Part 6
Kenshin couldn't sleep. He rolled over on his futon, trying to get comfortable enough to fall asleep. He closed his violet eyes, then opened them again and sat up with a sigh. He swept his bangs out of his eyes, and climbed shakily to his feet, pulling the yukata he was wearing tighter around his slender frame.
He moved towards the door, going out into the cool night. There were no clouds, only a deep blue sky dotted with stars. Kenshin looked up at the sky and closed his eyes, breathing deep of the night air. 'The sky looks like Kaoru-dono's eyes….' he thought lightly. He walked over the packed dirt, moving towards the bathhouse in the night. He put a hand on the wall of the house, trying to remember details about where he was. The feel of the smooth wood beneath his fingers jolted a memory in his mind.
He instantly blushed deeply. 'I ran in on Kaoru-dono because I thought she was in danger.' He shook his head and tried to clear the image from his head, then moved onward around the dojo yard.
As he moved closer to the trees dotting the side of the yard he narrowed his eyes. Something was in the trees. He stepped lightly into the shadows; looking around with amber-flecked eyes, trying to locate the intrusion he was sure was there. He walked forward, moving farther into the darkness.
As he walked he felt a sense of foreboding and fear creep into his mind. He suddenly shivered, bringing his arms up to wrap around himself. 'It's so cold….' he thought, teeth chattering slightly. He turned to go back to the dojo, and was greeted by the dead face of a man.
A cry Kenshin couldn't suppress escaped his throat and he backed away from the bleeding face, the rolling eyes. Another dead man appeared on his left, and his eyes widened as he turned and ran, his mind slowly sinking into a state of panic.
He nearly ran into another man and let loose a scream of terror, putting up his hands to try and shield his eyes from the horrifying images. When he saw his hands he screamed again. Blood dripped from his fingers, coating his hands up to his elbows. "Iie!" he cried, trying to rub the blood from his skin. "NO! NO! I DIDN'T MEAN IT!" He backed away in fear as more men appeared around him, raising rotting hands to point at him menacingly.
"Battousai... You did this Battousai… You are at fault… Murderer...Murderer…" They moved closer to him as he fell to a heap on the ground, frantically trying to shield himself from them. Their taunts became a chant. "Murderer! Murderer! MURDERER!"
Kenshin leapt to his feet and pushed his way through the group of dead men, eyes wild in terror. "NO! I'M NOT A MURDERER! LEAVE ME ALONE! I'M NOT A MURDERER!" He ran blindly through the trees, the branches grabbing at his yukata and scratching at his face and arms. He suddenly burst out into the yard of the dojo, and he saw a lantern on the porch, held by Kaoru.
Kenshin ran headlong out into the yard, then tripped over his own feet in his panic and fell forward into the dirt.
"Kenshin!" Kaoru cried, running to his shaking form and setting the lantern beside him. "Kenshin, what's wrong?" He didn't answer her and she grew worried. "Kenshin, talk to me! What's wrong?"
Kenshin merely shook on the ground, his hands clutching at his hair and clothes. Kaoru moved forward and he wrapped his arms around her waist, hanging onto her as though she was a lifeline.
"Kenshin?" she murmured, petting his hair gently.
He was mumbling something, and Kaoru strained to hear. "I'm not a murderer…I'm not Battousai….not a murderer….not a murderer…." Kenshin continued to mutter these words to himself, and he clutched at Kaoru, tears slipping down his cheeks.
Kaoru pulled him closer, hugging him tightly. "Oh Kenshin…. It's alright Kenshin, I'm here. You're safe now…."
"Kaoru-dono…." Kenshin's frantic muttering stopped and he blinked, his wild violet eyes clearing in realization. "Kaoru-dono! What happened?"
She looked at him in confusion. "I came out here because I heard screams, and I found you muttering that you weren't a murderer."
He looked at her wide-eyed. "Iie, I'm not a murderer. I'm not Battousai."
She smiled and shook her head lightly. "Hai Kenshin, you're not Battousai. Not anymore." She pulled him to his feet, leading him back towards the dojo. "Now come on, let's get some sleep."
"Kaoru-dono?"
She turned. "Nani?"
"Gomen, for waking you," he said softly, lowering his chin in a respectful gesture.
Kaoru sighed and put an arm around his shoulder and led him to the dojo. "It's fine Kenshin. I don't mind. Now, you get some sleep, and we'll talk in the morning. Okay?"
Kenshin nodded. "Hai. Oyasumi nasai Kaoru-dono."
She smiled. "Oyasumi nasai Kenshin. See you in the morning."
HM: Kinda short, but I tried. Gomen nasai everyone, it's so late….. Review for me, onegai!
Ja ne!