A/N: They're going to be speaking in Japanese, even though you and I can
understand. (winks)
Lin jumped as she felt something grab her roughly and haul her up to her feet. Her eyes snapped open and were met with a group of large men. She crinkled her nose when a horrible smell invaded her senses. Jeez, when was the last time these guys bathed? She almost reached up and slapped herself on the forehead at the stupid though. She was worrying about how they smelled instead of why they were sneering at her.
She felt the rough grip on her shoulders loosen and leave her completely. She turned around, seeing a fat man standing directly in front of her.
"Hajimamashite, Jo-chan," the man sneered at her. 'Hajimamashite?' she thought. This is Japanese. What the hell was she doing in Japan?! She was happy that she could understand them. How rude of him to call her little missy!
"What do you want?" she asked him, returning the Japanese.
"You have a strange accent. Where are you from?"
"I believe that is none of your business. I'll just be on my way." She picked up her pack, walking to the edge of the circle of men surrounding her. A large man stepped in her way. She side stepped, trying to get around him, but her blocked her way again. She glared up at his smiling form.
"I said that I will be on my way, so will you kindly move?" she asked, gritting her teeth. These guys were really starting to bug her.
"I don't think that I can do that," the man said, the sneer never leaving his face. She was whipped around by someone grabbing her shoulder. It was the fat man from before. He threw her to the ground, sending her pack flying a few feet away from her. She glared up at the man, not moving from the ground.
She began to stand, but the man only shoved her back down. "I'm afraid that we can't let you go just yet, you see we have to have a bit of fun with you first."
Fear began to creep into the edges of Lin's mind, but she refused to let it show on her face. This man wanted her to be afraid. She used the energy from her fear and plastered a scowl on her face.
"You will let me leave now." She stated firmly. The man just laughed at her. She stood quickly, reaching for her pack. Before she could grab it a hand shot out and hit her. The man hit her hard enough to send her flying to the ground with a thud.
"Stay down," the man commanded. Lin fixed her face into a determined gaze and stood slowly. An angry looked passed across his face before he smiled again. He raised his arm up and back handed her again, sending her flying into a tree. She hit it with a crack, her eyes widening in pain.
The man walked up to her again, placing a hard hit directly in her stomach. She doubled over in pain, clutching at her stomach.
"You aren't dressed like a woman. You must be a whore. She man grabbed the front of her cloak and ripped it open, continuing to glower at her.
Lin screamed. "NO!" With speed born of desperation she thrust her leg up, kicking him hard in the crotch. The man doubled over, his face turning a slight purple color. Lin ran to her pack and picked it up, pushing herself through the wall of men, and running. She ran as fast as she could, the footsteps behind her spurring her on. She didn't know where she was, or where she was going. For all she knew she was running straight into a trap, or deeper into the woods.
She ran blindly, not caring where she was going. The footsteps were catching up with her. These guys weren't like the fat cops who couldn't keep up with anybody. Fear gave her another shot of adrenaline and she pushed off the ground with a new burst of speed.
She looked ahead of her and saw something glitter in the early morning sun. Somebody was there. She ran faster towards the person, praying that they would be able to help her. She held her cloak shut in front of her. She finally reached the person, or, as it would be, persons.
She stopped when she reached them.
"Please help me! Please!" The people looked startled. There were two men, a woman, and a boy, sitting there having lunch. The woman was the first to speak.
"What's wrong?" she asked. Lin was about to explain when she heard the men running out of the bushes behind her. Lin watched helplessly as one of them threw a knife at her throat. She barely detected a flash out of the corner of her eye. She stared in awe as the knife was easily hit away from her by a red haired man.
The large, smelly men glared at the shorter red haired man. "She belongs to us. Hand her over."
Lin watched as a tall man with spiky hair stood and walked over to the men. "She's yours? Why do you want her?"
"She owes us money." Lin's eyes widened as everyone turned to her.
"I do not! I was just sleeping in the woods and they woke me up! They attacked me and were going to-" she stopped as she panted in a panic. "I.........I.........I don't even know where I am! I don't know these people! I don't even know this place!" Lin was now on the edge of hysterics as everything that had happened caught up with her.
The woman stood and walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. Kenshin won't let anything happen to you."
Lin looked at her, question in her eyes. "Kenshin?"
The woman nodded and pointed to the red haired man who was staring at the men. "You, leave." The taller, spiky haired man said simply. The larger of the men that were chasing her threw a punch at the guy.
The man dodged it easily and landed a punch on the guy's face that had him knocked out in one blow. The other man looked down at the form of his unconscious friend and ran off. Lin turned and looked at the woman there.
"My name is Kaoru. This is Kenshin, Sanosuke, and Yahiko." Lin looked at all of them as they were introduced. "What is your name?"
Lin looked at them cautiously. They did save her, but she still didn't know them. "Lin," She stated simply. Lin watched as Kaoru began to say something to her. She didn't know what she was saying at the moment because she was too dizzy. Why was she so dizzy all of the sudden?
She noticed a throbbing in her leg. She looked down at it and noticed that the wound had been reopened and blood was pouring down her leg. She tried to focus on what Kaoru was saying. Why did that name sound familiar? Kaoru. Her mind was too hazy to focus. Kaoru, Kenshin........She knew that she'd heard it before. But where?
She began to sway on her feet as the fog on her mind got thicker. She was barely aware of falling and someone catching her before everything went black.
Kaoru looked at the girl who was laying on a bed, asleep. Her name was Lin. They had rescued her and then she passed out. Sanosuke had to carry her back to the dojo, then left to get Megumi. Yahiko and Kenshin were outside of the room at the moment, waiting for Megumi to return. They had stopped the bleeding on her leg, but she still needed medical attention. Kaoru finished redressing the girl only moments before, now she watched the girl as her expressions changed in her sleep.
"No," the girl mumbled. "Stop." Kaoru stared at her, wondering what she was dreaming about. Slowly her mumbling was becoming louder.
"No! I said stop! I can't do it anymore!" her voice was now at a regular speaking level. Kaoru wondered if she should wake Lin up. It would be better for her to rest. Kaoru jumped back as Lin shot up in bed, her eyes still closed.
"I SAID STOP!" she cried, now standing but still asleep. Kaoru turned as the door opened and Yahiko ran in, followed closely by Kenshin. They stared as Lin stood, her eyes open, but now alive. The girl was sleep walking. Lin seemed to be searching around the room for something.
"Not again," she mumbled.
"Kaoru? What did you do to her?" Yahiko asked.
"I didn't do anything you brat!" she screamed. "She's been talking in her sleep, then she just stood up."
Kaoru watched the girl fumble around the room, walking over to a table and leaning over it. She didn't move. Kaoru walked towards the girl, guessing that she had gone back to sleep fully.
She approached her and placed her hand on the girl's shoulder. She jumped back as Lin spun around, a knife in her hand and slashed at her.
"I SAID NEVER AGAIN!" she cried. Lin slashed at her again. She leaned back just far enough to get out of the way of the blade. Lin slashed over and over, each time getting closer to Kaoru. Kaoru's eyes widened as she began to fall backwards, tripping over Lin's pillow. She looked up as Lin raised the knife up, ready to stab her. As the blade cam down there was a flash. Kenshin jumped in the way and knocked the knife aside with his sword. Lin walked over to her pack calmly. Everybody watched her closely as she grabbed onto the side.
Lin blocked their view with her body and pulled out a sword, turning around quickly and slashing at Kenshin. Kenshin dodged the blow easily, landing behind her. Lin turned sharply and attacked again, slashing quickly at the man. Kenshin dodged each blow easily. He had not drawn his sword.
.................................................
Lin looked at the man before her. Why did he treat her this way? How could he do this? He always did. She couldn't take it any more, couldn't deal with the way he treated her. She would end it. She picked up a knife and slashed at him. He just stood and laughed at her.
"Is that all that you can do Lin?" he asked venomously. "After all that training this is all that you can do?" He hit the knife out of her hand easily. He laughed at her. She couldn't take it anymore. She wouldn't take it anymore. He was always laughing, always mocking, always hitting.
Lin walked calmly and picked up her sword, turning on the man and slashing at him. He merely laughed, dodging each blow. He picked up his sword from behind him and blocked each blow easily, still laughing. She was better than this and she knew it. Lin slashed at him still. "NEVER!" she yelled at him. "NEVER AGAIN! I SAID STOP!" She slashed at the man with all the hate that she'd built up over the years.
...................................................
Kenshin stared at the girl as she screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "NEVER! NEVER AGAIN! I SAID STOP!" She slashed at him with more intensity. He drew his sword and dodged an attack, hitting her on her back. She fell to the ground, her sword dropping from her hands and sliding across the floor. Her eyes cleared from the haze of her dream as she awoke.
Lin looked up at Kenshin. He was putting his sword away. She looked at the faces of Yahiko and Kaoru. What had she done? She looked at the sword which lay a few feet away from her. Her eyes widened as she remembered the dream. Oh God what had she done?
She looked back up at Kenshin, her eyes full of tears. She had attacked them. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
"I'm so sorry!" she called out loudly, collapsing to the ground in new tears. That dream. She'd had that dream again. Kenshin walked over to her and placed his hand on her back. "It's okay," he said softly.
Lin looked up at his face. He was smiling at her. "Go back to sleep," he said calmly. Lin nodded and crawled over to her bed. Falling back down to the covers into immediate sleep.
Lin jumped as she felt something grab her roughly and haul her up to her feet. Her eyes snapped open and were met with a group of large men. She crinkled her nose when a horrible smell invaded her senses. Jeez, when was the last time these guys bathed? She almost reached up and slapped herself on the forehead at the stupid though. She was worrying about how they smelled instead of why they were sneering at her.
She felt the rough grip on her shoulders loosen and leave her completely. She turned around, seeing a fat man standing directly in front of her.
"Hajimamashite, Jo-chan," the man sneered at her. 'Hajimamashite?' she thought. This is Japanese. What the hell was she doing in Japan?! She was happy that she could understand them. How rude of him to call her little missy!
"What do you want?" she asked him, returning the Japanese.
"You have a strange accent. Where are you from?"
"I believe that is none of your business. I'll just be on my way." She picked up her pack, walking to the edge of the circle of men surrounding her. A large man stepped in her way. She side stepped, trying to get around him, but her blocked her way again. She glared up at his smiling form.
"I said that I will be on my way, so will you kindly move?" she asked, gritting her teeth. These guys were really starting to bug her.
"I don't think that I can do that," the man said, the sneer never leaving his face. She was whipped around by someone grabbing her shoulder. It was the fat man from before. He threw her to the ground, sending her pack flying a few feet away from her. She glared up at the man, not moving from the ground.
She began to stand, but the man only shoved her back down. "I'm afraid that we can't let you go just yet, you see we have to have a bit of fun with you first."
Fear began to creep into the edges of Lin's mind, but she refused to let it show on her face. This man wanted her to be afraid. She used the energy from her fear and plastered a scowl on her face.
"You will let me leave now." She stated firmly. The man just laughed at her. She stood quickly, reaching for her pack. Before she could grab it a hand shot out and hit her. The man hit her hard enough to send her flying to the ground with a thud.
"Stay down," the man commanded. Lin fixed her face into a determined gaze and stood slowly. An angry looked passed across his face before he smiled again. He raised his arm up and back handed her again, sending her flying into a tree. She hit it with a crack, her eyes widening in pain.
The man walked up to her again, placing a hard hit directly in her stomach. She doubled over in pain, clutching at her stomach.
"You aren't dressed like a woman. You must be a whore. She man grabbed the front of her cloak and ripped it open, continuing to glower at her.
Lin screamed. "NO!" With speed born of desperation she thrust her leg up, kicking him hard in the crotch. The man doubled over, his face turning a slight purple color. Lin ran to her pack and picked it up, pushing herself through the wall of men, and running. She ran as fast as she could, the footsteps behind her spurring her on. She didn't know where she was, or where she was going. For all she knew she was running straight into a trap, or deeper into the woods.
She ran blindly, not caring where she was going. The footsteps were catching up with her. These guys weren't like the fat cops who couldn't keep up with anybody. Fear gave her another shot of adrenaline and she pushed off the ground with a new burst of speed.
She looked ahead of her and saw something glitter in the early morning sun. Somebody was there. She ran faster towards the person, praying that they would be able to help her. She held her cloak shut in front of her. She finally reached the person, or, as it would be, persons.
She stopped when she reached them.
"Please help me! Please!" The people looked startled. There were two men, a woman, and a boy, sitting there having lunch. The woman was the first to speak.
"What's wrong?" she asked. Lin was about to explain when she heard the men running out of the bushes behind her. Lin watched helplessly as one of them threw a knife at her throat. She barely detected a flash out of the corner of her eye. She stared in awe as the knife was easily hit away from her by a red haired man.
The large, smelly men glared at the shorter red haired man. "She belongs to us. Hand her over."
Lin watched as a tall man with spiky hair stood and walked over to the men. "She's yours? Why do you want her?"
"She owes us money." Lin's eyes widened as everyone turned to her.
"I do not! I was just sleeping in the woods and they woke me up! They attacked me and were going to-" she stopped as she panted in a panic. "I.........I.........I don't even know where I am! I don't know these people! I don't even know this place!" Lin was now on the edge of hysterics as everything that had happened caught up with her.
The woman stood and walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. Kenshin won't let anything happen to you."
Lin looked at her, question in her eyes. "Kenshin?"
The woman nodded and pointed to the red haired man who was staring at the men. "You, leave." The taller, spiky haired man said simply. The larger of the men that were chasing her threw a punch at the guy.
The man dodged it easily and landed a punch on the guy's face that had him knocked out in one blow. The other man looked down at the form of his unconscious friend and ran off. Lin turned and looked at the woman there.
"My name is Kaoru. This is Kenshin, Sanosuke, and Yahiko." Lin looked at all of them as they were introduced. "What is your name?"
Lin looked at them cautiously. They did save her, but she still didn't know them. "Lin," She stated simply. Lin watched as Kaoru began to say something to her. She didn't know what she was saying at the moment because she was too dizzy. Why was she so dizzy all of the sudden?
She noticed a throbbing in her leg. She looked down at it and noticed that the wound had been reopened and blood was pouring down her leg. She tried to focus on what Kaoru was saying. Why did that name sound familiar? Kaoru. Her mind was too hazy to focus. Kaoru, Kenshin........She knew that she'd heard it before. But where?
She began to sway on her feet as the fog on her mind got thicker. She was barely aware of falling and someone catching her before everything went black.
Kaoru looked at the girl who was laying on a bed, asleep. Her name was Lin. They had rescued her and then she passed out. Sanosuke had to carry her back to the dojo, then left to get Megumi. Yahiko and Kenshin were outside of the room at the moment, waiting for Megumi to return. They had stopped the bleeding on her leg, but she still needed medical attention. Kaoru finished redressing the girl only moments before, now she watched the girl as her expressions changed in her sleep.
"No," the girl mumbled. "Stop." Kaoru stared at her, wondering what she was dreaming about. Slowly her mumbling was becoming louder.
"No! I said stop! I can't do it anymore!" her voice was now at a regular speaking level. Kaoru wondered if she should wake Lin up. It would be better for her to rest. Kaoru jumped back as Lin shot up in bed, her eyes still closed.
"I SAID STOP!" she cried, now standing but still asleep. Kaoru turned as the door opened and Yahiko ran in, followed closely by Kenshin. They stared as Lin stood, her eyes open, but now alive. The girl was sleep walking. Lin seemed to be searching around the room for something.
"Not again," she mumbled.
"Kaoru? What did you do to her?" Yahiko asked.
"I didn't do anything you brat!" she screamed. "She's been talking in her sleep, then she just stood up."
Kaoru watched the girl fumble around the room, walking over to a table and leaning over it. She didn't move. Kaoru walked towards the girl, guessing that she had gone back to sleep fully.
She approached her and placed her hand on the girl's shoulder. She jumped back as Lin spun around, a knife in her hand and slashed at her.
"I SAID NEVER AGAIN!" she cried. Lin slashed at her again. She leaned back just far enough to get out of the way of the blade. Lin slashed over and over, each time getting closer to Kaoru. Kaoru's eyes widened as she began to fall backwards, tripping over Lin's pillow. She looked up as Lin raised the knife up, ready to stab her. As the blade cam down there was a flash. Kenshin jumped in the way and knocked the knife aside with his sword. Lin walked over to her pack calmly. Everybody watched her closely as she grabbed onto the side.
Lin blocked their view with her body and pulled out a sword, turning around quickly and slashing at Kenshin. Kenshin dodged the blow easily, landing behind her. Lin turned sharply and attacked again, slashing quickly at the man. Kenshin dodged each blow easily. He had not drawn his sword.
.................................................
Lin looked at the man before her. Why did he treat her this way? How could he do this? He always did. She couldn't take it any more, couldn't deal with the way he treated her. She would end it. She picked up a knife and slashed at him. He just stood and laughed at her.
"Is that all that you can do Lin?" he asked venomously. "After all that training this is all that you can do?" He hit the knife out of her hand easily. He laughed at her. She couldn't take it anymore. She wouldn't take it anymore. He was always laughing, always mocking, always hitting.
Lin walked calmly and picked up her sword, turning on the man and slashing at him. He merely laughed, dodging each blow. He picked up his sword from behind him and blocked each blow easily, still laughing. She was better than this and she knew it. Lin slashed at him still. "NEVER!" she yelled at him. "NEVER AGAIN! I SAID STOP!" She slashed at the man with all the hate that she'd built up over the years.
...................................................
Kenshin stared at the girl as she screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "NEVER! NEVER AGAIN! I SAID STOP!" She slashed at him with more intensity. He drew his sword and dodged an attack, hitting her on her back. She fell to the ground, her sword dropping from her hands and sliding across the floor. Her eyes cleared from the haze of her dream as she awoke.
Lin looked up at Kenshin. He was putting his sword away. She looked at the faces of Yahiko and Kaoru. What had she done? She looked at the sword which lay a few feet away from her. Her eyes widened as she remembered the dream. Oh God what had she done?
She looked back up at Kenshin, her eyes full of tears. She had attacked them. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
"I'm so sorry!" she called out loudly, collapsing to the ground in new tears. That dream. She'd had that dream again. Kenshin walked over to her and placed his hand on her back. "It's okay," he said softly.
Lin looked up at his face. He was smiling at her. "Go back to sleep," he said calmly. Lin nodded and crawled over to her bed. Falling back down to the covers into immediate sleep.