A/N: Hello everyone! Lol, I got a random impulse to just update! Be happy that I did! Anyway, thank you all for the reviews! This story is starting to catch up with my other ones!

Broken Legend one of my new stories, is doing well, but for some reason, the people who were reviewing in the second chapter have just…stopped XD.

Please read it!

Anyway, on with the show!

Chapter 6 – Time Stopper

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Kenshin stared at Kaoru's body on the floor. His eyes were wide and shock was riddled all over his face. His mouth was dry as he tried to form out words to say to her but nothing could have prepared him for what happened just before his eyes.

Kaoru's muddled body was placed in the middle of a pool of white feathers while her back was bare skin, her white silk robe now stained with blood from the painful loss of her beautiful wings.

"K….Kao…."

Kaoru's face was soaked with betrayal was she stared at Kenshin with her sapphire gems. Her emotions flashed across pain, sadness, shock, desperation,…and hurt.

Kaoru weakly got up to her knees that were wobbling with what little strength she and to support herself. She stumbled desperately while finally coming to a shuddering stand. Kenshin's rooted feet finally became loose as he rushed over to her and cautiously stabilized her.

"Kaoru…what happened…."

Kaoru's face was buried beneath her ebony bangs, her lips quivering. Small, hiccupped sobs could be heard from the degraded angel. Kenshin stared at her with his lavender eyes that were now stained with worry.

"You…disowned me…"

Her reply was soft and almost inaudible but Kenshin heard it. His eyes widened as he pieced together the puzzle of her words.

"What? Y-Y'mean what I said before about me not needing you? K-Kaoru, I was angry! I didn't mean it! Oh god, I didn't mean it!"

Kaoru shook her head, her sapphire eyes still submerged under the shadow of her hair.

"It doesn't matter…the damage has been done, Kenshin…"

She shook her head. "I'm no longer…your guardian angel…"

The realization dawned upon Kenshin as if he had just been blinded by the sun. His jaw hung slightly agape while his mouth ran dry a second time, barely even a breath of air passing through his almost stationary lungs.

"You know what! I can live my own life! I don't need someone holding my hand! I don't need a damn guardian angel! So why don't you just get the hell out of my life!"

He shook his head slowly, his expression still the same.

"…No…Kaoru, please…I didn't…"

Kaoru slowly lifted her heavy head to look at him. That's when he noticed the subtle change in the angel before him. Before she had been stripped of her wings, her eyes were more of clouded blue. Now they were a simple yet breath taking sapphire. Her skin had previously been a distinct pale white, but now it was more of a creamy peach with the glow of life.

(A/N: That 'glow of life' thing, what I mean is, you know when someone is dead or has just died, their skin is this ghostly white and you know they're dead, it's just ivory. But when someone is alive there's this glow in the skin that portrays that. Just wanted to let you all know that.)

"Kaoru….are you…human…?"

Kaoru shook her head but then nodded it.

"No…and yes…in sense…"

Kenshin stared at her a moment, questioning what she meant. Kaoru could feel his puzzled gaze and decided to answer his unasked question.

"….I'm a fallen angel, Kenshin. I'm not an angel, so now everyone can see me. But I'm not human either…"

"…Kaoru…how…did this all happen…?"

Kaoru simply let off a bitter laugh. At times he could be so naïve and innocent or clueless. She had always loved that part about him. But now…it was just so bittersweet.

"You said the magic words…and your wish was granted."

Overload of confusion, frustration and anxiety washed over Kenshin's body as he started to shake his head fiercely, clamping his eyes shut, his fists clenching just slightly.

"No, no ,no, no, NO! This isn't what I wished for, god damnit! I didn't want- I didn't want this to happen!"

Holding his continuously shaking head in the palms of his hands, Kenshin chanted to himself whisks of denial. He grit his teeth angrily as he tried to ignore the building anger and frustration within him.

Kaoru simply lowered her fading sapphire eyes. She could feel herself start to shiver from the hurt. Her heart was starting to tear as she watched the boy she had unconsciously become to love break down with such confusion. Her shoulders started to quake as she slipped her tender bottom lip under her clamping teeth.

Kenshin lifted his head to Kaoru, his breathing rash and his eyes desperate for some sort of relinquishment of the punishment he had sent on the fallen saint. His breath started to shift from labored to choked sobs as his lavender eyes stared at hers with a squint, his lip quivering.

"Kaoru…Kaoru…"

His voice cracked when he called her name. Trembling hands lifted up and reached for the silent servant of god. Tears had unknowingly passed down his hurting eyes as the vision of his guardian blurred slightly.

Kaoru's fist was clenched as it also trembled. She ground her teeth together as she felt her cheeks dampen with salty tears. She turned to the angst filled boy and didn't deprive him of any need. She quickly leapt into his arms and embraced him so tightly, she could feel his aching heart beat against her chest.

She could feel him shiver as she held him. His head was perched in the hollow of her neck and she could feel the sudden moistness of hot tears wet the cream fabric of her robe. His trembling hands gripped urgently at her shoulders as he started to sob.

"Oh Kaoru, I'm so sorr-…dear god, I'm so- oh Kaoru."

His voice was weak and overdosed in such sorrow, it made Kaoru's heart ached painfully. It wasn't as simple as crying. She could feel him breaking down right before her. His unstable hands anxiously and mournfully chafed over Kaoru's back.

"God…- Kaoru your wings…your beautiful ivory wings…gone. I destroyed them…I destroyed you- oh Kaoru…forgive me, please! Please…"

Kenshin quaked and sobbed violently as he grasped Kaoru in a desperate need. Kaoru had long passed wiping away the tears that had flowed down her face. She cradled Kenshin's shivering frame as she started to rock the misplaced boy gently, stroking his hair tenderly.

"Shhh...shhh…"

Kaoru could only coax him to stop his crying with small shushing. She knew that if she opened her mouth to speak, her voice would catch and she too, would break out into a bucket brigade of tears. She could only rock him back and forth and stroke his head.

Her heart was breaking ever so quietly as she watched the strong boy before her tremble and shake, gushing out sobs and chocked pleads of forgiveness. How could she not forgive him? She was an angel. But her thoughts still swarmed with questions. She could hate, and she knew it. What else could she feel toward the rotten girl who had done all this?

(A/N: OK! Just a little reminder. Tomoe really isn't evil. She's actually even Kenshin said this the nicest person he could ever know so I don't want you all to just hate her because of this story! I just made her evil here XD)

'You mustn't stay any longer'

A large bellowing voice suddenly boomed from the hush in the empty house. Kaoru lifted her head upward to where the voice had arose from and cocked an eyebrow in confusion, looking through the house of silence.

Wait….

Silence…?

Kaoru looked at Kenshin quickly to find that he had frozen. As if time itself had bunged. The small sniffles and hiccups that had been flowing from him previously had stopped abruptly as the eerie quiet took place. Kaoru's eyes widened as she slowly pulled herself away from the still boy, the tears on his face no longer streaking downward and the droplets that had fallen from his chin hovering in mid air.

Time had stopped.

Kaoru frantically skittered away from Kenshin, confusion and puzzlement flooding her mind. She quickly glanced up the staircase where an old grandfather clock stood in it's place. Quickly, she rushed to her feet and ran up the stairs to the old clock. She looked at it closely and noted that it too, had stopped its ticking. The large pendant that swung back and forth inside the glass case below the clock wasn't swaying either. It had just ceased in mid sway, slanted to the left.

But why? Why hadn't she frozen in time as well as everything else…?

'You must correct this.'

That same booming voice. She knew who it was. She swiftly turned around and looked up at the ceiling that stood over the opening of the downstairs.

"My lord! What has happened?"

Kaoru kept her tongue between her teeth, resisting the urge to cuss at the overwhelming and extremely awkward moment.

'You must make things right, dear Kaoru…'

Kaoru shook her head, unable to determine what her master was stating to her.

"My lord, I don't know what you speak of! How? How do I correct this mess! I'm wingless. He disowned me, my lord. I'm not an angel anymore."

All her years with Kenshin had really rusted her ability to speak in the grace and formality that that of an angel would.

'Come. And I will show you how…'

Kaoru was going to protest, saying that she couldn't; she had no wings to fly with. But her reasoning was silenced as a sudden burst of gold light had surrounded her just as it had when her wings were taken and shredded. The light was too bright for her tear stained eyes, causing her to covering them with her arm to block the strong radiance. She suddenly felt herself being lifted from the cold granite floor and before she could utter a word, she was gone along with the golden beam, leaving Kenshin's stationary body alone; stopped in place.

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Angels surrounded Kaoru in a flash, their faces full of surprise and shock as she drifted with the surrounding light through the spacious skies of heaven. She could hear harsh whispers of guilt and pity coming from the surrounding angels as they pointed out the loss of her wings to one another. Kaoru didn't spare a glance to any of them, keeping her head forward to where the light was leading her to.

Heaven wasn't a mush of pretty red cream, pink, purple, and orange clouds everywhere around. Heaven was everything you could ever dream it to be without the sadness. There was no name to describe what this kingdom was, in a sentence or two. Kaoru had been here 17 years ago before she had been assigned to Kenshin as a cherub.

(A/N: Cherub baby angel. just for those who didn't know )

Kaoru took note on how the deeper she was getting into heavens core, the more hustling and stir was occurring. Whisks of conversation and hurried sentences from the worry filled servants were vaguely heard as Kaoru passed by, but she got a gist of what they were conversing about.

Stopped, unmoving, time, no flow. Those words seemed to fit into what was happening. So. Time really had stopped. Was this situation that dire? Kaoru's thoughts were so filled with puzzle pieces and mazes that she didn't even notice the finely furnished and gigantic glistening golden gates that had slowly creaked open for her to enter.

Only when her little light transportation had come to a stop did she notice where she was. The Great Being's quarters. Kaoru's heartbeat quickened as her small travel buddy dipped her off onto a puff of clouds that held her in place. She gulped slightly as she stared up at the shadowed being that was seated in a large golden chair before her.

"Come closer…"

The voice was even deeper up close as Kaoru's shaky legs slowly inched forward in the puff of clouds, drawing closer to the most sacred of all beings. Her knees finally buckled as she bowed before her master in belittlement.

"My lord…I am in no right to be presented in front of your sacred statu-"

"Nonsense! Now pick yourself off the ground and toughen up!"

The large being's voice was filled with mirth as he chuckled at the fear stricken girl. Kaoru quickly obeyed his demand and rose to her feet, standing up perfectly straight.

"Oh, my dear! You don't have to be so formal!"

Kaoru blinked as she tried to slow her beating heart, stuttering with her words as the being continued to chortle.

"My, how much you've grown."

Suddenly, the beings large hand came down from the chair's arm rest to where Kaoru stood, rooted to her post. She couldn't find the strength to run so she squinted her eyes tightly, expecting the large hand to clasp around her small body. But instead, the large hand cupped the clouds beneath Kaoru and brought her upward, still standing even though in the palm of his hand.

Bringing her close to his face, Kaoru could see just how carefree her lord really was. A smile was placed on his lips as his face remained indescribable. He had a face, yes. But it was just too handsome and unique to describe. She imagined him to be this way.

"Oh my dear…your beautiful wings…"

His voice brought Kaoru out of her thoughts as she slowly turned away, her shoulders broadening up slightly from the embarrassment and shame; nodding in agreement from the shocking loss. Finally, taking a gulp of breath, Kaoru turned back to him and spoke.

"My lord…how…can I fix all this…? Surely you can't expect me to know…"

The lord tittered at the girls naivety and shook his head.

"No, dear girl. I will show you how. But first. You must know."

Kaoru's heart sank slightly. His happy face suddenly turned serious, surprising Kaoru along with worrying her.

"There is a downfall to this tactic. You can not dilly dally with this task. You are put on a time limit and if you go beyond that, fatalities will happen."

Kaoru's confusion rose even more with the warning he just presented her with. Kaoru blinked a few times as she shook her head, trying to rack her brain up with methods to just what exactly he was proposing her to do.

"My lord…you've frozen time in it's place, along with failing to supply me with just what you want me to do."

Kaoru tried to keep her calm, the fear creeping up on her nerves again. The lord's smile returned once again as he chuckled once more.

"Dear Kaoru, I understand your puzzlement. And you're on the right track with your pondering. Time is everything in this matter. It's the whole reason why you should not dawdle, and it's also the subject in which you must correct."

Kaoru continued to shake her head.

"I'm not following you, my lord."

Suddenly, a small flash of light appeared in front of Kaoru as she jerked away in surprise. Hovering in place of the light was a small necklace with linked circles and bolted in the middle was a small hour glass. (A/N: Think of Harry Potter, Herminie's time turner)

"That, my dear, is the key to all of answers in which you seek. That…is a time warp."

Kaoru once again, shook her head as she gazed at the necklace that she had slowly took hold into her hands.

"time warp…?"

"Simply put, it changes time, turning time backwards, or forward."

Kaoru gazed at it a moment before looking back up at the lord.

"My lord…where did you get such a devise…?"

Suddenly, he burst out into a roaring laughter, his hand shaking from the hilarity that he had found, almost causing Kaoru to fall off his palm. Kaoru looked at him in an oblivious attempt to figure out just what was so amusing.

Wiping the humorous tears that had sprouted from his eyes, the lord took a deep breath to calm his laughter and finally regained his composure.

"My dear! I am the lord! I don't need to get my things from anywhere."

Kaoru stood speechless as her master simply smiled at her. Kaoru sighed as she put the small necklace around her collar. She suddenly felt her altitude drop as he lowered his palm back to the clouds below his large throne. His image slowly started to fade and Kaoru started to panic from her lack of information.

"Listen carefully, little Kaoru. You must go back in time and stop an event in your protected child's life that was never suppose to happen in the first place."

As his image continued to grow more abstract and distant by the second, Kaoru's voice grew loud as she asked him her final questions in a panicked rush.

"How much time do I have? And why is it so important to hasten?"

"You will know when time is scarce, little one. And not to dawdle is the biggest notice. The human body can only withstand so long of confinement. Too long of a stop and they could get an attack from dysfunction. Be lenient little Kaoru, and your worries will lessen."

His large voice was so faint, Kaoru could barely make out his reassuring last comment.

'I'll be watching you; guiding you through this trial. I always am.'

Kaoru watched his image finally become too obscure to see clearly anymore and clutched the small necklace in her hand. Her traveling partner had re-assisted her once more as she drifted back down to the still world below.

Be quick, be careful, be precise.

She needed to walk on eggshells to get this right and she knew it. Now she knew the meaning of so much to do, so little time. She just hoped that she'd be able to correct whatever it was in time to tame the insane mess she had gotten mixed up into, and save Kenshin from the suffering.

She just hoped.

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A/N: WHOO! Finally! I don't know about you guys, but I love how this chapter turned out.

POOR KENSHIN D:

I almost cried writing it.

REVIEW PLEASE!