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Review responses:
Dark-Bitch: Yeaaah! Obviously I like EK pairings as well, and I'm glad you like my story :) Thanks for the review!
MizzLee: No, the setting isn't modern times. It's somewhere between the time of when laundry machines were first introduced. And thank you for your review:D
Catti-dono: Haha, I've already updated Broken! I'm very glad you like my story, and I can say that I too very much love your review :P Thanks for reviewing, and here's chapter two!
Clemen: Thanks! Well, This chapter is a tad bit shorter than the last, but I promise I would update when ever I can (and as fast as possible) :D. Thanks for your review!
Lathayan: Thank you :)! Here's chapter two.
Kenshinlover2002: Yup, everyone thinks she's dead, but she doesn't know that. (hint) Kenshin would probably find her in the later chapters. So hopefully you'll last that long to read out how (seeing how fast I update) :P. Thanks for reviewing!
Pink Angel: This is actually sort of the Jinchuu arc, but the thing is, Kenshin didn't manage to save Kaoru and bring her home. Instead, during the period when Kaoru was in Enishi's hands, he fell in love with her and there's where chapter one continued. Hopefully you'll understand what I just said (it might be confusing, but.. well.. :P), and thanks for reviewing:D
Mishcka: Thanks! And here's chapter two :)
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Faking Lies
By Scarlet Rayne
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Chapter 3
"Hey there, buddy." The sly, thin looking man said sweetly. The short man he was targeting seemed expressionless, his features reflecting a blank response. As he placed his right arm around the short man's shoulder, he opened his hand to reveal a short knife, threatening to cut his neck.
"Give me all your possessions and I shall spare your life." He whispered to his ear, as his fellow mates snickered, gathering around the small man. The continued mocking him, getting impatient by the minute for not getting a single reaction out of him.
The thin man was about to slit the short man's throat, when the moonlight suddenly exposed a metal blade that was hanging from his victim's sleeve. Eyes darting to where it was, he realized that it was katana. The blade was stained with blood, which was gradually dripping on the floor.
"And what's this?" he asked, not expecting an answer as he lifted the blade. Feigning a dramatic gasp that earned him more snickers, he stupidly opened his mouth. "Girly here killed someone! Was it by accident? Is that why you're so mute now?"
The short man's eyes widened a bit, as his words triggered a switch in his dull mind.
Strike one.
Seeing a reaction finally flowing through his victim's veins, he pressed on further.
"Why, was it someone you liked? Oh, I know! You killed your girlfriend who was trying to save you! Oh, you meanie!" he said in mock horror.
Strike two.
"Hmmm… Or did that bitch die because of your mistakes? And you wanted to kill yourself but you chickened out? Is that it?" Another round of ridicule laughter roared through the empty streets, as their leader smiled scornfully.
Strike three.
"For you to become deaf and dumb, that bitch must have had-"
"Don't ever insult her." He spat out silently and suddenly, cutting him off as the others looked at him, clearly surprised.
"So you can talk, you ignorant bastard. Now give me whatever you have, and after that we can help unite you and your bitch in hell." As he was about to position his knife at the short man's neck again, he let out a painful scream.
His hand that was holding the knife was gone.
The short man had swiftly cut his hand off, and it was so quick that the normal human eye missed it.
"You BASTARD!" he screeched out in pain. "GET HIM!"
The thugs started running towards him, but none had a chance to lay a finger on him, as their lives were snatched away swiftly, instantly.
One by one fell dead to the floor, as their leader who was helplessly lying on the ground could only watch on in horror. As the very last of his mates fell to the ground dead, he tried crawling away, away from this terrifying killing machine.
But to his terror, he felt the short man's leg on top of his back, firmly pressing him down. Using his other leg, he rolled the man over so he could look at his face. The thug was so frightened, he started pleading for his life. But the short man paid no heed, as he took his katana and shoved it down his chest. But before the man breathed his last breath, the short man bent down and whispered to his ear, "Don't you ever insult her like that."
As he forced his katana deeper into the man's chest, the sky slowly darkened and he felt a drop of rain on his nose. Not long after that, rain started pouring down heavily from the heavens. He slowly looked up, as the rain washed him over. Starring at his hands that were stained with blood, he looked at the surroundings around him. Tens of men were laying motionless on the floor, and much to his surprise, he felt a familiar feeling of calmness, a strange feeling of comfort.
A same serene and nostalgic feeling rushed though his veins, and it was so overwhelming it triggered a more acute sense of security. As minutes passed by, he began to acknowledge a change in his feelings, and his emotions that were slowly being swept away.
Then it hit him, as he caught an opening that revealed the past.
The Bakumatsu era.
His eyes widened slightly, as realization and flashbacks came running in.
But his thoughts were interrupted, as he could hear that someone was coming, and he had to get going. Gracefully pulling out his sword from the dead corpse, he ran as fast as he could.
Enishi had long since left the room, after her pleas of wanting to be alone. She felt her heart being broken and shattered, every time the thought of Kenshin being dead and not alive pierces through her mind.
He had always been kind and sincere, constantly helpful and selfless, humble and gentle. And yet in the depths of his soul, she knew that he always thought that he was a stained and tarnished person, for the sins that he committed when he was a youth. Never once did he spare himself the opportunity to forgive his misdeeds of the past.
She had loved him.
He never did fully forgive himself. That was why he chose the path to atone for his sins, choosing the lonely and wondering life, hoping that one day he might find the forgiveness that his heart was aching for.
But fate had to be cruel and unfair, she decided. His past had come back to him to take away his life, to take away everything he had worked for so long.
Why?
Why couldn't Enishi forgive him? She knew that he was going to kill Kenshin somehow, someway, but she never thought that it would actually come to pass. She wanted to hate Enishi, she wanted to loath him for killing someone she had secretly loved for some time, but she found herself not being able to do it.
Because she understood. She understood that Enishi had this warped believed that he had every right to kill him, for the sake of revenge. She had so very often hear him talk about his beloved sister, the one and only woman he has ever loved with all his heart. The only blood related relative that he had, the only one that he had cared about. And yet one faithful day, Kenshin took away her happiness, indirectly stealing Enishi's happiness too.
How was she to blame him for wanting to kill Kenshin? Enishi had suffered a great deal when he was a boy. It was way too much for a person his age at that time to deal with.
And when snow covered the ground, Kenshin also took his sister's life, right in front of Enishi's eyes. She knew the feeling very well of seeing a loved one being killed in front of their eyes. It was a twisted feeling of despair, anger, and pain. She had been there, when he father had died in front of her eyes.
She had been so angry and irritated with herself for not having the skill and ability to help him then. To keep him alive. To keep him alive so that he could continue to love her the way a father would love a child.
So how could she blame Enishi for killing Kenshin? As much as she wanted to blame him and find his faults to hate him, her conscience just wouldn't let her go through it. Her compassion and sympathy that she felt for him was like a solid wall, a solid wall that was blocking her from hating him. He did treat her with respect and kindness, even though he wouldn't show it to her audibly.
Maybe…
Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that he was taking her to Shanghai with him. Staying in Japan and dwelling in the dojo, her only home with hundreds of memories of Kenshin, might just tear her apart even more.
Starring blankly at her knees that were blanketed by a white comforter, she hugged them closer to her chest as she buried her head in them. Inwardly commanding herself to not cry anymore, tears still ran down her cheek as it dampened the comforter. Suddenly hearing footsteps approaching, she pressed her face unto the comforter more, hoping that it would dry her cheeks.
"Are you hungry?" The voice was quiet and gentle, but she could still hear a discreet cynical tone that was still (and always) there at the edge.
'Typical Enishi.' She thought bitterly.
"No." she replied flatly, not bothered to look up.
"Suit yourself." He said monotonously as he placed something on the table, which she assumed was a tray of food, as she could smell the miso soup. He was striding towards the door with a precise number of footsteps, when she heard him stop.
"Before I forget," he paused. "-Battousai asked me to give this to you." And with that, he left a letter on the nearby table, and left.
As soon as she heard the door close with a silent click, her head lifted up. Eyes darted to where the white piece of paper was, she wondered if she should pick it up and read it's content.
But… it wasn't like Kenshin to write her letters.
With that thought tempting her to want to read it more, she got up from where she was and went to the table, picked up the letter and nervously tore the side open. Reading through the contents and studying the handwriting, it lead her to believe that it was from Kenshin. Not believing what she just read, she double read it, as she slowly sat on a chair, feeling dumbfounded.
Of course Kenshin didn't write that letter. Enishi smirked to himself as he sat on a straw chair in an open area, feeling the strong and cooling wind blowing his way.
He knew that woman would be heartbroken and all that jazz, but he was curious enough to see if she would do something drastic like killing herself just to be with him in the after life, because their love was bonded into one and all that.
Well, if she read enough love novels to encourage her to do so anyway.
So he spent a generous amount of time to hitch up something to prevent her from doing so. He didn't go through all that to bring her to Shanghai with him and end up bringing back a sad looking corpse instead.
So he wrote her a letter, lying to her that Battousai was the one who wrote it to her instead, before he died. He had to convince her that the letter was from that bastard, without him opening his mouth to say anything. He thought about Battousai's character, and according to Kamiya, he was helpful around the house, kind, and everything a retarded female was.
So that must mean that his handwriting would be neat and tidy.
For that fact it was very easy for Enishi to imitate, as he mastered in writing kanji ever since he was a boy. He was a genius, after all. His sister had thought him most of the characters, and he would practice writing everyday just to please her and her smile.
He could still remember his sister's motherly love, every single bit of it. He remembered how happy he was, having someone to care and pay attention to him. To have someone to understand, listen and to love, was something he had yearned for so long.
And Kamiya came along.
Secretly smiling to himself, he tried to think of another plan that would lure her to fall in love with him. And then only would he feel complete again.
AN: I find it easier to write when I'm feeling stressed, for some reason :x. Anyway, hoped you enjoy this chapter!
And please, do kindly leave a review :)