Chapter 8 – Kenshin's Heart
Kenshin clenched his teeth as he felt his body being pelted by some sort of invisible force once again. Then as suddenly as the onslaught had began it ended. Kenshin staggered to keep standing and looked up at Suiso who was smiling calmly.
As soon as Suiso had returned this had began. He released the spell that held Kenshin bound to the circle and began to attack Kenshin with these invisible rocks. Kenshin had in the beginning tried to dodge the attacks but they always found their target. Now he did everything he could to defend himself. Kenshin took deep breaths; the pain gnawing at his every nerve. "Kenshin, how could you leave your Captain? Why didn't you come back?" Suiso asked in a cheerful way. Then his smile vanished. "Or did you think that you had defeated me!"
Kenshin saw the wind circle Suiso as it ruffled Suiso's hair. Kenshin raised his arms to protect his face as the wind suddenly charged at him. The wind punched Kenshin as if he was a rag doll. Kenshin's legs gave out on him and he fell to his knees. His eyes tried to focus as his blood slowly dripped from him.
Suiso walked up to Kenshin and grabbed his ponytail. He tugged it playfully. "I see it all grew back. It would make everyone's life so much easier if you just went along with us Battòsai."
Kenshin grabbed Suiso's arm and twisted it. Suiso screamed as he flew for a moment before landing on the deck. In his fist were a few strands of Kenshin's hair. "You!" Suiso yelled at Kenshin as he held his arm. The wind picked up and blew Kenshin onto his back. One of Suiso's men ran over to Suiso and helped him to his feet. Suiso cradled his injured hand in his other arm.
Kenshin picked himself up as Suiso walked over to him. Suiso glared at Kenshin with wild, lifeless black eyes as Kenshin stared back with his calm, amber eyes. Kenshin smiled. "Are you satisfied Suiso? Have you gotten out all the anger you feel against this one yet?"
Suiso's eyes widened. "This man is smiling, why is he smiling?" Suiso snapped. "This time I will break you!" He yelled as he grabbed his sword still sheathed and swung at Kenshin. Kenshin ducked under the attack and his muscles screamed at him. Kenshin ignored his muscles complaints and jumped away from Suiso.
Kenshin staggered he still hadn't recovered fully from his battle with Shishio and he could feel those wounds open. The ship hadn't left the dock yet he still had a chance to get away. He tried to think of a way off the ship.
Suiso could see Kenshin was tired. He was tired too using up so much power. Suiso signaled for his men to continue where he had left off so he could have a chance to catch his breath.
Kenshin tried to ready himself as a few men cautiously moved closer to him. He wasn't sure how well he could fight unarmed. The men advanced and Kenshin noted that all of their swords were tied securely to their sheaths. The first charged and made an awkward thrust toward Kenshin. Kenshin dodged the attack by sidestepping out of the way. As if that had been the signal to begin all of the others charged toward Kenshin.
Suiso watched as his men failed to land a hit. "It's only a matter of time." Suiso thought to himself. "My men are fresh and armed where the Battòsai is injured and unarmed." Even with this knowledge Suiso was uneasy. He winced a bit from the sudden pain as he bumped his injured arm. He had used up too much energy attacking Kenshin.
Kenshin dodged an attack and the man lost his balance. The man fell to the ground and as Kenshin tried to dodge another attack he tripped over the fallen man. "Ag!" Kenshin cried out as his head hit the hard wood of the deck. He tried to get back on his feet when someone swung their sheathed sword and smacked Kenshin on the side his head. The force had been so strong that it sent Kenshin skidding a little ways down the deck. Kenshin hardly felt the pain throbbing in his head as he blacked out.
The loud crack that echoed over the water caught Suiso's attention as he looked just in time to see Kenshin skid a little ways then laid motionless. Suiso's smile vanished and in its place was left a gaping mouth. He ran up to the man who had attacked Kenshin. "You moron!" Suiso screeched. "His legend is no good to me if he's dead!" Suiso grabbed the man's throat with both of his arms forgetting about the pain.
The rest of the crew stood by and watched afraid of their Captain's wrath. The man in Suiso's grasp gasped helplessly for the air that Suiso denied him. Drool began to slip down his lips as Suiso pushed him toward the railing. They bumped into the railing as the man's eyes began to close. "You're not worth my time." Suiso hissed at the man as the man's struggles started to become weaker. That man would have died if Suiso hadn't seen Kenshin twitch. Suiso let go of the man's neck and he began to cough. Suiso ignored him walked over to the Rurouni and looked down at him. Suiso bent down and pushed Kenshin's matted blood covered hair aside and looked at the wound. Suiso let out a sigh of relief Kenshin would survive this but he would have to get medicine for him. Suiso yawned. "In the morning." He decided as he stood up and stretched.
He looked over at the man he had almost killed. The man's face was losing the blue color. Suiso smiled at him. "Congratulations. You didn't kill him so I won't kill you." The man let out a nervous sigh. Suiso looked to his other men. "Take him below." He said as he headed toward his room. "Make sure he can't get out. If he does..." Suiso looked at his men and gave them an evil smile. "Do I really have to say it?" He gave a humph and headed to bed. He was tired.
Kenshin opened his eyes a few hours later but it was so dark it didn't matter that he had opened them. He moved slightly sending a rush of pain to his pounding head. He found his hands bound behind him. His eyes fluttered threatening to let him fall asleep again. His hair was sticking awkwardly to the right side of his head. He could feel a slow drip of blood still coming from the wound there so he knew he had been hit hard. Kenshin tried to move but the pain came so strong that his eyes fluttered and shut sending him into deep sleep.
Kaoru and Senko roamed the streets of the town for the eighth time that night. They had been searching for Kenshin all night and besides his blood covered Sakabato they hadn't found any sign of him. Kaoru and Senko hadn't spoken since the six had regrouped and changed into groups of two. Senko and Kaoru were too search the town. Unmei was by himself searching the dock. Maki, Taku, and Senko's father had continued to look in the forest. "This is pointless!" Senko screamed after headed down another alleyway. Kaoru could only look at her understanding the way she felt. "This is all my fault!" She yelled.
"No it's not."
"If I had been stronger Suiso would have never had me and then Suiso would have never met Kenshin." She began to cry. "I'm such a baby."
Kaoru put a hand on Senko's shoulder. "It's not your fault." Senko looked at Kaoru and saw her eyes were holding back tears. "Kenshin can take care of himself. We'll find him and you'll see."
Senko gave Kaoru a smile. "You have so much trust in him."
Kaoru nodded. "He made a promise to me that we would go back to Tokyo together. He wouldn't let me down. I always put my trust in Kenshin because I know he won't let me down."
Senko dried her eyes. "Then I will put my trust in him too." Now Kaoru smiled. "Kenshin is lucky to have you." Senko said and Kaoru blushed.
Suiso laid in bed listening to the words that the wind delivered to him. It was such an interesting conversation and he was beginning to understand who it was Kenshin's heart belonged to. "There is a man." Suiso spoke calmly. "With a cross shaped scar on his left cheek." The wind began to rustle. "Go to the man with red hair and tell me all that he says." The wind settled and Suiso's room became still.
The wind blew into the room that they had put Kenshin in and softly blew on his face. Kenshin opened his eyes and stood in a small forest with the snow falling. The wind blew the snow making it dance. Kenshin felt so tired he looked down and saw he was leaning on a sword he knew but it wasn't his Sakabato.
Blood dripped from his ear and from a cut on the left side of his face. He reached up excepting to feel that 'X' once more but found that something was wrong. He could feel one of the scars and it was bleeding, but the other was missing leaving smooth skin where it once had been.
"I have to go to Outsu." Kenshin said out loud. "Tomoe... I have to find Tomoe." Kenshin kept walking. He wasn't sure where he was going but it was like he had been here before. Everything seemed so confused. "Tomoe." Everything had finally started to go right in his life. Tomoe was showing him what human warmth and kindness was like. Why did it feel like he had been here before? That morning Iizuka had told him that Tomoe was the spy giving away information about him to the Shisengumi. That couldn't be true. He had to find Tomoe.
Kenshin looked up and in the back of his mind noted that his bangs had been neatly pulled back. Kenshin stared at the man standing before him. He was talking about all of Kenshin's crimes and Kenshin took it all in. He knew Tomoe was here somewhere but he wasn't sure where. Kenshin saw the man starting to charge him so he got ready to attack back. Kenshin unsheathed his sword and tried to strike the man but missed.
The man brought his fist into Kenshin's face. Kenshin fell back but caught himself. Kenshin swung at his attacker but he was so tired and confused that his fighting was sloppy and the man easily dodged Kenshin's blade.
"So this is the Battòsai." Tatsumi thought as he dodged Kenshin's attack and then rammed his palm into the boy's face. Kenshin took a couple steps back then charged again. Tatsumi caught Kenshin around the neck and swung Kenshin around and then tossed him aside.
Kenshin bounced a bit then he laid still on the ground. Tatsumi reached into a pocket and pulled out a dagger Kenshin immediately recognized as Tomoe's. Kenshin shakily rose to his feet. So had Tomoe really betrayed him? Kenshin couldn't bare the thought and screamed. Tatsumi rushed at Kenshin ready to attack him with Tomoe's dagger. Kenshin hesitated a moment then ran toward Tatsumi. As he ran he thought about all the things he and Tomoe had been through together. He had promised to protect her happiness but he had stolen that which gave her happiness. "I had no right to protect you." Kenshin thought as he brought down his sword.
The soft silk of Tomoe's ribbon brushed past Kenshin's face as he pushed his sword down as hard as he could. He could hear his sword cut through soft flesh and he knew he had hit his mark. The ribbon blew past his face and he opened his eyes. Kenshin's mouth dropped. Before him stood Tatsumi with Tomoe in front of him blocking Tatsumi's attack and the blood was flying from both of them. Kenshin blinked unbelieving as he felt a heavy body hit his chest. He opened his eyes and looked down expecting to see Tomoe's face looking up at him, but he was horrified by the face that looked up at him. "KAORU!"
"KAORU!" Kenshin screamed out loud from his nightmare. Kenshin's face was twisted into a horrified look, slowly his facial expression changed to loss. A tear squeezed out from behind his closed eye and slid down his cheek sliding past his scar.
Suiso listened carefully and a smile slowly formed on his face. "So, Kenshin's heart belongs to Kaoru."
Kenshin clenched his teeth as he felt his body being pelted by some sort of invisible force once again. Then as suddenly as the onslaught had began it ended. Kenshin staggered to keep standing and looked up at Suiso who was smiling calmly.
As soon as Suiso had returned this had began. He released the spell that held Kenshin bound to the circle and began to attack Kenshin with these invisible rocks. Kenshin had in the beginning tried to dodge the attacks but they always found their target. Now he did everything he could to defend himself. Kenshin took deep breaths; the pain gnawing at his every nerve. "Kenshin, how could you leave your Captain? Why didn't you come back?" Suiso asked in a cheerful way. Then his smile vanished. "Or did you think that you had defeated me!"
Kenshin saw the wind circle Suiso as it ruffled Suiso's hair. Kenshin raised his arms to protect his face as the wind suddenly charged at him. The wind punched Kenshin as if he was a rag doll. Kenshin's legs gave out on him and he fell to his knees. His eyes tried to focus as his blood slowly dripped from him.
Suiso walked up to Kenshin and grabbed his ponytail. He tugged it playfully. "I see it all grew back. It would make everyone's life so much easier if you just went along with us Battòsai."
Kenshin grabbed Suiso's arm and twisted it. Suiso screamed as he flew for a moment before landing on the deck. In his fist were a few strands of Kenshin's hair. "You!" Suiso yelled at Kenshin as he held his arm. The wind picked up and blew Kenshin onto his back. One of Suiso's men ran over to Suiso and helped him to his feet. Suiso cradled his injured hand in his other arm.
Kenshin picked himself up as Suiso walked over to him. Suiso glared at Kenshin with wild, lifeless black eyes as Kenshin stared back with his calm, amber eyes. Kenshin smiled. "Are you satisfied Suiso? Have you gotten out all the anger you feel against this one yet?"
Suiso's eyes widened. "This man is smiling, why is he smiling?" Suiso snapped. "This time I will break you!" He yelled as he grabbed his sword still sheathed and swung at Kenshin. Kenshin ducked under the attack and his muscles screamed at him. Kenshin ignored his muscles complaints and jumped away from Suiso.
Kenshin staggered he still hadn't recovered fully from his battle with Shishio and he could feel those wounds open. The ship hadn't left the dock yet he still had a chance to get away. He tried to think of a way off the ship.
Suiso could see Kenshin was tired. He was tired too using up so much power. Suiso signaled for his men to continue where he had left off so he could have a chance to catch his breath.
Kenshin tried to ready himself as a few men cautiously moved closer to him. He wasn't sure how well he could fight unarmed. The men advanced and Kenshin noted that all of their swords were tied securely to their sheaths. The first charged and made an awkward thrust toward Kenshin. Kenshin dodged the attack by sidestepping out of the way. As if that had been the signal to begin all of the others charged toward Kenshin.
Suiso watched as his men failed to land a hit. "It's only a matter of time." Suiso thought to himself. "My men are fresh and armed where the Battòsai is injured and unarmed." Even with this knowledge Suiso was uneasy. He winced a bit from the sudden pain as he bumped his injured arm. He had used up too much energy attacking Kenshin.
Kenshin dodged an attack and the man lost his balance. The man fell to the ground and as Kenshin tried to dodge another attack he tripped over the fallen man. "Ag!" Kenshin cried out as his head hit the hard wood of the deck. He tried to get back on his feet when someone swung their sheathed sword and smacked Kenshin on the side his head. The force had been so strong that it sent Kenshin skidding a little ways down the deck. Kenshin hardly felt the pain throbbing in his head as he blacked out.
The loud crack that echoed over the water caught Suiso's attention as he looked just in time to see Kenshin skid a little ways then laid motionless. Suiso's smile vanished and in its place was left a gaping mouth. He ran up to the man who had attacked Kenshin. "You moron!" Suiso screeched. "His legend is no good to me if he's dead!" Suiso grabbed the man's throat with both of his arms forgetting about the pain.
The rest of the crew stood by and watched afraid of their Captain's wrath. The man in Suiso's grasp gasped helplessly for the air that Suiso denied him. Drool began to slip down his lips as Suiso pushed him toward the railing. They bumped into the railing as the man's eyes began to close. "You're not worth my time." Suiso hissed at the man as the man's struggles started to become weaker. That man would have died if Suiso hadn't seen Kenshin twitch. Suiso let go of the man's neck and he began to cough. Suiso ignored him walked over to the Rurouni and looked down at him. Suiso bent down and pushed Kenshin's matted blood covered hair aside and looked at the wound. Suiso let out a sigh of relief Kenshin would survive this but he would have to get medicine for him. Suiso yawned. "In the morning." He decided as he stood up and stretched.
He looked over at the man he had almost killed. The man's face was losing the blue color. Suiso smiled at him. "Congratulations. You didn't kill him so I won't kill you." The man let out a nervous sigh. Suiso looked to his other men. "Take him below." He said as he headed toward his room. "Make sure he can't get out. If he does..." Suiso looked at his men and gave them an evil smile. "Do I really have to say it?" He gave a humph and headed to bed. He was tired.
Kenshin opened his eyes a few hours later but it was so dark it didn't matter that he had opened them. He moved slightly sending a rush of pain to his pounding head. He found his hands bound behind him. His eyes fluttered threatening to let him fall asleep again. His hair was sticking awkwardly to the right side of his head. He could feel a slow drip of blood still coming from the wound there so he knew he had been hit hard. Kenshin tried to move but the pain came so strong that his eyes fluttered and shut sending him into deep sleep.
Kaoru and Senko roamed the streets of the town for the eighth time that night. They had been searching for Kenshin all night and besides his blood covered Sakabato they hadn't found any sign of him. Kaoru and Senko hadn't spoken since the six had regrouped and changed into groups of two. Senko and Kaoru were too search the town. Unmei was by himself searching the dock. Maki, Taku, and Senko's father had continued to look in the forest. "This is pointless!" Senko screamed after headed down another alleyway. Kaoru could only look at her understanding the way she felt. "This is all my fault!" She yelled.
"No it's not."
"If I had been stronger Suiso would have never had me and then Suiso would have never met Kenshin." She began to cry. "I'm such a baby."
Kaoru put a hand on Senko's shoulder. "It's not your fault." Senko looked at Kaoru and saw her eyes were holding back tears. "Kenshin can take care of himself. We'll find him and you'll see."
Senko gave Kaoru a smile. "You have so much trust in him."
Kaoru nodded. "He made a promise to me that we would go back to Tokyo together. He wouldn't let me down. I always put my trust in Kenshin because I know he won't let me down."
Senko dried her eyes. "Then I will put my trust in him too." Now Kaoru smiled. "Kenshin is lucky to have you." Senko said and Kaoru blushed.
Suiso laid in bed listening to the words that the wind delivered to him. It was such an interesting conversation and he was beginning to understand who it was Kenshin's heart belonged to. "There is a man." Suiso spoke calmly. "With a cross shaped scar on his left cheek." The wind began to rustle. "Go to the man with red hair and tell me all that he says." The wind settled and Suiso's room became still.
The wind blew into the room that they had put Kenshin in and softly blew on his face. Kenshin opened his eyes and stood in a small forest with the snow falling. The wind blew the snow making it dance. Kenshin felt so tired he looked down and saw he was leaning on a sword he knew but it wasn't his Sakabato.
Blood dripped from his ear and from a cut on the left side of his face. He reached up excepting to feel that 'X' once more but found that something was wrong. He could feel one of the scars and it was bleeding, but the other was missing leaving smooth skin where it once had been.
"I have to go to Outsu." Kenshin said out loud. "Tomoe... I have to find Tomoe." Kenshin kept walking. He wasn't sure where he was going but it was like he had been here before. Everything seemed so confused. "Tomoe." Everything had finally started to go right in his life. Tomoe was showing him what human warmth and kindness was like. Why did it feel like he had been here before? That morning Iizuka had told him that Tomoe was the spy giving away information about him to the Shisengumi. That couldn't be true. He had to find Tomoe.
Kenshin looked up and in the back of his mind noted that his bangs had been neatly pulled back. Kenshin stared at the man standing before him. He was talking about all of Kenshin's crimes and Kenshin took it all in. He knew Tomoe was here somewhere but he wasn't sure where. Kenshin saw the man starting to charge him so he got ready to attack back. Kenshin unsheathed his sword and tried to strike the man but missed.
The man brought his fist into Kenshin's face. Kenshin fell back but caught himself. Kenshin swung at his attacker but he was so tired and confused that his fighting was sloppy and the man easily dodged Kenshin's blade.
"So this is the Battòsai." Tatsumi thought as he dodged Kenshin's attack and then rammed his palm into the boy's face. Kenshin took a couple steps back then charged again. Tatsumi caught Kenshin around the neck and swung Kenshin around and then tossed him aside.
Kenshin bounced a bit then he laid still on the ground. Tatsumi reached into a pocket and pulled out a dagger Kenshin immediately recognized as Tomoe's. Kenshin shakily rose to his feet. So had Tomoe really betrayed him? Kenshin couldn't bare the thought and screamed. Tatsumi rushed at Kenshin ready to attack him with Tomoe's dagger. Kenshin hesitated a moment then ran toward Tatsumi. As he ran he thought about all the things he and Tomoe had been through together. He had promised to protect her happiness but he had stolen that which gave her happiness. "I had no right to protect you." Kenshin thought as he brought down his sword.
The soft silk of Tomoe's ribbon brushed past Kenshin's face as he pushed his sword down as hard as he could. He could hear his sword cut through soft flesh and he knew he had hit his mark. The ribbon blew past his face and he opened his eyes. Kenshin's mouth dropped. Before him stood Tatsumi with Tomoe in front of him blocking Tatsumi's attack and the blood was flying from both of them. Kenshin blinked unbelieving as he felt a heavy body hit his chest. He opened his eyes and looked down expecting to see Tomoe's face looking up at him, but he was horrified by the face that looked up at him. "KAORU!"
"KAORU!" Kenshin screamed out loud from his nightmare. Kenshin's face was twisted into a horrified look, slowly his facial expression changed to loss. A tear squeezed out from behind his closed eye and slid down his cheek sliding past his scar.
Suiso listened carefully and a smile slowly formed on his face. "So, Kenshin's heart belongs to Kaoru."