Rurouni Kenshin Fanfic
Rurouni Kenshin & Samurai X Original Japanese Version (c) N.Watsuki/Shueisha * Fuji-TV * SME Visual Works Inc. * Sony Pictures Entertainment
All Fanfics created by Chiruken (me) were written for the sole purpose of shared entertainment and not intended for publication or sale.
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Endurance
By Chiruken
Chapter 2
She heard a voice, soft, familiar, comforting, break through the haze of her terror, the words unintelligible. She felt the arms tighten around her, the scent of laundry soap filling her senses. Slowly she began to relax, listening to the tender murmurs near her ear, crying into the soft material of a faded and worn gi. The words didn't matter. She was flooded with relief and despair all at once. She was safe…but for how long?
"Kaoru-dono, it's all right, that it is. I'm here now, that I am." Kenshin tightened his hold on the young woman he held sobbing against his chest. Her appearance suggested the unthinkable had happened and he fought a swell of fury threatening to unleash the bloodlust he hadn't felt in years. Who could have done such a thing to his sweet and innocent Kaoru? "Shh…no one will hurt you, I promise."
She shook her head, knowing the words to be false. She wasn't safe…never would be again. Slowly she tilted her head back and opened her eyes, finding her tear-filled blue gaze caught by concerned violet. "K-Ken…shin…" She whispered his name, the sound barely audible. "Oh Kenshin!" She buried her face against his chest again, sobs of relief and heartache wracking her slender form as she cried.
He felt his heart break at the sound of her heart wrenching sobs. He felt powerless, unable to properly comfort the young woman he held so dear. He murmured soft words of comfort, knowing deep within his heart that it wasn't enough. Someone had hurt his Kaoru deeply and he wanted nothing more than to kill the bastard that had dared to touch her and violate her so brutally. Instead, he lifted her into his arms and carried her, swiftly leaving the forest behind. He had to get her to Megumi. The lady doctor would know what to do.
She didn't protest when he lifted her, feeling a surreal sense of detachment as he carried her away from the place of her nightmares. He'd take care of her. He would protect her. He always did. Resting her head against his shoulder she closed her eyes, tears slowly trickling down her cheeks. She was ruined, sullied beyond redemption. He could never want her now…never return her love. And her heart broke a little more at the thought of how she was going to lose the only man she'd ever loved.
Moving at nearly god-like speed through the darkened streets, he skidded around a corner and breathed a soft sigh of relief when he saw light spilling from the closed shouji of Megumi's home. Not bothering to knock at the gate, he entered the yard, calling for the doctor urgently. The door opened, revealing the familiar form of the woman he called friend and he pushed passed her into the warmth of her room, holding Kaoru's limp form tightly against his chest.
"Ken-san!" Megumi stared, horrified, at the young woman in his arms. "Kami-sama! What happened?" Without waiting for a reply, she led him to her room and unrolled her futon, indicating that he place her on the soft sheets. Her eyes moved over the torn and bloody kimono and she cringed inwardly at the bruises forming on the tender flesh of her exposed thighs. There was no doubt in her mind what had happened to the young woman when her gaze narrowed on the smearing of blood on her bruised thighs. She gave the man she called friend a hard look but her suspicions disintegrated at the silent heartbreak reflected in his expressive violet eyes. He hadn't been responsible, of that she was certain. She knelt beside the futon, gently taking the young woman's hand in her own. "Leave us, Ken-san. I will examine her in private."
Nodding slowly, he backed away, gaze resting briefly on the familiar and beloved features, her beauty marred by bruises and tears. Biting his lip, he silently closed the shouji and retreated to the solitude of the engawa to stare out over the shadowed yard. Slowly lowering himself to the polished wood, he leaned forward, arms resting on his knees as he bowed his head, hands covering his face. He'd failed her. He'd vowed to protect her, and he'd failed. He blamed himself for not accompanying her to the market earlier that evening when she'd left to purchase tofu for dinner. How could he face her now? How could he live with the shame of his failure? He closed his eyes, tears slowly falling into his hands as he thought of how carefree and trusting she had been. He knew that it was now shattered, the shadows of her ordeal would forever dull the sparkle of life in her beautiful blue eyes. And it was all his fault. He should've been there.
Rage and grief warred within his heart and he wished fervently for an outlet for his turmoil. He'd wanted to protect her from such ugliness, yet he'd failed and for that he could never forgive himself. What good was his offered protection if he couldn't follow through on the promise? The weight of his sakabatou pulled against his side, mocking him with its familiar form. He carried the weapon in order to protect those who couldn't protect themselves, yet his sweet and gentle Kaoru had been hurt beyond comprehension and his vow had been nullified. The weapon was useless, **he** was useless. A part of him, the part that would forever carry guilt and self-hatred, blamed himself for her pain. That same part of him reasoned that it was his presence that had caused the attack. If he never would have entered her life she'd be safe and content, her life never in peril, her soul untouched by the horrors of her ordeal in the forest.
He winced, knowing that his guilt was not well placed. He hadn't been responsible for what had happened, but he couldn't quite suppress the certainty that somehow he was at fault. He should have been with her, offering his protection no matter how she protested. She should never have been out after dark, alone, unarmed, unprotected. He closed his eyes tightly, jaw clenched painfully. He should have insisted he accompany her. If he would've been there, she would never have been attacked. Indirect it may be, but it was he who must bear the full weight of blame. Now, because of his thoughtfulness, his Kaoru was forever changed, her sparkle nearly extinguished, and he was at a loss as to how to proceed. Their relationship, he knew, was never going to be the same. Her easy trusting nature was now shadowed by the reminder of the ugliness of humankind, the world no longer a bright and innocent playground for her to experience with joy.
He felt a nearly overwhelming urge to do violence, to spill the blood, slowly, of the man who'd dared to snuff out his Kaoru's sweet flame of innocence. It was that same innocence that had initially drawn him to her, and now that it had been taken, he was overcome with grief. Her courage had been tested, her endurance nearly at its end. Could she recover? He didn't know. All he knew was that now, no matter what the cost, he must never leave her alone ever again. He wanted to see her smile again, the carefree joy she found in life shining in her eyes. He wanted to feel the warmth and tenderness she offered him with no thought to her own reputation and well-being. She had been the single redeeming factor in his otherwise bleak existence and it pained him that she was now suffering from something he could have prevented, if only he'd given more thought.