Legacy

 

An RK Fanfic: i.e. the author doesn't claim rights to the anime used.

 

 

 

Chapter 17- As I am.

 

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"…we never change, do we?"

 

                                                                     Coldplay

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The previous nights events were still fresh on everyone's mind the next morning and there was a certain air of conspiracy between the four family members as they went about their accustomed routines with more silence than was normally experienced at the Kamiya dojo.  Kenshin cooked, Hideki cleaned and Kaoru and Yahiko sparred but it was obvious to everyone that their minds were not wholly set on the tasks. The fact that Kero, no longer required to hide his presence, flitted about his human companions freely, indulging in odd bits of conversation here and there did not help to hide the fact that this household was even less normal than it seemed.

 

After several hours of this camaraderie, the household's members opted to go their separate ways. Yahiko claiming that he had promised Tae that he would help at the Akabeko that afternoon, but no one missed the light blush on his cheek as he mumbled his excuse on the way out.

 

"Tell that cute little friend of yours 'hi' for me Yahiko-kun." Hideki called out wickedly as the boy made his hurried retreat.

 

Soon afterward though, she herself made a similar excuse and headed out the door with a little more bounce to her step than usual.

 

With the other two gone, Kaoru sat on the front steps to watch as Kenshin attended to the laundry left neglected the day before. Kero, in a very catlike fashion, took the opportunity to promptly jump into her lap and she fell to stroking his triangular head gently with her free hand as the other propped up her chin.

 

"Kenshin?" she said suddenly.

 

Instead of toppling into the bucket with a loud "Oro!" Kenshin simply stopped what he was doing and turned to meet his wife's eyes.

 

"Would you have asked me to marry you if you knew?" she asked evenly without looking away.

 

Kenshin's eyes widened for a brief moment and then he chuckled to himself.

 

Kaoru narrowed her eyes and cocked her head to the side, "What?" she asked with a crooked smile.

 

 

Kenshin looked at her again, but this time his eyes twinkled. "Koishii," he asked, "I think the better question would be why you bothered to marry me?"

 

Kaoru was taken aback. "Eh?"

 

Kenshin shook the soap off of his hands as he sat back on his heels. "I can't help but wonder why you never used your gift instead of allowing me to intervene when you were in trouble. Why did you need me when you could have literally taken care of the situation with the wave of a hand?"

 

Before Kaoru could reply, Kero uncurled his lithe little body and fixed his amber stare on Kenshin.

 

"It wouldn't have been fair." he said simply.

 

Kenshin started a slightly, after all, the little creature did take some getting used to. "Sou de gozaru ka?" he managed to ask.

 

"Exactly so," Kero answered crisply as he cocked his head to one side, "Did you think that the world of magic users was without its rules?"

 

Kaoru nodded in agreement, "He's right. No matter how aggravating the situation might have been, using magic would have been like using a katana against someone armed with a pillow."

 

Kenshin looked at his wife in awe for a long moment. None of his assumptions of her were wrong, not even one. She really was the kind, considerate and honorable girl that he saw that first day when she had confronted him in the street.

 

"You really are wonderful, you know that right?" he finally asked.

 

Kaoru just blushed and looked down into her lap.

 

Kero looked from Kenshin to Kaoru and back to Kenshin, "Blech," he said finally, "Sappy stuff, I'm outtie." With that, he spread his wings and flew into the branches of a nearby tree to finish his nap.

 

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Aoshi sat in the middle of the clearing, waiting for Hideki to arrive. His twin blades lay on the ground beside him as he stared off into the distance thinking of the day before. None of his contacts knew who the Chinese woman was or what she was about in Tokyo. He could not even do any investigating himself for no one even could find where she was staying. It was as if the dark carriage had driven off the edge of the earth with her in it. She had disappeared.

 

Well, aren't we an early bird!" he heard a cheerful voice say.

 

Ever so slowly, he turned around.

 

She wore the same black practice outfit she had on the day before, but now that he was so close to her he could see that it was not as simple as he had thought it was. The dress had a mandarin collar, and glossy black embroidery ran around it and diagonally across the shoulder. The slits of the dress were set high on her hips with the same needlework right around the hem. The pants worn below the dress clung to her body like a second skin and stopped just in time to display her naked calves. She stood with one knee bent, her hip thrust outward as a cocky little smile played across her lips. Her sword was slung carelessly over one shoulder and the only things on her arms were a pair of leather hand guards, as the dress had no sleeves.

 

"Hello Kusokube-san," he replied, surprised at the even tone of his own voice.

 

Hideki's smile grew even more impish, "Good afternoon Shinomori-san," she replied. "Are you ready for our match?"

 

Aoshi's expression became even more of an enigma than usual, "Almost," he replied picking something up off of the grass on his left side. "To make up for my…abruptness earlier." he explained as he stood and held out a slender parcel to her.

 

Hideki looked at it curiously, "A present for me?" she said disbelievingly.

 

"Open it." He insisted, his features as impassive as ever.

 

Curious, Hideki set her sword aside and took the proffered object. Carefully, she teased the bonds loose and holding the parcel in her left hand, slowly undid the folds of the cloth it was wrapped in to see what lay inside.

 

"Sweet Buddha!" she gasped as it came into view, her fingers instantly losing their grip.

 

Aoshi quickly caught the shinobouai before it could fall to the grass below.

 

"Kusokube-san?" he asked concernedly, "What's wrong?"

 

Catching herself quickly, she turned to him with an embarrassed smile. "I…I'm just really surprised. "How did you know I could play?" she asked.

 

Aoshi unconsciously twirled the instrument in his hand, "Yesterday while we were talking, I noticed your fingers dancing along the hilt of your sword. I recognized that you were actually forming scales just as one would with the real thing."

 

Hideki hid her surprise by averting her gaze, "I see that nothing gets past the Oniwabanshu's top operative..." she said quietly.

 

"Play a song for me lovely one…"

 

"What?" Hideki asked, blinking in surprise.

 

"I said that maybe you could play something for me after you've practiced with it a few times." Aoshi repeated handing her the flute once more.

 

"Sou da ne…" Hideki answered thoughtfully as she forced herself to take the flute back, "I will keep that in mind. Thank you."

 

"You're welcome." He said returning her bow.

 

"Are you ready to spar?" she asked quickly changing the subject.

 

"Aa."

 

"Good," she answered carefully setting his gift aside, "Let start then…"

 

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Her stance was perfect, her feet set just slightly apart, her elbows tucked in nicely to her sides, shoulders relaxed hand gripping the hilt of the sword without squeezing too hard. What intrigued and pleased him most was that she kept her eyes level with his.

 

Aoshi almost smiled, "She certainly knows what she's about." he mused.  Well, he was the one who had challenged her to spar; it should only be fair that he attack first.

 

Without a word he lunged into action taking what seemed to be a step toward her, when in actuality, what he wanted to do was get in behind to press the tip of his first blade to the exposed nape of her neck. Ever so smoothly, he danced his way behind her to deliver the "blow".

 

When she disappeared.

 

Aoshi barely had time to widen his eyes in surprise when he became aware of a slight change in air pressure behind him. Barely thinking, he brought his other blade protectively across his back and could not help but flinch when he heard the chink of metal on metal.

 

Her laugh was soft, barely more than a breath of warm air on the bare skin of his neck, which sent pleasurable shivers of excitement up and down his spine.

 

"Oh Shinomori-san," she quietly crooned, "no fair sneaking up on me."

 

Aoshi's breath began to grow ragged. This woman wasn't human! Not even the best of Shishio's Juppongatana would have been able to get behind him as easily as she just did. Twisting around while holding her sword back he turned to face her.

 

Her eyes were even more impassive than his. Even though her words suggested that she should be regarding him with the twinkling eyes and impish smile he was fast becoming accustomed to, she was not. Her eyes were so empty that if she'd held her breath, one would think she had died standing up. Breaking free of her gaze he stepped back a few paces and resumed his stance.

 

"Serious now?" she asked in that disturbingly quiet voice.

 

"Aa." he agreed solemnly,

 

With that, she brought her sword in front of her and without warning charged into her opponent who with his own flare of ken-ki proceeded to the challenge.

 

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Japan-speak

 

Aa- yes, informal used by only males I think…

Ki- life force/energy, (think light-sabers and heavy breathing)

Sou da ne- Is that so

Shinobouai - bamboo flute (still unsure of the spelling)

 

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