Kenshin jumped out of the way as Sanosuke rushed at him.
"Sano, please stop," Kenshin begged.
Sanosuke ran at him again.
"Sanosuke, Kenshin is not to blame for this. You have to stop," Kaoru chimed in.
"Stay out of this, Kaoru," Sanosuke hissed. "He shouldn't have gone. He should have stayed here."
Sanosuke charged Kenshin. Kaoru's hands clenched into fists.
"You're nothing but a hypocrite. If I remember correctly it was you who came up with the idea that Yahiko would be able to protect Megumi and me," Kaoru complained to Sanosuke.
He brushed off her comment and continued to try and attack Kenshin. Kenshin jumped away from Sanosuke and faced him with his head bowed.
"Sano, I am sorry for what I have to do, that I am. But you leave me no choice. I must defend myself."
Kenshin drew his reverse blade sword from its sheath and stood in a defensive position. Sanosuke growled lightly and ran at Kenshin. With a swipe that didn't even hit him, Sanosuke was thrown off his feet by the power of Kenshin's swing. He was thrown into the wall, which cracked under the force, causing Sanosuke to break through it and land in the kitchen. Kenshin stared at him through the large hole that was made.
Sanosuke groaned and got slowly to his feet, using the counter to help him stand. He breathed heavily and stared at the surface. That was when he saw it. The knife. He wasn't going to be able to defeat Kenshin with just his bare hands, he now realized that. But a knife. It would make a difference.
Sanosuke picked up the object and hid it from view. He had to wait for the right moment to reveal his weapon. He turned around and staggered a couple steps forward. Then, as if he suddenly had renewed strength, Sanosuke ran at Kenshin. Kenshin was quick to react. Again he sliced his sword through the air, making Sanosuke fly through another wall and landing safely outside.
"Please stay in here, Miss Kaoru," Kenshin said, his head bowed and walking outdoors.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Kaoru didn't say anything as she watched Kenshin leave. She knew she wouldn't be able to live up to Kenshin's request. She had to look out for him and staying inside wasn't going to do that. But first she wanted to check on Megumi. She wanted to see how bad the sight was.
She walked quietly towards the bedroom, distant noises of the battle continuing outside echoing into her ears. When she reached the room her hand began to tremble as she reached out to slide the door open.
Kaoru gasped when she saw the woman lying pale and motionless. Was this really Megumi? It didn't seem real. She walked in and knelt by Megumi's side. This was her. This was real. Kaoru clasped her hands together as if in prayer and bowed.
"Megumi, may you rest in eternal blissful peace," she whispered softly. She got up a minute later and made her way outside.
What she saw made her gasp. Kenshin was holding his right arm, his reverse blade sword hanging limply in his hand, and Sanosuke-. Sanosuke was holding a kitchen knife, blood dripping from the end of it. When had he gotten a knife?
She saw Sanosuke run at Kenshin again who wasn't as quick to get out of the way. The knife streaked by his cheek, causing more blood to be spilt.
'KENSHIN!' Kaoru thought. She didn't have the strength to speak. But she couldn't just stand there. Sanosuke was going in for the kill now. She had to do something. Kenshin was going to die! So Kaoru did the only thing she could think of.
The steel was cold and the pain unbearable. But then again, she had already experience this, with Kenshin. No, not Kenshin. Kenshin was the man she had come to love, it was Batoussai who had stabbed her. And now, this time, it was Sanosuke. Kaoru felt the blade slide out of her lower left shoulder, right above her heart. She heard Sanosuke's surprised quick breaths as clear as day. She felt herself falling backwards, landing into strong, supportive arms. So familiar. She looked up into his face, his beautiful face.
"Kaoru." His voice sounded so close. "Kaoru, can you hear me?"
'Yes,' she thought. 'Yes I can hear you.'
"Hold on. Just hold on." Kenshin's voice was nothing but distant echoes now. Just distant echoes.
'I'll hold on forever, my love,' she thought.
Her vision was going black. Everything was fading into the distance. It was becoming harder to breath. Her chest was rising and falling slower than normal. Her body was numb. She plunged into darkness.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Kenshin slowly, gently set Kaoru on the grass. He stood and faced Sanosuke with his head bowed. Sanosuke had regained himself from his astonishment of stabbing Kaoru. It wasn't his fault. She just got in the way. If she hadn't then she would still be alive and Kenshin would be the one dead. Then everything would be fine.
Sanosuke gripped the knife tighter in his hand. He wasn't going to give up, he was so close to the kill now, just because Kaoru went and got herself killed.
"Why?"
Sanosuke growled a little and glared at Kenshin. "You aren't blaming this on me! It's not my fault she was stupid and ran in front of my knife!"
"Stupid. Stupid! The only one who is stupid here is you, Sano!" The voice was lower, more gruff. It wasn't Kenshin any longer.
The red haired man who now stood in front of Sanosuke lifted his head to reveal golden yellow eyes shining with fury. Batoussai had been unleashed . . . again.
"Sano, please stop," Kenshin begged.
Sanosuke ran at him again.
"Sanosuke, Kenshin is not to blame for this. You have to stop," Kaoru chimed in.
"Stay out of this, Kaoru," Sanosuke hissed. "He shouldn't have gone. He should have stayed here."
Sanosuke charged Kenshin. Kaoru's hands clenched into fists.
"You're nothing but a hypocrite. If I remember correctly it was you who came up with the idea that Yahiko would be able to protect Megumi and me," Kaoru complained to Sanosuke.
He brushed off her comment and continued to try and attack Kenshin. Kenshin jumped away from Sanosuke and faced him with his head bowed.
"Sano, I am sorry for what I have to do, that I am. But you leave me no choice. I must defend myself."
Kenshin drew his reverse blade sword from its sheath and stood in a defensive position. Sanosuke growled lightly and ran at Kenshin. With a swipe that didn't even hit him, Sanosuke was thrown off his feet by the power of Kenshin's swing. He was thrown into the wall, which cracked under the force, causing Sanosuke to break through it and land in the kitchen. Kenshin stared at him through the large hole that was made.
Sanosuke groaned and got slowly to his feet, using the counter to help him stand. He breathed heavily and stared at the surface. That was when he saw it. The knife. He wasn't going to be able to defeat Kenshin with just his bare hands, he now realized that. But a knife. It would make a difference.
Sanosuke picked up the object and hid it from view. He had to wait for the right moment to reveal his weapon. He turned around and staggered a couple steps forward. Then, as if he suddenly had renewed strength, Sanosuke ran at Kenshin. Kenshin was quick to react. Again he sliced his sword through the air, making Sanosuke fly through another wall and landing safely outside.
"Please stay in here, Miss Kaoru," Kenshin said, his head bowed and walking outdoors.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Kaoru didn't say anything as she watched Kenshin leave. She knew she wouldn't be able to live up to Kenshin's request. She had to look out for him and staying inside wasn't going to do that. But first she wanted to check on Megumi. She wanted to see how bad the sight was.
She walked quietly towards the bedroom, distant noises of the battle continuing outside echoing into her ears. When she reached the room her hand began to tremble as she reached out to slide the door open.
Kaoru gasped when she saw the woman lying pale and motionless. Was this really Megumi? It didn't seem real. She walked in and knelt by Megumi's side. This was her. This was real. Kaoru clasped her hands together as if in prayer and bowed.
"Megumi, may you rest in eternal blissful peace," she whispered softly. She got up a minute later and made her way outside.
What she saw made her gasp. Kenshin was holding his right arm, his reverse blade sword hanging limply in his hand, and Sanosuke-. Sanosuke was holding a kitchen knife, blood dripping from the end of it. When had he gotten a knife?
She saw Sanosuke run at Kenshin again who wasn't as quick to get out of the way. The knife streaked by his cheek, causing more blood to be spilt.
'KENSHIN!' Kaoru thought. She didn't have the strength to speak. But she couldn't just stand there. Sanosuke was going in for the kill now. She had to do something. Kenshin was going to die! So Kaoru did the only thing she could think of.
The steel was cold and the pain unbearable. But then again, she had already experience this, with Kenshin. No, not Kenshin. Kenshin was the man she had come to love, it was Batoussai who had stabbed her. And now, this time, it was Sanosuke. Kaoru felt the blade slide out of her lower left shoulder, right above her heart. She heard Sanosuke's surprised quick breaths as clear as day. She felt herself falling backwards, landing into strong, supportive arms. So familiar. She looked up into his face, his beautiful face.
"Kaoru." His voice sounded so close. "Kaoru, can you hear me?"
'Yes,' she thought. 'Yes I can hear you.'
"Hold on. Just hold on." Kenshin's voice was nothing but distant echoes now. Just distant echoes.
'I'll hold on forever, my love,' she thought.
Her vision was going black. Everything was fading into the distance. It was becoming harder to breath. Her chest was rising and falling slower than normal. Her body was numb. She plunged into darkness.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Kenshin slowly, gently set Kaoru on the grass. He stood and faced Sanosuke with his head bowed. Sanosuke had regained himself from his astonishment of stabbing Kaoru. It wasn't his fault. She just got in the way. If she hadn't then she would still be alive and Kenshin would be the one dead. Then everything would be fine.
Sanosuke gripped the knife tighter in his hand. He wasn't going to give up, he was so close to the kill now, just because Kaoru went and got herself killed.
"Why?"
Sanosuke growled a little and glared at Kenshin. "You aren't blaming this on me! It's not my fault she was stupid and ran in front of my knife!"
"Stupid. Stupid! The only one who is stupid here is you, Sano!" The voice was lower, more gruff. It wasn't Kenshin any longer.
The red haired man who now stood in front of Sanosuke lifted his head to reveal golden yellow eyes shining with fury. Batoussai had been unleashed . . . again.