Disclaimer: Do not own Rurouni Kenshin. (Sigh)
Author's Notes: This is the first time I have tried my hand at a fanfic for this anime...please don't hit me. No flames please.
Chapter 1
The red-headed swordsman walked down the road. Silently, he remained lost in his thoughts, not noticing the hush that had unnaturally taken over the path to the dojo. As he turned to enter the building, a short blur hurled into him.
"Yahiko?" he asked. "What's wrong?"
"Kenshin, you gotta come quick. Kaoru disappeared. They said if we want to see her alive, they want the Battousai by sundown tonight," Yahiko stammered wildly. True he did ridicule her and complain a lot, but really he didn't hate her. Kaoru just seemed annoying sometimes; she was like an older sister to him.
Eyes narrowing, Kenshin looked long and hard at the boy. "Show me where she was taken."
Nervously Yahiko did as bidden, taken aback by the coldness of the rurouni's voice. The room of the dojo was in pieces, signs of a struggle everywhere. More disturbing than anything was the series of slashes into the floor with blood stains near them.
Kenshin walked slowly to the first mark, senses reeling. His eyes saw something fluttering in the wind, held by a dart. It was Kaoru's hair ribbon. Anger welled up in him, and he seethed in a fury as he had not done since ceasing his path as a hitokiri. 'Kaoru-dono, I will find you, I promise. I will not let them hurt you.' His eyes closed for a few minutes, and when they opened, displayed their purple color no more. Hard amber shone from their depths.
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Kaoru watched her surroundings warily. Since coming to she'd been bound and gagged, able only to watch and listen. Her wrists hurt from the chafing rope and her whole body throbbed with dull pain from her ordeal at the dojo. The sunlight was growing dim... her rurouni didn't have much time left to find her. 'Kenshin, where are you?' she thought weakly.
Suddenly her captors entered the holding area. "Come along, wench. It's time you were of use to us." One wore a lewd leer as he jerked Kaoru to her feet viciously.
Her body slammed into the ground as the man threw her outside. Pain overtaking her, Kaoru moaned softly. "K-Kenshin..." she whispered weakly."Help me...Ken--" her words died in a yelp.
"Shut up wench! You'll not speak unless spoken to directly, hear me?" thundered the leader of the band, as he kicked her in the side. He grabbed her chin, holding her gaze to his. "And now you'll sing, little songbird, you'll sing so sweetly that Battousai will come running to you." He turned to his men. "String her up. Hit her, do whatever short of killing her, do you hear me?" An icy smile slid over his lips. "We want the songbird to sing for her master, got it?"
She gulped in air as the gag was removed from her mouth. Her wrists flared again as she felt them tying her up against a tree. The first punch wasn't too hard, but the rest after it rained down unceasingly, savagely. Kaoru screamed. And screamed.
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His feet flying, Himura Kenshin froze for a split second as he heard the cry ring out through the forest. 'Kaoru...' he thought wildly. Amber eyes flared as he shot toward the cry...finally he found her. But the sight horrified him.
She was hung by her wrists from a low-hanging tree branch, bloodied and bruised. One man held a whip, lashing her back wickedly. Her anguished gaze met his. "You came. Help me...help me, Kenshin--" she pleaded weakly, before falling unconscious.
"Miss Kaoru!" he thundered, as he ran to her, cutting the bindings and cradling her in his arms. His voice softened as he gently said, "It's all right, I'm here now. You shouldn't worry, that you shouldn't, Kaoru-dono. I'll protect you." His voice hardened as his purple eyes flashed amber, boring into her captors. "How dare you attack her; she did nothing to you!"
"We'll do as we please, manslayer. You of all have least right to judge us."
"Really, you think so?" Amber eyes flashed dangerously. His hand strayed to his sword. "Such cowardice that you dare such a thing, that it is."
A wicked smile appeared on the leader's face. "If you are willing to make a deal, then I will release her willingly, and see that she is left in good hands."
The rurouni's gaze narrowed. "What do you mean by that?"
"I'll let her go if you come with us. Refuse and I finish what was started here. You'll still be able to take her back with you, but I doubt that lifeless flesh is much to your liking."
A low growl erupted from his throat. "You will not harm Miss Kaoru further, you snake. I will see to it, that I will."
"A manslayer that will not kill another? I doubt you can be that vigilant, Battousai. But think on it. I will give you until sunrise tomorrow. My men and I will come to the dojo, and if you refuse, then we fulfill the resulting terms." His eyes went oddly warm for a moment. "It would be a shame for such a lovely young woman to die though...and the Kamiya legacy with her."
Kenshin's gaze bored into him fiercely, before he answered, "All right. You will have your answer by sunrise." He turned his back on the group and held Kaoru's still form close. Slowly he made his way off, before accelerating with his incredible speed.
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Some time later, he made it back to the dojo, body heaving unnaturally from the ordeal. Eyes flashing, he sought out Megumi and the others, finding them at the Akebeko. "Megumi, come with me now," he ordered, the force in his voice harsh.
"What's wrong, Kenshin?" Sano asked.
"It's Miss Kaoru; she's badly hurt. There's not much time left, and I have no idea how much longer she can hold on." Without further words, the three ran back to the dojo.
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Megumi went to work immediately, and a few hours later, came out to where Sano was, watching Kenshin pace restlessly. "She's pretty banged up, but she'll pull through. You can go see her if you want," she said gently.
Kenshin's eyes met hers, their haunted look sending chills down her spine. He looked back at his hands, his body shaking in quiet rage. "This is my fault. Had I not been here, Kaoru wouldn't have been injured."
"Kenshin, calm down. Jou-chan is gonna be all right, didn't you hear?" Sano said to him. He stood up and went over to the rurouni, laying a hand on his shoulder.
He jerked his body away. "Get away from me," he hissed. "Can't you see that it's only a matter of time before the rest of you are targeted too?" Kenshin stalked off into the dojo, concern for Kaoru winning out.
She lay on a futon, her body shielded by blankets and her wrists heavily bandaged. Her blue eyes caught the silhouette of his form. "K-Kenshin," she whispered. Tear streamed from her eyes, as she sat up, wincing slightly.
"Miss Kaoru," he responded urgently, rushing over and holding her to him. "Shh, it's all right, Kaoru-dono. The nightmare is over, it's all right; you're safe now." He stroked her hair, cradling her in his arms.
She whimpered, nuzzling against him. "Kenshin..." she whispered."It hurts, it hurts so much." Her tears deepened into soft sobs. "Kenshin...make them stop hurting me; I can't stop seeing their faces." She looked up at him. "What do they want with us?"
He looked at her grimly. "I don't know, but I promise that you won't be hurt like that again because of me. I was foolish before, but I promise, I'll make sure they don't come after you or the others ever again."
"K-Kenshin, I need to tell you something," she began haltingly.
"Easy now, Miss Kaoru, it can wait, can't it? You're still recovering, and need to rest, that you do." He rested his head against her neck. "Sleep now. You can tell me in the morning, all right?" he soothed her.
She frowned briefly, but finally agreed. Semi-hesitantly, she leaned up against him, her eyes closed. Almost imperceptibly, she whispered, "Aishiteru, my rurouni. Aishiteru."
His breath caught for a moment, before he felt warmth suffuse through him. Carefully, he held her close as he lay down on the futon beside her. "Sleep well," he answered lovingly, smoothing the hair back from her face as he fell asleep with her in his arms. 'I love you too, Kaoru, more than you'll ever know. I just wish things were not as they have turned out.'