CHAPTER 13- DARING RESCUE
Soujiro felt his strength fading with every hour he sat in the cell. His arm had begun to bleed again and heavily. Kenshin watched him worriedly. Neither of them was sure if he would survive. But then again, they were just going to be executed anyway.
Soujiro drew in a deep breath. He felt his heart pounding to compensate for the blood loss. He rested his head back against the bars of the cell. 'Satomi.Eisuke.Forgive me, but it looks like my time is almost up. I'm sorry we couldn't be together."
Perhaps he deserved this for all he had done in his past. Maybe this was his punishment for all the pain he had caused, all the people he killed. Perhaps that was the same for Kenshin.
'I never realized it, but.life seems so much more worth living when you have someone to love.' Soujiro looked up at Kenshin with glazing eyes. 'Perhaps this is what Kenshin found after ten years of wandering. Perhaps this feeling is what I've been seeking all along.'
Just then, there was a loud scream and crash. Kenshin jumped to his feet while Soujiro only had the strength to lift his head. The sound of running feet grew louder and the door to the prison was flung open hard.
Kenshin gasped. "It's you.Hanahara-san."
Satomi stood there in the doorway, Soujiro's bokken in her hand. Behind her lay the prison guard she had taken out.
"Soujiro."
He heard that familiar voice and strained to see. All of a sudden, he felt the urge to live return to him. He reached through the bars towards her. "Satomi."
She strode towards the cell, grasping the hilt of the bokken with both hands now. "I will free you. Just hold on!"
She paused a few feet away and spread her feet apart in a stance. Her eyes burned with intensity and focus. "HYAH!!!!"
Kenshin ducked down.
VASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! With the power of a metal blade, the bokken slashed through the bars and then again. VASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Satomi, you did it." Soujiro muttered.
Sheathing the sword, Satomi ran over and pulled him up. Kenshin came and helped as well. Satomi shot him a deadly glare, but it melted away when she saw the blood continue to drip from Soujiro's arm. He needed help and fast.
"Come on! We have to get out of there before they come to!" she cried.
"Right!"
The two dragged the wounded rurouni out the door and down the hall. Kenshin was amazed at what he saw. Every rebel lay on the ground, moaning or just plain out cold. Had Satomi done this all by herself?
"Oh, I almost forgot." Satomi freed a hand and reached under her cloak. She presented Kenshin his sakabatou!
"Uh.thank you." Kenshin gratefully accepted the blade. "How did you---?"
"When the one you love is in danger, your strength tends to increase dramatically." Satomi answered coolly.
They made it into the next room and were coming to the door, the door that led them outside and to their freedom! Satomi grinned in relief. 'Hold on, Soujiro! We'll be out of here soon!'
They made it out the door and into the afternoon light, only to come face- to-face with the blade of a katana, and a very angry Kazuma!
Soujiro felt his strength fading with every hour he sat in the cell. His arm had begun to bleed again and heavily. Kenshin watched him worriedly. Neither of them was sure if he would survive. But then again, they were just going to be executed anyway.
Soujiro drew in a deep breath. He felt his heart pounding to compensate for the blood loss. He rested his head back against the bars of the cell. 'Satomi.Eisuke.Forgive me, but it looks like my time is almost up. I'm sorry we couldn't be together."
Perhaps he deserved this for all he had done in his past. Maybe this was his punishment for all the pain he had caused, all the people he killed. Perhaps that was the same for Kenshin.
'I never realized it, but.life seems so much more worth living when you have someone to love.' Soujiro looked up at Kenshin with glazing eyes. 'Perhaps this is what Kenshin found after ten years of wandering. Perhaps this feeling is what I've been seeking all along.'
Just then, there was a loud scream and crash. Kenshin jumped to his feet while Soujiro only had the strength to lift his head. The sound of running feet grew louder and the door to the prison was flung open hard.
Kenshin gasped. "It's you.Hanahara-san."
Satomi stood there in the doorway, Soujiro's bokken in her hand. Behind her lay the prison guard she had taken out.
"Soujiro."
He heard that familiar voice and strained to see. All of a sudden, he felt the urge to live return to him. He reached through the bars towards her. "Satomi."
She strode towards the cell, grasping the hilt of the bokken with both hands now. "I will free you. Just hold on!"
She paused a few feet away and spread her feet apart in a stance. Her eyes burned with intensity and focus. "HYAH!!!!"
Kenshin ducked down.
VASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! With the power of a metal blade, the bokken slashed through the bars and then again. VASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Satomi, you did it." Soujiro muttered.
Sheathing the sword, Satomi ran over and pulled him up. Kenshin came and helped as well. Satomi shot him a deadly glare, but it melted away when she saw the blood continue to drip from Soujiro's arm. He needed help and fast.
"Come on! We have to get out of there before they come to!" she cried.
"Right!"
The two dragged the wounded rurouni out the door and down the hall. Kenshin was amazed at what he saw. Every rebel lay on the ground, moaning or just plain out cold. Had Satomi done this all by herself?
"Oh, I almost forgot." Satomi freed a hand and reached under her cloak. She presented Kenshin his sakabatou!
"Uh.thank you." Kenshin gratefully accepted the blade. "How did you---?"
"When the one you love is in danger, your strength tends to increase dramatically." Satomi answered coolly.
They made it into the next room and were coming to the door, the door that led them outside and to their freedom! Satomi grinned in relief. 'Hold on, Soujiro! We'll be out of here soon!'
They made it out the door and into the afternoon light, only to come face- to-face with the blade of a katana, and a very angry Kazuma!