Rain of Blood
Digi*girl: I¡¦m back!! After so long I finally finished this chapter!! I personally appreciate this chappy very much ne! ^o^ although it was kinda sad¡Konegai review!!!!!!!!
Disclaimer: I don¡¦t own Rurouni Kenshin.
Chapter fourteen¡Xbitter revelations
¡§Can you find her?¡¨
¡§No, we¡¦ve searched everywhere!¡¨ Misao was on the verge of explode. Watching Okina¡¦s sighing expression made her cringe.
¡§What do you suppose we do?¡¨ she asked.
¡§We have to search for more.¡¨
¡§How? Evidently she¡¦s not in the Oniwabanshu territory now¡Kwho could¡¦ve taken her?¡¨
Okina was lost in deep thought. The Clan hadn¡¦t had any sorts of connections with the Kamiya kin before Himura stepped in. There were very few clues¡Kthey were running out of time.
¡§Misao,¡¨ he said, ¡§I need you to search for any false against the Kamiya kin¡Kit might be of some help.¡¨
Misao nodded eagerly and dashed away.
Tried as he might, Okina could not shake the feeling of fear away.
-----==-----
Kaoru stood on the balcony alone, watching the golden sunset. It had been days since she entered Enishi¡¦s area. The memories were slowly coming back. Her eyes began to pale as she dug deeper into her reminiscences.
¡§You like it here?¡¨
¡§I love it,¡¨
¡§You can stay forever if you want.¡¨
¡§For¡Kforever?¡¨
Kaoru was so deep in her thoughts that she didn¡¦t realize the faint footsteps behind her.
¡§Kaoru,¡¨ the voice snapped her back to reality. She whirled around to found a pair of turquoise eyes staring right back at her. Her feet became weak as fear rose within her yet again.
¡§E-Enishi,¡¨ she stuttered.
The white-haired man smiled, to her surprise. It wasn¡¦t a nasty smile or a vicious one¡Kit was of pure kindness. She raised her eyebrow delicately.
Enishi looked out to the scene behind her, his face peaceful.
¡§It¡¦s beautiful, isn¡¦t it?¡¨ he suddenly asked.
Kaoru followed his gaze and turned back to face the mountains again. ¡§Y-yes¡Kit¡¦s¡Kit¡¦s very stunning.¡¨ She finally answered.
She glanced at him sideways, doubtful about his unexpected change. However the expression on his face was so serene that it made the battling waves against her chest calm.
¡§You can say here if you want,¡¨ he said quietly.
¡§Eh?¡¨ Kaoru turned to him by surprise.
¡§Temporarily.¡¨ he added.
¡§Oh¡K¡¨ Kaoru stared down at the wooden floor. Through the cracks she could see the grains of sand beneath.
¡§I¡¦m sorry about yesterday.¡¨
Her heart raced.
¡§I shouldn¡¦t have done that¡KI guess I must¡¦ve lost my mind. Forgive me.¡¨ He said apagogically and turned to her, studying her reaction.
Kaoru stood there, dumb folded.
¡§Ano¡K¡¨ she started hesitantly, ¡§About what you¡¦ve said¡Kyesterday,¡¨ her eyes avoided his gaze and she became nervous.
¡§What is it?¡¨
¡§Have we met before?¡¨
That question.
So innocent¡Kyet it hurts so much. Enishi was taken back; his once laughing turquoise eyes faded into plain green. Kaoru blinked. She stepped forward and asked worriedly, ¡§What¡¦s wrong?¡¨
Enishi stifled his breathing and looked away. Later he put his hands in his pockets and smiled bitterly, ¡§It doesn¡¦t matter to you anyway.¡¨
A surge of pain crossed over her features slightly. Doesn¡¦t matter?
¡§It was lives ago. Compare to now, things have changed so much.¡¨ He gazed at her longingly. ¡§Don¡¦t you remember?¡¨
Kaoru¡¦s mind spinned as she lost her balance, she held onto the railings for support. ¡§I¡KI miss him.¡¨ She uttered.
Enishi took a step forward, ¡§Who?¡¨
¡§I miss him so much¡K¡¨ he could see the panic filling her features before she totally lost her balance. Enishi caught her by reflex and her face landed onto his chest softly, closing her eyes. As he felt her relax against him, he no longer took control of himself. Gently, he wrapped his arms around her fully, having the need to feel her heart beat against his once more.
¡§Kenshin¡K¡¨ she murmured.
Enishi¡¦s eyes flew open as he heard the dreadful name.
Battousai.
¡§When are you coming back¡K?¡¨ she asked softly.
Anger rose in him as his muscles tightened. So, some things hadn¡¦t changed. He wanted to kill, to see his blood dripping down from the tip of his sword.
¡§I¡¦m right here,¡¨ he managed quietly.
¡§Kenshin¡K¡¨ Kaoru breathed against his chest and smiled vaguely. ¡§Aishiteru.¡¨
Enishi¡¦s heart was on fire, it burned him and tore it to pieces. Although the words that came out of her mouth was merely a whisper, but in his heart he knew. He always had. He just didn¡¦t accept it. There he was, holding the woman he loved in his arms and she thought he was his enemy.
¡§Kaoru¡K¡¨ he whispered despairingly, ¡§Kaoru I missed you. Why can¡¦t you love me the way I love you?¡¨ he asked, barely expecting an answer from the sleeping form in his arms.
-----==-----
The Hitokiri strode heavily; cuts and bruises became scars on his skin as he limped. Blood streaked down from his eyes as he gasped in pain. He bent down on the bloody ground and coughed.
Two weeks.
He had been fighting for two, long weeks.
It had been like hell.
Blood were thinker than tears, he figured. The pain that wounded his body was blemish compare to his longing. His desire. Everyday he dreamt of the bluest eyes and the clearest laughter. It became a burden in the battle; no longer did he slaughter the men with a cruel smirk on his face, no longer did the blood poured down freely from his grasp.
¡§Himura-san, are you all right?¡¨ a man stood beside him, asking for acquaintance.
Battousai lifted his injured arm and silenced him. ¡§I¡¦m fine, go help the others.¡¨
¡§Y-yes sir.¡¨ The man hurried off.
One day, he asked himself.
Why did he come to the war in the first place?
For pride?
Freedom?
Lust?
He regretted leaving her side still. In the midst of battling he couldn¡¦t help but wonder, where was she now? Is she safe? Did she miss him? He wanted to feel her soft lips on his once again, he wanted to wrap his arms around her and never let it go.
He even thought about quitting, as a manslayer.
If Kaoru was by his side, he couldn¡¦t bring the katana to his hands.
Her smile lightened his darkest nights and her laughter made his withering heart calm.
Without her, where would he be right now? Continuing to murder and kill to the end of the world?
Just few more days. Just few hundreds of hours then he would be in the arms of Kaoru.
Just few more seconds.
Battousai lifted his head up to gaze up at the shining sun. Victory was his, he had won. They had won. The blinding lights reflected on his face as he brought up his hand to block it. Slowly, a faint smile crept upon his bruised lips as he realized,
I¡¦m going home.
-----==-----
¡§Okina! Oh kami-sama Okina!!¡¨
¡§What is it Misao?¡¨ The old man asked in alarm.
The young ninja gasped for breath and held up the half torn letter in her hands shakily. Okina took it without asking. His clouded gray eyes scanned over the letters quickly as they widened. Misao could see the expressions playing on his face. Relief, pain and bliss. He held sown the paper and sighed contently.
¡§It¡¦s over.¡¨ He said. ¡§We won.¡¨
¡§Aoshi-sama is going home¡K¡¨ Misao put her hands over her erratic heart.
¡§They¡¦re coming back. We have to prepare. Ayumi!¡¨ a girl no younger than Misao came as Okina told her the steps. She nodded and scurried off, yelling and jumping at the same time.
¡§They¡¦re back! Kami-sama they¡¦re alright!¡¨
¡§Finally, Misao. After all these months of arguing¡Kfinally. We have to thank Himura, he helped us so much.¡¨ Okina stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Tears formed in her eyes as she smiled, ¡§We will have peace again.¡¨
Okina nodded.
Misao was about to smile again when she something hit her, hard. Her lips began to tremble as she stared up at her grandfather. ¡§Okina¡KHimura-san is coming back¡Kisn¡¦t he?¡¨
¡§Of course!¡¨
¡§Then¡Kwe have no time left,¡¨ she gasped. ¡§We have no time left! What if he came back and found out that Kaoru is missing?!¡¨
-----==-----
~Few days later~
Battousai stopped in his tracks and watched as few men opened the gates of the Oniwabanshu. His heart pounded heavily as the gates opened fully, welcoming them for victory. As they stepped in, thunders of cheers deafened his ears as he winced. His injuries still hurt him occasionally. He was tired. All the energy were used up in the battle.
He saw Okina and his granddaughter, coming out of the house. Misao¡¦s face lit up as she shouted through the crowd, ¡§Aoshi-sama!!¡¨ and she ran to him. Aoshi was happy, Misao was too. So where¡¦s the source of his happiness?
¡§Himura-san,¡¨ Okina smiled as he held his hands. ¡§Thank you.¡¨
The deafening cheers around them mattered no more to Battousai. He opened his mouth. ¡§Kaoru.¡¨ He was on the verge of crumpling. His legs could carry his weak and tired body no more. But for her, he went on.
Okina¡¦s face twisted into a serious one. Battousai frowned and stepped forward.
¡§Where¡¦s Kaoru?¡¨ he demanded.
Misao and Aoshi came, standing beside them. Misao watched with a worried face as she gripped onto Aoshi tighter.
¡§I¡Kshe¡KKamiya-dono is not here, Himura.¡¨ Okina said, almost shamefully.
Kenshin wiped the blood away from his face as he felt the anger boiling. ¡§What do you mean she¡¦s not here?¡¨ it was not a question, it was an order.
Misao sensed the tense atmosphere around them as she stepped in boldly, ¡§We¡¦re sorry Himura-san. Last week Kaoru went into the woods, and that¡¦s the last we ever saw her.¡¨ She blurted. ¡§We have searched everywhere¡Kbut,¡¨ she lifted her face up, ¡§She¡¦s missing.¡¨
Time simply stopped at that moment.
The words never seemed to enter his deafening ears as he stood there, frozen. Everything became slow motion in his eyes. He breathed in the air harshly and his eyes became misty.
She¡¦s missing.
She¡¦s missing. Kaoru¡¦s missing. Gone. Disappeared. He stared in front of him, as the truth revealed before him. He closed his eyes, fearing that if he opened them the emptiness that faced him was too much to bear. Suddenly the people around him vanished. When he opened his weary lavender eyes again, he was alone. No sounds would reach him. No light. Only darkness.
His body was so tired¡Khe felt so¡Klost.
For two weeks he had been fighting, not only for himself but for her also. She selflessly told him to go, for the innocent¡¦s sake. For two weeks he had been living in hell, a day hadn¡¦t gone by with the taste of blood. Then, when all is finished, he came back. He expected to see her cheery face the instant he stepped in the doors of Oniwabanshu, but instead, he saw none. He expected to see her running up and wrapping her arms around him, telling him to never leave her side again, but instead, he was greeted by the meaningless cheers.
It was all he asked for, the safety of Kaoru. His Kaoru.
He deserved this much.
Then, reality came before him.
¡§It was all I asked for,¡¨ he breathed in sharply, ¡§For two weeks, I had been fighting. I left Kaoru under your protection!¡¨ he yelled, eyes burning.
Misao stiffened his breathing. Okina bowed his head down.
¡§Is it too much to ask for¡K?¡¨ suddenly, he couldn¡¦t hold it anymore. He broke down to tears as he bent down. The lack of energy was screaming at him to stop.
¡§Himura!¡¨
¡§Himura-san!¡¨
Kenshin could hear the faint shouts all around him. But he didn¡¦t care. His eyes were so blurry that he couldn¡¦t see.
¡§Kaoru¡K¡¨ he croaked.
With the last breath he held, the Legendary Hitokiri collapsed without a sound.