Part6
"I have been having dreams lately, visions of terrible things." Kenshin said, eyes closed as he remembered. "Most involve Kenji and myself, though I have seen all of you at some time in my dreams. I see Kenji being captured, beaten and imprisoned. I see them showing him to people in a cage." He opened his eyes to look at the shocked faces around him. "And there is always pain, incredible pain."
Megumi stuttered. "Ken-san, are you sure that these visions of yours are even going to happen?"
He looked at her with pensive violet eyes. "Iie, I'm not sure Megumi-dono, but I can never be too careful. I have been seeing these things since Kenji was only 4, and they've been happening since then. I am not going to ignore something that has lasted so long."
Sano pulled out a fishbone from his pocket, putting it in his teeth and chewing it thoughtfully. "Well, this is pretty serious there Kenshin. We'll just have to be ready for whatever comes along."
Kaoru was looking down at her lap, biting her lower lip in worry. 'Should I tell them of my dream?' She was interrupted as Kenji put a small hand on her shoulder.
She looked up into his worried blue eyes. "Kaasan, are you alright? You're trembling…."
She sighed and stilled her shaking, then looked with determined sapphire eyes at her friends. "I had a dream too Kenshin."
Kenshin's attention was instantly on her, eyes serious. "Tell me Kaoru."
She closed her eyes, shuddering slightly as she remembered. "I was standing in the yard of the dojo. Nothing happened for a moment, and then I saw Kenji, in his phoenix form. Shadows were trying to take him away, even though he was fighting them they were getting away. Then you came, and you shifted. You fought them, but there was a crack, like thunder. You fell, and they dragged Kenji away. There was a hole in your chest, and you passed out."
Megumi studied her friend. "A hole Kaoru? And a crack? Sounds like guns."
Kenshin narrowed his eyes. "Guns, that is not good, that it most certainly is not." He looked at his wife with soft violet eyes. "Is there anything else koishii?"
She nodded. "You disappeared for a moment, then reappeared, healthy and perfectly fine. I started towards you, but then something I couldn't see wrapped around your throat and lifted you off the ground. It was choking you…." She shuddered and put her face in her hands. "It broke your neck….."
There was a gasp from Megumi as her hands flew to her mouth. Kenshin's face was serious as he looked at her. "Is that everything Kaoru?"
She nodded. "Hai."
He sighed and closed his eyes again. "I will have to be more cautious." Kenshin's eyes suddenly snapped open and he looked with amber-flecked eyes to the yard.
Kaoru looked at him with wide eyes. "Kenshin? Kenshin, what's wrong?"
Kenji answered her instead of Kenshin. "They come." The boys eyes were wide and focused in the same direction as his father's, fear flickering across his expression. Sano stood and cracked his knuckles threateningly.
Kenshin stood and moved forward, and then he shifted to the form of the great crimson stallion. "Kaoru, Megumi-dono, go inside." Kaoru made a move to protest and he looked at her with fiery eyes. "Now Kaoru!"
She nodded submissively and was ushered into the dojo by Yahiko, Megumi following just behind. When the women and the boy disappeared within Kenji ran forward to stand beside his father, shifting to the giant golden phoenix.
"Be careful my son." Kenshin murmured. Kenji did not answer him, only nodded his head slowly.
Sano moved over to Kenshin's side and put his hands on the unicorn's back. "Can I ride you Kenshin? With your permission?"
Kenshin studied his friend, then looked to the gate again as he noted the presence of the men heading their way. "Hai Sano. As long as you can remain there. I will be moving fairly quickly."
Sano grinned and leapt onto Kenshin's back, settling himself comfortably across the broad back. "I'll be fine Kenshin, don't worry about me."
The gates shook as the men reached the dojo. Kenshin snorted and lowered his head, pawing at the ground with one ruby hoof. Kenji lowered his head as well, preparing to run his beak along his claws.
The gates burst open and men ran through, followed by an assortment of different colored animals. There were black panthers, brown bears, and other animals. "Shifters." Kenshin rumbled, tossing his head.
"Surrender the legendary bird!" one of the men in front called. He was hefting a gun, the same as the other men in the group.
"Iie!" Kenshin called, lowering his head again. "You will not intrude on my home and threaten my family!"
The man raised the gun. "Very well Unicorn. You will pay the price." With a roar the collective group of animals surged forward.
With a cry Kenji flung himself into the air, running his beak over his claws in the same movement. He opened his beak, blue eyes shining in defiance as fire roared from his mouth, searing the fur of the animals heading for him.
Kenshin let loose a war-cry, rearing and striking at the men heading for him. Sano whooped and kicked at a man that got past Kenshin's flailing ruby hooves. He reached down and grabbed a rifle from one man's hands and swung it up to his shoulder. Taking aim he shot and was rewarded with a cry and a thud as a man fell.
Sano laughed triumphantly and took aim again, shooting and felling what men he could. Kenshin fell back to all four hooves and thrust his horn to the side, nailing a man on the side of his head so he dropped like a stone.
"TOUSAN!" Kenji's terrified call echoed around. Kenshin's pointed ears swung around and he followed them, letting loose a whinny when he spotted Kenji. The phoenix was struggling to stay aloft as men pulled at a rope hooked around his legs. Kenji could reach for his claw to burn through the ropes, every time he tried one of the panthers or bears took a swipe at his face.
Kenshin swung around and galloped for his son, screaming in the way of horses. He ran headlong into one man, knocking him away from the ropes and trampling over him in an effort to free his son. Sano shot a few of the men, and then a shot that wasn't his own echoed though the air. Kenshin chased a man a few feet, and then there was another shot. Kenshin suddenly whinnied in distress and fell to his side in the dirt, throwing Sano from his back.
Kaoru, watching wide-eyed from the dojo, gasped. 'Iie! It can't happen again!'
Kenshin struggled to his feet, but a simple knock from one of the bears knocked him to the dirt again. Sano rushed forward with a cry and beat the animal back, giving it a strong blow to the head. It roared in pain and staggered away from him.
"We have the bird! Retreat!" The call came from the men as Kenji was finally dragged to the ground and restrained by the many ropes encircling him. Kenshin's body shrank, and he lay there, reaching weakly towards Kenji.
"Iie….Kenji…. Kenji….." Kenshin's eyes rolled into his head and his hand fell limp to the dirt as Sano pulled him into his arms.
As Kenji was dragged from the yard and the gate slammed shut Kaoru escaped Megumi and Yahiko's hold and ran out, tears streaming down her cheeks. "KENJI! KENJI!" She fell to her knees and sobbed. "Kenji….."
Megumi ran towards Sano, where the ex-street-fighter was holding an unconscious Kenshin. "Sano, what happened to him?"
Sano looked up at her seriously. "Kaoru's dream Megumi. He was shot square in the chest."
Megumi pulled on Sano's sleeve. "Bring him inside, quickly!" As the two rushed in Kaoru cried in the destroyed yard.
She stood and ran back inside, rushing to where Megumi was hurriedly preparing to remove the bullet from Kenshin's body. Kaoru fell to her knees by Kenshin's head and slipped her lap under his head. "Oh Kenshin….Kenshin, onegai, live…."