Chap. 2
Falling Angel
Koishii, why did you pick this girl for Kenshin?
She's perfect for him, that's why.
What do you mean she's "perfect"?
They both share the same problem. Kenshin has hidden behind the facade of Battousai and Kaoru behind the mask of Kurasa. Maybe because those two will find a way to heal each other. Learn to give each other the peace they couldn't find themselves...
Koishii why do you always talk in riddles?
I don't. You just think too much about things.
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Faster, Faster, get out of here quickly the sooner he's gone. The sooner you will be away from that awful stench. Slice across, down and forward they all fall down. Down away from you and into the under world where they belong. All the way down to hell, thanks to the tenchuu you have just preformed...
Looking up I see those who deserve to die because they were too weak to protect their even more fragile lies...
Glancing once again, he notices a pair of sapphire orbs floating with tears falling like pearls. Morbidly facinated, he looks one again to see that Kurasa is kneeling. Grieving for those lost. She looks up to peircing his gaze and looks at him with pity. As though he was the one who was weak and dying not them....
Kenshin sat up suddenly, this was the third night that these nightmares had come. First she simply watched. Then she started crying. And now this. What's next! He thought in frustration! I can't keep losing sleep like this! It's as though she now lives within me. There to haunt me away from the job, it seems I was destined to do... What if I was destined to meet her? What if fate has finally decided to give you a vacation... he thought laying back down to drift off.
Battousai...
Battousai...
"Oi Battousai! I called you like 3 times!"
Vacation my ass. Waking up to Iizuka is enough to give anyone nightmares. Now to wake up to those aqua depths....
"What the hell is wrong with you!"
"Waking up to you is what." I send an amber glare his way, complete Ki shock and all. He takes a step back and shivers from fright. Shaking his head to get over it, he places his hand into his sleeve and retrives a black envelope. Handing it over, he hastily makes his retreat.
Meanwhile, Kenshin's mind has been thrown into turmoil. Aqua depths! Shimatta! What the hell is wrong with me! Every dream good or bad she's there slowly coming closer and closer. Watching from afar, crying from the sidelines, grieving for the dead... and everytime I see her like that, a litlle part of me seems to fall away. Making my heart seems even colder than before...
Taking out the assignment he notices 5 words: Okubo Mansion,Okubo, one am.
Closing the letter, he decides that a little more practice is in order...
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"Tanuki? You awake?"
"Megumi?" Kaoru questioned while yawning. "What are you doing here!"
"I wanted to talk to you. Why did you not tell any of us about what happened to your parents... We were all pretty hurt after that. We all thought you didn't trust us anymore... On top of that you just ranaway last night! Tea-san almost had a heart attack, when Yahiko noticed you weren't there anymore! Speaking of whom, Yahiko has shut himself in his room, for god knows, what reason. And he refuses to come out until you go to speak with him. I'm pretty sure Tori-atama went on a drinking binge last night!
I was Kaoru's turn to be shocked. Her eyes began to well up with tears,leaving her vision blurry. They worried so much.....
"Gomen nasai..." she choked out.
"Oh Tanuki, don't cry now..." She put an arm around Kaoru's slim shoulders. Kaoru immediately put her head on the older women's neck and started sobbing uncontrollably. "Kaoru, let it all out... it's about time you cried for those lost....
Kaoru was crying but, it didn't help her feel anymore relieved or at peace. It seemed to only tighten the knot in her stomach. Leaving her in a deeper pit of dispair, to know that she had gotten others involved in this mess.... The only thing that seemed to provide her with any solace was amber... I need him, he will understand...
"Kaoru, let's go back to the Akabeko. You need to see the others. They're all worried."
Leading her out the door by hunched shoulders, the pair proceeded into the growing sunlight.
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15 minutes later, they arrived at the Akabeko. To a worried Tae.
Rushing over, she started to speak "Oh Kaoru-san where did you disappear to last night? I was worried sick! Never, ever, leave like that! You had everyone..."
"That's enough Tae. Can you please show her to Yahiko?" interupted Megumi.
Kaoru turned around to follow Tae when she was immediately scooped into the embrace of somebody decidely tall.
"Jou-chan where the hell did you go last night! Kyoto is covered with Shinsengumi and those rebel bastards!"
"Tori-atama let her go so she can go see Yahiko." her tone seemed to made icy by the glare she sent Sano's way.
"Okaaaay, whatever you say Kitsune. Just don't start getting all foxy on me."
Kaoru straightned up and proceeded up the stairs to the room that Yahiko was located with heavy thoughts. What am I going to say... Getting him to trust me again will be alot harder than any of the others... He always seemed to fear, ever being abandoned or lied to, and here I have gone and done just that...
Taking a deep breath she knocked knocked on the wood of the opaque shoji in front.
"Leave me alone!"
"Yahiko it's me. Please open up we need to talk..."
"Busu!" he yelped jumping up to open the door. As soon as the door was open he jumped into at Kaoru knocking her to the floor.
"Yahiko-chan get offffffff!"
"I'm not little!"
"Well if your not so little, then why did you lock yourself in your room?"
"Busu, you've changed. That's why...."
"Yahiko, I want you to understand. I've just lost my parents. I need time to deal with this..."
"Sure busu, whatever you say... just promise me that one day you'll smile again just like the old times and teach me Kendo too!"
"Okay, I promise."
Kaoru stood up from her kneeling position and walked back into the hall.
I hope that she will be back to normal soon... I miss her old self. She seems to be changing right before my very eyes. Not the busu I used to know anymore. Now she is Kurasa...
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Feeling slightly better after dealing with Yahiko, Kaoru went back downstairs and into the kitchen.
"How is Yahiko?"
"He's fine Tsubame-chan."
"Kaoru-chan do you think that Yahiko will like these sushi rolls, I made for him?"
"I'm sure he'll love them. He'll also love to have you has company!"
Tsubame turned around a slight blush staining her cheeks and scampered off upstairs.
"Ah Kaoru-san. I wanted to talk to you. In three days, I was asked to cater a large party for a politician. He also wanted you to preform and I simply could not turn him down. You'll do it?"
"Sure Tae-san it's not a problem. I'll be wearing the mask though, okay?"
"Yeah, it's a good way of keeping the suitors away too."
"Where am I to go to perform?"
"Just come to the Akabeko at nine."
"Okay, thank you Tae-san" bowing politlely, she left the kitchen. To do a little thinking in her quiet place by the koi pond at the back of the restaurant.
Amber eyes bore into mine. Looking so deeply that that it feels like I'm in a trance. Only I blinked. Then the trance was broken. I saw so many startling things. Anger, loneliness, and desparation only to list a few. What I wouldn't do to dissappear into those eyes once again....
"Kaoru-san, Tae wants help with the dishes"
"I'll be right there Tsubame"
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Tonight I have to kill again.... Give justice to those who deserve it.... Although I'm pretty sure that 's not what the blue-eyed angel will want..... Damn her! She just won't leave me alone.... Why can't I get her out of my head.... Katsura was right when he said this job might cost me dearly. It's costing me my sanity.....
Sensing a presence, he gets up from his traditional perch by the window and slides open the shoji. Only to reveal, a drunk looking Iizuka.
Him again... Kuso......
"Oi Battousai, it's time"
"I know that, you ahou"
Sensing that something was amiss, Kenshin asked "What are you feeling so damn smug about Iizuka?"
Squirming under the glare Kenshin gave him. He replied "Katsura wants to see you."
Bowing his way out, he made another hasty retreat away from the confused Hitokiri.
Shimatta what the hell does Katsura want to talk to me about.... Walking across the floor toward Katsura's meeting room. He opened the shoji.
"Katsura-san you wanted to see me?"
"Hai, Kenshin tonight the mission needs a little bit of an explanation. You are going to work with the Okashira of the Oniwabanshu tonight...." Raising a hand to silence the retort, that was sure to follow that particular statement. "Just listen, okay? Tonight was chosen for this assasination because there is party that is going to take place. Therefore there are too many suspects for this particular crime and the Shinsengumi won't suspect the Oniwabanshu of leaking information to the Ishinshishi. You will be working with a certain Shinomori, Aoshi. Who will simply give you the signal for when Okubo is alone. Then, you will proceed to carry out the assasination in the traditional way. Got that?"
"Hai, konbanwa Katsura-san."
Kenshin stalked out of the room and proceeded up to the roof to take his usual shortcut to the Mansion...
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"Kaoru-chan that was great!"
"Busu, screw kendo, you could be a musician!"
This seemed to be the general concensus when Kaoru returned to the mansion's kitchen.
Only Kaoru hung her head down in shame. I thought he would be here.... He saw me the first time I preformed.....
" Tanuki where are you heading?"
"I'm just heading to the powder room"
"-Kay, just come back here. We're soon going to have to serve dessert. Tae-san why didn't you let the Tori-atama come? We could sure use his help now!"
Koaru went down the corridor to the room, that she was told was the restroom when she entered the mansion. And started to slide the opaque shoji door open.
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Upon landing outside the manor's barrier wall Kenshin felt a presence behind him.
"Shinomori Aoshi, we finally meet" Kenshin spoke with a frigid tone that might have frozen anybody, except the already frozen icicle.
"The information that Kogoro-san requested is this: Okubo will have a short meeting toward the end of the party around 1:15. The others will leave the meeting about 15 minutes afterward and you will go and take care of any business you have." was his icy reply. "Also tomorrow please stop by the Aoiya and telll us about how your mission goes. Good Luck"
Hopping over the stone wall, Kenshin proceeded up to the roof and found the meeting. About 15 minutes later the others in the room left. And Kenshin slipped in unnoticed.
Okubo turned about on his heel and froze, the second he caught sight of a pair of cold amber eyes.
"I'm here to deliver tenchuu to those who deserve it. Tonight, that somebody is you" he whispered with a tone so cold, that it seemed to turn everything in Okubo's insides to ice. Okubo felt his knees give out at the sight of eyes that promised nothing but, death.
The Battousai simply walked over. Knowing that Okubo wouldn't try anything. He drew his Katana. Positioned it above Okubo's head and swung downward...
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Kaoru opened the shoji, and blanched at the sight that met her eyes. A flash of silver and the room was covered in blood. Her eyes widened, as the assailant chose to turn his head.... Amber met Aqua and Kaoru stared wide eyed at the sight of golden pools of anger. Soon black crept into her vision and the world was no more...
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Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. It's the last week of the marking period at my school so I kinda had alot of tests. I couldn't resist leaving a cliffy for you guys! Gomen minna-san.
The beginning of each chap. I chose to put a little conversation between Katsura and somebody else. Please tell me if you like this!As usual if you want another chap. please review! Thank you guys for reviewing!
Thank you''s:
I'd like to thank the following people for reviewing for a new chapter: Rochelle, ariel, Lady Yuya Shiina, Little Spider, Angel of lonelyness, and Jouko-chan.
Reviewer Responses:
Bradybunch4529: I'm not going to disappear before I finish this. I personally don't like it when people leave fics undone. So I'm not going to be one of them!
NARGIEGIRL21: Hey your right I do need an outline so I started to make one! My own story was beginning to confuse me!
ariel: Now you see why right?
Japanese to English Glossary:
Shoji- Japanese sliding door made of Ricepaper and a wood frame.
hai- yes
kuso-all purpose swearword
shimatta- another all purpose swearword
tenchuu-heaven's justice
tori-atama-bird head
kitsune- fox
tanuki-raccoon
-chan- "little"
-san - equals mr., miss, or mrs.
katana- slightly curved japanese sword
busu-ugly,hag
kurasa-raven
koishii-sweetheart, term of endearment , male to female
itoshii- sweetheart, female to male
kendo-swordplay
Gomen nasai-sorry
okashira-leader
Ishinshishi-rebel group during the revolution
Shinsengumi-cops of the streets during the revolution
jou-chan- little missy. Sano's nickname for Kaoru
minna-san- everybody
konbanwa-goodeveningahou-idiot