Disclaimer: I do not own any of Nobuhiro Watsuki's work, but thank him for creating such wonderful characters! Enjoy!

By: HanyouGirl24

Twisted Fate
Chapter 1: Why do These Things Happen 2 Me?

"KAORU! KAORU! KAORU WHERE ARE YOU!" a red-haired swordsman screamed with anger, needing to know where his love was, and why she was taken away from him.

"Kenshin, Kenshin! We found a note! It's from Saito!" Sanosuke and Yahiko both said eagerly together "Look!" Kenshin grabbed the note from Yahiko before he could say another word,

Battousai,

You're probably wondering why I took the Kamiya girl away from you… Well, even though the whole Shishio thing has been done for almost seven months, we never finished our little fight, and I intend to. You will come alone in three days to the cliff by the waterfall, east of here by sundown. Bring anyone else along and the girl dies. I want to fight the real Battousai, you were holding back during our last fight. Remember, come alone, or the girl will die, come early, the girl will die, come late, the girl will die…

Your beloved enemy,

Hajime Saito

Kenshin crumpled the note in his hand with a deadly glare in his eyes.

"Well, what's it say?" Sanosuke and Yahiko both asked,

"It says I need to go alone in three days east, toward the cliff by the waterfall." Kenshin said coldly,

"Well I'm not going to let that note stop me from coming!" Yahiko said proudly,

"No, I'm the only one going. If anyone else comes, Kaoru will be killed." Kenshin said, and Sanosuke could tell immediately that he was more nervous than usual for Kaoru's life,

"Yahiko, stay here for the next three days and don't leave the dojo. Keep practicing with your bokken. Who knows what Saito is cooking-up? Sanosuke, go tell Megumi what's going on and ask her if she, Dr.Gensai, and the little ones can come stay here with you and Yahiko." Kenshin stated, not wanting any arguments.

"As for me, I'll be thinking about what to do, away from here. Don't expect me back or come looking for me, no matter how late I am. I won't be coming back without Kaoru. Understand?" He asked seriously, Sano and Yahiko both nodded,

"Good. Go ahead and get them Sano, I'll be going now." And with that Kenshin headed off to try and figure out what to do from there.

Kenshin sat under a tree by the river, which so many things had happened in the past…

Flashbacks: "Kenshin, promise… promise me that you'll come back and return my ribbon. It's my favorite and if you don't return it I'll… I'll never forgive you!" Kaoru managed to spit out at Kenshin, standing in front of him at the riverside, when he nodded in understanding. Then all of a sudden Jin-ae swoops by and snatches Kaoru from her spot in front of Kenshin,

"Battousai, I have your woman! Be angry and come and fight me as the manslayer from the revolution! Hahahaha!"

"KENSHINNNNN!" Kaoru screamed,

"JIN-AAAAAAAA!" Kenshin screamed in anger, already showing the Battousai within.

"Battousai! Kill your-self right before me and my sisters very eyes so she may rest in peace!" Enishi screamed demandingly, holding a blade to Kaoru's throat,

"or this girl which you used as a replacement for my sister will be slaughtered right before your eyes!"

"Enishi! Would Tomoe be smiling if she witnessed you kill another, but someone very dear to me, with your already blood-stained hands!" Kenshin yelled back, on his knees with a pleading look in his eyes. "Would she?"

"Rggg…Shut-up! You can't see her! She's not smiling because she wants to see you DEAD!" he said sharply, pushing the blade against Kaoru's throat hard enough to draw blood,

"STOOPPP! Please kill me, just let Kaoru live!" Kenshin pleaded with his hands and knees on the wet ground, squeezing the grass and pulling it from the ground. "PLEASE, JUST LET HER GOOO!" Kenshin wouldn't stop pleading, and it hurt Kaoru to see the man she loved on the ground, begging for her life,

"Ken…shin… stop…" Kaoru asked, not wanting to see him beg like that,

"Kaoru… Enishi let her go, then I assure you that I will allow you to kill me…" Kenshin said, showing no emotion in his eyes, but Kaoru's were bulging with horror at what she just heard,

"Ken… shin sto-" she was cut off by Enishi's blade pressing on her throat, drawing more blood, but again Kenshin's eyes showed no emotion at the threat.

"Hmmm… I think that will work! But, how do I know that I can trust you?" Enishi asked tauntingly,

"Because, if you don't let her go, with god as my witness, I will kill you with my own two hands." Kenshin said so coldly, it made the hair on the back of Kaoru's neck stand. "Ken…shin… you can't…" Kaoru managed to say, but Kenshin just stared at her coolly. "Hmmm… Fine, I accept your offer."

"Then as you promised, let her go." Kenshin spat at him.

"You didn't say when and where, so, I'll pick. Find my hideout and I'll give her back to you. But you must find it within five days, or you'll never see the girl again. Hahahaha!" Enishi said triumphantly as he disappeared from sight, and all that was left from the spot he was standing were a few spots of Kaoru's blood…

Flashbacks: End

Kenshin sighed thinking to himself 'Not the fondest of memories…' He looked up at the graying sky, and asked himself 'Why? Why do all of these bad things happen to the people I hold so close?' He asked himself again and again until he went into a light sleep…

Heh hehehe… What do you think? Do you love it? Do you hate it? Yes/ no/ maybe so! I hope you like it! I'm gonna make the plot real deep! Send me reviews K! Thanks! (I'm gonna keep going!)