Chapter II
Leap of Faith
The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.
Dorothy Parker
She stared at the bokken in her hand for a lifetime; her face a picture of wonder and disbelief. A bird chirped from outside in the yard, filling the cool air with a peaceful calm that seemed ironic in contrast to the previous evening's storm and of what was going on inside Kaoru's head.
"How...how can this be?" she wondered aloud, slowly relaxing her arm; leaving it to flop down onto the bed, bokken and all.
She looked around at the familiar setting of her bedroom, before gazing down at her dirty pajama bottoms; coloured with grass stains and reddish-brown clay from the yard. She strained to remember the not-so-dream from the night before; her head started to ache from the concentration so early in the morning.
There was the well and the light...and a man...what was he doing at the dojo in the middle of the night, anyway?
So many questions raced through her mind. She pulled herself warily out of the covers and sat on the edge of her bed. Her hands tensed on her cloth-covered thighs. If she indeed had had a little trip down the well, then how the hell had she gotten from there to here with no recollection of the journey whatsoever? She frowned and stood up shakily; her legs not quite steady enough to take her weight. Reaching down, Kaoru rubbed her calves tenderly and winced. Sore muscles...perhaps from a jarring impact with the ground? On standing up straight again, her head spun slightly from the reaction of her body moving before her brain anticipated it. Pressing a palm firmly to her forehead, Kaoru sighed and waited for the moment to pass.
This is just not my day...
Shaking her head, she half-limped over to the window and pulled the curtain back slowly. After her eyes adjusted to the bluish-white light, she peered outside; lifting her arms above her head in an impromptu stretch. Everything was fine, Kaoru noted. A strange feeling of déjà vu overcame her at the familiarity of that phrase. However, she shook it off because everything was fine. The Sun was pouring through the branches and over the top of the trees, the yard was empty and the wind chime by the porch door moved and tinkled in harmony with the early-morning breeze. If she listened hard enough, she could even make out the morning rush of traffic heading towards the city centre.
The mechanical sounds mixed with the songs of the many morning birds, which inhabited the nearby trees.
The rudimentary 'nice day' weather characteristics were present; a blue sky with scatterings of fluffy, white clouds. The small wisps of wind that came through the edges of the window frame were cold and fresh.
Kaoru moved one hand unconsciously and held it gently against the window pane, before frowning in thought.
Why can't I remember what happened after going into the well house? Is there a reason that I'm unconsciously blocking the events? Her eyes widened and she pulled her hand away from the cold glass as if she had been burned. Before she could ponder it further a pair of sock-covered feet padded along the hall and stopped at her door.
Sliding the shoji screen open, the older woman's eyes bulged at the sight of her daughter.
"Kaoru, you're awake!"
She watched with wide, confused eyes as her mother dropped the bundle, of what appeared to be bed sheets, and ran over to her before grabbing her by the shoulders.
"I uhh-"
She was cut off when her mother pulled her into a tight, crushing hug that bordered on uncomfortable. "Do you have any idea how worried I was?! I thought your grandfather was going to have a heart attack. I…We…Oh, Kaoru!"
The older woman's feverish whisper dissolved as her voice cracked. Alarmed at the wet warmth that now covered the collar of her top, Kaoru tried to turn and see her mother's face but she only burrowed further into the crook of her neck.
"It was your grandfather who found you. And when I saw you…you were so still and…I thought we'd lost you and…"
Placing her hands on the older woman's shoulder blades, Kaoru held her gently.
"Mom, slow down and start from the beginning because I have absolutely no idea about what's going on. I feel fine though, well to be truthful I feel like I've been hit by a bus but that's nothing out of the ordinary for a Saturday morning." She gave a rueful smile as her mother sniffed. Thoughts of the previous night welled up within her and she decided to take a wild guess. "Is this to do with the well house?"
Her mother pulled away suddenly, and looked her in the eye.
Kaoru noticed belatedly that her usually bouncy and cropped ebony hair seemed to have lost its shine. It was twisted and separated in places that gave the impression of having fingers ran through it too many times. She was dressed in her usual style of skirt and blouse however they appeared to have been flung on, as if in a hurry.
After studying her daughter with a critical eye, Mrs. Kamiya moved her over to the bed and pushed her shoulders down until she was sitting on the bed; Kaoru gave little resistance. She watched as her mother wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and sat beside her on the bed. She began to fiddle idly with a loose thread on the hem of her skirt.
"Kaoru. Your grandfather found you this morning. At the bottom of the well, unconscious. It took Souta and our new neighbor, Mr Nakajima to bring you up. They laid you out on the well-house floor and Mr Nakajima checked you over - he's a med student, I believe- anyway, he said that your breathing was normal and there was no sign of any broken bones. The only reason you're not in hospital is because of the power cut from last night's storm. Your brother and grandfather have gone to get Doctor Fujiwara. I was just about to go to the neighbors and ask if they could drive us to the hospital -"
"Mom, that's not needed."
"So you say dear, but you could have hurt your head and it might have repercussions later on."
"We can let Doctor Fujiwara be the judge of that. Listen, you know how hospitals are these days. They'll never believe that I fell down the well. At least we trust Fujiwara and he won't cast judgement or anything like that."
Her mother sniffed in agreement. "However, that begs the question, how did you even get into the well house? And why were you out in the storm in the first place?"
She frowned. What can I say? Oh, by the way Mom, you know those spirits that Gramps is always going on about? Yeah, well they're real and they opened the door for me. That would go down well...And why was I outside? Fancied a walk. Yep. And Buyo can be my alibi. Yeah, riiiight.'
"Well…" Kaoru bit her bottom lip. She couldn't say that the night was a blur because then she really would be carted off to the hospital. And right into the psyche ward while they were at it. "I'd been woken up by a noise and went to investigate it. I heard Buyo from inside the well house and the door was already open...I didn't really think about it at the time."
The older woman looked at her, sternly.
"So, you were saving Buyo. And I thought you would have learned not to investigate noises from the amount of horror movies you've seen." Kaoru gave a sheepish look. "But…how did you end up down the well?"
Kaoru froze. She couldn't very well tell her mother that she had felt a presence in the well and had stuck her head over the top, only to fall in and...Well, she'd call her a nut-case. She fingered her thick plait that was surprisingly still intact and hanging over her right shoulder.
"Well...I sort of slipped."
"You sort of slipped…and this just so happened to be beside the well? Your swordsman reflexes not help you there?"
"Swordswoman. And no, it happened too fast."
The older woman sighed and pulled her daughter into a one-armed embrace. "That's my Kaoru. Feminist, through and through, eh?"
"Damn straight!" Her mother coughed. "I mean, yeah that's me."
"Good. I still don't believe that you feel fine. No one could take that fall and not have a bruise or two. Not even a master of kendo."
"Assistant master, if you please." And they both grinned. Her mother's was slightly watery but it was her first true smile of the day, nonetheless.
And the Case was hopefully closed. Just another thing to be added to the category of 'the Weirdness that Goes On at the Kamiya Dojo'. Her mother would probably interrogate the old man later about the door. As the older woman stood up and moved over to Kaoru's wardrobe, the young kendo instructor watched her movements, quietly. She's obviously not going to believe a word I say, so I might as well let her think what she wants for the moment. She let out a soft sigh as her mother walked over with some clean pajamas.
"Doctor Fujiwara and the rest of them will be back in a few minutes. I still don't see how you didn't break anything from that fall..." she muttered while pushing the clothes into her arms, and signaling for her to change.
Kaoru shrugged, "Maybe something broke my fall..."
Like a freaky blue light...
Mrs. Kamiya shook her head and gave her daughter a gentle push towards the changing screen in the corner of the room. She stared at the bed for a few seconds, before getting down to her task. She listened to her daughter's shuffled movements from behind the screen, still feeling numb with disbelief. She had watched too many TV dramas where something miraculous happened and then suddenly, the person would wake up and the miracle hadn't happened and everything was most definitely not fine. And yet, Kaoru was real. Her eyes were bright; a bait a little hazy from sleep, her smile was beautiful and as catching as it always was and the soft sound of her moving around not a foot away from her were all very real. The coolness that had taken over Riko Kamiya's veins for the last half an hour had melted and warmth flowed once again. The thought of losing her child, so soon after her husband…was terrifying.
The power cut of the morning had only added to the irony of the situation.
She thought back to when they had carried Kaoru into the house. The only outward sign of her varying consciousness had been the mumbling of words that her mother couldn't quite catch and her tense grip on the bokken that they couldn't get her to let go off.
She stripped the sheets from the bed methodically. Inside, she wished that she could strip the events of the morning from her memory just as easily.
Oh my foolish girl, one day that recklessness of yours is going to cause you serious harm.
Kaoru was also lost in thought.
I was definitely awake when I went out to the yard but...it's kind of sketchy after that. Presuming that she had fell down the well after finding the cat, maybe she had dreamed the rest of it up. Maybe she had hit her head and was just knocked out. It would make sense. But…it had just felt so different from other dreams. Dreams were supposed to be weird and impossible; like stairways that lead to nowhere…they weren't supposed to feel so real.
I do remember there being a guy there. It's so blurry, though…maybe he was Batt-
The scale was tipped towards dreamland again. Her damn fixation with the guy was getting out of hand. Who could have guessed that just one little photograph could cause so much trouble. But then again, hadn't Mrs. Shimizu warned her against this? But...that didn't matter right now. She was certain that she'd said something to the man…and that he'd said something back. Probably something along the lines of, 'Hey Battousai!' 'Alright, Kaoru!' Or maybe not. Friendly small talk with deceased assassins would probably be classed as insane.
But what did the guy say?!
But Kaoru couldn't remember.
The details that had never been clear in the first place were slipping through her fingers. Like a handful of water; no matter how tightly she tried to enclose it...it just kept on seeping through. She tried to visualize him; she could see his hair, red and tied low. His face...it was blurry to her memory but she knew that it was marred, somehow. However, such a flaw didn't destroy his visage in the way it should have. She strained to remember his voice, but it was only a buzz in the recesses of her memory. She wasn't even sure if the Battousai had been mentioned at all anymore. Gods, Kamiya. Time to crack out the medication...
"Stupid Kaoru," she muttered as she walked out from behind the screen, her thoughts filled with violet eyes that should have been gold, and legendary names from days bygone.
"Thanks for coming at such short notice, Doctor Fujiwara." Mrs. Kamiya greeted the elderly man with a bow, on the porch. Souta and the elder Kamiya bustled past her, eager to see Kaoru. "I'm afraid Kaoru had an accident last night-"
"Yes, Souta said. They didn't go into detail though, only that it was urgent."
"Well, it was. She somehow managed to fall down the well and-"
"The well?!" He looked as if he was about to drop his briefcase.
She sighed. Fujiwara was an excellent doctor but she sometimes thought his mind was going, even more so than her father-in-law's.
"Yes, Doctor Fujiwara: the well. She was unconscious when we recovered her this morning but she woke up while the men were fetching you. She says she's fine and in no pain-"
"Well, I shall be the judge of that, Mrs. Kamiya. Have no fear though, little Kaoru shall be up and about in no time."
"She's seventeen, Doctor Fujiwara."
"Seventeen?! Ahh, how time flies...I remember when she was just this big." He indicated with his free hand to an empty space above his knee.
Mrs. Kamiya smiled and they made their way through the corridors and into Kaoru's bedroom. On sliding open the door, they were greeted by the sight of Souta and the old man chatting animatedly with the young kendo instructor, who was lying stretched out on her bed. Kaoru was soon alerted to their presence and smiled cheerfully at them, giving away none of her earlier thoughts.
..o..
"You sure you're alright, Kaoru?" Souta asked from his place on the side of her bed. She smiled at the concern in his voice.
"Never better, kiddo. Where's Mr. Nakajima? I wanted to say thanks."
"Oh, he had to go do something, but he said he'd come around later to see how you're doing."
"Jeez, you lot are acting like I almost died or something," she said with a half-laugh, while turning onto her side and bracing her head with her hand.
"You almost did! But never fear, the spirits are becoming more active but I shall not let them take my one and only granddaughter!"
The two younger Kamiya's stared at the old man, who still had his hand held up in conviction, with blank looks on their faces.
"So, anyway..." Souta drawled but was cut off by the opening of the door and the appearance of their mother and a familiar figure.
Doctor Fujiwara was Kaoru and Souta's childhood doctor. A portly man with a silver moustache and goatee that was acquainted with his generation. He had kind, coffee-coloured eyes that reminded Kaoru more of bowls of melted chocolate than coffee when she was younger. However, he always wore a charcoal coloured suit, in contrast to her grandfather's navy hakama and haori, she'd noted.
"Hey Doc!" she called to him happily with a slight grin. He returned her greeting with a warm smile and toddled over to the foot of bed; laying his briefcase down there, as Souta moved out of the way.
"I heard you had a little accident, my dear. How are you feeling?" He was fiddling around with his medical utensils while he asked her.
"I'm good, Doc. Honestly, something must have broken my fall because I feel fine."
A thought suddenly occurred to Kaoru, and it surprised her that she hadn't thought of it before. If I fell down the well, and that is from quite a height, how the hell do I at least not have a headache? Or a concussion? The weirdness just doesn't end.
"Well you certainly look fine. Are you sure, though? No minor aches or pains? No headache?" He was frowning, while he got out his stethoscope. "Breathing difficulties?"
"Nope, nope and nope," she smiled. There wouldn't be much point in mentioning the cramp in her leg from earlier; after all, it had passed fairly quickly. 'All those years of kendo practice and mastering the Kamiya Kasshin style have finally paid off!' she thought smugly.
The old doctor sighed after giving her a quick check-over.
"Well, Mrs. Kamiya, nothing seems to be wrong with her. She had one or two bruises on her legs but they're rather old and were probably procured from kendo." He then looked back to Kaoru, who was now sitting on the edge of her bed. "Kaoru, I don't see how you managed it but despite your fall, you seem to be in perfectly good health."
"So…does that mean I get to take part in the lessons today?"
This would be the point where everyone else in the room falls over, anime-style.
Mrs. Kamiya only frowned. She didn't really want Kaoru to be up and about yet, let alone swinging her bokken around. She sighed in defeat however, from the determined look on her daughter's face. She knew that even if Fujiwara said no, Kaoru would never let Souta take the class and would interrupt continuously to correct his stances.
"I don't see why not. Just don't do anything too strenuous and make sure you take a rest every once and a while. If any of your muscles start playing up or you feel dizzy, don't hesitate to call me." He answered while lifting his briefcase. "Oh, and I'd lock up that well-house extra tight from now on, in case the little Miss decides to go for another wander."
Kaoru smiled slightly as the tense atmosphere of the room dissipated. She froze, however, when she happened to look down at her fingernails. Her breath caught as she stared. Everyone in the room seemed oblivious while they thanked Doctor Fujiwara and showed him out. She distantly heard Souta leave the room last and her grandfather muttering about missing padlocks. Her mother's voice echoed through the screen; she was probably trying to persuade Doctor Fujiwara that they still needed to send her to hospital.
"Yeah, bye Doc..." she murmured quietly, still looking strangely at her fingers. It amazed her that she hadn't noticed them before.
There. Underneath every nail...was dirt. Dirt from climbing up the well.
Things began to add up within Kaoru's mind, as her eyes moved away from her fingernails and over to the open window. Slowly but surely, the chess pieces of fate and destiny moved across the board. The stage was set and the actors were ready to play their parts. The Gods were- okay, this is getting overly dramatic, but you get the picture. Somehow, the blurry memory of the star-lit night had not been a dream.
..o..
"Alright, class dismissed. I'll see you all on Tuesday!" Kaoru called as her students filed out of the dojo. She may grumble about it, but she really did love teaching kendo. She upheld her father's sword style and motto religiously and proudly taught it to others. One day, she hoped to pass it onto her own children as well. Of course, the added bonus of kicking Souta's ass was enough to take her mind off her many troubles; mainly that of a certain well.
It was just another thing to add to her ever growing list of 'weirdness that needs to be investigated,' along with the name plaque dilemma. Everything had gotten funky after that damn history class. Legendary assassins who seemingly used to hang around the dojo, creaky well houses that house even weirder wells, lost memories…it was enough for Kaoru to begin questioning her sanity. With the amount of things she was going to have to look into, Kaoru may as well have added 'Inspector' to her name.
Inspector Kaoru Kamiya. That has one hell of a ring to it. Okay, let's just go with the logical answer: I'm being punk'd. Or maybe not... The American prank show, which had been a craze among the girls at school a few years before, didn't usually pick on scrawny, Japanese girls who play with swords. And wooden ones at that.
If you could believe it, life at the dojo used to be relatively normal. The weekend lessons, school, studying, going out with her friends...the average life of a seventeen year old kendo teacher/schoolgirl. The dojo had seen better days, right enough. Its popularity had peaked when her father was teaching but after he died...things went downhill. For one, the teacher was now a girl, a teenage one at that. Two, there were so many dojos in Tokyo that all taught styles that were considerably older than the Kamiya Kasshin, some going back generations, meaning that they may sound more respectable. However, Kaoru always believed that since sword fighting wasn't used by the military anymore and was seen as more of a sport, that her family's style would appeal to many people since its ideals were based on protecting yourself and others. That was why many of the students were women seeking to learn self-defence.
It was the 23rd of September, today. The Autumnal Equinox. It had surprised her when she noticed the date on the calendar. Her mother had given her a queer look. Kaoru could tell that she was now under suspicion of being amnesiac, but it truly had gone out of her mind. They were going to visit her father and grandmother's graves later that day. Yuka had called soon after Doctor Fujiwara had left and said that the library was going to be open this weekend, despite the holiday, since the high-school and College Entrance exams were coming up. Her friends were going in on Sunday, so Kaoru thought it best to do her research away from prying eyes.
She re-tied her ponytail higher up on her head and brushed her sweat-soaked bangs out of her eyes, before reaching down to pick up another bokken from the floor. She would have time for a quick shower before she headed out to the library to do her research. Namely on the Battousai. She needed to know if there was anymore information on him and the dusty shelves of Yotsuya Library was just the place to have that sort of thing. She'd probably have a look on the internet as well if she had time. Souta had killed their computer a few months ago, so the library was Kaoru's only available internet source.
It closes at three. I'd better hurry up, she thought while picking up another stick. I can't wait to get out of these clothes; they're practically sticking to me. The shoji screen rattled behind her and she turned to see who it was, while dusting off her navy hakama.
Souta came back into the dojo, a shinai propped up against his shoulder. A scowl marred his face, as he leant against the wall where she was stacking the wooden swords.
"Was there something you wanted, brother dearest?" She loved teasing the boy. He would always rise to the bait.
"Ah, shaddup. I can't believe you floored me in front of all those students!" His voice had raised a few syllables and Kaoru felt bad. They both knew that he was going to be a great kendo practitioner when he was older. Probably even better than her. However, he had a little trouble remembering who the assistant master of the dojo was, and it sure as hell wasn't him.
"Souta, you had it coming. You weren't even listening to me when I started the lesson!"
"That was because you were going through the basic kata and I can do them blindfolded!"
"Well it doesn't make a very good impression on the other students when their teacher's own brother doesn't even pay attention to her."
They glared at each other for a minute.
"Well, you were a million miles away during the whole lesson. A girl had been calling for you for five minutes and you were just staring at the motto plaque on the wall. I helped her out in the end. Are you sure you're alright, Kaoru? Got a screw loose in there or something?"
Kaoru froze. I did that? I zoned out?
"Souta…I've just got a lot on my mind right now. It's nothing to do with the accident. Just cut me some slack, alright? It won't happen again…"
Why do I feel like I'm apologising to my boss or something?
He made a face and looked away.
"I was goin' easy on you in that sparring match anyway. Seeing as you're ill and all."
And with that, he gave a cheeky grin and belted out of the dojo. Kaoru caught up with his words a moment later and she was soon close on his heels, yelling her outrage.
However, her anger faded and soon enough, their good-natured laughter filled the yard of the Kamiya Dojo.
..o..
"Kaoru, are you sure you're alright? I mean, what happens if you feel faint when you're crossing the street?"
Her mother's worried voice echoed through to the sitting room, where Kaoru was slipping on her shoes by the front door. She sighed as she tied up her laces.
"Mom, you have no idea how many times I've heard that today. Doc gave me the go-ahead so I'm sure I'll be fine. In fact, I know I will be." She fixed her pant leg and looked up, "And besides, I need to start studying now if I want to pass these exams after the winter break."
The older woman came through from the kitchen, holding a flower arrangement that was to be placed on the sitting room table. "We're only concerned for your health, dear. You will be careful, won't you? Are you meeting your friends there?"
"Yeah, we're having a study session," she lied easily, knowing her mother wouldn't let her go other wise. Well, maybe she would, but she might send Souta or her grandfather along and that just wouldn't do. You're still rotting in hell, Kamiya.
She lifted her small rucksack onto her shoulder, which held her History notes and textbook.
"Well, go if you must. But remember and come back for five o'clock since we're heading to the cemetery. This is a day for families after all."
Kaoru sobered and smiled sadly. "Yeah, Mom. The library closes at three, so I'll be back by then."
They shared a quick hug before Kaoru rushed out of the door and crossed the yard. The weather from the morning had stayed pretty much the same. The hours of daylight were longer since the Equinox and all, if she wasn't mistaken. At least I won't be walking home in the dark... Recalling the previous night, she cast the storage building a quick glance and thought of the well house. You, my friend, will be investigated later. You're not getting off the hook that easily.
And with that, she made her way around the house and towards the front gate, giving the blue car a playful pat in passing. She opened the stiff gate and closed it behind her. As she began to walk away, something caught the light and she noticed it from the corner of her eye. She turned around. And there it was. The bane of her existence. Well, the new one, excluding Souta…and the well.
The Kamiya Dojo name plaque.
If she looked...no, she wouldn't. But then...
Normally, Kaoru was anything but indecisive. Regret, however, was a painful emotion. She wasn't a stranger to it in any case. She'd got more than her fair share after her father's death. Running over hundreds of 'what if?' scenarios in her head. How she would have changed their last conversation. How she would have told him that she loved him. How she forgave him for wiping her face on the dojo floor for years. But after awhile, Kaoru knew that dwelling on these thoughts would not help her. Such things could turn even the sanest person crazy. Okay, so maybe avoiding the name plaque wouldn't kill her but it would damn well annoy the hell out of her for the rest of the day. It would gnaw at her from the inside out. Not as thoroughly as the feeling that guilt invoked, but still to a certain extent.
She leaned back against the gate and sighed; her head tipping backwards until she was looking at the blue sky. 'What do I do?...If I keep standing here like this, someone's going to walk past and go, Hey, there's that weirdo Kaoru Kamiya. She runs around with a stick and hits innocent young children over the head with it. Full of teenage angst that one. Well, if you'd like to come over here and say that, I could introduce you to my bokken and teenage angst personally...'
She sighed and proceeded to bang her head against the gate a couple of times. It seemed to help. She heard, more than saw, someone walk past; their footsteps slow, observing something. Probably that crazy Kamiya girl, who, just up to a moment ago, was happily smacking her head on a wooden gate, poor dear. Kaoru rolled her eyes and spared the person a quick glance from beneath her lashes; It's that old ninny from down the road. She was always walking past, trying to see in their windows. Kaoru had thought the woman had taken a liking to her grandfather for awhile. Then she decided that she was just a nosey old woman.
She banged her head again for effect and the footsteps hurried on.
Ok, if I look now then I can quench the damn curiosity that seems to be getting me into so much trouble recently. If I don't, well, there's always later...
She attempted to take a deep breath before shifting along the wall until she felt the coolness of the stone plaque against her back. It must have been in the shade. She turned slowly; eyes clenched shut, and placed her hands on either side of the plaque and brought her head to eye level with it.
"Just a peek, that's all I need. 1...2...3..." She muttered aloud and her eyes snapped open.
"There's...nothing," her eyes scanned the plaque and her nose was almost touching the stone. The name and sword style were as prominent as ever and the small border design and...Her finger rubbed over four tiny figures in the top left hand corner.
My God... her hand dropped and she backed away from the plaque, stumbling slightly. How could I have missed it...How could I have never noticed it before?
A cool wind blew along the street, rustling her clothes and flicking tendrils of dark hair around her face. But she paid no notice. Her eyes were wide and unmoving; focused only on one spot.
It's not really there. Not really. I'm just hallucinating. I should've gone to the hospital and got my head checked out. There's absolutely, positively nothing -
But there was. Just as she had been told. The figures. A date. A number imprinted within her mind's eye forever. A number which would come to mean a lot to the assistant master of the Kamiya Kasshin style.
1878
It's true. The old codger was right. But...that means that my father's style…is a lot older than it really is…how is that even possible?
And with that, Kaoru Kamiya walked down the street in a daze, wishing for the millionth that her father was there to help her.
..o..
Cappuccinos were great for waking up the brain…free cappuccinos seemed to do the job even better.
Those were Kaoru's thoughts as she trailed up the steps to the library building; coffee cup in hand. Ok, so her friend, Ayumi had gotten a part-time job at Starbucks a few months ago. Apart from all the free coffee they managed to get, they also had a place to study after school and at weekends. Kaoru had thought about getting a job there too but with the dojo and everything, she just didn't have the time. However, that didn't stop her from hanging around the place just to get a whiff of the caffeinated fumes, in a less than healthy manner. Ayumi had told her the smell gets sickening after awhile but Kaoru remained blissfully ignorant of her comment.
So, after grabbing the coffee and evading her friend's questions about where she was off to, Kaoru yelled a quick goodbye and a 'put it on my tab!'
She didn't need anyone to disrupt her from her 'research'.
She met the last step and walked with determination towards the library building.
Okay, so my dad's sword style was copied by Meiji era hooligans. I don't know how they done it, I don't know why they done it…but they did. And I am going kill them for it. Metaphorically speaking, of course. Seeing as they're already dead and it would be like breaking almost every rule of the Kasshin Style. Insert nervous laugh here.
She dumped her cup into the trash can by the main entrance, and then pushed the glass door open.
The brief warmth she had obtained from the coffee was long gone.
..o..
History was like a foreign language to Kaoru. Sure, she loved the intrigue behind it all but sometimes the expression 'Double-Dutch' came to mind. Pages of contradicting facts, impossible warriors and bloody battles. Figures and dates of countless events spanning across a millennia. The way that folklore and fairytale would mix with the truth, leading to a distorted mirage of reality.
She stared at the page of doodles that she had been working on. Many times, she had written out the Battousai's name; sometimes the kanji was bold and large, whereas sometimes she wrote it in a more swirly, romantic way like the girls at school would do. Mrs. Shimizu had said that he had gained it as a nickname from his peers and enemies. It suited him, the flame-haired demon with the molten eyes.
Kaoru scratched the back of her head, pulling at her slightly too tight ponytail. She had already referred to at least five different books, each with variations of the title "The Bakumatsu and its Warriors", and they all had tiny segments on the Battousai. However, where "A History of Eastern Revolutions" had said that the manslayer had been 25 at the time of fighting, another, simply named "The Bakumatsu", had said he was 15. That second fact had shaken her. At 15, she had been busy cramming for her high school entrance exam and training with a nearby dojo in order to earn the rank of Assistant Master of the Kasshin style; she couldn't even begin to imagine the life of an assassin at such a young age. She had tried to lift the depression from her mind by the thought of the book being inaccurate but it hadn't helped much.
After setting those books aside, Kaoru had wondered about her school textbook but knew there was little point in using it as everyone knew that the government had revised them a few years ago. Something about hiding the extent of Japanese war crimes but she wasn't sure. Anyway, she didn't fancy using a history textbook that had rewritten history in it.
She leafed through another book. It was huge; itss spine was the same width as her palm and the words were in the tiniest font she'd ever come across. She fingered one of the thin pages, thoughtfully, before snapping the book shut and placing it on top of the ever growing tower of history books at her side.
With my luck, there probably was something on the Battousai in there but I don't have the time or the eye sight to find out...
She knew that revolutions of any kind were dangerous and turbulent times. There could be no difference between friends and foes. Betrayal and back-stabbing happened on a daily basis. But somehow, she just had to be researching one of the most confusing revolutions of all time. Giving up on books altogether, Kaoru decided to do it the old-fashioned way. Google it.
The mouse moved across the mat swiftly; followed by a few hesitant clicks and a clatter on the keyboard.
Soon enough, she came across the Battousai portrait. She smiled at him, knowing he couldn't see her but she could see him. It was crazy, but true. She touched the smooth screen; running her finger delicately over its silky surface. As her finger crossed his face, she pressed; ever so lightly. Distorting the image. Blurring it.
What the hell are you doing to me, you jerk…
Taking a breath, she closed the window and started a new search. She was here for research, not for eye-candy.
Not that he is eye-candy or anything.
She worried her bottom lip as she scanned the list that had appeared on the screen.
No, I don't want to learn Battoujutsu…or spend a weekend in Kyoto…or join the official Battousai fan club. Who are these people, anyway? An image of Yuka crossed her mind. Shaking her head, she scrolled down; the dark blue writing blurring together until one link caught her eye.
Collection of Bakumatsu-Meiji Era Photographs
Compiled by Kyoto and Tokyo University Libraries
Her eyebrow rose slowly and she clicked the link, finally finding something of interest.
The screen was soon filled with black and white photographs; the odd coloured one could be seen now and again as well. Kaoru skimmed through the lists of cities and prefectures before finally settling on her hometown as a starting point.
Her eyes widened as pictures of old Tokyo or Edo as it was known as before the reformation, appeared. She smiled fondly upon a black and white photograph of the Nihonbashi. She crossed it a lot when she was in town. Of course, the version in the picture was wooden. She had learned in grade school that it had been rebuilt many times. They had even gone on a field trip to the Edo-Tokyo Museum, to see what life was like during the 19th century. At the time, the bridge was the centre of Tokyo and was crossed by thousands of people every day. Now, it lived in the shadow of sky-scrapers. She couldn't remember the visit very well, but some snippets of information were still within her mind; stored away and safely gathering dust.
She made a quick note to visit the museum when she had some spare time.
Looking back to the screen, she continued to scroll though the multitude of photographs. Many were identical except for a difference in colour or lens size. However, one photograph caught her eye; merely due to its file size.
Opening it up, she found herself faced with a panorama view of Tokyo in the Meiji era. Kaoru swallowed but her throat was dry. It was just…wow. The city of houses stretched for miles in every direction. Every house was the same height; no protruding eye sores such as sky-scrapers or apartment buildings. How strange to find that Tokyo once had such a flat landscape. At the top right hand corner of the photograph, she could make out the harbour, however Mount Fuji could not be seen which meant that the photo was taken from in front of the mountain. It was sad since it would have completed the picture, but Kaoru found that she didn't care so much. The sky was light; it could have possibly been about mid-day. A beautiful moment in time…in history, captured forever. She looked at the black and white valley and some part of her wished that it had never changed.
Shaking herself, Kaoru printed off the page and continued to look down the list of photos.
Yokohama? I thought I just selected pictures from Tokyo. She peered at the small sample image of the Yokohama photograph. It appeared to be a group photo but she couldn't be sure. I guess it can't hurt…
Clicking on the link, she watched as the new window opened and the information for the picture began to appear.
Location: Yokohama
Year: 11th Meiji
Photographer: Unknown
Group photograph: 3 Male, 1 Female
Quirking an eyebrow, Kaoru waited as the photo loaded and mentally tried to calculate when the 11th year of Meiji was. The top of the black and white photograph had appeared, along with wallpaper and the top of a man's head. Kaoru giggled quietly, the hair was quite spikey-
"Kaoru! Hey, Kaoru!"
Her eyes widened and she ducked down behind her monitor. It looked like Ayumi was out on her lunch break and had realised where she was. Groaning, Kaoru started throwing books back into a nearby tray and gathering up her notes and stuffing them into her bag.
Moving back to the computer, she quickly printed out the page, forgetting her anticipation about the photo. She turned off the monitor and resisted the urge to bang her head on the keyboard. Getting out of her seat, she watched for the brown haired girl turning away before moving across the room; ducking between computers and book stalls on her way to the printer.
She grabbed the pages just as Ayumi came up behind her.
"Kaoru! I knew you would be in here, you little book worm. Couldn't wait to tomorrow, huh?"
"Yeah, something like that," Kaoru muttered, holding her print-outs close to her chest as they walked back to her computer. In her haste, she missed one piece of paper. The group photograph. But perhaps, it wasn't quite time for her to see that particular picture yet anyway.
"What were you looking up?"
Kaoru placed her research carefully into her rucksack, keeping it at an angle where Ayumi couldn't see it.
"Oh, you know. Just some history stuff and that."
"Oh yeah, Yuka hasn't stopped going on about that hunk yet. Batty or something -"
"Battousai?"
"Yeah, that's the one. Was he really as cute as she says?"
"Ayumi, Battousai was not a 'hunk'. He was a manslayer. Yuka is just becoming increasingly desperate and has taken to perving on dead guys. Oh, and let's not forget assassins. But then again, she did have that mailing list with the ex-cons last year, so it was to be expected."
Ayumi nodded and flopped down into a seat at the reading table, bonelessly.
"I've got a 45 minute break, so…you wanna go window shopping or something?"
Kaoru looked at her watch with melancholy; it was barely quarter past one. She could have had at least another hour and a half of photo research. With a quiet sigh, she mustered a smile for her friend.
"Oh, you know how I've taken up running? Well, I went for a jog with the dog this morning before I went to work, and the damn thing dragged me through some bushes after a rabbit. A rabbit of all things. Take a look at the scratches I got."
She pulled up the bottom of her black pants to reveal a series of small scratches covering her calf. However, it was two intersecting ones that caught Kaoru's attention. She unconsciously moved her hand and ran her finger over them. The heavy feeling in her chest that didn't want to go away, seemed like a lead weight now.
Ayumi grinned. "They're like war wounds, eh?"
Kaoru frowned, and took her traitorous hand away. "They're something alright."
She shouldered her bag and Ayumi stood as well.
"Let's hit the shops, then."
She found herself being dragged out of the library and into the busy city streets; however, her mind was once again caught up in tangled thoughts and impossible reasoning.
A cross-shaped scar. Why was it so…familiar?
..o..
Many hours later, Kaoru was sitting against a pillar on the porch of the Kamiya Dojo, surrounded by paper, her bokken and an empty soup bowl. She was so tired and yet the day hadn't ended yet and there was still so much to do.
The sun was near setting now, the last of its light was splashed across the yard; giving the dojo a soft, ethereal glow. Kaoru looked up from her scattered pages of research. The sky was red, she noted. Not a bloody, violent red. Just a calm, even vermilion. The white clouds from earlier were nowhere in sight and the wind was cool but not overly so.
She closed her eyes and tipped her head back, listening to the tinkling of the ever-present wind-chime above her. Her mother and grandfather had taken the more scenic route home from the cemetery and wouldn't be back for another hour at least. She knew they both needed time alone with their thoughts and she had volunteered to take Souta home. He was in his room now, probably ecstatic over the reappearance of electricity in the house and was celebrating by shooting some random zombies or something. She didn't pretend to know what he done in his spare time. Their sibling bonds only went so far. She guessed that she could go and nag at him about how nice it was outside and that he should be practicing his swordsmanship instead of sitting indoors on a games console, however, she just couldn't find the energy or will power.
When they had first got back, she had changed into her gi and hakama and tried to run through some kata in the dojo, but she could still smell the incense that they had lit at her father's graveside a few hours before. It had prickled at her senses and burned her throat, leaving her feeling lethargic and unable to concentrate. It was a good thing that the advanced Kamiya Kasshin class had been called off in respect for the holiday, because Kaoru wasn't sure how good a teacher she would have been tonight.
Rubbing her nose at the memory of the scent, she moved her empty bowl and picked up the photo of Meiji Era Tokyo.
She stared at the sloping roofs and long corridors of the houses. She couldn't help but grudgingly wonder if perhaps the dojo could be there, seeing as it had roots in the Meiji era. She scanned the photo in hope of catching sight of the familiar buildings but to no avail.
Her eyes flicked to the Sun's low position in the sky. It was time.
She had checked out the well-house earlier and hadn't been surprised to find that her grandfather had locked it back up again.
Mom and Gramps won't be home for a while so…I guess it's time for operation Bribe Souta.
She put the photo back with the others and took the papers into the house. As she walked down the corridor, she ran her fingers through her damp fringe thoughtfully, and the memory of the previous night was once again fresh in her mind.
She soon found Souta in his bedroom, positioned in his usual space in front of the TV. He was shooting mutants, not zombies. Stupid Kaoru. He had saved up for ages to finally be able to buy the console. Most of the time, it seemed like the controller was permanently stuck to his hand. Initially, she was rather pissed off that he had spent that amount of money on a console, when he could have bought an extremely high-quality bokken and a cleaning kit for the same price.
She cleared her throat, "Souta, I need your help with something."
He gave an annoyed sigh and looked up with an impatient, questioning glance. "What's in it for me?"
She chewed her bottom lip as she watched him pause his game and she was actually glad that she had come prepared. She held up a Playstation 3 magazine and waved it in the air. Souta's eyes followed it's movements in a hawk-like way.
"Any game. Any price."
She didn't have much spare cash since the profits from the dojo were one of the family's main sources of income. However, she had quite a bit left over from her birthday and this was something she had to do.
The young boy grinned greedily. "Jeez, desperate much, Kaoru? I definitely think you've bumped your head and addled your brains. But hey, I'm not the kinda guy to turn down an offer like that. What's the catch?"
Kaoru gritted her teeth.
"I need you to pick a lock for me."
..o..
The padlock startled them by finally giving a resounding 'click'.
"Done…in the space of ten minutes. Not bad, not bad at all." Souta stated proudly as he began tidying up his lock-picking set. He was skilled at all things naughty. He had bought the kit one day after school a few months ago and their mother didn't know about it. Kaoru felt bad for deceiving them but she couldn't think of a good enough excuse to be able to investigate the well legitimately. She ran her hand over the rough wood of the well house.
"I really appreciate this, Souta."
"Yeah, yeah. And why do you want to break into the well house again?"
"It's top secret."
He raised an eyebrow at her cryptic response and his eyes swept over her to where her hand was clenching her bokken like it was a lifeline. "Kaoru…I don't know about this. Is this anything to do with last night?"
"Sort of. Now, go back in and play your game, I'll be two seconds."
"You're not gonna fall in the well again, are you?"
"No, Souta I won't fall in again."
He heaved a sigh and gave the well house one last look before leaving her alone.
That was a little too easy…
But the thought slipped from her mind, as she slid open the door and looked into the dark abyss. From what she could remember from the previous night, the well itself was unchanged. It stood quietly and unassumingly at the bottom of the stairs. Using her common sense, she shifted a nearby stone across the ground and in front of the door, before making her way cautiously into the well house.
The Sun's golden light was streaming through the spaces between the wood, so inside it was more illuminated and there was absolutely no chance of her falling into the well. She turned around and looked at the door; it was open and it would stay that way. No mysterious winds blowing it shut.
Turning back to the well, she found that she was now right in front of it. Shaking her head, she reached out and touched the wooden rim. It was damp like the night before. Looking over the edge, she saw only endless darkness. However, it couldn't be that far down if she hadn't injured herself before. Taking a breath, there was many scents that suddenly assaulted her. Rotten, damp wood and brimstone and something floral that seemed drastically out of place. There was something else...something that smelled almost sweet in the way that it entwined with the air of the ancient well house. It was like...old magic.
She became confused at her own train of thought. Magic doesn't have a scent, does it? And even if it does I've never come across it before...
It was almost as if someone else had planted the idea in her head and she'd unconsciously agreed with it.
Okay, so...there's nothing totally out of the ordinary about its appearance. There's some funky smells around the place but that could just be because it hasn't been properly aired in a while. Now...the blue light...
She'd run over everything she could remember a hundred times and she just couldn't understand the presence of the blue light. It could have been a dream. It honestly could have been. The fear and adrenaline could have made her slightly delusional, that's all. She looked into the empty depths of the well once again.
That's another thing. What's the point in keeping the well inside a shelter and everything if it's dried up? There has to be a reason for it, there just has to be...
Throwing caution to the wind, Kaoru slipped her bokken into the sash at her waist and swung both legs over the rim of the well, until her feet were dangling over the edge. She eyed the rusty metal ladder that lined one side of the well. It didn't look particularly safe and it looked as if it cut off half way down the well anyway. Shifting into position, she eased off the edge until her hands and feet were the only thing keeping her from falling. Jumping in wasn't exactly breaking her promise to Souta was it? After all, he had asked her not to fall in, he never said anything about not jumping in. She just needed to have a look around the bottom and see if there were any clues to what had happened the night before.
"Talk about a leap of faith," she muttered as she dropped into the well. The wind rushed past her ears and her stomach felt like it had been left at the top. It happened all too fast. One moment she was about to hit the bottom of the dark well and the next, a bright blue light seemed to appear from nowhere and swallowed her. An electrical energy buzzed in her ears and gravity was pulling her towards a brighter light.
There was no time for fear or anxiety. And with wide eyes, Kaoru resigned herself to whatever fate had in store for her.
Well, damn...
..o..
"Kaoruuuuu!"
Souta had been waiting by the storage building. He knew she would kick his ass if she knew he was hanging around but still...he didn't want to go back to his game and she ended up falling down the well again and breaking her leg this time. He had listened to the scuffling of her sneakers as she moved the stone in front of the door before making her way into the well house. He had spent a few moments laughing at her choice of footwear. Only Kaoru could make a traditional training outfit look good with something as modern as sneakers.
And within seconds of quelling his silent laughter, a blinding blue light had streamed through the wooden slats of the wellhouse walls and he was sure he had heard Kaoru's sharp intake of breath. Rushing to the door, he watched helplessly as the light receded back into the depths of the well. Tripping over the stairs, he ran over to the well and instead of finding his unconscious sister lying at the bottom once again, he found...nothing. She was gone. Disappeared.
Leaning against the side of the well, he ran a hand over his face.
"Mom is gonna kill me. Nah, scrap that. She's gonna kill me, then she's gonna revive me. Then she'll kill me again. Oh, man."