Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin isn't mine, for it belongs to Watsuki Nobuhiro. "Duende," also does not belong to me. It was written by and belongs to Camille Henderson and Delirium.
A/N: I am so sorry for the long wait for updating! I got total writers block, but this song completely refreshed my ideas! So basically this song rules, for getting me back on track.
Also, to whomever asked, no, the author of the song in the last chapter was Plummet. That's what it's says on AnimeMusicVideos.org, and there are three videos done to the song. So I'm thinking that it's Plummet, but hey, I'm just trusting what I've seen.
Thanks to the reviewers again!!
~To: Ayumi, Gypsy-chan, and the RK BISHIE SODA CREW~
Shifting in the Wind:
By: Spellcaster the Diamond
~*~*~*~
Bleak desolation
In a beam of sun
~*~*~*~
A few days had passed, and Kaoru had shown no sign of accomplishment. No sign of making Kenshin stop killing, and no sign of overcoming this by her own will.
In fact, she had seemed to be getting worse. She was sitting on the porch, wrapped in a blanket, waiting for Kenshin to get back. She would have chased after him, but it made her head hurt so badly and a huge coughing fit followed.
She was slipping in and out of consciousness by the second. One minute, she'd be awake and coughing, and the next, she'd be out cold, surrounded by a desert sand, blazing beneath the setting sun…
…which was exactly where she was right now. Forgotten. Deserted. Alone.
~*~*~*~
Scraping as I crawl
(Your heart can't hear me)
Tearing bruising fall
(Your hands can't hear me)
Thirsting raging blind
(Your eyes can't hear me)
Racing against time
(Your arms can't hear me)
~*~*~*~
Clawing her way through the desert sand, she felt her strength falling away from her, even in this unconscious state.
She called out a name. Kenshin. Not even as much as a hallucination responded. She was thirsty, she was hot, she couldn't think straight.
She let out a dry call. No one came. Only the wind blew the sand in front of her as the sun gently set, and the world became dark.
Kaoru woke again, angry with herself for not even being able to escape pain when she wasn't awake. She slammed her fist against a pillar, and it strangely set off a huge coughing fit. She saw the black acid swirl with the blood becoming blurry until she was back in the dark desert again…
~*~*~*~
Like an angel you'll come
In a dream, precious one
~*~*~*~
She clawed in front of her, trying to find something to hold onto. Then it was as if the moon had completely lit the sky, and someone came out of it.
Kaoru looked up, "Tomoe?"
Indeed it was Tomoe, now standing on the dark desert sand.
"I will lead you to him. You have to try to stop him, Kaoru. You're growing weaker by the second…" Tomoe said with a sad expression on her features.
Kaoru nodded as best she could. She didn't even have any strength in her dream. How pathetic.
Then, as Tomoe disappeared, one word was whispered in the wind.
"Oasis."
~*~*~*~
Desperate panicked calls
(The wind can't hear me)
Muffled weak and small
(The sand can't hear me)
Pleading, groping hands
(The truth can't hear me)
Bleeding in the sand
(Your heart can't hear me)
~*~*~*~
Kenshin re-sheathed his sword. It had been a long night. Suddenly his name caught his ear, placed with the only other voice that knew it other than he. It was a call that had barely any voice to it, such a scratchy tone.
"Kaoru! What are you doing here?" He ran over to her and steadied her from clinging on a pole just to be able to stand up.
"Kenshin…you have…to stop…" she choked out, beginning to cough again. Kenshin didn't understand, but he shifted his weight, letting her lean on his chest and supporting her as dry hacks wracked her now weak body, which was falling in strength every minute. She had once been so strong…
Against Kenshin's will, she began to talk again.
"You…you must…stop…" she wiped a drop of blood from her mouth with a shaking pale hand, "…stop…killing."
"What?" Kenshin couldn't help asking out loud.
She slowly raised her head and looked into his eyes. The look in her eyes held a pleading glance, as if to say that it was the reason why she was losing strength.
Then it hit him. That was the reason. He had to stop killing or else Kaoru would die.
But how could he break his worst habit, when she was fading so fast?
~*~*~*~
Bleak desolation
In a beam of sun
~*~*~*~
She felt herself being set slowly down on something soft. She couldn't picture anything, it just felt so nice. Her throat was dry, and she want to open her eyes.
Kaoru, however, had a feeling of loneliness still. Then, like a beam of light in darkness, she felt another hand holding on to her.
"Kaoru?"
Kenshin…
She faintly remembered telling him…as best she could…that he had to stop killing in order to save her. Now, she had a desire just to see him, so she slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was really blurry, but she could pick him out among all of the other blurs in the room. She managed a smile, but with much effort. How pathetic, having to put effort into a simple joy like smiling.
She couldn't see it, but a sad look swept over Kenshin's face at that moment. He could feel it inside himself…he hated seeing her like this. But why?
~*~*~*~
Razor fingers cling
(The wind can't hear me)
Piercing demons sing
(The sand can't hear me)
Twisting hollow Hell
(The truth can't hear me)
Burning blisters swell
(Your heart can't hear me)
~*~*~*~
He didn't have time to contemplate his thoughts, because just then, Kaoru grabbed his hand and let out a somewhat pained cry.
"Kaoru! What's going on, what do you need?"
She looked at him with clouded eyes, as if he could see right through them. It was as if she was blind, but she wasn't and he knew it. But he could see her vision fading quickly, along with the remainder of her strength and will, keeping her alive.
"Inside of you, your heart can't give up what you must," she said with a dry voice, yet still clearly without stopping for gasps of air, as if her strength made her get this point clear. "You must. I might only have a few hours left to live."
His eyes widened, and she could only make out the shape. She closed her eyes, and saw strange images inside her head. 'Spirits…' she thought. 'For me.' Then one other sharp stage of pain hit her, making her fall forward, trying to catch her breath. Kenshin caught her.
~*~*~*~
Sharp-cut aching breath
(Your arms can't hear me)
Choking scent of death
(Your hands can't hear me)
Gruelling jaw-bon grind
(Your eyes can't hear me)
Cursed by my own mind
(Your heart can't hear me)
~*~*~*~
Kenshin watched in shock as black acid spilt forward in small groups, swirled with a bloody red. It was as if this was someone else, not Kaoru. And it wasn't him holding her, watching her gasp for breath, only to release acid and strength with every drop that left her.
He couldn't understand why he couldn't do anything. He was torn between a habit and someone he cared for. Yes, he couldn't help it, he cared for this girl. Seeing her in pain nearly broke his heart, and his shell as well. But he still couldn't stop, and he knew it.
Once that thought left his mind, Kaoru started coughing harder, each cough more painful sounding than the last. Finally nothing was coming from inside anymore, it was just dry hacking that couldn't be stopped. He pulled her close to him, and he could feel her coughs and her ridged breathing that she was trying to get ahold of in-between, but it wasn't working.
Demons flowed into her mind. She ached, she hurt so badly. Yet she felt almost comfortable. At least he was there with her. That was all that mattered to her right now. But she knew he couldn't give up. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.
One of the strange demons walked up to her in her vision, and her mind began to retaliate, but the pain inside her couldn't fight it. She saw herself taking the hand of the demon, and she saw the demon smile. Then a black sensation filled the image in her mind…
…and her feeling left as the demon lifted her away.
A/N: Now you are all going to hate me, but it's okay, I promise. Wait for the next chapter, alright? Then decide on whether you hate me or not.
I hope you at least liked the feeling in this chapter. It was moody. Tomorrow I'm going to think it stunk, but oh well.
Please please review!
**pulls out yo-yo**
You will click on review…you will submit a review…you will click on review…you will submit a review…etc.