Disclaimer: Nope. I don't own RK. I can't even keep track of my disk that
has my RK stories on them. IT'S STILL LOST. just imagine if I lost RK. god
that'd be horrible.
Author's Notes: Okay, I'm listening to 'Don't Stay' by Linkin Park, and I'M PISSED OFF AT MYSELF!!! I still have to find my disk!!! I had the chapter all started and it was great.. I mean it was a REALLY good chapter, probably one of best ones that wasn't all bloody. Well, as far as I got it wasn't all bloody. Anywayz it was on like page 8 and NOT EVEN HALFWAY DONE. I'm serious. It was going to be a huge chapter. BUT NO I WENT AND LOST MY DAMNED DISK!!!! Grr. I don't usually swear, but MY GOD I'M SO MAD AT MYSELF!!! ( hits self over head with monitor.). I usually start my chapters at school BUT NO I CAN'T EVEN GO BACK TO MY NOTEBOOK FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE CHAPTER!!! Grr. I don't' even have chapters 26 and 27 on my computer. I've been keeping my story up to date on my computer in my room by every-so- often posting all the chapters together (up to chapter 25. it's 155 pages just to chapter 25 w/o the review responses, authors notes and disclaimers) and luckily I have chapter 24. I needed that chapter for this chapter to be worked on correctly. I gave up on finding my disk, so I'm going to have to work this all out ALL OVER AGAIN and get a new disk. And Zip disks are expensive. Yes, I use Zip disks because all the computers in my house use Zip drives. Anywayz. so I'm RESTARTING THE WHOLE CHATPER because I'm sick of not having anything to write. And yes, I am pissed which means this chapter is probably going to be 100% different from how I originally had it. Be prepared to have an EXTREMELY PO'D authoress write her story. I decided to make it a lot bloodier than expected. Oh, and the title of the chapter means 'river of blood' in Cherokee. I have a bit of Cherokee in me. Things between ~'_'~ are Kaoru's de-ja-vu spells from her dream.
~Coming of the Dawn~
***Chapter 28- Chickamauga***
Kaoru twisted violently in the blankets as the rays of sunlight bathed her face with a golden hue. She didn't want to wake up. She was exhausted, slightly pained in lower regions, and the light stung her eyes. She curled deeper into the blankets that stuck to her skin in an unnerving manner as she tossed so her face was away from the light. Her body curled up into a ball, she let her raven black hair flow over her naked shoulders that protruded out from the thin blanket.
Suddenly, once on her back, Kaoru's eyes shot open and she jolted up in bed, gripping the blankets tightly to her chest. Immediately upon heading up, she bumped her head on something.
"Oro! Ouch!" the thing stated, stumbling backwards until collided with the wall and then slid down into a sitting position.
Kaoru flipped around so she was on her stomach, and in the process the sheet wrapped around her small frame like a cocoon. She lay so that nothing showed as she rested her chin on the headrest of her futon. Her eyes wide, she looked in shock at the thing that was rubbing its head.
"I'm sorry Kenshin!" Kaoru cried. "I didn't mean to!"
Kenshin rubbed his head directly above his right eyebrow. The sleeve of his gi obstructed his view of his angel lying on the futon, but it didn't matter. He rearranged himself so that his katana was propped up against his shoulder. He laughed a little.
~'Kaoru woke up the next day, utterly exhausted. The light stung her eyes as she moaned and rolled herself farther into her blankets. She heard a slight chuckle come from across the room.
Kaoru lifted her head and looked over to see Kenshin laughing and looking at her from across the room. She sat up slowly and pulled the blankets with her out of precaution, in case her yukata happened to slip open. She didn't want to reveal all to Kenshin. At least not yet.'~
'Whoa. de-ja-vu.' Kaoru thought to herself.
He chuckled. "I shouldn't have been hovering over you like that, Kaoru. You just looked so serene in your sleep."
Kaoru noticed he was dressed, and immediately noticed that she wasn't. She slid farther down on her futon.
"Why were you watching me?" she asked him self-consciously.
"You looked so beautiful." He told her.
"How long have you been up, Kenshin?" she asked him, sitting up but holding the sheet tightly around her body.
Kenshin leaned his head back until his crimson mane came into contact with the hard wooden wall behind him. His face held an expression of thoughtfulness.
((Okay, I'm listening to Marilyn Manson 'The Beautiful People'. Yeah. I don't know if that has anything to do with the story, but you know.))
"Oh. since dawn." He answered as if it was no big deal.
Kaoru's eyes widened. "How. when. HOW COULD YOU GET UP SO EARLY?! Aren't you tired? We didn't even get to bed until."
She stopped short of her sentence so that she could blush a bright crimson. Kenshin laughed at her expressions. She was still so innocent.
"I'm used to it." He answered, not really noticing what he said until he saw the expression change on Kaoru's face.
Kaoru's face fell at his words. I'm used to it? What was that supposed to mean? She let tears brim her eyes. Had she simply been a one- night stand? She had no doubt that the Battousai could care less if he took her virginity. She shuddered.
Kenshin noticed immediately what he had said, and the rurouni side of himself took over in tenfold. "Oro! Sessha did not mean it that way Kaoru- dono, that he didn't!"
Kaoru's eyes fell upon his face with the extreme violet eyes. Oro? Sessha? Kaoru-dono? That defiantly wasn't the Battousai speaking. She looked at him in doubt.
'Look what you did! You hurt Kaoru-dono!' the rurouni side stated angrily to the Battousai.
Battousai grumbled. 'I didn't mean to! Now she thinks I'm a psycho because of you!'
'We should go, that we should.' the rurouni stated.
'We're not going anywhere! She's already tainted and claimed as mine, I'm not going to just leave her there!'
Kenshin stared down at his two other sides. He was a mix of them both, but he still separated himself from them. 'Both you screwed up so now I have to fix it. We're not leaving her here. I AM IN CONTROL FROM NOW ON. You two hear?
Kaoru watched as Kenshin shielded his eyes and then lifted his head to face her, his eyes a bluish-violet hue. "I meant that when I have my mission I get to bed late and I wake up at dawn."
Kaoru sighed. That relived some of her worries.
Kenshin went closer to her. "Is there something else that bothers you?"
Kaoru felt closed her large azure pools at the feel of Kenshin caressing her marred skin on her left cheek.
~'Kaoru didn't flinch when placed a hand on her cheek, which was now void of the make up she had worn the night before. If anything she leaned into his caress. It was welcoming and comforting. She knew then that he'd always be there.'~
She felt the de-ja-vu again, but ignored it. Kenshin's gentle calloused hands on her skin made her feel comfortable.
"Hai. " she whispered, opening her eyes to look at him.
"You think I'm going to drop us now? That you were only there for me to fulfill my lust and then I'm going to go back to just wishing to be friends?" he guessed.
Kaoru nodded, trying in vain to hold her blankets around herself.
"I won't, Kaoru, you mean to much to me and now you are mine, inside and out. I'm never going to leave you." He told her, whispering his words against her ear and making her shiver in delight and anticipation.
Kenshin drew back and looked at Kaoru as she stood up to get a better look at him. She gripped the blankets around her body tighter, but they were so small that they only covered so much of her. They covered her from the chest to halfway down her legs, exposing so much creamy skin it was hard for Kenshin to control his wandering gaze. The Battousai fought roughly for control, begging as if his life depended on being able to take control. Kenshin could visual the Battousai's thoughts and decided against letting him take control. He wanted to force Kaoru up against the wall and ravish her until she screamed out in her pleasure. No, Kenshin controlled himself.
Kaoru looked at him, her hair whipping around her body and flowing around her gently before landing to cover up more of her exposed skin. Kenshin kept his gaze glued to her face.
"I will leave you here to change and get ready for the day." Kenshin told her, despite the Battousai's fit inside his head.
Kaoru smiled. "Okay. but you really don't need to be so formal."
Kenshin grinned. "You can go out with your friends."
"I would go without your permission anyway." Kaoru alerted him.
"I trust you can get ready on your own?" Kenshin asked, not able to surpess that statement.
Kaoru wanted to throw something at him and scream hentai. "Hai."
He left and securely shut the door behind himself. Kaoru fell back onto the futon for a moment before forcing herself up and into her bag. She rummaged through her possible clothing and decided on a green kimono. She reached for her bathing things before she left the room.
~'"I trust you can get ready on your own?" he asked her, his back to her as he walked across the room and the door.
Kaoru nodded, then answered. "Hai."
Kenshin smiled and then opened the door. "Then I will be seeing you later, Miss Kaoru."
And he left.
Kaoru fell back on the futon, suddenly feeling at a loss. She rolled over and forced herself up. Walking over to the case that held her clothing, she pulled out a green kimono that had small yellow butterflies along the sleeves as well as some green vine-like foliage. She pulled out the matching sea green obi, and her bathing things. Trudging her way to the door, she opened it and headed down to the bathhouse.
She opened the door to the first room, and there began to remove her clothing. She pulled a towel off of the rack, and covered her otherwise naked body in it. Setting her clothes in a corner and then picking her bathing things and her new outfit, Kaoru opened the door and prepared to take a warm, soothing bath.
She didn't expect to see what she had when she opened the door.
Clutching her towel tightly to her body, she stifled a scream that was sure to permit from her throat. THIS. WAS. NOT. GOOD.'~
Upon feeling de-ja-vu for the third time that morning, she decided against taking a bath at that exact moment. No, she decided that she would wait at least an hour.
*********** ***********
Angela woke up, leaning over the couch and drooling onto the floor. She rubbed her eyes and looked at Renee, who had collapsed on the floor in exhaustion and was lying on top of a bag of laundry with her head lopsided as she breathed in her sleep. Angela sat up and stretched.
"That was a long night." she said to no one in particular. "This is the last time I get a room next to Battousai and Kaoru."
Renee stirred in her sleep, speaking so incoherent words and then gripping a piece of laundry and rolling of the bag, smacking her head on the ground. Still she slept.
Angela rolled her eyes. Only Renee could sleep after smashing her head on the floor.
She reached over for a candlestick, and with her great aim, threw it and hit Renee smack dab on the middle of the back. Still she didn't wake up. Angela searched around and found a package with a pretty blue silk string holding it shut she aimed and this time hit Renee in the butt.
Renee shot up. "HENTAI!!! WHO TOUCHED MY BUTT? I'm gonna rip their hands off RIGHT NOW!!!"
Angela laughed. "I threw a package at you."
Renee grumbled.
********** **********
Kenshin slowly made his way down the hall and stopped upon seeing something strange on the floor. He bent down, and lifted it up.
It was a cigarette.
Battousai took over, his eyes turning amber as he stared at the cigarette. It was a sign from someone. He was watching them, and he knew what Kaoru meant to Kenshin.
"Saitou." he breathed.
That was Saitou's sign to let Kenshin know that he had been there and he knew what Kaoru meant to him now. He was going to use her against him. That was simply his warning. Kenshin let his hand crush the cigarette before he deposited it on the floor.
He would never get any peace. He'd have to trust that Kaoru could protect herself for a while. He didn't need to worry her over this. Right now he had to find Saitou.
Gripping his katana's hilt tightly in his hand, he stormed down the stairs in full hitokiri mode, in the middle of the day, ready to attack.
********* *********
Kaoru shook her hair out. Wrapped up securely in a towel, she exited the bath to get to her clothes. She changed quickly into her silk green kimono, and left the bathhouse after placing her hair up in a high ponytail, securing it with the indigo ribbon that Kenshin had bought her. She stepped back into the Inn, headed for Angela's room to talk to them.
She didn't even get to walk up the stairs before Angela and Renee came bound at her and took a hold of her arms, pulling her out of the Inn and into the streets and towards a restaurant.
"You seem preoccupied, Kaoru-chan." Angela stated.
~'Kaoru shook her head as she was being pulled into a restaurant to eat dinner with her friends.
"Kaoru-chan, you seem to be preoccupied." Angela smiled, wickedly I might add. "What are you thinking about?"
Renee only leaned against the table and awaited an answer.
Kaoru blushed. "Uh. I. um."
Renee grinned. "Did he pounce you?"
Kaoru blushed more. "NO!!!" she shrieked. "Not. not exactly."
Angela grinned and started to clap her hands together as she bounced in her seat excitedly. "What happened Kaoru-chan? Did he kiss you? Did you sleep together? WHAT HAPPENED!!!"
Kaoru blushed. Her friends weren't making this any easier on her. "I walked. uh. in on him in the bathhouse."
Renee giggled. "Did you see anything? How is he?"
"NO! I'M NOT A HENTAI!" Kaoru cried. "I was shocked. And my towel. it kinda dropped."
"Did he see?" Angela persisted.
Kaoru shook her head. "I. I don't think so."
Renee giggled. "Girl, you have WAY too many close calls with him. Why don't you just get it over with?"
"Because it's not right!" Kaoru dictated.
Angela and Renee just giggled and continued eating with the utterly mortified Kaoru who sat across from them.
Kaoru began to believe they liked to torture her.'~
Kaoru shook the feeling of de-ja-vu away. "Well, kinda."
Renee bounced. "DID HE POUNCE YOU?! Because we kept hearing sounds last night and couldn't sleep!"
Kaoru blushed a furious shade of. well. it matched Kenshin's hair. Her friend giggled uncontrollably.
"We were that loud?"
Renee clapped her hands together. "So you admit it?"
"You let him?" Angela asked. "How was he?"
Kaoru fought the urge to knock her friends upside their heads. "I'm not telling you that!!"
They giggled uncontrollably again, bouncing in their seats as they were handed their meal and began to eat. Kaoru let her head drop in embarrassment as her friends went on about things that she zoned out of. She didn't want to feel more embarrassed than she already did.
********** **********
Kenshin roamed the streets stealthily, blending in with the crowds as he made his way through, moving like oil against water and stopping only once. He peered in through the windows of a restaurant to see Kaoru and her two friends. Kaoru was blushing furiously and the other two were bouncing and giggling, saying things that were only making Kaoru grow redder by the second. A small grin graced his features before he continued on his way.
He had to find Saitou before he found Kaoru. That motivated him to move on from Kaoru and continue with his search. He decided that she would be safer in a group and in the crowds than alone. I would be harder for her to be picked out of a crowd. With this in mind, he moved on, and kept all his senses on high guard until he could pick Saitou out of the crowd.
********* *********
Kaoru walked out of a weaponry shop, swinging her brand new bokken testily in her hands, testing it jokingly on Renee's head every now and then.
~'Renee and Angela ended up in a weaponry shop with Kaoru. She was searching for a new bokken. She felt good enough to use one, and now with what had been happening, she figured that she might need to use it quite often. She eyed the racks upon racks of bokkens and shinai's, sakabatou's, katana's and wakizashi's, among other weapons such as kodachi's and kunais. She settled upon a bokken of a medium length that would be slightly longer than the one she had, yet light enough for her to be able to use with no problem.
After a few practice swings in her Kamiya Kasshin Ryu kata's, she paid for her new weapon and let it hang from the obi of her green kimono. She walked and talked with Renee and Angela, until 5 dark shadows appeared around them.'~
Kaoru wondered why she was having de-ja-vu so much that day. She shook her head and continued to swat Renee ruthlessly in her head with the new bokken that she had her named engraved in.
(( I'm listenting to 'Turn The Page' now.))
Renee finally retaliated and kicked the bokken out of Kaoru's grasp. Angela caught it and handed it back to Kaoru.
"I learn quick." Renee smiled.
Angela shook her head. "You've been trying to learn that forever."
"Well I know now!" Renee smiled. "Now Kaoru-chan. WHY DON'T YOU HIT ANGELA FOR A CHANGE?!"
Kaoru grinned and gently started to swat Angela. All three girls started to giggle and smile with each other.
"It's getting late." Kaoru noted upon seeing the deep blue the sky was turning with the few holes in the inky darkness that were known as stars beginning to appear.
The other too agreed with her and they began to quicken their pace. All three of them had the impression that if they were late, they would all come home to one angry Kenshin. Kenshin would be mad at Angela and Renee for keeping Kaoru out so late, and then he'd be mad at Kaoru because she had stayed out late in the first place. Their steps quickened.
In the darkness Kaoru spotted some movement. Instinctively she halted in her movements and so did Renee and Angela. Kaoru's first thought as 5 men approached them was street thugs. She knew she could take care of them easily with her bokken, which was gripped firmly in her hands. Her eyes scanned the way for any other intruders and she set her quick gaze upon the one headed towards her. She spun and swung her bokken quickly, twisting and adjusting the angle until she noticed that the man had caught the shaft of her wooden sword in his hands.
Kaoru found herself face to face with none other than.....
"SAITOU!" she cried.
~'Kaoru looked up to find herself face to face with none other than Saitou.
"Saitou!" she cried, now hating herself for wearing a kimono. There was no way she could fight in a kimono that restricted her possibility of leg movement.
Saitou tapped his foot and grinned at her, placing a hand upon her scarred cheek. She jerked her head back and pulled her bokken out, holding it in front of her vertically as she stared at him.'~
"I hear you are officially Battousai's woman." Saitou smirked, placing a hand on Kaoru's scarred cheek. "Not only do you bear his scar, but I hear he has also claimed you as his also."
Kaoru whipped her bokken out of Saitou's now one-handed grip and backed up against Renee and Angela. All three of them stared down the group of now 6 men enclosed around them. Kaoru heard Renee and Angela cursing themselves for not buying weapons.
"Let us through Saitou." Kaoru demanded. "You forget it is me who saved you back during the fire at the Inn. If it wasn't for me you'd be dead right now."
Saitou snorted. "I would have been fine anyway."
"Will you let us through? We don't wish to fight you." Kaoru questioned, keeping her bokken up in a defensive stance.
Saitou nodded. "You may go."
Kaoru let her bokken fall.
~'Saitou nodded and Kaoru let her bokken fall.
Little did she know that was his motion for his men to attack.
All 4 of them flew at her, Renee, and Angela. Renee and Angela had to resort to kicking and punching, which didn't do much good against swords. They were lucky they could move fast enough to avoid being cut. Kaoru, on the other hand, was cornered by the other two men and was fighting them as well as she could with her bokken against their live, warring and deadly blades that held the promise of pain and death. She had a hard time blocking the blades, as they threatened to chop her only means of defense into nothingness.'~
The other 5 men attacked, flying at the defenseless girls. Kaoru held her bokken up just in time to block an attack for her head. She watched as Saitou stood back and stared, obviously happy with his trick. She used the hilt of her bokken to smash one man in the gut and then swung her sword back and hit another just a little lower.
Renee and Angela each had one man attacking them, and they had to duck the swords that threatened to tear them to pieces. Renee got cut on her arm but was able to retaliate with a knee into the groin area, sending the man to the ground, howling in pain. Angela was slashed across the back twice, and she sucker punched her assailant in the nose. He dropped his sword and grabbed his broken nose, as it bleed through his fingers and down his arms and cheeks
Renee and Angela both went to lift up the discarded weapons, but immediately finding them too heavy to maneuver easily.
Kaoru found herself backed up against the opening of an alleyway. She lifted her bokken and didn't back down, but silently cursed herself for not wearing her practice gi and hakama pants. Her kimono did not give her enough room to run for an attack. All she could really do was use sucker moves on the men around her. Her Kamiya Kasshin Ryu wasn't going to help her much if she had limited means of movement.
A slice to her thigh got her attention. It wasn't deep but it bled. She smashed one man down by hitting him directly on his spine. Another got hit with her bokken on their jaw, which proved able to dislocate it. She ran as quickly as she could in her kimono to avoid another attack from the other man.
The man with a broken jaw went to help his buddy as they both cornered Kaoru, their blades chopping off the tip of her brand new bokken. She swung quick and true, only to lose another large chunk of her weapon. Kaoru refused to back down, even as the other man she had been fighting began to stand.
Suddenly, the men around her fell to the ground, their blood plastering itself upon her pale skin and green kimono.
~'In an instant, they men surrounding her fell. She looked up and saw Kenshin, in full Battousai mode, his katana drawn and dripping with fresh blood as if it was bathing in the sticky, nauseating liquid. Kenshin himself appeared to have been bathing in the blood of the men around him as it dripped from his crimson locks and flowed over his face in rivers as he set his gaze upon her, as she still held her bokken.
Kenshin turned around, his now completely red hakama pants sending some blood onto Kaoru's kimono. She dropped her bokken and watched as he went into battou-jutsu stance in front of Saitou. Renee and Angela came running over to her and stood next to her, all of them trying to hide together.'~
Kaoru didn't ignore her de-ja-vu anymore. She knew why everything around her seemed so familiar.
Her dream.
She saw Kenshin, his amber eyes contrasting with the deep red of his bloody crimson locks of hair and the magenta gi that was soaked in the blood of the 5 men that lie lifeless upon the ground. His hakama pants held no splotches of white as his gaze fell upon her broken bokken and the wound that bled from her thigh.
"They hurt you." He stated angrily.
Kaoru's eyes pleaded with him. "I'm fine Kenshin. lets just leave."
Kenshin shook his head, hiding the fire of anger that was igniting inside of him by allowing his bleeding hair to cover his face and trail rivers of blood down his face and over his exposed neck and collarbone. He spun around, the blood that soaked him to the bone flying in all directions. He glared over at Renee and Angela and motioned for them to go over to Kaoru. They obliged and ran next to her, all three of them trying in vain to hide together and ignore the pain of their gushing wounds.
Kaoru's head began to spin.
Kenshin stood before Saitou, his eyes searching his. "Did you order an attack upon these women?"
~'Saitou."
"Battousai."
Kenshin's amber slits threatened Saitou for even thinking he could put Kaoru in danger. Kenshin knew he had grown too attached to the young woman, but at the same time he refused to have it any other way.
"Why did you start a fight on these young women for no reason?" Battousai drawled, his words like poison that could seep into your skin and force your blood out through your pores. "There was no reason to do so."'~
Saitou looked over at Kaoru. "You mean with your woman and her friends? Is she your woman, Himura Battousai?"
~'Saitou set his gaze upon Kaoru. "Is she your woman, Battousai?"'~
Kenshin ignored Saitou's question.
Kaoru looked at her two friends. "You guys get out of here!"
Renee glared. "We're not leaving you here!"
"I'm not leaving Kenshin here." Kaoru seethed.
"Then we're staying with you." Angela stated angrily.
"NO!" Kaoru cried. "Leave, please!! Listen to me, I don't want you two here just leave!"
Renee and Angela did as they were told and ran off around the corner of the alleyway, but no further. They refused to leave Kaoru there if she needed their help.
Kaoru was trying to replay her dream in her head. She knew how it ended, and she wasn't going to let it end that way.
~'Saitou let out an exasperated sigh. "I guess we'll have to find out the hard way."
Battousai's glare stayed upon Saitou as he drew nearer to Kaoru. He looked at him as if he dared him to make a move on her. Saitou just drew nearer, keeping his eyes on Battousai.
"If I was to slit her throat right now, what would you do?" he asked.
"You wouldn't."
Kaoru lifted her bokken and smacked Saitou on the head. He fell to the ground and Kaoru continued to smack him hard on the head and chest. Once she was satisfied that she had kicked his butt, she motioned for Renee and Angela to go past Kenshin. She placed her bokken back in her obi and started to walk away from Saitou, who was in definite pain from the blows he had received.
Kenshin got out of his stance as Kaoru drew nearer to him. He held his katana loosely at his side as he watched her, as if he was mesmerized.
Then she fell, Saitou on top of her and holding a dagger.'~
Kaoru held her broken bokken.
"Do I have to force the answer out of you?" Saitou asked, obviously not amused by his wait.
Kenshin continued to glare, but this time spoke up. "You lay a hand on any woman, and I will kill you Saitou."
((I just put on Evanescence.. So we'll see how this goes now. Yes, I am still mad.))
Saitou smirked and in an instant he was behind Kenshin, his hand playing across Kaoru's chin. She glared at him and pulled her head away, limping due to the unexpected injury to her thigh and the bodies that lay around her. Kenshin glared at Saitou, trying to hold his anger in. If he could make Saitou believe Kaoru meant nothing to him while not making Kaoru think the same thing, then Saitou would have no choice but to leave her alone. That was what he was planning to do.
Kaoru held her half bokken out in front of her as a warning to Saitou not to go any closer to her. She was trying to change the history of her dream as much as she could. She just hoped that her little changed would have a big affect on the end. All she knew was that in the end, Saitou and Kenshin would fight, and one of them would leave.
Only one of them would live past this fight.
Kaoru's hands began to shake as she held her wooden weapon close to her and stared at Saitou's back. She let it drop suddenly, her face paling for some unknown reason. She looked down to her thigh, noticing how the blood rushed out of it. She knew it wasn't that bad, but why was she is so much pain.
She soon discovered a dagger embedded into the neck, directly above her artery an in the same place one of Shishio's torture cuts had been. The dagger hadn't pierced through her windpipe, and had merely embedded itself in her skin. She pulled it out to discover that it was a thin blade, thinner than a one yen piece but extremely sharp. She held her new wound.
Kenshin glared at Saitou. He had seen Kaoru pull the dagger from her throat, and had been relieve to discover it hadn't lodged itself in her breathing passage. But he was beyond enraged.
Kaoru stared at her hands and in that instant Saitou had forced her down to the ground. She fought with him, but ended up giving up at the sight of his sword pressured roughly against her temple.
~'"What are you going to do now, Battousai?" he asked. " I asked you twice, and I'll ask you again. Is she your woman?"'~
"I'll ask you once more. Is this your woman? Has she stayed by your side in this fight for no reason? I may go lenient on her if you tell me the truth." Saitou told him.
Kenshin gripped his already unsheathed katana tighter, his anger rising to an alarming rate. WHY did everyone have to attack Kaoru? Couldn't they just face him face-to-face?
Kenshin looked at Kaoru.
~'She was on her stomach with Saitou sitting upon her back and holding her hands above her head while the other held the dagger against her throat.'~
On her stomach with her hands trapped underneath her body, he let his eyes wander to hers.
~'He looked into her sapphire orbs and knew she was fuming with livid anger against Saitou, but that she was also scared and she just wanted him to say something so that Saitou would get off.'~
Kenshin saw her fear but also her sadness for putting him in this situation. She shook her head, as if to say not to tell him. But Kenshin unheeded the warning.
Battousai growled and pushed his more patient part away. Dashing at Saitou, he knocked him off of Kaoru, standing over her already injured form protectively.
"Leave her alone!"
~'Battousai had seen too much of Kaoru's blood already. Without warning he dashed at Saitou, knocking him off of Kaoru and onto his back.
"Does that answer your question?" Battousai demanded, his sword pointed towards Saitou's throat. "Yes, she is!"'~
"So she is?" Saitou asked, quirking an eyebrow.
Battousai snarled. "Yes, and I will protect her with my life. You lay one more finger on her and I swear you will pay with your head, which I sent straight back to your precious Tokio."
Saitou growled. "Don't you dare bring her into this."
"You bring mine in, I'll bring yours in." Battousai growled.
Saitou was not about to put any of his family in danger. He lashed out at Kenshin, who blocked his attack and went flying over Kaoru and landed at least 20 feet away from where he was originally standing.
"Kaoru, GET OUT OF HERE!" Battousai demanded.
~'"Go back to the Inn." He demanded.
Kaoru shook her head. "Kenshin. no."
"Go BACK!" Battousai growled, his anger evident with his will to protect her.
Kaoru just slunk back slightly. She wasn't just going to leave him there. The last time he had fought Saitou he had almost lost. She was going to stay there and make sure he was okay.'~
Kaoru teared up and shook her head. "I'm not going to leave you here."
"Please Kaoru." he pleaded with her.
Kaoru shook her head but backed away from the fighting area and took refuge behind a bush, her bokken still her hand in case she needed to jump out and help. She watched in mystified horror as the same exact battle took place right before her eyes that took place in her mind only a few nights prior.
Kenshin whipped his sword out, blocking an oncoming attack from Saitou. He slid to a stop and jumped back up, both of them shooting towards each other at amazing speeds that barely made them visible in the dark as they were simply blurs until their sword connected and caused them to stop. Then they were only visible for a second before they were at each other's throats again.
~'Her heart leapt when she didn't hear the sound of metal clashing.
Battousai was kneeling in Battou-jutsu stance, Saitou awaiting his attack.
Kenshin proceeded to jump into the air. "Ryu-Sho-Sen!" he cried.'~
"Ryu-Sho-Sen!" Kenshin cried, leaping forward in an attempt to slice Saitou in half on his way up into the air.
Kaoru shook her head. What was the name of the attack that had killed him? She had to stop him. She knew he had used it twice. the second time was the time that he was killed. She held her hands up to her face and pulled on her hair in frustration. Blood splatter around her, catching her attention.
Both Saitou and Kenshin were injured, but neither took heed to it. Kenshin performed his Do-Ryu-Sen that injured Kaoru more than Saitou as shards of debris hit her face and arms. She looked up. Kenshin tried his Ku-Zu-Ryu- Sen, and again he failed, falling to the floor.
~'Kenshin fell back, trying to figure out why he couldn't get a single move in on Saitou. It was like he became immortal and was no longer an opponent as much as he was more of a nuisance with skills. Kenshin jumped up again.'~
Kaoru's attention shot to Kenshin. "KENSHIN! DON'T DO YOUR RYU-TSUI-SEN!"
Kenshin had heard her scream at him to ignore the move he desperately needed to do if he had any chance of defeating Saitou. But he was already flipping through the air when she had called it out. That facture in time to register her words didn't give him enough time to abort the attack, and he went barreling down on Saitou, his sword outstretched in a horizontal fashion.
Kaoru could now she the attack as Kenshin flew down upon Saitou, who held his sword up at a diagonal. Then came the familiar sound of flesh slicing flesh and she looked away.
~'Kaoru watched as Kenshin again tried to attack Saitou from the sky. She watched in utter fear as his attack was off by a slight space. Saitou's block did more than block.'~
The sickening thud from her dream resounded in her mind and she gripped her ears and closed her eyes, crying out in vain.
Author's Notes: Yes, I am mean to leave it off there. But come on. I needed to update and I was mad. AND. I lost all my review responses and there are just to many for me to respond to for the last 2 chapters. I had like 10 pages of responses as it was already. And this story is 19 pages right now. without the reveiws. so yeah. I'm gonna respond to reviews if I have my disk or a disk. but only the reviews to this chapter and up. Krystlsaliormoon (Angie), I mailed you TSFTSES part of your review response as Chapter 13 I think. it's after yours, so read that review and then you can keep up the story. and everyone one else I AM REALLY SORRY BUT I JUST DON'T HAVE THE TIME T0 MAKE ALL THOSE REVIEWS OUT AGAIN. I have like 4 pages of reviews. Anywayz, though, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN THE STORY. I LOVE YOU ALL TO PIECES. I'll give you some short responses: Anime-Master7, I will make Yahiko pay for the damages... And you are my #1 place for my weaponary needs., Black Twilight: THANKS A BAZILLION FOR THE FANART I LOVE IT!!! (hugs), Brittanie Love: UPDATE SOON OR I'M GONNA GO OVER THERE MYSELF AND CHAIN YOU TO THE COMPUTER!!!, Baka Ryu: Yeah, I have no life. that's why I update so fast.., Rhapsody07: HEHEHE!! Practice? My god. that makes him sound so bad.. HiEi FoR sALe: Yeah. there is nothing wrong with being Korean!!! Hehehe!! I like your name though. even if it means what it does. glad you like the story!!!
I did respond to all of you guys. I promise that when I find my disk I WILL POST UP THE ORIGINAL RESPONSES. I responded to those few because those were the few that could remember word for word. I don't know, I have a strange memory. BUT THANK YOU TO EVERYONE ELSE AND SINCE I DIDN'T GET YOU IN I'M GIVING YOU ALL THE PLEASURE OF KNOWING THAT THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO YOU ALL!!!!!
Luv forever,
Crystal Renee
Author's Notes: Okay, I'm listening to 'Don't Stay' by Linkin Park, and I'M PISSED OFF AT MYSELF!!! I still have to find my disk!!! I had the chapter all started and it was great.. I mean it was a REALLY good chapter, probably one of best ones that wasn't all bloody. Well, as far as I got it wasn't all bloody. Anywayz it was on like page 8 and NOT EVEN HALFWAY DONE. I'm serious. It was going to be a huge chapter. BUT NO I WENT AND LOST MY DAMNED DISK!!!! Grr. I don't usually swear, but MY GOD I'M SO MAD AT MYSELF!!! ( hits self over head with monitor.). I usually start my chapters at school BUT NO I CAN'T EVEN GO BACK TO MY NOTEBOOK FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE CHAPTER!!! Grr. I don't' even have chapters 26 and 27 on my computer. I've been keeping my story up to date on my computer in my room by every-so- often posting all the chapters together (up to chapter 25. it's 155 pages just to chapter 25 w/o the review responses, authors notes and disclaimers) and luckily I have chapter 24. I needed that chapter for this chapter to be worked on correctly. I gave up on finding my disk, so I'm going to have to work this all out ALL OVER AGAIN and get a new disk. And Zip disks are expensive. Yes, I use Zip disks because all the computers in my house use Zip drives. Anywayz. so I'm RESTARTING THE WHOLE CHATPER because I'm sick of not having anything to write. And yes, I am pissed which means this chapter is probably going to be 100% different from how I originally had it. Be prepared to have an EXTREMELY PO'D authoress write her story. I decided to make it a lot bloodier than expected. Oh, and the title of the chapter means 'river of blood' in Cherokee. I have a bit of Cherokee in me. Things between ~'_'~ are Kaoru's de-ja-vu spells from her dream.
~Coming of the Dawn~
***Chapter 28- Chickamauga***
Kaoru twisted violently in the blankets as the rays of sunlight bathed her face with a golden hue. She didn't want to wake up. She was exhausted, slightly pained in lower regions, and the light stung her eyes. She curled deeper into the blankets that stuck to her skin in an unnerving manner as she tossed so her face was away from the light. Her body curled up into a ball, she let her raven black hair flow over her naked shoulders that protruded out from the thin blanket.
Suddenly, once on her back, Kaoru's eyes shot open and she jolted up in bed, gripping the blankets tightly to her chest. Immediately upon heading up, she bumped her head on something.
"Oro! Ouch!" the thing stated, stumbling backwards until collided with the wall and then slid down into a sitting position.
Kaoru flipped around so she was on her stomach, and in the process the sheet wrapped around her small frame like a cocoon. She lay so that nothing showed as she rested her chin on the headrest of her futon. Her eyes wide, she looked in shock at the thing that was rubbing its head.
"I'm sorry Kenshin!" Kaoru cried. "I didn't mean to!"
Kenshin rubbed his head directly above his right eyebrow. The sleeve of his gi obstructed his view of his angel lying on the futon, but it didn't matter. He rearranged himself so that his katana was propped up against his shoulder. He laughed a little.
~'Kaoru woke up the next day, utterly exhausted. The light stung her eyes as she moaned and rolled herself farther into her blankets. She heard a slight chuckle come from across the room.
Kaoru lifted her head and looked over to see Kenshin laughing and looking at her from across the room. She sat up slowly and pulled the blankets with her out of precaution, in case her yukata happened to slip open. She didn't want to reveal all to Kenshin. At least not yet.'~
'Whoa. de-ja-vu.' Kaoru thought to herself.
He chuckled. "I shouldn't have been hovering over you like that, Kaoru. You just looked so serene in your sleep."
Kaoru noticed he was dressed, and immediately noticed that she wasn't. She slid farther down on her futon.
"Why were you watching me?" she asked him self-consciously.
"You looked so beautiful." He told her.
"How long have you been up, Kenshin?" she asked him, sitting up but holding the sheet tightly around her body.
Kenshin leaned his head back until his crimson mane came into contact with the hard wooden wall behind him. His face held an expression of thoughtfulness.
((Okay, I'm listening to Marilyn Manson 'The Beautiful People'. Yeah. I don't know if that has anything to do with the story, but you know.))
"Oh. since dawn." He answered as if it was no big deal.
Kaoru's eyes widened. "How. when. HOW COULD YOU GET UP SO EARLY?! Aren't you tired? We didn't even get to bed until."
She stopped short of her sentence so that she could blush a bright crimson. Kenshin laughed at her expressions. She was still so innocent.
"I'm used to it." He answered, not really noticing what he said until he saw the expression change on Kaoru's face.
Kaoru's face fell at his words. I'm used to it? What was that supposed to mean? She let tears brim her eyes. Had she simply been a one- night stand? She had no doubt that the Battousai could care less if he took her virginity. She shuddered.
Kenshin noticed immediately what he had said, and the rurouni side of himself took over in tenfold. "Oro! Sessha did not mean it that way Kaoru- dono, that he didn't!"
Kaoru's eyes fell upon his face with the extreme violet eyes. Oro? Sessha? Kaoru-dono? That defiantly wasn't the Battousai speaking. She looked at him in doubt.
'Look what you did! You hurt Kaoru-dono!' the rurouni side stated angrily to the Battousai.
Battousai grumbled. 'I didn't mean to! Now she thinks I'm a psycho because of you!'
'We should go, that we should.' the rurouni stated.
'We're not going anywhere! She's already tainted and claimed as mine, I'm not going to just leave her there!'
Kenshin stared down at his two other sides. He was a mix of them both, but he still separated himself from them. 'Both you screwed up so now I have to fix it. We're not leaving her here. I AM IN CONTROL FROM NOW ON. You two hear?
Kaoru watched as Kenshin shielded his eyes and then lifted his head to face her, his eyes a bluish-violet hue. "I meant that when I have my mission I get to bed late and I wake up at dawn."
Kaoru sighed. That relived some of her worries.
Kenshin went closer to her. "Is there something else that bothers you?"
Kaoru felt closed her large azure pools at the feel of Kenshin caressing her marred skin on her left cheek.
~'Kaoru didn't flinch when placed a hand on her cheek, which was now void of the make up she had worn the night before. If anything she leaned into his caress. It was welcoming and comforting. She knew then that he'd always be there.'~
She felt the de-ja-vu again, but ignored it. Kenshin's gentle calloused hands on her skin made her feel comfortable.
"Hai. " she whispered, opening her eyes to look at him.
"You think I'm going to drop us now? That you were only there for me to fulfill my lust and then I'm going to go back to just wishing to be friends?" he guessed.
Kaoru nodded, trying in vain to hold her blankets around herself.
"I won't, Kaoru, you mean to much to me and now you are mine, inside and out. I'm never going to leave you." He told her, whispering his words against her ear and making her shiver in delight and anticipation.
Kenshin drew back and looked at Kaoru as she stood up to get a better look at him. She gripped the blankets around her body tighter, but they were so small that they only covered so much of her. They covered her from the chest to halfway down her legs, exposing so much creamy skin it was hard for Kenshin to control his wandering gaze. The Battousai fought roughly for control, begging as if his life depended on being able to take control. Kenshin could visual the Battousai's thoughts and decided against letting him take control. He wanted to force Kaoru up against the wall and ravish her until she screamed out in her pleasure. No, Kenshin controlled himself.
Kaoru looked at him, her hair whipping around her body and flowing around her gently before landing to cover up more of her exposed skin. Kenshin kept his gaze glued to her face.
"I will leave you here to change and get ready for the day." Kenshin told her, despite the Battousai's fit inside his head.
Kaoru smiled. "Okay. but you really don't need to be so formal."
Kenshin grinned. "You can go out with your friends."
"I would go without your permission anyway." Kaoru alerted him.
"I trust you can get ready on your own?" Kenshin asked, not able to surpess that statement.
Kaoru wanted to throw something at him and scream hentai. "Hai."
He left and securely shut the door behind himself. Kaoru fell back onto the futon for a moment before forcing herself up and into her bag. She rummaged through her possible clothing and decided on a green kimono. She reached for her bathing things before she left the room.
~'"I trust you can get ready on your own?" he asked her, his back to her as he walked across the room and the door.
Kaoru nodded, then answered. "Hai."
Kenshin smiled and then opened the door. "Then I will be seeing you later, Miss Kaoru."
And he left.
Kaoru fell back on the futon, suddenly feeling at a loss. She rolled over and forced herself up. Walking over to the case that held her clothing, she pulled out a green kimono that had small yellow butterflies along the sleeves as well as some green vine-like foliage. She pulled out the matching sea green obi, and her bathing things. Trudging her way to the door, she opened it and headed down to the bathhouse.
She opened the door to the first room, and there began to remove her clothing. She pulled a towel off of the rack, and covered her otherwise naked body in it. Setting her clothes in a corner and then picking her bathing things and her new outfit, Kaoru opened the door and prepared to take a warm, soothing bath.
She didn't expect to see what she had when she opened the door.
Clutching her towel tightly to her body, she stifled a scream that was sure to permit from her throat. THIS. WAS. NOT. GOOD.'~
Upon feeling de-ja-vu for the third time that morning, she decided against taking a bath at that exact moment. No, she decided that she would wait at least an hour.
*********** ***********
Angela woke up, leaning over the couch and drooling onto the floor. She rubbed her eyes and looked at Renee, who had collapsed on the floor in exhaustion and was lying on top of a bag of laundry with her head lopsided as she breathed in her sleep. Angela sat up and stretched.
"That was a long night." she said to no one in particular. "This is the last time I get a room next to Battousai and Kaoru."
Renee stirred in her sleep, speaking so incoherent words and then gripping a piece of laundry and rolling of the bag, smacking her head on the ground. Still she slept.
Angela rolled her eyes. Only Renee could sleep after smashing her head on the floor.
She reached over for a candlestick, and with her great aim, threw it and hit Renee smack dab on the middle of the back. Still she didn't wake up. Angela searched around and found a package with a pretty blue silk string holding it shut she aimed and this time hit Renee in the butt.
Renee shot up. "HENTAI!!! WHO TOUCHED MY BUTT? I'm gonna rip their hands off RIGHT NOW!!!"
Angela laughed. "I threw a package at you."
Renee grumbled.
********** **********
Kenshin slowly made his way down the hall and stopped upon seeing something strange on the floor. He bent down, and lifted it up.
It was a cigarette.
Battousai took over, his eyes turning amber as he stared at the cigarette. It was a sign from someone. He was watching them, and he knew what Kaoru meant to Kenshin.
"Saitou." he breathed.
That was Saitou's sign to let Kenshin know that he had been there and he knew what Kaoru meant to him now. He was going to use her against him. That was simply his warning. Kenshin let his hand crush the cigarette before he deposited it on the floor.
He would never get any peace. He'd have to trust that Kaoru could protect herself for a while. He didn't need to worry her over this. Right now he had to find Saitou.
Gripping his katana's hilt tightly in his hand, he stormed down the stairs in full hitokiri mode, in the middle of the day, ready to attack.
********* *********
Kaoru shook her hair out. Wrapped up securely in a towel, she exited the bath to get to her clothes. She changed quickly into her silk green kimono, and left the bathhouse after placing her hair up in a high ponytail, securing it with the indigo ribbon that Kenshin had bought her. She stepped back into the Inn, headed for Angela's room to talk to them.
She didn't even get to walk up the stairs before Angela and Renee came bound at her and took a hold of her arms, pulling her out of the Inn and into the streets and towards a restaurant.
"You seem preoccupied, Kaoru-chan." Angela stated.
~'Kaoru shook her head as she was being pulled into a restaurant to eat dinner with her friends.
"Kaoru-chan, you seem to be preoccupied." Angela smiled, wickedly I might add. "What are you thinking about?"
Renee only leaned against the table and awaited an answer.
Kaoru blushed. "Uh. I. um."
Renee grinned. "Did he pounce you?"
Kaoru blushed more. "NO!!!" she shrieked. "Not. not exactly."
Angela grinned and started to clap her hands together as she bounced in her seat excitedly. "What happened Kaoru-chan? Did he kiss you? Did you sleep together? WHAT HAPPENED!!!"
Kaoru blushed. Her friends weren't making this any easier on her. "I walked. uh. in on him in the bathhouse."
Renee giggled. "Did you see anything? How is he?"
"NO! I'M NOT A HENTAI!" Kaoru cried. "I was shocked. And my towel. it kinda dropped."
"Did he see?" Angela persisted.
Kaoru shook her head. "I. I don't think so."
Renee giggled. "Girl, you have WAY too many close calls with him. Why don't you just get it over with?"
"Because it's not right!" Kaoru dictated.
Angela and Renee just giggled and continued eating with the utterly mortified Kaoru who sat across from them.
Kaoru began to believe they liked to torture her.'~
Kaoru shook the feeling of de-ja-vu away. "Well, kinda."
Renee bounced. "DID HE POUNCE YOU?! Because we kept hearing sounds last night and couldn't sleep!"
Kaoru blushed a furious shade of. well. it matched Kenshin's hair. Her friend giggled uncontrollably.
"We were that loud?"
Renee clapped her hands together. "So you admit it?"
"You let him?" Angela asked. "How was he?"
Kaoru fought the urge to knock her friends upside their heads. "I'm not telling you that!!"
They giggled uncontrollably again, bouncing in their seats as they were handed their meal and began to eat. Kaoru let her head drop in embarrassment as her friends went on about things that she zoned out of. She didn't want to feel more embarrassed than she already did.
********** **********
Kenshin roamed the streets stealthily, blending in with the crowds as he made his way through, moving like oil against water and stopping only once. He peered in through the windows of a restaurant to see Kaoru and her two friends. Kaoru was blushing furiously and the other two were bouncing and giggling, saying things that were only making Kaoru grow redder by the second. A small grin graced his features before he continued on his way.
He had to find Saitou before he found Kaoru. That motivated him to move on from Kaoru and continue with his search. He decided that she would be safer in a group and in the crowds than alone. I would be harder for her to be picked out of a crowd. With this in mind, he moved on, and kept all his senses on high guard until he could pick Saitou out of the crowd.
********* *********
Kaoru walked out of a weaponry shop, swinging her brand new bokken testily in her hands, testing it jokingly on Renee's head every now and then.
~'Renee and Angela ended up in a weaponry shop with Kaoru. She was searching for a new bokken. She felt good enough to use one, and now with what had been happening, she figured that she might need to use it quite often. She eyed the racks upon racks of bokkens and shinai's, sakabatou's, katana's and wakizashi's, among other weapons such as kodachi's and kunais. She settled upon a bokken of a medium length that would be slightly longer than the one she had, yet light enough for her to be able to use with no problem.
After a few practice swings in her Kamiya Kasshin Ryu kata's, she paid for her new weapon and let it hang from the obi of her green kimono. She walked and talked with Renee and Angela, until 5 dark shadows appeared around them.'~
Kaoru wondered why she was having de-ja-vu so much that day. She shook her head and continued to swat Renee ruthlessly in her head with the new bokken that she had her named engraved in.
(( I'm listenting to 'Turn The Page' now.))
Renee finally retaliated and kicked the bokken out of Kaoru's grasp. Angela caught it and handed it back to Kaoru.
"I learn quick." Renee smiled.
Angela shook her head. "You've been trying to learn that forever."
"Well I know now!" Renee smiled. "Now Kaoru-chan. WHY DON'T YOU HIT ANGELA FOR A CHANGE?!"
Kaoru grinned and gently started to swat Angela. All three girls started to giggle and smile with each other.
"It's getting late." Kaoru noted upon seeing the deep blue the sky was turning with the few holes in the inky darkness that were known as stars beginning to appear.
The other too agreed with her and they began to quicken their pace. All three of them had the impression that if they were late, they would all come home to one angry Kenshin. Kenshin would be mad at Angela and Renee for keeping Kaoru out so late, and then he'd be mad at Kaoru because she had stayed out late in the first place. Their steps quickened.
In the darkness Kaoru spotted some movement. Instinctively she halted in her movements and so did Renee and Angela. Kaoru's first thought as 5 men approached them was street thugs. She knew she could take care of them easily with her bokken, which was gripped firmly in her hands. Her eyes scanned the way for any other intruders and she set her quick gaze upon the one headed towards her. She spun and swung her bokken quickly, twisting and adjusting the angle until she noticed that the man had caught the shaft of her wooden sword in his hands.
Kaoru found herself face to face with none other than.....
"SAITOU!" she cried.
~'Kaoru looked up to find herself face to face with none other than Saitou.
"Saitou!" she cried, now hating herself for wearing a kimono. There was no way she could fight in a kimono that restricted her possibility of leg movement.
Saitou tapped his foot and grinned at her, placing a hand upon her scarred cheek. She jerked her head back and pulled her bokken out, holding it in front of her vertically as she stared at him.'~
"I hear you are officially Battousai's woman." Saitou smirked, placing a hand on Kaoru's scarred cheek. "Not only do you bear his scar, but I hear he has also claimed you as his also."
Kaoru whipped her bokken out of Saitou's now one-handed grip and backed up against Renee and Angela. All three of them stared down the group of now 6 men enclosed around them. Kaoru heard Renee and Angela cursing themselves for not buying weapons.
"Let us through Saitou." Kaoru demanded. "You forget it is me who saved you back during the fire at the Inn. If it wasn't for me you'd be dead right now."
Saitou snorted. "I would have been fine anyway."
"Will you let us through? We don't wish to fight you." Kaoru questioned, keeping her bokken up in a defensive stance.
Saitou nodded. "You may go."
Kaoru let her bokken fall.
~'Saitou nodded and Kaoru let her bokken fall.
Little did she know that was his motion for his men to attack.
All 4 of them flew at her, Renee, and Angela. Renee and Angela had to resort to kicking and punching, which didn't do much good against swords. They were lucky they could move fast enough to avoid being cut. Kaoru, on the other hand, was cornered by the other two men and was fighting them as well as she could with her bokken against their live, warring and deadly blades that held the promise of pain and death. She had a hard time blocking the blades, as they threatened to chop her only means of defense into nothingness.'~
The other 5 men attacked, flying at the defenseless girls. Kaoru held her bokken up just in time to block an attack for her head. She watched as Saitou stood back and stared, obviously happy with his trick. She used the hilt of her bokken to smash one man in the gut and then swung her sword back and hit another just a little lower.
Renee and Angela each had one man attacking them, and they had to duck the swords that threatened to tear them to pieces. Renee got cut on her arm but was able to retaliate with a knee into the groin area, sending the man to the ground, howling in pain. Angela was slashed across the back twice, and she sucker punched her assailant in the nose. He dropped his sword and grabbed his broken nose, as it bleed through his fingers and down his arms and cheeks
Renee and Angela both went to lift up the discarded weapons, but immediately finding them too heavy to maneuver easily.
Kaoru found herself backed up against the opening of an alleyway. She lifted her bokken and didn't back down, but silently cursed herself for not wearing her practice gi and hakama pants. Her kimono did not give her enough room to run for an attack. All she could really do was use sucker moves on the men around her. Her Kamiya Kasshin Ryu wasn't going to help her much if she had limited means of movement.
A slice to her thigh got her attention. It wasn't deep but it bled. She smashed one man down by hitting him directly on his spine. Another got hit with her bokken on their jaw, which proved able to dislocate it. She ran as quickly as she could in her kimono to avoid another attack from the other man.
The man with a broken jaw went to help his buddy as they both cornered Kaoru, their blades chopping off the tip of her brand new bokken. She swung quick and true, only to lose another large chunk of her weapon. Kaoru refused to back down, even as the other man she had been fighting began to stand.
Suddenly, the men around her fell to the ground, their blood plastering itself upon her pale skin and green kimono.
~'In an instant, they men surrounding her fell. She looked up and saw Kenshin, in full Battousai mode, his katana drawn and dripping with fresh blood as if it was bathing in the sticky, nauseating liquid. Kenshin himself appeared to have been bathing in the blood of the men around him as it dripped from his crimson locks and flowed over his face in rivers as he set his gaze upon her, as she still held her bokken.
Kenshin turned around, his now completely red hakama pants sending some blood onto Kaoru's kimono. She dropped her bokken and watched as he went into battou-jutsu stance in front of Saitou. Renee and Angela came running over to her and stood next to her, all of them trying to hide together.'~
Kaoru didn't ignore her de-ja-vu anymore. She knew why everything around her seemed so familiar.
Her dream.
She saw Kenshin, his amber eyes contrasting with the deep red of his bloody crimson locks of hair and the magenta gi that was soaked in the blood of the 5 men that lie lifeless upon the ground. His hakama pants held no splotches of white as his gaze fell upon her broken bokken and the wound that bled from her thigh.
"They hurt you." He stated angrily.
Kaoru's eyes pleaded with him. "I'm fine Kenshin. lets just leave."
Kenshin shook his head, hiding the fire of anger that was igniting inside of him by allowing his bleeding hair to cover his face and trail rivers of blood down his face and over his exposed neck and collarbone. He spun around, the blood that soaked him to the bone flying in all directions. He glared over at Renee and Angela and motioned for them to go over to Kaoru. They obliged and ran next to her, all three of them trying in vain to hide together and ignore the pain of their gushing wounds.
Kaoru's head began to spin.
Kenshin stood before Saitou, his eyes searching his. "Did you order an attack upon these women?"
~'Saitou."
"Battousai."
Kenshin's amber slits threatened Saitou for even thinking he could put Kaoru in danger. Kenshin knew he had grown too attached to the young woman, but at the same time he refused to have it any other way.
"Why did you start a fight on these young women for no reason?" Battousai drawled, his words like poison that could seep into your skin and force your blood out through your pores. "There was no reason to do so."'~
Saitou looked over at Kaoru. "You mean with your woman and her friends? Is she your woman, Himura Battousai?"
~'Saitou set his gaze upon Kaoru. "Is she your woman, Battousai?"'~
Kenshin ignored Saitou's question.
Kaoru looked at her two friends. "You guys get out of here!"
Renee glared. "We're not leaving you here!"
"I'm not leaving Kenshin here." Kaoru seethed.
"Then we're staying with you." Angela stated angrily.
"NO!" Kaoru cried. "Leave, please!! Listen to me, I don't want you two here just leave!"
Renee and Angela did as they were told and ran off around the corner of the alleyway, but no further. They refused to leave Kaoru there if she needed their help.
Kaoru was trying to replay her dream in her head. She knew how it ended, and she wasn't going to let it end that way.
~'Saitou let out an exasperated sigh. "I guess we'll have to find out the hard way."
Battousai's glare stayed upon Saitou as he drew nearer to Kaoru. He looked at him as if he dared him to make a move on her. Saitou just drew nearer, keeping his eyes on Battousai.
"If I was to slit her throat right now, what would you do?" he asked.
"You wouldn't."
Kaoru lifted her bokken and smacked Saitou on the head. He fell to the ground and Kaoru continued to smack him hard on the head and chest. Once she was satisfied that she had kicked his butt, she motioned for Renee and Angela to go past Kenshin. She placed her bokken back in her obi and started to walk away from Saitou, who was in definite pain from the blows he had received.
Kenshin got out of his stance as Kaoru drew nearer to him. He held his katana loosely at his side as he watched her, as if he was mesmerized.
Then she fell, Saitou on top of her and holding a dagger.'~
Kaoru held her broken bokken.
"Do I have to force the answer out of you?" Saitou asked, obviously not amused by his wait.
Kenshin continued to glare, but this time spoke up. "You lay a hand on any woman, and I will kill you Saitou."
((I just put on Evanescence.. So we'll see how this goes now. Yes, I am still mad.))
Saitou smirked and in an instant he was behind Kenshin, his hand playing across Kaoru's chin. She glared at him and pulled her head away, limping due to the unexpected injury to her thigh and the bodies that lay around her. Kenshin glared at Saitou, trying to hold his anger in. If he could make Saitou believe Kaoru meant nothing to him while not making Kaoru think the same thing, then Saitou would have no choice but to leave her alone. That was what he was planning to do.
Kaoru held her half bokken out in front of her as a warning to Saitou not to go any closer to her. She was trying to change the history of her dream as much as she could. She just hoped that her little changed would have a big affect on the end. All she knew was that in the end, Saitou and Kenshin would fight, and one of them would leave.
Only one of them would live past this fight.
Kaoru's hands began to shake as she held her wooden weapon close to her and stared at Saitou's back. She let it drop suddenly, her face paling for some unknown reason. She looked down to her thigh, noticing how the blood rushed out of it. She knew it wasn't that bad, but why was she is so much pain.
She soon discovered a dagger embedded into the neck, directly above her artery an in the same place one of Shishio's torture cuts had been. The dagger hadn't pierced through her windpipe, and had merely embedded itself in her skin. She pulled it out to discover that it was a thin blade, thinner than a one yen piece but extremely sharp. She held her new wound.
Kenshin glared at Saitou. He had seen Kaoru pull the dagger from her throat, and had been relieve to discover it hadn't lodged itself in her breathing passage. But he was beyond enraged.
Kaoru stared at her hands and in that instant Saitou had forced her down to the ground. She fought with him, but ended up giving up at the sight of his sword pressured roughly against her temple.
~'"What are you going to do now, Battousai?" he asked. " I asked you twice, and I'll ask you again. Is she your woman?"'~
"I'll ask you once more. Is this your woman? Has she stayed by your side in this fight for no reason? I may go lenient on her if you tell me the truth." Saitou told him.
Kenshin gripped his already unsheathed katana tighter, his anger rising to an alarming rate. WHY did everyone have to attack Kaoru? Couldn't they just face him face-to-face?
Kenshin looked at Kaoru.
~'She was on her stomach with Saitou sitting upon her back and holding her hands above her head while the other held the dagger against her throat.'~
On her stomach with her hands trapped underneath her body, he let his eyes wander to hers.
~'He looked into her sapphire orbs and knew she was fuming with livid anger against Saitou, but that she was also scared and she just wanted him to say something so that Saitou would get off.'~
Kenshin saw her fear but also her sadness for putting him in this situation. She shook her head, as if to say not to tell him. But Kenshin unheeded the warning.
Battousai growled and pushed his more patient part away. Dashing at Saitou, he knocked him off of Kaoru, standing over her already injured form protectively.
"Leave her alone!"
~'Battousai had seen too much of Kaoru's blood already. Without warning he dashed at Saitou, knocking him off of Kaoru and onto his back.
"Does that answer your question?" Battousai demanded, his sword pointed towards Saitou's throat. "Yes, she is!"'~
"So she is?" Saitou asked, quirking an eyebrow.
Battousai snarled. "Yes, and I will protect her with my life. You lay one more finger on her and I swear you will pay with your head, which I sent straight back to your precious Tokio."
Saitou growled. "Don't you dare bring her into this."
"You bring mine in, I'll bring yours in." Battousai growled.
Saitou was not about to put any of his family in danger. He lashed out at Kenshin, who blocked his attack and went flying over Kaoru and landed at least 20 feet away from where he was originally standing.
"Kaoru, GET OUT OF HERE!" Battousai demanded.
~'"Go back to the Inn." He demanded.
Kaoru shook her head. "Kenshin. no."
"Go BACK!" Battousai growled, his anger evident with his will to protect her.
Kaoru just slunk back slightly. She wasn't just going to leave him there. The last time he had fought Saitou he had almost lost. She was going to stay there and make sure he was okay.'~
Kaoru teared up and shook her head. "I'm not going to leave you here."
"Please Kaoru." he pleaded with her.
Kaoru shook her head but backed away from the fighting area and took refuge behind a bush, her bokken still her hand in case she needed to jump out and help. She watched in mystified horror as the same exact battle took place right before her eyes that took place in her mind only a few nights prior.
Kenshin whipped his sword out, blocking an oncoming attack from Saitou. He slid to a stop and jumped back up, both of them shooting towards each other at amazing speeds that barely made them visible in the dark as they were simply blurs until their sword connected and caused them to stop. Then they were only visible for a second before they were at each other's throats again.
~'Her heart leapt when she didn't hear the sound of metal clashing.
Battousai was kneeling in Battou-jutsu stance, Saitou awaiting his attack.
Kenshin proceeded to jump into the air. "Ryu-Sho-Sen!" he cried.'~
"Ryu-Sho-Sen!" Kenshin cried, leaping forward in an attempt to slice Saitou in half on his way up into the air.
Kaoru shook her head. What was the name of the attack that had killed him? She had to stop him. She knew he had used it twice. the second time was the time that he was killed. She held her hands up to her face and pulled on her hair in frustration. Blood splatter around her, catching her attention.
Both Saitou and Kenshin were injured, but neither took heed to it. Kenshin performed his Do-Ryu-Sen that injured Kaoru more than Saitou as shards of debris hit her face and arms. She looked up. Kenshin tried his Ku-Zu-Ryu- Sen, and again he failed, falling to the floor.
~'Kenshin fell back, trying to figure out why he couldn't get a single move in on Saitou. It was like he became immortal and was no longer an opponent as much as he was more of a nuisance with skills. Kenshin jumped up again.'~
Kaoru's attention shot to Kenshin. "KENSHIN! DON'T DO YOUR RYU-TSUI-SEN!"
Kenshin had heard her scream at him to ignore the move he desperately needed to do if he had any chance of defeating Saitou. But he was already flipping through the air when she had called it out. That facture in time to register her words didn't give him enough time to abort the attack, and he went barreling down on Saitou, his sword outstretched in a horizontal fashion.
Kaoru could now she the attack as Kenshin flew down upon Saitou, who held his sword up at a diagonal. Then came the familiar sound of flesh slicing flesh and she looked away.
~'Kaoru watched as Kenshin again tried to attack Saitou from the sky. She watched in utter fear as his attack was off by a slight space. Saitou's block did more than block.'~
The sickening thud from her dream resounded in her mind and she gripped her ears and closed her eyes, crying out in vain.
Author's Notes: Yes, I am mean to leave it off there. But come on. I needed to update and I was mad. AND. I lost all my review responses and there are just to many for me to respond to for the last 2 chapters. I had like 10 pages of responses as it was already. And this story is 19 pages right now. without the reveiws. so yeah. I'm gonna respond to reviews if I have my disk or a disk. but only the reviews to this chapter and up. Krystlsaliormoon (Angie), I mailed you TSFTSES part of your review response as Chapter 13 I think. it's after yours, so read that review and then you can keep up the story. and everyone one else I AM REALLY SORRY BUT I JUST DON'T HAVE THE TIME T0 MAKE ALL THOSE REVIEWS OUT AGAIN. I have like 4 pages of reviews. Anywayz, though, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN THE STORY. I LOVE YOU ALL TO PIECES. I'll give you some short responses: Anime-Master7, I will make Yahiko pay for the damages... And you are my #1 place for my weaponary needs., Black Twilight: THANKS A BAZILLION FOR THE FANART I LOVE IT!!! (hugs), Brittanie Love: UPDATE SOON OR I'M GONNA GO OVER THERE MYSELF AND CHAIN YOU TO THE COMPUTER!!!, Baka Ryu: Yeah, I have no life. that's why I update so fast.., Rhapsody07: HEHEHE!! Practice? My god. that makes him sound so bad.. HiEi FoR sALe: Yeah. there is nothing wrong with being Korean!!! Hehehe!! I like your name though. even if it means what it does. glad you like the story!!!
I did respond to all of you guys. I promise that when I find my disk I WILL POST UP THE ORIGINAL RESPONSES. I responded to those few because those were the few that could remember word for word. I don't know, I have a strange memory. BUT THANK YOU TO EVERYONE ELSE AND SINCE I DIDN'T GET YOU IN I'M GIVING YOU ALL THE PLEASURE OF KNOWING THAT THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO YOU ALL!!!!!
Luv forever,
Crystal Renee