Author's note: Haven't been writing for so long so my grammar is back to square one – atrocious! Anyway, I hope that you will enjoy this chapter.
Lost And Found
He had to free himself of this metal as quickly as he should. "Hiko!!!" Kenshin bellowed. "I know you are out there! Release me at once! I need to get to Kaoru immediately. I need to stop her from killing herself! Let go of me! HIKO!!!!!!"
All was fall on deaf ears. Hiko was sitting outside of the cave sipping his sake as he nonchalantly dug his ear with his little finger.
Kenshin continued to struggle. His mind was all scattered, emotion all mixed and mashed up. He was infuriated. She had lied to him, deceived him and broken her promise. He was so livid at her betrayal so much so he wanted to throw her into a cave, imprisoning her, which only he can have access. At the same he was petrified - scared stiff of losing her, unable to feel or hear her. In the midst of his panic stricken mode, he kept track of what was left of her ki. His breathing was labouring. He had to stop her. He cannot allow her to see Enishi.
"HIKO!!!! Let me out of here! HIKO!!"
He stopped. Her ki was getting faint. He could barely sense it. He was losing grip on her. Whimpering like a lost child he struggled harder like a mad man.
"ARGHHHHHH!!!!!" The vein at his temple almost burst out from beneath his skin. The edge of the metal which Kaoru had had it rounded against his limbs was cutting into his skin. He was panting in fright.
"No.. No…" He was losing hold on her. "HIKO~! LET ME OUT! HIKO! Kaoru… no… hanging in there. I'm coming to save you. Hanging there. HIIIIIKKKKKOOOOOOOOO!!!"
All of a sudden, he was dead stiff, not moving a single muscle. A lone tear rolled down his ears. Her ki disappeared. He could no longer feel her presence. Not even the slightest. She was gone. In shock he couldn't move a muscle. Another pearl of tears fell from his eyes. Suddenly his world has turned into a block of ice.
"No…" he wailed. "NOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The vibration of his voice shook the entire cave. If not for the magic that surrounds the cave, the land would be experiencing a major tremor.
"ARGHHHHHH!!!!" Kenshin continued to bawl.
Hiko sighed. "This is going to be a long long night…" he continued to sip his sake.
As Kenshin howled, he was also transforming rapidly. His hair had turned from brilliant red into a dull bluish grey. His slim, boney and long fingers grew claws that were so sharp that it can easily shred any living thing into unrecognized pieces. His eyes… Instead of his usual molten gold, it had turned bloody red. His fang was drooling venom. With another loud roar, he broke the metal seal binding him to the stone plate.
Hiko dropped his sake dish onto the ground. Shockingly stunned was the least to describe Hiko's feeling. He turned towards the cave. It has been so long since he felt such dark aura from his former nemesis. Himura was reverting back to his past evil self.
Kenshin pulverized every single rock he laid claws on, wanting to destroy the entire cave. He wanted to destroy everything he came across. His appearance was of pure madness. Logical sense can no longer reach him. However no matter how insanely destructive he went, he wasn't able to break the barrier that was trapping him in the cave.
Kuno together with Megumi appeared from the ground, looking extremely concerned.
"Hiko, it wouldn't be long before the entire heaven's army troop come barging into this area. Do something about it?!" Megumi screeched.
"What do you expect me to do? Be his punch bag and calm him down? You are the one with the brain, you think," Hiko answered back.
Megumi sighed exasperatingly. She had honestly no idea how long Kaoru's spell was going to hold up. She should have anticipated it. What was she even thinking? No ordinary spell can trap Himura.
"Relax. He would not be able to get out that easily," Hiko assured.
Megumi looked at him disbelievingly and back at the cave which about to explode any minute, releasing the terror it contained.
Hiko stared at Megumi for a long moment because he cared to explain. "Kaoru used the spell that Kenshin taught her to stop him from reading her mind - a spell works on desire. The more he desires, the stronger the shield will be. So, if he desire so much to come out of the cave, the spell will reinforced itself to trap him in. So, there is no way he is going to get out. At least not in his current state."
"Even so, at the rate that he is going, his aura alone is enough to cause a massive earthquake to this land, destroying everything within radius!"
"That is why I said you need to think of a way to calm him down."
"Me?! What can I do? Talk to him nicely? Or bring Kaoru back to him? Why in the hell did we agree to baby sit such rebellious demon in the first place?! You managed to quiet him down once. Do it again!"
Hiko smirked. "The last time I killed the woman he was willing to give up his life for."
Suddenly, Megumi went very silent.
XooooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooooX
He roared, clawing at the barrier. There was only one thing in his mind – total destruction. He wanted to turn the world into hellhole, burning down everything in ashes. With his only livelihood gone, nothing was worth living anymore.
'Kenshin…'
He registered a familiar voice. He stopped clawing and listened in.
'Kenshin…'
He turned fervently in his spot looking for the source of the voice; the only voice that could reached his sanity. He felt comforting warmth swept past him. His hands tried to grab hold of the warmth but in his grip was nothingness.
A tiny snow like pure white glow appeared from his chest area and against gravity it traveled up to his face. It randomly swam around his face before it slowed down and gently touched the tip of his nose. At the contact his eyes snapped wider. It felt very familiar and soothing.
It began to move away from him but he didn't want to part with the glow. His foot took a step forward, followed by the other and reached out his hand trying to gently grasp the moving glow. For some reason, he could not manage to hold the tiny glow. It was always ahead of his hand, moving randomly. When the glow stilled, he stopped his foot.
Slowly from a tiny glow, it grew bigger and bigger till he had to squint his eyes to screen the brightness of the pure white. Adjusting his vision, he tried to ascertain the forming figure behind the diminishing brightness.
"Kaoru…?" he asked softly but with uncertainty laying in his tone.
"Yes, Love," she answered gently.
"Kaoru..." He purred as he moved closer, wanting to have her in his arms. "Kaoru, you came back to me…" He hugged her tightly, feeling her warmth. All his senses returned to him.
She stroked the back of his head like how a mother would to her child, cooing him to transformed back into his human form. "It pained me to see you hurt yourself as you just did," she said. Lightly pushing them apart, she looked him in the eyes before she continued, "I love you. I can never leave you but you would have to find me and complete me."
Moving slowly away from him, she smiled at him serenely. Very quickly, he grabbed hold of her hand but she continued to back away from him. He wanted to take a step forward but she shook her head and said, "Find me. I'll be waiting...."
He felt her fingers slipping away from his but he did nothing to reclaim them in his clutch. He still hung his hand mid air even though her hand was far within his reach. He carefully watched her as she glowed brighter till it blinded him for a moment before the glow turned back to a tiny glow as it was before.
"Find me… I'll be waiting…" Her voice ghostly echoed around him.
Instead of retrieving his hand, he opened his up his palm for the snow like glow to rest comfortably in the center of his hand. Slowly he brought his open palm closer to himself, mesmerizing yearningly but not without hint of sadness clouding his eyes. Carefully, his fingers clasped inwards, closing his palm and brought his most precious possession to his lips with his eyes closed
"I'll find you… Wait for me… " he said softly.
XooooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooooX
All three of them listened cautiously for any movement inside the cave. Though it was for the better that the demonic roar had died down, they were very afraid of what was going to happen next.
Kuno asked warily, "You think he figured out a way to break the spell and purposely calm himself only to kill us all?"
Both Megumi and Hiko could only turn to look at him blankly. Before any they could answer Kuno's question, the barrier holding the cave disappeared. Hiko immediately stood up, his hand ready by the hilt of his sword.
Unintentionally, Megumi took a few steps backwards, preparing herself for the worst.
As all three of them fixated their full attention on the only entrance and exit to the cave, Kenshin in his flaming red hair came walking of the cave. Surrounds him was not the menacing aura but a calm air.
Breaking the silence tension, Kenshin said, "Until I find her again, I will be training with you, Hiko. This is my master's wish and only to her I shall bow to."
All three of them dropped their shoulder and let out the breath that they had been holding in the lungs.
XooooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooooX
THREE THOUSAND YEARS LATER…
"Oi!" the tall lanky spike haired young man called out nervously, "you have been smiling like… like an idiot for two bloody whole days! Are you feeling alright? You are scaring me, dude!" He said from a distance to his subject.
Kenshin turned around, away from the attention of the stove, to meet his companion in the eyes. "Isn't smiling you have been trying to accustom me to? Why are you complaining now, Sano?"
"Man, you are really scaring me now," Sano took two steps back. "This is not how you should be responding right now. I just called you an idiot! Your eyes should have turned golden and ready to skin me alive! Who are you! What have you done to Battousai?!" He turned around and whispered, "I think I better call Hiko for help…"
"There is no need to panic. I just fell happy and I haven't been feeling this good for centuries." Kenshin said as he turned back his attention on the pot sitting on the hot stove.
Sano turned to look at Kenshin uncertainly. He had not once heard Kenshin speaking in such carefree and flamboyant manner.
"She is near," Kenshin explained, "I can feel her as if she is next to me." Kenshin looked up again and declared, "I've finally found her."
XooooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooooX
'The eyes… So soft and tender, wanting to convey something so desperately. And the smile… What is this feeling? Why does it feel so warm? My legs… They are going boneless. I want to caress the hair even if it is going to burn my hands to ashes. I want to touch… I want to… but why can't I? No… Wait… don't go. No… Come back… I want to touch…"
A pair of eyes snapped wide open coming together with a hitched breath..
"Not again… Why does the dream always have to end up like this – without an ending?! And it always has to be the same dream! This is ridiculous… Why do I have to keep on dreaming of the same dream every night - the eyes and that… that… sultry smile. Is this a curse for being a sixteen year old? Oh Lord, why am I even waking up talking to myself again?! Argh… He is probably right, I'm going bananas…."
]
Kaoru kicked the cover, trying to detangle from it and climb out of bed unwillingly. After coming out from the bathroom, cladding in towel, Kaoru grabbed the uniform hanging against the cupboard and dressed ready for school.
Dragging up the zipper of the pants, Kaoru thought it would be good to have a go for a practice at the school dojo but immediately scrapped the idea when thought of public showering in the school.
'I'll wait after school then,' Kaoru thought. At least showering could put be on hold until Kaoru got home. Kaoru was never found of showering publicly.
XooooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooooX
"Going out early again?" Sano asked disbelievingly.
Kenshin nodded happily as he groomed himself in front of the mirror, making sure he was looking at his best.
"Kenshin, I don't mean to question you but do you think it is really a good idea to drive all day along without any direction, searching for her? I mean, she could be anywhere. Don't you have any better idea of pining her exact location instead of wandering aimlessly, following your guts?"
"I would if I could," Kenshin sighed, eyes still on the mirror. "But, her presence is getting stronger and stronger by the day. I could almost hear her calling me to her." He turned around to meet Sano and said, "And I will find her." He smiled boyishly and continued to check himself in the mirror.
Sano could only shook his head and he silently hoped that Kenshin had better find what he was looking for before Kenshin lose his patience and start terrorizing everything coming in the red head's way.
XooooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooooX
Laying on the concrete floor on the school's roof top, Kaoru stared out into the open blue sky, drowning with thoughts, trying to decipher feelings for the day. For some unknown reason, Kaoru had been filed with a certain anticipation doubled with excitement. It sounded silly but Kaoru was waiting for the unknown.
XooooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooooX
Tsubame kept looking across her shoulder in her classroom seat at an empty seat in front of Yahiko. She didn't look too happy.
Yahiko saw her and sighed. He picked up his pen and scribbled on a piece of paper. He then folded the paper into smaller fold and hand it to the person sitting next to him. His classmate knowingly passed on the piece of paper to the person in front of him and the person nudged with his finger at the person in front of him before handing Tsubame the same piece of paper.
Tsubame took in the small piece of paper and unfolded it. It read, 'Don't worry, that brat will appear during lunch time. You know how the idiot loves your handmade bento.'
Tsubame smiled sheepishly to herself. She looked over her shoulders again and this time, she gave Yahiko a warming smile, thanking him.
Yahiko immediately warmed up to her smile and return the gesture. He would do anything to earn her smile.
XooooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooooX
Kenshin stopped his convertible right in front of a school. He could hear his heart drumming right through his ears. He was nervous like a young school boy meeting his first crush for a date of the century.
He looked into the rear mirror, gave one final check on himself before he sighed contently and got out of his car. Standing in front of the school, he carefully studied the aura of the school, trying to pin her exact location.
Tidying his suit for the one last time, he took a foot forward and another, gradually entering the school. As he walked in, the school bell rang.
After all the long painful centuries of search, his quest had finally come to an end. He had finally found her.
XooooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooooX
Kaoru looked at the time and spoke to no one in particular, "Wow… Lunch time already?! Geez, time really flies when you are wasting your time doing nothing…"
Kaoru got up and exited the rooftop. Walking casually, Kaoru headed to the classroom.
"See? True enough, this idiot will just appear when it is lunch time," Yahiko said to a happy looking Tsubame the moment Kaoru walked into the classroom.
"Where the hell have you been?" Yahiko questioned Kaoru the moment Kaoru took a seat in one of the square which Yahiko had formed with four desks. "To the dojo again?"
"Nah… I just went lazing around." Kaoru replied while smiling to the sweet looking Tsubame as she handed Kaoru a bento. "Thanks, Tsubame. I don't know what I'll do without you…"
Tsubame blushed.
Yahiko watched longingly the scene displaying in front of him and mustered, "How about taking her out for a date?"
Tsubame blushed even harder. She immediately excused herself, running out of the classroom.
"Are you crazy?!" Kaoru whispered angrily to Yahiko. "Why the hell did you say that for?"
Yahiko looked at Kaoru disbelievingly before he shook his head and answered solemnly "Nothing…"
XooooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooooX
Kenshin moved along the crowded corridor. He set his sight on one specific target. He blocked out all the rest of the ki with an exception of one beautiful ki which is vibrantly calling for him.
He moved ahead with a smile carving on his lips. He stopped at the side of a classroom entrance. She was in there. He needed to calm himself down. He took a deep breath and turned the bent walking into the classroom just right after a girl came running out.
His quick reflexes caught the girl by her arms before she could slam herself against his chest.
"I.. I'm sorry," she apologized.
Kenshin merely smiled at her and quickly but gently pushed her to the side before releasing her arm. His sight immediately shot up looking for the apple of his eyes.
"Tsubame!" Yahiko shouted as he stood up. "Are you alright?"
Kaoru turned around to see what was going on and their eyes locked. Hypnotically, Kaoru stood up and unknowingly walked across the classroom to the familiar stranger who was walking towards Kaoru. They met midway, still staring into each others' eyes.
The side of Kenshin's lips curled upwards. Waking up from his mesmerizing state, he threw his arms around Kaoru, squeezing Kaoru tightly. He closed his eyes and whispered, "I've finally found you…."
His voice… His voice only was enough to make Kaoru's legs go weak.
"Sorry to keep you waiting for so long," Kenshin continued. "I will never ever let you go again."
Kaoru closed his eyes and relaxingly rested his head on Kenshin's shoulders. An unexplainable sense of relief swept through him. In a small movement Kaoru nodded causing Kenshin to tighten his hug around Kaoru.
Kaoru didn't know how long they stood hugging each other. Attracted to the warmth of the stranger like a moth to the burning candlelight was eccentrically soothing. Kaoru felt so right that he could stay in the position forever. It wasn't until Kaoru slowly registered the whispers of his classmate around him that realization hit him hard on the head.
Kaoru being deprived of precious air, suddenly awoke from his trance and blinked profusely. 'What the hell…? Why am I being hug so tightly by another man?!!!!!'
Kaoru quickly pushed himself away from the stranger. Kaoru's heart was drumming in his ears and he was breathing heavily. His palms was firmly planted on the stranger's chest. Only then did Kaoru really take note of the stranger's appearance. The first thing that caught Kaoru's attention was the stranger's red hair and his eyes. They looked oddly familiar. Kaoru had seen them somewhere… Kaoru's dream! He had dreamt of this hair and this pair of eyes! All this while, Kaoru dreaming of a MAN! A MAN!!! Kaoru understood well that he was a hot blooded sixteen year old boy on the height of puberty but… but this was too outrageous for him to accept!
Goosebump were beginning crept out beneath Kaoru's skin. The stranger was not only a man but extremely good looking man with his delicate feminine features. However, his jaw hinted Kaoru that this stranger was dead stubborn.
Why was the face which had been haunting him for countless night standing right in front of him and was even hugging him a while ago, Kaoru silently questioned himself. Kaoru looked around him and found his classmate were staring and bitching among themselves. He saw Yahiko's jaw dropped to his knee. Kaoru knew what was implied through the unconventional 'hugging' scene between two male displayed before the eyes of his classmates. Kaoru wanted to explain himself however, he was wordless. Kaoru felt fear draining away and being replaced by anger instead that Kaoru looked at the stranger again.
The stranger's eyes held such much tenderness and yet pain that Kaoru's anger immediate dissipated.
"Kaoru…"
"Who the hell are you?" Kaoru finally open his voice. 'How did he know my name? How is he?' The sight of the stranger had Kaoru unwillingly feeling invigorated, overwhelm yet anxiety.
"Kaoru," Kenshin took a step closer.
"STAY AWAY FROM ME!!!!" Kaoru berated and took a few step backwards clumsily hitting some desk and chair. Kaoru nearly choked himself when he saw how the stranger narrowed his eye with a glint of gold crossed over it.
Kenshin realized his fault immediately and closed his eyes, calming himself. When he opened his eyes, they back to his usual violet again – deceivingly innocent.
"Kaoru," Kenshin tried again. With lightning speed, he cupped Kaoru's face firmly yet, gently unable Kaoru to escape from him. "Don't you remember me, Kaoru?" he asked in soft pleading manner, looking deep into Kaoru's eyes.
Kaoru had both his hands on the stranger's wrists struggling to yank its palm off his cheek. He knew what hideous scene the stranger was creating for his fellow classmates to observe. However, as the stranger's eyes peered right through his eyes into his soul, Kaoru was left speechless and relaxed, totally mesmerized by those captivating violet irises.
"Kaoru, it's me, Kenshin. Can you remember me?" He asked again when Kaoru was calmer.
Uncertainty clouding his judgement, Kaoru didn't know what to answer. After a long moment staring at unknown but yet familiar face, Kaoru shook his head carefully.
Kenshin smiled. "It is alright Kaoru. You're probably too young to remember me. I'm a close friend of your deceased parents and I am your official appointed guardian."
"Huh?"
"When your parent died in a crash many years ago, it is in their will that I shall be your appointed guardian. However, the lawyer couldn't locate me as I constantly change my contact number and I don't read papers." Kenshin crushed Kaoru into his chest again. "I'm so sorry for not being with you when you needed me the most. I'm so sorry that it took me so long to come to you. I'm sorry to keep you waiting. I'm sorry… I'll never leave you alone ever again."
Involuntarily, a lone tear involuntarily roll down Kaoru's cheek. Followed by another drop. He didn't understand why he was crying. Perhaps because the stranger who named himself Kenshin had touched the deepest depth of his soul which had he had been trying hard to deny – he was lonely. Although surrounded by people who cared for him, Kaoru never had a sense of belonging. It wasn't the fact that he didn't trust the people around him but something was just … amiss. Kaoru sincerely cared for the people around him but he just couldn't bring himself to open his heart to anybody, not even his best friend Yahiko. Even with his cheerful smile, somewhere deep in his chamber of heart, he had always remained a distance, isolated from everyone else.
Kaoru honestly couldn't remember Kenshin. In fact Kaoru was not really sure if he really knew Kenshin well. However, there was something about Kenshin that made Kaoru's heart felt warm for the first time in his entire life. Kaoru loved his parents very much but had never come to know such warmth. Perhaps this red hair stranger held the key to his heart. Perhaps Kenshin was God sent to open his heart to be more human.
Only when Kenshin apologized to him again did Kaoru realized he was sobbing uncontrollably but he didn't care what the rest of the world had to say. He just wanted to cry his heart out, releasing the feeling of loneliness had been trapping him for so long.
Planting a kiss on the top of Kaoru's head, Kenshin vowed, "I'll never let you off my sight again. Never…"
XoooooooXooooooooXooooooooooXooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooX
Author's note:
Be a good sport and tell me honestly what do you think of the story's progress. Thank you for your time to read.
I know I have been absent for quiet sometime but I have not given up on writing. I have change job and the new challenge has been really taxing. However, I'm just human and need a well balanced life and I shall continue writing for leisure. This is my new year resolution.
It is the Chinese New Year break and I hope to complete the next chapter within this few days. I'm also concurrently writing the next installment of 'I do I do' (for those who are still interested in reading the story).
Anyway, thanks again for reading and enjoy life while you still breathing.