Dark Passion
Chapter 7
Kenshin tried to walk out of the club, but he was too weak and ended up collapsing on the floor. Not long after that he felt the ki of someone powerful coming towards him.
"Battosai, I've found you at last."
Kenshin turned fearless eyes towards his attacker. Slowly a smile spread over his weary face.
"What makes you think that I needed you to find me?" he asked, and was satisfied as irritation spread over the person's face.
"Bullshit! Look at you! I can't even let you out of my sight without you getting in trouble!"
"I am so sorry Lady Megumi," said Kenshin in a mocking manner. "I didn't know that I upset you."
Kenshin's big amber eyes grew wide and watery, the perfect imitation of a little kid after they did something they weren't supposed to do. But Megumi wasn't fazed.
"What the hell happened!"
Kenshin lost his apologetic look and his eyes turned gold. There was no way he was going to admit to being in a fight with a girl and almost losing.
"None of your goddamn business!" he growled.
Kenshin saw the hurt in Megumi's eyes.
' He really is changing. He used to tell me everything. He hardly shows his emotions anymore unless it's anger or rage.' Megumi thought sadly.
Before Kenshin could apologize for his rude behavior, she was already over him removing is bloodied shirt. He hissed as the material brushed the dagger wound in his shoulder. Megumi lifted surprised eyed towards him. What or who could have damaged Battosai enough so that he couldn't heal?
"I'll explain later," he said answering her unasked question.
She nodded and used her gift of death to heal him. Megumi had the gift to kill all alive who touched her, if she wished it. Since vampire's were already dead her power had the opposite affect, causing her to be a healer for the damned.
Sakura and Tomoe sat in Kaoru's now empty room. They had just got the news about Kaoru being "banished." Sakura couldn't believe how stupid she was. Tomoe had told her about the Kamiyas past. It was hard for her to except at first because she knew all of the vampires that murdered the Kamiya family and brought so much pain and sorrow to Kaoru's life. But they had warned her the first day that she told them she wanted to be their friends. Sano had came up to her and told her that they "weren't no saints." She now had proof about that.
But as hard as she tried she still couldn't hate them. Not all vampires were bad. They might be killers but they were just protecting their lives, just as humans do. Sakura hated it! Why couldn't vamps and humans live together in peace! Why did she have to chose between worlds! Vampires and humans have so much in common! Why can't people see that!
As Sakura's inner war waged on in her head, Tomoe lay motionless on Kaoru's bed. Kaoru's jasmine scent was all over the room.
' I can't believe she's gone. She's dead and it's all my fault. She's dead and it's all my fault. If only I could have helped her defeat Battosai. Of only I could–'
Tomoe was so deep in thought that she hardly noticed what Sakura was saying.
"What?"she asked confused. Why did Sakura look...excited?
Sakura sighed. Tomoe sure was good at ignoring people. But soon her excited mood came back. Sakura never was one to stay down for long.
"I said when are we leaving?"
Tomoe eyed Sakura like she had grown another head.
"What are you talking about?"
"I mean when are we going to go find Kaoru?"
Tomoe looked down sadly.
"We can't Sakura. If we do find Kaoru, and her mom finds out, our powers shall be stripped."
"Who says Ms. Legendary Bitch has to find out?" asked Sakura getting some of her spunk back.
Now Tomoe sighed. She could tell Sakura was a rebel. The type of person that had no cares and lived for the adrenaline rush.
"Sakura, her mom would most definitely find out. She's not stupid you know. We can't just disappear for who knows how long and show up like nothing happened."
"Why not? We're vampire witches. Our duty is to go out looking for vampires causing trouble. Key words being GO OUT."
Tomoe looked at Sakura. She was dead serious, and they did have an excuse to be out all day but-
"Sakura," said Tomoe softly. "We might not find Kaoru. She might be..."
"She's not," said Sakura sternly.
Tomoe was surprised.
"She's not?"
Sakura smiled.
"Don't you remember. All witches are connected. If one of us dies we all feel it. Did you feel the presence of death?" asked Sakura even though she obviously knew the answer.
Tomoe smiled.
"I forgot about that!" She broke into a huge grin and did something very un-Tomoe like. She jumped up and down and gave Sakura a huge hug.
Sakura was stunned for a while but hugged her back.
Moments later Tomoe pulled back still having that huge grin on her face.
"Kaoru's still alive!"
Sakura had never seen Tomoe's eyes sparkle like that. She looked prettier happy then when she was that quiet, reserved girl. Kaoru was lucky to have such a good friend.
"So," Sakura repeated. "When are we leaving?"
Battosai followed silently behind Megumi. He could tell their friendship was in danger. He was changing and he didn't know how to stop it. Aoshi would know. He knew everything. He caught up to her when they passed the old abandoned warehouse.
"Where are we going?" he asked trying to sound like the old Kenshin.
She stopped walking and looked at him. Actually she was observing him. She even went as far as poking him.
"Ow! What the hell are you doing?" he snarled.
Megumi smiled coyly.
"Just checking for major damage."
"Huh?"
"Baka! What's wrong with you?" she asked in a sisterly tone.
"Huh?" Battosai felt stupid now. That was twice that he said huh. Megumi probably thought he was turning into a idiot.
Megumi sighed sadly and put her long painted nails on his shoulder.
"I'm worried about you Batts. Really worried. Why won't you talk to me anymore? We do have a bond you know. Ever since you changed me. I can feel when there is something you're not telling me."
Kenshin didn't say anything.
Megumi furiously removed her hand. Her deep cinnamon eyes turning blood red with anger.
"Fine!" she growled. "And to answer your question it's the day before the full moon." With that she stomped off in front if him. All plants near her felt her wrath as all things alive within several feet were infected with death.
Kenshin bowed his head and reluctantly followed.
"I wish I can tell you," he whispered. "But I don't even know what's happening."
But Megumi was already far ahead of him and did not here his whispered confession.
Although, she did answer the question of where they were going. The clan moved to a different location before every full moon. That way it was harder for the werewolves to track them down. The clan would have moved to Edo castle.
When they walked through the doors they were hit with light. The light didn't effect them since they were the more powerful vampires. Sano was just coming out of the kitchen when he noticed them. His eyes blazed red and he glared at them. That's when Kenshin realized what they probably looked like. His shirt had been disposed of and left forgotten and the club. He also noticed that his ponytail had came undone during his fight with his firefly, and the dagger marks that Megumi healed looked more like claw marks from having passionate sex than anything else. Not like Megumi was any better. She was barely dressed even though that was normal for Megumi, and her hair was tousled from her earlier fit of anger. Sano was probably thinking the worst. Before he could explain Megumi walked passed him as if it was nothing.
"Calm down, baby. Nothing happened." she soothed as she gave Sano a hug.
Sano still looked skeptical but he saw the honesty in his mate's eyes.
He hugged her hard and then looked at Kenshin giving him that we-need-to talk-later look.
Just then Soujiro appeared out of nowhere smiling of course.
"Hello Himura," greeted Soujiro.
Kenshin nodded is hello.
"The Lord request that you all meet him in the study."
Of course when Sou-chan said Lord he was referring to Hiko.
All three nodded their heads and began to maneuver themselves through the castle, until they reached the study.
When they entered, they saw that everyone was already there waiting for them inside. Kenshin took the empty seat on the couch, while Megumi and Sano chose to lean on the bookshelf wrapped in each other's embrace. Once Hiko accounted for everyone he began.
"There has been news that Shishio has joined forces with Enishi."
Everyone in the room growled in distaste. Each of them had encountered Enishi in some way or another and they knew Enishi's tactics. While Shishio kills his prey mercilessly and painfully, Enishi has a completely different approach. He was one of the few werewolves that gave them problems. Enishi liked to fight wars by messing with people minds. He attacks people with their emotions often turning people on the same side against each other. The two of them combined could be disastrous.
Kenshin was worried. He was more emotionally unstable than anyone right now, with the exception of Soujiro, but who knew what his problem was. He never told anyone about his past, well neither did he. Suddenly an image of him feeding of Megumi intent on killing her flashed before his eyes. No. He didn't need to remember that day right now. Enishi had got to close to them. He knew Megumi was Kenshin closest friend and he turned them against each other. They had got in a fight ending with Kenshin attempting to suck Megumi dry. No one knew Enishi's secret of how he did it, making them become enemies, but he did. Right before Kenshin could kill Megumi, Sano had wrenched him away from his mate. The spell was broken and Kenshin clumsily made his way to a corner where he stared in horror at what he did to Megumi.
Kenshin shook those thoughts from his head, he didn't need to dwell in the past. Sano had saved him from making the biggest mistake in his life last time, but would someone be there to stop him this time? Could they stop this new Kenshin?
He blanked out on the rest of Hiko's speech. So when everyone got up to leave he was quite startled. He did notice that Aoshi stayed in is armchair across from Kenshin. His arms were folded and his icy blue eyes locked with Kenshin's amber ones.
"I take it you want to talk?" Aoshi asked.
Kenshin nodded his head.
"Yes. I need to know what's happening to me and how to stop it."
Aoshi didn't answer his question.
"Tell me what happened to you tonight, and I'll tell you what you want to know."
Kenshin narrowed his eyes.
"Fine. I went to a club and got into a fight."
"With who?" inquired Aoshi.
Kenshin gritted his teeth. Why couldn't they mid their own damn business. This time Kenshin ignored his question.
"The person I fought had a dagger. I didn't get a good look at it but I do know that it has the same ability as the Kamiya daggers." He waited for Aoshi's shocked expression like Megumi's but it never came. He was as stoic as ever.
"Was the person male or female?"
"Listen Aoshi," said Kenshin trying to stop his other side from coming out. "That's all I'm telling you."
"Fair enough. I has expected as much. Now you are probably wondering why you are suddenly so hostile?"
"Yes," said Kenshin. Eager to hear what was wrong with him.
"As you know," started Aoshi. "We are damned. Cursed. It is the worst sin of all to take a life. Each vampire has to drink blood. But with each drop of blood comes the sins of the person that we killed. We also get their negative emotions. Emotions like anger, hate, and rage."
He paused as if to let Kenshin absorb the information before continuing again.
"Lets call theses bad sins and emotions, negative energy. The more blood a vampire drinks the more negative energy. You have drank far more blood than necessary to live and have therefore acquired more negative energy than most. A humans blood gives us immortality and special abilities, but it comes at a terrible price. For each drop of blood that slides down your throat. The more powerful the negative energy inside becomes. For each vampire the symptoms are different. For some, the negative energy remains dormant, never presenting itself. For others, the negative energy becomes so powerful that it becomes a sort of alter ego. Kind of like having two personalities."
Kenshin could definitely tell that was the case with him.
"This alter ego starts to try and take over the other personality. But it can't do that until it is stronger than it's other half. So it makes you crave blood."
Kenshin gulped. That would explain all the sudden urges to feed.
"Then what?" he asked.
"Well remember the more blood the more negative energy. Once the alter ego, or your other personality becomes strong enough it will take over and take your place."
Kenshin's eyes went wide. He always knew he would have to die. Well again, but he never thought he would be the one killing himself.
"Well what do I do Aoshi!" he cried hysterically.
"Well there are a couple of things. One would be to stop drinking blood, but that would cause you to die. You might as well stick a wooden pole through your heart. Or you could find your mate and drink off of her."
"My mate?"
"Yes, your mate's blood is the only blood that will quench your other side's bloodlust."
"There's no other option?"
"Well actually, there is."
Kenshin stared at Aoshi.
"Well what is it?"
"You become stronger than your other half."
"How?"
"By meditating, practicing with your sword, allowing yourself to feel emotions. Anything that makes you feel good. This will most likely give you positive energy."
Kenshin smiled.
"That's all I have to do?"
"It won't be easy." said Aoshi his voice getting serious. "Your darker side will always be below the surface waiting to strike. If you get angered or mad he could take control and you might not be able to gain control again."
Battosai still didn't lose his smile. He got up and walked towards the door. Before he left he looked over his shoulder.
"Control, is my middle name." And with that Kenshin left the study leaving Aoshi to his thoughts.
'Fool! You think it will be that easy. It will take months possibly even years to accomplish.' He soon found his thoughts drifting to another problem. ' A dagger with the same ability as a Kamiya dagger? And Enishi has joined forces with Shishio? He needed information. And there was only one person who was good enough to get it for him. Misao.'
A/N: Well there it is folks. The seventh chaptered. I don't have time to do individual review responses but I greatly appreciated all of them and I hope you liked it. REMEMBER TO REVIEW! BECAUSE IF I"M HAPPY, WE'RE ALL HAPPY:)