Kaoru on Call
Chapter Two: Arashiyama
-Note-
Thank you, reviewers! And thank you for your patience!
At dinner that night, Kenshin, Kaoru, Sanosuke, and Megumi sat discussing the bodyguard assignment that Kaoru had received earlier that day.
"What's the guy's name, anyway?" Sanosuke asked, sipping his tea hesitantly.
Kaoru looked down at the slip of paper and scanned it quickly.
"His name is Kinoshita Yamanote. He lives in the Arashiyama District of Kyoto."
Megumi looked at her in awe and took the slip of paper from her.
"Arashiyama? I've been there with my mother before. The Togetsu-kyo[1] is so gorgeous!"
Kaoru took the paper from her friend and stuck it inside the folds of her kimono and stood up. She took her tray and sat it down on the counter.
"I'm not going for vacation, I'm going to get the money to save Yahiko."
"How much are they going to pay you, Jou-chan? And how are you going to get all the way to Kyoto?"
Kaoru looked at them and smiled slightly for the first time in hours since Yahiko's disappearance.
"Three hundred thousand yen, and he sent a train ticket for first class."
"Whoa!" Sanosuke and Megumi yelled in unison.
"That way we can celebrate Yahiko's safe return, right Kaoru-dono?"
Kaoru looked at Kenshin and nodded her head in agreement. She looked out the open door and at the small stone pillar's shadow on the ground.
"I better get to packing. My train will be leaving in thirty minutes." Kaoru declared sadly, moving to her room.
When she had the shoji screen pulled back securely, Sanosuke turned to Kenshin.
"Aren't you going to go with her, Kenshin?"
Kenshin took a drink of his tea before shaking his head.
"We were discussing that on the way home. She wants to do this on her own."
Sanosuke moved over to sit beside Kenshin, Megumi followed suit and took her place to Kenshin right.
"but of course your not going to listen to her and go, right?"
"Of course not! Kaoru-dono wants to be alone in this."
"But Kenshin! She could be killed!" Megumi protested, standing up to her full height.
Kenshin looked up at a very intimidating Megumi and smiled.
"I didn't say how long she would be alone, Megumi."
Megumi and Sanosuke looked at Kenshin and laughed. Sanosuke grabbed him by the neck and pulled him over.
"Kenshin you are such an idiot!"
Kaoru lifted up a section of the wooden floor and carefully hoisted up wooden box from underneath. She slid the lid off and looked inside at the contents. It was the samurai armor her father had received, but had never worn, when he was fighting in the Revolution. It was a newer style of armor that was designed to protect against the foreigners firearms that had turned on the Meiji and went to the Tokugawa side. But even the other warriors took a musket, spear or bow into battle as well as their swords. The tosei gusoku[2] wasn't exactly accepted by the elder samurai, but the younger and more influenced samurai accepted it with welcome arms. The armor's shell plates had been coated with molten steel to strengthen them. They were painted black, silver and deep blue lacquer.
The lightweight under to kimono to protect the skin from blistering and abrasion was black silk with another layer of plain white cotton underneath for added protection. She took the armor apart piece by piece, starting with the suneate, then the haidate, kusazuri, kote, do, sode, mempo, and at last the kabuto[3]. She looked at the katana underneath the armor, it's black sheath gleaming slightly. Hesitantly, she slipped the sword under her clothes.
"Father, forgive me."
Kaoru sat the armor on top of her gi and hakama, comb, and a second pair of sandals. She went to look in her wardrobe for a yukata, and finally chose one she had never worn. Kenshin had bought it for her a week after they came home from Kyoto, and she automatically fell in love with it. It was a deep blue cotton with purple, white, and silver lotus blossoms all over it. Lines of white, silver, and red danced around the fabric to look like connecting vines. She dressed quickly and pulled her hair into a ponytail at the nape of her neck. She picked up her bag, and pushed back the shoji screen.
Kenshin looked up when he heard Kaoru coming into the kitchen, and his breath caught in his throat. Her hair wasn't pulled up into the typical high ponytail she usually wore, and it was loosely hanging over her shoulder. The red obi around her waist provided the yukata with a wonderfully snug fit in Kenshin's eyes. His observation was interrupted when Kaoru finished pulling her sandals on and called to him.
"Kenshin, are you ready? Let's get going." She said smiling sweetly, yet sadly.
Kenshin gave her a reassuring smile and stood, using his sakabato as a kind of prop. He slid his own sandals on and turned to Megumi and Sanosuke.
"Sano, can you and Megumi-dono watch the dojo until I return?"
Sanosuke smiled and gave him the thumbs up.
"Sure, be careful you guys."
But what he did next shocked everyone. He stood up and walked over to Kaoru, then embraced her tightly.
"Come back to us safe ok? I'd hate to lose my little sister."
Kaoru felt the warm, chilly sensation of a tear soaking through the fabric of her yukata and hugged Sanosuke back. Megumi came over and hugged her too.
"Hurry back, Kaoru. There's still a lot I need to teach you, ok?"
Kaoru laughed and hugged Megumi back.
"I will, Megumi. I promise. I'll come back home to you and Sanosuke safely."
She turned to Kenshin and gave another sad smile.
"Let's get going."
Kaoru and Kenshin maneuvered their way through the people until they found the train destined for Kyoto. Kaoru looked back at Kenshin.
"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now, Kenshin."
Kenshin nodded, but kept his gaze locked on the ground. Kaoru sighed and started towards the train, but Kenshin reached out and grabbed her by the hand. She turned around and saw his violet eyes filled with unshed tears.
"Kaoru, will you come back home to me, too?"
She looked at him with large, blue, unbelieving eyes. Tears cascaded down her cheeks when she threw her arms around his neck.
"I'll come back for you Kenshin. I'll come back for you, I promise."
Kenshin pulled her back slightly, Kaoru looked at him expectantly. Their lips inched closer, eyes closing and waiting for that tingling thrill, until the train's whistle let out a shrill call. Their eyes flew opened, and the both of them blushed.
"Um, well, you, uh, better get going."
"Yeah...I'll write to you when I get the chance."
"Bye, Kaoru."
"Goodbye, Kenshin."
She ran past the people and got on the train just in time. She ran through the cars until she reached the back of the train and threw the door open. Kaoru stood on the back of the train, and looked around the crowd until she saw Kenshin's unmistakable red hair turning to leave.
"Kenshin!" She called out, lurching forward when the train started foreword.
Kenshin looked back and saw Kaoru standing on the back of the train. He ran back towards the train, knocking several people out of the way.
"Kaoru!"
The train was gathering speed, Kaoru's long black hair began to whip around her face. The train was quickly leaving the station behind, and Kenshin was becoming smaller and smaller, Kaoru smiled sadly and waved at Kenshin's disappearing form. Kenshin stopped, and waved until he couldn't see Kaoru any more.
Kaoru finally went inside and settled down in her seat. She looked out the window and watched the scenery pass. She leaned back and closed her eyes, hoping to catch a little sleep before she reached Kyoto.
It was late morning when a steward awoke Kaoru from her slumber, about eleven thirty.
"Welcome to the Arashiyama District!"
The train was emptying and Kaoru picked up her back, and the armor clanked loudly inside. The steward looked at her suspiciously.
"What do you have in that bag, ma'am?"
Kaoru gave a nervous smile and threw the bag over her shoulder.
"Just a few presents for my family that I'm going to visit."
"Oh, well, good luck and have fun!"
Kaoru walked away as quickly as possible and stepped off the train. The scenery before her took her breath away. The mountains stood tall in the distance, thickly forested by pine and cherry trees. This dropped steeply to the river, where fishers were getting ready for ukai[4]. Then, she saw the famous Togetsu-kyo. She smiled to herself, and walked out to find her charge.
She was finally in Kyoto.
END! Here is a list of terms that I used in the story!
[1] Togetsu-kyo: The 'moon crossing' bridge in the center of the Arashiyama District.
[2] Tosei Gusoku: The most recent style of samurai armor that helped protect against firearms.
[3] Suneate: Shin guard
Haidate: Lower thigh defense armor
Kusazuri: Upper thigh defense armor
Kote: Arm defense armor
Do: Cuirass, chest and abdomen defense armor
Sode: Shoulder defense armor
Mempo: Face defense armor, can be removed from the kabuto
Kabuto: Helmet
[4] Ukai: Fishing done by firelight with trained cormorants, a large sea bird that is very ravenous.