Standard Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin and Rurouni Kenshin characters are owned by someone other than me. Nor do I own the movie Shrek that my story is based on. This is fiction and for entertainment purposes only. This story was not written for sale or profit but pure enjoyment. So with that out of the way please read and enjoy.
A/N—This is a parody of the movie Shrek and most if not all the characters will be out of character. Just to let you know Aoshi is not going to be an Ogre. He is just to good looking to change him. The last part of this chapter is for you, Gypsy-chan.
Aoshi
Chapter 3
After Hiko had arrogantly given them precise directions, the two unlikely companions set off to rescue Lady Misao with Aoshi leading the way and Kaoru following close behind him.
"As long as we are going to be traveling together can you teach me some ninja skills?" Kaoru carefully asked walking beside Aoshi offering him a rice ball. Somehow she had managed to procure some food for them to take on their journey.
"No you have to be a ninja to learn the secrets of a ninja," he stated accepting the rice ball.
"But I won't tell anyone where I learned it," she promised taking another bite. She finished the rice ball while slowly walking waiting for his answer.
When he didn't answer her, she continued, "how about just teaching me…"
Aoshi stopped, turned pointing the rice ball at her, and when he was sure that he had her full attention he said emphatically, "I am not going to teach you anything so don't ask again, ok?"
Her eyes doubled in size as she shook her head yes. She stood there looking at his back as he walked away from her. "If you change your mind you will let me know?" she asked running to catch up with him. Aoshi just sighed and kept walking.
Kaoru continued to chatter, keeping pace with him for the rest of the day.
They spent a quiet, restful night out under the stars getting up at the first rays of morning to continue on their way.
By midmorning they could see the dusty gray smoke clouds swirling over the top of the volcano. When they arrived at the bottom of the volcano Aoshi kept walking while Kaoru hesitated.
"Do we really have to go up there?" she asked looking up at the volcano.
Aoshi stopped, pointed at the top of the volcano, and said, "If we want to rescue Lady Misao we have to go where she is and according to Hiko's directions she will be at the top of this volcano."
Reaching the top they looked in awe at the castle where the Lady Misao was waiting to be rescued.
The castle was surrounded by a moat filled with molten lava. A small rope and wood bridge was the only entrance leading into the castle.
When Aoshi saw the castle for the first time he couldn't help but think that this would make a great place for a temple. It would be a very quiet place for meditation and best of all there would be no visitors. He groaned as he started walking to the rope bridge."We have to cross that…?" Kaoru started to say slowly walking to the bridge behind Aoshi.
Aoshi looked at her and sighed, "Don't tell me you're scared of heights."
"Well now that you mention it," she said weakly peering over the edge.
"Would you like me to teach you a ninja secret?" he asked. Without waiting for an answer he pulled her so that she was now in front of him ready to cross the bridge. Holding her head to look straight forward, he pointed at the castle in front of her then commanded, "Focus on a brick of the castle and don't stop looking at it."
"But…"
"Just do it then start walking," he said applying steady pressure to her back making her move forward.
Kaoru started walking on the bridge taking one step at a time. She was half way across when the bridge started to sway. She stopped refusing to move.
"What's wrong now?" he asked stopping behind her.
"I can't move," she hissed.
"Well we can't stay here all day," he growled back at her.
"But the bridge is moving,"
Aoshi poked her in the back with his walking stick making her lean forward. She whirled around to face him forgetting that she was on a bridge over hot lava. "What are you doing, trying to make me fall?" she demanded her face contorting into a scowl.
"If you don't back up I am going to walk over the top of you," Aoshi threatened advancing toward her while holding his walking stick pointed at her.
"You wouldn't dare, would you?" she asked slowly backing up to keep from getting poked or walked on. Without realizing it, each step took her closer to the end of the bridge until she was on ground again.
"I did it," she whispered looking down feeling the solid ground under her feet.
"Yes you did," Aoshi said softly walking past her gently patting her shoulder.
"I really did it," she repeated her face lighting up with this new discovery.
Approaching the entrance to the castle Aoshi whispered, "We need to find the stairs,"
"Why do we need to find the stairs?" Kaoru softly replied from behind him.
"Because they will take us to the Lady Misao,"
"How do you know that?"
"I read it in a book,"
"Ok but what about Battousai. Do you think he really exists?" she asked keeping her voice low and staying right behind him.
"Yes I am sure he exists," he answered while taking in the dilapidated condition of the castle. There were cracks along the floor caused when the lava shifted the ground under the castle. Big blocks of stone littered the floors having fallen from the roof or walls and there were some very unusual weapons scattered throughout the castle from former rescue attempts.
"We'll have better luck if we split up," Aoshi whispered. He pointed his finger at her then off to the right indicating that she should go in that way and he would go in the opposite direction.
High in the guard tower Battousai waited concealed behind the open arch. His flame red hair pulled back on the top of his head and tied with a leather strip. His clothes were ragged and torn with multiple burn marks from the lava.
He had seen the two rescuers from the minute they crested the ridge and watched with interest as the man maneuvered the woman across the bridge. She intrigued him with her spirited determination and fiery temper. Her powerful ki sparked his interest and pulled at his soul. The other one didn't feel like a threat to him. I have been here to long he told himself. After 10 years wandering this castle, I need to find something else to do with my life.
Aoshi and Kaoru split up to look for the stairs that would lead them to Lady Misao. Once Kaoru was out of sight Aoshi started his search walking in the opposite direction surveying the rooms for anything that would aid in his rescue of Lady Misao.
With sword drawn Kaoru quietly walked in the opposite direction from Aoshi. The vast open space of the castle caused her to look in awe and not notice the fallen piece of brick that her foot found. "Ow," she whined reaching down to inspect her foot.
Battousai had been watching her very closely since she entered the castle. He followed from a safe distance but was perplexed when she bent over. So he moved closer to get a better view of her, his interest mounting.
Kaoru stepped on her sore foot and found that she could still walk on it. Stealthily she continued to explore the castle looking for the stairs at the same time not forgetting about Battousai. She remembered hearing some of the legends that surrounded the man and not one of them were very pleasant. Feeling a strong ki, she knew that he was following her.
Going through a giant doorway she noticed a small opening in one of the walls off to the side of the door. She waited in the opening of the wall until he entered the room then quickly slipped through so that she was behind her pursuer.
"Stop legendary Battousai!!" she screamed positioning herself in a defensive stance getting ready to do battle.
He froze amazed that she was able to sneak behind him catching him off guard.
She started running toward him yelling a battle cry. Putting all her effort into the swing she completed her attack, hitting nothing but air.
He jumped to the left to avoid her swing, landing on a brick that had fallen from the ceiling. He smiled, only to go tumbling down landing flat on his back, as the brick crumbled under his descending weight.
"You don't appear to be as dangerous as everyone says you are," she said pointing her sword at his face. She noticed the confused look on his face after he landed on his back, throwing her off guard.
He reached out with his foot to sweep her feet out from underneath her but she was ahead of him and jumped out of the way giving him time to get in a better position.
Angrily she attacked again with as much force as her arm could handle.
He parried her attack but his heart wasn't into fighting with her. Being so near to her he could smell the sweet scent of her body. He backed away and disappeared. What is she doing to me he asked himself leaning against the other side of the wall from where she was standing.
"Come back here and fight me," she yelled walking in the direction that she thought he went getting angrier with each step she took.
He circled around behind her. He watched her, fascinated with everything that she did, from the way she walked to how she held her sword.
She was so determined to find him that she didn't notice a loose brick that was about to fall directly on top of her.
But he noticed and quicker that was humanly possible he rushed in, grabbed her in his arms, carrying her out of danger.
Instead of putting her down, he stood holding her looking into her eyes. He was mesmerized by their beauty and depth. He wanted nothing more than to just stand there gazing into her eyes.
As she looked into his eyes, she saw the gentle and soft side that he kept buried deep within himself. She swallowed and tried to speak but no words would come out of her mouth.
They were slowly drifting closer to each other when some dust from the ceiling settled on them. She blinked her eyes then shook her head startling her back to why she was here.
"Put me down and fight," she demanded squirming to be free of his arms.
He set her down and backed away. But before she could raise her sword, he once again disappeared leaving her all alone.
"What is wrong with him?" she mused looking around to see if she could see any sign of him. After walking through several rooms she found some stairs but no Battousai. Disappointed she walked up the stairs only to find that they led to a balcony. Walking out onto the balcony a warm breeze caressed her face. She stopped to soak up some of the warmth when the floor gave way beneath her. As she dropped through the floor she screamed as her sword caught the edges of the hole. Her feet dangled as she refused to look down.
He heard her scream after she disappeared from his sight. Rushing to the balcony he used his god-like speed to get to her. He grabbed her hand that was wrapped onto her sword with the yellow sash and with all his strength pulled her out of the hole and sent her flying into the air toward the doorway. Letting go of her hand, he ran towards the door catching her as she fell, the balcony disintegrating under his footsteps.
She landed safely in his arms, reaching around his neck with her hand still holding the sword and held on tight.
He didn't stop running until he knew that the ground under his feet was solid which put them back down the stairs. She was so close to him that he could feel how fast her heart was beating. Her face nestled inside the collar of his gi sent shivers through out his entire body making his cheeks glow.
"Miss…" he whispered in her ear.
"My name is Kaoru. Just Kaoru," was the muffled reply from his neck.
"Are you all right, Just Kaoru?" he quietly asked feeling her tremble in his arms.
"No," the word came out with a wisp of breath against his neck.
"Are… you… hurt?" he asked feeling her face smile against his neck. His emotions thoroughly confused he just stood there holding her in his arms.
"No, I'm all right… It's just… My name…" she started to say as she began to loosen her grip on his neck and pull away. He turned his head to look at her; their noses collided twisting each head in the correct direction for the perfect kiss. But the moment was not meant to last forever.
A loud crash broke them apart. He set her on her feet, took one last look into her eyes, and started walking in the direction of the crash.
"Thank you for saving me," she meekly said her cheeks glowing.
He turned back and smiled at her.
"Can you tell me your real name? Not the one everybody calls you," she asks her voice dropping to a whisper by the last word.
"Kenshin," he replied then he was gone.
"Ken… shin," she whispered then sighed.
To be continued…
