~Chapter Eight-That fear was washed away when you appeared from the shadows, and allowed me to run to your open arms~

Karou suddenly found herself in a darkened hallway again….only this time, it was a different hallway…..one she hadn't seen before!

There were no doors leading into different rooms…..and there were no hall lights!!!

It was just a plain hallway, going in both directions. No pictures on the walls or anything!

Karou spun around, searching for the man that had pulled her into that hallway somehow….but she saw no one anywhere around her.

She felt so terrified.

Her whole body trembled with fear, as she tried to push against the walls, seeing if the trap door she believed she had gone through, would open and take her back to her original hallway, but to no avail.

"MISS KAROU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She heard Kenshin's voice scream from the other side of the wall she stood in front of.

Her eyes widened.

"KENSHIN!!!!!!!!!!!! OH KENSHIN, PLEASE, GET ME BACK!!!!!!!!!! I'M SO SCARED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! KENSHIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She cried out with fear and panic all in her voice.

Kenshin heard her cry, and pounded on the wall again.

"I CAN'T GET THROUGH THE WALL!!!!!!!!! MISS KAROU, TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE!!!!!!! MAYBE I CAN FIND YOU!!!!" He yelled to her.

Karou looked around her once again.

She started crying suddenly, the terror too much for her.

"I DON'T KNOW WHERE I AM, KENSHIN!!!!!!!!!!!! I DON'T KNOW!!!!!!!!! IT'S JUST A BLANK HALLWAY!!! I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO!!!!!!!!!!! KENSHIN!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE…….I'M SO SCARED!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She cried.

Kenshin heard the fright in her voice, and he knew she was crying heavily.

"THEN……LISTEN! I'LL GET YOU BACK HERE! DON'T WORRY! PLEASE, LISTEN TO EVERY WORD I TELL YOU, UNDERSTOOD?!" He exclaimed.

Karou replied with a "Okay….please hurry", and then stayed completely silent.

"ALRIGHT……HERE'S WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO……YOU'RE FACING THIS WALL……SO…….GO DOWN THE HALLWAY TO YOUR RIGHT! THAT DIRECTION SHOULD LEAD YOU TO THE STAIRCASE AGAIN, BECAUSE THERE ARE NO STAIRWAYS DOWN TO YOUR LEFT! I'LL MEET YOU AT THE OTHER END OF THE HALL, OKAY?" He shouted out every instruction as clearly as possible.

"YES…….ALRIGHT. PLEASE…..WILL YOUR FIND ME?" Her voice cracked with her tears.

"YES…..I'LL DO ALL I CAN DO." He stated.

As Kenshin's voice faded into the wall in front of her again, Karou heard the soft footsteps of someone walking towards her from her left hand side.

"MISS KAROU?" Kenshin questioned the wall.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH PLEASE GET AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He heard her scream at that next instant……and suddenly, a knife split through the wall, and pocked out on the other side, where Kenshin stood in shock and horror.

"MISS KAROU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RUN TO WHERE I TOLD YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He cried.

Karou had barley dodged the man's thrust of the knife, and after hearing Kenshin's scream, she stood up and ran down the hallway to her right, as fast as she could, her bare feet pounding on the floor as she went.

She could hear the man right behind her, running, barley reaching her!!

"PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She screamed in terror to the person behind her.

Kenshin continued to hear her cries, and rushed down the hallway in the same direction he knew Karou was running in.

"MISS KAROU!!!!!!!!!!! CAN YOU HEAR ME!!!!!!!!! ARE YOU THERE???????!!!!!!!!!!!!" He shouted to her once more, his breathing quickening.

No one replied.

No one.

He hit the wall hard with his fist again as her ran up against it, and realized something.

*This part of the hallway walls have been sound proven! No one will save Karou now…..except for me. I have to!!!!!!!!!!* He exclaimed to himself in thought.

Kenshin ran and ran, and finally found the staircase.

He started to panic for a moment, thinking of how Karou might have already been killed!!!

That thought destroyed him inside.

"No!!!! I can't think that way!!!!!!!! I have to find her!!!!!!!!! I will!!!!!!!!!!" He reassured himself.

Suddenly, he noticed an open passageway underneath the staircase leading up to his hallway.

He jumped through it and found himself in pitch blackness.

He looked around for a moment, and suddenly heard Karou's scream from far in front of him!!!

"Karou….." He whispered to himself with worry and terror in his tone, and then jumped up and ran into the darkness…..not knowing what he was going to find once he reached Karou again.

~With Karou~

Karou's feet pounded the ground below her as she continued running.

Suddenly, the man's hand grabbed her leg and knocked her to the ground!!!

She turned around and saw the terrifying face of the man that had been chasing her, the knife tightly clutched in between his fingers.

Karou's eyes filled with fear, more fear then before.

"KENSHIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DON'T LET HIM KILL ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! KENSHIN!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!! WHERE ARE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHERE ARE YOU………." She sobbed with sadness and fright.

She was somehow able to kick the man back then, but in doing so, the knife sliced across the back of her right leg sharply!!!!!

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She screamed, the tears falling, completely covering her face.

Despite her injury, she jumped up and ran faster then she had ever run before!!! All she wanted to was to be safe. She wanted Kenshin.

"KENSHIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She cried one more time, her throat so sore from screaming that it was hors now.

Slowly, a form appeared in front of her, and she stopped dead in her tracks, thinking that the man had found a way to get around her….or maybe the man had another guy to help him kill her!!!!

She backed away, and she could hear the man behind her running. Coming closer and closer.

She put her hands over her mouth…..and started trembling so badly.

Where was she to run!? Where was she to hide???!!!

Suddenly though, out of the shadows……the form in front of her slowly appeared.

It was Kenshin!!!!!!!

He stopped about 15 feet away from her…….the look on his face was indescribable. It was filled with fear, and yet…..suddenly was changed to relief.

Karou heard the man behind her coming closer, he was inches away, and Kenshin, only feet away from her.

She stared at Kenshin for a moment.

Gradually, and shockingly…..Karou saw tears covering his face.

He opened his arms to her then, slowly, until they were wide open for her.

Karou saw him….the only man she knew she cared most for……shedding tears for her for the first time…..scared for her……and relieved to find her!!!

Suddenly, Karou's heart leapt from it's place, and she picked up her feet, running to him with full power.

"KENSHIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She screamed.

She reached him, and fell into his open arms…..crying hysterically into his chest.

Kenshin wrapped his arms around her as tight as he could, and swore to himself he wouldn't let go for anything!!!

"I'M SO GLAD YOU FOUND ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WAS SO SCARED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She cried.

Kenshin held her as best he could.

Gradually, he watched as the man that had been after Karou, appear in front of him from the shadows.

He felt hatred fill his senses.

"You………TELL ME NOW! WHY!!!!!!!!!!???????? WHY WERE YOU PURSUING MISS KAROU'S LIFE???!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He shouted with anger.

His eyes were becoming more rage-filled.

The man smirked in front of him.

"Is that any of your business, Battosai?" The man chuckled.

Kenshin glared.

"You know who I am? But how? I don't know you."

The man pushed the knife that stayed tightly grasped in his hands into a little pouch on his hip, and then bared his teeth, possibly trying to laugh.

"Ah….Mr. Himura……..let's just say…..a little birdy told me." He sniggered, and began to turn away.

"Kenshin……it hurts." Karou's tired voice spoke quietly.

Kenshin looked down and saw her right leg covered with blood, a pool already forming below their feet.

He wanted to hurt that man then.

Hurt him worse then he thought he could without killing.

He took Karou and pushed her to his side.

The man smirked.

"Ah, yes! I had forgotten I almost had her that time…..but that little bitch got away from me before I could go further damage. Next time……she won't be so lucky."

Kenshin's fists tightened.

Karou couldn't stand any longer, and she fell to the floor, her leg bleeding even more.

She stared at Kenshin's expression, changing as he listened to the man speak of horrid things.

"Isn't it just so strange, Mr. Himura…..how this was all planned out so that no one would interfere with Miss Kamiya's death….and yet, you managed to break our rules and come to her rescue before it was too late. How rude of you to get in the way like that. Obviously, we'll need to get rid of you before we do anything with her. Pity though…..I was planning on having a bit of fun tonight with her…..but ah well."

Kenshin couldn't hold in his anger any longer.

He tightened his right fist, and struck the man in the face as hard as he could.

The man fell to the floor.

Kenshin stood over him.

He somewhat wished he hadn't have taken off his sword for the night, but it was just fine all the same.

"Don't you dare lay a finger on Miss Karou again, do I make myself clear?" He tuned with much hatred.

The man stood to his feet and held his face.

"Heh…..how foolish of you, Battosai. You will pay dearly for that strike that you somehow got perfectly planted onto my face." He began to walk away.

"Miss Kamiya's life…..belongs to us. By this time tomorrow…..she'll be as good as dead, no matter what you say."

The man's form disappeared into the shadows once again, and he was gone in an instant.

Kenshin didn't want to go after him.

He was sick and tired of looking at his face.

He knew when to give it up.

The soft whimpers of Karou interrupted his hatful glare into the dark.

He quickly changed his expression, and turned around.

Karou held her face in her hands, and cried.

She cried freely, finally able to do so, now capable of controlling her breathing again.

He could hear a grandfather clock somewhere in another hallway, strike 3:30 a.m.

He walked over to Karou's form, and picked her up.

She was so weak from all her screaming and running, she couldn't walk herself…and especially not with her injury.

She laid her head down on his should and just cried.

Kenshin knew that if he left her alone in her room then…..she wouldn't be safe, even though he knew the people who were trying to kill her were most likely done for the night.

He decided to take her back to his room, and keep her there.

He found the secret passage once more, and came out into the normal hallway again.

He walked up the staircase, and up to his room.

He opened the door, and found that the fire was almost burnt out….small coals were still red, and it put a tiny glaze into the room, enough light for him to see where he was going.

He walked over to his bed, and set her down.

He knew that the bathroom connected to his room would have some bandage in it, and so he went off to find some.

Karou just sat there, so tired, so worn out, her leg hurting so bad, her feet as well from all the running around with her bare feet.

She couldn't talk very loudly, and so she kept quiet.

She just stared at her hands in her lap.

One of her tears fell to her hands, and then another.

They were just falling, she wasn't controlling them anymore.

She made no whimpers though….and no such sound at all.

She opened her hands and stared into them.

Was it her fault?

Her bottom lip quivered slightly.

Her hands were so tired they couldn't move.

Then Kenshin's hand appeared in her own.

"Are you alright, Miss Karou?" His voice sounded so worn out as well, but it was still the same as it always was.

The voice she always waited to hear.

The nodded slowly.

"Give me your leg." He hummed.

She lifted her right leg, covered with blood, and stayed perfectly still as Kenshin cleaned it and wrapped it up with bandage.

He gave her a tissue then, and she whipped her remaining tears away.

He then picked her up again, and set her down on the bed, her head on the soft pillow.

He pulled the covers up to her chest, and smiled down at her.

"Miss Karou….I'm sorry….for not paying more attention to your words. You….were so frightened…..and I just…..didn't think that such a thing would happen. I'll make sure to get to the bottom of everything tomorrow….but for now let's get some sleep. We haven't woken anyone up….oddly, and I don't think we should at the moment. It's too early in the morning. But please…..get some rest. I will be right here if you need anything. You don't have to be afraid anymore. When the coals die away, and the room becomes dark….I will still be here. I promise I won't go away."

He put his hand on her cheek.

Unable to say anything, unable to move, unable to make a sound, she just stared up at his face, into his eyes.

His hand was so warm on her cheek.

She managed to reach up and put her own hand over his on her cheek.

"K……Kenshin……" She spoke quietly.

"Yes?" He replied.

"T…thank you…….for….."

"I know."

He interrupted.

She was stunned.

*All this time…he's known what I've wanted to say to him!* She exclaimed in thought.

"You are really the most wonderful person that ever lived……" She whispered, and without even realizing she had said such a thing, she closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

He blinked for a moment, wording out in his head what she had just whispered to him before losing herself in sleep.

He blushed a dark red.

"That's not true……." He stated to her dimly lighted face.

She looked so peaceful, his hand still laid softly over her cheek, and her hand laid over his.

"Apparently…..you believe that foolishness, that you do, Miss Karou."

He removed his hand, and sat down beside the bed.

He leaned up against the side of the bed, and soon….he found himself just as tired as she, and finally found slumber in those concluding hours of the night.

~Hi Hi!!! Awwww, that's sooooo sweet!!! Yes!!! Of course there's more!!! Keep on reading, to find out what happens next! Ohhhhh!!!!!!!!~

~Smile B~