Chapter Six

Living Death

Kenshin felt warm sunlight on his face and chest. Opening his eyes, he blinked hard before he could fully see. Everything around him was fuzzy and he tried to sit up, but every muscle in his body ached and screamed for him to stay still. Groaning in agony, he laid back and realized he was in the grass. The scent of sickly sweet blood surrounded him and he turned his head to see that blood was dried on the grass in a pool around him.

"So they don't care…they did not care enough to even bring me inside…" he thought. Grunting, Kenshin forced his body to sit up and then stand. He looked around, and was mildly surprised. Everything was completely quiet, except for the sounds of nature. There were no voices, no footsteps, and not even the presences of ki. Worry suddenly took hold of him.

"Hayato? Sayuri?" he called, nervously looking around for them. He went into the inn, opening the screens to see if anybody was there, but the place was empty. The elderly couple from the previous day had been their last customers except for the Kenshin-gumi. Anger slowly began to rise within Kenshin and he rushed to his room and grabbed two swords; his sakabatô and a newer katana. Shoving them to his side, Kenshin threw his gi on the floor and left the room and inn. Whatever happened to his children, he'd face it with himself vulnerable, though armed. Kenshin set out at a sprint, though his body shrieked in pain, going toward town. His eyes glowed, their eerie gold becoming victorious over lavender, and his face holding a strong sense of rage. He listened hard for the voices of his kids, and stretched his senses for their ki. At last he stopped, looking down the dirt road at his three friends leading Hayato and Sayuri away. Kenshin had never run so fast before. Without them taking so much as five steps, he was two feet away from them.

"Father!" Hayato and Sayuri shouted, ripping their hands from Kaoru and Sano's grasp. They ran to him and hid behind him, peeking around his legs.

"Kenshin we just want to make sure they're safe!" Yahiko protested. Sayuri sniffled and began to cry loudly, her small hands gripping Kenshin's hakama tightly.

"You may never lay a hand on them." He growled. Drawing both swords, Kenshin held the deadly katana in his right hand, and the less lethal sakabatô in his left.

"Kenshin please! They aren't safe with…" Kaoru started but feared ending her sentence.

"Kenshin, they're not safe with you like this. Something is seriously wrong and we just want them to be as safe as possible." Sano interjected. Kenshin narrowed his eyes in a cold stare, looking over each of his friends. His eyes made Hana begin to cry and try to hide in Kaoru's shoulder. Yahiko took a cautious step forward, but Kenshin brought his swords down to protect the children.

"What ever you want to do with me is fine. Just don't hurt them…I…they can't…" Kenshin's eyes dropped to the ground, as if he were studying it. His body shook, but not the same way it had before. He looked at Sano, pain, fear, and agony in his eyes.

"Kenshin please let us take them to the dojo," he asked quietly. Kenshin looked at Hayato and Sayuri as they looked at him. He put his swords away and knelt with them, putting them in front of him so they could look at each other.

"Protect your sister. No matter what happens, you have to always be there for her. Do you understand?" Kenshin asked, his voice cracking slightly. Hayato nodded and threw his arms around Kenshin's neck as Sayuri hugged his middle. He brought his arms around them and bowed his head.

"Father I don't want to leave you all alone," the group heard Hayato sniffle.

"I know, but maybe it'll be better." Kenshin replied. He kissed Hayato's head gently and then turned to Sayuri.

"Father, don't go!" she sobbed loudly. Watching this, Kaoru's heart broke. They were taking two children away from their father. But it was for their safety right?

"Oh don't cry, Saya. I will see you soon." He said, giving her a fake smile before kissing her head and standing. Kenshin looked at Sano, Kaoru, Hana, and Yahiko. His eyes were cold as he looked at them. But as he was about to speak, the sunlight grew brighter, until everything was washed out in white.

… … … … … …

Kenshin's eyes opened and pain surged through his body.

"He's awake!" a familiar female voice called. It wasn't Kaoru's, but Kenshin couldn't sit up to look. Something pinched the skin near his shoulder and burned, as if fire were being injected into him. Kenshin kept his mouth closed but grunted in evident pain. He realized that he was laying on a futon, in his room. Hayato and Sayuri were on either side of his face, looking down at him and smiling. The redhead managed a smile and they hugged him gently.

"Thank you so much for coming Megumi," Kaoru's voice came from the screen. With the help of Hayato, Kenshin sat up and saw his friends in the doorway, and Megumi sitting near his stomach.

"What happened?" Kenshin found even speaking painful. Sano sighed and went to sit next to him, Yahiko and Kaoru following with Hana sitting in Yahiko's lap. Sano told him about what had happened, and that he'd been asleep for well over a week and a half. He'd also apparently had an impossibly high fever and was speaking in his sleep.

"You said some pretty weird things," Yahiko said absentmindedly. Kenshin blinked, looking at him.

"Like what?" he asked.

"Um, we don't actually know. It just sounded weird. It was like talking, it was more like growling. It was freaky," Kaoru shuddered. Kenshin's face fell at seeing her shiver. She feared him, and thought he was…a freak. The room was silent for a long time, until Kenshin spoke.

"Sano, this one is sorry for hurting you, that he is." He said. The Kenshin-gumi gaped; shock written on all of their faces.

"Kenshin, are you feeling okay?" Megumi asked, placing a hand on his head. A worried look graced her face.

"This one is fine," Kenshin replied. His eyes changed then; their icy gold turning to foggy lavender.

"You haven't spoken like that since the last time you were at the dojo Kenshin," Yahiko said, confused.

"This one is feeling…strange." He said as a sickly look crossed his face. Megumi tried to push him back to lie down but his head whipped around to face her and in that moment, his entire face changed. Lavender faded to gold, his teeth appeared lethal, and his voice dropped.

"Don't touch me," he barked. Megumi took her hand away and watched Kenshin stand up.

"Kenshin, what's happening to you?" Kaoru begged, standing as well. The fiery haired man turned so his whole being faced her.

"You cannot see what is happening? Let me explain it to you." He started.

"Kenshin…" Sano warned, standing. Yahiko and Megumi retreated to a farther part of the room, keeping the kids away from him.

"When I left, I left you my heart. I truly did." Kenshin said, grabbing Kaoru's hand and pressing it aggressively to his chest. She whimpered, thinking he might hurt her, but instead he wished for her to feel his heart beat. She pressed her hand against his chest, but there was barely a pulse.

"I went to many places after I left, one of which being the place where I buried Tomoe. There was an odd presence there, one I'd never before felt. In my depressive state, all I wanted was to die. So, I tried. I did not eat, drink, or sleep. I sat by her grave and waited for death to come to me. As I sat, starving and dehydrated, a man came to me and told me that he could help. I agreed." Kenshin continued, trapping Kaoru's hand between his and his chest.

"That doesn't really explain-," Sano started but Kenshin glowered at him.

"He did a ritual that was supposed to help me ease into death. But something went wrong. Instead of dying, I became infused with a demon from hell. He and I share a body now, you see. So there is Himura Kenshin, Hitokiri Battôsai, and me. If you want me to go, you must kill me. But that also means killing Himura and Battôsai." Kenshin sneered. He threw Kaoru's hand back to her side.

"Is there a way to just get our Kenshin back?" Kaoru demanded. The redhead laughed.

"I am here because he wills it to be so. Battôsai wants my power. Convince them to let me go, and I will die." And then his voice faded to a familiar, yet unwelcome cold tone.

"So what will you do now?" he asked. Kenshin took a step toward Kaoru, causing her to be stuck between him and the wall. Sano tried to move between them, but Kenshin placed a hand on his shoulder, and what seemed like a small shove became a violent push. Sano was sent flying to the opposite wall, and finally to the floor.

"You can save him you know. After all, you are all he thinks about. All he loves." Kenshin murmured in Kaoru's ear. Fear was so deeply written on Kaoru's face, that she looked older. She was about to speak when Kenshin shivered and turned his face away from her to cough. Violently, blood sprayed the floor. His breathing came harshly and he stumbled forward, his head ending up on Kaoru's shoulder.

"Kaoru…please…help me," he whispered before falling limply backwards onto the floor. The room was absolutely silent then. No one moved, no one spoke, no one breathed. How could one man have three beings within him? They had to help him. But no one knew how.