A/N: Yes, yes, I know it's been a while since I last updated...O_o...but I
just wanted to make sure this was a good chapter...
Oh, yes! *Throws out Sano plushies to all reviewers*
I can't answer all my reviews since there were so many more that I expected *grins* but here:
Maddy- Thanks tons for reviewing all my stories ^_^ you're the greatest!
KenshinXXX- well, since you insisted your life depended on it, here's the next chappie.
CrystalRenee- You've been such a great reviewer! And thankies tons for the Kenshin clone. *hugs Kenshin clone* here's a Sano plushie. *hands Sano plushie* ^_^
AND ON WITH THE FIC!! Or disclaimer anyway..
Disclaimer: If I had a dollar for every time I had to say I DIDN'T own Rurouni Kenshin, I would have more pocket money than I would know what to do with...*I DO NOT OWN RUROUNI KENSHIN*. Ah...another dollar...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 5: Lost Forever
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sanosuke stood shakily, leaning heavily against the side of the building. His vision blurred then came into focus again as he tried to discern his surroundings.
"Crap. Where the...hell...what did I...Crap."
Mumbling partially incoherent phrases and squinting his eyes against the almost nonexistant morning light, he slumped down onto the filthy ground again.
He had never had such a bad hangover in...
'My whole.'
He stood up again, wobbling.
'Entire'
Blinked his eyes very slowly and held his throbbing head.
'Worthless.'
Staggered out into the streets.
'Life.'
Sanosuke began walking. He wasn't sure where, or why. He just knew it was very early morning and he had a...Killer...Hangover.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kaoru woke up screaming.
Something...was wrong...
Very...wrong.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yahiko was running.
Running.
From.
'Everything.'
'So...confusing...I just don't understand. I don't get it.'
He stopped running and fell to his knees.
"Why?!!"
Yahiko beat his fists against the dark ground, wishing, hoping.
There in the dark he didn't know. Didn't care. He didn't want reasons, or explanations. He was already cried out, but his small body rocked back and forth as he shut his eyes and wrapped his arms around his knees, telling himself that if he closes his eyes long enough, they will forget what they saw, if he covers his ears tight enough, they will no longer keep hearing the sobs.
'How could he? Kenshin. I...I have never...seen him...like that. I have never...seen him...cry.'
He didn't know where he was. He didn't care where he was. He just wanted to erase the knowledge that his hero-his idol...
'He Cried.'
Wanted never to see what was burned into his head. The images. Wanted to forget...
'His scar. It bled like it...like it had been cut open only yesterday. I...'
"WHY?!!!"
He screamed into the night, repeating over and over, screaming until his voice was gone, screaming until he tasted blood.
'Why me...I'm just...a ten-year-old...kid...'
He collapsed, exhausted, curling up on the ground in the middle of the forest.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kaoru looked around. Why had she screamed?
'I can't...remember...'
Her thoughts trailed off as she recalled the day before.
'Is he still...in his room?'
She stood up, wrapping her sleeping yukata tighter around her body.
'He...couldn't have left...could he...?'
She slowly walked to Kenshin's room, fingers trailing behind her on the wall. She was afraid...that he wouldn't be there...
"Kenshin?" Timidly, worriedly, she spoke his name aloud.
No response.
'Maybe...he's just sleeping...'
Slowly she slid open the shoji, holding her breath.
His futon was still unfolded, the blankets a twisted mess.
'He wouldn't leave it like this if he really left...would he?'
Kaoru turned around.
"Kenshin? Where...where are you?'
Panicked, she ran out onto the steps, her breath caught in her throat. What if he was hurt? What if he was...
She spotted the open gate.
"Kenshin!" Tears began running down her face as she ran barefoot across the yard, knowing he must have left.
She tripped over something soft.
Sprawled out on the cold ground she looked back.
It couldn't be....it just....
'Please. Let it be anything but...'
She looked at Kenshin, his eyes closed and face pale, a stark contrast to the blood crusted on his face and hair. So dark it was almost...black. Kneeling, Kaoru touched his face with one finger.
Cold.
"No! Kenshin...please..."
Sobbing, she pleaded against all hope that he would be alright. He HAD to be alright. He had to be...
His eyes opened slightly, just enough so she could see them by the early morning light.
She gasped.
Eyes that were once a vibrant purple were now emotionless gray-blue.
Kenshin's hair covered his eyes in clumps, his clothes were covered with blood.
'Who's...?'
Kaoru's eyes fell upon his scar.
And she knew.
"Oh, Kenshin. Why...why didn't you tell me something was wrong? I...I would have...'
But.
'What would I have done? Would I really have been able to understand?'
She had never seen him like this. Never.
She cradled his head in her lap as a single tear fell onto his cheek, rolling down into his scar. She wiped it away.
"Gomen. I...I'll get Megumi."
Before she could say anything else she was on her feet and had changed and left. She was afraid for him.
"Kenshin...please...hang on..."
Kenshin closed his eyes, trying not to show any emotion as he was left alone. But out of his closed eyes oozed hot, salty tears, mixing with the blood on his cheeks and eyelashes.
Tears of blood...
In a haze, he knew one thing. He was lost. But he didn't know if he could come back...if he could be brought back.
His hand closed around something as he lay there.
A flower.
A purple Iris.
And he was lost.
Forever.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, how did you folks like it? ...^_^ Short, I know, but there's only so much emotional pain and torture I can pile onto the RK gang before I start crying myself. *grabs tissue* So, anyway, PLEASE REVIEW. ^_^
Oh, yes! *Throws out Sano plushies to all reviewers*
I can't answer all my reviews since there were so many more that I expected *grins* but here:
Maddy- Thanks tons for reviewing all my stories ^_^ you're the greatest!
KenshinXXX- well, since you insisted your life depended on it, here's the next chappie.
CrystalRenee- You've been such a great reviewer! And thankies tons for the Kenshin clone. *hugs Kenshin clone* here's a Sano plushie. *hands Sano plushie* ^_^
AND ON WITH THE FIC!! Or disclaimer anyway..
Disclaimer: If I had a dollar for every time I had to say I DIDN'T own Rurouni Kenshin, I would have more pocket money than I would know what to do with...*I DO NOT OWN RUROUNI KENSHIN*. Ah...another dollar...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 5: Lost Forever
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sanosuke stood shakily, leaning heavily against the side of the building. His vision blurred then came into focus again as he tried to discern his surroundings.
"Crap. Where the...hell...what did I...Crap."
Mumbling partially incoherent phrases and squinting his eyes against the almost nonexistant morning light, he slumped down onto the filthy ground again.
He had never had such a bad hangover in...
'My whole.'
He stood up again, wobbling.
'Entire'
Blinked his eyes very slowly and held his throbbing head.
'Worthless.'
Staggered out into the streets.
'Life.'
Sanosuke began walking. He wasn't sure where, or why. He just knew it was very early morning and he had a...Killer...Hangover.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kaoru woke up screaming.
Something...was wrong...
Very...wrong.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yahiko was running.
Running.
From.
'Everything.'
'So...confusing...I just don't understand. I don't get it.'
He stopped running and fell to his knees.
"Why?!!"
Yahiko beat his fists against the dark ground, wishing, hoping.
There in the dark he didn't know. Didn't care. He didn't want reasons, or explanations. He was already cried out, but his small body rocked back and forth as he shut his eyes and wrapped his arms around his knees, telling himself that if he closes his eyes long enough, they will forget what they saw, if he covers his ears tight enough, they will no longer keep hearing the sobs.
'How could he? Kenshin. I...I have never...seen him...like that. I have never...seen him...cry.'
He didn't know where he was. He didn't care where he was. He just wanted to erase the knowledge that his hero-his idol...
'He Cried.'
Wanted never to see what was burned into his head. The images. Wanted to forget...
'His scar. It bled like it...like it had been cut open only yesterday. I...'
"WHY?!!!"
He screamed into the night, repeating over and over, screaming until his voice was gone, screaming until he tasted blood.
'Why me...I'm just...a ten-year-old...kid...'
He collapsed, exhausted, curling up on the ground in the middle of the forest.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kaoru looked around. Why had she screamed?
'I can't...remember...'
Her thoughts trailed off as she recalled the day before.
'Is he still...in his room?'
She stood up, wrapping her sleeping yukata tighter around her body.
'He...couldn't have left...could he...?'
She slowly walked to Kenshin's room, fingers trailing behind her on the wall. She was afraid...that he wouldn't be there...
"Kenshin?" Timidly, worriedly, she spoke his name aloud.
No response.
'Maybe...he's just sleeping...'
Slowly she slid open the shoji, holding her breath.
His futon was still unfolded, the blankets a twisted mess.
'He wouldn't leave it like this if he really left...would he?'
Kaoru turned around.
"Kenshin? Where...where are you?'
Panicked, she ran out onto the steps, her breath caught in her throat. What if he was hurt? What if he was...
She spotted the open gate.
"Kenshin!" Tears began running down her face as she ran barefoot across the yard, knowing he must have left.
She tripped over something soft.
Sprawled out on the cold ground she looked back.
It couldn't be....it just....
'Please. Let it be anything but...'
She looked at Kenshin, his eyes closed and face pale, a stark contrast to the blood crusted on his face and hair. So dark it was almost...black. Kneeling, Kaoru touched his face with one finger.
Cold.
"No! Kenshin...please..."
Sobbing, she pleaded against all hope that he would be alright. He HAD to be alright. He had to be...
His eyes opened slightly, just enough so she could see them by the early morning light.
She gasped.
Eyes that were once a vibrant purple were now emotionless gray-blue.
Kenshin's hair covered his eyes in clumps, his clothes were covered with blood.
'Who's...?'
Kaoru's eyes fell upon his scar.
And she knew.
"Oh, Kenshin. Why...why didn't you tell me something was wrong? I...I would have...'
But.
'What would I have done? Would I really have been able to understand?'
She had never seen him like this. Never.
She cradled his head in her lap as a single tear fell onto his cheek, rolling down into his scar. She wiped it away.
"Gomen. I...I'll get Megumi."
Before she could say anything else she was on her feet and had changed and left. She was afraid for him.
"Kenshin...please...hang on..."
Kenshin closed his eyes, trying not to show any emotion as he was left alone. But out of his closed eyes oozed hot, salty tears, mixing with the blood on his cheeks and eyelashes.
Tears of blood...
In a haze, he knew one thing. He was lost. But he didn't know if he could come back...if he could be brought back.
His hand closed around something as he lay there.
A flower.
A purple Iris.
And he was lost.
Forever.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, how did you folks like it? ...^_^ Short, I know, but there's only so much emotional pain and torture I can pile onto the RK gang before I start crying myself. *grabs tissue* So, anyway, PLEASE REVIEW. ^_^