Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Shades and Shadows ❯ Default Chapter ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I own nothing...except for my brain, and I like my brain very much.

Reviews: I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed "The Thief and I". I cannot recall all of the remarks that I've received; however I do remember a request for a Kaoru one-shot. I cannot promise anything at this point, but rest assured; your request has not been denied, and I shall find the time to get started on it. In the meantime, please enjoy "Shades and Shadows". I understand that it might be a complete one-eighty of "The Thief and I", but I do hope that you enjoy it all the same. Again, I thank you for all of your wonderful comments.

Author's Notes: This is the second drabble of my calendar quotes series, "Drabble: II". Please note that this one-shot is posted under the genre "horror". If you do get frightened by reading this, don't blame me for not warning you. This contains horror, and by horror, I mean horror. ...Oh, and there's a teeny bit of lime in it too.

01/19/07 “Everyone likes security and dislikes danger.” – Chapter 7: “Armed Contest”

She always sat alone in the back corner of the room, emitting an ominous aura that kept all of her peers from approaching her. She neither gave the impression of attention, nor did she do anything to hinder the constant flow of human energy in the lively classroom. It was as if hers was not a noted presence, willing in inexistence. Still I couldn’t help but pity this creature, and I couldn’t prevent myself from reaching out to haul her out of her self-containing shell of darkness.

It was an innocent task, really, the exchanging of names and greetings, and I can honestly say that I found no difficulty in trudging toward that dark corner. However, once it seemed as if my intentions were known to her, the girl drew her gaze up warily from the surface of her desk, and I felt my throat go dry and all practiced speech slip away from my mind’s grasp. We simply stared at each other for an extended moment, me at her cold and guarded gaze and she at my pale and slightly more than nervous face.

I never figured out how long we remained that way, but I know that the harsh ringing of the school bell was the only thing that could’ve shot me out of my petrified state. I watched dumbly as she lowered her gaze and gathered her things. A man dressed in a rather expensive suit came sauntering in, standing beside the girl as she herself stood, and accompanying her as she exited the classroom without even a glance at my general direction.

I kicked myself in the head not too long after that and dashed out of the classroom to follow them. All of the students were bustling around, their vivacity igniting the hallway. My eyes scanned the area desperately, searching for a space in the air void of any such energy. To my dismay, I found none and dragged my feet dejectedly back into the classroom merely to find that my graphing calculator had been stolen for the fifth time this year. - - -

“Mr. Himura? Mr. Himura!” Kenshin jerked out of the light-doze he fell in once he when he had subconsciously leaned his head against the car window. He blinked tired, shadowed eyes at the driver, who in turn quirked an eyebrow indifferently. “We are here, sir.”

Kenshin caught sight of the tall building that was his workplace and scratched the growing itch at the back of his head. “Uh, thank you, Hideo,” fumbling around for his briefcase, his hand flew up to his head and found that his hair was a complete mess. “Could you wait just for a moment, please?” Hideo simply nodded and only paid half an ear to the curses his boss was muttering as he haphazardly tied back his unruly mass of enviably dark red hair.

Smoothing out the creases in his button-down, Kenshin slipped on his jacket easily before rushing out of the car like a boorish teenager heading off to school. “Shall I come around after your work hour, sir, or will you be working late?”

Kenshin hesitated for a moment before replying, “Chances are I’m working late tonight, Hideo, so there’ll be no need to trouble yourself in coming here. I can take the train easily enough.” Hideo nodded once and drove off after Kenshin began racing up the stairs, highly aware that he was a half an hour late.

Kenshin didn’t stop running, dodging past coworkers and skirting narrow corners, until he reached the doors that led to the office of probably the most intimidating man in the entire corporation. Kenshin waited until his breathing slowed and his demeanor calmed ever so slightly before knocking.

“Enter,” and Kenshin did just so with a feeling of trepidation. “Out of the hundreds of workers sitting diligently at their cubicles and the thousands of others who long to acquire the occupation which you have achieved and are, at this point, grasping by a mere thread, fate anoints you with good fortune.”

By that time, Kenshin was already forming in his head the most believable tardy excuse ever conceived by man, but he caught himself just in time, “I—sir?”

The man gestured toward the silent woman whom Kenshin had just noticed sitting on the chair positioned before the desk. The woman stood and bowed toward Kenshin, and Kenshin returned the bow in respect. “Kamiya Kaoru, this is my nephew, Himura Kenshin, whom you are to work under the supervision of. However, I have reason to believe that it is he who would need to be supervised,” he explained. Then, turning to Kenshin, he continued brightly, “Mr. Himura, if you would please escort Miss Kamiya to her desk…” Kenshin made a stiff bow toward the man and gestured for Kaoru to follow him. “Oh, and Miss Kamiya,” the man called, halting their exit, “if my nephew gives you any trouble, I’m counting on you to put him in his place.”

Kaoru chuckled lightly before bowing once more, “I thank you for everything, Mr. Hiko.”

Kenshin showed Kaoru to an office with an empty desk situated near large window. “Mr. Hiko was kind enough to explain the means by which the previous secretary was dismissed.”

“Really?” Kenshin quirked an eyebrow at her as he made them tea, “Pray tell, how did he explain the event to you?”

“He told me that the office was infiltrated at night when you were working late. In the morning, you were found unconscious and injured rather badly while your secretary was discovered, bleeding profusely from a wound that should’ve killed her instantly, completely out of her mind, babbling nonsense about monsters and other such beings,” Kaoru told him calmly.

Kenshin’s attention to the tea he was pouring out into cups wavered slightly as his mind’s eye recalled the events of that night. Indeed it had been one of the most traumatizing memories Kenshin had ever had, excluding that of his parents’ most unnatural murder when he was younger. Shaking his head slightly, he turned to Kaoru, “That sounds about right. I was detained at the hospital for a month, three weeks of which I had spent in a coma.”

Kaoru tilted her head and watched Kenshin even after he handed her the cup of scalding liquid. “Tell me, Mr. Himura,” she said softly, “what do you think might have been bold enough to pass all of the security precautions of this building undetected?”

Kenshin took a cautious sip of his tea before responding, “I had previously wondered that for a while. I know for a fact that my uncle’s security systems are foolproof. I myself took charge of ensuring that. After I was discharged from the hospital, I went through all of the building’s blueprints and have come up with nothing to ease my bafflement. For all I know, what had entered this building might not have been human.” As he took another sip of tea, he missed the slight narrowing of Kaoru’s eyes. “What of you? What do you think of the matter, Miss Kamiya?”

Kaoru’s expression was neutral as she simply stated, “I believe someone’s out for your demise, Mr. Himura.” A cold and guarded look settled over her face, and Kenshin found himself drawn into her eyes.

Recalling a distant memory, Kenshin furrowed his eyebrows. “You—” he stammered, “I…have I seen you before? I remember your face from somewhere.”

Tilting her head in response, Kaoru responded, “Is that so, Mr. Himura? Funny, for I cannot say the same of you.”

Suddenly, as if on cue, the phone began ringing incessantly. In one smooth, practiced motion, Kaoru picked up the receiver and spoke into it. A few moments later, she pressed a button and looked over at Kenshin. “Mr. Himura,” a small smile graced her features, “you have a call on line one.” - - -

Work for the next several days passed quickly, and Kenshin soon found himself accustomed to Kaoru’s constant presence outside his office. Each morning, he would enter and greet her warmly before laying his briefcase on his desk and shedding his jacket. Then, he would pour both of them cups of tea and would share stories of fellow coworkers, childhood mishaps, and other such things. One thing he found in common was that they both had a history in traditional Japanese swordsmanship. She would tell him the fonder memories of practicing her family style with her father before he passed away. He would reveal his not so fond memories of Hiko beating him black and blue.

Today started off in similar fashion. Kenshin rambled on as he made the tea, its calming aroma permeating the air. Kaoru was already at her desk, typing away at a memorandum for later use. “So, Miss Kaoru, you’ve spoken much about your father, but I have rarely heard you speak of your mother,” Kenshin said as he set her cup on the desk before promptly leaning against it.

Kaoru paused in her work to observe the clearly relaxed man before her, “She died.”

Kenshin furrowed his eyebrows before taking a sip of his tea, “I’m sorry to hear that.” After a moment of contemplation, he continued, “Both of my parents passed away when I was younger. I only asked because I…” seeing the look upon her face, the wary glare that he was slowly recognizing as a look signifying that the current subject should be dropped without further ado, Kenshin drained his cup, “…never mind.”

He stepped into his office, sliding into his chair, and began sorting his files and documents. Several minutes passed before he sensed a presence at his door. Looking up, he saw Kaoru, her expression still holding a wary glare but with a resolve filling the depths of her gaze. He paused in his work and watched as she moved to sit in the chair before his desk. Taking a deep breath, she began talking, “I initially came from a rather wealthy family in another part of Tokyo. My father was a retired soldier in the army who taught at our dojo afterward, and my mother was a tutor for the children who lived nearby. In my youth, I was naïve to believe that our family would remain happy in this manner.”

Kaoru stopped in the middle of her story, her hands fiddling nervously in her lap, “It happened when I was seven years old on the eve of my eighth birthday. I was making my way to my parents’ room when I suddenly heard the sounds of bones snapping. I remained rooted in the hallway, too terrified of both going in and turning away. Then the shoji opened, and I saw a disembodied shadow creeping past me. It stopped for a moment, and it seemed to stare right at me, before it turned and headed toward the main gate.

“I then heard a sort of crashing sound from the room, and I saw…” Kaoru’s breathing became erratic, and Kenshin immediately stood to retrieve a glass of water for her. Upon his return, he saw her curled up within herself with her eyes closed, like a child trying to escape the clutches of a horrid nightmare.

“Miss Kaoru,” Kenshin placed a cool hand on her shoulder and waited until Kaoru raised her eyes to meet his, the cold and guarded barrier in place, “Why don’t we take a short break for a while? There’s a nice deli across the street that we can go to, and I’m afraid I’ll have to work late into the night again anyway.”

Seeing the concern in his eyes, Kaoru nodded with little protest and went back to her desk to gather her things. Kenshin watched her leave his office and ran his hands through his hair, sighing heavily. She hadn’t needed to describe her memories, to call up his memories. How could he not forget the two people he once loved slithering out of their rooms nearly boneless, a blood trail being scrawled on the carpet in their wake? How could he not forget the agonized looks on their faces as the crimson river of life drained from their eyes, nose, mouth, and ears as they gazed helplessly at him, their limbs and torso turned at awkward angles and spasming at odd intervals? How could he—

“Kenshin?”

Kaoru had her jacket in hand as she smiled faintly at him. Shaking the memories from his head, Kenshin returned her smile and, grabbing his own jacket, escorted her out. - - -

The habit of constantly scratching the back of his head was the cause of his current dilemma, namely the presence of the infuriating knots spread around the ends of his hair. With a growl, Kenshin dropped the pen he was holding an attempted to untangle the thick mass. There was a light knock on his door, and Kaoru came in bearing two cups of tea. She glanced up at Kenshin and smiled sympathetically.

“Miss Kaoru, it’s been hours,” Kenshin told her, several fingers entrapped in the complex web. “You should’ve already gone home.”

Circling his desk, Kaoru freed his hands before running her own fingers through his hair, smoothing it skillfully. “Now, Kenshin, what use would I be if I wasn’t here to keep tabs on you? You heard Mr. Hiko when he told me to keep you out of trouble,” she mocked.

Kenshin simply snorted in response and closed his eyes, reveling in the cool touch of Kaoru’s hands on his scalp and the back of his neck. She’d been with the corporation for a month, and since then, Kenshin had found himself being drawn to her presence. She had proven herself perfectly capable of handling tight schedules and rushed deadlines while, at the same time, keeping track of all board meetings and business calls. However, it wasn’t just her diligence that attracted Kenshin. What drew him to her was the fact that behind that strong, hard-working exterior, there lay a vulnerable creature, who if revealed would be subject to ridicule and contempt, and Kenshin felt pity for her. She had survived for so long, sustained merely on her fragile barriers, without the care and protection that a friend could provide, for fear of death by association.

Despite his own apprehensions, Kenshin couldn’t help but wish to care for her, to protect her, from the nightmares that plague their minds and corrupt their souls. If only—

“What was that?” Kenshin was shaken out of his trance and focused on Kaoru’s voice, the presence of fear coating the statement.

“What?” Kenshin asked, looking up at Kaoru’s abnormally pale face. Her eyes were focused on one corner of the room, where a patch of shadows resided. Kenshin followed her gaze but saw nothing. “What is it, Kaoru?” He stood up before her and took a quivering hand in his, resting it on his chest above his heart in attempt to calm her.

Her gaze flew up to his, “I thought I saw—” Kenshin stiffened when her gaze slipped from his and fell on to something beyond his shoulder. The lights suddenly flickered for a moment before going out completely.

Using heightened senses, Kenshin pinpointed the location of the unknown entity and turned around, lashing out at…nothing. Thoroughly confused, Kenshin’s eyes scanned the room before he was lifted by an invisible force and tossed against the opposite wall. His ears registered Kaoru’s scream, and his blurred vision caught sight of Kaoru struggling with something. Regaining his senses, Kenshin took hold of his coat rack and swung blindly. A high-pitched, inhumane scream reverberated across the walls, and Kenshin tackled Kaoru to the ground, shielding her from the flying pieces of shattered windows.

Suddenly, Kenshin found himself struggling to breathe as he was lifted in the air and slammed against the wall, dangling by his toes. “K…Kaoru,” he commanded in a raspy voice, “run!”

Without a second of hesitation, Kaoru dashed out of the office. Kenshin let the relief wash over him even though he knew that he soon was going to die. He felt himself losing his grip on the unseen hand encasing his throat, saw the spots darkening his vision, heard the gunfire ricocheting…

He barely felt his body dropping into a heap on the floor but not before he caught sight of a humanoid being with a three and a half inch hole gaping from the right side of its head and blood splattering out the left. Turning darkening eyes towards the direction of the fire, he saw Kaoru holding a 9mm. She was aiming again, her eyes free of emotion, her face set in grim determination, and as she pulled the trigger again, Kenshin’s last thought before blacking out was, ‘God, she’s beautiful…’ - - -

Of all of the things Kenshin wanted to happen to him in his lifetime, perhaps getting married, having children, purchase his own private island, he definitely knew that waking up after being unconscious due to near-suffocation was not on his to-do list. Though, he must admit, the manner of his awakening was quite pleasant. He felt the warm presence beside him and the cool fingers brushing his hair away from his closed eyes.

“Kenshin,” a soft, feminine voice called. Kenshin stirred in his state, teetering between sleep and wakefulness, “Kenshin.” He felt his head elevated before it rested upon a soft, warm surface. Something scalding hot touched his lips, and he jerked completely awake at the sensation of burning liquid being eased into his mouth. His eyes flew open, and he tackled his assailant to the ground, tiger’s eyes blazing with an anger that diminished quickly after he found that it was only Kaoru. He turned to find a spilled cup of tea rolling on the carpet of a room unfamiliar to him.

“Where are we?” he asked, turning back to Kaoru, whom he still had pinned on the ground. His brows furrowed in confusion as he tried to remember the events that had occurred earlier, “What happened?”

Kaoru tilted her head questioningly, “Don’t you remember?”

Drawing up mere fragments, Kenshin saw through his mind’s eye images of Kaoru running her hands through his hair before her expression became one of terror. He saw the shadow being, for it couldn’t be called anything else, attacking them and him commanding Kaoru to flee only to see her return with a gun. There was a certain determination to her eyes that could rival that of any seasoned warrior, and his last thought was…

“Kenshin?”

He was driven out of his memories by the stare of those haunting blue eyes, eyes that seemed to seep through his bones into his very core. He lifted a hand to cup her cheek, his thumb caressing the skin over her cheekbones, his fingers memorizing every contour of her face. Her eyes fluttered closed, her head turning to seek more of his touch. Her hand reached up tentatively to cover his, her touch leaving a blissfully burning sensation, and she exhaled with a shuddering breath.

“Kaoru,” Kenshin began, “I…”

At the sight of her dilated eyes as they opened, Kenshin suddenly was at a loss for words. Kaoru reached up and brushed his cheek lightly with the back of her hand before pressing her lips against his. It was just for a moment, but within that moment, his hands encircled her waist, and he pulled her closer to him, deepening the kiss. Kaoru gasped as his fingers teased the sensitive skin of her back, quivering slightly under his touch.

It was only for a moment. Kaoru quickly drew away, placing her palms on his chest to maintain a bit of distance between them. “Kenshin, there are several things you must be aware of.” - - -

Walking home never seemed like such an arduous task as it was that morning when Kenshin left Kaoru’s apartment. His mind was busy trying to wrap around several concepts that just didn’t seem possible, despite the fact that they were just attacked by some random creature that, if anything, belonged in a science fiction novel. Still, if he was able to grasp the idea that there were invisible creatures out for his life, why wasn’t he able to accept that he was a…

“You’re a shadow creature, Kenshin,” Kaoru’s calm, professional voice stated in a way that prevented any thought of disbelief, “as am I.”

Kenshin blinked several times before shaking his head and replying with, “I’m sorry. Come again?”

“We are shadow creatures, friend to none but the darkness. Before the dawn of men, we were considered superior in intellect and strength, building machinery that puts today’s technology to shame. While the ancient Babylonians amused themselves with their hanging gardens, we had already begun the construction of flying fortresses, in which we traveled out of human sight.” Kaoru gazed wistfully into space, “In short, our people were magnificent.”

“Were?”

Lowering her gaze to her feet, Kaoru hesitated before speaking again, “The comet came, and with it came the means of our destruction. It itself impacted the Earth and annihilated approximately one third of our entire population. Strangely enough, only a handful of humans were killed in that incident.” Here Kaoru gave a dry laugh before her expression darkened with anger, “No one noticed at first, but when three shadow scientists, who were excavating the fallen comet for mineral deposits, disappeared, chaos ensued. One by one, our people all began disappearing, and no one knew why.

“There was a boy who often frequented the site for the sake of finding adventure. He was gone for three days, and when he returned, he was mumbling to himself, and his skin held fresh bruises and cuts. The boy was hospitalized for two weeks, and the doctors for some reason couldn’t diagnose the boy’s condition. In their reports, they mentioned that the bruising was caused by internal means, and the cuts kept reopening after multiple stitching. It wasn’t long before the boy died.

“There were also other similar cases where—”

“How do you know these things?” Kenshin asked suddenly. “You can’t be any older than I am.”

Kaoru simply smiled, “I have my sources, Kenshin. It’s best to be informed of the situation before you’re caught dead.” Kenshin furrowed his eyebrows. Kaoru leaned closer, almost whispering the dreaded words, “They’re hunting us, Kenshin. The two of us, how our parents died sacrificing their lives for some shred of hope that we may have a future, we’re the only ones left, and at this point, we still have no idea what we’re up against.”

“But…you killed it,” Kaoru stood up, crossing her arms and leaning against the window, “didn’t you?”

Looking back at Kenshin, Kaoru sighed before responding, “I couldn’t kill it. Even with those damned hollow points, I couldn’t fucking kill it!”

“Kao—”

“The sun’s rising, Kenshin. It’s safe for you to return home…for now,” she told him curtly, her body turned away from him and toward the dawn.

…Shadow creature?

Standing on the edge of the block before a crosswalk, Kenshin waited for the light to turn green. Something caught the corner of his eye, and he turned to see a curious patch of shadows erupting out of no where. It seemed to pause for a moment, and Kenshin felt more than saw a pair of dark-shaded patches of gray looking at him. Then, it turned and headed down the street…down to the apartment where…

‘Oh God...Kaoru!” - - -

Kaoru finished brushing the final coating on the last hollow point before slipping it into the clip. Sitting straighter on her bed, she aimed at the wall, making sure her hands and arms were steady before drawing the weapon back again. She stood when the doorbell began ringing impatiently, ‘Kenshin must’ve left his keys here.’

Kenshin burst into the room once the door opened and glanced around anxiously. Kaoru already began feeling a sense of dread welling up in her stomach. “Kaoru, we’re in serious trouble. That…shade was heading toward this direction. I don’t know if it made it here yet.”

“I do,” Kaoru suddenly pointed the gun at him and fired. A deafening screech echoed across the empty walls, and Kenshin turned to see a human body that looked burned through the skin and most of its muscular system, writhing in pain as it clutched the side of its blown open neck, blood the color of dark green spewing out all over the place. “Well, what do you know?” When Kenshin looked at her questioningly, she simply responded, “Acid.”

Suddenly, Kaoru found herself hauled into the air and thrown viciously across the room, skidding on the table, and shattering the cabinet glass before falling in a heap on the ground. Before Kenshin could react, he found himself facing similar treatment, but not before landing several attacks of his own. However, the odds were against him, and he found himself with the creature’s hand tightening around his throat again, except this time, he looked into the eyes of his enemy and smirked.

The gun fired again, and the creature screamed in agony, anger fighting against the pain it was feeling as it swiped its clawed hand down Kenshin’s upper torso and tossed him to the ground. Kenshin saw the red in his vision and slumped over, unmoving. ‘It’s up to you now, Kaoru. You’re…the last one…”

Then, the creature turned and rounded on Kaoru, who had the gun pointed at its head as it neared her. ‘My last shot.’ It leapt over the fallen couch. ‘Please let this be the end of it.’ It stood above her, claws lifted, ready for the fatal blow. ‘Please do not let me…’

The final gunshot.

The final stab.

‘…fail.’ Kaoru coughed up blood as pain blossomed from where the creature had punctured her left lung, the creature who was now headless and unmoving, and she smiled before the shadows took her.

Owari