A/N: Yes, I am aware that this story is extremely corny, so please do not
say that if you review this . . . reviews are always appreciated, but since
I cannot force you to do anything, the choice is entirely yours.
Part 1
The wind whistled through the leaves as darkness settled on the Tokyo sky. Kenshin, Kaoru, Yahiko, Sanosuke, and Megumi were sitting on the back porch of the Kamiya dojo, watching the autumn leaves fall and sipping herbal tea.
"This is very good, Kenshin" Kaoru commented, taking a rather large sip and causing a bit of tea to stream down her chin.
He smiled, his violet eyes gleaming with pride. "It's my obasan's own recipe, that it is."
"Oh, is it?" Megumi asked, leaning over Kenshin's shoulder, her voice sultry and low.
"That's nice," Kaoru said flatly, crossing her arms in front of her chest and turning her back to them.
"What's her problem?" Yahiko spoke up, looking annoyed at Kaoru as usual.
"What do you think it is?" Sanosuke replied, rolling his eyes. "She's been staring at Kenshin all night. Isn't it obvious?"
At this comment, Kenshin's face went bright red and Kaoru's eyes widened as she turned around. "Sanosuke! You know that's not true! Take that back now! You shouldn't tell lies like that about people!" She shouted, whacking him with her bokutou, which was lying conveniently next to her.
He rubbed the red spot on his arm. "Geeze, you don't have to be so violent . . . I was just making an observation."
"Pfft" She snorted, swallowing the rest of her tea.
"Would you like more?" Kenshin asked gently.
"No, I'm fine." She looked at Megumi and saw the woman smirk at her. "I think I'm going to go take a walk now."
"I could accompany you if you want. You seem to have much on your mind, that you do," Kenshin offered, standing and extending a hand to her.
"No thank you, I wish to be alone." She ignored his outstretched hand and rose, walking slowly to the end of the porch and stepping lightly down the wooden stairs. Walking past the garden, she decided to go into the woods where she could be alone.
Why did I push him away like that? She thought, her mind swirling with confusion. He can be so annoying sometimes, but well . . . I feel different around him.Yeah, different, she consoled herself.
As she continued to walk through the trees, she glanced up at the full moon and sighed. "It looks so serene," She whispered, wishing that someone were here to share it with her. Still mystified by the wonder of the pure moon, she sat down on a log and continued to stare up towards the heavens.
Just then, there was a faint rustling noise. At first, Kaoru just ignored it, but it got louder and louder until she recognized it as footsteps crunching over the fallen leaves. The footsteps got faster and nearer until the person seemed to be only a few yards from where she was sitting. Kaoru rose, glancing around in every direction and trying to see if the person would reveal their identity.
"Kenshin?" She called, immediately putting a hand to her mouth.
Why was I so quick to call his name? Her mind asked her. Was it because he's the person I want to see?
Creeping slowly towards the sound, she called out again. "Hello, is anyone there?"
The noise seemed to back away a little and Kaoru, realizing the direction that it was coming from, began to approach the figure that she could faintly see through the leaves.
"Hello?" She called again, parting the bushes and coming even closer. Reaching out, she felt silk under her fingertips and quickly withdrew her hand, a giant sweat drop forming on her forehead. Slowly, she started to back away, but her heart seemed to stop when she heard a large thump in front of her.
Looking down, she realized that a young woman was laying face first on the ground. "Oh! Are you okay?" She knelt down, quickly turning the woman over.
In the darkness, Kaoru could barely make out her facial features. Realizing the woman was unconscious, she bent down and slung her over her back, trying to carry her the best she could. Making heavy and wobbly footsteps, she approached the porch, calling out to the others.
"Someone! Help me!" She cried, almost losing her balance on a stone.
Sanosuke, who had been battling it out with Yahiko, heard a sound that jolted him a bit. "Did you hear that?" He asked the others, his eyes gray with concern.
"I heard something too, that I did" Kenshin said, scanning the area around the porch.
"It kind of sounded like Ms. Kaoru," Megumi commented, pouring herself another glass of tea and looking rather unconcerned.
"Yeah, it does sound like her, that it does," He grabbed a hold of the railing and used it to pull himself up.
"Where are you going?" Yahiko asked, looking impatient. "Kaoru always is screaming or having a fit about something. She's fine by herself."
"Well, I'm going to make sure that Ms. Kaoru is okay," Kenshin said quietly, walking down the stairs and heading in her direction.
"Kenshin?" Kaoru called, about to drop the woman slung across her back.
"Its me, Ms. Kaoru!" He responded, running towards her. Realizing what she was doing, Kenshin's eyes widened and he pulled the girl off of her back. "Ms. Kaoru, who is this?" He asked, looking even more concerned.
"I . . . I found her in the woods. She had fainted," She replied, sitting down on the ground and sighing with exhaustion.
"We must get her inside, that we must," He said, picking her up and heading back towards the dojo.
A worried look in her eye, Kaoru followed him into the dojo and to the guest bedroom. He placed the woman down on a futon and slowly stood.
"I'll go get Ms. Megumi," Kenshin offered, pushing aside Kaoru and walking back out to the porch.
Her eyes following him, Kaoru slowly edged over to the futon and sat down, switching her glance over to the girl's facial features.
The young woman appeared to be around her own age, about seventeen or eighteen. She had high cheekbones and a tiny nose, which gave her almost a juvenile appearance. Her golden hair was smeared with mud and dirt, as was her ragged red kimono, which hung on her skinny frame. As she sighed, her eyelids fluttered open slightly and then closed, giving Kaoru a glimpse of her piercing green eyes.
"What happened to you?" She whispered, knowing that the girl couldn't hear her.
She heard the shuffling of footsteps at the door and turned, seeing Megumi arrive with her bag of medicinal herbs and other supplies. Entering quietly, the doctor waved Kaoru out of the room and knelt down by the unconscious woman's side.
That night, Kaoru's head was amiss with strange dreams. She dreamt that she and Kenshin were embracing in a field, when the sky began to darken and the clouds overshadowed the sun. The ground erupted in jagged crags, as it split between Kenshin and her. The crack got larger and larger, as she and Kenshin became further and further from each other.
"Kenshin!" She called out, being pulled backwards from the shifting land.
Then, a figure rose from the center of the abyss and hovered in the sky. Kaoru recognized her as the woman that she had retrieved from the woods. Immediately, the girl started descending back into the crevice, grabbing Kenshin's ankle and pulling him down with her. Laughing, she continued dragging him down through the earth.
Quickly, she turned around, and when Kaoru saw her face, she was horrified. Her beautiful defined features were gone, and were replaced by greenish looking skin, pulled taught over her bony face. Her hair had become alive, wiggling around as if it were made of serpents.
"No!" She screamed, as the demon pulled Kenshin in even farther. "Kenshin!"
He looked up at her, horror in his eyes. "Kaoru . . . help me," He said faintly, before disappearing altogether. Then, the cracks in the earth subsided and the field became mundane again. She immediately crumbled, sobbing in a heap on the wet grass.
Just then, Kaoru awoke with a start, sitting up quickly. Sweat poured down her face as she breathed heavily. "Kenshin!" She cried, trying to calm her hyperventilating.
The shuffling of footsteps was immediately heard, as the door to her room opened and Kenshin quietly entered. He sat down silently next to her and took her hand.
"Ms. Kaoru, are you okay? I heard you screaming and then heard my name, so I decided to check and see if you were doing alright."
"Oh, Kenshin," She cried, falling into his arms. Not expecting this, his eyes widened as a large sweat drop fell down the side of his head. He held her as she sobbed into his shoulder.
"Kenshin, I had the most frightening dream," She choked between sobs, "We were in a field and then the ground opened and you were pulled inside."
He nodded, used to her dramatic behavior. "Shhh . . . It'll be okay," Kenshin whispered, consoling her.
Her crying slowly stopped, as she yawned slightly, still holding onto his shoulder. She felt herself drift off, as she closed her eyes and fell asleep in his arms.
Laying her down softly, Kenshin pulled her blanket up over her shoulders and kissed her forehead lightly. Smiling gently, he got up and headed for the door.
"I love you Kenshin," She mumbled in her sleep, slowly turning over.
His smile widened as he left her room, silently closing the door behind him. "I love you too, Ms. Kaoru," he mumbled, going back to bed.
A/N: This is NOT the end of the story . . . I will continue it as soon as I a) get enough reviews or b) get my lazy ass over to my computer to write more . . .
Part 1
The wind whistled through the leaves as darkness settled on the Tokyo sky. Kenshin, Kaoru, Yahiko, Sanosuke, and Megumi were sitting on the back porch of the Kamiya dojo, watching the autumn leaves fall and sipping herbal tea.
"This is very good, Kenshin" Kaoru commented, taking a rather large sip and causing a bit of tea to stream down her chin.
He smiled, his violet eyes gleaming with pride. "It's my obasan's own recipe, that it is."
"Oh, is it?" Megumi asked, leaning over Kenshin's shoulder, her voice sultry and low.
"That's nice," Kaoru said flatly, crossing her arms in front of her chest and turning her back to them.
"What's her problem?" Yahiko spoke up, looking annoyed at Kaoru as usual.
"What do you think it is?" Sanosuke replied, rolling his eyes. "She's been staring at Kenshin all night. Isn't it obvious?"
At this comment, Kenshin's face went bright red and Kaoru's eyes widened as she turned around. "Sanosuke! You know that's not true! Take that back now! You shouldn't tell lies like that about people!" She shouted, whacking him with her bokutou, which was lying conveniently next to her.
He rubbed the red spot on his arm. "Geeze, you don't have to be so violent . . . I was just making an observation."
"Pfft" She snorted, swallowing the rest of her tea.
"Would you like more?" Kenshin asked gently.
"No, I'm fine." She looked at Megumi and saw the woman smirk at her. "I think I'm going to go take a walk now."
"I could accompany you if you want. You seem to have much on your mind, that you do," Kenshin offered, standing and extending a hand to her.
"No thank you, I wish to be alone." She ignored his outstretched hand and rose, walking slowly to the end of the porch and stepping lightly down the wooden stairs. Walking past the garden, she decided to go into the woods where she could be alone.
Why did I push him away like that? She thought, her mind swirling with confusion. He can be so annoying sometimes, but well . . . I feel different around him.Yeah, different, she consoled herself.
As she continued to walk through the trees, she glanced up at the full moon and sighed. "It looks so serene," She whispered, wishing that someone were here to share it with her. Still mystified by the wonder of the pure moon, she sat down on a log and continued to stare up towards the heavens.
Just then, there was a faint rustling noise. At first, Kaoru just ignored it, but it got louder and louder until she recognized it as footsteps crunching over the fallen leaves. The footsteps got faster and nearer until the person seemed to be only a few yards from where she was sitting. Kaoru rose, glancing around in every direction and trying to see if the person would reveal their identity.
"Kenshin?" She called, immediately putting a hand to her mouth.
Why was I so quick to call his name? Her mind asked her. Was it because he's the person I want to see?
Creeping slowly towards the sound, she called out again. "Hello, is anyone there?"
The noise seemed to back away a little and Kaoru, realizing the direction that it was coming from, began to approach the figure that she could faintly see through the leaves.
"Hello?" She called again, parting the bushes and coming even closer. Reaching out, she felt silk under her fingertips and quickly withdrew her hand, a giant sweat drop forming on her forehead. Slowly, she started to back away, but her heart seemed to stop when she heard a large thump in front of her.
Looking down, she realized that a young woman was laying face first on the ground. "Oh! Are you okay?" She knelt down, quickly turning the woman over.
In the darkness, Kaoru could barely make out her facial features. Realizing the woman was unconscious, she bent down and slung her over her back, trying to carry her the best she could. Making heavy and wobbly footsteps, she approached the porch, calling out to the others.
"Someone! Help me!" She cried, almost losing her balance on a stone.
Sanosuke, who had been battling it out with Yahiko, heard a sound that jolted him a bit. "Did you hear that?" He asked the others, his eyes gray with concern.
"I heard something too, that I did" Kenshin said, scanning the area around the porch.
"It kind of sounded like Ms. Kaoru," Megumi commented, pouring herself another glass of tea and looking rather unconcerned.
"Yeah, it does sound like her, that it does," He grabbed a hold of the railing and used it to pull himself up.
"Where are you going?" Yahiko asked, looking impatient. "Kaoru always is screaming or having a fit about something. She's fine by herself."
"Well, I'm going to make sure that Ms. Kaoru is okay," Kenshin said quietly, walking down the stairs and heading in her direction.
"Kenshin?" Kaoru called, about to drop the woman slung across her back.
"Its me, Ms. Kaoru!" He responded, running towards her. Realizing what she was doing, Kenshin's eyes widened and he pulled the girl off of her back. "Ms. Kaoru, who is this?" He asked, looking even more concerned.
"I . . . I found her in the woods. She had fainted," She replied, sitting down on the ground and sighing with exhaustion.
"We must get her inside, that we must," He said, picking her up and heading back towards the dojo.
A worried look in her eye, Kaoru followed him into the dojo and to the guest bedroom. He placed the woman down on a futon and slowly stood.
"I'll go get Ms. Megumi," Kenshin offered, pushing aside Kaoru and walking back out to the porch.
Her eyes following him, Kaoru slowly edged over to the futon and sat down, switching her glance over to the girl's facial features.
The young woman appeared to be around her own age, about seventeen or eighteen. She had high cheekbones and a tiny nose, which gave her almost a juvenile appearance. Her golden hair was smeared with mud and dirt, as was her ragged red kimono, which hung on her skinny frame. As she sighed, her eyelids fluttered open slightly and then closed, giving Kaoru a glimpse of her piercing green eyes.
"What happened to you?" She whispered, knowing that the girl couldn't hear her.
She heard the shuffling of footsteps at the door and turned, seeing Megumi arrive with her bag of medicinal herbs and other supplies. Entering quietly, the doctor waved Kaoru out of the room and knelt down by the unconscious woman's side.
That night, Kaoru's head was amiss with strange dreams. She dreamt that she and Kenshin were embracing in a field, when the sky began to darken and the clouds overshadowed the sun. The ground erupted in jagged crags, as it split between Kenshin and her. The crack got larger and larger, as she and Kenshin became further and further from each other.
"Kenshin!" She called out, being pulled backwards from the shifting land.
Then, a figure rose from the center of the abyss and hovered in the sky. Kaoru recognized her as the woman that she had retrieved from the woods. Immediately, the girl started descending back into the crevice, grabbing Kenshin's ankle and pulling him down with her. Laughing, she continued dragging him down through the earth.
Quickly, she turned around, and when Kaoru saw her face, she was horrified. Her beautiful defined features were gone, and were replaced by greenish looking skin, pulled taught over her bony face. Her hair had become alive, wiggling around as if it were made of serpents.
"No!" She screamed, as the demon pulled Kenshin in even farther. "Kenshin!"
He looked up at her, horror in his eyes. "Kaoru . . . help me," He said faintly, before disappearing altogether. Then, the cracks in the earth subsided and the field became mundane again. She immediately crumbled, sobbing in a heap on the wet grass.
Just then, Kaoru awoke with a start, sitting up quickly. Sweat poured down her face as she breathed heavily. "Kenshin!" She cried, trying to calm her hyperventilating.
The shuffling of footsteps was immediately heard, as the door to her room opened and Kenshin quietly entered. He sat down silently next to her and took her hand.
"Ms. Kaoru, are you okay? I heard you screaming and then heard my name, so I decided to check and see if you were doing alright."
"Oh, Kenshin," She cried, falling into his arms. Not expecting this, his eyes widened as a large sweat drop fell down the side of his head. He held her as she sobbed into his shoulder.
"Kenshin, I had the most frightening dream," She choked between sobs, "We were in a field and then the ground opened and you were pulled inside."
He nodded, used to her dramatic behavior. "Shhh . . . It'll be okay," Kenshin whispered, consoling her.
Her crying slowly stopped, as she yawned slightly, still holding onto his shoulder. She felt herself drift off, as she closed her eyes and fell asleep in his arms.
Laying her down softly, Kenshin pulled her blanket up over her shoulders and kissed her forehead lightly. Smiling gently, he got up and headed for the door.
"I love you Kenshin," She mumbled in her sleep, slowly turning over.
His smile widened as he left her room, silently closing the door behind him. "I love you too, Ms. Kaoru," he mumbled, going back to bed.
A/N: This is NOT the end of the story . . . I will continue it as soon as I a) get enough reviews or b) get my lazy ass over to my computer to write more . . .