Chapter 1: Kaoru's Illness
A/N: Here's the first chapter, yay I finally wrote it! It may seem a bit redundant after the prologue, but it deals a bit more in depth with exactly what's going on here.
Disclaimer: Did I mention nails before? They apply here too.
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"Kenshin, can you watch the dojo for me today? I really don't feel very well." Kaoru asked plaintively. Lately she'd just been so busy, and it seemed it was taking its toll on her today. "What's wrong, Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin looked up worriedly from his laundry.
"Not much Kenshin, I just need to rest I believe." She responded, turning for her room. Kenshin went back to his laundry, treating each spot as a potential anti-Christ. 'Laundry is so relaxing.' He thought to himself.
Subconsciously there was still a part of him watching Kaoru. Ok, maybe more than a part. State the facts, he was watching Kaoru. 'She doesn't quite look right, something MUST be wrong.' He thought.
He almost called out to her, but she turned before he could. Her sapphire blue eyes were bleak and blank. The gaze that issued from them was just as empty; none of Kaoru's usual self-expression in them. "KAORU?" Kenshin shouted.
Something was wrong. Kaoru's eyes haunted him. If they weren't so blank, so dusky and stormy, so turbid even, they would certainly be less disturbing. It was as if the real Kaoru was gone, leaving only an outer shell that someone-or something-else had taken over.
Her body shook with convulsions; Kenshin watched helplessly as she twitched and writhed pitifully. What was wrong with her? And then, as suddenly as it had begun, her convulsions ended, leaving her standing shakily on her feet, eyes wild and crazed, hair tussled about her face, giving her an insane yet oddly vacant stare.
'WHAT is going on!' Kenshin thought in horror. Nothing should be able to touch his Kaoru. At least, touch her and get away with it. Now it seemed as though something was not only touching her, it was HURTING her and well, Kenshin didn't like that. Nothing could touch her, she was his. "Baka, she isn't yours." He muttered.
'Yet.' His mind added.
Disregarding his wishful thinking, he called out again. "Kaoru." This time his authority rang clearly throughout the near deserted dojo lawn. Kaoru staggered, subconsciously she was trying to remain on her feet, but something was not going to permit that.
Kenshin could tell by the remaining drabness in her eyes that she recognized him not. The shell of Kaoru quivered; her knees were beginning to bow to whatever was afflicting her. 'That can't be Kaoru.' Kenshin denied, even though the truth stared him in the eyes.
Did she really not realize that it was him, or were the stormy clouds boiling in her eyes the telltale signs of animosity? Kenshin had never felt so helpless in his life, not even years before as he'd watched fellow comrades slaughter innocents.
The possibility that Kaoru could hate him, well, that just was not something to be pondered. It was just simply not feasible. 'It can't be true. Something must be wrong.' "You." At the sound of Kaoru's voice so low and evil, Kenshin snapped out of his reverie.
"Kaoru? Is that you?" Kenshin asked, even though the answer was obvious. It may have looked like Kaoru, but at that moment, that had not been the Kaoru he'd grown to love. "You. You will pay for what you have done. The lives you have taken will be atoned for with the life of this young girl you have grown to care for so much. Then you will truly know what pain feels like." Kaoru continued.
"WHO ARE YOU!" Kenshin snarled. Even though the body was Kaoru's, the voice and demeanor were not. Kenshin was loathe to hurt it nonetheless.
"I am nothing and everything. I decide her fate Battousai. Do not tempt me to take her now. Find an antidote, and she will live and you will be forced to find atonement elsewhere. Unless it is your wish I take her now."
"NO!" Kenshin started forward, reaching out to Kaoru. "Ahahah, I said not to tempt me. Now you will feel the wrath of Hitomi Fuse!!!" Kaoru's knees collapsed. In the few seconds Kenshin was paralyzed with fear, he saw Kaoru through all the anguish.
'She's still in there!' he thought frantically. 'It's just a matter of how can I save her this time.' Kenshin was at Kaoru's side seconds after she crumpled to the ground. Sliding his hands under her knees and head, he lifted her frail body. She's cool, cold even to the touch. Her temperature couldn't have been higher than 65 degrees.
How she was still alive Kenshin had no idea. "I've got to get her to Megumi." Kenshin sprinted off in search of the foxy doctor. He knew he had to hurry, for Kaoru could not survive forever with such a low body temperature.
"I'm sorry Kaoru. This is all my fault." Kenshin sobbed as he ran through the town. A long slow line of tears fell from the rurouni's cheeks to Kaoru's brow. 'If she dies...I'll never forgive myself.'
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A/N: Woooo...how was that? Too serious, not serious enough? Kenshin seems to be coming off as idiotic to me. Anyone care to share his or her opinions? I don't mind at all.
A/N: Here's the first chapter, yay I finally wrote it! It may seem a bit redundant after the prologue, but it deals a bit more in depth with exactly what's going on here.
Disclaimer: Did I mention nails before? They apply here too.
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
"Kenshin, can you watch the dojo for me today? I really don't feel very well." Kaoru asked plaintively. Lately she'd just been so busy, and it seemed it was taking its toll on her today. "What's wrong, Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin looked up worriedly from his laundry.
"Not much Kenshin, I just need to rest I believe." She responded, turning for her room. Kenshin went back to his laundry, treating each spot as a potential anti-Christ. 'Laundry is so relaxing.' He thought to himself.
Subconsciously there was still a part of him watching Kaoru. Ok, maybe more than a part. State the facts, he was watching Kaoru. 'She doesn't quite look right, something MUST be wrong.' He thought.
He almost called out to her, but she turned before he could. Her sapphire blue eyes were bleak and blank. The gaze that issued from them was just as empty; none of Kaoru's usual self-expression in them. "KAORU?" Kenshin shouted.
Something was wrong. Kaoru's eyes haunted him. If they weren't so blank, so dusky and stormy, so turbid even, they would certainly be less disturbing. It was as if the real Kaoru was gone, leaving only an outer shell that someone-or something-else had taken over.
Her body shook with convulsions; Kenshin watched helplessly as she twitched and writhed pitifully. What was wrong with her? And then, as suddenly as it had begun, her convulsions ended, leaving her standing shakily on her feet, eyes wild and crazed, hair tussled about her face, giving her an insane yet oddly vacant stare.
'WHAT is going on!' Kenshin thought in horror. Nothing should be able to touch his Kaoru. At least, touch her and get away with it. Now it seemed as though something was not only touching her, it was HURTING her and well, Kenshin didn't like that. Nothing could touch her, she was his. "Baka, she isn't yours." He muttered.
'Yet.' His mind added.
Disregarding his wishful thinking, he called out again. "Kaoru." This time his authority rang clearly throughout the near deserted dojo lawn. Kaoru staggered, subconsciously she was trying to remain on her feet, but something was not going to permit that.
Kenshin could tell by the remaining drabness in her eyes that she recognized him not. The shell of Kaoru quivered; her knees were beginning to bow to whatever was afflicting her. 'That can't be Kaoru.' Kenshin denied, even though the truth stared him in the eyes.
Did she really not realize that it was him, or were the stormy clouds boiling in her eyes the telltale signs of animosity? Kenshin had never felt so helpless in his life, not even years before as he'd watched fellow comrades slaughter innocents.
The possibility that Kaoru could hate him, well, that just was not something to be pondered. It was just simply not feasible. 'It can't be true. Something must be wrong.' "You." At the sound of Kaoru's voice so low and evil, Kenshin snapped out of his reverie.
"Kaoru? Is that you?" Kenshin asked, even though the answer was obvious. It may have looked like Kaoru, but at that moment, that had not been the Kaoru he'd grown to love. "You. You will pay for what you have done. The lives you have taken will be atoned for with the life of this young girl you have grown to care for so much. Then you will truly know what pain feels like." Kaoru continued.
"WHO ARE YOU!" Kenshin snarled. Even though the body was Kaoru's, the voice and demeanor were not. Kenshin was loathe to hurt it nonetheless.
"I am nothing and everything. I decide her fate Battousai. Do not tempt me to take her now. Find an antidote, and she will live and you will be forced to find atonement elsewhere. Unless it is your wish I take her now."
"NO!" Kenshin started forward, reaching out to Kaoru. "Ahahah, I said not to tempt me. Now you will feel the wrath of Hitomi Fuse!!!" Kaoru's knees collapsed. In the few seconds Kenshin was paralyzed with fear, he saw Kaoru through all the anguish.
'She's still in there!' he thought frantically. 'It's just a matter of how can I save her this time.' Kenshin was at Kaoru's side seconds after she crumpled to the ground. Sliding his hands under her knees and head, he lifted her frail body. She's cool, cold even to the touch. Her temperature couldn't have been higher than 65 degrees.
How she was still alive Kenshin had no idea. "I've got to get her to Megumi." Kenshin sprinted off in search of the foxy doctor. He knew he had to hurry, for Kaoru could not survive forever with such a low body temperature.
"I'm sorry Kaoru. This is all my fault." Kenshin sobbed as he ran through the town. A long slow line of tears fell from the rurouni's cheeks to Kaoru's brow. 'If she dies...I'll never forgive myself.'
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
A/N: Woooo...how was that? Too serious, not serious enough? Kenshin seems to be coming off as idiotic to me. Anyone care to share his or her opinions? I don't mind at all.