Disclaimer: I do now own Rurouni Kenshin or anything that has been created from it. (Something that I'd wish for though.) However, I do own characters like the Goddess of Time, the other gods, Tsuyomi, Crystal, Shauna and Enchantress.

A Dream Angel's Problem - Chapter 7 - By Cherry Chibi

'Encounter'

Early morning comes Beauty of amber and gold Light shines in my eyes

* * * *

Kenshin woke. He sat up and shook his head. 'It must have been a dream,' he recalled her sapphire eyes, her warm embrace, the softness of her. he quickly dismissed his thoughts when he felt something different. Kaoru was resting against his shoulder with an arm wrapped over his stomach. Her eyes fluttered open and she yawned lightly.

"Miss Kaoru!" Kenshin said surprised.

Her eyes darted up towards his, "K-Kenshin," She crawled off him, "Oh did I surprise you?" A small smile crept on her face. She got off the bed and blushed deeply. "Nice dream huh?"

"Oro?" Kenshin flushed. His face turned into a deeper pink when Kaoru giggled. 'It did happen, it really did, that wasn't entirely a dream,' He looked at Kaoru with uncertainty, 'was that real?' They were interrupted by shouts.

"Hey hag! I'm hungry! Why don't you-," Yahiko stop in mid sentence and gawked at Kaoru. "What the hell?!" He saw a big pair of pure white, feathery wings on Kaoru's back.

"Is there something on me?" Kaoru checked herself, she didn't feel anything strange and her clothing was normal. 'OK, what is up with that brat?' She thought, feeling annoyance creeping up her back.

"You have wings?!" Yahiko said in disbelief, "They're huge!" He blinked a couple of times. "What are you?" He ran up to Kaoru and yanked the wings. Kaoru winced. "Yep, they're real alright, you better tell me what is going on." Yahiko looked suspiciously at Kaoru.

"I'm an angel got that?" Kaoru said, "I've been in a disguise," She turned to Kenshin and then it dawned on her, 'Did I. did I fulfil his wish?' A smile stretched across her face. 'My wings are free. they're back to normal.that has to mean.' Kaoru didn't see Yahiko's eyes flash a blood red colour.

Kenshin returned her smile. Their smiles quickly vanished when Kaoru broke into screams. Blood splattered onto the floor. She bellowed over gripping onto her side. Yahiko, with pure red eyes, held a dagger into her; he twisted the blade before withdrawing it.

Kenshin tried to grab the dagger away from Yahiko's hands but a force repelled him front reaching anywhere closer. "Kaoru!" He watched the girl in sobs and cries of pain.

'She just has to ruin my peaceful moments. Enchantress is right though, I have to make a choice sooner or later,' Kaoru thought, she gritted her teeth and kept in her screams. A red mark appeared on her arm. It burned her. 'What is that?'

Yahiko's eyes turned into brown, he flinched. "What the hell happened?" He looked at the dagger in his hand and dropped it. "What did I do?" He ran out of the room feeling horrified and very, very confused.

Kaoru sobbed and cried, she felt the after effects of healing from the curse was taking its toll, it wasn't going to let her die until the week has passed. The blood cleared up and the wound closed. The red mark however, remained. She felt weak. Her head felt dizzy.

"Kaoru!" He lifted her off the floor and laid her on the bed. "Say something Kaoru." He felt her forehead and realised that she was getting a fever.

There was a knocking on the door.

"Not now." Kenshin growled. He rushed into the bathroom and soaked a face wash cloth with cold water and got back to Kaoru. He placed it on her forehead.

The knocking on the door grew louder. The door opened and a woman entered, "Kenshin? Is everything alright in here? I was sent over to check up on you." She had shoulder length black hair and chocolate brown eyes. She saw a boy curled up in a corner and walked quickly towards him. "Are you OK?"

"Leave me alone!" Yahiko shouted, "I'm a freak!"

"Who says? Anyway, tell me what's wrong," The woman asked, she looked at the boy's state, 'He looks traumatised, afraid in other words, by the looks of it, it has just happened,'

"I say so! I-I," He showed her his blood coated hands and she gasped. Then he quickly grabbed his head and curled into a tighter ball.

"What did you do?"

"I don't know!" Yahiko screamed, "This is so stupid! I don't know!" He tried to tighten himself up further, 'Why would I want to hurt someone with a dagger? I didn't have any intention to! Why me?!' he thought frustrated, 'I never wanted to hurt anyone!'

"You must be Dr. Takani," Kenshin pounced into the room looking despaired, "I need your help now!" He grabbed her arm and led her into the bedroom, he showed her Kaoru who was lying in bed coughing.

"What's going on in this place?" Megumi questioned, she hurried to Kaoru and checked Kaoru's temperature before noticing the red mark on Kaoru's arm. 'I've never seen anything like this before,' She took the wash cloth from Kaoru's forehead and dropped it immediately, it was boiling. "You're not human are you?" She breathed.

"What's wrong with her?" Kenshin asked immediately, "Can you help?"

Every point of Kaoru's body was burning up, Megumi couldn't think of anything else except of the thought that she needed to find a way to cool Kaoru's body down before something worse happens.

"I need you to fill a bathtub with extremely cold water Kenshin, fast too, she's burning!" Megumi instructed.

* * * *

Kaoru had returned to her normal state and took in steady breaths. She sat in the warm water and crossed her arms. 'It's going to get worse. it's going to get worse.' She thought repeatedly in her mind.

"Kaoru," Kenshin gingerly held Kaoru's shoulder, "Are you feeling alright now? What happened?" His eyes were fixed onto hers. They were questioning her and were demanding for answers. He was soaked in water.

"First, how did you get wet?" Kaoru asked.

Kenshin blinked in awe, "You mean, you don't remember?" He felt more concern come up. He remembered how Kaoru kicked and screamed in pain when he tried to get her in the cold water. It took him minutes before she tired herself out and cooperated. Dr. Takani was outside in the lounge room dealing with Yahiko.

"Remember what?"

"Never mind," Kenshin said, he averted his attention the wall behind Kaoru. He was surprised when Kaoru grabbed his arms firmly and made eye contact with him.

"Remember what?" She asked more fiercely in an attempt to get her answer. Kenshin sighed and removed Kaoru's hands from him gently.

"You were kicking and screaming, you had a fever and your body was burning. I was trying to put you into the cold water when you splashed it onto me." Kenshin replied briefly. "I hope that is enough." He stood up straight and turned his back, "You better get out of the water, you're going to catch a cold."

'I can't let me being sick make everyone else around me unhappy,' She thought, 'Things need to cheer up a bit more so that my job will be easier,' Kaoru hesitated. After a moment she levitated, and landed in front of Kenshin with a mischievous smile.

"What is it now?" Kenshin felt her forehead.

"You should brighten up Kenshin," Kaoru said, "One thing, because I'm an angel under a curse means that I can't die until time is up and two, just because I am an angel doesn't mean that I act like one." She suddenly pushed Kenshin into the water and was pulled along with him when he grabbed her arms. A splash of water splattered over the tile floor and walls. Kaoru had landed on top of Kenshin, "Kenshin! You weren't supposed to do that!" She pouted and laughed lightly.

Kenshin pushed his wet red bangs from his eyes and smiled at Kaoru. "You really can't be serious can you?" Kaoru stopped laughing at his seriousness and pushed herself off him. Kenshin sat upright, "Miss Kaoru, oro?"

Kaoru laughed hard, "Sorry Kenshin, you are just so serious at times! That's what I just love about you!" She covered her mouth and blushed, 'Did I just say what I think I said?' She cleared her throat and smiled innocently at Kenshin. He had fallen under Kaoru's gaze and hadn't realised that he was staring at her; making her blush into a darker shade of pink.

The awkward silence was broken by Kaoru, "I'm getting out of the water," She levitated out and changed in a flash into dry clothes. Her hair was still dripping with water though. Kenshin got out soon after. "I'm not going to get wet again," Kaoru said, "So I'll go and dry my hair." She walked out of the bathroom, leaving Kenshin alone.

'She's free from the bond,' Kenshin thought, 'At least she can do whatever she wants now,' He didn't know whether to feel relieved or sad, surely he enjoyed having her company but he didn't like the thought of her being forced into being with him. Now that she was free from any force holding them together, she could leave anytime and maybe, never come back. Kenshin grieved over the thought of her leaving him forever but it was life. He didn't deserve her anyway.

* * * *

Late at night, everyone was asleep except for one troubled person.

Kaoru leaned against the wall outside of the bedroom door and sighed. Having the ability to see a person's dream sometimes really disturbed her. What she saw in Kenshin's eyes made her blush. She didn't know whether to laugh it off or take it seriously. 'It might just be a temporary dream,' Kaoru thought, 'Yeah. that's it.'

She kept silent for a while and then checked on the red mark which was on her right arm, 'I'm going to have to do it the hard way. killing is not what I want to do, more like, seal Enchantress into the depths of hell as well. I am a guardian of life and Enchantress' life counts, so, I'll keep her alive but in a place where she will be. at home.'

In deeper thought, Kaoru considered herself to be too nice at times. After all of the suffering Enchantress had put her through, she was going to banish Enchantress into a hell which she was sure that Enchantress would love. But, she couldn't hold something against Enchantress for so long.

'I better put that aside,' she stood and walked towards the couch to find a resting Yahiko curled up under the spare blankets and pillows. She smiled to herself and watched the little boy sleep peacefully, it had taken her a lot of work but she had managed to vanquish the bug in him that linked Yahiko to Enchantress. Enchantress won't be able to use Yahiko's body for a while.

"Kaoru," A calm soothing voice reached her through the dim room. She wasn't startled but surprised a little. Kaoru turned around and her eyes met with serene blue eyes. "It's time to go home," He said, "You've done what you needed to do."

"I'm sorry Tsuyomi, I need more time," Kaoru replied, "There is something I have to tell you."

After Kaoru had explained to Tsuyomi her situation and her curse, she paused to catch her breath. He however, looked pretty pale and concerned. "Kaoru, return home, the Great Goddess will heal you, you'll get better, there is no need to go through all of that."

Kaoru raised a hand to hush him, "I want to do this," she replied, "I want to be the one who banishes Enchantress into another world, you can't stop me Tsuyomi." Each word that Kaoru had spoken held its own sincerity and that worried Tsuyomi further. There were dark secrets in such attempts and he didn't want them to be revealed.

The woman before him was perfectly happy before any of this changed her, she used to be attached to her home, now, and she wasn't even giving a second though about going back. She used to be energetic around him but now, she was, he couldn't explain it but she was different.

"Tsuyomi, just have faith in me," Kaoru said, she took hold of his hands, "I know that I can do it." She smiled with her sapphire eyes into his with determination. "Give me five more days."

Tsuyomi hesitated, but then he exhaled. "I pray that you know what you are doing Kaoru," He looked sadly at her, "Our marriage is also on the wait," He kissed her lightly and the vanished.

A twinkle could be seen through the darkness. Kaoru slumped onto her knees in the room with her head hunched over. "Marriage." She whispered in a shaky voice. A single perfect sphere fell and soaked into the carpet floor, soon it was followed by several others. Kaoru hadn't realised but from the shadows of the open bedroom door were two hurt amber eyes watching her.

* * * *

A/N: Aw. I left at a sort-of cliff hanger. Hm, dilemma. what is poor Kaoru gonna do? Well, drop me a review and find out in the next few chapters! The end is drawing near too. some few more chapters. Thanks for your support! I don't know what I'd do without all of you faithful readers!

*Bows* Doumo Arigatou O Zaimasu! ^-^x