hai.
ok
"Kenshin, stop!"
Insidethe darknessof Bettosai's rage and the night pressing between them, this dark figure hears her voice as a dog on the attack hears his master's command. The gold fury releases its tint in his eyes, and the softness of the rorouni crimson flows to replace it. He smirks to him self. Kenshin knew they would follow. Footfalls crash upon packed dirt and juicy foliage;Kenshin and his companion stop to wait for the women to catch up. Sanoske's infamous temper flares out when Kaoru, Megumi, and Yahiko reach with in sight.
"What do you think you're doing? Get back to the dojo!"
"Kaoru-sama, this is being handled by Sanoske and myself."
"Shut up, Kenshin! We didn't listen back at the dojo, and we're not going to listen now!"
There's an eery silence. The night takes on a darker shade as the moon drifts behind a cloud. Kaoru pants, hungry for air. Megumi and Yahiko soundequallyexhausted. Sano takes a step forward where their quarry had vanished a moment earlier.
"C'mon, Kenshin. They won't be able to catch up if we run."
Sano grins. Yahiko sucks in enough air to cry out,
"I'm coming too."
Sano holds the yellow clad twerp up to eyelevel by the front of Yahiko's hakama.
"No, you're not!"
Kenshin decides to end the bloodlust before it starts.
"We must be quiet, we must."
Following his wisdom, Sanoske drops Yahiko in the path. The youth hits with an audible thud; thensways dizzilyin his own cloud of dust and stars. Sano walks forward,and is lost in the darkness and tree trunks. Four pairs of eyes watch his departure. Kenshin speaks,
"Kaoru-dono, Megumi, Yahiko...: do not follow. This is not a hunt for all of us."
"Why not?"
"No more arguements Kaoru. This man is dangerous."
Kaoru's eyes flash furiously,
"We're coming, Kenshin."
"I cannot allow it, Kaoru, that i can't. Yahiko, escort the women back to the dojo."
"KENSHIN!"
Megumi steps in,
"Kaoru, Kenshin is right. We should go back-...we would only be in the way."
"I have to catch up with Sanoske. See you soon, Kaoru-dono. Please, stay here. Whom else can i come back to?"
Her voice is no weaker than before..
"No...Kenshin, you saw what that man was capable of. When you do defeat him, you'll need all the help you can get to make it back to the dojo alive. You need Megumi and I...and Yahiko, too."
Kenshin smiles lightly.
"You are always so sure of victory,Kaoru. Please, stay at the dojo. That is allI ask of you."
He turnsand walks away.
Kaoru watches, butwaits before allowingherself to follow. His red hakama is lost in the black. Her eyes tear up angrily. She didn't have to listen to him! Of course he wasn't going to come back to her becuase she was going to be with him. Kaoru strides forward. Megumi takes hold of her arm. The shorter warrior glares up at the doctor.
"Let go, Megumi! I'm going with them."
"You shouldn't. It is too dangerous. Do you remember what that...that butcher did to Shogo?"
"Of course! All the more reason to avenge our friend and make sure-"
"Kaoru! If you care for Kenshin the way you make me believe you do, stay here. Do you think he wants to worry about you while he's trying to catch a murderer?"
"He shouldn't have to worry about me!"
Kaoru snaps back. Megumi smiles sadly.
"He will. You know he will."
Realization sinks into Kaoru's eyes. She sits on a damp log, her unforgiving kimono staining down the seat. Yahiko rolls his eyes at all the mushy talk and stands up, rubbing his backside. Hedeparts in the direction of theolder two males.
"And where do you think you're going?"
Both females snap at once. The moon springs out from behind the clouds just in time to flash grimly across the eyes of enraged women. Yahiko argues, futile, and sits promptly. He cringes as hisposterior collides with the cold ground.
"Who put you in charge, Busu?"
Yahiko challenges.Kaoru latches onto his ear, yet beyond their bickering,Megumi perceives a foreign sound beyond their visual.
"QUIET you two!"
Instant obedience. All ears are perked forward. A large twig shatters somewhere on the path behind them!Kaoru and Yahiko's death brawl becomes a clutch of desperation. Megumi stands up tohandKaoruher bokun. Megumi squeaks,
"What deranged idiot would be out here in the middle of the forest this late!"
Yahiko sees his opening
"You mean besides Busu-onna?"
Kaorushoves him into a tree, then all threebreathe slowly, still listening intently. Thestalker's footsteps arequite audible. Theyare not trying to disguise their coming at all. And then there was silence.
"He's stopped."
Kaoru whispered the obvious. Yahiko stood back up.
"What if it's the murderer? He could've doubled back!"
Instant panic.
"K-K-Kenshin would know..."
"Let's go f-f-find Kenshin!"
"G-g-g-good idea."
Two warriors and adoctorrunthrough the forestinradically controlled horror.
"Did you just see what i just saw?"
"Indeed, Sano."
"That man just walked through those trees..."
Both take a sincronized step forward,desireing a closer inspection of the twin cherry-trees. The siamese giants had entwined since sapling-hood and clung until old age claimed most of their limbs, but the ones left alive sent a shower of petals down in a scattered dance like unhinged ballerinas.
Kenshin allows the crimson to drain from his vision and welcomes the heartless gold with a hope of vengence burning his fingers. The sakabato hangs faithfully at his side.A carving resembles a highly decorated eye stares out from the wood. Curious symbols surround it, drawing Sano's fingers to its surface. His hand passes through the surface! Sanoske gasps and pulls back.
"Did it hurt?"
"No. Not at all...it was... cold."
Kenshin stretches his hand inside the bark. There is minimal pressure where the bark meets his wrist, but the feeling circling his fingers is indeed cold.
"Come, Sano. We follow him."
"O.K, Kenshin, but how sure are we that we'll be able to get back?"
"We're not."
Sanoske shrugs. Good enough answer. The two step forward as one into the depths of the giant cherrytrees. Just as Kenshin's head disappears inside the unknown, hehears his name called.
According to the imprints in the path, Kenshin, and Sano had stayed on the path the entire time, so why didtheir trackslead up to these twin cherrytrees, then stop? Kaoru calls his name once more with no answer.
"Maybe we should go back now, Kaoru."
The distraught girl looks back at Megumi and sighs. Her eyes catch the blood red cherry tree giants, fear mounts, filling her throat. Kaoru nods.
Not bad for a first chapter, eh?
erm sure...o.0...
laterz luvs Tanis
ps...yes...i see it, and so do you. There is a lil box down there that sez "leave a review"
go click it. - ...