Chapter 2

"NO! Kenshin!" Yahiko shouted, rushing to the broken handrail, and I think he would've jumped in if Sanoske hadn't jumped in first.

"Sanoske! Please, help Kenshin!" I saw tears rain down her face.

"Ha! Do you really think that the Battousai would survive in these waters? No man can! They'd freeze to death!" I laughed scornfully, disappointed at their false judgment of how cold the water was.

"I, on the other hand, have lived with nothing to keep me warm in fifty degrees below zero weather!"

Their eyes turned on me in shock.

"What?! That's impossible!"

"Not if you get used to it!" I finished, and jumped into the water to find the bodies.

The current was strong, so I had to swim down a ways. There, I saw that it was I who was wrong. Hitokiri Battousai could survive. I gritted my teeth and swam over to him and Sanoske, who had passed out. I slashed at Kenshin's hand, put the water made my aim off.

Darn it! I thought, I'll have to drag them ashore and finish him off there! I grabbed Kenshin's wrist and swam upstream with power I did not know I had. I flung him and Sano onto the bank of the river, then scrambled up myself.

Kenshin lay there like a rag doll. His body trembled, and he was breathing fast. He was going to die of natural causes, but I didn't care. Just as long as he died.

I held the tip of my sword to his throat, creating a little speck of blood on his neckline.

"But.why."

"Now, don't you start protesting, you hear?!" I screeched, "I am going to kill you right here!"

"I.I thought.you."

"I don't love you anymore! After what you did, I can never forgive you!"

".stop.live."

"That's enough!" I yelled, putting more pressure on my blade, "I don't want to hear any more from you!"

He opened his eyes.

"You're.you're more beautiful.than I.I remember." he whispered with a smirk. I jumped backwards, falling back into the water. My heartbeat was fast.

He does not.No.

I snapped my eyes closed. Tears were starting to leak from in between my eyelids.

What am I doing? I'm supposed to be killing him, remember? A little voice inside me screamed, but I screamed back, I DON'T CARE! He still loves me! I can sense it! I just know he does!

"Maria." Kenshin whispered. I snapped my eyes back open. No one had called me my real name since.since.

"Maria, I did not mean to kill your family. I had mistaken them for another family I was supposed to kill. I'm so sorry, that I most surely am," he cooed, hugging me close. I kissed his neck, telling him that I believed him.

I heard the bell chime.One.Twice.Three times for three o' clock.

Wait a minute." Upon the third ringing of the bell, you will die!" But that means--