Chapter 14: Forget
Yahiko yawned widely, stretching his arms as his eyes squinted closed. He wiped the tears that had squeezed out, then mumbled, "It's getting late and I'm getting sleepy."
Kaoru grinned mischievously, "Well, it is past your bedtime, right, Yahiko-chan?"
Yahiko shot a glare at her. "Shaddup, I sleep so I'm not cranky like you."
Kaoru was about to retort, but Kenshin stopped her hastily. "This one wonders if the assassin really will be back for Kyuuso-dono."
"Hmm, I don't know," Kaoru shrugged, going back to the newspaper she was reading. They all went back to what they had been doing, until each one looked up with a strangely surprised look on their face.
"Er, where is Kyuuso, anyway?" Sanosuke asked the room, echoing the thoughts that were in each of the Kenshin-gumi's minds.
"What if he…" Kaoru trailed off, her eyes widening. "Oh no!" Everyone scrambled to their feet as Sanosuke slid the door open hurriedly and made his way down the walk way.
"We have to find him!" Kaoru exclaimed, still wide-eyed. "He won't stand a chance if…" She shook her head, throwing out the frightening thoughts as she ran to the gate with the others in tow. "We'll split up and search through town!" Her fists were clenched in determination as she slid the door open.
"Hello!" a little voice squeaked amiably. They all looked down to see none other than the little mouse man himself, standing outside with his usual unnerving little grin. "Are we going somewhere?" The Kenshin-gumi all sweatdropped.
"You…! You BAKA!" Kaoru roared, shaking the small man silly, dragging him inside. "WHY THE HELL DID YOU LEAVE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT?"
"I had some errands to take care of!" he squeaked miserably as Kaoru dumped him on the walkway, and he bowed humbly. "I couldn't help it!" Kaoru gritted her teeth angrily as she glared down at him. She wished more than anything that she could pound him into the ground, but knew that killing him would be pointless since they were trying to protect him. Why did she have to be such a good person?
"Sano." Kenshin's serious voice drew her out of her thoughts. "They're here." Everyone turned to the large wall which Kenshin was gazing at with piercing blue eyes. Not five seconds after he said this, a hooded figure had hopped over it and down into the yard, shouldering a large naginata.
The clouds that covered the large moon above them plunged them into temporary darkness, but when they passed a pair of bright green eyes could be seen glinting from under the hood.
"Oi, Kenshin," Sano muttered to his friend. "That one's different than the one from the other night."
"Which means that it is probably an organization that is killing these people," Kenshin replied darkly, knitting his eyebrows. He stepped forward, left hand ready on the hilt of his sakabatou as he frowned at the intruder.
"If you are here to kill Kyuuso-dono, be warned that this one will not stand idly by," Kenshin stated seriously. "Please leave now; this one would prefer to avoid conflict." The assassin didn't answer, but twirled the naginata into a fighting pose in response. "Very well," Kenshin sighed, lowering his eyes in disappointment. Why didn't anyone ever listen to him when he told them to just get lost? "Shall we begin?"
The assassin charged, striking with a wide arc to the left, forcing Kenshin to draw his sakabatou. They held their position for a while, gauging each other's strength. Kenshin gazed fiercely into his challenger's eyes.
Nothing. Just… determination.
His challenger's eyes were empty from all emotion, from all life. The green eyes stared dully back at him, with no hatred or even a bit of annoyance. All this person wanted to do was finish their task and move on.
The challenger jumped back suddenly, stabbing his pole into the ground as he landed. Kenshin arched his eyebrow, wondering why he had gotten out of his defensive position.
The assassin put his right hand up in front of his face, parallel with his body so Kenshin could still see his features as he closed his eyes in concentration.
A wave of energy washed over him, submerging him in a feeling so intense, so primitive that it shocked Kenshin into stepping back, his whole body tensing as he clenched his teeth. The fear that was coursing through him was foreign to him; he had never experienced anything like it, even during the Bakumatsu. It was as if the feeling had been implanted into him, as if it was something that was beyond his ability to control and was part of his very being.
As if it was gripping him so harshly simply because he was human.
"Sano… what's wrong with Kenshin?" Kaoru asked, worry coating her voice. "He looks… scared." Sano didn't answer, gritting his teeth as he stared at Kenshin and the challenger with wide eyes.
Something was wrong. Very wrong. He could sense it too, as if it was almost tangible. Something in the air was pushing its way towards him, and it made his stomach knot and his insides squirm with an unknown feeling.
Kaoru gasped, her indigo eyes widening with shock as tears formed in them, watching Kenshin fall to the ground after a flurry of swings.
"Kenshin!" she yelled, clutching her hands together as she attempted to run forward. She was stopped by a large hand on her shoulder, however, and looked up to see that it was Sanosuke's. His face was set, his usually bright eyes now grim as they gazed at the assassin. Without a word he stepped off the walkway and made his way to Kenshin, avoiding the assassin, who had his head bowed, blocking his face from view.
"Kenshin, you okay?" Sano asked as he leaned down to his friend, who was kneeling on the ground, leaning heavily on the sakabatou that was stuck into the ground. Kenshin looked up at him, breathing heavily, with blue eyes that stared back at him perplexedly.
"This one has--has never felt such an aura," Kenshin said slowly as he looked back down at the ground. "It was…indescribable."
"Yeah, I think I know what you mean," Sano said, looking at the back of the assassin. "I felt something too." Kenshin continued to breathe with effort as he stood up, clutching his side where he had been hit.
"There's something very wrong with this challenger," Kenshin frowned. "All this one can pick up from him is determination. Nothing more, not even blood-lust or regret."
Sano put his hand on the rurouni's shoulder, not shifting his gaze from the assassin, "Kenshin, let me take care of this guy. I can't sense battle aura as well as you can, so it'll be least likely to affect me as much."
"He's still very skilled, Sano," Kenshin said, also gazing at the assassin. "This one doubts it would be a very easy fight even without aura."
"It's okay, Kenshin," Sano grinned easily. "I'll think of something." Kenshin gave a small sigh, then nodded at his friend.
"All right, Sano, this one will leave this to you for now." He walked away, also avoiding the assassin as he made his way to where Kaoru was waiting anxiously.
"Oi! You're fighting me now!" Sano announced boldly, pounding his fist into his palm. The assassin flinched, but turned to face Sanosuke anyway.
Jade green eyes widened as a line of blood appeared on his right cheek as part of the hood fell away.
"Heh," Sanosuke grinned haughtily, "It seems Kenshin got in more hits than he thought." He dug his feet into the ground, bracing himself. "Well, since I'm now the challenger, I guess I'll attack first."
He charged quickly, drawing his fist back in preparation for the first strike. He swung it down on the assassin, but it was aptly blocked by the staff of the naginata. Sano made a sort of grunt as he pulled back his left fist, also bringing it down towards the assassin's head. The assassin dodged quickly, then dodged again as Sano attempted to strike again. He kept blocking and dodging the heavy blows Sanosuke was raining down on him, but never once tried to go into the offensive.
Sano jumped back, breathing heavily as he frowned. The assassin stood still, yet even in soft moonlight Sanosuke could see him shaking. He glanced up at Sanosuke, meeting his eyes just for a split second.
Sanosuke didn't need to be a master at reading emotions like Kenshin, he knew despair when he saw it.
The naginata clattered to the ground as the assassin dropped it, pulling a shaky hand up to cradle his forehead.
I can't… I can't let this through…
I have to control this pain for now…
I… have to be strong…
I…
Long waves of soft brown cascaded down as the torn hood finally gave way, framing the face that was covered with trembling fingers. She felt the fear in her swell to enormous pressure, making her chest feel like it was going to burst open to relieve it.
"…Kyouri…?" she heard him gasp. What was that in his voice? Disbelief? Horror? Hatred?
She looked through the fingers that were sheltering her from his gaze, just one jade eye managed to take in his face.
Horror.
There was horror in his face. Horror that she would be doing this. Horror that she would be killing people.
"I can't believe… that I ever loved a monster like you…"
Everything stopped. The buzzing in her mind suddenly calmed down as her ragged breath evened out. She was no longer shaking, and her tense muscles relaxed as she let out a long breath.
This doesn't change anything.
She remembered the vow she had made to herself before she entered the dojo.
That look of horror proved it. Sanosuke would never accept her for what she had become and what she was.
She stood up, her relaxed body gliding upwards with as little effort possible as she held onto the naginata. She looked at Sanosuke, meeting his gaze unflinchingly as she let herself enter an almost dreamlike state.
Nothing matters anymore. The only goal I have now is to kill Gesshimoku Kyuuso.
She lunged forward fluidly, attacking him with brutal and well executed strikes that came after weeks of training with Say. He attempted to block most of them, but he was losing ground, and she could sense that.
He wouldn't last much longer.
Soon she could finish off this assignment and go back…
…back…
…home…
She had stopped, she realized, and looked up to see that she had him pinned. The blade of her naginata was centimeters away from his throat, hovering dangerously close as he gazed down at her with intense brown eyes.
"What's wrong?" he asked angrily. "Aren't you gonna kill me?"
Kill you…? Should I?
You're in the way, and what's one more life?
It would be so easy. He was right there. All she had to do was…
"You're my friend…"
"You don't have to… Captain Sagara will talk to him and you can stay here."
"You've been running for the past ten years to keep away from him so you could control your own life, but even if he's not here physically he's still managing to do that! If you really want to take control of your own life, then do what you want, when you want, without worrying about that bastard!"
"I won't leave without telling you. I promise."
She looked up at him, meeting his eyes once again. The same honey brown eyes that had gazed at her reassuringly as she cried, that had tears in them as she said goodbye, that had forced her to realize that there was more to life than living, that had gazed down at her gently while he made the promise that would stay with her for the rest of her life.
/--/
This was… Sanosuke.
/--/
She couldn't kill this man.
Her gaze fell, looking anywhere but at his eyes. Anywhere but at him. Anywhere but at Sanosuke.
/--/
That's when she saw him.
/--/
So many things happened in a split second that Kyouri found herself on autopilot. Suddenly, it wasn't her hearing Kaoru's piercing scream, it wasn't her striking Sanosuke with the staff of the naginata so he was knocked to the ground, it wasn't her stepping back as she heard them crack through the night, echoing around the yard and muffling the sounds of the trees or of the people around her.
It was as if the gunshots suddenly deafened her.
He felt numb, turning his gaze towards her just as the realization that someone had shot a gun dawned on him.
Everything seemed so much quieter after the sudden explosion of sound.
He saw her look down, saw the surprise in her eyes as she touched her chest gingerly. He watched as she gazed at her crimson covered hands, smiling weakly with disbelief.
She looked down at him, then pulled the scarf around her mouth off slowly, letting it fall to the ground behind her.
The words that she said next were louder than anything he had ever heard before, even though she only whispered them faintly.
"Sano… I'm so sorry…"
She collapsed suddenly, crumpling under the extreme weight of the thick black robes around her. He looked at her with uncertainty, as if unsure why she was on the ground, her long brown hair covered in dirt as blood spread around her, even though he knew exactly what had happened.
"I… I did it…"
A shaky voice snapped him out of his half-conscious state. He looked up, eyes still wide, at the small man that was standing by Kyouri's feet.
"I killed her…" The man seemed to be squeaking, sucking in air around him in such a strange manner that it took Sanosuke a second to comprehend that he was laughing.
"I killed her!" he exclaimed proudly. "I DID IT!"
Sanosuke was up in a flash, glaring down at the pathetic little man that was still laughing insanely. He grabbed him by the collar, lifting him roughly as he made gagging noises.
"No one…" Sano growled as anger burned in him. "No one interferes with my fights." The small man squirmed as he attempted to pull his clothes out of Sanosuke's grip, begging for forgiveness, although the manic grin was still on his face.
Sano threw him to the ground, towering over him as he clenched his fist threateningly, "Get the hell out of here before I pound you an inch from death," he growled through clenched teeth. The little man cringed, jumping as if suddenly burned, and bolted out of the dojo, fleeing into the night and rejoicing in life.
Kenshin, Kaoru, and Yahiko walked cautiously to Sanosuke, who was looking down at Kyouri with his back towards them, "aku" fluttering slightly in the soft breeze.
"Sanosuke…?" Kaoru asked hesitantly. He didn't answer, and she cast a look of anxiousness at Kenshin. "What do we do?" she asked Kenshin in a hushed voice.
"Yahiko," Sano said, without turning. "Go get Megumi." Yahiko glanced at Kenshin, who nodded, then began running to the door after casting a last look at Sanosuke and Kyouri's body.
Sanosuke leaned down, resting on his haunches before reaching down and picking Kyouri up, her blood dying his sleeves and chest red.
"Kaoru, get a futon ready," he said. Kaoru nodded, and ran inside hurriedly.
"Sano…" was all Kenshin could say. Sano didn't answer, but made his way inside, following Kaoru.
Kyouri… what is going on?
Note: Fairy Mage pointed out to me that Kenshin has purple eyes. Weeeelll, this fic is based mostly off the manga, and in the manga he has blue eyes, and I'm just picky that way, soo…
Kyuuso is sooo creepy. How the hell did that happen?
Woot! I got to finish this chapter before the Mexico trip, which is good for all you people, but is kind of bad since I left it in a cliffhanger and it'll take me a while to get the next chapter down. Please be patient, I'm doing the best I can!
I kind of liked this chapter. This is the part of the story that I copied from my last version of this fic (the last version was so weird, you have no idea). But if you think this chapter was dramatic, wait and see what's gonna happen next (heh heh).
Reviewer Responses:
K.T. Youko: Yeah, I can see why you would feel sorry for Obi-wan. Anakin's just an idiot, so it's hard to feel sorry for him (I started laughing when he was all "nooOoOoOoOoo!"). Eh, gomen, but there are sad scenes in this chapter and plenty more to come!
Fairy Mage: Okay, so now you can hail Sano (-hails Sano, then glomps him-). As Sano would put it, they're not coincidences, dammit! It's FATE! Nah, I start to cringe sometimes with the dubbed versions (IT BURNS US!). I wouldn't worry about not keeping up with me, you're pretty fast yourself (oh yah, "ready tomorrow" is it?).
OmasuOniwabanshu: (-glomps Omasu-) T-T My OC's aren't fungus! YAY! Guess what! Your fic inspired me and now I think I may do a Sou-kun fic! Maybe, depends if I can come up with a good enough story line that's not too corny. (-grin!-)
WhiteRabbit5: That letter will come up later, he didn't notice those comments since he was too busy freaking out about the fact that Kyouri was, in fact, not in China (poor guy must've felt so dejected). If Kyuuso was flirting with Kaoru, then Kenshin would've switched into Battousai mode and KO'd the little creep. Sorry I made him into such a maniac, but I didn't like him at ALL (people like that annoy me, he reminds me of Peter Pettigrew from HP -bleh-). Oh, yah, I should change that summary, ne? I was just trying to get more people to read my fic (I'm ALWAYS trying to do that), though I dont' think it worked so well. Any suggestions? Well, this is my out-of-school gift to you, a quick update! (-confetti!-). (I doubt I would've tried so hard if it wasn't for your review).
Rayne-chan: Yes, I have issues. How else would I be able to write this fic? Well, glad you liked it, de gozaru!
