A/N: heehee..i'll try my best to write the next chapter fast ok! really sorry about the cliffhangers, but they seem to be the best way to end chapters..LOL!
A/N: YEEEY! I finished this chapter at last! Thanks so much to all of you who continue to read and review this fic! Oh, and before anything else, one request to the reviewers, please, please, don't forget to leave at least any name when you review so I can thank you personally and perhaps even add your name to this story...thank you once again!
Genesis: yeah I like the way the waff turned out too...and don't worry, I knew you weren't mad. heehee I talk that way sometimes too ;o) and thank you oh soooo much for your reviews!
Willow: hey! I hope I get to see your manga stories someday...sounds really interesting! I wish you the best of luck with it ok and thanks for your reviews it's really inspiring me too!
Sabrina-star: well sano's gonna be with the gang later and about Dargove, well, he healed Kaoru and healing humans make dragons weak so Dargove was not a hundred percent fit that time and thank you so much for your reviewsplease do continue to R&R
omochi: LOL! read this chapter 'coz it's all here! heehee thanks a lot for your reviews omochi-san! really, thanks a bunch!
Artemis Goddess of the Earth: LOLOLOLOL! heehee I can't fire you, you role is too important! harharharhar...don't worry about late reviews just as long as you show up, it's fine with me and oh, hehehe Koishii(the turtle) just might appear here...LOL! and some more action is in this chapie, but not so much I think ;o)
AngelsExist: well, judging from your pen name I think you'll be forgiving enough about my cliffhangers...right! please do continue reviewing this fic...and please try not to hate me too much! LOL and thank you so much for your reviews!
konton: yeah...i love kaoru! she's a warrior too, even if she didn't show it much in the anime! anyway, thank you very much for reviewing, and I hope you come back and review again!
Gypsy-chan: domo arigatou! Princess Waff at your service...bringing more waffiness at your feet as soon as I can! LOLOLOL! get your popcorn and soda ready 'coz here's the next chapter! not much action or waff though, but I hope you like it too! oh and I have a surprise for you in this chapie...winks hehehehehe tell me what you think of it after you read ok!
Scarlet Maple: ACK!...aaarrhhheeerrrm! talks hoarsely as Scarlet Maple released her throat really sorry about the cliffhangers, but you're right you can't kill me just yet...harharharha...arghhhh! please...let...my...throat...go...ack! HELP!
Shiari: hi! thanks a lot for your reviews and also your tips! I toned down this chapter a bit, but still you will see a lot of those exclamation points, at least for now. I think there would be a lot less in the next chapters...i think please do come back and review again and thank you so much!
Kamimura Kaoru: Thank you sooooo much for coming back and leaving your reviews! I hope you like this chapter too:o)
ok, here's chapter nine guys:
KENSHIN the DRAGON HUNTER Chapter IX: The Dragon Hunter's Wrath
Kenshin laid the unconscious Kaoru on the ground. Her closeness seems to have kept his emotions under control… for now. He then turned to look at 'him'!
"Dargove" Kenshin thought. It's a bit ironic that the one who murdered his parents would come to save his life, and, he brushed a stray hair from Kaoru's forehead, hers too. But that's not enough payment for what he did! Kenshin looked from the Hydra to Dargove. Right then, memories of blood, death and sorrow flashed in Kenshin's mind.
"The Hydra can wait" Kenshin thought as he pulled out his sword and started towards the dragon… "I want justice!"
"Hmmm…" Kaoru said, catching Kenshin's attention.
"Darn it!" he said as he thought of 'her'. With her involved, Kenshin knew he had no choice. "She'll be waking up any moment now, and she'll go back to fight the Hydra, no matter what the consequence, she'll face them all... even her death!" Kenshin thought, recalling what she and her young brother had said earlier.
"Ken...shin..." Kaoru whispered, and Kenshin closed his eyes.
"Damn her!" he said to himself and went to destroy… the Hydra!
Kaoru opened her eyes slowly seeing nothing but a blur. A slight breeze blew and Kaoru wrapped her arms around her. Closing her eyes again, she recalled something else holding her, so gentle and so warm… An image of a handsome red-haired man came to mind.
"Kenshin!" Kaoru said, suddenly awake and alert. Kaoru saw him, running towards the middle head of the Hydra. Dargove and Willow are breathing red-hot flames, providing enough distraction for the two heads at each side.
Kenshin had only the middle head to think of and Kaoru was pretty sure he could manage… still, you can't be too sure...
Kaoru started running towards the Hydra too. "Hey ugly! Wait for me will yah!" Yahiko said running behind her.
Kaoru was about to whack him on the head for what he said, but stopped, surprised when he hugged her tight!
"You're so stupid" Yahiko said, his voice cracking. "I thought I lost you..." he broke off as tears slid down his eyes.
Kaoru held him tight. "I'm fine," she said whispered, tears burning her eyes too. "I'm sorry if I scared you Yahiko," Kaoru said wiping his tears.
Yahiko nodded, not able to speak yet. Kaoru looked at this young boy, no young MAN! In her mind, and in her heart, he is her brother, no matter what. And as her brother, Kaoru knew there was no point in asking him to stay, so, "Let's go," Kaoru said to him instead.
The pair walked on to the battle scene. They picked up a couple of bows and some arrows. "We have to help him," Kaoru said as she looked at Kenshin.
"I know! I'm not an imbecile!" Yahiko retorted, his old self, and apparently his sour tongue, returning.
Kaoru decided to ignore that and raised her bow. She released the arrow and it whizzed past the middle head's eyes, missing the monster completely!
"What the heck are you aiming at, ugly! The target is humongous and right before you!" Yahiko said a bit teasing.
"Well my little bird-brained brother," Kaoru said smiling a little, "in case you haven't notice, that Hydra is a snake!" Confused, Yahiko just stared at her. Kaoru's smile widened. "Snakes respond to motion because they have poor eyesight. And though the Hydra can see pretty well, its instincts are still the same as those of the other snakes."
Yahiko nodded as he began to see Kaoru's point. "So if we let the arrows fly by it, then they would really destruct the monster!" Yahiko said excited.
"Good boy!" Kaoru said patting him on the head.
"Don't call me boy!" Yahiko shouted before he started to aim above the monster's head.
Kenshin tried to go to the top of the middle head, but the Hydra seemed aware of this now and protected itself feverishly. "Rats!" Kenshin said as the Hydra tried to thrash him. He swung his sword cutting it open.
Suddenly, something buzzed above him, catching the Hydra's attention.
Kenshin looked down and saw 'her' and her brother shooting arrows above the monster. His eyes narrowed, as he thought she was too close to the danger zone… still, he can't help but admire her courage, and wit even more!
Dargove took a deep breath and released an intense flame towards the Hydra's head. He looked at Willow, a bit worried, but she nodded at him, a sign that she's doing fine. He sighed a bit, in relief. Then something caught his eye, it looked almost like a moving flame from above… but it wasn't!
"Could it be!" he asked himself. "The one they call the greatest dragon hunter is here?"
Dargove watched as the man swiftly jumped up the back of the monster. He was headed towards the crown of the middle head.
Dargove looked at his face and froze… he saw a flame-haired boy, a prince, in his place! "He's alive...!" Dargove thought, but was cut off when the Hydra's head hit him hard…
"Rrrrhhhaaaahhrrr!" Dargove said as he was thrown some distance away, and then fell to the ground.
"DARGOVE!" Willow shouted, but she couldn't go to him, she had to fight the Hydra.
Kaoru and Yahiko seeing this ran towards their friend, scared, worried and praying hard for him.
Kenshin had no time to watch what happened to Dargove as he was thrown. He took this chance to leap high up using the Hydra's back as leverage to reach its middle head.
When he was finally at the middle head's crown, the other head, free of Dargove went for him, but the dragon hunter was ready, and he slashed the head swiftly.
Thick black blood of the Hydra spurted out with this, but without a backward glance, Kenshin headed to the black spot on the Hydra's crown, and thrust his sword in it, hard and deep.
The Hydra began to thrash about, almost throwing Kenshin down, but he held on to the hilt of his sword.
Finally, the Hydra stopped and all three heads dropped to the ground… dead!
A cloud of dust rose as the monster fell. silence... Then the loud cheering of the people of Hundorf was heard. They went to their red-haired savior and cheered as he passed! But their hero was looking for something else… and he was still holding on his sword…
Kenshin scanned the grounds, looking above the people's heads. "There he is!" he thought, and felt his heart literally drop as he saw 'her' and her younger brother beside the very dragon that murdered his parents!
"Get away from him!" Kenshin shouted to them, and the people watched in stunned silence as Kenshin lifted his sword, about to strike the unconscious dragon!
"DIE DIE DIE!" Kenshin said and raised his sword high to strike Dargove…
Kaoru saw this coming, but she couldn't bring herself to shoot her arrow towards the seemingly blood-thirsty man headed for Dargove. She dropped her weapon and jumped high to cover her hurt friend with her body instead.
"KAORU...NO!" Yahiko shouted, horrified as he saw Kaoru jump up willingly and defenselessly to meet the flame-haired man's sword.
Yahiko closed his eyes and dropped to the ground tears spilling from his eyes. He couldn't bear to see what was going to happen. Yahiko bowed his head, trembling and whispering ... "Kao...ru, Kao...ru, Kao...ru..."
Kenshin was horror-struck too as he saw what 'she' was about to do! He was moving at a very high speed and until now had nothing in mind except to protect her from the traitorous dragon. Never once did he expect her to use her body to shield the dragon! For the first time in battle, Kenshin panicked, as the sharp end of his sword drew merely inches from her body. He took his left hand and grabbed the blade with it, steering the sword away from her then dropping it on the ground, while his right hand caught Kaoru…
Bright-red blood drizzled down Kenshin's left hand as they landed in front of Dargove.
"Why did you do a stupid thing like that?" Kenshin said turning her around, wanting to shake her...hold her...kiss her! But the look on her eyes made him back up a few steps.
Her eyes were angry, and fiercely so.
Kenshin just looked at her, confused and yes, hurt too. He delayed his revenge… twice, for her, and this is the thanks he gets!
Kaoru stared at him. Angry with herself for hesitating to shoot him, and angry with him for NOT hesitating to strike Dargove! Then, she saw his hand, it was bleeding…
"He would sacrifice getting hurt to save me?" Kaoru thought, her anger mellowing a bit, but her confusion about him increasing.
Kenshin saw the change in her expression when she saw his wounded hand. "I'm sorry..." Kenshin began but froze as he suddenly saw giant claws grabbing Kaoru and her brother. Kenshin went for the sword at his side, but then realized it wasn't there.
"DARGOVE!" he cried as dragon wings began to flap.
Kenshin watched madly as Dargove flew higher with those two in tow. Not wanting to witness another death caused by the dragon, he started to run after it. "I'm faster now... and stronger...I'll catch her for sure...I'll..."
Kenshin felt a hand on his shoulder, not calming his raging emotions, but making him stop to think for a while. "She will be alright." The old seer said softly, almost too softly for an old woman.
Kenshin looked up, still expecting to see a body falling down, but all he saw were two dragons flying towards the setting sun. One of them had someone he wanted badly though...
"I'll find you" Kenshin whispered, more to himself, but the old lady heard it.
"They're heading west. We'd better go and thank Tulav so we can be on our way." She said, and to Kenshin's surprise, handed him his sword.
"You don't live around here?" Kenshin asked.
"I'm just a passer-by like yourself," she said as they headed for Tulav. The people are still celebrating their victory, thanking them as they passed by. Tulav was some distance away, and Kenshin saw that he was holding one of his daughters, unconscious in his arms!
"Was she hurt?" the old lady asked, but Tulav just smiled. Tae, the older daughter stepped forward and answered for her father. "Well, you see... she fainted when the dragon took the brothers, so..."
The village chief suddenly worried for those two brave young warriors who played a major role in this victory, looked at the direction the dragons took.
"Tell your daughter when she wakes up that she will see those two again," the old lady said smiling. "But as much as we have enjoyed your hospitality, I believe it's time for us to move on."
Kenshin getting the cue nodded to Tulav and followed the old woman out of the town. The village chief and the people of Hundorf watched in reverence as their savior walked out of their town, with a bandage on his left hand, but acting like nothing extraordinary had happened that day.
Kaoru looked up at Dargove, surprised as she heard Kenshin shout the dragon's name.
"Kenshin knows him? But… how? When? Where? And why does Kenshin hate him so much?" Kaoru kept asking herself these questions, knowing only Dargove could give the answers. But she intends to find them out.
When Kenshin and the old lady was out of sight from the villagers, the seer stopped walking and said "This is where you and I will part, Kenshin."
"Who are you, and how do you know who I am?" Kenshin asked, more curious than upset.
"I am Gypsy" the woman said, but that is all I can tell you for now.
Kenshin was not disappointed, whoever she is, he knows this, she does have a good heart. "Will I ever meet you again Gypsy-chan?" the dragon hunter asked and smiled as he got a nod from the old lady. He turned to leave, "at least this day was not a total loss," he thought to himself with renewed hope of seeing her again.
"Kaoru…" Kenshin smiled as he recalled the young boy shouting 'her' name. For the first time since his parents' death, Kenshin found another goal in his life, aside from revenge.
Gypsy-chan watched as the red-haired man rode away to find his Kaoru. "We will meet again, young prince," she whispered as she floated slowly, gracefully up to the skies.
...to be continued(c",)