Sorry I haven't update for such a long time with this story, however if it weren't for the nagging of my good friend Mariana, I wouldn't have post this chapter up online for quite awhile. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. To warn all of you, most of the ideas in this story is not my own. I borrowed the plot, the setting, and ideas from a book called Dark Gold by Christine Feehan. She's my favorite author so far. Do feel free to read the book if you like. This story is alike o that story, yet it has it differences. If you think I should stop writing this fic, then I'll gladly stop writing it. But ff.net is all about readers like us to expand our imagination. Oh Yeah, make sure you are old enough to read this story, because it's rated restricted for its contents.
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin series and Christine Feehan story and ideas, so please don't sue me because I don't have any money. I'm poor. : (
Awaking Moment
Chapter three
Battousai, weak and weary from his battle looked at the limp figure sprawled across the floor. The bloody battle took a lot of his strength and energy. Apparently he didn't bother to feed tonight before he came to fight Shishio. He was too busy cleaning up Shishio's mess before someone found about him and his people.
He walked forward to the limp figure, hoping her blood can sustain him. His body pulsed with the need of blood, her blood. He knew just by watching her battered body what he had to do with her. A woman vampire only fed on the helpless, the innocent, mostly children. His job was to dispose anyone who would be a great threat to both mortal and immortal. Just by sensing her aura, Battousai could tell Shishio left her weak so he could control her easily. If he had any emotions left he would have felt sorry for what he was going to do next.
Battousai picked up the unconscious woman in his arms. He wiped the stringy hair away from her soft face, away from her delicate throat. He bent his head towards her throat, his fangs pierced her neck, and everything changed for him instantly. Colors danced around him, filling his vision with its scenery, with its warmth and beauty. His body acted up in such a weird manner, something he hadn't felt in centuries. Usually a Carpathian man who had roamed the earth for centuries was not able to feel things. As the days passed, if he failed to find his lifemate, his light to his darkness, he would lose all emotions, the ability of seeing colors. The darkness eventually claims the man, until either he chooses to live with darkness, becoming a vampire and feeding on the helpless, or he commits suicide by waiting for the rising sun to obliterate his body.
Her blood was hot, sweet, ever so addicting. He was aware that her pulse slowly reached into a halt. He no longer heard her blood rushing through her heart. He could feel the icy coldness on her skin, notifying her brink to lying between both worlds of life and death. He slowly laid her back on the ground, realizing what he did. If she truly was his lifemate, then he could not kill her. But how can a vampire woman be his lifemate? Could she be a vampire as yet? Maybe there still was time to save her. Before Battousai could move away from the limp figure, he felt someone hit his legs.
"Stop hurting my sis! She said you were going to come and save us, but you're just like him! You're slowly killing her just like the other monster! You're just like him!" yelled a younger boy, who stood before without any fear in his chocolate brown eyes. Tears streamed down the boy's cheeks.
From where Battousai stood, he was amazed he could the boy had chocolate brown eyes. For so many centuries, roaming the earth without having the ability to see colors, he grew accustomed to seeing everything black and white in front of him. Without being able to see colors, he also lost ability of feeling emotions. Every day, every single moment, his soul became consumed by darkness. The only thing to save him from ever turning into a vampire without his true lifemate was his priorities to his people.
"I am here to save both you and your sister," Battousai whispered absently as he knelt down to the limp figure next to him. He closed his eyes, and searched in the limits deep within her body. He could tell from her aura, she was giving up her life already. She was giving herself to the brink of death, letting it consume her very slowly.
Battousai had to give her some of his blood quickly in order for her live longer. His nail slashed his wrist. Without thinking he put his bleeding wrist in her mouth for her to drink. He felt her stir, her body automatically coming to life at the offering of his blood, however as fast as she woke up from her deep slumber, it only led her to struggle against him.
You will not leave me. Take my blood, which I offer freely. You must drink to survive, he mentally commanded the young woman, but she didn't respond to him. Instead she struggled more against him. He could feel the last of her spirit almost wiping out on him. He changed his tactics, realizing it wasn't working. He knew that from her positioning before he fought Shishio, the boy must have meant something to her to keep her living then from dying. You must live for your brother. He needs you right now more then you could ever know. Fight for him.
Finally leaving those words to persuade the almost dying young woman, he got her to drink from him on her own free will. Battousai realized from her will strength to survive, that she only did it for her dear brother.
"What are you doing?" the little boy demanded.
"Your sister lost a lot of blood tonight, so I must give her a transfusion," answered Battousai calmly. He knew the boy saw a lot of things tonight, terrible things that would give him nightmares. Battousai was impressed by the little boy's courage to try to stand up for his older sister, at her weakened condition, plus his bravery and the compassion he showed during his brief time of being here with them. He thought he offered the boy a logical explanation, with a simple planning when he got back home he would wipe off the boy's memory.
Throughout the night before the battle he had with Shishio, he had to dispose three bodies of the three females he killed last night. Within the memories of their friends and families, he wiped off their total existence so that no one can claim them missing. He also disposed of the old man's body, doing the same action as he did to the three females. By dawn however he lost track of the vampire's trail. He could only trust his intuition to get to the cave, where Shishio held two captives.
Now he had no choice but to take home the young boy beside him and the pitiful disfigured woman who was clearly the mate he had been seeking for centuries. Just by looking at her right now, Battousai couldn't tell what she really looked like. Her body was covered in bruises, cuts, and splattered blood. But he could tell by the torn up suit she worn, she had a curvy figure. This was the woman who brought back life into him gave him back colors and feelings he thought he lost for an eternity.
"What's your name?" Battousai asked the boy whom now knelt down to his sister. He thought about reading the boy's mind, but he thought that would be invading the boy's privacy.
"My name is Yahiko Kamiya. Is my sister going to be okay? The evil monster hurt her really bad."
"Well Yahiko, trust me when I tell you she's going to be okay. That bad man will never hurt another soul. I know someone who could look after her for me at my place."
"I don't think she'll like that idea of us staying at another person's house, plus her best suit is ruined for us. Now she won't get a good job to help support us." The boy sounded so forlorn, that he was about to cry at any given moment. He looked at Battousai for comforting.
Battousai gently stopped the young woman from feeding. He needed some energy if he had to transport them to his home, plus it took a lot of energy, time, and blood to heal another person. He didn't have that right now. Battousai shifted his moment, as he gently held both Yahiko and his sister in his arms.
"I need you to stay really close to your sister. She's very ill right now, and your presence will let her know that she's safe. If she say anything scary, don't take it on personally."
"Why would she say anything scary?"
"When people are very sick, a fever can make them delirious, so they don't know what they say. Most of the time the things that they say have to do with their fears or the people who they feel very close too."
Yahiko nodded solemnly in understanding. He bent down to kiss his sister's forehead, but she never responded. Her eyes remained closed; her skin remained very pale, and cold. He was afraid he lost her.
Battousai watched from the distance. Watching them together brought a lump in his throat. He saw the look before in the eyes of the woman and the man who lived with him. Both of them shared feelings of love towards one another, just like how the young boy shared love for his sister.
Battousai looked away and went to do his normal hideous job. Even though the vampire was dead, he was not considered fully dead. He had to burn the remaining of the vampire's body. Walking to middle of the cave, Battousai concentrated on creating flames in his mind. Red shadowing blended with orange, rising higher and higher to he brink color of yellow. Deep embodied within the flames was a coloring of blue, which hid within the other shadowing of colors. When Battousai opened his eyes, right before him, he could see the same colors from his mind burning the remains of the vampire he killed. It left nothing but black ashes on the rocky, cold cave floor.
Within seconds Batttousai came back to Yahiko's side. He lifted the boy and the boy's sister in his arms and made his way home with them.
Battousai waited outside one of the rooms in his house. Moments after his arrival Yahiko was sent into another room, while the healer of his people, also known as one of the few last Carpathian women left in the world stayed behind to heal Yahiko's sister. He hoped the unconscious woman healed and would be better by tomorrow.
"Will she be okay?" Battousai asked as he sensed a familiar presence by the doorway.
"Yes she will be okay, however I don't know how many times the vampire fed from her. If I don't know that important information, then we will have to get rid of her," said the woman with sadness in her voice.
"I don't think that will be necessary Megumi. There's something weird about her, something that pushes me to her and wanting to get rid of her is something I won't let you do."
"Well yes Battousai, but I need the answer to the important information."
"Leave that to me. I'll let you know what I found out when I'm done dealing with her," replied Battousai as he left the healer of his people there standing in the hallway by herself.
Only a handful of Carpathian males were lucky to find what they were looking for their hold lives. From the moment they were born into the world, they knew their purpose, but only a few of them were ever so lucky enough to find their lifemates. When a Carpathian male was born, from the time he was young he was trained to protect the family. Since most of the Carpathian women died from the long terrible wars in the past, it became a duty of every single Carpathian male to guard Carpathian females. They became rare and true gifts. However their babies of female girls became less. They had more boys then girls, plus within the first year, most of them died. For Battousai to finally have been able to meet the woman who was meant to be his lifemate, the woman who he was going to spend the rest of his life with, really blessed him because he thought a day like this would never come to greet him.
As he walked into her new room to check upon her, he heard slight moans coming from the direction towards the bed. He saw her covered from neckline to her toes. Candles flickered beautifully beside her, across her pale skin. From the last time meeting, Battousai had with her, he couldn't recognize her now. Her skin, which had been paled before, looked somewhat flushed with color. He noticed her raven hair spread across the sheets like silken satin. He waited silently from the corner of the room for her to say something.
Kaoru awoke to find herself in a different place. For a moment she thought she woke up in the middle of heaven, but when she made an attempt to move her own body, she felt so much pain. The only thing she could do in bed was look around the unfamiliar room.
It was beautiful. Whoever owned this room had an eye for elegance and indulges the tastes. Her finger curled around the bed sheets as she felt a presence in this unfamiliar room with her.
"Yahiko," she called ever so silently. She realized it was not him, but some other person she didn't know. She hoped it wasn't another vampire that claimed her as his for some awkward reason.
"He's safe." The voice, so hypnotizing, beautiful, unearthly voice that surprised her earlier on, the same voice she would recognize anywhere spoke to her. She wondered if she was truly dreaming rather than awake.
"I don't see him. Where is he?" She couldn't move a muscle. She didn't bother to move anyway. Her whole body ached. Seeing her position and the stranger's position, she knew he had the upper hand on her. She waited for him to make his move, to see what he wanted to do with her.
"He's safe in the main room, with a couple of my trusted friends. No harm will come to him, after all he is under our protection as you are." His voice was so soft, so soothing, ever so gentle. She could feel the sound of his voice in her mind.
Kaoru closed her eyes, mainly because she was too tired to keep them open. "Who are you? What do you want to do with me?"
"My name is Kenshin Himura, however others know me as Battousai the Hunter. What I'm trying to do is help you, not harm you. Shishio I imagined wanted to keep you in a weakened state to control you. You're very dehydrated, your eyes are black and sunken, your lips cracked, and your body cells cry out for nourishment. His blood that he gave you is tainted. Your body will go through a conversion. I need to know exactly how many times he exchanged blood with you Ms. Kamiya."
She hardly digested his words except when he said the word conversion; her whole mind went in shock. Her voice which she struggled so hard to find came out in nothing more then a whisper. "What do you mean conversion? I can't be going through that, I don't want to be what you are! If you have to kill me in order for me not to be like you then do so!"
He shook his head. "No you don't understand. There's very little time to explain. We could do this two ways, the easier way, or the harder way. I recommend you to let me help you with this situation."
"My whole body hurts. Please bring Yahiko. I need him here with me."
"Yahiko is just a little boy. He thinks you are ill with the flu and a fever. He does not need to be traumatized or frightened any further. Do you not agree?"
"How do I know I could trust you?" asked Kaoru tiredly. Her whole body ached; her mind threatened to leave her, her heart pumped faster. "You're a vampire and vampires deceive people so they can get whatever they want from people like me."
I can assure you that he is fine. Like I told you before he's under the protection of my people. No harm will come to him. I can also assure you that I'm not a vampire. I'm Carpathian." His voice stayed calm. It never changed inflection. "Now I need to know how many times Shishio took your blood."
"You have a way to get people to do your bidding don't you? Isn't that what vampires do? You made Mr. Makoto afraid of you because you influenced him didn't you? You're deadly, dangerous aren't you? And here I am in the same room as you," she said nervously. She bit her lip; to only wince when bit her scrape blister and felt the throbbing pain of her sores.
"It has to do with my voice," Battousai replied indifferently. "Do you remember the story you told him earlier? You told him about someone rescuing both you and him from the clutches of Shishio. Well I'm him, and I promise I won't do anything to hurt you or him. Right now he's downstairs with my very well trusted friend who's a healer named Megumi Sagara, and she's also with her husband who takes cares of all the repairs in this house, named Sanosuke Sagara. They would never do a thing to hurt your little brother."
"But what about earlier incidents? He would have nightmares. He needs someone to ease his fears. I need to look after him tonight."
"Don't worry about that. My cook who is also a maid will tend to him personally. Her name is Tae. She'll watch over and treat him as though if he were her very own son. Yahiko's mind has been erased. He doesn't remember about the earlier events. He thinks your old friend Henry died from a heart attack. He also thinks that the couple of people living in this house and me are old friends of yours. He knows nothing more then that."
All of a sudden her questions, her worries were all put aside when she felt a sharp pain pierced throughout her body. She tried to scream, but her voice came out as a croak. She curled up in a fetal position to help her go through the pain, however the pain continued to rampage throughout her whole body. She felt like a thousand needles were prickling her everywhere causing her to cry out in pain and in anguish. She felt strong arms closed around her small figure. She heard a voice from a distance chanting, singing a soothing song in her ears, and easing her pain a little bit. As the pain started to fade, she felt him stroke her hair away from her face, while he turned her around to look at him. But what she saw made his her sapphire eyes widened in fear. His eyes, which were the color of molten gold, were the same piercing eyes that haunted her in her dreams. The bloody long red hair that she drew in her pictures for Enishi's game was the same. It all made sense, as well as astonished her. Before she could say anything, before she could push him away, the same pain she felt earlier in her body overcame her once again. Kaoru screamed out once more, but this time not only in pain, also in fear before she fell into a deep slumber once again.
Battousai watched her sleeping form laying on her new bed. He felt a need rise into him, a need to protect, to shelter her, to take away all her feelings of pain. He knew what he had to do. With his nail, he slashed his wrist open once again. Red blood poured freely from his wound. With a gentleness he never knew he possessed, he opened her mouth and gently commanded her to take his blood. Without hesitation she gulped down his blood in hunger and in need. However the impact of her bare lips just touching his wrist, made his whole body stiffened. It was from then on, he truly knew she was his, and his alone. The lifemate he waited for finally came to him. He was not going to let her go, even if it cost him his life. She had to live, not only for her brother but for him as well.
To truly make the sleeping woman his he said the magical words that will bind them for all time. I claim you as my lifemate. I belong to you. I offer my life for you. I give you my protection, my allegiance, my heart, my soul, and my body. I take into keeping the same that is yours. Our life, happiness, and welfare will be placed above my own for all eternity. You are my lifemate, bound to me for all eternity and always in my care.
He repeated the ancient words both in his ancient tongue and regular English. He said words that will now keep them forever linked. No one can take her from him so easily. If she ran, he knew where he could always find her. The link between them became far stronger then any mortal can ever understand.
Battousai watched the young woman one last time, before exiting her room. He had to go hunting this night to replace the blood he used to heal her further. As he made his way downstairs into the study room to see if the young boy was still awake he ran into Megumi one last time.
"Battousai are you okay?" she asked him a worried tone as she ran to help him.
Battousai raised his hand to let her know he was fine. Just then Sanosuke, his old time friend walked into the study room to see what happened to Megumi. Apparently through their mental link between them, he felt Megumi's worry and went to her rescue.
"What happened Battousai? You look rather pale. You better hunt right now, or else within a couple of hours will be dawn and your powers will fade," said Sanosuke as he snaked an arm around Megumi.
"I will go, but I wanted to see how the boy is doing that's all," replied Battousai. He just turned away from the two, while he made his way to the front door.
"Tae is tending to his every need. All he asked for was his sister's company tonight though. He said he hopes he could see he tomorrow if he may," said Megumi calmly.
"That's good to hear. Now I must leave. However I have one question to ask you."
"Go ahead Battousai, ask away if you wish," replied Megumi as she bowed to him. Just then Tae passed down a long coat for Battousai to wear. Megumi thanked her silently with a pleasantly, mannerly look.
"Is it possible for a human to be a lifemate to a Carpathian male?" asked Battousai. He felt his whole body posed into an alert system as he waited for an answer from either Megumi or Sanosuke.
"I have heard a legend about it. Nothing more. Why do you ask sir?" asked Megumi with curiosity etched in her voice.
"I know the woman laying upstairs in the room is my future lifemate." With those, Battousai absconded in the darkness, leaving a shocked Megumi, and a dumbfounded Sanosuke.
