King's Box

Lil-Sun-Rie

Author's Note Just review, please.

Summary Amber eyes glowed eerily in the dark shadows. All he knew was that a soft heart wasn't a heart at all. It must be of stone, so as to carve the law of living: The strongest survive. Will a light pierce the dark abyss they call insanity?

Disclaimer I don't own them!

King's Box
Chapter Three: Climb

Dedicated to kaoruxxxk


Kaoru looked over the edge.


"Hold on!" Kaoru slowly edged down into the pit. Kaoru looked down once more and swallowed. She always hated heights. Kaoru focused on climbing down. Finally she made it to a ledge. She crawled towards the pit and looked down.


"Hold on!" Kaoru repeated. She looked around for something that would help. When she saw nothing useful she looked down at the little boy's face. It was silently pleading for help.


Kaoru looked down once more. It was a long way down. The bottom was shrouded in darkness, for all she knew it could go on forever.


She looked away, but forced herself to look down. She slowly lowered herself so she was half hanging and half on the ledge.


Kaoru reached out towards the boy.


"Give me your hand!" The boy shook his head.


"Just give me your hand! I'm trying to help!" The boy's hand slowly reached upwards.


"Come on almost there. . . " Kaoru shook her hand, urging the boy to take it.


But, the boy's hand recoiled as he slid further down. She saw rocks and dust float downward as the boy searched for a better footing.


Kaoru looked helplessly at the boy. She pulled her sword from the sheath and placed it on the ground next to her.


She lowed her sheath downward.


"Grab hold!" The boy did as he was told.


But, the smooth leather went through his sweaty palms.


Kaoru pulled the sheath back towards her. She gripped it tightly and imagined it to be a rope. She felt the weight shift in her hands.


Kaoru looked down and in her hands was a rope.


She lowered the rope.


"Tie it around your waist!" The boy tied the rope around his waist and looked up at Kaoru.


Kaoru started tugging at the rope. Slowly she drew him upwards til she saw his hands on the ledge.


Kaoru dropped the rope and ran to the boy. She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the small haven.


Kaoru immediately back away from the cliff. She had a sick nauseating tremor coarse through her body.


Kaoru hung her head over the ledge and threw up. She crouched down with her back against the wall. She pulled her knees to her chest and cried.


That was the most horrifying experience ever.


The boy shivered next to her.


"Are you cold?"


The boy nodded.


Kaoru opened her gi and pulled the boy into her arms. She let him lay against her chest as she covered him with her gi. She gently rocked back and forth.


"What's your name?"


Kaoru looked down at the boy. He smiled up at her.


Kaoru forced herself to smile. "My name is Kaoru."


"Kaoru, my name is Yahiko." He replied. "I'm only seven years old, but one day I'll grow bigger and bigger till I'm as big as my uncle."


"How about your dad?"


"I don't have a dad, or a mom. My uncle takes care of me. Its always been that way."


"Where does your uncle live?"


"Far from here. Really, really far. I was put in a sack. Then, I ran away."


"Do you know who put you in the sack?"


"Not really."


"Oh. . . Okay, just go to sleep now."


"Will you take me back to my uncle?"


"Yes."


"Promise?"


"Promise."


Yahiko relaxed in her arms and when she heard his even breathing she sighed.


'How am I going to get you to your uncle?' Kaoru thought.


Then Kaoru felt her consciousness slipping into darkness and she fell asleep. There on a ledge with a little kid in her arms and a promise to help him back to his family.


Kaoru felt the sun's rays on her face. She awoke and saw her sword glinting on the ground. She picked up the discarded rope and imagined it as her sheath. She took the sheath and slid the sword into it listening to the sword hum.


She smiled and looked up. She looked to her left then to her right. That was when she saw stair-like rocks.


Kaoru gently nudged Yahiko awake.

"Mmmmmmm. . . Uncle Aoshi, five more minutes."


Kaoru nudged him harder.


"Huh? What? Where am I?"


"Yahiko, we have to climb out!"


Yahiko glared at Kaoru, "How are we going to do that?"


She pointed to the rocks. "That's the easiest way. You have to climb first, so that if you fall I'll be there to catch you."


Yahiko slowly crawled to the side. "Why does this feel like my death sentence?"


Yahiko began climbing up. When he was a good foot up Kaoru began climbing under him. She felt the rocks fall onto her face.


She tucked her chin against her chest and tried to spit the dust out of her mouth.


They climbed for what seemed forever, carefully making their way up. Yahiko finally reached the top and climbed onto the leveled land.


He ran around to show his happiness.


Kaoru smiled to herself as she continued to climb upwards. But, suddenly a rock cracked under her foot, unable to support her weight.


Kaoru screamed as she slide down. The rocks burned her hands and slipped out of her grip.


Kaoru fell downwards. She felt the rushing of wind blow against her body. Suddenly everything stopped.


She was suspended in the air. Then, she realized that her gi was choking her. She tugged at her neckline, trying to pull it so she wouldn't choke.


Kaoru felt a sudden jerk and she looked up. She saw glaring amber eyes meet hers.


Kaoru felt her body fall slightly.


Then suddenly she slipped through the gi and fell downwards. Before she got to far she grabbed the end of the gi.


Kaoru gripped the gi till her knuckles felt numb.


Kenshin gently pulled her upwards. Kaoru silently thanked Hiko for giving her strong wool clothing.


When she got to safety she turned to thank Kenshin, but when she saw his glare she stopped.


"Why did you run away?"


"That is none of your business."


Kaoru slid her gi back on and glared at Kenshin.


"It is my business." He explained calmly. But his eyes signified that he was irritated. They flashed dangerously.


"First you hurt Hiko-sama, then you kidnap me. Now you expect me to talk to you?"


Kenshin showed no emotion. Yahiko stopped running around and was watching the two of them carefully.


Kenshin got up and approached Yahiko. He grabbed Yahiko by the head and pulled his sword close to Yahiko's throat.


Yahiko swallowed.


"Tell me or the boy dies."


Kaoru looked wide-eyed at Kenshin, then at Yahiko.


"Fine! Shishio. . . killed. . . he killed my father!" Kaoru felt tears well up in her eyes. This was the first time in five years since she talked about her father.


"There! You know what you wanted to know, now let him go!" Kenshin sheathed his blade.


"The boy stays with me. That way you won't run. If you do," Kenshin shook Yahiko, "He dies."


Kaoru closed her eyes and nodded.


Kenshin pushed Yahiko in front of him and together they started walking through the forest.


They walked all the way to the camp they made before Kaoru ran away. Kaoru saw her basket next to the pile of sticks. Kaoru immediately went to the basket and pulled out a loaf of bread.


She gave Kenshin a piece of bread, a third smaller than his usual portion. She gave Yahiko a slice as big a Kenshin's.


She poured out the water and placed them in front of Kenshin and Yahiko.


With that she left to pack the small blankets they had.


Kaoru silently thought to herself. They would reach Shishio's palace by sunset.


She can't escape because Yahiko's life was on the line.


Kaoru watched Yahiko talk animatedly to a bored looking Kenshin.


********


Kenshin knocked on a really big door. The door opened to reveal an old looking man. He turned and walked down the hall. Kenshin, Kaoru, and Yahiko followed. He opened a door and it reveal the large room that Shishio was in. It was the same room she was in when he lost his temper and threw a bowl at her.


It was the same room where he banished her and made her stay with Hiko.


Kaoru looked up at the seats and saw among the pillows Shishio sat. He was being fanned by Yumi.

He glared at Kaoru. This time there was two other people with him. Houji and Gohei. They were both powerful men in the financial world.