Abandoned Temple: The
Negotiation...
Hikage and Kenshin both stood silently, their eyes locked on one another as
if they were waiting for someone to make the first move. Hikage's grin still
remained, while Kenshin's both worried and angered expression revealed itself
with every passing second.
"Quite a sight isn't she?" Hikage chuckled as he
broke the silence, turning to look briefly at Kaoru and then turn his attention
back to Kenshin. "She told me that you weren't the
Hitokiri anymore, well...that is before she regretfully passed out. You see I
was all ready to beat out of her whatever information I needed." Hikage's
arms remained folded across his chest, taunting Kenshin with his arrogance.
"Is that what a real man does? Hit women?"
Kenshin began defending his seemingly lifeless Kaoru, who remained only a few
feet away from his reach. "You have me now, so you can let
her go." Kenshin's eyes gleamed with the anger that Hikage dreamed of
pulling out of him, and when their eyes locked together, the truth was anything
but scarce.
"Not just yet. There is a rather pressing issue I have
to discuss with you. You see, if I let her go, then my plan will be
useless." Kenshin couldn't understand why he was so stupid to have left
her alone that day, what was he thinking? The unbridled outrage that
burned in his violet eyes was apparent to Hikage, he loved every minute of it;
the thrill of pissing this man off was adding to his enjoyment of the tense
atmosphere.
"If this issue concerns me, why go after Kaoru-dono? I
understand she was the bait, but--" within an instant, Kenshin felt his
body land painfully on the stone flooring beneath him.
"Damaru! I've waited too long for this day to listen to
your insolent complaints!" Hikage's fist had met Kenshin's jaw before
Kenshin even had a chance to see him attack. Kazuki and Tetsuya released
mellowed laughs at their leader's action, as Kenshin remained on the ground; his
right hand reaching up to check his jaw for hindering injuries. The violets of
his eyes thrashed into different shades as they looked over the tall figure now
looming over him. This man was definitely not going to be easy, but maybe--he
might be able to avoid Kaoru's death at least. "Well,
Battousai? Aren't you going to retaliate?" Kenshin simply stared at the
man, unflinching, but bringing his guard up for anymore unsuspected outbursts.
"What? You can't spare the same enthusiasm for me that you
did with Akira!?" Hearing that name again, that name that was burned
forever on his memory after having read it in Tomoe's diary; Kenshin's features
paled.
"A-Akira..."
"Kiyosato. The one whose life you so bitterly
desecrated because of that damned hitokiri code of yours." Hikage's voice
had calmed, but his face mirrored the reveling anger that he was trying to keep
confined. Kenshin's temples began to throb as he leaned a little to his right to
catch a glimspe of his unconcious fiancee. Hikage, noting Kenshin's current
attention was focused somewhere other than him, grinned devilishly as he turned
to give one of his men an order. Kazuki, who still had his katana pressed
lightly against Kaoru's neck, was the one Hikage spoke to. "Kazuki-san, proceed."
"A-Are you sure, Tora-san? She's not even--"
"Ken...shin.." Kaoru's silence was broken by a
dryly whispered plea for the man she was so hastily taken from. Kenshin's heart
skipped a few beats as he heard her voice, and of course, he realized that she
was more in danger now that she was finding consciousness.
"Fine, I'll do it!" Hikage's temper was, no
doubt, beginning to show rapidly. As Hikage abruptly left Kenshin lying on the
ground, he took position behind Kaoru. Ripping the katana from Kazuki, he
ordered him to step aside as his gaze found Kenshin once more. Kenshin's
darkened eyes watched in terror as the katana slid back into position in the
middle of Kaoru's neck. "Do you want to watch me
demonstrate the same brutality that you had...on this girl?" The room
echoed with Hikage's deep, but mild laugh as he gently pressed the blade into
her skin. Kaoru's voice was too weak to scream, so all she could do was moan in
pain as she felt the cold metal cut into her flesh.
"Yamero!" Kenshin immediately pulled himself
from the floor, placing a hand on his sakabatou; and he prepared to make his
move.
"Not so fast, Battousai," came Hikage's
cool-toned voice as it broke through Kenshin's heated battle aura. "You're not really going to do anything so drastically are you?
If I were you, I would take a look at your position right now...and
hers..." he whispered, as Kenshin watched the man's fingers touch lightly
at the trail of blood that was slowly sliding down her throat. Kenshin knew he
had to do something, maybe he could derail this man's attention from Kaoru.
But how would he do that? From the looks of it, Hikage was enjoying every
second of the painful and agonizing hold he had on both him and Kaoru. Kenshin's
teeth clenched together as his angrily shaded eyes fell on Kaoru's pained
expression. He couldn't allow this to keep happening to her, she was close
enough to death as it was, her body was in no shape to handle anymore torment.
"Let Kaoru-dono go. I am willing to do whatever it
takes to--"
"Return her home? That isn't what the Battousai would
do..." Hikage's voice interrupted.
"He...isn't the..." Kaoru's small voice trampled
through the two men's conversation, startling them both.
"Kaoru-dono..." Kenshin's eyes looked upon her
form over and over again, he couldn't stand it anymore. Something needed to be
done and he knew exactly what to do, it was his last option; but he had to try.
"I will take her place," Kenshin claimed, trying to
avoid any signs of uneasiness in his decision.
"Will you now? That was going to happen whether you
wanted to take her place or not, but since I can admit I have no real interest
in this girl, I'll let her off easy." Hikage's eyes met Kenshin's once
again in a blindingly malicious stare. Sighing deeply in the most obvious of
sarcasticly bored tones, Hikage rolled his eyes and took the katana from Kaoru's
neck. As he handed the sword back to Kazuki, he began to speak up as to what the
terms were going to be. "Now that it is settled, and you
will take this girl's place, let me lay down some ground rules."
"Tora-san..." Kenshin began, almost afraid that
at any time, that that katana could go right back into its place at Kaoru's
neck.
"You've convinced me to let her go, don't push your
luck, Battousai." Hikage strode arrogantly up to Kenshin, folding his
arms across his chest once more as he stopped just feet from the red-headed
rurouni.
"But," Kenshin began, "the
catch would be?" He couldn't be afraid of this man, it was either his
life or Kaoru's; and he knew which of them had to make it out of that temple
alive. His heart was pounding once again and his eyes were slanted into a glare,
while his hand remained on his sakabatou. It was only yesterday that him and
Kaoru had been on the deck of the dojo, as content as could be while being lost
in the existance of one another. Why couldn't it have remained that way
forever? Why did he have to keep fighting battle after battle, just so he could
survive? It was the price for being a hitokiri, for being the Hitokiri
Battousai. The one who brought death to almost everyone he met. Memories of all
the times Kaoru had been in need of protection began flooding his memory. The
pirates, her journey to Kyoto when she went after him, when Jin-e abducted her,
when Saitou intruded on the dojo....and the day they met. He had protected her
the first time they met, from someone claiming to be him. He had saved her from
himself, but what could that have meant to him now? They were in love,
the past was the past, he needed to save Kaoru. He couldn't allow her to die,
not here, not now.
"Ahh, the catch. There is always one of those, isn't
there?" Hikage's eyes felt as if they could peirce Kenshin's mind, and
discover his every thought. "She goes free when you have
succeeded in killing me. In other words, if you want her to live, you will
abandon the life of a rurouni and return to what you were. You won't stand a
chance otherwise, and neither will she." Hikage had tired of this
charade, with a taunting scoff, he turned his back on Kenshin; giving full
attention to his henchmen. "You two, take her
down," Hikage indicated Kaoru's limp body with a careless wave, "then put them both in that nice room in the back. I don't want
to have to look at them until I'm ready to kill them." As the two men
nodded in immediate reply to the command, Tetsuya took charge of releasing
Kaoru, while Kazuki made his way toward Kenshin. "That
room toward the back of the temple should be accomidating. There's a large,
rather tasteless statue there, chain the Battousai to that."
"What about the girl, Tora-san?" Kazuki asked.
"She's in no shape to try and escape. Without her, I
think I can trust that the Battousai won't be going anywhere..." Hikage
replied as he turned and made his leave for a more secluded part of the aging
building.
"You had better know what you're doing,
Battousai," Kazuki began, "Tora-san was rumored to
be better than this Akira Kiyosato. I can't wait to see him destroy
you..." Kenshin felt the man's hands wrap tightly around his upper arm,
roughly guiding him toward the back of the temple. "Hayaku, Tetsuya-san!" Kenshin heard the man half-whisper
across the room. As Kenshin quickly turned his head, he was just in time to see
Kaoru's body being flung almost carelessly over the other man's shoulder.
"Kaoru-dono! Tell that idiot to be careful with
her!" came Kenshin's rugged voice, tinged with anger and fury.
"Like Tora-san said, you're in no position to be giving
orders," Kazuki retaliated as he stopped at the very back of the temple.
Kenshin watched as Tetsuya came up next to him, Kaoru's body hanging almost
lifelessly over the man's broad shoulder. "In
here?" Tetsuya asked, nodding toward the darkened room they were now
standing in front of. Kenshin noticed that he held Kaoru's body up with one
hand, and a chain in the other.
"Hayaku! Just throw her in there, we need to discuss
our payment with Tora-san...I'm tired of waiting." Without another word,
Tetsuya stepped into the room and knelt onto the ground. He roughly eased
Kaoru's body down from his shoulder and onto the hard ground below. Afterward,
Tetsuya watched as Kazuki brought Kenshin into the room. When both thugs had
spotted the statue, Kazuki led Kenshin toward it.
"This isn't necessary, I won't attempt to escape. Kaoru
is in no condition--"
"Oh shut up," Tetsuya barked, placing his large
hands around Kenshin's shoulders and forcing him to the ground. "I'm tired of you complaining, you're lucky Tora-san let you live
this long. You're actually lucky that he didn't kill that bitch over
there..." Tetsuya finished, his grip on Kenshin's shoulders staying
steady and firm. Kazuki snatched the chain from Tetsuya's hand. Kenshin's veiled
eyes watched as Kazuki wrapped the chain around the bottom of the statue a few
times. Then he attached the end of the chain to a partially broken loop in the
remaining length of the chain; which was about four feet. Kazuki drew his
katana, and positioned it over the broken loop, and with all his strength; he
slammed the blade down upon the metal. This worked, regretably for Kenshin,
because the once broken loop was now closed; a bit tighter than the other loops.
Kenshin willingly reached his left hand out, and Kazuki roughly locked the one
shackle around his wrist. Kenshin's eyes closed as he felt Tetsuya's grip on him
become lighter; until he felt it no more. The two men eagerly left the room,
laughing their heads off as they returned to discuss their money matters with
their leader. Kenshin slowly moved toward Kaoru, but was stopped short when he
realized that the chain that held him was only so long; he couldn't reach her.
Tokyo: Kamiya Dojo:
Mid-Afternoon...
"Sanosuke, baka..." Megumi scolded as she glared
at Sanosuke from the corner of her eye.
"He probably just got lost!" Sanosuke replied,
trying to cover his own tracks. But Megumi knew that this spike-haired idiot was
being anything but truthful.
"He never got himself lost in the market before, and
who stays gone that long if they know that all they're going to buy is
tofu!" she retorted, as she folded her arms and looked directly at him.
"Where is Ken-nii?" Ayame asked in all of her
adorable innocence as she appeared behind Sanosuke on the deck of the dojo.
"Yes, Sanosuke, where is Ken-san?" Megumi
demanded, a crooked smile playing across her lips as she knew that even Sanosuke
wouldn't lie to a little child.
"He's ah...he's in town. He'll be back soon,"
replied Sanosuke, sarcastically grinning at Megumi.
"Where's onee-chan?" came Ayame's second
question, the look of innocence just playing with Sanosuke's lies; making him
feel like a complete jerk.
"Eh, she went with him...yeah. They'll both be back,
don't worry!" Ayame smiled sweetly and nodded in acceptance of Sanosuke's
lies, toddling off to find Suzume. Megumi's glare became deadlier as she smacked
Sanosuke upside the head.
"How can you lie to her like that!" Her voice
rang clear in his head, but he disregarded it and made up yet another lie.
"She's a kid! I can't tell her the truth or she'll be
crying until they do get back, do you want to listen to that for as long as
Kenshin and Jo-chan are going to be gone?" he retaliated, rubbing the
back of his head lightly.
"True. But then why lie to me?" Megumi asked,
placing her hands on her hips expectantly awaiting an answer.
"Well, for one, because I can. And two, because
ahm..."
"You're an idiot?" Megumi finished, one brow
arched sarcastically.
"I was going for brilliant, but since you've saved my
life numerous times with your doctoring skills, I'll let that one slide."
Megumi covered her eyes in embarrasment at even attempting to make him believe
she outsmarted him. Sanosuke grinned, knowing he had pushed her buttons just
like she usually pushed his.
Abandoned Temple: Early Morning...
Kaoru was still half unconscious, and Kenshin was trying to examine her from
his position a few feet away. She definitely needed food, her skin had paled
almost to an offwhite color, and her features were expressionless; except for an
occasional twist of pain. Kenshin's watchful eyes remained on Kaoru, but his
thoughts scattered. How could Hikage Tora be affiliated with Kiyosato Akira?
Why would he still be after the Battousai, who had been gone for so long? As
Kenshin inched his back against the wall as close to Kaoru as possible, he
rested his head against the hard stone behind him; but keeping his gaze in its
place. Kenshin knew this man would not fight fairly or mercifully, and by rights
his reason was easily understandable. The Battousai showed Akira no mercy and
fairness was never in question; the Battousai would strike before there was even
a sound heard, or a glance taken. The Hitokiri Battousai was unfair and
merciless, just as this Hikage Tora was going to be when the time came for their
battle.
"Ken-Kenshin..." Hearing his name spoken with
Kaoru's all too familiar voice, Kenshin's eyes widened as he noticed that Kaoru
was beginning to slowly regain consciousness.
"Kaoru-dono..." he whispered to her, blinking a
few times in amazement that she was still able to speak.
"You...aren't hurt...are you?" she asked meekly,
her eyes slowly opening beneath the wave of tangled raven hair that concealed
them.
"Kaoru-dono, that isn't important. You need medical
attention, you're the one who's hurt..." Kenshin replied steadily, his
heart beginning to pound in his chest from hearing how her voice was full of
pain when she spoke. "Can you move at all?" He
wanted so much to be able to hold her, make her believe that she was okay, and
that he would never allow something like this to happen to her ever again.
"I...I don't...maybe," she replied, Kenshin
wincing with every word she said as if he felt her pain, "but...my arms...I can't move...them..." Her heart told
her to move, but her body told her to stay put. Which seemed the more logical
road to take? Her heart had never lied to her before, why would she
distrust it now?
"I can't move any further, this chain..."
"I'll try..." Kaoru whispered, as she inched her
back up closer to the wall.
"Iye! Kaoru-dono! You'll make it worse, just stay
there!" Kenshin's eyes widened as he watched the woman he loved put
herself through more pain and torment.
"Demo...," Kaoru retaliated, "...I need you..." Kaoru moved as slowly as possible
across the floor, but keeping her back against the wall so she wouldn't lose her
balance. Her legs were all she could count on now, as she slowly inched them
across the stone flooring, Kenshin couldn't believe what she was doing. She
stopped abruptly, just a few inches from Kenshin's reach. "I-Itai...Kenshin..." he saw the tears stream down her
face, they had escaped from under the veil of hair that still covered her eyes.
"Kaoru..." he tried to stop her, but as stubborn
as he knew she was, he was powerless with her. She was almost there, she just
had to move her body a little farther, and then he could reach her. "Just a little further..." Kenshin stretched his free hand
toward Kaoru, and he could feel the space between them closing; albeit very
slowly.
"Kenshin..." feeling his touch, she realized
that she had made it; she could stop moving. But before she had any time to
think about what to do next, she felt Kenshin's arm slip around her waist.
"Don't move your arms," he whispered gently,
"just lay on your back and rest." Kaoru couldn't
believe he had asked her to rest at a time like this, both of their lives were
in danger! She felt his hand tighten a little around her waist as he slowly
pushed her body toward the ground beside him.
"I don't want--"
"Kaoru-dono...onegai...?" She sighed lightly,
realizing that if anyone had the upper hand at that moment, it was him. She
allowed him to turn her onto her back, but winced when his hand slipped and
caught under her arm.
"Itai!" her eyes closed, tears hanging at the
corners, desperately waiting to fall free.
"S-Sumanai Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin gently pulled
his hand from under her arm, scolding himself silently for being so careless.
"Don't move your body, just lift your head a
little." His eyes watched carefully, although knowing that the hardest
part was over, he could still hurt her if he moved her the wrong way. Her body
lay at a horizontal angle next to him, her head just inches from where he was
seated. As she gently lifted her head, she felt his hands slip beneath it, as if
to be some support.
""Kenshin..."
"Stay still." He moved his body into a
comfortable seating position, for both her and him; then he slowly and gently
began to lift her head upward. "Move your body up just a
little, Kaoru-dono, you're still too far," he watched cautiously as she
inched her body closer to him. "Yoroshii de gozaru,
Kaoru-dono..." he released a low sigh as he placed her head in his lap.
His unchained hand brushed the hair from her face, feeling the dampness of her
wet skin where the tears had left their mark.
"I wish I..." Kaoru's voice made Kenshin's chest
ache, "...could touch you, but..." Her eyes slowly
opened, revealing a misty, blurred, and shattered blue abyss of defeat and
anguish. She could still only get them to open half-way because they were so
swollen and red from crying; not to mention the beating she took before.
"Kaoru....don't. My heart is burning so badly, I can't
stand to see how you've been treated." Kenshin's fingers trailed over the
cold, damp skin on her neck; lightly smearing the blood that had partially
dried. "I know how much pain you're going through right
now, and it torments me, to no end." Her tear-filled eyes moved up to
center on his face, his angelic, but determined expression helped her to relax a
bit. She felt his fingers brush lightly over the darkened bruise on the left
side of her face, then his fingers traced her jawline; but coming back up to
caress her slightly dampened forehead.
"Atashi, Kenshin...," he heard her whisper up to
him, her voice calmer and a bit less shaky or drawn out. "I'm sorry for...being such a burden. I didn't mean to be
so..." her eyes closed gently, and he sensed that she was searching for a
good enough word to finish her sentence.
"You were never a burden to me, Kaoru. I was a burden
to myself, I never should have left you alone, if anyone should be apologizing
or deserving of punishment for your pain...it's me." He brushed a few
lazy strands of hair from her face, caressing her skin lightly with his only
free hand.
"Kenshin no baka...I love you too much to believe that
anymore. But," Kaoru whispered in reply, "would you
have come if--" Kenshin's fingers found their way to her lips, silencing
her from saying anything more.
"I would have come no matter what the circumstances or
consequences, you know that. I...you..." he trailed off, not knowing if
he should repeat it again. Repeat those words to Kaoru, he had failed in
following them dozens of times before, so he decided against it. "Aishiteru, Kaoru-dono...what could possibly keep me
away?" He smiled gently, his chained hand resting on the ground while the
other rested over Kaoru's forehead. He saw the tears become heavy in her eyes
once more, as she stared up at him with her expression telling him that she was
truly happy.
"Will we make it, Kenshin?" her eyes fell closed
and then opened slightly, she wished they could hold each other; she needed
reassurance.
"If you live, that's all I care about." She felt
her heart jump at his words, not wanting to believe that both of them weren't
capable of surviving.
"Mou, Kenshin...if you die, then I will follow shortly
after. You have to make it...you have to..." Kenshin's fingers caressed
her face once more as she closed her eyes, not wanting him to think that way.
Curiosity plagued him about her arms, they couldn't be broken. Common knowledge
told him that she wouldn't be able to move them if that were true; and she had
moved them, very briefly to prop herself up against the wall earlier. He took
his hand from it's place against Kaoru's face, and placed it over her shoulder
area; gently examining each part with the light pressure of his careful fingers.
Kaoru's eyes tightened every now and then as he touched upon tender areas, but
holding herself back from making any sounds that would distract him.
"You know...I...I think I can fix your injured arms.
The bones aren't broken. They're just...they aren't in their rightful place.
That's why you're hurting so much," Kenshin's eyes returned back to her
face, playing upon her partially opened eyes. "But, I
don't know if I should...it might cause more damage..."
"H-How would you know--"
"Shishou. He once told me that something like this had
happened to him when he was younger, during his training..." Kaoru saw
the hope surface in his shadowed amber eyes as she gazed up at him, a smile
shortly lingering at the corners of her mouth. "He told me
that I needed to be educated in more than just the art of kenjutsu and Hiten
Mitsurugi Ryu, so he taught me how to fix injuries such as yours..." He
kept his hand over her shoulder, his eyes still on hers. "But should I chance this with you? It would hurt, but only while
I'm forcing the bone back into place...then the pain will gradually
disappear." Kaoru let her eyes close as she took a deep breath, then
released it.
"I trust you, Kenshin. I just want this pain to
stop...I don't know if I can handle it anymore." He watched as she turned
her face away from his view, telling him all he needed to know.
"Alright, Kaoru..." he whispered in reply to her
action. Taking in as much air as he could hold, he released it slowly, letting
his eyes fall back to Kaoru's shoulder. "Don't move at
all, let your body go completely limp, if you tense or remain stiff; the pain
will be double what it is now." He motioned for her to move her body up
further so that his restrained hand could reach her. She did as he told her,
although it was somewhat painful for her to move up instead of just straight
across.
"Can you...nnmm, can your other hand reach it?"
she asked in between small jolts of pain.
"Hai...stop right there. Remember what I told
you..."
"H-Hai..." Kaoru allowed her body to unwind as
much as possible, and she felt her tense muscles relax as she did so. "I'm ready..." Kenshin nodded in acceptance, then placed
his free hand over the top of her left shoulder, while he slipped his chained
hand underneath to keep control of the bone when he pushed it back into place.
Without another thought, Kenshin's enslaved hand tightened underneath her
shoulder as his unbound hand shoved the bone downward toward its socket; causing
bone to rub against bone for a few short and very painful seconds.
"Kenshin!" Her body sprang up for a split second
as she felt the shockwave of pain go all throughout her body. Her eyes clenched
together tightly, tears beginning to seep through her tightened lashes. Kaoru
actually felt her arm again as she moved her fingers slowly, making sure she was
capable of using her hands. She opened her eyes momentarily to look at Kenshin,
his eyes were glossy and his skin was damp with sweat; she could tell how much
he was worried that he could hurt her.
"K-Kaoru--"
"I'm fine...Kenshin, now..." He watched as Kaoru
slowly sat up, still wincing with the pain in her other arm. Briefly testing her
own capability of supporting all her weight on her one fixed arm, she found it
still agonizing to move. She had to do this, once he had fixed the last arm, she
would be able to hold him and touch him again; without the fear of pain being
the result. Kaoru clenched her teeth together, and held her eyes closed as she
proped all of her weight up onto her left arm. Before Kenshin had realized that
she was moving, she had already turned her body around so that he could tend to
her other side. She had slid her body at a horizontal angle in front of him, her
back on the cold stone floor, her right arm beginning to throb with every move
she made in reflection with it. Kenshin was reluctant at first, surprised at how
willing she was to cooperate in the method he used with her. Shaking the feeling
off, he placed his hands into their places on her right shoulder accordingly.
When he saw her nod slightly in approval, he held the bottom of her shoulder as
still as he could while he forced the bone back into place with one quick push;
bone once again rubbing against bone painfully.
"Aah! Itai...Ken..shin..." Kaoru could almost
hear the bones as they had snapped back into place, but as flushed and ravished
as she was; she moved her arms slightly, as if they had never moved before. Upon
pulling her body up, her eyes turned to Kenshin, full of thankfulness and
relief.
"Daijoubu, koishii..." Kenshin whispered lightly
as his arms enveloped Kaoru in a tight embrace. She, in turn, tightly wrapped
her arms around her husband-to-be, allowing whatever emotion she had left to
come out. Her fingers tightly meshed themselves within the loose fabric of the
back of his gi, not wanting him to let her go. She was thinner than normal, the
lack of food had caused her to loose weight unconsiderably. She was still
fragile, too, he didn't hold her too tight out of fear that he might hurt her.
He was so strong, even though he knew his position and what he had to do, he was
stronger than any man she had ever known; just like her father. The pain in her
arms remained, but it had been reduced to a tolerable amount. She didn't care,
she was able to touch him with her own hands, that's all she had wanted to do
for the past few days.
"Kenshin...I'm so scared. I tried to protect myself
against those...men...but they were too strong for me, I failed. How can I call
myself a master of Kasshin Ryu if I can't use it to defend myself?" She
buried her face in the dark pink cloth that covered his shoulder, her tears
seeping through the material and leaving their imprint. "What if he kills you? I-I couldn't live with myself, without
you..."
"Kaoru, you have more to live for than just me. There
are people waiting back a the dojo for you, for us, to return so that we can
carry on with our daily lives. Before any of this happened. If he kills me, that
will prove just how unworthy I was to have even attempted to protect you...or
Tomoe." His grip around her small form eased a little, but she pulled
away from him just enough so that their eyes met.
"What are you saying?" She was trying to force
her eyes to open a little more than they could, and he wanted to make her stop;
but he knew it was useless.
"I'm saying that...there is a good chance that I might
be killed. But," he began, reaching both hands up to rest on either side
of her face, "there is also a good chance that I can
survive." Her eyes fell down to look at the ground, and he could feel her
body beginning to shiver slightly. "Kaoru...I just might
have to break my vow," he whispered, caressing her skin with his thumbs
as his hands remained on either side of her face. "I might
have to kill him."
"Mou!" She exclaimed as she gently tore her face
from his grasp. "If you break your vow never to kill, what
will I have left to believe in about you? About the man I love..." she
brought her fingers up to lightly touch the corners of her eyes, wiping away the
tears before they had a chance to fall. "You can't kill
him, but you can't let him kill you...Kenshin..." she folded her arms,
shook them gently, anything to get rid of the throb she felt building up inside
them. "My arms still hurt...it won't go away, the
pain..."
"Koishii, don't do this to yourself..." he
didn't want to argue with her now, if he was going to die, he wanted his last
bit of time to be spent with her; telling her everything he dreamed of saying to
her. He knew her body was still in the kind of pain he couldn't ease, but
maybe--if he was careful, he could get her closer to him. "Give me your hand," he whispered in her direction,
stretching his free hand toward her as he spoke.
"Nani? Doushite.."
"Onegai, Kaoru..." with that, he felt her tiny
hand slip into his. Gently closing his fingers around hers, he lightly tugged
her in his direction, signaling for her to move closer. As she became close
enough to him, he pulled her hand in toward him a little bit stronger than
before, and she fell into his embrace. She felt his secure arms close around her
as she lay there, startled. "You couldn't imagine the
things I thought could have happened to you..."
"Ken...shin.." she chirped, just high enough for
him to hear. Her body rested on its side against his body, and her head was in
the perfect spot directly over his heart. Thmp, thmp-thmp,
thmp-thmpthmp-thmpthmp-thmpthmp. As he spoke she began to hear its rhythm
excel, the pounding becoming almost loud enough for her to hear a mile away. She
turned her eyes up toward him, as she whispered for him to look at her. When she
found his eyes gazing down at her, she brought her left hand up to rest over his
jawline. He saw her smile slowly, and felt her fingers pull his face down toward
hers, he willingly complied; allowing her lips to touch his lightly. His arms
tightened slightly as they held her, and he felt the fingers of her other hand
pulling the cord free from his hair. When they had parted, allowing of some time
to breathe, she looked upon him now with complete enamour. "Aishiteru, Kenshin..." she murmered, the words
penetrating his senses. Then, almost as if on an impulse, she brought him closer
for yet another soft kiss. When their lips had met once more, she let her
fingers play within the silken thickness of his beautiful red hair as it
streamed over his shoulders and covered her in a curtain of fire.
Hikage Tora: His 'Plot' Thickens...
"He won't be able to remember anything?" Hikage
asked a tall, much older man who was standing at the foot of the stairs that led
to the large throne. His hands were clasped together in front of him, suspended
in mid-air as he cracked his knuckles.
"If this procedure is done in the proper fashion,
without any errors, most of the present will be lost to him. But to be as
accurate as possible, if you were to use the hilt of your sword, it must make
contact with any part of the spine on his upper neck or at the base of his
skull. Severe force must be projected in order for the nerves to be even
slightly damaged. Although, with reminders, his past is more likely to come back
before the present." The man was wearing a traditional white robe, almost
like that of a Bhuddist priest, but unlike the style of wrap for being a priest.
His white beard was neatly trimmed, his thinning gray hair remained on either
side of his head; cut just above the ears. He cleared his throat as he awaited
the next question.
"Reminders? You mean...flashbacks?" he arched a
brow curiously, leaning forward as if he were truly interested in what the man
had to tell him.
"Well, yes...and no. Every little bit will probably
help him, whether he remembers right off or has to experience a flashback to
remember. Modern science has proven that this can be done in a manner of ways,
but one must know what they are doing before it is done. Do you think you can
handle that?" The man raised both brows, awaiting an answer.
"To be perfectly honest with you, doctor, I don't
really care whether or not I can do it right. If I succeed, great, if I kill him
or disable him permanently, even better. The bottom line is this: I won't rest
until I see his blood on my hands, drenching my sword, and spilling at my feet.
Akira will be avenged, the Battousai will pay dearly for what he's done."
Hikage stood up, waving his hand as if to dismiss the elderly gentleman. The
older man sighed hopelessly, smoothed out his beard, and took his leave. Hikage
paced at the top of the small stairway, wondering if he could pull this off.
"The base of his skull hm? Maybe it isn't quite as hard as
it sounds, I just have to trick him somehow...distract him maybe." His
eyes slanted in an almost devious glare as he focused his attention on Tetsuya,
standing to the left at the bottom of the stairway. "Tetsuya-san, go. Bring the Battousai. Kazuki-san," he
turned to his right, facing Kazuki as he stood alert at the bottom of the
stairs, "you watch the girl. I can't have her escaping
now, can I?"
"Hai, Tora-san!" the men replied in unison,
nodding in agreement. With that, they both set off for the back of the temple.
"Time's up, Battousai. You either fight...or you die.
However fate decides to unfold, this is going to be thrilling. I will bring you
back to your senses, I refuse to fight you as you are now. I want to fight the
demon who took Akira's life, and destroyed the Tokugawa government. I can't wait
to see your face when you see the weapon you're going to have to use, you who
claims to have given that life up; I will bring you back to your senses, I
refuse to fight you as you are now. I want to fight the demon who took Akira's
life, and destroyed the Tokugawa government. I can't wait to see your face when
you see the weapon you're going to have to use, you who claims to have given
that life up; I will bring you back to it. I will make you suffer more than you
could have ever imagined, nothing in your previous life will be able to
compare." Hikage resumed his pacing, trying to remember all that the
doctor had told him about the possibility of his plan actually working. He went
over the ways it had to be done, in what time scale, the different ways he could
create that time scale, and the results or consequences of his actions. "I am ready for this, I can't shame my name or any of the other
Tokugawa officials who risked their lives against the Battousai, to hold a
steady government. I will bring them back to glory," he whispered to
himself. Stretching a hand down slowly, his fingers tightly encircled the hilt
of a sword that rested between a thin black belt around his waist. As he
unsheathed it, he took a deep breath, and swallowed it; running his index finger
lightly down the sharp blade. He grinned evilly as he noticed the thin trail of
light red blood that his finger had left on the sharp silver metal. "Let the games begin..."
Translation Notes
The meanings vary for how the word is used, so I'll just use the
definition for the way I've used them here.
Hikage Tora:
Can mean "Tiger's Shadow."
Damaru: Can mean "shut up" or "silence."
Depends on how it's used, exclamations give it emphasis, draw your own
conclusion. ^_^
Kiyosato Akira: Tomoe's first love, and her fiancee.
Kenshin murdered him because he got in the way of his assassination on Shigekura
Jubee, a Kyoto administrator during the Genji Period.
Yamero: The
masculine version of saying of "enough," or "stop it."
Hayaku: This
can mean "hurry up" or "come on."
Baka: Literally means "stupid" or
"idiot."
Ken-nii: Ayame and Suzume call Kenshin this, it's basically
like he's their bigger brother. My translations say "Ken-brother" because the
suffix 'onii' means big brother, but the girls drop the O. Get it? ^_^
Onee-chan: Another name that Ayame and Suzume call Kaoru by,
basically, she's their sister. Heh. 'Onee" mean's big sister. Obviously. ^_^
Iye: Literally means "no."
Demo: Literally means "but."
Itai: This is said when someone is in pain, or they are saying "it
hurts" or "that's painful."
Sumanai: Literally means "sorry," a bit
more formal or respectful, I think.
Yoroshii: This can mean "okay" or
"good." I kinda meant it as if he's praising her and giving her encouragement.
Atashi: A feminine, or Kaoru's way of saying "I."
Kenshin no
Baka: This basically means "Kenshin you idiot." Or a number of other various
meanings in regard to Kenshin being 'not smart'. ^_^
Aishiteru:
Literally means "I love you."
Mou: Kaoru's way of saying "no,"
"enough," or "stop it."
Shishou: Kenshin's name for Seijuro Hiko,
afterall, he was his master.
Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu: Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu
is the kenjutsu technique that Kenshin uses. Seijuro Hiko taught him this
technique...it's all his fault Kenshin's so good with a sword. ^_^
Kenjutsu: A sword technique. Or the simple basic acts of weilding a
sword.
Hai: Obviously, this means "yes."
Daijoubu,
koishii: Can be translated to "it's alright, beloved" or "it's alright,
darling."
Koishii: Just without the 'daijoubu' attached, it means
"beloved" or "darling."
Nani: Literally translates to "what."
Doushite: Literally means "why."
Onegai: Literally means
"please."
Author's Notes
1. ALRIGHT. The guys are probably saying, "Kenshin
wouldn't take that, being smacked around, he'd attack back." Well, even Kenshin
knows when to keep his mouth shut and his pent up anger to himself; he knows
when it's appropriate to lash back. ^_^
2. I probably put too much emphasis
on Kaoru's bone being snapped back into place, but this is traumatic for her,
imagine the pain; especially if the rest of her body is as mangled as it was.
The method I described probably doesn't seem like that's what could be done to
fix it. Well, my grandmother is a nurse, and I confronted her with this one. She
explained it to me that this is how chiropractors/doctors would do it, and
that's how it's usually been done in the past. Lay down flat, with your
protrusion facing the doctor, and they either force it back into place or they
build a brace for you and let you wear that until the bone just moves back.
Which, in any case, I believe that the first technique was the best alternative
to the brace. In the 1800s in Japan, I'm sure that blunt force was all that was
available or the most commonly used method of replacing a dislocated bone. I
think my grandma knows what she's talking about, but if you know of a way it was
done in Japan and I screwed up, tell me. ^_^
3. I PROMISE the fight scenes
are in the next chapter, along with the history involving Akira and Hikage. I
kind of got carried away with Kaoru's little injuries and I didn't realize it
until the end. ^_^; gomen.
Comments? Suggestions? Did you like it? Go
ahead and email me. ^_^
