T.Anjel: Sorry for taking so long. School's been hell, and I've been just plain lazy. What can I say? Hehe. eto. Thanks to Kasumi-san for pre- reading~ and of course thanks to those who reviewed.

Standard Disclaimers Apply.

To Love the Hated - chapter 6

The day after the ball, everything immediately went back to normal as if it hadn't taken place, except that there was just a tad more gossip upon the women's tongues than usual.

Kaoru dressed herself in her usual tattered dress and entered the breakfast hall.

"It's the inner beauty that counts, Ou-sama," Kaoru said, taking her seat.

Hiko closed his mouth, as a he was just about to comment on Kaoru's dress. And then the most spontaneous event happened.

A shrill voice thundered through the palace. Kaoru could have sworn the whole place shook like mad. It yelled, "KEEEENNNNSSHHHHIIIIIIINNN!!!"

'Kenshin?' Kaoru thought. 'Who's Kenshin?' But before Kaoru could think any further into her thoughts, one of the doors connected to the breakfast hall burst opened. It revealed a flustered looking woman; otherwise, she was gorgeous. Her hair was in gold, curved locks, and she wore a pink, fluffy, western dress. She irritably flicked a strand of hair from her blue eyes and scanned the hall quickly.

"Ah! Hiko-sama!" She exclaimed, noticing the burly man seated at the end of the table. With her mouth closed, she was as beautiful and flawless as any fairy tale princess, but once she spoke in her high-pitched, piercing voice, she was as strange as the person on your left or right.

"Mei-san," Hiko replied in greeting, not knowing what to do about the sudden guest.

"Where's Kenshin?" she whined, strutting over to Hiko's end of the table.

"How did you get here?" Hiko asked, but immediately shook his head. "Never mind. We will discuss this later."

"Where's Kenshin?" she repeated as if she hadn't heard the man.

"He should be here shortly," Hiko replied.

And speaking of the devil. "Mei-dono!" Kenshin said in surprise, entering the breakfast hall.

"Kenshin!" Mei squeaked, running straight into Kenshin and smoldering him in a giant hug. "I missed you so much!"

"Ano.Mei-dono," Kenshin began, stumbling under the sudden weight.

"You didn't come back for me!" Mei pouted, wrapping her arms around Kenshin's neck and staring straight into his eyes.

"Eto.Did you eat yet, Mei-dono?" Kenshin asked, dragging himself over to the long table. Mei reluctantly let go and sat to the seat next to him, diagonal from Kaoru's seat. "Ohayo gozaimasu, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin greeted with a smile.

"Ohayo, Ouji-sama," Kaoru replied with her mouth full of eggs and miso.

Mei contorted her face into one of disgust. "You should pay more respect to those of higher class than you, beggar," she said in a demanding tone.

Kaoru swallowed her chewed food bits and pointed her chopsticks at Mei. "I'm no beggar, woman," Kaoru began. "I hope we got that straight."

Mei opened and closed her mouth at the obvious display of disrespect she had ever been shown. "You.you!"

"And secondly, I doubt I'll be paying any unnecessary respect around here, lest it be mandatory, or if I have any respect for the person at all," Kaoru quickly finished off as if challenging Mei to argue.

"I think it is obligatory for you to pay your respects to me; princess of the Serians," Mei said haughtily. (I don't think Serians exist.picked it from the top of my head.)

"A princess, are you?" Kaoru asked, showing off an arrogant smirk. "What are you here in Japan for then, dear princess? To wed the beloved Ouji-sama?" Kaoru motioned over to the silently dining women seated at their seats at the table. "They're fighting for his hand too. Join the club!"

"Kenshin!" Mei scowled, turning over to him. "What are all these women doing here? What is this nonsense of a woman?" She asked, pointing her dainty finger at Kaoru.

"Aren't you quick to notice," Kaoru murmured under her breath while finishing up her bowl of rice at the same time.

"Eto." Kenshin mumbled, struggling to explain the situation.

"We're trying out to be queen," Kaoru interrupted loudly. "Have you not heard?" Kaoru said mockingly with a scowl. She scraped her chair back loudly and turned her attention to Hiko. "I hope you don't mind me leaving first, Ou-sama. I've had enough excitement for one day," she said sarcastically.

As usual, without waiting for any reply, Kaoru calmly strode out of the breakfast hall, mentally wanting to scream at the previous display of arrogance. It was arrogance unlike Hiko's, but a more self-centered, no- respect-for-anything-except-for-oneself type of arrogance. The Ou-sama just had a very self-centered arrogance, which Kaoru was obviously able to stand.

"Mou! I could just punch her!" Kaoru thought, fuming at the simple thought of her. Little did Kaoru know that she was more or less furious at the image of Mei clinging dearly onto the Ouji-sama.

Kaoru slammed one door after another, indirectly searching for the dojo, but also taking out her stress by either punching or kicking the doors opened.

She heaved open a thick, wooden door and was greeted by fresh air and an endless field of grass. Kaoru sniffed the air and noticed the smell of horses mixing with the clear air. 'I think a little ride would do me some good,' Kaoru thought, her hopes beginning to rise, and her trail of thoughts wandering away from Mei.

The stables were large and very easy to find. There were rows and rows of horses of all kinds, and Kaoru gently petted the nose of a dark brown stallion.

"What are you doing here, busu?"

That voice so familiar, Kaoru didn't even want to remember whom it belonged to. She turned around to see the little kid she met a few weeks ago at the kitchen. "Is there a law against me being here, you little gaki?"

The boy fumed. "Women don't ride," he said snidely.

"Would you like to bet on that?" Kaoru asked, raising an eyebrow in question.

"Are you saying you could ride?" Yahiko asked and snorted.

"I never said I couldn't," Kaoru replied. "Saddle up any horse, and watch me ride it like the wind."

"I'll pick an easy horse since you're such a busu," he said, unlocking the stable to a calm looking horse.

"I prefer riding this one," Kaoru said, petting a black horse next to the brown stallion she was petting a minute ago.

Yahiko shook his head slowly in disbelief. "No one can ride that thing," he said.

Kaoru looked up at the large horse. It definitely had a fierce air to it, one of superiority and defiance. It had a scar go through its left eye, and his mane was tangled in a rebellious sort of way. "What's its name?"

"Everyone calls him Devil, but his original name was Black Thunder," Yahiko informed, still shaking his head at Kaoru's decision.

"Black Thunder," Kaoru repeated, gently stroking his nose. "You're a beauty." She turned over to Yahiko. "Well, saddle him up, Yahiko-chan."

"Don't call me -chan, busu," he growled, and slowly unlocked the horse's stable and immediately jumped ten feet away from it. "He's already saddled up. That last time someone tried riding him, he almost died. And when we all tried to unsaddle Devil, everyone almost got killed."

"He can't be that bad," Kaoru said, staring up into Black Thunder's fierce gaze. It pawed the ground, challenging Kaoru.

"If you get hurt, you can't say I didn't warn you," Yahiko said, feet afar from Black Thunder's stable, and silently praying that the crazy woman wouldn't do such a stupid thing as to riding that horse.

Kaoru stared straight back into the horse's large, beady eyes, challenging it right back. She didn't blink, and her eyes began to water.

A minute seemed to have lasted for an hour. The other horses seemed to have sensed the tension between horse and rider, staying silent as they watched. Black Thunder finally pawed restlessly at the ground and looked away, shaking its large head.

Kaoru petted it, knowing all too well that the horse would allow her to ride him. "You're a good boy, Black Thunder," she whispered to the horse and adjusted the saddle to fit more comfortably on the horse. "He's not that bad, Yahiko-chan," Kaoru said, with a satisfied nod. "You just don't seem to have the touch for horses."

Yahiko fumed as Kaoru gracefully mounted the large horse, and kicked his sides, beckoning it to trot. He would never tell her, but she was an amazing rider.

Kaoru breathed in deeply as Black thunder galloped smoothly across the endless field of grass. She could have ridden him forever, but slowed him down after awhile to rest.

Kaoru got off the horse and noticed the stables were a mere dot on the horizon. "I think we should get back, Black Thunder," Kaoru told the horse, petting its smooth neck. The sun was still high up in the sky, and Kaoru was getting a little hungry. Lunch could have passed by already.

After re-mounting on the horse, Kaoru took her time in getting back to the stables. Black Thunder seemed to be enjoying the ride as much as she was. Kaoru was meters away from the stables when she noticed another figure was next to Yahiko's short one. They seemed to be arguing.

It was Mei. What luck Kaoru had.

"I'm back, Yahiko," Kaoru said, to inform both people of her presence.

"Oh! Good!" Yahiko said as if he was truly relieved. "I thought you died out there somewhere."

Kaoru gently bonked the boy on the head. "Good to see you have such faith in me."

Yahiko smirked. "I don't see how you can expect me to."

"Ehem!"

Both Kaoru and Yahiko turned over to Mei who was dressed in tight pants and a professional looking helmet for riding. She obviously didn't like to be ignored.

"I congratulate you for being able to ride little Devil over here," Mei said, nodding over to Black Thunder. "How long did it take you for him to trust you? An hour at the least, I suppose?"

Kaoru smirked. "It took exactly a minute."

"Well, I applaud you," Mei commented, looking as smug as ever with her perfect porcelain features. "Especially to be able to ride that stupid beast."

"I don't think you should make fun of him. He's probably more intelligent than you," Kaoru said smoothly. "And I doubt he ever trusted you."

Yahiko muffled a laugh from behind Kaoru.

"Shut up, boya," Mei growled, pointing at Yahiko.

"The last time she tried riding Devil, she ended up running all around the fields, screaming that she broke a nail. And Devil chased her around, probably trying to kill her," Yahiko whispered into Kaoru's ear. "It may not sound funny when I say it, but it sure as hell was hilarious."

Kaoru smiled. "It looks as if you weren't able to go near this beauty," Kaoru said, stroking Black Thunder's nose.

Mei frowned. "I doubt anyone would want to."

"Why wouldn't they?" Kaoru challenged. "He's the best horse I've ever ridden on."

"And how many would that be altogether?" Mei asked. "Two?"

"So many, you wouldn't be able to count," Kaoru replied.

Mei scoffed. "If you're so good, I challenge you to a race. And I know you'll take it on, unless you had no pride."

"I was never planning on not accepting your challenge."

"Good," Mei said. "You could go ride that Devil over there and I'll ride Misty."

Mei walked over to a sleek, brown horse with a glistening mane.

"Misty's the number one racing horse there is," Yahiko informed Kaoru as Mei saddled up the horse.

"You don't think I can do it?" Kaoru asked Yahiko with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course you can do it, busu," Yahiko said. "But I'm saying to go easy on her."

"Baka," Kaoru said, giving a good thump on the boy's head.

"Itai!" he complained, and walked over a little way from the stables. Kaoru mounted Black Thunder, whispering words of encouragement into his tired ears, and trotted up to where Yahiko stood. Mei walked over with Misty and mounted her.

"Get ready to lose," Mei said, leaning forward on Misty.

"I really don't plan to."

"It's to the great tree and back," Mei informed dully, referring to a giant tree in the middle of the lonely field.

"Get ready," Yahiko yelled. "Ichi! Ni! San! Go!"

Black Thunder and Misty ran off with amazing speed. Kaoru quickly leaned forward on Black Thunder to speed him up. They were ahead by a few meters, but barely. Misty could catch up any second, and Kaoru had to keep up the pace.

Wind whipped dangerously at her face, stinging it into a cold, shivering sensation. Both horses' hooves pounded on the hard dirt in a quick, rhythmic beat. In a matter of seconds, Kaoru was way ahead and the Great Tree was just feet away. The win was already in the bag.

As the tree came closer; so did Mei and Misty. Kaoru slowed her speed down slightly to get a good turn around the giant tree, and then everything happened at once:

Mei cut in front of Kaoru unexpectedly, causing Black Thunder to jump onto its hind legs dangerously. Kaoru hung onto the secure saddle for dear life as she saw Misty jump up in surprise and knock Mei off onto the floor. "Itai!" Kaoru yelped as a sharp branch cut into her arm. Everything was happening in such slow motion, Kaoru wasn't able to tell if everything was a dream or not.

Mei's head hit the tree, and she fell unconscious on the ground. Misty neighed and stomped unsteadily on the ground, her hooves dangerously close to Mei's limp body.

Black Thunder regained its composure, much thanks to Kaoru and she knew she had to get the frantic Misty away from Mei before Mei became a bloody mound of bone and skin. "Calm down, Misty. Calm down," Kaoru pleaded, as she tried to near the horse as she rode around with Black Thunder.

But Misty refused to stop yelling and stomping like a mad horse. She had definitely been scared out of her wits, and her reaction wasn't doing Kaoru any good. If she got any closer to the horse, she and Black Thunder would probably be sprawling on the ground with Mei.

With firm determination, Kaoru got off of Black Thunder and slowly neared Misty.

"It's alright, Misty. Everything's okay," Kaoru said softly, trying to sooth the horse down. She kneeled next to Mei quickly, checking to see if she had any major injuries. Thankful that she didn't, Kaoru turned back to the horse.

Misty had stopped pacing, but refused for Kaoru to get near it. "It's alright, Misty. C'mon girl," Kaoru said, reaching out to pet Misty. The horse eyed Kaoru nervously.

With a smile, Kaoru lightly petted Misty's nose. "See? Everything's okay now," she assured. "You're going to have to help me Misty." Kaoru gave a final pat on the horse's nose and led it to Mei's fallen spot. With a forceful heave, Kaoru managed to get the princess draped over Misty. Getting Misty calm was easier than expected.

With an exhausted sigh, Kaoru grabbed the reins of Black Thunder and Misty and walked them all the way back to the stables where Yahiko was looking frantic.

"What happened?" He exclaimed, staring at the woman unconscious over Misty.

Kaoru rolled her eyes. "She tried to cut in front of me, and caused a whole raucous."

"Kaoru-dono?"

Kaoru turned around to see the Ouji-sama running from the palace doors.

"What happened?" he asked, helping Kaoru bring Mei down from the horse.

Kaoru shook her head. "It's nothing. She just fell of her horse." Kaoru began taking off Black Thunder's saddle.

"You rode Black Thunder?" Kenshin asked incredulously. Even he was never able to ride that horse.

"He's a real sweetie," Kaoru said, heaving the heavy saddle off of the horse's back. "Look, Ouji-sama, can you get that damned woman to Genzai-sensei? She's actually getting me a little worried."

"How about you?" Kenshin asked. "Did you get hurt?"

"I'll go there after I finish up with the horses," Kaoru reassured.

Kenshin looked skeptical but left anyway with Mei in his arms. Honestly, Kaoru just didn't like seeing Kenshin holding her so intimately, but what right did she have to fuss? She, herself, would have just dragged her across the whole palace till she found Dr.Genzai's office.

Yahiko undid Misty's saddle and led her to her stable. "You have a cut on your arm, busu."

"Do I?" Kaoru asked, ignoring the 'busu' comment, and remembered the cut she received throughout the whole commotion. "It's nothing," Kaoru lied, suddenly feeling the sting of the wound surge up her whole arm. "I'll just wash it off, and it'll be alright."

"But you promised Kenshin that you'd go to see Genzai-sensai," Yahiko pointed out.

"You call Ouji-sama, Kenshin?" Kaoru inquired, jumping away from the topic of her wounded arm.

Yahiko shrugged. "He doesn't really care, and he insisted on it."

"Sou ka," Kaoru mumbled, giving Black Thunder a final pat on the nose. "It was nice meeting you, Yahiko-chan," Kaoru said. "And I'm pretty sure I'll come by here again."

"I really hope you don't, being that your ugly face scares the horses!" Yahiko yelled.

"I think it's just your face, Yahiko-chan!" Kaoru argued right back, as she headed in the castle.

"Busu!"

"Yahiko-chan!"

And Kaoru couldn't hear him anymore. She looked around and noticed that the castle seemed much more darker than usual. She shrugged and looked for her room. No matter how nice Genzai-sensei was, she didn't want to get checked up on. She was perfectly fine except for the 'little' scratch on her arm. She just planned to rinse it out in the bathroom and wrap it up nice and tight with a thin piece of cloth.

But fate wouldn't have it that way and Kaoru found herself face to face with the Ouji-sama the next second.

"I had a weird feeling you weren't going to come by Genzai-sensei's," Kenshin said, and quickly noticed the deep wound on Kaoru's arm. "Kaoru- dono! Your arm!"

"Is fine," Kaoru said, pulling her arm away so he wouldn't see.

"Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin said sternly, forcefully yet gently, grabbing Kaoru's arm. "This wound is not okay!" Kenshin said, surprised to find the gash to be so deep. "We have to get this treated immediately!"

"Mou! Stop scolding me as if I'm your daughter!" Kaoru complained, taking her bloody arm, and cradling it to her chest. "It's perfectly fine!" Kaoru headed back down the hallway, but found herself being lifted off the floor.

"You make things so difficult, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said, walking quickly along to Genzai-sensei's room.

"I can walk, thank you very much," Kaoru said without much force, but allowed herself to be carried off the good doctor's office twice by Kenshin. "Can I ask you something?" Kaoru asked, seeing that the office seemed a bit far away.

Kenshin cocked his head cutely to the side as if asking "what?"

"Where did you meet Mei?" Kaoru asked, suddenly blushing at the direct question and looking away.

"Mei-dono?" Kenshin confirmed. "Eto.I think I was arranged to marry her awhile ago."

"And why didn't you?" Kaoru asked.

Kenshin shrugged. "She doesn't seem to be the one I want to spend my whole life with, if you know what I mean."

"So you're really going pretty deep into this whole wife thing, aren't you?" Kaoru asked.

"I just want a wife I honestly love from my heart," Kenshin replied truthfully. He blushed in an embarrassed way. "It sounds like a fantasy, doesn't it, Kaoru-dono?"

Kaoru shook her head. "Not at all."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ T.Anjel: I know it's not the best chapter, but I try. Hopefully I get the next chapter out more quickly. I guarantee the next the chapter will be much better.Hopefully.