A/N: -falls asleep- I'm sooo tired… but thanks to anyone who reviewed!
StormHornet – No way! –wrestles Aoshi away and steals him- I want Aoshi! And yes! Brad Pitt is HIDEOUS! But then, so is Angelina Jolie. They go together in some twisted way… but poor Jen! -is a Jennifer Aniston fan-
Rurouni-maxi – LOL I agree! Clear chappie, vague chappie, clear chappie… lmao!
Aoshi-luva – OMG! –swirly eyes- So many people vying for Aoshi-sama's attention!
Reignashii – Oh, dear… sorry…
royal blueKitsune – It is strange… -picks your jaw up- and the marathon of death? Heheh… -sweat drop-
Recap –
Misao narrowed her eyes. "Well," she said curtly, "I must be going." Then she promptly left the room. I sighed in relief. Then I stared out the window, waiting for my 'knight in shining armor'.
The Color Black-Red – Chapter 5
Kenshin trudged his way through the thick shifting sands. They seemed to be sucking him down. "N-no…" he said as he pulled his leg out of a dune. "Kaoru… is waiting… I must rescue her…" But he was so tired. Closing his eyes, Kenshin fell forward onto the sands. That was his mistake. Within minutes the sands had covered him, hiding him from view of everything but the sand monsters that would soon come to consume him.
Hours later Kenshin came to. Slowly, painfully, for his eyes were incrusted with sand, he opened his eyes. Aside from his head, his whole body was covered in sand. Tongue lolling directly in front of his face, he stared into the many faceted eyes of a sand beast. He stumbled backward, letting out a cry of, "No!"
The sand beast, seizing its chance, grabbed Kenshin round the waist and prepared to sink its thousands of pointed teeth into Kenshin's shoulder. Oh, how it longed to taste the hot, red blood of a human. And this was a particularly perfect specimen. All it had been having for centuries were the dry, tasteless blood and flesh of the sand rats and lizards. The punishment of people being thrown into the Sands of Shadow had stopped long ago. That was when near all sand beasts had died out. It was one of the few left. And finally, finally, it got to taste the blood of a sweet, juicy human. It focused one of its many faceted eyes on the human only to discover it running away. Ha! Let it run! It only makes the chase all the more fun!
The sand beast waddled after Kenshin for a while. When Kenshin was a good run away, the sand beast picked up the pace. It moved smoothly, flawlessly. In seconds it was upon him and lowering its head for the kill.
It was so close Kenshin could smell it's rancid breathe. He drew his ornate ceremonial sword. "Die Fiend!" Kenshin cried. "Death to you, dishonorable creature!" thrusting forward, he slew the miserable creature.
He pulled out his sword from the body, and the sand beast fell dead, never again to harm anything. "Ah, yes." Kenshin fingered the bloodstained katana. "You have not failed me yet. You are the one who is going to get Kaoru back!"
Kenshin walked for days without encountering any live thing. Then, four days after the Sand Beast incident he came across something – someone – that would change his journey.
Through his half open eyes, Kenshin saw a figure lying on the sand. He also saw an approaching Sand Beast. "Back, back!" he cried, and brandished his sword at the creature. The Beast let out a cry that sounded vaguely like a horses whinny and stumbled backwards. Kenshin forced it back and it ran away on its six spider-like legs. He then knelt next to the person lying on the sands. It was a woman. Her mouth formed soundless words and her half-open eyes stared out, unseeing. She was very beautiful. With black hair and dark, purple eyes, she was mysterious.
"Miss, miss, wake up!" When she gave no response he picked her up and searched for a shelter. As he was carrying her, her eyelids fluttered and opened wide. Kenshin noticed this and said, "Don't worry, now. I'm Kenshin."
"Kenshin…" the woman murmured and slowly drifted off into unconsciousness.
He smiled softly. He then remembered that Kaoru was in constant danger and he chided himself for letting his troubles slip. Eventually he found a shelter. It looked like someone had been there before, for it was neatly arranged. There were some leaves supported by beams of wood from the Cacana Tree that only grew in deserts. Kenshin had seen many, but they were all dead. And to shelter under a dead Cacana Tree is madness. For when you lean against dead and white Cacana bark and leaves, once so green and full of life, you die when you sleep. But these Cacana Tree trunks and Cacana leaves where full of life still.
'Who has been here?' Kenshin wondered. Then he saw it. A standing stone with red painted on it just outside the 'house'. He put the sleeping girl down underneath the roof of leaves and went over to it. It said:
'This shelter is for the troubled. I leave my blood far from this place, for the people like myself, so unlucky, deserve to live. Perhaps I do not and that is why Kami has so punished me. This stone you read, stranger, is the key. Etched in sand is the way to the…'
The last word was unreadable. It looked like castle, but Kenshin couldn't be sure. With a jolt, he realized what the words were written in. An unlucky man's blood. He shuddered involuntarily. Then he heard a moan. It was the girl! She was waking. He rushed over to her and bent down over her. "Miss?"
"W-what?" the girl shook her head. "Where am I? Who are you?" she paused, and looked at his face. "… Kenshin?"
"Yes, yes, I'm Kenshin. What is your name?"
"My n-name?" she blinked, "I'm … I'm Hotaru…aren't I?"
"You are?" Kenshin smiled warmly. "Well, I found you in the sands about four hours ago."
"In the sands?" She shuddered. "The sands! What? Where? We aren't… still in…"
"Yes, I'm afraid we are."
"NO! NO NO NO NO NO!" Hotaru shook her head wildly. "This can't be!"
"Hotaru-san, I must leave."
"What? No! You can't leave! Then I'll be all alone! No! No! NO! Please!" she grabbed onto Kenshin's shirt. "Please…I beg you, take me with you!"
"What? I – I can't!"
"No, please… Kenshin-san… please…"
His heart went out to the beautiful young lady. "Alright."
"Oh," she bowed her head humbly, "thank you sir! Thank you kindly!"
"You are quite welcome. We need to keep moving. Are you up to it?" when she nodded he said firmly, "And if you fall behind I will not slow and come to get you. Understand?"
"Yes," Hotaru said. 'What caused him to be so cruel?' she wondered.
Weeks passed.
Hotaru had quite fallen in love with Kenshin at this point. His good looks topped with his kindness could make any lady fall head over heels. And since he was so nice to her, Hotaru simply assumed he had fallen for her too. He had told her nothing of Kaoru, Daemon, or of where they were going. She dared not ask. Any moment with Kenshin was enough.
One day, they were walking along the sands and Hotaru made the mistake of closing her eyes. Tiredness washed over her and she fell forward into Kenshin's arms. He had immediately rushed to catch her. "Hotaru-san! Daijobu, Hotaru-san! Answer me, Hotaru!" He shook her roughly.
Her eyes fluttered open. "Ken-Kenshin…" she whispered. All she could think about is how close Kenshin's face was to hers. Barely conscious, she cupped his face in her hands and brought his face to hers.
Kenshin's eyes grew wide and he stood frozen, her lips on his. Sh-she is kissing me… he thought. Why is she kissing me? coming to his senses he put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her away and helped her up. Saying nothing, he walked on ahead. I'm sorry Kaoru… she kissed me…
Hotaru smiled and touched her lips. "He kissed me…" She knew this was not the truth, but she so wished it to be that in her mind it became real.
Though days past, the incident was not forgotten. Quite the opposite. Kenshin mused over it and Hotaru was as happy as any love-struck fool, even though it was not real.
"Kenshin-san?" Hotaru asked five days later. "What is your journey? Why did you come to the sands?"
"Someone… dear to me was taken. I am getting them back. That is my mission."
"Oh," Hotaru said. "So…"
"Hai, Hotaru-san?" Kenshin pulled his leg out of a dune.
"How long…" Hotaru looked up into the sky, "How long…" that was all she got out before her eyes rolled up in her head and she collapsed on the sand.
"Hotaru-san!" Kenshin cried. He caught her, but was careful to stay far away from her face. He had brushed off the kiss as something that Hotaru did while she was only semi-conscious, so therefore he did not think it was too serious. Perhaps she had seen him as her love back home. Kenshin picked her up and said to himself, "Maybe it is time we take a rest." Though he was not tiring, the fear of the sand beast and the worry of Kaoru's safety keeping him awake, Hotaru obviously had reached the end of her energy.
TBC…
A/N: Hotaru's appearance! Uhm… Yay? (I have a feeling that Hotaru is not going to be too popular) Tell me what you think!
Review please!