair was in there: and they were lying in the straw together! Kenshin was actually laying on top of that woman, and though both of them were fully clothed (Kaoru hadn't even thought of the possibility of anything else, or she probably would have fainted), it was still the most shocking thing Kaoru had ever seen. Kenshin's gleaming red hair was drooping down by that woman's shoulders, his hands pushed against the ground on either side of her, pinning her to the ground, his breath was a little fast and his face was just an inch from hers… Kaoru's worst nightmare was a living reality, right in front of her.
Unable to contain her shock as all her hopes came crashing down, and her world fell away from beneath her, Kaoru spun away with a loud sob.
She ran, ran, ran away, as fast as she could, not caring where she was going, blinded by tears that ran in streams down her face. She couldn't breathe: her heart that felt as if it would kill her, it bled so much pain.
It is time for us to backtrack a bit, now. After all, Kenshin is our hero: we cannot continue without discovering the truth behind what Kaoru saw, whether it be for ill or good, can we? So.
"Hello? Kenshin, are you in here?"
Kenshin jumped in surprise when a voice he hadn't expected to hear came from outside the stable. It was Hawk-Eyes. It looked like she would walk in this stable before walking through a mile of mud after all. Kenshin thought of a couple of words that he was too polite to say out loud. Oh, but he thought them loudly.
"Kenshin?"
Hawk-Eyes stepped into the doorway, and, seeing Kenshin, a strange smile crept over her face. Kenshin didn't like that smile one bit. He held the saddle and cloth slightly tighter, and sat very still. It was almost like being spotted by a predatory animal, and hoping that, if you can just stay still enough for long enough, they'll lose sight of you and leave you alone. There certainly was something distinctly predatory about this woman.
"Won't you say anything, my dear boy? You look a little pale. Are you well?" She walked over to Kenshin as she spoke, and set her hand to Kenshin's brow. He flinched away. She chose to ignore that reaction.
"You don't feel feverish. It must be my imagination. Well."
She stood, hands on hips, staring at Kenshin. She had that strange smile on her face again. Kenshin was disliking it more every moment. She waited.
He sighed resignedly. "It's good to see you again," he said, somewhat shortly. His tone implied that it wasn't actually the best thing ever that she was there, but he still couldn't bring himself to be outright rude. He was, after all, a natural gentleman.
"And it's very good to see you." Her eyes ran up and down Kenshin's body all too familiarly. Kenshin was disgusted. He took a few controlled breaths. Don't run away, don't hit her, don't shout at her. Just keep it calm, stay in control of the situation.
"Did you want anything in particular?" No, bad question! Kenshin thought quickly for an amendment. "You'll probably want to go to the house for some tea- it's a bit dirty in here. I'll show you to the house," he said hurriedly, standing up and putting down the tack and cloth.
When he looked up, Hawk-Eyes was stood by the door again, her back to him. He heard the latch click into place. That wasn't good: that really wasn't good. She turned around slowly, the strange smile looking decidedly cunning.
"No. I'm quite happy here…" She stepped towards Kenshin.
"Alone…" She put a hand up to his face.
"With you." She brought her face close to his, looking deep into his eyes with an invading, piercing stare. Kenshin backed away rapidly, and found a wall behind him. He was cornered.
Some part of him was laughing, if with a touch of desperate insanity, at the fact that he, a timeworn warrior, who had faced and defeated all kinds of people and situations, was being beaten by this. He was cornered by her. He was speechless because of her. Of all the women in the world, it was this woman who had him trapped. His mind raced. He had to think of a way out of this, and fast. This woman was a quick thinker, and a quick doer.
He went for the most obvious tack first. "I think you have the wrong idea about me," he began.
"I don't think so," murmured the woman, still staring at him. "I think it is more likely that you have the wrong idea about yourself."
"Um, no, I'm pretty clear about what I want, and I think I want some tea. If you don't want any, that's fine, I'll be inside the house-"
He quickly extricated himself from her grasp, literally ran for the door, lifted the latch, and was just opening it to escape, when she took him completely by surprise by grabbing hold of his kimono and pushing him down to the ground. She stood over him, looking tall and imposing all of a sudden. Kenshin had underestimated her: she was actually quite strong.
He tried to sit up, but she placed a foot heavily onto his chest, forcing him back to the ground with a strength that well nigh winded him. His eyes widened in surprise and he took a gasping breath.
"You pretend to be so quaint, Kenshin. So innocent." She smiled down at him. "But you should know that I'm not so easily fooled as that little girl who follows you about like a lovesick puppy. She has no idea: you've got her under your thumb. I, however, am nobody's fool."
She knelt down, so that her knee was on his stomach, pressing not so gently into him, and her foot hit the ground by his side. "People like us, Kenshin, will always recognise each other for what we truly are."
She leant down, and whispered into his ear. "You are no 'farm boy'. And I am no average rich widow." She ran a fingertip around the outline of his ear. The touch sickened Kenshin, and he tried to jerk his head away. Her breath sounded loud and horrid to Kenshin, she was so close. It was almost suffocating, and he didn't like her words one bit. In a sudden move that caught her by surprise, he reached up and grabbed her shoulders, pulled himself up close to her and spun round, so that she fell flat on her back beneath him. He pinned her gently but firmly. He wouldn't let this woman control him like this: he would not let her take him by surprise. His patience was running low.
He didn't like the way she looked at him, he didn't like the way she spoke to him, and he damn well didn't like the way she forced herself on him.
He growled his words out. "No, you're not. You're the kind of woman I'd rather never know."
"I think you've misread me."
With shocking speed, she rolled over, and Kenshin found himself flat on his back again. Her face was inches from his own. She was looking even more cunning than before.
"I am a woman who knows what she wants, Kenshin." She pushed him again, roughly, for effect, and ran a hand deftly up his side to the neckline of his kimono, where it lay like a snake waiting to strike.
Kenshin gritted his teeth. "I know that." He hated the way she used his name, like a knife held to his throat.
"I have a lot to offer someone like you, Kenshin. And I want what you have to offer me…"
That was enough. Polite words wouldn't dissuade this woman. He wouldn't let this go any further than it already had. He pushed her up and rolled, pinning her beneath him again. This time, he used the kind of grip he'd use on a strong man. He wasn't giving her any leeway anymore, or taking any chances. The grip brought his face near to hers, and he lowered himself still further to give the fullest effect to his words. He opened his mouth to speak, when a strangled cry came from the doorway. When he whipped his head around to look, there was no one there, but Kenshin had already recognised Kaoru's voice.
NO!
He turned back to the woman, absolutely livid, already wondering desperately how on earth he would explain this to Kaoru. He set that problem aside for the time being, deciding to deal with this woman first. He felt so angry.
"You will leave. You will never come here again. And you will never, ever speak to me, or anyone connected with me, for the rest of your life. Do you understand?" His voice came out sounding like metal and ice.
She smiled. He shook her once. Her smile vanished. She looked almost afraid, then angry.
"I said, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"
She nodded, despite herself.
He let go of her.
She pushed him up with sudden and harsh force, and sat up, smoothing her hair. Her voice was cold and she actually sounded disgusted.
"You're pathetic, Kenshin. You pretend to be tough and act like you're completely in control, and I admit, I thought you were stronger than this, but no.
"You won't face up to who you are. You hide away on this little farm in the middle of nowhere, distracting yourself with the smiles of a peasant girl and the pretence of a country life. And all the while, your true nature is there, waiting…" She stared him down with a look that made Kenshin feel decidedly uneasy. "Just waiting for the chance to break out and take control of your life again."
She stood up and brushed off her clothes, and straightened to face him. Her eyes were hard and glassy. She pointed at him accusingly. "You're a coward. At least I acknowledge who I am, and get on with it. No matter where you go, or what you do, it will always be there. You can't run away from yourself, 'farm boy'," she said, sarcastically. "You'll only come full circle, and all the faster for the running. And if you aren't prepared to face up to who you are, you won't like what you'll find."
Kenshin went slightly pale as she spoke. He hadn't expected this from her at all. She was perceptive, that much was true. She obviously didn't know anything certain about his past, but she'd felt his other self, the self he'd buried away deep down inside. She wouldn't let him forget about it, even if he intended to.
What really got to him was that some part of him admitted she was right. He wanted to hit her. But he couldn't hit a woman: at least not one that wasn't attacking him. That didn't mean he was going to keep listening to her.
"Get out."
She shrugged, with a short, scathing laugh. "I can see you won't accept it: not yet, anyway. Well.
"I have better things to do with my time. Have a nice life, farm boy."
She walked out of the door and out of Kenshin's life. He leaned back against the dusty wall and sighed heavily. Thank god she was finally gone. She'd given him something to think about, though. Something he'd been trying not to think about for a long time. He rubbed his tired face, massaging his aching temples.
Suddenly he remembered.
"Dammit- Kaoru!"
WHEW! Longest chapter yet. And probably the most action-filled, in a way. *laughs* I had fun with this one! Poor, poor little Kaoru… Can anyone save her broken heart? I guess you'll find out in five days! ^_^
Watch this space, and don't forget to leave your thoughts and queries and all that jazz!
Aha! More review notes! And this time I have to mean it when I say I have to be briefer!! *grin* Like that's gonna happen…
EMMA! You silly Yoda, though I understand your reasoning. *laughs* *speaks Very Properly* It's very nice that you like it, even against your will, I feel very supported by you darling… *hug* I do appreciate it tho. *south park voice* I love ya! ^_^ mail me again, hunny, you know I love it.
Coherentidiot: *big smile* Heya! How's you? Glad you're still enjoying the story. Ah, I can't seem to resist putting in fluff in every spare space- it's like putting cotton into the gaps of a window to keep the cold draught out. Oh, I'm way too sentimental. At least I'm not the only one! *laugh*
DunkmoonX: Five days is pretty much the fastest I can go I'm afraid! But it's encouraging to hear your enthusiasm ^_^ I know, I was itching to get Kenshin going on the 'Check it out, I can kick butt!' score: we're getting there! *grin*
Girl: Cheers for that! I was rather proud of my action bit- it's the first time I've really had a go at describing a proper fight, and I'm pleased with how it turned out. Don't worry too much: I won't let anything too bad happen to my little Kaoru *maternal warmth* er… *authoress protective over her characters* Yeh, that's more like it!
Tevrah: Thanks! I'm guessing about what was awesome, but whatever it was, I'm still chuffed!! *big grin* Always nice to get a review like that one. ^_^
Loudnproud8989: Thank you! It's always good to have seen both sides of a crossover parody like this one- the two do seem to go together surprisingly well, don't they? Not much effort needed on my part, really! ^_^
Papaya! Hello again! You're welcome for the reply: here's another one. *grin* Yeh, I appreciate it does seem I'm deviating from the PB storyline a lot at the moment, but don't worry: I'm still faithful to it. Good to know you're curious/frustrated… *evil laugh* You will not escape my story-telling clutches!! MWAHAHA! … *cough* Yes, well… anyways cheers for the review! ^_^
NightRain: And that tension's just getting worse, isn't it? *evil grin* Oh, but I'm loving it, as the writer, knowing how it will turn out! Not much consolation for my readers, tho, except but to assure you this IS a PB parody, much of your PB lore will come into play as well as RK lore. I'm glad you're enjoying it now tho, when it is, I admit, deviating from the PB rather a lot- makes me feel much more confident. But it will be arcing back… My lips are sealed!
Stillbornangel: Five days- that is the prescribed wait from now on. I could probably go faster, but it would end with my mother hitting me over the head with the very homework I wouldn't be doing, my teachers frowning all round and me sucking generally at college! *confused* Wait a sec, that's my life right now…
Kyaa-Kyaff: Hey ho! How's you then? Thanks, by the way! I know what you mean about Kaoru… Sheesh, when is she going to face up to her feelings and tell Kenshin? *shakes head* What a fix. *immensely evil grin* I feel like one of those evil psychos in a movie, at the bit where the hero says, "Why are you doing this? WHY?!" and I simply cackle and say "Death is nigh!!!!!!" … Or not. Geez, I really need to get a hobby. Other than this fic, that is! IT'S TAKING OVER MY LIFE!!!!!! *runs away*
Califpinay3001: Thanks for reviewing! More is on the way…
Me: lol I'm listening to the Pokemon first movie soundtrack at the moment (very sad in many ways… lol) It's bringing back all these memories of jumping around my friend's room as we go all crazy-happy listening to this CD on numerous occasions two years ago now… *nostalgic or what?!* I'm going to quit embarrassing myself now. But this is such a funky CD, I forgot how funky it is. *bop, bop, bop* Well, here is your next chapter!
Chibi-dragongrl: And I'M glad I didn't bore YOU! *laugh* Yeh, Kaoru's not as innocent as she seems, ne? I know what you mean about Megumi's laugh, too… It must be laced with some kind of addictive and possibly illegal substance. And I love long reviews, writing them and getting them! So write away, go wild. ^_^ Seeya in another five days m'dear! *bounces with mirth* Ooh, I love that word… hee hee!
Gohan-Kun Shin: Thanks! Well, I'm afraid I'm not really much of a DBZ fan. Mostly cos I haven't watched much of it. I'm too addicted to the fluffier end of the anime spectrum… Guilty as charged! ^_^
Tokyo-Rose: Thank you! You'll get your latest fix every five days, no worries!
Kaoru_kamiya_theRacoonGirl: No worries. It's good to hear from you! I'm forging on ahead, I look forward to hearing from you again if you can! ^_^
Vash-chan AKA Makoto Almasy: Thanks for the review! You know, it seemed so simple at first: Kenshin, wow, he's a lot like Westley, and Kaoru's great as Buttercup… hey, this is easy! Oh, wait, who's gonna be Humperdinck? And who's gonna be Fezzik? (you have no idea how long I've been agonising over THAT one!) and who'll have the honour of being Inigo? Quite a few people have asked about him, he is after all such a great character! You'll have to wait and see what decision I came to tho! *grin*
Akai Kitsune: Hullo hullo! Yeh, Kenshin rules! *drool* in so many ways… ^_^ As for the Dread Pirate Roberts… That's a secret! *mischievous grin* I'm really chuffed to know you like it so far tho! Thank you muchly! ^_^
Eve of mirkwood: Yay indeed! You know, I'm having so much fun writing this fic- best fun thing I ever decided to have a go at. ^_^ The five day thing is going pretty well so far, only time will tell if I can keep it up, but I'll do my absolute best to. Seeya in another five days, then!
Rainhe: Thank you! *big smile* Here is more! Read and enjoy!
Nina Heart: Thanks for your review, it really made me feel chuffed! ^_^ I hope you still love it!
Kawaii Aisuno Sakura-Usagi: Thank you VERY much for taking the time and trouble to review each chapter: that really was very cool of you, not many people do that. *bursts out laughing* I hope you remember what it was you wanted to say one day! It'll probably end up being when I've written the last chapter, right at the end, weeks from now, you'll suddenly remember it! *giggle* I don't think you're cursed. Just a little forgetful maybe? ^_^ I'm incredibly forgetful. And yes, I do appreciate fluffy and enthusiastic reviews, and yours were very much those things, I felt really encouraged. And I really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really lookf forward to hearing from you again ^_^
Lady E: Thank you for taking the trouble and time to review each chapter, I really appreciated it. And it makes me really chuffed that you cried when you read it. I don't particularly aim or expect to move anyone- I just aim to pull together a readable story with a bit of fun, a bit of romance, a bit of sadness and a bit of action. Thanks muchly for the reviews, anway! I'll be thickening the plot more from here on in- the time for nothing but fluff is past! The time for smatterings of action and intrigue is nigh! *wishes she sounded more dramatic* ^_^ Well, seeya in another five days!
TenkunoMeiou: Thanks! I'll be bringing you more in another five days, hope that's okay! Glad to hear you're enjoying it so far!
Iluvweaselsnferrets: It is indeed weird that they are so alike. Unlike the rest of the cast… *reaches for another coffee and matchstick for her eyes* I've actually been losing sleep wondering about who to assign to which part. Sad, huh? But All will be revealed in due course… I will do everything in my power to keep my promise to the end. On that note, see you in five days! ^_^
Jellybob 15: Heya! Thanks for that! I hope you liked this chapter, too. I'll be back in five days with more, as promised. ^_^
So much for briefer! *sweatdrop*
My final (At last! I hear you
cry) note is a section of a beautiful set of lyrics, which I thought really
describe Kenshin's and to an extent Kaoru's feelings at the moment.
'When I'm alone, tomorrow feels far
away.
And I must go over still into the darkness
of dawn.
If I let my emotions free, my dreams
will once again not go well.
I think the balance sheet of my life
is imperfect.
If I add up the plusses and minuses, will it
really equal zero?
I want to control all my luck that may
be used up before my life is ended.
You don't know--you can change logic
at your will.
I hurt myself because of you, over and
over;
But my love didn't go away--it kept coming
back.
The toughness gained from my damage is
unbelievable.
I won't be able to sleep at all tonight
either.
However many times it's repeated,
It revives again and again--because it's love.'
-'Heart of Sword', from Rurouni Kenshin (English
translation).