CHAPTER 10- TAKE ME THERE
Three days passed. Kenshin and Yahiko spent their time in hospital beds, sound asleep. Megumi and Tsubame watched over them both. While Yahiko was recovering from wounds suffered from Kujiranami, Kenshin had to recover from exhaustion, dehydration, starvation, and untreated injuries. It was a time of waiting and limited at that. Saitoh planned to lead his forces to Enishi's island by the next morning. If Kenshin wasn't awake, they would have to go without him.
Late that night, hours before scheduled departure, Sanosuke and Yahiko were wolfing down a huge meal set out for them by Tsubame.
Yahiko gulped down his rice. "Man! I'm STILL hungry!"
"Well stop being so hungry and give me that plate!" Sanosuke commanded.
Misao and Megumi were eating a little more quietly. "Megumi?" Misao asked.
"Yes?"
"Do you think Himura will be ready?"
Megumi sipped her tea. "These last few hours will tell. Just remember that we can't push him."
"Right."
Sanosuke beamed. "Oh yeah! Tomorrow we're gonna feed that white-haired freak to the sharks! And we're gonna save the girls!"
Everyone was excited.
Meanwhile, Kenshin lay asleep in bed, dreaming.
He sat there against a tree, covered with bruises and forlorn. All of a sudden, Tomoe appeared before him. "Have you the strength to rise yet?"
Kenshin smiled slightly. "Not quite. I just need a little longer." He sighed. "It's been a long time.since I first picked up this sword and vowed to protect."
"Yes, for the sake of those you loved."
All of a sudden, a very young Jiani materialized in between them, wearing a dark purple kimono and a wide smile. "Papa!"
Kenshin held out his hand towards her. "Jiani-chan.you're waiting for me."
Tomoe smiled slightly. "Please remember that when you smile, the me inside you does as well, as with our daughter."
Jiani took off running, frolicking in the snow that had just begun to fall. Tomoe watched her briefly before turning back towards her husband. "And take care of Enishi for I cannot smile for him now."
Kenshin nodded. "Yes."
Tomoe's smile seemed to broaden a little. "Go now, they await to see your smile."
With that, Kenshin woke up.
Finally the time came. Sanosuke and Yahiko led the way to Kenshin's room, desperately hoping he would be ready.
Sure enough, Kenshin stood over his bed, dressed and ready.
Yahiko gasped. "Kenshin."
He smiled at them slightly. "I am sorry to have been such trouble. But I am fine now." He took a step toward them. "I'm ready. Take me to Jiani and Miss Kaoru."
Smiles went all around. Their beloved rurouni had come back to them.
.........
Heishin raced up the stairs of the mansion where he found Enishi waiting. "Enishi! Two police ships are approaching! One has the Battousai on board!"
Enishi smirked. "Great, great."
A lone figure stood in the shadows behind him, eyes glowing the same way his did. He turned and faced this person. "Are you ready for a little revenge of your own?"
Heishin cut in. "Wait! Shouldn't we be attacking those boats, sir?"
"Do whatever, but allow the Battousai through."
.........
The Kenshin-gumi rested on the decks of the first ship, gazing out over at the water. Kenshin and Sanosuke leaned slightly on the railing, both their faces stern. Then, Kenshin peered over at his friend. "Sanosuke?"
"Yeah,"
The rurouni smiled slightly. "Is it true about what you told me before? About my daughter?"
Sanosuke blushed bright red. "Well.I.um."
Yahiko burst out laughing. "Hah, hah! You've got him cornered Kenshin!"
"SHUT UP, YOU LITTLE BRAT!!"
Kenshin's grin broadened. "I thought so. That's grand."
Suddenly, Misao perked her head up. "Hey! I think I hear something!"
BWOOOMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Something erupted beneath the surface of the calm waters, causing the ships to rear up towards the skies. Kenshin and the others hung onto the railing until the boat steadied.
"What was that??" Yahiko gasped.
Saitoh scowled. "Mines."
A panicked officer came running up to him. "Inspector Fujita! What do we do?"
Saitoh glanced over at Kenshin and his friends and turned back to reply. "Deploy the life boats. I'll go on ahead while you all follow in single file!"
Within moments, everyone had crowded into the small boats and were heading for the distant island. Misao glanced up at Aoshi. "Aoshi-sama, I think we're."
"I know." He nodded.
"Okay then." Misao suddenly hopped up onto the bow, retrieving a kunai dagger.
"What are you doing?" Yahiko asked.
But Aoshi knew. "61.5 degrees distance, 29.7 degrees to the right. Look for the disturbance in the water, then throw."
"Right!" She hurled the tiny blade with all her might.
BWOOOOMMMM!!!!!!!!!!! A deafening explosion sent the water ahead of them straight towards the heavens. Misao raised a fist in triumph. "Oh yeah! I did it!"
Moments later, the boat slid up onto the sands of the island. They had made it. Now it was time to rescue Kaoru and Jiani.
Three days passed. Kenshin and Yahiko spent their time in hospital beds, sound asleep. Megumi and Tsubame watched over them both. While Yahiko was recovering from wounds suffered from Kujiranami, Kenshin had to recover from exhaustion, dehydration, starvation, and untreated injuries. It was a time of waiting and limited at that. Saitoh planned to lead his forces to Enishi's island by the next morning. If Kenshin wasn't awake, they would have to go without him.
Late that night, hours before scheduled departure, Sanosuke and Yahiko were wolfing down a huge meal set out for them by Tsubame.
Yahiko gulped down his rice. "Man! I'm STILL hungry!"
"Well stop being so hungry and give me that plate!" Sanosuke commanded.
Misao and Megumi were eating a little more quietly. "Megumi?" Misao asked.
"Yes?"
"Do you think Himura will be ready?"
Megumi sipped her tea. "These last few hours will tell. Just remember that we can't push him."
"Right."
Sanosuke beamed. "Oh yeah! Tomorrow we're gonna feed that white-haired freak to the sharks! And we're gonna save the girls!"
Everyone was excited.
Meanwhile, Kenshin lay asleep in bed, dreaming.
He sat there against a tree, covered with bruises and forlorn. All of a sudden, Tomoe appeared before him. "Have you the strength to rise yet?"
Kenshin smiled slightly. "Not quite. I just need a little longer." He sighed. "It's been a long time.since I first picked up this sword and vowed to protect."
"Yes, for the sake of those you loved."
All of a sudden, a very young Jiani materialized in between them, wearing a dark purple kimono and a wide smile. "Papa!"
Kenshin held out his hand towards her. "Jiani-chan.you're waiting for me."
Tomoe smiled slightly. "Please remember that when you smile, the me inside you does as well, as with our daughter."
Jiani took off running, frolicking in the snow that had just begun to fall. Tomoe watched her briefly before turning back towards her husband. "And take care of Enishi for I cannot smile for him now."
Kenshin nodded. "Yes."
Tomoe's smile seemed to broaden a little. "Go now, they await to see your smile."
With that, Kenshin woke up.
Finally the time came. Sanosuke and Yahiko led the way to Kenshin's room, desperately hoping he would be ready.
Sure enough, Kenshin stood over his bed, dressed and ready.
Yahiko gasped. "Kenshin."
He smiled at them slightly. "I am sorry to have been such trouble. But I am fine now." He took a step toward them. "I'm ready. Take me to Jiani and Miss Kaoru."
Smiles went all around. Their beloved rurouni had come back to them.
.........
Heishin raced up the stairs of the mansion where he found Enishi waiting. "Enishi! Two police ships are approaching! One has the Battousai on board!"
Enishi smirked. "Great, great."
A lone figure stood in the shadows behind him, eyes glowing the same way his did. He turned and faced this person. "Are you ready for a little revenge of your own?"
Heishin cut in. "Wait! Shouldn't we be attacking those boats, sir?"
"Do whatever, but allow the Battousai through."
.........
The Kenshin-gumi rested on the decks of the first ship, gazing out over at the water. Kenshin and Sanosuke leaned slightly on the railing, both their faces stern. Then, Kenshin peered over at his friend. "Sanosuke?"
"Yeah,"
The rurouni smiled slightly. "Is it true about what you told me before? About my daughter?"
Sanosuke blushed bright red. "Well.I.um."
Yahiko burst out laughing. "Hah, hah! You've got him cornered Kenshin!"
"SHUT UP, YOU LITTLE BRAT!!"
Kenshin's grin broadened. "I thought so. That's grand."
Suddenly, Misao perked her head up. "Hey! I think I hear something!"
BWOOOMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Something erupted beneath the surface of the calm waters, causing the ships to rear up towards the skies. Kenshin and the others hung onto the railing until the boat steadied.
"What was that??" Yahiko gasped.
Saitoh scowled. "Mines."
A panicked officer came running up to him. "Inspector Fujita! What do we do?"
Saitoh glanced over at Kenshin and his friends and turned back to reply. "Deploy the life boats. I'll go on ahead while you all follow in single file!"
Within moments, everyone had crowded into the small boats and were heading for the distant island. Misao glanced up at Aoshi. "Aoshi-sama, I think we're."
"I know." He nodded.
"Okay then." Misao suddenly hopped up onto the bow, retrieving a kunai dagger.
"What are you doing?" Yahiko asked.
But Aoshi knew. "61.5 degrees distance, 29.7 degrees to the right. Look for the disturbance in the water, then throw."
"Right!" She hurled the tiny blade with all her might.
BWOOOOMMMM!!!!!!!!!!! A deafening explosion sent the water ahead of them straight towards the heavens. Misao raised a fist in triumph. "Oh yeah! I did it!"
Moments later, the boat slid up onto the sands of the island. They had made it. Now it was time to rescue Kaoru and Jiani.