Disclaimer: Why do think I would I would own Rurouni Kenshin? Cause really, I don't.

I'm back! I'm happy to back, and happy to be writing once again, cheers! Note: This chapter contains minor lime and mild violence.

Final Genesis: I love torturing my characters! It's so fun:)

Chrnoskitty: I had a great time on my trip, I'm glad you like the story so much!

AuburnMoonlight: Poor little Kenken, well you'll have to see his solution here. Their fates have now been sealed.

Reignashii: Even I the writer can wait to see how this story turns out!

davis45108: I warned you, that's all I remember. Oh well, enjoy!

Rurouni Kenshin: The Whispers of Insanity

Chapter Eight: Torment's Torture

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"Love is not enough. It must be the foundation, the cornerstone - but not the complete structure. It is much too pliable, too yielding." - Bette Davis

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I stared at the shoji door. She was going to regret ever crossing my path. Kamiya Kaoru was going to pay. I slid open the shoji with force. There she was, huddled the corner of the room. I narrowed my eyes to slits.

"Get up." I commanded. She acted as if she hadn't heard me. I drew my katana.

"I said, GET UP!" I roared. I looked at her with wild eyes, ablaze with fire. She lifted her head slowly. Her eyes were bloodshot, dark red capillaries visible from where I stood. Her face was red and swollen as if she had been crying for the past hour. I could see the tear stains on her face.

I straightened my position, knowing at that moment I had looked like a mad man. Well, I am a mad man, but no matter. She rose gradually, her raven hair, loose from its tie, cascading down her back. She was dressed in her yukata but it seemed she wasn't going to bed any time soon. I stared for a moment, and then remembered what I was here to do.

I approached her, swerving slightly due to the overwhelming thoughts in my mind. I was a breath away from her face, she pressed against the wall with nowhere to run. I wanted her to stare into my eyes. I wanted her to see the pain and torment displayed there. Kaoru's eyes held pure terror, she knew her fate, she knew what the Battosai was going to do.

I want you to suffer the way I did! I want you to feel the pain I felt! I want you to slowly wither away from this wretched life of yours!

"You've just made your worst enemy." My voice was cold, heartless like it used to be. She gasped, the tears returning again. She tried to maneuver away from me. I stabbed the katana in the wall next to her throat. A tiny trickle of blood had been drawn from her ivory skin. Kaoru looked into my eyes, shuddered, then turned away from me. I took my hand away from the katana and pushed her shoulders against the wall.

"Look at me!" She held her eyes tighter. Grasping her chin, I pushed her neck a little more into the katana. She whimpered but did not open her eyes as more blood poured from her the tiny slit in her neck. I grew angrier.

"LOOK AT ME!" My booming voice filled the air. "Are you afraid to face your death? I've met braver woman than you! You're pathetic! And you're supposed to be my assassin?" She looked at me with disbelief, her eyes wide cerulean orbs. I had just taken her pride and stomped it into the ground. I called her worthless.

"Why?" I hissed. "Why do you wish me dead Kaoru?" I push her shoulders harder against the wall, my breath upon her face.

"Oh, Kami, what have I done?" She whispered softly to herself. I could see her heart tearing to shreds. She looked to my eyes, hoping to find someone other than the cold assassin. She found nothing.

Kaoru took a breath. She finally had enough courage. She looked at me, her eyes steady. She wanted to know, she wanted to know if the Kenshin she knew was gone.

"Why are you acting like this? This is madness! Kenshin, why…"

"Don't give me that crap!" I interrupted. I girt my teeth and looked at her with my piercing eyes. They were slowly plunging her into a whirlpool of fear. She held her ground though, and attempted again.

"Kenshin, please… I -I never meant for you to hear that! It was a lie! I don't want to kill you anymore! I didn't know the real you. I thought you were just a cold killer. I was wrong! I even…"

"BULLSHIT!" I yelled through her words. I hit her with a right hook to the face, gashing her forehead. She clutched her head in shock.

"I will not believe your bullshit! It's all lies Kaoru and you know it. I loved you too, but you were heartless enough to rip out the remnants of my heart and tear them to shreds. I heard how you told that man you were going kill me. That was NOT a lie. You're just a cold bitch who doesn't give a shit about anyone else!" She had not noticed the wakizashi I had embedded in her shoulder right under the sub-calvin artery. She turned, noticing the sudden pain and clutched her wound. She was stuck to the wall, there was no escape, she would feel my wrath. She looked at me, fire in her eyes. This was the last straw; I had finally crossed the line.

The blow was so fast I missed it. I felt the blade tear through my left cheek only a second after I saw Kaoru's arm move. She missed my neck. She missed. She clutched the dagger tightly in her hand and I grasped my cheek.

"You bitch!" I ripped the dagger out of her hand and stuck it into her side. The blood flew out of her mouth, splattering in sprays on the ground. With her good arm she clutched the wound. I left dagger in her side. She ripped out and rearranged my insides. I felt the knife ripping trough my gut and out my side. I fell to the ground, blood spewing from my mouth and wound.

She tossed the dagger to the ground, tears flowing freely from her eyes. I trembled. I was losing too much blood. I hacked up another pint of the crimson fluid.

"I loved you Kenshin…I really and truly did." Kaoru was chocking back the sobs; trembling, stuck there to the wall, ever second inching closer to death.

She's going to die…

Of course she is! That's what you wanted, right?

Not like this… She can't die like this…

We had an agreement! You can't go back on your word.

Yes I can.

I held my bloodied side and pulled myself off the ground. I clutched the hilt of the wakizashi and Kaoru closed her eyes, fear her final blow. I tore the blade from her shoulder, pulling down a bit to avoid the major artery. I dropped the blade to the ground and pull her into my arms.

"I'm so sorry…" I said into her shoulder. She let her head fall into the crick of my neck and snuggled up against my skin.

"Kenshin…" She whispered. "I still, and will always, love you." I held her head in my hand and began stroking her hair.

"I know you do." She smiled grimly. I released her from my hold and began to walk out the door. This was the end. It was time for my leave. As I exited the house, a body flung itself onto me.

"Wait." It was Kaoru. She lay on top of me, stroking my hair.

"It should be me who's sorry. I'm the one who was trying to kill you. I just want you to know, that when I met you, I forgot all about that and swore to myself I rather die in your place. So please forgive me." She held my head in her hands as I lied in her lap. I smiled up at her.

"Kaoru, I will always forgive you." She dipped low and firmly placed her lips on mine. I held her head down, slipping her some tongue. She broke but kept her head low. Looking into my eyes, she smiled. I pulled her down again, kissing her passionately once again. I now lay on top of her.

"Is the gate locked?" I asked with a smirk. Kaoru was confused as hell.

"Yes…why?"

"This is why…" I pulled the top her yukata off as we kissed again. Kaoru moaned with pleasure. My hands ran down her sides as she pulled at my gi. My gi now removed, I lay on my side, Kaoru's body pressed against my chest. I began kissing down her neck, to her shoulder then back up to her neck.

Her fingers observed my rippling muscles while mine explored her curves. I licked the blood from her neck while my hands still wandered.

"Kenshin, don't do that! It tickles!" She giggled. I held her to me in a passionate embrace. I looked up at the beautiful stars ad wondered what it'd be like to be so high in the air like that. That was the way I felt right now, lying here in the grass with Kaoru at my side. I could lie like this forever. Kaoru groaned in pain next to and I turned to her.

"Kaoru! You okay?" She smiled through the pain at me, trying to halt my worrying.

"It's nothing; my shoulder wound just stings a little." She tried to smile but then gasped in pain again. I gathered her in my arms.

"You should rest. Put your yukata back on and go to bed." I slid the garment back on for her. Then the thought came to me.

It's my fault she ended up with all these wounds. All my fault. I should leave. For her good. You never know what'll happen next time. She could end up dead. I'm sorry, Kaoru, my love…

"Kaoru…?" She turned to me, questioning the look on my face. "I think…I should leave…" She looked at me funny again. "For good."

Her eyes widening in fear of departure this time, she rushed over and embraced me.

"I don't want to hurt you again." I said, comforting her. She had wrapped her arms firmly around me neck.

"But, Kenshin…" She whimpered.

"Please Kaoru; I'm doing it for your sake." She squeezed me tightly then let go.

"Just give me one last kiss." I complied, only answering with my lips.

"Sayonara." I whispered. I opened the gate then walked in the nothingness of the night, with only the sounds of Kaoru's quite sobs whistling on the night wind.

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The End (J/K!)

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J/k! This isn't the end! I wouldn't leave this hanging like that! There's soooooo much more to go! I really hope you guys enjoyed because it took me forever to get to this. Thanks for all the support thus far and I hope for you all to review once again. By the way, check out my poem collection. BTW, if anyone would like to do fan art for this fic, just tell me where you're posting it in a review. I've actually done a picture for this chapter that I still need to scan. Please review!

Love love,

DJ Baka-chan