Standard Disclaimers Apply
--====--
Chapter 7: Plans of Rescue
--====--
The shadow moved swiftly, his comrades not too far behind. They were all on the yard, blocking all possible escape routes. He turned to the dojo, his eyes glittering, fangs bared.
"Has everything gone according to plan?" A female voice asked from afar.
"It seems so, Hoshi-sama," The warrior said.
Hoshi smiled. "Good. Make sure that everyone dies, then bring Tsuki back towards base."
"As you command."
Hoshi leaned back, then walked towards the darkness of the night. She had warriors on her side, loyal to her and only her. Tonight was the night Kaoru will come back to the clan, whether she liked it or not. And, perhaps, if Hoshi is kind enough, she'll make Kaoru forget all of the times she had with her friends and that red-haired samurai. That, she'll make sure of it.
--==--
Rei slept inside his designated room, peaceful. Suddenly, his eyes flew wide open, his senses picking up. Slightly opening his shoji door, he managed to see several ninja-like warriors, dressed completely in black. /Shimatta! Hoshi's doing again!/ He slid the door completely open, eyeing the warriors.
"Step back!" Rei shouted. "What are you all doing here?"
"Under the orders of Hoshi-sama, we will kill all humans in this place." One of them answered.
"That," Rei growled, turning into the vampire he is. "I will never allow." He charged, the wind speeding him up. One strike, and two fell unconscious to the ground. "Kaoru! Himura! Minna, wake up! We're being attacked!" He shouted.
Kaoru jolted out from her sleep, as so did Kenshin. Both simultaneously slid their respective doors open. Kenshin held his sakaba close to him, while Kaoru took a bokken from inside her room. Yahiko also woke, grabbing his shinai.
"What the--?" Yahiko cried, blocking the attacks of one of the warriors. "Who are these guys?"
"They are vampire warriors loyal to Hoshi," Rei said, throwing wind attacks to the others. "I guess she has already made her move."
Kenshin unsheathed his sword, looking at all of them. "So, they are all vampires?"
"Hai. Full-pledged. So, be careful of their fangs. Don't let them all get close to you, or they'll have your blood." Rei said. At this, Yahiko gulped, while Kenshin only tightened his hold on the hilt.
Several vampires attacked Kenshin. He dug his sword on the ground. "Dou Ryu Sen!" He shouted, hitting some of the warriors that came for him.
Kaoru raised one of her arms, palm wide open. "Ice shards!" Instantly, it appeared and rained down on her attackers. She made one quick jump to evade their attacks, then continued to attack them.
"Fire whip!" A long whip made of fire appeared on Rei's hand, and he began to hit them with it. Some of their clothes caught on fire, jumping onto any source of water to extinguish it.
"Yahiko!" Kaoru cried, as one of the warriors were coming at him from behind. "Watch your back!"
With a cry, Yahiko barely managed to block the attack, the sharpness of the vampire's weapon grazing his cheek. Blood trickled down from his wound. Eyes narrowing, he kicked the warrior's stomach, then hitting his nape, making him unconscious.
"Kaoru! Yahiko! Daijoubu?" Kenshin asked, while blocking an incoming attack.
"Aa!" Yahiko chimed, bringing down last of his attackers. "I had a slight scratch from the kunais, but other than that, I'm perfectly fine."
Kaoru stood, grinning then showing Kenshin a thumbs-up sign. "Hai, and I never felt better in my whole life!"
Suddenly, Kenshin's eyes widened as he stared behind her. "Kaoru!" But before she could react, one of them hit her directly on the nape.
Kaoru squinted to stay awake, but hopelessly begun to loose. "Ken...shin..." She uttered, before completely becoming prey to the darkness. She was swiftly caught by her attacker, then disappeared.
"Kaoru!!!" Kenshin yelled. The remaining warriors retreated, also disappearing from sight. Rei tried to sense their presence, but they were completely gone. He took a glance at Kenshin, sympathy flooding his body.
Kenshin was kneeling, sword long forgotten, on the ground. His face was streaming with tears, his bangs falling over his face. His hands were balled into a fist, his knuckles white.
"Himura-san..."
"Rei-dono, where had they taken Kaoru?" Kenshin asked, his voice void of any emotion.
"To Yokohama, in our hide-out by the mountains," Rei answered. "But, Himura- san, what do you intend to do?"
"That is answerable enough, Rei-dono," Kenshin replied, standing. Taking his sword from the ground, he sheathed it back into it's saya, then faced him. Rei froze. Kenshin's eyes were a blazing gold, piercing and hard. But, there was no blood-thirstiness in them, only a fire that burned to protect, and rescue. "I would truly appreciate it, if you take us there."
"Us?" Rei asked.
"Hai. I cannot leave Yahiko here. He is far too young to manage on his own from the enemies. Sano will surely come, even though I manage to leave him here. He is persistent, and will follow me like he did in the past." Kenshin said.
Rei sighed. /There's no use arguing with this man. His eyes spare no arguement at all./ He thought, then smiled. "Alright, then. Tonight, we will have a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, we leave for Yokohama."
Kenshin nodded. "Agreed, then. Yahiko," He said, turning to the boy. Yahiko's eyes were heavy, but he looked at Kenshin when he called his name. "Sleep. Wake up early and pack your things. Not too much, since we will be trecking the mountain." Kenshin told the boy.
"Hai," Yahiko answered, nodding.
Kenshin's eyes softened. "Return to your room now, Yahiko." He whispered.
The boy yawned. "Oyasumi, Kenshin." He mumbled, sliding his shoji door close.
Rei gazed at Kenshin retreating back. "You sure about this, Himura-san?"
"I am," Was a firm reply. "To take any risk, just to save Kaoru, I'll do it." And with that, Kenshin's door slid shut.
------To Be Continued-------------
--====--
Chapter 7: Plans of Rescue
--====--
The shadow moved swiftly, his comrades not too far behind. They were all on the yard, blocking all possible escape routes. He turned to the dojo, his eyes glittering, fangs bared.
"Has everything gone according to plan?" A female voice asked from afar.
"It seems so, Hoshi-sama," The warrior said.
Hoshi smiled. "Good. Make sure that everyone dies, then bring Tsuki back towards base."
"As you command."
Hoshi leaned back, then walked towards the darkness of the night. She had warriors on her side, loyal to her and only her. Tonight was the night Kaoru will come back to the clan, whether she liked it or not. And, perhaps, if Hoshi is kind enough, she'll make Kaoru forget all of the times she had with her friends and that red-haired samurai. That, she'll make sure of it.
--==--
Rei slept inside his designated room, peaceful. Suddenly, his eyes flew wide open, his senses picking up. Slightly opening his shoji door, he managed to see several ninja-like warriors, dressed completely in black. /Shimatta! Hoshi's doing again!/ He slid the door completely open, eyeing the warriors.
"Step back!" Rei shouted. "What are you all doing here?"
"Under the orders of Hoshi-sama, we will kill all humans in this place." One of them answered.
"That," Rei growled, turning into the vampire he is. "I will never allow." He charged, the wind speeding him up. One strike, and two fell unconscious to the ground. "Kaoru! Himura! Minna, wake up! We're being attacked!" He shouted.
Kaoru jolted out from her sleep, as so did Kenshin. Both simultaneously slid their respective doors open. Kenshin held his sakaba close to him, while Kaoru took a bokken from inside her room. Yahiko also woke, grabbing his shinai.
"What the--?" Yahiko cried, blocking the attacks of one of the warriors. "Who are these guys?"
"They are vampire warriors loyal to Hoshi," Rei said, throwing wind attacks to the others. "I guess she has already made her move."
Kenshin unsheathed his sword, looking at all of them. "So, they are all vampires?"
"Hai. Full-pledged. So, be careful of their fangs. Don't let them all get close to you, or they'll have your blood." Rei said. At this, Yahiko gulped, while Kenshin only tightened his hold on the hilt.
Several vampires attacked Kenshin. He dug his sword on the ground. "Dou Ryu Sen!" He shouted, hitting some of the warriors that came for him.
Kaoru raised one of her arms, palm wide open. "Ice shards!" Instantly, it appeared and rained down on her attackers. She made one quick jump to evade their attacks, then continued to attack them.
"Fire whip!" A long whip made of fire appeared on Rei's hand, and he began to hit them with it. Some of their clothes caught on fire, jumping onto any source of water to extinguish it.
"Yahiko!" Kaoru cried, as one of the warriors were coming at him from behind. "Watch your back!"
With a cry, Yahiko barely managed to block the attack, the sharpness of the vampire's weapon grazing his cheek. Blood trickled down from his wound. Eyes narrowing, he kicked the warrior's stomach, then hitting his nape, making him unconscious.
"Kaoru! Yahiko! Daijoubu?" Kenshin asked, while blocking an incoming attack.
"Aa!" Yahiko chimed, bringing down last of his attackers. "I had a slight scratch from the kunais, but other than that, I'm perfectly fine."
Kaoru stood, grinning then showing Kenshin a thumbs-up sign. "Hai, and I never felt better in my whole life!"
Suddenly, Kenshin's eyes widened as he stared behind her. "Kaoru!" But before she could react, one of them hit her directly on the nape.
Kaoru squinted to stay awake, but hopelessly begun to loose. "Ken...shin..." She uttered, before completely becoming prey to the darkness. She was swiftly caught by her attacker, then disappeared.
"Kaoru!!!" Kenshin yelled. The remaining warriors retreated, also disappearing from sight. Rei tried to sense their presence, but they were completely gone. He took a glance at Kenshin, sympathy flooding his body.
Kenshin was kneeling, sword long forgotten, on the ground. His face was streaming with tears, his bangs falling over his face. His hands were balled into a fist, his knuckles white.
"Himura-san..."
"Rei-dono, where had they taken Kaoru?" Kenshin asked, his voice void of any emotion.
"To Yokohama, in our hide-out by the mountains," Rei answered. "But, Himura- san, what do you intend to do?"
"That is answerable enough, Rei-dono," Kenshin replied, standing. Taking his sword from the ground, he sheathed it back into it's saya, then faced him. Rei froze. Kenshin's eyes were a blazing gold, piercing and hard. But, there was no blood-thirstiness in them, only a fire that burned to protect, and rescue. "I would truly appreciate it, if you take us there."
"Us?" Rei asked.
"Hai. I cannot leave Yahiko here. He is far too young to manage on his own from the enemies. Sano will surely come, even though I manage to leave him here. He is persistent, and will follow me like he did in the past." Kenshin said.
Rei sighed. /There's no use arguing with this man. His eyes spare no arguement at all./ He thought, then smiled. "Alright, then. Tonight, we will have a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, we leave for Yokohama."
Kenshin nodded. "Agreed, then. Yahiko," He said, turning to the boy. Yahiko's eyes were heavy, but he looked at Kenshin when he called his name. "Sleep. Wake up early and pack your things. Not too much, since we will be trecking the mountain." Kenshin told the boy.
"Hai," Yahiko answered, nodding.
Kenshin's eyes softened. "Return to your room now, Yahiko." He whispered.
The boy yawned. "Oyasumi, Kenshin." He mumbled, sliding his shoji door close.
Rei gazed at Kenshin retreating back. "You sure about this, Himura-san?"
"I am," Was a firm reply. "To take any risk, just to save Kaoru, I'll do it." And with that, Kenshin's door slid shut.
------To Be Continued-------------