Disclaimer: I no own Rurouni Kenshin…
Hidden in Study – Chapter 9 – By Cherry Chibi
"To 'Battousai' me." Battousai said. Kaoru nodded with reassurance. "Will you promise me that you will not go against me? I mean no ill will to anyone." He said with a glimpse of softness. "The others who know about me are treating me as if I was a dangerous being. I hate that."
A minute of silence passed before Kaoru got the point and smiled warmly. "Of course. I promise. I wouldn't go against you anyway. Since you are part of Kenshin."
* * * *
Kenshin woke up with a throbbing, burning head. He glanced across the room and saw Kaoru sleeping comfortably. 'What happened to me? I felt so much strength...' The horizon outside of the room's window was slowly being lit from the rising sun. He tried to recall the night's events but everything had blackened after 'Battousai' had introduced himself. 'This is no longer my imagination, I must ask Master for advice later on.'
* * * *
Misao wandered along the garden path feeling a little lonely. It was really early in the morning and the school had silenced since many students had left earlier than usual for their school holidays. She sighed. 'A scholar's life can't possibly be fun... what had Kaoru and I been thinking? A festival is coming in the village and because of the fact I'm a part time scholar, I have to remain here unless I get permission which would really be stupid because this night festival is mainly what girls would love to attend...'
She sighed. Usually she would walk with Aoshi in the mornings but times were changing as well as the people. Aoshi was probably in the library somewhere doing some background reading on who-knows-what.
"Morning Taka!"
Misao's eyes lightened up at the sight of Saitoh and his younger sister. "Morning Matsu, morning Saitoh!" Saitoh smiled weakly, it was clear that he really was in a slight fouled mood. Aya was unusually cheery this morning.
"Guess what Taka? I get to go to the festival tonight!" Aya said with a broad smile, "Saitoh is going to take me, Okina-sensei said that as long as we kept out of trouble we can go!" Misao groaned mourning halfway.
"You are so lucky..." Misao mumbled.
Aya just smiled thoughtfully and Saitoh behind her kept a eerie aura around him. It was obviously a pain for a guy like him to have to deal with a little sister who was so fortunate that couldn't be hit across the head. "Don't worry Taka, I'm sure if you get Aoshi to go..."
"Why would Taka want Aoshi to go with him?" Saitoh questioned with a cocked eyebrow. Aya and Misao eyed each other for a moment and Aya bit her lower lip.
"Because, I thought that we all had to go at least in pairs." Aya said quickly, "Um... after all, Aoshi does need some fresh air." The poor girl was struggling for lines since her older brother knew that she was such a bad liar.
"Don't worry, it's just a little innocent question." Misao said to help Aya. "I've probably got too much to study for over these holidays to probably do anything." Even though she said one thing, the back of her head was thinking differently. 'Hm... I am a girl... and I can always disguise myself... Kaoru and I can go! We just have to ask Megumi and Tsubame for help.'
* * * *
Soujiro and Sanosuke walked through the awkward building. The silence was really bothering them. It was almost like if a pin had dropped from one end of the school, the other end would hear it and if someone had spoke a single word at normal tone the school would explode.
"Where did everyone go?" Sano finally spoke, his voice very close to a whisper. He ruffled his spiked hair. "It's almost as if this place had turned into abandoned building." He knew that it was school holidays and that most of the students would have gone home but there were also students who never went home.
"Aoshi is in the library." Soujiro said, "Kenshin said something about how he had to talk to Seijuro-sensei, Saitoh and Matsu had gone into town for something, Taka has disappeared to who knows where and Akai, well, I think he's gone with Megumi and Tsubame about some important meeting." Soujiro then noticed Sano's face cringe angrily as soon as Megumi's name was mentioned. "You're still mad?"
"Why shouldn't I be? Because of her I'm officially like…" He stopped his tongue at that moment. 'It's just typical of Fox-girl to humiliate me. But this time she went too far.' The thing that made things worse was the fact that he didn't know what to do – it just unfortunately came with his personality, which he wants to improve on.
"Chee, you really are holding a grudge against her." Soujiro said with a meaningless smile, "Why aren't you just letting it go? She's just a girl." Sano was exasperated about how light hearted Soujiro could be at such things. 'Come on!' He wanted to shout at Soujiro, 'My dignity! Hey! How would you feel?!'
But instead he just sneered. "Just a girl eh?"
* * * *
"Seijuro-sensei!" Kenshin shouted. Talking to his master was becoming harder by the day and now it seemed that the man wasn't even going to answer him. "Master! You can't just shrug it off! What if I kill someone?!" Hiko's back was faced against him and he was getting infuriated by the moment.
"Just concentrate on your training." Hiko said coolly, "You will go far. Right now, this Battousai business doesn't matter at all." Kenshin couldn't believe what his master was telling him. He was a young kid standing his ground with some sort of monster inside him, things like that don't happen everyday and should be taken seriously. But Hiko was just going to ignore it.
'You heard him, concentrate on your training.' Battousai said in Kenshin mind. 'What is there to worry about me? Do you fear me?' Once again, Battousai began his tormenting and mental abuse.
'I don't fear you! I'm only concerned about my friends' and peoples' safety.' Kenshin snapped back in his mind. He wasn't sure how to battle the Battousai in his mind. It was a cage he couldn't escape. Deep inside, he knew that there was no way to relinquish Battousai because somehow the being had fomed part of his soul.
'You do fear me. Don't forget that I'm stronger than you. I'm smarter. I can hear your thoughts crystal clear and you think that you can run fom me. Ha! Just wait until the day you and I will become one.' At that moment, Kenshin's heart raced. Become one? Meaning that Battousai was going to take over his body? What harm will come over? What will happen to everyone? What would happen to him? 'Don't worry Kenshin, you won't feel any different. You'll just be a mere conscience.'
'Quit your torments!' Kenshin's eyes swirled with lavender and golden amber. 'I don't want to be like you in any way! Carrying a sword and living by it. No! I much prefer my studies and only defending people with my sword if need be.' He hadn't realised that Hiko had glanced over his shoulder to check his student.
'This boy... he will grow up to be a strong man.' Hiko thought, 'Even if he battles with himself, eventually it will sort out.'
'You're going to need to take a break.' Suddenly, Kenshin had faded into the darkness of the back of the mind and Battousai emerged, grateful for seeing daylight. His amber eyes containing this mist of superiority. A stern look on his young face.
"Kenshin, you're dismissed." Hiko said in a low tone.
Battousai bowed. "Yes Master." Then he left the room without another word. 'It's so boring listening to that baka's thoughts. I better get my way round and have fun with the time I have now.' He strolled coolly through the quiet school. 'Hm... Kaoru should be around the dorms somewhere. I can probably ask her if there's going to be anything interesting happening.'
* * * *
Megumi knelt beside Aya, Misao and Kaoru with a small smile. They waited as Tsubame carefully did her final adjustments to her clothing. Shyly, Tsubame stepped faced the other girls in a baby blue white floral patterned yukata with white hems and a matching white sash. She blushed a light shade of pink. "What do you think?" She asked in her soft innocent voice. She waited nervously for her friends' replies.
"You look so cute!" Misao said with a proud look, "I bet that Yahiko would surely turn his eye on you!" Everyone watched as Tsubame blushed a darker shade before laughing. "Only joking!" However, Misao's extra words seemed to have cause Tsubame to blush an even darker colour.
"But on a serious note, it really suits you Tsubame." Aya said a moment later she gasped. "Oh no! I'm supposed to meet Soujiro really soon!" She pounced onto her feet only to be pulled down again by Kaoru.
"Wait a moment! You have to try the yukata that Megumi had went through a lot of trouble to get." Kaoru said, "Just put it on quickly and then you can go! Please?!" Silence fell upon them before Aya shook her head.
"I'm serious! I have to go and meet him! He wanted to tell me something important!" Aya was taken aback when she saw the mischievous sparkle in Megumi's eyes. 'Maybe that wasn't a very good idea to say that…'
"Aa… maybe Sou-chan is going to admit his feelings for you!" Megumi teased. Aya's blue eyes flashed sparkled angrily with silver.
"Will you just cut that out? It's not a laughing matter. I can always try the yukata on later but now, I have to go and talk to Soujiro AND girls shouldn't start dating guys at the age of thirteen!" Not willing to waste another moment, Aya pulled herself up and rushed out of the room, on the way she called, "I'll see you girls later!"
"I sometimes wonder why she always seems to be worried about Soujiro." Misao said a moment later, "Do you think there is something wrong?" The other girls looked puzzled except for Kaoru.
"I'm sure that Aya is capable. Whatever problem there is, she can handle it." Kaoru said, "But for now, Misao! It's your turn to try your yukata!" Misao froze to stone. "Misao? You alright?"
"M-me? Try on THAT yukata?!" Misao then pointed to the light green yukata with colourful embroidery flying on the material, it also had a When Megumi gave her a nod of reassurance she turned and looked at it for a moment, stammering and then gulping. "I don't wear yukatas." She stated carefully. "Especially ones that are like that one."
"Why not?" Tsubame asked, "It is a very nice one."
"Yeah…" Megumi smiled deviously, "Oh… I forgot… are you scared that you might attract some sort of attention from the crowd?" Misao hesitantly shifted. "Or have you forgotten how to wear one?"
"I haven't forgotten how to wear one, thank you!" Misao shouted at her defence. Megumi always liked to tease everyone and it made her embarrassed sometimes due to the fact that Megumi usually gets the right spot.
"Oh, that's alright then." Kaoru said calmly before she and Megumi cracked broad grins. "We'll help you!" Tsubame backed away from the huge struggle as Misao yelped and cried for help.
"Um… you shouldn't go that… you might attract some attention from the other people." Tsubame said hesitantly.
Later, Misao was finally forced into the yukata and she kept shifting uncomfortably. "You two are so mean." She mumbled. However, the other girls were admiring at how much the yukata suited her.
"That looks cool…" Kaoru said. She then turned to Tsubame and Megumi, "You two really have good taste in yukatas." Tsubame blushed with a cute smile and Megumi nodded with agreement.
"Alright! Now is your turn!" Misao pouted. "Come on Kao-chan! Hurry up! Here!" A lavender yukata with splashes of white cherry blossoms on them was pushed into Kaoru's hands, followed by a darker shade of lavender sash.
* * * *
Battousai heard the excited chatter coming from the girls' room as well as the quiet words being spoken by Kaoru. 'Maybe this wouldn't be the right time to talk to her.' It wasn't really important what he wanted to say anyway. While he was making his way here, he had overheard the servants talk about the festival in town that was going to be occurring that night so he had the thought of may be going.
Just as he turned at the heel, the shouji door opened and Kaoru stumbled out in her yukata. "That was really evil!" The thirteen year old exclaimed. A spark shocked through the air from Battousai to Kaoru and silent eye contact melded into place. "Ah… hi, Battousai." Kaoru said, blushing pink. "Um, can you please excuse me for a moment?"
"Sure." Battousai replied. 'By the looks of it, she is going to the festival.' After a few moments, Kaoru had stepped out of the room wearing her usual boy clothing and her shoulder length hair tied into a high bun – a completely different image from what he had seen before.
'So, Kenshin is not around now.' Kaoru thought as she approached Battousai. "What is it? Something wrong?" She had expected something serious but in fact, she was proven wrong.
"No, I was just going to ask if you were going to attend the village's festival." Battousai said.
"Of course! It's not very often that these things happen." Kaoru said joyfully. "Are you going?" When Battousai hesitantly nodded she thought that she was going to jump and skip, "That's great! Matsu and Saitoh are going to! Megumi, Tsubame and Taka are also going to go! Maybe the who group can so it'll be heaps of fun!" She noticed a glimmer in Battousai's eyes and dropped her smile. "Oh, it's about that Battousai is dangerous thing right? Just who knows about that?"
"The guys." Battousai replied, "We don't really talk to each other anymore. Except, Sanosuke. He seems to be alright with it."
"Oh." Kaoru felt sympathetic for the guy. It must be hard having to deal with the fact that you might lose your friends because something's changed about you. Time ticked for a while before Kaoru lit up again. "How about this, if the other guys are coming, then us two, and maybe anyone who is willing to, can go our own separate route?"
Battousai cocked an eyebrow, "But wouldn't you prefer to hang around with the girls?"
"Are you saying that I can't have fun even when I'm hanging around with you?" Kaoru said, "Don't worry about it. You've been my roommate for a while and I like your company too, the others also have each other."
It was that attitude that Battousai had admired about Kaoru. The fact that she was able to light up any dark situation and doing it in a way that was completely self-less. "OK. Tell me when do we have to get going."
"Around after dinner."
* * * *
AN: Hey everyone! I've finally updated! As usual, I'm grateful for your reviews! Thank you everyone! BTW, if you have any ideas for what could happen in the next chapter, just say so in the review.
Kitsune Kenshin: Catch Me If You Can hasn't been permanently deleted but it is under serious editing and would probably take a while to be reposted. I had a huge writers block on it so I'm working on the plot of it and everything. However, I think I might post it up again sometime.
Kik-ting: Yes. Kenshin didn't know that he was talking to a girl since Battousai had managed to shut him out. And about Kenshin's reaction if Kaoru's secret is revealed… I haven't really decided upon that yet. You'll just have to wait and see. ^-^x
The Evil Witch: Um… -.-; This may seem really stupid but can you give me the definition of fluff? Even though I've been writing for a while now, I still don't get the meanings of things like WAFF and TAFF or something like that. If you can tell me, I'll be really grateful. ^-^x
SilverKnight7: Hope you liked this chappy. ^-^x
Thanks everyone and hope to see you soon! Until next time!
Cherry Chibi.