Disclaimer: I don't own RK. Or do I? -shifty eyes-
A/N: Yay! Thx reviewers!
StormHornet – Exactly! SOU-SAMA! LOL!
Someone out there – Yes, this is an old-ish story, I totally understand. And the thing about you and your computer made me die laughing. Except I'm still alive. But it was really funny all the same.
Reignashii – Yay I thought we had lost you for a while there! LOL! JK! Anyhoo, perhaps… you will find out in the next chapter!
Recap –
Saito ignored me. He grabbed Soujirou's arm to and dragged us to his carriage. "I'm sorry, Kamiya." With that he put Soujirou and I in the carriage and – before I could breathe – he had knocked my head against the wall. I heard Soujirou's cry of protest and ironically thought, 'Well, now I guess I won't be able to make the date I have with Kenshin tonight.' And then – nothing.
Before The Dawn – Chapter 8
I awoke and found myself in a metal cell, my head on Soujirou's shoulder. He was still unconscious. I looked around to find myself around four or five men, leaning on the rough walls.
My hair was tousled and knotted. My dress was ripped and dirty.
One of the men approached me. I could smell sake off his breath. "First time in jail, Princess?" he asked drunkenly.
"Back off," I warned. I turned to Soujirou and shook him. "Sou-chan! Wake up, Soujirou!" I saw the men coming up behind me. "Please," I whispered.
I felt the man's dirty hand on my shoulder. "Heh. Turn around, Princess."
Suddenly the man was howling in pain, clutching his bleeding hand. Soujirou kneeled next to me, his sword resting on my shoulder, where the man's hand had once been. He had not hurt me. "Touch Kaoru again and I will kill you." His voice was low.
The man, still holding his hand, nodded and fell back, whimpering.
"Kaoru… daijoubu ka?" Soujirou asked, returning his sword to its sheath. "I told you to let me go. I have sealed my fate. At sunset tonight I will be hung. I do not want you to watch, do you hear me Kaoru?"
"But…"
"No. I must repent for my crime."
"Repent! Repent – by having you killed? Are you mad? I will not let this happen! Mark my words, by sunset tonight you will be free and ready to explore the world," I said confidently. I ran up to the door and shouted through the bars, "Saito-san! Saito-san! I need to-"
"But," Soujirou interrupted me, "what about you?"
I looked around at him. "I will stay in jail for as long as Saito-san wants me too. I defended a 'criminal'." I smiled wryly.
He stayed silent, looking at the floor.
I resumed shouting, "Saito-san! Saito-san! I need to speak with you!"
"Luck, Princess." I whirled around to find another man, like the man who Soujirou had hurt. I saw Soujirou watch him out of the corner of his eye. "All of us bin tryin' dat gag fur years – it don't work. We call an' call, and he don't come. We were gonna try ta knock 'im down. You gonna try dat, Princess?" The man grinned at me. He was missing many teeth.
"No." I turned my gaze away from him. "I am going to call for him and ask for my friend to be released."
The man's grin faded. "Oh."
Another piped up, "So wat you in jail fur, anyways?"
"What are we in jail for? Well," I said huffily, "my friend … um… hurt people that were hurting him and I protected him."
"'Citing. So uh… you two in love?" the man yawned, and his gaze went between Soujirou and me. "You married to dis guy?"
We both blushed brick red. "N-no!" Soujirou exclaimed.
"We are just friends!"
"Sure ya are." The man smirked. "You are pretty lady, miss."
Soujirou's eyes burned into the man's head.
The man stopped smiling. "Sorry, man. If she is your gal, I won't mess."
I couldn't stop blushing. "You idiot!" I yelled.
The man just laughed.
"Saito-san! Saito-san!" I cried desperately. I was getting quite tired of these men. "Saito-san! I need to speak to you!"
Saito came up; all relaxed, and blew smoke in my face. "What's wrong, Kamiya?"
I shuddered. Repulsive. "Let Soujirou-kun go!"
"He is a murderer, Kamiya. I cannot let him go. Just like, for protecting a criminal, I have arrested you."
"Let Kaoru-chan go, and I will go quietly. Let her go, and make sure she is far away from the jail when I am hanged."
"Are you in any position to make demands, Seta?" Saito asked coldly.
Soujirou glared at him. "Let her leave. Or I will have your head."
"Soujirou-kun!" I gasped.
"Let her go, Saito-san," a jolly voice rang out from the recesses of the jail. A young man came into view. "Your wife is requesting you."
"Okita," Saito murmured. Then his words sunk in. "My wife…? Oh hell!" Saito ran out of the room, tossing the young man a key. "Let Kamiya out," he ordered.
"Hai, Saito-san." The young man looked a lot like Soujirou. He walked over and said, "Konnichiwa, Kamiya-san." He said cheerily, "My name is Okita Soshi."
"Konnichiwa, Okita-san." I bowed my head.
Okita peered inside the cell. His eyes widened when he saw Soujirou. "Soujirou-san!" he exclaimed.
Soujirou looked up. He saw Okita and leaped to his feet. "Cousin?"
"Hai. It's me. What are you doing here, Soujirou-san?" Okita opened the door and motioned both Soujirou and me out. Suddenly Okita lapsed into a fit of coughing. Blood dripped onto the floor.
"I… I killed the Aikos." Soujirou let everything out. I stood silent.
"Hai. I knew that they were bad." Okita nodded. "So you killed them."
"Hai, Soshi-san."
"Well, as captain of the Shinsen-gumi police force of the 1st unit, I allow both of you to go free."
"But I am a murderer, Soshi-san!"
"I do not care. Now go, cousin, before Saito-san comes back." And with that, this Okita pushed us out the door and into the street. I could hear him coughing all the way down the street.
Soujirou looked around at the emptying square (it was nearing sunset) and took a breath. He hugged me, and whispered, "Kaoru-chan." He smiled, "I cannot stay here. Saito will find me. Sayonara, Kaoru-chan." And with that, he was gone.
Forever.
"Sayonara, Seta Soujirou-kun," I whispered after him. "I will miss you." I took a deep breath, and turned to leave. But, I turned back to see him leaving my sight, but he was nowhere to be seen. I bowed my head, and walked home.
TBC…
A/N: Bye-bye Sou-chan…Review please!
