*Author notes: I'm not going to look at the reviews for my last chap until this one is up. I feel I dont deserve any credit yet. This chap should be interesting. Involves a bit o blood. This is a short chapter, concerning a single character, in a group of many.*
Chapter 24:
Inner Pain
His head hurt, and he had no idea why. He had no idea where he was, where his friends were, what time it was. All he knew was that it was dark. Dark and quiet. He had his sword luckily, and he felt safe, for the time being anyway. He couldn't see anything but himself. The world was black around him. He took a step forward, only to see more dark. He started to walk. Darkness surrounded him. He ran. No light shed into his world. He stopped. There was no change. HE sat down and contemplated.
'Where am I' He thought to himself.
'Where is Cloud? Inuyasha? The others?'
'Am I dead?'
"No Kenshin, you are not dead. We are all that is left."
Kenshin spun around to see Cloud looking at him. Cloud grinned.
"Cloud! Where is everyone else? Where are we?"
"Don't you know? Everyone else is dead."
Kenshin gasped.
"What?!? Why?!?"
Cloud grinned.
"You killed them."
Kenshin gasped again.
"WHAT? I'VE BEEN...."
"Look at yourself Kenshin. Look at your sword. Look at your clothes. Look at the bodies around you."
Kenshin looked down to see he was covered in blood. His sword blade dripped blood. Around him were his comrades, dead, bleeding.
"Your inner battousai killed them. Its all your fault."
Kenshin looked at his own hands. They were covered in the blood of the others.
"No...No..I...No..."
"They trusted you. And you betrayed them."
"No...no...NO!!!"
Kenshin screamed out his inner pain.
***
Naraku watched the man in satisfaction. He stared directly into Kenshin's dream. Kenshin had some inexorable power hidden inside of him, and Naraku wanted it. He controled Kenshin's dream, guiding it. The man would fall totally into his power at any time. His heart would be most vulnerable when he lost all hope in his friends.
***
Kenshin stared into the dark floor. Cloud walked around him like a drone. Kenshin felt horrible.
"This cant be real..."
"Oh, but it is. Look around you. See the reality you made."
Kenshin looked up at the bodies. His friends, allies, comrades...all dead. He stood up, and walked over to Kagome. He face was frozen in a look of terror. He looked down at her, noting every detail. He looked over at Miroku. Then at Inuyasha. Then at D.g.. One thing was similar in all faces. Kenshin looked back at Kagome. He went and lifted up the sleeve of her shirt. It hit him like a ton of bricks. What wasn't there made him grin.
"Cloud, why did you want the shikon shards?"
"I needed the power to get home."
"Is that all?"
"My only desire."
"Liar."
Cloud looked stunned.
"What do you mean?"
Kenshin turned and got up.
"You lie. You lie. This is all a lie."
Cloud laughed.
"Denial will get you nowhere."
Kenshin looked at him coldly.
"Niether for you, Naraku."
The darkness flickered.
Cloud laughed again.
"Naraku, Am I?"
"Cloud, you told me on the night that we saved Kagome from Kagome that you wanted the shikon shards to heal your friend. You said that was the only thing you wanted. Then you said that is was your duty, that it was your fault. What does that all mean now? You made a mistake."
Cloud stammered.
"I...I..."
"Another thing, Inuyasha had golden eyes, not black ones. Same for Miroku, Kagome, and D.g.. They are all black. Kagome had a bandage on her upper arm. It isn't there any more. There isn't even a scar. Those aren't my friends. Naraku, you cannot keep this image any longer."
Cloud shattered like glass. His friends did the same. The world turned pure dark once again.
"Naraku, you used my friendship against me. You turned my feeling against me. You used me...and I cannot forgive this!"
Kenshin let out a yell of his anger so strong with emotion that it shattered Naraku's hold on his dream. He slipped back into total darkness.
***
Naraku drew back in the shock. Kenshin was stronger than he had thought. Best leave him for later. Naraku went to his next victim...Inuyasha.
Chapter 24:
Inner Pain
His head hurt, and he had no idea why. He had no idea where he was, where his friends were, what time it was. All he knew was that it was dark. Dark and quiet. He had his sword luckily, and he felt safe, for the time being anyway. He couldn't see anything but himself. The world was black around him. He took a step forward, only to see more dark. He started to walk. Darkness surrounded him. He ran. No light shed into his world. He stopped. There was no change. HE sat down and contemplated.
'Where am I' He thought to himself.
'Where is Cloud? Inuyasha? The others?'
'Am I dead?'
"No Kenshin, you are not dead. We are all that is left."
Kenshin spun around to see Cloud looking at him. Cloud grinned.
"Cloud! Where is everyone else? Where are we?"
"Don't you know? Everyone else is dead."
Kenshin gasped.
"What?!? Why?!?"
Cloud grinned.
"You killed them."
Kenshin gasped again.
"WHAT? I'VE BEEN...."
"Look at yourself Kenshin. Look at your sword. Look at your clothes. Look at the bodies around you."
Kenshin looked down to see he was covered in blood. His sword blade dripped blood. Around him were his comrades, dead, bleeding.
"Your inner battousai killed them. Its all your fault."
Kenshin looked at his own hands. They were covered in the blood of the others.
"No...No..I...No..."
"They trusted you. And you betrayed them."
"No...no...NO!!!"
Kenshin screamed out his inner pain.
***
Naraku watched the man in satisfaction. He stared directly into Kenshin's dream. Kenshin had some inexorable power hidden inside of him, and Naraku wanted it. He controled Kenshin's dream, guiding it. The man would fall totally into his power at any time. His heart would be most vulnerable when he lost all hope in his friends.
***
Kenshin stared into the dark floor. Cloud walked around him like a drone. Kenshin felt horrible.
"This cant be real..."
"Oh, but it is. Look around you. See the reality you made."
Kenshin looked up at the bodies. His friends, allies, comrades...all dead. He stood up, and walked over to Kagome. He face was frozen in a look of terror. He looked down at her, noting every detail. He looked over at Miroku. Then at Inuyasha. Then at D.g.. One thing was similar in all faces. Kenshin looked back at Kagome. He went and lifted up the sleeve of her shirt. It hit him like a ton of bricks. What wasn't there made him grin.
"Cloud, why did you want the shikon shards?"
"I needed the power to get home."
"Is that all?"
"My only desire."
"Liar."
Cloud looked stunned.
"What do you mean?"
Kenshin turned and got up.
"You lie. You lie. This is all a lie."
Cloud laughed.
"Denial will get you nowhere."
Kenshin looked at him coldly.
"Niether for you, Naraku."
The darkness flickered.
Cloud laughed again.
"Naraku, Am I?"
"Cloud, you told me on the night that we saved Kagome from Kagome that you wanted the shikon shards to heal your friend. You said that was the only thing you wanted. Then you said that is was your duty, that it was your fault. What does that all mean now? You made a mistake."
Cloud stammered.
"I...I..."
"Another thing, Inuyasha had golden eyes, not black ones. Same for Miroku, Kagome, and D.g.. They are all black. Kagome had a bandage on her upper arm. It isn't there any more. There isn't even a scar. Those aren't my friends. Naraku, you cannot keep this image any longer."
Cloud shattered like glass. His friends did the same. The world turned pure dark once again.
"Naraku, you used my friendship against me. You turned my feeling against me. You used me...and I cannot forgive this!"
Kenshin let out a yell of his anger so strong with emotion that it shattered Naraku's hold on his dream. He slipped back into total darkness.
***
Naraku drew back in the shock. Kenshin was stronger than he had thought. Best leave him for later. Naraku went to his next victim...Inuyasha.