Disclaimer: I own the series and the manga! YAY!!!! And, according to the
manga, Watsuki is a lair. ^____^ But yes, he is the great creator of
Kenshin. I am just here to write fictions that revolve around it.
Author's Notes: Okay. Last chapter sucked. Admit it you guys. You were all nice and said it was good, but I know it was bad. I KNOW IT WAS. I don't think I've written a chapter, so far, worst than that one in any of my stories. Well. Okay. So maybe the stuff I wrote in kindergarten wasn't good, BUT THAT DOESN'T COUNT! :: takes a deep breath :: Okay. Thank you for the positive attitudes, that means a lot to me and I am sorry for my lack of updating. Writer's block is evil. I'm open to any ideas you guys have. I know I want to wrap this up in the next few chapters. Maybe it will be over by chapter 15. I don't know yet. Depends on if my muses will leave my new stories and come back to this one or not.
~Silhouettes of Shadows~
***Chapter 12- Confrontations***
"Misao..."
"No Aoshi-sama!" she seethed. "No! I'm fighting! I don't care anymore! How can you say I'm part of the Oniwabanshu if you don't let me fight?"
Aoshi dropped his head. "You are right. Take on the woman with the scythe. Attack the vital areas. If you get injured, even once, you're going into the dojo and staying there."
Misao contained her energy and the will to squeal. It had been a while she had last fought, or even picked up her kunai. She just nodded, trying to keep up her poker face as she did. It was time her concentration fell onto the battle.
'Himura had better hurry up with Miss Kaoru... I don't know how long we can handle this place with just ourselves. These guys are driven by anger toward him, not us.' Misao thought.
*********** ***********
"K...Kaoru?" Kenshin muttered, finding his feet plastered to the forest floor beneath him. "Kaoru."
She didn't move, and he couldn't even sense any breathing from her. Was this the battle she was bound to die in? One without a first class swordsman? She'd endured so much pain before--- she'd overcome so much. Could Jineh's Shino no Ippou been her downfall?
"Saitou you bastard you should have told me Jineh was there eariler!" Kenshin muttered, anger lacing through his words and weaving into his soul. "It's your fault. Kaoru's dead. Kenji doesn't have a mother. The dojo doesn't have an instructor. I... I don't have..."
He finally started moving forward, slowly, but still moving. He couldn't finish his sentence. He couldn't remember the last time he had cried for Kaoru, if he ever had. He hadn't cried when Saitou took her in his clutches, when Shishio and Enishi attacked, or when Saitou attacked again. He hadn't cried when he left her. There were so many times he had thought she was dead before, and not once had he cried.
Now, the tears wouldn't stop.
He slowly lowered himself to the forest floor beside her, going as gently as he could, as if he was afraid he'd hurt the area around him. Kenshin had seen so much death before. He'd seen Tomoe die. He'd killed many by himself.
But... Kaoru wasn't supposed to die. She was too young; too innocent to be mixed up in his battles. But she had chosen her path.
How many women that he cared about had to die because of him? How many of them were going to be attacked in his lifetime and killed by his enemies, or, even himself? It wasn't fair to them; it wasn't fair to him. He had already suffered his fair share of pain as it was; guilt that built each time he touched that katana.
Kenshin could feel himself shaking. His hand drew forward, and he pulled it back. There was blood all over it. Even in death, he decided that Kaoru was to never be touched and tainted with the blood of someone he had slain. No matter how noble the reason. He cleaned his hand off, and then tried again to bottle up his courage. He brushed the hair away from her face with gentle strokes, letting his hand travel away from her face and to her hand.
The ring was prominent, gleaming before him. The promise ring; a ring that now held a false reason. He'd failed what that ring had stood for in the first place, and that was something unforgivable. He contemplated pulling the ring off her finger, but decided against it. She had died holding onto that promise. He wasn't going to take it away form her now.
"I'm sorry..." he whispered, drawing his hand back up to her face again. "I was too slow... godlike speed has failed me. I failed you."
*********** ***********
Megumi looked around for Kenji. Sano was still at the clinic with her, and they had just set Kenji down. Unfortunately, he was a fast kid. They had both split up to find him.
Megumi stopped she found him staring out the window at the street. She came closer to him.
"Come here Kenji." She murmured.
"I want mommy." He said. "I want daddy."
Megumi nodded. "I know you do Kenji. They'll come back, don't worry."
Kenji just turned to look at the window. "I ove them."
"Of course you do." Megumi stated, grinning at Kenji's lack of adding the 'l' to love.
************ ************
"I can't leave her here." Kenshin finally convinced himself. He moved so he could pick Kaoru's limp, chilled body up and carry her back to the dojo. "I can't believe I let this happen. Katsura, you finally got your wish. But you left a boy without a mother and a man without his lover in the process. I'll kill you yet."
He finished picking Kaoru up. She didn't hang limply in his hands. He glanced down toward her, wondering why. It was time for her to be so still yet because rigor mortis couldn't settled yet. Actually, she more molded against him.
"Kaoru?" he muttered. "Come, koishii, if you're still alive let me know."
Nothing came from her, and Kenshin's heart sank. That small glimmer of hope had proven to be false. It hurt, but he drew her closer and left his katana discarded by Jineh's still bleeding body. He began walking through the maze of the woods, twisting with each branch and each sinkhole.
"Ken... shin..."
He stopped. "Kaoru?"
Her head moved slowly, twisting with pain before she could force her eyes open. "What's wrong?"
A smile spread over Kenshin's face. "Nothing now. Rest. We're going back to the dojo."
"You killed him. The first one you killed in two years."
"Aa." Kenshin responded. "I was almost too late. I had no choice, Kaoru; you would have died if I hadn't. You almost did die."
Her face flew to a concentrated state and then she opened her eyes again. "Promise me you won't kill again, Kenshin. It brings you too much pain."
"It was to save you."
"I don't care. Promise me, or I'll through out the promise ring you gave me. You'll have to add onto the promise you already made about not leaving me. Now promise me you'll never kill again." She told him.
Kenshin looked away for a minute and then back at her. "I can't yet. When this is over, I will. I will promise you that."
She winced. "I want you to promise now."
"I know you do."
"Kenshin, just do it. No murder is justified, no matter how much you can come up with reasons. Let the police handle Katsura."
"You knew?"
She nodded, curling closer up into his chest. "I've always known. You've been trying to free me from that threat all this time." She murmured.
*********** ***********
Saitou glanced over the people stomping over toward the dojo. He flicked his cigarette out of his hand and turned.
"Where are you going?" Misao cried. "If you're here, you're going to help us."
"I have no reason to help morons." He stated. "None of them are worth my time."
Misao prepared to throw her kunai at him, but Aoshi placed a hand over hers before she could get them out.
"Good move, Shinomori, keeping your weasel in line."
Aoshi stepped forward. "You should help us. You over looked the young boy, Soujiro."
Saitou turned. "I don't overlook anything."
"You overlooked him. Either that, or the great Hajime Saitou is afraid." Aoshi prodded. "Yahiko, Sanosuke, Misao, myself and the rest of the Oniwabanshu are out here fighting against the odds, and all you can do is run and hide."
Saitou glared and stepped closer to Aoshi. "I'm not afraid. And after I finish that boy off, I'm coming for you."
"You have no problem with me, Saitou. Just with yourself." Aoshi stated. "You're welcome to stay in the sidelines, but, isn't that against Aku Soku Zan that the Shisengumi taught you?"
"Morons shouldn't pry where they don't belong." Saitou responded, brushing past Aoshi and lighting another cigarette.
"That was stupid, Aoshi-sama." Misao stated. "That guy could have killed you with one swipe."
"Do you honestly think that lowly of my skills, Misao?" Aoshi asked.
"You're the best, of course not Aoshi-sama!" Misao cried. "I... I just thought..."
Aoshi pointed. "Meet the woman over there."
Everyone positioned themselves, and the battle upon the Dojo began.
Author's Notes: Okay. That was.... a little better. I guess. I'm just trying to keep everybody happy. ^____^ I haven't even started on 'Breaking Through' yet, and I've already udpated 'Building the Hitokiri', this story, and 'The Legend of Himura Kenshin' two times. So..... I hope this is good.
Love and hugs,
Crystal Renee
Author's Notes: Okay. Last chapter sucked. Admit it you guys. You were all nice and said it was good, but I know it was bad. I KNOW IT WAS. I don't think I've written a chapter, so far, worst than that one in any of my stories. Well. Okay. So maybe the stuff I wrote in kindergarten wasn't good, BUT THAT DOESN'T COUNT! :: takes a deep breath :: Okay. Thank you for the positive attitudes, that means a lot to me and I am sorry for my lack of updating. Writer's block is evil. I'm open to any ideas you guys have. I know I want to wrap this up in the next few chapters. Maybe it will be over by chapter 15. I don't know yet. Depends on if my muses will leave my new stories and come back to this one or not.
~Silhouettes of Shadows~
***Chapter 12- Confrontations***
"Misao..."
"No Aoshi-sama!" she seethed. "No! I'm fighting! I don't care anymore! How can you say I'm part of the Oniwabanshu if you don't let me fight?"
Aoshi dropped his head. "You are right. Take on the woman with the scythe. Attack the vital areas. If you get injured, even once, you're going into the dojo and staying there."
Misao contained her energy and the will to squeal. It had been a while she had last fought, or even picked up her kunai. She just nodded, trying to keep up her poker face as she did. It was time her concentration fell onto the battle.
'Himura had better hurry up with Miss Kaoru... I don't know how long we can handle this place with just ourselves. These guys are driven by anger toward him, not us.' Misao thought.
*********** ***********
"K...Kaoru?" Kenshin muttered, finding his feet plastered to the forest floor beneath him. "Kaoru."
She didn't move, and he couldn't even sense any breathing from her. Was this the battle she was bound to die in? One without a first class swordsman? She'd endured so much pain before--- she'd overcome so much. Could Jineh's Shino no Ippou been her downfall?
"Saitou you bastard you should have told me Jineh was there eariler!" Kenshin muttered, anger lacing through his words and weaving into his soul. "It's your fault. Kaoru's dead. Kenji doesn't have a mother. The dojo doesn't have an instructor. I... I don't have..."
He finally started moving forward, slowly, but still moving. He couldn't finish his sentence. He couldn't remember the last time he had cried for Kaoru, if he ever had. He hadn't cried when Saitou took her in his clutches, when Shishio and Enishi attacked, or when Saitou attacked again. He hadn't cried when he left her. There were so many times he had thought she was dead before, and not once had he cried.
Now, the tears wouldn't stop.
He slowly lowered himself to the forest floor beside her, going as gently as he could, as if he was afraid he'd hurt the area around him. Kenshin had seen so much death before. He'd seen Tomoe die. He'd killed many by himself.
But... Kaoru wasn't supposed to die. She was too young; too innocent to be mixed up in his battles. But she had chosen her path.
How many women that he cared about had to die because of him? How many of them were going to be attacked in his lifetime and killed by his enemies, or, even himself? It wasn't fair to them; it wasn't fair to him. He had already suffered his fair share of pain as it was; guilt that built each time he touched that katana.
Kenshin could feel himself shaking. His hand drew forward, and he pulled it back. There was blood all over it. Even in death, he decided that Kaoru was to never be touched and tainted with the blood of someone he had slain. No matter how noble the reason. He cleaned his hand off, and then tried again to bottle up his courage. He brushed the hair away from her face with gentle strokes, letting his hand travel away from her face and to her hand.
The ring was prominent, gleaming before him. The promise ring; a ring that now held a false reason. He'd failed what that ring had stood for in the first place, and that was something unforgivable. He contemplated pulling the ring off her finger, but decided against it. She had died holding onto that promise. He wasn't going to take it away form her now.
"I'm sorry..." he whispered, drawing his hand back up to her face again. "I was too slow... godlike speed has failed me. I failed you."
*********** ***********
Megumi looked around for Kenji. Sano was still at the clinic with her, and they had just set Kenji down. Unfortunately, he was a fast kid. They had both split up to find him.
Megumi stopped she found him staring out the window at the street. She came closer to him.
"Come here Kenji." She murmured.
"I want mommy." He said. "I want daddy."
Megumi nodded. "I know you do Kenji. They'll come back, don't worry."
Kenji just turned to look at the window. "I ove them."
"Of course you do." Megumi stated, grinning at Kenji's lack of adding the 'l' to love.
************ ************
"I can't leave her here." Kenshin finally convinced himself. He moved so he could pick Kaoru's limp, chilled body up and carry her back to the dojo. "I can't believe I let this happen. Katsura, you finally got your wish. But you left a boy without a mother and a man without his lover in the process. I'll kill you yet."
He finished picking Kaoru up. She didn't hang limply in his hands. He glanced down toward her, wondering why. It was time for her to be so still yet because rigor mortis couldn't settled yet. Actually, she more molded against him.
"Kaoru?" he muttered. "Come, koishii, if you're still alive let me know."
Nothing came from her, and Kenshin's heart sank. That small glimmer of hope had proven to be false. It hurt, but he drew her closer and left his katana discarded by Jineh's still bleeding body. He began walking through the maze of the woods, twisting with each branch and each sinkhole.
"Ken... shin..."
He stopped. "Kaoru?"
Her head moved slowly, twisting with pain before she could force her eyes open. "What's wrong?"
A smile spread over Kenshin's face. "Nothing now. Rest. We're going back to the dojo."
"You killed him. The first one you killed in two years."
"Aa." Kenshin responded. "I was almost too late. I had no choice, Kaoru; you would have died if I hadn't. You almost did die."
Her face flew to a concentrated state and then she opened her eyes again. "Promise me you won't kill again, Kenshin. It brings you too much pain."
"It was to save you."
"I don't care. Promise me, or I'll through out the promise ring you gave me. You'll have to add onto the promise you already made about not leaving me. Now promise me you'll never kill again." She told him.
Kenshin looked away for a minute and then back at her. "I can't yet. When this is over, I will. I will promise you that."
She winced. "I want you to promise now."
"I know you do."
"Kenshin, just do it. No murder is justified, no matter how much you can come up with reasons. Let the police handle Katsura."
"You knew?"
She nodded, curling closer up into his chest. "I've always known. You've been trying to free me from that threat all this time." She murmured.
*********** ***********
Saitou glanced over the people stomping over toward the dojo. He flicked his cigarette out of his hand and turned.
"Where are you going?" Misao cried. "If you're here, you're going to help us."
"I have no reason to help morons." He stated. "None of them are worth my time."
Misao prepared to throw her kunai at him, but Aoshi placed a hand over hers before she could get them out.
"Good move, Shinomori, keeping your weasel in line."
Aoshi stepped forward. "You should help us. You over looked the young boy, Soujiro."
Saitou turned. "I don't overlook anything."
"You overlooked him. Either that, or the great Hajime Saitou is afraid." Aoshi prodded. "Yahiko, Sanosuke, Misao, myself and the rest of the Oniwabanshu are out here fighting against the odds, and all you can do is run and hide."
Saitou glared and stepped closer to Aoshi. "I'm not afraid. And after I finish that boy off, I'm coming for you."
"You have no problem with me, Saitou. Just with yourself." Aoshi stated. "You're welcome to stay in the sidelines, but, isn't that against Aku Soku Zan that the Shisengumi taught you?"
"Morons shouldn't pry where they don't belong." Saitou responded, brushing past Aoshi and lighting another cigarette.
"That was stupid, Aoshi-sama." Misao stated. "That guy could have killed you with one swipe."
"Do you honestly think that lowly of my skills, Misao?" Aoshi asked.
"You're the best, of course not Aoshi-sama!" Misao cried. "I... I just thought..."
Aoshi pointed. "Meet the woman over there."
Everyone positioned themselves, and the battle upon the Dojo began.
Author's Notes: Okay. That was.... a little better. I guess. I'm just trying to keep everybody happy. ^____^ I haven't even started on 'Breaking Through' yet, and I've already udpated 'Building the Hitokiri', this story, and 'The Legend of Himura Kenshin' two times. So..... I hope this is good.
Love and hugs,
Crystal Renee