Disclaimer: RK is not mine.
Look yonder! It's the next chapter! And it's really good too!
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Kenshin stood up. The morning had passed uneventfully,
with the exemption of Min's careful plot to remove all of the guests: a sudden
fire destroyed the kitchen, so she gladly paid for half of everyone's stay at
another inn until everything was safe and fixed.
"Kenshin?" Sano looked at him.
"It's time. Yahiko, will you go tell Min we're ready?" The
boy nodded and left the room. "Sano, I need to talk with Miss
Megumi. I'll be back in just a moment." he
entered the doctors room silently.
"Miss Megumi?" She looked up. "I would like you to
return to the dojo with Yahiko."
"No. you or Sano or Kaoru may be seriously injured.
I would not like anything to happen to you. Besides, try getting Yahiko
to go back. You know he will refuse." Kenshin nodded.
"I know. However, you don't have everything you need here. I
would like you to go back to the dojo to prepare for our return. everything will be fine, but i need you there incase
something does happen to one of us. As for Yahiko, I have already talked
to him about it. we have come to an
agreement." He smiled. "Please do this for me, Miss Megumi."
She sighed. "Fine. But if anything happens
to any of you, you can't blame me." Kenshin nodded.
"Alright then. Thank you very much Miss
Megumi." He bowed and left.
**********************
Min led them down the stairs to where she knew Toshiro would be waiting.
Kenshin's movements were stiff and Sano was extremely jumping, turning his head
to look at every little noise.
As the entered the room, Kaoru looked at them with a knowing
smile. Kenshin wondered how long the antidote would take to come into effect. Megumi's plan was very ingenuous, he had
to admit. They simply had Min give it to her instead of her regular
morning tea.
"Battousai." A cold voice echoed and Toshiro
stepped forward. "We've been waiting for you."
"Toshiro, I would like you to return us Kaoru and live out the remainder
of your life in peace." Kenshin said icily, walking with his eyes turned
toward the floor. "However, i have a feeling that that is not what
you want."
"Very good observation. Now, here is your chance. you may kill me, then reclaim your woman. But if you
cannot do that, i will have no choice but to ah...do a bit of evil." he
smirked.
"Very well. "
Kenshin's eyes flicked up mercilessly. "you
are without a doubt the most heartless man i have ever met. your life was wasted on your soul." he flew forward with such amazing speed that Toshiro hardly
had time to pull out his sword to block Kenshin from hitting him.
Kenshin jumped back and smiled. "Better than i thought you
were. but if your whole life was spent figuring
out how to kill me, you'll have to be better than that." He lunged
forward again, slamming his sword into Toshiro's shoulder, before kicking his
face. A trickle of blood ran out of the corner of his mouth and he
grinned.
"Is that all you've got Battousai? Really, you surprise
me."
"No. would you like to see more?"
Kenshin approached him the way a cat approaches a mouse before going for the
kill. "Ryu Sou Sen!" He shouted and Toshiro
flew backwards across the room, into a pile of sheet-covered items. Kaoru
gasped and ran to his side. He began to laugh, though he held his injured
shoulder in pain.
"You toyed with me too long. It's too late now, Kenshin." He unveiled
the large lump that had broken his fall.
Kenshin narrowed his eyes and understood. The realization had come too
late though; Toshiro took a candle and lit the fuse on the nearest bomb.
"No!" Kenshin screamed. "Sano, run!
Get out of here!" Kenshin ran with amazing speed as it went off, throwing
Kaoru forward, unconscious. Toshiro had somehow escaped the blast, and
was now cackling like a mad man. flames were
everywhere; Kenshin gathered Kaoru up in his arms hoping to escape by way of
the stairs.
"No, Kenshin, this way!" He heard Sano call. "Min's taking
us through here!" He turned and ran towards them, praying that Kaoru
would be alright.
Min quickly showed them out through the servant's passage with the echoing of
bombs everywhere. "Kaoru, I'm so sorry. Please be alright,
please..." Kenshin prayed over and over again. He felt the
wind on his face and he and Sano ran into the trees as fast as the could.
Suddenly, Sano skidded to a stop. "Min." He
whispered.
"Sanosuke..." Kenshin looked at him.
"Kenshin, i can't just let her die like that, not after all the help she
gave us." he ran back to the burning inn, calling over his shoulder,
"If i don't come back, tell Megumi...tell her what you would have told
Kaoru." He ran into the building just as a final explosion rocked
the ground, causing most of the inn to collapse on it's self.
"Sano!" Kenshin screamed, but it was too
late.
It was over.
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Ack! How do i manage to do this and keep my sanity? There has to be
some consequences for doing this over and over to my readers, right? oh well... review, for the next chapter is just around the corner!