Hey Readers long time no see! Hope you love this chapter!
Last time in The Promise:
"I will be sad, even with everything you and I have done we are still a same. Tomoe is my past, you are my present and hopefully my future." Kenshin replied as he reached out to her, this time she didn't pull away, but grabbed onto him like if she ever let go, she would lose him.
"Please let me help you, don't carry a burden that doesn't have to be carried by you." Kenshin said
"But it is my burden." Kaoru replied holding onto him remembering this moment, the way he smelled of pine and the forest. How the light smell of rain settled onto his hair. How his hands held her perfectly. How she fit perfectly right in his arms.
"Kaoru I love you so much and I hope you know it." Kenshin said
"I know." Kaoru answered.
"But you're still leaving." Kenshin said sadly
"Yes." Kaoru replied
"Please watch the cherry blossoms with me next year." Kenshin asked.
Though the question was out of place in the seriousness of the mood, it meant so much to both of them. The question spoke of coming home, being together and that he wanted her.
"I'll watch them with you, I promise." Kaoru said her tears running down her face, but her smile stood there. And he saw her eyes, her beautiful blue cerulean eyes, ones that he had not seen staring at him for the longest time, the eyes he fell in love with the first time he saw her. The eyes that made him love her. Those eyes foretold her feelings like an open book.
"I'll be waiting." Kenshin said
"I know…and I'll be there." Kaoru said.
She walked away slowly, looking back over her shoulder, she stopped and turned around.
Kenshin who himself was walking away turned around also. There eyes met and soon they ran towards each other and they kissed. He hugged her like this was the last moment he might have with her. And she held onto him for everything he was worth.
"I love you Kenshin." Kaoru breathed out
"And I you." Kenshin said as he kissed her one last time.
She backed away her hand still entwined with his, they held on till the space between them was too long, but their gaze still lingered till each other's image was hidden.
Kenshin stood there staring into emptiness lingering on Kaoru's retreating form.
Regular POV
Kenshin came back inside slowly.
"Kenshin, where's Kaoru?" Yahiko asked
"She left." Kenshin said calmly
"Are you insane! She left! Are you accepting this info up there in that head of yours?" Sano asked his eyes wide and confused.
"This one's head did, but this one believes she will come back fine, she promised." Kenshin said remembering their kiss.
"But Sir Ken, she promised she would be okay when she came back from the fight with Mamoru and she came back in bad shape. Its' just that I think she needs someone to be there for, even if she says she will be okay." Megumi said
"This one understands your concern Miss Megumi, but this one thinks it will be okay." Kenshin said.
"If you're not going to go after her then I am!" Misao yelled
"I'm with the weasel!" Sano said jumping up
"Yeah…hey, wait!" Misao said suddenly aware of what Sano said.
"Well then I guess we will head to Tokyo!" Yahiko yelled.
"I will not be joining you." The stoic Aoshi said
"What!" Misao said complete opposite of her secret crush.
"I want to find out what I can about this Gohan character. This is the first time I have ever heard his name mentioned before. This intrigues me." Aoshi said sipping his tea.
"But….but, but, but…..Lord Aoshi." Misao said her eyes tearing up into full blown water works.
The next day:
"I know exactly where to go!" Sano said
"Are you sure?" Kenshin asked.
"Kenshin, I bet my life on it." Sano said with a smile plastered on his goofy face.
"Is that a promise?" Megumi whispered.
"What was that fox?" Sano asked
Back With Kaoru:
"I love you Kenshin." Kaoru breathed out
"And I you." Kenshin said as he kissed her one last time.
Kenshin. I can't keep my mind of you. I better watch what I'm doing or I'm gonna trip.
Regular POV:
Kaoru's face was happy, plastered with a smile and she seemed to be unaware of the rock in front of her.
"Miss, Miss watch out there is a rock in front of you!" A young man said passing by Kaoru.
But she was still thinking of Kenshin
"I'm sorry, what where you…ah!" Kaoru said but was soon cut of as she fell, face first in the dirt totally embarrassed that she fell in public.
"Ma'am are you okay that was a nasty fall." The man said.
"I'm okay, embarrassed, but okay." Kaoru said blushing profusely.
Kaoru POV
I can already imagine Kenshin saying
"Ms. Kaoru, are you alright?"
Regular POV
"Miss Kaoru, are you alright?" a vice said behind her
Kaoru POV:
Wow, that sounded really like him.
Regular POV:
Miss Kaoru, are you injured? The voice asked again
"What?" Kaoru asked slowly turning around.
"Oi, Missy you deaf? He asked if you are okay?" an obnoxious voice said
"Sano?" Kaoru said turning around.
"Yeah, who'd you think it was?" Sano said
"What are you doing here?" Kaoru asked
"Were going to Tokyo, like you, duh!" Yahiko said looking like Kaoru was an idiot.
"But, Tokyo is in the other direction." The man said recently being noticed by the gang.
"Then where are we?" Misao asked confused.
"The other side of Kyoto, I was going to visit a friend." Kaoru said staring at the group wide eyed.
"Who told you, you were going to Tokyo?" the man asked
"A rooster." Megumi breathed out with an unlady like snort.
"Well if Fox over here hadn't been hitting me I would've been….. Sano's voice fading as Kenshin and Kaoru stared at each other.
"Hey." Kenshin said his eyes staring at her.
"Hey back at you." Kaoru said with a smile.
"Nice to see you again." Kaoru said quietly laughing
"I guess it would seem like forever." Kenshin said smiling knowing that they had only seen each other but three days ago.
"Stupid rooster, you blame your incompetence on everyone else when you get us lost! Megumi said screaming at the flaming mad man in front of her.
"Who says I'm incomplete!" Sano said firing right back at her remark
"You mean incompetent? It's true that you're incomplete, any man, no rooster with the capacity of your brain must be incomplete! Megumi said spurting out sentences to enrage the even more flustered rooster. (Excuse the pun. Lol)
"If my memory is correct, didn't you say you'd BET your life on it?" Megumi asked
"Hee, hee, you know that's just a saying right?" Sano said
"Right?" Sano asked.
After minutes of separating the two dueling couple so that they could cool down the man that had been hidden in the shadows of the yelling soon spoke up, directing them to the correct way to Tokyo.
On the trail:
"I never planned on having company on my way back." Kaoru said muttering under her breath her headache escalating with each decibel Misao raised her voice.
"I never knew Misao could be so loud. Kenshin said feeling the effects of his headache as well.
"WEASEL please be quiet! Yahiko finally screamed.
"Sorry, I just get a bit talkative without Aoshi-sama here." Misao said
"It's okay Misao I just couldn't hear myself think." Sano said.
"I don't think even with out any noise you still couldn't hear your thoughts." Megumi said.
"You say something fox? Sano said his head turned around glaring at the doctor.
"Calm down, we all want just peace and quiet on the way back, don't we." Kenshin said begging for silence on the route to Tokyo.
Kaoru, Yahiko and Misao all nodded wanting nothing but the two lovers quarrel to end.
"Sometimes silence is even more deafening than noise and quarreling." An eerie voice said hidden in the shadows of the darkening forest.
"Whose there?" Sano said slowly getting in front of Megumi. Kenshin did the same to Kaoru and Yahiko.
"It seems the sun sets quicker in the forest. I guess it's the trees that block the light. And the way the suns rays filter through the trees making the trees look red. Like blood, you two know about blood Battousai and Raven, right?" he continued.
"Show your face, you coward." Yahiko said feeling brave.
"Careful boy, those injuries might reopen." The hidden voice said
"Leave us alone you bastard." Sano screamed
"Such language, it really isn't necessary is it Zanza?" he taunted.
"It seems you know us, do we know you?" Kenshin said his eyes narrowing looking for the hidden voice behind the trees.
"Can't find me Battousai?" he said
Kenshin smirked. "No, I can't, not yet at least." He continued on.
"You won't find me in time." He said flatly.
Kenshin's smirk was quickly replaced with a scowl.
"What do you want." Kaoru said glaring into the setting sun. Her eyes scanning the darkening trees, looking for the voice, worried for her friends.
"You look worried Kaoru, your friends will die with you, they wont suffer too much." His voice said echoing in haunting dark forest.
The sun already down, casting the dark glow across the ground. The clouds were covering the moon, giving the appearance of pitch darkness.
"Scared?" he asked.
"Scared of what? Scared of some random voice speaking in the shadow? Kaoru said.
"You should be scared; I have control over the fate of your lives." He whispered.
Suddenly swords were heard coming out of their sheaths, many of them. And in the dark night no one could see anything. Then Megumi shrieked.
"Do you know what a sword feels like against skin Ms.? He asked
"Megumi!" Sano said turning around
"No, not there, turn around." He said taunting them all.
Soon they found out they were cornered.
"What do you want with us?" Kenshin said his senses on full alert looking for there attackers.
"Nothing, I'm just a messenger." Then, just as suddenly as they appeared, they all disappeared. Not a sound and then the clouds gave through illuminating the forest enabling them to see around them. And no one was around, just trees and themselves.
"What is the message!" Kenshin said screaming into the forest his own voice echoing in the trees.
"I think we should set camp." Misao suggested, her eyes searching. Paranoia surrounding them all.
"No, not here, we will continue on.' Kenshin said motioning the group to get ready to leave.
"But Kenshin we are all tired, we need to rest." Megumi said worried for the still injured Yahiko.
"I know we are all tired, but it's not safe." Yahiko said.
"But Yahiko your wounds need tending to." Megumi said.
"There is a village not too far from here; we can rest there for the night." Kaoru said.
"But what about our new friends?" Sano said.
"This village will protect us. Kaoru said. They used to be one of my bases back in the war." Kaoru said remembering.
"I guess were heading toward the village." Sano said.
Kaoru POV
I'm so tired; we have been traveling for at least 7 hours. I could have sworn the village was closer. I don't think I can hold any longer.
Regular POV
"Kaoru?" Yahiko said panic etched in his voice.
"Yes Yahiko." Kaoru said her eyes closed
"I found the village." Yahiko said
Kaoru POV
Kaoru looked up and saw a town in smolders. Some buildings still on fire, clouds of black smoke billowing up from the flames that engulfed there once thought sanctuary.
Regular POV
"They burned it." Sano said quietly
"The people, where are all the people?" Megumi asked afraid of what the answer might be.
"Oh god." Kaoru said as she turned and threw up. Her face screwed in unbearable pain at the sight in front of her.
In front of her were a pile of dead bodies burned. Children hanging from poles, bodies littered the ground. Blood mixing with dirt.
"Even the children." Yahiko said looking away, his stomach almost unable to hold the sight as well.
"Where are we going to go?" Megumi asked.
"We have no where to go Megumi, we are all alone in this fight." Kaoru said her hands buried in her face covering her tears.
They stood there till the smolders died down into ashes. They stayed there for the night and when they awoke they saw Kenshin and Sano covered in dirt, they had dug graves for each one of the people. They watched the dawn rise in the morning. Lighting the sky in a multitude of colors enriched in pinks, red, and oranges. Lighting there path towards Tokyo.