Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Water on a Glass House ❯ Chapter Six ( Chapter 6 )

Written by: Chiisailammy (Chiisailammy-at-hotmail.com)

April 2004

Disclaimer: RK not mine.

A/N: italics denotes flashback. WARNING this chapter is RATED R for very dark material. Sadness ahead. edit I really should stop proofing on my page-maker program. :( Glaring grammatical and typos have been fixed.

Kanryuu entered her room without knocking. A box wrapped in pale salmon colored paper was tucked underneath his arm.

"Megumi." He greeted with a grin.

Her eyes trailed over to his frame. Almost immediately, she dismissed him by returning her attention back to the mirror as she calmly applied a coat of cream to her freshly washed face.

Kanryuu slipped off his white gloved and ran his finger over the top of her cherry-red vanity.

He inhaled. "Mm. You used the Moroccan rose oil that I sent you. I knew it was an excellent choice. Quite fitting. Did you enjoy it?"

She shrugged. "Your maid was the one who laid out my clothing and bath. I had no hand in the perfume."

Kanryuu picked up a silver-backed hair brush and played with the bristles thoughtfully. He purred softly, "I've been more than kind to you. I've thrown all the luxury items I could find at your feet. You want the finest silk in China, just ask. I could get you the bluest indigo from India for your obi."

She turned her head; she could not keep the bitterness out of her voice. "You think I care about all of that?"

He ran his fingers through the raw silk of her dark hair. "Such beauty should be adorned." He breathed, meeting her defiant glare in the mirror. "I consider myself a connoisseur of beauty. And you, my dear, are quite a prize. Ten years ago, you could have had your pick of the Damiyo's men." His voice had a melodic, sing-song tone as he ran the hairbrush through gently her hair.

Her fists clenched in her lap. Her defiant eyes never left his in the mirror.

"But in this era is an era of opportunity where all men are equal. This means, Megumi, that your family is nothing. The name's been reduced to ashes. Useless, because the samurai is weak, and because you have fed off the backs of commoners for too long."

She dug her fingernails into her palms, trying to curb her anger.

"Do you know what happens to women like you? A woman with no family and no friends to care for her? The brilliant skin on your body would be wearing the greasy fingerprints of a thousand men by now. You wouldn't have the luxury of acting so cold, so haughty. Remember Megumi, I saved you from being used like that. Remember that and be grateful. I saved you. A man like me! I have the power of the warrior now. You see? I have the army. I have the money. In this era, I have everything. You should be groveling at my feet. You, who had everything handed to you because of your birth! What do you have now?"

His voice had risen to a high pitched squeak before he paused to take a deep breath. Once again he calmly took brush to Megumi's hair and the steady rhythm of brushing seemed to calm him.

"I used to do this for my sister. She would let me comb her hair in the morning." He met her eyes in the mirror, "Do you know what happened to her?"

Megumi broke his gaze and looked away.

"She went to work as a maid for a respectable family. It was probably a family like yours. They gave us ten ryo of her wages in advance. We were so grateful. She was supposed to work there for a year and send us money for food. They told us that she could come back to visit whenever she liked."

His voice wavered a bit and broke. Before continuing, Kanryuu swallowed. "But she didn't come back. Some villagers found her body in the river and that is how it works for people like me."

He set he brush down and leaned forward so he was nearly cheek-to-cheek with Megumi. "In the Meiji era, Megumi, swords do not equal power. Money does. I am on my way to becoming a very powerful man. And I could take care of you. We can help each other, and you will never have to sell yourself, you will never have to disappear…"

He ran his fingers through her hair, releasing a faint scent of roses. When he inhaled, his breath tickled her ear. "Megumi-sensei. I can be an incredibly kind man…"

Gripping her hair, he jerked her head back until she was looking directly up. He straightened his back until his face hovered directly above hers. "Or I can be an incredibly cruel master."

He released her hair and took a step back. "Whichever face you see is your choice."

"I wish for neither. Is that a choice?" She bit back, her voice clipped with anger as she tried to ignore her painfully throbbing head.

His fingers twitched at his side. "I've moved the supplies into your laboratory. I don't care how you do it, but you will make a two month's worth of spider's web for me by the end of the week or you will not eat. Perhaps you need to experience what that's like."

Her eyes narrowed, defiant. "It doesn't matter to me. I won't keep being the dealer of death for your profit."

He smiled, and leaned back, "I'm not a monster, Megumi. I don't take delight in the misery of others, especially women. To hurt you would be like destroying a great work of art. However, I'm a business man and I have to protect my own interests. If it's motivation you need, I shall grant it. If I don't see the opium by the end of the week, you'll face the guard's whip.

"There was that especially cruel one from last year. Remember him? He's still here." Kanryuu shook his head and lit a cigarette before continuing. "Remember what he did to that maid who stole money from my safe? Surely you remember. Now I'm not that sort of man. I would never want to do that to you. I even had to dock his pay because I thought he was too cruel. But Megumi, we're both reasonable people. Let's use our judgment. Be a dear and make that opium, because neither of us would want to see you hurt."

He paused and added casually, "Afterwards, I will buy you a new kimono. Think of the alternative, Megumi. That servant girl couldn't walk for nearly a month. You must remember. You patched her up."

He ran his index finger along her back, tracing imaginary welts from a madman's whip. She shivered from the sudden chill that consumed her body. Kanryuu took a drag of his cigarette. "We both know that I'm not a monster. That guard, Megumi, that guard was a real monster."

She stood alone in her room. She stood by the window and watched the rainfall in silence. She could only think of escape.

The past is so elusive. It flows away from us like water.

Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, revealing the glowing white flesh of her arms.

He smiled at her as he poured her a cup of tea. His teeth shone. He was so guileless, so kind.

She reached deep into her kimono sleeve and pulled out a slender gold letter opener.

"Ah. Megumi-chan, what a pretty young woman you've grown up to be!" He was so friendly, so considerate. She was lost, a drifter and an orphan, looking for a home. He found her, or maybe she found him. She couldn't remember the details. All she knew was that he was there when she had nothing and he gave her everything he could.

Absently, she held the letter opener in her hand. The glint of metal shone in the lamplight. She could see the kanji engraved onto the hilt: Kanryuu Takeda

He wrapped a blanket around her shaking shoulders and held her until the sobbing stopped. "You went though a lot, Megumi. You don't always have to be strong." He whispered all of this soothingly. And the words felt like medicine in her ear.

Her eyes fell to her arms. The warm golden flickering of the lamplight cast a grotesque glow over the raised white scar tissue that spread across her tender wrists like the roots of a tree.

"Megumi." She looked up from her work bench, her eyes fuzzy from hours of mixing the doctor's miracle drug derived from poppy.

"Yes, sensei?" She beamed.

"I-" He paused, hesitating for a moment. He crossed the room and stepped into the light and she noticed how the gray hair on his temple glowed orange-red from the sudden illumination of the late afternoon sun.

He clasped his hand over hers, and cupped her face with his other hand. "I've known and respected your father for years. He was my teacher. A great man."

She closed her eyes at the sudden emergence of a memory. A sad, nostalgic smile spread across her face. "Thank you-"

She was cut off by the sudden warmth of his lips. Shocked she pushed him away as she stared at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"Sensei, I-" Her trembling fingers flew to her lips.

His warm brown dream-like eyes fell on her face. His smile was pleading. He was so kind, so gentle, so generous.

"I know I'm older than you by many years, but if you'll allow me-"

She shook her head and stood quickly. "I'm sorry--I'm grateful that you took me in. I'm grateful you allow me to be part of your research. The poppy narcotic drug, it's going to be a brilliant leap in science. I just know it. A great advance in surgery, in helping people who suffer from pain..."

Her eyes werebrimming with tears as she dropped his weathered hands. "You're a good man sensei, but I just don't-"

He nodded and stood up.

"Don't worry, Megumi. Don't worry about a thing." He stood up and walked away.

She could never forget. She could never forget how cold his voice was when he walked away.

Lightly, she ran the edge of the letter opener across the white rivers of scar tissues on her arms. A tiny paper thin line of white followed the trail of gleaming metal. She traced the scars, careful not to break the skin.

He had been with the guest for over an hour and she could now hear shouting in the other room. Curious, Megumi stood to see what was happening.

Two men with swords held the doctor by the collar as a man in a white western suit approached. He held a sterling silver walking stick that was covered with blood.

There was a name engraved on top that was barely visible from the blood that covered the top portion. Megumi squinted her eyes and read the kanji: Kanryuu Takeda.

Her sensei's eyes flashed towards her, blood streamed from into his eyes from the gash at his temple.

She stood frozen, at the shoji, too afraid to move.

With a wordless sigh, he mouthed the words to her, "Run, Megumi."

But it was too late. It was the theme in the story of her life. Like the decision tell her father that she loved him before he went off, like arriving at the rendezvous point to meet her brothers and mother. She had arrived, but it was too late. She had come too late to stop the violence. Within minutes, the doctor fell to the floor, his blood pooling around him. She ran towards him, to save him perhaps, but it was too late. This was the running theme of Megumi's life. This was fate's cruel joke. She always did the right thing, only it was always too late.

She closed her eyes as the memories assaulted her senses. Trying to calm herself, she took deep breaths. The letter opener pressed dangerously close against her arm.

Kanryuu led her to her chambers. He had outfitted her room like a palatial suite, luxurious enough for legendary concubines of the Imperial throne. Velvet drapery hung from the windows. Her bed was freshly lined with beautiful silk sheets of cornflower blue. A line of jars in all colors and shapes, filled with scents and bath oils from all corners of the globe, stood like a row of ready servants on her vanity.

"My princess." He smiled, at her. "My prize. I taken you as my own and brought you my mansion, just like Genji did with Murasaki. Just like a fairy tale!"

He chucked as if delighted by his own cleverness. After a moment, his glee melted into a grave, business-like mask.

"You will make the spider's web. I know you can. I know he taught you how."

She glared at him but said nothing.

He bent and kissed her hand. "I'll give you one week, my princess."

She slapped him with the same had that he had defiled. Immediately, he raised his walking stick, the one that still had the doctor's blood caked onto the side, as if to strike her with it.

Seeing the blood, he stopped himself with a look of horror frozen on his face.

Within a minute, the expression of fear and horror melted away from his face. In its place was a mask of indifference.

"You will make the drugs." He stated monotonously before turning and walking out of the room.

She stared after him. A shudder ran through her as the door slammed shut in a heavy ominous thud.

All her resolve collapsed, and she crumbled onto her exquisite silk sheets and stained them with her tears.

She took a deep breath and the letter opener fell from her shaking hand. A sharp sound rang through her ears as the metal rang against the marble floor. The sound was so sharp, so clear, like the innocent ring of a bell. She lowered her gaze and steadied her breathing.

She waited and bid her time. She made all the drugs that he had asked. She made them and wrapped them. All the while she could feel nothing. Before she knew it, six months had gone by. She could think of nothing but her own foolishness. The fates were cruel to her. So cruel.

One day, someone in the kitchen had left a knife out after dinner. She hid it in her sleeves and walked away. They were so careless, that kitchen staff.

She went to her room. It was as if she walked through a haze. She took out the knife and sitting on top of the bed that gleamed like sapphires, she slashed the knife down vertically on her arms, relying her medical expertise to find the veins.

Megumi fell to her knees waiting for the tears that refused to come. She shook her head. All she could hear was the chime of metal against marble, a sound that ran incessently in her head.

As she felt her life ebbing away. She remembered the sudden frozen terror that gripped her spine and ran painfully throughout her body. She squeezed her eyes closed, trying to stave off the fear. She had been so scared. It didn't really occur to her until now that this was what death felt like. After a while, all of her seneses seemed to shut off.

She didn't even hear the servant girl scream.

Hope, in red rivers, flowed like water through her fingers.

No. Megumi thought as her fingers groped the floor to retrieve the letter opener. She found it with the tip of her index finger and immediately shivered at the coldness of metal against her skin. Carefully, she tucked the letter opener back into her sleeves and wiped the chilly sweat from her brows.

She told herself one last time, "No, Megumi. Never ever again. "

sensitivity and suicide: I considered omitting the second half of this chapter. And I wanted to add that suicide is very serious and it has a profound affect on the people that surround you. It is not my intention to make this as a catalyst for the plot or something as flippant as that...and hopefully I handled the suicide attempt in a humane way. If not, I'm so very sorry. :(

Notes on continuity: The suicide attempt is alluded to Volume 3 (I think, if not 4) of the Manga, after Yahiko is healing in the dojo and Megumi is confronted by Kenshin about her history. (along with that wonderful line, "This man is bad for my heart") In that scene, Kenshin notices the scars on her wrist, suggesting blatantly that Megumi attempted suicide.

Also, I recently rewatched episode 9, and the scene showed Megumi crouching next to the fallen doctor, afraid. I left the rest of the scene here ambigious because I wanted to allude to that scene but not describe it. Megumi, I image, would run to the doctor to see if he was all right...uh, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Re: Doctor...on the characterization of the first doctor. I know that a lot of fics that deal with Megumi and opium-doctor as a prisoner situation, but I wanted a different take on it. First off, I refuse to write about sexual violence against women or even suggest it. Second, I mostly saw her harshness and teasing with Kaoru is her way of protecting the younger girl. That need to protect led me to believe that Megumi was once very naive as well. I think that she allowed herself to be lied to about the opium. (Also mentioned in the Manga vol. 3/4) So I personally saw the play out more like this--where she must have trusted the man and maybe even admired him. I think she would have been hurt and confused by his ultimate betrayal. So I made him a good person who, for whatever reason, got mixed up in the drug making business.

Re: Villians...and in the theme of Rurouni Kenshin, none of my villians are ever really villians. I do hope that there was some kind of sympathy for all of our characters (including Kanryuu).

Thanks everyone for reading. Special thank yous to those who reviewed, Keishiko, Rissi-Sama, Sissi, PackLeaderT, and mij I'm really glad that most of you enjoyed the last line. :) I like it a lot too. Sissi, haha, Im glad that the mystery of the title is solved for you. Woohoo. I am the luckiest writer in the world because I don't have to be obvious and heavy-handed with you guys. I have smart readers. And I cannot articulate exactly HOW grateful I am!

Thank you!