Trust - Nataki Forest P1

Shio knew he wasn't going to get back to sleep. The sky was still dark but his internal clock told him that dawn was approaching soon. He had over slept. That's all right, he thought, I can still prepare for my battle. He got up and immediately started to practice.

Kiriko knew she wasn't going back to sleep. Once her mother left, she got up to get dress. She was about to put on her usual pink gi and grey hakama until she considered that it wasn't an ordinary day. She was going to have to face the toughest battle of her life; it was definitely NOT going to be an ordinary day. She went through her trunk and searched through tons of kimono's until she came across something she'd never seen before. It took a little effort but she was finally able to pull it out from the bottom. It was a dark navy blue gi. Where did this come from?, she thought, hhmm… I wonder… She dug back into the trunk and found a charcoal grey hakama. She looked at the combo and decided that it would be fitting for such a day.

She got dressed quickly but with detailed accuracy. Making sure her gi was tucked deep in to her hakama. Wrapping the hakama's belt a couple of times around her waist because it was a little on the big side. She tied her hair up into a high ponytail with a thick indigo ribbon. Instead of making a bow, she let the rest hang lose under her hair. Then she hooked Laplatina into her belt, twisting it so that it was snug against her hip. Finally, she pulled out the small red shell she found the other day. Kiriko looked at it sadly then kiss it and slid it into a pocket inside her gi close to her heart.

"Okay, I'm ready." She whispered.

Kiriko looked out into the hallway. There was no sign of any one being up. She went to her parents' room and peeked in. Her mother had her head on her father's shoulder. They looked so peaceful. I wonder if I'll ever be that happy, she looked at her father's face and felt a tug of anger at Shio. She didn't know why she felt that spark of anger but it was there.

Even though Kiriko couldn't remember the dream, for some reason she knew what she had to do but she had to do it alone. She looked at her father's cross-shaped scar and whispered, "I know what I'm going to say, daddy but I must say it alone. Don't worry. I'll make you proud." Kiriko closed the door quietly.

By the time she got out side, a thick mist had settled in the air. The sky was starting to lighten but the world was grey and cloudy. This is just how I feel, Kiriko thought sadly then ran out the gate and headed towards Nataki Forest.

After the scare Kiriko gave him, Kenshin couldn't get back to sleep either. He just kept his eyes open while Kaoru dozed back to sleep. When he heard the door opening to the room, he shut it eyes. He heard Kiriko's faint whisper.

"I know what I'm going to say, daddy but I must say it alone. Don't worry. I'll make you proud."

Once the door slid shut, Kenshin gently nudged Kaoru's shoulder.

"Hhhmm…" She hummed sleepily.

"Kaoru, I have to go. Kiriko has left already."

Kaoru slowly opened her eyes and sat up groggily. "Hhmm…What?"

Kenshin was already up putting on his clothes. "I have to get going. Kiriko left to face Shio alone." He tucked his sakabatou into his belt.

"What do you-"

"The boys already know where it's taking place. We'll go with the same plan." He quickly kissed her on the cheek. "Try not to worry. She'll be all right that she will." He ran out of the house. When the mist smacked him in the face, Kenshin stopped in his tracks.

"This isn't a good sign." He said out loud. Kenshin ran out the gate and headed towards Nataki Forest.

Shio couldn't quite figure out where the mist came from. It just happened all of a sudden. He didn't linger on the thought. He just went back to his practicing. He also figured that maybe he could use the mist to his advantage. After two hours of practicing and no sign of the Battousai, he decided to eat the last of his food. While he ate, he heard something coming from the distance. Shio quickly tossed his leftovers to the side and stood up. The sound was getting closer. He stood poised ready for any attack.

"Shio!"

Shio frowned, that voice………that voice sounds like-

"Shio, are you here!"

He couldn't see anything through the mist but the voice sounded like Kiriko. He wasn't too sure and didn't want to fall into a stupid trap. He decided to wait and see.

"Shio! Are you here! It's me! Kiriko!"

It really is her? What the hell is she doing here, he thought and walked slowly in the direction of her voice. Finally, a figure started to appear through the cloudy haze. He squinted to get a better look. Gradually, Kiriko's body started to materialise. She wasn't wearing the pink gi and grey hakama he was used to seeing her in. The dark outfit made her look like a true samurai or more like an assassin. For some strange reason, Shio felt very intimidated by the way she was dressed yet she still looked incredibly beautiful.

"Kiriko. W-what are you doing here?" He stood very close to her. He couldn't help but to drown in the deep pools of her eyes.

Kiriko couldn't answer. She just stared at him. The longer she stared the more her heart raced. He looked scruffy, tired, stressed, hungry, sleepy and of course beautiful. All those flaws made him beautiful. She wanted to hug him, kiss him, but most of all stop him.

"What are you doing here?" He asked again.

"I-"

"How did you know I would be here?" She began but Shio cut her off. "How did you get here? WHY did you-"

"I've come to stop you!" She blurted out.

Shio frowned and stepped back away from her. "What?"

"I-I mean I've come to try and talk you out of this…" She trailed off.

"You have no right being here Kiriko. The Battousai will be here any minute. I don't want you to get hurt……Go home, Kiriko. Go home, NOW!"

Kiriko jumped a little at his tone of voice but didn't move from her spot. "Okay…I'll go if you answer one question."

He didn't say anything. Kiriko continued without his confirmation. "Tell me the whole truth. Why do you want to kill the Battousai so badly?"

"I already told you why." He said. His voice almost a growl.

"No. You only told me partial truth. I want to know the whole story and don't tell me I don't need to get involved. I'm already involved. Why do you really want to kill the Battousai? Is it truly just for revenge? Or…is it for something else?"

Shio stared at her, almost stunned by her words. She didn't sound the same. His sweet, beautiful Kiriko sounded more……he couldn't think of a word to describe it. Her words almost made him tell her the whole truth, why he really wanted to kill the Battousai, yet they wouldn't come out. Instead, he just sighed with frustration. "Kiriko……please, just go hom-"

She threw her arms around his neck and hugged tightly.. "Please……please don't do this." Tears fell from her eyes but her voice remained steady. He was speechless. The intensity of her hug was borderline strangling yet there was a yearning that was indescribable. However, he didn't hug back. He just stood there in shock, listening to her heart wrenching words.

She whispered slowly into his neck. "Please Shio…Please don't do this. I know this isn't what you want. I do know that you want to be happy……but Shio, this isn't the way. You didn't answer my question and you don't have to because I already know why……Someone once told me that you shouldn't wish for someone's else death unless you mean it. I would never wish death on another and deep down I know you wouldn't either. I know you don't want to kill the Battousai and I'm here to tell you that you don't have too…"

Shio swallowed hard and squeezed his eyes shut desperately trying to stop the emotion that was bubbling forth. Kiriko slowly brought her hand up to his incredibly soft hair and pulled him close so that she could speak directly in his ear. "Shio…," Her lips lightly grazed his earlobe. "You don't have to do this……to be happy."

He gasped and opened his eyes again. A small crystal tear rolled down his cheek. He still didn't know what to say but his arms started to move on their own accord. They slipped around her waist and hugged her tightly. He opened his mouth to finally speak until……..