LOST ONE

AN: Warning! Adult Content Ahead!

The castle lay in darkness under a moonless night. Just as any other night, countless room lights glowed with life in anticipation for the evenings' activities.

In one room Yahiko and his young companion Ninna got dressed to hit the city clubs and social scenes. In another room Sano walked around grumbling about Megumi having to stay late at the hospital for an emergency that he didn't care to know about. And finally in yet another sector of the castle, Aoshi sat pensively still as an over enthused Misao bustled about their quarters to find something to wear.

Kenshin had already left early for the evening, or just hadn't returned from the company, no one was sure. Yet the occupants of the estate were still thoughtful about his commands regarding their nightly activities.

"Do we have to come back that early?" Ninna whinned.

"Yes, you heard Kenshin. We just can't take any chances" Yahiko calmly replied. He'd developed to be quite mature throughout the centuries and had grown more patient since his mortal years. He walked over to his object of affection and gently gave her a calming kiss on the forehead.

"We'll also have to keep our meals on the low" he added.

Ninna knew exactly what that meant and instantly scrunched up her face in detest. "What? Damnit, you mean…argh…homeless people?"

Yahiko merely responded with a nod of his head and gave her a comforting smile.

The night continued to go on that way as the occupants stirred around inside. On the second floor of the estate, in a sector that was off limits unless otherwise instructed, a frail young woman hazily opened her eyes. What should have been brilliant sapphire orbs were reduced to cloudy, tired, darkened blue eyes.

She awoke in segments of over several minutes. First shifting her sore body and being rewarded only with pain, and then feeling the hoarseness and dryness in her throat. Swallowing hard several times and again feeling the pain inside, she finally began to fully open her eyes.

Darkness was the only thing she could see at first. The room lights were off and the moonless night only added to the gloom. She rubbed over and over to wipe the sleep from her view so that she could investigate her environment further.

Finally, after the sleepy cloud lifted, she looked up the ceiling. The walls seemed to stretch forever upwards and the room was massive. The bed she lay in was entirely too large for someone as petite as herself. Its dark wooden four posts were intricately carved out.

Looking around the room she saw dramatic drapes flowing from large windows to her left and were pulled aside to let the night shine in. Ahead of the bed, to her left large French doors were carved out in between the windows. Directly in front of the bed and across the room was a large dresser and mirror. There was nothing more than identical lamps on either end atop the counter. Settees and sofas were placed to the right of the bed with a small table in between. The bed itself was flanked on either side by small tables, glowing and beeping monitors and other equipment.

Looking up once more towards the ceiling, she saw a crystal chandelier that was void of any light as well as all the lamps in the room. Everything seemed to be in heavy stone, wood, crystal and it was all foreign to her.

Her eyebrows creased in a frown as she struggled to asses her surroundings. Slowly she attempted to raise herself onto her elbows to sit up and look around some more. Yet as soon as she tried a sharp pain shot up from her stomach and shook her entire body.

Groaning in pain, she fell once more on the soft pillow and placed her right hand on the source of the ache. Feeling something foreign beneath the silk top, she lifted it and bent her head up to see what it was. Bright white bandages peaked from beneath the dark blue pajama top. She inquisitively grazed her hand over the bandages that were wrapped around her waist several times.

She then saw a peculiar thin tube protruding from the top of her hand. Looking around she saw that it stretched from the point on her hand and was linked to a plastic package filled with clear liquid. It hung on a metal stand right next to her bed. In fact more wires stretched from the machines and were connected to her chest by sticky patches.

"What the hell…" she thought while focusing on a bulge in the center of the wraps. Applying a small amount of pressure to test the area, she didn't immediately feel any pain.

She pressed with more strength again, and felt a sharp pain in response. Another groan escaped from her throat and she removed her hand at once from the sensitive region. After several more minutes of lying in silence in the dark and thinking about what to do, she decided to seek out some assistance.

Slowly she swung her lower body so that her feet dangled a few inches from the floor. Her upper body followed slightly by a diminutive pain as well. Bunching the soft sheets in tight fists she slowly rose from the bed and chose to ignore the electric shocks running up from her stomach.

She rested her right hand once more gently over the pajama top on the wound as her left arm helped to support her up. After a few moments of breathing deeply to gain more energy, she scraped off the patches that clung to her chest. Painstakingly she removed the tape over her hand and slid out the thin needle. A small pool of blood formed and she licked it off. Cautiously she slipped off the bed and stepped onto the ground.

A soft rug met her cold, numb feet and she wiggled her toes to gain some sensation back in them. After getting a better look around the room: the grand balcony just beyond the French doors, the palatial size of the room and all its expensive looking knick-knacks, and all mixed with the medical monitoring equipment that she was bound to a short time ago, she decided to venture out and find someone to help her.

"Where in the hell am I" she whispered to herself while barely being able to waddle across the massive room. Her wound still ached, but she made herself walk towards the exit.

Two impressive, wooden doors creaked open and she quietly slid outside into the hallway. Looking around the well lit hallway, she could see that it stretched down for several feet and was quite wide. No signs of life could be detected for as far as she could see. After an exhaustive groan over all the walking she'd have to do, finally she slowly began to make her way.

A regal crimson red rug stretched down the hallway's center. The wall to her left was lined with a seemingly endless array of paintings. Each one held hauntingly eerie illustrations of different portraits. Their attire, from what she could tell, was seemingly old fashioned. Yet then whenever she would try to remember where or when she was, a pounding in her head would cloud all memory. They were all solemn and she noticed not a single joyful or cheery face stared back at her.

Shuddering from the overwhelming feeling of creepiness, she decided to not look in their direction. To her right, the wall was lined with tall windows that stretched from just above her stomach and almost to the ceiling. Between every interval of windows stood small tables with fresh jasmine flowers and a table lamp atop each one.

She quickly assessed that she was in no hospital while looking out one of the windows into the night sky. Below she could see nothing more than grass and just beyond large stone walls, the dark forest. A chill ran up her spin and she decided to continue down the hallway.

"God-damn hallway is so fucking long…" she continued to curse under her breath as the pain swelled under her hand. The wound must have been quite deep if it was giving her this much discomfort.

"Does someone even live here?" she groaned aloud.

Finally the hallway turned to the left and after a short walk, she could see a grand staircase leading to the first floor. She wanted to call out for assistance, but felt incredibly stupid talking to furniture and walls. So she decided to take her chances with the long, wide staircase.

The space was well lit with extravagant chandeliers hanging from high ceilings. She only found more expensive looking furniture and trinkets. The only signs of life were the flowers expertly arranged in crystal vases.

Descending the long staircase she used the stone railings on her right and slowly inched her way down every painful step. "Fuck…argh…shit…uh…this hurts like a bitch…" she continued to mutter after every step. Her right hand held onto the railing and the left was pressed over her wound.

Growing angrier with every step, she began to loose her patience as she reached the middle of the staircase. Her muttering became louder and after stopping for a few seconds to catch her breath, she continued on.

Finally reaching the bottom, she looked around. To her left and right were hallways which presumably led into more rooms. Straight ahead there was a short, darkened hallway and just beyond it see could see a round table with a large display of fresh flowers on top of it.

Thinking for a second about leaving, she changed her mind when she moved her hand under the shirt and felt the bandages become wet slightly with her own blood. She'd just about had enough of the hide-and-go-seek games and started to yell for someone.

"HELLO!...HELLO?...IS SOMEONE HERE…" she waited for a response, "PLEASE?...IS SOMEONE HERE?"

Propping herself on a table at the foot of the staircase, she let out a heavy sigh. The walking had taken its toll on her already injured body.

Just as she continued to steady herself a young boy and girl walked out from her left. They both seemed well-dressed despite their age. The boy had chocolate brown eyes and hair and had on jeans, a shirt, and a dark blazer. The girl had green eyes and shoulder length brown hair as well. It hung around her flawless face and she was wearing a strapless, pink dress.

They looked at her with wide-eyed and perplexed stares. Before they could speak another set of voices could be heard coming from her right. This time a high-pitched squeaky voice following by its owner and a much taller man came into view.

"I've heard something…" a short girl spoke as she rounded the corner. After seeing her at the foot of the staircase, she choked on the rest of her sentence.

The girl had black hair pulled into skinny braid and was very short compared to her stone-faced, tall companion. Both seemed to be wearing formal attire, with him in a simple black suit and her in black dress pants with a shimmering black top.

Pain overpowering any cohesive thought, she decided to end the silence and get some answers. Still clutching her stomach with one hand, and using the other to stabilize her, she formed words through her pain. "Where…where I am? Who are you people?"

The two girls and young boys' mouths hung open in amazement as they continued to stare at her. The taller man however only cocked an eyebrow at her. There were no answers to her questions.

"I ASKED YOU WHERE AM I AND WHO IN THE HELL ARE YOU PEOPLE?" she asked angrily.

"Well, well, well. I see Megumi's little patient is finally up and about" a voice came from behind her.

Swirling around only to cause more discomfort, she looked up and saw a tall man in white making his way down the staircase. A red bandana was wrapped around one fist and his unruly brown hair stood on its end. He walked down the stairs with an amused expression and smirk on his face.

She swallowed again to gain more energy and feared she may pass out in the presence of these strangers. "Patient?" she started inquiring. "This doesn't look like a hospital. Who's Megumi and what does she have to do with me?"

The man only laughed at her questions as he shortened the gap between them. She felt something uneasy well inside her, but decided to stand her ground. It seemed that she was caught between five people she didn't recognize, in a place that was completely foreign to her, and it all made her very uncomfortable.

"I think WE should be the ones asking YOU the questions here missy" he said with a smug look on his face. "Who're you? And what were you doing out there in the middle of the road that night?"

Her confusion turned to frustration and was now forming into rage. "WIPE THAT GODDAMN SMIRK OFF YOUR FACE YOU ASSHOLE! I'VE BEEN STANDING HERE LIKE AN IDIOT ASKING YOU ALL WHERE THE HELL I AM AND YOU'RE STANDING THERE ASKING ME STUPID QUESTIONS THAT MAKE NO SENSE! WHAT NIGHT AND WHAT ROAD? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"

She hollered at the top of her lungs and her already dry throat became completely horse. Her wound throbbed and sent painful shivers surging through, but she wanted to remain strong. Her pride wouldn't let her break down in front of these people.

The others looked at each other in astonishment as she pressed her hand further into her shirt to stabilize the pain of the wound. "Argh, what did this to me?" she thought angrily.

"That's what we would like to know" the tall, annoying man responded.

"What did you say?" she asked completely baffled. "Did I ask that out loud?"

She was greeted with silence and felt completely exposed and defensive in front of the strangers. The short girl with the braid stepped forward hesitantly and put up her hands to show she meant no harm.

"Listen, you're bleeding a lot and you really need to get back in bed so Megumi can take a look at your wound. Megumi is um…a doctor and she lives here too." she turned back towards her tall companion, "Aoshi, please contact Megumi to get back here now!"

The man did as he was told and quietly produced a sleek, silver cell phone from his jacket pocket. He didn't press any buttons to started dialing, and walked into the hallway disappearing from her view.

"Wait! How does she know that I'm bleeding?" the confused girl thought. "I have my shirt covering the place…" Her thoughts trailed off and confusion was replaced by more anger, "Who the hell are you people? For the millionth time!" She suppressed her tone from complete blinding rage to a more stern and demanding one.

"Well my name is Misao. You heard me mention Aoshi just now. Across there are Yahiko and Ninna, and the lug behind you is Sanoske or Sano for short" she smiled back.

She had a friendly face, but something about her, something about all of them, made her uneasy. When the girl named Misao smiled at her, there was something that she swore she'd seen. "Extra teeth? No! God, I'm just being stupid now!" the introduction did little to satisfy her curiosity

The silence had left a hefty void in conversation and made Misao a bit uncomfortable. She did what was natural and read the girl's thoughts just as Sano had done, but was discrete about her findings.

"So what's your name?"

"What am I doing here and…and where is here?" she blurted back, completely ignoring the question.

"I think that Kenshin will be better able to explain that to you" came an icy, monotone reply. The tall man named Aoshi stepped out from the shadows and walked until he stood next to Misao. "Until then, you need to return to your bed so that Megumi can tend to that wound when she gets here."

He looked down at Misao and added, "She's on her way".

Misao smiled back and looked back towards the girl. The other two named Yahiko and Ninna were decidedly quiet, which she found even more disturbing than the obnoxious one named Sano.

She felt another wave of misery course through her as the throbbing wound begged to be tended to. Trying her best to muffle a groan, she cursed this day for being so lost in her own skin. "Argh…damnit…" she looked up angrily, "Can I get my questions answered NOW? And stop talking around me!"

"You sure are a feisty one" the tall man finally walked the last of the steps and now stood a few feet away from her. "I wonder what Kenshin intends to do with you when he's done…questioning you?" He gazed at her with amused eyes and slowly grazed his tongue over his shiny teeth.

Shuddering from the weirdo's around her and from the pain, she felt her body becoming weaker by the moment. She needed to sit, or lay down, but then she'd be completely defenseless against them.

Just then a door was heard opening from in front of them. She looked through the hallway, towards the round table, and saw several of the flowers and leaves blowing in a draft. After a large slam reverberated through the space and shook her, the draft died down.

"What in the…"

Just then a figure came into view in the doorway. His face was momentarily hidden in the shadows of the doorway. He wore a dark suit with a sleek black trench coat that flowed behind him as he walked. Actually as she tried to focus harder it almost seemed as if he were gliding in. "No…I must be getting delirious" she thought.

He walked straight towards her and she could finally make out his features. Blazing red hair secured up high in a pony tail whipped behind him. His bangs framed his flawless features: chiseled and strong jaw, full lips, and a perfect nose. But his most distinctive feature was his penetrating amber eyes that seemed to glow right into her. In fact his intense gaze pinned her in mid air and she momentarily forgot about her pain. "Who IS this guy?"

Within seconds he was before her and she could've sworn she heard him growl under his breath. She wanted to repeat her anger and her questions towards him, but couldn't. Her voice was caught in her throat and for some reason her heart raced with anticipation over what he would say to her.

He continued to glare at her with piercing eyes and she mentally begged to be free of it. Just then he blinked and looked towards the man standing besides her.

"Sano, what's going on here?" he demanded. His voice was smooth, deep and seemed to echo throughout the space.

Sano crossed his arms across his chest and answered. "She seems to have wondered out of her room and is demanding some answers." He looked towards her now and smirked again.

"Argh" she couldn't stand his annoying smirk, "what in the hell are you looking at like that?" Remembering her anger and frustration, she finally snapped of her stupor after seeing the amber-eyed man.

After not getting an answer from Sano, she looked towards the red-head and this time wanted answers.

"What IS this? Why am I here? And STOP talking around me!" she glared back at him.

For the first time since he'd brought her with him, Kenshin saw her. Really saw her because she was actually awake. For a moment he saw the image from the vision again, but forced himself to focus on the reality before him.

"Blue…" he observed. Her eyes were blue and she looked fierce with the anger that coursed through her. He'd felt a strong heart-beat as he neared the estate and was shocked at her strength. Yet the smell of her bleeding wound gave away just how much pain she was in. He could easily read her thoughts and was not surprised at the effect he had on her.

Standing there wounded and in pain, he was surprised at her intensity and decided to at least humor her for the time being.

"My name is Kenshin Himura and they are…" he started in his charming tone.

"We've all already been introduced!" she interrupted.

"Actually…not quite! We still don't know your name missy" Sano added.

Kenshin looked back towards her and waited for a response; they all did.

After a heavy sigh she decided to go along, "Argh, fine! My name is … um…my name is…" Her mind was completely cloudy and she struggled to remember. The words were at the tip of her tongue it seemed, but her brain wouldn't form them. "Wait...my name…what's my name?" she thought.

Her eyes searched in a panic around the room, looking from one person to the next. She was completely silent, her mouth still open in confusion over the words that wouldn't come out.

Kenshin narrowed his gaze on her and read her thoughts, as all of them did. They communicated telepathically with one another.

Kenshin: "She doesn't remember her name. No one say anything yet, we don't want to alarm her."

Misao: "How weird! What do you suppose the problem is?"

Ninna: "I think she's already alarmed!"

Sano: "I guess the little missy isn't so tough after all. So much for her answering OUR questions."

Aoshi: "It could be from the trauma, I've seen it in many accident victims. Battousi, I've already contacted Megumi and she's on her way. But the girl is bleeding badly as you already know."

Yahiko: "What do we do with her?"

Kenshin: "We'll have to deal with it until Megumi gets back. Have you all been out for the evening?"

Yahiko & Ninna: "No."

Sano: "Nah."

Misao: "No, me and Aoshi-sama were just on our way out."

Kenshin: "Fine, I'll deal with her, but you all cannot leave the castle until further notice. No one can. You know what to do about feeding."

They all understood the orders and silently agreed. Even Sano understood the tone in Kenshin's voice and dared not to object.

"How's your wound? You seem to be in a lot of pain. Why not rest for a moment and wait for Megumi to arrive. Then we can try and figure out everything else?" he assured her.

She was still in shock and didn't seem to hear him at all. She saw the world spinning out of control around her. Being in a strange place, with extensive wounds, and now she couldn't even remember who she was or from where. The people around her seemed to have everything to hide and she didn't trust them for a minute. Did she know them? Did they know her? "No, otherwise they'd know who I am."

The one called Kenshin however seemed to be in charge and she struggled to assess his motives. But she was in no position to fight, run, or even argue any further. Her wound was in dire need of attention and she began to loose all feeling in her body.

Finally with the physical and mental stress becoming too overwhelming, her legs wobbled and she began to fall. The world began to close in on her as darkness once again overshadowed reality.

Kenshin and Sano easily caught her before she hit the ground. Kenshin scooped her up in his arms. "You all have some time before Megumi comes and checks on her. After I get a status on her from Megumi, I will call a meeting."

With that he ascended the staircase and disappeared from view.

"A perfectly good evening gone to waste over some stupid wench who doesn't even know her own name" Ninna retorted sourly.

"Relax" Yahiko purred into her ear, "We have to get all this sorted out. It's just one night" and they both walked back towards their quarters.

"Well, I guess it's the backup supply for us" Misao huffed, slightly miffed. Without a response from Aoshi, the two walked off in the direction of the sub chambers.

Meanwhile Kenshin gently rested the unconscious young woman back into her bed. He noticed how she'd removed her own tubes and patches and had made it downstairs. Gently he brushed aside some stray hairs from her face and looked down at her delicate face.

After his monotonous work day had expired, he'd decided to indulge himself with yet another female acquaintance. She was an attractive socialite; a raven-haired beauty with attractive dark eyes, long toned legs that she loved to show off, and a newly implanted set of breasts. The rich and spoiled daughter of an arms dealer who was quite enchanted with him, as they all were. Her name was Tomoe and she was just another conquest for him.

The rich and powerful seemed perfectly tame and cultured in their daily lives. Especially when it came to putting forth a public image, but Kenshin new it was all farces. They paid good money to be photographed and 'seen' at the right times in the right places, with the right people.

But their nighttime activities were much more suitable for S&M clubs. Between cults and clubs, Kenshin hadn't met a woman unwilling to bend to him. His new pet Tomoe was similar.

In the eyes of the public and her family Tomoe was quite cultured and refined. She had dual degrees in sociology and psychology and was well on her way to becoming a professor. She had an air of regality mixed with the usual dose of snootiness to her. At first he wined and dined her at extravagant restaurants, nothing that she wasn't already used to.

But daddy's little princess had a much darker side. She constantly indulged in drugs and frequented exclusive underground clubs, which is where he met her. He'd introduced her into his dark world and enjoyed toying with her constantly.

One minute he was her dark and seductive lover. The next, he would thrash her slender body violently under him. She was aroused no matter what his games and therefore thought nothing of him leaving his tiny bite marks over her soft flesh. This particular night he'd left another discrete mark where he'd suckled the soft flesh just between her inner thigh and pelvic joint.

"Aah Kenshin" she breathed heavily and buried her fingers in his hair. He purred back to give her some satisfaction even though nothing she did ever excited him. In stead he went back to the tender spot and pierced the skin slightly to see a small pool of blood form. Finally the fire inside ignited with fury at the sight of the blood as it slid down the side of her skin. He traced his tongue over it and savored the taste.

He was able to sense that she'd been with other men besides him that day; it was never a secret as she knew he was with other women. His primitive side insisted that she was his. There was no love or emotional attachment, just an animalistic need to control them all; they were his objects to play and destroy as he wished.

She moaned from the pleasure and he looked up to see a fevered bruise appear on her flesh. The rage swelled inside him, and his body demanded that he take her blood. But he controlled his hunger knowing full well that her death would cause too much alarm. Instead he slipped two fingers inside of her wet core and she began to writhe in ecstasy as he pounded in and out of her.

He was not being gentle and her moans were a mix between primitive cries and inaudible babble. He began to move his tongue up her stomach and ended at the valley between her breasts where he suckled on a tender mound; his fingers never stopped slamming in and out of her. After extracting more blood to pacify his enraged hunger a while longer, he entered her with three fingers extracting near screams of pain and rapture.

Looking down as he assaulted her body repeatedly he grinned devilishly, "I enjoy making you scream like the whore you are."

He was careful not to arouse her suspicion of his motives, and so had to quench his thirst with the blood of some poor wondering soul that none would miss.

Kenshin looked down at the slumbering, unidentified girl and traced his finger down her slender neck. His body tingled with anticipation and demanded to taste her, but he held back. Throughout the centuries he'd gained complete control over his primal needs, or so he liked to think.

His sensitive nose picked up on the coopery smell of her blood as it leaked through the stitches. The rise and fall of her chest indicated that she was fast asleep now. Her lips were dry and parched from the weeks of bed rest and he couldn't help but gently lick them. She didn't taste like the women he was with, it was something else and he couldn't tell what. She was an enigma to him and he was fascinated as well as enraged. If she didn't remember who she was or even the events of that night, than what good was she to him?

Keeping her here would almost guarantee her finding out their true nature and that would mean another dead human. But something told him letting her go was not an option either. He wanted to probe her head and find the answers to his questions, and again the images from the vision flashed before him.

He'd heard of recent attacks on humans and again the mark of the wolves was seemingly all over it. Police reports indicated more bodies that were found were savagely torn apart. The corpses were in such bad condition, that immediate identification was impossible. Kenshin could feel the tension rising with every discovery and detested the fact that he just didn't know for sure who was responsible. Regardless of the methods he would have to employ, this human would have to tell him what happened that night.

"You seem to be becoming more trouble with each passing moment. I hope what you have to say is worth it all, for your sake" he purred dangerously at the unconscious young woman.

He rose from her side and walked out onto the grand balcony. The night's air would clear his mind and he waited for Megumi to arrive. A short while later after the doctor had finally come and checked on the patient, she reported back to him.

"Well, she certainly did good work of nearly popping all her stitches, but they held strong with only some bleeding. She probably passed out from not eating in so long and then just popping out her intravenous glucose feed. The girl is quite a brut" she added. Removing her plastic gloves she continued, "As far as memory loss is concerned, I really won't know what sort of cranial damage she has until we conduct a scan. But from what I can gather and what you've told me, it looks like her brain's gone into shock from the trauma. Subconsciously, her mind is repressing those memories, it's not that uncommon. But it is bad news for us."

"When will she be able to remember?" he huffed looking out into the dark sky.

"I can't say. In some cases the amnesia is for a short period of time, maybe until a similar event triggers the memory. And in other cases it can last for the rest of her life. I'll have to conduct more tests."

"Perfect. Our star witness has memory loss. What's to say I shouldn't just ripe one of those veins out her neck and probe into her brain that way?" His tone was filled with anger and hate.

"Because you know as well as I do that those memories will still be clouded. You'll only see fragments and obviously she'd be dead by the time you finish. Then we'd still have little to no information." She was right, as always.

"Inform the others that I would like a meeting with them now" he sneered. Patience wearing thin, he was in no mood to be questioned, but was now unsure of what to do with their new house guest.

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Well that's that for now. Please leave a review and let me know what you think. I know right now the mystery only thickens, but soon all questions will be answered.

Thanks again for the support to all of you that have reviewed.