After an annoyingly long absence of my much be-luffed muse, here is chapter nine!
Disclaimer:
My internet is PMS-ing
And so is my muse
But since I don't own Rurouni Kenshin
That's nothing new
Excerpt from Chapter 8: Aquamarine Angst:
"You're fighting against it Kaoru darling, just let the spell win." Kaoru's eyes widened and she began to claw at her own skin, hoping to get rid of the chains, however in that spilt second when her attention wavered from the pain, the spell settled in. Slowly her eyes drifted shut and her head fell forward against her chest, blood trailing down her chin onto her blue shirt.
Breathing heavily, the man stepped forward and ran his finger against her collarbone, smearing the blood against his glove.
"Soon…soon…." He reached out and cradled her pale cheek in his hand, staring fixatedly at the two puncture wounds in her neck… "So soon now…"
Battousai nearly growled at the fourth vampire to stop his path through the courtyard, simply deciding to throw the unfortunate vampire into a nearby tree. With all the interruptions and requests for things, it seemed like the whole Shadow Realm was against him getting Kaoru back! An angered growl escaped his lips and he let his wings emerge, flapping them a couple of time before setting off into the sky. Within minutes, the familiar twinge of power made him realize that he had found the nearest Hellhole and he dove through the sky.
Landing, he took two steps, folded back his wings and opened the Hellhole, watching emotionlessly as his sign rose up around his form, unconsciously summoning up the memory of Kaoru's enticing dance. Shaking his head, he waiting until his was fully materialized in the human world before stalking down to the place he had first caught up with his fiery little princess.
It had taken a decade, but he had found her. After she had run from her first house, she had kept one step ahead of him, always switching apartments before he found out her old address. She had known he was coming after her and yet she had still run! He found it infuriating how quickly she ran from him, even now, even after he had saved her life from Derek (if Kaoru had heard this, he was sure she would scoff and stalk away, her hips swaying distractingly.) Glancing down at the curb he was standing on, he knelt down and took a hesitant sniff, hoping their combined scents were still there.
Fortunately, they were and he followed his nose back to her office where Aoshi's female's, (Misao was it?) scent was also present. With Kaoru's absence, the wards seemed to be gone and he happily strolled into her workplace, glancing at the dust free surfaces and gleaming tile. She seemed to have made it well for herself.
A light cough pulled his thoughts away from his Kaoru and he turned to gaze at the blushing secretary, who cleared her throat again before awkwardly speaking,
"Excuse me sir, but you need to have permission to go into the offices." He smirked and leaned on her mahogany desk, glancing down into her bright (too bright for his tastes) blue (not blue enough for him) eyes (which were no where near as pretty as Kaoru's…) and smiled disarmingly,
"Oh, I apologize!" Letting his violet eyed persona push forward, his usual strict manner became more laid back and his tense muscles loosened enough to look innocent and totally incapable of harming a puppy. In reality, his amber eyed vampryic self was just beneath the surface and still in total control, willing to kill anyone who stood in his way.
"It's okay sir, just tell me the name of who you'd like to see." He smiled and shook his head,
"I'm afraid she's not in." The secretary lifted an eyebrow,
"Then I'm afraid you can't go up. Only the business men, women and their families may go up without express permission." He grinned charmingly again,
"Oh! But I'm her husband!"
Dark brown eyes glanced around the corner and Shura quickly darted down the hallway as fast as she could. Sliding to a stop in front of small blue door, she opened it and, after running through the change rooms without pausing, plunged into the pool, sighing happily as the cool water lapped against her skin. Carefully, she un-wrapped the bandages from around her arms and looked at the blue spirals that crawled up her arms from wrist to elbow before removing her head piece, shaking her hair after it was freed from the confining area.
Diving to the bottom of the pool, she happily grabbed the nearby ladder and pushed herself around until she was sitting on the bottom tiles of the pool. A sigh escaped her lips and she laughed in delight as the water rushed around her form, cradling her, protecting her. The water had always been her friend, helping her ship sail across the sea, saving her she had been thrown overboard by fellow pirates, and healing her when her battered body smashed up against the shore.
That was where he had found her, held in the tides embrace. She had thought he was kind, helping out a poorgirl like herself...butshe quickly realizedHe knew exactly was she was and had quickly tossed her in a normal room…without water. After three weeks of drifting on its comforting arms, to be so violently torn away quickly slaughtered any form of resistance and she had given in, drawing her sign on the floor in the first bit of water she could get her hands on. The simple three wave design was quickly absorbed into the wood and she was officially imprisoned in this building, away from the waves she called friends and the tide she called home.
The door slammed shut and she glanced up, peering through the water as a slightly blurry blob walked to the edge of the pool where the maintenance box was and briefly disappeared from view as they leant over the filter to the pool.
After they left the room, Shura pushed herself off of the floor and began swimming to the surface, mindlessly speaking her thoughts to the water around her,
"What do you suppose they were doing?" A sudden current knocked her off course and she glanced around herself, peering into the water to find out what it was worried around.
"What is it?" Another push and she looked towards the water filters, watching in horror as a strange red cloud issued out, mixing with the water as it floated closer to her. Quickly the water surrounded her in a protective cocoon, keeping the red cloud away from her.
A sudden sharp pain erupted in her neck and she screamed, agony racing through her body as the fire tore through her muscles and bones. Slowly her limbs became unresponsive and the water swirled around the dart in her neck, drawing out the poison easily. However, with the water taking care of her new injury, the red cloud continued to drift closer, brushing against her face with swirling red fingers before darting into her mouth. Seconds later, her eyes fluttered shut and her lifeless body drifted down to the bottom of the pool, the water carrying her motionless form to the ground where it lay her down, seemingly waiting for her to move again.
With a smirk Battousai stepped into Kaoru's office, closing the door behind him before he threw himself down into the chair, relaxing in her scent that permeated the entire room. Shaking his head, he quickly slid open a drawer and rifled through it, occasionally holding up an object and glancing at it more carefully. He needed to find something that was linked to her, something personal that had been around her long enough for her aura to sink into it. Whatever they had done to his Kaoru had cut off her aura, making him unable to see the usual pillar of silver light that symbolized her spirit's magic and unable to contact her in any way.
Just as he found a scarf that might have worked, the door swung open and a brown haired man strolled in, toothpick held between his teeth.
"Oi Jou-chan! Can I borrow…" his statement trailed off and he scratched his head nervously. "Oh, sorry…I guess I'll go now…didn't know Jou-chan had visitors…" He looked harder at the man sitting in Kaoru's chair and his eyes widened, "Wait a minute! You're Battousai!" Battousai smirked and rose to his feet, glancing at the vampire,
"You're that Tan Harpy fool" Sano nodded and Battousai sneered in disgust before (a totally unrelated) realization hit him, "her house…" Without a further word, he pushed past the babbling vampire and strode out of the building, heading for Kaoru's apartment.
Opening the door was a simple task, a flick of his mind shifting the tumblers in the lock. Waiting for the door to swing open, he let his eyes take in the tastefully decorated apartment. After walking into the building, he allowed his fingers to brush against various items that were placed around the room.
A room practically reeking of spells caught his attention and he peered into the room, gazing at the piles of books and herbs scattered around the mini study. An open tome caught his attention and he sauntered over to the desk, throwing himself down in the chair before focusing on the spine of the book.
"Inherent spells and castings of the vampire kind…Kitten has some interesting tastes it seems…" casting his gaze to the bookmarked page, his breath caught in his throat before expelling in an anger growl. On the thick parchment paper in front of him, the words "HOW TO REMOVE A MARK" were bolded, creating a sharp contrast against the white page. Suppressing his anger, he quickly read the following paragraphs, immediately scoffing at some of the suggestions.
Slightly mollified by the ridiculousness of the spells, Battousai couldn't help but feel another surge of angry possessiveness shoot through his veins. She had tried to get rid of his mark…
Shaking his head decisively, he stood and strode out of the study, heading towards the room that was clearly Kaoru's place of occupation. Entering the room, he was suddenly struck by the realization that she had to deal with the mortal realm. Heavy black drapes covered the windows, reinforced by sheets of tin foil literally stapled onto the window frame.
Dark blues and purples were prominent, further darkening the room until it looked like some cave, candles scattered on various clear surfaces. A mini fridge drew his attention and he peered into it, grabbing one of the many packets of blood. Shrugging, he sank his fangs into the thick plastic blood bag and continued his stroll around the room, happily digesting his impromptu snack.
"Now…to find something to link…" Closing his eyes, he cast his aura into the room, searching for the thing that felt most like his vampire princess. A sharp bolt of silver pierced his mind and he reeled, blinking furiously as he tried to regain his senses. Regaining his composure, he followed his instincts to the bedside table until he found himself staring down at a tiny grey and black kitten.
Reaching out, he lifted the stuffed animal and peered at it, wondering why she had such an attachment to such a childish icon. Dismissing it to another one of Kaoru's decidedly adorable quirks, he felt the rush of protectiveness run through his veins for the second time since he'd stepped foot in her apartment.
The steady pounding of a heartbeat reached his ears and he instinctively melted into the shadows of Kaoru's lair before traveling out into the main room.
"Raccoon? Weasel girl? Are either of you here? Misao, if you are, you're supposed to be resting so I'd better find you in bed!" The dark haired mortal shuffled into the room across from Kaoru's and sighed. "Figures I wouldn't find that silly weasel in bed, sleeping soundly…" Flicking a stray strand of hair back over her shoulder, the woman turned and closed the door before making her way over to Kaoru's room and the mini fridge.
As she opened the fridge, Battousai noticed the small purse hanging off her shoulder, which was quickly revealed to contain more packets of blood. Wondering who would have known about Kaoru's….affliction, he followed her back out in the main room, watching as her cinnamon eyes took in the apartment.
Suddenly, those brown eyes locked on the spot he was standing and he froze as a wave of heat washed over him, followed by a sudden wave of ice. His eyes glinted and his aura automatically shielded him more thoroughly. The woman frowned, a small crease appearing between on her forehead, before she blinked, rubbed her eyes and sighed.
"Seeing things again…I need more sleep…" With that, she turned and opened the door, leaving a tiny note on the counter a notice of her visit. Before she could completely disappear, Battousai threw a tendril of golden aura light at her, watching as it stretched into a thin net as it fell and covered her body. The door began closing after her but it wasn't fast enough to cover the translucent tail that had appeared for a brief second before disappearing.
Amber eyes narrowing, Battousai listened for the definite sound of the lock grating shut before reappearing in the living room, still staring hard at the door.
"Kitten has some interesting friends…that she does…"
Yumi strode impatiently into the room, one hand holding up the edge of her kimono, the other tapping a rose against her lips.
"Well?" The brown haired man turned and adjusted his glasses, smirking as he did so.
"Well what Yumi?" Yumi rolled her eyes but bowed her head slightly, rose disappearing with the action,
"Well Lord Kanryu?" Kanryu laughed and waved his hand flippantly,
"It is done. The girl is spelled. Now, what I want to know is how you got the wench to agree to wear the conductors. She's a wild cat that one…did you use a spell? Or some kind of thrall?" Yumi sighed and propped her hand up on her hip.
"Pure and simple, I invoked the ancient ritual of…" her voice rose dramatically and she placed the back of her hand on her forehead in a fake swoon, "blackmail!" She gasped sarcastically and glared at the man in front of her. "Of course, it was involving a certain little human roommate of hers. With that blue haired brat in my hands, Kaoru gave in immediately and put them on, even going as far as to accept any spells that were attached. So caught up in her panic and fear for that little weasel's mortality that she didn't even TRY to escape at all. Her being Battousai's spawn means she would have been easily able to finish me off with a flick of her wrist."
"Really? That's it? Wouldn't she have been able to sense the conductors? Or Restraint spells?" Yumi rolled her eyes again,
"Of course she did, but she wasn't about to let the little weasel get hurt because of her." Kanryu practically shuddered,
"Ugh, a conscience, how horrible" Yumi shrugged and waved her hand in the air, rose restored with a poof of smoke,
"Whatever. I have to say it made it easier though. Without restraint spell that vampire princess of ours would have been a pain in the ass to deal with. Now, at least, she doesn't have any control over her powers except what we allow."
"That helps the conductor too right?" Yumi nodded at Kanryu's question and waved the rose around as she spoke,
"Yes, of course it does! With the restraint she couldn't fight against placing more spells on her, but the conductors make it easier for foreign magic to make an impact on her body. Not to mention they help keep the spell alive so we don't have to recast it when it wears out." Kanryu was about to nod when loud screams began to echo through the hallway.
"Seems something exciting is going on…hmm, shall we go see?" Yumi ignored the arm he held out and shook her head.
"I must go Kanryu, other business calls." Kanryu tutted almost inaudibly but Yumi heard it and swept a deep curtsy with a sarcastic, "My apologies LORD Kanryu, but I must leave your wonderful presence immediately!" She disappeared just before Kanryu burst out laughing at his power over the rose vampiress and strode out of the room to investigate.
Ugh…sorry about this chapter and it's shortness but the ideas for the fight scene just won't come and I've been reading some AWESOME RK fics that make mine pale pathetically in comparison….which leads me to realize how bad my writing really is. So now I'm trying to think more before I write and once again, I'm adjusting the plot…sigh Anyway, I decided not to keep this particular chapter with me any longer 'cause I know it's not going to get any better. So here it is, I'm sticking this chapter out and begging for criticism, something I sorely need so if there's any part of the story that doesn't flow well, please tell me!
I LUV YOU ALL!
Jewelle2 – Don't worry, I think everyone hates cliffhangers but I'm sorry for taking so long to update…
Iridescent Twilight – Ugh… your review totally brought me back to reality…thank you so MUCH! I explained them, rather poorly, in this chapter and I hope you get the basic gist of it…if you don't tell me and I'll probably just cut them out all together. Don't you hate it when, as an author, you add something in with a brilliant idea in mind but then totally forget the fact that everyone else who's reading it can't read your mind so you don't explain it properly?
AnimeLCgrl – Yeah, I was trying to keep that as a theme, you know, the whole opposites-attract thing…or something like that…hmmmm :P Lol. With the Misao-marble thing there is a twist coming up in the next few chapters or so! I actually LIKE this twist but I have a feeling that I'll severely mess it up or something…hehe I was also planning on going more into Misao's feelings this chapter (since your review made me think about that a lot) but I never got a chance too so you'll have to wait until next chapter but I totally agree…I would feel like sht… Yeah…you also brought my attention to the whole fact I was trying to make Kaoru independent then I do something like that (making her submit too easily)…sigh all my wonderful plans are falling apart! But I hope this chapter cleared a FEW things up…whaddya think?
Ann - thanks, after I got your review I was like, whoa, I have a story don't I? I tried to add more (like some Misao/Aoshi stuff) but my inspiration just…died. Like hit-by-a-bus-struck-by-lightning-and-attacked-with-a-chainsaw-wielding-maniac dead… I'm changing the plot line I have now a bit because it was just too long and intricate (I don't have that much of an attention span :P) so I'm trying to figure that out before I REALLY introduce the plot…next chapter hopefully I'll have everything figured out!
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