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:
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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Sano stood on the small porch, watching Yahiko practice in the yard. He closed his eyes for a moment when he felt the presence of his friend. "I'm sorry Kenshin."
He was slightly startled by the hand that suddenly rested on his shoulder. "I should have realized what she was goi-"
"No Sano. I . . . I shouldn't have said that before. I wanted to tell you . . . thank you."
Sano looked over at his friend, and his heart nearly froze. He looks like he did after Enishi. What happened in there? What did Megumi tell him? Kaoru is fine, Megumi said she- what did Megumi say? What didn't she tell us? "Shit Kenshin, what happened?"
"Thank you for taking care of Kaoru-dono. Sessha is sorry that he wasn't much help."
"Dammit Kenshin. You don't have to thank us for taking care of our friend. We care about her too." Sano looked up at the sky "Besides, I would miss all the free food she gives me!"
Kenshin smiled at that, "I will bring her back Sano, then you can continue to freeload, that you can."
"We are all going Kenshin"
"Sessha doe-" Kenshin stopped, his eyes widening at the look Sano was shooting at him.
"We are ALL going Kenshin!"
Kenshin again opened his mouth to prepare to argue, but again stopped short at the looks he was now getting from Yahiko and Megumi as well as Sano now.
"We can not all go." He turned his eyes to Yahiko. "You have students to teach, you cannot leave them without an instructor. Kaoru-dono has entrusted its care to you." He then locked onto the stubborn eyes of Megumi, "Megumi-dono . . ."
She signed under his gaze, "Gensai-sensei will be leaving again, he is only here for a few days. I will stay. But Ken-san? If you don't bring her back, I will never forgive you." With that, she turned on her heel and walked away, leaving a stunned Kenshin watching her.
"Sano-" Kenshin began.
"Don't even try it Kenshin. There is NO WAY I am letting -"
"Sano!" Kenshin interrupted before the smoke started to rise from his friend's ears. "Will you accompany me, to find her?"
Sano stopped, his anger and frustration washing away as quickly as it had risen. "I wouldn't have it any other way!"
Kenshin smiled, "I know."
They nodded at each other, and both went their separate ways to tie up some loose ends, as they didn't know how long they would be gone.
A few hours later, Sano and Kenshin took off down the road from Tokyo, both of them silent, as they worried, and reflected on where Kaoru was at the moment, and if she was safe.
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Kaoru jumped up from her position under the tree, her few precious moments of sleep interrupted.
Two men stood over her, swords gleaming they leered at her. "This may be our lucky day, a caravan, and woman, all in only a few hours work. Come over here onna, if your . . . nice . . . enough to us, maybe we wont kill you!"
She glared up at them. This was the 2nd time in as many days that she had been seen as easy prey by some men. Seems the roads are not as safe as you would think, especially for a single woman. Luckily for her, she was a single, armed, woman.
She reached down to her side, and grabbed the hilt of her katana, clicking the blade loose from its sheath, she stood.
The two men narrowed their eyes in anger, not such easy prey after all, well, a fight before hand would only make things more fun.
She sighed, apparently these two were not going to tuck their tails between their legs and run, like the last men had done.
One of them lunged at her, and she quickly unsheathed her sword and blocked his attack before he had a chance to blink.
He stared at her with some confusion. She was only a woman! He growled. Fine then, she would have to die after all! He brought his sword about in a graceful arc, only to be blocked again.
The second man furled his brow, this was going to be very interesting indeed, and he moved in for the kill. His sword stopped, just short of the target area, and looking down, he saw that her other hand had shot around to her back, blocking with the sheath even as she fought on with his friend.
Kaoru blocked move after move, on both fronts, never attacking, just defending.
She relized suddenly that there was another man, behind her, slightly to her left. There is no way I can fight three of them at once.
She screamed out as a sword found its target in her back, slashing it. She felt the warm liquid running down her spine, and had to force herself to remain on her feet.
The third man stood to the side, watching silently as the women defended herself against the two men. She could easily win this fight. He thought. She has had countless openings, but she has not attacked once. Why doesn't she end this? His eyes hardened as he watched the girl take a hard hit from behind.
She spun, just in time to stop the sword from slicing through her neck. Her knees weakened. I don't know how much longer I can do this! Why hasn't he attacked yet!? She was aware that the other man was still there, watching, just as she was aware of his small step forward when she had gotten slashed. She just didn't understand why he still stood back. A feeling of panic overwhelmed her for a moment. She was surrounded, wounded and very tired.
She hadn't slept in what seemed like days. Every time she closed her eyes, the dreams came. Hands were ripping at her clothing, clammy hands bruising her flesh. Kenshin's eyes, horror and fear overtook her as she watched, not her beloved rurouni, but the strong Battousai, kneel before her captor. Kenshin's almost inaudible whimper of pain as his broken and bruised body was pierced with cool metal. The sickening sound of her sword slicing into flesh.
She spun again, this time moving her foot slightly forward, tripping the one man. He fell to the ground in a lump, his sword flying, and hit his head hard on a root, rendering him unconscious. Luck, she thought quickly.
She then fell to her knees as steel cut into her shoulder, she cried out. The trees around her seemed to blend together as the world began to spin. She fought back the darkness.
Suddenly she realized that her attacker was sprawled out on the ground next to her. Holding back the bile threatening her, she looked through blurry eyes at the third man. He stood over her attacker, his sword raised to render the final blow. Her mind exploded, He's down! You don't need to kill him! She thrust her body to the side and crossed her wrists above her head . . .
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He watched her miss yet another opening, and frowned. She is good. But she will not take the initiative, she has the skills, it seems she just won't use them. Why? His eyes widened as she spun around, this time facing him as she tripped one of them, knocking him out. What!? That's- He never had time to finish his thought as the second man slammed his sword into the young woman's shoulder, before she had fallen to the ground, he was there.
He knocked the man to the ground in one swing, and then raised his sword to finish him. With a graceful arc he brought his sword down swiftly . . .
The sword twisted in his hands suddenly and went flying away from him, landing with a loud clang against the stump of a tree.
Kaoru blinked back the fogginess in her vision, and looked up at her savior. Her eyes widened, and her face paled, just then, she lost her thin hold on consciousness and fainted.
Seijuurou Hiko stared down at her in dumbfounded shock. No one, NO ONE, had ever disarmed him. Not in over 30 years.
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Alright! Another chapter down!! (Gomen ne, I know I said I'd have this out last week, but I was working on some new angles, and didn't want to dig myself a hole I would have to figure out how to get out of later!) Hai, and I drank more than my share of Sake at dinner tonight, and I knew I had to write more HIKO! So I figured I'd post this before I completed my first draft of the next chapter, so, it'll be about a week before the next one is out! Hope you enjoyed!
Many, many thanks to all of my reviewers; it is wonderful to hear from you! Keep it up! I'm always open to what people think!
Next I have a few people I need to thank! First, to all of you over at the RKDreams Forum, I love you all! (Check in with us over there at www*rkdreams*com)
Next, and most importantly to my wonderful beta friend! tsukino-chan! (Check out her stories! Review her too!!!!) You, my dear, are the only reason why this story will end up making any sense! (That and without the "Grammar Nazi" this would be a horrible mess!!!!!) THANK YOU! (One more quick note, I revised a few things after I got my notes from her, so if there are any grammar mistakes left, they are MY fault, NOT hers! Thanks!)
Review all of you! Review! ::smiles hopefully:: onegai?
Glossary:
Onna : very derogatory way to refer to a woman, similar to 'bitch' or 'slut' or the like in English.
Sumanai de gozaru: I'm sorry – Kenshin style
Gomen/ gomen ne: Sorry, I'm sorry – normal 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
