Author's Comment: Thank you ppls for reviewing! Yay! I got five! ^-^ Yes I know I'm very odd, but that's okay! Oh yeah, the rest of the story's gonna be more from Aiteru's POV. It's easier that way… Yes, I'm a lazy bum as well.
Soujiro: Star-san doesn't own Rurouni Kenshin or any of its characters, but Aiteru is hers. ::Smiles!:: [A/N: I was bored okay?!]
A Test of Beliefs:
Aiteru groaned. She was tied to a skinny tree, and although only her hands were bonded, she was horrendously upset. Kidnapped again! She hated this. It was almost enough to make her take up lessons in fighting. Pathetic gangs, she cursed as she was forced to watch the gang get drunk. I have to get to Soujiro, she told herself. She was still nauseous from watching Soujiro get hit by a wooden cannon. She wanted out but she was too uncomfortable to think clearly. What is that thing that keeps poking me? She wondered. Wiggling slightly, she remembered it was her doctoring kit her sensei gave her. There are knives in them! She thought gleefully. It was knocked loose when she was being carried on the shoulder of one of the idiots.
Aiteru wiggled some more, trying to get the packet to slide down one of her kimono sleeves. It took a good ten minutes to get it near the sleeves. She banged the tree, and used the impact to push it across the final space. Success! She caught it as it slid, and quickly fumbled around with it. She managed to pull out one nicely sharpened one before it fell to the ground. [A/N: Well don't you think Megumi's thingy looks dangerous? It's so menacing!] Aiteru twisted her hands began sawing through the ropes. It was nearly dawn and the gang was snoring peacefully.
"Ow!" she winced as she finally got the ropes to fall apart. "Ew! Blo-od!" she said like a little valley-girl. She ripped her under kimono and wrapped her wrists. Immediately picking up her things, and reminding herself to get the knife sharpened again, Aiteru ran back through the forest. Back to Soujiro… Please be okay, she hoped, as the sky slowly got brighter.
She was tired and sleepy, but a new day had already begun. She relaxed against the tree she had leaned the patched up Soujiro. Her pre-boiled water was practically empty, her supplies were running low, but she was happy. Soujiro is going to make it. She glanced at the sleeping boy, he was better than she had expected. It was a good thing too, because she was could be still stitching him up and if he woke up she definitely wanted to be done. She was bonked on the head once while one patient woke up while she was stitching. Soujiro might have left her with one nasty scar with his katana.
The sky was a pastel pink. She sighed, she didn't want to go and drag Soujiro around until he woke up. He was heavy and she was exhausted, but she wanted to get away before the gang woke up. She sighed and watched the sun slowly pull itself out of the horizon…
Soujiro groaned, finally coming to. I hurt all over.
"Are you okay?" Aiteru asked looking over him.
"It just hurts a little," Soujiro smiled.
"That's okay. I just stitched you up," she explained. Looking back, she warned, "I think we should get going before that gang wakes up again."
Soujiro nodded. He didn't want to have to deal with another fight, especially when he was still so unsure. He still didn't know if it was okay to kill or not. Do the weak deserve to live? Or should I choose to live life like Himura-san?
"Too late," Aiteru whispered, helping Soujiro up. "They're here…"
Aiteru was upset. Soujiro's not ready for a fight, both mentally and physically! His eyes are having a harder time hiding emotions. She sighed as she remained by Soujiro's side, facing the incoming gang.
"We're the Ishimangi Gang! [A/N: I apologize again for misspellings. I sounded it out the best I could! ::awkward smile:: Just know it's that gang that tried to mess up Megumi's reputation. Okay?] We recently left Tokyo for new territory, and you're in our way," the leader, who wore lipstick and eye shadow [A/N: Well that's what it is, isn't it?!], declared.
"We got chased out a lady doctor and her friends," laughed one.
"DAMARE! (SHUT UP!)" The others yelled at him.
"A lady doctor?" Aiteru asked curiously.
"We tried messing up her reputation, but screwed somewhere," the ahou (moron) explained again. Instead of being yelled at, they all hit him and succeeded in knocking him out.
"One down," smiled Soujiro as Aiteru weighed the chances of the lady doctor being her sensei (teacher).
"You're asking for it!" the leader cried.
"No don't!" Aiteru quickly blocked the way to Soujiro. "He'd kill you!"
Soujiro nodded and agreed, until he could sort things out, he'd continue in his old ways. It was easier and saved more energy. The gang began laughing. They weren't going to believe a muddy child and a boy who was seriously injured by a wooden cannon.
"Laugh all you want, but you will regret it soon." she said icily. Only causing the gang to go into bigger fits of laughter. Soujiro could have nearly sworn he had seen a dramatic change in her. She seemed older and her body had a more defined figure and her kenki seemed to change into a colder and more disciplined kind. He smiled and dismissed it as he took a battle stance.
"HEYA!" she cried, jump kicking the leader's face. At the same moment, Soujiro disappeared and allowed his sword to rip through their flesh. The leader, who didn't notice the sudden silence behind him, was already strangling the girl, who was glaring with cold eyes. Soujiro couldn't attack without risking Aiteru. Puzzled he tried to figure out how to deal with this. Normally, he would have gone and killed them both, but he's indebt to her.
Aiteru swung her legs forward and flew back and crashed her wooden sandals into body killing her. The guy immediately let go and clutched his crutch in pain. Aiteru landed gracefully on her feet, and immediately whirled around and pulled a roundhouse on the head that was now lowered within her reach. Aiteru then landed daintily on her feet, and looked down with ruthless eyes at the leader of the Ishimangi Gang, who was seeing red now. He got up to his feet, spitting out a few teeth, determined to teach her a few lessons about messing with a gang leader.
"I'd appreciate it immensely if you would leave her unharmed," Soujiro said kindly behind him. The leader turned around at the interruption. First he noticed Soujiro's odd smile that was always on. Then he noticed the tip of Soujiro's bloody sword. Lastly, he saw he fellow gangsters in a bloody heap behind smiling Soujiro.
"Surrender," Aiteru said calmly with ice in her voice.
The man was nervous. For within a few seconds, his entire group was destroyed. "What kind of people are they?" he thought to himself, finally able to slow things down in his mind.
"Pl-Please spare me!" the guy finally stuttered.
Soujiro looked toward Aiteru, as if asking for permission. But Aiteru was looking at the sun. Dawn was nearly over, and the last bit of the sun was almost done emerging from the horizon.
"My time's up," Aiteru whispered, her voice was older. "You've chosen well, Aiteru…"
Author's Note: I apologize for anything I misspelled for I am a lowly American high school student. Gomen! I thank you for any help you can offer. Yeah, Aiteru's funky, but it will all make sense in the end. ::frowning in confusion:: Or at least it should… And Soujiro's no fun to do battle scenes with, his Shikuchi's too fast! ::pouts:: Anyway, please read and review and I'll put a little more thought and effort into this thing. Otherwise, I'm posting for fun. Hehe!