Lunar Sun
By Aka Ketsueki
Mandatory Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin ©.
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Chapter Three: Forever Remembered
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Sapphires stared down at her reflection outlined by the glow of the moon, the temporary mirror rippling as a nearby flower petal fell onto its surface.
Elbows leaning on the railing of the wooden bridge, Kaoru turned her attention away from the lake beneath her, her arms crossed over her chest from the night's foreboding chill.
The wind began to stir, turning her hair into ribbons of black silk as it passed by, gathering clouds around the moon once more.
Looking toward the colorless sky, the female hitokiri sighed.
'Where are you, Battousai?' asked Kaoru to herself as she closed her eyes, her senses spreading through the darkness of her shadowed existence.
The recovering of her strength from her inactivity over the last month allowed her to reach out to those in her world and find out what everyone else already knew: Battousai had long since escaped Isolation.
Kaoru knew what to expect, knew that the Setas leaving the Juppongatana to join the Oniwanbanshuu Group at such a time was not a coincidence.
There was no doubt in her mind that the one who had granted her power and knowledge was going to go after her. She knew him better than she knew herself; Himura Battousai was simply bidding his time. He was a patient person, and in the end, he always came out on top. His actions were always deliberate--always meaningful. The only question was, when would he come after her?
'I should have known it was too good to be true,' Kaoru thought bitterly as she shook her head and stared down at the inky depths of the lake. 'How could I have possibly ever believed that Isolation would seal you until the end of Eternity? Battousai, please . . . forgive me.'
Left hand slipping into her trench coat pocket, Kaoru wrapped her growing talons around the hilt of a dagger, slowly pulling the weapon from its hiding place.
No one could save her, no one could protect her, no one could possibly understand her, and therefore, there was no further reason to live if it meant going back to square one.
"Go ahead and die then, koishii. Go ahead and try to kill yourself; I'll simply bring you back, just like the first time."
Kaoru lifted her head up toward the Heavens and laughed at the irony called her life, her eyes glimmering with unshed tears. What hope did she have at beating the Immortal Battousai if even her own mind was going against her?
"Even now, anata, you're plaguing me," smiled Kaoru sadly, eyes closing in submission as the past finally decided to catch up to her. She could still remember his voice, his voice of reason that plagued her even when she was wide awake.
Clenching the sheath of her ruby-carved dagger, Kaoru turned toward the shadows and threw the blade as far as she could into the suffocating darkness.
"Come and get me, Battousai. Come and take back what is yours! I'll be waiting for you . . . even if it takes another 175 years!"
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Leaning on her black Porsche, before the Akabeko, Kaoru watched from behind dark sunglasses as group after group of teens entered the traditional Japanese restaurant, stopping briefly to either stare at her or her newly washed car.
Face remaining impassive, Kaoru looked over the brim of her sunglasses, smirking at the fast approaching sight near the horizon.
The rising of dust soon parted to reveal a green Mercedes approaching the Akabeko's parking lot, followed closely behind by a blue BMW. Five seconds later and the green car was screeching to a halt beside her while the blue vehicle expertly pulled in backwards into the vacant spot on her other side.
The slamming of doors could be heard as the occupants within the enhanced vehicles got out to greet her.
From the hunter green car stepped out a small woman with ebony locks twisted into a long braid, which swished against her calves with each step, or rather skip, she took.
"Kaoru!" squealed the teenager-lookalike as the girl moved toward the older woman.
"It took you long enough, Itachi Musume," grinned Kaoru, earning a roll of eyes from the shorter female.
"Kamiya," greeted a masculine voice, followed by the same greeting from the lady at his side.
Finally looking at the owners of the blue BMW, Kaoru took off her sunglasses and found herself staring into a familiar deep sea of green and an endless ocean of indigo.
Kaoru nodded curtly toward the smiling male and his wife.
"Come on, let's get inside before they give up our room," said Misao as she ushered the married couple into the restaurant, her green skirt and white top swaying with each of her agile movements.
Shaking her head, Kaoru brought up the rear, getting inside just as the hostess came out from behind her podium to greet them with four menus in her hands.
"Good afternoon, do you have a reservation?" asked the hostess politely as she stepped toward them with a smile on her red lips.
"Ah, come on, Tae, you know I always call ahead of time," pouted Misao playfully.
Tae only smiled, obviously use to the other girl's tactics.
Sighing, Misao answered, "Our reservation is under the name Makimachi Misao."
"This way please," said Tae as she led the group of four through the restaurant toward one of the privately screened rooms in the back.
"Do you think that Kamatari can serve us today, Tae?" begged Misao as she remained a step behind the hostess, oblivious to the silent tension among the three following her.
"I'll see what I can do," smiled Tae as she opened a shoji screen and gestured for them to enter first. Once everyone was inside and seated on their knees atop separate cushions before a table, Tae handed out the menus as she asked, "Tea?"
"Jasmine," answered Kaoru first, not even bothering to look at the menu.
"Green tea, please," ordered Soujiro for himself and his wife.
"I'll have the green tea too," chirped Misao cheerfully.
"Your tea will be with you shortly," said Tae, bowing to them respectfully as she left to get them their orders.
"So," started Misao in an attempt to start a conversation with the couple in front of her, "how long have you two been married?"
Kaoru watched amused from Misao's left as Shura and Soujiro exchanged glances.
"Eh . . . you forgot?" asked Misao incredulously.
"No!" replied Shura quickly, before stumbling over her next words, "I mean . . . it's just that . . . well . . . we've been. . . ."
"We've known each other for so long that it's hard to tell our time as boyfriend and girlfriend from the time that we've been man and wife," assisted Soujiro, his smile in place as always.
Misao laughed as she made a dismissive gesture with her right hand, "Oh, it's all right. I tend to forget about Time, myself. So anyway, why did you two decide to leave the Juppongatana and join the Oniwanbanshuu?"
Kaoru eyed the couple suspiciously as the two relaxed their previously tense muscles.
Shura was the one to answer with a smile this time. "Soujiro and I thought it would be best to try and perfect our . . . occupational skills in a different field. Our previous employer had suggested we join the Oniwanbanshuu to do so."
"What field do you plan to go for?" asked Misao curiously.
"All of them," was Soujiro's calm reply.
Misao blinked and stared at them as if they had grown extra heads.
"Given time, of course," added Shura, trying not to sound as if she and her husband were gloating.
"Uh . . . of course," said Misao almost hesitantly.
The shoji screen was suddenly pushed open and in walked a woman in a green kimono, or at least it could be assumed that the server was a woman.
"Kamatari!" squealed Misao as she jumped up from her mat and went to hug the other person.
"Itachi Musume!" returned the semi-masculine voice gleefully.
Shaking her head, Kaoru caught Shura and Soujiro's slightly twitching eyebrows when they too realized Kamatari's true gender.
"Look, you guys just get to know each other while I talk to Kamatari for a sec," said Misao as she turned to the three before pulling their waiter out of the room and shutting the screen behind her.
With nothing to occupy themselves with, Kaoru decided that it was either now or never and questioned seriously, "What exactly are you two doing?"
Instead of beating around the grave, Soujiro answered in the same tone, "Master Shishio has ordered us to leave the Blood Realm to find you in the Analogue World."
Kaoru's eyes narrowed.
"Because the Juppongatana exists in both dimensions, it was quite easy for us to transfer to your branch," explained Shura.
"What does Shishio want with me?" demanded Kaoru.
Soujiro shook his head, "Many things have changed since you last stepped into the Blood Realm, Lady Kaoru."
Kaoru scowled, "You're avoiding the question, Tenken."
"Master Shishio simply wishes to see you and discuss . . . the latest happenings in the Blood Realm," replied Shura, cautiously choosing her words.
Eyes turning into a metallic blue, Kaoru spoke her thoughts, "It's about his return, isn't it?"
"So you finally know," smiled Soujiro, not at all surprised.
Kaoru growled, "News doesn't travel as quickly as it use to. How long has he been out of Isolation?"
"Half a decade," said Shura, shifting uncomfortably under Kaoru's scrutiny.
"However, Lord Battousai hasn't stepped a foot in the Analogue World until just recently," added Soujiro when he saw Kaoru's eyes further darken.
"Lord Battousai?" questioned Kaoru, raising a delicately curved brow.
Shura sighed, "The Government has always been threatened by one power hungry Vampire or another. This time though, our democracy ceased to exist entirely the moment Lord Battousai returned and changed the Blood Realm into a hierarchy again."
"Master Shishio needs you to return back to his side as soon as possible," said Soujiro. "He'd have sent for you years ago when Lord Battousai first returned, but the portals to the Analogue World were all closed. No one could get in or out unless Lord Battousai allowed it. They were just opened to the public again a fortnight ago."
Kaoru glared, "Shishio doesn't need anyone. He has never taken an interest in me before, why start now?"
"Nonetheless," said Shura sincerely, "Master Shishio raised you. He raised all of us. Working for him is the least we can do for his hospitality for the first few decades of our lives. We owe him that much."
Glowering, Kaoru snapped, "Shishio is your master, not mine. If he had changed me, then I wouldn't have had to be embraced by the very Vampire that's controlling the Blood Realm and living Shishio's dream."
Soujiro smiled at her, "I was certain you already knew, and I'm glad that you weren't blinded."
"How could I not have known?" asked Kaoru as she looked into their understanding gazes. "You had to have been a dense fool not to know what Shishio had been planning."
"Kaoru," said Shura apologetically, "we're sorry. If we had known that the mission would end up as it did, we would have never suggested you take it on your own."
"No one had planned for such a thing to happen," said Soujiro.
The eldest Vampire among them sighed before she shook her head. "The past cannot be changed. It was simply meant to be."
Shura frowned and looked toward her husband, who could do no more than shake his own head.
Silence plagued the room until the shoji screen was once again slid open, revealing a skipping Misao, and Kamatari, who held a teapot in each hand.
"Sorry to keep you guys waiting," started Misao as she sat back down to Kaoru's right, "I got a bit distracted by someone in the room next to us after catching up with Kamatari here."
"Well, I don't blame you," grinned Kamatari as he placed the teapots beside the two tea sets in the center of their table, "I'd have gladly gotten distracted by that hunk of handsome too."
Kaoru didn't bother to look at her blushing friend, and instead busied herself with pouring herself a cup of jasmine tea.
"Did you get his name?" asked Shura politely after having served her husband and then herself.
"Kenshin," sighed Misao dreamily, "Himura Kenshin."
Chocking on her steaming tea at the name, Kaoru patted her chest with her right fist as she placed her cup down, waving a dismissive gesture at the concerned looks of those around her.
"I'm all right," said Kaoru as she tried to calm herself, "my tea just went down the wrong way."
"Oh, dear! Would you like some water while your tea settles, darling?" asked Kamatari almost motherly.
"No, it's okay," reassured Kaoru, handing the worried waiter her menu.
"What would you like to order then, sweety?" asked Kamatari as he took the menu and took out a notepad and pen from behind his green obi, which wrapped snugly around his matching kimono that was required to be worn for his job.
Kaoru didn't answer, but stood up instead.
"Where are you going?" asked Misao as she looked up at her companion for an answer.
"I've already explained everything to the Setas," said Kaoru as she nodded toward the smiling couple, "so now I'm going to leave and spend the rest of my free time resting. I woke up far too early this morning."
Blushing as she remembered what time she had called Kaoru this morning, Misao finally realized why her friend was so wary and asked hopefully, "At least stay and finish your tea?"
"I'm sorry, but I'll have to take a rain check, Misao," said Kaoru, leaving the room and closing the shoji screen behind her before anyone else could protest.
She had only taken a step forward when she found herself face to face with eyes of molten gold.
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