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The price of turmoil

Chapter six:

Sunlight, she could feel it before the light pierced through her closed lids. 'I don't want to wake up', was her first coherent thought. However, she knew if she was thinking she must be close to consciousness. For a few minutes, she hovered in that space somewhere in between awake and asleep (er... unconsciousness). Unfortunately, she soon lost her battle to remain asleep and moaned as her eyes inched open. The light, breaking through the canopy, was blinding. She hesitantly raised her hand to protect her eyes. Her very movements were sluggish alien. Slowly she pushed herself into a sitting position. The word spun round; a world of green and black, life and death. Sighing she waited for her head to calm. Had she been in prime condition she would have noticed Aoshi watching her with a look of hatred and sadness upon his face.

"So you've deigned to rejoin the land of the living". His words were clipped precise. She turned her head to face him. He met her gaze unflinchingly. Her eyes narrowed dangerously and it was him who broke the contact.

"We should be moving Miss Kaoru." He turned away from her piercing stare. Even when he turned away he could still feel her eyes burning into him.

"Come in", he snapped. Startled at the emotion in his voice she rose and moved to his side.

"Where are the heads of your friends?" He stiffened yet responded just the same.

"I have left them somewhere...safe". Kaoru wondered at the hesitation, but decided not to push her luck. "We must be moving on." He began walking away from her. She was about to bolt when she noticed his walk held a slight limp. After a brief second of concern logic kicked in, and a smile spread across her face, 'I can exploit this'. She ran to catch up, 'I'll prove those doubters at the dojo that I can take care of myself once and for all.'

Yahiko's stomach gave a quiet grumble. Kenshin had insisted on leaving right at dawn.

"Stupid stomach can't take a little fasting", he muttered. However it wasn't his stomach that was really troubling him. 'Kenshin doesn't seem like himself', the thought ran through his head and not for the first time that day. 'He keeps on saying I'. His step faltered. 'Can we trust this new Kenshin?' He stood as if frozen, ere the others past him. 'Should we go?' They were fading from his sight. Suddenly the landscape was replaced with Kaoru's smiling face.

"You idiot that's not how you hold it" she snapped. God it had only be a few hours, and he missed her.

"Shut up ugly", he breathed the sentence, gasping he reached out to her but his hand merely brushed air. His face was wet. Shocked he wiped away the tears.

"Hey you coming?" called Sanosuke.

It was time to decide. "Yes", he called sorry "I..." he stopped seeing Sanosuke had already turned away. 'You had better not be hurt ugly.'

Aoshi marched on in silence, just waiting to hear a complaint. In all honesty, her compliance shocked and disappointed him. 'What is she planning?' Kaoru walked slightly behind waiting for her moment 'this time I will not fail'. With each step they took his limp was worsening for a moment she wondered how he had received such a horrible wound. 'Poor lost man'. Then it came, her chance, and she did not hesitate to take it.

Aoshi felt himself stumble then pain but not from his leg, but from his head.

"You little minx!" This time she did not run instead, she landed another blow this one to his stomach. He winced but did not cry out. She was stronger than she looked.

She watched him wince with satisfaction; but why wasn't he fighting back? She landed another blow this one to his chin. She heard a crack as his teeth knocked together. Her hands throbbed. Grunting she aimed a kick, he would be out when this hit him. With a smile tugging at her lips she let her foot surge forward, she never felt it connect.

He grabbed her foot about an inch from his face.

"No!" she cried. Shoving her foot away he threw her off balance, this gave him an opening. Jumping up he landed a punch on her face. With a gasp, she fell, but she was far from finished. As she fell, she aimed another kick pushing herself up from the ground she attacked. She felt her foot connect however he grabbed her arm and dug his fingers into her wound.

"ARGH..." her cry of pain silenced the very animals in the forest. Using her disconcertedness, Aoshi shoved her against a nearby tree.

She could feel the bruise begin to form as soon as her body connected with the unmovable object (unless you have an axe which she didn't).

"You have spirit my little minx." He breathed the last word sending an involuntary shiver down through her whole body.

"Your not nearly as weak as you look", he continued, moving closer. He was so close she could feel the heat in him the eagerness for battle. Still he came closer his body pressed against hers. Her lips began to move forward seeking his. He leant down closer. Their lips barely brushed when a voice pierced through this somewhat romantic moment.

Oh, who is it? I love cliffhangers but I'll update soon I promise.

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