O.k Just to let y'all know, just if you got a author alert.this is not A
new chapter.I moved this chapter to make way for the missing chapter .
AN/ Well I told you that I would update.-_- though It did take awhile..b- but It's here so now we can all be happy. This chapter is not as long as the last one but hopefully they will not get any shorter. I would like to thank Shadow girl and Brittanie Love for their reviews and I hope that the looonnnggg wait was worth it. Oh yeah and a point that I think I forgot to make in the last chapters, Please forgive the typos.the typo demons are everywhere.
Disclaimer: I don't own RK..-_-...* sigh*
Devotion
By
Melissa ( aka) angle
Chapter 3
Karou helped Tanako roll out her bedroll in the room that Yahiko offered to her.
" I hope Yahiko doesn't mind too much about me taking his room." Tanako said, as she put away her few belongings.
" Oh I don't think he was too upset," Karou said reassuringly, " He virtually skipped down the hall to Kenshin's room." Karou knew in fact that Yahiko didn't mind at all about sharing a room with Kenshin, the boy was overjoyed at being able to be with his mentor. In the back of her head Karou wished it could have been her sharing the room with him. ' bad Karou, don't think such thoughts'
At the front of the Dojo Kenshin was saying goodbye to Sano, who was still trying to convince Kenshin that taking in Tanako was a bad idea, but he was failing miserably.
" I'm telling you Kenshin, keeping her here is a bad idea. Besides she's dangerous; I've heard about her, very good at stalking, especially at night. Besides being called Tanto, I've heard people call her Death in Darkness. And the Onozawa gang is not to be taken lightly" Sano leaned up against a post of the dojo porch. " She'll bring nothing but trouble here."
Kenshin sighed, and sat down of the wooden floor. "I thought the same thing about myself when I first came here Sano." In fact he still thought about it. Kenshin knew that staying here had complicated Kaoru's life extremely.
"Yeah but that's different. Any trouble you attract, you can handle." Sano drawled as he turned to leave.
Kenshin grew very serious, and slowly climbed to his feet and turned to go back into the house. "Sano.." he called, not turning around to the teenager. Sano stopped and faced Kenshin's back. "I may be able to handle the dangers I bring here, so I'm sure I can handle the dangers she might bring here. However, I want you to be on the look out for anyone who might resemble this gang you talk of.also.I wish for you to treat her well, she has had a hard life and she only wants to leave it behind.like you want to leave behind you nickname." Kenshin turned his head to look back at Sano and smiled sadly. "Karou seems to attract people running from their past doesn't she? Even you, an underground gangster, who had attacked me twice.she even took you in, that she did."
Sano stared at Kenshin as he silently went back into the house. He suddenly felt very guilty; Kenshin was right, he himself was just as dangerous, and Karou had never thought twice about helping him when he declared his wanting to leave his gangster nickname. He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to leave, he would respect Kenshin's wishes but he would never let his guard down around her.
~~~~~~~
Kenshin slid open the screen door to his room and looked at Yahiko as he slept soundly. Satisfied that the boy was well adjusted to his new sleeping arrangement, he silently slid the screen shut and continued down the hall to Tanako's room. There was something very important he had to tell her. Keeping his identity a secret could only complicate things later and Kenshin knew that it would be a good thing if she knew. "Tanako-dono? Karou- dono? May I come in?" he asked, Karou immediately greeted him as she slid the screen aside. Though greeting may have been the wrong word.
"Kenshin," she said, her voice sounding a bit peeved, her eyes narrowing accusingly. "Why are you wanting to come into a young woman's room at this time of the night."
Kenshin wasn't too surprised at Karou's suspicion; he had seen how the presence of almost any woman would drive Karou into a jealous frenzy. It was half the reason Kenshin was so surprised when Karou agreed to have Tanako stay with them. "Oro?..Oh I just wanted to speak with Tanako-dono Karou that's all. You're welcomed to stay; in fact I would much prefer if you did, that I would."
Karou's face lit up, " Oh all right then," she turned and hopped over and kneeled next to Tanako who had been listening with much amusement. Kenshin made a mental note to himself to bring Megumi over in the morning to check Karou; he didn't want her hopping all the time. He could only imagine the mishap's that could occur. Kenshin walked in the softly lit room and kneeled in front of both girls. Tanako bowed low, almost touching her head to the floor.
" I wish to thank you, Karou, Kenshin, for allowing me to remain here even now that you know my past." She said, sitting back up and keeping her eyes downcast.
Karou was unused to the showing of respect, being that the only one who showed her any type of respect was Kenshin, and the presence of Yahiko sort of canceled it out, so she was very much surprised at Tanako's formal thank you. "You don't need to thank us." Karou said softly, placing a hand on Tanako's shoulder.
"The Kamiya Dojo has been a place where other's come for protection," Kenshin said. "The main Idea of the Kamiya style is to protect." Tanako sighed and looked up at them, wondering how such people survived in the world with such passive beliefs.
Kenshin continued, "Now that you are staying here, I feel that you must know about me and my past." He ignored Karou's surprised look. "It would be safer for you to know. I have been a wanderer for almost eleven years, but before I was a wander I was a warrior, a killer. I worked for the government, helping to bring on the revolution. I was known as Hiktori Battousai." Kenshin paused as he saw the words sink in to Tanako's mind.
"The Manslayer?" she asked in a whisper, her eyes wide and unbelieving. Tanako was not as surprised as she sounded. She knew the whole time that Kenshin was someone special, that he seem to have another person deep inside him, but Battousai?.she never could have imagined. She remembered hearing his name almost every day during the revolution, she was ten years old and had always thought about what it was about the Manslayer that made everyone so frightened of him. It wasn't until she herself had seen the aftermath of one of his battles did she understand the strength this man had.
" Kenshin hasn't gone by any of those names for years. After the revolution he became a wanderer." Karou looked over at Kenshin as he sat silently, his eyes bright and violet despite the shadows from the candle light playing across his face, yet she knew that painful memories were flowing behind them. "He swore never to kill again, and he hasn't."
Tanako blinked at this information and looked over at the silent ex- samurai. "But Kenshin, if you swore never to kill again, how is it that you can protect people?"
"With this," he said as he took his sakabatou off his belt and handed it to her. Karou was surprised, Kenshin almost never allowed anyone to touch his sword, especially her. He must think that Tanako was able to handle such a weapon with out it influencing her mind. Tanako took the sword in both hands and looked up at Kenshin, then at Karou, a confused look graced her face. They remained silent, not knowing what to do or say, Tanako griped the hilt of the sword and slowly unsheathed it. She almost dropped it when the sword jumped towards her as it was released from its sheath.
"This blade is.reversed." Tanako said in amazement as she watched the light of the lanterns and candles play across the mirror-like surface. " It would be impossible to kill anything with this."
"Quite impossible." Kenshin agreed.
" Only if the sword was flipped around, could Kenshin kill." Karou added. ".but that sort of thing.doesn't happen very often." Karou bowed her head slightly as past memories replayed in her mind.
Tanako turned the sword in her hand so the blade faced in the correct position. It felt alien to her, to hold a sword whose blade was on the inside curve. The tone that Karou talked in said to Tanako that when Kenshin did flip the sword around, he intended to kill. Yet Karou said he had never broke his oath, he must have been able to control himself enough not to. She looked up at Kenshin, he gazed right back at her with his large violet eyes, calm and serene. Tanako often heard about how the Battousai's very gaze could freeze a man in their tracks, and make even the bravest tremble in fear. Yet his eyes also brought hope and happiness. A sudden leap of hope zinged though Tanako as she realized she was under the protection of the fiercest and most feared man in Tokyo, perhaps in all of Japan. If anyone could help her it would be him.
Tanako sheathed the sakabatou and handed it back to Kenshin. "Thank you for telling me this."
"It is for your own protection." Kenshin said as placed his sword on the ground on his left side. "There are many men who are hunting for me and I thought it best that you be forewarned, that I do. Though from what Sano tells me, you can care for yourself quite well, is this true?" Tanako nodded
" Yes, I have been trained in the arts of battle for fourteen years. I have killed many, and robbed more than I care to think." Tanako said, casting her eyes to the ground.
" Fourteen years!" Karou exclaimed, for even she had hardly seen that many years of training herself. " How old are you?"
" Twenty" Tanako replied. Her answer caused Kenshin's eyes to widen and Karou to gasp.
"That means that you started training at the age of six." Karou whispered. " Was that when you were brought to the gang?" " Not brought,.taken..Um," Tanako shifted and the first signs of tears showed themselves. Kenshin and Karou understood and stopped her from further diving into her past; one that she was obviously was not ready to face yet.
" We should say goodnight, that we should." Kenshin said gently as he stood, taking up his sakabatou in one hand, and helping Karou to stand with the other.
" Yes, Goodnight Tanako, You'll be safe here, so don't worry." Karou said, hopping with the aid of Kenshin out of the room. She paused and turned, " Thank Kami for who ever it was that gave you your chance to escape."
Tanako held back a gasp and nodded, not trusting her voice to be steady when she talked. But she swallowed and forced herself to talk anyway. " Yes, Goodnight Karou, Kenshin, and thank you again for what you are doing for me." Both Kenshin and Karou bowed their heads slightly and left the room, sliding the screen silently shut behind them; and leaving Tanako alone with her thoughts.
~~~~
" I hope she will be alright." Karou whispered, as Kenshin helped her down the hall to her room.
" I believe it will take some time for her to adjust, But I'm sure she will be just fine Karou, that I do." Kenshin turned when they reached her room. He gazed at Karou's eyes, darker now that there was little light to show off their sapphire color. Kenshin placed his hand on her cheek, " I was surprised today,. that you were willing to take Tanako in."
Karou blushed at Kenshin's touch. " Well I,..must admit, she reminds me of you. Perhaps that's why I was fine with it."
Kenshin bowed his head, hiding his smile with his fiery bangs. " I must admit something to. the reason I brought up that we should take her in, was so maybe you would not be so angry with me for always disliking your abundance of trust on those we do not even know." His hand slid down to grasp hers.
Karou laughed softly. "Oh, is that why?" she then grew serious. "Well, It seems that our drive to please each other, has brought Tanako to us. She, who is in need of help, was brought straight to us. We must protect her."
" Yes, that we must.you and I." Kenshin whispered, looking up at her though his bangs for a moment. Then, he reached out and tipped Karou's face to him, and he placed a firm kiss on her cheek. He lingered for a second, then another, and another, until he forced himself to release her.
" Goodnight Kenshin." She whispered a bit breathlessly, trying to make her heart stop it's loud pounding, and leaning back on the screen to keep from falling, for even the innocent and chaste kiss that Kenshin gave her was enough to make her legs weak.
Kenshin again bowed his head to hide the fire in his eyes. " Goodnight.my Karou." He said in a voice almost not unlike that of the Battousai. Karou's eyes widened slightly at his voice, yet she loved to hear it. And the way he always called her his every night before bed was just as intoxicating to her.
Kenshin smiled at the obvious reaction she was having to him. Loving the moments like this, when he could woo her secretly and differently.. In the way of the Battousai, not the gentle Rurouni that he was in the daytime; when he was with others. Though it seemed that the Battousai was showing himself more and more. Silently he backed away, walking to his own room, though never turning his back to her. " Good night," Karou whispered to herself, though she new that Kenshin would hear it, and she slipped into her room, and slid the screen shut. Sighing, now that Kenshin's intense gaze was off her.
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AN/ * grin*.there are y'all happy now.* winks at shadow girl* Now I promise that the next chapter will not take as long to get up here.I already have it typed down I just need to go over it. So you don't have to hunt me down or anything like that.
AN/ Well I told you that I would update.-_- though It did take awhile..b- but It's here so now we can all be happy. This chapter is not as long as the last one but hopefully they will not get any shorter. I would like to thank Shadow girl and Brittanie Love for their reviews and I hope that the looonnnggg wait was worth it. Oh yeah and a point that I think I forgot to make in the last chapters, Please forgive the typos.the typo demons are everywhere.
Disclaimer: I don't own RK..-_-...* sigh*
Devotion
By
Melissa ( aka) angle
Chapter 3
Karou helped Tanako roll out her bedroll in the room that Yahiko offered to her.
" I hope Yahiko doesn't mind too much about me taking his room." Tanako said, as she put away her few belongings.
" Oh I don't think he was too upset," Karou said reassuringly, " He virtually skipped down the hall to Kenshin's room." Karou knew in fact that Yahiko didn't mind at all about sharing a room with Kenshin, the boy was overjoyed at being able to be with his mentor. In the back of her head Karou wished it could have been her sharing the room with him. ' bad Karou, don't think such thoughts'
At the front of the Dojo Kenshin was saying goodbye to Sano, who was still trying to convince Kenshin that taking in Tanako was a bad idea, but he was failing miserably.
" I'm telling you Kenshin, keeping her here is a bad idea. Besides she's dangerous; I've heard about her, very good at stalking, especially at night. Besides being called Tanto, I've heard people call her Death in Darkness. And the Onozawa gang is not to be taken lightly" Sano leaned up against a post of the dojo porch. " She'll bring nothing but trouble here."
Kenshin sighed, and sat down of the wooden floor. "I thought the same thing about myself when I first came here Sano." In fact he still thought about it. Kenshin knew that staying here had complicated Kaoru's life extremely.
"Yeah but that's different. Any trouble you attract, you can handle." Sano drawled as he turned to leave.
Kenshin grew very serious, and slowly climbed to his feet and turned to go back into the house. "Sano.." he called, not turning around to the teenager. Sano stopped and faced Kenshin's back. "I may be able to handle the dangers I bring here, so I'm sure I can handle the dangers she might bring here. However, I want you to be on the look out for anyone who might resemble this gang you talk of.also.I wish for you to treat her well, she has had a hard life and she only wants to leave it behind.like you want to leave behind you nickname." Kenshin turned his head to look back at Sano and smiled sadly. "Karou seems to attract people running from their past doesn't she? Even you, an underground gangster, who had attacked me twice.she even took you in, that she did."
Sano stared at Kenshin as he silently went back into the house. He suddenly felt very guilty; Kenshin was right, he himself was just as dangerous, and Karou had never thought twice about helping him when he declared his wanting to leave his gangster nickname. He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to leave, he would respect Kenshin's wishes but he would never let his guard down around her.
~~~~~~~
Kenshin slid open the screen door to his room and looked at Yahiko as he slept soundly. Satisfied that the boy was well adjusted to his new sleeping arrangement, he silently slid the screen shut and continued down the hall to Tanako's room. There was something very important he had to tell her. Keeping his identity a secret could only complicate things later and Kenshin knew that it would be a good thing if she knew. "Tanako-dono? Karou- dono? May I come in?" he asked, Karou immediately greeted him as she slid the screen aside. Though greeting may have been the wrong word.
"Kenshin," she said, her voice sounding a bit peeved, her eyes narrowing accusingly. "Why are you wanting to come into a young woman's room at this time of the night."
Kenshin wasn't too surprised at Karou's suspicion; he had seen how the presence of almost any woman would drive Karou into a jealous frenzy. It was half the reason Kenshin was so surprised when Karou agreed to have Tanako stay with them. "Oro?..Oh I just wanted to speak with Tanako-dono Karou that's all. You're welcomed to stay; in fact I would much prefer if you did, that I would."
Karou's face lit up, " Oh all right then," she turned and hopped over and kneeled next to Tanako who had been listening with much amusement. Kenshin made a mental note to himself to bring Megumi over in the morning to check Karou; he didn't want her hopping all the time. He could only imagine the mishap's that could occur. Kenshin walked in the softly lit room and kneeled in front of both girls. Tanako bowed low, almost touching her head to the floor.
" I wish to thank you, Karou, Kenshin, for allowing me to remain here even now that you know my past." She said, sitting back up and keeping her eyes downcast.
Karou was unused to the showing of respect, being that the only one who showed her any type of respect was Kenshin, and the presence of Yahiko sort of canceled it out, so she was very much surprised at Tanako's formal thank you. "You don't need to thank us." Karou said softly, placing a hand on Tanako's shoulder.
"The Kamiya Dojo has been a place where other's come for protection," Kenshin said. "The main Idea of the Kamiya style is to protect." Tanako sighed and looked up at them, wondering how such people survived in the world with such passive beliefs.
Kenshin continued, "Now that you are staying here, I feel that you must know about me and my past." He ignored Karou's surprised look. "It would be safer for you to know. I have been a wanderer for almost eleven years, but before I was a wander I was a warrior, a killer. I worked for the government, helping to bring on the revolution. I was known as Hiktori Battousai." Kenshin paused as he saw the words sink in to Tanako's mind.
"The Manslayer?" she asked in a whisper, her eyes wide and unbelieving. Tanako was not as surprised as she sounded. She knew the whole time that Kenshin was someone special, that he seem to have another person deep inside him, but Battousai?.she never could have imagined. She remembered hearing his name almost every day during the revolution, she was ten years old and had always thought about what it was about the Manslayer that made everyone so frightened of him. It wasn't until she herself had seen the aftermath of one of his battles did she understand the strength this man had.
" Kenshin hasn't gone by any of those names for years. After the revolution he became a wanderer." Karou looked over at Kenshin as he sat silently, his eyes bright and violet despite the shadows from the candle light playing across his face, yet she knew that painful memories were flowing behind them. "He swore never to kill again, and he hasn't."
Tanako blinked at this information and looked over at the silent ex- samurai. "But Kenshin, if you swore never to kill again, how is it that you can protect people?"
"With this," he said as he took his sakabatou off his belt and handed it to her. Karou was surprised, Kenshin almost never allowed anyone to touch his sword, especially her. He must think that Tanako was able to handle such a weapon with out it influencing her mind. Tanako took the sword in both hands and looked up at Kenshin, then at Karou, a confused look graced her face. They remained silent, not knowing what to do or say, Tanako griped the hilt of the sword and slowly unsheathed it. She almost dropped it when the sword jumped towards her as it was released from its sheath.
"This blade is.reversed." Tanako said in amazement as she watched the light of the lanterns and candles play across the mirror-like surface. " It would be impossible to kill anything with this."
"Quite impossible." Kenshin agreed.
" Only if the sword was flipped around, could Kenshin kill." Karou added. ".but that sort of thing.doesn't happen very often." Karou bowed her head slightly as past memories replayed in her mind.
Tanako turned the sword in her hand so the blade faced in the correct position. It felt alien to her, to hold a sword whose blade was on the inside curve. The tone that Karou talked in said to Tanako that when Kenshin did flip the sword around, he intended to kill. Yet Karou said he had never broke his oath, he must have been able to control himself enough not to. She looked up at Kenshin, he gazed right back at her with his large violet eyes, calm and serene. Tanako often heard about how the Battousai's very gaze could freeze a man in their tracks, and make even the bravest tremble in fear. Yet his eyes also brought hope and happiness. A sudden leap of hope zinged though Tanako as she realized she was under the protection of the fiercest and most feared man in Tokyo, perhaps in all of Japan. If anyone could help her it would be him.
Tanako sheathed the sakabatou and handed it back to Kenshin. "Thank you for telling me this."
"It is for your own protection." Kenshin said as placed his sword on the ground on his left side. "There are many men who are hunting for me and I thought it best that you be forewarned, that I do. Though from what Sano tells me, you can care for yourself quite well, is this true?" Tanako nodded
" Yes, I have been trained in the arts of battle for fourteen years. I have killed many, and robbed more than I care to think." Tanako said, casting her eyes to the ground.
" Fourteen years!" Karou exclaimed, for even she had hardly seen that many years of training herself. " How old are you?"
" Twenty" Tanako replied. Her answer caused Kenshin's eyes to widen and Karou to gasp.
"That means that you started training at the age of six." Karou whispered. " Was that when you were brought to the gang?" " Not brought,.taken..Um," Tanako shifted and the first signs of tears showed themselves. Kenshin and Karou understood and stopped her from further diving into her past; one that she was obviously was not ready to face yet.
" We should say goodnight, that we should." Kenshin said gently as he stood, taking up his sakabatou in one hand, and helping Karou to stand with the other.
" Yes, Goodnight Tanako, You'll be safe here, so don't worry." Karou said, hopping with the aid of Kenshin out of the room. She paused and turned, " Thank Kami for who ever it was that gave you your chance to escape."
Tanako held back a gasp and nodded, not trusting her voice to be steady when she talked. But she swallowed and forced herself to talk anyway. " Yes, Goodnight Karou, Kenshin, and thank you again for what you are doing for me." Both Kenshin and Karou bowed their heads slightly and left the room, sliding the screen silently shut behind them; and leaving Tanako alone with her thoughts.
~~~~
" I hope she will be alright." Karou whispered, as Kenshin helped her down the hall to her room.
" I believe it will take some time for her to adjust, But I'm sure she will be just fine Karou, that I do." Kenshin turned when they reached her room. He gazed at Karou's eyes, darker now that there was little light to show off their sapphire color. Kenshin placed his hand on her cheek, " I was surprised today,. that you were willing to take Tanako in."
Karou blushed at Kenshin's touch. " Well I,..must admit, she reminds me of you. Perhaps that's why I was fine with it."
Kenshin bowed his head, hiding his smile with his fiery bangs. " I must admit something to. the reason I brought up that we should take her in, was so maybe you would not be so angry with me for always disliking your abundance of trust on those we do not even know." His hand slid down to grasp hers.
Karou laughed softly. "Oh, is that why?" she then grew serious. "Well, It seems that our drive to please each other, has brought Tanako to us. She, who is in need of help, was brought straight to us. We must protect her."
" Yes, that we must.you and I." Kenshin whispered, looking up at her though his bangs for a moment. Then, he reached out and tipped Karou's face to him, and he placed a firm kiss on her cheek. He lingered for a second, then another, and another, until he forced himself to release her.
" Goodnight Kenshin." She whispered a bit breathlessly, trying to make her heart stop it's loud pounding, and leaning back on the screen to keep from falling, for even the innocent and chaste kiss that Kenshin gave her was enough to make her legs weak.
Kenshin again bowed his head to hide the fire in his eyes. " Goodnight.my Karou." He said in a voice almost not unlike that of the Battousai. Karou's eyes widened slightly at his voice, yet she loved to hear it. And the way he always called her his every night before bed was just as intoxicating to her.
Kenshin smiled at the obvious reaction she was having to him. Loving the moments like this, when he could woo her secretly and differently.. In the way of the Battousai, not the gentle Rurouni that he was in the daytime; when he was with others. Though it seemed that the Battousai was showing himself more and more. Silently he backed away, walking to his own room, though never turning his back to her. " Good night," Karou whispered to herself, though she new that Kenshin would hear it, and she slipped into her room, and slid the screen shut. Sighing, now that Kenshin's intense gaze was off her.
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AN/ * grin*.there are y'all happy now.* winks at shadow girl* Now I promise that the next chapter will not take as long to get up here.I already have it typed down I just need to go over it. So you don't have to hunt me down or anything like that.