Chapter Three: Trust or Fear?
Kaoru looked at her breakfast with worry the next morning. She wasn't worried about her cooking- in spite of what Sanosuke and Yahiko claimed, she was a great cook- she was worried about Kenshin. She hadn't slept well after everything that Kikyo had said.
"And I don't believe any of it!" Kaoru reaffirmed to herself. "That woman's obviously a fraud!"
"Kaoru-dono?" she heard Kenshin ask as he entered the room, followed by Yahiko, who kept looking around at the corners with paranoia.
"Oh, good morning Kenshin," Kaoru blushed as her dearest friend sat down. "I was just-"
"Do not worry for this one," Kenshin told her, giving her a reassuring smile. "He will be perfect fine."
"Is that creepy priestess gone?" Yahiko asked, his bowl and chopsticks in his hand, but his eyes shifting around.
"I the spare room," Kaoru said. "It was totally empty."
"Sano is gone, as well," Kenshin mentioned.
"I don't understand," Kaoru went on, "It looks like she never slept in the bed."
"I do not require the need of beds, very often," the ethereal voice chimed. Kaoru nearly leaped a mile in her seat, and Yahiko bit his tongue- as he had just taken his first bite of breakfast. Kenshin looked up at their 'guest'. She was standing there as she had last night, but now Sanosuke was a few steps behind her, and as Kenshin, and then Yahiko and Kaoru, noticed, the hems of Sanosuke's pant legs were stained with mud. Kikyo, however, was still immaculately clean.
"Are you suggesting the beds here aren't good enough?" Kaoru asked coldly, over her shoulder. "Why are you still here, then?"
"I require lodging until my task is done," Kikyo said.
"I thought finding Kenshin was your task," Sanosuke asked, leaning against the wall.
"Only half," Kikyo answered him, but still stood facing the others at the table. "It will not be finished until Ken-san accepts his heritage and the Tetsusaiga."
"Kenshin isn't a demon!" Kaoru and Yahiko insisted.
"This one will wield no sword that kills," Kenshin said, his face very serious.
Kikyo paused. "Baka." Then she smiled, and said, "I'm going into the city. I wish to see how much has really changed in four hundred years." She didn't even glance at Sanosuke as she left.
"Good riddance," Yahiko announced after Kikyo had been gone for a time. Then he started digging into his room temperature breakfast.
Kenshin had taken one bite, then he looked to the still standing Sanosuke. "Aren't you hungry Sano?" he asked.
"I'll eat later," Sanosuke said. They all looked at him, shocked, and a little scared.
"You're not hungry?" Kaoru asked.
"Are you ill, Sano?" Kenshin asked.
"That witch, Kikyo, probably put a spell on him," Yahiko said.
Immediately, Sanosuke was wringing Yahiko's neck, shouting, "She's not a witch! You dare to insult a refined woman like her!" then he looked at Kaoru and Kenshin, and shouted, "And I'm notsick!" he heaved heavily for seconds, then he took a deep breath, composed himself, and said calmly and steely, "I'm going to accompany Kikyo-sama."
"But-" the three others tried to say.
"It's wrong to let a woman walk alone, unprotected!" Sanosuke roared at them. They all shied away and started eating at their food again, and Sanosuke left.
As the door slide closed, Yahiko mumbled with a full mouth, "Told ya he's under a spell."
Transition
Sanosuke turned the corner, hoping he could catch up with Kikyo-sama before she got to far, but to his pleasant surprise, she was waiting just down the road. He sprinted to her, then stopped and looked down at her as he got his breath.
"Did you know I would follow you?" he asked her.
"Yes, and no," she replied. Then, she reached behind a bush, and pulled out a basket. She slinked her arm through he handle, and said, "Now we shall not look so strange, walking together."
But as they went into the crowded streets of the city, people would often stop, stare a moment, then give them a wide berth.
'Kikyo-sama would stick out anywhere,' Sanosuke thought.
Later, after Sanosuke had accompanied Kikyo-while she bought herbs and plants- "For infusions and ointments" she had said- Sanosuke's stomach started growling.
"Kikyo-sama," he said, "Would you like to join me for lunch? I know you don't really need food, but-"
"Of course I will," Kikyo-sama replied, smiling up at him. Then, she looked around and whispered, "I want no one to know what I really am, Little Sanosuke."
He felt like kicking himself. "O-oh, sure. Got it… Anyway, you'll love this one place," he said, taking her hand and guiding her down the street. "It's got the best beef dishes anywhere! Even if most of it is foreign." Holding her hand made his heart race and his mind cloud. Sanosuke new he must have been acting like an excited little kid, but he didn't care. However, his excitement could not help him forget that the hand he was holding was as cold as ice. Cold as death…
"Ah," he said as they came to the small establishment. He looked up at the sign and read, "The Akabeko. Best restaurant in town!" He led her up the stairs and opened the door for her, and he showed her the area he and Kenshin and the others usually sat, he waved to Tae, the owner, and noticed a few officers sitting nearby, with lots of empty cups strewn about. 'I'll bet they're supposed to be on duty, too,' he thought with disgust. But he would not let such things damper his afternoon with Kikyo-sama.
"Good afternoon Sanosuke," the waitress girl, Tsubame, chirped as she came over to them. She stared at Sanosuke with devotion. He grinned. He knew about her silly little crush on him. Though he didn't feel the same, he couldn't help but occasionally have a little fun with the kid.
"Hey, Tsubame," he said. "We'd like your best today. For my lovely friend here," he continued on, gesturing to Kikyo-sama.
"Oh," Tsubame said, looking at Kikyo-sama like she was a toad. "Sure…" and she sulked off with their order.
"That was unkind, Sanosuke," Kiky-sama said dourly.
"Come on, she's a kid with a crush," he said. But he looked at her face and he felt his throat cloe up and his stomach drop like a stone. That way she was looking at him… How could one person's face make him feel like the worst man who ever lived because he poked fun at a someone? He swallowed, bowed his head, and said, "My apologies, Kikyo-sama." he mumbled, with a sweat drop.
"Well well, someone actually made the insensitive Sanosuke Sagara apologize," said a familiar, and irritating voice. Sanosuke's head whipped up and to his great displeasure, miss Megumi Takani was standing there. The female doctor- and opium maker- was always exchanging quips with him whenever they chanced to pass one another's paths.
"Megumi…" he seethed through his teeth.
"And who is this miracle worker? Kikyo-sama, he called you, right?" Megumi said, as she pushed Sanosuke over and squeezed herself in beside him.
"Yes, that is correct," Kikyo-sama replied.
"Here," Tsubame said, suddenly appearing at their table. She half dropped, half slammed the tray with their food and drinks onto the table, then she seemed to stomp away.
"Hey! What happened to service with a smile!" Sanosuke hollered at he, but she retreated into the back. "Sheesh." he reached for his plate and looked over at Megumi. "What are you still doing here?"
"Can't I enjoy the company of a friend?" she snapped. Then she glared- 'glared?' he thought- across the table at Kikyo, and said, "So, how is it you know Sanosuke? From your clothes, you're just a priestess."
"It was a long time ago," Kikyo-sama hinted. "He was but a boy, and our paths crossed briefly."
"Long enough for him to bring you here," Megumi said under her breath. "And where are you from?" she asked.
"I used to live here," Kikyo-sama said, again being half truthful. "But now I wander where I wish."
"Really? If you carried a sword, you'd be like Ken-san," Megumi said. Then, with her eyes looking full of snake venom, she asked, "So… Kikyo-sama… How long will be in town?"
Sanosuke turned to Megumi and said, "Would you stop badgering her? What do you care if she's here for the day or four hundred years?"
"Sanosuke," Kikyo-sama scolded him.
"Hey, you," one of the officers from the other table said, getting up and stumbling over. Sake was heavy on his breath. "What's a rooster head like you doing with two pretty ladies like them, anyway?"
"What did you call me!" Sanosuke shouted. He hated when people insulted the way he looked.
"Oh great," Tae said, as Tsubame peeked out from behind the kitchen. "That idiot's gonna get another fight going."
"And he hasn't paid," Tsubame said mentioned. "Then again, he never does…"
"Wanna take it outside?" the officer asked, as his buddies got up and stood behind him. "Winner gets the ladies."
"Why you-!" Sanosuke growled. But before he could get up, Kikyo-sama was standing in front of the five drunk officers.
"Leave now," she said. "Or I shall deal with you harshly."
"Oh my!" one of the officers laughed, as the others started tittering their heads off. "The little priestess is angry!"
"What will you do?" the first aggressor asked, tilting her chin up with his fingers. "Put silly sutras on our heads?
Kikyo-sama said nothing. She just reached up, took the officer's sleeves in her hands, and then suddenly, bright purple-pink and white sparks flew from her fingers and palms. She'd burnt holes into the sleeves! The man was screaming with pain and fear and tried to run from Kikyo-sama's grasp, but she had him entrapped. Then, she pushed him hard into his stunned and shocked comrades.
As the man who's sleeves smoked from the strange attack looked up at her, and other patrones cowered n their seats, Kikyo said, "Do not ever speak that way to this man, or any in his company, again. Is that clear?" then, she bent down, and whispered so low no one could her hear.
The man's eyes grew wider, and he stuttered, his voice high with panic, "Y-Yes, Ma'am!"
"You witch!" one of the others yelled, "You're under-!"
"NO!" screamed the injured one, "Leave her alone! Let he go, please!"
"But-?"
"Let's get out of here!" cried the man as he scrambled to his feet and dashed form the building. His fellow officers then made their own hasty retreats.
Everything seemed to be frozen in time a for several minutes. Then, Kikyo turned around, picked up her basket, then said to Sanosuke, "I am returning to the dojo."
"A-alright," Sanosuke said, finally getting up and walking behind Megumi. As they left, he turned, and grinned at the perplexed Tae and Tsubame, "Sorry bout all the trouble- great food, by the way. See ya!" then he rushed after Kikyo-sama.
They both walked in total silence for most of the way. When they were near the dojo, Sanosuke finally broke it and said, "You didn't have to do that. I thought you wanted to keep a low profile."
"They were dangerous for you and your friend." Kikyo replied.
"What was that last bit you whispered to that guy?" Sanosuke asked.
Kikyo-sama took a moment before she answered. "I called him demon spawn."
Sanosuke was so stunned he stopped in the middle of the path.
Kikyo stopped a few steps ahead of him, and said, "I could sense the dark demon aura in him. It was faint, but…" she looked back to him. Then she smiled again, and said, "We must hurry before these plants wilt, and the day is gone. Little Sanosuke."
Sanosuke sighed, stuck his hands in his pockets, and said, "Yes, Kikyo-sama." and he followed her home.
Transition
Back at the Akabeko restaurant, Tsubame was cleaning up from Sanosuke's table. Megumi was still sitting there, as if looking into space.
"It's odd," Tsubame said, "That creepy lady never touched her food."
"I think," Megumi said, finally getting up, "I shall pay Ken-san and Kaoru a visit."
"Not till someone pays for this meal," Tae replied.
Transition
"Let me help with the sheets, Uncle Ken," little Suzume Genzai said as she jumped up and down beside Kenshin. Laundry day again, and, of course, Dr. Genzai had brought his two granddaughters to visit the rurouni and Kaoru.
"I wanna help Uncle Kenshin!" Ayame insisted.
"Now now," Kenshin said, smiling at the two children, "There is enough here for both of you to help."
"Those two never tire of helping Kenshin," the good doctor said as he and Kaoru took tea on the porch.
"I think it's Kenshin they like more than the chores," Kaoru said. Since that horrid Kikyo had left, things were so very peaceful around he dojo again. Things felt normal again. But, it was not to last. As Kaoru took a sip of tea, she saw the priestess turn the bend and approach the dojo. She started and nearly choked on her drink, and coughed as both Kikyo and Sanosuke came into the yard.
"Welcome back, Sano," Kenshin said cheerfully. Then, less cheerful, he said, "And you, Kikyo-san."
"Kenshin," Dr. Genzai said, setting down his cup, "Where are your manners? It's been years since I've seen one, but a true Shinto Priestess deserves more respect."
"A priestess!" Ayame exclaimed. She dropped the shirt she had taken form the basket, and hurried over to see Kikyo.
"Ayame-" Kenshin began.
"Don't!" Kaoru barked.
"Oh, Kaoru, not you too," Dr. Genzai said. "Let the girl be."
"But-" Kaoru began to say, but she looked back to Kikyo and Ayame, and was surprised. Kikyo was being so very kind to the little girl. Ayame was chattering on and on, and Kikyo laughed so pleasantly it was almost delightful. Then Suzume went over to join her sister.
"Do priestesses really make magic spells?" Ayame asked.
"No," Kikyo said, "We create charms and sutras that promote good health and protect the home. But mainly we heal the sick and injured."
"Like doctors? Like Grandpa?" Suzume asked, as wide eyed and fascinated as her sister.
"Yes," Kikyo replied. "However, our methods are very old. I rely on many herbal mixtures. I happen to have some healing herbs with me."
"Will you show us?" the girls asked.
"Of course," Kikyo replied happily, taking Ayame's hand in her free one, and led the girls off to a side of the lawn. It was the first time any of them, Kenshin, Kaoru, or Sanosuke had seen her face not look either scary or sad. But what was shoking to Kenshin and Kaoru was that nither of the girls, nor Dr.Genzai, for the rest of the afternoon, sensed how strange and so thoroughly wrong Kikyo was. Not even when sunset came, and the girls bade a reluctant farewell to them.
"Don't leave before we visit again, Kikyo-sama!" Suzume and Ayame called as their grandpa led them off home.
After the three visitors were gone, the occupants of the dojo looked at Kikyo as she turned around and walked towards the garden. The happiness they'd seen before was gone now. With them again was the sad ghostly woman who'd come to them just last night. And it seemed that as it grew darker, shining lights like stars filled the back garden.
Authoress's Note:
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