Darkest Just Before Dawn

RK doesn't belong to me.

Chapter 4

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Kaoru didn't look out at the sun, nor at Kenshin, just staring at the sand in despair, it was useless, this whole life of hers. Nothing good would ever come out of it. She should've realized that earlier.

"Koneko-chan, what's wrong?" Kenshin finally asked, looking at her with concerned amber eyes. He didn't like to see her in such a sad mood. It just wasn't her.

"My parents have decided to marry me off," she finally said, daring to look at him. His eyes changed emotions, first hard, then soft, and then dark, anger and fury, as well as a hint of sadness filled them.

"And you're decision on this matter?" he said, looking her straight in the eye.

She wanted to look away from those eyes, the eyes that looked like they could stare straight into her soul with just a glance. The deep blue orbs started to fill with tears, and Kenshin felt a tinge of guilt, but he had to know…he had to know if she wanted to go with him or not.

"I want to go with you," she whispered, reaching out a hand to touch a cheek, trying to find some comfort in her decision. He grasped her hand, and kissed it softly, pulling her into a tight hug and finally giving her a real kiss.

Neither of them would've ever guessed that someone was watching, a tired old soul with years of death just waiting to take him with burning chains to the fiery pits of hell.

"Kaoru-chan, there you are," called out her mother in a singsong voice, as she came up to her daughter. Behind her was a brusque looking man with an old man beside him. She looked at the two, and knew immediately that one of them was the one her mother wanted her to marry. "I would like you to meet Shinomori Hideki and his grandson Shinomori Aoshi. Aoshi-san is the one we have arranged the marriage for you with."

"If we want it," said Aoshi, with a pair of cold blue eyes. Kaoru knew that she had seen nicer eyes on a broken Greek statue in her history book.

"So be it, Shinomori-san," Kaoru replied, glaring right back, her eyes glowing with fire. He was taken aback by this, but his grandfather just laughed. The old man, crooked by his years of dealing with devils of all kinds knew her reason for not marrying his grandson, he had seen her earlier with that young red headed man at the beach, and knew that love consisted between them, somewhere.

"What is so funny Grandfather?" Aoshi asked, looking at his grandfather with utmost respect. He may not ever agree with this marriage, but there was no way he would go against his Grandfather's will with out real reason.

"Oh, the fire in this young girl's eyes is most amazing," he commented, knowing well that his grandson had seen it as well. "It reminds me of that young girl back in Tokyo, how she would be so angry one moment, but so sweet the next."

He observed how the young man blushed, just a small pale pink flush across his nose and cheeks. Nothing else but that, as the young man was said to be as emotionless as that. When he did react with full emotions, it was always a sight to see.

"Shinomori-san, a servant will show you to your rooms," said Kaoru's mother, motioning for a servant girl to come and take them to their separate rooms. Once they were gone, she looked down at her daughter and glared. "You be good to Hideki-san and Aoshi-san, you hear me girl? This marriage would put our name not only in China, but also in Japan. Do you know what that would mean?"

"No," Kaoru replied, not looking up at her mother but staring down at the marble floor of the hallway they were standing in.

"Well, for someone who prides themselves on knowledge sure doesn't know a lot now do they? I won't tell you girl, my only advice is figure it out on your own." The woman left her daughter, just as Aoshi rounded the corner and came upon his fiancée.

"You don't want to wed either," he said, more of a statement then a question.

"No, the girl your grandfather was talking about, you like her, don't you?"

"Yes…but she is of lower class."

"The one I love, I don't what class he is, all I know is that I need him, and he needs me. I shall hopefully see you again, Aoshi-san," Kaoru looked at him, smiled for a moment and left.

"Please, come with me tonight, at midnight…at the dock, there will be a boat heading for Japan…meet me there," Kenshin whispered after their kiss, saying it into her ear. She nodded her head yes.

"I'll come."

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AN: That last part was a flash back to the morning, after their first kiss. ^.^ Sweet, don't you think? Oh, that was written by my nice side who is trying to get out and add somethings to my dark fics. It is most annoying. And useless, but I get revenge, I add some dark aspects to her own fics. Now that is fun.

Clownsareeveil & Darkshadowheartless: Its okay, and angst, it was angst? I thought it was choppy, like Jene-san said, well, after I re-read the chapter.

kurara: I disagree with the fact that if she knew what would happen in the future with her life with Kenshin, she would still go, because she would be with someone she loved, even if it was a abusive experience.

Kenta Divina: that's what she is gonna do.

omochi: her mother doesn't care because Hana was Kaoru's favorite sister, and the fact that she has a lot of children who she can look after as well.

Chibu-Nikoru: Aoshi isn't a scumbag, and for a moment I thought about marrying her to his grandfather instead. But, we will just have to see what happens.

Shizuka: The lucky guy's grandfather will crock in the middle of the night when Kaoru goes and Aoshi will go back to Tokyo and reunite with Misao-chan, all the while Kenshin and Kaoru will live "happily ever after."

Jene-san: Once I read this review, and looked over the chapter once more, I found that it is kind of choppy, I'll fix it up soon.

tsuki-sama: how about the next chapter? I got friend to proofread this one.

aku-chan: the more the merrier for mystery is all good, but the fact her family is doing this just adds to the fact that they dislike her.

Battousai angel: I know, and evil is all my game, my name even says it. Kard of Dark, 'Kard' is dark spelled backwards. Got the name from DNAngel.

I hope you all liked this chapter, it was real short top me, in any case, because the chapter itself is only 815 words, most are over a thousand words or more, with out any additional author notes or review answers or anything like that. Sorry for its shortness.