Author's note: Kaoru kicks some serious butt as Kenshin and company come to her rescue! Keep those reviews coming; they are like crack and I am quickly becoming an addict! I might also add a supplemental chapter to fit in between the pregnancy revelation and the wedding since some people have said that they would like to see more of Kenshin and Kaoru's relationship develop. Can I get any votes on the supplemental chapter?
Four men stood under the torii gate. Two were tall and armed with swords and a third was equally tall but carrying no weapons aside from the fists shoved casually in his pockets. But the short, slender redhead in their midst was unmistakably the most threatening of the quartet. From the blazing amber of his eyes to the furious chi emanating off him like water from a broken dam, it was painfully clear that when this was over, there were going to be gigantic piles of very-dead bodies lying around and he'd still be cruising around for more to make. A mixed cavalcade of elements were zooming around the men, and the situation had drawn them into reluctant unity. Rather than hissing and snapping at each other, their ire was reserved for whatever was awaiting them beyond the gate.
"Well, Battousai, it's most unfortunate your wife was involved," Saito blew out a long trail of smoke and looked coolly at the quietly, violently angry redhead at his side, as still as a volcano seconds before exploding. "But I must say that it is fortunate your determination to secure her safe return seems to have overridden your vow never to revert to a manslayer again."
Kenshin said nothing. Reality had blurred into one bleakly sliced truth: my woman and my child are in danger. His eyes narrowed to slits as unwittingly his memories returned to a dark day many years ago; desperately, he tried to push the memories away as a ghost's breath of perfume, smelling of white plums, rose to his resisting nostrils and his mind was dragged kicking and screaming back in time.
Blood. Blood everywhere, splashing in his eyes, blinding him, leaving crimson patterns on the white snow as delicate as embroidery on a kimono.
The sagging weight of a dying body dragging down his exhausted arms, full lips twitching in efforts to gasp out final words.
The roaring hiss of salamanders as elemental energies sizzled and raged in the cold air.
Tomoe. My wife. I did not reach you in time. I did not save you. I killed you.
Shaking his head firmly, Kenshin tried hard to chase away the memories that screamed inside his head, the images, the smells. The chaotic tumble of the past was suddenly broken by Sano's massive hand, heavy and reassuringly solid, which came to rest on his shoulder. "You okay, Kenshin?" he rumbled, eyes slanted in concern.
Sano. A solid wall of courage, brotherly support and encouragement in a world descended into madness again. The other two men at his side had watched Kenshin Himura disappear under the raging fire of Battousai the manslayer and had approved. Sano, however, Ward, rather thick-headed brawler with a confidence bordering on cockiness at times, had observed the transformation with quiet dismay and had staunchly rejected the title of "Battousai" Aoshi and Saito used to address him. Repeating "Kenshin" a little more than necessary, Sano had stubbornly attached himself to Kenshin's side, an anchor to reality.
Ally, Kenshin thought to himself. Saito and Aoshi were by his side too, but he had no illusions: they would fight besides him because they wanted something from him. In contrast, the stubborn Ward had willingly blundered into a situation he had no connection to and was adamant about continuing forward. Looking up at the structure in front of him, Kenshin could see that it was steeped in elemental magic that he knew only Sano would be able to sail through unaffected.
Whoever brought her here will die, golden eyes promised as a callused hand clenched around the katana at his side and fury filled him. His vision narrowed, centered, and Battousai the manslayer poised to storm into the building and claim what was his. But suddenly a bear-like paw smashed across the side of his head, sending him staggering as a confused "Oro?" escaped his mouth.
"What are you wasting time for, Kenshin?" Sano's roughly good-natured voice rumbled. "Let's get in there, defeat Shishio, get Kaoru, and go home." Stuffing his hands in his pockets, the Ward strolled unconcerned under the torii gate, head set at a cocky angle, shoulders relaxed as if he didn't have a care in the world. Pausing, he shot a look at the redhead behind him, "You coming or what? I promise I'll save a bad guy for you if you ask nicely. Hey wolfman," he said, jerking his chin at Saito, "Get your rear in gear. Aoshi, you too. We got some serious ass to kick."
Unexpectedly, a surprised jolt of laughter burst out of Kenshin as he heard Saito's derisive sniff and saw the gleam of anger in Aoshi's eyes. But the small burst of mirth was just enough to help Kenshin reach down into the seething mass of his emotions and seize ahold of something he could cling to. Although the manslayer had largely taken over, a part of Kenshin was still fighting for survival, struggling against giving in completely.
Fight, he told himself grimly. Think of Kaoru and the baby, think of the father you want to become for your son. Think of Master. Think...
DEATH, KILL, DESTROY, THEY TOOK MY WOMAN, THEY WILL DIE!
Fight harder.
Warring within himself, Kenshin met Sano's grin with unsmiling eyes and stepped forward as Aoshi and Saito fell in pace behind him.
"Lord Shishio, the Battousai has arrived," Hoji announced, "along with three other men: Aoshi Shinomori, Saito Hajime, and another man that I'm not sure..."
"Sanoske Sagara," Shishio finished for him, leisurely exhaling a cloud of smoke. "By all accounts, a low-grade thug with no weapons skills. However," he conceded a tad grudgingly, "He is a Ward, so precautions should be made."
Leaning back, Shishio waved his pipe. "My Juppongatana is in position. All we have to do is wait for the Battousai to reach me. That is," he smiled evilly, "If he does." Motioning to the troll doll, he commanded, "Chou, go tell our 'guest' that her husband has arrived, the real man she married, not the Kenshin Himura he claims to be and invite her back to this chamber. The proceedings may be of interest to her."
"Sure thing, boss," Chou replied and set out for the room where he had stored Kaoru. Nearing the door, he heard the muffled sobs of a woman and he started speaking to her as he unlocked the door, "Now now, missy, no tears now. Lord Shishio won't like it." Opening the door, he put one foot into the room and promptly collapsed in an unconscious pile on the floor, his numerous swords making a most satisfying rattling noise as he hit the ground
Setting aside the bokken that was responsible for the troll doll's current state of inertia, Kaoru quickly dragged him into the room and shut the door before anyone could take notice. "You know, if you're going to lock a kendo master in a room, make sure it is one that doesn't contain a cabinet full of training equipment with an easy-to-pick lock," she admonished as she swiftly unstrapped a katana from Chou's back, untied the cord on the sheath, and used it to hogtie the man. He struggled a bit and a undine made a watery, semicorporal appearance but Kaoru's zephyr immediately pounced on it and it disappeared. Tearing a strip from Chou's clothing, Kaoru quickly fashioned a gag and then pulled free all his swords from their sheaths. She deposited them on the other side of the room, well away from him less he manage to wiggle within reach of one.
Casting a critical look over her handiwork, Kaoru pushed him with a foot and stated coldly, "I don't know what is going on and what is true anymore. All I know is that my husband is coming for me and I going to get the hell out of here and join him and you're not getting in my way." Mentally she added, And when I do find him, we are going to have a long, long talk. He has some serious explaining to do. Deciding that Chou wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, she took up the bokken again and cautiously crept towards the door. She thought briefly about taking a katana, but the ones Chou was carrying were too long and heavy for her slight frame and she felt more confident with a bokken.
This is the hard part, Kaoru thought grimly and, reaching inside herself, summoned two more elements to join the first one. Immediately her head was filled with their bouncing energy as if three highly-caffeinated parakeets had suddenly dropped into her brain. The zephyrs burst into existence and began twirling around excitedly. Clapping her hands over her ears, she said, "Stop, stop, please, please, listen, I need help! Please, you guys have to cooperate with me or I'm not getting out of here alive. I don't have the control I need to keep you all in line, so can you please, please listen to me and help me?" Her distress seemed to make an impression for the three zephyrs obediently sailed over to hover in front of her face and the bouncing energies in her head seemed to calm down somewhat.
"Thank you," she removed her hands from her ears. Her head still buzzed unpleasantly but she was able to stand it. It took supreme effort to separate her thoughts from the bursts of energies in her brain, and she hoped desperately that the zephyrs' obedience would not slacken. "Okay, this is what I need you to do," Kaoru said, rapping out orders. She knew that Kenshin and Hiko directed their elements almost exclusively through mind control, but her mental hold on the three was extremely precarious and she had no intention of stressing it any. She just hoped that verbal commands would be sufficient.
Opening the door a crack, Kaoru let the three zephyrs loose. One raced ahead, intent on fulfilling its orders to find a way out of the building. The other two flew into the hallway, quickly scouting it for enemies. A whispery, high-pitched hum in her head said Clear! Safe! and Kaoru pulled back the door and ran into the hallway. Another whisper floated past her Master, this way! and Kaoru followed it. The buzz of energy inside her head made it extremely difficult to think clearly, and Kaoru was fighting to keep all three elements corporal and cooperative, but they had clearly sensed her distress and were so far being helpful and obedient. Her feet made slapping sounds on the floor as she raced ahead, following the breathy voices in her head as her elemental scouts winged forward, searching for enemies and an escape route. I'm coming, Kenshin! she thought, adrenaline coursing in her veins.
Battousai was gaining the upperhand and Kenshin was struggling and gasping in his grip as he watched Sano stagger backwards, blood pouring from a cut under his eye as the gigantic monk punched him again. Sano had easily sailed through a knot of menacing gnomes who simply passed around his body like smoke, startling the monk greatly, but the massive fists that met the tall fighter were not so easy to dodge. The redhead's hand clenched on his katana's handle as he watched his friend land a hard punch, only to receive one right back that knocked him off his feet.
One more punch and the monk dies, Battousai snarled, lips pulling back in a hideous grin. No one else I care about will die here. I will call a legion of salamanders to burn this place to the ground and slaughter everyone who stands in my way before I let that happen.
No! Fight this! Remain true to your vow! Don't do this! Kenshin Himura demanded weakly. Think of Kaoru! Think...
Kenshin!
The redhead shook his head in confusion, then shock and relief filled him as a very familiar chi energy poured into him, as sweet and welcome as rain on parched ground. Eagerly, desperately, he reached out for it and felt it curl inside him. Kaoru! Her chi was pulsing and full and he tasted courage, determination, and the heat of battle on it.
Kaoru! She's alive! She's fighting and on her feet and alive!
Kenshin! I'm coming!
Longing swept him as he eagerly embraced the bright energy of his wife's chi, feeling it rush over him like sunshine. But as he drank it in, he was suddenly aware of a different strain running through it, something innocent and effervescent and fragile. Latching onto the pattern, he marveled What is this? Could it be...? He stopped, stunned into realization.
Heartbeat, heartbeat, heartbeat. Small and frail but very much alive.
My child. My son. My little one.
With a cry of pain, Kenshin strangled back the Battousai. No, you will not win! You will not destroy what I have worked so hard for! I will not let myself become you again! Snarling, Battousai retreated, driven back into darkness.
Panting slightly with emotion, Kenshin turned his attention back to the battle to see that the monk was down for the count, defeated, and Sano was wavering on his feet, badly beaten but alive. Looking up at the others, he flashed a crooked smile. "Guys, better go on without me. I'll catch up but right now I think I need a little nap."
He's alive! He won! Kenshin triumphed. Turning to Aoshi and Saito, he said, "Let's go," and pivoted to leave the room. "My wife and child are waiting."