Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin in any way.
Chapter 2 : The Aorta Attacks
Before Kenshin stood Seta Soujiro. Soujiro looked exactly the same as the last time Kenshin had seen him. He was still wearing his blue gi and smiling awkwardly.
"Konichiwa Himura-san. How have you been?" Sohjiro asked kindly, still smiling.
"Come on, let's make this quick." Aoshi said.
"Soujiro...why are you working with them?" Kenshin asked, confused.
"Shut it, Battousai." Aoshi interrupted.
Kenshin ignored him and continued, "You're still killing. It is not any different from when you were with Shishio." Sohjiro ignored Kenshin and continued to smile happily.
Aoshi couldn't wait any longer. He unsheathed his swords and attacked Kenshin. Kenshin dodged and blocked the blows with his reversed-edged sword. Aoshi sneered at him sarcastically.
"You sure haven't forgot how to fight, but it will not be a fair fight if you remain as the weak,useless self you are right now. Don't worry. We'll make it easier for you."Aoshi said. With that, the other three men unsheathed their swords and attacked Kenshin all at the same time. Kenshin dodged and defended himself again and again. His enemies were so strong that he did not even have the chance to attack. He was hopping that Sohjiro would turn around and be conscious of what he is doing. They were stronger...much stronger than he remembered. The organization had certainly become much powerful.
Kenshin could hear his own heart beating wildly and he tried to calm down, he would not want to unleash the dark side of himself again. He had swore that he would stop killing but the four men wasn't giving him much choice. Deep within him, he could feel the Battousai fighting to come up and Kenshin knew that if he allow it, he can kill all of them easily. But he wouldn't want to risk that, if he becomes Battousai again, he might never turn back to the rurouni he was right now.
So Kenshin defended himself all he could, and they were closing in on him, he could see that smirk on Aoshi's face. His right leg was throbbing with pain and he was losing blood. In this state, he could never defeat them. Then, his reverse edge sword broke.
It happened so suddenly, so quickly that Kenshin was shocked. He watched the silver blade fall with a loud clang onto the floor and turn his eyes up to the man who did it.
The man was tall and bulky, his right eye blinded by a deep gnash. And right now he was staring down at Kenshin with a sneer.
"So this is the legendary Battousai?" he said, " You really must be kidding me." Then, he draw up his weapon, a huge axe again and Kenshin watched him swing it down.
That's it...my end...
But that blow never came. Soujiro was now standing in front of Kenshin, blocking the blow from the big man.
"Move out of the way, boy. Or else you are going to regret it." The man said dangerously. Soujiro ignored him and said to Kenshin: Go now. I'll hold them off for a while."
"Soujiro..."Kenshin said uncertainly.
"Go now. You've spared my life once. We are even now."Soujiro said firmly, gripping onto his sword tightly; his eyes cold, ready to face the other three men.
Kenshin ran, blood dripping after him. Soujiro...
"Boy, you're going to pay for that." The man growled. Soujiro smiled and begun tapping his foot... and he vanished. He was so fast that the other three men couldn't see him.
"Be on you guard. He is trying to use his speed to confuse us and attack us at the same time." Aoshi warned.
Soujiro zoomed around and attacked and defended simultaneously. Aoshi, used to Soujiro's speed technique, read his movements and attacked. Despite his prowess and speed, Soujiro was still no match for the other three skilled swordsmen. Aoshi had managed to slash deeply into Soujiro's right thigh. Soujiro's speed immediately decreased and the three men could see him again. Soujiro's only chance of winning the fight was gone.
Sohjiro gasped and gathered his remaining strength to escape. His thigh was bleeding badly and the pain was excruciating. He leapt out the window. Aoshi and his companions glanced over at the neighbouring house and decided that Sohjiro did not go that way. They leapt out the window as well and sped down the streets in search of two badly injured men.
"They couldn't go far. They must be still around here." Aoshi said. The other two men nodded.
Kaoru sat down on her bed and look at the sketch that she had just finished. It was a sketch of the man she saw in the grocery store just now. She had never seen anyone like him before. She remembered his long flaming hair and his intense violet eyes. He was special. And the scar...I wonder how he got that...
Kaoru sighed and look at all the many paintings that hung on the walls. They were paintings of people she met briefly when she went out(she drew them from her memory)or sceneries that she saw from her window. But this sketch of the red haired man was different. It somehow made her feel there was a meaning or a purpose...she was confused by something but did not know what...
The snow had been falling for a while now...Kaoru picked up another piece or drawing paper and decide to do a sketch of the snowing garden. She liked snow. It was so beautiful and gentle...then her eyes widened at the sight of a faint red colour on the massive snow in her garden.
Blood!
She put on her white coat and decided to go see what was out there. She doesn't like things ruining her scenery.
Maybe an injured animal or something...
When Kaoru arrived at the garden, she realised that it couldn't be a injured animal. There was blood, a lot of blood. They were leading her to somewhere...then she gasped.
In front of her was a young man with dark hair lying in the snow which had been dyed a deep red by his blood. His hands were gripping onto a sword tightly.
Is he dead?
Kaoru approached him cautiously and saw that his right leg was badly injured and that his breathing was low and unsteady. He would die...if she doesn't help him.
Kaoru dragged him into her house and laid him on a bed. The young man was still unconscious and very pale. She finally got his fingers to loosen his grip onto the sword. He was drenched; the snow on him had melted. Kaoru stared...
How am I going to change his clothes for him?
She touched the young man lightly on the forehead. He was burning up with a fever. She had no choice. Kaoru took a deep breath and begun to remove his clothes. Kaoru had never seen a man so bare before...and to think that she was the one undressing him! This young man was actually very manly...and maybe too beautiful to be a man.
Can a man be beautiful? Kaoru blushed at what she was thinking and snapped herself back to the real world and noticed that he had wounds on his chest as well. Then she remembered that she'll need some bandages, water, antiseptic and medicine.
Once she collected all the necessities, she set to work in bandaging up his wounds and feeding him carefully with water and medicine. The young man coughed. Kaoru smiled. At least he is responding...
Kaoru put on some clean clothes for him and covered him with thick blankets. He had lost a lot of blood and in this kind of condition...I hope he can pull through.
She set the fire burning at the fire place and decided to get more First Aid Kit supplies. The bandages had run out after treating the wounds of the young man. I'll also need to get more food...I'll go out through the back gate...
Kaoru tried to open the gate but noticed that it was blocked by a massive amount of frozen snow.
Why did the snow fell particularly heavy in front of the gate? She jerked the gate as hard as she could but realised that could not be just snow. The massive snow was in a strange shape of a person. She squeezed herself through the slight opening and begun to dig off the snow with her fingers. When she finally got rid off enough snow to see what was buried in there, she saw a face of a person...someone strangely familiar...her eyes widened and she breathed in sharply.
It was the man with the violet eyes! He is wounded as well...what is going on around here?
The man was unconscious but still alive. His face calm and peaceful.
Kaoru dragged him into her house and lay him down onto a bed in a room across the other man with black hair. She gazed at the mysterious man and decided that she'll lock this room before she goes out.
These two men...their wounds...they must be involved together in some ways...
Kenshin opened his eyes and realised that he was somewhere else. It was all white...Am I dead...?
He tried to move but find it very painful to do so. His head was still hurting and he could still see the many scars on his body. If I am dead...am I still supposed to feel pain? He looked around him and saw that it wasn't all that white. There were several paintings around hanging on the walls. Ah... so I am not dead. He tried to move again and forced himself to sit up no matter how much pain there was. Then he caught sight of a painting that looked very familiar to him. The painting was a portrait of a man who look exactly like Sanosuke. Even the clothes are his! The white coat and the red bandana. It must be him! Kenshin struggled to get off the bed to take a closer look at the painting. It was signed with an initial:KK. The painting was very nicely painted.
It certainly is a masterpiece! Kenshin begun to trace the outlines of Sanosuke's face on the painting. It was so real... the artist had brought out the aura of Sano, the artist had made him seemed alive and inhuman. Like the girl I saw last time...
"Don't do that..."a soft voice came from behind. Kenshin removied his finger from the painting and spun around and found himself facing a very young and beautiful woman. Weird...I didn't even feel any Ki energy...
Kenshin stared hard at her. It is the woman in white!
"You should rest, you've lost a lot of blood..."she said motioning him towards the bed. Kenshin just continued to stare at her. The woman in front of him look at him questionly. Kenshin had never seen anyone so beautiful. She was slim, her face pale in contrast with her long raven hair and her large eyes in a brilliant sapphire blue colour. She had a pure innocence about her, but her Ki energy was so low that it was barely detectable. He knows that he should be suspicious but he just feel that this woman in front of him is not evil.
"Did you draw that?" Kenshin asked, pointing at the Sanosuke painting.
"Yes. That was done a long time ago..."the woman said quietly.
Why was she so calm and quiet? Like an angel...she was wearing white again. It was like she hadn't feel any emotions for a long time...standing there, unmoving.
"KK?" Kenshin asked again "Your name?"
"Kamiya Kaoru...oneigai, you must treat your wounds as soon as possible..."Kaoru said, motioning Kenshin to the bed again. Kenshin went and sat down on the bed.
Kamiya Kaoru...
Kaoru sat down on a stool beside the bed and past him some bandages.
"I'll help you..."Kaoru murmured. She was feeling weak, she hadn't had so much excitement going on in a day for a long time. She'll need to change into some dry clothes as well.
I'll make this quick...
She begun to clean the wounds on his arms, and after putting some medicine on it, she wrapped it up tightly with bandages. Kenshin watched in amazement. Her fingers were so quick and accurate. It was like she was very used to nursing wounds.
After she finished treating all the wounds on his arms, Kenshin noticed that she look paler than ever.
Oh my god...another attack...Kaoru touched her neck and gasped for breath. She got up and ran out of the room.
My inhealer!
Kenshin stared after her and notice that he could see his house outside the window.I am in the Witch's House...? And there is something very queer about this Kamiya Kaoru...
She lived in The Witch's House...
She had incredibly low Ki energy...
She was a brilliant artist, very good with her fingers and had just ran out of the room in panic.
Kenshin sighed and begun to bandage his other injuries. Once he was done, he found some clothes on the bed and put them on. They smell of Jasmine, like her...
Kamiya Kaoru...I wonder what connection does she have with Sano?
Kauro gasped again. The inhealer wasn't working as well as before. The attacks had become more frequent and every time it hits her more strongly than the last. She felt so weak. It was past midnight.
I should go and check on the black haired young man first...
Kaoru walked in and got the shock of her life. The young man was standing up and pointing the sword at her. His eyes fierce and defensive.
A/N: Revised on 9/1/06
