Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or any creations from it so yeah.
Behind My Back – Chapter Three – By Cherry Chibi
'A Promise made in Dreams'
* * * *
The girl dropped her bokken and stood there with an emotionless gaze. Her haunting eyes stared right into Battousai's. Warm crimson fluid flowed along the curved of her arm and dripped from her fingertips. "How can you kill someone so easily?" She questioned. She bowed her head. "I… I'm always weak…. What do I do?" Her voice was in despair as she staggered and fell onto her knees.
Battousai showed no expression and advanced to the final blow. He leapt into the air. "You are to cease existing."
"No!" A surprise attack from behind the girl caught Battousai off guard. "Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu - Hawatari!" Another person from nowhere had crossed her wrists in front of her forehead and trapped the sword with the back of her hands – Protecting the injured girl. She twisted her wrists, pulled the sword from Battousai and threw him to the ground.
'She's the girl from the Akabeko…' Battousai got to his feet feeling enraged that someone like a mere waitress could get the best of him. "You won't do that again."
"Of course I won't." Kaoru replied before turning her attention the injured girl, "What are you doing here Tsubame?! Run!" Kaoru shouted. Tsubame nodded hesitantly and rushed out of the alley.
"You're risking your life for nothing," Battousai said, Kaoru quickly replied showing no signs of regret. Her tone was clear and controlled which only added fuel to Battousai's fire of confusion and anger. He couldn't kill her, since his sword was in her hands.
"I won't become your victim. Nor will she. Did you know that Tsubame's the one who works to keep her remaining family alive? They're poor don't you know? You killed her parents and younger brother." She held Battousai's sword in her hands tightly.
"Why don't you kill me then?" Battousai questioned. "If you're seeking revenge for those I've killed." The wind howled almost like adding drama to the scene. Thunder roared from a distance. Kaoru threw the sword on the ground and allowed it to clatter at Battousai's feet.
"I have no intention to kill." Kaoru said, "After all, who would serve you at the Akabeko late at night?" Battousai instantly hated her act of innocence. In ways, he thought that the girl was an overconfident brat. "It was nice to meet you tonight again, strangely enough, our first encounter tonight wasn't at the Akabeko." Sarcasm had dripped from her tone. Kaoru turned her back to him and walked out of the alley. A few final hesitant steps before a sudden pause. Kaoru glanced over her shoulder only to find Battousai gone.
* * * *
'Why?' Battousai fumed while he packed his clothing into his closet. He growled frustrated as her deep blue eyes haunted his memory, almost like a spell in its making. 'Why would she even dare forgive me like that? Many others would have killed me…or would've been killed…'
He sat on the edge of his bed. 'Why is she so different?' His fingers traced along his scalp while running through his red hair. 'Why did I let her escape?'
* * * *
"I'm sorry that I couldn't offer you something better Kaoru…" Tae said as she led Kaoru to a room upstairs of the Akabeko. "It's just that money has gone tight after some customers stopped coming here because of the dreadful incident…" She slid open the shouji door revealing a small room made in traditional style. A futon lay in the center of the small lonely room with a window opposite of it and a fairly small closet near the door's left upon entering.
"No, this is perfect!" Kaoru said honestly to cheer Tae up, "I can just put a bit of my touch and that's all."
"That's alright then… you do know this place like the back of your hand, so no point telling you where the bathroom is…" Tae said. "I know! To make up for this… I'll go shopping for you tomorrow!"
"Oh no! I don't think that's necessary!" Kaoru said aloud. Tae giggled.
"No, no, no, I'll go shopping alright." She winked at Kaoru, "I can't leave you wearing the same thing everyday!" Kaoru blushed lightly. Tae calmed herself and dipped into much more serious matters. "So, is Tsubame alright? It was so unexpected for her to do such a thing."
"Police are asking questions… she's just saying that she had been attacked by thieves or something… that's all." Kaoru said quietly. "I'm kind of relieved that she isn't going to say anything about the assassin… after all, I think that it would only make matters worse for her."
"I understand you caring for Tsubame but… Are you protecting him?" Tae asked with a hint of mischief.
"I'm not protecting him!" Kaoru said, "I just don't want Tsubame to get herself into trouble… this assassin kills those who witness or know too much of him or for the man he works for."
Tae nodded understandingly. "You should rest, it's been an exhausting night for you I'd imagine." Kaoru smiled. When the shouji door slid shut, she crashed her smile and turned to face the distant wall. 'This is… hopeless… Sanosuke, how do I contact you now?' She slid onto the futon and covered herself. 'I'm… alone… again…'
~*~
Kaoru woke to find herself in a room entirely white, several tools like syringes and scalpels were stacked neatly on the white marble benches. Then, two men entered the room dressed in uniform and their eyes shaded with sunglasses.
"Kaoru," Her father spoke in a cold tone. "The doctor says that you're ill…"
"I'm not sick! I don't feel it…" Kaoru replied with a smile of assurance. "Really!" Suddenly, the other man placed a familiar bottle into her hands. "What is this?" Her father held a small mirror before her eyes. She gasped. "I-I… I have…"
"Blue eyes."
"No! That isn't right! You're just trying to trick me!" Kaoru shouted outraged. "You must have snuck contact lenses on me! You know I have brown eyes!" She blinked furiously and jumped off the bed.
"Look," The other man grabbed her shoulders and flung her into a sitting position on the bed. "You're going to have to accept it and take your medication or else the government is going to have to do what they did you your damned mother!"
"M-mama…?"
"They'll kill you mercilessly too…"
"Kaoru…"
Kaoru looked at the doorway. "Sanosuke! Help me! Tell them that they're wrong!" Sanosuke shook his head slowly with uncertainty, he was in a position where he couldn't go against his father. She gritted her teeth and held the bottle in her hands. "Just because mama left behind a-a gift for me doesn't mean that you have to treat me like a freak!" Kaoru suddenly glared at her father. "All these years you treated mama so badly! I-I don't understand you!" She felt like she was hanging onto a cliff with only one hand. "No!" She threw the bottle and it smashed against the wall. "I won't have it!"
"There's nothing I can do." Her father suddenly turned his back on her and left, taking Sanosuke by the shoulder and leading him away.
"You'll have to learn the hard way." One of the uniformed men muttered with the slyness reeking from his words. He closed the door and locked in.
~*~
"Sanosuke!" Kaoru sat upright. Beads of sweat forming on her flushed cheeks, forehead and neck. 'I…I feel…ugh…' She pulled her legs up close her chest and rested her chin upon her knees. 'After that day… I was so convinced that I was sick and unclean… I started taking the medication…but now… now I wonder, am I? Or is it something else that the government finds a threat?'
She closed her eyes while disturbing images melted on the walls of the room and the walls of her mind. 'I see things… I feel things… in fact, this 'sickness' must of heighten my senses to make me feel things that seem crazy… but somehow they're always becoming true…' Her heart pounded as her thoughts rebounded to the amber eyed man. The eerie aura that had sighed into the atmosphere when she spoke to him until she walked away, it had held sorrow which clarified that this assassin was not one who was bloodthirsty or greedy for wealth or power.
'Behind the hard look of his eyes… I could see pain.' Kaoru felt the images coat the walls and surroundings in the darkness of her mind. She could've sworn that the same scent of pine and blood returned along with eerie sad aura. She glanced at the clock hanging off the wall and laid back. 'It's only 5am now…'
~*~
Blood… everywhere… bones in mountains…Kaoru tread up the hills, her feet sinking and slipping every time her feet pressed against the loose bones. She looked on and saw a man walking ahead of her, his clothes in tatters, red hair swayed; drenched in blood. Kaoru ran, she ran faster but she couldn't reach him.
"Ke-," Kaoru's voice worked on its own. "Kenshin! Stop!"
The scenario around her changed within a swerve of the harsh storm. The sun was scorching the grounds. A tall man wearing a white cloak over his shoulders shouted and young Battousai.
"Hiten Mitsuruugi Ryuu is a killing sword technique! A sword is used to kill! The day I saved you was with my sword but I killed many. However, they were human. The art of the sword is the art of killing. No matter what words or titles are placed upon it, that is its only truth!"
Kaoru's wide eyes stared at the tall man. His face was shadowed and couldn't be seen. However, she saw Battousai, only young but he had made his own choices. The boy stood there while his master turned his back on him and left. "Kenshin Himura, go wherever you wish. I no longer care what you do."
"Kenshin…" Kaoru walked slowly, treading on the snow, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'll help you. I promise."
~*~
"Here's your next task." Iizuka said while he handed the black envelope to Battousai. "I heard that you had an exceptional opponent... the person threw you to the ground…" He grinned when Battousai growled and sharply replied.
"It was negligence." Battousai said, "A girl like her can never harm me." He led Iizuka to the door for his leave. Iizuka shrugged but looked amused from the new little bit of information he had received.
"I hope that you silenced her." When Battousai shot him his deathly glare, Iizuka swallowed his tongue, "Alright, see you then." He walked and vanished into the darkness of the halls. Battousai closed the door abruptly. Why did the fool have to bring up the topic again? It had been that damn girl who had made his mind ponder and confused, just by using an oddly worded sentence. It had felt like she had added salt to his wounds without meaning to.
' It was nice to meet you tonight again, strangely enough, our first encounter tonight wasn't at the Akabeko'
Where did he meet her then? The only places that he had gone to that night were the Akabeko then the Kamiya mansion. He slumped onto the black sofa and stared into nothing.
'Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu – Hawatari!'
His eyes widened. 'Kamiya' was the surname of the family, did she have any relation to them? How did she learn such a technique? 'But if she does have any relations to Mr. Kamiya… then why does she work as a waitress?' It was complicated already. He felt a migraine arise. 'Katsura had told me who was in the Kamiya family… he didn't mention about any cousins or nieces let alone any other daughters…unless…'
His confusion burned more. 'Unless I failed to kill the daughter…what do I do about her now? Do I complete the task tonight?' He remained still for a long while thinking through. How was this problem going to be solved?
* * * *
"Kaoru! Look at what I've gotten you!" Tae entered Kaoru's room holding onto to two stuffed shopping bags. She placed them in front of Kaoru and opened them. Inside revealed several pieces of casual and formal clothing. "I thought that you would need a fresh start."
Kaoru looked amazed yet guilty. "Thank you Tae."
"Now, I have to get back to work so why don't you have a look at them? And, don't mind about the prices, it came from what I owe you for all of the late night work you do without pay…" Tae said while she left.
Kaoru slowly pulled out several shirts, skirts, pants and dresses as well as socks and a couple pairs of shoes. 'Tae sure loves to shop…' Kaoru thought. 'I might as well… WHAT?!' She held up a velvet black formal gown up and gawked at the price tag – one hundred and ten dollars. 'Alright, now… I don't think that she should have gone that far…'
As quick as she had felt the shock of the price come, a smell appeared in the air. Pine. Not yet stained with blood. 'He must be here… or coming…' Kaoru thought. 'Hang on, how do I know that?' She felt something stir in her stomach and her head throbbed. 'I… forgot to take my medicine with me!' Without her medication, it meant that she was going to have to deal with all of her crazy thoughts and crazy senses…
She noticed the time – four o'clock. 'No time to worry about anything now, I have to get changed for my shift…' Kaoru changed into her waitress uniform, neatened her hair and added her favourite indigo ribbon. She slipped out of the bedroom and walked downstairs. "Tae! I'm starting my shift!"
"Oh?" Tae popped a tray into the kitchen. "Ok, go and take the order for booth number 2!" Kaoru obeyed and rushed out to the booth.
"Good afternoon, may I take your order or would you like the usual?" Kaoru asked politely to a regular customer. She recorded the customer's request before hurrying back into the kitchen to place the order in.
"Kaoru?"
Kaoru turned around and found a waitress with a bandaged arm. "Tsubame? How are you?" She was taken aback when Tsubame bowed so low that her brown hair hid her face. "Tsubame?"
"I'm sorry for acting so foolish the other night sensei."
"It's alright." Kaoru said, "Just take it as a lesson you had to learn, stand straight Tsubame, we're working now which means we're both on the same level." She helped Tsubame to straight upright and smiled. "Now, we better get to work!"
Time passed quickly and was swallowed into the late afternoon. Customers' numbers slowly grew less. Kaoru rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand. "Today seemed a bit busy…" The other waitresses were ending their shifts while others were coming in for their turn.
"Well, I think you're shift is finished!" Tae said; pleased about how the day had gone so far.
"Oh, alright," Kaoru said, "But I think I'll keep working anyway, there's not much else I have to do." Tae looked at Kaoru strangely. "It's not unusual for me to be working extra! Plus, I think the amount of money you spent for all that clothing is costing far more than whatever amount I've earned."
"We're good friends Kaoru!" Tae said, "I don't mind helping you out! I'm sure that you would've done the same for me! In any case, I'll just be in the kitchen!"
Right enough, the entrance doors swung open as Battousai entered. 'He's arrived early…' Without hesitation Kaoru approached the booth where he usually sat with the notepad and pen in hand. "Good evening." She said with a smile.
Battousai looked at Kaoru with a cold expression but inside his mind, he was curious to why the girl would be smiling. After all, couldn't she recall the other night's event?
"I assume the usual sir?" Kaoru asked.
"No. I'll have 2 bottles of warmed sake." Battousai said in a low tone. "This time you're joining me." His expression told Kaoru more than asked. However, Kaoru passed on the order and took a seat opposite of him.
* * * *
AN: Thanks everyone! ^-^x My eye patch is off! I can see better again! Hehe!
Lynnie6: Thank you! Doumo arigatou go zai masu! *bows* ^o^x I'll tell you that this fic will be a long one! I'm really, really happy that you like my fic! (BTW, thanks, I feeling a hell of a lot better now) Hope you like this chapter!
Until next time,
Cherry Chibi.