Disclaim me: Not mine… It's not mine, IT'S JUST NOT MINE!!!
AHA! Helpful info for those who may have wondered/have been asking: I'm planning to update every five days. I've got into the swing of it now, so there you go, we have some regularity now! The only reason I won't will be if something really major prevents me finishing the newest chapter in time. Hope that makes things easier for people!
Author's note: Oh, what is there to say, really? This is a 'just read it' one, needs no commentary (because I offer no excuses for anything in it *nervous laugh* aheh heh… hm.) Enjoy. ^_^
The Princess Bride: Kenshin StyleFive
Kaoru had finished her tasks for the day earlier than usual. Her father had already gone to town to talk to their customers. She decided to take a walk in the forest to refresh herself after her hard work, and to try and leave her worries behind.
The forest lay like a blanket over the hills and slopes that enclosed three sides of Kaoru's home. The trees that filled it were tall and ancient, their age lending them some kind of spirit, or so Kaoru felt, so that, whenever she wandered the forest's cool glades and forgotten pathways, she felt as if the trees were looking out for her and protecting her: she felt their age and presence surrounding her with peace and quietude.
Kenshin watched as Kaoru walked away from the house. He guessed she was going to walk in the forest: he'd noticed her go there often before when she wanted peace and solitude. He carried on scrubbing clothes and thought about his dream.
The air beneath the canopy of the forest was cool and fresh. Kaoru breathed in slowly, savouring the smells and flavours of the wood. Time seemed to have no power there, in the shade of such ageless, natural life.
She had already wandered quite a way, but there was a purpose to her apparently meandering journey. She trod a path created by her own feet alone, which ran in a fairly straight way through the trees. Birds were singing overhead, and Kaoru listened to their song as she walked. She felt so free and happy every time she walked this path. She could forget all about her troubles of the past days and pretend her life was perfect and nothing could ever ruin it. She smiled to herself, and did a happy little twirl and a little leaping step, her soft shadow dancing over the tree trunks and the ground. The shafts of green and yellow light from above sent patterns swirling over her kimono and hair, which spun in a flash of black when she twirled. She felt so happy.
Kenshin startled, physically jumping as if he'd been bitten. His head came up, eyes wide and flashing. The heavy, dark feeling had risen strongly inside him, with a suddenness that he could not ignore. Something very bad was happening.
He threw down his handful of laundry, wiping his hands dry on the front of his clothes as he ran into the house to snatch up his sword.
Kaoru was looking around happily when she thought she saw a shadow of something, a little way off in the forest to her right. She peered at it curiously. Was it a person, crouched there among the undergrowth? She took a hesitant step, off from the path.
Kenshin ran towards the forest. It was Kaoru: that horrible heavy feeling sickened him as he recognized that fact. He just knew, he wasn't going to question his intuition, it had never lied to him before: something bad was happening, and it involved Kaoru.
His feet flew over the grassy earth as he ran with a speed he hadn't used in a long time. A couple of trees flashed by him as he drew near to where the fringes of the forest touched the edges of the farmland. Shaded woodland stood ahead. His red hair whipped into his face as he came to a very abrupt stop.
His hand flew to the handle of his weapon.
"GAAAARRGH!" yelled a harsh male voice, as a brutish-looking man, tall and bald-headed, leapt from what seemed like nowhere, and made for Kenshin with a sword in hand. However, the younger swordsman had been ready for this attack.
Kenshin deflected the initial sweep of his enemy's sword, and then swept his body to one side with amazing speed and agility to avoid the second slash. His eyes narrowed angrily as his fierce battle ki rose within him.
As the attacker pulled back, Kenshin sent a testing sweep with his sword into the man's defence. The brute managed to block it, and grinned, thinking Kenshin couldn't beat him. Following up on that thought, he lunged, his confidence making him overreach by the tiniest fraction, leaving him out of balance by the slightest amount when his target vanished in front of his eyes. His huge frame and the weight of his muscles did him no favours. As he struggled to maintain balance, a shocking blow smashed into his shoulder blades across the width of his back. Before he could even register the fact of the blow, another caught him in the back of his head.
His eyes widened in pain and surprise, and he fell to the ground, unconscious.
Kenshin stood over the man, sakabatou in hand. He checked the strange, reversed blade with a glance. No blood. Good.
He sheathed the sword and leapt into a run again.
"Hello?" Kaoru took another hesitant step, carrying her further from the path. She brushed aside a profusion of leafy branches, squinting into the shade before her. A bird still sang above her, the only sound in the vast forest that reached Kaoru's straining ears. She hoped she was imagining it when the quietude began to feel strangely uneasy. The single bird sang on.
Another above. Kenshin's increased awareness meant he was not surprised when a man dropped from the thick branches overhead to land where Kenshin would have been, were it not for his speed.
This man was slighter of build, and had spiked, scruffy black hair, and a weasel look to his face. His eyes were narrow and sharp, and a little scarf hid half of his face. He seemed annoyed, though not surprised, when he looked up to see Kenshin a few feet away, weapon in hand.
"What are you doing here?" asked Kenshin in a voice of steel.
His enemy laughed, a strange cackling sound. "Guess. Play a game with me."
Kenshin was infuriated. His eyes narrowed, giving a deadly look to his glance. He would waste not a single second more than necessary on this fight. He leapt towards his attacker, and, at the last moment, used his powerful final stride to send him flying into the air. "Hiten mitsurugi, ryu tsui sen!" he yelled, as he came crashing down with a forceful stroke of his blade into the weasel's shoulder. The man had seen the move coming with his quick eyes, but even his deflecting hold on his short sword and readied stance hadn't stopped the full force of Kenshin's attack. Enough of that force hit him to do damage.
"This game isn't over," cried the horrid little man over his shoulder. Kenshin had not expected the man to give up and run so quickly. He was fast, even with his injury. Before Kenshin could react, the voice yelled again from an already much increased distance.
"YOU CAN'T SAVE HER!"
Kenshin didn't even stop to listen to the accompanying cackle. He vanished into the depths of the forest at a run.
Kaoru came closer to the shadowy figure. It still hadn't moved. Pushing another branch aside, she looked down on the thing. It was a small stone statue: some kind of tiny shrine must have been here, once. This was all that was left, a little stone figure, hidden and forgotten in the vast forest. Kaoru smiled down on the figure, and, paying her respects, she turned back to the path and her original destination. She wasn't far away now. A few more birds began to sing. The trees surrounded her with their protective spirit as she made her way forward again, a smile on her face and lightness in her step.
Kenshin slowed as he approached the little glade. He had not expected this.
A small, grassy area lay in front of him, enclosed by the great forest. It was a tiny glade, only about ten meters in diameter, and a roughly circular shape. A little stream ran through it, bubbling pleasantly with water as clear as glass. The gap in the trees' cover allowed the late afternoon sun to shine uninhibited on the ground here, warming the air and ground.
One tree stood in the space. It was a huge, ancient sakura tree, with wide, sweeping boughs and gnarled roots. A young woman was sat, nestled among the roots at the trunk's base, like a child in the arms of her mother, her eyes closed and a peaceful smile on her face. It was Kaoru.
Kenshin sighed in relief. She was safe, for now at least. He had got here first. He hadn't even wanted to contemplate the idea of her being hurt. Just thinking of the idea now made his heart squeeze tight in his chest. He so badly wanted to go over there and hold her close and safe, but he knew he had to stay where he was, on guard. She needed him to protect her, even if she didn't know it.
He'd never have been able to forgive himself if… But she was fine. He was so relieved, he sighed heavily. "Kaoru… Thank god."
As she sat, cradled comfortably among the tree's great roots, Kaoru closed her eyes and fell into the dark world behind her eyelids. It was safe, and warm, and dark, and she could follow her own thoughts without worry there. She took a slow, relaxing breath and let the calm of the glade fill her.
She stretched out her senses to the world around her. She could smell the scents of the forest still, of grass and bark and rich earth. She felt the warm air on her skin, and as a gentle breeze passed her, it caressed her skin like a lover's soft touch. Kaoru trembled strangely as the air mimicked her imagination of Kenshin's hands, travelling gently but surely over her hands and up her bared arms, smoothing over her cheeks and sliding slowly down to her neck. She breathed slowly, not daring to move, in case she should break the spell that held her under Kenshin's imaginary caress. She savoured the moment, letting another shiver run up her back and over her whole body in a wave of goose bumps. The warm air held her safely in her gentle world.
Kaoru opened her eyes suddenly and looked up. She thought someone had spoken her name nearby, and her heart whispered Kenshin... She looked around at the forest that surrounded her. There was no one there but the sweetly singing birds and herself. It was so peaceful. She smiled again.
Kenshin's eyes widened. Kaoru had looked straight at him and smiled. The smile had sent a warm little tingle running down his back. She must not have seen him. That's good, he told himself. If she had, he only would have had to explain what he was doing there, and he had no good excuse in mind. He decided to stay where he was though, and make sure Kaoru got back home safely.
He had realised by now that the two attackers had been there for one purpose: a message. A warning. They wouldn't worry about hurting Kaoru, at least for now: it had all been to get Kenshin's attention; in a way he would be sure not to forget. It was to let him know it wasn't over: they knew where he was, and who was with him.
He couldn't hide from them anymore. He couldn't pretend his past was truly behind him now. That was the thing about the past, especially an ugly past…
It had a way of catching up with you.
Kaoru's father was waiting at the house when she returned. He'd been to town to see their customers, and he didn't look happy.
"My daughter, there was no mistake in how we were paid: this is not a simple misunderstanding, as we had hoped. All of our customers had the same reasons for what they paid us: they all said that food was not so difficult to come by cheaply these days, and that we could not expect them to pay us the same amount they have done until now."
Kaoru's cheeks flamed with anger. They had always delivered their best stock to those buyers, and their prices were reasonable: no one could argue with that! What had changed?
Kaoru was about to speak angrily about it, when her father hushed her with a patient smile. "It is not proper for you to speak in anger about this situation, my daughter. I have decided we have no choice but to agree to their new prices. You must respect my decision on this matter, and bear your own feelings in a discreet and appropriate way." He spoke kindly, and Kaoru was grateful that he had spoken to her about it at all.
She nodded at his words, and forced down her anger. He was right: they didn't have much choice. And she would not disrespect her father by contradicting his decision. That wouldn't help anyone, or change the situation for the better. She bowed respectfully to her father, and left him to work through their finances: now that their income was lower, they needed rethinking. Kaoru knew he would probably be up well into the night, sorting through this. She would not keep him from the difficult and laborious task.
As she caught up her bokken and headed outside to practise, her anger bubbled beneath her calm surface. She would let it out constructively, and go through her exercises. She had felt so much better yesterday, when she'd done that. It seemed exercise was the only thing keeping her sane, lately.
Kenshin watched her from the shelter of the stable. She was still a relative beginner: it showed in her movements as she went through the drills. But there was a presence she had, a fire that burned in her, and not just when she used her weapon, which Kenshin couldn't ignore. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her, a small figure against the vast orange sky, dark against the full, late sun. The sunset bathed Kaoru in a warm, fierce light, making her hair shimmer like gold and black silk, as it spun around her as she moved, and flowed freely down her back. She was so, so beautiful to Kenshin. Watching her move with her innate, though hesitant, control and grace, seeing the concentration on her face and the carefree shine to her eyes took his breath away. He wanted so badly for this extraordinary girl to learn to love him, and of her own free will. He couldn't imagine anything more amazing than for her to choose him. Would it only ever be a dream? Could she ever care for him the way he cared about her- and if she did, would she ever admit it?
Didn't she see how he felt about her? Didn't she see the glow in his eyes whenever she looked at him, or the way his breath caught in his throat when she spoke to him? Didn't she realise how beautiful she was, and see that Kenshin couldn't live without that beauty in his life?
Didn't she see what Kenshin found it so hard to say?
Aha! Look-see, we have more replies to reviews! (I love doing this bit) ^_^
Coherentidiot: Okay, I think that's actually the best review I've ever had! I laughed and grinned so much… I think it was the disembodied laughter that really did it for me… *huge grin* Glad to know you're hooked- *evil voice* all goes to plan… MWAHAHAHA! (evil laughs are great, aren't they?) ^_^
AngelsExist: Yes, poor protagonists, I really can't keep them going on like this for much longer, can I? But wait, do I sense a challenge? *grin* You just never know how long someone can go before they lose all sense of control and blurt out their feelings… We'll see, ne? ^_^ Hope you liked this chapter!
Me: Good to hear from you again- I'm glad you're still liking this. Hope this chapter is satisfactory!!
Faerie-chan: Ah, the prom!! My prom doesn't have a date set yet: how cruel is that? I'm thinking a red dress- red is really my colour. Ah yes, leaving time can't come too soon… I don't finish until June *pout* I guess I'll live. Anyhoo! Rabble on, m'dear, I do it all the time! ^_^
Lavender Gaia: ooh, that is mean- I wasn't that mean, surely! Don't worry- I have devious plans of my own for real moments… Watch this space, ne?
Akai Kitsune: Yeah, I wanted it to be real myself, but the storyline has things to get to before that could happen for real… Thanks for noticing the ending with Kaoru's thoughts: I wanted to keep a balance, 'cos it was quite a Kenshin-dominated chapter. Well, there's a fair mix in this chapter, too. Hope you liked it! Ooh yes, Kenshin's past is creeping up on him… *Mr Burn's voice* Ehhh-xcellent… *grin*
Kyaa-Kyaff: Hello again! You know, it's so nice to get a regular reader- it gives me a sense of solidarity… Er… That didn't sound how I'd expected… @_@ Anyhoo, feel free to express your appreciation for Kenshin- I do! Kenshin Kenshin, sweet lovely Kenshin… *sigh* Hope you liked this chapter, anyway!
Girl: Yes, Kaoru isn't going to be able to keep her feelings locked away forever, is she? Who knows… *evil grin* Ah, it'll all come out soon enough, I'm sure. As for the things in the town… AHA! Watson, there are games afoot! *looks around suspiciously* …
Stillbornangel: thanks for reviewing- I'm glad you like my story! Hope you liked this chapter too!
Shizuka: I hear ya on the busy thing… But I just love writing stories! ^_^ *sheepish* Yeh, I did kinda go out of my way to make the dream seem real… Sorry about that, I was mean! But it was kinda sweet in a way, peeping into Kenshin's head… I enjoyed imagining what he might dream if he were dreaming about Kaoru. Here is more, anyway! More is on the way, too!
Akira: Ah, well I'm blending some things in the Rurouni Kenshin story with a foundation of the Princess Bride, so, at least for now, there's more on the PB side of things than RK. Don't know if that helps at all? You don't need to know the PB storyline to follow this fic though, I don't think. Anyhoo, hope that helps, and hope you liked this chapter!
Roushi: Thank you! It's impossible to write about the Princess Bride and not have some kawaii along the way… ^_^ lol, I know, Kenshin is a farm boy- made me giggle!
Cherrymecha: Hello! Thank you for the review- I appreciated it muchly!! Ah yes, the fluff, all the fluff… I just love it, I can't get enough fluff… I will be moving away from the farm eventually- since that happens in the PB, but don't worry, there will always be fluff along the way, I can't help it!! Do you still want me to e-mail you when I update? I'll be updating every five days, so let me know if you're sorted now.
Yeni: Thanks for the review- I'm glad you're liking the story, I'll try to keep it going at the best level I can! I hope this chapter was okay!
Dunkmoon: I will continue this fic for sure! I'm actually quite enjoying myself with it! The PB is such a cool story to work with. 'btw' is short for 'by the way'- it's one I use a lot, I guess not that many people do! ^_^ I hope you liked this chapter!
Jellybob 15: I seem to have surprised a few people with the dream- I didn't expect that, I worried that I was being really obvious!! Thanks for reviewing, anyhoo, I'm glad you liked the story!
Chibi-dragongrl: Hey, thanks for the review! It made me laugh and smile! And evilly is a wonderful and very legitimate word- sounds made-up tho, doesn't it? I looked it up in the dictionary, being the pathetic English student that I am, and there it is: evilly adv. Right before 'evince', which apparently means 'make evident'. You learn something every day, I'm told… Okay, I'm putting the dictionary away now… Ah, yes, shirtless Kenshin- one of my fave images! ^_^ It does indeed have to be love, or what's the point of my story, or of anything?!? Love is a marvellous thing. Okay, I'm really rambling too now. It was the dictionary thing that set me off… Right, thanks for the review, hope you liked this chapter… Yes, that's all! ^_^
Silver_iris: Yes, the village… That would be me introducing my 'Akari action', as I called it… Mind you, it is pretty much based on existing Kenshin plotlines, as well as the PB theme of course. I shall have to leave you in suspense as for explanations tho- it's one of those 'all will be revealed in due course' things. Thanks for reviewing again tho! I'm really happy to know you're enjoying the story! ^_^
Eve of mirkwood: Thanks for reviewing! Yep, new chapter- every five days now, as mentioned at the top! Fluff will continue to lend its cute presence, no worries. ^_^
Alx 91: Thank you!! That's a huge compliment! I hope I can continue living up to that though! *sweatdrop* I'll do my best! ^_^ Hope this chapter was okay!
Papaya!: Oh yes, I loved the book very much. Thanks for the enthusiasm- it makes me enthusiastic too! I'm really glad to hear you like what's there so far. ^_^
Thank you all SO MUCH for the reviews, I'm just so happyfied!! *happy dance, happy dance, all around the room* ^_^ Keep sharing your thoughts, it means a lot to me. *hurrah for romance and for all things K/K and PB!*
See you in five days!