A/N 'Ello everyone. waves.. I was so surprised that all of you reviewed
so fast even after my stupidly long absence I thought that I had better
update fast as a thank you. Well ...Thank you ... This chapter is a
little bit longer than the last...sorry about the short chapter last week.
Anyway. Enough of me and on to the story.
Disclaimer: snatched Chibi Kenshin. Mine, mine all MINE!!!.. puts Chibi Kenshin in a jar along with Chibi Kohachan. Mwahahahaha... looks around HEY!! Who took my jar?!... oh well... I guess I don't own Kenshin.
Devotion
By
Melissa x
Night had fast fallen over the dojo and Karou sat alone in the kitchen. She would have gone into the training room to sit and think but there were still two families that were staying there and she did not want to disturb them. Megumi had a permanent post in the room anyway and she knew that if she went in there to think she was going to get a stern talking to by the older woman; telling here that it was stupid for her to even think about going along with Kenshin and Sano. She would put herself and the men and not to mention Tanako in danger if she went.
Karou thought about how going with the men could put them in such danger, and she started having second thoughts about the whole thing. She still wanted to get Tanako back but it was going to be two against the whole gang. All they wanted was Kenshin so she knew that Kenshin was not going to go ask others for help and risk putting them and Tanako in danger. Sometimes Kenshin was just too stubborn for his own good. But he only wanted everyone to be safe and happy.
Karou looked up as Kenshin entered the kitchen and took a seat at the table next to her. He gave her a soft smile and Karou felt tears sting her eyes, she didn't want him to go, it was too dangerous and she would not be there to help. She looked away from him and kept her eyes on the table in front of her. Kenshin spoke first, breaking the silence that had fallen over them hours earlier.
"Karou-dono, please do not worry for us, things will turn out for the better, that they will." He reached out and took her hand in both of his; she was cold to his touch even though the dojo was warm. Karou looked up at Kenshin's calm face; a soft smile graced his lips, one that grew when she looked up at him.
"How can you say that things will get better Kenshin, if you can't even give me your word that you will return?" She blurted out before she could think. She watched the small smile fade from his face.
"Karou-dono," He paused as he tried to think of the words to say. The sudden dead silence covered the two and nothing was heard but the night insects outside and nothing was seen moving but the light from Karou's lantern. Kenshin's hair seemed like fire as the light and shadows danced over his red locks. Kenshin took a deep breath and continued. "Karou, I do not know if I will return from this, that is why I do not give you my word. However, I do know that things will get better. No matter how bad life seems, or hopeless it is, it gets better. You just have to stay around long enough to see it happen."
"Will you be around to see things get better?" Karou asked softly, not sure if she wanted to hear Kenshin's answer.
"I sincerely hope I do." Kenshin replied with a smile, his hand going to the back of his head. Karou laughed softly, even in this dire time, Kenshin was still his sweet self. The smile faded a bit and Kenshin dropped his hand to take hers yet again. "Karou, please tell me that you are not going to follow us, if something happened to you,..." His voice trailed off and he sighed. "I don't know if I could go on to see things get better if you were not by my side. Truly, I don't think things ever would get better if you left me." Kaoru felt the tears come again but she didn't try to hide them.
"That's how I feel Kenshin, if you don't come back, I don't want to come back; not without you." Karou sobbed. "If you leave me, thing would not get better at all. Kenshin I would die without you." Kenshin hushed her with a fingertip to her lips before leaning over the table to place a soft kiss where his fingertip had been.
"Don't cry my sweet Karou. Please don't cry." He begged softly as he kissed away the tears that had escaped her eyes and trailed down her cheeks. He pulled away from her just enough to look in her eyes; they were still shimmering with unshed tears. "You must be strong, for Yahiko, and for us when we return. I'm sure I'm going to require some of your care when I come back from this." He smiled when he saw a blush flare up from her neck to hair line. Kenshin stood, bringing Karou along with him; he pulled her tightly against his lean frame and wrapped his arms around her. Holding her, never wanting to let go, but knowing that she would have to let him go and he knew how painful that would be for her. But for right now, he let her hold on to him as tight and as long as she wanted.
Tanako sat in the corner of her pitch black holding cell and fingered her hair around her ear as she thought about what had gone on the night before. Sasorie chopped off her hair in one quick clean cut. The shock of not feeling the weight of her hair scared her so much that she had screamed and fought to get away from her leader. She had seen Toshiki about to attack the man but upon seeing that it was only her hair that had been cut; he quickly moved to catch the girl to hide his reason for rushing up to them. She struggled in his grasp, fighting him; it took all his strength to hold on to her.
She had been rushed back to the holding room, and tied back up to the wooden pillar in the center of the room to keep her from trying to escape. Toshiki was forced to watch from the side as all this was done. Now that she looked back on it, she was glad that Toshiki had covered the fact that he was about to kill the Leader, no one had seen his hand on the hilt of his sword or the fact that he already had it half drawn. Tanako had been untied from the pole the next day but she said hardly a word to anyone who came to see her. And now she sat alone in the dark. Cursing herself for letting such a simple thing like losing her hair disturb her so much.
She had three days. Three days until she would be dead. Would Kenshin come to save her? She didn't know if she wanted to be saved, she had heard Sasorie's plan. Kenshin was in real danger, how could she ask him to save her knowing that it may be the last thing he did. The sudden sound of the door unlocking took her from her thoughts and she looked over to see a lantern enter the room, light poured from the lantern, as if offering hope to the girl. Toshiki followed behind the lantern and he silently shut the door behind him.
"Tanako, will you talk with me tonight?" He asked softly, he sounded extremely sad. She had refused to talk to him at all the day before and she said not a word that day. His question pulled at her heart and she could not deny him the voice he wanted to hear.
"Yes Toshiki-san, I will talk to you tonight." She replied softly. Toshiki let out the breath he was holding and moved to kneel down next to her. He set the lantern down next to him and took her cold hands in his warm ones.
"Tanako, I know this is a stupid question but, Are you alright?" His voice held more worry than she had ever heard from him before. She looked up into his ice blue eyes and was locked in his gaze and he refused to let her go.
She nodded softly, not taking her eyes from his. "Yes Toshiki, I am alright now."
"You were just in shock? Thinking he was going for your head and not your hair. Then you were in shock about your hair?" Toshiki asked, his hand going to touch the now short locks that fell on her face. She moved away from his touch but paused and allowed him to touch her hair. He tried to pull her hair from her face and tuck it behind her ear but it was no longer long enough to do so and the lock fell back on to her face.
"Yes, things had happen so quickly that I couldn't....I couldn't take it in. But I'm alright now. It's just hair, it will grow back. Right now I'm more worried for Kenshin; he is in great danger."
Toshiki nodded, she seemed to be well now, the trauma having past. "He is in danger, but if he is still the man he was, our gang will be no trouble for him." A shadow passed over his face, twisting his features to a look of bitterness. "He will kill us all."
Tanako shook her head, causing her hair to swing wildly. "Kenshin does not kill anymore; he has yet to kill anyone in over ten years. He will only turn them into the police." Tanako reached up and placed a hand on Toshiki's face. "He will let you go, you and I... we can..."
"Yes?" Toshiki tipped his head into her touch. When he saw that she was having trouble saying what was on her mind he finished the thought for her. "We can get married and live out our lives the way they should have been?" Tanako nodded and she moved to embrace Toshiki, holding him to her as tightly as she dared. Toshiki returned the embrace, dipping he head to rest on her shoulder and to whisper in her ear. "Tanako, when we get out of this, will you marry me, will you live the life you always wanted with me and have the family we never got to have?"
Tanako felt tears falling from her eyes almost three at a time, trailing lines down her face. When they got out of this Hell, they would live in the heaven that they would create. "Yes Toshiki, I will." She choked out, her throat too tight for her to speak properly. Her dreams were coming true, she had the man she had loved from childhood in her arms and they were going to live the rest of their lives, safe and happy, and together. She buried her face in his chocolate hair and breathed in his sent, never wanting to forget this moment. Toshiki pulled away a little, keeping one arm wrapped around her.
"I got this for you a few days ago; I never got a chance to give it to you, it's all but worthless to you now." He whispered as he pulled something from the inside of his gi. He held his palm out to her and she gasped at what was resting in his hand. It was a butterfly, the metal wings frozen in mid flight. It was painted yellow and orange and red and black, the simple paint created a not so simple design on the delicate looking wings. A memory of her childhood came back, one she told Kenshin; of when Toshiki had interrupted her studying of a butterfly when he saved her from Sasorie's wrath. Green and blue ribbons trailed from the butterfly and Toshiki tipped his hand so that it would tumble into her awaiting hands.
Tanako looked up and smiled. "It's a hair tie." She stated simply, finding the humor in the fact that she had no need for it now. Toshiki laughed softly in agreement and went to take it back. Tanako closed her hands over the tiny treasure and held it to her chest. "No!,.... No I want to keep it."
"But your hair-"
"Will grow back." Tanako interrupted, looking down at the butterfly in her hand a moment more before hiding it in her gi just as Toshiki had. She looked up into Toshiki's smiling face. "Thank you" She whispered, finding that her voice would hardly work.
"It's not much," Toshiki offered with his smile still on his face. "But at this moment, anything more would put both of us in danger. If they knew that we.... we... that we love each other; they would put a stop to these visits. They still think that I'm here only as your fellow brother in arms."
Tanako nodded, her eyes darting up to lock onto his. "This is more than enough Toshiki, yes." She paused, as soft smile forming. "Though, there is something that I have been wanting for many years now that you could give me." She blushed lightly but Toshiki didn't catch it in the soft light of the lantern that was behind him.
Toshiki jumped at the chance to give her anything she wished. "Nani Tanako? Anything." Toshiki was caught off guard as Tanako wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his in a simple kiss that brought flashing lights to his eyes. He let his mind go blank as he returned the kiss, wrapping both arms back around her and pulling her tightly against him once more. He let his lips leave her lips but only to trail burning kisses across her cheek and down her neck. He then opened his eyes to look at her, pulling away to catch the burning look that her eyes held.
"Thank you," she whispered, too afraid to talk, lest she ruin the moment. She felt her whole body being set ablaze and she tingled from her head to her toes.
Toshiki shook his head, his own body screaming from the simple act that ended too soon. "No need to thank me Tanako, it was my pleasure."
Karou knew that sleep was not going to come to her at all this night. Her mind was too alive with worry and fear. This was not going to work out and she knew it. Kenshin had yet to go into his room to sleep; Karou knew that his mind was going over the activities that will be going on in the morning. She wondered if he would leave without saying goodbye to her so he would not have to face a crying woman. She growled to herself and punched her blanket in frustration.
Now that she thought about it, she didn't have to go with Kenshin and Sano. She could leave after them. If she hung back a little she could go at her own pace and not be too tired to fight when she got there. But how would she keep from getting lost? Karou thought about many things but an idea popped into her head so suddenly that she almost shouted. Karou climbed from her bedroll and grabbed all that she would need.
Sliding the screen of her room as silently as she could, she took a peak out into the hall way. No one was out there; it was then that Karou could hear the distant voices of Kenshin and Sano as they went over their plans. Good, she thought, now she could keep track of where the two were. She stepped out of her room and went to Kenshin's room, silently siding the screen door open.
Stepping into the dark room, Karou held up her lit candle till she caught sight of Tanako's shimmering black braid. She quickly went to were Kenshin had carefully tucked it and found the note that the gang leader had wrote. She picked it up and scanned the whole thing; it was not till she had reached the bottom did she find what she was looking for. Directions.
They were simple and easy, made that way so that there would be no chance that Kenshin would not be able to find the hideout. She kneeled on the floor and brought out her own roll of paper and quickly began to copy down the easy directions. This way, she would know just were to go without having to follow Kenshin; for she knew that Kenshin would have caught her before she took seven steps after them. She kept one ear open to the sound of Kenshin and Sano's voice, just to make sure that she would not be caught.
After carefully duplicating the directions she put the note right back where she found it and took up her candle again and slipped out of his room, shutting the door behind her. She then silently made her way back to her room. She hid the important paper in the kimono that she had planed to wear the next day and then she curled back into her bedroll. A smile found her lips, everything felt like it was going to be just fine. Now that she had a way of going along with them, she would make sure that nothing was going to happen to her Kenshin. She blew out the candle, yawned and fell right to sleep, her plains dancing in her mind before dreams took her.
A/N gasp...Tanako and Toshiki kissed!! claps her hands and jumps up and down. And Karou!.. I knew that she was going to go, hmmm I wonder how all this will turn out. and I bet all of you are wondering that same thing as well. Well no worries. I plain to update again soon. Please review and tell me whatcha think. waves..thank you and bye!.
Disclaimer: snatched Chibi Kenshin. Mine, mine all MINE!!!.. puts Chibi Kenshin in a jar along with Chibi Kohachan. Mwahahahaha... looks around HEY!! Who took my jar?!... oh well... I guess I don't own Kenshin.
Devotion
By
Melissa x
Night had fast fallen over the dojo and Karou sat alone in the kitchen. She would have gone into the training room to sit and think but there were still two families that were staying there and she did not want to disturb them. Megumi had a permanent post in the room anyway and she knew that if she went in there to think she was going to get a stern talking to by the older woman; telling here that it was stupid for her to even think about going along with Kenshin and Sano. She would put herself and the men and not to mention Tanako in danger if she went.
Karou thought about how going with the men could put them in such danger, and she started having second thoughts about the whole thing. She still wanted to get Tanako back but it was going to be two against the whole gang. All they wanted was Kenshin so she knew that Kenshin was not going to go ask others for help and risk putting them and Tanako in danger. Sometimes Kenshin was just too stubborn for his own good. But he only wanted everyone to be safe and happy.
Karou looked up as Kenshin entered the kitchen and took a seat at the table next to her. He gave her a soft smile and Karou felt tears sting her eyes, she didn't want him to go, it was too dangerous and she would not be there to help. She looked away from him and kept her eyes on the table in front of her. Kenshin spoke first, breaking the silence that had fallen over them hours earlier.
"Karou-dono, please do not worry for us, things will turn out for the better, that they will." He reached out and took her hand in both of his; she was cold to his touch even though the dojo was warm. Karou looked up at Kenshin's calm face; a soft smile graced his lips, one that grew when she looked up at him.
"How can you say that things will get better Kenshin, if you can't even give me your word that you will return?" She blurted out before she could think. She watched the small smile fade from his face.
"Karou-dono," He paused as he tried to think of the words to say. The sudden dead silence covered the two and nothing was heard but the night insects outside and nothing was seen moving but the light from Karou's lantern. Kenshin's hair seemed like fire as the light and shadows danced over his red locks. Kenshin took a deep breath and continued. "Karou, I do not know if I will return from this, that is why I do not give you my word. However, I do know that things will get better. No matter how bad life seems, or hopeless it is, it gets better. You just have to stay around long enough to see it happen."
"Will you be around to see things get better?" Karou asked softly, not sure if she wanted to hear Kenshin's answer.
"I sincerely hope I do." Kenshin replied with a smile, his hand going to the back of his head. Karou laughed softly, even in this dire time, Kenshin was still his sweet self. The smile faded a bit and Kenshin dropped his hand to take hers yet again. "Karou, please tell me that you are not going to follow us, if something happened to you,..." His voice trailed off and he sighed. "I don't know if I could go on to see things get better if you were not by my side. Truly, I don't think things ever would get better if you left me." Kaoru felt the tears come again but she didn't try to hide them.
"That's how I feel Kenshin, if you don't come back, I don't want to come back; not without you." Karou sobbed. "If you leave me, thing would not get better at all. Kenshin I would die without you." Kenshin hushed her with a fingertip to her lips before leaning over the table to place a soft kiss where his fingertip had been.
"Don't cry my sweet Karou. Please don't cry." He begged softly as he kissed away the tears that had escaped her eyes and trailed down her cheeks. He pulled away from her just enough to look in her eyes; they were still shimmering with unshed tears. "You must be strong, for Yahiko, and for us when we return. I'm sure I'm going to require some of your care when I come back from this." He smiled when he saw a blush flare up from her neck to hair line. Kenshin stood, bringing Karou along with him; he pulled her tightly against his lean frame and wrapped his arms around her. Holding her, never wanting to let go, but knowing that she would have to let him go and he knew how painful that would be for her. But for right now, he let her hold on to him as tight and as long as she wanted.
Tanako sat in the corner of her pitch black holding cell and fingered her hair around her ear as she thought about what had gone on the night before. Sasorie chopped off her hair in one quick clean cut. The shock of not feeling the weight of her hair scared her so much that she had screamed and fought to get away from her leader. She had seen Toshiki about to attack the man but upon seeing that it was only her hair that had been cut; he quickly moved to catch the girl to hide his reason for rushing up to them. She struggled in his grasp, fighting him; it took all his strength to hold on to her.
She had been rushed back to the holding room, and tied back up to the wooden pillar in the center of the room to keep her from trying to escape. Toshiki was forced to watch from the side as all this was done. Now that she looked back on it, she was glad that Toshiki had covered the fact that he was about to kill the Leader, no one had seen his hand on the hilt of his sword or the fact that he already had it half drawn. Tanako had been untied from the pole the next day but she said hardly a word to anyone who came to see her. And now she sat alone in the dark. Cursing herself for letting such a simple thing like losing her hair disturb her so much.
She had three days. Three days until she would be dead. Would Kenshin come to save her? She didn't know if she wanted to be saved, she had heard Sasorie's plan. Kenshin was in real danger, how could she ask him to save her knowing that it may be the last thing he did. The sudden sound of the door unlocking took her from her thoughts and she looked over to see a lantern enter the room, light poured from the lantern, as if offering hope to the girl. Toshiki followed behind the lantern and he silently shut the door behind him.
"Tanako, will you talk with me tonight?" He asked softly, he sounded extremely sad. She had refused to talk to him at all the day before and she said not a word that day. His question pulled at her heart and she could not deny him the voice he wanted to hear.
"Yes Toshiki-san, I will talk to you tonight." She replied softly. Toshiki let out the breath he was holding and moved to kneel down next to her. He set the lantern down next to him and took her cold hands in his warm ones.
"Tanako, I know this is a stupid question but, Are you alright?" His voice held more worry than she had ever heard from him before. She looked up into his ice blue eyes and was locked in his gaze and he refused to let her go.
She nodded softly, not taking her eyes from his. "Yes Toshiki, I am alright now."
"You were just in shock? Thinking he was going for your head and not your hair. Then you were in shock about your hair?" Toshiki asked, his hand going to touch the now short locks that fell on her face. She moved away from his touch but paused and allowed him to touch her hair. He tried to pull her hair from her face and tuck it behind her ear but it was no longer long enough to do so and the lock fell back on to her face.
"Yes, things had happen so quickly that I couldn't....I couldn't take it in. But I'm alright now. It's just hair, it will grow back. Right now I'm more worried for Kenshin; he is in great danger."
Toshiki nodded, she seemed to be well now, the trauma having past. "He is in danger, but if he is still the man he was, our gang will be no trouble for him." A shadow passed over his face, twisting his features to a look of bitterness. "He will kill us all."
Tanako shook her head, causing her hair to swing wildly. "Kenshin does not kill anymore; he has yet to kill anyone in over ten years. He will only turn them into the police." Tanako reached up and placed a hand on Toshiki's face. "He will let you go, you and I... we can..."
"Yes?" Toshiki tipped his head into her touch. When he saw that she was having trouble saying what was on her mind he finished the thought for her. "We can get married and live out our lives the way they should have been?" Tanako nodded and she moved to embrace Toshiki, holding him to her as tightly as she dared. Toshiki returned the embrace, dipping he head to rest on her shoulder and to whisper in her ear. "Tanako, when we get out of this, will you marry me, will you live the life you always wanted with me and have the family we never got to have?"
Tanako felt tears falling from her eyes almost three at a time, trailing lines down her face. When they got out of this Hell, they would live in the heaven that they would create. "Yes Toshiki, I will." She choked out, her throat too tight for her to speak properly. Her dreams were coming true, she had the man she had loved from childhood in her arms and they were going to live the rest of their lives, safe and happy, and together. She buried her face in his chocolate hair and breathed in his sent, never wanting to forget this moment. Toshiki pulled away a little, keeping one arm wrapped around her.
"I got this for you a few days ago; I never got a chance to give it to you, it's all but worthless to you now." He whispered as he pulled something from the inside of his gi. He held his palm out to her and she gasped at what was resting in his hand. It was a butterfly, the metal wings frozen in mid flight. It was painted yellow and orange and red and black, the simple paint created a not so simple design on the delicate looking wings. A memory of her childhood came back, one she told Kenshin; of when Toshiki had interrupted her studying of a butterfly when he saved her from Sasorie's wrath. Green and blue ribbons trailed from the butterfly and Toshiki tipped his hand so that it would tumble into her awaiting hands.
Tanako looked up and smiled. "It's a hair tie." She stated simply, finding the humor in the fact that she had no need for it now. Toshiki laughed softly in agreement and went to take it back. Tanako closed her hands over the tiny treasure and held it to her chest. "No!,.... No I want to keep it."
"But your hair-"
"Will grow back." Tanako interrupted, looking down at the butterfly in her hand a moment more before hiding it in her gi just as Toshiki had. She looked up into Toshiki's smiling face. "Thank you" She whispered, finding that her voice would hardly work.
"It's not much," Toshiki offered with his smile still on his face. "But at this moment, anything more would put both of us in danger. If they knew that we.... we... that we love each other; they would put a stop to these visits. They still think that I'm here only as your fellow brother in arms."
Tanako nodded, her eyes darting up to lock onto his. "This is more than enough Toshiki, yes." She paused, as soft smile forming. "Though, there is something that I have been wanting for many years now that you could give me." She blushed lightly but Toshiki didn't catch it in the soft light of the lantern that was behind him.
Toshiki jumped at the chance to give her anything she wished. "Nani Tanako? Anything." Toshiki was caught off guard as Tanako wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his in a simple kiss that brought flashing lights to his eyes. He let his mind go blank as he returned the kiss, wrapping both arms back around her and pulling her tightly against him once more. He let his lips leave her lips but only to trail burning kisses across her cheek and down her neck. He then opened his eyes to look at her, pulling away to catch the burning look that her eyes held.
"Thank you," she whispered, too afraid to talk, lest she ruin the moment. She felt her whole body being set ablaze and she tingled from her head to her toes.
Toshiki shook his head, his own body screaming from the simple act that ended too soon. "No need to thank me Tanako, it was my pleasure."
Karou knew that sleep was not going to come to her at all this night. Her mind was too alive with worry and fear. This was not going to work out and she knew it. Kenshin had yet to go into his room to sleep; Karou knew that his mind was going over the activities that will be going on in the morning. She wondered if he would leave without saying goodbye to her so he would not have to face a crying woman. She growled to herself and punched her blanket in frustration.
Now that she thought about it, she didn't have to go with Kenshin and Sano. She could leave after them. If she hung back a little she could go at her own pace and not be too tired to fight when she got there. But how would she keep from getting lost? Karou thought about many things but an idea popped into her head so suddenly that she almost shouted. Karou climbed from her bedroll and grabbed all that she would need.
Sliding the screen of her room as silently as she could, she took a peak out into the hall way. No one was out there; it was then that Karou could hear the distant voices of Kenshin and Sano as they went over their plans. Good, she thought, now she could keep track of where the two were. She stepped out of her room and went to Kenshin's room, silently siding the screen door open.
Stepping into the dark room, Karou held up her lit candle till she caught sight of Tanako's shimmering black braid. She quickly went to were Kenshin had carefully tucked it and found the note that the gang leader had wrote. She picked it up and scanned the whole thing; it was not till she had reached the bottom did she find what she was looking for. Directions.
They were simple and easy, made that way so that there would be no chance that Kenshin would not be able to find the hideout. She kneeled on the floor and brought out her own roll of paper and quickly began to copy down the easy directions. This way, she would know just were to go without having to follow Kenshin; for she knew that Kenshin would have caught her before she took seven steps after them. She kept one ear open to the sound of Kenshin and Sano's voice, just to make sure that she would not be caught.
After carefully duplicating the directions she put the note right back where she found it and took up her candle again and slipped out of his room, shutting the door behind her. She then silently made her way back to her room. She hid the important paper in the kimono that she had planed to wear the next day and then she curled back into her bedroll. A smile found her lips, everything felt like it was going to be just fine. Now that she had a way of going along with them, she would make sure that nothing was going to happen to her Kenshin. She blew out the candle, yawned and fell right to sleep, her plains dancing in her mind before dreams took her.
A/N gasp...Tanako and Toshiki kissed!! claps her hands and jumps up and down. And Karou!.. I knew that she was going to go, hmmm I wonder how all this will turn out. and I bet all of you are wondering that same thing as well. Well no worries. I plain to update again soon. Please review and tell me whatcha think. waves..thank you and bye!.