Delirium

By: Subaru Shôjo

Author notes; I don't own RK nor their characters, bla bla bla…

A K&K, K&T , and hints of S&M, A&M. Little bit of romance, action and drama.

"…" they are talking, ~*~ change of scene or place. '…' thoughts. *….* flashback, cursive quotes.

~*~

Goodnight nice to meet you.

You were like any other girl

After 5 minutes you became someone special

Without talking without touching me something inside lit up.

In your eyes it was late and I forgot about the clock.

This days by your side, really taught me.

That there's no determined time to begin loving.

I feel something so deep that has no explanation.

There's no logic nor reason in my heart.

(Sin Bandera, "Entra en mi vida")

~*~

Chapter 1: Fog

"Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin leaped from branch to branch to get her. Kenshin had a fight on the woods, Kaoru was so worried she had decided to follow him. She wanted Kenshin to return back with her. His opponent wasn't too skilled, so it wasn't difficult for Kenshin to defeat him. But what Kenshin didn't know, was that it was all a trap. First the bait, then the trap. The men that planned this had not assumed that Kaoru would be there, so they decided to attack her so she couldn't interfere. She was shot with a poisoned kunai. And she was now in the middle of the woods bleeding profusely, she was still walking heavily towards the place where Kenshin was fighting. But she was getting weaker and weaker, so now she didn't know where she was. Kenshin had sensed her ki and was trying to track her. But she was nowhere to be found. Later on, he saw a body lying on a dead tree.

It was her.

"Kaoru-dono!" he tried to move her slightly, worry was shown on his almost amber eyes.

'Whomever had done this would not live to tell it" he said in a husky voice. He carried Kaoru over his back, skipping from tree to tree. Some ninjas where hopping around no letting Kenshin pass. Thousands of kunais were sent to them, but Kenshin blocked them with his sakabatou. Kenshin positioned Kaoru in a way he was the shield, so any kunai could reach her.

She needed some medical attention and she needed it quick.

Kenshin rushed into Megumi's clinic, laying her on the examination table, Megumi wasn't anywhere to be seen. He looked in every place of the clinic. Some patients outside looked in horror at the stressed rurouni. There she was! She was outside carrying Sano along Katsu. Sano was in a terrible condition. Kenshin eyes widened. He had some kunai injuries too! He tried to help Megumi, as he laid Sano in another examination table.

"What happened to her?" Megumi asked seriously, as she saw Kaoru lying on the table, still bleeding profusely.

"She was shot by a kunai, but I don't know why she is bleeding so much, kunais can't do deep wounds to provoke an hemorrhage" Kenshin said, changing the clothe he had put on to stop the bleeding.

"It can if the kunai reached an artery, she may have some internal hemorrhages as well" She said looking sorrowfully at the girl she was attending. She was pale, and her lips were a creepy kind of blue. Megumi examined the injury as she frowned deeply. Sano was healthier, he was along with Kenshin, the look Megumi had wasn't giving them any hope.

"This kunai is poisoned," she said as she extracted the object, pointing out some strange liquid at the point. Kenshin deepened his gaze. Sano frowned.

"And as I've said, the kunai pierced an artery, not the aorta, but it seems the poison is already on her blood" she said in a sad thoughtful voice. Kenshin eyes widened, Sano slammed his fist on the wall. Megumi bent her head, as she placed some bandages over her chest.

"I don't know any antidote for this kind of poison, but I'm sure someone does…the Oniwabanshu" she said shortly, capturing the attention of the both men.

"This is an Oniwabanshu kunai, so is the poison" she said putting the kunai in a tray.

"You mean, Shinomori did all this?" Sanosuke said amazed. Kenshin only looked down at her, his hand brushing slightly hers.

"I'm not quite sure, this kunai is an antique one, Oniwabanshu used this kind of kunais before" she said bringing the tray to them.

"As you may see, even if I pour some water on to it, the liquid doesn't dissolves after all" Kenshin looked closely at the object as his frown deepened. Sano crossed his arms on his chest. "This proves, that maybe the poison is attached to the artery walls, it must be a herbal poison, some herbal poisons have this trait, to be sticky" Megumi continued.

"So, what are we waiting for? Let's go to Kyoto and beat them of! We gotta get that antidote quick, for Jo-chan's sake!" Sano said clutching his fists.

"I'm not that sure that Okina and the others made this to Kaoru-dono, de gozaru" Kenshin tried to stop the overwhelmed gangster. Megumi rolled her eyes as she touched Sano on the back of his head, making him to fall over.

"That will give us some time. On the other hand, the rooster head is right, we have to go to Kyoto for the antidote, I'm sure the Oniwabanshu has it" Megumi declared. Kenshin nodded.

"But what about Kaoru-dono? Must we travel with her? I don't think we should, Megumi-san" Kenshin said looking down to her. Megumi sighed in disbelieve.

"I'm afraid that we should, even if she's delicate right now, and although the traveling might get her worst, we could save some time if we take her to the place her antidote is"

"And if I bring it to her?" Kenshin said, worry was drawn on his whole face.

"The trip to Kyoto lasts like 3 or 4 days, now, if you bring it, she'll be waiting for 6 to 8 days. The sooner, the better Ken-san, I know you're worried for her. But all we can do is hope that she's strong enough during our way to Kyoto." Megumi placed Sano on the table, she removed some bandages, the baka rooster head, had injured his fist again.

"When shall we go, Megumi-san?" the rurouni asked. Megumi looked at the clock.

"In a hour" she said shortly, Kenshin looked at the clock, then he went outside to inform Yahiko. As he got to the dojo, he saw the boy walking like a desperate lion in a jail. Then he noticed Kenshin, he ran to him.

"Where on earth have you been?!!" He yelled, Kenshin tried to calm him. Kenshin informed the boy about what had happened. Yahiko's eyes bulged out when he heard about Kaoru's injuries. He wanted to go with them, but Kenshin told him that his duty was to stay and protect the dojo. Dr. Genzai and his granddaughters were also going to stay. Yahiko was sad when he heard this, but Kenshin told him that he had a great responsibility. It could be dangerous leaving him alone, considering that he was the only one with fighting skills. Yahiko cheered up a little bit, and then he reassured Kenshin that he would protect the dojo.

"Promise me that all you will come back to Tokio alive!" Yahiko said, waving his hand to the rurouni. Kenshin nodded. No, he would not let Kaoru-dono die. Yahiko frowned as he saw Kenshin's yukata darker on the back of his left shoulder. He ran to reach him.

"Hey, Kenshin, Daijabou? It seems you have a cut over your shoulder" Yahiko said pointing the darker part. Kenshin smiled as he checked his shoulder, he hadn't even notice. It was a small spine, maybe from the branches of the spiny bushes.

"It's all right, it's just a little scrape" he said showing him the little spine.

"Huh? Don't fool me Kenshin, a little spine doesn't make you blood like that" he said checking his shoulder.

"Yahiko, don't worry, I'm on my way to Megumi-san's clinic, she'll check it later" he said as he started his walk towards the clinic. Yahiko dropped the subject, entering the dojo. While he was walking to the clinic, he passed by the riverbank. He looked up as the moon shone in a melancholic way. The thing that caught his attention was that fireflies were flying around. He was hypnotized by their green twinkle. He followed them as many others were posing over the riverbank.

"Kenshin!" he heard someone call him. He walked further.

"Kenshin! Where were you?" that voice…Kenshin approached more, his eyes bulged out.

"Ka-ka-Kaoru-dono! What are you doing here?! You're supposed to be in Megumi's clinic!" he said looking at her.

"But I'm feeling much better, daijabou Kenshin?" she asked. He nodded.

"Why are you here?" he asked, she was almost dying and she was here, looking at the riverbank as if nothing had happened.

"I decided to take a walk, what was your answer? Well, before he…" she asked nervously, Kenshin looked puzzled.

"My answer?" he repeated. Kaoru started to play with her fingers.

"Hai, have you given him an answer?" Kaoru tried to explain.

"But Okubo is dead" Kenshin said, this was so weird.

"Aa. I heard the news" her gaze saddened. 'What's going on?!!' he thought.

"Kaoru-dono, that happened a year and a half!" his voice was a little bit louder. Now was Kaoru's turn to frown.

"Are you all right? Okubo was murdered today!" she said panicking. Now both of the where in shock.

"It can't be…" he said still shocked.

"Yes, but they said there was a group of revolutionary men that were against this government" she said, her hands clasped over her lap. 'Maybe if I follow…' he thought, he cleared his throat.

"He was killed by Shishio's servant, Seta Soujiro" he said expecting her reaction.

"So, what are you going to do?" she said worriedly. Kenshin was shocked. He shook his head. 'Follow…' he remembered.

"I have to go to Kyoto immediately" he said in a kind voice.

"So, are you going to kill again?"

"I don't know…I don't want to put you, any of you in danger" he said, his eyes longing. Her lips began to tremble. He embraced her as he remembered. Everything was exactly the same as the day he had left. As he followed the same things he made before, he heard her cry. What was all this about? Was he getting insane?

"Kuso Kenshin! We've been waiting for you?! What were you doing on the riverbank?" Sano grabbed Kenshin from the collar of his yukata. Kenshin opened his mouth, but he knew Sano wouldn't believe him. He sighed. Maybe this entire Kaoru thing was messing him up. They got to Megumi's clinic; Megumi was tapping her foot on the floor, each hand over her hip.

"Why did you take so long?" Megumi snorted, Sano pointed Kenshin, he only smiled sheepishly.

"Well, who's going to carry Kaoru?" Megumi asked, Kenshin offered first. Megumi smiled, it was tangible that this redheaded rurouni loved the tanuki girl.

"Well, it's too late now, and I don't want to risk any of you, why don't we stay here for the night, and tomorrow morning we leave?" Sano suggested, Megumi and Kenshin agreed. As Sano and Megumi arranged some blankets and pillows for Kenshin and Sano, Kenshin walked where Kaoru was lying, she had a feverish face, her skin was so pale, and he could barely recognize her. She wasn't his Kaoru-dono, she was so genki, so happy, this couldn't be Kaoru, she couldn't, no way… He took a chair and he sat and watched her. She was breathing heavily, and sweat covered all her sleeping face. He would give anything to see her eyes again. He silently prayed Kami-sama for her health.

"Kenshin, you must rest, Sano is already on his futon, why don't you do the same?" Megumi suggested in a kind, soft voice. Kenshin nodded. He was tired. He yawned as he was lead to the room where Sanosuke was already snoring. Megumi gave him some cotton.

"It will help you" she said with little sweat drops over her face. Kenshin looked puzzled at her, she blushed as she got out of the room. He removed his yukata, his scrape had stopped blooding. He smiled; yes it was only a scrape. He laid on the futon.

The next morning

Kenshin's eyes opened slowly as some rays of light passed through the window. Sanosuke was sleeping, but his snores were louder. He covered his ears as he went out of the room, and he dressed up. He walked where Kaoru was. Megumi was changing the bandages, spilling some water and herbal pomade on her wounds. Megumi smiled as he saw the rurouni looking at her work.

"Ohayo Ken-san" she said politely, Kenshin smiled to her.

"Ohayo Megumi-san, how's Kaoru-dono?" he asked looking at Kaoru, a little of color had returned to her cheeks.

"She's a little bit better, so we must go in 5 minutes, could you go to the market for some chamomile? It's like two blocks away" she said washing her hands on the washbasin.

"Hai de gozaru, I'll be right back" he said leaving the clinic.

"Kenshin!" Megumi called out. Kenshin turned.

"Watch out, it's too foggy outside, many carriages are in this streets" she warned. Kenshin frowned.

"Fog? It's been a while since the last foggy day" he said vaguely. Megumi nodded.

"Aa. But in the news it had said that there would be foggy days the next 3 days, so be careful while you are walking" she said. Kenshin nodded as he exited the clinic. He walked through the streets; few people were walking over it. And many markets closed. It has been like two years and a half since the last foggy day. The fog gave the streets a creepy touch. Kenshin saw an old man sitting over the streets, he was a storyteller. A blanket nailed to the wall, said 'Fairy tales, Legends, True stories and myths about Japan, if you want to hear them it cost 2000 yens' Kenshin scratched his head. The old man was looking at him, he was always looking straight. He was blind.

"Oh, ohayo minna-sama!" The old man saluted. 'Everyone? It's only me' Kenshin thought.

"Did you know young man, that foggy days are special?" the old man started, Kenshin looked down at him. Kenshin shook his head, he was in a hurry and he didn't need some legend or myth right now.

"I now you're in a hurry, but this might be something of your interest" Kenshin eyes widened, 'how did he know?' he thought.

"Foggy days are special because the ancient said that fog brings an opportunity to the ones that have many sins. An opportunity to solve the problems to their past. And I can see, not with this blind eyes, but with the eyes of my heart, that your past forbids you to grow and live your life in peace…" The old man finished. Kenshin was so shocked, he shook his head. He had to go. 'How could he know?' he asked himself. As he began to run.

"Don't worry! The fog will free you!" The old man shouted. Kenshin's heart began to beat faster and faster. That old man was nuts, it was only a myth, right? Then he calmed down; he began to wander on the streets. No market was opened. He had to hurry, Megumi was waiting for him.

"Matte! Matte! Hitokiri Battousai!" Kenshin froze, he knew that voice, and his heartbeat began to accelerate. He turned around slowly; it was she, the boken pointing him straightly. He couldn't talk, her eyes were so determined. His mouth finally let out some words.

"T-t-tomoe-san?!!" he asked in awe. The girl deepened her gaze, and then she frowned.

End of chapter 1

I know I know, sort of Vanilla Sky, but not really. Sorry about my spelling and grammar mistakes, I'll try to improve in the next chapters.  I want to reaaaaaally really thank to Kali-chan, that helped me out with my awful grammar. Also thanks to Tae-san, her story (Fever Dreams) inspired me. I recommend you to read that one ^_^! Well Ja ne! Atte Subaru-san