Kenshin must face an enemy from the past to obtain the antidote for Kaoru. Can he defeat Shinzaburo and get the medicine to her in time? I want to apologize for the spelling mistakes and thank the people who pointed them out. From now on I'll try to do a better job of editing, but sometimes I just mess up. Thanks for the reviews!
Enemy From The Past
Sanosuke entered Kaoru's room quietly and closed the door behind him. He went over to the far wall and sat down, clutching the note in his hand. Miss Megumi was bathing Kaoru's face with cold water. She glanced up briefly as he came in, then turned her attention back to the task at hand. It was going to be a long night.
"How is she?" asked Sanosuke asked, arm propped on one knee, the other leg stretched out in front of him.
"Not good, I'm afraid." Miss Megumi replied without looking up. "I really wish we had that antidote. The sooner, the better."
Sanosuke's fist tightened around the note in his hand. He rose abruptly and strode toward the door.
"I'll be back. I have something I need to take care of." He called over his shoulder as he left.
A few minutes later Yahiko came in with more ice.
"I got some more ice, Miss Megumi." he said. "Where do you want it?"
"Over there by the wall is fine, thanks."
Yahiko went to set the ice on the floor.
"How's she doing?"
"Not very well, Yahiko. Without the antidote, all we can do is pray."
Yahiko's shoulders slumped in despair. Then as he set the ice on the floor, he saw the note crumpled in the corner. He picked it up, smoothed it out and read it. As he read it his face went from shock and disbelief to fury. He raced out the door without a word, stopping only long enough to grab his sword.
***
The sky was dark and cloudy with a hint of rain. The cloaked figure stood at the edge of the forest watching Kenshin as he entered the clearing. At long last his brother would be avenged. What happened to him was unimportant. The clearing was in front of him, surrounded by trees and heavy brush and the cliffs overlooking the ocean were behind him. It was the perfect spot for a duel. Kenshin drew near and stopped just a few feet away from him. The man spoke to him.
"Greetings, Battousai. It's been a long time since the revolution. Are you ready to fight me?"
"I have no wish to fight you, Shinzaburo. My one goal is to retrieve the antidote and get it to Miss Kaoru as quickly as possible in order save her life." Kenshin responded in his Batosi voice.
"How did you know it was me?"
"You left this at the dojo." Kenshin tossed the dart in his direction. "There was only one man who used this particular kind of dart. In the days of the revolution, it was your job during the fighting to inject the Imperialist fighters with a drug to make it more difficult to defend themselves. You were a true master of your art. I bear no grudge against you for that, for we were both fighting for a cause we believed in. What I don't understand is why you would attack an innocent girl after ten years."
"Simple, Battousai. You were the one who attacked and killed my brother in Kyoto. He was an expert swordsman and yet you still managed to defeat him. For that I want revenge. I was thirteen years old at the time. My mother fell ill and died some years before. My eldest brother Kentaro and my father were fighting in Kyoto. My second eldest brother, Makato, was caring for me in our home just outside Kyoto. Then one day you showed up and began speaking to my brother. A fight broke out between the two of you and there before my eyes you slaughtered him. I swore I would take my revenge on you no matter what the cost. My father was a chemist, so I used the skills he taught me and became an assassin, but unfortunately our paths never crossed. I used the antidote as a lure to bring you out."
"Your brother was an operative for the Shinsengumi and was plotting to assassinate an important official for the Imperialist army. I had to stop him. I am truly sorry about what happened to you r brother. Many things happened in the revolution that I truly regret. However, without the antidote, Miss Kaoru will die. I cannot allow that to happen."
"I'm afraid if you want the antidote, then you must fight me for it. Draw your sword, Batosi., for I intend to kill you.."
"Then you won't mind if I make this short. I am in somewhat of a hurry."
Kenshin drew his sword and assumed a stance and waited. Shinzaburo charged at him with a loud cry. To his dismay, however, Kenshin evaded his sword and, flying past him, struck him in the back of the neck. Shinzaburo fell to the ground with a cry of pain. He managed to rise to his feet, however and turned to face Kenshin. Kenshin charged at him again, but this time Shinzaburo managed to block his sword. No matter how hard Kenshin tried he could not gain any advantage. They both fell back, panting from the effort, then Shinzaburo pulled a blowpipe from his robe and blew a dart at Kenshin, but Kenshin managed to block it with his sword. Roaring with anger, Shinzaburo charged at Kenshin only to find he had disappeared. He looked up to see that Kenshin had leaped high in the air, crying out "Hiten Mitsurugi Style Ryu Tsui Sen!" Then he came crashing down on him, striking him with his sword and breaking his collarbone. Shinzaburo dropped his sword and clutched his arm in obvious pain. He stumbled back a few steps until he felt the edge of the cliff with his heel.
Kenshin extended his hand toward Shinzaburo.
"You cannot win, Shinzaburo, the fight is over and there is nowhere to run. Please give me the antidote."
The Final Battle
"You may have beaten me, Battousai, but you still lose. I'll never let you have it. In destroying the antidote, I will avenge my brother! " Shinzaburo drew back his arm as far as it would go and before Kenshin could stop him he threw the bottle as far as he could toward the rocks next to some bushes by the clearing. Kenshin watched in horror, knowing even with his speed he could never reach the bottle in time. At the same time something flew threw the air with a loud cry. He heard a familiar voice say, "You'd better catch it!" He saw Yahiko land in some bushes on the other side. He jumped up and yelled at Sanosuke, "You've got to STOP DOING THAT!" Then he jumped to his feet and held up the bottle with a triumphant grin.
"I got it, Kenshin!"
Kenshin ran toward Yahiko, smiling broadly.
"That you did, Yahiko, that you did! You did well. I'm proud of you."
Their attention was diverted when Shinzaburo spoke from atop the cliff.
"I am sorry, my brother, I could not avenge your death. You have won Battousai. Farewell." Before anyone could stop him, he jumped off the cliff to the jagged rocks below. Kenshin spoke after a moment.
"Let's go, everyone. We must get the antidote to Miss Kaoru as quickly as possible."He and the others knew there was no way anyone could survive a fall from that height. They turned and raced down the road back to town.
