Author's Note: Not sure about the parent status.... Oh hey, on to another subject! On Friday night at the 8th grade dance, I finally told my crush that I liked him! Shocking? I was just so scared, walking straight up to him, and then when it was too late to turn back, I told him. And my friend said he was blushing cherry-red later on.... shocking.
Thanks for all the wonderful comments about the fight scene! I wasn't sure about trying my hand at action scenes. Also I would like to thank Shihali and PrincessSakura4 for the support.
Review Responses (short!)
GoldAngel2: Long time no see! I'm glad to hear positively from you yet again!
Brittanie Love, Whisper of Darkness, Dragon Master271: You all liked the first piece of action in a long time since the first chapter, and I'm so glad I'm not rusting away! Thank you!
Shihali: It's all right; I fixed up the errors—thank you for pointing that out to me!
PrincessSakura4: My parents simmered down a bit after their 'talk', so maybe talking can help solve problems. Thanks for the support!
rurouni madness: Don't worry, I didn't take your criticism too seriously—I just altered some words. Thanks-
Arteme: Ah, now is the time when we get redundant in our reviews and review responses...again, thanks for such a wonderful review!
Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is not mine, but this story idea belongs to me.
A Cloak of Protection
Chapter 11: Complications and Suffering
DAY TWO—11:30am
The tall, spiky brown-haired man leaned out of the open double doors of the dojo, squinting through the thick sheets of gray rain. The heavy gale screamed through the yard, whipping at Sanosuke's white coat and throwing about the red ribbon that was wound around his head.
The sheets of rain were so thick that Sano could barely squint through them. Frowning a bit, Sano took a step out of the dojo and quickly brought a long-fingered hand up to his eyes. Cold, wet splatters of water splashed onto Sanosuke's head and trailed wet fingers down his cheeks.
Somewhere through the sheets of rain, the silhouette of a black carriage solemnly rested just beyond the open gates of the Kamiya dojo. A dark shadow hurried up to where Sano stood, splashing through vast puddles of rainwater.
Sano stood there resolutely, jamming his left hand into the wide pocket of his white pants, and hastily wiped at the rainwater running into his brown eyes.
The stout figure dashed up to Sano, and gruffly questioned: "Are Himura-san and Saitou-san in there?" The figure wore a dark coat and white gloves, and a trim mustache adorned his upper lip.
Sanosuke, in a slight daze, slowly inclined his head at the shorter man. As the shorter man hurriedly rushed by Sano, a worried glint in his dark eyes, Sano snapped up his head again at the sound of someone splashing through deep puddles of rainwater ahead of him.
Sano slowly wiped at the rainwater streaked on his face, in order to see the second man. This figure stood taller than the first man, and he tensely clutched an umbrella in his left hand as he hurried briskly up to the dojo doors. As the man neared, Sano could see that he was wearing a brown-hued formal suit.
Sano silently stepped back, and the taller man quickly swiveled his head to salute Sano for a second before turning back around to step into the dojo.
As the man turned his head, Sano faintly glimped a dark mustache and beard adorning the man's slim face.
Sano vaguely watched the man hurry into the dojo, distantly wondering what he was here for.
Then his brown eyes widened, despite the stinging rainwater that kept pouring into his eyes. He slowly caught his breath, and hurried into the dojo after the tall man.
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Kenshin's amber eyes shone like two sparks from his pale face. A dark tinge of blue bruise began to appear on his pale throat. Crimson blood dripped steadily from the deep gash on his left side. Multiple scratches shone white in the dim light, varying in degrees of thin to drawing a trickle of blood. He determinedly sank into a fighting stance, hands slightly raised, golden eyes coolly assessing his opponent, watching for his move.
Saitou stood a few yards away, hands up in a fighting stance Kenshin didn't recognize, muscles bunched, weight leaning on his left leg. Thin lines of red blood crisscrossed his palms and fingers. Bloodstains slowly spread over his left shoulder, and a rip in his tight black shirt showed at the heart of the bloodstains. Thin, white scratches also covered his body.
Both fighters were wounded, possibly more than they could comprehend at this time. Both fighters were determined to win this fight that had spanned a long ten years. Both fighters had also lost their swords.
However, the final attack of this battle leaned heavily in Saitou's favor. Although Kenshin was successful at hand-to-hand combat, he was no match for someone who had trained hard at it, perfected the moves, judged his balance, and so much more.
Kenshin had always relied on his trusty sakabatou. When he hadn't been able to use it, he successfully used his body instead. However, all of these times had been on weaker opponents. Saitou didn't fall in that category.
Saitou was one of the few people who could challenge Kenshin and still be a tough opponent for him.
As both opponents determinedly drew in to their stances, preparing for their next attacks, golden eyes on golden eyes, there suddenly came a frantic, loud yell behind them.
"STOP THIS! STOP THIS AT ONCE!"
The hoarse yell rang into Kenshin's subconsciousness, dimly echoing in the recesses of his mind. The tense words burned, dim at first, then shaking off the gray clouds surrounding it. He sharply twisted his head around, fiery hair wildly swinging against his shoulder.
Saitou visibly stiffened, and he swiveled his dark head around to glare in the direction of the double front doors. A few locks of dark hair fell onto his forehead.
Kenshin, still bent into his stance, blinked twice to clear away the gray fog encompassing his mind to see the figure silhouetted in the light from beyond the double front doors. Then his golden eyes widened slightly.
Kenshin recognized the shorter man. A blurry, peach-colored blob formed in his mind, and just as slowly, it got less and less blurry until the image was of a familiar face.
"K—"
A deep frown slashed angrily across Saitou's tense face, and he slowly drew himself up from his fighting stance.
Kenshin straightened up as well, drawing in deep breaths, clutching at his left side.
"Kawaji-dono!"
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A startled grin spread over Yahiko's face. Finally, Saitou and Kenshin had snapped out of whatever they had gone through. Finally, the fight had ended. However, it was once again without a victor.
Yahiko's forehead scrunched up in thought. But if the fight ended without a victor...then wouldn't there have to be another fight between Kenshin and Saitou?
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Saitou and Kenshin both turned startled golden eyes to Kawaji, the shorter man.
Kenshin bent over slightly, dark eyes widening, right hand grasping his wounded left side, crimson blood starkly dark in the dim light.
Saitou gave one of his trademark sneers and, amber eyes narrowed, reached a gloved hand into his pocket and deftly drew out a cigarette. With a flick of his fingers, the slim cigarette was quickly lit and placed between Saitou's lips.
Kenshin focused on the short form of Kawaji, lips slightly parting in confusion. Why—why was he here? What did he have to do with this fight?
A thin smile broke out over Kawaji's lips, and his whole body seemed to relax. "Thank god—"he gratefully began, and then paused as a taller man strode into the dojo behind him.
Kawaji stepped to the side.
The taller man stepped away from the shadows, revealing his face. "Himura- kun, Saitou-san..."
Kenshin quickly drew in a short breath, raising his golden eyes to the man's face. He knew this man, as well...
"O-Okubu-dono??"
Okubu Toshimichi, ex- Ishin Shishi and now the government's Secretary General of the Cabinet, slowly trained his brown eyes on Kenshin's bloody gashes and scratches, eyes visibly widening at the black bruises around Kenshin's pale neck, at the deep bloodstains smeared over his magenta- purple gi. Then he looked up. "I deeply apologize, Himura-kun." In his voice lingered a queer tone.
Clasping together his hands, Okubu held Saitou and Kenshin in his gaze. "You see, this was all a test—and I apologize that you two had to get hurt in order to analyze the results."
At the sidelines, Yahiko dumbfoundedly nudged Sanosuke hard in the ribs, who had just come in from the pouring rain. "What the...a test?"
Kenshin sharply swiveled his head to stare Saitou in the eye. Saitou just stood there nonchalantly, tanned sinewy arms folded across his chest, a stream of cigarette smoke trailing up from the cigarette dangling from his lips.
Okubo steadily gazed across at Kenshin, brown suit accentuating his formal language. "I needed to see if you were prepared to fight against one of the major hitokiris here in Japan. As Saitou-san seemed to be able to give you a good fight, I accepted his persistent offer to accomplish this task."
Kenshin's dark eyes never left Okubo's face, but they somewhat widened at Okubo's last comment. Persistent offer? And then his mind slowly rewound Okubo's blunt words. Fight? One of the major hitokiris?
Silence reverberated through the dojo at Okubo's words.
Suddenly, Saitou neatly drew out the slim white stick of his cigarette and almost forcefully hurled it down at the hardwood ground. Stepping forward and grinding the cigarette into crushed nothingness with the hard heel of his black shoe, Saitou grabbed his blue jacket and hastily shook it out.
His narrow golden eyes settled on Okubo, about five yards away from him. "My report—Himura Kenshin isn't a reliable killer at all."
Then the corner of his lip drew up into a smirk. "However...Himura Battousai has the potential to be very effective. That's all."
Kenshin's golden eyes wavered, slipping from Okubo to Saitou.
Okubo, startled, looked Saitou in the eye for a moment. Then he let out a small sigh and turned to Kenshin, extending his hand.
"Himura-kun, there's something I would like to discuss with you in private...Perhaps we could—ah—talk in another room?" Okubo glanced over at Sanosuke and Yahiko quickly.
Sanosuke briskly strode over to Okubo, the long red ribbon that was wound around his head flapping in his motions. "It's all right—I'll take you to a room with Kenshin and then I'll leave."
Okubo raised his eyebrows slightly at Sano's surprisingly kind manner. Then he gave a slight nod of his head, chestnut-brown mustache and beard dark against his face. "Arigatou."
Sanosuke hastily glanced over at Saitou, who was slipping back on his dark blue police jacket. Then he turned his gaze back to Okubo and gave a curt nod, starting for the open double doors of the dojo. Okubo, with a click of his shiny heel, turned around and started to follow.
"Wait a moment." Kenshin's harsh voice rang through the dojo.
Startled, Sano stopped in his tracks. He whipped his head around to glance at Kenshin, spiky brown hair wavering and long red Sekihoutai ribbon undulating. Okubo also turned, steady brown eyes fixed on Kenshin.
Kenshin's head was lowered, bushy red hair covering his dark eyes. His mouth was twisted in frustration and concentration. The bloodstains on his gi shone dark black in the dojo's dim light.
Suddenly, Kenshin sharply brought up his white-knuckled fist and vehemently sank it into his forehead.
Sanosuke started, taking a step forward toward his friend and bringing up his right hand in a violent jerk. "Kenshin--!"
Okubo and Yahiko stood by, eyes slightly widened.
Saitou stood there nonchalantly at his end of the dojo, a few strands of stray brown hair hanging in his cold golden eyes. A sneer garnished his face, and he started reaching in his pocket again for his cigarettes.
Kenshin's eyes were squeezed determinedly shut, and crimson trickles of blood ran slowly down his cheeks from his forehead.
After a few tense moments, he glanced back up again, slowly bringing his blood-trickled fist back down to his side. As his fiery red hair moved away from his eyes and swept his shoulders, Sanosuke could see the clear amethyst violet in his gentle eyes. The rurouni was back.
Kenshin determinedly forced his lips up into a small smile. "I apologize, Sanosuke, Okubo-dono. I'm all right now."
With that, he turned on his heel, slight dry scratch echoing in the silent dojo, and slowly followed Sano and Okubo out the dojo door into the pouring rain.
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She stumbled confusingly through the heavy, condemning gray mist, gingerly picking her way around swirling vats of dark gray. Gray, gray, gray. Gray all around her. Gray as far as the eye could see. It was a horrible, gray place.
Gray. Such a dull, flat, one-syllable word. Dully spoken by a language of horrid things. Gray. Gray.
If she kept repeating that flat word, it would disappear into nothing, cease to lose its meaning, and become a meaningless syllable that one would utter in complete flatness. Gray. Gray. Gray. It started out lovely at the beginning, consonants and vowels merging, then tumbling down to a deep, flat nothingness.
She suddenly smacked herself in the head. Gray deprived the thinker of gray to become gray herself. A dull, flat self.
It couldn't seem to be bright enough in this gray world she was in. She kept squinting, brushing away the sticky gray tendrils of spider-web fog away from her face.
Suddenly, through the gray fog, a darker gray figure appeared.
She once again squinted her sapphire blue eyes—the only thing that wasn't gray yet in this surrounding gray world—to get a closer look at the figure. It had the shape of a man, upright and tall—but not very tall...
Around her height...
She angrily bit her lip in frustration, and took quicker, longer steps through the gray mist at her feet. Cold fingers snaked up from the ground, struggling to pull her under the condemning mist. A long strand of midnight hair fell into her eyes, and she hastily shook it away.
But she wouldn't dare look down. She kept her sapphire blue eyes on the figure, moving quickly through the fog. The figure stood still as if waiting for someone, back turned to her, ponytailed long hair brushing against his back, and slightly baggy clothes rustling against his warm skin.
As she stepped cautiously in the direction of the mysterious figure, his shadowed face turned slightly towards her, and the condemning shadows fell away from his beautiful face.
She raggedly caught her breath, bringing up a slender right hand to her mouth and cerulean blue eyes widening.
She knew who it was. She would know him anywhere. Kenshin.
A smile broke out on her pale face, and she threw herself forward, dark sheet of silken hair flying out behind her, shining crystalline tears welling in her eyes. The figure, startled, turned his bushy red head to look at her, and through the awful grayness, she could see a wide smile emerging on his beautiful face. He started to take a step toward her too, amethyst eyes—not gray, never gray—softening at the sight of her.
Kenshin held out his arms to her, the loose folds of his magenta gi flapping against his warm skin, and Kaoru's lips parted in longing. She hurried faster toward him, completely ignoring the gray mist.
Her heart swelled with undying love. Gray could never touch her heart--nor their love for each other.
Suddenly, behind Kenshin, a dim shadow appeared. In the stark background of the new figure's dark face, crazed eyes flashed with menace. A silvery glint twinkled tauntingly from an object in the figure's hand.
Kaoru haltingly stopped in her tracks, long-fingered hands flying up to her mouth. The gray fog kicked up again, enclosing the three of them: Kenshin, her, and the newcomer.
A taunting sneer on her pale, beautiful face, a second Kaoru stepped up behind the unknowing Kenshin. In her slim, white hand, she gripped the sturdy hilt of a large, sharp knife.
Kaoru's sapphire eyes widened in fear. "Kenshin! Kenshin!"
The shadow Kaoru glanced quickly at her, lip curling in contempt. Then her blue-eyed gaze traveled back to Kenshin, widening with excitement. Her lips parting in desire, fiery sparks dancing in her eyes, she held up the shiny knife and pointed it straight at Kenshin's back. Her silken black hair swirled around her shoulders, touched with red malice.
The shadow Kaoru lowered her dark lashes seductively, gazing up at the real Kaoru through her full lashes. Her slightly parted red lips brought up her cheekbones, giving the lovely face a taunting cruelty that the real Kaoru never felt on her own face.
Twin rivulets of shining tears trickling down Kaoru's snow-white cheeks, she brought her right hand forward palm up, pleading, toward the shadow Kaoru. "Please...no...I beg of you...!"
Kaoru painfully squeezed her eyes shut, wet lashes dark against her pale skin, and cried out agonizingly again, "I BEG OF YOU!!!!"
The clear sapphire of the shadow Kaoru's eyes flickered, the golden sparks in them blazing and engulfing the blue—until her eyes gleamed a molten amber. A harsh, cruel burst of laugh escaping her slim throat, she deftly and mercilessly plunged down the knife.
Straight at Kenshin's back.
In the split moment before flesh and blade could fatally meet, Kenshin glanced up at the real Kaoru, red hair spilling over into his widened violet eyes.
In his beautiful amethyst eyes shone a sharp betrayal, deep as never before. It was too much to bear.
Kaoru dropped anguishly to her knees in the suffocating gray mist, bringing her hands up to her face, dark sheet of hair falling forward. "No...no...NO!!!"
Crimson drops of blood sprayed everywhere, splashing Kaoru's hands, dotting her pale, beautiful face.
The shadow Kaoru smirked, slowly twisting and drawing the blade out of Kenshin's back in order to prolong the pain, and gave the kneeling Kaoru a hearty wink. Lifting the bloodsoaked blade up to face level, she quickly examined the thick crimson liquid. A corner of her lip turning upwards, she gave the blood-splattered blade a gentle lick, tongue darting out to catch more drops of Kenshin's blood.
Through her pale fingers, Kaoru numbly watched the shadow Kaoru pivot on her heel and step into the surrounding shadows, disappearing from sight.
Kenshin slowly slumped forward, amethyst eyes wide and pained with betrayal, the color of his purple gi oddly distorted in the gray light, his life's red liquid pouring out of him.
Crystalline tears splashed down Kaoru's face, and she brought up her shaking, blood-soaked hands to eye level, staring at the deep red blood.
"But it wasn't...me...I didn't do it..."
Kenshin painfully lay among the gray mist, violet eyes dulling as he gazed painfully at her. "K-Kaoru-dono...why...." He suddenly cried out in barely concealed pain, teeth clenching together. "Why...?"
The shining violet in his pained eyes gradually died, leaving behind a dull gray. Gray. Gray. Gray.
The suffocating gray rose up, blinding Kaoru, filling her vision with gray.
As she slowly fell into the gray void darkening to a deep black, she painfully choked out, "But it wasn't me.... it wasn't me..."
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Kenshin lay his bushy red head onto his right hand.
Across from him sat Okubo Toshimichi. His clear brown eyes studied Kenshin for his response.
Finally, Kenshin met Okubo in his gaze. "Okubo-dono...I've already encountered Shishio Makoto, that I have."
Okubo sat back, a little startled. "Shishio Makoto—you have? When?"
Kenshin drew down his pained violet eyes, and he folded his long-fingered hands into his lap. "I—my—Shishio—Shishio kidnapped the young owner of this particular dojo, in fact. She's—someone I really care about..."
Okubo's brown eyes widened. "Shishio has already made his move? Then you know about his awesome power...?"
Kenshin glanced up at Okubo.
Okubo continued. "Ten years ago, when you decided to stop killing and become a wanderer, we needed a replacement for you. Thus, we chose Shishio Makoto. He was a great man of his time, utterly powerful and strong. However—ah—he started committing serious crimes, killing innocent people he was not to kill..."
Kenshin abruptly interrupted. "In other words, he wasn't too stable."
Okubo closed his mouth, startled, and then his mouth drew into a rue line. "In a sense. Then we, the Ishin Shishi, decided that we had to dispose of Shishio's murderous ways...by his untimely death. We converged in a tight circle around Shishio. He had his bloody sword with him, but we had guns that were rapidly replacing ordinary swords. We repeatedly shot at him, and he fell. However, we never doubted his great power and will to live. To make sure he fell dead, we set him on fire and burned him."
Kenshin's clear amethyst eyes slightly narrowed, and he gripped the edge of his gi in one hand.
"However, for some reason, he couldn't die. He came back and now wants to bring down the Meiji government, for what they did to him.
"You see, he wants to rule Japan and anything else he can get his hands on. He's that power-hungry. He gathered ten sufficient fighters around the country to aid him in his plan, called the Juppongatana. And now we need you, Himura Kenshin, as one of Japan's most experienced fighters, to fight against Shishio Makoto and kill him. He's an immense danger to Japan."
Okubo's serious words swirled through Kenshin's mind. Kill...Shishio...? How about his vow never to kill...?
Okubo seemed to read Kenshin's deep thoughts. "I know you vowed never to kill again. But this time, we are in great need of you—more than ever before. This Shishio—he won't stop at anything to get the supreme position he desires. And you, Himura-kun, are the only one who has even the slightest chance at going against him. You, and Saitou-san. Saitou-san will be accompanying you."
Kenshin was silent, eyes clouded.
Okubo suddenly leaned over and grasped Kenshin's hands in his warm, firm ones. "We, the government, and Japan, are begging you. If we don't take action, Japan will surely be destroyed. Shishio has already taken down many of our finest men. We need someone like you and Saitou-san to fight against him.
"We need you to go to Kyoto to fight Shishio."
Kenshin snapped up his head.
"Okubo-dono...I will already be heading to Kyoto to get back Kaoru-dono. But I'm not sure I want to kill Shishio with my own hands—even if Saitou kills him instead. I would have aided the killing of Shishio, and that violates my sincere vow. My original plan was just to at least hamper Shishio so he wouldn't commit as much damage, and to get back Kaoru-dono. But what you're telling me..."
Okubo finished his sentence. "Is to kill Shishio."
Kenshin was silent for a tense moment. Finally, he spoke.
"May I have a day or two to decide?"
Okubo gazed steadily into Kenshin's cloudy, pained eyes. At last, he nodded, and started to stand up. "Of course, Himura-kun. I know the pain you're going through. Of course you can have more time to decide."
Okubo brushed down his formal suit, and extended a warm hand to Kenshin. Kenshin grasped it and pulled himself up.
"Possibly tomorrow or the day after I'll come by carriage and we'll discuss the matter again."
Kenshin slowly nodded, mind hazy with his tumbling thoughts. Kaoru-dono...
They stepped out of the room to meet up with Sanosuke, Yahiko, and Saitou.
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1:00 pm
After Okubo had left along with Saitou and Kawaji, Kenshin told his two friends of their talk—about his indecision, about what he was to do.
Sano frowned, smoothing down the back of his spiky brown hair with one hand. "I guess I'll get some bombs from Katsu," he said slowly, and darted his eyes to Kenshin's. "Since I'm coming with you," he said firmly.
Yahiko piped up. "Yeah, me too," he seconded fiercely. "Remember, Kenshin? I'll be a great help to you guys! You won't be sorry, and I'll bring my bokken along!"
Kenshin's violet eyes were still cloudy. But he gave them both a small smile and a slight nod, and started to trudge slowly off.
Sanosuke let out a mocking sigh. "And there goes Kenshin, trying to get away with his horrible wounds." He started off after Kenshin. "Oi, Kenshin, I'll bandage them for ya!"
Yahiko ran off to the dojo to grab his bokken and start practicing—he figured he had plenty of time to practice, as they were all going to leave for Kyoto in a few days. At least after Okubo had come. Enough time for him to practice and try to get stronger for his sensei. On the outside, he might mock her and call her ugly, but on the inside, he still had feelings for her.
Later on in Kenshin's room, as Sano was bandaging up Kenshin's wounds and tsk-ing about how Kenshin had managed to get himself hurt again and whatnot, Kenshin sat with his head bowed, fiery hair shading his clouded eyes. He hated himself for what he was going to do to his friends and Okubo-dono, but he couldn't wait any longer when Kaoru-dono was in great danger.
TO BE CONTINUED
Author's Note: All while I was typing this up, I was listening to 'Scarlet' from Ayashi no Ceres. I love that song...so mysterious and romantic...
I welcome constructive criticism! It's especially helpful when you guys tell me about my mistakes—like whether Okubo calls Kenshin Himura-kun or not—and minor things like that. Just keep in mind...I take them quite seriously. And yes, I know there's a plot hole—it should be extremely clear by now. In a few chapters back, Sanosuke and Kenshin seemed to know about Shishio when actually they shouldn't have. But that minor plot hole ends here—it isn't important in the rest of the story.
The next chapter will come next weekend!
-Twilight Sky