Subject: [kenshinfanfics] Fanfiction pt 2 Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1998 09:06:26 EDT From: Reply-To: kenshinfanfics@makelist.com To: kenshinfanfics@makelist.com OKay. Since, so far, people seem to like I'll just send part two in now. ^_^... Battousai Again Part 2 Kenshin dropped the sword, fell to his knees himself, face shocked. He grabbed Kaoru as she fell, buried his face in her hair, cried helplessly. "Kaoru-dono!!" What had happened was not what he’d, insane as he was, planned. He had not ended up doing a variation of what Shi-shi-o and Yumi had done, he’d ended up doing the exact same thing. Only, this time, it had worked. Ryu lay sprawled behind Kaoru, face shocked, arms stretched out. He’d been trying to shove her out of the way, tried to save her life. All he’d managed was to extend it for a few more painful moments… Kaoru shifted, felt him crying. "Kenshin…" Kenshin said nothing, he was still in shock, his mind recognizing what she’d said before he…before he had…A tug at his shoulder pulled him back to reality and he stared down at Kaoru, who looked back up at him sadly. Kaoru smiled and reached up, brushing a lock of hair from his eyes. "It wasn’t your fault Kenshin, I got in the way…But I couldn’t just let you kill him! You can’t go back to being the hitokiri! Promise me you won’t!" He turned his eyes away, shuddered when his gaze fell on Ryu. Poor Ryu. I’m sorry…I should have known… He looked back at Kaoru, who was still insisting that he promise. A promise he couldn’t make. He wasn’t even sure he could promise her that he’d stay sane, or even alive. He’d killed her! Kaoru! Innocent, trusting Kaoru. She hadn’t believed he’d do it, then, when he did, blamed herself even though they both knew it was his fault. And now, here she was, dying, trying to get him to promise her that he’d stay the same…He couldn’t. not and be sane. He wasn’t sure he’d accomplish that anyways. Looking down at her he saw, just for a moment, the face and smile of another. Tomoe…I killed you, as I killed Kaoru. But, I had a chance to avoid killing her…But I did anyways…Does that mean I love her less?…No, I did it because I was insane, thinking only of what I’d let happen to her. Master was right, I’m selfish. I was worrying over how I could revenge her pain, and brought the hitokiri and her death instead… "Kenshin!" "Oro?" Kenshin was jolted out of his thought to see Kaoru glaring up at him, as she’d always done. For a moment, he couldn’t remember what had been wrong. Kaoru sighed. "Kenshin, you have to watch over Yahiko and the others! I won’t be here to help but…Kenshin, please don’t do anything stupid…" her voice was getting faint, the expression of pain on her face had numbed. "Please! I love you Kenshin, I don’t want anything to happen to you…" Kenshin almost started crying again. She loved him! He killed her and she still loved him! "Kaoru-dono…I…I l…Kaoru-dono? NO! KAORU-DONO!!" He screamed, a shout filled with rage and sadness. Standing up he held Kaoru’s now lifeless body and, thinking for the first time of anyone living other then him, Kaoru and Ryu in quite awhile, wondered just how he was going to explain this…Then he frowned, remembering something. Ryu hadn’t stabbed Kaoru…someone else had. That meant, that that someone else was still out there. Everything fell into place. Setting Kaoru down he sighed and picked up Ryu’s, and now his, sword again. Turning, he left to go kill the man who’d dared hurt the one he loved…Him, and anyone who got in the way… * * * (At the dojo entrance. Sanosuke has arrived, with Katsu, Ayeme and Suzume. Megumi, out getting water, spots them and comes over to greet them. Heading inside she opens the door to the dojo’s main room and freezes in shock. A moment later everyone hears an angry shout) Sano blinked, "What was that? Megumi?" Megumi’s still shocked staring into the room. Hearing Sano shout her name she spins and shuts the door. "…Ayeme-chan, Suzume-chan, I think that you should go home now…" Ayeme blinked, "Why?" "Because Ken-san’s…not feeling good. He’s ill. I need you to go-" Behind her, the door burst open. She yelped and leapt away from it, hiding behind Sanosuke. Sano blinked at her then his eyes went wide as he spotted Kenshin. Kenshin’s eyes were gold. "K-Kenshin, what’s going on?" Ayeme and Suzume cheered and ran forward, "Ken-ni!" "Ni-chan!" "play with us!" "Yeah, play, come play!" Running forward they hugged his legs, just like they usually did. Kenshin’s response was anything but normal. Kenshin frowned as he felt someone grab him about the legs, images flashing through his mind of enemies, not yet dead, reaching up and grabbing him, slowing him down so their living friends could kill him. Clenching the knife he’d picked up on the way out as well as the sword he stared down at the two soldiers clinging to him, jabbering on excitedly. Two quick slashes and they slowed him down no more… Sanosuke stared in shock at Kenshin, then glanced down at the bodies of Ayeme and Suzume. They’d run up for a hug, Kenshin had glared down at them, and then…he’d…Sano couldn’t believe it for a moment then he heard Megumi say something that made him switch his attention to her. "He killed them! He killed them both, Ryu and Kaoru. He thought Ryu had been the one who stabbed Kaoru, that’s why he…But Kaoru? Why did he kill her? She was just trying to prevent him from going hitokiri!" Sano sighed and lowered his head. Kaoru…Ryu…Ayeme…Suzume…Who knew what’d happened to Yahiko. Turning he gestured at Katsu, who’d followed him here to continue their chat. "Katsu, get her out of here…" Katsu shook his head, "I’m not leaving you behind, Sano…" Megumi was crying, sobbing hysterically. Sano carefully shoved her to Katsu, painfully awake of Kenshin coming closer, gold eyes ringed with a strange sort of sadness. "Get her out of here! Get her to Kyoto, take her to the Aoi-ya, talk to the Oniwa Banshu, talk to Aoshi. They’ll help you deal with…deal with Kenshin…Stop at his masters too, Hiko Seijuro…HURRY!" Katsu grabbed Megumi. "Come with us! I don’t know who to talk to! Sano shook his head, "I can’t. I have to stop him." Katsu made to hand Megumi over to Sano, "Then I’ll stay! Sano shook his head again, getting desperate. "No! No time, and I wouldn’t let you anyways. Hurry, or more people will die! I’ll do what I can…" Katsu, confused and overwhelmed, started to run, supporting and sometimes actually carrying the hysterical Megumi. Kenshin allowed himself to smile as he approached the fighter before him. Here was someone that could lead him to Ryu! He’d kill the boy, for daring to hurt Kaoru… A part of his mind continued to yell, shouting that Ryu was dead, that Kenshin was killing everyone he cared for, that this was all wrong. Kenshin, now completely insane, with Kaoru no longer there to pull him to reality, ignored it… Katsu finally stopped a ways away from the dojo, stopped because if he ran any farther he’d drop of exhaustion. He glanced down at Megumi who, after getting over the first shock of what had happened to her good friends, was recovering quite nicely. Then they heard the scream. Katsu winced, eyes flashing back to the dojo. Sano!? The scream cut off, causing Megumi to nearly go back into hysterics again. Then Katsu grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her hard. "Listen to me! I’m going back. You must go to Kyoto! You heard what Sano said, the Aoi-ya, Hiko Seijuro. Tell them!" He pulled a wallet from a pocket. "Use this to get to a carriage ride there, you have no time, hurry!" Giving her a shove down the path he turned and ran the opposite direction, hoping he’d make it in time to save his friend… Kenshin wiped off his sword with a washcloth, then scowled at all the blood. He just knew that he wouldn’t be able to get it all out, Kaoru would have a fit…Kaoru…His mind yelled something about her but he dismissed it and went back into the safe haze he’d created. Looking around he sighed, he’d have to dig six graves, he’d have to bury the bodies. A lot of hard, grisly work and, to top it all off, he had to make dinner to. Sano and Yahiko would be upset if there was no food ready. Looking around, that part of his mind screaming at him, as he subconsciously knew it would for the rest of his life, remained ignored. He looked over the two fighters Ryu had sent. He’d asked them where their leader was, but they’d refused to admit they knew what he was talking about. He’s got impatient and-SANO! I’m sorry! You and your friend forgive me, ple- had ended up killing them without knowing. So he still had to go out and search for Ryu- Ryu! You didn’t lie, you really didn’t do it. You tried to save Kaoru…Oh, Kaoru-dono, please forgive. You, of them all, must forgive me, please forgive me. KAORU!!…- He’d have to search for Ryu but he was hungry and still had a lot of work to do. Heading towards the kitchen he spotted the bodies of the two who’d tried to slow him down-Ayeme-chan, Suzume-chan…I’m sorry…so sorry. Everyone…everyone, please forgive me!- Ignoring them he went into the kitchen to start some rice. He’d bury the mess once he was done. It was all he could do now, they shouldn’t have gotten in his way… Everyone! I’m so sorry! Please, Master, Misao-dono…don’t come. Please, no one come… Suddenly a voice rang out at the entrance, causing Kenshin to jerk back to reality, or rather, what passed for it to him now. "Hey? What happened? Sanosuke? Ayeme?" The voice was disbelieving, scared, hurt…desperate. An easy kill. Abandoning thoughts of food temporarily Kenshin moved back towards the entrance. He knew the voice. It belonged to a friend of Ryu’s…He could lead Kenshin to Ryu for sure… Yahiko was beginning to get scared, he opened the door to the dojo and screamed. "Kaoru! Ryu!…" He looked around, scared now. "Kenshin? Kenshin, where are you? Why couldn’t you protect them?" His screams changed pitch as Kenshin appeared behind him. They ended quickly. Why couldn’t I protect them indeed…Yahiko…I’m…beyond sorry. There can be no forgiveness for me now…Every scream, every kill, drove him that much farther into the darkness. Away from Kaoru, away from his friends…away from those who forgave him from everything, into the arms of those who most certainly did not… * * * (Awhile later, Tae and Tsubame walk up the path to the dojo) Tae sighed, opening the door. "What do you think happened? It’s not like Kaoru to tell you she’ll be back and not come." Tsubame shrugged. "I don’t know. All I know is that Kaoru-san said she’d be back later…I wanted to talk to her…" Tae finished opening the door and looked inside. "…Oh dear…" Blood was splattered everywhere, on the ground, smearing the walls. Tae heard Tsubame throwing up behind her and nearly joined her. "K-Kaoru? Hello? Anyone? Kenshin? Yahiko-kun?" Tsubame, stomach emptied of its contents, returned and looked around. "Hello? Anyone?" Tae and Tsubame split up, looking around. Tae went right, Tsubame went left. Tae was about to go back for Tsubame when she heard a scream. She ran towards the source, found it, and immediately wished she hadn’t. Tsubame lay on the ground, face horrified, the back of her kimono bloody. It wasn’t her killer who’d scared her, the wound was immediately fatal. She’d found a hole in the ground and peered inside, whatever was in there had to have been what scared her. Tae rushed forward, looking inside, and nearly fainted. She’d found Yahiko. He too had died scared. Tae was scared out of her wits now, looking around for a way out. She didn’t even think to look for the one who’d killed Tsubame. Spinning she ran forward, smack into Kenshin. Tae sighed in relief. "Ahh, Kenshin-san. What happened here? Who did thi-" Tae cut off as Kenshin pulled out a knife. It was covered in blood. "Kenshin…san?" * * * (In Kyoto, at the Aoi-ya. A few days later) Misao hmmed, looking over a weapons catalog. She was about to say something to Aoshi, who was in the room eating, when the door slammed open and a very distressed looking woman ran in. "Please! You must help me!" Misao and Aoshi blinked. "Huh?" The woman looked them over and ran over to Aoshi, "Please, you must help me! I’ve come from Tokyo, there’s been a…something’s gone wrong! Ken-sans gone insane!" Misao frowned, "You know her Aoshi-sama?" Aoshi nodded, "She’s one of Himura’s friends, but why-?" Megumi frowned, "PLEASE! We need help! Ken-san…Kenshin’s gone insane! He killed Kaoru and…everyone’s dead, I’m the only one left…" Trailing off she crumpled to the ground, crying. Misao gasped. "Himura?" Aoshi blinked. "Killed them?" Okina walked into the room, "What’s all the noise?" Megumi stopped crying and looked up at Okina. "You must help me. Kenshin has gone insane. He’s killed everyone at the dojo. I was only able to escape because Sano…" She started crying again. Okina scowled, "How awful! We must go down there and stop them." Aoshi stood, "I’ll go." Okina and Misao blinked. "What?" Aoshi stared at a wall, eyes distant. "He saved me from myself once, now I shall return the favor…" Okina shook his head, "I can not let you go alone." Aoshi nodded.. "I’ll ask Hiko Seijuro if he’ll come with me…" Misao frowned, "I’m going too!" Aoshi and Okina shook their heads. "no way." Misao scowled at them. "You won’t abandon me again, Aoshi-sama! I have an interest in this too! I want to know why Himura-san…" Aoshi kept on shaking his head. "…I’m sorry Misao, but I won’t take you." That said, he left the room. Misao snarled in frustration. "Aoshi-sama, I won’t be left behind again!…Aoshi-sama!" Megumi recovered enough to speak. "…I’m going too…" Okina blinked at her. Megumi stood up. "I have to talk to Ken-san, I need to know why…I think I know, but I have to be sure." Okina nodded and gestured for her to follow. "Please come with me. I think Aoshi should hear this. Misao, would you please get a room ready for our guest?" He continued before she could answer. "That’s a good girl. Now…What was your name again?" Megumi left the room with him. "My name is Takani Megumi." Misao glared at their backs. NO! I will not be left behind again! Aoshi-sama could be killed! She ran off to tell someone to fix Megumi’s room. She had her own preparations to make. * * * Okina gave Aoshi a look as Megumi left. "…She’ll just run away, you know…" Aoshi sighed. "I suppose so…we’ll leave tomorrow night. We’ll have enough of a head start to be there well ahead of her." Okina nodded. "Unless she leaves on her own before you do…" Aoshi frowned. "I guess we’ll just have to keep her occupied until I’m gone, now won’t we?" * * * (Aoi-ya, the next morning) Aoshi looked up as Megumi walked in the room. "Feeling better?" Megumi shook her head. "how could I?" Okina sighed, Megumi had gone into a sort of cold depression and there was nothing he or Aoshi could do about it. "Megumi-" He started to speak, then was cut off as an Oniwa Banshu member (Names? Why can’t I remember their names?) entered the room. "What is it?" Omasu looked around and handed Aoshi a letter. "Misao-chan asked me to give this to you. Said someone from Kyoto sent it." Aoshi frowned. "Who’d send me?" Opens the letter, his eyes widen. "Misao!" Okina frowned as Aoshi read on, actually showing shock. "What’s wrong, Aoshi?" Aoshi, dazed, handed Okina the letter. "Misao’s…left…" Megumi and Omasu blinked. "What? Okina read the letter then crumpled it in his hand. "She ran away! Just like I thought she would. I guess we didn’t watch her close enough…" Aoshi frowned, "Why would she leave ahead of us, though? We weren’t even planning to leave until tonight…" Megumi, reading the letter. "Obviously she was afraid you’d leave today…we must go." Aoshi nodded and stood. "I know. But we can’t leave until Hiko Seijuro either comes or tells us he won’t." Megumi blinked. "Hiko Seijuro?" Aoshi nodded. "Kenshin’s master. If anyone can help him he can…" Omasu handed the note back to Aoshi. "I’ll go get your things ready. Misao’s on foot, she can’t be going that fast." Aoshi nodded distractedly. "Good…just don’t take too long…" * * * (Back in Tokyo. Aoshi, Megumi and Hiko arrive. None of the other Oniwa Banshu *excluding Misao* have come. They are walking through town when they’re stopped by a police officer) The police man stopped them, politely but firmly, and told them that they’d been requested to come to the police station by a high ranking policeman. When Hiko, just as politely and firmly, told him to get lost the police replied that he had full permission, and not a few men hidden nearby, to arrest them if need be. This inspired everyone to decide that they wanted to go to the police station, after all. They arrived at the station and were escorted into an empty room and told that Fujita-kun would be along shortly. Wondering just who this ‘Fujita’ person was they waited until the door opened and a man stepped inside. Aoshi blinked and looked all around surprised. "Saitoh Hajime?" Saitoh nodded, walking in. "…You are here after the battousai, no?" Megumi blinked. "How do you know about Ken-san?" Saitoh sighed, "We got a missing persons report. For a Dr. Genzai, his two little girls, the daughter of the owner of the Akabeko and a little girl that works there, as well as the gangster Sanosuke and his friend." Hiko blinked at the list of names. "What’s this have to do with Kenshin?" Saitoh shrugged. "At first we didn’t know. They’d all been reported heading to the Kamiya dojo before their deaths, and, since no one had spotted the inhabitants of that place for a few days either, we sent some police in…They came back, but the only type of report made was the one slashed into their bodies." "Something is killing anyone who goes into the Kamiya dojo. However, only the bodies of our policemen and one person, who no one seems to recognize, have left. Our spies report that the others have all been buried within the dojo itself." Aoshi nodded. "So, apparently, Himura does recognize the difference of the people his killing, but only shows it with their dead bodies." Saitoh nodded. "The strangest thing is, the man no one knows was dressed all in black and was found in the woods near the trail by one of the cops sent to investigate. He was unburied and had been out for awhile. The cops bodies were delivered back to the police station." Megumi frowned, "Wait a minute, you said Dr. Genzai and some people from the Akabeko. They weren’t involved, why would they go to the dojo?" Saitoh picked up a piece of paper and read a bit. "Lets see…it says that Dr. Genzai was looking for his granddaughters. And that the Akabeko workers, Tae and Tsubame, were checking up on Miss. Kamiya Kaoru, who hadn’t returned later that evening to talk to the little girl as she’d promised…" Megumi sighed. "They’re dead too…all of them, dead…" Saitoh nodded. "So we’ve assumed. The strange thing is, our spies have reported 10 graves, one more then we can account for. Did we miss anyone? Or, has he dug and filled his own grave?" Megumi shook her head, "That’s probably Ryu. He started training with Kaoru, he was one of the first that Ken-san…" She nearly started to cry again, then regained her composure. "We don’t have time for this now. We must get to the dojo. Misao-chan is coming and we can’t let her reach it before we do." Saitoh frowned. "Misao? Ferret girl?" Aoshi scowls at this but Saitoh ignores him. "I just ran into her, that’s why I wasn’t here waiting. Didn’t you intend her to go ahead? She’s probably half-way to the dojo already?" Aoshi advanced on Saitoh, fists clenched. "you didn’t stop her?" (Note, he’s pissed) Saitoh shrugged, "I thought you wanted her ahead of you…now, are you going to take time to fight me or are you going after her?" Aoshi, still pissed, leaves, followed by Hiko, Megumi and, shock!, Saitoh himself. Megumi blinked, "Why are you coming?" Saitoh shrugged. "He killed police officers, and he’s gone hitokiri. He now falls under my policy of Aku, Soku, Zan." Megumi frowned, "we aren’t going there to kill him! We’re going to bring him back to his senses!" Saitoh shook his head, "He was insane to begin with, why should he return now? He’s killed almost all of his friends, everyone who trusted him or cared about him in Tokyo. Except you. If he comes back to his senses all he has left is the knowledge that they are dead because of him." Megumi blinked at him but said nothing. There was nothing she could say. They left the police station, Saitoh reassuring the chief police officer that he did not need assistance and walked the streets to the former Kamiya dojo. Megumi sighed as they walked up the path she’d taken so many times. This time there was no prospect of a happy family meal or even a pleasant fight with Kaoru. All that was left was a nearly empty dojo roamed by an insane hitokiri who she’d once admired… Megumi was forced to admit it, she had loved Kenshin. In her own way. But she’d always known that he didn’t love her, he and Kaoru belonged to each other. But Kaoru was dead, killed by Kenshin. Megumi remembered when Kenshin had come running in with her body, when she hadn’t died but he’d thought she had. He was nearly insane at that point to, if she hadn’t told him to help her he would have gone tearing off into the woods to kill Ryu, merely for suspecting the boy had done it. he wouldn’t have done that if it had been Megumi who’d been hurt. Lost in her thoughts she tripped over a rock, Saitoh caught her and helped her back to her feet. She nodded her thanks, they were almost at the dojo. She returned to her thoughts, but not to Kenshin and Kaoru. Rather she found herself thinking about Sanosuke, facing off against Kenshin so that she could escape with his friend. It was the first time she’d seen said friend, all she knew was that they’d been Sekihou Tai together, so were very close. But Sano hadn’t just thought of his long time friend when he resolved to fight Kenshin, he’d been thinking of her to. She knew that he wasn’t really as callous and loose as he presented himself, he really did care. What had he been thinking when he faced Kenshin? They reached the Kamiya dojo and entered, each thinking their own thoughts, knowing they might not return. Aoshi had a worried frown as he walked inside, eyes looking around. He knew Misao was there, she wouldn’t have gone anywhere else, knowing he’d go here first. Plus, Saitoh had said that she told him she was coming here. He wouldn’t lie about that, there was no reason. What he didn’t get was why she’d run away in the first place, he could handle himself. He told her he’d be back, what was she worried about? He sighed as he looked around, trying to decide where to go. He’d better find her fast, he’d hate for anything to happen to her. Hiko Seijuro was busy worrying about Kenshin as they entered. Although he’d never admit it, he truly did like his baka deshi (stupid pupil). He’d liked the girl to, but she was dead now, dead and buried, so there was nothing he could do for her. Kenshin was still alive, if not mentally well, so there was a chance he could help him. Besides, it would reflect badly on him if he couldn’t even keep his pupil sane, stupid and ornery or not. Saitoh too was having thoughts about whether or not he’d make it home. However, his thoughts did not revolve around anyone that would be found within the building, but rather his wife, safe at home, probably worrying about him. True, she now had Eiji to worry about, but she was always nervous while he was away, even though she wouldn’t admit it when he returned. He missed her too, although he wouldn’t admit it anymore then she would, but he was glad she wasn’t here. The battousai would know her as his weak point and react accordingly… Thus they entered the ghostly dojo, everyone distracted and tense, not knowing what to expect. They’d never expected to come here under these circumstances, to do what they had to do. Because each of them, hide it as they would, truly believed that they would end up killing Kenshin, if only to release him from the pain of knowing he’d killed his closest friends. * * * Misao walked nervously but quickly through the dojo, wary but acknowledging that she had to reach Himura before Aoshi came and told her to go home. She threw open doors and searched around the silent rooms. Since she was inside an area was mercifully free of blood, unlike some other parts. There, it looked like Kenshin had simply killed everyone and dragged their bodies through the main room out the back, or he’d dragged them around to the back outside, leaving bloody smears across the ground. She hadn’t followed that trail, afraid of what she’d find but now, as she recognized that there was no one inside the dojo itself, she realized that she had no other choice, so she back tracked to it. It was entirely too easy to find but Misao was happy to see that there as no new blood along that track, only a lot blood old enough to have dried into the wood. Well, she wasn’t happy about the old blood, but rather the lack of new blood. Following the smears she exited the dojo and gasped, eyes wide. Before her stood two rows of graves, five a row, all but four with sticks tied into crosses. The other four had stone headstones, not the prettiest, but definitely a mark of something. A voice came from behind her. "Kaoru-dono, Yahiko, Sanosuke, and Ryu…" Misao yelped and spun. Kenshin stood there, watching her with insane, golden eyes. She gulped as she was hit by the anger emanating from those eyes, taking a step backwards. "Those are the graves with the headstones. Kaoru-dono, Yahiko, Sanosuke and Ryu…" Misao blinked, "Ryu? Why him?" "because I killed him when I shouldn’t have. He was Kaoru-dono’s friend…He and Kaoru-dono…liked each other" He winced, eyes flashing violet for a minute. "…I killed her…killed her trying to get him…because…because I thought…" Misao gulped, this wasn’t going as anticipated at all. "because what?" "Because…I thought he was another Ryu. The Ryu I’m hunting. The Ryu who sent the others…" "Another Ryu?" Kenshin nodded. "Not Kaoru-dono’s Ryu. Another. He carried a strange sword, he came here just that day. He wanted to get into the dojo, but I wouldn’t let him. I knew why he was there…" "Why was that, Himura?" Kenshin frowned, "he was there to hurt Kaoru-dono. Just like he did that other girl. Oh, sure he claimed he’d changed but…" Misao blinked. "Which Ryu?" Kenshin scowled. "What do you mean, which Ryu? There was only one Ryu!" "Huh? But you said there were two. The one Kaoru-san liked and the one who came to…" Kenshin shook his head. "he only claimed he hadn’t come to kill her. But he had. To hurt me! Because I’d gone after him once. I know him, he did it before! He was going to kill her, just like he had to the first! He was getting her to like him, pretending he liked her. But this time he lied. I told her he hadn’t last time, and she thought that meant he wasn’t here to hurt her. But he was, he proved it. I had to stop him, she was starting to like him and if I let her let him know she liked him he’d kill her!" Misao blinked. "huh? He and Kaoru-san liked each other? But I thought she liked you." Kenshin stared at her a moment, then sighed sadly, hung his head. "I was wrong. She did like me. In the end it was me…" Misao stared at him. He was insane, but here, remembering what he’d done, he was also vulnerable, part of him struggling back to what he’d been for a short time. What he could never be again… But she had to help him, he’d helped her Aoshi-sama! It just wouldn’t do to leave him here, insane, hurting. Besides, Kaoru-san and the others wouldn’t want that. "Himura…" Kenshin looked up at her, eyes sad, but back to their normal violet. She’d managed to cut through his madness, temporarily, somehow. Now she had to get him to some help. Aoshi-sama! Aoshi could handle Himura, he’d been in the same situation himself once. Ironically enough, it had been Kenshin who’d pulled him out of it. She smiled and held out her hand. "Himura, Megumi’s looking for you. She asked me to come looking for you. Would you please come with me?" Kenshin blinked up at her, eyes still violet. "Megumi?" He smiled. "Megumi." He nodded and looked around. "Where is she?" Misao blinked. "uhh. She’s…at home. She told me to come get you. She was busy. She’ll be down herself, once she’d done…If we haven’t arrived at her place, already" She frowned, why would Megumi go to her house? She’d come here…well, it didn’t matter, really. She just had to get Himura out of this place, somewhere where he wouldn’t be reminded of what he’d done every time he looked around. She started past him, heading around the dojo. "come, let’s go." Kenshin nodded and followed her. They’d turned the corner to the front gate when Misao realized that she’d made a fairly large error. Kenshin spotted the blood stained walk up to the entry and his eyes widened. His mouth dropped as he struggled against his shock. "Kaoru…dono…Yahi…ko….Sano…" His eyes went horribly sad, then flashed angry and went gold. "RYU!" He shouted. Misao yelped. "Ryu?" Kenshin turned to face her, as if just now noticing her. "Ryu…sent you! Why?! Kaoru-dono is dead, why must you continue to torment me?" "huh? Torment, what are you?" She yelped again and jumped backwards as he lashed out at her with the knife he carried at his side. He slashed at her again, quickly, eyes burning with anger. She failed to completely dodge this one and fell back, scared, hurt, searching for help. It arrived in the form of a man rushing around a corner. Misao reached out, even as Kenshin closed in to hit her again, face scared but sure that he’d help. "AOSHI-SAMA! HELP ME!!" Kenshin reached her… ---- Read this list on the Web at http://www.makelist.com/list/kenshinfanfics/ To unsubscribe, email to kenshinfanfics-unsubscribe@makelist.com To subscribe, email to kenshinfanfics-subscribe@makelist.com -- Start a FREE E-Mail List at http://www.makelist.com !