A/N: Thanks to those who reviewed, once again!
StormHornet – Yeah, Phantom is failing though… too bad. But HELL YEAH! I HATE FLAMES AND I HATE CHIZURU! –joins in the killing of Chizuru-
WhiteRabbit5 – Thanks for the support! You are fantastic; I am in your debt.
Horrible writer – Once again, look to the bottom, dear.
Rurouni-maxi – Yay! This was clearer, wasn't it? LOL!
royal blueKitsune – You really think so? –cries- Thank you so much!
Reignashii – LOL thx!
Recap –"Let go, Kenshin. I've not hurt this wench in far too long." I broke free and threw a punch at Chizuru. "I'm going to kill you, you… ahou ga!"
"Kaoru!" my father exclaimed. I saw him look around to check if any one of high status was around. Sou ka. He was just trying to keep up appearances.
The Color Black-Red – Chapter 3I ignored him.
"Who's the ahou here?" Chizuru said, looking past me… to Kenshin?
"Kenshin is not a moron, you baka!" I yelled.
"He is to have chosen you over me." Chizuru said smoothly, latching onto Kenshin, who was desperately trying to escape her grasp.
"Dame! Dame!" my Father yelled. "Enough."
"Mou," I grumbled.
"Kaoru-chan, we are going to the Great Hall. You may continue your argument, if you must. But, Kaoru-chan, do not lose your temper!" Tomoe said as she walked away with my father.
"Tomoe," I said with gritted teeth. "Mou!"
Chizuru laughed. "You are stupid. Even your sister believes badly of you."
"Iie!"
"Honto?" she said, her voice mocking.
"Urusai! Kenshin! Raikoji-san has not been bothering you, has she?" I asked Kenshin earnestly.
"Chizuru-dono has not been bothering me, Kaoru." Kenshin said. "Why don't we go to bed?"
When Kenshin noticed that we were to busy bickering to answer he sighed and said, "Off to bed with you, Chizuru-dono. Come Kaoru."
"No! I am not done with her yet!" I exclaimed, and threw a glare in Chizuru's direction.
"Kaoru," Kenshin said warningly, like I was a small child.
And I responded like a small child, "Fine."
"Fine," Chizuru said. "I'll see you tomorrow, Ken-san!" She gave a flirtatious wave and flounced off.
"That girl!" I fumed.
"I know." Kenshin answered and we laughed. He dropped me off at my cabin. "I will see you tomorrow, Hime-chan." With that, he walked off.
The next morning Kenshin walked in while I was doing my kenjetsu. "Kaoru wa kawaii-ku," he said, and walked up and put his arms around me.
"Ohayou Gozaimasu! I thought I sensed your ki," I said.
"Sou de gozaru ka?"
"Zattai ni."
"Ikou!" Kenshin cried, and led me outside. "Someone wants to say hello."
"I trust it is not Takani Megumi or little miss Raikoji Chizuru?"
Kenshin laughed. "It is neither. You will be very pleased." He led me outside, straight into the arms of my brother, Sanosuke!
"Oniichan!" I ran up to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. "Niichan! Sano-kun!"
My brother Sanosuke laughed and twirled me around. "Hello! How is my Jou-chan?" he asked. "I have not seen you in so long."
"Where were you, Sano-kun?"
"I just arrived this morning and Kenshin here," Sano delivered a mighty slap on the back to Kenshin, who winced, "told me that you were here so…" Sano set me down and said quietly, "He didn't hurt you, did he? 'Cause if he did he is gonna get my Futai No Kiwami right in the face!" Sano demonstrated the punch by punching a hole in someone's cabin. Sanosuke was sweet, funny and very protective. Some people called him Rooster-head because of his brown hair that stuck up in the air in a peculiar way.He wrapped a red headband around his forehead to look like his idol, Captain Sagara Sozo of the Sekihoutai.
"Don't worry Sano," I said. "I'm sure Tomoe-nee and Father would like to see you."
"I bet Tomoe would!" Sano boomed. He started up the path with me behind him. I was dragging Kenshin along.
Sano hugged my sister and stared awkwardly at my father; they had never really gotten along.
"Himura-san, Kamiya-san! Come quickly! Searchers have spotted black-caped warriors on the horizon!" cried the lookout.
"What? All right, you, girl, Himura-san go to the safe shed! Stay there until I give the order to leave! Now go!" My father was looking at me like he was actually concerned for my safety for once.
"But… I can fight!" I cried. My eyes flashed. "You know I can, Father!"
"Yes, but –" Sanosuke began.
"But we need you to live! Marry Kenshin; bear a child, and the Kamiya-Himura's will begin! And they will continue! Please!" My sister looked at me. "Father, Akira, and I are going to fight! Stay safe, Kaoru-chan!" She tuned to my father and said, "Ikou!" Then she and my father went off to find Akira and go to the battle. Sano gave Tomoe one last look, hugged me and then ran off to help with the injured, where his fiancé, Takani Megumi, worked. I looked after him with pity; I knew how Sanosuke wanted to be on the battlefield.
I started to cry out but I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Come, Koishii." He beckoned to where the safe shed was hidden in the wood. As we entered I noticed the furniture. A bed, a stove, some food, a table, a couple of chairs and a bookcase filled with books.
Many hours later –We could still hear the sounds of battle – and see it too. Thankfully no one important to me had been slain.
Until now.
"Ahhhhh!" A scream cut through the air. It was Akira! The swordsman who had done the dark deed laughed. But just then Akira, with one last wish, struck down the swordsman with a cry. Then he fell to the ground, dead. Tomoe! What would she do, seeing that her love is dead? I soon found out.
"Akira!" she screamed. She charged in to battle, sobbing. She killed many, unseeing, unbelieving that her husband-to-be was dead. Then I heard her cry. I saw, as if in slow motion, her fall to the ground, a great bleeding wound in her back.
"TOMOE!" I screamed, propelling forward in my seat. I went to leave, to hold her in her final moments, but hands held me back. It was Kenshin. I yelled some more and beat at his chest, pleading him to let me go, to let me see my sister. But he would not let go. As he restrained me I grew angry. When he said soothingly, "I understand. Stop now. Please, I understand." I would reply by hitting him harder and shouting, sobbing, "No you don't! NO YOU DON'T!" I hit him until my tears lessened and my voice grew hoarse. He set me down and I collapsed onto a chair. He hugged me. Oh, how I was ashamed! I hit him until my fists were sore! And yet, he does not walk away! He does not feel any grudge toward me. How cruel I have been to him! Thinking only of myself, not of anyone else. Why, Kenshin lost his whole family to cholera when he was a small boy. "I am so sorry, Kenshin. I am so, so sorry…" I trailed off and begged for forgiveness.
He stared at me. "Kaoru. Stop. Aishiteru." He helped me up and hugged me again. Kissing my forehead, he sat down and patted the chair next to him. For a while we sat in peace, with my occasional sniffling or whispering of the word, "Tomoe…" I was just getting drowsy. Kami-sama knows how long that battle has been going on, when I heard another most unwanted cry.
TBC…
A/N: Ooh, no! Things are turning sad! And intense! Sort of!
Tell me what you guys think in a review!
Dear 'horrible writer',
This is one of my earlier stories, so don't think you know how well I write by reading this.
By the way, I indent when I'm writing the story, but it doesn't come up on for some odd reason.
But I'm glad that, despite your dislike of my stories, you continue to read them and that you took my advice about constructive criticism – I will reevaluate the story from the point of view of character development.