Part Fifteen
 

Lyrics:
 Crossing Over Time   Composer/Singer- Matsuyuki Yasuko
 
 "Come on in, Battou-sai!  You almost missed the performance of a lifetime!"  Kawasaka was impressed that the Battou-sai arrived so soon.  He must really care about the girl, Kawasaka thought.  He saw Battou-sai's eyes narrow on the restrained woman in the back.  So, he knows her too!  This plan is working better than I thought!  And here I thought I was going to use the Doctor to control the Nightingale.  Kawasaka's gaze returned to the vision of loveliness onstage.  Today his little Nightingale wore half of her hair up in a knot, letting the rest flow down her back in glorious curls.  Her face was whitened and her lips painted a sweet berry red.  Her kohl-lined eyes were narrowed in...anger? annoyance?  Hmm, perhaps all isn't well between her and her lover.  Well, what do I care? I'll have her anyway!
 Kawasaka smiled and pointed to a chair three rows behind him, "Come now, you're delaying her performance.  Just think, not everyone gets a private performance from an artist of her caliber!"  Kawasaka was not surprised when Kenshin stood in place.
 "If you would forgive me,I would rather stand here.  Now, release Megumi-dono and tell me where Kaoru-dono is."
 Kaoru mentally rolled her eyes at Kenshin's ignorance.  She was incredibly annoyed with him at the moment.  Not only did he not trust her to get herself and Megumi out of this situation, but he was too baka to even realize that she was STANDING IN FRONT OF HIM.  She restrained her tongue from yelling at him and resorted to glaring at him instead. She casually reached behind her and lifted her hair aways from her back before letting it flow back down.  Kawasaka and Kenshin would only see that as a nervous gesture whereas Kaoru knew for sure that her father's wooden sword was well in place.
 Kawasaka's smile dimmed as he absorbed Kenshin's words.  Then the truth hit him, Of course!  Battou-sai had no idea that his pretty  little girlfriend was the beautiful songstress on stage.  He looked thoughtfully at the red-head before motioning to his hired men.  The men drew their swords and pointed them at Megumi.
 Megumi glared at her captors and shifted slightly, trying to see if she could loosen the ropes binding her hands and feet in any way.  She couldn't remember how many times she'd tried before to get free, but the repeated attempts had started to rub her wrists and ankles raw.  Gritting the rag her mouth with her teeth, she tried to shift again when a sword blade was pressed against her throat.  Startled, she stilled and looked at Kenshin on the other side of the room.  He'd made a step in her direction when the blade was suddenly too close for comfort.  Kenshin's hand moved slowly towards the hilt of his own sword when Kawasaka's voice boomed in the nearly empty room.
 "Now, Battou-sai, I'm getting quite impatient with you.  I don't think you understand the situation here.  You aren't going to do anything until my concert is completed.  Because if you make a move towards the good Doc, your little doll up here will suffer the consequences.  And you wouldn't want to be responsible for her death, would you, Mr. Non-killing swordmaster? Now, have a seat."
 Kenshin's eyes showed a haze of amber before returning to their normal purple colour.  In that second, Kawasaka felt his heart freeze in fear, but a second later dismissed it as his guest finally sat in the chair provided for him. Kawasaka smiled and continued with his show.
 "Now, Maku, where was I?  Oh yes!  Let me back-track for our audience.  This," he pointed to a pouch onto the table,"is the money you have earned working for me. And this," he pointed to a pouch twice the size as the previous one, "is the money I will give you for performing only for me tonight, ignoring our friend Battou-sai back there completely.  And as I am a generous man, I will let you have both pouches of money if you sing only for me AND leave this place with me as well."
 Kaoru looked down at the disgusting little insect before her angrily.  The unspoken part of the deal was if she didn't sing at all, Megumi would be hurt.  Kaoru eyed the money on the table before her.  With the smaller pouch, she could pay back her taxes and keep the land her father left to her.  She would be able to keep her new-found family with her and she would never be lonely again.  The larger pouch not only promised her safety, but security as well.  With the left over money in the pouch, she would have the luxury of sending Yahiko to school, if he wanted to go.  She would never have to worry about selling anymore of her family's history away for money,at least not for another year or so.  She could splurge and buy that soft, blue velvet ribbon she'd longed for forever.  She wanted Kenshin to see her in that ribbon, she wanted an excuse to give it to him to remind him of her, like she did before the fight with Jinei. She wanted so many things from Kenshin...but they were nothing compared to what he'd given her already.  She looked at the money on the table in disgust, did he honestly think I would take the money of a murderer?!?
 Kawasaka didn't like the look in his Nightingale's eyes and met her gaze with a look of warning.  "Perhaps you would like to begin?"  Kawasaka nodded at Kaoru before sitting back to enjoy the show.
 Kaoru knew what kind of performance he wanted from her.  He not only wanted her to sing to him, but to sing with all the emotion that she had, like when she sang to Kenshin the week before.  She knew that slimy man wanted her to kiss him not only to get his own kicks but to annoy and anger Kenshin at the same time.  At least that last part of the plan wasn't going to come to fruition since Kenshin had no idea who she really was.  Kaoru grimly smiled at that small thought and began to sing at Kawasaka.

   Everytime I get hurt, I can't see a thing...
   And I embrace the lies within my heart.
   Unable to move in the swiftness of time...
   I shut it all away...

 She walked off the platform and took a step towards Kawasaka as she continued.

   But I can't hold it back,
   Accepting everything, I soar.
   Crossing over all of time, I fly away.
   I embrace the air around you.
 
 She stood before Kawasaka, opened her arms to embrace him.  Yet as he leaned forward to take her, she gracefully danced away and continued to sing.  Kawasaka grinned and enjoyed the tease, thinking that Battou-sai would relive this moment in his memory once he realized who the young girl singing before him was.  Kawasaka shifted slightly to his right and watched Kaoru sing.

   And the light that conceals this world as well...
   The boundless sky, your unchanged eyes...

 Kaoru couldn't help the feelings overwhelming her as her gaze met those of Kenshin's.  She could tell the song was having an effect on him, but he still hadn't realized who she was.
 
   Are what I want to continue to love.
   No matter how far apart we are...
   The two of us melt as one...

 As Kaoru finished the first song, she broke eye contact with Kenshin to see what Kawasaka thought of her 'performance'.
 He was happy up to the point where she looked at Battou-sai. To remind Kaoru of the purpose of their gathering, Kawasaka placed yet another pouch, bigger than the last, onto the table beside him.  He saw Kaoru's eyes widen and he smiled smugly.  She would do anything to keep her father's dojo, he thought confidently.  Sorry, Battou-sai, but your woman is mine.