3 Act 2 : Found Glass

flashback

"Ouch!"

"What is it ugly?"

I mentally pounded the ungrateful brat across the head. They all mooch off of me and what do get in return? 'You're cooking sucks ugly', 'I'd rather be taught by a rabid monkey ugly' The nerve.

For some reason there's a piece of glass in the dojo floor, rather was in the floor, now in my foot. I sat down and started picking at the small wound. Yahiko snorted, "Whining over a splinter?

"Puuuuuhleeease!"

"Do you want Kenshin's jobs for a month?"

That shut him up. I gave a disdainful glance, "And it's a piece of glass in my foot, not a splinter."

"I shouldn't think there'd be splinters after all that floor washing you made me do."

I winced slightly as the glass came out. It was violet colored, about the size of the top of my finger.

Yahiko leaned over my shoulder inspecting the item, "We can't afford glass anything, what's that doing here?"

His voice was fading as was the world around me. I couldn't focuse on my surroundings and. . . and. . .

"Oi busu!"

I was suddenly transfixed to this little shard. For no reason, my eyes felt stuck to this thing. I could feel something from it. Something so wonderful I knew I could only be happy by using it. Nothing else mattered. Only this, only the power. . . . . .

Yahiko's shinai suddenly slammed against my head.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?!?!?!" I screamed.

Yahiko put the wooden sword on his shoulder, "You don't pay attention you get wacked." He smirked.

"FIVE HUNDRED SWINGS!!!"

He slunk off like the little weasel he is. Or is that Misao? Ugh! Who cares? This wound is starting to bug me.

"I've never seen anything like this!"

"Isn't it just a small puncture wound?"

Megumi inspected the bottom of my foot with scrutiny, "Anou, yes, but you said you got it only an hour ago, and you've been walking?"

I knew the puzzled expression on my face was only adding to her frustration, "Yes, why?"

She let out a breath, "It's almost completely healed. The puncture should be almost three millimeters long, red even, but you can hardly tell anything happened."

I was given no time to respond as the door swung open to reveal a distraught Kenshin with an exasperated Yahiko behind him.

"Kaoru-dono! Are you ok?! You're not seriously hurt are you? Do you need me to get anything? How about some tea? I can prepare a bath for you. Or maybe you want Yahiko to clean the floors again? How 'bout I cook dinner tonight? Or I'll do an extra load of laundry, or maybe everything and anything else you need de gozaru!"

I stared at him as his list of helpful items grew. "Kenshin. . . Kenshin. ." That frustrating little man . . . "KENSHIN!!!"

He stopped. I smiled despite my annoyance at his kindliness, "It's ok Kenshin, I'm fine, there's no need to worry about me. I'm a big girl now you know?"

"I wasn't worried that I wasn't."

I heard Yahiko snickering behind him like the little brat he is. Suddenly a gasping panting Sano came through the doorway. "Damn Kenshin, I knew you're fast but gasp I didn't weeze think you could gasp disappear so quickly." Sano leaned against the wall still breathing pathetically. I chuckled, "Not worried huh?" Kenshin smiled gently, placing his hand on my shoulder, "Forgive this unworthy one for overreacting." My cheeks turned two shades redder.

"DAMMIT KENSHIN!! GIVE ME A HERNIA WHY WON'CHA!??"

I can't really explain what happened after that. I had been shoved forward by Yahiko falling into Sano, who pushed Kenshin into me, when pushing me forward had made me fall into the table that the glass was laid on. I know my hand touched the shard.

Then my mind went blank and all I knew was the rushing around me. The oddest thought came to mind, something that I truly did not understand. Two numbers: seven twenty and six.

After that, things became as clear as clear could be. When I opened my eyes I felt no sense of direction, only seeing a myriad of colors that wouldn't come into focus. My body nearly paralyzed, I struggled to get to my feet, when I noticed I was surrounded in something that looked like the inside of a water funnel. Just multi-colored.

"Kaoru-dono!"

"Oi! Jou-chan!"

I forced my eyes to look. You must understand, dear reader, all colors looked the same and utterly different at the same time. I saw Kenshin and Sanosuke tied to each other by the wrists with Sano's red headband.

Kenshin beckoned with his free hand, "Kaoru, try to move forward, it's like swimming, just try to come towards us!"

Was he yelling? It seemed like it. His voice dropped every time a word left his mouth.I say dropped, the sound never really left him. Like the only reason I could hear him was because his words were coming back to me, like a memory. But I knew that wasn't true. I swam. Swam until I could grab his hand.

"Jou-chan! Do you know what's going on?"

I looked to Sano, shook my head, "I have no idea. You?" He shrugged.

"How long have we been here?"

"At least an hour." Kenshin looked around, "Kaoru, are you sure you don't recall anyhing odd?"

The puncture should be almost three millimeters long, red even, but you can hardly tell anything happened

"My foot is something wrong!"

"You don't have to be snippy." Sano muttered.

I shook my head, "No, Megumi seemed puzzled that my foot had healed so quickly after stepping on a piece of glass." Something seemed to dawn on Kenshin, "Is that what you are holding so tightly?" I realized I was clutching something agressively in my left hand. It didn't seem to want me to let go. My vision blurred again as my fingers, try as they might, wouldn't release what was in my palm. I felt something on my ankle.

"YAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

My leg flailed rapidly before I realized it was Yahiko trying despertly to hold on. I felt my face turn red, "Let go you little twit!"

"I'M NOT LITTLE!!" Amazing, no matter the situation he will always respond to being called little.

I reached back to slap him. Then I realized my hand was open, and the glass was steadily drifting away. Kenshin made a grab for it before everything blurred again.

My vision went black.

END FLASHBACK