Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Trigun Fan Fiction / Utena, Revolutionary Girl Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Tales of a 1001 Nights ❯ The Wild Swans Part 2 ( Chapter 3 )

The Wild Swans (Part 2)

All Inuyasha and R. Kenshin disclaimers apply! Again, I also do not own the story "The Wild Swans"!

Like the previous evening, once Rin was in her nightgown, she went to Sesshomaru's chambers. This time she was dressed in a light green silk nightgown. Sesshomaru was already in when she entered.

"Good evening, my lord husband." She said to him.

Sesshomaru greeted her also and offered her a place next to him on the sofa. Once she was seated and comfortable, Rin picked up were she left off.

"Megumi said to Kaoru 'You can set your brothers free. Have you the courage and endurance? It's true the sea is softer than your delicate hands and yet it can alter the shape of hard stones. But the sea doesn't feel the pain your fingers will feel; it has no heart and will not suffer the fear and agony you must endure. Do you see this stinging nettle I've got in my hand? (Kaoru looks at Megumi's hand) There are lots of this kind growing around the cave where you sleep. Only these nettles and the ones that come up in the graves near the temple are of any use - remember that. They are the ones you must gather, though they will blister your skin. Crush the nettles with your feet and you will be able to get flax. With this you must weave and hem two shirts of mail with long sleeves. Throw these over the two wild swans and the spell will be broken. There is one thing that you must bear well in mind. From the moment you start working and all the time till it's finished, even if it takes years, you must never speak. The first word you utter will stab your brothers' hearts like a murderous dagger. Their lives will depend on your tongue. Whatever you do remember this!'"

"Megumi then touched Kaoru's hand with the nettle. It burnt like fire and woke her up. There was broad daylight and close to where she had been sleeping lay a nettle like the one she had seen in her dream. She knelt down and thank the gods. Kaoru then went out of the cave to begin her work. With her delicate hands she took hold of the horrid nettles, which seared her like fire and burnt great blisters on her hands and arms. She would really put up with this, if only she could set Sanosuke and Yahiko free. She spent all day gathering the nettles."

"After sunset her brothers came to her and were dismayed to find her so silent. They thought it was some fresh piece of witchcraft of their stepmother's but; when they saw Kaoru's hands, they realized what she was doing this for their sake. Yahiko burst into tears and wherever his tears fell her pain stopped and the burning blisters disappeared."

"She spent all night crushing the nettles with her bare feet and weaving the flax. She would not rest till her brothers were free. All the next day, while Sanosuke and Yahiko were gone, she sat there by herself and yet time had never flown so quickly. The first shirt of mail was done already and she was just beginning on the second and final one."

"Suddenly she heard the sound of a horse going by. Kaoru grew very frightened. Nearer and nearer came the horse. In terror she made for the cave, tied into a bundle the nettles she had gathered and hackled and sat down on it."

"Just then the horse stopped at the opening of the cave. A handsome red headed samurai with a cross shaped scar on his face, got off the horse. He came forward to Kaoru. He thought that this was the most beautiful maiden he had ever seen and instantly fell in love with her."

" 'Fair maiden, how did you come here?' He asked."

"Kaoru shook her head, for she didn't dare speak. The very lives of her brothers were at stake. She also hid her hands under her apron, so that the samurai would no see how she had to suffer."

"He then said 'My name is Kenshin and I am the lord of these lands. I would like you to come with me and be my wife. This is no place for you. I will dress you in finest silk kimonos that and will always love and protect you.'"

"Kaoru cried and wrung her hands but Kenshin said 'I just want you to be happy. One day you will thank me.' He then rode away through the mountains, holding her in front of him on his horse."

"As the sun went down, there lay a magnificent city with its temples and shrines ahead of them. Kenshin took her into his palace, where great fountains were playing in the lofty marble halls and where walls and ceiling were gay with splendid paintings. Kaoru had no eyes for any of this. Hers were filled with tears and sorrow. She resigned herself to letting the women dress her in a fine silk kimono, plait seed pearls in her hair and draw elegant gloves over her blistered fingers."

"As she stood there in all that splendour, her beauty was so dazzling that everyone bowed before her. Kenshin chose her to be his wife. The priest shook his head and whispered that this pretty creature from the woods was a witch, he felt certain, who had blinded everyone's eyes and turned Kenshin's head."

"Kenshin would not hear any of it. He ordered the music to play, the rarest dishes to be brought in and the loveliest geishas to dance for her. She was taken to the sweet scented gardens and to the grandest rooms. Still no smile played about her lips or from her eyes; sorrow, it seemed, was all that she could ever be heir to. Now Kenshin showed the way to a little room near by, where she was to sleep. It was decked out with costly green hangings, so that it looked like the very cave she came from. On the floor lay the bundle of flax that she had spun from the nettles and from the ceiling hung the shirt of mail she had already finished. Kenshin had brought all this along with him as a curiosity."

" ' Here you can dream that you're back in your old home. Here is the work you were busy with. I have a feeling that this means a lot to you.' He said to her."

"When Kaoru saw these things that were so dear to her heart, a smile played through her lips and the blood came back to her cheeks at the thought of being able to save her brothers. She kissed Kenshin's hand and he pressed her to his heart."

"Still the priest whispered wicked words into Kenshin's ear but they did not reach his heart. The wedding was to take place."

"All this time Kaoru's mouth was silent, for a single word meant the death of her brothers. In her eyes there lay a deep affection for the noble and handsome Kenshin who did everything to make her happy. Everyday she grew more and more fonder of him. If only she dared to confide in him and tell him of her suffering! But no, silent she must remain till the end of her task. So she used to slip away from him at night and make her way into the little private room, that was fitted to look like the cave. There she wove the last shirt; just as she was almost finished with it, she ran out of flax."

"She knew that the right nettles were growing at outside of the temple but she must gather them herself. She didn't know how she was to get there."

"Kaoru thought 'Oh, what is the pain in my fingers compared with this agony in my heart. I must risk it. The gods will not forget me.' Then with a fearful heart, as though she was doing something evil, she stole down into the garden in the dear moonlight, went through the long avenues out into the empty streets till she came to her destination. She prays to the gods for protection, gathers the stinging nettles and carries them back to the palace. "

"Only one person saw her - the priest. He was still up, while the others slept. In a sense he was right in what he suspected. Everything was not as it should with Kenshin's wife. She was a witch and that was how she had taken in Kenshin and his people."

"The next day, the priest went to the palace and told Kenshin what he saw. Kenshin did not want to believe that his beloved Kaoru was a witch. 'Let's hear what she has to say. She has a right to defend herself.' He said to the priest."

"Kenshin had ordered a servant to have Kaoru brought to him right away. Moments later Kaoru appeared. She sensed that something was wrong by the look on Kenshin's face but she did not know why. 'The priest has told me that you were out last night gathering something outside the temple. Is that true?' He said to her."

"Kaoru wanted to tell Kenshin that was true but she was not doing this for evil but to save her two dear brothers' lives. However she remained silent. Though she did not say a word, Kenshin knew from the look of her eyes that it was true.

'We let the people judge her.' He said."

"The people condemned her to be burned at the stake. She was led away from the splendid royal halls to a dark damp cell, where the wind whistled in through the barred window. They gave her the bundle of nettles she had gathered; she could lay her head on that. The two (almost complete) coarse itching shirts of mail she had woven would do as a blanket to cover her. They couldn't have given her anything more precious. She set to work again. Kaoru knew that night she must finish her task, or else everything would have been wasted - all the pain, the tears and sleepless nights."

"Close to the grating, she heard two familiar voices. It was her brothers who at last found their sister. Kaoru sobbed for joy although she knew that tonight might be the last night of her life. Still for all that, her task was nearly done and her brothers were with her."

"That morning the whole populace came pouring out of the city gate, eager to see the witch burn. A poor broken down horse pulled the cart in which she sat. She had been given a smock of coarse sacking; her long beautiful hair hung loose about her shapely head, her cheeks were pale as death. She clung the two completed shirts of mail to her chest. The mob jeered her on her journey to her death."

" 'Look at the witch - she's clinging to her loathsome black magic! Take it away from her and tear it to a thousand pieces!' The mob shouted."

"They all crowded in on her to tear up what she had made. Just then two white swans came flying down and perched around her on the cart, flapping their great wings till the crowd gave way in panic."

"They whispered 'A sign from the gods! She must be innocent!' They didn't dare say it out loud."

"The executioner then seized her hand but Kaoru quickly threw the two shirts over the swans and, lo and behold, there stood two samurais."

" ' Now I may speak. I am innocent.' She said."

"The people seeing what had happened, bowed to her as if she were a goddess. Kaoru herself, after all the strain, fear and suffering she had been through, fainted into Yahiko's arms."

"Sanosuke spoke to the people and said 'Yes, she is innocent!' He then told them all that had happened. While he was speaking, a perfume as of a million roses spread around, because every faggot from the stake had taken root and put out branches, and a high sweet smelling hedge stood there with red roses. Right at the top was a single flower of the purest white, glittering like a star. This Kenshin had broken off and laid on Kaoru's breast. She awoke with peace and happiness in her heart."

After Rin had ended her tale, she took a drink. Before Sesshomaru could stop her, Rin begun her next tale.

To Be Continued …

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I've finally got the first tale complete! (pats herself on the back)

I would like to thank those who have already reviewed my fic. I do appreciate the time you take in doing this!

There will be tales from many different anime series. If you want to know which series is next, you'll have to keep reading this fic! Only my friends know the answer.

Finally I want to thank Tenjou Utena for being a very good friend to me and for encouraging and helping me write this fic!