OLD A/N: This rant is to alwyzme: She cares for him, she might even like him. She doesn't love him. She looks at him with pity because that's who she is. In the second to the last scene in Chapter 4, she feels his presence because he has grown closer to her in the past few weeks than anyone she had known in her whole life. That's why she feels alone despite the fact that Kenshin was there. Also, the fact that she says Kenshin will regret going to war is very different from Kaoru saying she wants him to stay. No, that's not the major reason, she knows something he doesn't.

Kenshin on the other hand has a mixture of emotions. He doesn't know what love is. Let me repeat so you readers can get it straight: KAORU WAS NOT IN LOVE WITH KENSHIN IN THE PAST CHAPTERS. There, now you can read in the right context.

Believe me, you'll know when she falls in love with him.

Chapter Five: Bending

It was night when she finally stopped crying about something that she didn't understand. She shook her head and cleared her mind, trying to find her own feelings. Her own feelings. She sighed. Since that night Kenshin tried to strangle her, she did not know what to feel. In her mind, she silently damned the man who had taken her hostage in both body and mind.

Yet she felt at ease. She knew that Kenshin was safe and sleeping wherever he was. She tried to put her thoughts together and started meditating on the bed.

'The reason why I can't think straight is because Kenshin's gift is powerful,' she thought to herself. 'All I can think about is what he thinks about. Gee, thank you very much. It's not like I wanted to see the thoughts of an assasin or his memories.' She addressed her own powers, she found that it had its own consciousness embedded deep in her soul. Her gift speaks in various ways… often most eloquent when she is talking to herself. 'So all I'm feeling now is what he feels? Am I not allowed to be my own person anymore?' Her forehead started to ache as a blue aura started to glow around her, diffusing from her skin.

'I know he cares for me,' Kaoru thought silently
Do you care for him?
'Just a little, he tried to kill me, remember?'
He is a simple boy: Kill or protect.
'Yes, I can see that.'
What he feels, you will feel.
'Does he feel what I feel?'
It's not part of his gift.
'Good, because I feel like crap.'
Hmmm.
'What am I supposed to do?'
You don't need to know.

"I hate this," she said out loud. She started coughing as the wind blew open the door. She clutched at her ribs. Kaoru has been feeling poorly since her fight with Kenshin. Often she wakes up with a pain in her ribs.

'You shouldn't have hurt him.'
You hit him, not I.
'I was angry with him, he thinks he can fight with me whenever he wants to—granted I did want to beat him up, but not break his ribs.'
I only gave you what you wanted.
'Since when did you start doing that…You never give me anything unless you have your own motive.'
I do, pain is a good foundation. Kaoru scowled at the reply.
'So I should suffer with him?'
Exactly. Kaoru coughed again. She dreaded what would happen the next morning, when Kenshin starts to fight.

'Am I going to fall in love with myself?'

Her gift started laughing at her. You assume he loves you?
'No, but he's close to it. He always looks at me, his eyes burn me.' Kaoru shuddered at the feeling. Being gifted with human consciousness was not a pleasant experience.
Love is… a complementary emotion.
'Meaning…?'
It might be that the feeling becomes mutual. Kaoru's eyes widened. She scowled and buried herself in the bed further, trying to get away from the voice in her mind.

'I hate this, you better keep your end of the deal.'
I will. And with that, Kaoru felt the presence bonded to her fall to a deep sleep, she followed him shortly.

Dawn blundered over the horizon, waking up Kenshin from his dreamless sleep. He was more at ease than he was at the compound, thus he stayed in bed for a few more minutes before finally getting up.

His mind was clearer, his actions firmer. Nothing can interrupt, he told himself.

Aoshi lifted the tent curtains and beckoned at the king to come out. "We parley with Yukishiro in an hour. Would you like breakfast?"

Kenshin shook his head and went outside. He half-expected to see Kaoru with her walking cane plodding around in the dirt, and he smiled at his folly. Aoshi gave his king another doubtful glance. Kenshin seldom smiled.

Kenshin suddenly groaned in pain. Feeling his grip on consciousness slipping away, he grabbed at Aoshi's sleeve and pulled himself up. Aoshi, surprised, could not even ask what was wrong, but merely shouted "Medic!"

Kaoru lay on the floor panting. Misao was trying to figure out what was wrong, but Kaoru showed no signs of physical injury. After a while, Kaoru stood up as if nothing happened and started to eat her cold breakfast.

Kenshin finished his food after he had his bandages rewound. He was to parley with Yukishiro, so he made sure the majority of the white lining on his chest was covered with his gi

Reaching the battle field on foot, he encountered his white-haired nemesis. With only Aoshi by his side, they started to negotiate peace.

If that failed, they'll start to negotiate the rules of battle. If that failed, they'll just start killing each other right then and there.

"I want Carnelia." Enishi started, his quiet calm did nothing for Kenshin's nerves. His blood rushed at the thought of killing him.

"I'm afraid that's not possible, Enishi. You know as well as I do that those lands are sworn to the Mitsurugi tribe and its outer territory to the Ryu."

"Let us prepare for war."

"The stakes?"

"The land of Carnelia."

"Defeat will result in exile."

"Medics will be spared."

"No prisoners."

"Agreed."

Each of the men, along with Enishi's general, recited the rules of war. Conveniently customized by the bloodthirsty men, the leaders went back to their respected sides of the battlefield.

Unlike the Carnelians, they had a certain civility when it comes to war.

Kaoru couldn't sleep that night.

The next morning, Kaoru screamed in pain as a slicing sensation sliced down her chest. Misao tried to hold her down, careful not to touch her skin. Still unaware of what was happening to Kaoru, Misao struggled in hesitation to keep her promise.

Promise that you will keep me on this bed, no matter what I say or do.

I promise. What's wrong, Kaoru?

It's better if I don't tell you.

Kaoru tried to sit up, and Misao let her. She examined the blind girl's body as she shivered. Her eyes, expressive as always, showed horror and fear, despite the determination that had settled over the rest of her face. Her mouth twisted angrily and her jaws were clamped shut, trying to keep from shouting. Her eyes, however, reflected things that Misao could only begin to understand.

The battle was massive. The opposing soldiers wore iron and brass and used long swords to kill. The soldiers behind wore leather and chain mail for better agility. Everywhere, limbs were being thrown up in the air, like flowers in a wedding. Blood pooled at the ankles and the stench was intoxicating… addicting. The stench of death. Looking at the sword. Licked it.

Kaoru vomited on the bed.

Kenshin's sword was too fast. Everywhere he hit, another soldier was added to the bodies on the red ground. He took on at least ten soldiers at a time, making sure his standard bearer was kept alive. Kenshin looked up and found Aoshi leading the right flank. The final attack was almost ready. Kenshin had baited Yukishiro's soldiers to a trap and was consequently pushing him into a corner.

Suddenly, a dagger buried itself on Kenshin's back. Kenshin growled and swerved around, pushing the man away and hitting him on the cheek with the butt of his sword. When the man fell to the ground, his helmet came off revealing almost smooth skin. It was a boy, no older than … than Kaoru.

Kenshin stalked towards the boy on the ground. The boy started to move away, away from those of amber eyes that penetrated through his armor. The boy started to shiver in anticipation of his end, closing his eyes.

"Coward. You should look death in the face!" and Kenshin lunged.

Kaoru saw two orbs of anger in her mind's eye. She looked through them intently and saw… saw innocence.

"NO!"

The boy's blue eyes sparkled at him, filled with tears. A voice resounded in his head. His sword didn't pierce flesh. He didn't claim life.

"Victory!" Aoshi's yell echoed in the mountains as the enemy retreated. Kenshin looked at the boy a little longer and stepped back. Kenshin walked away, his mind still ringing with her voice.

You'll regret it.

Kenshin retreated to his tent early. The celebration was giving him too much of a headache and he had more wounds from this battle than in any he had fought in. Those were well-trained soldiers… he thought. Something nagged at him, some unconsciousness trying to wake up, some detail that begged for his attention, but Kenshin was too tired. He fell asleep, bleeding a little, on his bed.

"Sanosuke Sagara."

"Hai," the man bowed in front of Enishi Yukishiro.

"This is your mission." Yukishiro handed him a slip of paper. "Fulfill this, and you'll finally get what you want." Sanosuke nodded in acknowledgement and was dismissed.

"They retreated too early." Kenshin was sitting up on his bed. He called a meeting with the elders the moment he woke up.

"But we were fighting the whole day, surely you're not bloodthirsty enough to want to lengthen this war."

"Battousai is always thirsty."

A flash of the blade was all the young elder needed as a warning. Kenshin hissed again: "They retreated too early."

"Send spies."

Aoshi left the meeting.

"Priestess." The man entered the door and saw the young girl sipping tea. She was clad in a summer yukata, her raven-hair flowed back in waves. She delicately set down her cup and looked up at the man.

"Yes?"

"I've come for you." Sanosuke was a civil man, he didn't want trouble.

"Oh? Perhaps you would want some tea first, you sound parched."

"H—Hai," Sanosuke agreed. It was near noon and he didn't see the maid around so he decided to make his move. This is just a job. Just a job. Just a job. Just a job.

"Sir?" Kaoru tilted her head at the man

"I'm sorry! I was thinking…"

"Oh…" They sat still in silence while sipping their tea.

"I'm to kidnap you. I apologize." Sano put down his teacup and waited for Kaoru's response. She edged a little bit to the side and picked up what looked like a stick. Sano started to stand up, weary of the blow that would surely come. To his surprise, Kaoru stood up and started to wave the stick around, while walking to the door. "You're… You're blind?"

"Yes." She didn't turn her head and walked out of dining room. "You may kidnap me on two conditions." Sanosuke was dazed by what was happening… he didn't even understand what was happening. "The first is that Misao, my maid, will come with us. The second is that you will never touch me. Understood?"

Sano's eyes couldn't have been wider. Misao rounded the corner and saw the man. "Hey, who's this?"

"My kidnapper. Come on Misao, we're going with him. I want to leave now." Kaoru walked towards the gate and left. Misao didn't say a thing. Sano followed the two, dumbfounded.

"Where are we going?"

Kenshin felt it snap.

What… what was that? The one thing that held him to his sanity in this damned war had fallen to pieces. He knew it started to weaken when he left camp, but back then he ignored its tugging of his mind. He could feel the immediate effects now, the sudden want to kill. Battousai is always thirsty. He rushed out of his tent and shouted the call for pursuit, his sword unsheathed and looking for blood. Amber filled his eyes.

"Victory! Attack Carnelia!"