Chapter Six: Realizations

Kaoru strove to wake up. She fought against her own body, her own consciousness. Deep within her mind, she was buried in the glow of her blue light. She did not wish to leave. Since last month, her own feelings started to filter back to her consciousness. Her loneliness, her desires--she felt Kenshin's presence leave her and in its wake was a larger emptiness that she had never felt before.

At first, it seemed that her gift had taken him in completely, reacting to his emotions. Yet Kaoru was unconvinced. Every night, her own common sense would wake her up to that moment when Kenshin drove his sword through her. She refused to fall into this. 'My gift can't control me in this way,' she would often rationalize. Her feelings were her own, that much she knew. But lately, Kenshin had been very open with her.

Not that he would touch her, but his behavior, his silence, his voice… it all comforted her. She began to open up her ability to him. She felt how he felt. She felt his loneliness, his irritation, his want and constant pining for her. She would shake her head at him with pity because she couldn't return his feelings—even if she wanted to.

The day he left, his gift was so sensitive and so passionate, it affected her greatly. Her actions were the result of his desires.

You'll regret it, Kaoru's words were Kenshin's own thoughts in his dreams. His own musings filtered into her consciousness, she knew his innermost person. All she could do was warn him.

Kenshin tried to keep his temper in check. 'She shouldn't assume what I think, gift or no gift.' "Let go Kaoru," he said as softly as before but more strained. He was surprised when Kaoru dropped his hand and just walked away, counting her steps softly in a sobbing voice.

The reason why Kaoru left him so suddenly that day was because she thought he was hopeless. 'How can he feel one way and act completely different?!' She remembered the feeling. Walking away while crying were his feelings, not hers. One part of her tried to warn him, the other part of her reflected his true self.

Because he had invaded her thoughts in such a way, Kaoru's feelings were pushed aside during her stay with him. Now she faced her own feelings in its enormity. She had tuned herself so well with Kenshin's thoughts, she barely had a mind of her own. Which explains her weakness now. She had utterly fallen for what she swore she would never want. Love.

Sanosuke curiously watched over the priestess who had fainted earlier. He was antsy and the fact that the maid was just sitting there just made him even more nervous.

"Oy, Misao, isn't it? What do we do now?"

"We wait for her to come back."

"I take it she faints on a regular basis."

"Since the war started."

Sanosuke tried not to touch the girl. He was a man of his word, plus Misao looked like the silent type who could kill in an instant. He didn't want trouble, not now that he was halfway done with his mission. 'My mission…' Sano mused. 'This is just a job. Just a job. Just a job. I will be able to free Yahi—'

Sano's thoughts were interrupted by the sudden movement of the priestess. Kaoru woke up and looked around bewilderedly. She rubbed her eyelids and blinked again and shook her head in disappointment.

"Where am I?" Kaoru grappled at her cane as she started to pick herself up.

"Five miles from camp," answered Misao.

"WHAT?! But how did I get here?"

"You said you wanted to leave?" Sano felt a little sheepish as he scratched his head.

"I did? Who are you?" Kaoru turned towards Sano, tilting her head to show confusion.

"You don't remember?" Misao looked closely at Kaoru, especially at her fingers. Blue light sparked and quickly disappeared.

"Remember what?"

"I guess that was your gift then." Misao took out an apple from somewhere and threw it at Kaoru. She caught it when it hit her stomach. "Good catch, you're getting better."

"It possessed me again?"

"Yeah."

"What are you two loons talking about?" Sano bewildered at the conversation that was taking place.

"Have you touched me?" Kaoru suddenly asked the man.

"No—wait, what?"

"Good. Don't worry about it. Where are we going?"

"I'm to bring you to the Yukishiro camp."

"Did you tell me this before?"

"Ye—yeah. You asked me like an hour ago."

Kaoru held the apple in her hands. She touched its skin to her nose before taking a solemn bite. There must be a reason why it brought her out here. Perhaps it meant for her to follow through with Sanosuke. She sighed, she cannot wait until the curse ends.

After a little rest and some light conversation, Sanosuke realized that they weren't going to tell him anything else. He considered leaving them here, but realized that much was at stake on this mission of his. They all started towards the other side of the mountains, where Enishi Yukishiro eagerly waited.

Kenshin spat at the man who begged for his mercy. He then kicked his face away and ordered his execution. The siege had started and pretty soon, the proud walls of Carnelia would bow down to his whim. Many had tried to counter the siege, but all of the Carnelian's efforts were in vain. The Mitsurugi-Ryu tribe was an advanced warrior clan. Morale was already low for the Carnelians anyways for they heard that none other but the Battousai himself led the clan. Their worst fears confirmed, they tried to negotiate some sort of treatise. Kenshin, however, would not settle for anything else other than absolute surrender.

Aoshi looked at the man before him. His usual expressionless faced was lined with disgust. He had heard of the legends of old about Battousai. Yet never before has he seen this repulsive creature that he called 'Lord.' His scar was more distinct, and his already red hair was netted with dried blood. His eyes grew lustful for more blood everyday. It was today that Aoshi first disobeyed his order. He had let go of the man that Kenshin had ordered dead.

"Aoshi," Kenshin drew down his bangs as he addressed his second-in-command. "You are dismissed." It was a permanent order.

"Hai." With that, Aoshi left. He knew what to do. Quickly he grabbed his horse and rode back to camp, hoping that the blind priestess would be there. Aoshi was smart after all, he had seen the changes in Kenshin when she was around.

The three reached the Yukishiro camp. To Sano's horror, however, the camp was on high alert due to the number of spies who recently got caught. The guards were giving them a hard time.

One guard lashed out at Kaoru and had almost made skin contact with her if not for Misao's agility. Between her and Sano, Kaoru would be safe as long as she kept still. She did not. Sano was trying to explain between punches that Enishi himself was waiting for them while Misao watched his back. Neither noticed Kaoru slowly backing away from the fistfights.

Suddenly, another guard attempted to lunge himself at her. Sano turned around and saw what was about to happen. He quickly ran over to her to push her away from the sword, but instead he landed on top of her, his face buried in her neck and hair. "Sano!" Misao tried to pull him away but it was too late. Electricity started to surge through Kaoru again, shocking the man.

Yet Sano started to get up despite his grunts of pain. He pulled her up as well, almost calmly if not for the crackle of fire around them. He lifted her up in his arms and ran through the group of guards. They instantly thinned away as they felt the orb of electricity that emitted from the two. Sano limped and grunted as he ran towards Enishi's palace, Misao following them from behind. It was when Sano had let go of Kaoru when he fainted in Misao's arms… murmuring something about a brother.

Aoshi quickly rode out of the camp. He had just been informed that the priestess went missing a week ago.

Kenshin could not sleep thus he lashed out at everyone he encountered. Peace had left him completely. He dragged out the siege longer than what was necessary, savoring the slow trickle of men coming out to challenge him. It tickled him to bleed them one by one.

Kaoru waited patiently in the middle of the room. She was seated on one cushion, facing a man she could almost remember. Misao was quietly nursing Sano's head with a cold towel, urging him to consciousness. At the other side of a room was a door. The door opened noisily, revealing a muscled guard who held a small boy by the scruff of his neck. The guard dropped the boy to the ground and gave him kick in the stomach for good measure. Kaoru regarded the noise and decided that the whimpers by the door were definitely that of a child's. "Don't cry, little one."

"Who are you calling little, you filthy hag."

Kaoru was taken aback but kept quiet. She knew how to pick her fights, she turned her face instead towards the man who was waiting for her attention.

"For a blind woman, you seem confident in yourself." Enishi lazily drawled, sizing up the priestess in front of him.

"Being blind has its advantages. For example, I don't have to deal with deceitful first impressions. There is malice in your voice." She pointed out and took the small cup of tea that was set in front of her.

The man chuckled and stood up to walk towards her. "You are an observant young lady. Did you know that deceit is my gift's expertise?"

But before Kaoru could respond, Enishi had laid a hand on her forehead. He waved away the light of Kaoru's gift and diffused his own white blaze into her mind. Kaoru screamed in pain. The teacup fell to the floor, breaking into pieces.

Kenshin suddenly jerked his head from what he was doing. He blinked his eyes and saw that he had his sword in his hands, half was smeared with blood and the other half was wiped clean. He licked his lips and vomited at the taste of old blood.

It was one thing to have something "snap" inside his mind. It was another thing for it to disappear altogether. He heard the scream echo again.

Kenshin had been disentangling himself from Kaoru's gift since he left for war. Unbeknownst to him, his own gift was wakened by Kaoru's power. It was her power that held his gift in control. When he left her, her bond on him had weakened. Her gift stretched over the distance but finally had to let go, hurting Kaoru in its recoil. Sano coming along was a stroke of luck, for her gift was ready to create havoc just to have its way. But it saw its opportunity thus it possessed Kaoru to follow Sano. Kenshin felt the sudden lack of control over his bloodlust causing him to go into a frenzy, to attack Carnelia. But now, he realized, that something else was missing. An ache spread over his chest, despite the fact that his ribs had healed weeks ago. His gift, wakened by Kaoru's gift, had lost all contact with Kaoru's life essence. Uncertainty. Confusion. His gift let the violet of his eyes finally come through again. His gift would do anything to have Kaoru's presence again. The skies darkened as it started to rain, washing away the blood from his fiery hair.

"What are you going to do with her?" Sano asked weakly when he regained consciousness. Enishi regarded both Misao and Sano with cold indifference.

"Did you know what a wonderful fighter this girl is?" Enishi questioned Sano. He laughed at the look that Misao gave him while Sano tried to comprehend the words. Enishi snapped a finger at a guard and ordered "Bring the maid out."

To Misao's surprise, the guard brought out Tsubame.

"Tsubame!" Yahiko ran to her side and helped her up.

"Oh Yahiko," she placed her arms around him and kissed him feverishly, tears making wet streaks on her dirty cheeks.

Misao suddenly understood. Yahiko had the chains of a slave around his ankle. Tied on his shoulder was a red bandana, exactly like Sano's. She looked at Sano closely and realized that he was from the Mitsurugi-Ryu tribe as well. Somehow, Yahiko had been caught, Sano blackmailed, and Tsubame forced.

"I'm sorry Sano, I know I promised I wouldn't. But I just, I hoped that Yahiko would be alright…" Tsubame wavered under the angry glare that Sano gave her.

"Women" he spat.

"Don't talk to her like that…" Yahiko walked over to Sano's weak form, he was still cradled in Misao's arms. "I love her, brother."

"She betrayed the clan."

"To save Yahiko!" protested Tsubame.

"I had it under control," Sano hissed back.

"Please spare me from the drama." Enishi drawled again. Despite his words, he enjoyed the pain that he had been causing. Misao looked at Enishi and then risked a look at Kaoru. "Don't think about it weasel. I have her life, in my hands." Enishi opened up his palm to Misao's widening eyes. He held a small orb of blue light. "We will all wait for the Battousai. He will come to claim what he owns.

"And I will have all that he claims."

Kenshin met with Aoshi past the mountains. Without words, they understood each other perfectly. Kenshin was bloodgifted and Aoshi found Kaoru. Silently, Aoshi thanked the gods who brought back his master to his normal self as they sped towards Yukishiro camp.

"How long has she been gone?"

"Three weeks."

Kenshin kicked savagely at his horse to speed up. It had been three weeks since the Yukishiro retreat. All of his spies were dead, except for the man who had managed to get dismissed from espionage. Kenshin smiled at the irony.

Finally they reached Enishi's palace. Aoshi and Kenshin entered together in broad daylight, looking around for any sign of life. It was only when Enishi's voice resounded in the grand room that Kenshin realized that the two of them had walked into an illusion.

"Dispel your magic, Enishi." Aoshi simply said. A mass of black smoke started to raise up revealing the true form of the grand room. Kenshin's eyes glowed amber. Sanosuke was a childhood friend of his. His hands were handcuffed to the wall, his body lay limp. Misao was struggling, her strength renewed at the sight of Aoshi. On the other side of the wall were Yahiko and Tsubame, silently looking to each other for strength. On Enishi's table was Kaoru, her body arranged as if she were already dead. She held a wilting flower in her hands.

Kenshin sped up towards her, but Enishi held a knife over her throat—he immediately stopped. Aoshi sized up the situation and started walking on Misao's cuffs quietly. Enishi ignored them and addressed Kenshin.

"A duel to the death."

"Stakes?"

"Everything."

"Agreed."

Enishi's ominous laugh filled the room. Kenshin's eyes darted around and realized that the black smoke started to envelope him, blocking his sight from everyone else, even Enishi. The black smoke thickened around him until finally, he was no longer aware of anyone else's presence.

"Enishi, this is hardly a fair duel, you coward."

"You're right, let me prep up a little…" Enishi's voice strained at the last word, and he released a small groan of satisfaction before letting a little smoke waft aside.

Kenshin's enemy walked through the smoke holding his sword in one hand. He gestured to the corner and Kenshin followed with his gaze. There in the corner was a woman, sitting tightly and looking at him with a determined gaze.

"Kaoru!"

"She cannot hear you…" Enishi's voice mysteriously filled Kenshin's head… He looked back at the man in front of him, trying to keep his confusion to himself.

"Let's just get this over with." With that, he lunged towards the man who blocked him with great speed.