Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ The Rising Sun ❯ Potion effects gone wrong ( Chapter 1 )

A/N: Here it goes, another story. My first multi-chapter, actually! This one is taking place in colonial Mexico and even if I don't know how the things were back then I will try to make it at least a bit believable. And the names of cities are false, I don't know if they exist or not. Enjoy!

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin nor do I own some series I watched and where I got the idea for this story. I don't remember its name, though.

 

The Rising Sun

 

Chapter 1: Potion effects gone wrong

 

The sun was shining, its golden rays touching roofs and walls of the town. Birds were chirping in the trees and singing their hymn to the endless blue sky, their freedom. A bit lower, the rush of citizens was heard - merchants and women bargaining for a better price, children laughing and running around, some of them cleverly stealing an apple or two from an enraged seller, who never managed to catch any of them. Yes, on days like this, the seaport-town called Porta Rosa seemed almost magical.

 

And yet all of that beauty went unnoticed by a young woman of only eighteen, scurrying across the market, her own worries dominating over the summer sight of early afternoon she would notice on any other day.

 

Today, the young girl, Kamiya Kaoru was her name, was walking fast - almost running - her long, simple blue dress billowing while she was making her way across the market, towards a tavern known as The Golden Water.

 

Tae Sekihara not only helped her husband to run the said-to-be best tavern far around but was also known for her infamous potion-cooking abilities. Rumours went around that even some of higher society class momentarily forgot to pray the God and rather sought help in her potions, talismans or spells, desperate to solve their problems with children, lovers or even spirits of their late loved ones. Did it work, though? The fact that most of the bigots were praying heartily next day in the town's church should speak for itself.

 

It wasn't the first time Kaoru went to visit her long-time friend Tae, but it was the first time she went of reasons familiar to many high, low or middle class society. She was in a desperate need of some kind of potion.

 

The delicious smell of stew, the house special, mixing with intoxicating aroma of tobacco and all kinds of alcohol liquors was a sure sign of arriving to The Golden Water. As the raven-haired woman opened wooden door to this unusually bright tavern, she was met with the every day's sight of chatting costumers. Jostling between some drunken men leaning on the counter, she finally caught attention of a busy waitress.

 

“Where is Tae?”

 

“Oh, she's back there, in kitchen.”

 

Kaoru didn't need instructions on reaching the kitchen; her stopping by was something usual. Her husband, a travelling merchant, was away for most of the time and she decided helping Tae in the tavern was much better than boring herself to death with staring at blank walls at home.

 

Glancing over the smoky kitchen crammed with all sorts of pots, pans and food, she finally spotted Tae, who was leaning over a pot, tasting some vegetables one of her five cooking apprentice made. Kaoru waved to the hazel-eyed woman to come over.

 

“Tae, I need your help.” Tae nodded. Somehow she understood and was able to read the urgency in her friend's voice.

 

“Just wait a second, we'll go upstairs. Yahiko, take over the kitchen!”

She was already untying her once white but now pretty much multi-coloured apron and giving some other instructions to the young soon-to-be cook.

 

“Hey, Ugly, haven't seen you around lately!”

And with that the brown-headed youngster was off before the said `Ugly' could even yell something like 'Shut up, you stupid brat!' or `I was hoping not to see you, brat!' Anything consisting `brat' would do, actually. All she could do now was glare daggers at the annoying apprentice, hoping he would burn his fingers today. A bit calmed down with the thought of Yahiko screaming and jumping around with his fingers aching, she followed Tae.

 

“So, what's bugging you, Kaoru?”

Once they passed all of the eight rooms for rent and entered the one Tae and her husband lived in, she spoke up, nicely seated in a comfy chair.

 

`Ah, one could really get used to these chairs…'

Kaoru quickly pushed that thought away and concentrated on more important matters, for example how to tell Tae she needed a potion to drug her husband into sleeping with her.

Deciding that beating around the bush would do nothing good; she went straight to the point.

 

“I need a potion. Some love-potion or something that would get my husband to… lay with me.”

She was already blushing. This was so hard to say, but God knows, she tried everything from romantic dinners to bluntly telling him she wanted a child. And still he did nothing. She could live without his love; after all she didn't love him like that either, but what she really wanted was someone to take care of, someone to love.

 

Tae was nothing if not surprised. There was this lively girl, who once said she wouldn't ever try any of her magic, that she believed she could achieve things without having to rely on it. And that same girl was now all red in her face, but that was beside the point, she was asking her for a potion to… Without a doubt, that arranged marriage had changed Kaoru. Sometimes Tae would notice that strange faraway look in her eyes, but as soon as it came it was gone and back was the happy-to-be-living Kaoru she knew for last ten years.

 

“Well, there is something I could give to you… It's not really strong, it will break Luis' control, but if he feels absolutely no attraction to you, it won't work.”

 

“Yes, I think that would be good.”

She bit her lip; Luis was coming home today and was leaving right the next day. That meant she had to put this plan in action today.

Himura Kenshin was watching the sun going into the sea, its orange colour spilling itself onto the water, as the ship named The Virgin Mary arrived at Porta Rosa, the last stop before his home in Santa Barbara. At last, after eight years in Spain, he was going home.

`A lot of things must've changed in eight years…'

 

“Hey, Kenshin! What're you doing there? We're almost home! This calls for celebrating. I suggest we get ourselves in a nice tavern and then find a nice brothel and then…”

Kenshin was thrown out of his own little world and he smirked; good wine and whores was something Sano just couldn't miss.

 

“According to you, Sano, every town we've stopped at called for celebrating.”

 

“No need to be sarcastic, my friend. I heard the wine here has magical substances…”

 

Half an hour and many words later, Sano dragged Kenshin in a tavern where the supposed magical wine was being sold. And another half an hour and many glasses of that same wine later, Sano was dead drunk and even Kenshin himself slightly intoxicated.

`Just what I needed… Now I'll have to find a room…”

He winced; this was really uncalled. Managing to make his way to the counter and keeping an eye on Sano at the same time and asked the waitress for a room.

 

 

`Tae said to drink half of it and put the other half on my neck. I really hope this'll work… At least it smells nice.'

Hair nicely done - check, nice dress - check, smell nice - check, potion in and on - check. The only thing missing was her husband, nice or not nice.

`Surely his boat has arrived by now.'

Kaoru took a glance on her late grandmother's silver pocket clock. It was one of rare things she had of her family. Sparing it a last loving look, she put it on a drawer and laid on the bed she shared with Luis, yet the bed on which he hasn't touched her yet. Not that he touched her anywhere else. She was determined to wait for him, take it as long as it wants. She was also nervous; what if it won't work? Sure, Tae said it wouldn't have any side effects, but still…

 

As the time passed by, Kaoru was lulled to sleep by quiet ticking of the clock.

`Got to stay awake… Luis… will… tonight… Ah, this bed is comfortable…'

Slowly, but for sure, her plans were forgotten as she drifted away in the land of peaceful dreams.

 

 

This was just his luck. They had only one room with only one bed in the tavern. Seeing that Sano was in no condition to find a room - obviously, he wasn't even able to stand up; speaking would be a bit of a problem, right? - So he left Sano have that room and there he was, on the street, trying to follow waitress' instructions on reaching another room-renting tavern. The fact that he was developing a bit of a headache and colours and shapes were a bit blurry didn't help much.

`What did she say? Left or right? I'll take left.'

 

Slowly walking down the dark street, he reached a house he thought could be a tavern. There was no people and no signs, but right then he was not willing to search any longer. He entered the house, thinking he would have to pay tomorrow, and opened the door to the first room he saw. It was dark, but he could distinguish a silhouette sleeping in a bed.

 

“Oh, I-”

He was about to apologise, but the words `Sorry, wrong room' died in his throat as he took in a sharp breath. A few pale rays of moonlight managed to shine through the thick grey clouds and show the girl lying on the bed in a different light. She was the most beautiful thing Kenshin ever saw in his twenty-five years of life. The perfect shape of her pale face, her raven tresses falling on the mattress… In his eyes, she was perfect right there and then.

 

Somehow, he couldn't help himself, and he took small steps toward the bed. Reaching out a hand he brushed some of her hair out of her face and as if he would be put under some kind of spell - not that he believed in any of that - he lightly kissed her lips. The raven-haired beauty slowly opened her eyes. If her face mesmerized him, her eyes struck him. The deep sapphire pools were calling out to him and he couldn't resist the call anymore. As she was about to say something, he kissed her passionately and let things flow out of his control, the voice in the back of his head, telling him this was wrong, long forgotten.

 

 

The morning sun kissing her face slowly woke Kaoru up from her deep sated sleep. At first, she was a bit confused with the facts that she was laying naked in the bed when she could clearly remember she went to bed in her favourite nightshirt. Then, bit after bit, she remembered last night events and still she couldn't believe. Luis slept with her! After a year of marriage, she could finally be expecting a child.

Glancing at her left, she realized - a bit disappointed - her husband was already gone.

 

`His ship probably left early in the morning…' All he left behind was a few strands of his hair. `Must've been pretty rough last night…' At the thought she blushed just as red as the hair on the pillow were. `Wait, red hair on the pillow? But Luis has black hair… That means, that means… I-I've slept with another man!' Processing this new information, she stared at the red hair indignantly, as if it was their fault.

 

A/N: There you go, first chapter finished. Please, tell me what you think and review! Oh, and I'd need a beta.

 

Dreycy-chan