CHAPTER 4- THE ISLAND
"Jiani! Jiani, wake up!"
A voice, distant at first, echoed in Jiani's ears. Groaning, she opened her eyes, coming face-to-face with Kaoru. She blinked, making sure she wasn't dreaming. "Huh? Kaoru?"
Kaoru beamed. "I'm so glad you're all right!"
"Where are we?" She had noticed that they were in a large, grand-looking bedroom.
"I don't know yet." Kaoru told her. "But looking out the window, I'd say we're on an island."
Jiani forced herself up, despite the painful sting from her back. "Father and the others.where are they?"
The black-haired girl shook her head. "I don't know that either. But I don't think they're here."
"Did Enishi hurt you?"
"No, he put some kind of rag over my mouth. It must have had some kind of drug on it because I lost consciousness."
"I see." Jiani felt around to the bandages around her torso. "So Enishi merely kidnapped us."
"An odd way to get revenge on Kenshin, huh?" Kaoru asked. "I was expecting to die at that moment."
'Papa.' Jiani thought. 'He may not have finished us, but you must still be suffering right now. And everyone else too.' "Kaoru, help me up please. We have to check out this place."
"Are you sure you can get up?" Kaoru asked, taking her arm and slinging it over her shoulder.
"I'll know in a second. Ergh!" With a heavy grunt, she was up and standing, Kaoru supporting her. That's when she noticed she was in a red robe. "Eh? Where are my clothes?"
"Someone laid hakamas out for us." Kaoru told her. "Yours is right there on the bed."
It was a painful struggle, but Jiani eventually dressed and found the door. She cursed when she made another realization. "I have no sword!"
"Hopefully we won't need one." Kaoru muttered. "Come on."
They pushed open the large door. They were enveloped by a bright light, that of the morning sun. Once their eyes adjusted, they found that they were stepping out onto a balcony.
"So you're finally awake, eh?"
Both girls whirled around at the same time to face Enishi, who was standing behind them in the hallway. But something was wrong. He appeared tired and dull, his arm in a sling, his face bandaged.
Jiani placed herself in front of Kaoru, fists up. "You! Where have you brought us??"
Enishi didn't seem fazed by the viciousness in her eyes and voice. "A natural prison of an island." He told them. "I'm keeping you here for the time being."
"But why?" Kaoru asked. "And how long are you going to keep us?"
Enishi turned around to leave. "For the why, we don't need to discuss that. For the how long, soon." He smirked to himself. 'Yes, when the Battousai ceases to live.'
"Aside from the weekly ferry that passes through the inlet below this balcony, there is no escape. To try to swim for one of the distant islands would mean becoming shark bait. So, I suggest you make yourselves comfortable for the time being."
Jiani growled angrily.
"Oh, and one more thing."
Enishi turned around and smirked towards them. "Make use of those hakamas, and the dojo on the second floor. There will be swords there for you to train with."
"Train?" Kaoru repeated. Why would he want them to train?
But before they could ask any more questions, he was gone.
Jiani thought for a moment and proceeded back indoors. "Kaoru, let's head to the dojo."
"What?" Kaoru couldn't believe that Jiani was going to go on with it! "Jiani, that's what he wants us to do! Shouldn't we try finding a way out of here?"
The redhead shook her head. "There IS no way to escape. I believe him when he says that. I will work to master Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki and incorporate it into a style that Enishi himself will not be able to read."
"Well, okay then." Kaoru followed her. "I'll give myself a workout too."
Meanwhile, Enishi noticed Gein heading to his own room and frowned. "He plans to leave on the next ferry." He said to himself. "I will have to finish him before he can begin talking about this."
Gein caught sight of Enishi and came over. "So the girls are awake, I see?"
Enishi nodded. "Yes, and they are heading down to train."
"Are you sure you will need no more assistance?" Gein asked.
"No, this next stage will be my work and mine alone." He smirked. "But thank you.Gein."
.........
Back at Kamiya dojo, a celebration was well under way. Misao and Yahiko took turns whacking the memorial tablets of the two girls to smithereens.
"YEAH! WE WON'T BE NEEDING THESE ANYMORE!" Yahiko shouted.
"NOW WE RESCUE THEM! OH I CAN'T WAIT!!!" Misao cried.
Megumi was a little calmer. "But the question is, how will we find them?"
Aoshi nodded. "Yes, there are no leads to go by."
But Yahiko wasn't deterred. "I got it! I know someone who'll give us plenty to go by!"
Sanosuke frowned. "I know who you're talking about and I must say I don't like that idea."
They knew it was Saitoh that the boy had come up with.
Aoshi nodded slightly. "In the meantime, we should be expecting someone back here in Tokyo. I'll set a trap for that occasion."
Sanosuke grinned. "All right then! Hold on girls, 'cause we're coming!"
"Well wait! Shouldn't we tell Kenshin?" Misao asked.
"No." Aoshi responded abruptly. "It's too early to go there bothering him again. Only he can pull himself together now, whether his daughter or Kamiya Kaoru ARE alive or dead."
Yahiko nodded. "Okay then. For now, let's figure out where Enishi is!"
"Jiani! Jiani, wake up!"
A voice, distant at first, echoed in Jiani's ears. Groaning, she opened her eyes, coming face-to-face with Kaoru. She blinked, making sure she wasn't dreaming. "Huh? Kaoru?"
Kaoru beamed. "I'm so glad you're all right!"
"Where are we?" She had noticed that they were in a large, grand-looking bedroom.
"I don't know yet." Kaoru told her. "But looking out the window, I'd say we're on an island."
Jiani forced herself up, despite the painful sting from her back. "Father and the others.where are they?"
The black-haired girl shook her head. "I don't know that either. But I don't think they're here."
"Did Enishi hurt you?"
"No, he put some kind of rag over my mouth. It must have had some kind of drug on it because I lost consciousness."
"I see." Jiani felt around to the bandages around her torso. "So Enishi merely kidnapped us."
"An odd way to get revenge on Kenshin, huh?" Kaoru asked. "I was expecting to die at that moment."
'Papa.' Jiani thought. 'He may not have finished us, but you must still be suffering right now. And everyone else too.' "Kaoru, help me up please. We have to check out this place."
"Are you sure you can get up?" Kaoru asked, taking her arm and slinging it over her shoulder.
"I'll know in a second. Ergh!" With a heavy grunt, she was up and standing, Kaoru supporting her. That's when she noticed she was in a red robe. "Eh? Where are my clothes?"
"Someone laid hakamas out for us." Kaoru told her. "Yours is right there on the bed."
It was a painful struggle, but Jiani eventually dressed and found the door. She cursed when she made another realization. "I have no sword!"
"Hopefully we won't need one." Kaoru muttered. "Come on."
They pushed open the large door. They were enveloped by a bright light, that of the morning sun. Once their eyes adjusted, they found that they were stepping out onto a balcony.
"So you're finally awake, eh?"
Both girls whirled around at the same time to face Enishi, who was standing behind them in the hallway. But something was wrong. He appeared tired and dull, his arm in a sling, his face bandaged.
Jiani placed herself in front of Kaoru, fists up. "You! Where have you brought us??"
Enishi didn't seem fazed by the viciousness in her eyes and voice. "A natural prison of an island." He told them. "I'm keeping you here for the time being."
"But why?" Kaoru asked. "And how long are you going to keep us?"
Enishi turned around to leave. "For the why, we don't need to discuss that. For the how long, soon." He smirked to himself. 'Yes, when the Battousai ceases to live.'
"Aside from the weekly ferry that passes through the inlet below this balcony, there is no escape. To try to swim for one of the distant islands would mean becoming shark bait. So, I suggest you make yourselves comfortable for the time being."
Jiani growled angrily.
"Oh, and one more thing."
Enishi turned around and smirked towards them. "Make use of those hakamas, and the dojo on the second floor. There will be swords there for you to train with."
"Train?" Kaoru repeated. Why would he want them to train?
But before they could ask any more questions, he was gone.
Jiani thought for a moment and proceeded back indoors. "Kaoru, let's head to the dojo."
"What?" Kaoru couldn't believe that Jiani was going to go on with it! "Jiani, that's what he wants us to do! Shouldn't we try finding a way out of here?"
The redhead shook her head. "There IS no way to escape. I believe him when he says that. I will work to master Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki and incorporate it into a style that Enishi himself will not be able to read."
"Well, okay then." Kaoru followed her. "I'll give myself a workout too."
Meanwhile, Enishi noticed Gein heading to his own room and frowned. "He plans to leave on the next ferry." He said to himself. "I will have to finish him before he can begin talking about this."
Gein caught sight of Enishi and came over. "So the girls are awake, I see?"
Enishi nodded. "Yes, and they are heading down to train."
"Are you sure you will need no more assistance?" Gein asked.
"No, this next stage will be my work and mine alone." He smirked. "But thank you.Gein."
.........
Back at Kamiya dojo, a celebration was well under way. Misao and Yahiko took turns whacking the memorial tablets of the two girls to smithereens.
"YEAH! WE WON'T BE NEEDING THESE ANYMORE!" Yahiko shouted.
"NOW WE RESCUE THEM! OH I CAN'T WAIT!!!" Misao cried.
Megumi was a little calmer. "But the question is, how will we find them?"
Aoshi nodded. "Yes, there are no leads to go by."
But Yahiko wasn't deterred. "I got it! I know someone who'll give us plenty to go by!"
Sanosuke frowned. "I know who you're talking about and I must say I don't like that idea."
They knew it was Saitoh that the boy had come up with.
Aoshi nodded slightly. "In the meantime, we should be expecting someone back here in Tokyo. I'll set a trap for that occasion."
Sanosuke grinned. "All right then! Hold on girls, 'cause we're coming!"
"Well wait! Shouldn't we tell Kenshin?" Misao asked.
"No." Aoshi responded abruptly. "It's too early to go there bothering him again. Only he can pull himself together now, whether his daughter or Kamiya Kaoru ARE alive or dead."
Yahiko nodded. "Okay then. For now, let's figure out where Enishi is!"