Chapter 2: Do Something About You're Fear!
My body felt nervous and my heart began to pound
As this test of love that brought me to my knees…
Cries of "Kaoru!" "Raccoon-girl!" and "Miss Kaoru" could be heard from the dojo. Although they all were worried about the young woman, nobody was more fearful than Kenshin. When he and Sanosuke met while searching for her, Sano stopped him. "Hey, Kenshin, what's goin' on? I've never seen you like this."
"I'm fine Sano, don't worry about me." He attempted to smile brightly but it was grim.
"No you're not. I know that you're concerned about the lives of everyone you meet but this is different; You're scared so admit it."
"I have nothing to fear; I'm sure Miss Kaoru is fine."
Sagara was not convinced. "That's the biggest lie you've ever told. What are you scared of Kenshin?" Battôsai's angry stare plastered itself on his face. "I'm not scared."
Sanosuke smirked. "Yes you are. Admit it, Hitôkiri Battôsai-"
He was cut off by the sharp end of a sakabatô pressed against his neck. He stared at Kenshin in fear. The look of the killer left Kenshin and all that was left was sorrow. "I'm sorry that I acted like that…I-I was overcome-"
"By pain. I understand-UGH!"
"What's wrong?!"
"There-on that pillar-a note!"
The two sped to the pillar where a piece of parchment pinned by a dagger. They read over it several times before going into shock. Sanosuke slumped onto the ground, his eyes wide and stunned. Kenshin ripped the note off of the pole, clenched it tightly in his fist and shouted "NOOOOOOO!!"
In a forest outside of town, the assistant master of Kamiya-Kasshin ryu was awakening. "What-?where am I?"
"You are right where we want you!" Cold voices answered in unison. She recognized them from somewhere but she couldn't remember. The drug had made her uncoordinated so she couldn't run. "Who are you people?!"
"We are the enemies of the Hitôkiri Battôsai! We have come back from Hell to bring upon him the taste of our revenge!"
"No!"
"Yes. Soon enough, the blood of the legendary manslayer will be spilled. And you will be the one that watches as he suffers oh so painfully because you got captured!"
She heard footsteps as the past enemies that Kenshin had beat left her. Kaoru slumped onto the ground and cried. "Kenshin, Sanosuke, Aoshi, Saito, Yahiko…anybody! Please let this nightmare end…"
Kenshin's hand would not stop shaking in sorrow and fury. Megumi and Yahiko had ran to them when they heard Kenshin outcry. "What does it say, Sir Ken?" Megumi asked quietly.
The ex-manslayer's voice wavered. "W-we, the former…o-opponents of Hi-Himura K-Kenshin-oh curse it, Sano, you read it. I-I can not…"
Sagara nodded and read the rest to them. " Well to sum it up, all of the guys who had their butts kicked by Kenshin have kidnapped Kaoru and won't give her back until he meets them for a final showdown-and if we come…they'll kill her-"
"Oh no…" Megumi's eyes welled up with tears.
"Kaoru-" Yahiko's speech cracked.
Sanosuke pressed his wife's face into his gi, and turned to Kenshin. "You've got to go save her. We can't go. They'll just kill her if we try to help you-"
"No Sano…" Kenshin muttered, "I can't do it- I can't-can't do it…"
Megumi slapped Kenshin across the face. "Raccoon-girl isn't perfect, we all know that, but there is one thing she has been for you throughout the years-she has been there! I remember her telling me about all of your battles and it seems that in almost every single one, Kaoru has been there rooting you on or helping.
"I had to waste my time and energy to convince that girl to see you before you faced Shishio-a LOT of time and energy. If you don't go save her, I don't know what we'll do to you but it will be nothing CLOSE to the pain you will inflict on yourself. Now get your butt out there and do something about your fear!"
Kenshin stood there with his head hanging for a while. Then he looked Megumi straight in the eye and said "Thank you, Miss Megumi. I will leave now."
The sound of sandals trudging away from Sano, Megumi, and Yahiko could be heard. "Hey Sano, he's got that look in his eye again." Yahiko warned.
"I know." Sano nodded grimly, "But there's nothing we can do now but wait and hope that he'll come back with Kaoru-"
"And not in a casket." Megumi hugged him, "I truly hope that."
My body felt nervous and my heart began to pound
As this test of love that brought me to my knees…
Cries of "Kaoru!" "Raccoon-girl!" and "Miss Kaoru" could be heard from the dojo. Although they all were worried about the young woman, nobody was more fearful than Kenshin. When he and Sanosuke met while searching for her, Sano stopped him. "Hey, Kenshin, what's goin' on? I've never seen you like this."
"I'm fine Sano, don't worry about me." He attempted to smile brightly but it was grim.
"No you're not. I know that you're concerned about the lives of everyone you meet but this is different; You're scared so admit it."
"I have nothing to fear; I'm sure Miss Kaoru is fine."
Sagara was not convinced. "That's the biggest lie you've ever told. What are you scared of Kenshin?" Battôsai's angry stare plastered itself on his face. "I'm not scared."
Sanosuke smirked. "Yes you are. Admit it, Hitôkiri Battôsai-"
He was cut off by the sharp end of a sakabatô pressed against his neck. He stared at Kenshin in fear. The look of the killer left Kenshin and all that was left was sorrow. "I'm sorry that I acted like that…I-I was overcome-"
"By pain. I understand-UGH!"
"What's wrong?!"
"There-on that pillar-a note!"
The two sped to the pillar where a piece of parchment pinned by a dagger. They read over it several times before going into shock. Sanosuke slumped onto the ground, his eyes wide and stunned. Kenshin ripped the note off of the pole, clenched it tightly in his fist and shouted "NOOOOOOO!!"
In a forest outside of town, the assistant master of Kamiya-Kasshin ryu was awakening. "What-?where am I?"
"You are right where we want you!" Cold voices answered in unison. She recognized them from somewhere but she couldn't remember. The drug had made her uncoordinated so she couldn't run. "Who are you people?!"
"We are the enemies of the Hitôkiri Battôsai! We have come back from Hell to bring upon him the taste of our revenge!"
"No!"
"Yes. Soon enough, the blood of the legendary manslayer will be spilled. And you will be the one that watches as he suffers oh so painfully because you got captured!"
She heard footsteps as the past enemies that Kenshin had beat left her. Kaoru slumped onto the ground and cried. "Kenshin, Sanosuke, Aoshi, Saito, Yahiko…anybody! Please let this nightmare end…"
Kenshin's hand would not stop shaking in sorrow and fury. Megumi and Yahiko had ran to them when they heard Kenshin outcry. "What does it say, Sir Ken?" Megumi asked quietly.
The ex-manslayer's voice wavered. "W-we, the former…o-opponents of Hi-Himura K-Kenshin-oh curse it, Sano, you read it. I-I can not…"
Sagara nodded and read the rest to them. " Well to sum it up, all of the guys who had their butts kicked by Kenshin have kidnapped Kaoru and won't give her back until he meets them for a final showdown-and if we come…they'll kill her-"
"Oh no…" Megumi's eyes welled up with tears.
"Kaoru-" Yahiko's speech cracked.
Sanosuke pressed his wife's face into his gi, and turned to Kenshin. "You've got to go save her. We can't go. They'll just kill her if we try to help you-"
"No Sano…" Kenshin muttered, "I can't do it- I can't-can't do it…"
Megumi slapped Kenshin across the face. "Raccoon-girl isn't perfect, we all know that, but there is one thing she has been for you throughout the years-she has been there! I remember her telling me about all of your battles and it seems that in almost every single one, Kaoru has been there rooting you on or helping.
"I had to waste my time and energy to convince that girl to see you before you faced Shishio-a LOT of time and energy. If you don't go save her, I don't know what we'll do to you but it will be nothing CLOSE to the pain you will inflict on yourself. Now get your butt out there and do something about your fear!"
Kenshin stood there with his head hanging for a while. Then he looked Megumi straight in the eye and said "Thank you, Miss Megumi. I will leave now."
The sound of sandals trudging away from Sano, Megumi, and Yahiko could be heard. "Hey Sano, he's got that look in his eye again." Yahiko warned.
"I know." Sano nodded grimly, "But there's nothing we can do now but wait and hope that he'll come back with Kaoru-"
"And not in a casket." Megumi hugged him, "I truly hope that."