Chapter Five

The Demon Within

Kaoru heard footsteps pass the kitchen as she prepared something for Hana to eat. Turning, she briefly saw Kenshin stroll past, his gaze locked on her for a moment before he disappeared beyond the doorway. Uneasily, Kaoru took Hana to their room and sat with her as she ate. Kaoru could pick out Kenshin's voice from across the hall as he spoke to Hayato and Sayuri. She then heard the opening and closing of a screen and three sets of footsteps. The two children began giggling and they raced down the hall, Kenshin's laugh softly echoing in the hallway. The sapphire eyed girl looked down to see that Hana, though messily, had finished her breakfast and was now playing with the bow in her small pink kimono. Kaoru giggled and stood with her, deciding that she'd clean the mess later, after speaking with Kenshin. Hana laughed and clapped noisily as they went down the hall, seeing her father come toward them.

"Sano, I think I'm going to talk to Kenshin. Can you watch Hana?" she asked. Sano smiled and took the little girl.

"Sure, but please be careful. He doesn't seem very…personable." Sano warned gently. Kaoru nodded and kissed his cheek before walking past them and going outside. She saw Kenshin and his 'kids' waving goodbye to an elderly couple and thanking them for their stay. Sayuri grabbed her brothers' hand and they ran to the lake and sat, childishly trying to catch fish. Kenshin seemed to stiffen, obviously noticing Kaoru walking up to him.

"Hi Kenshin," she said, trying to smile.

"Good morning Miss Kaoru," he didn't look at her. Instead, he turned his attention to Hayato and Sayuri, supervising their fishing excursion.

"Can we talk?" she asked, becoming slightly annoyed. Kenshin sighed inwardly and turned to look at her.

"I do not think I have a choice," he answered. Crossing his arms over his chest, the redhead prepared himself for whatever it was that Kaoru would say. Kaoru looked at his eyes, nervousness flicked across hers as annoyance glowed in his.

"Do you hate me Kenshin?" she asked bluntly.

"No." the man answered, his gaze unwavering.

"Then why are you ignoring me? And looking angry whenever I'm around?" she demanded, frustrated.

"Maybe I just do not wish to talk. And maybe I am a little angry, but I think it's perfectly fine. After all, you do have Sano and Hana. You're perfectly happy, so why should I matter to you anymore?" he shot back, hands dropping to his sides in fists clenched so tightly that the muscles and veins in his arms looked strained under his skin. Kaoru looked taken aback, but then realization came to her. She had been perfectly happy. On a few occasions she did almost forget about Kenshin. She looked at him with so much hurt and apology, but he didn't change.

"Kenshin I-," she started but he interrupted her.

"I never stopped thinking about you. Every single second of everyday, I prayed that you were safe and that maybe you'd be waiting for me. I thought about you, I dreamed about you. Not one day went by that I hadn't said your name at least once, whether it was in a story or in my dreams. But it's nice to know that you've moved on, because obviously I'm still stuck in the past." He growled quietly, but intensely. Before Kaoru could speak, the flaming haired man was gone. He had retreated to his children, and was watching as Hayato managed to catch a decently sized fish in his hands.

"Kenshin…" Kaoru felt tears come to her eyes and she simply stood there, watching the man she had loved.

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Kenshin looked down at Hayato, pride edging its way into his eyes.

"Hayato, please keep an eye on your sister. I'm going out to get more firewood and some cooking supplies." He said, ruffling his hair and smiling before walking off. Kenshin grabbed an axe that was leaning against the inn and some rope. He headed off into the forest, his muscles tense and angry.

"Why didn't you kill her, Kenshin?" a voice whispered. Kenshin shook his head and continued, attempting to ignore the voice.

"You know you want to. You have not taken a life in so long, it's just killing you inside. And doesn't she deserve it?" it continued. Kenshin cursed himself and stopped in front of a tree with no leaves. He swung the axe with all of his strength and felt it go clean through. The tree fell, almost in slow motion, and hit the ground with a thunderous crash. Birds flew away and he could hear small animals scurry back to the safety of their homes. A familiar pain began nagging at the corners of Kenshin's mind; dizziness causing the world to sway. The redhead tried his best to push it away as he cut the fallen tree into decently sized logs for firewood. The tree, which had been close to nine feet high, was now in exactly equal sections of six inches. Kenshin bundled them together with rope and slung it over his back, holding the rope with one hand and the axe in the other. The approximate seven-hundred pound bundle did not even so much as slow his walking as he headed back to the inn. He saw his friends standing out by the lake, talking as the three kids played in the water. Yahiko seemed to be the first to spot Kenshin. His face was filled with surprise and immediate worry.

"Kenshin, do you want some help?" he called, sprinting over and offering to take something.

"No thank you Yahiko," he muttered, placing the pile of wood and his axe down at the side of the inn. Bloody burns from the rope covered Kenshin's hand but he didn't seem to notice. Another wave of dizziness brought the nagging pain more into his head.

"You don't look very good Kenshin," Sano said, sauntering over to where the two stood in an awkward silence. Sano studied Kenshin's face as it grew paler. His eyes flicker between colors and a cough suddenly erupted from in his chest, leaving blood on his formerly clean hand. Kenshin wiped it quickly on his hakama and shook his hand.

"I am fine," he assured Sano.

"Isn't that what you said last time?" Sano retorted. Kenshin's eyes flared as he glared at Sano.

"Why does it matter? I am fine." He insisted, though his voice had taken a more threatening tone. Irritation came into Sano's brown eyes and he grabbed Kenshin's wrist before he could walk away.

"What's the matter with you?" he demanded.

"Don't touch me," Kenshin tried to tear his arm away, but Sano wouldn't let go. Yahiko put a hand on each man's shoulder.

"Let's just be calm here," he tried to mediate.

"Tell me what the hell is wrong with you!" Sano ordered. Kenshin's body trembled and his muscles tensed. Golden eyes locked with brown, and a new change claimed Kenshin's body. His teeth appeared sharper, as did his nails. He didn't even appear human anymore, now he looked…demonic.

"Don't touch me!" he literally snarled, his voice deepened and grew icy. Sano's eyes widened in absolute shock. Kenshin felt his pulse quicken and his blood run cold. His mind did not even seem to convey thoughts in a mundane way, but instead in an animalistic sense. Yahiko withdrew his hand from Kenshin's shoulder and stepped back from him. Before Sano could released his wrist, Kenshin brought his nails to his skin and dragged them quickly down Sano's arm. Sano let go immediately and gasped in pain. Kenshin shivered violently before his body convulsed and pain showed on his face.

"You will never be free from me." A voice growled, coming from Kenshin's lips but not belonging to him. The redhead viciously twisted to face Yahiko before falling to the ground. All of his scars seemed to bleed then. The sight was horrific. Their friend, his body claimed by a demonic presence, bleeding from every wound he had suffered in his life, even the scar on his cheek. The blood flowed, however wasn't red, but black. Kenshin's body was engulfed in a spasm before he grew still. Sano and Yahiko watched as his body returned to normal, but his eyes were open and completely white. He looked dead, but he was still breathing. The boys couldn't move as they looked at their friend laying there on his side, black blood pooled around his now fragile looking body. What was happening to him?

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Author's Note:

So I got creative :) That idea came from "Waking the Demon" by Bullet for my Valentine. I think this story will have a whole new twist now, so please keep reading! And thank to everyone that has been loyally reading along!

-Rurouni Tsukiko~