Sorry for not updating for so long. I hope you guys can forgive me. Well you could always read the chapters before this one to find out what happened, but besides that I've been busy updating my other stories and studying for a big exam. Please wish me luck, and oh yeah if you didn't read The Heart Speak by me, then please do read it! Enjoy this! Good-bye! Please don't be too harsh in your review, cause after all I am a sensitive person. Any questions, comments, or ideas will be accepted.
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. I wish I did but I don't. : (
Come What May
Chapter six
Wind the blew gently through the peaceful village, leaving wisps of remaining dried leaves from the little bit of trees left alive in the endless plains. Villagers slept peacefully in their huts, as the morning sun arose, showing its brilliant colors to the world. Kaoru looked at the peaceful village one last time, bidding her farewell to it, and the people. She had to leave, because her next destination was Minko forest. There she would find her main true purpose of her journey, and find out more about the long war that raged on between mythical creatures and human kind.
"We better get going. Staying here any longer would alert the villagers, and make our presence known to them," replied Aoshi quietly as he took Misao into his arms.
"Yes I think he's right Kaoru. We better make a run for it, while we still have the chance. You know if they find out what we are, they'll won't hesitate to kill us," said Misao assuringly. Her hands went to her chest, while she closed her eyes to concentrate hard on summoning her powers. A white light emerged from her hands, creating a light so bright; it almost blinded her to death.
What is she doing? Kaoru mentally asked, searching for her Dragon friend. Being able not to feel his presence baffled Kaoru. She wondered if yesterday's events of not wanting to talk her problems with her dear friend upset him so. Dragon Heart are you there? Why can't I find you? Did I upset you in anyway?
Without realizing what Kaoru was doing, she left her new friends; to search for her lost friend. In her heart, she prayed she didn't hurt him dearly. Dragon Heart, out of his kind, was a nice dragon who would never hurt a soul. His kindness, his loyalty, his courage towards others always inspired her to do her best. Before she ever met him, she thought all dragons were vicious, as the griffins she grew up with told her. All people knew that dragons were malevolent, and reclusive in their nature. It was said, they had a civilization of their own, where no one exactly knew about. They said anyone who were to come out alive from the Dragon Kingdom died within a week time, due to a curse that was set by powerful chosen ones a long time ago. Kaoru tried hard not to think about the curse. She remembered when the griffins taught her about other mythical creatures, they told her only a special few chosen ones were able to get along with dragons, because of the purity of their hearts. She learned from them, whoever was able to befriend a dragon, was special, and had something waiting for them in the future. That meant since Kaoru was able to be friends with Dragon Heart, I meant some destiny awaited her. Her fate was already decided by the almighty powerful one, the one who watched over both humans and the mythical creatures.
Kaoru turned in all directions, only trusting her intuition to do the job of find Dragon Heart for her. Being able not sense his presence worried her as well as baffled her. Last night after she had the bizarre dream of a stranger and her, she told him politely to leave her in peace, while she tried to find someway to calm her panicked mind. If she hurt him in any way, she would never forgive herself for turning her back on her friend. Especially a close friend, whom she considered her best friend. The only person who ever understood her so well.
"Kaoru!" yelled Misao, as she ran behind Kaoru. "We have to get out of here before we get caught! They'll be up within minutes. Apparently the potion I made wasn't strong enough to keep them sleeping."
"But I can't leave Dragon Heart here," Kaoru whispered. She brought her hand close to her chest, while deep in her heart; she prayed everything went well for him. "I would never forgive myself if something bad happened to him. All my life, he was there to look after to me. To not be able to do him the same favor, only worries me, and leaves me so much remorse in my soul."
"Yeah but think of it this way Kaoru. I know he wouldn't want anything to happen to you now, would he? He won't be able to forgive himself if something bad happened to you."
"I know, but I just can't leave him here. What happened if these villagers find him? What will they do to him next? They'll only send him to Lord Zayon where he can kill Dragon Heart. No, I'll never let that happen! Never!"
But before Kaoru can say anything further, she felt something hard shift within her body. Everything seemed to conk out, fade. Her whole body turned pale and cold, shivering from an invisible coolness not even Misao felt. And then she realized what happened. Something went wrong with Dragon Heart. He was in some kind of danger, and was trying to penetrate her, something in her mind was trying to relay some sort of message, she couldn't decipher easily.
Kaoru looked at her side to see both Soujiro and Aoshi walked beside her. She saw that both their minds focused on something that was affecting her. Maybe they found out what was going on. Maybe they know where Dragon Heart is, Kaoru mentally told herself. Please Dragon Heart; try with all your might to reach me. I can't hear you. To her it sounded like she was trying to communicate with nothing more then just air. The moment she felt coolness touched her skin, felt a weird shift into her soul, she knew everything changed. She knew what she had to do, if she wanted to gain her friend back. It was more like knowing the unknown, more like being possessed by something that didn't exist.
Leaving the safety of her new friends, not willing to get their lives mixed up into her problems, Kaoru walked deeper into the endless plains, searching for Dragon Heart. Every step she took, made the pain she was feeling grow more intense. It made her weak, drowsy, just making her feel like to lay down and sleep the rest of her years away. As she felt darkness claiming her eyes, the very window to her soul, she heard a desperate cry for help, a familiar voice that seemed so close to her, yet so far.
Kaoru, listen to me please! You must not give in into the darkness! It's exactly what he wants you to do! He knows who you are, and is waiting for you in the very depths of his castle! cried the voice mentally in her head. The voice seemed so familiar. If only she could remember the voice. Where did she hear the voice?
And then right before her eyes, black smoke came. A high gas arose from the yellow, bluish flaming depths. The intoxicating smell, overtaking the sanity of her soul, put her into a deeper state of sleep. The last thing she saw before completely giving herself into the darkness was people, more like the villagers were heading in her direction. In their hands they held torches of fire. Their loud voices roared through the endless plains. They came to her, as death was rising to claim her as well.
Misao saw the flames through the village rising higher and higher from the grounds. Black smoke filled the air, filling it with a poisonous gas that could kill everyone who dared to breathe it. As Misao felt a hand grabbed her by the waist to push her away from the incoming flames, she noticed Kaoru was gone, vanished in to thin air.
"No! We can't leave here big brother! We can't leave!" she cried as she felt Soujiro large hands pushing at the small of her back. "We need to get Kaoru out of here! She's in those flames, the villagers are after her! They know who she is!"
Misao saw realization sparked within Soujiro's blue eyes. His eyes narrowed into slits with an emotion she never saw before. She felt herself stepped a few feet back, for she never saw her brother angry like that, or never saw him with a rage, a look of a predator in his eyes.
"Misao, do me this favor! Call Pantheray to rescue you. When he does, I want you to go with him away from this village and never look back here again!" replied Soujiro in a deadly serious voice.
"I can't do that! I can't leave you here to die, or even risk your life to save her! Please come with me Soujiro!" begged Misao.
Soujiro had no other choice, he wrapped Misao in his embrace, as he said farewell to his little sister. "How many mythical creatures are going to throw their lives away for the prophecy? How many more have to die? The answer is all of us will die, if I don't save her Misao. Please try to understand when I say this. She's going to be the one to bring the peace, to stop the long war, and to defeat Lord Zayon. She's the only one who can, for the prophecy speaks of her, and only her. So how many more lives must be taken? For certain beliefs Misao, I'm willing to give up my life." With those words said and done, Soujiro left his sister to grieve knowing his ultimate fate, his sacrifice in the name of love.
It was said by people and mythical creatures of the medieval times, that from the long war, they forgot to feel, they forgot the meaning of the word emotion. It was said throughout the long war, they were taught to hate, to betray one another. The word family lost its value. Either a person fit into one group, or didn't belong at all. It was always a dream for the mythical creatures to have peace with the humans, and only one person can bring along the calm, the peace that would guarantee a safe future.
Kaoru woke up from her deep slumber. Her whole body trembled with throbbing pain. Her insides screamed with exhaustion. Her mind was kind of fuzzy. The only thing she remembered clearly was when she tried to save her friend. He somehow got lost, and called out to her. She couldn't resist leaving him in the village all by himself, so risking her life to save her friend, she walked into the fire willingly. His voice drew her somehow, called out to her, and beckoned her into the roaring flames. She didn't have the will power to deny such a sweet voice, she had known all her life.
"Kaoru, are you okay?" asked her friend who sat down next to her in a warm, cozy straw bed.
"How did I get here? Wasn't I at the village looking for Dragon Heart?" asked Kaoru unaware of her surroundings.
"You got out safe as well as your friend. You did a reckless thing going into the roaring flames, when we had a chance to escape," said Misao quietly, looking at her friend intently.
"But I couldn't leave Dragon Heart there to die. I just couldn't!" screamed Kaoru as she searched frantically for her friend. Her mind went on overdrive. She couldn't comprehend everything that was going on. All she looked for was the comforting voice of her dear old friend.
Calm down Kaoru. I'm here safe and sound. Did you think I'm going to let you go so easily Kaoru? Asked a familiar voice. Kaoru nearly jumped for joy when she heard Dragon Heart's voice communicating to her mentally. She felt her heart beating now at a rapid pace. Her breath was now easier to control. All the tension she felt earlier disappeared at the sound of her friend's voice.
Oh it's so good to hear from you once again! I was so worried that something bad happened to you. Where were you Dragon Heart? You nearly made me die you know! replied Kaoru mentally. She was a little upset to know what he did to her, but she forgave him easily. As long as he was okay, that was what mattered.
"Well um… where are we?" asked Kaoru clueless about everything that was happening around her.
"You are here in Minko forest. This is the forest you had to make your final destination too. Don't you remember?" confirmed Aoshi who was standing besides Misao.
"Oh. But what happened to Soujiro? I see both you and Aoshi, but where's Soujiro?" Kaoru seemed rather lost with her surrounding. Her sapphire eyes hoped to look for one other person who meant a lot to her, but the last words she received from Misao astonished her.
"Well… um Soujiro never made it out the fire, Kaoru."
Kenshin felt something from a nearby village in the endless plains. He felt something familiar. Something he felt earlier in the other forest he was in. This mysterious maiden his father had him searching for, had a wired connection to him. He knew where she was by a weird feeling he felt inside. Was it her voice, her songs that seemed to heal his soul? Was it because of her pure innocence that attracted him so easily to her? There was only one way to know his questions, he had to get to her before anyone else got to her.
"Yahiko, tell me what you feel at the next village?" asked Kenshin with a serious voice.
"The next village for me no longer has life. It has been burnt down by I have no idea what master," replied Kenshin's servant boy.
"Well that only means one thing. Father has found her, and is trying to lower her into a trap," said Kenshin, as he kicked his horse on the side. He had to get there fast before anything bad happened to her. If anything was to happen to her, it will only happen by his hands and his hands only.