Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ La Femme Fatale ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )

Standard Disclaimers Apply. RK was never mine… never is and never will! @_@x

For almost a century, an unfortunate clan had been the target for assassinations. Its women-elder or young-seemed to be wiped out, one by one, in the face of the planet. And now its year 2002, and the so-called 'curse' will have to recur all over again… sooner or later. Somebody has to stand up and stop this madness before it consumes all women in its line.

"La Femme Fatale"

Chapter Two

The guests applauded loudly. Women looked dreamily at her white gown adorned with precious stones at the bodice. Her fingers were studded with large gems as well as her neck. Men took of their hats in reverence to the gracious host. The Mayor with his wife and some of the city dignitaries stood up from their places and joined the guests in applause.

The woman grinned proudly and stepped out of the curtained gallery slowly. A servant swiftly offered a hand to assist her in walking up the small stage where she was summoned by the emcee earlier. Upon settling herself in front of the microphone, she eyed the guests before signaling them all to take their seats, and finally spoke.

"It is of great pleasure to me to have you all here, in my simple Halloween gathering. I thank you all for coming. I would like to welcome you all here… feel free to be happy, for this is a night to remember…"

Gerald fidgeted from his seat in the corner and feverishly patted his camera again. A built security man approached him again and asked if his equipment works now.

"Couldn't you see that Madame is already making her speech? You're being paid to cover this occasion, and what do you do? You're still not doing your job!" the man angrily said.

Gerald apologized to the man and put out a fresh set of batteries again from his bag.

Li Mei continued to speak.

"… this night is very special to me, as I had traditionally celebrated annually, instead of mourned for. Tonight is the centenary death of my family's principal patriarch, Mr. Yukishiro E-enishi…" her voice seemed to crack.

She paused while the audience remained quiet.

The security left Gerald to himself again, who was now loading the batteries. 'Oh my God, I'm going to miss the speech…! He stood up and walked to where his camera's stand is and even made a sign of the cross before setting the camera and opening its lens.

Focusing to the woman speaking in front, he felt his hair stood on one end as he remembered the scene he saw in her room earlier and everything he had heard.

'C'mon man! Its not your business anymore… j-just do your job okay? We need money!'

"… He was a man of c-courage, valor and spirit. He had managed to uplift himself from the bondage of sorrow from the early demise of his… dearly beloved s-sister, Yukishiro Tomoe…"

Gerald focused his lens at her pale face and slowly turned on the flash…

The camera gave an instant flash.

Gerald grinned. 'Good. You're cooperative now. He said as he looked into the camera to shoot at the Madame speaking.

"… He developed himself into a man who could stand up from his sister's oppressors, to which he succeeded. Though he became a victim of injustice, for evil was hard to combat, he tried to bring back his sister's smile back to him in the most earnest and kindest way possible when he came back to his native country Japan after living long in China…"

All were silent still.

"… He resorted to, the most ingenious way in making that ambition come true, an Earthly Justice, which almost succeeded, if it weren't for that person that has tried to interfere right from the start…"

"… She was the one responsible for the downfall of my forefather's plans, the fiend he took with him to our family's solemn and untarnished mansion in the coasts of Japan, the woman who thought she could replace Aunt Tomoe, she was none other than…"

Suddenly, gasps and cries of admiration were heard from the audience near the grand staircase. Gerald noticed the noise and looked at the direction to where it came from. His eyes grew wide, with one conclusion in mind: if Li Mei Yukishiro seemed to be the most elegant lady in that occasion, Keiko Korenaga was without doubt the most beautiful woman of her generation.

"… his wife." Was the only thing Li Mei had manage to whisper, vexed for the interruption upon turning her eyes to the stairs, where Keiko has been descending.

It is true that her hunting costume was enormously becoming. She wore a velour hat with blue plumes and with a tight ruff, a surtout of pearl-gray velvet fastened with diamond clasps, and a blue-satin skirt embroidered with silver, with full, loose sleeves gathered with diamonds on her porcelain arms.

Her face was a picture of loveliness; her big, blue eyes enchanting to look at, though it was observed to be cheerless, it seemed to sparkle together with the gems of her dress. Her skin white as ivory and its velvety softness were famed worldwide; her cheeks tainted with faint red, obviously were natural as well as the beautiful blue-black hair under her hat that had escaped a few locks adorns the frame of her face.

Such was the commotion she had caused upon her arrival. Eliciting a small smile for the admiration that she received from the guests, she decided inwardly to proceed to the assigned seat for her. The audience gave way for her, but she stopped as she saw the most unusual treatment…

Her heart fluttered in fear suddenly, for never in her life has she saw much hostility and hatred in the eyes of any person before.

And it came from the gracious host of tonight's party, where she was invited mysteriously, for the invitation was only one, and none from her camp was invited further.

Keiko closed her eyes momentarily and breathed inwardly before opening her eyes again. The people around her watched and eagerly waited for the abnormal behavior of two.

Li Mei saw this and waked from the stupor. She began to speak again.

"Welcome, Ms. Korenaga. I'm pleased you're able to comply with my invitation. Feel at home. Continue with the music," she said, her voice tremulous, waving a hand to the orchestra. "Excuse me, but I have other things to do. Have a nice evening. I'll be joining you all shortly," she said, walking down with hurried steps down the stage and into the gallery from where she came from that connects directly to her room, and disappeared eventually.

The audience bursted into murmurs as Li Mei went away, leaving a distraught Keiko at the center of that hall, almost in tears.

The doors of Li Mei's room flew open as the woman entered in rage, her hands clutched to the skirt of her gown. Her companions, Cortez and Ricardo, quietly eyed her in one corner, ready to obey her commands at any moment she wants.

She ground her teeth; she was ashen. She tried to go toward the window for air, but she could only stretch out her arms; her legs failed her, and she sank into an armchair.

Li Mei's servant girl, Ada, fearing she was ill, hurried to open her dress, but her master jumped and pushed her away.

"What do you want with me?" she said. "Why do you place you hands on me?"

"I thought that Madame was feeling faint, and I wished to help her," responds the maid, frightened at her mistress's terrible expression.

"I feel faint? Me? Do you not know me yet? When I'm insulted I do not faint-I avenge myself!" she said, dismissing her with a gesture. "All the more she will have to die," she murmured. "Cortez! Ricardo!"

The two men quickly came to her aid. "Is everything ready?"

"Yes, Madame. Just the way you have wished."

"Good."

"Madame seemed to be pissed…"

Li Mei casted Ricardo, the one who spoke, a deathly glare. "I'am. What do you care?"

Ricardo felt cold sweat past his brow. "N-nothing Madame…"

"Leave me."

The two left Li Mei to herself quickly. Once alone, trembling with anger, she faced Enishi's portrait and looked at it adoringly. Closing her eyes, strangely, her face slowly turned old as age. Her movements became slow and weakened. Looking at the image, she spoke.

"T-tonight I will carry out the revenge you deserve, f-father. For one hundred years I have lived and tried to kill her… but she seemed to have a cat's life…!"

She panted and caught her breath.

"B-but n-no… as long as she lives I will not stop in making her life miserable! She will die by my hands! Do you hear me? SHE. WILL. DIE!" and she cried.

"If you can just see her, father… she looks perfectly like her still! Its like she's still alive! Her face haunts me, kills me with grief! I'm sick of seeing her alive!"

Li Mei slowly closed her eyes again and concentrated. Bowing her head for a moment, when she looked up, she was young again. Holding on to her bosom where she kept her gun, she grinned evilly.

"Its time to die…"

"… Kaoru Kamiya."

The hall was packed with people as the evening progresses. Many have resorted to dance while others find enjoyment in chattering away in their own corners with champagne on hand.

With all these noise and a strange reception from the host herself, Keiko left the grand hall and settled outside the cold, dimly-lit terrace.

Her face was undoubtedly sad, doubled moreover by the incident earlier, which have just confirmed what was about to happen any moment now…

Tears started to fill her eyes as she watched the people inside the party, happy-without any fear or worry.

'Yes… without fear and worry for their lives…'

She then had visions of them running and screaming as if somebody was killed. Keiko felt her knees began to buckle in deep remorse.

A tear ran down her cheek as she remembered someone very dear to her.

'Kaoru… my sister… I'm sorry I will be leaving you, but this nightmare will not stop until someone doesn't make a sacrifice…'

'Our family has suffered so much in heart of sorrow and dread in the hands of that witch… someone has to stop her or else we will all die anyway…

'I love you so much… may the grace of the good heavens be with you, my dear…

"H-huh?"

'Is it t-time?"

Gerald already had made his way out of the crowd when he saw the loveliest lady in the evening soaked under the moonlight outside.

Seeing her melancholy even from a distance, he at first hesitated to come near. But when he saw her crying, he nevertheless braved the kind deed.

With a pounding heart, he tried to rehearse what he was about to say.

'Uhm… Miss Keiko, c-can I take a picture…?

Nah, that's too dumb.

Uhm… Miss Keiko, you're so beautiful, it would be nice to include your picture in my coverage of this party…

Too straightforward.

Uhm… Miss Keiko…?

"Y-yes?"

'Yeah, that's the way to do it. H-huh? Wait… Did I just say that out loud?

Bright blue pools were anxiously waiting for his next statement.

"Uh, Miss Keiko… I-I w-was about to, yeah, take a picture of the terrace… y-yeah, t-that's it…!"

"Uh-huh…" Keiko said. "Then go ahead. I was already leaving actually…"

"No!" What the-! "W-what I mean is that, its not necessary for you to leave, Miss…"

Keiko smiled, amused. "Why are you stammering?"

Gerald seemed bedazzled at the sight of her smiling. "M-miss… this is the first time I saw you smile since you came…"

The actress blushed. "R-really? You noticed…"

"I-I don't want to sound so forward, Miss, but… d-do you have a problem? Can I be of some help?"

There was real sincerity in his voice that Keiko felt touched. "N-no…"

"Oh. I'm so sorry… I know its none of my business…" Gerald turned to go.

"No! W-what I mean is that, neither you nor anybody, including myself could free me of my problem."

Gerald eyed her, worry was evident in her face.

"C-can I ask you a favor?"

He nodded.

"Can I trust you with my life?"

"Yes, Miss."

She pulled out from under her velvet coat a piece of folded paper and handed it to him.

"Open that letter at the turn of the tide. In that way, you have done me a favor. Thank you… " She said, giving him the saddest smile he had ever saw in his entire life.

With that, she left him to himself, eyed fixated to the letter in his hand.

'Open that letter at the turn of the tide. In that way, you have done me a favor.'

"A-at the turn of the tide…? Miss Keiko, I don't understand…!" But she was gone.

Suddenly, a gunshot was heard. And screams of the guests pierced the quiet and joyous festivities of the night.

Gerald stood there, motionless. At that moment, memories of Miss Yukishiro handling her magnum flooded his mind…

Trembling all over, the letter dropped from his hand.

What do you think? Please review! Thank you.