Author's Notes: Ello poppets. ^_^ REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!! Thank you
minna-sama!!! Chibi feels so happy. . . YATTA!!! We ought to have a party,
shouldn't we? Well, THAT won't happen until this jolly story is over. And
THAT might not happen for another eight chapters. . . Oh and while reading
this, imagine 'Beattlejuice' when the dude and his wife are in the hallway
and opening doors with different stuff inside. Or you could think of 'The
Yellow Submarine' with the Beatles. ^_~ Be expecting a spectacular, angsty,
tremendously dramatic chapter, poppets.
This ones going to be a roller-coaster of emotions. Prepare yourselves.
~memories speaking~
Disclaimer: I don't own my muses, I just play with them. Meow.
On with the story!
Chapter Thirty-Two
Rurouni sighed. [Battousai, would you please come out of that closet?]
There was no answer.
[Come on, man! This is no time for sorrow! What about everything else?] Rurouni realized something with wide eyes. [What about Kaoru-dono?]
Still no answer.
Rurouni took a deep breath, standing in front of a jet-black door. This was the closet of Kenshin's mind; the darkest place ever. [Don't make me come in there!!!]
Silence.
[Please!!!. . .Please don't make me come in there!] Rurouni begged. When he got no answer, he decided to take it like a man. [Very well. I'm coming in!] His hand shot out to the door-knob and he opened it, heroically.
It wasn't until he saw what was inside the closet that he regretted opening it.
Inside the closet, it was pitch-black; and as if the world did not exist, dark visions floated by him. Rurouni held the door open; struggling to stay in the doorway and not be sucked in by the ferocious wind that sang to him; deadly and yet alluring.
Blood spilt past him, and Rurouni turned his head; unable to stand the sight of it. It was horrible. Very horrible. A scream pierced his ears, as well as the sound of swords clashing.
[BATTOUSAI!!!] Rurouni screamed over the howling wind. [I KNOW YOU'RE IN HERE!!!]
Rurouni looked around, unable to find his evil twin brother.
(Go away,) said a voice.
Rurouni smiled happily. [Battousai! There you are!] he was still standing in the doorway. He raised a foot to step into the pitch black world to save his brother, but the voice warned him angrily.
(No! Don't come in! It'll capture you too!)
Rurouni shook his head. [What on earth are you talking about?]
(The darkness. . . it'll capture you and keep you here!!)
Rurouni held out his hand to somebody he could not see. [Where are you? Please! I can help you! Let's go back!!! Let's go back to Kaoru-dono!]
Battousai sniffled, amazing Rurouni beyond words.
Rurouni could finally see Battousai. Battousai was sitting curled up in a little ball, his chin on his knees and his arms wrapped around them. His hard core amber eyes were staring blankly at something in front of him.
(You go back to Kaoru on your own. She doesn't need me. You don't need me either. Just leave me here. Don't care about me, just care about Kaoru. She needs you,) Battousai said, with a sniffle. (What good have I done for her?) he whispered. (I couldn't save. . .) he choked at the name.
A soft giggled reached both the twin's ears. Tomoe was standing behind Battousai. She sat down and held him closely. ~You'll stay with me always, won't you? Battousai?~ she asked, her voice the sound of pure innocence and yet behind it the taste of pure evil.
Battousai didn't say anything, but instead turned to her and kissed her passionately.
Rurouni watched with amazed eyes. [But. . .] he whispered. [Tomoe is dead. . .?] he looked carefully at the white, nearly phantom-like Tomoe. She looked up at Rurouni with a smile on her face. Battousai was completely leaning into her, as if hypnotized.
~Oh darling. . .~ Tomoe whispered. ~You know I love you right? You love me too right?~ She didn't wait for an answer. ~Oh darling!~
That's when Rurouni saw her evil smirk with fangs for teeth and bright red eyes instead of brown and black.
Rurouni's eyes widened. [No! Battousai! She's not the real Tomoe! Battousai!] he took a step forward into the darkness of the closet. The howling wind sucked him in, and Rurouni found himself being thrown into complete darkness, flying right past Battousai and Tomoe. [NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!]
~*~
Kenshin had fallen asleep at Tomoe's bedside, where she lay peacefully; sleeping for all eternity. He woke up suddenly, a scream escaping his mouth.
Sanosuke and Okina rushed into the room.
"Himura-san, are you alright?!-"
"-What's wrong Kenshin?!"
Kenshin didn't look at them. He merely stared at Tomoe's porcelain face. "Nothing. Just. . .J-Just a bad dream. . . that's all," he told him, his voice monotone.
Okina frowned, but walked out of the room anyway.
Sanosuke did not. "Oi! Pull yourself together! It's not the end of the world, Kenshin!" he said, shaking Kenshin's shoulders as if to really wake him up. "You've still got Jou-chan! You've still got Kaoru!" Sanosuke stopped for a minute. "By the way. . . where is she? We've been trying to find Soujiro, Aoshi and Misao, but Okina thought they could take care of themselves. Of course, as for Utena and Enishi, we figured they were out"- ahem-"Doing their own business, you know?"
Kenshin looked into Sanosuke brown eyes with his own amber ones. He heard Sanosuke's gasp. 'They must be frightful. . .' he thought, monotone even in his mind.
"I don't care."
Sanosuke gasped again, his eyes widening. Then he frowned. "You don't care, do you? DO YOU???? YOU LOSE ONE WOMAN SO YOU GIVE UP ON THE OTHER??? TOMOE GAVE HER LIFE TO SAVE YOU, EVEN IF YOU KNOW YOU WEREN'T ABOUT TO BE KILLED! OR AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT YOU'VE TOLD US, RIGHT??? TOMOE WOULD WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY!!! OR WOULD YOU MAKE HER DEATH GO IN VAIN????" he screamed.
Kenshin stared blankly up at Sanosuke, unable to speak; in shock.
Sanosuke spat on the ground. "What's the use. My words are just falling on deaf ears, my emotions falling on a dead heart. If you won't look for Jou-chan, then I will. I love her like a sister. . . and I won't let her die of a broken heart, even if you will."
With that, Sanosuke stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind him. Megumi frowned at him, waiting in front of the door. "Do you really think that was necessary?"
Sanosuke sighed and took a deep breath. "C'mon, Fox. Let's go look for Jou-chan."
~*~
'Dear Diary,
Well, here I am, watching both of the loves of my life fight in a match of life or death in order to be the man who loves me. Great fun right? Uhhh. . .no. First off, I'm not wearing a gorgeous long dress, second off, I don't have a large fluffy hat, and third off, I don't have a beautiful fan to keep me cool. Well, not that I NEED to be cool!!! It's pouring down rain! Geesh. . . men. . .always picking a fight when the weather is so horrible.'
Misao tapped her pen on her chin in thought. Suddenly, she heard voices and decided to actually the fight rather then write down her dull thoughts in her diary which she happened to be carrying with her.
'At least I have a diary. . .' she wrote down.
Aoshi nodded his head. "This clearing will just have to do."
Soujiro. "Oh, alright. Even though I liked the other clearing much better. . ."
"Oh shut up, Tenken. Let's get this over with so I may go home to my girlfriend, Misao."
Soujiro's eyes narrowed. "I believe you meant to say so that 'I' may go home to MY girlfriend, Misao."
Aoshi met Soujiro's glare. ". . .Riiiight. . ." he got into position. "Are you ready, Tenken? You realize that I will not hold back, although I have already declared you a friend of mine earlier."
Soujiro softly smiled. "We both love the same girl, hence we'll both fight in order to win her love. Believe me, Shinomori-san; for san you will remain although I love the same girl you love, I will not go soft either. I intend to win this thing."
Aoshi smirked. "Well said, but I'm afraid that will be the last well said phrase you will ever say." He unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Soujiro, who stood at the most of five feet away. "Unsheathe your sword!"
~*~
Rurouni looked around himself; the twirling and wind had finally stopped. He sat on nothing, and yet he did not fall down. [Where. . . am I?] he wondered aloud.
Space was around him. How this all fit in Kenshin's mind, Rurouni would never understand. A memory suddenly skipped past him. A little boy of the age of six, happily giggling and humming a cute tune. The boy had blood red hair and beautiful violet eyes. Before Rurouni could ask the boy anything, the boy had vanished.
[Well that was rude. . .] he whispered. Somebody else suddenly appeared in front of him.
A tall man with dark green hair frowned down at him. ~Wake up, baka deshi!~ he demanded. ~Wake up!~
Rurouni cocked his head. [. . .M-Master?]
~That's right baka deshi, now wake up!~
Rurouni frowned as the man began to disappear. [I-I don't understand. . .]-but the man was gone. Rurouni sighed. [What next. . .-]
~Kenshin?!?~ asked a soft and pleading voice.
Rurouni looked around. [Who's there?]
~Oh Kenshin, is that you?~
Rurouni frowned. [Show yourself!] he demanded.
Kaoru was suddenly sitting in front of him, a look of desperation on her face. ~Kenshin! Oh Kenshin please help me!!~
Rurouni leaned forward and grabbed her arms. [What's wrong Kaoru- dono?]
Kaoru let a tear escape her eye. ~You. . .Y-You forgot about me. . .~ she sobbed.
Rurouni shook his head. [N-No Kaoru-dono. . . I would never forget you. . .]
Kaoru shook her head in turn. ~Then why are you here?~
Her voice seemed to echo as she vanished from Rurouni's sight. [Wait! Kaoru-dono!!!]
~THEN WHY ARE YOU HERE?. . .Then why are you here?. . .then why are you here?. . .~
[KAORU-DONO!!!]
~*~
Kenshin's head shot up as he screamed, "KAORU-DONO!!!!"
He breathed heavily. "Huh. . ." he looked around, and sighed as he saw he was still in Tomoe's room.
Okina rushed into the room. "What is wrong NOW, Himura-san??? Another bad dream???"
Kenshin turned to Okina, his breath short. "Wh-Where's. . . where's Kaoru?" he asked.
Okina cocked his head in confusion. ". . .What?"
~*~
Kenshin ran up the stone stairs, in search of Kaoru. 'Where is she? Maybe she's still at the cabin. . .' he reached the top of the stairs, breathing heavily from running so fast. "KAORU???" he shouted.
She was nowhere to be found.
~*~
Tomoe purred. She smiled at Battousai, ever so innocently. ~Darling?~
(Yes?)
~Where did that fool of a brother of yours go?~
(I don't know. . .Where DID he go?) Battousai looked around, seemingly out of the spell for a moment.
Tomoe pulled him back down with her. ~You don't know. . . are you don't care. . .~ she whispered to him. ~All you need now is me, right? Please tell me my love, that you will never leave me!~
Battousai looked carefully into her eyes, and the concern his amber eyes had once shown for his brother was lost and was replaced with dullness. (I'll never leave you,) he whispered.
Tomoe smiled. ~Good. Thank you my love. . .~ she purred again, and stroked his blood red hair.
Battousai . . .fell for it.
To Be Continued. . .
Author's Notes: BUWAHAHAHAHAH!!!!! It feels SO GOOD to be SO EVIL!!! BUWAHAHAHAHAHAHH!!!!!!!! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!! Thank you minna-sama!!! Chibi would be VERY glad if you could just press that cute little purple button called 'Submit Review'. Arigato. ^_~
This ones going to be a roller-coaster of emotions. Prepare yourselves.
~memories speaking~
Disclaimer: I don't own my muses, I just play with them. Meow.
On with the story!
Chapter Thirty-Two
Rurouni sighed. [Battousai, would you please come out of that closet?]
There was no answer.
[Come on, man! This is no time for sorrow! What about everything else?] Rurouni realized something with wide eyes. [What about Kaoru-dono?]
Still no answer.
Rurouni took a deep breath, standing in front of a jet-black door. This was the closet of Kenshin's mind; the darkest place ever. [Don't make me come in there!!!]
Silence.
[Please!!!. . .Please don't make me come in there!] Rurouni begged. When he got no answer, he decided to take it like a man. [Very well. I'm coming in!] His hand shot out to the door-knob and he opened it, heroically.
It wasn't until he saw what was inside the closet that he regretted opening it.
Inside the closet, it was pitch-black; and as if the world did not exist, dark visions floated by him. Rurouni held the door open; struggling to stay in the doorway and not be sucked in by the ferocious wind that sang to him; deadly and yet alluring.
Blood spilt past him, and Rurouni turned his head; unable to stand the sight of it. It was horrible. Very horrible. A scream pierced his ears, as well as the sound of swords clashing.
[BATTOUSAI!!!] Rurouni screamed over the howling wind. [I KNOW YOU'RE IN HERE!!!]
Rurouni looked around, unable to find his evil twin brother.
(Go away,) said a voice.
Rurouni smiled happily. [Battousai! There you are!] he was still standing in the doorway. He raised a foot to step into the pitch black world to save his brother, but the voice warned him angrily.
(No! Don't come in! It'll capture you too!)
Rurouni shook his head. [What on earth are you talking about?]
(The darkness. . . it'll capture you and keep you here!!)
Rurouni held out his hand to somebody he could not see. [Where are you? Please! I can help you! Let's go back!!! Let's go back to Kaoru-dono!]
Battousai sniffled, amazing Rurouni beyond words.
Rurouni could finally see Battousai. Battousai was sitting curled up in a little ball, his chin on his knees and his arms wrapped around them. His hard core amber eyes were staring blankly at something in front of him.
(You go back to Kaoru on your own. She doesn't need me. You don't need me either. Just leave me here. Don't care about me, just care about Kaoru. She needs you,) Battousai said, with a sniffle. (What good have I done for her?) he whispered. (I couldn't save. . .) he choked at the name.
A soft giggled reached both the twin's ears. Tomoe was standing behind Battousai. She sat down and held him closely. ~You'll stay with me always, won't you? Battousai?~ she asked, her voice the sound of pure innocence and yet behind it the taste of pure evil.
Battousai didn't say anything, but instead turned to her and kissed her passionately.
Rurouni watched with amazed eyes. [But. . .] he whispered. [Tomoe is dead. . .?] he looked carefully at the white, nearly phantom-like Tomoe. She looked up at Rurouni with a smile on her face. Battousai was completely leaning into her, as if hypnotized.
~Oh darling. . .~ Tomoe whispered. ~You know I love you right? You love me too right?~ She didn't wait for an answer. ~Oh darling!~
That's when Rurouni saw her evil smirk with fangs for teeth and bright red eyes instead of brown and black.
Rurouni's eyes widened. [No! Battousai! She's not the real Tomoe! Battousai!] he took a step forward into the darkness of the closet. The howling wind sucked him in, and Rurouni found himself being thrown into complete darkness, flying right past Battousai and Tomoe. [NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!]
~*~
Kenshin had fallen asleep at Tomoe's bedside, where she lay peacefully; sleeping for all eternity. He woke up suddenly, a scream escaping his mouth.
Sanosuke and Okina rushed into the room.
"Himura-san, are you alright?!-"
"-What's wrong Kenshin?!"
Kenshin didn't look at them. He merely stared at Tomoe's porcelain face. "Nothing. Just. . .J-Just a bad dream. . . that's all," he told him, his voice monotone.
Okina frowned, but walked out of the room anyway.
Sanosuke did not. "Oi! Pull yourself together! It's not the end of the world, Kenshin!" he said, shaking Kenshin's shoulders as if to really wake him up. "You've still got Jou-chan! You've still got Kaoru!" Sanosuke stopped for a minute. "By the way. . . where is she? We've been trying to find Soujiro, Aoshi and Misao, but Okina thought they could take care of themselves. Of course, as for Utena and Enishi, we figured they were out"- ahem-"Doing their own business, you know?"
Kenshin looked into Sanosuke brown eyes with his own amber ones. He heard Sanosuke's gasp. 'They must be frightful. . .' he thought, monotone even in his mind.
"I don't care."
Sanosuke gasped again, his eyes widening. Then he frowned. "You don't care, do you? DO YOU???? YOU LOSE ONE WOMAN SO YOU GIVE UP ON THE OTHER??? TOMOE GAVE HER LIFE TO SAVE YOU, EVEN IF YOU KNOW YOU WEREN'T ABOUT TO BE KILLED! OR AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT YOU'VE TOLD US, RIGHT??? TOMOE WOULD WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY!!! OR WOULD YOU MAKE HER DEATH GO IN VAIN????" he screamed.
Kenshin stared blankly up at Sanosuke, unable to speak; in shock.
Sanosuke spat on the ground. "What's the use. My words are just falling on deaf ears, my emotions falling on a dead heart. If you won't look for Jou-chan, then I will. I love her like a sister. . . and I won't let her die of a broken heart, even if you will."
With that, Sanosuke stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind him. Megumi frowned at him, waiting in front of the door. "Do you really think that was necessary?"
Sanosuke sighed and took a deep breath. "C'mon, Fox. Let's go look for Jou-chan."
~*~
'Dear Diary,
Well, here I am, watching both of the loves of my life fight in a match of life or death in order to be the man who loves me. Great fun right? Uhhh. . .no. First off, I'm not wearing a gorgeous long dress, second off, I don't have a large fluffy hat, and third off, I don't have a beautiful fan to keep me cool. Well, not that I NEED to be cool!!! It's pouring down rain! Geesh. . . men. . .always picking a fight when the weather is so horrible.'
Misao tapped her pen on her chin in thought. Suddenly, she heard voices and decided to actually the fight rather then write down her dull thoughts in her diary which she happened to be carrying with her.
'At least I have a diary. . .' she wrote down.
Aoshi nodded his head. "This clearing will just have to do."
Soujiro. "Oh, alright. Even though I liked the other clearing much better. . ."
"Oh shut up, Tenken. Let's get this over with so I may go home to my girlfriend, Misao."
Soujiro's eyes narrowed. "I believe you meant to say so that 'I' may go home to MY girlfriend, Misao."
Aoshi met Soujiro's glare. ". . .Riiiight. . ." he got into position. "Are you ready, Tenken? You realize that I will not hold back, although I have already declared you a friend of mine earlier."
Soujiro softly smiled. "We both love the same girl, hence we'll both fight in order to win her love. Believe me, Shinomori-san; for san you will remain although I love the same girl you love, I will not go soft either. I intend to win this thing."
Aoshi smirked. "Well said, but I'm afraid that will be the last well said phrase you will ever say." He unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Soujiro, who stood at the most of five feet away. "Unsheathe your sword!"
~*~
Rurouni looked around himself; the twirling and wind had finally stopped. He sat on nothing, and yet he did not fall down. [Where. . . am I?] he wondered aloud.
Space was around him. How this all fit in Kenshin's mind, Rurouni would never understand. A memory suddenly skipped past him. A little boy of the age of six, happily giggling and humming a cute tune. The boy had blood red hair and beautiful violet eyes. Before Rurouni could ask the boy anything, the boy had vanished.
[Well that was rude. . .] he whispered. Somebody else suddenly appeared in front of him.
A tall man with dark green hair frowned down at him. ~Wake up, baka deshi!~ he demanded. ~Wake up!~
Rurouni cocked his head. [. . .M-Master?]
~That's right baka deshi, now wake up!~
Rurouni frowned as the man began to disappear. [I-I don't understand. . .]-but the man was gone. Rurouni sighed. [What next. . .-]
~Kenshin?!?~ asked a soft and pleading voice.
Rurouni looked around. [Who's there?]
~Oh Kenshin, is that you?~
Rurouni frowned. [Show yourself!] he demanded.
Kaoru was suddenly sitting in front of him, a look of desperation on her face. ~Kenshin! Oh Kenshin please help me!!~
Rurouni leaned forward and grabbed her arms. [What's wrong Kaoru- dono?]
Kaoru let a tear escape her eye. ~You. . .Y-You forgot about me. . .~ she sobbed.
Rurouni shook his head. [N-No Kaoru-dono. . . I would never forget you. . .]
Kaoru shook her head in turn. ~Then why are you here?~
Her voice seemed to echo as she vanished from Rurouni's sight. [Wait! Kaoru-dono!!!]
~THEN WHY ARE YOU HERE?. . .Then why are you here?. . .then why are you here?. . .~
[KAORU-DONO!!!]
~*~
Kenshin's head shot up as he screamed, "KAORU-DONO!!!!"
He breathed heavily. "Huh. . ." he looked around, and sighed as he saw he was still in Tomoe's room.
Okina rushed into the room. "What is wrong NOW, Himura-san??? Another bad dream???"
Kenshin turned to Okina, his breath short. "Wh-Where's. . . where's Kaoru?" he asked.
Okina cocked his head in confusion. ". . .What?"
~*~
Kenshin ran up the stone stairs, in search of Kaoru. 'Where is she? Maybe she's still at the cabin. . .' he reached the top of the stairs, breathing heavily from running so fast. "KAORU???" he shouted.
She was nowhere to be found.
~*~
Tomoe purred. She smiled at Battousai, ever so innocently. ~Darling?~
(Yes?)
~Where did that fool of a brother of yours go?~
(I don't know. . .Where DID he go?) Battousai looked around, seemingly out of the spell for a moment.
Tomoe pulled him back down with her. ~You don't know. . . are you don't care. . .~ she whispered to him. ~All you need now is me, right? Please tell me my love, that you will never leave me!~
Battousai looked carefully into her eyes, and the concern his amber eyes had once shown for his brother was lost and was replaced with dullness. (I'll never leave you,) he whispered.
Tomoe smiled. ~Good. Thank you my love. . .~ she purred again, and stroked his blood red hair.
Battousai . . .fell for it.
To Be Continued. . .
Author's Notes: BUWAHAHAHAHAH!!!!! It feels SO GOOD to be SO EVIL!!! BUWAHAHAHAHAHAHH!!!!!!!! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!! Thank you minna-sama!!! Chibi would be VERY glad if you could just press that cute little purple button called 'Submit Review'. Arigato. ^_~