From: WildWyrick@aol.com Hi, everybody! (waves) Here's Part 4 of the balloon fic. Once again, a quickie summary since it's been a while since I posted Part 3: The two balloons were separated during their night aloft. The balloon carrying Sano, Yahiko, and Kitsune (the spy-guy) crashed into some trees during a storm. Everybody got down OK but now they are lost in a forest, unsure if they are even in Japan anymore. As the second night starts to fall, Kenshin, Saitoh, and Kaoru are about to drift out over water once again. They notice that there are people on the ground below them with torches, but decide to land anyway instead of risking another night at sea. But the toggle breaks, and they are unable to release any gas. Kenshin climbs up and slits the balloon, but falls before he can get back into the basket. Oh, one minor note: Kenshin drops the sakabattou into the basket before he falls (convenient, huh? ^_^), so Saitoh has both of their swords. Also, this is a post-Jinchuu fic, so there are a few references to things from Jinchuu, but no major spoilers. Hope you enjoy Part 4! 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 4: Earth & Sea Seconds are hours when you are falling, especially when you know you are going to die. For the first few moments of his descent, Kenshin hoped he would fall only a few feet and suddenly find himself safe on the ground. But as he continued to plummet downwards, hope was replaced by an odd sensation of finality, as if his whole life had been a dream and this was reality: a cold beyond cold and the rushing of wind past him in the night. Even Kaoru seemed remote now. Her pale face and desperate screams were left behind, lost to him. He remembered her expression as his hands slid past the rope, closing on air. She had leapt to her feet and jumped towards him, hanging so far over the side of the basket he was afraid she would fall headfirst after him. But Saitoh, his expression as impassive as ever, held onto her and pulled her back. His adversary was now the earth itself and he had to meet it as he would any other, even if all his skills meant nothing. The force of his fall pushed his chin up and his head back. Now, he strained neck muscles to pull his head down so that he was looking straight towards the ground. He could see nothing. He imagined there was a rocky beach waiting below, but the darkness hid it from him. Then, suddenly, he caught a flash of white fabric and a shining face turned upwards, framed by long, dark hair. The light the vision radiated impaled him, stopping his breath. She was standing directly below him, watching him fall with somber eyes, making no effort to move out of his path. All his senses were preternaturally clear, but still he could not tell if she was flesh or a ghost. She would not move. Kenshin knew she saw him hurtling towards her, yet she stood waiting, making no effort to save herself. "Get out of the way," he screamed. He was almost on top of her when she suddenly flung her arms up in fear, or perhaps in an embrace. But it was too late, just as it had been before. He crashed into her light. # When Kenshin fell, time stopped for Kaoru. All she was left with was a last image of his shocked expression, as if he could not believe he had made such a mistake. Then he was gone. Saitoh pulled her back into the basket, which was listing heavily to the side as the balloon slowly deflated. She struggled against him, straining to catch one more glimpse of Kenshin, but it was no use. The darkness had swallowed him completely. Numbly, she allowed herself to be dragged away from the edge. Suddenly, shots rang out, whizzing by her head. Kaoru heard a grunt of pain and Saitoh fell heavily against her, knocking her against the side of the basket. It tipped alarmingly, and for a moment her upper body was suspended in the open air. She could see the men on the ground clearly now. Some were holding lanterns and torches, while others raised rifles to their shoulders. She screamed as a second volley ripped past them and the balloon jerked wildly, tumbling them into the bottom of the basket. Kaoru found herself on top of Saitoh, her face only inches above his. "Get off," he snarled. "I can't!" "Dammit, move your hand, girl!" Kaoru looked down and, even in the darkness, could see the blood seeping through her fingers. "Saitoh..." Another lurch tore them apart. The men on the ground had seized the long trailing ropes and were pulling hard, tipping the basket onto its side. Kaoru watched as Saitoh slid toward the edge, buffeted by all the loose articles that had accompanied them on their flight: the blanket, the wine bottles, the small, leather books she and Kenshin had pondered over only the day before. They fell over the side into the darkness, but Saitoh grabbed the edge with both hands and managed to hang on. Kaoru slid towards him, scrambling to brace herself as she grabbed his nearest wrist. The basket lurched again, tore at his grasp. Kaoru bit her lip, but held on. "You can't hold us both," Saitoh sneered. "You aren't strong enough." "Shut up!" she screamed at him. "You don't know what I can do! You don't know anything about me! Besides, do you really think it matters if we both go over? Do you really think it makes a difference now?" "So reckless, all of a sudden? Well, Battousai's death doesn't have that effect on me." He looked down at the men below, shouldering their rifles for the third time. He would be on the ground soon, one way or another. "Get out of the way. I'm coming up." It took great effort on both their parts to get Saitoh back into the lurching basket. Kaoru's fingers dug deeply into the sleeve of his uniform and, for the first time, she felt the true power of the man. His arm was like steel, harder and more heavily muscled than Kenshin's. The thought was a betrayal. She pulled mightily, straining against Saitoh's weight, only dimly aware that her tears were dripping onto his hair, his face. He gave a tremendous pull, muscles knotting, and managed to drag himself back into the basket. The balloon was falling quickly now, and Kaoru braced herself for the impact she knew was only moments away. Perhaps they would die when they hit the ground, or be shot by the men waiting for them. She considered the possibilities numbly, not caring. A sudden jolt threw Saitoh on top of her. He lay unmoving, too heavy for her to push aside. As his weight crushed her, darkening her senses, Kaoru wept into his chest. How unfair that she should die in Saitoh's embrace, filled with the sight and smell and feel of him, when she would have given everything to hold Kenshin in her arms one last time. # Kaoru woke to the sound of strange voices. She opened her eyes slowly, blinded by the glare of a lantern held near her face. She was lying on the beach, a few feet from the deflated balloon. A group of men clustered around her, and she gasped as she focused on their faces. They were foreigners, tall and rough-looking, dressed in the uniforms of sailors. They seemed surprised to be confronted by a woman, and she felt they were discussing her, although she couldn't understand anything they said. "Saitoh?" Her voice sounded thin and tremulous in her own ears. "Here." Kaoru sat up, wincing at the pain in her back, and looked for the source of the voice. Saitoh lay on his side facing her, his arms bound tightly behind him in spite of the blood stain that darkened his jacket. Several sailors stood above him also, but these held their rifles at the ready. Kaoru caught her breath as she saw them examining Kenshin's sakabattou, passing it back and forth between them. One of the sailors drew Saitoh's katana from its saya, swinging it through the air in clumsy circles. Saitoh's eyes smoldered, but when he spoke, his voice was even, unruffled. "Are you hurt?" "No. No, I'm all right." She felt a tear slide down her cheek, and wiped it away absently. "Who are they?" Saitoh's answer never reached her ears. There was a shout from the surf, and a group of sailors waded out of the water. As they approached she could see the first man was carrying something over his shoulder. When he reached the beach he dropped his burden unceremoniously. In the yellow glow of the lanterns' light, Kaoru caught a glimpse of Kenshin's face, pale and still. The soldiers were wise not to try to restrain her as she ran to the limp body and threw herself onto it. # Hell was a dark place, illuminated only by flickering firelight. Shadows of samurai leapt on the walls, caught forever in a macabre dance. Kenshin heard their laughter, their screams, their battle-yells. But they had no faces, no features. They did not greet him, or gloat at his arrival. If Jin-eh were among them, or Shishio, they were unrecognizable. There was one voice that seemed familiar. "Battousai!" He strained towards it, laughing at himself for seeking an ally in a place like this. But his body was too heavy to move, his shadow too weak to join the others. "You are hopeless," the voice taunted him. "The hitokiri would be able to rise. But you! You are as useless dead as you were when you were alive." "Saitoh?" "Come and fight with us, Hitokiri Battousai. There are battles here beyond your dreams." The voice was nearer now. Kenshin saw Saitoh standing above him, the tip of his cigarette smoldering in the darkness. Kenshin tried to move, but it was impossible. His limbs were leaden. "I can't." Saitoh drew his katana, poised it over Kenshin's chest. "There's a certain satisfaction in being able to do this again and again, forever," he said as he plunged his blade into Kenshin's body. "But it isn't very interesting unless you fight back." He took a long pull on his cigarette. The pain was intense, as it had been when Shishio stabbed him. Kenshin couldn't breathe. His lungs were filling with blood, his heart pumping madly. "How can I fight you if I'm dead?" he screamed. Saitoh shrugged. "How, indeed?" He placed his foot against Kenshin's ribcage, and drew the katana out in one swift motion. Blood gurgled in Kenshin's throat, choking off his anguished cry. He rolled onto his side, trying to escape from Saitoh, struggling for air. He felt the steaming liquid pouring out of his mouth, out of his nose, as the shadows swirled around him. He couldn't see Saitoh anymore, couldn't dodge the next thrust that he knew would come at any moment... "Breathe." The voice that intruded on his senses was quiet, and it was definitely not Saitoh. "Don't move. Just breathe." He struggled, but gentle hands held him firmly. "Breathe." He could deny that voice nothing. Raggedly, he drew in a small breath, but it was not enough to keep him from falling into the darkness that stretched before him. # Gentle hands were caressing his face, smoothing his hair in awkward, anxious movements. Kenshin opened his eyes, and shut them immediately as light seared them. The hands stopped abruptly. "Kaoru...dono...?" He heard a sob, then he was folded in her arms. "I thought... I thought..." "I... thought so, too." He lay quietly in her embrace, trying to separate all the sensations buffeting his body. There was pain, deep and insistent, and beyond that the sound of the surf and the smell of salt and of Kaoru's hair. He could tell she was crying, trying ineffectively to hide it from him. "Don't. If I'm not...dead yet," he drew in a shuddering breath, "I won't die." "Promise?" "Promise." He smiled weakly. "Did I swallow the whole sea?" "Most of it." Saitoh's voice was matter-of-fact. Kenshin started at the sound, jerking up. Pain shot through his body, and he sank down with a groan, wondering how badly he was hurt. He remembered crashing into shallow water, pain shooting up his right leg as it buckled under him. Then he had pitched forward onto a large rock in the surf. If he had not reached out for Tomoe, he knew he would have hit his head against it. "She saved me," he murmured. "Who?" Kaoru gently brushed a strand of hair out of his eyes. Kenshin shook his head weakly. "I thought I saw..." His voice trailed away as his eyes adjusted to the light from the lanterns and he noticed the foreign sailors for the first time. "Who are they?" "They were on the ground, shooting at us. They've taken your swords, made us prisoners..." "But they look like--" "Russians," Saitoh supplied. "The question is: are we in Russia, or are they in Japan?" There was a clipped edge to his voice that did not go unnoticed. "You've been hurt." "It's nothing. An inconvenience." Kenshin could hear Saitoh's thin smile. "It was considerate of you to be unconscious for such a long time. It gave me a chance to rest and study our captors. However," Kenshin heard shuffling, and a grunt as Saitoh was pulled to his feet, "I think the respite is over." A burly sailor appeared above Kenshin and grabbed him by the front of his soaked gi, hauling him to his feet. Searing pain shot through his leg. Kenshin fell to his knees as a wave of dizziness and nausea swept over him. Kaoru pushed the sailor away, heedless of the danger, and knelt beside him. "What is it?" "My ankle. It may be broken. I can't tell yet." He flexed it experimentally. "No, I can move it a little." He smiled with relief. Kaoru smiled back, and carefully placed her shoulder under his arm. She straightened, hauling him up with her, ignoring his protests. "I'm too heavy, Kaoru-dono. You can't..." "Don't tell me what I can or can't do," she said with mock severity. "I've been hearing that a lot recently. You can't walk very far on that ankle without help." Kaoru's face was so close Kenshin could see the streaks of her dried tears. "Do you really mind this so much?" she asked quietly, slipping her arm around his waist. "No." He could feel her whole body against his, searing and comforting him at the same time. "No. I don't mind it at all." # They walked for hours, but made slow progress. Kenshin's shoes had been lost in the ocean, and the rocks on the beach bit painfully through his tabi. His right ankle wouldn't hold his weight at all, and he leaned more and more heavily on Kaoru as the night passed. He couldn't see her face in the darkness, but he could tell she was exhausted. Yet each time he stumbled she caught him, steadied him until he regained his footing. Inwardly, he cursed himself for falling from the balloon in the first place, for being clumsy, for making her worry. Finally, at sunrise, they were allowed a short break. Kenshin lay with his head in Kaoru's lap, watching the sun come up over the sea. How different this morning was from the previous one. He wondered what had happened to Sano and Yahiko, if they were even still alive. He drew in a deep breath, shuddering at the pain such a simple movement caused. Kaoru looked down at him questioningly, and he forced a smile. There was no need for her to know his ribs were cracked. The smile softened as he studied Kaoru's face in the growing light. Even dirty, with her hair falling down, she was beautiful. Hers was not the perfect, heart-rending beauty Tomoe had possessed. Yet Kaoru seemed infinitely more lovely in her imperfection. "You're like the sun," he said suddenly, startling them both. "What?" "Excuse me," Saitoh said dryly, "could you reach into my pocket and get a cigarette? If you're not too busy." "Oh. Of course." Kaoru gently moved Kenshin aside and knelt beside Saitoh. He was sitting crosslegged, hands still bound behind his back. She extracted a cigarette from his pocket and a match. They were both a bit bloody, but Saitoh didn't seem to mind. He took a long pull, savoring the smoke. Kenshin sat up slowly, his eyes traveling over Saitoh's form. "I didn't realize you'd been shot." Saitoh shrugged. "Worry about yourself." His eyes were hooded, unreadable, but they shifted to Kaoru as he spoke. Kenshin followed his gaze and felt an ache in his chest that didn't come from his injuries. # Yahiko was hungry, tired, and annoyed. They had followed the stream through the forest for several hours the previous evening, but had not come across any sign of human habitation. Finally, they slept for a few hours under the trees, taking turns watching Kitsune. When dawn broke they began walking again. Eventually, the forest thinned and they could hear, faint and far-off, the sound of waves breaking on rocks. The stream flowed swiftly, rushing down to the sea, and they followed it until they reached the shore. "Which way?" Sano stood facing the water, looking up and down the beach, his hands in his pockets. "If we follow the coast, maybe we'll find a group of fishermen, or somebody." "Somebody with food," Yahiko added morosely. "Left, or right?" Sano considered carefully, all too aware that the wrong choice could cost them their lives. "Damn! I can't see anything worthwhile in either direction." "You can't? Must have bad eyes," Kitsune sneered. "What do you mean?" "Look there. What do you see?" Sano squinted in the direction Kitsune was pointing. Far down the beach, a piece of red silk billowed up from the rocks, caught in the morning breeze. Without waiting for Kitsune or Yahiko to follow, Sano raced towards it. As he neared the remains of the balloon he slowed, steeling himself for what he might find. But the basket was empty, the bodies of his friends nowhere to be seen. What he did discover puzzled him, but did not dispel his fears. There were bullet casings scattered across the sand. Sano knelt, picking several up and examining them thoughtfully. Yahiko appeared behind him, breathing heavily. He started toward the basket, but stopped at a sharp word from Sano. "Don't! You'll mess up the footprints!" The boy stared in wonder at the scene before him. "Who do you think was here? It looks like an army passed through!" "I don't know," Sano said grimly. "But whoever they are, they've got Jou-chan and Kenshin." He rattled the casings in his fist, looking down the beach. It was easy to tell which way their friends had been taken. "Well," he said, "I guess there's no decision to make, after all. Come on!" He turned to Kitsune, who had just strolled up. "We're following this trail." The spy shrugged. "As you wish." He bent and picked up a casing. "Dangerous, though, don't you think?" "That's why we're going to hurry," Sano said through clenched teeth. He started down the beach at a brisk pace, Yahiko trotting to keep up. Kitsune followed more slowly, turning the casing over in his hand. He smiled. It seemed fortune still favored him, after all. # It was midday when the Russians and their prisoners finally reached their destination. A secluded cove opened before Kaoru's eyes, protected from storms and unwanted eyes by two arms of land. Several small boats were tied to a jetty, and she could make out the shapes of wooden buildings among the trees that bordered the beach. But it was not the sight of this encampment that left her wide-eyed with amazement. An iron-hulled gunboat was anchored in the bay. It was a long, low sloop with three-masts, and she could clearly make out the cannon ports along its side as it bobbed in the calm waters of the cove. The sun, high in the sky, reflected off the water and dazzled her eyes as she gazed at it. Kenshin squinted through the glare, but could see no flag flying anywhere on the ship. "We're still in Japan," he said softly in Kaoru's ear. She turned her head abruptly, their lips almost touching. "How do you know?" Her eyes were wide, her voice eager. She wanted to believe him, wanted to believe that something was still familiar. "If we were in Russian waters, they would be flying their colors." He pointed with his left hand. "See? They're lying low, hiding in this cove." "But what are they doing here? What are they up to?" Kenshin made no answer, but his expression was troubled. # Their guards led them into the cove. They seemed to be expected, and other sailors hurried out to meet them. Their escort grew larger and larger until they were finally surrounded by fifty sailors, all armed with rifles. The Russians stared at the prisoners, clearly impressed by Saitoh's stiff bearing and police uniform. Some whistled at Kaoru, trying to touch her hair, her kimono. She slapped at their hands and shrank against Kenshin. The look in his eyes was enough to make the sailors to draw back, but their expressions were more of amused condescension than of fear. Finally, they halted by the jetty. An officer stood before them in a dark blue jacket, gold braid flashing on his sleeves. He nodded to the men and several stepped forward. Hard hands gripped Kaoru's arms, pulling her away from Kenshin. Without her support, he fell to his knees. Kaoru struggled against her captors, calling out to him. Kenshin tried to rise, to go to her, but the sailors only laughed at his desperate efforts and pushed him onto the ground. He lay there, panting, his whole body trembling with fear and impotent rage. The sailors hustled Kaoru and Saitoh toward one of the waiting boats, prodding them with the butts of their rifles. Kenshin could only watch, fury running through his veins like liquid fire. Kaoru was being taken from him. Once again, she was being thrown into unknown dangers while he was left behind, helpless. They had almost reached the boat when he launched himself at the Russian officer. He was surprised that his ankle held his weight. He was surprised that his punch connected, knocking the officer to the ground. He was not surprised by the reprisal. The nearest soldier swung his rifle with lightning speed. Kenshin saw it coming, but was too slow to dodge. When the rifle struck his side he was enveloped in a wave of pain. He bit his lip to keep from crying out as his ankle buckled. As he fell, blows rained in from all sides. Kenshin tried to avoid them, but there were too many. Through the red veil that covered his eyes he saw Kaoru's face, pale and horrified. "Are you just going to stand there and watch him destroy himself for your sake?" The contempt in Saitoh's voice was like a slap in the face, shaking Kaoru to the core. "Kenshin," she breathed. Then she pulled away from the guards who held her and rushed into the midst of the melee. At a sign from their officer the sailors gave way before her, and she knelt beside Kenshin. He lay on his stomach, struggling to raise himself onto his elbows. He flinched when she took his face in her hands, lifting it toward her own. His face was battered, his lips swollen, but his expression was defiant. She knew he was ready to start fighting again. Kaoru felt a strange swelling in her chest as she looked down into those eyes, so full of possessive anger. "Stop this!" she said, sternly. "You've got to stop. You can't win this way." "I can't... let you be taken. Never... again." Kaoru shook her head, her hair falling against his cheek in silken strands. He was startled by the resolution in her eyes, the firmness of her voice. "This isn't Enishi," she said quietly. "This isn't your fight. You always say 'We have to believe in Sano, we have to believe in Yahiko.' This time you have to believe in me." "But, Kaoru-dono..." Kenshin never completed his protest. Her lips covered his, and she tasted his blood as her own sang in her ears. He was too astonished to pull away or to respond, but Kaoru put all of her heart into that kiss. She pushed aside the thought that they might be killed, that she might never see him again. Time stopped once again, just as it had when Kenshin fell from the balloon. As long as she felt his lips against her own, Kaoru lived in eternity. Finally she pulled away, drawing in a shuddering breath. The sailors watched them in silence, drawn into the drama unfolding before their eyes. Kenshin's expression was frozen, unreadable. Then he sighed, and the tension drained from his face. He looked like a man defeated, but not broken. "I'll come for you," he whispered. "I promise." His eyes were bright, but not with possessiveness, not with anger. Instead, there was an expression in them Kaoru had never seen before. She knew she wouldn't truly live until she saw it again. "I'll be waiting." She touched her finger to his lips once, then stood up. Without another word, Kaoru turned and walked to Saitoh, passing through the sailors with her chin held high. She stepped into the boat without assistance, never looking back. The policeman's approval was palpable, and she drew strength from his presence beside her as the boat pushed away from the jetty. The gunboat seemed large and ominous as the little boat skimmed through the water towards it, but Kaoru knew nothing that awaited them could shake her. All her hopes and fears lay behind her, on a rocky beach. # The sailors bound Kenshin's hands tightly and pulled him to his feet. He put up no resistance, his eyes firmly fixed on Kaoru's slender form. She sat beside Saitoh in the stern of the boat, as stiff and uncompromising as a statue. He wanted to remember everything about her, how her hair whipped in the light breeze as the sailors rowed for the gunboat, how her eyes had flashed, how her lips had felt. He ignored his captors, ignored the pain in his wrists. He needed to remember those moments on the beach, needed to write her words on his heart. As the Russians half-carried, half-dragged him towards the buildings at the edge of the beach, Kenshin filled his mind with thoughts of Kaoru. As they pulled him into a dark, wooden lodge that had been used by local fishermen as a storehouse, he thought only of Kaoru. But when they hung him by his wrists from a large hook in the center of the ceiling, it was impossible to keep his current situation from intruding. The pain in his sides made breathing difficult, and he clenched his teeth, willing himself to stay calm, to concentrate. She was waiting for him. He had promised he would come for her. "Servant boy!" Kenshin opened his eyes. A burly young Russian stood facing him, sergeant's stripes on his uniform. With Kenshin hanging from the ceiling, their eyes were almost level. "What did you say?" He couldn't believe one of them spoke Japanese, however poorly. "You are the spy's servant." "What?" Kenshin repeated. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light in the room, he noticed several Russians clustered nearby, watching expectantly. "The spy in the uniform. I think you are his servant." The sergeant smiled. "The spy and the woman will be interrogated on the 'Nayezdnik,' but there's no reason we can't do some investigating ourselves, right here." He pulled a flask out of his jacket and took a swig, eyeing Kenshin speculatively. "I bet you know a lot about your master's business." When Kenshin didn't reply, the Russian shoved the flask back into his jacket and sighed. He drew a revolver from his belt. "I'll teach you a game. Maybe you'll like it." Breaking the revolver open, he dropped a bullet into one of the chambers. "But then again, maybe not." He snapped the revolver shut and gave the cylinder a spin. "It's called roulette," he said, approaching Kenshin slowly. "Have you ever played before?" # end of Part 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ONElist: bringing the world together. http://www.onelist.com Join a new list today!