King's Box
Lil-Sun-Rie
Author's Note I really don't like typing these all the time. Just review and check out my other stories. I decided to keep the powers! Just because I was struck with an inspiration…. Read on and you'll find out!
Summary Amber eyes glowed eerily in the dark surrounding them. 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 survives. Will a light pierce the dark abyss they call insanity?
Disclaimer I don't own Rurouni Kenshin so don't sue me.
King's Box
Chapter Ten: Destruction
Is it enough love?
Is it enough to live?
Somebody ripped my heart out,
And left me here to bleed.
Is it enough to die?
Somebody save my life.
I rather be anything, but ordinary…
Please.
-Anything but Ordinary
Darkness surround Kaoru and she started to wonder.
Where am I?
In her half consciousness she whispered, Kenshin.
Soujiro watched as Kaoru slept. He didn't know why he put her out, but he just really needed to talk to her. He needed to confess to her. It seemed harder and harder on him to keep the secret of his conspiracy. He knew that she would take it lightly, but he knew as her friend that he owed it to her.
He heard Kaoru shuffle and mutter under her breath. The only word he heard was 'Kenshin.'
Soujiro smiled and knew that there was a growing tension between those two. It was only time between they admit it to each other, but both were too stubborn to show it.
He knew that the camp would be looking for both of them, but Soujiro still needed to tell Kaoru his secret. He needed to tell her. It was eating him inside. It was making him feel cold and deceitful. Whenever she smiled at him with her unwavering trust, it made him melt. Whenever her eyes stared up at him in passionate rage, it just made him smile… no matter how dangerous she could be.
Kaoru finally felt the ground beneath her. It hurt like hell. It was really, really hard and she didn't like it. Kaoru groaned as she sat up and rubbed her back a little. Suddenly a new pair of hands were on her back, massaging it. Kaoru let out a yelp, but when she turned she only saw Soujiro. She sighed in relief and let him continue to massage her sore back.
"Kaoru, I have to tell you something."
Kaoru took in a deep breath. "What is it Sou-Chan?"
Soujiro looked down at her.
"I hope you don't get mad."
"…."
"I was sent by someone to kill…"
Soujiro just trailed off. He didn't want to tell Kaoru anymore… he wasn't up to it. He didn't have the courage too.
"Did you kill him?"
"Huh?"
"Did you kill him?"
"No…."
Why does she think it's a he? It could always be a she.
"I couldn't…."
"Soujiro, it doesn't matter. Nothing happened. You didn't kill anyone… so why are you so worried?"
Soujiro just shook his head. He suddenly felt scared. He felt small and insignificant. He couldn't tell her now… he just couldn't. Soujiro didn't know why Shishio wanted her dead. It had something to do with a box… that's all he knew. It had to do with that box. Kaoru stared at Soujiro with a questioning face. She didn't know what was going on with him, but it seemed to deeply trouble him. His usual smile had slipped off his face and he sat there with his brow furrowed. Suddenly Kaoru couldn't breath. It felt as if something had toppled on top of her and she couldn't move. It felt like there was something restraining her… like there was something that kept her from breathing. Kaoru's eyes glazed and shut suddenly. She slumped a little and suddenly she collapsed. It appeared that she was unconscious.
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It was so dark…. So cold…
Kaoru felt frozen… she felt as if she had fell into a pool of cold water. The chill ran up and down her spine and her clammy fingers fisted beneath the water. Suddenly, she was drowning. The water was cold around her and she couldn't move… She couldn't save herself.
Suddenly, there was a maiden in front of her. She was deathly pale… her hands were extended in front of her, as if to embrace Kaoru.
"Kaoru…" Her pale blue lips opened and closed. But the words did not seem to issue from her. They seemed to echo her invisible words. The maiden had a head of long golden tresses. Her eyes were black coals set in empty sockets. They reflected all they saw and it seemed like they held no intelligence at all. They seemed dumb and unknowing… like the innocence of a young child.
Kaoru tried to speak to the maiden, but no words slipped from her lips. It was as if someone had put a silence spell on her. It was as if she was suddenly mute and was unable to speak anymore.
"Kaoru…" This time the maiden seemed to be mocking Kaoru. Her voice held a hidden laughter.
"You have no idea what your powers do…"
Kaoru just kept silent. She didn't want to try and talk anymore. It didn't work earlier, so why would it work now?
"Remolding, rebuilding… destruction…"
She seemed to be floating towards Kaoru. "Total destruction. You don't know who you really are… you don't know where you belong…"
Kaoru bit back an angered response. She tried to move her hands to touch the ghostly maiden, but her body would not move. It was as if everything she tried to do would not happen. Kaoru looked at the girl with questioning eyes. The girl just turned her head away. She turned her back and started to walk away. Kaoru wanted to follow her, but she knew she would not be able to move.
"You have dangerous powers, Kaoru-chan…. Very dangerous…. I hope you find love before anything can happen."
The voice drifted away and the cold realization of loneliness stabbed Kaoru like a hundred kunais. She wanted to shout, but then again she could always find solace in this silent hell. She could find a home here… she could leave her heart behind and cry in this silent place where no one will ever hear her. Where no one will ever find her… they could never see her and hurt her.
But like a fleeting pleasure, the numbed pain came back ten times harder.
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Kaoru woke up in a small cot. She sat up. Her forehead was damp and her clothes were soaked with sweat. Kaoru felt disgusted with her weakness when she tried to move out of the cot. Suddenly a pair of hands were pushing her down onto the cot. Kaoru let out a small yelp. She looked up and her eyes met narrow amber ones. She silenced immediately.
She laid down on the cot and yielded to his touch. Kenshin frowned and put a cold rag on her head. Kaoru yelped as the icy coldness touched her burning forehead.
"It's nothing serious, just a fever."
Kaoru nodded mutely. She didn't remember what happened earlier. She only remembered that Soujiro was telling her something about assassination. She didn't know who the person was; she only knew that Soujiro was unable to kill this person. Kaoru sighed aloud.
"Kenshin…"
His eyes looked up and met hers.
"Where's Soujiro?"
"I don't know."
Kaoru looked at the sky above. It was a beautiful day… The clouds were out and the birds were chirping, but something deep down in Kaoru felt that there was something bad happening. Her dream was creepy… that girl… she was blind…
Her eyes, they were black and unknowing… yet when the girl spoke, her voice held an unseen wisdom.
Kaoru covered her eyes with her hands and tried to sleep.
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Kaoru slowly began to get better. The fever now left her and she was just weak as the aftermath. She walked around every day, but when she walked too much… Yahiko would start pouting saying that she was just going to get herself sick again. Kaoru noticed that Misao and Aoshi have been spending more time together as usual. They were normally quiet, not saying anything. Then Misao would smile and talk to Aoshi about some strange thing that happened in the village where she used to stay.
Aoshi would not look at her and he seemed to be just staring at something far away.
One day Aoshi approached Kaoru.
"Because of you we can't move any further. Next time watch what is happening around you." Kaoru just looked up at Aoshi with a glare.
"Must you be so mean? I can't help it if I get sick!" Kaoru stuck her tongue out at Aoshi and turned her heel and left. Aoshi just glared at her back.
He felt a hand on his arm.
"Aoshi-sama…. Why are you so mad?"
"That messenger who told me about her was part of the Jupon Gatana. He probably told his master about Kaoru."
Misao looked up at Aoshi and tilted her head. "Why is that bad?"
"He spoke of a tattered beauty; the leader of the Jupon Gatana would of course want her for his own."
Misao just stayed silent. She wanted so much to bump Aoshi in the head…
"Our whole caravan will be in trouble if they do decide to come after her."
Misao nodded her head. Her long braid followed the movement of her head.
Suddenly a hand was tilting her head up.
Aoshi cupped her chin and tilted her head up so he could look into her eyes.
"Misao, when we get back to the village… will you get married?"
"Aoshi-sama," she sighed. "I told you… I'm in love with someone and I will not marry anyone, but him… if he asks."
"Misao, there are a lot of ready men who are awaiting you hand in marriage."
"They should not be so full of themselves. Can't they find someone else to court?" Misao fisted her hands.
"I really don't want anyone else!" With that said she ran away.
Aoshi shook his head. That was the second girl to get mad at him today.
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The next morning arrived sooner than anyone else thought. The whole encampment awoke to a shrill shout.
"The Jupon Gatana are coming. Look yonder, they wear red!"
In seconds an arrow came flying through the air. It was harmless because they were still leagues off, but it was an arrow of warning. They wouldn't stand a chance against them. They had numerous soldiers, compared to their small amount. Aoshi looked onwards. They were extremely close to the pulley. They could easily jump in it one by one and pulley up to safety. He looked around and all the men seemed ready to fight. Aoshi grabbed Misao, who had just arrived at his side. He grabbed her and tossed her into the large basket. (a/n: I hope this scene doesn't sound too cheesy, but the pulley is like an old elevator. There's a pulley on the top and a rope to pull on in order to make the basket go up.)
"Aoshi-sama!" Misao looked outraged. "I can fight! Just give me a chance!"
Aoshi didn't listen. He started pulling the rope until she reached the top. Aoshi knew he didn't have to worry because the other soldiers would do fine for now. There were only scouts that were entering the camp. Misao sat in the basket bewildered. Then she fumed. When she reached the top she stayed in the basket. Aoshi got annoyed and loosened his grip on the rope. Misao yelped when she felt the basket fall a little before stopping. She looked down at Aoshi and he gave her a commanding glare and she obediently climbed out of the basket. She smiled to herself when she pulled at her waistband and pulled out a small bag full of her kunais. She brandished one between each finger and threw them at the approaching scouts. Each died instantly.
Kaoru held her sword with a tight grip. It was a good thing that she had a reverse blade. She fought off man after man. Suddenly the whole camp was flooded with red figures. Kaoru looked behind her and saw some men climb into the basket. Some protested, but Aoshi barked at them and they obediently pulled themselves up into safety. Kaoru saw that Yahiko was already up on the isolated haven. She sighed in relief when suddenly… A man appeared in front of her. He had twin kodaches, just like Aoshi. Kaoru breathed in. She was scared. Scared beyond reason. Why must people fight like this?
The man didn't hesitate. Suddenly, in the flash of an eye… the man was dead. A kunai was protruding a bloody wound at his head. Kaoru looked up and saw Misao give her a large smile. Kaoru bowed her head in thanks.
Aoshi saw all the men on board the pulley. All that was left was Kaoru, Kenshin, and himself. Kaoru and Kenshin were pushed back by the overwhelming numbers of warriors. These were only the first rank soldiers. There were more following them. (a/n: what I mean by first rank is that there are more than one row of warriors running to fight. They come in ranks. The scouts are first, then the first rank, and soon on and so forth. I'm not sure what each line is called so I just called them first rank.)
Soon Kaoru and Kenshin were pushed to Aoshi's side.
"Get in!" But Aoshi's request was not heeded. Kaoru smiled at his apologetically and pushed him, causing him to fall into the basket. Surprisingly she managed to lift Aoshi off the ground till he started to pull the rope himself. Kenshin seemed to be holding the soldiers off fine on his own. Kaoru helped him a little, but she was not as fast as Kenshin. He seemed to be invisible in the red mass. Aoshi slowly lowered the basket.
"Kaoru, Kenshin! Hurry up!" Kenshin heard what Aoshi had said and charged at Kaoru. He knew that she was afraid of heights and would probably hurt him for doing this, but what did he care?
Kenshin grabbed Kaoru around the waist and threw both their bodies into the basket.
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End of this chappie! Please review it! Well, did ya like it? Of course you did! And if you have the time can you review all the chappies, or at least two chapters.
Buh-Bye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ^_^