Disclaimer: I do not own Kenshin. Once again
Kenshin looked back towards the old man's house an smiled. He had been a rather ignorant man when it came to talking, but he gave Kenshin a sense of relief. After telling his tale, the old man had offered them to stay for longer, but Kenshin had to decline because of a premonition telling him something was wrong. Kenshin shook hands with the man, and promised one day to visit again and repay his kindness.
Dragging Kaoru along the path, Kenshin began to notice a slight difference in the weather. No longer was it sunny and warm, it was clouding up with a certain chance of a storm. Kaoru was humming absently, trying to focus on the scenery while it lasted, a sudden thought struck her.
"Kenshin you have been acting weird lately, is something going on that I should know about?" Karou said to the quick moving man.
"Don't worry my love, there is nothing wrong. Noting at all..." Suddenly a brisk wind forced itself against the couple, forcing Kenshin to hold on to Karou with all his might. Men started to leap out of the trees at them, carrying weapons that menacingly gleaming at them.
Startled by the sudden attack, Kenshin crouched into a fighting position, adrenaline pumping through his veins with the battousi suddenly alive and ready to kill. The first to men approached Kenshin with looks of smugness on their faces.
"We want no trouble from you, sir, just walk away quietly and this situation will not get bloody. Leave the woman" the man began to say with a hint of laughter in his voice. Kenshin did not however find this amusing, "I suggest you to be the ones running away in horror," he said with a voice that could kill.
"Attack." the man said grinning madly while putting his arm around the screaming Kaoru. Seeing the horror in her eyes broke Kenshin, the battousi was released.
With horrifying speed, Kenshin attacked the men with ferociousness. Only a slight shadow of Kenshin could be seen, and only his blade reflecting the dim light of the sun, was a sign of the murder weapon. The lot of the men were unconscious, or paralyzed with fear by the time the battousi reached the leader. With a deafening battle cry, the battousi knocked over the man, and quickly caught Karou falling helplessly out of his arms. Kaoru's eyes were filled with fear when she saw the battousi's threatening eyes, but then filled with relief when Kenshin returned. Kaoru was used to the transition by this time, she had watched the battousi fight many time ferociously for her, and yet he seemed to have enough control to never kill a soul.
Kenshin watched Karou for a moment before the vision struck him. Hearing voices, Kenshin turned around only to find the small child from his nightmares watching him again. The girl looked exactly as the old man had described, and the intelligence in her eyes was horrifying. Pointing frantically Kenshin asked "Kaoru, do you see the child? Over there on the rock?" Karou suddenly glanced in the direction Kenshin was pointing and shook her head.
"What are you talking about Kenshin? Is something the matter? I just don't..." Karou started asking before she suddenly broke into a loud scream. Panicked, Kenshin moved towards Karou trying to reach her. Rolling over on her back and covering her ears, Kaoru was in extreme pain and her screams weren't fading. Before Kenshin could reach Karou, he ran into some type of barrier. He was left standing behind a wall as Karou, his only love, was in pain. Furiously, Kenshin glanced up to see the girl staring at him still.
"What are you doing to her?" Kenshin said in a calm voice, his eyes beginning to turn angry.
"Kenshin, it is not I. It is not I!" the girl said shouting, getting angry herself. She suddenly froze and twisted to look at some point beyond Kenshin's head.
"Over there! He's over there! Help me! Please! There isn't much time. He is getting angry!" Kenshin turned to look where the girl was pointing and saw the clouds beginning to storm. The clouds, enchanted by lighting began to part to reveal something. Before he could see what was approaching, the girl moved up in front of his vision waving her arms madly.
"Hurry! You need to leave! Don't let him see you! You are my last hope! Go!" she said screaming with tears beginning to stream out of her now blue eyes.
"I can't leave Kaoru." Kenshin said flatly avoiding the eyes of the helpless child.
"I will help, if you promise to get out of here as quickly as possible," the shadow of the girl said moving next to Kaoru. "You promise?" the girl said glancing nervously at the clouds each time the lighting broke. She began to tremble, and stared at Kenshin with unblinking eyes that were pleading for salvation.
"Yes, hurry now," Kenshin said glancing at his lover whose violent screams penetrated the loudness of the thunder. Kenshin watched as the girl sat down next to Kaoru placing her hands on Kaoru's head. Closing her eyes, the girl began to hum softly with a tune not recognizable to Kenshin. Words began to come through her innocent voice, and a silver mist began to form around the child. Kaoru suddenly stopped screaming and her contorted face relaxed.
The girl's voice slowly faded until all that Kenshin could hear was her breathing. Without looking up from Kaoru, she said "Take care of this one Kenshin, she will save your life some day." With a questioning look, Kenshin continued to gaze upon his love, whom was now resting peacefully. The girl stood up and now glanced at Kenshin.
"A promise is a promise."Kenshin said looking at the shadow with interest.
"Go." she said without emotion a tear drying in her eye. Kenshin slowly picked up Kaoru without disturbing her from her rest, and glance back at the forest.
"Until we meet again," Kenshin said slowly and then disappeared into the forest with a quick speed. The shadow of the girl sat upon the ground and waited until her mind was ready for her to return. Awakening back in her cell, the girl slowly turned and faced the wall, crying softly, and fell asleep with the thunder booming louder than before in the distance.
Anyways, thanks for reading, and I hope you liked this chapter, I'll try to update more often and make the story get even more exciting. If you have any suggestions, please review. It means a lot to me. :) Have a great day! :)