Disclaimer: I think it'll take more than the Seven Dwarfs to make Rurouni Kenshin mine, but let me try the Seven Suzaku Star Warriors, and if that doesn't work, I'll try the Seven Friends of Narnia.
NYMPHA FABELLA
Chapter Six: Premonitions
Kenshin literally felt his entire body tense up, and his eyes turn the shade of amber. Digging his nails onto his palm, he managed to shake himself out of it, seeing that Aika and Yahiko were looking at him apprehensively.
An incredible amount of building heat captured his muscles, and Kenshin could feel the hair at the back of his neck rise—not only out of fear, but also because of mounting anger, his clench on his jaw tightening more and more.
"Daijabou, Kenshin?" Yahiko asked at last. Kenshin forced a smile. "Hai, de gozaru. You had better go back to bed--Aika-san and I have a lot of things to discuss." The boy nodded, and gave them one last glance before closing the door.
"Are you sure you are all right, Himura-san?" Aika asked him. "Hai, hai, sessha is fine. So you really do not know why this Yukishiro Enishi is destroying your village? No clue at all, whatsoever?" He asked, trying to keep his voice calm, keeping his temper in check.
Aika sat down again, her gray-brown bangs covering her eyes. "Iie, Himura-san. At first everyone thought he was after a position in the government, but never, never in all my years have I known a man to be so determined just to get into a political position."
Kenshin frowned, and fought to remain calm once again. "So if he is not after politics…" He sighed, trying to hide his irritation. Right now, more than anything, he felt he had to slash something with his sakabatou—not exactly something alive, though. He felt his hands tremble.
This was too much. All he had wanted to do at first was to help a few people; find out what had been happening in their village; stop the useless killing he was now so against, but now… Yukishiro Enishi?
After all, how often was it that you happened to be in the same place as your former brother-in-law who probably never liked you in the first place, and whose sister, your former wife you had accidentally murdered?
He was dumbfounded, and even as he tried to question why he was trying to help in the first place, something washed over him, making him forget his doubts about lending a hand for the time being. The spell was working, so it seemed…
He jerked his head up again, feeling Aika's confused stare at him, and well-aware that his eyes were now definitely a darker shade. "Do not worry about me, Aika-san; sessha is just exhausted."
The widow nodded kindly, and rose to open the door of the room. "All right then, Himura-san. Why don't we continue this tomorrow? For now we all should get some rest." She smiled. "Oyasumi nasai." Kenshin got up, and bowed politely, heading for the room she had offered him a few nights ago.
But as soon as he was inside, amethyst turned dark, lips grew thin, and fists were clenched tightly. A million—no, a billion questions entered his brain. Why the hell was he suddenly involved in all this?!
Was it punishment for his being a former hitokiri? Had he not paid enough with all those bloody nightmares, those angry and even intimidated stares he had received when people recognized him? Was he not just trying to help?!
"Kuso!" He said, cursing fiercely after a long time of talking like a polite wanderer. Maybe he should just forget about the whole thing—sneak out tonight, and forever leave the town. As he had told himself before, all this did not concern him, after all.
'Baka, Himura! Are you going to back away like a coward just because a man from your past has shown up?' The voice scolded him from somewhere within him. Still, he could not help but think; after all, Enishi wasn't just any man from his past. Damn, he was Tomoe's brother…
Gripping the hilt of his sakabatou so tightly that his knuckles were pale, Kenshin sat down and took deep, calming breaths. 'It's way too late now. You've taken a liking to Yahiko, and told Aika-san you would help; you decided to do this on your own, and now you must face the consequences,' he told himself as he felt Battousai's anger at the thought of Enishi fade away. Or was it really his voice which had convinced him it was too late? He didn't know.
Not bothering to light his lamp, Kenshin felt around for his futon, and lied down, thinking. He had no choice now. Unknown to him, Megumi had done one hell of a job in enchanting him.
***@***
There was a shimmer in her sapphire blue eyes, as she kept her head bowed, sitting still and holding on to the sleeves of her soft pink kimono, while the man in front of her continued to talk to one of his minions, while watching her at the corner of his eye.
"So it is settled." Enishi gave a dismissive nod to his servant, who wasted no time in hurrying out of the room. He glanced at Kaoru for a mere while, as he waited for the next of his followers to enter his main office, a large and brightly lit room with small wooden pillars for support.
All the while Kaoru scowled at Enishi, letting him know that she was still in deep disgust of him, and had no plans whatsoever of accepting the life of luxuries he had been offering. She would rather die first.
Frankly, she didn't know why she had to be in that room with him. He was probably making sure she wasn't trying to escape. And of course she was planning to. Though boredom tugged at her and she longed to get out of his so-called office, she dared not show him any other emotion but anger.
She remembered being told that she was allowed to roam the manor, although she was forbidden to walk in the gardens without any guards to make sure she wouldn't get away, but she wanted anywhere but his office right now.
At first, Enishi had told her otherwise, that she could go anywhere within the place on her own, but that was when he had not yet given her the grand room and had been made to sleep in a smaller, cozier room for a few weeks. After she had tried to escape, though, he had provided her the grander room, but had grown keener on her every move.
"Enishi-sama," The man was almost as tall as he, with a small mustache and a well-built body. He bowed politely, and Enishi watched closely as he stepped forward. He beckoned him to take the seat beside Kaoru, so that both would sit facing him as he sat behind his desk.
"What is it, Doumyuji?" He asked curtly. "Master, my men were out this morning, patrolling the village, and they saw something I thought you would be interested in." Enishi threw his head back. "And what might it be?" He asked, as though he didn't care one way or another.
"My men spotted someone new around, Enishi-sama. None of us have seen him before, and I myself am sure that he is not one of the villagers." Enishi smirked at the man, and shot him a freezing look.
"And pray, what in the world should interest me about this man? Did I not tell you before that any meddler should be taken care of right away?" For a while a frightened look came upon the servant's face, but he quickly wiped the expression away, clearly convincing Enishi that the new stranger at the village was someone out of the ordinary.
His servant cleared his throat nervously. "Hai, Enishi-sama, but you see, I myself have seen this meddler, and you would not believe how he looks like!" Enishi raised an eyebrow. "Nani? Do not tell me you came here to relate to me that this man is attractive, Doumyuji."
"Iie, of course not, sir! W-wwhat I meant to say was that...this man—he has red hair, and a cross shaped scar on his left cheek, sir. Correct me if I am mistaken, but to my knowledge, only the legendary Himura Battousai has looks of such!"
Something so cold and rigid suddenly passed Enishi's face, that even Kaoru noticed the sudden change in his façade, though she herself was shocked at the news of Battousai being in town. Enishi once again eyed his servant carefully, his voice only a whisper when he spoke again. "Himura Battousai?"
The man beside Kaoru nodded vigorously. "Hai, I assure you, master, I saw him for myself!" Enishi stood, towering over the man and Kaoru, who found herself frowning thoughtfully at the suddenly changed sorcerer in front of her.
"Where is he staying?" Asked Enishi, his voice still stone cold. "At the widow Mimasaka Aika's, Master, and with them is a young boy." Doumyuji gave Kaoru a sidelong glance, before continuing. "And I recognized him as Kamiya Yahiko, Enishi-sama."
***@***
Kenshin dreamt that night.
Everything around him was a whirl of white. He held out his hand, expecting some snow flakes to fall upon his palm. When none fell, he looked around, his big violet colored eyes inspecting the dome of pure white.
Looking ahead, he saw a quick blur of color, and instinct told him to take hold of his sword. The blur formed itself in front of him vertically, flashing silver, black, and brown. Yukishiro Enishi's body charged at him, and within a moment Kenshin; no, Battousai slashed his body, blood covering a part of the shining white floor, as Enishi staggered.
And when he fell with pain, pain itself gripped at the rurouni, as the man lying in front of him turned into the one person he had loved so much, with all his heart, with everything he had…Tomoe. He stepped back. No, no…that couldn't be.
It was. Blood stained his hands, sweat ran down his body, his mind spinning and heart aching. His now sorrowful eyes swept past the sword which had fallen from his grip. Trembling, shivering and weeping, he reached out for it, and aimed it at himself, stretching his arms so that the edge of the blade was only a few centimeters from his throat,
If Tomoe was dead, then he would die, too. Life was useless without her.
He set his jaw in determination, waiting for the blade to plunge itself into his neck, waiting for the thick, red liquid to trickle down his body. The pain would be of no importance. After it, he would see her face again; hear her oh-so-melodious voice… A scream suddenly sounded in the distance, prying his now suddenly dark bluish eyes open.
She was a few meters from him, where Tomoe's body should have been. Her raven black hair was tied up into a ponytail held by a silk ribbon which had begun to get quite loose. Her blue eyes were filled with tears, her beautifully shaped lips forming words he could not understand. She was beautiful; though not as beautiful as Tomoe.
Not for the first time, and still with much incomprehensibility, a burning desire rose from him. Somehow, he knew he had to help her… who she was, why she was there, he knew not. All he did know, however, was that he had to protect her.
How? And why? Who was she? He tried to speak, but his throat remained dry. Suddenly it wasn't so easy to breath.
And so once more, the rurouni woke up, drenched in sweat. Panting, Kenshin fingered his scar. He had thought his nightmares could not get any worse, but now, he was starting to think otherwise, as he contemplated on Tomoe's beautiful face in his mind.
Slowly, he sat up, raising his head even more as he scanned the room he was in. There was something different…the smell of jasmine filled his surroundings, the soft, calming smell drifting in the air.
Kenshin blinked, looking around, but as he did so, the smell began to grow faint.
A/N: Um…
I know it was a weird chapter, but I hope you guys liked it. I had a really hard time with the nightmare; after all, I had my own fair share of them—I just never had any consisting of Enishi, or Tomoe…
Hey, I'd freak out if I did!
Er, by the way…I've still no fresh ideas as to Sano…What do I do with him?! Suggestions? Wacky ideas? Got any? Mewberries! Help!
Humor me, people: REVIEW!!!