Author's Note: **sobs and hugs all her reviewers** You... all... I can't even
express my overwhelming joy...more reviews than I've ever gotten in my life...
More for one chapter... TWENTY-NINE reviews! I'm not even sure if I can
manage to do all the replies quickly, but I'll try. As for all the time
spent... well... Forgive me... I've been completely swamped with work, and I'm
not even done with my history project... and that's REALLY important. As for
all the people who talked to me before the ACT... You guys are my life
support, and I can't thank you all enough. Yumi-chan, Koishii-chan, MSW-
sama, Crism-chan... T_T You guys are my heroes for dealing with the psychotic
breakdowns...
Chapter Six- You (Kaoru's Interlude)
I couldn't think clearly at all after that night. Hiro was hardly able to notice, which surprised me, even though I knew he wasn't the type who would.
Kenshin would notice... I thought, quickly berating myself. It was unfair to compare Hiro to Kenshin in my confused state
On one hand, Kenshin was walking into what was probably the most dangerous battle of his life. I was at my dojo, with my fiancée... What was wrong with me?
On the other hand, I could simply trust in Kenshin and his skills and get married as planned.
Yahiko sulked around the dojo, shooting glares at me whenever he laid eyes on me. I could tell he knew about Kenshin's emotions and he felt betrayed by me.
I often felt like seizing the boy by the gi and yelling at him to understand what I was going through.
But even so, I suppose Yahiko had a right to feel betrayed. Kenshin was practically his father, and it was I who drove him away.
My face contorted with anger as I swung my bokken in a high arc.
But even so, Kenshin probably felt betrayed that I'd never mentioned Hiro. But he'd never asked, I reminded myself. It certainly was not my problem, what he felt.
I was trying so hard to be tough about my situation, but couldn't help it when I remembered the numb paralysis that had left me weak in the knees when he hugged me, and the fantastic warmth that had been given to me as he... I shook my head violently.
Don't think of that... I ordered myself unkindly.
Even so, my mind wandered again and again to the beautiful red-haired rurouni who had lived with me for nearly a year; burning all previous loneliness.
If only I had told Kenshin about Hiro... would things have been different? Would he have been able to keep himself from...?
"Kaoru!" Yahiko's voice drove me back to reality.
I turned on him, leveling him under a fierce glare. "What?!" I spat furiously.
His eyebrows rose. "You were just standing there. Daydreaming again?" His voice mocked me and I nearly screamed in frustration.
I took a short breath in and opened my eyes from closing them in soothing darkness. "Yahiko, I know that you're upset about Kenshin leaving, but I can't control what he does.
I'd never noticed how fierce Yahiko's stare was until he turned it on me. "You could have... you should have... And he's not coming back because of you."
I felt something snap within me as I wheeled on the younger boy. Unfair as it was, I was furious with him for forcing me into a position where I had to justify my emotions. "If I could control things, I wouldn't have to feel like this. I just wanted to get married, and live a normal life, just like my mother did! I didn't need the complications of people talking behind my back, saying that he was my lover. I didn't need him to... to..." The suppressed memory came flooding back, emotions, pain, frustration, confusion, and weak-kneed state of my body, everything. "If I didn't feel like this... so confused... maybe it would all be okay... but it's not, and you can't understand that."
The sound of Hiro clearing his throat pulled my eyes from Yahiko's, and I turned to look at him, heart falling through my feet into the floor before him as he stared at me coolly.
I opened my mouth to speak, but was cut off by a loud crash from outside. I seized my bokken and darted past Hiro to look outside.
I froze upon seeing the multitude of soldier outside. Dressed as ninjas, a cast army was crowded into my yard. "Yahiko...!" I cried faintly.
My student stood beside me, wide-eyed. "This... is because of Shishio..." He murmured, holding up his shinai.
Hiro stood, pressed against the dojo wall in fear. "Then,.. that man has brought this upon us..."
My eyes watered as I reeled in shock. "H-Hiro-kun!" I cried, turning to stare at him. How could he blame this on Kenshin? How, when he hid himself in fear...?
I shivered and held out my bokken. "Hiro... stay back." My eyes fell on Yahiko. "Let's do this."
His emphatic nod and determined eyes told me that he was ready.
"What is it you seek?" I called out to them, and no reply met me. I held out my bokken. "Then is your reply in your swords?" I called back.
The men stalked forward, but froze at the sound of a voice that sent a chill down my spine.
Shinomori Aoshi.
He glared at the men with a stare that could have rivaled Kenshin. "Where is Battousai?"
My hearted stopped. "He... He's not here..." I whispered timidly.
He glared at me. "Then neither I, nor these men, have any business here." He glowered at them as he turned to leave.
My blood was cold with the realization that Aoshi intended to go for Kenshin in Kyoto.
"Kaoru-chan... Who was he?" Hiro approached me, and I pulled away, mind made up and eyes set forward.
"Yahiko... We have to go... Now. We have to warn Kenshin." I brushed past Hiro and walked silently into the dojo to prepare.
*~*~*
Note: Okay... I wanted to get this up fast... so I'm not doing individual replies... Sorry... but 25 replies is a LOT... All of you who replied, I thank you so much... you have my ultimate thanks, and I hope you aren't mad at me for not individualizing! I promise next time!!
BUT, for a gift to all reviewers... **grins mischievously** I took the liberty of getting each and every one of you an aluminum baseball bat... **hands everyone one** And, since Hiro is **still** not liked... **pushes a bound and gagged Hiro forward** Have at thee! **steps back to watch the bloodbath**
Next time, reviewers get more abusive methods toward Hiro, and Bando-chan's super-yummy homemade brownies!
Chapter Six- You (Kaoru's Interlude)
I couldn't think clearly at all after that night. Hiro was hardly able to notice, which surprised me, even though I knew he wasn't the type who would.
Kenshin would notice... I thought, quickly berating myself. It was unfair to compare Hiro to Kenshin in my confused state
On one hand, Kenshin was walking into what was probably the most dangerous battle of his life. I was at my dojo, with my fiancée... What was wrong with me?
On the other hand, I could simply trust in Kenshin and his skills and get married as planned.
Yahiko sulked around the dojo, shooting glares at me whenever he laid eyes on me. I could tell he knew about Kenshin's emotions and he felt betrayed by me.
I often felt like seizing the boy by the gi and yelling at him to understand what I was going through.
But even so, I suppose Yahiko had a right to feel betrayed. Kenshin was practically his father, and it was I who drove him away.
My face contorted with anger as I swung my bokken in a high arc.
But even so, Kenshin probably felt betrayed that I'd never mentioned Hiro. But he'd never asked, I reminded myself. It certainly was not my problem, what he felt.
I was trying so hard to be tough about my situation, but couldn't help it when I remembered the numb paralysis that had left me weak in the knees when he hugged me, and the fantastic warmth that had been given to me as he... I shook my head violently.
Don't think of that... I ordered myself unkindly.
Even so, my mind wandered again and again to the beautiful red-haired rurouni who had lived with me for nearly a year; burning all previous loneliness.
If only I had told Kenshin about Hiro... would things have been different? Would he have been able to keep himself from...?
"Kaoru!" Yahiko's voice drove me back to reality.
I turned on him, leveling him under a fierce glare. "What?!" I spat furiously.
His eyebrows rose. "You were just standing there. Daydreaming again?" His voice mocked me and I nearly screamed in frustration.
I took a short breath in and opened my eyes from closing them in soothing darkness. "Yahiko, I know that you're upset about Kenshin leaving, but I can't control what he does.
I'd never noticed how fierce Yahiko's stare was until he turned it on me. "You could have... you should have... And he's not coming back because of you."
I felt something snap within me as I wheeled on the younger boy. Unfair as it was, I was furious with him for forcing me into a position where I had to justify my emotions. "If I could control things, I wouldn't have to feel like this. I just wanted to get married, and live a normal life, just like my mother did! I didn't need the complications of people talking behind my back, saying that he was my lover. I didn't need him to... to..." The suppressed memory came flooding back, emotions, pain, frustration, confusion, and weak-kneed state of my body, everything. "If I didn't feel like this... so confused... maybe it would all be okay... but it's not, and you can't understand that."
The sound of Hiro clearing his throat pulled my eyes from Yahiko's, and I turned to look at him, heart falling through my feet into the floor before him as he stared at me coolly.
I opened my mouth to speak, but was cut off by a loud crash from outside. I seized my bokken and darted past Hiro to look outside.
I froze upon seeing the multitude of soldier outside. Dressed as ninjas, a cast army was crowded into my yard. "Yahiko...!" I cried faintly.
My student stood beside me, wide-eyed. "This... is because of Shishio..." He murmured, holding up his shinai.
Hiro stood, pressed against the dojo wall in fear. "Then,.. that man has brought this upon us..."
My eyes watered as I reeled in shock. "H-Hiro-kun!" I cried, turning to stare at him. How could he blame this on Kenshin? How, when he hid himself in fear...?
I shivered and held out my bokken. "Hiro... stay back." My eyes fell on Yahiko. "Let's do this."
His emphatic nod and determined eyes told me that he was ready.
"What is it you seek?" I called out to them, and no reply met me. I held out my bokken. "Then is your reply in your swords?" I called back.
The men stalked forward, but froze at the sound of a voice that sent a chill down my spine.
Shinomori Aoshi.
He glared at the men with a stare that could have rivaled Kenshin. "Where is Battousai?"
My hearted stopped. "He... He's not here..." I whispered timidly.
He glared at me. "Then neither I, nor these men, have any business here." He glowered at them as he turned to leave.
My blood was cold with the realization that Aoshi intended to go for Kenshin in Kyoto.
"Kaoru-chan... Who was he?" Hiro approached me, and I pulled away, mind made up and eyes set forward.
"Yahiko... We have to go... Now. We have to warn Kenshin." I brushed past Hiro and walked silently into the dojo to prepare.
*~*~*
Note: Okay... I wanted to get this up fast... so I'm not doing individual replies... Sorry... but 25 replies is a LOT... All of you who replied, I thank you so much... you have my ultimate thanks, and I hope you aren't mad at me for not individualizing! I promise next time!!
BUT, for a gift to all reviewers... **grins mischievously** I took the liberty of getting each and every one of you an aluminum baseball bat... **hands everyone one** And, since Hiro is **still** not liked... **pushes a bound and gagged Hiro forward** Have at thee! **steps back to watch the bloodbath**
Next time, reviewers get more abusive methods toward Hiro, and Bando-chan's super-yummy homemade brownies!