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Opening Notes
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Midi: O.O -beats down random rabbits with Larcenciel's unconcious body- Run away! I read another great fanfiction and was overwhelmed by an invasion of plot bunnies! Run from them for they are great and all powerful! Run! Run for your liiives!
Okay, seriously. I just published Chapter Sixteen like . . . three or four hours ago and I've already been bitten once again by the Hellish Bunny Rabbits of Doom. LOL - when I think about Hellish Bunny Rabbits of Doom, I almost unconciously start saying, "In the name of God, impure souls of the living dead will be banished into eternal Damnation. Amen." XD First person to tell me where THAT quote is from gets to borrow Sanosuke for twenty-four hours. Yes, ladies and gents (come on, boys, you know some of ya'll want him!), that's right! Twenty-four WHOLE hours. -waggles eyebrows-
Sanosuke: O.O
Midi: XD -cackles uncontrollably and then chokes on nothing, causing her to cough loudly-
Sanosuke: . . . -.-
Midi: Anyway, everyone pay attention: Female Hitokiri Battousai is hosting a fanfiction competition so make sure you get your cute little asses over to her profile for the link and nominate/whatever you do! Understand? Good. -cheesy grin- Oh and make sure you vote for PintheP when the competition starts in June, okay? XD
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Disclaimer since I haven't had one in many achapter: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. Watsuki-sama does. (Lucky bastard.) I simply contort the characters and storyline to fulfill my (and others) own twisted ideas. ;D
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To The Reviewers:
Janelle: Yeah, the words were to Hootie and the Blowfish's Only Lonely. I said that in the author's notes, but you must have missed it.
Kaoru4: Wai! So great to see you again, Kaoru-chan. -huggles- I'm glad I'm back too. I'm so tired of being depressed. XP Please read on, ne?
rain angst: Well here's a familiar face. LOL! Nice to see you again, rain angst. How's it hanging? I'm really glad you enjoyed the chapter, as I had a lot of fun writing it.
Sagitarious Devil: Yuck, it was short, huh? XP -is disgusted with herself- I usually have a hard time writing long chapters. Sometimes they come out really long, but then other times I just can't think and my deadline is about to smack me in the face so I have to cut the chapter off short. -sighs- I hope you liked it anyway.
Lynn-Minmay:Yo Minmay-chan! Nice toget another great review from ya. Don't got so much to say, but I wish I did. Forgive me, but I really just wanna start writing the chapter and I'm running out of material here. XD
Nanakilover/Brukaoru: NB-chan! How's it going, chica? Hope everything's good. Aiya, thanks for the review and all the assurances you gave me over and over. I'm sowwie I was being such a pigheaded idiot. -.- I really hope you like the chapter.
De Lazy Lime: XD Of course, senorita. Here's another portion. -grins-
animegurl23: Aw, off so soon! Just kidding. I hope to hear from ya again. Ja!
Immortal-Blood: Hey! Immortal! I updated again, just for you. -huggles-
Pego5678: LOL - Boulevard of Broken Dreams kicks ass. I'm going to rewrite Chapter Fifteen using that song, so you can go back and reread it when I finish up. I'm hoping it'll enforce the chapter a lot. I'll probably only be doing one more song in this entire fic, and that'll be for the last chapter, which I have planned. But I'm not telling what the song is because I'm evil and it might give away how the story ends and what a shame that would be. >D
Tenshi-no-Hana-chan: Oh no! You're a kitty again . . . -uses magical powers to turn you back into a fellow angel- There ya go. ;D
E.B.: Heh heh . . . not giving away any info on the ending, so you'll just have to keep reading, won't you? >D
flclgd13: I'm so glad you enjoyed the chapter! Yay! I hope you enjoy this one even more!
peterpanstigerlily: Chapter lengths can't be decided beforewise. I write until I think enough has been told. Sometimes the length and timing make writing as good as it is. And I have long Author's Notes because I really like to talk to my readers personally and through the story.
Hiei's Ice Maiden: Hiya girlie! XD Glad to see you back. Thanks for the reivew!
CM-chan: CM! CM! It's really you . . . -tackles and hugs- Hwaa! Great to see ya again, chica! Bah, I'd destroy your school but I'm afraid of the consequences . . . -.-
hannah: LOL! Gosh, you and everyone else! ;D I've promised a lemon, so one day be there will one. Whoa, slipping into ye olde English. XD
kik-ting: Yesh, it was very much so, ne? >D Thanks for the review!
Glorfindel Silverleaf: You rock my socks! Thanks for the wonderful praise! T-T Beautiful words from a great reader! I'm so glad you're enjoying yourself and I really hope you continue reading.
Crystal Winds: Thanks! Can't wait to hear from you again!
ThessalyD: LOL! Don't worry, you make perfect sense. Trust me, a lot more than I'd be making that late. XD And thanks, have a nice night/day yourself.
SailorKagome: First off, I love your name. XD And I'm really glad you like the story thus far! Please keep reading, ne? D
Poi Poi: Damn, I like your name too. Why does everyone have such awesome names but me? XD
Tenxjigoku: Hey! Great to hear from you. -big extra cheesy grin- Thanks for the review! And I'm sorry you thought you'd be confused. If it's any consolation, I have to keep going back to reread myself otherwise even I would be confused and I'm the author. XD
Ice Angel Kaoru: Yay! Hey chica, nice to hear from you! Nope, they didn't sleep together, as you'll see in my BIG FAT MESSAGE in the bottom Author's Notes.
Mihoshi05: Hey, welcome to the story! Thanks for the review!
jEP: XD Thanks. I hope you review again. Because you know, I gotta salvage as many "cute" reviews as I can. Otherwise I think I'd just about go crazy. Okay, explanation: I've only ever had . . . three people . . . tell me this story was cute, not including yourself or myself, because I think it's more cute than dramatic, but then again, I wrote it. So yeah, keep those "cute"s coming!
dragonspirit4215: Thank you so much for your well wishes, I really appreciate it more than I can say. I hope that you continue reading, dragonspirit, but I hope more than that that you enjoy the story. Again, thank you very, very much. -bows-
Saiya Winters: Heya Saiya. Wow, I rhymed. XD Sorry, I'm an idiot, I know. LOL - thanks for the review, meh friend!
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Midi and Larcenciel: And that's all! Onward!
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End of Opening Notes
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Descend:
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Chapter Seventeen
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Visionary
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Yahiko stared forlornly up at the ceiling of his room, trying to ignore the loud banging at his door. Night had only recently fallen, but it felt like it had been dark for much, much longer. The steady knocking grew increasingly louder as the visitor's patience began to grow thin.
"Boy! Open this door now or so help me I'll get Katsura himself to drag you out of there!"
Yahiko snorted, rolling into the fetal position and stuffing his head underneath the pillow. "Like Katsura would ever speak with someone as low ranking as you," he muttered under his breath, squeezing his eyes shut.
Moments later the door was flying off its hinges and a very perturbed guard stood in the doorway. "You're going to pay for your behavior, boy!"
And he did.
"Kaoru . . . help me . . . ."
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"Are we going to leave today?" asked Kaoru tentatively, reaching out to brush her fingers over Battousai's shoulder curiously.
He nodded wordlessly, glancing back at her as he finished zipping up his black jacket before handing her something to wear as well. Kaoru unfolded it. Her eyebrows shot up- a sun dress.
"A dress?" she asked, shocked. Battousai only shrugged, keeping his back to her so that she would be unable to see the tiny smirk on his face.
Kaoru scrunched up her nose and stuck out her tongue at him, knowing full well that he couldn't see her but unable to stop herself anyway. "Don't look," she commanded, waiting for a few seconds to make sure he wouldn't turn around before quickly changing into the dress. It was yellow, a color she hadn't worn since she was very young, but it was also verynice and brought out her eyes. "Okay, I'm decent."
When he turned around, Battousai's expression didn't change, but she could read him well enough to know what he was thinking. "Giving him a bright smile, she grabbed up the maroon sweater from where she'd thrown in on the bed and patted him on the shoulder before proceeding to slip into the sweater and then out the door. "Thanks, I think you look pretty too."
Battousai said nothing, only narrowed his eyes and stopped her from leaving. "Wait."
Kaoru blinked up at him, frowning a bit. "What?" His eyes were tinged with violet. "What? What's wrong?" She suddenly stopped, realizing just how close they were. She was standing within in the circle of his arms and his face was close to hers. She'd only have to lean up a few inches to press her lips to his . .. .
She lowered her eyes, and the look on the Battousai's face softened a bit. "Kamiya . . . ."
Before he could continue, though, he shook his head, pulling away suddenly and tensing, then cocking his head to the side in a way that seemed more fitting an action for a young girl than an assassin, but Kaoru didn't say anything. "Someone is here." Battousai's voice was calm, but the lavender that had been swirling in his eyes had hardened once again into cold amber, the once beautiful stare transforming into the typical apathetic look.
"What?" she started to demand, but the Battousai slapped a hand over her mouth. She glared up him, but didn't dare struggle. She didn't want to know what he'd do or what might happen if she did.
The man holding her was completely still, eyes searching and a look of immense concentration ruling his face. "We need to leave," he informed her in a low voice, removing the hand from her mouth to pull his sword from the dresser where'd he placed it the night before. "Stay behind me."
"I can fight too!" she urged, whispering. "I can-"
Tired of her antics, he silenced her with a glance and shook his head slightly. "If you are to die, it will be by my hand and my hand alone. You wouldn't stand a chance against Katsura's men, Kamiya. You should know that."
Kaoru didn't say anything, only wrapped her arms around herself and looked away.
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"Yahiko-chan, my men tell me you've been resisting them. Why?"
He said nothing. He knew that if he did, things would be over more quickly, but he daren't tell Katsura of his latest vision. If he did, things would be over for Kaoru and whoever was keeping her safe. Even if it was that murderer, he'd rather have his friend with the Battousai than the man in front of him.
If Katsura ever found out that Kaoru was still a virgin or that he'd been seeing so many things . . . .
"Yahiko-chan. Answer me."
He didn't.
A hard punch in the face sent Yahiko reeling back onto the floor. Tears came to his eyes and pain pulsated throughout his face, but he refused to let them fall. Whenever Kaoru had been hit, she'd never cried. She had been brave, so he would be brave too.
"Your incompetence is irritating, Yahiko-chan," Katsura continued calmly, eyes hard as he pulled the young boy roughly to his feet. "I don't understand why you've been refusing to speak of your visions. A few months ago you would have been more than willing, I'm sure."
He looked away.
Katsura's glare intensified before he smoothed his features into a placid stare. Leaning close in, his fist tightened around Yahiko's collar. "You do know what I could do to you."
His eyes widened but he kept his gaze on the vase over the man's shoulder.
"Tell me, Yahiko-chan. Why haven't you been telling us of your visions? Why have you been resisting? What have you been seeing?"
Silence.
"Might it have something to do with . . . Kaoru?"
He couldn't help it; he ripped his gaze from the vase and looked straight into the older man's eyes, his own eyes filled with fear.
Katsura smirked triumphantly. "Ah . . . so it is as I expected. Tell me . . . what have you been seeing, my little friend? Might it have something to do with her prophecy? The very one you and your father made?"
Yahiko shivered involuntarily, but he remained silent.
"So I'm right? Ah, then I'm correct, therefore, in presuming that she still has her virginity?"
The look on the young prophet's face was enough to satisfy the man, but just enough so that it increased his desire to know more. "That's not all, is it, Yahiko-chan? You've seen more, haven't you?"
He was shaking, but he quickly mouthed 'no.'
Katsura sighed slowly and released him. "I'll have to do this the hard way then." He turned and disappeared into another room for a moment. When he entered once more, he was holding a very familiar antique sword . . . .
He unsheathed it and stood in front of the young boy threateningly. "Let's just say that if you don't tell me, I'll kill you no matter how high your commercial value or usefullness may be. You will tell me . . . won't you Yahiko-chan?"
Yahiko let outan involuntary sob as all courage fell away and he opened his mouth.
I'm sorry . . . Kaoru . . . .
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Midi: HA! Ya'll thought I was gonna write the lemon, didn't ya? I mean, they came SOOO close to kissing again, but dammit, I'm just too evil - did you REALLY think I would be that nice? >D MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
By the way - credit for a lot of the storyline from here on out's gotta go to one of meh best friends in da world! Let's all give Natalie, meh spiritual sister, a big hand! And also - HUGE shoutout to Pitchy! Ya know who you are, chica! I'm so glad you're enjoying PintheP!You rock my knee-high socks. -smiles so brightly the sun reflects off her teeth and blinds everyone within a four mile radius-
Larcenciel: ARGH! MY EYES!
Midi: Okay, not a long chapter, but at least I updated and we now know that Yahiko has been seeing things. Question is, though . . . what is he seeing? And please don't get angry at Yahiko for spilling the beans to Katsura - I mean, Katsura's a scary guy, and poor Yahiko was frightened out of his mind.
Anyway, people, you'd be surprised at how many people have been asking me this question: Did Kaoru and the Battousai have sex?
THE ANSWER: NO THEY DID NOT! Kaoru is still a virgin, otherwise I would have made it MORE than clear, trust me. I'm not sure why everyone is so confused, because when I say something, I try to spell it out for you. -.- Next time, trust me - if something important happens, YOU WILL KNOW. I expect this question will never be asked again, or I'll just get pissed off. Ahem. Thank you for your time. V.V