A/N: AH HA! I found where I saved the old chapter Nekotsuki beta for me! Good thing I never delete my emails… So all remaining chapters have indeed been beta-ed by Nekotsuki! Buw ha ha! I WIN!
Reviewers!
moeru himura - Hehe, well if you like stories with Kenshin being tortured to rat out his buddies you should read BakaBokken's fic A Strong Will. It's much better than mine and it's complete!
FairyMage - Glad you're liking the story!
WolfDaughter - Thanks for pointing my mistakes out! I really have poor spelling/grammar.
lolo popoki - Hehe. Everyone loves torture! Yay torture!
Hitokiri Musei - I hope this was updated soon enough for you!
Shadow Wolf of the Blue Moon - Well, you said you'd like to see Muroi die… but what about Hiroko? -smirks-
Chapter 12 - Rise
Neko lay on the cold floor. Her leg was pounding, but she didn't cry out; not a single tear fell from her eyes.
"Neko!" She heard her name called, but didn't react to it. Even as Akina bent down over her, she didn't move. "Oh Neko, I'm so sorry."
Neko closed her eyes, she was so tired. "He will come won't he?" She asked, straining to speak the words.
"Who, Neko?" Akina asked, confused by her words.
"Kenshin – he'll come and save me… again… he'll…" Her thoughts were mottled. "Kenshin… he will..."
A deep laugh made her choke on her words. "Battousai?" Neko pushed her head up and stared up at Muroi. "You think Battousai will save you again?" He laughed. "He won't be coming for you."
Neko sat up. "Yes he will!" she yelled. "He'll come and save… save me and there's nothing you can. Do." Neko heaved as she tried to keep herself steady.
Muroi simply laughed. "You're so stupid. Those men are going to kill you precious Battousai. No, they won't kill him. They'll beat him first, maim him even. Yeah, first they will cut off all his fingers so he can't use his sword anymore, but before they do that they'll rip each and every one of his fingernails off."
"STOP IT!"
"Then they will hit him and beat him. Oh, they'll come close to killing him, but they won't. Not until they get what they want."
"YOU LIE!"
"Yes. They'll make him scream. Scream and tell them anything they want. I know Hiroko, and he is very good at what he does. Once they get what they want, they will slowly kill him, piece by piece. Your Battousai will make a fine bloody corpse."
"SHUT UP!"
Muroi slapped Neko. "Don't talk back to me." He then turned to Akina. "Clean her up. I'm going out." Akina bowed her head, unable to find her voice. With one last glance at the two, Muroi turned and left.
Akina gave a sigh of relief when Muroi left, but was slightly startled when Neko reached up and latched onto her sleeve. "He's lying, right?" she yelled, fear clearly in her young eyes. "He's coming for me, right? I just got to be strong and he'll come! He'll come! He's lying!" Akina could feel tears welling up in her eyes. "He's strong! He'll come and get me as soon as he can! He'll save you too! He's lying! He's lying!"
Tears fell from Akina's eyes. "He won't be coming, Neko." Neko winced at the words. Akina hated herself for what she was about to do, but Neko just couldn't keep hanging onto this false hope of being saved again. If she realized that she wasn't going to be saved, then she would do what the Master wanted of her and she wouldn't be beaten anymore. "They won't let him go. They will kill him."
"No." Neko moaned and let go of Akina's sleeve. "No." Akina looked into Neko's eyes and she knew Neko understood. Her angel wasn't coming back. "Will they really hurt him?" Neko closed her eyes but she saw her angel bent over with a sword rushing towards him. She opened her eyes before the memory went any farther.
Akina shook her head. "No, there really is no point to hurting him." This lie came easily.
"It's my fault." Neko cried. "I killed him. IT'S BECAUSE OF ME!" She screamed. She knew it was all her fault, if she hadn't gone back. If she had only gone with Reizo. Her body shook as she cried. Akina tried to comfort Neko by telling the child it wasn't her fault, but it didn't work. She moved on to tending to Neko's leg. She re-cleaned it and bandaged it, grimacing as she worked. She had been able to find the makings of a splint, but she wished she had a better medical background. She wiped away all the blood from Neko's other injuries and rubbed balm on her bruises. As Akina worked, Neko slowly quieted down and stared up at the ceiling. She winced now and then in pain but she didn't utter a single sound.
"I have to go to my chores now," Akina said when she was done. "I'll come back as soon as I'm done."
Neko didn't even look at her. She stared up at the ceiling, her eyes half closed. Akina brushed back Neko's bangs with her hands in a comforting gesture. Neko's eyes slowly closed and opened once more. Her eyes were dull, no longer holding the hope that had once gleamed in them. "Just try to sleep, Neko. Everything will be alright." Akina whispered to her. Neko sighed and continued to stare. Akina rose quickly from Neko's side and ran out of the room before her tears had a chance to fall.
Muroi returned later that night. He found Akina sitting with Neko trying to comfort the half-asleep child. "Get out." Akina rose to her feet but looked down at Neko who still had that same blank expression on her face. "I said go!" Muroi's command made Akina jump and she scurried out of the room.
Muroi looked down at Neko, who hadn't moved from where he had left her. "Sit up." Neko, straining, pushed herself up and stared out in front of her. "You will behave now, won't you?" Muroi asked her. She nodded her head slowly. Muroi tipped his head slightly deep in thought. "Stand up." She hesitated a moment but attempted to rise. "Sit back down." She did so with a sigh. Muroi smiled. "Alright. Rest tonight, but tomorrow you're going to have to work. Got it?" Neko nodded and slowly let herself fall to the ground. Muroi left her, shutting the door, leaving her in the dark.
"Kenshin, wait!" Neko called out, chasing after him. Her arm was stretched out trying to tag him. He turned and smiled at her. Neko laughed and lunged forward in an attempt to touch him. He easily jumped out of her reach. "I'm going to get you!" She yelled as she turned to chase him again, but she fell down. She tried to stand but she couldn't get up; her legs just wouldn't work. "Help me." She cried out to Kenshin.
Kenshin stopped and slowly walked up to Neko, and crouched down to be level with her. "What's wrong?"
"I can't get up." She cried, trying to stand. "Please help me!"
Kenshin shook his head sadly. "No, you have to help yourself. Now stand up."
"I can't!" She screamed. "Something's wrong with my leg! I can't!"
Kenshin didn't move. "Neko, you have to be strong and get up. I won't let anything happen to you, but you have to stand up." Neko was going to protest, but a yell went out. She turned slightly to see who was yelling and saw a whole army of men dressed in Shinsengumi uniforms heading towards them.
"Help me!" She screamed. "They're coming!"
"I can't. Neko, don't give up." Kenshin rose and prepared to fight the men running for them. "I won't let anything happen to you!" he yelled, as the men came stampeding over Neko. She screamed and covered her head. She heard Kenshin yelling over the sound of steel on steel.
A pained yell came to Neko's ears, and she shot her head up. "Kenshin!" she yelled – but she was alone. "Kenshin!" She screamed again. There was no one; no Shinsengumi and no Kenshin. "Kenshin!" Neko wanted to stand but she just couldn't. She had to find Kenshin but she just couldn't move. "KENSHIN!"
Neko awoke with a gasp. She found herself groping in the darkness looking for her doll. As her eyes focused a little more, she remembered that she wouldn't find it. She had accidentally dropped it back at the Inn when she had been grabbed. She settled down and looked up at the ceiling. She was tired but she was afraid to sleep.
She didn't fall asleep for the rest of the night. The next morning Muroi dragged Neko out of the room she had been staying in and gave her instructions to wash the floor. Neko did as she was told and washed the floor. Akina came and helped her after a while. Muroi was so pleased with Neko's behavior that after he had dragged her back to her room he left the door unlocked. Neko didn't care; even if she could have stood, she didn't have anywhere to go to. She didn't have anyone she had to go to.
That night, Neko dreamed again. She had fallen down a big hole and couldn't get out. Kenshin had stood over the edge and looked down at her. "You've got to get up, Neko. You can do it." She told him that the hole was too big and that she couldn't do it. He just stood there trying to encourage her to rise.
Neko was awoken when she felt someone touching her face. She opened her eyes and stared into Muroi's eyes. Her mouth opened like she was going to scream, but he put a hand over her mouth. "Shh." He told her, and removed his hand when he knew she wasn't going to scream. "It's alright." His breath reeked of alcohol and the smell made Neko wrinkle her nose. Muroi reached into his pocket and took out a small piece of cloth. "You've been a good girl today, but this will keep you from biting." He said as he tied the cloth around Neko's mouth.
Neko shivered as he reached up and kissed her gently on her forehead. He placed a line of kisses on her face from her forehead to her cheek to her chin. He let his weight fall on her and her hands were pinned between her stomach and his. Holding himself up just enough with one hand so he wouldn't crush Neko's tiny body, he ran his other hand lovingly through her hair. Neko shut her eyes. She remembered Master's gentle hands from before. Why struggle? There was no one for her to go to. Her angel was dead.
Muroi rubbed Neko's cheek and placed a kiss on her lips behind the cloth. It was easier this way. He traced her face down to her neck. It was easier this way. He played with her kimono. It was easier to let him do this. Just to lay here and not get up. Get up. Kenshin's voice played in her head. No, it was easier, just to stay down. You have to get up. She didn't want to get up. Neko, get up.
Tears streamed down Neko's face as Muroi kissed her neck again. Kenshin wanted her to get up, but it was so hard. Muroi raised his head and smiled down at Neko. Neko hated him. How dare he smile? How dare he be happy when he had taken so much from her? How dare he? Get up, Neko.
Neko hardened herself, and with her good leg kicked up. Muroi had positioned himself on Neko so that she couldn't use her arms, but he had forgotten that she only had one injured leg. He had placed his legs mistakenly on either side of that one good leg. As Neko's knee connected with his groin, his eyes watered and he screamed out in pain. Neko was surprised by how well that kick had worked. Without wasting a second, she brought her leg up and hit Muroi again. Muroi yelled and rolled off Neko and placed his hands protectively between his legs as he rolled out of kicking distance.
"WHY, YOU LITTLE…" Muroi hissed in pain. He reached over and grabbed Neko's face. He picked her up and flung her across the room. Muroi carefully got to his feet, crying out in pain. He limped over to Neko's body and began to beat her. "HOW DARE YOU!" Neko's vision blurred right before she blacked out.
"Neko, get up." Neko's eyes fluttered open and she found herself in the hole from her dream. She looked above her and Kenshin stood on the edge urging her to rise. Neko nodded her head a couple times and got to her feet. Carefully she climbed the dirt wall and pulled herself up towards the top. Kenshin took her hand near the top and helped her over. As Neko sprawled out onto the green grass. She lay still, taking deep breaths. Kenshin stood over her and smiled at her. "Good job Neko."
Neko smiled back at him. "I'm a good girl!" She took one more big breath and sat up. "Kenshin, I want to run."
Kenshin nodded. "Then catch me if you can." He turned and ran from her. Giggling Neko got to her feet and chased after him. The wind rushed through her hair and she was glad. How good it felt to run. She stretched her short legs farther in order to catch up. Faster and faster she ran after her angel. The wind blew strongly against her and it was a loud drumming in her ears. It felt like tiny little bugs were slamming into her as she ran but she didn't care, she was having too much fun.
Neko couldn't figure out when the grassy field she had been chasing Kenshin in turned into the back of her eyelids. She didn't open her eyes right away, but she took things in rather quickly. Her hands had been tied in front of her once again, she was outside lying on the grass, something cold and wet pelted her body and it was making a loud drumming noise as it hit.
Neko opened her eyes and squinted against the rain that was falling. She shivered in her soaked clothes, telling her she had been out for a while. Her hands had indeed been tied together again, and a long string was attached from her hands to a pole. The knot was tied far above Neko's head. Even if she had been able to stand on her tip toes, she wouldn't have been able to untie the knot that held her to the pole.
Neko sat halfway up, but stopped when she heard a low growl. Her eyes scanned the darkness and saw three moving shapes. Muroi's dogs were just outside of striking range, but they growled and paced at the ends of their leashes, trying to reach Neko. Neko pushed her arms tightly to her chest pressing her wet clothes closer to her for some kind of warmth. She begged whoever would listen to her to save her. Neko leaned her back to the pole and shivered; praying for morning.