The Guardian
By: Wildfire Sky
I think that I might finally be getting this whole chapter update thing under control. I'll just do it one story at the time, starting with this one, then Ante-Mortem (for those of you who read that), and then Ad Astra (again, for Cyborg 009 fans), that way I'm giving each story equal attention. I'm so smart.
Oh!! Even though it's been four chapters now, I forgot the disclaimer (rolls eyes), so let me do this. I don't own Rurouni Kenshin nor do I own any of the characters except for the ones I've created through my own simple talent.
The Guardian
Chapter Four
It was dark.
Even with the full moon out, he could barely see three feet in front of him. There was no way he could know if his pursuers were still hunting him, or if he'd finally given them the slip. Slowing down his rapid pace through the thick woodland, his tiny legs shaking with overexertion as he leaned against the nearest tree. Sweat poured down his brow, dripping and mixing with the dirt beneath his bare feet.
There was pain in his chest...pain he felt nearly everyday. It wasn't easy being so young and forced to work so hard under a hot, blazing sun every single afternoon. His tiny heart couldn't keep up with the strain of dragging huge pieces of timber from the forest to his uncle's house nearly ten miles away. He was never allowed water, that is until he collapsed in the front yard and his aunt was able to escape her husband to assist him. Now, he was straining once again, in a fight to survive.
The snap of a twig caused the young boy to jerk upright, pale grey eyes searching the woods for whatever was coming near. He held his breath, slumping lower against the rough bark, squeezing his eyes shut as he murmured a quick prayer.
There was a gruff snort of a man, his mumbles low yet sinister. The boy could hear him whispering to himself, could almost smell the warm sake on his breath as the man moved closer and closer, not bothering to mask his steps in his drunken stupor.
"Fucking brat kid...I'll kill him...I'll rip his puny little throat out..."
The boy covered his ear, shaking his head as if it would ward of the evil spirit of his pursuer. A tiny whimper escaped unwillingly from between his lips and the footsteps immediately stopped, the snorting and coughing falling silent. The boy's mind urged him to run, to escape to safety...but he was frozen to the ground, whimpering and rolling back and forth on his heels, shaking his head miserably.
There was a flurry of noise and cursing as the man turned towards him, crashing through the foliage, snarling viciously as he moved. The steps came to a rest, and the boy could hear the heavy breathing of his hunter above him and sickeningly close.
"There you are..." the man snarled angrily, "I can't believe I had to run all over this damn forest looking for you!" The boy cried out in horror and pain as the man reached down, lifting him up by the front of his tattered shirt and shaking him like a rag doll, "Do you know how worried your aunt was?"
Tears were streaming down the child's face even before the blows started, each hit punctuated by a curse and the smell of blood. No doubt his aunt wasn't worried about him...not now...not ever again.
The man suddenly fell silent, dropping the boy to the ground as he pulled the dirty, bloody blade from his sash, staring at it in the moonlight.
"She wouldn't stop crying..." he said, eyes sparkling dangerously as he turned to the boy, a smile forming on his chapped lips, "Oh no...the bitch wouldn't stop crying until I made her..." He knelt down, tapping the blade against the boy's forehead, "And now you're crying too..."
The boy's scream cut through the air as the man's blade slashed down...
Toorima slowly opened his eyes, never one to 'jerk' awake from his nightmares. He'd learned long ago to accept them for they were...images created by the mind revealing your fears to you. He prided himself on having few fears, light being one of the few exceptions. But at the moment, the sun was not a pain to him...
The moon was full, the dojo dark, and its occupants fast asleep, unaware of the creature that lurked through their home. He wanted to convince himself that the Battousai had not stooped to the level of depending on a woman for his livelihood, but as he hid in the dark beneath the house steps, watching and waiting, his became more and more disgusted with the man.
This was not the Battousai he looked forward to killing. What he watched was an old man washing cloths and cooking...a woman in the body of a man. And now he was trying to woo this woman he slaved over...would wonders never cease? A man of his strength and caliber bowing down to her! What the hell had happened since the Bakumatsu? Had Battousai become weak and submissive?
Well, he wouldn't be forced to do so much longer...after tonight, both Battousai and the apparent man he'd become would be dead.
He uncurled himself from underneath the dojo floors, crawling forward through the grime and bugs that lived in the damp space, ignorant to their presence over his body as he moved. He could bathe later, for now, he wanted to get this over with and return to Genze. The man was very interesting and had proved so yesterday in the early hours before dawn, when they'd had a chance to talk.
"Oh please, like I would really tell my kidnapper anything!" Genze glared, "As a samurai, I know when to keep my mouth shut."
Toorima stared at him in amusement, his one glowing red eye pinning the old man to where he stood bound. He vaguely considered untying the man...the ropes were cutting into his flesh and rubbing the skin raw...but he only allowed such luxuries to people who actually cooperated with him, and Genze was most uncooperative.
"I see your samurai roots are resurfacing," Toorima said from the dark corner of the room he'd previously occupied. He put a small candle near Genze not so much so he could read his face, with his training it would be simple enough even in the dark of night, but just so that the man felt a bit more comfortable. Comfort meant a loose tongue. "Perhaps you should set aside that...you no longer wear the sword, am I right?"
Genze paused, "I may have thrown away the blade, but I have not thrown away my honor. However, it seems to me that you have, assassin...or do they call you something else?"
Toorima chuckled, "I'm known as the Phantom Killer...Toorima. I could have thought of something cleverer, but if they wish for such a title, it suits me."
"Don't you have a name, boy?"
Toorima glanced up from his position, red eye narrowing, "My given name is of no concern to you, remember that or remember pain...your choice. Now then, Genze-sama, please tell me more about the Battousai, since you seem to know him so well I'm sure you have a wealth of information. Please enlighten me."
Genze stared at him, "Do you honestly think I'll willingly provide you with information? I might not like the Battousai, but he is still my ally."
Toorima turned away silently, staring down at the damp ground in though and frustration. "You are being ridiculously stubborn, Genze-sama...my request is very simple. Why are you protecting a man that you've never liked?"
Genze stared at Toorima, trying to ignore the binds biting into his skin. "You are a hitokiri, are you not? Finding such information yourself should be a simple task. Why don't you do it yourself instead of going through the trouble of capturing samurai?"
A harsh laugh cut through the air. Toorima slowly stood, approaching to the very edge of the candle light, his eye reflecting the flames. "You are hardly samurai, Genze-sama. You're no better than a puppet for the government...where as I am still free to do as I please."
"I might be a puppet of the government," Genze spat angrily, "But at least I have a place in the world. Look at you! You slink around in the shadows, living in a cave, never letting yourself be seen in public." Genze sneered, "The only difference between you and me is that you're a puppet of society."
The flame was suddenly snuffed out as Genze felt the rough fabric of a glove wrap around his throat, squeezing the air from him. Genze's eyes grew wide with panic, his struggles lost to the binding across his body, limited to just his head. Toorima's single, red eye stared out from the darkness, instilling fear in his captive.
"Watch it, Genze-sama..." Toorima snarled, "My reasoning for living the way I do is my concern only. Do not think I'll allow any 'analyzing' of it. Understand?"
"H...Hai..." Genze managed to croak out, eyes bulging, "I...won't..."
For a moment, their eyes locked before Toorima withdrew his hand, the room flaring back up again with light. Genze slumped forward against his bindings, gasping for air.
"Are you willing to talk yet, or will I have to force it from you?" Toorima smirked, "Don't be a fool...what have you got to lose besides some sleep? Especially when there's so much more I could take from you..." Toorima punctuated his words with the tip of his sword pressed up against Genze's chest.
Genze looked up defiantly, "Do you honestly think the threat of death will make a true samurai cow down to the wishes of his enemy?"
"Then perhaps the death of your family will sway you to be more cooperative..." the sword tips fell away as Toorima turned, "In fact, your wife should be at home right now, correct? Perhaps I'll pay her and your grandson a visit."
Fear gripped Genze's heart, stealing away his breath. "No wait!" he called out in panic, "Don't hurt them!"
"Then tell me what I need to know! What is the Battousai's weakness? What makes him tick?"
Genze shrunk away from the assassin's harsh tone, "I don't know a lot about the Battousai...but what I do know is that he's changed...he's become a rurouni these past ten years and is living somewhere in Tokyo. You'd have to go to the police to find the exact location..."
"And what of his weaknesses?"
There was a short pause as Genze finally looked up. "As I understand it, there is someone important to him..."
Toorima smirked, inwardly laughing at his good luck. Who would have thought he'd find both the Battousai and his lover locked in embrace, blissfully unawares of their surroundings? It was the perfect catch. Kill the woman, capture Battousai, and return his head to his contact. It was pathetically simple. It was hard to imagine that after only ten years, the Battousai would leave himself so open to attack. Toorima still could not truly sleep, his body on constant alert and reacting to every shift in movement around him.
He shifted slightly, his katana drawn from its sheath with hardly a whisper. The weight was a comfort against his calloused hand, a knowing reminder that he was now in charge of the situation and should act accordingly.
Don't listen to their pitiful pleading...they'd kill you if they had the chance.
He began to crawl forward.
Show no mercy...they would not.
He emerged from the shadows, glancing over at the bare porch.
Kill all...the weak may become strong and the sick healthy.
He silently noted the ki of the other occupants, making a mental note to kill them as well.
Stay true to the sword...it shall remain ever faithful to you as your guardian.
Moving slowly and silently, he climbed the porch steps, reaching for the shoji door that would reveal his sleeping victims...
Kenshin shifted uncomfortably against the wall, something dragging him from his dreamless slumber. It was becoming annoying, how jumpy he was. Only a few days ago he nearly decapitated an innocent bird that had the ill luck of landing on his chest while he was sleeping. And now he was awake again, probably worrying over nothing.
Still...
He randomly threw out his ki in warning to whatever small, innocent creature might be happening by, carefully searching to dojo for any unwanted presence that would dare to enter these grounds. After searching for what seemed like hours and finding nothing, Kenshin settled back against the wall again, pulling Kaoru closer.
The feel of her light breathing against his neck was soothing, even arousing in a way. He could almost imagine how heavy her breathing might become during love making....Kenshin quickly shook his head, clearing the vile thoughts from his minds. Marriage should take priority over breeding. He must woo her before he took her...it was honorable.
He was just beginning to close his eyes, when it struck him. Stiffening dangerously, Kenshin instinctively reached out a hand for his sakabatou, his eyes narrowing as he searched for what was only a spark of ki. Someone was in the dojo...someone trained enough that they managed to hide their ki momentarily, even from him. He curled his hand around the sheath...and froze.
It was gone.
It was like a flash of hot lightning had suddenly struck him through the heart. There was an intruder within his walls, and he could not find his sword. Misplacement wasn't an option. After years of fighting one learned not to lose their sword...especially at night. He was certain he'd laid it next to him. Yet, he slowly stretched out, searching aimlessly for his missing weapon.
Then the heavy foot gently descended on his hand and Kenshin's heart stopped as the point of a blade found its way beneath his chin, tickling his throat. There was a light chuckle from the dark, an almost pleasant sound had it not been for the circumstances.
"Looking for this?"
Kenshin's eyes darkened. "You must be the one they call Toorima..."
The chuckling stopped.
"How did you manage to hide yourself?"
The pressure of the sandal slowly increased until Kenshin could almost feel his hands being crushed into the wood. The voice that answered was gruff, yet almost gentle at the same time...the voice of a calm, collected killer.
"I would stay quiet, Battousai...you wouldn't want to wake your woman..." the voice chuckled again. "And we wouldn't want that, now would we? I usually carve out the throats of noisy people..."
Kenshin's arms tightened around Kaoru protectively as he hissed. "You will not harm her, that you won't..."
The blade was suddenly jerked upwards, jabbing into the underbelly of Kenshin's jaw. The ex-hitokiri could feel the droplets of blood trickling down from the sword as the killer held it in place.
"A very good friend of mine told me you changed Battousai...changed into his loving, caring man...a complete opposite of your former self. That you've even managed to find love..." The sandal smashed down on Kenshin's hand, causing the rurouni to wince at the fire spreading throughout his fingers, "A love that you don't deserve...does this woman know about your past, Battousai?"
Kenshin glared up at the darkness, "Kaoru-dono does not care for my past, that she does not. To her, my past means nothing..."
"Nothing indeed...then answer me this...when you become violent, does she cower away...begin to weep at the sight of you out for blood? Does she beg for you to return to the good 'rurouni' that you once were?"
Kenshin sat silent.
"You see? If you past didn't matter, then she wouldn't care how you win the battle, as long as you still love her. She prefers the present and not your past, Battousai...she wants to see the demon in you vanquished forever." There was a short pause. "Does that sound like a woman who doesn't care about your past? She's a hypocrite."
Kenshin's anger suddenly flared up, amber flecks rushing to his iris. "You will not call Kaoru-dono a hypocrite, Toorima. She is better than that...better than both of us! For you to come here and dishonor her without knowing her as I do is an insult to me. Now you should leave this place peacefully and never return."
In his arms Kaoru stirred, turning bright blue eyes on Kenshin's surprised face. "Kenshin? What's wrong? What's with the voices?" Her eyes landed on the blade pressed against Kenshin's neck, inhaling sharply. She slowly turned, searching for the attacker, but found nothing, the blade disappearing into the black. "What...what in the world..."
Kaoru jerked back as the blade flipped away from Kenshin's chin, pointing at her slim chest. It slowly traveled up the front of her hakama, coming to rest against her cheek. The weapon turned until the edge of its blade was pressed against her face but not drawing blood.
"She is pretty, Battousai...you have good taste." Toorima laughed softly, "And I can see that she is fierce. Her terror doesn't reach her eyes."
Kenshin resisted the urge to slap away the blade, knowing it would cause more problems than it would solve. This assassin of the shadows...the phantom killer...was a dangerous man. One who had managed to invade the dojo undetected and hold both he and Kaoru captive within a relatively short amount of time. The question that continued to resurface in Kenshin's mind was:
"How did you know where to find me?"
Toorima stepped closer, revealing his gleaming red eye to his captives. "Unlike you, Battousai, I will not hesitate to torture a man...nor will I hesitate to kill him if he proves unworthy. Those two factors in itself make me powerful...it also makes me smarter. Why should I reveal myself to a dead man?"
Kenshin's arms tightened around Kaoru as a tiny, unbidden whimper escaped from her throat. "You are from the Baku era, aren't you?"
"I lived during it, yes."
"Then you know of honor."
Toorima did not readily reply, studying Kenshin's shadowed face. "Assassins are not usually considered honorable. We attack from the shadows and wait for you to turn your back...does that sound like an honorable man to you?"
Kenshin licked his lips, carefully choosing his next words. "To a normal man...no. You are hardly honorable...however, as an assassin myself...you seem quite honorable. I never gave my targets a chance to say a word. I was swift and merciless."
"As am I Battousai.
"But you haven't killed me yet..."
There was another pregnant pause.
"I haven't killed you yet," Toorima said quietly, "Because there is something else I wish to do before you meet death..."
Suddenly the room was filled with moonlight as the shoji door slammed open, revealing a large hulking shadow and a smaller one, their bodies partially blocking the light. Toorima instantly shrank back from the light, his eye glaring at the two newcomers as his blade was forced away.
"Well, well...I thought I heard someone disturbing my beauty sleep." The larger form snarled.
The smaller form held something in his hands which he jabbed at Toorima with. "Yea! Who the hell are you?"
Toorima stared at them balefully as Kenshin pushed himself away from the wall, half carrying Kaoru to safety. "It would be wise for you to turn away...my mission will not fail, I assure you of that."
The large form cracked his knuckles. "Well you've just had a change in plans...your mission now is to get out of here before I smash your head open."
Kenshin shoot a glance at his friend in warning. "Sano...don't underestimate him...he's dangerous."
Sano smirked down at the smaller man. "He's scared of the light...how can he kill us if he afraid to move?"
The deep throated laughter of Toorima filled the room as the rustle of clothing reached Sano's ears.
"Zanza...the Battousai is correct. Many have died who've underestimated me...and you will be no exception. Now prepare yourselves for the afterlife..."
"Bring it on, you little..." Sano's growl trailed off.
By the time he registered the assassin's movement, Toorima had him pressed up against the outer dojo walls, grinding his face into the unmovable stone.
Well, I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!! I know I will...up to a point. Does, uh, anyone have a degree in computer repair or something like that? I getting frigging desperate here, so assistance would be VERY nice. Besides that, peace out!!
THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED!!
Wait wait...time lapse...lol...that little blurb up there was written WAY before Christmas. I was hoping to update all my stories as a "Christmas Present" to all my fans out there, but as you can see...I had some computer problems which have only recently been solved. So, my apologises for not updating sooner but, well, shit happens.
PEACE!!