Chapter 3: Kaoru's Enlightenment

A/N: Well, so maybe this fic isn't exactly turning out serious. We thought it would, we hoped it would, but it didn't. Well, parts of it did. Then again, there are extremely sad, and extremely fluffy parts too. So...we're diverse. Yay! DIVERSITY!

Disclaimer: Guess what! We own this entire...little...idea...thingy that popped into our heads. SO TAKE THAT! Darn. Now if we owned RK...then...we'd be very, very happy. BUT WE DON'T. *huffs at computer and goes to next chapter*

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(Last time the drama ended...)

"If I kill you, will she be back the way she was?"

"Only I can break it...if you kill me, she will never be who she was..." Kail was careful when he spoke, for the sword was still cutting into his neck.

"How do I know you aren't lying?"

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"I'm not lyi--!"

"I can assure you he isn't," Akia broke in, stepping forward. "Kail is strongest when it comes to this type of mind control."

Sanjira snorted from behind her. "You can say that again."

Kail grinned. "I never messed with your mind and you know it." "SHUT UP!!!!!" Battousai roared. "I will torture you...cut you slice by slice into little pieces until you release her, and I won't let you die until she is free." "Kail...what is he talking about?" Kaoru was standing next to Akia. Battousai pulled the sword away from Kail and turned to Kaoru, grabbing one of her shoulders. "Kaoru! Snap out of it!" His amber stare frightened her, but there was something--deep inside--that was kind...'Let sessha out! Sessha can bring her back, that he can...' 'NEVER!' 'Not even a little? You are harsh, and she does not react well to severity...' 'Shut up, you. I can handle it.' 'Really? You aren't doing too well!'

Battousai growled. Everyone was staring at him perplexedly. 'All right...but if it doesn't work...' 'Yeah, yeah...' Amber eyes were now tinged with violet. "Kaoru-dono..." Kaoru somehow produced a bokken. "KENSHIN NO BAKA! I've told you not to call me that!" Kaoru stared in astonishment as she covered her mouth. Kail's piercing eyes threw daggers at the startled rurouni. "Kaoru-do--Kaoru?"

Kaoru was confused. Her mind cried Kail, but her heart screamed Kenshin. 'Don't just stand there! DO something, baka!' Kaoru jumped at the sound of her own voice in her mind.

'Ha! Told you!' Kenshin gloated. 'You aren't done yet.' Kenshin mentally stuck his tongue out at the Battousai.

Kail tried ensnaring Kaoru again, but to no avail. Her love was too strong. 'I can't let him win like this!' Kail grasped his katana and wrenched it out of Kenshin/Battousai's hand. Battousai took back over, leaving Kaoru to figure things out by herself. Sanjira grabbed Kaoru by the hand and dragged her out of the way. "Sanjira...I am confused. What is wrong with me?" She asked as Kail and Battousai's fight became heated once more. "I can't tell you." Sanjira said blandly.

"But I just want to know what's---"

"You have to figure it out yourself."

Kaoru's temper rose again, rearing its ugly head. "Sanjira no baka! I don't want your kuso no baka! All I want to know is why I am so confused! MOU!" Kaoru was left speechless after such a tirade. Sanjira stood in shock. Kaoru had...read her mind? Was it possible? Was Kaoru the missing pie they'd been searching for? Akia HAD kidnapped them...and she never really said why. Sanjira understood now. In abducting Kenshin, she would have basically forced Kaoru to stay. The light had been to dull her mental perception, leaving her helpless. Except she wasn't. This girl was highly skilled in Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. Evidently she was oblivious to her psychic ability!

"Sanjira? Why are you looking at me like that?" Sanjira disregarded her and turned to her sister. "Why didn't you tell me?!" she demanded. "I had my reasons." "Baka! But--" "Tell you what? I demand to know what is going on here!!"

Battousai and Kail came to a stop and watched the scene Kaoru was making. Kenshin nudged Battousai aside. "Maybe you shouldn't get so worked up, Kaoru-dono..." "MOU! What did I tell you about calling me that?!" she crossed the room and bonked him on the head. "Now. I want to know what is going on and I want to know now!" Akia looked to Kail. "Drop it, Kail."

Kail reluctantly did so, causing Kaoru's knees to go weak; Kenshin caught her before she hit the ground. "Is Kaoru ok?!" "She will be fine," Akia examined the room they were in. "Let us go and speak of these things elsewhere."

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They all say around a small table in the dimly lit commons room. Akia was seated at the head. "This guild has been around since the beginning of time. We telekinetic have always been outcast," she gestured around the hall at the plethora of people wandering about. Every century or so, a Chosen One is born. This One is the most powerful of his or her time and the rest of us are to follow diligently. We have been searching for the Chosen One for many years, and have recently discovered you."

Kaoru stared in wide-eyed shock. Kenshin--he was now completely back--gaped at Akia. "But...if I am this 'Chosen One,' then why did I not know before?"

"The abilities usually do not develop until well into the sixteenth year of the Chosen One's life; this is the reason it takes so long to find him. Or her."

Kaoru digested this silently. "If I am so strong or great, why couldn't I keep HIM from staying out of my mind?"

Kail smiled sheepishly. Sanjira took the liberty of explaining. "Though you are the Chosen One, you have not honed your skills yet." Kenshin was astounded. 'Is this happening? Sessha is going to wake up soon and--' "Kenshin?" "Hai?" "You looked...scary." "Just thinking, Kaoru-do--Kaoru." Kaoru stared at Kenshin. She could have sworn she'd heard him speak...'This can't be happening, now Kaoru will leave and sessha will be alone! Sessha doesn't know if he can do that!'

Kaoru watched Kenshin intently from the corner of her eyes. His lips didn't move, but Kaoru explicitly heard his terrifying remark, 'Perhaps sessha will go back to being a hitokiri.' Kaoru sat in stunned silence before throwing her arms around Kenshin. "No Kenshin! Don't go back to being a hitokiri!" she sobbed into his gi. Kenshin blinked. That had only been a passing thought, a fiction that flitted through his mind. How had she--? Well, it didn't really matter, he had to comfort the precious bundle wailing in his lap.

Akia sighed. 'First Kail, now him. Will anyone ever love me?' Kaoru's eyes twinkled and she stopped sobbing. "Everyone has someone." Akia looked stricken, but then her face lit up. "It's started."

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Kenshin sat in his room, trying to find something to amuse himself for another long day of no Kaoru. He twirled the sakabatous, which had been given back with his promise of good behavior, and everyone else had promised no mind control. Kaoru had been going to train early in the morning and hadn't been coming back until late at night if that; though it was hard to tell which was which down there. Kenshin was forbidden to wander around, why he didn't know, but he was stuck staying in his assigned dormitory. The only times he left were for meals, but Sanjira usually brought them to him. Kail was getting more annoying by the day, invading Kenshin's thoughts and coming in whenever he pleased.

Day by day he was getting more and more bitter. The long hours of solitude and confinement were melding him into a moody snob. "Well if Kaoru doesn't care then sessha will wander anyhow." he said aloud, knowing if he thought that it would be heard. He learned that early on. Grinning excitedly (this was the most excitement he'd had in a while.), he got up off his futon and snuck to the door.

He was careful not to be seen, ducking here and there when he heard footsteps approaching. "Shouldn't they be able to sense sessha?" he whispered. "Well, maybe sessha should just be grateful and not worry." Kenshin wandered around, through the twists and turns of the long and short corridors, past rooms that looked like classrooms and others that were rec rooms and even bedrooms. He studied the decor as he walked. "Rather gloomy...sessha hopes he can find his way back, de gozaru yo..." Just as Kenshin thought to go back, he came upon an area that looked darker than the rest of the places he'd been. And of course, he was curious...

What could be down this hallway? Kenshin snorted. It didn't really matter what was down there, he was going. He reached out with his ki, searching for anyone else. He couldn't sense anyone, but he knew this meant absolutely nothing. People around here were just so good at hiding it...Even Kaoru could hide from him now. This he didn't like.

Kenshin made his way down the hall; after only a few yards it started twisting downward. The only physical difference between this hall and the others was the lighting and the slope, but it chilled Kenshin. "This seems familiar..." he whispered. As he went deeper, something made him stop at a door to his right. "Something tells me I should go in there..."

Slowly he turned the doorknob (he was still unaccustomed to these doors, rather than shojis.); it swung open and Kenshin almost laughed. "Sano?!" Sano jumped before turning to face Kenshin. Kenshin did laugh out loud at Sano's frightened expression. "SH!!" Sano cried, his movements panicked, "Don't be loud of they'll come back and..." he glanced around worriedly, "they'll...MOVE things." By this time Kenshin was rolling on the floor.

"Kenshin! They've gotten to you! Demons begone!" Sano grabbed Kenshin by the hair and swung him around before smacking him against the wall. "Orororoooo..." he fell to the floor, leaving a Kenshin-shaped indention in the stone wall. A knock came at the door. "Are you ok in there?" Sanjira's voice floated through. Kenshin immediately jumped up and hid. "Sh!" Sano disregarded him completely. "AHHHHHH!!!!"

Sano took a deep breath.

"AHHHHHH!!!!"

Breath.

"AHHHHHH!"

Kenshin forced himself to remain quiet; even though Sano had just slammed him into a wall, this was funny. No, scratch that, this was HILARIOUS. It took a lot to get Kenshin cracked up, but when it happened...

Kenshin let out a sharp bark of laughter before covering his mouth in horror. Sano was still screaming in the background, so there was a chance he hadn't been heard. Then he noticed the indention. "ORO! Sano! Give me your jacket!" Kenshin whispered amid giggles.

"AHHH!!!!"

Breath.

"AHHHHHH!!!"

Breath.

"AHHHHH!!!!!"

Sanjira walked into the room. Sano's jacket hung from the wall...somehow.

"AHHHH!!!!"

Breath.

"Will you please be quiet?" she said. Sano's eyes were the size of saucers. "I want my jacket..." he whimpered. "Why's it up there?" Sanjira asked. Sano tried for an innocent expression. "...hobos?"

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A/N: Hehe...Ok, something you need to know. We don't hate Sano. He just always ends up being our comic relief. Believe me we don't hate him, cause who could hate such an awesome guy? But you have to admit, that was freakin' funny as heck. It's hard to keep yourself quiet when you're supposed to be reading about...Puritan plain style of writing and then read something like that. Amusing to the other author though. Hehe. So, hope you have as much fun reading as we had writing.