[FIC] House of flying daggers 1

[Alas]

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House of flying daggers
By: Alas
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Even forever does not seem like long enough?

Jet streams of water pushed pass her as she gripped tight to the wheel of the speed boat. The darkness of the midnight sky is making this chase a bit more interesting than she had expected. Dark blue hair hid silently under her black mask and uniform as she whipped the boat into overdrive and towards the dock as she tried to dodge bullets in the moonlight.

The radio cracked profusely and then a voice seeped through to boom into Misao Makimachi's right ear. "Suzume! Please tell me you are somewhere in a close proximity of the base? You're already-"

"5 minutes, 27 seconds, and 16 milliseconds late. I know." Misao nearly scoffed as she tried to keep her eyes on her target, which was a large build that is about 2 miles in front of her and smiled slightly as she can almost make out the silhouette in the window on the second floor. "Get the garage open? I'm going to park this baby in about 20 seconds."

Dodging a few more bullets, Misao slammed the gas pedal even harder as she drove the speed boat up the ramp airborne onto the dock of the bay. Sparks flew as the boat hit the pavement and was sent flying across the dark asphalt. The metal garage door slowly cranked up as she drove the seemingly damaged boat straight into the safety of the building. Roaring gunfire could be heard from the outside of the building but none of the bullets penetrated the base walls.

The door of the garage fell with a resounding clank.

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Soft piano music could be heard in the background when Misao climbed the last of the stairs towards her tiny one room apartment.

Don't pretend you're sorry

I know you're not?

She softly sneered as she walked into the living room, as she not so quietly slammed her front door shut. "What did I tell you about coming into my place without an invitation? And what's this with touching my CDs?" She asked hotly at a chair that was faced away from her, so that the back of the tall chair was all she could see.

You know you got the power

To make me weak inside

The chair slowly turned around revealing a face of soft features and a voice of velvet. Said voice was singing to the harmonies of an old classic. True that the Backstreet Boys had disassembled years ago and had tried haphazardly to get back together over the years but never truly succeeded. Maybe they would have like another base in the group. And if it wasn't for the $100,000 yen that this man was already making doing mercenary work for the American CIA, then he would be the man for the job.

And girl you leave me breathless

But it's okay?

Cuz you are my survival

Now hear me say?

From dark brown gravity defying hair, to the sweet milk chocolate eyes; Sanosuke Sagara could be the epitome of every girl's deepest and darkest fantasies?that is, everyone except Misao Makimachi. So swiftly and unexpected, she jumped up from her position, lunged forward and grabbing hold of Sano's collar she flung him across the room towards the living room coach.

The mere sound of the great Zanza screeched like a little girl was all it took to have a sweet smile plastered to young kunai totting, dark haired, twenty-three year-old ninja.

She jumped up from her crouched position and walked briskly out of the room to return to one of two things that had never let her down or make her cry in its presence. Opening the refrigerator, she opened the bottle of Coke with her hands and swigged it down in one huge gulp.

"Ahh?heaven really does exist on earth." Misao softly mumbled to herself and then began to walk over to the cabinet for a cup ramen. "Where is Kaoru?" Misao asked Sano who was curiously reading through her papers on her work table, as she tossed the bottle cap into the trash can.

"I said that she could go home when I got here?Suzume? What kind of a fucked up code name is that? It should have been somethin' like? itachi or something like tha-" Sano couldn't finish his sentence as he dodged the empty glass bottle of Coke that miraculously sprouted wings and was aimed fatally straight at his head.

"Shit, Misao! What the f-!"

"No need to curse in my house, Sagara. You'll wake up Kita." Misao said as she walked over towards her room.There lying quite as a cat on a rainy day, was Misao's nine year old daughter? adopted daughter. Moving from behind her Sano softly mumbled his apologies and quietly crept across the room and knelt next to the dark blue blanket.

Can't imagine life without your love

And even forever don't seem like long enough?

"She's growing so fast." He said softly brushing the ebony tress from the little girls closed eyes. He remembered staying up with Misao and Kaoru taking care of this little spit fire. No one could ever tell the difference from mother and daughter when they were walking on the streets except that Kita lacked the blue shimmer in her hair that Misao possessed.

"Kami-sama? I haven't seen her in years; what? two and a half years to be exact?" Sano whispered in mild disbelief of his absence in the little girl's life. Misao merely stared at the bundle on her bed as she put a hand on Sano's broad shoulders.

"Well, I'm not going back alone this time? no. This time I'm taking her with me?" Sano said daringly. Even though Misao softly chuckled and said with no force, "Over my dead body." her grip on his shoulder gripped ever so tightly.

"And her mother."

Without looking into his eyes, Misao knew what he meant. He came back to take her back, back to the place where her tears laid to rest in hidden graves all over the city. He came back to resurrect all her decaying memories and suppressed ghosts. He had came back to take her and Kita? to Tokyo; City of the dead. With a past like the one she has in that providence, Misao was amazed that Sano would even bring up the issue, even when it was not outright stated.

Misao sighed softly and then said, "I don't have the energy to go back anymore, Sano. If you need help, I'm sure that Kaoru will be more than willing to help you out. She's been dying to get out of the Kyoto, so why don't you-."

"I didn't travel and extra 15 or so miles from the airport just to come and ask Kaoru to come when her house is in the other direction. I came to get the both of you and take you to a nice place I found for you."

"I like my apartment just fine. Why should I have to move to where ever you ask me to?"

"Because I need your help and Kaoru's help for this one. I was hoping that you would just consider it. I mean, look at this place! No offense but it's a dump! This place has everything you'll need and I got a friend who could take care of Kita when you're not home."

"Uhm? well? No." Misao said as she turned on her heal and moved out of the room.

Sano sighed and moved out of the room, following the short little girl in pursuit of his desired answer. "Look, Misao, I've got the whole place furnished and ready for you to move in tonight! You can pack light for now and I'll get a truck to come around and pick up the rest of your stuff. Please consider this payback for all those nights of staying up with Kita when she was still a two year old! Come on I'm desperate here? please!"

"That was payback for me feeding you for over three and a half years!"

"What about the time I helped you get out of that fight with Kanaye's gang in college?" Sano desperately asked as she strode towards the door and unlocked the five different deadbolts.

"I could have taken those guys on by myself, and even you should know that! You just wanted to show off to that one foreign exchange student? what was her name? Minnie?"

Sano sweat was slowly building on his face as he saw that she was on her last three locks and quickly took a dirty approach to getting her to come with him back to Tokyo?

"I convinced you not to go back to that one lab and saved your sorry ass!"

Slap!

She was breathing hard as she stared at her best friend who was on the floor, softly clutching his face that was recently smacked. Sano expected that at the least. It was amazing to him that he wasn't already taking his journey into the dead with a dozen kunai's on his face obstructing his view of the road in front of him? a road he was all too familiar with? even in the living.

"Do not ever bring that up! It was your own GODS DAMN FAULT THAT I WAS IN THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE! Get out! Get out now!" Grabbing Sano she pushed his huge frame out the door of her small apartment and then slammed the door on his sorry face before he could protest. Banging her head on the tattered wooden door, she slid to her knees her fist balled up as she try to pound the door down; taking out her frustrations on the innocent barrier.

Then they fell? after five years of pent up sadness broke and her tears came down like rain. Clutching to herself, her small frame shook almost violently as the memories came slamming back into her mind and played out like a bad black and white movie and the only thing she could hear was her own screams and the ever so soft sounds of a cackle.

"Momma? Why are you crying?"

Everytime I try to rise above

I'm swept away by love

A gasped escaped from Misao's lips as she slowly turned her head to the small figure standing at the end of the hall. It was only a second before the little girl ran over to where her mother sat crouched on the floor and gave her a really big hug? well as big as a nine year old was capable of giving.

It was the warmth of her daughter's small frame that soon silenced her sobs and made her turn Kita around so that she was sitting on Misao's lap, facing away from her. Misao didn't want her daughter to see her cry? ever! She had to be strong, for the both of them.

"Thank you so much for that hug Kita-chan, demo? I'm fine now." Misao said as she kissed the back of Kita's head and then trying to smoothen out her daughter's tousled hair.

"Why were you crying, momma?" the young girl asked again not listening to anything else that her mother had said.

"It was nothing, little one. I'll put you back into bed-"

"No! What is wrong, mom? You obviously are sad about somethin' and I want to make it all better, like when I was hurt! You made me feel all better, even when I didn't tell you what was wrong with me!" She raised her voice and turned in Misao's lap to come and face her.

Silence filled the room as the clouds outside began to roll into Kyoto. Kita reached up and cupped her mother's tear streaked face and slowly reached up and kissed away a stray tear from Misao's beautiful face only to invoke a fountain of fresh tears.

Misao was helpless against her daughter. She was so wise beyond her years, what would she do without her? Her only reason for life was this tiny girl with black velvet for hair and shining ocean grey eyes. Misao would do anything for her and would only give her nothing but the best and as tempting as Sano's offer was, she couldn't say yes. She couldn't go back now that she was doing so well? she built this life for her and Kita with her own bare hands!

But the thought of saying no to Sano if he asked again died the moment the idea formed in her head and the reason was her.

Kita.

She would do anything for her; give her anything she wanted? even if it was the moon, the stars, the universe? or even going back to Tokyo. A place where once Misao had left everything behind and now where she was about to relive all her worst nightmares? all for her. All for the one person who showed her that life was worth giving a second chance because you'll never know if behind that haunted house? that house of flying daggers, there just might be a rainbow at the end of her storm.

Baby I can't help it

You keep me

Drowning in your love


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Sano made his way towards his car as the first drops of rain began to fall. He didn't know how long he had been slumped in front of that door out side blocking him from comforting his best friend. It must have been at least a half an hour. "Baka!!!!" His mind shouted as he climbed inside the sleek black BMW. Shutting the world out, he sighed deeply he made no move to start his car. Staring out the window that fateful night was about to play back into his head again when he heard a soft knocking on the passenger side window. Turning his head towards the sound, his eyes widen slightly as he saw a young girl with mussed hair being held by another woman with a beat up suit case.

He stared at them for a second and soon snapped out of it as lighting crashed making Misao and Kita's faces glow in the morning storm. He switched off the locks and then turned watched in the rear view mirror as Misao placed her suitcase and Kita in the back, mumbling 'buckle up' and then climbed into the front seat.

They were silent for a second and then simultaneously, both Misao and Sano said, "Sorry!"




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A/N:

I hope you guys liked this chapter of House of flying daggers? and yes. I bit off the title from the 2004 Chinese movie starring lots of famous Chinese and Japanese actors that I can't remember the names to?^^:: Okay? gotta go get lunch now?^^Y Later!

Disclaimers: Don't own Rurouni Kenshin? so don't kill? Don't own Drowning by the Backstreet Boys? so don't sue? But I do own little Kita-chan? so don't steal!