Legacy

 

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

 

Chapter 22- Innocence's End

 

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"I don't want to understand, this horror…"

 

                                                                 - Our Lady Peace

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"Oh my! Isn't it exciting?!!" Tae gushed with an even wider smile than usual.

 

Tsubame primly straightened the folds of her uniform as Yahiko gallantly offered to hold her basket for her. "Anou…Tae-san?" she asked timidly, "Don't you think that this is all a bit…well, odd?"

 

"Odd?" Tae repeated, her ever-constant smile momentarily replaced by a quizzical frown, "Why would you say that?"

 

Tsubame instantly began to blush, as she tended to do in any situation that could be labeled a confrontation. "It's just that…" she murmured with her eyes downcast, "It's…I…ah…"

 

Picking up his cue, Yahiko came to her rescue. "It's just that it's an odd request," he said plainly, "I mean, who ever heard of asking a restaurant to bring your meal to you?"

 

Tae placed an index finger on her bottom lip and tapped it thoughtfully a few times, "I guess it would be considered a strange request here in Japan, but I hear that foreigners do it all the time in other countries."

 

Yahiko's expression morphed into one of surprise, "So you mean we're delivering this food to a foreigner? From where?"

 

Tae's thoughtfulness was instantly replaced by a catty grin, "The messenger was Asian, but he spoke with an accent and…" she said leaning in a bit closer, "He mentioned something about the 'lady' of the house..."

 

Tsubame turned beet red, "Tae-SAN!!!" she squeaked in her most embarrassed voice.

 

Yahiko wasn't any calmer as he took to his girlfriend's habit of hiding his face behind whatever object he was holding, in this case, the baskets of food.

 

Feline smile still in place, the proprietress quickly ushered her two favorite employees out the door, lest their customer be kept waiting.

 

"Have fun!" she chimed, "And don't forget, I want all the details!!!"

 

Yahiko and Tsubame sighed in a mixture of resignation and embarrassment,

 

"She's hopeless," they both murmured in unison.

 

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"Gods, this place is massive," Yahiko thought as a servant ushered them across the threshold to what he assumed to be the dining area. The sight also seemed to intimidate Tsubame as her soft, doe-like eyes grew larger with every step they took. Foreign-looking paintings and sculptures lined the hallway, which in itself seemed to stretch for a longer way than any indoor passageway had a right to. Finally, the man in front of them turned sharply on his heel and threw open two intricately carved cedar doors that they had surprisingly, failed to notice.

 

Both children stared at the dining hall in open fascination. It was large, larger than any room either teen had ever been in. It was more than three training halls long, and was richly appointed with expensive furnishings of both eastern and western influence. Why, Yahiko had once been a prince for a day, and he had yet to experience something so utterly grand. Even the scarlet rug beneath their feet seemed much too rich to stand on.

 

Slowly, they looked at one another with the same question in their eyes. "Is this place for real?" Surely just by being in the midst of such grandeur they were being affected, for surprisingly, Tsubame was the first one to actually speak.

 

"It's....it's so huge!" she whispered in awe.

 

Yahiko continued to stare about as he echoed her thoughts, "No kidding," he said softly, "The guy that lives here must be loaded!"

 

"I'm so glad that you approve."

 

Both teenagers spun to face the direction from which the voice had spoken. Slowly, deliberately, one naked white leg melted from the shadows in one corner of the room, followed by the sheen of richly embroidered Chinese silk. A silken hip followed, then a creamy hand and the gleam of a luxurious head of ebony hair. Finally, the face that matched the body came out into the light.

 

She was flawless, like a doll made of fine porcelain. Two intelligent black eyes shone out of a face that could not be any older than Kaoru's. A long curtain of ebony hair spilled over one eye obscuring one side of that youthful face, before cascading down over her right shoulder and down the front of a form-fitting cheongsam dress to end with a slight curl just below her gently rounded hips. As she stepped further into the light, she bowed gently at the waist, giving both youngsters a dazzling smile as she righted herself again.

 

"Welcome to my humble home," she whispered in a voice that was like wind blowing through cherry trees in springtime, "I am called Kion, the mistress of this house."

 

Yahiko turned bright red at the sight of the exotic beauty before him, "Y-you are the owner?" he squeaked, "I didn't think all of this belonged to a girl…"  As soon as those last words had left his mouth, he promptly clapped his free hand over it and began to swear at himself for his fluke.

 

Realizing her boyfriend's error, Tsubame made an uncharacteristically brave attempt to repair the damage done.

 

"What he means Miss," she said in a small voice as she blushed toward the ground, "Is that you have a very lovely home."

 

Yahiko's had the sense to nod in agreement with Tsubame's words, "I...I'm sorry!" he quickly apologized, "It's just that the house is so grand, I thought that it might be a statesman or governor or something that lived here and you're too young and pretty to be either of those things…darn it!" he swore softly as he began to turn bright red again.

 

Kion did not seem at all angry, in fact, her eyes glimmered with amusement and her lips tuned slightly upward at the corners in response to his words.

 

"I am flattered," she responded in that whispering tone of hers, "That you find a girl as ordinary as I attractive."

 

Yahiko failed to notice as Tsubame looked away slightly from them both. What he said was the truth; this Kion was at least ten times more beautiful than she could ever hope to be. However, it didn't stop that little twinge of jealousy she had felt from the moment this emboldened girl had walked into the room.

 

Yahiko stared at the young woman in open fascination for a few moments more before the weight of the food he carried in his arms reminded him of the task they were entrusted to fulfill. Bowing as deeply as his burden would allow, he sought to make his belated introductions.

 

"My name is Myojin Yahiko, and this is Sanjou Tsubame."

 

"We were sent here to deliver your meal to you," Tsubame cut in with an almost inaudible tone, with practiced grace, she straightened up into her original standing position, "Should we set the table for you now?" she asked quietly.

 

Kion smiled, "I am honored to meet the both of you, but please, do not worry yourselves unnecessarily," she said clapping her hands twice. Immediately, the servant who had led them to the room reappeared and relieved them of their parcels.

 

"Mr. Lee will take care of that for you both," she announced with a smile that was clearly more in Yahiko's direction. "But I must say, your proprietress was quite wise in sending such diligent and charming employees in her stead," she continued with her reddish-brown eyes clearly locked onto Yahiko's chocolate colored ones. "If I were your employer, I'd hate to part with you, if only for a moment."

 

Tsubame forcefully swallowed the venom rising in her throat at Kion's blatant appraisal of her boyfriend. Instead, she forced herself to hide her hurt and her oncoming tears behind her bangs as she bowed once more.

 

"You are to kind Kion-san," she breathed with some difficulty, "I assure you, we are both as ordinary as salt."

 

Kion finally looked at Tsubame with concern in her cinnamon eyes, "Sanjou-san?" she cooed, "Are you alright?"

 

On hearing the concern in Kion's voice, Yahiko turned at last to see that Tsubame's face had paled and her smile had grown tight and humorless. "Tsubame?" he said taking a step toward her.

 

Kion's tone grew commanding and motherly, clapping her hands at once to summon one of her female servants, she instructed the woman to take Tsubame to her bedroom to lie down for a little bit, lest the girl fainted dead away where she stood.

 

Instinctively, Yahiko began to blame himself for his girlfriend's condition, even though he still hadn't a clue as to what he had done wrong, "Tsubame…" he began to say as he took a step into the direction where she was being taken. However, a step was all he took before he became aware of a slender hand tugging on his right arm.

 

Kion smiled again but this time it was almost like a narcotic, instantly dissolving the knot of guilt that had formed in the pit of his stomach as she sauntered closer to where he stood, her hips swaying seductively all the while.

 

"Do not worry, my servants are the best in the mainland. In the meanwhile though…" she said running a finger lightly over his tanned cheek, "I think that I might have a use for you…Tokyo samurai…"

 

Her last syllable was more of a breath of warm air on his face than actual speech. No sooner than he became aware of the sensation, another permeated his senses, the feel of soft, sweet, feminine lips pressing against his own and an equally sweet and silky tongue invading his inexperienced mouth.

 

Time had no meaning, he could not even recall his own name, and much less the names of those he loved and trusted. He had no shape, no form; in this world there was only blackness as velvety as the mouth that was joined with his. Somewhere in the back of his dulled consciousness, he could almost taste bitterness, but the other sensations were so new and overwhelming, that he barely considered it.

 

Kion smirked against the boy's mouth as he willingly swallowed the essence that had passed from her lips to his. Drawing away, she considered his soulless expression with a momentary mixture of amusement and scorn before snapping her fingers sharply.

 

Yahiko blinked once, and then bowed toward the so-called lady of the house, "Excuse my rudeness Kion-san, but I really must see to my friend's care."

 

"I understand," she replied without missing a single beat, "My servant will deliver her to you as you leave."

 

"Thanks…Kion-san." He added with a blush as he remembered to be proper.

 

Kion bowed once more, by the time she'd straightened up, Yahiko had already returned the gesture and taken his leave. As her face came into the light again, the look of calm beauty she had worn in her eyes from the moment she'd walked in was replaced by a spitefulness that only the worst demon could rival.

 

"Run along home little boy," she quietly hissed, "I'm sure that your beloved family misses you already."

 

 

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Peace.

 

That one word had never meant so much to him as it did at that very moment as he sat on the grassy bank with Hideki sitting close enough for him to catch the scent of her hair and skin. It was a soothing scent, natural and mild, that matched the warmth that emanated off of her body.

 

"Peaches," he mused with a near undetectable smile, "She smells like peaches. "

 

Suzume had curled into a tight ball on Hideki's right side, with her head resting comfortably on the woman's lap. The elder Ayame, sat slightly higher up on the slope than her sister so that she could lightly rest her temple on Hideki's shoulder as they listened to her play.

 

To Hideki, this lull in the nightmare that had become her very existence was like a powerful drug. The golden warmth of the afternoon sun seemed to penetrate to her very soul, breathing life into what she once feared to be cold and dead. Where the song she had played the night before had been filled with a confusing mixture of only her darkest emotions, the tune that spilled from the instrument was now one of pure bliss. The feel of the children's bodies pressed against her own in silent trust was like a balm, soothing away the fear and self doubt of the months past. And although they never touched, she could feel Aoshi's presence even more strongly than the children's, his powerful ki now smoothed and subdued as he sat completely still and let her music wash over him in gentle waves.

 

"La musique calme la bête sauvage…" she thought with a tiny smile before mentally shaking her head. "No, that isn't right," she corrected herself. From the way that Aoshi had carried little Suzume on his shoulders, indulging in her childish conversation as they'd made their way here; she had no doubts as to how gentle his nature truly was. She wondered when was the last time she'd seen such tenderness in a man's character.

 

"Play another, Beautiful One…"

 

The music came to an abrupt stop as Hideki's eyes widened and her lungs suddenly ran out of air. Both children mewled like kittens in protest as their lullaby came to such a sharp end, but for a moment she could not hear them as even the sun's warmth was suddenly cut off from her senses. "That voice, why did it work it's way back to the surface at a time like this?" she thought as she unconsciously brought one hand to cover her eyes and rested the one which held the shinobouay on the ground beside her for support. "Why?" she whispered in frustration.

 

Gradually, she became aware of a tugging at her skirt. Suddenly remembering that she was not alone she quickly removed the telltale hand from her face and faced Suzume's worried eyes with as much calm as she could muster.

 

"Hideki-neechan?" Ayame timidly enquired as Hideki's glimmering blue gaze swept from her sister's face to her own, "Are you okay?"

 

Hideki's smile was quick, almost too much so. "I'm just a bit tired Ayame-chan," she said reassuringly as she gently brushed away the single braid of chestnut hair that had fallen forward across the child's face. "Why don't you and your sister go and make some pretty garlands for Mr. Shinomori and I while I catch my breath, ne?"

 

The younger girl's face lit up at the mention of the word "garland" but Ayame was older and wiser and it showed in the gentle understanding in her eyes as she smiled back at Hideki before allowing her sister to drag her away.

 

As soon as the children had left, she felt the warmth of another hand covering her own. She did not have to look up to realize who it must have been. Instead, she allowed her eyes to drift shut as she sought to gather her muddled thoughts for the sake of the one beside her.

 

"You're a horrible liar." Aoshi gently chided.

 

Hideki gave a short, humorless laugh, but she didn't seek to pull her hand away just yet. "Am I now?" she asked as she unconsciously curled her fingers around his own.

 

As she did so, Aoshi became aware of something cool and smooth pressing against his palm. Gently, he lifted the hand that was entwined with his, eyebrows lifting slightly as golden light reflected strongly off of the base of its third finger.

 

How she kept such a calm countenance at that moment, Hideki would never know. Nevertheless, she did, waiting patiently for Aoshi to ask the inevitable, even if he only did so with his jewel-bright eyes.

 

"It's beautiful," he quietly complimented without relinquishing her hand.

 

The breath Hideki drew before responding seemed to cause her physical pain, "A departing gift," she said with a tight expression in her eyes, "From….someone who was very dear to me."

 

The slight pang of jealousy he had felt when he first noticed the trinket was now replaced with a stronger one of guilt as he realized the reason for Hideki's use of the word "was". "I'm sorry," he apologized.

 

Hideki smiled a smile that he knew was more for him than for herself, "It's alright," she reassured him, "It was a long time ago."

 

Aoshi looked at her for a moment before bringing the captured hand up to his mouth, gently kissing the finger that bore the ring.

 

No more words were necessary as she relaxed and allowed her body to sag until her head was resting securely on the comfortable spot on Aoshi's shoulder. However, their gentle companionship was short-lived as a shriek traveled to their ears from lower down the bank.

 

"Oh my God!" they heard a woman's voice shout, "For the love of Buddha, someone stop them!!!"

 

Both warriors had come to their feet from the time the first startled syllable had been uttered and by the time the sentence was finished they both were heading downhill at a run. Two pairs of eyes scanned the area from where the voice had come, only to widen in shock as they followed an older woman's pointing hand to the bridge which crossed over the river's most treacherous depths.

 

The lovers watched in mute horror as both the children entrusted to their care, balanced precariously on the railing of the otherwise deserted bridge. Hideki stood rooted to the spot as Ayame turned and locked eyes with her long enough for her to register the look of utter terror in the child's eyes.

 

The world went silent as both children linked hands and stared into the depths of that treacherous water that swirled like a thousand angry vipers under the bridge.

 

She could not hear it, but she must have been screaming, for the old woman who had shouted the warning tried to hold her back as she made a beeline for the children. Aoshi was little more than a dark blur as her attention focused on how easily their tiny feet left the security of the railing. Unconsciously, she fell into step with the man beside her and they both vaulted over the rails as one, just as the brightly colored kimono of the children disappeared beneath the surface of that angry water.

 

 

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