Author's Note: This is through Uriko's POV if ya didn't read that in the summary and it's Keniko. And...oh this is the painful part...I-I don't own Bloody Roar anything including the characters and concepts involved so please don't sue.
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It was cold when I woke from my dream. I felt strange and light headed and stumbled to my window, which was open. The curtains were drifting in the slight breeze and I couldn't quite remember what had awoken me. The moon was full, I noted, as I stared out at the dark sleeping world around me. I couldn't be later than three in the morning because the pink of dawn hadn't even begun to tinge the sky.
I remember I had been dreaming, which was strange because I rarely ever dreamed and I hadn't woken from a dream in many years. I remember fire in my dream and a large tree. There had been a strong wind that was whipping my hair everywhere and leaves had been blowing across my vision. I remember feeling the cold chill of the wind and the leaves hitting me and the color of the leaves was red. I gave an involuntary shudder as flashes of the dream came back to me.
I remember Kenji was running with his ninja outfit on. I couldn't see what he was running at but I remember I was scared and hurt, my heart was aching. I couldn't remember anything else from the dream and I wrote it all down with a dark blue pen. I couldn't remember the ink ever looking so smooth or beautiful as it appeared I carved my words into the journal I kept in a secret compartment in the window sill.
I climbed out onto the roof and the hard baked tiles felt cold and rough beneath my feet. Yugo and Alice had been together for sometime and had finally decided to move in together. Of course since I lived with Alice and Kenji lived with Yugo we needed a bigger place. Alice and Yugo had saved up for a three bedroom house.
It was surprisingly small for a two story. The downstairs consisted of a closet sized bathroom, small kitchen and living room and one large bedroom. The upstairs consisted of two rooms of equal size and a medium sized bathroom with a shower. Since moving in I had begun to take my showers in the evening to avoid the morning fights for it.
Just when I had sat down to enjoy the view of the houses and yards around me I noticed a dark shadowy form on the roof of the second floor. I clambered over the tiles of the first story roof to get to a corner of the upper roof. When I climbed up the figure turned defensively as if preparing to run away but visibly relaxed once I'd emerged fully into the moonlight.
I recognized him as Kenji immediately, though I suppose I'd figured that from the beginning. I slid over and plunked down next to him to gaze at the moon.
"Couldn't sleep?" He asks, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I had a dream. And you?" I asked in return.
"No..." It was a confusing reply and didn't answer the deeper parts of my curiosity.
"I don't usually sleep well." He continued.
"Do you have nightmares?" I asked wanting to scoot closer and hang onto every word.
"You could call them that."
"What are they like?" I ask almost wishing I hadn't because I hated being nosy. He stays quiet for awhile and I assume he's not going to answer the question.
"They're memories...from when-"He stops abruptly but I know what he left unsaid. He's remembering from when he was brainwashed, becoming the assassin Bakuryu.
"I'm sorry," Is all I can think to whisper when I notice a tear slide down his cheek. It glows against his pale tan skin, illuminated by moonlight. I brush it away with a single finger before I can think about my action. He turns pulling away slightly his eyes wide with surprise.
"I-I wish I could help." I say feeling unsure at what to do with his reaction.
He turns his face away from me and says, "No one can."
"Do you-" I pause choking on the words but swallow and continue with what courage I can muster, "Do you want to talk about it?" I wait for something, anything in a silence far too serious and heavy.
"In the dream-In the dream I'm running across a long white roof towards someone. It's windy and there are leaves blowing all around me, violently. They tear at my clothes and my skin and see some of them are stained with my blood but I'm too single minded on my goal to care." He pauses his voice shaky and unsteady so unlike the cool and controlled Kenji I'm used to, "I find silver daggers in my hands and then there is someone in front of me. They look so scared but I don't care. Then I slice across their neck and their hands rise up to clutch at the wound but then they fall in a heap, dead."
"And I don't feel anything except then I'm me again and I turn and..." He stops a sound like a muffled sob comes from behind the curtain of his hair.
"And when I turn back- it's Yugo." I can't help but lean in and wrap my arms around him as his shoulders shake and he hides his face, that I know must be tear stained, from me.
"It was only a dream," I whisper softly into his hair as I lean his head so it's resting on my shoulder, "It was only a dream. You can wake up from dreams and come back here to reality. Yugo is right down stair sleeping, with Alice. He's happy down there and you didn't kill him. You would never hurt Yugo."
"I did. I hurt him." He says sounding like a lost little boy, not a hard cruel assassin or even his normal cool, distant self.
"But that wasn't really you. You would never hurt him now would you?"
"No."
"It was only a dream." I remind him again.
"I'm afraid to dream. Afraid to sleep," He whispers. I can't help but feel touched that he'd open up to me so much and tell me what he probably hadn't even told Yugo.
"You don't have to be."
"How can I not? You can't protect me from a dream."
"I will," I say determined though perhaps somewhat foolish as well, "You can come and sleep with me and I'll keep you safe from them."
He looks up at me then and his eyes are wider than I've ever seen them. It makes him look so much younger, perhaps more his age because he normally looks so much older and more mature. His eyes hold a question and maybe hope?
I put his hand in mine and begin to pull him with me down onto the first story roof. From there I slip through the window and gesture for him to follow. He steps into my room looking very cautious as he surveys it as if for the first time. I close the window and he watches me with a child-like gaze and then I lay down on the far side of the bed and gesture for him to lay next to me.
He gazes at me through a veil of hair and waits till after I've repeated the movement to lay stiffly next to me. It seems as if he might be coming back to himself because his eyes thin and he looks uncomfortable. I sense he might be about to make an excuse and leave and I curl up against him.
I lay my arm over his and close my eyes willing him to stay. He lays like that stiff, facing towards the ceiling as I curl up on my side next to him. After what seems ages though he relaxes and hear his breathing grow heavy as he falls asleep. I curl closer to him then and prepare for my own slumber when he curls gently into me.
I am left somewhat shocked as he practically worms his way into my embrace and I fold him in my arms letting him warm me against the night chill that penetrates my bed's blankets.
I fall to sleep with comfort and happiness in my heart knowing that Kenji will sleep well and I will keep him safe.
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Author's Note: It was a short one shot piece that I did on a spur of a moment thing. I have never written Keniko before so if it sucks too terribly forgive me. I might actually do one last chapter of the morning after if my inspiration is still cooking tomorrow. Anyway please R & R or even flame. I really hope you at least review and say "I read it." Because it lets me know at least that. Thanks for Reading!
Extra Note: Check out my Bloody Roar site! http:www.geocities.com/blcknightsun/bloody