--Disclaimer: Love-Lee Light Maiden does not own any characters from Rurouni Kenshin. All Rurouni Kenshin characters rightfully belong to their creator, Nobuhiro Watsuki.
Second Chance Screw-up
By, Love-Lee Light Maiden
Written by: Bunny
Edited by: Evlo
Chapter 2: To Be, or Not to Be…That is the Question
"…" indicates talking
…italics… indicates thoughts
--…--- indicates sounds
-o-o-o- indicates change in scenery
--I dedicate this chapter to all of my WONDERFUL reviewers! THANK YOU SO MUCH! You all make me so happy!
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Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.
--Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) In Memoriam, 1850, line 27, stanza 4
A woman can forgive a man for the harm he does her…but she can never forgive him for the sacrifices he makes on her account. -- W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965), The Moon and Sixpence
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From the last Chapter:
"Kenshin? Go on Kenshin. Kenshin?" she said in desperation. "Oh Kami…Kenshin? No! Please don't leave me Kenshin! KENSHIN!" Kaoru screamed out as realization struck her. (1) He was gone. There was no going back. She would never see him again. Never hear his handsome voice, feel his calloused hands, smell his sandalwood scent, and she would never, get the opportunity to taste his lips on hers. And…she would never…never…get to tell him that…that…she loved him.
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Imuno stood motionless, with a wicked grin on his face, as he watched the delicious scene unfold. He had just witnessed the death of Battousai The Manslayer. He was amazed with himself. He had managed to kill the Battousai, while at the same time, managing to also stay alive. He had to admit though, that last blow nearly killed him. The only thing that kept him alive…was luck.
Maybe his father and brother were looking out for him. He could clearly remember what the Battousai had done that dark, dreary night. He took away his only family, and his soul along with them…
-o-o-o- Flashback –o-o-o-
The rain was pouring outside, making it sound like there were drummers tapping on their house. An eight-year-old Imuno sat on the porch, looking out into the storm. It had been raining for days now, and he was bored out of his mind. --sigh-- I hate the rain, he thought.
Imuno's older brother came walking up to his little brother. "Hey little man!" he greeted, "What are you doing?"
"Nothing, Jeroo," Imuno lamely supplied. They both sat in silence for a while, just looking into the rain swept city. "Hey Jeroo, can I ask you something?"
"Yeah, sure. What is it?" his brother replied.
"What do Father and you DO? I know you work for the government but…what is your job?" Imuno questioned, looking up at his brother. His brother looked back at him, took a deep breath and sat down next to him.
"Well, Dad and I work for an organization call the Shinsengumi. We protect everyone from the evil Imperialists. The Imperialists are going against the Shogun and we are trying to stop them. We're trying to keep everyone safe from their madness," Jeroo calmly explained.
"WOW! Really! I didn't know you and Father were so cool!" Imuno said in awe.
"Thanks squirt," Jeroo said, patting Imuno's head. "But I think it's time for you to turn in for the night, it's late," he commented, look at his brother.
"I don't have to listen to you!" Imuno said defiantly, "You're not Mom!"
"Well since she's dead, we boys have to look out for each other," Jeroo returned.
--sigh-- "Okay…" Imuno gave in, glumly. "I have nothing better to do anyway…Good night."
"G'night," Jeroo called back, watching his brother go into his room. A dark figure of a man rounded the corner and walked towards Jeroo.
"Is he asleep?" the deep voice of the man asked.
"He should be in a bit, Father," Jeroo answered.
"Good, our shift to patrol this area is in an hour. Be ready," Imuno and Jeroo's father ordered.
"I will be Father,"
-o-o-o-
Imuno shot up out of bed, startled. He had heard the voices of his dad and brother yelling, and the low voice of a person he did not know. Then clashes of metal, and silence.
He got up quickly and sprinted around the house to where he had heard the noises. Slowing down, he stayed in the shadows and just barely looked around the corner of his house. He had to stop himself from running out into the muddy street. There lay his dad and brother, his family, motionless with slit throats.
In the corner of Imuno's eyes, he saw a short, red-haired man with a sword at his waist, walking away from the scene. The man looked over his shoulder briefly and Imuno caught a glimpse of deadly, burning, amber eyes. There was no doubt about it. That man KILLED his family.
Once Imuno could not see the man anymore, he fell to the ground in pain. Slowly, he crawled over to his father and brother's sides. This…this…isn't happening. It can't be, he thought in denial. "Papa wake up! Jeroo, stop joking around, please…" he pleaded to them, only to find that they didn't respond. Tenderly, he reached out to his brother's face. It held none of the warmth and color it previously had. It was now blue and as cold as stone; his father was in the same state. The hand that had touched their freezing skin started to shake uncontrollably. They're gone, he realized, I'll never be able to see them again! But…who will take care of me? I'm all alone! By now, the shake in his hand had moved up, spreading through the rest of his body. His wide eyes seemed to see everything, yet nothing at the same time as they filled with tears. All of his pent-up emotions now crashed down on top of him, resulting in rushing rivers of tears. He bent over and curled himself into a ball, crying into the night sky, letting it all rush out of him.
-o-o-o-
Imuno still sat in the same place as before. His eyes glassy and red-rimmed; skin clammy and cold. His tears had stopped for a while now, but the immense sadness was evident in his face. Memories flashed in Imuno's mind, memories of the happy life he once had. Emotionless, he peered into the cold twilight air, feeling empty and lost. But the more he thought about why he felt that way, sorrow soon gave way to rage. Why did HE have to suffer! Why HIM, out of a million children that it could have happened to! He knew exactly why: because of that killer. He fisted his hands and looked fiercely into the direction the unknown murder had gone hours ago. YOU DID THIS TO ME STRANGER! YOU DID THIS TO MY FAMILY! he thought with vengeance, I will get you! Mark my words; the name of the Kunrei will forever be sliced into your heart! He thought darkly. In that moment and time, the once-innocent boy, turned into a determined demon, devoured by revenge. As time passed he gained information and his heart turned black and full of hatred. Only one though filled his head: I can never live in peace, with HIM still living.
-o-o-o- End of flashback –o-o-o-
But the past was the past: over and done with. Now there was only one last thing he had to do, before he could truly live in peace. And that was to eliminate all of the witnesses. Luckily, the only one that was there was Battousai's women. What was her name…Kaoru? This should be an easy task thought Imuno. She is a weakling female, with nothing but a wooden practice sword to defend herself with. With silent movements he started slithering over to where she kneeled, crumpled and broken, next to her lost lover.
But before he could get there, he heard a rustling in the forest, not too far off. For fear of getting caught in his condition, Imuno ran with his last ounces of strength, toward his quaint home village. The last thought that passed through is mind was: I will get you woman. No matter how long it takes, I will not fail.
-o-o-o-
Meanwhile…
Sanosuke, Aoshi, Misao, Megumi and Yahiko were still scrambling through the brush and the darkness of the forest, in search of their friends. Earlier, with Sano's terrible sense of direction, they had gotten lost. After realizing this, Aoshi had taken the lead, looking for footprints and such to lead them the right way. He didn't succeed in finding footprints, but be did pick up traces of Kenshin's ki and followed that instead. They had been following that for some time now and Aoshi had also picked up Kaoru's ki and another fighter's. But, he couldn't feel Kenshin's anymore. He hoped that they weren't too late.
"Nice Job Rooster Head! You led us in the totally opposite direction! They're probably dead by now!" scolded Misao. She was very worried for her friends and hoped that she was just worrying for no reason. "It's a good thing that Aoshi-sama came with us, or we would have never gotten there!"
"Hey! Quiet Weasel Girl! I already said I'm sorry!" Sano said, exasperated. He already felt like an idiot, did she really have to rub it in his face?
"Hey you two! More walking and less talking, NOW! Or I'll have to strangle both of you. --sigh-- You both are acting so immature." Megumi said, frustrated at the both of them. They had been going on like this for five-minutes straight. Couldn't they just shut-up? As if Megumi's wishes had been heard, the duo picked up the pace keeping quiet. Wow, maybe I should do that more often! thought a surprised Megumi. Then a sly grin was plastered on her face as she thought of the marvelous things she could do with that kind of control.
"All of you stay quiet. We're getting closer," Aoshi ordered. His face was as emotional as a stone wall. All of them did as they were told and walked out of the brush, only making slight sounds in the bushes as they did so. Aoshi felt the unknown ki he sensed fade away into the deep parts of the forest. There was no way he could go and catch the mysterious fighter now. He looked at the scenery they had just stumbled upon. This was a truly breathtaking place; Himura was right to have taken Kaoru here. But upon further inspection, all was not well. The ground was broken up and scared, a tree looked to have been recently broken down, and he couldn't see Himura or Kamiya anywhere nearby.
"Lets all split up," offered Misao. "If we do that, maybe we can find them faster. They shouldn't be too far away. I'll go with Aoshi and the rest of you can form a team."
"Fine, the quicker we find them, the better," agreed Sano. The two groups then split up, Misao's group going to the left side of the lake, and Sano's group going on the right side of the lake.
After a while of searching both groups were getting even more worried. They still hadn't found either Kaoru or Kenshin. Things were looking bad. The further they went, the more skid marks and blood splotches they found. It was now painfully obvious that a vicious battle had taken place.
But it wasn't too big of a lake, so they have to be getting closer. What worried them the most though, was that they couldn't hear any voices. Not Kenshin's, not Kaoru's, nobody's.
"Aoshi, you…you don't think they're…" Misao couldn't bring herself to say it. Could they be seriously hurt, or worse…dead? Himura was the best fighter she knew, but there is always the off chance that something could happen, something horrible. Misao wasn't the type to worry much. She was almost always bouncing off the walls or ecstatic about something. Worrying wasn't something that she was used to, and she felt very uncomfortable. But, being with Aoshi made her feel a bit better. Just seeing him made her perk up from anything. Now if only he could smile…
"No Misao, I'm sure they're fine," was Aoshi's monotonous reply. Even though he knew just the opposite, he kept his real thoughts to himself. He could see and feel Misao's anxiety and worry, and thought it better not to tell her. But it was clear to him that Kenshin and Kaoru had been dragged into something, and the results would not be pretty.
What was that! He thought. He had just picked up traces of someone's ki. It wasn't much to go on, but it was enough. "Misao follow me," he instructed. He started jogging towards were he could sense the ki, Misao right behind him. But even though both of them were trained warriors and had seen many hardships in their days, nothing could have prepared them for what they saw.
They stopped dead in their tracks. Kaoru looked to have added thirty years to her age. She was pale, red-eyed, and fervently shaking. Her kimono was dirtied and worse for wear. Tears were running down her blood-splotched face leaving clear, wet trails behind them. Kaoru didn't even seem to notice them, too wrapped up in her own thoughts and agony. There was something in her arms. The two couldn't tell what it was, they were too far away and Kaoru was covering most of it. The ground was bathed in blood and had deep gouges where it was evident that a sword fight had taken place.
After her initial shock, Misao ran over to her friend wanting to know what happened, and to try to comfort her.
"Kaoru, Kaoru! Are you okay? You look terrible! Tell me what happened! And where's Him…ur…a…" Misao's seemed to have lost her voice. She now saw what Kaoru had been resting in her arms. Kenshin's limp and pale form lay in her protective arms. He was battered and bloodied, and there was no life in his once-lively lavender eyes. Misao collapsed onto her knees. No, NO! This can't be she thought. Himura can't be dead! He…He just CAN'T! Tears of her own now blossomed in her expressive green eyes.
Unnoticed by either of the girls, Aoshi had quietly joined them. And for one of the first times in his life, his eyes widened in shock. Himura, dead? No…I won't let this happen! He thought furiously. "Megumi!" he called out across to the other side of the lake. "Sano! Megumi! Yahiko! Get over here NOW! QUICKLY!"
Hearing the urgency in Aoshi's normally stoic voice, the trio sprinted around the lake to where Aoshi and Misao were waiting for them. When they rounded the corner of the lake they didn't have time for a reaction. Megumi immediately saw that she was needed and got to work with all of the materials that she had hastily grabbed before leaving the dojo. Yahiko stood rigid and still. His eyes where wide open, as they absorbed all of what had taken place. Sano, being the slower thinking of the males stopped for a short breather before asking, "What happened Aoshi? You sounded really…upset."
"Open your eyes you idiot," solemnly shot back Aoshi. "Isn't it obvious? I would think that even you would understand what has happened." Aoshi then turned his gaze to Misao as she tried to calm a hysterical Kaoru.
Taking Aoshi's words to heart, Sano actually looked at all of the commotion. A frantically working Megumi, a deathly still Kenshin, the sobbing Kaoru in Misao's arms and the silent Yahiko. Understanding hit him like a one hundred pound brick. How could he have been blind to all of this? This is why the group had rushed here in the first place. Sano's face had now turned a pasty shade of white.
An unexpected sob from Megumi gathered everyone's attention to the now not-so-frantically-working doctor. She brought her shaky hands to her face as another cry escaped her capped lips. A tear slowly trickled down her cheek.
"Wha…What is it Megumi? What's wrong?" Sanosuke asked, afraid that he already knew the answer. A second of unearthly silence passed before Megumi could compose herself enough to talk. She wanted so badly to reject her own closure. But the evidence told a story that was too truthful not to accept.
"I…I…I can't save him. He's gone," she croaked out. Those were the hardest six words that she ever had to say. She herself could barely believe that she was uttering these words about one of her dearest friends.
"NO! NO! YOU'RE LYING! KENSHIN CAN'T BE DEAD! HE'S KENSHIN! HE JUST CAN'T!" Yahiko burst out. He ran next to Megumi and launched himself onto Kenshin. "KENSHIN! KENSHIN GET UP! KENSHIN PLEASE! GET UP NOW!" he pleaded while shaking the unresponsive body of his hero.
"Yahiko stop it! That won't help! There's nothing we can do! He's gone now! GONE! Do you understand me Yahiko! YAHIKO!" Megumi scolded while fighting back a fresh river of tears. She tried to pry the young samurai off of the redhead, but to no avail. He was too stubborn to let go.
"NO! No! Kenshin! Kenshin…please get up…Kenshin," Yahiko said as a last attempt. His anger slowly dying away into grief. He unclenched his fingers from the dead man's gi and leaned back to take a look at his friend, no, more like father. Kenshin had always been there for him and he was the one who saved him from that gang who had enslaved him. But now…now he would never be there. Never be there to give advice to him, never be there for him to look up to, nothing. Suddenly Yahiko wrapped his arms around Kenshin and cried for all he was worth. Letting all his emotions flow out, uncontrolled and untamed.
Everyone followed suit. Tears blossomed in their eyes and sorrow swept over them like a winter breeze. Everyone except Aoshi of course. He stood there silently, reflecting over the life of an honorable man.
-o-o-o-
One week later, the funeral bells clanged over the saddened crowd. Silence fell as the remains of someone they would never forget were buried, never to be disturbed again. These were the remains of a man of many names. Some called him Battousai, the one that brought the Meiji Era with rivers of blood flowing off his sword; others Kenshin Himura, the peace-loving wanderer that would do anything to save an innocent soul; and once upon a time he was once called Shinta, the 'boy with heart.' But, no matter what name they called him by, his memory would always be a part of the land, the people, their memories, of recorded history, and time.
Kaoru, even through all of her misery, had tried to make this a perfect ceremony, for a perfect man. It was what Kenshin deserved after his troubling life. She made sure that Kenshin got buried in the same cemetery as Tomoe, in Kyoto. That is what he would have wanted, she sadly thought. Now he can truly be at peace…without me. Tomoe was his first love, this is where he belongs. Not with me, in a lot next to my parents that he never knew. Why, OH WHY, did he have to leave me? Why did he do this to me? Why did he sacrifice his life for mine? Why didn't he take me with him…? Fresh tears welled up from the deep depths of her dark, cerulean blue eyes. An onslaught of memories overcame her, and she had no strength to stop them. If there was anytime to cry, this was it. Everybody else was crying, nobody would even take notice of her tears. At least she wouldn't be crying alone.
-o-o-o-
Silence seeped through every nook and cranny of the dojo. It had been a week since the burial, but Kaoru seemed to be stuck in the past. Trapped in a mind paralysis that she wrapped herself in. Minutes mingled into hours, hours blurred into days, and days blended into a week. Time seemed to stand still and Kaoru was unmotivated to make it start ticking again, let alone do anything else.
Yahiko looked at his teacher and shook his head. He had tried almost everything to get her back to her once-spunky self. He had worked extra hard when practicing the Kamiya-Kasshin Sword style, he had not called her 'Ugly' for four days, and when that didn't work he called her 'Ugly' even more than usual. Then, after all of those failed attempts, he did something he guaranteed would get her attention…he told Kaoru that he LOVED her cooking. Even though everyone known to man knows to stay as far away as possible from her pitiful excuse for food. After he said that, he was absolutely STUNNED that she gave no reaction to his comment. Once that had been unsuccessful, he had given up entirely.
--sigh-- Now if only there were someone who could snap some sense into Kaoru, Yahiko thought. Not a second later the loud crack of the shoji door being forcefully opened broke Yahiko out of his dreary thoughts. He didn't have to wait long to know who had entered the dojo.
"OI, BRAT!" Yep, there was no mistaking it. That brawly voice with the street slang could only belong to one person…
"SANOSUKE SAGARA! That is no way to enter the dojo! Really, you should learn some manners!" and Megumi must have accompanied him.
"Well sooorry! But we're here for Missy, and I want her back to her loud-mouthed, tomboyish, fiery self as soon as possible! So go work your magic Fox, while I go take the Brat to the market!" Sano irritably shot back as he snatched Yahiko up and threw him over his shoulder. Stopping to look back at Megumi Sano added with a softer, sincere tone, "Please help her Megumi. I have faith in you…you can cure anything."
With that he stomped out the door with Yahiko complaining in his ear, yelling something to the affect of, "YOU ROSTER HEAD! DON'T CALL ME A BRAT! Grrrr, PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT!" Once the dojo gate closed behind them, the vicinity became muted. Even the birds in the trees seemed to hush for the moment.
Taking a deep breath, Megumi took a step towards the hallway deciding to start searching for the anguished Kendo instructor. Taking slow, easy strides, she strode into the training area and luckily found her prey on the first try.
Kaoru truly looked disheveled. She was sitting on the floor paler than pale; had horribly blood-shot, swollen eyes; and a messy, untouched rat's nest on her head that was a pitiful excuse for hair. She really needed to do something about this…and quickly.
Megumi glided right over to Kaoru and towered over her with confidence. "What in the world do you think you're doing Raccoon Girl!" she demanded, using her playful nickname for Kaoru hoping that it would spark some life into her. "How on earth could you let yourself go like this! I mean, I always knew that you were a tomboy but this…" she told her, indicating her messy appearance.
"Leave me alone Megumi," Kaoru responded in an unusually monotonous voice.
Ha, I got through to her! Now to take it to the next level…Megumi slyly thought, her plans sorting throughout her mind. "Not a chance Kaoru. You have absolutely let yourself go, and you and me are going to put a stop to it," Megumi stated firmly. "I just feel sorry for Sir Ken, he's probably rolling in his grave right now seeing you like this."
"NO HE ISN'T! DON'T SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT!" Kaoru screamed back. Fresh, hot tears now left trails down her cheeks. Apparently Megumi had struck a nerve…and hard.
--slap-- Megumi smacked Kaoru across the face and looked at her straight in the eyes.
"Of course he is! Look at yourself! Is this…this…lifeless, emotionless person who he sacrificed himself to save! I think not! He wanted to save a spunky, optimistic, nurturing girl that he cared for. That he believed could make a difference in the world! Not a motionless, sad-looking girl who's too wrapped up in herself to notice or do anything!"
"SHUT UP MEGUMI!"
"Why when it's all true! The truth hurts Kaoru, but you have to let it go! MOVE ON WITH YOUR LIFE! Don't make Kenshin's death be in vain. He died wanting you to be happy, and to live the life he never had! He wanted you to LIVE. Not rot away and kill yourself! AM I GETTING THROUGH TO YOU AT ALL, RACCOON GIRL!"
Kaoru just looked up at her, wide-eyed and motionless, letting Megumi's last outburst sink into her system. Comprehension of Megumi's words finally dug its way into Kaoru's mind, and heart. She's right…what have I been doing this whole time? She asked herself.
"I…I'm sorry Megumi," Kaoru choked out. "I…I don't know what I was thinking. I was just so sad and…and…I'M SO SORRY!" Kaoru finally broke down, letting all of her emotions flood out through her tears. Megumi instantaneously knelt down by the weeping girl and wrapped her arms around her.
"There, there Kaoru. It's okay. It's been hard for all of us," lulled Megumi, trying to comfort her friend.
"I know, but I was being selfish --sniff sniff-- and you're right about everything. But, it's just so hard to get over it. I…I love him!
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, he'll never be truly gone." Megumi said softly. Kaoru looked up.
"What do you mean?"
"He'll always be in your heart Kaoru. Wherever you are, no matter what, as long as you remember him, he will always be with you." Megumi gave a small reassuring smile and Kaoru couldn't help but smile back at the older woman.
Finally Kaoru's tears subsided and she pulled away from the doctor's embrace.
"Thank you Megumi…for everything," Kaoru said, wiping the last remaining tears from her eyes.
"Anytime, Kaoru."
"Do you know what?" Kaoru asked, the smile widening on her face.
"What?" Megumi replied, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.
"Yahiko was trying so hard to cheer me up that you wouldn't believe what he said. He told me that he LOVED my cooking!" as soon as she said that, both females burst into laughter.
"He did! He must have been desperate!" Megumi responded through her fit of laughter.
"HEY! My cooking isn't THAT bad!" Kaoru said pretending to be offended.
"Whatever you say, Raccoon Girl," was all that Megumi could say as her laughter slowly subsided. Both women looked at each other and gave another smile.
"Well, I better go get the two juvenile delinquents before they burn down the city," Megumi announced, gracefully getting up from her position on the wooden floor. Kaoru had to giggle.
"I can only imagine what they've done."
-o-o-o- In the Mind of Kaoru and Megumi -o-o-o-
Sano is running as fast as he can with a whining Yahiko slung over his shoulder.
Yahiko yells, "NOW LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE! I ALWAYS KNEW ROOSTERS WERE STUPID!"
Sano looks back at burning building.
"IT WASN'T MY FAULT!"
-o-o-o- End of Mind Scene -o-o-o-
Kaoru and Megumi gave each other inquiring looks, as they chorused, "Naaahhh, couldn't be." Then the duo busted up in uncontrollable laughter.
"I'm glad you're better Raccoon."
"All thanks to you, Vixen." Kaoru smiled at her nickname for Megumi. With a 'humph' and a flip of her hair, Megumi strolled out the door with a mischievous grin on her face. She could hear the click of the dojo gate being shut with Megumi's leave.
--sigh-- What would I do without my friends? Kaoru thought to herself. She closed her eyes and she swore for a second, she could feel Kenshin's warm hand on her shoulder. Breaking out of her moment, Kaoru decided to train. It was a good way to get out all of her pent-up emotions out of her veins. So she jogged over to the bokken rack, eager to once again get into her normal routine. Little did she know that soon, her happy moment would be greatly disturbed.
-o-o-o-
Imuno, unbeknownst to Kaoru, had stealthily snuck into her dojo's walls and now resided on the rooftop above her. He said that he would come to finish his job, and he never went back on his promises. He mentally chuckled to himself. This is going to be TOO simple. I couldn't have prayed for a better time to be here he thought happily. The girl clearly has no great skills at swordsmanship, she is quite emotional at the moment, and to top the cake, no one is here to save her. His fingers drummed on his sword sheath with anticipation. Why am I still here? I should hurry up and finish the job so that finally…I can reside peacefully in my village. With that he jumped down onto the porch surrounding the dojo, and briskly opened the shoji door.
-o-o-o-
Kaoru jumped, startled by the sound of the screen door opening. She twisted her head around to peer at who entered. She opened her mouth to tell them not to surprise her like that when to her amazement; there was no one there. Shocked Kaoru blinked a couple of times and called out 'hello' to make sure that nobody was there.
Must be my mind playing tricks on me, she concluded as she turned back around to return to her exercises. Kaoru's eyes widened to the size of saucers and she was about to scream when a large, muscled hand clamped her mouth shut.
"So Miss Kamiya, did you really think that you would get away from me?" hissed Imuno into Kaoru's unsuspecting ear. The only answer that he got in response was a couple muffled cries from under his calloused hand along with the emerging of tears. "Ha ha, I didn't think so," with that said he let her go and she dashed over to her bokken.
Holding it out in front of her in a defensive stance she yelled, "What are you doing here! Haven't you done enough damage!" with a dry laugh his smile widened, showing white, predator-like teeth.
"My darling, I think you know exactly why I'm here," he paused for a moment for the effect. "I'm here to finish my job darling. To finish YOU off." He then smoothly pulled out his sharpened steel sword. "I think you would be glad to know that I will be killing you with the same sword that I killed your dearest Battousai with," he then brought the sword to his lips and licked the sword dangerously in emphasis to his words.
"DON'T YOU EVEN DARE SAY HIS NAME! CREATURES LIKE YOU DON'T DESERVE TO!" Kaoru snarled back, her knuckles turning white with the intensity she was gripping her wooden sword with. "And by the way…Don't EVER Call Me DARLING!" she then lunged at the monster with all of her rage and inner fury. He easily sidestepped her attack and flung her out of the room, onto the dirt outside. Kaoru landed on her side with a thud and rolled away from the dojo. How…how can he move so fast? She thought, astonished, as she pushed herself off the ground. Imuno slowly slid out the door to look down at the now dirt-covered Kaoru.
"Don't underestimate me Kaoru. I won't go easy on you because you're a woman." New fire burned in Kaoru's eyes as she attacked the murderer once again. He just gave her a pathetic look as he slashed his sword downward, breaking her bokken into smithereens.
Stopping, Kaoru looked down into her hands. The only things left of her bokken were tiny splinters of wood. Kaoru was now shaking. She now had nothing to defend herself with other than her own two hands and feet. Imuno cackled at her loss.
"Well Beautiful, looks like you're at the end of the line. Do you have any last words?" She just stood there motionless, helplessness in her eyes. "Well then Miss Kaoru, prepare to meet your maker." He brought his katana up and forcefully trusted it toward where her shoulder and neck connected. But the satisfying tearing of flesh was never felt. Kaoru stopped the sword seconds before it ended her life. She looked up to meet Imuno's stare, blue fire in her depths.
"Only one person is allowed to call me 'Miss Kaoru,'" she said in a cold, venomous tone, "and it is not you!" She pushed Imuno's katana out of her hands and punched him as hard as she could in the face, leaving a dead on, bloody fist print. Imuno took a few steps back from the sure force of the punch. He reached up and touched the place of impact. He could tell and it was going to leave a bruise.
How could I have let this…this…FILTHY woman catch me off-guard he inwardly fumed. He turned and gave Kaoru the iciest look he could muster. He spit some blood out of his mouth and got into a stance that Kaoru easily recognized. The Battojutsu: a stance that increases the speed of the sword's swing by three. Any swordsperson would know this stance.
Kaoru gulped. I won't give up! I will defeat this beast…or die trying! she encouraged herself. Quickly, she got into a position and awaited her fate. Imuno once again showed his feral smile, his eyes lighting up with malice.
"Prepare to die Ms. Kamiya," he told her, confidence evident in his words. With that he disappeared and Kaoru felt a sharp, excruciating pain in her chest.
She hadn't stopped him in time. She hadn't even seen him. She started breathing heavily in short, heavy gasps. She fell to her knees and she knew that she wouldn't be lasting long. Imuno was now in her sight. She wished that she had the strength to wipe that evil grin off his face. But, she barely had the strength to keep her eyes open, let alone move.
Imuno slowly strode over to her and grabbed her by the chin. He touched his lips to her forehead. When he pulled away, Kaoru felt like his lips were acid on her skin. She wanted to puke!
He just looked her in the eyes and said softly, "Sweet dreams precious." He then let go of her chin, and left the premises. He walked away with an air of calmness, like the weight of the world was lifted off his shoulders.
Laying on the cold ground Kaoru's vision began to blurr. With Imuno's last words echoing in her mind, she took her last breath, closed her eyes, and let the darkness take over.
Rain started sprinkling over the city of Tokyo, as if the heavens were mourning the loss of a beloved soul. Sano, Yahiko and Megumi started running back to the dojo. Joy in their smiles and happiness in their hearts. They would enjoy that moment of bliss because soon, upon entering the dojo, they would be shedding tears of despair along with the sky.
Little did anyone know, that someone was watching them from above; the ones that were making the rain fall and who were equally saddened by this series of unfortunate turnings…
End of Chapter 2: To Be or Not to Be…That is the Question
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1. Kami basically means God. So Oh Kami would mean Oh God
How was that? I know, it's kind of evil to have both of the main characters die but…--begging-- PLEASE DON'T FLAME ME TOO BAD. Things will get better from now on, I promise. These two chapters where just kind of beginning chapters to get things rolling. Now is when the real fun starts --evil laughter-- Wha ha ha. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review. Until next time…