I think y'all are going to love me after reading this chapter. Yes, it's short and has a bit of a cliffhanger, but they do reach the village. They don't meet Yue (well, sorta, but they don't realize it), but a VERY important character is brought back... oops! I mean introduced. Hehe, if that's not enough of a hint, then y'all are really thick. ^^ Please enjoy!
Disclaimer: My mom borrowed most of my money to go to a football game to watch my cousin. I couldn't go 'cuz I'm not feeling well. If I owned Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon or Rurouni Kenshin, then she wouldn't need the majority of my money to go to a football game, and I could afford to buy some ibuprofen (the real name of Advil – the name of the Wal-Mart brand. The fact that I can't afford the Wal-Mart brand medicine tells you something).
Warnings: It's short, and poor Kaoru gets a painful reality check. That's about it.
****************************
Gazing at My Silver Moon
Chapter Two: o.O
****************************
Yahiko had been singing for the past ten miles. Hitokiri Battousai would not have really minded, but Yahiko did not exactly have the best singing voice. It was Kaoru, however that finally broke.
"Yahiko! Stop singing! You're becoming a nuisance, you know."
"At least I'm not ugly like you!"
Kaoru's vain on her forehead began to throb dangerously. It was lucky for Yahiko that he recognized the warning signs and managed to get a head start. Battousai scowled. "Why won't those two just grow up?" he asked impatiently.
Kaoru and Yahiko stopped running and glanced back at him. Sanosuke and Megumi had also stared at him in surprise. Kenshin had never minded it when Kaoru and Yahiko fought; in fact, he usually smiled or even laughed softly at their antics. Saito merely said, "You have truly become the Battousai again. You are more tense than a violin string."
Battousai's amber eyes glared at Saito. "And what would you know of how tight a violin string is?" There was no reply, and Battousai nodded in satisfaction. 'One more for my side,' he mentally smirked. After all, the rivalry between the Shinsengumi and Ishin Shishi is legendary.
********Fifteen Miles Later********
Battousai turned off of the main road. "Where are we going, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked.
He glanced at her disinterestedly and replied, "We are going to a nearby village for the night."
"But it's not even close to sunset yet, Kenshin!" Sanosuke protested.
Battousai turned to him. "We must find shelter in these mountains. This is the last village for twenty miles. If you want to keep on going, then we won't stop you. However, if you do not wish to be found by the nocturnal animals living here, then I suggest you do as I say."
Sanosuke sighed and nodded to show he was staying with the group. "Besides," Battousai added, "we will not take all day tomorrow to get to the village. I do not wish to have Yue knowing of our arrival because we decided to stay too close fo r the night. Yue has eyes and ears everywhere, and it's best not to give a sword master with a grudge too long to plan."
"Yue is a master?" Kaoru asked in surprise. "But I thought that you trained together, and you didn't complete your training until right before we fought Shishio."
"Yue was training for a year before Master Hiko found me and didn't even join the Ishin Shishi for about another year."
"So he had two more years of training than you did?"
"Basically. Each person needs a different amount of time to train though." Kaoru nodded her understanding.
They then reached the village. Poor Kenshin did not realize that Yue's arm had grown longer than the last time he had seen her. She was aware of his presence before sunrise.
********Earlier That Afternoon********
"My lord!"
"What is it?" Shishio asked testily. He was becoming very impatient with the Yue Search.
"We found the village where Yue and Battousai lived before they separated. As far as the local people know, Battousai left, but Yue stayed!"
Shishio leaned back and smirked. "Prepare my coach and my elite. We are to leave as soon as possible."
"Of course, my lord!"
'Finally my revenge will be realized.'
********************************
The two parties were in a race to find Yue, even if they did not realize it. Shishio was not aware of Battousai's knowledge, and Battousai was not aware that Shishio had uncovered any information regarding Yue's whereabouts. Shishio won.
Battousai stopped suddenly and growled. "What is it?" Kaoru asked.
Saito answered her, "The smell of blood is strong in the air. Shishio got here first." Everyone (minus Battousai and Saito) groaned in unison. 'Oh, great,' they thought. 'Now we have to fight Yue too.' Only Battousai knew the truth, and he was not talking.
"We must hurry," the amber-eyed man broke through their thoughts. "We must prevent Shishio from killing anyone else." They all nodded and hurried along.
********************************
"Answer me, woman! Where is Hitokiri Yue?"
"There is no man here by that name," the silver-haired young woman replied.
"You are lying," Shishio growled. "How long have you lived here?"
She looked in his eyes and calmly replied, "Since the end of the revolution."
"Then you must have known Battousai and Yue. Battousai left about eight years ago; Yue did not. Where is he now?"
"I know no man by that name."
"Stop saying that!" Shishi was livid. "I want to know where Hitokiri Yue is NOW!"
"You will stop," a voice said from the doorway.
"Battousai," Shishio growled. 'I'm still not fully healed; I can't fight him like I am now. I suppose this will just have to wait until I find Yue.' He glared at the young woman at his feet as if it was entirely her fault that Hitokiri Battousai had shown up. She merely glared back. Shishio glanced back to Battousai. "I will be back later, Battousai." Battousai nodded in acknowledgment as Shishio left the room.
Saito, Kaoru, Yahiko, Megumi, and Sanosuke walked into the small house. "Moron," Saito said, "why did you let him escape?"
Battousai could not reply. Kaoru gasped as she looked at him. "Kenshin!" His eyes were slowly fading back to their normal violet color from their manslayer amber.
Saito started. 'What's making him change back from his hitokiri self?' he wondered.
Kenshin did not notice any of this; instead, he simply stared at the silver-haired young woman, who stood up. She was staring back at him. Yahiko blinked and shouted, "Hello! Is anyone awake over there?"
"Kenshin..." the woman murmured. Kaoru and the others glanced back and forth between the two as if they were playing tennis.
"Do you two know each other?" Kaoru inquired. She received no reply from either party.
Then, without warning, the woman launched herself at Kenshin, who hugged her fiercely. "Shh..." he murmured softly into her hair. "I'm here now."
"You promised," she replied, her voice muffled.
"I know, and I'm sorry, that I am."
"That I am," she echoed. "I haven't heard that in the longest time. You took long enough, Shinta." He growled in response, causing everyone else (minus Saito 'cuz he emotionally constipated) to start. Since when did the kind rurouni growl? The woman, however, smirked. "You're gonna be called that for a while, you know. You're not getting off easily this time, baka."
Kenshin smiled down at her. "I didn't expect to, Usa."
Sanosuke cleared his throat and asked, "Kenshin, who is this?"
Kenshin laughed and blushed a bit. "Everyone, this is Himura Usagi."
Kaoru inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. 'So they're related,' she thought. Saito interrupted her thoughts. "I didn't think you had any family, Himura."
"We're not exactly related." Kenshin hesitated for a split second. "You see, she's my wife."
***************************
Woohoo! Is that enough of a cliffy to keep everyone happy? I certainly hope so. ^^ Much love!
Koneko
Disclaimer: My mom borrowed most of my money to go to a football game to watch my cousin. I couldn't go 'cuz I'm not feeling well. If I owned Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon or Rurouni Kenshin, then she wouldn't need the majority of my money to go to a football game, and I could afford to buy some ibuprofen (the real name of Advil – the name of the Wal-Mart brand. The fact that I can't afford the Wal-Mart brand medicine tells you something).
Warnings: It's short, and poor Kaoru gets a painful reality check. That's about it.
****************************
Gazing at My Silver Moon
Chapter Two: o.O
****************************
Yahiko had been singing for the past ten miles. Hitokiri Battousai would not have really minded, but Yahiko did not exactly have the best singing voice. It was Kaoru, however that finally broke.
"Yahiko! Stop singing! You're becoming a nuisance, you know."
"At least I'm not ugly like you!"
Kaoru's vain on her forehead began to throb dangerously. It was lucky for Yahiko that he recognized the warning signs and managed to get a head start. Battousai scowled. "Why won't those two just grow up?" he asked impatiently.
Kaoru and Yahiko stopped running and glanced back at him. Sanosuke and Megumi had also stared at him in surprise. Kenshin had never minded it when Kaoru and Yahiko fought; in fact, he usually smiled or even laughed softly at their antics. Saito merely said, "You have truly become the Battousai again. You are more tense than a violin string."
Battousai's amber eyes glared at Saito. "And what would you know of how tight a violin string is?" There was no reply, and Battousai nodded in satisfaction. 'One more for my side,' he mentally smirked. After all, the rivalry between the Shinsengumi and Ishin Shishi is legendary.
********Fifteen Miles Later********
Battousai turned off of the main road. "Where are we going, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked.
He glanced at her disinterestedly and replied, "We are going to a nearby village for the night."
"But it's not even close to sunset yet, Kenshin!" Sanosuke protested.
Battousai turned to him. "We must find shelter in these mountains. This is the last village for twenty miles. If you want to keep on going, then we won't stop you. However, if you do not wish to be found by the nocturnal animals living here, then I suggest you do as I say."
Sanosuke sighed and nodded to show he was staying with the group. "Besides," Battousai added, "we will not take all day tomorrow to get to the village. I do not wish to have Yue knowing of our arrival because we decided to stay too close fo r the night. Yue has eyes and ears everywhere, and it's best not to give a sword master with a grudge too long to plan."
"Yue is a master?" Kaoru asked in surprise. "But I thought that you trained together, and you didn't complete your training until right before we fought Shishio."
"Yue was training for a year before Master Hiko found me and didn't even join the Ishin Shishi for about another year."
"So he had two more years of training than you did?"
"Basically. Each person needs a different amount of time to train though." Kaoru nodded her understanding.
They then reached the village. Poor Kenshin did not realize that Yue's arm had grown longer than the last time he had seen her. She was aware of his presence before sunrise.
********Earlier That Afternoon********
"My lord!"
"What is it?" Shishio asked testily. He was becoming very impatient with the Yue Search.
"We found the village where Yue and Battousai lived before they separated. As far as the local people know, Battousai left, but Yue stayed!"
Shishio leaned back and smirked. "Prepare my coach and my elite. We are to leave as soon as possible."
"Of course, my lord!"
'Finally my revenge will be realized.'
********************************
The two parties were in a race to find Yue, even if they did not realize it. Shishio was not aware of Battousai's knowledge, and Battousai was not aware that Shishio had uncovered any information regarding Yue's whereabouts. Shishio won.
Battousai stopped suddenly and growled. "What is it?" Kaoru asked.
Saito answered her, "The smell of blood is strong in the air. Shishio got here first." Everyone (minus Battousai and Saito) groaned in unison. 'Oh, great,' they thought. 'Now we have to fight Yue too.' Only Battousai knew the truth, and he was not talking.
"We must hurry," the amber-eyed man broke through their thoughts. "We must prevent Shishio from killing anyone else." They all nodded and hurried along.
********************************
"Answer me, woman! Where is Hitokiri Yue?"
"There is no man here by that name," the silver-haired young woman replied.
"You are lying," Shishio growled. "How long have you lived here?"
She looked in his eyes and calmly replied, "Since the end of the revolution."
"Then you must have known Battousai and Yue. Battousai left about eight years ago; Yue did not. Where is he now?"
"I know no man by that name."
"Stop saying that!" Shishi was livid. "I want to know where Hitokiri Yue is NOW!"
"You will stop," a voice said from the doorway.
"Battousai," Shishio growled. 'I'm still not fully healed; I can't fight him like I am now. I suppose this will just have to wait until I find Yue.' He glared at the young woman at his feet as if it was entirely her fault that Hitokiri Battousai had shown up. She merely glared back. Shishio glanced back to Battousai. "I will be back later, Battousai." Battousai nodded in acknowledgment as Shishio left the room.
Saito, Kaoru, Yahiko, Megumi, and Sanosuke walked into the small house. "Moron," Saito said, "why did you let him escape?"
Battousai could not reply. Kaoru gasped as she looked at him. "Kenshin!" His eyes were slowly fading back to their normal violet color from their manslayer amber.
Saito started. 'What's making him change back from his hitokiri self?' he wondered.
Kenshin did not notice any of this; instead, he simply stared at the silver-haired young woman, who stood up. She was staring back at him. Yahiko blinked and shouted, "Hello! Is anyone awake over there?"
"Kenshin..." the woman murmured. Kaoru and the others glanced back and forth between the two as if they were playing tennis.
"Do you two know each other?" Kaoru inquired. She received no reply from either party.
Then, without warning, the woman launched herself at Kenshin, who hugged her fiercely. "Shh..." he murmured softly into her hair. "I'm here now."
"You promised," she replied, her voice muffled.
"I know, and I'm sorry, that I am."
"That I am," she echoed. "I haven't heard that in the longest time. You took long enough, Shinta." He growled in response, causing everyone else (minus Saito 'cuz he emotionally constipated) to start. Since when did the kind rurouni growl? The woman, however, smirked. "You're gonna be called that for a while, you know. You're not getting off easily this time, baka."
Kenshin smiled down at her. "I didn't expect to, Usa."
Sanosuke cleared his throat and asked, "Kenshin, who is this?"
Kenshin laughed and blushed a bit. "Everyone, this is Himura Usagi."
Kaoru inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. 'So they're related,' she thought. Saito interrupted her thoughts. "I didn't think you had any family, Himura."
"We're not exactly related." Kenshin hesitated for a split second. "You see, she's my wife."
***************************
Woohoo! Is that enough of a cliffy to keep everyone happy? I certainly hope so. ^^ Much love!
Koneko