A/N: OK, thankyou to all my wonderful reviewers and thanks to Chiki for
pointing out the numerous errors in the first chapter and telling me how to
correct them. I'll post a revised version soon. Thanks, people! This
chapter will be a little less bloody, for all those who have your
suspicions about me being a vampire-ess (yes, Kateri, I'm referring to
you.) ^.^...I think I just wanted to show in more detail exactly what
Kenshin is suffering from...I so love to torture the characters I
love!..hehe..so, if I haven't scared you off yet, please read and review
this chapter.
Disclaimer: Yes, we have gone over this, all I own is a little Kenshin statue, not the show or anything..-_-..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 2: Blissful Nightmares
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In her room, Kaoru sat on her futon, looking at the shoji she had just walked through. She sighed, a single tear threatening to spill down her face.
'Kenshin. Why do you suffer so much? You insist on being lonely, unhappy...do you really want to be tortured for the rest of your life?'
"Kenshin."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dreams...they can be pleasant...they can be nightmares...but the worst ones...are both...
Snow swirled in the air, blocking Kenshin's vision. Blood ran down from his face, dripping from his eyes and ears. Yet still he struggled onwards. Dark and pain-filled eyes were focused only on the path in front of him.
'Tomoe...'
Breathing harshly, he looked at the sky. The snow was coming down with drops of blood, mingling with the sweat and tears on his face. The body of the dead man was cut in half, and the blood spurting from his body was beginning to freeze on Kenshin's hands.
'Tomoe...'
.........
'When time is against you...'
He was catching her falling body, his hair, his clothes, his tears...all blood...
Her smile...radiant as she cut into his cheek with her knife...as she stabbed through his heart, sealing their fate with a kiss as they died together...blissful death....blissful nightmare....
'No...this is not how it happened...'
Suddenly it was a different person he held in his arms. Sapphire blue eyes gazed into Kenshin's own, as the knife cut into his face. A different person died in his arms...
'Had this been...the way it was...all along...? What...is real...
Kenshin stood in a graveyard. In front of him were three large stones. Behind these were two large wooden crosses. Blue silk was draped around both of them. Kenshin looked at the freshly turned earth in front on the graves. In front of one cross was a red flower, petals of the same color scattered around the base of the cross. Kenshin picked up the flower, and it turned to a puddle of blood, running down his hand to drip painfully off his fingertips.
The other grave. Kenshin fell to his knees in front of it, trying to cry, wishing the tears would come, but for some reason not able to shed them. On the ground, a bright blue butterfly writhed in pain, caught in its last throes of death. Kenshin's violet eyes misted over in pain, as he realized whose graves he sat in front of, wracked with dry sobs.
'Are they really dead...by my hands...'
Snow. Falling from the sky, as red petals spotted the ground, as a bright blue butterfly flew towards the sun...
...as the blood from his hands was washed away by his tears..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Megumi!"
The doctor looked out a window of the clinic, alarmed at the desperate sound of the cry.
"Kaoru!"
The doctor ran outside as soon as she saw the desperate and tear-streaked face of the younger woman.
"What's wrong? Is it Ken-san?"
"He...won't wake up, and is burning up from fever!"
Megumi grabbed her medical bag and rushed from the clinic, dragging Kaoru with her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Megumi placed her hand on Kenshin's forehead, sharply drawing in breath as she felt the extreme heat that was emanating from Kenshin's body as a result of his high fever.
"Megumi? Will he..."
Megumi turned on Kaoru, a furious expression on her pale face.
"Stupid girl! Don't even think that anything will happen to Ken-san! Don't doubt him...he'll live."
She turned away from Kaoru, facing the door as she made to leave.
"He'll live...for you."
Megumi ran from the room, hoping Kaoru had not noticed the emotion thickening her voice. Tears obscuring her vision, she did not see him until it was too late.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sanosuke had no time to move as Megumi ran into him, her face burying into his chest. He felt her crying into his shirt and gently put his arms around her. He heard her gasp, and quickly back up. More tears welled in her eyes as she looked at him with....
'Hate?!....but....why?!'
"Leave me alone, Sagara. Don't ask."
Sanosuke felt hurt. She had obviously been crying before she ran into him. Why was she so upset?......
Suddenly it dawned on him that she was upset over Kenshin. A wave of jealousy surged over him.
'Everyone just cares about Kenshin. The fox...was worried about him...but she's never shed tears over me. She's...in love with him. And I...I'm...in love...with her.'
Sanosuke slowly turned back the way he had come, and quietly sat on the dojo steps, head in his hands as he tried to sort out his mixed emotions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kaoru knelt on the floor next to Kenshin's still form, tears tracing their way down her face.
'Kenshin. Please get better. You must get better. '
She lifted one of her hands from her lap, touching a lock of his hair that framed his face.
"Kenshin."
'Please. You haven't been yourself lately. I'm so worried. Please get better. You promised...not to leave.'
"Kenshin. Is it true? That you...love me? Or...was she...lying?"
Kaoru put her hand up to his face and gently touched it, lightly tracing his scar with her fingertips. Her eyes widened as she looked at his closed eyes and saw tears oozing out from under his dark lashes. They ran down his face, sparkling slightly in the dark.
"Kenshin...what are you dreaming of? What did you do to deserve this torture? Even you deserve to be happy sometime..."
Gently she took a corner of her apron and wiped his tears away, making a silent promise. 'Kenshin. I will always be here for you.'
Slowly she stood, wiping her tears, before she went to tell Megumi that his fever seemed to be going down.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kenshin sat across the table from Tomoe. He heard himself tell her how he now understood the meaning of peace. How she had shown him what it meant.
He heard her confessing her previous thoughts for revenge.
"This is the kind of woman I am..."
He saw...she fell against him...
'I forgave her, even though...'
"I....will...I will...protect you."
"Ashiteru...anata..."
Fireflies.
"Sayonara, and thank you for everything."
'I will not lose her as well.'
Falling...
"Live on, Kenshin..."
"Our fates have already been decided...live, Shinta, you must live!"
"Kaoru!!!!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ok, so it was still a little bloody...Hopefully the whole dream/reality thing wasn't too confusing.....^_^0....I fixed all the mistakes in the first chapter, so it should be easier to read now. So please, whether it be flames, praise, questions, WHATEVER, please REVIEW!!! Also, what characters should I introduce next?? And do you people think I should keep this strictly K+K, or should I continue the little S+M thing going on here? TELL ME! Yes, just click that little button on the bottom left-hand corner...review, please, people!! ^_^
Disclaimer: Yes, we have gone over this, all I own is a little Kenshin statue, not the show or anything..-_-..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 2: Blissful Nightmares
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In her room, Kaoru sat on her futon, looking at the shoji she had just walked through. She sighed, a single tear threatening to spill down her face.
'Kenshin. Why do you suffer so much? You insist on being lonely, unhappy...do you really want to be tortured for the rest of your life?'
"Kenshin."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dreams...they can be pleasant...they can be nightmares...but the worst ones...are both...
Snow swirled in the air, blocking Kenshin's vision. Blood ran down from his face, dripping from his eyes and ears. Yet still he struggled onwards. Dark and pain-filled eyes were focused only on the path in front of him.
'Tomoe...'
Breathing harshly, he looked at the sky. The snow was coming down with drops of blood, mingling with the sweat and tears on his face. The body of the dead man was cut in half, and the blood spurting from his body was beginning to freeze on Kenshin's hands.
'Tomoe...'
.........
'When time is against you...'
He was catching her falling body, his hair, his clothes, his tears...all blood...
Her smile...radiant as she cut into his cheek with her knife...as she stabbed through his heart, sealing their fate with a kiss as they died together...blissful death....blissful nightmare....
'No...this is not how it happened...'
Suddenly it was a different person he held in his arms. Sapphire blue eyes gazed into Kenshin's own, as the knife cut into his face. A different person died in his arms...
'Had this been...the way it was...all along...? What...is real...
Kenshin stood in a graveyard. In front of him were three large stones. Behind these were two large wooden crosses. Blue silk was draped around both of them. Kenshin looked at the freshly turned earth in front on the graves. In front of one cross was a red flower, petals of the same color scattered around the base of the cross. Kenshin picked up the flower, and it turned to a puddle of blood, running down his hand to drip painfully off his fingertips.
The other grave. Kenshin fell to his knees in front of it, trying to cry, wishing the tears would come, but for some reason not able to shed them. On the ground, a bright blue butterfly writhed in pain, caught in its last throes of death. Kenshin's violet eyes misted over in pain, as he realized whose graves he sat in front of, wracked with dry sobs.
'Are they really dead...by my hands...'
Snow. Falling from the sky, as red petals spotted the ground, as a bright blue butterfly flew towards the sun...
...as the blood from his hands was washed away by his tears..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Megumi!"
The doctor looked out a window of the clinic, alarmed at the desperate sound of the cry.
"Kaoru!"
The doctor ran outside as soon as she saw the desperate and tear-streaked face of the younger woman.
"What's wrong? Is it Ken-san?"
"He...won't wake up, and is burning up from fever!"
Megumi grabbed her medical bag and rushed from the clinic, dragging Kaoru with her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Megumi placed her hand on Kenshin's forehead, sharply drawing in breath as she felt the extreme heat that was emanating from Kenshin's body as a result of his high fever.
"Megumi? Will he..."
Megumi turned on Kaoru, a furious expression on her pale face.
"Stupid girl! Don't even think that anything will happen to Ken-san! Don't doubt him...he'll live."
She turned away from Kaoru, facing the door as she made to leave.
"He'll live...for you."
Megumi ran from the room, hoping Kaoru had not noticed the emotion thickening her voice. Tears obscuring her vision, she did not see him until it was too late.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sanosuke had no time to move as Megumi ran into him, her face burying into his chest. He felt her crying into his shirt and gently put his arms around her. He heard her gasp, and quickly back up. More tears welled in her eyes as she looked at him with....
'Hate?!....but....why?!'
"Leave me alone, Sagara. Don't ask."
Sanosuke felt hurt. She had obviously been crying before she ran into him. Why was she so upset?......
Suddenly it dawned on him that she was upset over Kenshin. A wave of jealousy surged over him.
'Everyone just cares about Kenshin. The fox...was worried about him...but she's never shed tears over me. She's...in love with him. And I...I'm...in love...with her.'
Sanosuke slowly turned back the way he had come, and quietly sat on the dojo steps, head in his hands as he tried to sort out his mixed emotions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kaoru knelt on the floor next to Kenshin's still form, tears tracing their way down her face.
'Kenshin. Please get better. You must get better. '
She lifted one of her hands from her lap, touching a lock of his hair that framed his face.
"Kenshin."
'Please. You haven't been yourself lately. I'm so worried. Please get better. You promised...not to leave.'
"Kenshin. Is it true? That you...love me? Or...was she...lying?"
Kaoru put her hand up to his face and gently touched it, lightly tracing his scar with her fingertips. Her eyes widened as she looked at his closed eyes and saw tears oozing out from under his dark lashes. They ran down his face, sparkling slightly in the dark.
"Kenshin...what are you dreaming of? What did you do to deserve this torture? Even you deserve to be happy sometime..."
Gently she took a corner of her apron and wiped his tears away, making a silent promise. 'Kenshin. I will always be here for you.'
Slowly she stood, wiping her tears, before she went to tell Megumi that his fever seemed to be going down.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kenshin sat across the table from Tomoe. He heard himself tell her how he now understood the meaning of peace. How she had shown him what it meant.
He heard her confessing her previous thoughts for revenge.
"This is the kind of woman I am..."
He saw...she fell against him...
'I forgave her, even though...'
"I....will...I will...protect you."
"Ashiteru...anata..."
Fireflies.
"Sayonara, and thank you for everything."
'I will not lose her as well.'
Falling...
"Live on, Kenshin..."
"Our fates have already been decided...live, Shinta, you must live!"
"Kaoru!!!!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ok, so it was still a little bloody...Hopefully the whole dream/reality thing wasn't too confusing.....^_^0....I fixed all the mistakes in the first chapter, so it should be easier to read now. So please, whether it be flames, praise, questions, WHATEVER, please REVIEW!!! Also, what characters should I introduce next?? And do you people think I should keep this strictly K+K, or should I continue the little S+M thing going on here? TELL ME! Yes, just click that little button on the bottom left-hand corner...review, please, people!! ^_^