Shared Vision

The rest of the day went pretty fast. Kenshin and Kiriko explained what they were going to do to the rest of the family. Kaoru didn't say anything after they spoke. She had a feeling that they would come up with that decision. However, that feeling couldn't stop her heart from pounding. Kenji and Kano argued that they could help if things got out of control. Kenshin didn't like the idea of them getting involved, on the other hand, if something did happen, they could be very useful. So he agreed for them to come but stay out of site. Finally Kaoru suggested that they should tell Sanosuke and Yahiko, she figured that they were family too and they had a right to know what was going on. Everyone agreed.

By the time all the preparations were made, it was dusk. Kenshin insisted that everyone get rested up.

"We've got a long day a head of us that we do." He said gently and led everyone off to bed.

When Kiriko went into her room, she pulled out Laplatina and just stared at the sword. She held it up to the candle light and let the small flame dance across its luminous blade.

She sighed, "I truly hope I don't have to use you…But if I do…please give me strength, speed, and most of all…courage." The sword seemed to vibrate in her hand as if to say it was there for her. She smiled and put Laplatina back into its sheath and placed it beside her futon. Then she went to bed and fell into a dream filled sleep.

"Shio! Please listen to me!" Kiriko pleaded for the second time.

Shio just glared at her. Not really at her but past her. He was looking at the Battousai standing behind her. He would have charged at him but she was in the way.

"Why are you here!" He screamed at her. Angry that she would ruin such a big moment for him. "GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE HE KILLS YOU!"

"NO!" She screamed at him. "Not until you listen to me! I know why you want revenge and it's not because you want to avenge your parents. No! It's nothing as noble as that. You're doing this because you were unloved. Well, that's not a good enough reason to kill a man that has people who love him dearly. You're selfish! You have no right to do this! I WON'T LET YOU!"

His glare finally turned to her. Kiriko looked scared but she held her head high. Shio could also see something terribly different about her. He looked closely. Her eyes had changed. They weren't the same beautiful indigo that he came to love. They were glowing with power. With a light he'd never see before. The gold shine that pulsated out of each orb was inhuman. Yet they were sad. Sad and something else that he could not quite make out. Nonetheless, the words that she spoke filled him with rage.

Kiriko had never seen him so infuriated before. His own eyes looked like huge balls of lava ready to explode at any given minute. However, Kiriko could read his emotions. Rage was the main one, but…there was something else. Something that she couldn't quit make out.

"Why are you protecting him!" Shio growled.

"Because…" She swallowed, "because…he's my father."

The explosion happened. His eyes seemed to be filled with blood. Not just the iris but the whole eyeball was seeping with bloody blinding rage and, yes, Kiriko could finally see it, he was hurt. He felt total and complete betrayal from her. He cared for her deeply and she betrayed him. He charged at her with a speed he'd never experience before.

"SHIO NO-"

He slashed down across her chest.

" I love you…" Were her last words as she slowly fell to the ground.

"KIRIKOOO!" Shio tried to reach for her falling body but she was just inches away from his grasp. Suddenly, she was falling into darkness. Shio leaped into the darkness for her but she disappeared before he could reach her. "NNNNNNOOOO!…"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWW" Kiriko sat bolt upright screaming at the top her lungs.

"NNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Shio screamed. His eyes shot open just as he landed on the ground. "OOOOooommph" The wind was knocked out of him. Birds scattered from the tree that he'd been sleeping in. Shio wheezed and coughed trying to get the much needed oxygen back in to his pleading lungs. When he was finally able to breathe again, his head started to spin.

Kenshin was the first to come storming into Kiriko's room, sakabatou drawn, eyes blazing amber. Then Kaoru, Kenji, and Kano all pushed their way in. When Kenshin saw no body harming his daughter he looked at her. Kiriko's body was trembling uncontrollably. Kaoru ran over to her and hugged tightly. The trembling was so intense that it made Kaoru tremble too.

"It was a nightmare, Kiriko. Just a nightmare…" Kaoru kept cooing trying desperately to calm her frightened daughter.

"Where am I?" He croaked to himself as he sat, leaning against the trunk of the tree. His breathing wasn't completely normal but better. His eyes scanned the black forest while his mind desperately tried to understand his surroundings. Finally he remembered, Nataki forest, he thought. Shio squeezed sweat from his eyes. He was drenched. After a moment of recuperating, he noticed that his hair was loose and his bangs were matted to his forehead. He swiped them back but they fell in his face again then he looked up to the star infested sky.

When Kaoru was able to get her under control, Kenshin lead the boys out of the room. They wouldn't leave until they knew Kiriko was all right. They really thought Shio tried to attack her in her sleep.

"What was the nightmare about, sweety?" Kaoru asked

Kiriko swallowed and shook her head, "I…….I don't remember."

"Why can't I remember?" Shio spoke out loud because he needed to hear something else other then the damn crickets. "Why can't I remember a dream with so much force that it can knock me out of a tree?" He questioned himself. "How is that possible?" As Shio thought of these questions, he kept going back to the other nightmares he had. He could remember them with so much clarity but this one. This one was a lot more intense then the others yet he couldn't remember a thing. He couldn't even figure out why he had screamed the word 'no'.

"You mean you can't remember anything?"

Kiriko just kept shaking her head. "Nothing…It's like when I woke up all traces of the dream completely vanished.

Kaoru found this very unusual but she guessed that some dreams/nightmares were like that. "Kiriko……you don't have to go through with this. Your father can handle it. Sano and Yahiko will go with him. He won't be alone. I know he can help Shio-"

"Let me ask you something mom. If you cared for someone so much that you would do what ever was in your power to stop them from making a big mistake, wouldn't you try to help them?"

Kaoru gasped a little. A wave of memories came to her at that moment. All those times she stopped Kenshin for turning back into the man-slayer. All those times she would have sacrificed herself for him. And all those time only she was able to do it. No one else. Kaoru knew what her daughter was going through more than Kiriko could understand. "Yes…… I already have."

Kiriko looked at her mother with a confused expression. Kaoru just smiled at her. "Do you think you can get back to sleep?"

"I don't know. I'll try." Kiriko laid back.

Kaoru kiss her on the forehead then left the room.