Walk With Me
By: Hitokiri Musei
Rated: T
Summary: Kenshin is attacked on a rainy night, and once he's recuperated Megumi tells him something that's going to change his life.
Disclaimer: Me no own Rurouni Kenshin. But Kataki Yokoshima is mine. I made him up. Enjoy the story!
Chapter 1
Kenshin sneezed once, twice, and then sighed heavily. He hadn't been feeling well for the last few days, but so far the tiny sniffles and coughs hadn't progressed any farther. The rurouni wasn't too worried about it, as he seemed to be getting better. Kaoru still didn't know he was sick, and he wanted to keep it that way. He didn't want her to worry about him.
He took down the final piece of clothing from the line, folding it neatly and placing it in the basket. He had only just finished his chores at the dojo, and the only thing left for him to do was to go to the market and replenish food supplies. He carried the basket indoors, and then went to where Kaoru was in the drill hall, currently teaching her class.
She turned to him when he came inside, smiling brightly. "Kenshin, what is it?"
He flashed a rurouni smile back at her. "I've finished all the laundry Kaoru-dono, and I'm going to go to the market now, that I am."
Kaoru nodded. "Alright Kenshin." She was distracted as she heard a few snickers from the class. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GIGGLING ABOUT! 300 MORE SWINGS!" There was a collective groan and Kenshin covered a snicker with his hand as Kaoru turned back to him. "Be back soon."
"I will Kaoru-dono." Kenshin waved to her and walked from the building, heading out onto the path towards the market. He smiled as he thought about the incident in the drill hall. These students were new, they didn't quite know about Kaoru's temper just yet, but they would learn quickly enough.
Kenshin managed to get all the food in record time, and was currently carrying it all back to the dojo. He looked up at the sky, frowning when he saw that the sky was growing darker as rain clouds settled in along with the night.
Kenshin increased his pace slightly, wanting to get home before the rain began to fall. His hopes were dashed, however, when the first few drops began to splatter around him. He suddenly coughed, bringing up a hand to cover his mouth. The cough quickly turned into a fit, and Kenshin fought to stay standing as it drained at his strength.
When the coughing finally died down Kenshin's chest was on fire and his breath was ragged. 'Perhaps I should go see Megumi-dono tomorrow…' the rurouni thought dryly, returning to his walk back to the dojo. The rain now fell steadily around him, making it harder to see. Kenshin cursed himself for not bringing an umbrella, or for thinking ahead that it was going to rain. He just knew he was going to catch a fever for this.
As he walked the rain only got fiercer, along with the wind that had rapidly come up. This simple rain storm was turning into a gale, and Kenshin was finding it harder to walk in a straight line. It was also growing colder, and Kenshin shivered and clutched at the groceries tighter.
His senses were dulled by the onset of fever and the rain around him, and he didn't notice the dagger as it flew from the bushes beside him and buried itself to the hilt in his left thigh. With a cry he tumbled to the ground, hand flying down to wrap around the hilt. He looked with amber-flecked eyes to where the dagger had originated and growled under his breath. "Whoever you are, come out and face me."
A man stepped from the trees, a sadistic grin on his face and triumph in his eyes. "My name is Kataki Yokoshima, and I am here to kill you Battousai."
Kenshin almost sighed in frustration. He didn't have time for this; he needed to get back to Kaoru. He stood shakily, the dagger in his thigh causing him some difficulty in doing so. He drew the sakabatou from its sheath, leveling it in the man's direction and preparing himself for the fight he knew would come.
Kataki threw himself at Kenshin, drawing a katana from the sheath at his side and meeting the sakabatou's blade squarely. Kenshin's strength wasn't what it usually was thanks to his fever, and Kataki's brute force flung the small swordsman back into the mud. He rose again, sheathing the sakabatou and dropping into a battoujutsu stance. 'I need to get out of this rain.' Kenshin thought fiercely. 'I'm already going to be sick; I don't need to catch a pneumonia.' He flashed the blade out to cut at Kataki, but the man danced out of his way. Kenshin cursed again. He was not up to full speed.
Kataki again threw himself at Kenshin, this time scoring a hit on the rurouni's right arm, cutting until blade touched bone. Kenshin hissed and nearly dropped the sakabatou, but kept an iron grip on it with his left hand.
Kataki drew back, that sadistic grin still on his lips. "You are not at your usual strength Battousai. Whatever could be wrong?"
Kenshin didn't answer the man, again sheathing the sakabatou. 'I have to wait for a sure hit,' he thought, turning all of his attentions on the man before him. He narrowed his eyes, watching Kataki, waiting for him to make the first move. Against all of Kenshin's thoughts he stayed put, watching Kenshin with interest. Kenshin didn't move from the battoujutsu stance, still ready for him to come.
Kataki moved, and Kenshin made to go into a battoujutsu, but his body didn't comply with the order. Instead he fell to his knees as another hidden dagger flew and imbedded itself in his right calf, rendering the leg useless as it nicked tendons and froze his entire ankle.
His now furious amber glare watched Kataki as the man came closer with triumph shining in his eyes. "I brought down the Battousai," he murmured, smiling down at Kenshin. "And they said it couldn't be done." He raised his sword, preparing to hit Kenshin. He suddenly stopped. "I have a better idea."
With a rough kick he knocked the air from Kenshin's lungs, which sent him into a fierce coughing fit. The redhead struggled to get air into his starving lungs, but he couldn't stop coughing long enough to do so. Kataki's booted feet continued to rain down blows on Kenshin's unprotected chest and stomach.
After a while Kenshin lay gasping on his stomach in the mud, trying to regain his fading senses enough to defend himself. Somewhere in his subconscious he knew that he was done for though. His fever and weakness due to the sickness had cut down his speed, awareness, and strength, and he had been unable to take down this crazy bastard who seemed to have no reason whatsoever to attack him.
Kenshin waited for the final blow he was sure would come, but it didn't come in the way he expected it to. The hilt of Kataki's sword was slammed with incredible force into the small of his back, followed instantly by the man's foot. Kenshin screamed as his vision whited out for a moment at the intense pain flooding through him. Seconds later his vision faded at he lost consciousness.
Sanosuke Sagara walked through the heavy rain and wind towards the Kamiya dojo, knowing that he would reach it before long. He had been caught out in the gale, but he wasn't that far from the dojo, and he was sure Kaoru would let him stay until it lifted. Maybe he could even stay for some of the rurouni's cooking…
Just as he was musing over these thoughts he stumbled over something in the path. He nearly lost his footing in the slick, messed up mud, but he managed to remain standing. He knelt down, picking up a tofu bucket, one that he clearly recognized. The bucket that belonged to the Kamiya dojo.
This immediately caught the tall man's attention. What was this bucket doing out here in the middle of the path? He looked around, spotting various food objects lying on the ground. The mud was mussed, as though someone had struggled in it…or had a fight.
Sano stood, looking around for any sign of someone. What he saw shocked him. A sword lying in the mud, glinting slightly in the flash of lightning. He picked it up and instantly narrowed his eyes. The sakabatou.
He looked up again, and spotted the pale white hand lying motionless in the mud, connected to the lifeless body of one Kenshin Himura. Sano gasped and darted to his friend's side, rolling him over in the mud. Kenshin's face was streaked with mud and rain, deathly pale and still.
Sano picked up the rurouni carefully, keeping his body as still as he possibly could incase something was broken. He ran for the dojo as fast as he could, fear creeping into his mind for Kenshin. He couldn't tell if the redhead was even alive or not, and he didn't want to stop long enough to check.
The dojo quickly came into sight, and Sano screamed at the top of his lungs. Kaoru appeared in a lit doorway holding a lantern. She gasped when she saw Sano run into the yard with Kenshin unconscious in his arms, and she turned behind her to yell at Yahiko. The boy rushed out a moment later and past Sano, going to get Megumi.
Sano ran inside the dojo and laid Kenshin on the futon that Kaoru brought in seconds later. The dojo-master looked him over with a worried eye, noticing the blood trickling down both legs and from a cut on his arm. She looked at Sano. "What happened?"
Sano shrugged helplessly. "I don't know Jou-chan. I got caught in that storm out there, and I was heading this way when I found him unconscious in the path. It seemed like there'd been a fight, and there were groceries everywhere. He was probably on his way back and someone decided it was a good time to take revenge on him, just like they all do."
Kaoru sighed, reaching down to push Kenshin's damp bangs away from his face. When her fingers came in contact with him she gasped. "Kami-sama, he's burning up!"
Sano immediately stood, going to get some cold water and cloths so they could try and bring Kenshin's fever down. Kaoru examined him more closely, laying her hand fully on his forehead and studying the way he breathed. His breaths were slow and shallow, and with worry Kaoru checked his pulse. It was weak and erratic, barely under her fingertips. Although Kenshin's skin was on fire the rurouni was shivering. Kaoru frowned when she put an ear to his chest and found that a wheezing noise accompanied each breath he took.
Sano came in with cloths and some cold water, and Kaoru soaked a cloth and laid it on Kenshin's sweat-dampened forehead. The rurouni moaned and shivered, trying to move away from her. Kaoru petted his hair gently, murmuring nonsense words to calm him.
Just around that moment Megumi walked in, looking a little wet and windblown. Yahiko was just behind her, shivering slightly. The woman immediately went to Kenshin's side, kneeling beside him and getting to work.