As I'm sure you all know, I don't actually OWN Rurouni Kenshin, or related characters. Demo, that doesn't stop me from putting them through hell for no profit on my part.
*Lines with in the stars (*) are thoughts.*
Shadow's return, Chapter 3: Silent observer
He lies still, unable to force his body to respond to his wishes. He is, though, fully aware of everything that goes on around him. His mind is still working and every jolt to his body seems multiplied in intensity.
Kaoru has spent the last several hours hovering over his still body, tending to even the slightest need he might have. He can clearly see the tears in her eyes as she looks at him, feeling helpless. Her mere presence made him feel better. His inability to comfort her, though, wretched his heart. With nothing more she could do, Megumi had returned to the clinic, though she said she would return if the clinic was slow.
Not far from him, Sanosuke sits with Tengoku, a man nobody ever expected to see again. While Kenshin couldn't actually see Tengoku, he recognized the voice, and, apparently, so did Sanosuke. The squeaking thuds that accompanied the mans steps last time they met were not to be heard this time.
*He must not be wearing his armour.* Kenshin thinks, then tries to focus his hearing to their conversation.
"What do you mean, 'you don't know'?" he hears Sano yell.
"I'm not sure who attacked Kenshin, or what it has to do with my mission." This was Tengoku.
"And, what is your 'mission'?" Yahiko, this time.
"Atarashiikami had an artifact of great power with him, it seems. After we defeated him, the artifact was thought destroyed."
"But somebody found it." Sano says more than asks.
"Hai. We're not sure who, though. I thought it best to check with those I fought beside before I start wading through the trash I fought against looking for it."
"We?" Kaoru asks from just over Kenshin.
"The alliance, for a lack of any better way of putting it. The alliance is various leaders from my homelands working together to try to avoid wars. It was decided that the artifact should be brought to them for safe keeping. Barring that, it should be destroyed to keep it from the wrong hands."
"What does this artifact look like?" Sano, again.
"Ano... No one really knows. It was used by the Akumu Minzoku for centuries, but Atarashiikami stole it from them. Aside from Atarashiikami, only a few Akumu Minzoku know what it looks like. Since they're enemies of the Alliance, I doubt they would help us."
"Che," Sano mutters, "Should have known it wouldn't be easy."
"Hai." Tengoku says. "And we still have to find out who was here before us."
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A darkly cloaked figure leaps from the wall of the dojo, the heavy rain obscuring his features. A katana leads the way as he lands near Kenshin. Unable to continue standing, Kenshin falls to the cobble stones. From the angle he lays, he can't see the battle that rages anew, but he can hear the screams of the dying and feel the blood splatter on and around him.
In a matter of seconds, the screams die, with those screaming. He feels a hand on his wounded left arm, inspecting the wound.
"You did well, my friend. Very few can fight that many Akumu Minzoku, that badly out numbered, and last that long."
The voice is familiar to him, though he can't place it. The coolness in the voice almost makes him believe it to be Shinomori Aoshi, but the voice itself isn't Aoshi's. Unseen hands lift him gently from the cobble stones and carry him into the dojo. He feels almost as if he's floating as the dojo's main hall approaches.
"Gomen nasai. I don't know which room is yours, so we shall just use the main hall."
The unseen hands move him into the main hall, laying him gently in a dark corner. A dark silhouette appears over him briefly. It appears to look around carefully, before gazing down at Kenshin.
"Do not make any mistakes, battousai." the voice says, suddenly harsher, colder than before. "I interfered with the Akumu Minzoku not for your sake, merely to interrupt their plans."
He taps the wound gently, some kind of salve on his fingers. "The poison is not lethal, but this will help to counter the effects. You will, however, find your sense of touch is heightened for several hours." he explains. "This is so they can start the torture before the poison wears off and you would talk faster."
"What I said outside was for other ears only. We are not friends, nor can we be. However, the enemy of my enemy is my ally. They want you for some reason, so I keep you from them. Once this is done, we may well cross swords."
He leans back, wiping the remaining medicine from his hands. "I know you, battousai. You will want to become involved. I would not recommend it."
With that, the speaker disappears, leaving Kenshin to lay in the dark waiting for somebody to come home.
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"And where were you, Kaoru?" Sano asks. The question snaps Kenshin out of his reverie.
"The storm was very strong. Tae-san suggested we wait it out at the Akabeko."
"Aa." Yahiko adds. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."
An uncomfortable silence settles over the main hall. Sanosuke's unspoken accusation, that Kaoru and Yahiko should have been at the dojo, hangs heavy. Kenshin can see Kaoru's head hang low in guilt that she should not feel. The tortured look on her face is almost more than the man can handle.
With every ounce of will power, he forces his right hand to move towards hers. The movement catches her attention.
"Kenshin..." she says softly, a relieved look starting to cross her face.
The effort is almost more than he has the energy for, but Kenshin manages to grasp Kaoru's hand. Her jaw works slowly, trying to find the words the express her happiness of seeing him move again, but nothing more comes out.
"Gomen nasai." he says so weakly that he can't be sure Kaoru could hear him.
"Kenshin!" This time, Kaoru yells his name. Her touch as she wraps him in a strong hug sends the fire of pleasure through him. *My sense of touch is still amplified from the poison.* he realizes.
Several minutes pass before calm is restored to the dojo as everyone crowds the barely moving man. Once everyone calms enough for him to talk again, he looks to Tengoku.
"Where is.." he asks with obvious effort, "the rest of Akuma Ryoshi?"
Tengoku lowers his head. "I am all that's left." he says softly.
*Lines with in the stars (*) are thoughts.*
Shadow's return, Chapter 3: Silent observer
He lies still, unable to force his body to respond to his wishes. He is, though, fully aware of everything that goes on around him. His mind is still working and every jolt to his body seems multiplied in intensity.
Kaoru has spent the last several hours hovering over his still body, tending to even the slightest need he might have. He can clearly see the tears in her eyes as she looks at him, feeling helpless. Her mere presence made him feel better. His inability to comfort her, though, wretched his heart. With nothing more she could do, Megumi had returned to the clinic, though she said she would return if the clinic was slow.
Not far from him, Sanosuke sits with Tengoku, a man nobody ever expected to see again. While Kenshin couldn't actually see Tengoku, he recognized the voice, and, apparently, so did Sanosuke. The squeaking thuds that accompanied the mans steps last time they met were not to be heard this time.
*He must not be wearing his armour.* Kenshin thinks, then tries to focus his hearing to their conversation.
"What do you mean, 'you don't know'?" he hears Sano yell.
"I'm not sure who attacked Kenshin, or what it has to do with my mission." This was Tengoku.
"And, what is your 'mission'?" Yahiko, this time.
"Atarashiikami had an artifact of great power with him, it seems. After we defeated him, the artifact was thought destroyed."
"But somebody found it." Sano says more than asks.
"Hai. We're not sure who, though. I thought it best to check with those I fought beside before I start wading through the trash I fought against looking for it."
"We?" Kaoru asks from just over Kenshin.
"The alliance, for a lack of any better way of putting it. The alliance is various leaders from my homelands working together to try to avoid wars. It was decided that the artifact should be brought to them for safe keeping. Barring that, it should be destroyed to keep it from the wrong hands."
"What does this artifact look like?" Sano, again.
"Ano... No one really knows. It was used by the Akumu Minzoku for centuries, but Atarashiikami stole it from them. Aside from Atarashiikami, only a few Akumu Minzoku know what it looks like. Since they're enemies of the Alliance, I doubt they would help us."
"Che," Sano mutters, "Should have known it wouldn't be easy."
"Hai." Tengoku says. "And we still have to find out who was here before us."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A darkly cloaked figure leaps from the wall of the dojo, the heavy rain obscuring his features. A katana leads the way as he lands near Kenshin. Unable to continue standing, Kenshin falls to the cobble stones. From the angle he lays, he can't see the battle that rages anew, but he can hear the screams of the dying and feel the blood splatter on and around him.
In a matter of seconds, the screams die, with those screaming. He feels a hand on his wounded left arm, inspecting the wound.
"You did well, my friend. Very few can fight that many Akumu Minzoku, that badly out numbered, and last that long."
The voice is familiar to him, though he can't place it. The coolness in the voice almost makes him believe it to be Shinomori Aoshi, but the voice itself isn't Aoshi's. Unseen hands lift him gently from the cobble stones and carry him into the dojo. He feels almost as if he's floating as the dojo's main hall approaches.
"Gomen nasai. I don't know which room is yours, so we shall just use the main hall."
The unseen hands move him into the main hall, laying him gently in a dark corner. A dark silhouette appears over him briefly. It appears to look around carefully, before gazing down at Kenshin.
"Do not make any mistakes, battousai." the voice says, suddenly harsher, colder than before. "I interfered with the Akumu Minzoku not for your sake, merely to interrupt their plans."
He taps the wound gently, some kind of salve on his fingers. "The poison is not lethal, but this will help to counter the effects. You will, however, find your sense of touch is heightened for several hours." he explains. "This is so they can start the torture before the poison wears off and you would talk faster."
"What I said outside was for other ears only. We are not friends, nor can we be. However, the enemy of my enemy is my ally. They want you for some reason, so I keep you from them. Once this is done, we may well cross swords."
He leans back, wiping the remaining medicine from his hands. "I know you, battousai. You will want to become involved. I would not recommend it."
With that, the speaker disappears, leaving Kenshin to lay in the dark waiting for somebody to come home.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"And where were you, Kaoru?" Sano asks. The question snaps Kenshin out of his reverie.
"The storm was very strong. Tae-san suggested we wait it out at the Akabeko."
"Aa." Yahiko adds. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."
An uncomfortable silence settles over the main hall. Sanosuke's unspoken accusation, that Kaoru and Yahiko should have been at the dojo, hangs heavy. Kenshin can see Kaoru's head hang low in guilt that she should not feel. The tortured look on her face is almost more than the man can handle.
With every ounce of will power, he forces his right hand to move towards hers. The movement catches her attention.
"Kenshin..." she says softly, a relieved look starting to cross her face.
The effort is almost more than he has the energy for, but Kenshin manages to grasp Kaoru's hand. Her jaw works slowly, trying to find the words the express her happiness of seeing him move again, but nothing more comes out.
"Gomen nasai." he says so weakly that he can't be sure Kaoru could hear him.
"Kenshin!" This time, Kaoru yells his name. Her touch as she wraps him in a strong hug sends the fire of pleasure through him. *My sense of touch is still amplified from the poison.* he realizes.
Several minutes pass before calm is restored to the dojo as everyone crowds the barely moving man. Once everyone calms enough for him to talk again, he looks to Tengoku.
"Where is.." he asks with obvious effort, "the rest of Akuma Ryoshi?"
Tengoku lowers his head. "I am all that's left." he says softly.
