From: WildWyrick@aol.com Here's Part 3! Now I can get back to reading all the fics that have piled up in my mailbox! Hope you enjoy! Quickie refresher: A spy called Kitsune, on the run from Saitoh with stolen documents, has kidnapped Yahiko and taken off in a balloon. Sano manages to get in the balloon, too, but is deterred from landing by Kitsune, who tells him they'll crash if they try to release any gas. Saitoh, Kenshin, and Kaoru are following in a second balloon. They chat, Kenshin drinks wine, Kaoru discovers the wonders of Swiss cheese, mini-blanket scenario, minor waffiness, etc. ^_^ The last section ended with the first night aloft, as everybody beds down uneasily. Whew! I make myself tired! ^_^ Have fun- Elizabeth Those Days Are Written On My Heart * A Rurouni Kenshin fanfic written for entertainment purposes only. Rurouni Kenshin characters are the property of Nobuhiro Watsuki Part 3: Wind & Fire "What the...?" Sanosuke awoke with a start. The basket of the balloon had struck something with enough force to throw Yahiko into his lap. A moment later, salt water doused his face. "It can't be...!" The balloon suddenly jerked upwards as he struggled to push Yahiko off. He tried to rise, but the basket was pitching so hard it was difficult to keep his footing. "Throw everything out!" Kitsune yelled, heaving one of the few remaining sandbags over the side. Sano looked down and caught his breath sharply. Through the gray, pre-dawn haze he could see the ocean only a few feet below them. He grabbed a sandbag and tossed it out. The balloon began to gain altitude as the first rays of the sun reached toward them. The water shimmered, but they were already too high to be touched by the light. "This is exactly what I was afraid of!" He whirled on Kitsune. "How do you feel now, asshole?" "Calm down." The balloon was flying higher, and Kitsune slumped against the side of the basket, breathing heavily. "We're safe for the moment, at least." "For the moment? We don't have any more sandbags! If this happens again we'll be swimming." "I'll think of something." "That makes me feel so much better..." Yahiko ignored them both as he watched the sun rise over the ocean. He smiled as the light steadily grew, turning the surface of the water into a burnished shield. The air was full of the scent of the sea, salty and clean. For a moment he felt peaceful, despite the altercation raging behind him. Then he gasped, his smile fading. Dawn presented an empty sky, barren in all directions. Somehow, during the night, they had lost Kenshin. # Movement nearby touched Kenshin's sleeping senses, bringing him instantly to full awareness. Before his eyes were completely open his hand was on the sakabattou, ready to draw. "Dark dreams, Battousai?" Saitoh stood above him, an unreadable expression on his face. "Not particularly." Kenshin released the sword and rubbed his eyes, looking around. Dawn. "I guess we made it through the night." "Obviously. I'm not sure about the others, though." "What do you mean?" He spoke more sharply than he intended, and Kaoru stirred in her sleep. She pulled the blanket around her head, murmuring softly, and burrowed into his shoulder. Moving her aside gently, Kenshin pushed himself to his feet, stumbling a little on cramped legs. "What are you talking about?" He spoke more quietly, but with no less urgency. "See for yourself." Saitoh gestured around them. "No sign of the other balloon in any direction." "I suppose Kitsune is happy. For the moment, at least, things seem to be in his favor." Saitoh scowled but made no reply. Kenshin carefully peeled the blanket off Kaoru's head. "Kaoru-dono! Wake up! It's morning!" "Leave me alone," came the muffled protest. "It's too early to start Yahiko's practice. Why are you bothering me, Kenshin?" "Yes, why *are* you bothering her?" Saitoh cocked his head, looking at Kenshin speculatively. "I can think better when the tanuki is quiet. What do you expect her to do if she's awake?" "Well, I just thought..." Kenshin felt his face reddening. Why had he wanted to wake her? She needed all the sleep she could get. It was purely selfish, this desire for the comfort of her presence, the calming effect of her smile. He shook his head, feeling strangely like a child. "I just thought she should know we've lost Sano's balloon." Saitoh snorted. "She'll find out soon enough. What I'm worried about is the weather." He looked over the side of the balloon. He could still see land beneath them, but it was partly obscured by dark clouds that swirled by in the unsettled air. The rising sun was wreathed in a haze, and there were even more clouds ahead. # By mid-morning Sano was in a grim mood. Thick clouds were rolling in, enveloping the balloon in a clinging mist. It was impossible to tell if they were still flying over water or if the other balloon was anywhere nearby. "I always wondered what it would be like to stand on a cloud. I thought they were solid." Yahiko swept his hand through the air, sending swirls of mist from his fingers. "It looks like smoke, but it's damp like fog." He inhaled deeply. "It's weird to be breathing clouds." "Everything about this is weird." Sano leaned over the side of the basket, straining to see what lay beneath them. Through a break in the clouds he caught a glimpse of water, but there was no way of knowing if there was any land down there as well. He couldn't even tell how high up they were anymore, or judge how fast they were moving. "Shit!" "By the way, I don't believe what I said yesterday." "What?" "About not seeing Tokyo again. I know I said it, and at the time I was kinda worried, but now I know we'll get back there." Yahiko smiled up at Sano. "Kitsune can't be trusted, but one thing he said wasn't a lie: we'll think of some way out of this." Sano ruffled his hair, and the boy didn't protest. For a moment neither of them spoke, then Sano said, "I wish I knew where we are, but the clouds are getting too thick." A raindrop hit his face, and he flinched as if from a blow. He heard Kitsune curse and knew the spy had been struck as well. "What is it?" "Trouble." # "I can't see a thing." Kaoru's voice was plaintive as she tried to pierce the heavy clouds that enveloped them. The basket swung from side to side like a pendulum as it passed through pockets of unstable air. "What are we going to do?" "I think we should drop down and fly nearer the ground. We might get below these clouds, and if the other balloon has come down, there's a better chance we'll see it." "I agree," Saitoh said. He grasped the toggle and pulled gingerly. The balloon dropped precipitously, sending Kaoru flying into Kenshin. For a moment she was afraid they would both topple over the side. Kenshin grabbed one of the ropes and clung to it, the tendons in his neck standing out from the strain. Pressed against his chest, Kaoru could hear the rapid beating of his heart. Saitoh released the toggle. He stood in the center of the balloon with his legs widely braced, white-faced and silent. Kaoru and Kenshin collapsed against the side of the basket, panting, as the balloon stabilized. After a few moments, Kenshin pushed himself to his knees and peered over the side. They were still surrounded by clouds. "I suppose you'd better try again. Maybe a little more gently, this time." "Now that I know the feel of the toggle, it won't happen again," the policeman said coolly. Kenshin's response was a raised eyebrow. He seated himself beside Kaoru and, to her surprise, wrapped one arm around her waist and one around the rope behind him. Then he nodded to Saitoh and felt his stomach leap into his throat once more as the balloon plunged downwards. # The rain lashed against Sano's face with such fury that it was hard to see anything. The basket bounced through the air like a rubber ball, threatening to spill them out at any moment. There was no way to fight the storm, and Sano liked opponents he could see, could sum up. Now, huddled against the side of the basket, bracing Yahiko's body with his own, he could only cower like a weakling and wait to die. It was insulting to be beaten this way, to have all his fighting skills count for nothing. Suddenly he was hurled onto his stomach as a tremendous force shook the basket. It turned on its side, spilling Kitsune out. Yahiko slid toward the edge, grasping in vain for something to stop his fall. His eyes met Sano's for an instant, and the streetfighter was shaken by the quiet acceptance in them, the recognition of the inevitable. He threw himself after Yahiko, but it was too late. Before their hands could connect, the boy disappeared over the side. Sano lay in the upturned basket, his arm dangling over the edge. He didn't even bother to hang on anymore. There was no point. In a moment he would slide off into nothingness, but it didn't-- "Ow! Ouch!" "Yahiko!" Sano was suddenly aware that he was no longer moving. The rain and the wind whipped against him, but he was stationary. "Yahiko!" "Down here!" The boy's voice was faint over the howl of the storm. Sano pushed himself up and looked over the edge. The basket was lodged between the tops of two trees. Yahiko had fallen onto a branch several feet below. He clung there, hugging the trunk. "All right!" Sano's smile nearly split his face. "You had me worried, Yahiko- chan!" "Don't call me chan!" The boy grinned up at Sano. "At least we're sorta on the ground now." "It's still a long way down. I wonder if that jerk fell all the way?" Sano carefully swung a leg over the side of the basket. The movement caused it to shift, dropping several feet before it was caught again in a larger branch. Yahiko closed his eyes and pressed himself against the trunk as the basket slid past. It came to rest below him. Through the wind, he heard cursing. "Sano?" "I'm okay, I'm okay. I just got hit in the face with a branch. If you can climb down, you'd better go first." Yahiko's descent was a controlled fall. He slid down the trunk, using the branches for support. At first he was worried they wouldn't hold his weight, but they became sturdier the further down he went. Once his fingers slipped on the wet wood, but he managed to grab on with his other hand before he fell. He could hear Sanosuke above him, grunting and cursing as he tried to squeeze through the lattice of branches. At last he swung down to the ground, falling to his knees in the mud. He held large globs of it in his fists, almost weeping with happiness. "A pleasant sensation, isn't it, finally feeling the earth beneath you?" He looked up into Kitsune's mocking smile. # "When did we start flying over the ocean?" Kenshin stared down with dismay as they came out of the clouds. The wind was gusty, frothing the sea below to white foam. There was no way of knowing how far or in what direction they had traveled the previous night. He thought it was midday, but the sun was sheathed in clouds. "Have something to eat. You must be hungry." Kaoru held out a piece of bread. He bit into it without tasting it, chewing mechanically. "How much food is left?" "A little bread, a little cheese. One and a half bottles of wine." Kaoru offered a piece of bread to Saitoh, who accepted it wordlessly. "Enough for one meal." She took a sip from the open bottle. "I think this just makes me thirstier." "Maybe." Kenshin opened the other bottle and took a swig. "But it helps in the short term." He offered the bottle to Saitoh. "You haven't had anything to drink in at least a day." The policeman shook his head. "I haven't had a cigarette in at least a day. That is far more serious." Kaoru laughed in spite of herself. She handed Saitoh a piece of cheese, wondering why the three of them suddenly seemed so natural together. Here was a man who had tried to kill Kenshin on more than one occasion, and she was being as docile and solicitous as his wife. Strange. What was happening to the old Kamiya Kaoru? "Battousai! Do you think that could be...?" "Land!" # "So, you're alive!" Sano and Yahiko faced Kitsune. They were standing in a wood of evergreen trees. Rain dripped on their heads, but the storm was moving away. High above them, the deflated balloon spread across the treetops. The bright colors that had seemed so majestic yesterday looked pathetic now, gaudy and draggled. "Of course I'm alive," Kitsune snorted. "I told you everything would work out if you did as I said." "Work out? You call this 'working out'? I oughtta...oh, forget it." Sano leaned back against a tree. Part of him wanted to pound Kitsune into the mud, but being alive made him feel magnanimous. "Just go. I'm tired of your face." "Where should I go? We may not be in Japan anymore!" "Not in Japan...?" "Who knows what sea we flew over, or how fast we were going? We could be in Korea, even China." Kitsune watched their faces change as his words sank in. "We should stick together until we find out. There must be people around here somewhere. And if they prove hostile, well," he shrugged, "I'm not such a bad fighter when I have a knife." "Yeah, but whose side would you be on?" "Yours, of course." Sano snorted. "Of course. Well, come on, then. I can't stop you." Sano pushed that tempting thought aside. "What direction?" "I found a stream over there," Yahiko said, pointing through the trees. "It's not much, but if we follow it, we're bound to come to something eventually." "Sounds good to me. You first, Yahiko, then you." He gestured to Kitsune. "Remember, I'm going to be behind you, so don't try anything funny." # The afternoon wore on, but there was no sign of Sano's balloon. They had been flying in and out of clouds for hours, scanning the ground and the horizon without success. The land below them was green and rugged, showing little sign of habitation. If the other balloon was down there, it was hidden from them. The sun went down in a blaze of fire as the hazy sky diffused its light in a hundred directions. Kaoru stared glumly down in the waning light. She held one of the ropes for support as the basket twisted in the wind. In a few more moments it would be too dark to keep searching for the others. Suddenly she stiffened. There were little points of fire moving on the ground, like lanterns. "Kenshin! There are people down there!" "Where!" He peered into the growing darkness. "I wonder who they are? I'm sure they've seen us by now." He contemplated them for a moment in silence. Then he frowned, drawing in a deep breath. "What do you smell?" "Smell? I don't know. Nothing really. Trees, salt..." Her eyes widened. "Saitoh!" Kenshin spun around, but the policeman was already aware of the danger. The sound of the pounding surf came to them all, faint but ominous. "We can't go back out over the ocean at night. Whoever those people are, we have to land." "Agreed." Saitoh waited until Kaoru and Kenshin braced themselves, then pulled the toggle. Nothing happened. For a moment they stared at each other, then Saitoh pulled harder. The toggle came loose in his hand. "Damn," he said mildly. The surf was closer now, and a brisk wind threatened to pull them out over the waves. In a few minutes it would be too late. Kenshin grabbed the rigging and began to climb. "Be careful!" Kaoru tried to steady the ropes with her hands, her eyes never leaving him. He smiled down at her. "Don't worry. I'll be fine!" He pulled himself up, hand over hand. The underside of the balloon was only a few feet above the basket. It should have been an easy climb, but the wind pulled at him relentlessly. Biting his lip in concentration, Kenshin held onto the rope with his left hand and drew his sakabattou. "Brace yourselves!" One swift stroke slit the silk. Gas poured out in his face, and the balloon lurched alarmingly. Kenshin grabbed the rope with both hands to keep from falling, almost dropping the sakabattou. "Look out!" He dropped the sword into the basket. Saitoh caught it with one hand and slipped it through his belt. The basket pitched wildly in the offshore wind, sending Kaoru to her knees. Even Saitoh was struggling to remain standing. For a brief moment Kenshin believed he could make it down. Then his hands were suddenly empty, the rope torn from his grasp. He tried to catch the side of the basket, but his fists closed on empty air. His eyes met Kaoru's for an instant as he plummeted past her, then he was lost in the darkness. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Did you know ONElist has over 300 Star Wars lists? http://www.ONElist.com Join one today!