WARNING: Possible spoilers, if you haven't seen or read past the Kyoto Arc, don't read this. And also, big surprise: I have no rights to Kenshin or his friends; those belong to Watsuki Nobuhiro, Shueisha, Sony Entertainment and Jump Comics. Please review, flames accepted with a tolerant smile. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride . . .
Last time in Bended Shadows:
Sano looked directly at Kenshin, into his deep violet eyes, "She's gone Kenshin. She left here, 10 days ago. She has a lot of things to sort out, and we have a lot of things to explain to you."
Kenshin stared back at Sano, confusion, pain, fear, anger and most of all, trust, filled his eyes as he looked at his best friend. "Tell me what happened, Sano, and then we will bring Kaoru-dono back home, that we will."
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Kenshin clenched his fist, his eyes pressed tightly closed. He took one ragged breath, as if it was the hardest thing he had ever done. Then another. After a few moments, the intense pressure on his chest began to lift, and managed to hold back the tears by one single thread.
Sano Megumi and Yahiko sat around him, their heads bowed. The tale had been almost has hard for them to tell, as it had been for their friend to hear.
The fear and anger, and sorrow enveloped Kenshin, swirling in a damp mist al around him, his eyes flashed from violet to lavender rapidly, causing the others to look at him with concern.
I haven't seen his eyes that color for well over a year, this will not be good. Sano gazed at his friend, trying to figure out if the former hitokiri was about to cry, or start tearing the city of Tokyo apart. Of course, he may very well do both . . . Then he gasped, as amber eyes settled on his.
"How could you have let her go alone? Why did you allow her to go at all?" The Battousai brought his fist down hard on the small table, sending the small bowls and chopsticks flying in every direction as the wood crumbled. "I trusted you Sano."
Sano looked down "If you had seen he-"
"He didn't allow her to do anything Kenshin!" Yahiko shouted, standing up to face his idol. "I am the one who let her leave! I waited until she was far gone before ever telling Sano and Megumi she had even left!"
Megumi shivered a bit as the angry gaze of Kenshin moved across her to settle on Yahiko.
"Don't be so stupid Kenshin! Don't you see!? You should understand better than anyone why she had to go!"
Kenshin and Yahiko stood, their eyes locked in one another, as the minutes ticked by. A contest of wills between the former hitokiri and the young student of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu.
Sano looked on the two fighters, and make no mistake, Yahiko was a fighter now. He has grown up more than we had realized I think, something has been . . . different about him since the . . . since it happened. He isn't a child anymore; he has seen his share of battles, sure. But this goes further than just being a 'stronger' fighter. There was no question how much he has grown as a swordsman, but now, he seems to have grown into a man as well. "You would be proud of him Kaoru" he whispered very softly.
The stand off dragged on for several minutes, each reading deep into the others heart.
Yahiko stared down his idol, burying the tiny spark of fear as he saw little golden specks dance in Kenshin's lavender eyes. He should understand, but I don't think that he does. He sees only failure in himself. No matter that it wasn't his fault, what happened . . . Kaoru was much the same way, swimming in quilt and self-doubt. These are the two strongest people I know! They always came through for me, now, I will help them! I will not fail you Kenshin! Kaoru!
Kenshin's eyes widened as he felt Yahiko's spirit swell. He . . . he has grown up. The last time I saw him, at breakfast that morning, he was only a boy . . . now, I face a man. What have I done to my family!? He shouldn't have to grow up yet! He is still young, there is plenty of time for him . . . I have driven the woman I love away. I couldn't protect her, again. Kenshin sighed, but, this young man is right, I should understand why she left. But I don't. I do, however, finally understand some small measure of what she felt that day . . . with the fireflies. The last image he had of her in his mind now was her covered in blood, face streaked with tears, screaming out his name. He felt his eyes begin to tear up, the horrible image clouding over his eyes until he felt like he was going to faint, finally the moment passed, and he allowed himself to reflect on that day when he had told her goodbye. . . We never did watch the fireflies, such pretty little things, they hold so many sorrowful moments for us, I was going to change that. I wanted to take her there, again, this time to create a beginning, instead of an end. Kenshin tore his eyes away from his friend.
"Sumanai de gozaru, Yahiko." He then looked up at Megumi, eyes pleading with her, "Onegai, a moment of your time Megumi-done?"
Sano and Yahiko looked at each other, each slightly stunned, and quickly left the room.
"Megumi-dono . . . Sessha knows he should not ask this . . ."
"Whatever it is Ken-san, I will answer the best I can, I promise you." She rested a hand on her friends shoulder, then gasped as grabbed her hand with both of his, as if he needed that human contact or he would drop off the planet, drop from humanity . . . He was bracing himself, she understood why a moment later.
"When you- when Kaoru was here. You examined her." It wasn't a question, his eyes remained locked on hers, trying desperately to find the spark in her that would allow him to stop, that would tell him his fears where unfounded. "Megumi-dono? Did they-?" He broke off, panic rising in his throat. No! Not like that! It wasn't supposed to be like that for her! "Not all of your enemies have the same moral code that Enishi had baka" a voice growled in his mind. Please, tell me no Megumi . . .
But instead of the words Kenshin so needed to hear, she turned her face away from his, and he watched, horror leaping out of him like flames, as her tears hit the polished wood of the floor, one, after another.
My Kaoru . . . I'm so sorry, my Kaoru . . .
"They don't know Kenshin. Yahiko and Sano, I-" her voice broke "I couldn't tell them, it's her private business, but you . . . you have to find her Ken-san!" She looked up at him, smiling very slightly, her eyes shining with hope. "You're the only one Ken-san. The only one who understands. Go get her. Bring her home to us? Please . . ."
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A/N :wee!! I know, short again, but work is taking up a lot of time at the moment, plus I'm in the middle of helping 2 of my friends move! (You know, help Jam and Ash move boxes . . . work . . . work . . . help Toni move boxes . . . read read read on FF.net . . . ½ hour of sleep, 5 min or so of writing then repeat . . . don't forget to rinse….) Okay, sorry, anywhos.
But, I didn't want to go to long without posting, so I thought I'd throw up part of what I had for this next section . . . don't send the lynch-men, see, I'm here, I'm writing . . . kinda . . . ::grin::
Alright, for Review responses!
The sacred night: Yes, I always have been horrible about that, I tend to skip to the point . . . but I will try! : ) I just won't promise anything . . .
Donna8157: Thanks, I'm glad your still reading : ) I just love touches of M&A . . . I just don't have the flair for Aoshi, but I'm working on it, they will be back with more comic relief later if I can ever figure out how to write him . . .
BabyKaoru-sama: I know I promised longer . . . I'm sorry!!!! But at least I posted something . . . ::ducks before the bokken hits her head:: right?
Kik-ting: well . . . I'll say this. This is a K&K story, with small a&m and m&s overtones, possibly to become larger later . . . and I don't like to kill off my main characters . . . I admire authors that have the guts for it, but I just don't . . . so don't worry.
Someone I think: ::grin:: neither is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, but it rolls well off the tongue ne? ::chuckles:: and it got your attention didn't it? ::evil grin::
Ange Noir: I don't think you can to something purposely on accident either . . . cause if you planned it . . . by doing It on purpose . . . then you couldn't have an accident, unless like you say you are doing so subconsciously, but can you subconsciously plan something by accident? Or is it the other way around? You know, I think I just confused myself too……ORO!!!!
Ms. Zeal: . . . does the little ~~~ not show up? Well, I added some * randomly, hopefully that will make it better? Lemme know…. Thanks!
To all of the rest of you, THANK YOU!! I would continue typing individual responses, but its 3:30am and I have to be up at 6 . . . sorry! I will post again…. Today is Monday, well, it used to me anyway….so I will post again Wednesday, and I promise, Hiko really will show up this time . . .
Glossary:
Sumanai de gozaru: I'm sorry – Kenshin style
Onegai: please
Chiburui - a sharp flick of the wrist, to clear excess blood from the blade, done deliberately, and menacingly.
Jou-Chan – Sano's name for Kaoru, roughly "Missy, or Little Missy"
Busu – Hag, or Ugly, Yahiko teases Kaoru with this name a lot.
Kami-Sama - God
Shoji – rice paper doors
Oneesan – "my elder sister"
Sakabattou – Kenshin's reverse blade sword
-chan - added
to given name to address children affectionately, can also be used among girls who
are close friends
-dono - very
polite equivalent form of "-san", usually for royalty and nobility
-san - added
to given or family name to express respect and friendliness
-sama - polite equivalent form of "-san", or used to express appreciation, or used for gods, royalty, or someone one "worships". Aoshi-sama is what Misao calls Aoshi.
Ohayou – Good morning
AHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! My notes are longer than the chapter . . .
::sigh:: sleep now . . . please review ? ::puppy
eyes::
