Author's note: I'm SOOO sorry this took so long! I had MAJOR writer's block. I promise to get these up faster. I promise!

Disclaimer: Kenshin's not mine. Duh.

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Chapter 10

An awkward silence filled the room. Although Sojiro's head was down, he could still tell everyone was staring at him and Kenshin. It was an awkward position. Finally, Sojiro broke the silence. "That can't be true. Not for us." He raised his head so he was looking Megumi in the eyes. "She told me we could fix this."

"Who told you?" Kaoru asked, looking from Sojiro to Megumi. "Who, Sojiro?"

Sojiro hesitated. Did he really want to tell them about his dream? "My-my mother," he replied, noticed the alarmed look on Kenshin's face. "I had a vision and she told me that we had until the end of the week to fix this."

"But that doesn't mean anything!" Sano shouted, and the snoozing Yahiko stirred. "You think it was a vision? It was probably a dream! It didn't mean anything, Sojiro! Nothing!"

"That's not quite true," Kenshin replied, his eyes closed and a serious expression on his face. "This one also had a vision speaking of events to come, events involving Isuzu-dono, some of which came true."

"There's something odd about that woman," Kaoru stated, crossing her arms.

"You only say that because you don't like her." Sano smirked.

"Actually, Kaoru-kun might not be wrong. Wasn't Isuzu supposed to not know anything about kenjutsu, Himura-san? Wasn't Kaoru-kun supposed to teach her?" Kenshin nodded.

"What went on between you two?" Megumi asked, leaning forward and studying Kenshin's face. "What happened on the journey to Tokyo?"

Kenshin took a few minutes to think back before replying. During those few minutes, every eye was on him. "Well, she insisted on traveling with this one to Tokyo, and then was attacked in the woods when she tried to travel alone."

"Who attacked her?" Sano asked, interested in anything having to do with fighting.

"Katashi-san, the same one who attacked this dojo and Kaoru-dono the day this one transformed," Kenshin responded, his eyes flashing gold before quickly returning to purple.

"Wait." This was Sojiro. "A man attacked you before you changed and then managed to find you after?"

"Yes, Sojiro."

Sojiro's eyes lit up. "That happened to me, too. Only the man drugged me the day I changed and attacked me - well your body after. He requested a fight with Battosai."

Kenshin studied Sojiro while Megumi spoke. "Maybe they have something to do with this. The chances of two men finding the two of you in a certain time span is quite low, unless it was planned."

"It's a start," Kaoru admitted. "But we still don't know how to break this curse, and we only have three days left!"

"We'll start in the morning," Kenshin said after a silence. "Everyone can sleep for now, but come morning, we'll search for these intruders."

No one seemed to want to give up their chance to sleep, and so no one disagreed, although, as Sojiro walked out of the room, he shot Kenshin a glance that questioned if this was the wisest decision. Kenshin just nodded at him and walked out.

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"Awake at last, are you?"

Isuzu opened her eyes to see a woman doctor leaning over her. "Wh-what happened?" she asked, the lights around her forming halos in her eyes. "Wh-who are you?"

"I'm Takani Megumi, the doctor looking over you. You passed out after attacking Kaoru," Megumi responded darkly. "Frankly, I would have just left you there if it was up to me, but Ken-Sojiro insisted that you were brought here."

"Sojiro-kun made sure I was safe?" Isuzu asked, sitting up. "That's so sweet of him."

"Yeah, I don't understand it at all," Megumi said. "Helping someone who attacked his friends? What was he thinking?"

Isuzu scanned the room, attempting to figure out where she was. "Where is Sojiro-kun now?" she asked, fiddling with her covers. "Is he here?"

Megumi laughed. "Of course not! He's not that concerned about you! As for you, you'd better brace yourself from when he does show up. He was furious!"

Isuzu lay back down, staring at the ceiling. "I didn't mean to make him mad. I just got so worked up," she said, pulling the blankets to her face so she could cry into them. "I didn't mean to make him mad!"

Megumi just shot her a disgusted look, stood and left.

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Lying down in bed, Sojiro stared at the ceiling as if expecting some vision or ticking clock to appear. Three days to live. It was a scary thought.

Sojiro knew that if he had known this when under Shishio's rule, he most likely wouldn't have cared as much. In fact, he probably would have just smiled larger and walked away. But now, knowing that this doom was coming to him and he couldn't face it with his sword was quite disturbing.

I wonder how Himura-san's dealing with this? Sojiro asked himself. Kenshin had more to say good bye to than him. It must be even harder. But Kenshin wasn't the type of person to be pessimistic. He was probably thinking that they'd get out of this easily.

I just hope you're right, Himura-san.

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Kaoru felt like crying. For the first time in quite a while, Kaoru felt like letting loose and crying, crying until she couldn't cry anymore. Kenshin was so close to death. So close, and there wasn't even anything he could do to stop it.

Sitting up in bed, she stared at the wall closest to where Kenshin was sleeping. Opening her mouth, she whispered through the darkness.

"I promise I'll break this curse for you, Kenshin. I promise."