A/N Hello everyone * waves* well I didn't want to leave you guys without
something over the weekend and finished up this chapter I had started. It
may be a few days before I update again. Please don't kill me... if those few
days turns into a week ...or two... I also realized that my last chapter was
covered in typo demons... Sorry about that, I was in a hurry. But I looked
over this one twice and I hope I caught most of them.
I want to thank all my reviewers.... Heh... with a few more reviews this story will pass my last story as the one with most reviews. ^_^ thanks bunches I do love getting ideas from you guys... ok enough of me and on to the story.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kenshin.
Devotion
By
Melissa ^_^x
Karou's laugh was cut short as Kenshin reached out to hold her back. She immediately fell silent and looked at the redhead. He had a hard look in his eyes and his jaw was set, these where not good signs. The day had been going so well; they woke early and spent the day together just wandering around the streets of Tokyo and relaxed under the shade of a tree near the river. They had made up and Kenshin had insisted that they send the day together, just the two of them.
Kenshin had seemed on edge from the moment they stepped out of the dojo. However, he never said a word about it and So Karou didn't pay any more attention to it. Though now it all came rushing back as he held her at bay a few yards from the dojo gates.
"Kenshin?....what's wrong?" She asked in a soft voice as she continued to look around, her senses going on alert, preparing herself for anything.
"Hush Karou-dono" He replied in an equally soft yet firm voice. He had a bad feeling about the dojo, he couldn't put his finger on it. The world was too silent that day, Kenshin had noticed it from the moment he woke that morning. It had gotten worse as the day wore on and he was out and about with Kaoru. It seemed as though the very air was thick and silent, holding back any sounds. No birds, or insects could be heard, and even the voices of the many people they had met on their day out seemed to fall flat.
"Something's not right." Kenshin stated, his eyes darting around to catch anything. He had no idea what could be wrong but he was not going to take any chances with Karou and himself out in the open.
"Kenshin!! Kaoru!!!" Came Yahiko frantic cry from inside the dojo. It sliced through the thick heavy air and rang like a bell.
"Yahiko." Kenshin darted forward with Karou close behind and he threw open the dojo gates. He gasped at the sight before him; he felt Karou step up behind him and heard her gasp as well. Kenshin placed a hand on the hilt of his Sakabattou as he looked around. The screen door of the dojo's practice room was in shambles on the ground and Yahiko was tied up inside the room. He had heard the two talking outside the gates and called for them.
Yahiko had been awake for some time; his head pounded and his stomach was aching from the kick he had received. He also rubbed his wrist raw trying to get out of the ropes that held him, but no matter how hard he tried he was unable to get free or to even get the ropes lose.
"Kenshin you have to hurry! They took Tanako!" The young boy cried out as he continued to struggle with the ropes. Kenshin let his hand slip from the hilt of his sword; no one was here but the three of them. The thought tore at the ex-samurai, the three of them, Tanako had been taken...just as they all feared. He looked down to find Tanako's weapons scattered around, no doubt discarded after they had searched her. Then left there as if to mock them; their sharp edges glittering in the sun like tiny mirrors. Kenshin reached down and picked up a small throwing dagger and handed it to Karou.
"Cut Yahiko free." Was all he said, he tried to hide his anger but knew that it was useless. Karou looked at Kenshin with wide eyes and took the dagger from him and darted over to the boy's side and began to slice through the ropes. Kenshin paced back and forth wondering how Tanako could have been taken, who was it, was what he really wanted to know. How dare someone come into this house and take something that was under his protection. Kenshin paused in his fierce pacing, his eyes wide with shock. Where did that come from?! He had never thought about anyone that way, only Karou had been able to bring out such a primitive need to protect from him. Shaking out of his thoughts he went to Karou's side.
"Yahiko, do you know who took Tanako?" Kenshin asked, keeping his voice as calm as he could to not upset the boy even more than he already was.
"Yeah, it was her old gang, they used me against her so that they would go with them.." Yahiko cursed himself, "I should not have let myself be caught, I should have been able to help her."
"It's alright Yahiko," Karou whispered to the young boy as she looked down at his red and raw wrists. "You did all you could; I know you did and we are both proud of you for sticking up to them. The whole group we saw in the jail must have been here."
"More I believe." Kenshin spoke up as he gazed around at the damages and caught sight of a few scattered drops of blood, "Tanako put up the best fight she could." He said more to himself then to anyone. Even with the skills she had, there must have been many here to cause such a fight to happen.
"There was at least a dozen or more; I don't know if I saw them all or not." Yahiko voiced as he climbed to his feet.
"How long of a lead do they have?" Kenshin asked the boy, he stopped fighting the anger and let his voice become hard and cold and the Battousai took firm hold and Kenshin knew that he was not going to be satisfied until he had Tanako back and the men who took her on the ground, be they dead or no... he didn't care.
"I was awake for about a hour... I don't know how long I was out... not that long... so a hour and a half... two at the most." Yahiko quickly answered, feeling the aura of power shift and seeing Kenshin's eyes glow yellow with hate. Karou jumped to her feet at looked the amber eyed man.
"We have time... we can still find her before they reach their home." Karou was almost pleading with the Battousai. "We can still find her." Battousai glared down at Kaoru for a second before nodding.
"Yes..... however, you and Yahiko are not coming with me." He said in a voice that was final, but Karou didn't see it that way.
"I'm not going to sit around here when I know I can help!" she darted after Kenshin as he turned to leave. "Let me help-" She was silenced as the ex-samurai grabbed her by the wrist and jerked her none too gently back toward Yahiko.
"No Karou..... I will not fail you too. There will be many... And I am unsure if I can protect both you and Tanako as well as myself... You must stay here." He let go of the stunned girl and stalked out of the dojo building. Karou knew she should stay put and let Kenshin go but she didn't want to let him do this alone. She wanted to help, she was tired of not being able to do anything to help. She followed Kenshin but her steps where cut short when the amber eyed man turned on his heel and glared at her. "Karou." He said in a warning tone that would have froze the blood of any man. But Karou was not about to back down....
"No Kenshin I want to help."
"Karou!!" The Battousai snapped but that was the only word he got out.
Suddenly a low rumbling was heard in the background and both paused to listen to it. A low trembling was felt and the trees in the yard started to shiver and then tremble. Kenshin knew what was happening. A earthquake.
"Yahiko , out of the dojo NOW!" Kenshin barked as he grabbed Kaoru by the waist and held her tightly against him. The boy flew out of the dojo and Kenshin held on to the boy just as tightly.
"Kenshin what's going on!?" The boy said, his words almost drowned out by the rumbling of the earth as the trembling grew worse.
"It'll be over in a minute Yahiko." Was all Kenshin said. Kaoru was wide eyed as she gazed at the tree which was now trembling so hard the leaves where coming lose and fluttering to the ground. She had been through a earthquake before but this one was much stronger than one she had even known before. The clay tiles on the dojo roof started to slide and crash at their feet. Kenshin dragged them further into the yard and away from danger. Screams of others nearby could be heard and the crash of many homes surrounded them. For a moment Kenshin thought for sure that their own dojo would crumble but the trembling left just as suddenly as it came... the rumbling of it still in the distance the getting weaker with each passing moment.
"Kenshin!" Karou cried, the sound snapping him back to reality. The three of them had fallen to their knees in the shaking and he still griped Yahiko and Karou as though his life depended on it.
"It's alright Karou.... Everything is fine." But Kenshin knew that nothing was fine. He could only guess the damage that others had suffered, and Sano... they had to find Sano; And Tanako was out there with her gang, was she able to get away in the earthquake? He helped the two to their feet and they suddenly forgot all about Tanako when Miss Megumi suddenly showed up in front of them. She was even more pale than she usually was, her hair was wild and her eyes were as wide as a frightened animal's Her sudden appearance however was over looked when they saw the look on her face.
"Is everyone all right?" She asked in between breaths. She had sprinted straight here after she made sure everyone at the clinic was out alright.
"We're fine Megumi." Karou answered.
"Good, we need your help." The lady doctor grabbed both Kenshin and Karou by the hands. "The clinic came down but Dr. Gensi and I were able to get everyone out. We need to use your Dojo Karou to keep them and keep all the others that I know will be hurt. You two have to help me!" She cried, pulling at the young pair.
"Right" they both said in unison and took off with Megumi with Yahiko not far behind.
************************************************************* A/N.....Gah I swore that I was not going to leave off at a good spot but I couldn't help it. ( go ahead and throw what ever you want at me.....I understand) I was reading about a earthquake that had happened in Japan around this time and that's what gave me that idea, so don't think I plucked that out of the air. Anyway... wow the dojo is now the new clinic to the time being, and Tanako is just going to have to wait. Kenshin may or may not go after her. @_@.....
Well Please review and let me know your thoughts.... As I said before it will be a little while before my next update so please try and hang on.
I want to thank all my reviewers.... Heh... with a few more reviews this story will pass my last story as the one with most reviews. ^_^ thanks bunches I do love getting ideas from you guys... ok enough of me and on to the story.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kenshin.
Devotion
By
Melissa ^_^x
Karou's laugh was cut short as Kenshin reached out to hold her back. She immediately fell silent and looked at the redhead. He had a hard look in his eyes and his jaw was set, these where not good signs. The day had been going so well; they woke early and spent the day together just wandering around the streets of Tokyo and relaxed under the shade of a tree near the river. They had made up and Kenshin had insisted that they send the day together, just the two of them.
Kenshin had seemed on edge from the moment they stepped out of the dojo. However, he never said a word about it and So Karou didn't pay any more attention to it. Though now it all came rushing back as he held her at bay a few yards from the dojo gates.
"Kenshin?....what's wrong?" She asked in a soft voice as she continued to look around, her senses going on alert, preparing herself for anything.
"Hush Karou-dono" He replied in an equally soft yet firm voice. He had a bad feeling about the dojo, he couldn't put his finger on it. The world was too silent that day, Kenshin had noticed it from the moment he woke that morning. It had gotten worse as the day wore on and he was out and about with Kaoru. It seemed as though the very air was thick and silent, holding back any sounds. No birds, or insects could be heard, and even the voices of the many people they had met on their day out seemed to fall flat.
"Something's not right." Kenshin stated, his eyes darting around to catch anything. He had no idea what could be wrong but he was not going to take any chances with Karou and himself out in the open.
"Kenshin!! Kaoru!!!" Came Yahiko frantic cry from inside the dojo. It sliced through the thick heavy air and rang like a bell.
"Yahiko." Kenshin darted forward with Karou close behind and he threw open the dojo gates. He gasped at the sight before him; he felt Karou step up behind him and heard her gasp as well. Kenshin placed a hand on the hilt of his Sakabattou as he looked around. The screen door of the dojo's practice room was in shambles on the ground and Yahiko was tied up inside the room. He had heard the two talking outside the gates and called for them.
Yahiko had been awake for some time; his head pounded and his stomach was aching from the kick he had received. He also rubbed his wrist raw trying to get out of the ropes that held him, but no matter how hard he tried he was unable to get free or to even get the ropes lose.
"Kenshin you have to hurry! They took Tanako!" The young boy cried out as he continued to struggle with the ropes. Kenshin let his hand slip from the hilt of his sword; no one was here but the three of them. The thought tore at the ex-samurai, the three of them, Tanako had been taken...just as they all feared. He looked down to find Tanako's weapons scattered around, no doubt discarded after they had searched her. Then left there as if to mock them; their sharp edges glittering in the sun like tiny mirrors. Kenshin reached down and picked up a small throwing dagger and handed it to Karou.
"Cut Yahiko free." Was all he said, he tried to hide his anger but knew that it was useless. Karou looked at Kenshin with wide eyes and took the dagger from him and darted over to the boy's side and began to slice through the ropes. Kenshin paced back and forth wondering how Tanako could have been taken, who was it, was what he really wanted to know. How dare someone come into this house and take something that was under his protection. Kenshin paused in his fierce pacing, his eyes wide with shock. Where did that come from?! He had never thought about anyone that way, only Karou had been able to bring out such a primitive need to protect from him. Shaking out of his thoughts he went to Karou's side.
"Yahiko, do you know who took Tanako?" Kenshin asked, keeping his voice as calm as he could to not upset the boy even more than he already was.
"Yeah, it was her old gang, they used me against her so that they would go with them.." Yahiko cursed himself, "I should not have let myself be caught, I should have been able to help her."
"It's alright Yahiko," Karou whispered to the young boy as she looked down at his red and raw wrists. "You did all you could; I know you did and we are both proud of you for sticking up to them. The whole group we saw in the jail must have been here."
"More I believe." Kenshin spoke up as he gazed around at the damages and caught sight of a few scattered drops of blood, "Tanako put up the best fight she could." He said more to himself then to anyone. Even with the skills she had, there must have been many here to cause such a fight to happen.
"There was at least a dozen or more; I don't know if I saw them all or not." Yahiko voiced as he climbed to his feet.
"How long of a lead do they have?" Kenshin asked the boy, he stopped fighting the anger and let his voice become hard and cold and the Battousai took firm hold and Kenshin knew that he was not going to be satisfied until he had Tanako back and the men who took her on the ground, be they dead or no... he didn't care.
"I was awake for about a hour... I don't know how long I was out... not that long... so a hour and a half... two at the most." Yahiko quickly answered, feeling the aura of power shift and seeing Kenshin's eyes glow yellow with hate. Karou jumped to her feet at looked the amber eyed man.
"We have time... we can still find her before they reach their home." Karou was almost pleading with the Battousai. "We can still find her." Battousai glared down at Kaoru for a second before nodding.
"Yes..... however, you and Yahiko are not coming with me." He said in a voice that was final, but Karou didn't see it that way.
"I'm not going to sit around here when I know I can help!" she darted after Kenshin as he turned to leave. "Let me help-" She was silenced as the ex-samurai grabbed her by the wrist and jerked her none too gently back toward Yahiko.
"No Karou..... I will not fail you too. There will be many... And I am unsure if I can protect both you and Tanako as well as myself... You must stay here." He let go of the stunned girl and stalked out of the dojo building. Karou knew she should stay put and let Kenshin go but she didn't want to let him do this alone. She wanted to help, she was tired of not being able to do anything to help. She followed Kenshin but her steps where cut short when the amber eyed man turned on his heel and glared at her. "Karou." He said in a warning tone that would have froze the blood of any man. But Karou was not about to back down....
"No Kenshin I want to help."
"Karou!!" The Battousai snapped but that was the only word he got out.
Suddenly a low rumbling was heard in the background and both paused to listen to it. A low trembling was felt and the trees in the yard started to shiver and then tremble. Kenshin knew what was happening. A earthquake.
"Yahiko , out of the dojo NOW!" Kenshin barked as he grabbed Kaoru by the waist and held her tightly against him. The boy flew out of the dojo and Kenshin held on to the boy just as tightly.
"Kenshin what's going on!?" The boy said, his words almost drowned out by the rumbling of the earth as the trembling grew worse.
"It'll be over in a minute Yahiko." Was all Kenshin said. Kaoru was wide eyed as she gazed at the tree which was now trembling so hard the leaves where coming lose and fluttering to the ground. She had been through a earthquake before but this one was much stronger than one she had even known before. The clay tiles on the dojo roof started to slide and crash at their feet. Kenshin dragged them further into the yard and away from danger. Screams of others nearby could be heard and the crash of many homes surrounded them. For a moment Kenshin thought for sure that their own dojo would crumble but the trembling left just as suddenly as it came... the rumbling of it still in the distance the getting weaker with each passing moment.
"Kenshin!" Karou cried, the sound snapping him back to reality. The three of them had fallen to their knees in the shaking and he still griped Yahiko and Karou as though his life depended on it.
"It's alright Karou.... Everything is fine." But Kenshin knew that nothing was fine. He could only guess the damage that others had suffered, and Sano... they had to find Sano; And Tanako was out there with her gang, was she able to get away in the earthquake? He helped the two to their feet and they suddenly forgot all about Tanako when Miss Megumi suddenly showed up in front of them. She was even more pale than she usually was, her hair was wild and her eyes were as wide as a frightened animal's Her sudden appearance however was over looked when they saw the look on her face.
"Is everyone all right?" She asked in between breaths. She had sprinted straight here after she made sure everyone at the clinic was out alright.
"We're fine Megumi." Karou answered.
"Good, we need your help." The lady doctor grabbed both Kenshin and Karou by the hands. "The clinic came down but Dr. Gensi and I were able to get everyone out. We need to use your Dojo Karou to keep them and keep all the others that I know will be hurt. You two have to help me!" She cried, pulling at the young pair.
"Right" they both said in unison and took off with Megumi with Yahiko not far behind.
************************************************************* A/N.....Gah I swore that I was not going to leave off at a good spot but I couldn't help it. ( go ahead and throw what ever you want at me.....I understand) I was reading about a earthquake that had happened in Japan around this time and that's what gave me that idea, so don't think I plucked that out of the air. Anyway... wow the dojo is now the new clinic to the time being, and Tanako is just going to have to wait. Kenshin may or may not go after her. @_@.....
Well Please review and let me know your thoughts.... As I said before it will be a little while before my next update so please try and hang on.