Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin will never belong to me. Just like Adobe Photoshop or Gibson SG electric guitar…ToT
Note: I was looking at my hits compared to my reviews and it upsets me so that so many people are reading or even bothering to click on the link to my story but they are not reviewing. The people who have reviewed, thank you so very much, it is the reviews that make me want to continue my stories. You don't need to leave criticism in you review my friends, just tell me how much you liked the story and/or what your favorite part was. Seriously, I'd like it if more of you reviewed. For those of you who do review or even bothered to look at this note, again, thank you very much.
Hey all, the note above is there for a reason. Sorry this chapter took a bit longer but from here on out I'm have to edit my chapters unlike the first two. So, in short, the updating won't be as fast as it has been these past few days. Reviewers, you guys kick ass! You get the entire series three set of Yamato Kenshin figures!
Sims are awesome: We can all imagine Battosai Kenshin flexing his muscles in a pink gi, can't we?OMG, it's lmao funny! XD
Matt: Thank you. I enjoy constructive criticism!
Reignashii: Actually Reiganashii, I've yet to decide if Kaoru finds out about Tomoe. Ah, we'll all see. It depends on what Battosai tells me to say.
Khmer Moon Blossoms: I hope I don't upset you Khmer by telling you I plan to have him suffer emotionally quite a bit. Kenshin isn't quite sane but he's not Enishi. Kaoru is the whole reason he's still grasping on to his sanity. As you can see he's starting to say "oro" and become appearance-wise like the Kenshin as the rurouni. He won't change completely personality-wise, but his heart will soften. Oops, I slipped a little too much info! Oh well! ;D
Time for the chapter!
Rurouni Kenshin: The Whispers of InsanityChapter 3: Pledged to Another
DJ Baka-chan
"Fallen angels at my feet. Whispered voices at my ear. Death before my eyes, lying next to me I fear. She beckons me, shall I give in? Upon my end shall I begin? Forsaking all I've fallen for, I rise to meet the end." –Lyrics from Whisper, by Evanescence
I couldn't believe how many things there were to do around this dojo. I was washing the laundry outside while Kaoru practiced her swordsmanship. I was going through another one of Kaoru's gis, she has so many of these, even more than her kimonos. I hung it up and worked on a blue hakama. I got a strange calm from cleaning Kaoru's clothes. After finishing the hakama and hanging it up, I came to what seemed to be an old blue gi. I recognized it as my own. I held the ratty fabric in me hands, it had a soft feel to itself from being worn so many times. I then noticed the careful stitch-work where all of the holes used to be.
"I fixed and kept it cause I figured you would want it." Kaoru had noticed my astonishment and walked over. She fixed it, for me… My hands ran over her flawless needlework as she looked on.
"Ari…arigatou." Was all I could say. Tying her sleeves up with a long strand of cloth, Kaoru walked over to the basin where I stood with the gi in my hands.
"Here, let me help." She snatched the gi out of my hands and began washing it. I grabbed another garment and joined in with her. Occasionally, we would glimpse at each other then look away and blush when the other noticed the glance. We kept on washing until I heard an unfamiliar voice.
"Oi! Jou-chan, I see the red-head is finally up!" Jou-chan? Little Missy? Oro… A tall, spiky haired man stood at the gates of the dojo. Kaoru knew who the stranger was before she even looked up.
"Sanosuke!" Was her bright cry to Sano. He placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Hey. What's the red-head's name?"
"Kenshin." Sano cocked an eyebrow. I stopped washing whatever garment was in my hands and untied my sleeves, turning to Sano.
"Freaky eyes." Was his statement. I sweat dropped. Kaoru elbowed him.
"Hello, Sano, ne?" He nodded. I bowed politely, bearing a polite smile.
"Kaoru, might I ask? How long has this guy been here?" Sano asked quizzically.
"Three weeks." She replied with a straight face. Both Sano and I fell.
"THREE WEEKS!" The two of us yelled simultaneously after picking our self's up.
"I've been out for THREE WEEKS!" My eyes and nostrils flared. THREE FRIKIN' WEEKS! Dear Kami-sama!
"You've been living along with a guy for THREE WEEKS!" Sano's eye bulged. He was in disbelief. Kaoru nodded, her face not changing in expression though I could see a glint of confusion. She raised an eyebrow.
"What's so wrong about that?" Both Sano and I sweat dropped.
"Oi, jou-chan, you're such a crazy girl bein' so comfy around men. Still, I wish more women were that way. Damn, you're a lucky man Kenshin!" He elbowed me, grinning in approval. Would he act the same if he knew who I was? Sano started out the gate.
"I only come to see how you two were doing so I'm of to see the Fox." Sano left and Kaoru placed her hands on her hips and sighed.
"Good, he didn't come to mooch of me."
"Oro…"
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Kaoru hummed as she swept the porch and I sat there, with nothing to do.
"Come on Kaoru there's gotta be something I can do."
"You don't need to do all of this Kenshin. You're the one who's hurt, I don't want to over work you." I sighed. She's bull-headed… I gave up. Maybe I should just rest. I picked myself up and headed inside, Kaoru still humming a tuneless song to herself. I opened the shoji to the room that I had found myself in this morning and laid down on the futon for a much-deserved rest.
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(Kaoru's POV)
Why does he insist on helping? With a sigh I leaned the broom on the wall and headed inside to make myself something to eat before my nightly bath, the light footsteps behind me left unnoticed.
"Hello…Kaoru-san." The eerie voice drifted while a hand clasped on my shoulder. I could feel breath blowing against my ear. Who? I turned to look up, fear running through my veins. It was…Enishi. My eyes widened in pure utter horror and my body froze. He grinned wickedly.
"Surprised to see me my dear? Why should you when He's here?" He stressed hard on the word 'he'. My lower lip quivered and I bit down, hard. He took a finger a wiped the blood away.
"Now, now my dear, don't get so worked up. It's not like I'm here to kill you." His eyes looked murderous despite what he said, they always did. "I came by to check up on you and him. So, how is he doing?"
"F…fine. He finally woke up today." I was nervous; I knew what Enishi planed to do. At first, I followed the plan to take down my father's murderer but now…something somewhere in my heart hoped for him to live.
"Are you ready to take revenge for your father?" He raised an eyebrow. He had noticed my nervousness and my sudden trembling.
"No, not yet. I want to know that man whom killed my father." My eyes turned confident and I finally moved, turning fully to face him. Lies. My mind hissed. You want him to live. My heart was working against my mind. His eyes narrowed. He looked like he'd been taken aback. His mouth drew to a thin line. He turned for the door.
"Do not forget our agreement. I'll be in Yokohama." Enishi turned his head away, leaving my dojo. He had said that to signify that he shall live…for now.
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Before picking up my things for my bath, I stopped by Kenshin's room. My eyes softened on his sleeping form, as did my heart. He seemed to be calmly asleep but knowing that this man is the Hitokiri Battosai, at least I think he is, anything is possible. He then turned and my eyes flashed wide open for a second for I feared he was awake. I calmed upon hearing his murmuring. His eyebrows furrowed and his mouth drew into a frown. He clutched the blanket with ferocity. So innocent, so child-like…he was having nightmares.
"Not the rains of blood…" He moaned. "Don't go…Tomoe…how can I not cry? You said not to cry, but when you're gone, how can I follow you're words?" Not the rains of blood? What is he talking about? I remembered Enishi mentioning something about this 'Tomoe' person but the 'rains of blood'? I didn't get it. I stood there, pondering the meaning of Kenshin's words. I still didn't understand. I can think about it during my bath… Quickly gathering my things, I headed to the bathhouse. I HAD to sort this out. I slid off my gi and untied the white bandages that were bound across my chest. Untying the belt to my hakama and pulling it off, I readied for my relaxation time. I immersed myself in the chilly water and let my hair down. It was just a usual bath, nothing more…the normal routine. Humming, I still thought about 'the rains of blood'. I've heard that term used somewhere before…Rains of blood…Rains of blood… Ai! It's what they called it when someone was assassinated! Because it would literally rain blood! Does he not wish to kill anymore then…he deserves no punishment… What am I doing! The bath warmed up somehow, with out me noticing.
"Hun?" My face colored. Was Enishi still here?
"Are you alright Kaoru? I figured…well since that you had gone to bathe that you would want a warm bath." Came Kenshin's voice form outside. My pulse calmed and my shoulders lowered, all uneasiness wearing away at his voice.
"Kenshin! When did you wake up?" My voice a bit fierce since my panic had yet to completely fade. But he was just asleep a few minutes ago…have I been in here that long?
"A few moments ago." Came the quick reply. It sound predetermined. I decided to go with it.
"Well…arigatou…but I'm afraid I'm done." I blushed thought he could not see it.
"That's quiet alright Kaoru, it was no trouble for me to do so." I stepped out and quickly wrapped a yukata around me. After tying the obi I headed outside where Kenshin was waiting for me. Damn, he looks sexy with his hair down…Kaoru! I quickly erased the thought from my mind. Do-not-think-that-way! Kenshin noticed the red hue that slightly began to surface on my pale skin.
"Why do you blush so much?" The question took me aback. I didn't use to blush so much. Not until Kenshin came. The swordsman looked my body over and his eyes landed on my breasts. MY BREASTS? His face colored slightly.
"Uh…K…Kaoru…you're yukata…it's…" I became even more colored when I looked down. My yukata…was open revealing my breasts. Instinct number 1: Slap Kenshin. Instinct number 2: Close my yukata! And my hand flew right across Kenshin's left cheek, leaving a nice big bruise along with a large red mark in the shape of my hand. While Kenshin was down I took the chance to close my open yukata. Obviously in my hastiness, I had forgot to pull it all the way across before leaving the bathhouse.
"Ow…Hey, what was that for?" Kenshin was on his back, looking up at me and rubbing his cheek, which was now severely red.
"You were looking at my breasts!" I said, flustered.
"So what?" Men, never give a damn do they?
"Do you want me to think you're some kind of pervert or something?" I huffed. Who'd think that the Hitokiri Battosai was a perverted shorty?
"No." He stuck his tongue out at me. That was the last straw.
"THEN DON'T LOOK AT MY BREASTS!" He sighed and muttered a few consecutive 'oros'. I had gotten the point clear to him. DO-NOT-LOOK-AT-KAMIYA-KAORU'S-BREASTS. I felt like laughing evilly for some reason but sighed instead and helped Kenshin up.
"You ok?" I changed from being "I'm mad as hell, you're really gonna get it" Kaoru to the "OMG are you alright?" Kaoru. He stood up and dusted himself off and groaned.
"Yeah, except for the welt on my cheek." He groaned again. I hadn't meant to slap him that hard.
"Kenshin, I'm going to go to bed now if you don't mind…" I looked away, a blush flaring onto my cheeks.
"Not at all." Was the quick response. I walked inside, went to my room and laid myself down on the futon, my mind unable to think about anything but Kenshin.
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A quick intermission from Kaoru's POV to thicken the plot of the story. Enishi is out for the kill! As we climb into rising plot line love will further blossom along with other complications.
Preview!
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"I will not! I will go home to my daughter and tell her that I defeated the great Hitokiri Battosai!" His daughter? The question buzzed through my mind. Must I kill a man with a child and no wife? I wanted to protect those in need; then again some of these people have been forced to go to war by their shoguns. But I must do my job.
"Then you chose you honor over your life? If that is what you want the, die." The one stroke match was quick and efficient. His head had been quickly severed from its resting place on his neck. I had killed the men I was supposed to and lost another part of my humanity. I am a monster…
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There's your little piece of next chapter. It's a flash back. I'll leave you to ponder it. By the way, whoever guesses who the man Battosai decapitates is gets a plate of yummy cookies! Review and you get a cookie too! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO REVIEW!