A/N: so, are you ready to chop MY head off yet? Don't worry, this story
will either be mostly wrapped up with just one *not happily ever after*
chapter left, or with two chapters and a wonderful cliffhanger like the one
in Chapter 7! *big grin* I don't own RK, but I wish I did. I'd be rich
then! Woohoo! Have a nice read! Oh yeah, and if you really like fight
scenes, then I'm sorry I'll have to disappoint you. I'm not very good at
them. Bye!
Chapter 8 A Deadly Choice
"I will be right back Miss Kaoru. I believe Sano has been here." Kenshin said quietly. "Which means Yahiko will have been here also."
There was a very large wagon full of bottles of sake being packed into a storeroom. Over to the side, directing the men unloading was the bartender. Kenshin leaped down from the carriage and quickly walked over the man.
"Excuse me sir, but have you seen a tall man with brown hair and the symbol of 'Bad' on his back?" Kenshin asked politely.
The man raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I suppose. Why?"
The rurouni smiled. "He's a friend of mine, and I'd rather like to find him. Also, have you seen a small boy wearing a yellow gi and carrying around a wooden sword?"
"Yep. The man you look for, he was around here getting drunk. He drank all my sake, completely all of it!" the bartender frowned. "He didn't pay either. The boy you speak of, I've seen him too, and he was asking about the same man. Does he owe you something?"
Kenshin shook his head. "No, but do you know the whereabouts of either? I must find them immediately."
The man glanced over toward his bar quickly and turned back to Kenshin before explaining that he didn't know where Sanosuke had gone, but Yahiko had headed off to the east, toward some of the rougher sides of town.
"Thank you." Kenshin replied turning around to head back to Kaoru. The bartender stopped him by putting a hand on his shoulder first however.
"You might want to know fellow, that this Sanosuke guy you speak of, he was in some sort of girl trouble. Whatever it was it seemed worth dying over to him. Just make sure he isn't in any trouble ok? Men like him tend to throw themselves at women, just to prove themselves."
Kenshin nodded. "I will keep that in mind, that I will. Thank you."
Kaoru poked her head back out of the carriage as Kenshin returned. "Did he know where Sano and Yahiko are?"
Kenshin shook his head. "No Miss Kaoru, but we should be able to find them soon. I don't think either have left this area."
~//~
Megumi swirled around, and her eyes widened in fear as she saw Konrato's sword hovering blade down just above Sanosuke's neck. He wouldn't! Poor Sano, he couldn't even defend himself in a fair fight!
"Why would you kill a man who has done nothing?" she asked, trying to compose herself, and try to cover her shaking voice.
"Done nothing my pet fox? I do believe this peeping tom has done something. He was spying on you of course!" Konrato smiled wickedly as he dropped his sworn a fraction lower. He would find out what this Sanosuke meant to Megumi, or else.
"Spying on me? At least he wasn't so forward that it was improper!" Megumi cried angrily at Konrato. She was losing her temper.
"Forward? No my darling, I was not being forward. I brought you here as a work resource, not a lover. Yet." Konrato replied smiling wickedly.
"What...?" she whispered softly.
Konrato laughed, a deep handsome laugh. "Of course! You did not know? All the deaths, and things pointing to you my love? I knew you would run, and come to me after the escapade with Kanryu."
Megumi shook her head roughly. "No, I would have never come to you. Not ever!"
He smiled cleverly. "Not directly. But you came to me nonetheless didn't you? I've been tracking you since you left Tokyo."
"No....this couldn't be happening...." Megumi muttered quietly. He had tricked her? No, no this couldn't be....
Sanosuke bit back a curse. How could he have let himself become so helpless?! And be tricked like this? It would never happen again if he got out of this. In his position he couldn't escape, nor protect Megumi! She was definitely in a bad way. He struggled against the bonds that held him, not minding the sword that ever so often barely touched the back of his neck.
Konrato kicked him roughly to stop the movement. "Don't make me kill you before I get what I want." He muttered hoarsely, low enough that the woman not 2 yards away could not hear.
He grimaced but acquiesced. Obviously his strength wasn't going to be of any use here, so he was going to have to rely on smarts.
Megumi took a deep breath and lowered her eyes to the ground as she stepped closer to Sanosuke and Konrato. Soon she was maybe a foot from the man she loved, and the two men that loved her.
"Your pet fox? I don't think so." she asked softly, raising a hand to Konrato's face. "Release this man, and I'm sure we could come to an arrangement."
Quickly she steeled herself to what she was about to do. If it would save Sanosuke's life, she was willing to do anything. Megumi stroked at light hand across the evil man's lips. She gingerly tipped her head to meet his. Konrato's and the fox's lips touched, and at that moment, all hell broke loose.
(A/N ok, I'm kidding hell didn't break loose, but it might as well have! ^_^ I love being evil.)
~//~
Yahiko frantically looked around him. Walls to two sides, men behind and in front of him, and he had nothing to fight with. His bokken had broken when he had been fighting earlier. This place was crawling with thugs hungry for cash and fighting.
"Hey little kid, who're your parents? I'm sure they'd ransom you for quite a bit!" one of the thugs from behind him said laughing evilly.
"Yeah, he's just so pretty isn't he? I'll bet he has a lovely singing voice!" another cackled.
"Amused with your own evilness aren't you?" a feminine voice said loudly from some direction.
The men looked around angrily, muttering to themselves. "Hey who's there?" "Show yourself girl!" "Where is she?"
Kaoru jumped down from one of the low roofs with Kenshin just behind her. She grabbed Yahiko by the edge of his collar. "When we get home your going to get it little Yahiko!" she muttered fiercly as Kenshin pulled out his sword.
"Oooo, a tough guy." One of the more unattractive men scoffed. "Go on, get him boys!"
Kenshin's face hardened as he quickly knocked out the men coming at him. In moments all of the men had fled or were on the ground moaning over broken arms and such. The rurouni turned around the face Kaoru and Yahiko.
"What happened Yahiko? How did you get yourself into a fight like this?" he asked.
Yahiko shrugged, and tried to make Kaoru release him. "Its not my fault Kenshin! I was just trying to find Sanosuke!"
"But why did you run off like that you little brat? You could've at least told us where you were going! I-We were worried sick!" Kaoru said angrily, dropping her short apprentice to the ground.
Kenshin nodded and hid a smile at Kaoru's stutter. "Yes we were worried Yahiko. You made a dangerous decision that you did."
The boy dusted himself off and stood up. He smiled cleverly. "But I figured out where Sanosuke and Megumi are, does that count?"
~//~
Sano's eyes grew thinner, and the edges could have been razor sharp (If you know what I mean!) when he realized what Megumi was going to do. So at that moment when all his pride shattered he pulled with all his strength, and pulled his chains against the sharp blade that now hung almost lifelessly in Konrato's hands.
As soon as his bonds were broken he shoved Megumi away from Konrato, who had seemingly held her spellbound with his lips. Sanosuke stood up, his face full of anger and fire. "You won't ever do that again!" he yelled, and slammed his fist into Konrato's still dumbfounded face.
The man flew across the room with the force of Sanosuke's punch and slammed into the wall, his sword flying through the air a few yards away from where its owner lay helpless.
Sanosuke straightened, staring at the man who had held him prisoner. Konrato shouldn't move again, and he didn't deserve to.
"Sanosuke." Megumi whispered softly, unable to believe her eyes that he had broken free. He had broken her free too, of an evil deeper that the darkness.
He turned by her voice, and smiled. "God fox, how do you get yourself into these kind of things?"
Megumi sighed happily, glad to see he didn't seem to hold any emotional injuries. She ran to him, and flung herself into his arms. He caught her gracefully, and tilted her head up with his forefinger.
"Oh Sanosuke, I- I'm so sorry." she said softly, staring up into his warm brown eyes.
He shook his head. "No.don't be." he bent down to kiss her. .
The sharp sound of metal ringing on the floor made him look up. "What.?" Megumi asked, her hands falling on Sano's chest, her back to the sound. Sanosuke glanced psat Megumi's beautiful face.
"If I can't have her, no one can!" Konrato screamed, and threw his sword with deadly grace, straight toward Megumi's unprotected back, before falling in a dead heap.
Time stopped, or at least seemed to slow for Sanosuke. His thoughts were whirling as he watched the sword fly closer and closer to the woman he loved. He turned around, he would save her, but she might be hurt when the sword went through him. There wasn't enough time to throw them both across the room..what was he going to do? There was no escape for them both. He took a deep breath. If it came to this, he would rather die that have to live on without Megumi.
A/N Well, I decided on another cliffhanger. I have the last chapter just about finished, but I'm not going to put it up at the same time as I post this one! ^_^
Thank you to Red Tigress and mushi-azn for reviews! You go girls, thanks for reviewing my story!
Bye!
Chapter 8 A Deadly Choice
"I will be right back Miss Kaoru. I believe Sano has been here." Kenshin said quietly. "Which means Yahiko will have been here also."
There was a very large wagon full of bottles of sake being packed into a storeroom. Over to the side, directing the men unloading was the bartender. Kenshin leaped down from the carriage and quickly walked over the man.
"Excuse me sir, but have you seen a tall man with brown hair and the symbol of 'Bad' on his back?" Kenshin asked politely.
The man raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I suppose. Why?"
The rurouni smiled. "He's a friend of mine, and I'd rather like to find him. Also, have you seen a small boy wearing a yellow gi and carrying around a wooden sword?"
"Yep. The man you look for, he was around here getting drunk. He drank all my sake, completely all of it!" the bartender frowned. "He didn't pay either. The boy you speak of, I've seen him too, and he was asking about the same man. Does he owe you something?"
Kenshin shook his head. "No, but do you know the whereabouts of either? I must find them immediately."
The man glanced over toward his bar quickly and turned back to Kenshin before explaining that he didn't know where Sanosuke had gone, but Yahiko had headed off to the east, toward some of the rougher sides of town.
"Thank you." Kenshin replied turning around to head back to Kaoru. The bartender stopped him by putting a hand on his shoulder first however.
"You might want to know fellow, that this Sanosuke guy you speak of, he was in some sort of girl trouble. Whatever it was it seemed worth dying over to him. Just make sure he isn't in any trouble ok? Men like him tend to throw themselves at women, just to prove themselves."
Kenshin nodded. "I will keep that in mind, that I will. Thank you."
Kaoru poked her head back out of the carriage as Kenshin returned. "Did he know where Sano and Yahiko are?"
Kenshin shook his head. "No Miss Kaoru, but we should be able to find them soon. I don't think either have left this area."
~//~
Megumi swirled around, and her eyes widened in fear as she saw Konrato's sword hovering blade down just above Sanosuke's neck. He wouldn't! Poor Sano, he couldn't even defend himself in a fair fight!
"Why would you kill a man who has done nothing?" she asked, trying to compose herself, and try to cover her shaking voice.
"Done nothing my pet fox? I do believe this peeping tom has done something. He was spying on you of course!" Konrato smiled wickedly as he dropped his sworn a fraction lower. He would find out what this Sanosuke meant to Megumi, or else.
"Spying on me? At least he wasn't so forward that it was improper!" Megumi cried angrily at Konrato. She was losing her temper.
"Forward? No my darling, I was not being forward. I brought you here as a work resource, not a lover. Yet." Konrato replied smiling wickedly.
"What...?" she whispered softly.
Konrato laughed, a deep handsome laugh. "Of course! You did not know? All the deaths, and things pointing to you my love? I knew you would run, and come to me after the escapade with Kanryu."
Megumi shook her head roughly. "No, I would have never come to you. Not ever!"
He smiled cleverly. "Not directly. But you came to me nonetheless didn't you? I've been tracking you since you left Tokyo."
"No....this couldn't be happening...." Megumi muttered quietly. He had tricked her? No, no this couldn't be....
Sanosuke bit back a curse. How could he have let himself become so helpless?! And be tricked like this? It would never happen again if he got out of this. In his position he couldn't escape, nor protect Megumi! She was definitely in a bad way. He struggled against the bonds that held him, not minding the sword that ever so often barely touched the back of his neck.
Konrato kicked him roughly to stop the movement. "Don't make me kill you before I get what I want." He muttered hoarsely, low enough that the woman not 2 yards away could not hear.
He grimaced but acquiesced. Obviously his strength wasn't going to be of any use here, so he was going to have to rely on smarts.
Megumi took a deep breath and lowered her eyes to the ground as she stepped closer to Sanosuke and Konrato. Soon she was maybe a foot from the man she loved, and the two men that loved her.
"Your pet fox? I don't think so." she asked softly, raising a hand to Konrato's face. "Release this man, and I'm sure we could come to an arrangement."
Quickly she steeled herself to what she was about to do. If it would save Sanosuke's life, she was willing to do anything. Megumi stroked at light hand across the evil man's lips. She gingerly tipped her head to meet his. Konrato's and the fox's lips touched, and at that moment, all hell broke loose.
(A/N ok, I'm kidding hell didn't break loose, but it might as well have! ^_^ I love being evil.)
~//~
Yahiko frantically looked around him. Walls to two sides, men behind and in front of him, and he had nothing to fight with. His bokken had broken when he had been fighting earlier. This place was crawling with thugs hungry for cash and fighting.
"Hey little kid, who're your parents? I'm sure they'd ransom you for quite a bit!" one of the thugs from behind him said laughing evilly.
"Yeah, he's just so pretty isn't he? I'll bet he has a lovely singing voice!" another cackled.
"Amused with your own evilness aren't you?" a feminine voice said loudly from some direction.
The men looked around angrily, muttering to themselves. "Hey who's there?" "Show yourself girl!" "Where is she?"
Kaoru jumped down from one of the low roofs with Kenshin just behind her. She grabbed Yahiko by the edge of his collar. "When we get home your going to get it little Yahiko!" she muttered fiercly as Kenshin pulled out his sword.
"Oooo, a tough guy." One of the more unattractive men scoffed. "Go on, get him boys!"
Kenshin's face hardened as he quickly knocked out the men coming at him. In moments all of the men had fled or were on the ground moaning over broken arms and such. The rurouni turned around the face Kaoru and Yahiko.
"What happened Yahiko? How did you get yourself into a fight like this?" he asked.
Yahiko shrugged, and tried to make Kaoru release him. "Its not my fault Kenshin! I was just trying to find Sanosuke!"
"But why did you run off like that you little brat? You could've at least told us where you were going! I-We were worried sick!" Kaoru said angrily, dropping her short apprentice to the ground.
Kenshin nodded and hid a smile at Kaoru's stutter. "Yes we were worried Yahiko. You made a dangerous decision that you did."
The boy dusted himself off and stood up. He smiled cleverly. "But I figured out where Sanosuke and Megumi are, does that count?"
~//~
Sano's eyes grew thinner, and the edges could have been razor sharp (If you know what I mean!) when he realized what Megumi was going to do. So at that moment when all his pride shattered he pulled with all his strength, and pulled his chains against the sharp blade that now hung almost lifelessly in Konrato's hands.
As soon as his bonds were broken he shoved Megumi away from Konrato, who had seemingly held her spellbound with his lips. Sanosuke stood up, his face full of anger and fire. "You won't ever do that again!" he yelled, and slammed his fist into Konrato's still dumbfounded face.
The man flew across the room with the force of Sanosuke's punch and slammed into the wall, his sword flying through the air a few yards away from where its owner lay helpless.
Sanosuke straightened, staring at the man who had held him prisoner. Konrato shouldn't move again, and he didn't deserve to.
"Sanosuke." Megumi whispered softly, unable to believe her eyes that he had broken free. He had broken her free too, of an evil deeper that the darkness.
He turned by her voice, and smiled. "God fox, how do you get yourself into these kind of things?"
Megumi sighed happily, glad to see he didn't seem to hold any emotional injuries. She ran to him, and flung herself into his arms. He caught her gracefully, and tilted her head up with his forefinger.
"Oh Sanosuke, I- I'm so sorry." she said softly, staring up into his warm brown eyes.
He shook his head. "No.don't be." he bent down to kiss her. .
The sharp sound of metal ringing on the floor made him look up. "What.?" Megumi asked, her hands falling on Sano's chest, her back to the sound. Sanosuke glanced psat Megumi's beautiful face.
"If I can't have her, no one can!" Konrato screamed, and threw his sword with deadly grace, straight toward Megumi's unprotected back, before falling in a dead heap.
Time stopped, or at least seemed to slow for Sanosuke. His thoughts were whirling as he watched the sword fly closer and closer to the woman he loved. He turned around, he would save her, but she might be hurt when the sword went through him. There wasn't enough time to throw them both across the room..what was he going to do? There was no escape for them both. He took a deep breath. If it came to this, he would rather die that have to live on without Megumi.
A/N Well, I decided on another cliffhanger. I have the last chapter just about finished, but I'm not going to put it up at the same time as I post this one! ^_^
Thank you to Red Tigress and mushi-azn for reviews! You go girls, thanks for reviewing my story!
Bye!