I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.
Fragmented Dreams
Chapter 7
The six eyes soon materialized into three gigantic men in the dark of the night. The all looked at each other and then at the sleeping young woman, as if confirming their next actions. The softly stepped forward, leaving barely visible footprints in the dewy, crushed grass.
~*~
Misao suddenly sat upright, looking around wildly. She sensed that there were others near her, but she couldn't tell where they were. She reached down to the hem of her kimono, prepared to hitch it up.
The three men lunged out swiftly at Misao and tried to attack her, throwing punches from all directions. Misao pulled up her kimono quickly and reached into her obi with her free hand, searching desperately for her kunai. She was forced to the sudden, and harsh, realization that she was dressed in a kimono that not only restricted her movement but left her unarmed.
One man whipped out a small knife and stepped forward at Misao, brandishing it threateningly. Another man had somehow slipped behind Misao, unseen in the confusion, and grabbed her arms in a death grip. Misao tried to jerk her arms free, but the man held them too tightly. The third man had not tried to attack her and he began laughing amusedly at Misao's sorry plight. She froze, suddenly feeling helpless and afraid. At first she thought she had everything under control, but now, what was she going to do?
Misao was petrified and did not struggle when the man behind her pinned her down to the ground. The man that was off to the side, laughing, stood watching everything with interest. Misao stared at him, hypnotized by his red eyes that seemed to laugh at her. He licked his lips and grinned. In the dim moonlight Misao could see his white teeth clearly as his expression turned feral and he slowly stepped towards her. He snatched the knife away from the first man and twirled it around his fingers.
"I bet you wish you stayed at home," he whispered, kneeling down on the grass, bringing his face close to Misao's. His breath smelled of sake and his clothes smelled of squalor. He slowly traced the knife down the side of Misao's face, careful not to cut her, and grinned evilly. "I can tell, boys, she's a feisty one." Misao glared at him and struggled to get free.
"Since we are going to be 'closely acquainted,' wouldn't you like to know my name?" he whispered into Misao's ear. Misao gagged and turned her face, trying to squirm away. "Well, I'll tell you anyway. My name is Shogo… what's your name, cutie?" He grabbed Misao's chin and forced her to look at him.
"Don't touch me," Misao growled with clenched teeth.
Shogo slapped her roughly and said, "I'll do what I want." The other two men laughed raucously and looked at each other knowingly. Shogo tossed the knife in the air and caught it facing downward. The steel weapon glinted dangerously in the light and scared Misao more than ever. She began shrieking uncontrollably, shocking the three men. The dire emergence of the situation was finally registering and she didn't know what to do. So she did the only thing she knew she could do. Scream.
The men began to curse and the first man (AN: the one that had the knife) went and covered her mouth with his hand. She bit his hand ferociously, drawing blood. She spit the blood out of her mouth while the man cursed loudly and she continued screaming. The man with the knife slapped her, now muffling her screams with a cloth he pulled out.
Shogo smiled again, this time more menacingly than previous times. The knife flicked out and he began slitting Misao's kimono, starting from the bottom. She shut her eyes fearfully, wishing for this horrible nightmare to end.
~*~
Aoshi was roused from his light sleep by a woman screaming. He was momentarily confused as to where he was, but immediately jumped up from his sleeping position and waited for his eyes to adjust. He quickly scanned the area, his view partially blocked by the looming sakura trees ahead.
He ran towards the screaming, allowing his ears to guide him. The cries for help were silenced abruptly, followed loudly by a string of curses and more screaming. Aoshi looked around wildly, hoping to spot the woman. He heard a resounding slap and then there was silence. By then, he had located the group – three large men, two standing, huddled over something while the third man stood kneeling.
He crept over to them in the grass behind them, keeping as silent as possible. The whimpers of a woman drew his attention to the area that the men were standing, and kneeling, over and he peered between the men. One man appeared to be holding a knife, another held his hand, and the third seemed to be holding the woman down.
Aoshi stood up straight and strode over to the men. They slowly turned around, surprised by his unexpected presence. He quickly reached them and punched the man holding his hand in the face, the crunch of bones feeling pleasant to his bare fist. He completely knocking him off his balance and the man lay on the ground, blood pouring like a scarlet river from his face.
The man with the knife snarled and jumped out at Aoshi, wielding his knife and tried to stab Aoshi. Aoshi deftly sidestepped the man's attack and brought his fists down on the man's back, smashing him into the ground with his own momentum. At that time, the man that had been holding the woman down released her and tried to punch Aoshi. Aoshi caught his fist and crushed it in his own. The man let out a cry for help as Aoshi uppercut him in his stomach. The man fell over, clutching his stomach and curling into a fetal position. Aoshi sneered at the three men in the faint light and turned to the woman on the ground.
He felt like he knew her and when knelt at her side, shaking her gently so she would stop shivering and open her eyes, he realized who she was. It was Misao. Unbound rage surged through him as he looked dangerously at the three men lying before him. He stood up, prepared to give them a proper punishment when he felt a slight tug on his trench coat. He looked down and met Misao's emerald eyes.
"Aoshi-sama… Please, can you take me home?" she asked softly, her voice sounding so innocent in the stillness. He nodded and lifted her up slowly – she did not appear to be hurt, but one could never be too sure. "Arigato, Aoshi…" Misao drifted off in Aoshi's arms as he hugged her tighter, leaving the men where they lay as he walked towards the Aoiya, his home…
A/N: Hi! Well, I hope everyone liked the chapter… A little too dramatic though. -_- I'm really sorry about the late update also. I'm not that great at writing fight scenes (this is my first) but I decided to up the rating because this chapter seemed a bit much for a G rating. Thanks to these people for reviewing: battousai rk8520, Innocence, chris, Nanakilover/brukaoru, white cherry blossom, Pisces Panda, Mirai girl, Mr. Me, nikki, Thimonkey, Harna Shikazi, Misao- the- Weasel, and nobody
Oh, and as a side note, if anyone is reading my other story, 'Tanabata Madness,' I'll probably be updating that fic a little more often than this one. ^_^ Please review!