Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin series. I wish I did but I don't. : (

No Longer Innocent

Chapter two

Things happen for their own reasons. Nothing could be said or done, not a person can change time if they wanted to. If one must suffer for something they do not know of, it happened for a reason. If they are to be punished for another one's crime, then it happened for a reason. So when people hear things that happen for reasons, just don't deny the fact. Don't pretend not to hear it. Don't look away, or even try to run from it, because in the end, the outcome is the same.

Don't give into the darkness; don't give the soul to the damned. Don't wish life away. Try to run, but never hide those fears away. Continuously life is always being put onto to a test. It depends on the outcome. Don't depend too much on the heart; instead rely on the mind for resources. If people considered friends who don't help out the way they should, then forget them. Start a new life, and never look in the past. But then again, the past makes people who they are. Not if they don't forget it at first.

One girl suffered immensely for some of these reasons. She suffered greatly for something she was innocent of. She never deserved what fate brought her. To love could be a sin. Her heart fell for one man, and one man alone. She was willing to give her whole world, only he did not notice her, the way she hoped he would. He was caught up in a world where bloodshed only existed, where he swore that he should bring on a greater future. He denied his feelings for a particular girl after all she was only a friend, an innocent, nothing more. Yet the weary girl suffered in comparison to those who have suffered. In the end her world was doomed. To know whether she was going to live or die was up to her own choosing? But, this all happened for a reason.

Megumi wiped her tears away, while she watched the petite form laying unconsciously on the futon. Her heart went out for the girl. She said many trivial tings to her, many hurtful things. Even though some were true, others came out from a simple cause of envy. Megumi envied Kaoru in many ways. Kaoru lived such a placid, simple life. Kaoru knew nothing about poverty, nothing about killing, about neither bloodshed, nor anything vicious that went on the streets at night. Just looking at her, showed how innocent she really was, how naïve one girl could be. What was she doing all alone at night? Where was Kenshin and others when this terrible thing happened to her? Did she sneak out? Was she doing something they didn't know anything about?

Just then a huge figure followed by a small figure passed through the sliding door entry. Megumi looked behind her to see Sano towering over her, his big muscular frame made her feel small in size.

"How is she?" asked Sano, his tone crackling as though he was going to cry. His light brown eyes held so much worry. It astonished Megumi, because she always thought Sano was a non-caring guy who spent most or all of his money gambling, and he freeloaded on Kaoru. Kaoru must have had it really hard.

Then looking behind Sano, Megumi saw Yahiko who looked over Kaoru's battered body with worried eyes, one filled with tears. She noticed his small hands clenched at his sides while he inspected every inch of Kaoru's exposed skin.

Megumi wanted to be honest with the boys. She knew if she lied, they would notice because looking at Kaoru's condition alone told them it looked like she wasn't going to live much longer. "She has been badly hurt. She was beaten from head to toe, with a wooden sword or wooden stick. Her hands looked like they were restrained for her wrists hold bruised marks. According to some evidence around her pelvis area, some of her internal organs are torn. I don't know if she could ever bear a child. If she did get pregnant from the occurrence, it will cost both her child's life and her life. There are large wounds on her body that signifies she was tortured. I have seen many rapes before, but nothing in this terrible condition. If Kaoru lives, it would be impossible for her to heal."

"Don't say that! I know Kaoru! If it were anyone who's going to heal, that would be Kaoru! She is not going to die!" yelled Yahiko, while he looked at a pale almost lifeless body. He pushed his way to get to her, but Megumi held him back.

"Yes you're right. Kaoru is strong, but not that strong as we all think," replied Megumi as she felt tears fell from her eyes. She heard the others gasped in shock at her words. She had noticed Kaoru's conditions some days ago. She remembered Kaoru was acting differently. The way her eyes moved away from Kenshin's made Megumi look at Kenshin in a different way. Every week when Megumi saw Kaoru, she saw new red marks, in which Kaoru made excuses of receiving them from training. Her eyes rose with fear when they rested on Kenshin. Her whole body flinched when he went near her. Something was not right. The others didn't realize it; Megumi knew something was terribly wrong.

"Don't you remember the time when Kenshin left to go to Kyoto? Kaoru grew really weak, when she received a farewell from Kenshin, when we didn't. Her emotions kept her back, as well as they pushed her forward. But for this case, Kaoru's time at home, her will power, her patience was running thin," continued Megumi. " Is there anything you guys are hiding from me?"

"No nothing at all. I just don't get the fact why Kaoru went out by herself that night. I'll kill whoever did this to her! I will kill them!" Sanosuke clenched his fists together, his eyes narrowing a deadly stare at the sight of Kaoru's limp, pale figure. Just looking at her made everyone more then concern. Sano went up to her pale figure, picked up lithe form into his arms, where he held onto the body so tight. His tender movement astonished Megumi. Sano was crying real tears. His tears fell on Kaoru, each one sliding, then hitting the wooden floor at the side of the futon. Megumi felt her hand reflexively wipe her own tears away. She prayed for everything to be all right, but by the look of everything, nothing was going to be the same. Kaoru not only lost her reputation in Tokyo, but she lost her innocence as well. From now things will be looked upon differently. Every time she looked at her bare naked flesh, she would see scars her attackers left on her. She would see the couple of scars around her throat; she would feel ugly bruises that would forever scar the stabbing pain around her pelvis, stomach area, and her back. Kaoru was never going to be the same again. Most of all her spirit, the feisty spirit everyone knew so well was forever lost. Megumi hoped she survived this encounter, but then the best way to relieve the pain was for her to die.

Just then without any warning, a fiery red haired samurai entered the room unknown. His appearance dark, while his amber eyes inspected the limp frame that Sano now held. Not one single emotion flickered in his eyes. Not one. He just stood there as silent as a tiger, scanning his surrounding, inspecting the prey that already had been fed to the hungry wolves. He searched for the permanent damage they scarred the young prey for life. Without any remorse, any emotion, he silently turned, his footsteps threaded lightly on the woodened floor. Sacrifices had to be made. The innocence must suffer. To gain a better Japan, people must be willing to give anything precious to the damned. For Kaoru, she gave her innocence, her life, and her soul as well.

To die is the eternal gift of creating new life. Breathe one second, then die the next, and after that a new life is born. If one wished to die, then they should not be granted death. Instead their punishment should be life, however, one determined soul who wants to make a difference should be gifted with life. One soul that is ready to die gives room to a new soul, which may live for a greater purpose.

Kaoru breathed her new fresh air of life. The darkness of her world faded. Her breaths came out as gigantic gasps, while her lungs tried to cooperate with her intakes of air. Her body trembled so much; the air felt so cold on her exposed skin. Slowly taking in her surrounding, while her body trembled so much, her vision a little blurry from the tears that fell from her eyes, she noticed something was different. Where was she? Who's room been this? Most of all why was she here?

Silently as not to alert anyone, she got up to have the blankets fall off her petite bruised skin. She examined herself, and saw that between the valley of her breasts, was large wounds. Going to down to her stomach and her pelvis area, she felt sore, saw red ugly marks along her backside and a small portion of her back. She wondered how she got those marks in the first place.

Kaoru moved to a small chest, which lay across from the futon she was in. Slowly she opened it so she wouldn't attract any attention. Her first idea was to put on some clothes so at least she wouldn't feel so vulnerable. She needed something she could fight with, and maybe to grab something to eat. Making her movements towards the door was painful. Her body swayed from side to side. Her legs felt as if they were about to give away her support. She hastily slipped on a white gi and hakama she found within the chest. They were a bit big, but she decided she could live with it for the meantime being.

Then all of a sudden shouts could have been heard from a distance. Kaoru strained her ears to hear what was going on outside.

"You know what you did. I have seen the things she had to go through. I saw the hurt in her eyes, the way she flinched when you went to her," said a woman's voice from behind the sliding door. Her voice sounded determine, as if struggling to get to a point.

"Why do you care all of a sudden? Aren't you the one who always hurt her?" said the other voice filled with malice. Kaoru felt a shiver go down her spine. She hoped she never had to come face to face with that man when she tried to escape this house.

"What is that suppose to mean? Kaoru is lying inside there on the brink of death, and here you are standing without any emotions in your eyes. Sano and Yahiko may not have noticed your changes, but I did."

"What are you going to do about that?"

"I don't know, but that woman is my patient, as well as my friend. I admit their were many times I was harsh to her and not as loyal to her as I was suppose to be, but now she's dying. Her spirit, her will power to live is fading and I can't do a thing. Why do you have to be so heartless? Why so cruel?"

Before Kaoru could move away from the door, she heard a big thump on the wall. From where she stood, she heard a scream, which echoed through the house. It reminded her of something very important, something, which was like a useless puzzle shattered in fragments within her head. In the air, she could smell and taste the bitter scent of blood. Without making a slight noise, she heard the same voice that spoke with malice.

"Sacrifices are made for a better Japan. People suffer for no reason. This is the time when everyone is willing to give everything they cherish most for freedom of this hell. People are willing to give their souls to the damned. The strong will live and the weak shall perish. You're weak, but because you owe me your life, I will let you live to serve me only. Battousai has awoken, to let the phrase live on, that things happen for a reason."

Kaoru backed away from her position. The evil man named Battousai had spoken words, which seemed so familiar to her, yet she did know where she heard them before. Her mind screamed at her, while her body ached. As much as she wanted to help the young woman, she could not. She just wasn't strong enough. Her feet made a silent movement, however before she could comprehend her surroundings carefully, she saw a flash of amber, and then everything went dark. Things do happen for a reason.