Konichiwa!

Just to keep y'all posted, I'm gonna start an Inuyasha fanfic soon (maybe next week)! Inuyasha is my 2nd fave anime only to Rurouni Kenshin. I actually have piles of recorded episodes from all the animes I like. (It's really sad actually. I'm too cheap to buy the DVDs) Anyhoo, here's my next chappie. It's short (like all my chapters) so I'll have another one up by Monday or Tuesday. See ya and remember to RR!

sapphirewings

I don't own rurouni kenshin or any of the characters, yatta.yatta.yatta.

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Chapter 2 Haunting Dreams

The rest of the day went by normally, if you could call any of the days around here 'normal'. Yahiko and Kaoru went back to training until lunch when Megumi stopped by and informed the group that she too had been invited to Aoshi's party. After lunch, she and Kaoru planned to go shopping the next day for new dress kimonos. Sanosuke seemed extremely happy about this.

"Well, it's not everyday that us guys get the place to ourselves you know", he replied when Kaoru asked about his sudden happiness in her plans. Secretly, of course, he wanted her gone so he could talk to Kenshin privately. He had an idea to send Yahiko off too, but he'd use it tomorrow. "You know, a time when the men can just kick back and not worry about work."

Kaoru threw him an annoyed look, "Yeah, it's a real wonder why I never leave you by yourself", she snapped. "I'd find this place in ruins", she added to herself.

"What'd you say Missy?" Sanosuke asked threateningly. They spent the rest of the afternoon and dinner in arguments that occasionally were settled and started up a moment later.

After dinner and dishes, Kenshin was the first to settle into bed. He was happy to finally rest on his pallet and think straight without hearing Miss Kaoru and Sano arguing in the background. Speaking of Sano, he was acting a little strange ever since Aoshi's visit. It seemed like he was hiding a big secret deep inside himself. He hid it very well from everyone else, but the Battousai inside Kenshin was not fooled and could sense his change in attitude.

Battousai had gained a little control after being stirred in the kitchen at the smell of Kaoru's blood. The kind rurouni was holding him back still, but he had been awakened after many years and was not ready to fall back asleep yet. As Kenshin stared up at the ceiling, he could sense the manslayer's attempts at freedom, but held Battousai down using only minimum effort.

If someone were to walk in at that very moment, it would have appeared that there was a red-haired man asleep on his side, but Kenshin wasn't asleep. He was deeply troubled about the repeating dream he had been having the past few nights. 'It feels like someone is trying to warn me, but who and why? All I know is that someone or something was coming and was coming fast at that.' That was Kenshin's last thought as weariness drifted in and he slowly sunk into sleep.

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Kenshin found himself on the top of a dark hill next to a single sakura tree. Cherry blossom petals were swirling through the air and dim glow that seemed to be coming from nowhere surrounded him. He looked around; this place was familiar, yet he had no idea where it was.

Suddenly, a flash of light surrounded him and he swore he saw a young woman standing close to the sakura tree, her back to him. But as soon as the light appeared, it vanished and Kenshin was standing in the dark again. "Dammit", he cursed under his breath. He didn't like to swear normally, but it was so frustrating not being able to see.

Catching his breath, he tried to calm down and closed his eyes. Silently he prayed that either the light would return, or he would wake up and end this dream. Ever so slowly, he opened one eye, then the other. The light had return and Kenshin breathed a sigh of gratitude. 'Well, at least I can see', he thought. He looked around and he saw the young woman again.

He could only see her back, but she didn't look like anyone Kenshin had ever met. Her scent was familiar, though. Her dark hair was tied high up elegantly and the tail fell down her back. He couldn't see her face, but he could sense that she was very beautiful indeed.

The next thing he saw however, completely shocked him. He saw someone coming up to her, but it was no ordinary person, it was himself! The same red hair, the same amethyst eyes. His double walked up to the woman who turned to look at him, allowing Kenshin to see her face. Another shock struck him as he realized it was Kaoru. It didn't look like same Kaoru though. She and Kenshin's mirror image began to talk, but Kenshin could not hear what they were saying.

The double stroked Kaoru's cheek gently as they appeared to finish their conversation. Kenshin watched, half surprised-half envious, Kaoru leaned into his twin's arms. He cradled her gently and ran his fingers through her hair. The two looked so happy together, so right for each other. The rurouni stared and stared, until suddenly the lights vanished again. He was surprised for a moment, but calmed down again and tried to re-cap what he had just seen.

Kenshin smiled as he thought of him holding Kaoru the way his reflection had. 'Maybe she does love me.' He suddenly smelled a scent in the air, a scent so very familiar. He breathed the air around him deeply; he could smell it heavily now. He smelled.blood!

His hand instantly went to the hilt of his reverse-blade sword, only to discover it was gone! 'Shit!' he thought. The smell of blood was overpowering him again and his eyes began to fleck with gold. 'No! Keep Battousai down!' The golden flecks lessened before he recognized who the blood belonged to. It was unmistakably the smell of Kaoru's blood! Kenshin could no longer hold Battousai down as his violet eyes blasted into full amber.

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Kenshin's eyes snapped open and he found himself still laying on his pallet in the Kamiya dojo. He was covered in sweat and could feel Battousai stirring deep inside himself. Too hot to stay inside, he got up to get some fresh air.

As he walked through the courtyard, he remembered every single detail of the dream. It had been so realistic. The cherry blossoms, his double, Kaoru.it had been just like reality. Kaoru! Was she all right? Was the dream a premonition of something to happen? Using his god-like speed, he dashed to Kaoru's room and found her fast asleep.

The red-haired samurai breathed a deep sigh of relief; she was safe. But still, he had a bad feeling that something was going to happen. 'I will have to watch her carefully the next few days', he thought as he walked back to his room.

Little did Kenshin know that someone had been lurking in the shadows, watching him the whole time.

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OOOhhh! Cliffhanger, I've always wanted to leave a cliffhanger! So wha'd ya think, huh? HUH? RR and let me know. Chapter 4 will be up on Monday or Tuesday. P.S. My friend just joined fanfiction.net too and has started an Inuyasha fanfic. His pen name is 'swimmer' so check it out! C ya!

sapphirewings