DISCLAIMER: Rurouni Kenshin characters (c) Watsuki Nobuhiro, Shueisha, Sony Entertainment and whatnots. I am borrowing characters, not making any money out of this and not worthed suing. I'm a poor student interested in writing stories to make others happy... so...

Was 18 pages into the first draft when harddisk got wiped out. This is the new one and not as entertaining as the first, so please don't skin me.

Chronicles of a Rurouni

Part 8: Pointless Questioning

Zig zag jigu jagu jigu jagu
[Zig zag zig zag zig zag]
Zig zag jigu jagu jigu jagu
[Zig zag zig zag zig zag]
Mondou muyou!
[No point in questions and answers!]

~ Manazashi no Aria
by Hiei (Hiyama Nobuyuki)
Translation by bread@bread.freeservers.com


It had been one loooooooong draggy wait.
But just as well, for it provided Soujirou enough time and allowance to ponder over his thoughts right now. He tested the shinai, wondering why he allowed himself to hold another weapon.
Wasn't he going to journey the land to find out the way to live?
Wasn't he going to do it without wanting to cause grevious hurt to anybody at all?
The one he hurt, he decided, the most, was himself.
So he was going to make up for all this. He knew that nothing would be settled if he just sat and allowed Murasaki to do whatever he wanted to him. Nothing would come out of it.
So Soujirou, himself must play a part.

Almost quietly, Kenshin stared up at the skies, now dotted with countless white stars.
But somehow, he could feel no comfort in all that embraced him. He dipped his head down again, having stood in this stance since afternoon. The sandstorm had long blown over and now the dojo was carpeted with a rough layer of large particles.
Kenshin was not interested in all these.
He felt another twinge of pain entering his heart.
And nothing else more.
Inhaling a huge breath, Kenshin erected his stance and looked outwards, towards the horizon where the sea was situated. Where they would face the scum of the land that one Raikouji Murasaki himself.
Now was not the time to cry.
All of a sudden, he moved and barely managed to dodge the incoming arrow whizzing past his face. Irritated, he creased his brow even more and ducked into a stance, sharply glaring at whoever had done it.
Although it was pretty obvious who could have.
"Hello there." A soft voice drifted from a dark shadow standing in front of the gate.
He wasn't there a second ago!!
Kenshin winced, not being able to fully make out the features of this one. He had a young looking face, however, and pretty much fitted the description of...
"Murasaki..." Another voice joined in the line. Kenshin snapped and turned around, almost kicking himself for not realizing Soujirou's incoming presence for having made such a violent movement.
And for another moment, nobody moved, or talked. The winds rose, while the dark clouds hovered above the dojo, just as Murasaki chose to deliver his discourse.
"It's been long, hasn't it, Soujirou?" There was not a trace of emotion to be inferred from the tone used. Sanosuke chose to walk into the dojo main corridor facing the exit at that time, and stopped to stare hard at the intruder.
Murasaki further took one step into the dim light provided by the moon, and smiled. "I don't think I need to introduce myself, then."
"You're darn right you don't need to!" Sanosuke roared, and readied himself to charge. "You asked for it, boy, you came straight as us!"
"Sano, wait!" Kenshin extended a leg towards left, and in the event got Sano tripping all over his legs. The latter fell into one messy pile atop the fresh carpet of sand, and lay there, shaking with uncontrollable rage. His posture, however, prevented him from flogging Kenshin there and then.
The winds continued to howl, and Murasaki scanned his three opposites with slight disinterest. His view finally rested on the one he had been trying to get all this while.
Soujirou.
Who was so distracted, he could not find his tongue in time.
The suspense and tension was so great that when Murasaki finally raised his sword towards their direction, even Kenshin took a shock to his credit, and moved slightly back.
The only one who remained calm and misty eyed was Soujirou...
"Let me see... you have so many things to ask me don't you, Soujirou?" Murasaki continued smiling, his entire expression so non-antagonist that one would never have suspected him of anything.
Soujirou stirred, having been addressed. "I-"
"You're IT." Murasaki continued, disregarding Soujirou's attempt to speak. "And if you catch me, I'll tell you everything and return the girls and that boy to you."
In a flash, he disappeared into the darkness.
"MURASAKI! Wait!!" Soujirou was the first to run out into the courtyards, cursing at his own incompetance.
He was so close... so close... !
Soujirou turned back to cast a questioning look at Kenshin, who he regarded as the leader of the situation on hand. Kenshin gave a nod, and himself started towards the direction Murasaki last left in. Sanosuke was quick to follow and finally, Soujirou, after a lingering 'thank-you' glance at the back of his two friends, sped off at top speed.
Still playing games, Murasaki... ?

The thunder continued to rumble skywards, and brief flashes of lightning softly lit up the fluffy clouds in the skies. The moon, clad with pieces of dirty cotton wool-like clouds continued to try to shine her amber light towards the land, regardless of the success rate, and amidst all these nature phenomenals, Tokyo stood in time, as if frozen and quiet... deadly hush for a bustling city...
Footsteps echoed through the lonely alleys, the sound of slippers rubbing against rough sand. A shadow flickered past on one of the brick walls and stopped, looking back to check his pursuers' progress, then allowing himself to be engulfed by the darkness again taking the left trail. Soon, more rustling sounds could be heard and at the junction three figures stopped themselves.

Sanosuke was the first to curse, his eyes wild with fury. "Where did that foul-smelling knave run to now??" He turned and examined all three exits briefly, seeing nothing but darkness ahead. Finally, he stopped and turned to stare at Kenshin.
The red-headed rurouni stepped forward and frowned. "He may be fast, but there are only three break-offs here."
There was a pause.
"Soujirou, you take the middle one. Sano, go right." Kenshin issued out his instructions fast. "If we're fast enough, we'll catch him."
"If not," Soujirou butted in. "he'll be at that tunnel. So we meet there." He closed his eyes, and without any further hesitation took off in his issued direction. Sanosuke looked at Kenshin, who nodded at him, and they both sped off towards their designated directions.
Kenshin took the left trail.

Soujirou ran, and ran, and ran. He was tempted into entering his own zone of speed, but knew that if he ran too fast he would never be able to see Murasaki even if he was just right beside him.
He ran some more, then stopped abruptly.
It was hopeless.
Enshrouded by darkness and silence, Soujirou hung his head even lower despite himself.
*All I wanted was peace... all I wanted was happiness... all I wanted was to find the truth to living...*
He closed his eyes, to softly amend his deeply set principles, to clear up his highly confused mind. He could not find relief, he could not feel comfort. There was only hurt... and more self-despair...
*Remember that when you're at a loss, always ask yourself what your most beloved one would want you to do most.*
Soujirou's head shot up. It was a voice as clear as day, and he recognized it immediately.
Chitsuru... ?
*Always ask yourself what your most beloved one would want you to do most.*
The sentence rebounded off his brains, as if wanting to convey a message. Soujirou could not stop the thoughts from entering, not that he wanted to really. Chitsuru always wanted to tell him not to feel self-despair, that despite what he thought, he was really wanted by a huge amount of people out there...
*... what your most beloved one would want you to do most...*
Soujirou shook himself. Would Chitsuru want him to continue wallowing like the way he was? Would Chitsuru like seeing him all helpless and lost in front of someone he knew?
The rain started to pelt down, softly...
"Do you want me to explain to Murasaki what happened, Chitsuru?" Soujirou raised his eyes and asked, as if expecting an answer.
The only thing to greet him was the howling winds.
Soujirou softly narrowed his eyes. As if programmed with new determination, he took off in the direction he had came from. The howling winds and rain had just reminded him of one thing.
The tunnel.
There was nowhere else he could have hidden the hostages but the tunnel, the one thing he was so familiar with.
We've all been tricked... if we had gone there earlier, we would have saved them! None of this would have to happen!!
But a little voice inside Soujirou told him, that no matter what, if he did not settle this soon, he would never be able to find what he wanted to.
A real sense of belonging.

Murasaki stopped in his step, looking behind him. He frowned. It was kind of impossible. None of the three had gone in this track? And to think he planned everything so well, to trap at least one of them... his brain started to move for an improvise, and he decided to go back to the tunnel to guard his hostages before any of them discovered anything.
"Going somewhere?"
Murasaki whipped around violently, having not expected anybody to be there.
A dark figure, camouflagued by the perspective darkness stood there. This one was really pretty short, and although one could not see his face clearly, one could clearly make out the weapon he hung by the side of his waist.
Kenshin took one step nearer the calm Murasaki, who had long recovered all composure.
"I never thought you would be the one to catch me." Murasaki smiled, realizing that he was subconciously shivering. "Himura Battousai."
"Who were you expecting then? Soujirou himself?" Kenshin asked, undaunted by the fact that somebody so young recognized him. "Don't be silly Murasaki. This isn't going to solve anything, playing childish games and making everybody feel frustrated with you. Stand out, and face it, man to man." He further added, never taking his eyes off the sombre boy. "Don't you understand? You're taking us all around in circles. It's not helping, Murasaki. You're indirectly torturing yourself."
There was a pause, then Murasaki scoffed. "If I were you, I wouldn't jump to conclusions just so quickly."
Kenshin frowned.
"You're the one who doesn't understand anything!" Murasaki suddenly shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Kenshin, who felt obliged to take a small step back. "You don't know me well enough to know why I'm doing this, and I'm not telling you anyway! So buzz off and stop interferring in other people's affairs!!"
When Murasaki calmed down enough to look straight at Kenshin's face, he realized he shouldn't have shouted so loudly. But he pretended to be cool, and tried to walk right past Kenshin to reach the tunnel before anyone else did.
He felt colossally relieved that the red-headed ex-hitokiri did not attempt to stop him in any way.
"Murasaki." A cold voice drifted over the winds. The one being addressed turned around, looking at the turned back of a legend. "I want you to know that I'm not stopping you because I don't want Soujirou to blame me for anything."
He shifted his weight and turned around to stare at the younger one.
"But let me warn you." Kenshin lowered his voice, his eyes glinting with slight hints of gold. "I have an even shorter patience than Soujirou, and if you do anything unreasonable to him..."
Murasaki raised his slightly slumped body, prepared to receive any comment.
A sharp metallic sound burst into his eardrums, as Kenshin gripped his sheath tighter to shake the sword inside.
"I will punish you for him. Take my word for it, young man."
Involuntarily, the younger boy found himself sharply heaving a huge intake of breath. His gaze was fixed on the now receding figure of Kenshin. He found that he could not take his eyes off him. The once dangerous assasin, who had embraced the ways of the land...
As soon as Kenshin's footsteps could not longer be heard, Murasaki snapped into action, dashing towards the tunnel in the fullest speed he could muster up with.

And as for Sano, aw, you all know. He can get lost even on a one way alley but he'll be back... if for anything, he'll be back out to the mainland again, heading towards the tunnel... like the other two...

Saitou stopped just right above the cliff and stared down at the sea. It was in torrents now, the chilly winds coupled with the soft rain. A storm looked inevitable, Saitou thought as he put a cigarette into his mouth. He tried striking a match, but the wind blew out the fire before he even held it close. Removing the cigarette from his mouth, he inspected the choppy waves of the sea again.
High tide was approaching.
"And how woefully un-apt." He commented to no one in particular. "The snow's melted and filled the river to the brim. The bank can't hold out for long now..."
He took one last look and turned back.
"Just hope that big rock blocking the entrance to the underground tunnel will hold on until I get some men to do something about this."
Saitou opened his umbrella and walked off, less Tokio chid him again about 'staying out late in bad weather'.
If only he knew...

Down by the beach, a flustered figure moved into the gaping entrance of the tunnel. His progress was slowed down by the knee deep waters he had to wade through to get there, and once there, the waters continued to be uniformally knee deep. The sea had began to move into the tunnel. And the tunnel, without it's huge rock to stand defensive had gotten itself into a very disadvantageous situation.
Strong winds and heavy rain continued.

Murasaki dived for cover into the tunnel just before the first streak of lightning tore the distant horizon into two. He helped himself up, turning around to stare at the bad weather outside.
The rain just came pouring down from the zenith.
Murasaki stood up, his clothes dripping with sea water which had entered into the tunnel due to the high tide. His eyes were empty, somewhere near shock, but he physically hit himself to snap out of it, so that he may proceed to check his hostages.
A huge wave lapped the cliffside, and entered into the tunnel.

Soujirou was the first of the three pursuers to arrive at the entrance of the tunnel, which was by now bearing a slight resemblance to the mouth of a dangerous animal. In front of him was pitch-darkness, and now the winds were filling up the tunnel as much as possible, so much so that it practically whined with a piteous tune.
He frowned, and knew he was probably too late, and that Murasaki was already inside, guarding his hostages like an eagle over it's children.
All this because he was delayed by an old lady who had lost her way.
But he was not wrong to have helped the old lady. He found out something so precious from the old lady that, if he had gone without helping her, Chitsuru herself would never have forgiven him.
All right. Time to go in.
"Soujirou!"
Soujirou turned around, trying to locate the owner of the voice. He saw a figure struggling desperately against the winds, his frail body looking like it would get blown away anytime. "Himura-san!" Soujirou called out in reply. "Over here!!"
Kenshin waded through the waters, and a huge wave lapped over the both of them. As soon as it receded, both of them stood up and ran, as fast as the waters allowed them to, into the tunnel.
And as they stood there, trying to catch their breath and coughing out any foreign water, Sanosuke make a spectacular diving entrance.
"Himura-san, watch out!" Soujirou managed to warn before Sano and a wave of approximate 5 metres tall rose above him and crashed downwards. Soujirou gapped, no noise coming out from his mouth, as he witnessed the wave playing around with his two companions.
It went away quick enough, and while Sanosuke quickly stood up to shake himself off doggie style, Kenshin lay in the waters, floating atop with spiralled eyes and a great big Oro painted on his tongue.
"Ororororororo..."
"Ah, Himura-san..." Soujirou waded over to help Kenshin up. "Are you all right?" He asked, smiling like a maniac.
"Oro... I don't think so... I must have swallowed a pint of salt..."
"Ahahahahaah..."
"Oei, both of you! This isn't the time to eat salt or laugh! Come on!" Sanosuke pestered, giving Soujirou a hand in helping Kenshin up, then leading the way. Abruptly, he stopped.
"What's wrong?" Kenshin asked, wringing his clothes dry of sea water.
Sanosuke turned around, embarassed. "Ahahah... any one brought a candle or something?"
A split second for a double facefault.
"Candle?" Soujirou asked. "I don't think so... this tunnel is naturally lit by some kind of phosphorus, I guess what we need is a map..." Soujirou smiled, then reached into his gi to fish something out. "And I've got just the thing-"
Kenshin stared, even more wide-eyed than normal. "So.. Sou... Soujirou... what's that you got there?"
Soujirou fossilized, and then crumbled into pieces.
The so-called 'map', now looked like what you would make out of a piece of toilet paper soaked in sea water.
"Ara... I'm sorry, the map's malfunctioned..." Soujirou looked at the piece of what used to be a map and apologized to his companions. "How about you lead us, Sagara-san, you've been in here before, so you're the best person for the job!"
Sanosuke grimaced. He may be proud of his abilities, but it doesn't necessarily meant he overestimated himself in terms of direction finding...
An eerie voice echoed into their ears.
"What are you so worried about? There's no need for a map now, Soujirou. Just walk straight and you'll find me."
The air sunk, and Soujirou deadened his expressions. Kenshin and Sanosuke merely stopped their fooling around and concentrated on the situation.
The waters went up an inch, while the three of them waded their way forward. Soujirou especially, prepared to face something he had been dreading to all this while.
They stopped wading when they realized that they had reached a part of the tunnel which was a dead end. Murasaki hopped off from one of the rocks where he had been trying to dry himself, and went asploshing into the waters, knee deep even in such a deep part of the tunnel.
"Welcome." He simply stated, his sword by his side.
The inner side of this tunnel was filled with age old moss and algae. There were plenty of protruding rocks jutting unevenly out from the sides, making it look like an awkward Victorian styled theatre. Nature's very delicate hands had shaped the most inner cavern of the tunnel to look like a stage, with audience's stands...
... and in one of these audience's stands, were three very disorientated souls trying desperately to come to terms with themselves.
"Kaoru-dono!!" Kenshin's eyes widened. He looked all the way up, and saw Kaoru waving at him from the sheer height of the walls itself. It was approximately a twenty metre climb to where she was, and getting there with all the slippery fungus and protruding rocks was not an easy feat at all.
"Kenshin!" Kaoru's voice whiffed through the air. It was hardly audible, and Kenshin could see that Kaoru was trying to tell him something, though he couldn't make out what. Two more heads soon appeared from the sides of the rockface they were resting on.
"AH? That fox doctor and Yahiko... both on the same rock?" Sano scratched his head. "How's the rock going to hold with all that weight?"
Kenshin turned around to really glare at Murasaki this time, who was by now unaffected by even the glare of that genre. Again, he drew his sword and pointed it at the three of them.
"Fight me, Soujirou, or there's nothing to talk about now."
Soujirou, who had been like the other two glancing upwards to try to spot the three hostages and check if they were safe and sound now glanced forward at Murasaki. He clenched the shinai tighter in his hands, new faith glossing over his old.
Sanosuke, obviously itching for a fight by now was almost about to step forward when Soujirou turned back to stop him with a pleading stare. "Sagara-san, this time it's for me." He quietly said. "Let me resolve this myself." He turned to look at Kenshin, who narrowed his eyes, apparently knowing that he was not going to be pleased with Soujirou's request.
"While I take up his attention, please make sure that all of them are all right." He smiled softly at Kenshin. "I'm begging you."
"Soujirou..."
Soujirou shook his head, lowering it and then closing his eyes. He spun around all of a sudden, his face losing it's original innocence and with a wild scream charged towards Murasaki who dipped, and with a welcoming smile launched into battle.

The winds continued to howl, cancelling out what Kaoru and the rest were trying to tell Kenshin.

"KENSHIN!!" Kaoru yelled again, determined not to give up hope. She rested for a while as Megumi watched the events going on down on the tunnel floor. She gasped.
"This isn't good. Soujirou's already fighting with him!"
"We have to tell them, Kaoru!" Yahiko insisted, looking at the girl with frustration.
"I KNOW! I'm trying to, but they're not listening!" Kaoru's features twitched with slight irritation with herself. "What do you suggest we do now? The winds are too noisy for us to be heard!"
"Wait, Jouchan, over there... look!" Megumi pointed towards another direction. "It's..."
"KENSHIN!" Kaoru gasped. "And Sanosuke!"
Kenshin and Sano had chosen a spot to launch 'Mission save the hostages', and were currently in the process of carrying it out. The waters had rose to thigh level by then, and amidst the howling of the winds was the occasional clash of metal against wood.
All three of them then looked down to watch Soujirou and Murasaki.
"That... That means no one can stop them now?" Yahiko asked, worriedly.
Megumi slumped backwards, to lean her back against the fungus wall behind her. She nodded gravely.

Murasaki laughed maniacally as he fueded off Soujirou's attack with relative ease. "What's wrong, Soujirou? Didn't you use to be the best? Didn't you hit the living daylights out of everybody who was in your way? What happened eh?" He sneered, launching into an attack himself. Soujirou saw the flash before the blade came crashing down and with both hands on the same spot brought his shinai up for a defence. Absorbing the force of the attack by lowering the shinai the same time the blade lowered, he managed to rebound the sword off without breaking the wooden sword in his hands.
"Murasaki, I don't know why you're doing this, but I know that you were not bad by nature, and you're still not bad! Why are you doing this? Tell me, boy!" Soujirou asked, standing in the rushing waters of the sea.
"Not bad?" Murasaki appeared to be insulted. "After all I've done to you, I'm still 'not bad by nature'?" He grinned. You'll change your mind eventually, Soujirou." He dived under the dark waters and disappeared totally.
*What the-* Soujirou widened his eyes. Murasaki had completely disappeared under water, and with the element of surprise on his side, Murasaki was near winning.
There was a sharp pain on his left foot, and Soujirou let out an anguished cry. He lifted his shinai and brought it crashing down into the waters, tip of the wooden blade first to try to disperse what had caused him this misery. A laughing Murasaki broke out from the water surface and managed to move away before Soujirou's shinai did any harm.
Soujirou tried to move, but the salted sea water was not giving him a good time with the leg wound.
Not forgetting, his left hand was still injured with the poison.
"You are completely hopeless, Soujirou." Murasaki again tried to sneer at him. "Look at what you are now! After embracing the life of a rurouni, this is what happened to you! I tell you, you will never find the truth you're trying to if you continue on being so wishy-washy! And you'll never-"
"That's enough!" Soujirou yelled, preparing his shinai for another attack. Murasaki stopped, a little shock but nonetheless seemingly pleased at how he seemed to have driven Soujirou into a little corner of his own confusion. "Murasaki, I don't want you to do a character analysis on me! I don't need you to! I've been analyzing myself enough!! I WANT ANSWERS, MURASAKI!! ANSWERS TO MY QUESTIONS!!"
He bent down lower, and decided to use the Shun Ten Satsu.
If this can't catch him, nothing can.
"Here I come!"
In a flickering moment he disappeared into alternate space, unable to be spotted by the human eye. What he didn't count on was that the waters was going along with him all this while so while he did move very quickly, the waters was slowing him down and telling everyone where he was.
"Too late!" Murasaki grinned and leapt out of the way. He lodged his sword into the side of the tunnel walls and complacently stood on one of the jutting rocks, laughing away. Soujirou halted his Shun Ten Satsu and did a U-turn, agilely making his way onto the rocks.
He was going to catch Murasaki, no matter what. This entire matter was getting on his nerves so much that he would not rest until he got him... until he got the answers to his questions...
Murasaki moved quickly, changing his footage to one of higher ground before Soujirou hopped onto the rock where he used to stand. He looked down at the young rurouni, who in turn looked up.
They stared at each other for a split second.
And into motion they went.
Soujirou clutched the strongest rock next to him, and lifted himself upwards. At the same time, Murasaki also thrust his sword further into the rock face to climb higher. They had alot of vertical distance to play around with, and Murasaki was not going to let himself get caught as quickly as Soujirou wanted him to be. They leapt, stone to stone, rock to rock, always keeping a buffer distance between one another. And while Murasaki switched his course as and when possible, Soujirou himself was having a hard time keeping up.
"MURASAKI!" Soujirou barked at the top of his voice. "Why are you running away? FACE ME MURASAKI! Why are you escaping??"
Soujirou stood on a rock, almost falling over in the event of shouting but still managed to keep his balance. He leant nearer to the wall and looked up at Murasaki, who was now towards his left, only higher.
"I won't answer you until the very end." His cold answer left in Soujirou much to be desired.
But he decided that he had had enough.
Soujirou turned, and chucking the shinai next to his hakama on the left side, he reached out and clawed into the moss-filled wall of the tunnel, slowly but surely reaching a greater altitude with greater confidence.
"Oh no you don't." Soujirou plainly stated. "I'm not going to take that as an answer. NO WAY!" He shouted, trying to beat the winds. Murasaki was stunned at the speed he now moved in, and quickly leapt away. Soujirou altered course and followed sharply behind. "ANSWER ME!!" Soujirou again tried to shout some sense into Murasaki. "Is this for revenge? For taking away the only one who ever loved you and you ever loved back??"
Murasaki leapt towards the rocks, which from the bottom had built up quite nicely into a stairway lookalike formation. He turned around abruptly and before Soujirou could even reach out to climb closer, he brought the sword down with a quick hack, preventing the other from further advancement.
Murasaki stared quietly at Soujirou, contemplating.
"No."
"No?" Soujirou repeated. "Not for revenge?" He re-emphasized, growing increasingly frustrated at the evasive attempts of Murasaki.
"No."
Soujirou almost lost his footing, but kept one hand firmly gripped on one of the protruding rocks.
"Not for revenge..."
"... then for what?"
Murasaki didn't answer. Then he grinned again and started to laugh. "Too many questions, Soujirou!" His evil tone made Soujirou writh within. "Maybe I'll tell you, maybe I won't." Murasaki narrowed his eyes, then laughed his way onwards as he leapt to another boulder again.
Soujirou cursed and reached out to another piece of rock for stability. He lifted his whole body upwards and began the chase all over again.

The waves rumbled into the tunnel, now growing more and more threatening.

"Kenshin, watch out!" Sanosuke swerved and pushed Kenshin out of the way before the large wave engulfed the rock where Kenshin used to stand on. Sano flashed a 'V' sign at Kenshin and hurriedly, they furthered their way up to the top, where Kaoru and the rest were.
"To your right, Sano!" Kenshin instructed, and quickly, they moved in the designated direction.
Kenshin moved silently, while Sanosuke moved with lots of shouting. There was something that just didn't feel right... something was not right... what was it about this tunnel that had aroused his suspicion in the first place?
A piece of rock fell onto his head, causing him to stop on one of the steps to look up.
A huge rumbling sound shook the ceiling of the tunnel.

Outside, the rain continued to pelt down with force.

"Kenshin!!" A familiar voice rang out.
Kenshin snapped out of his delusion and caught sight of the one who had shouted his name.
"Kaoru-dono!"
"Kenshin, quick, onto the slab on your right!" She waved desperately. Megumi and Yahiko were trying to tell her something, but she didn't seem to be listening.
"Oro?" Kenshin found the request to be weird. "But, Kaoru-dono..."
"KEEP QUIET AND JUST DO AS I TELL YOU TO!!"
"YES MA'AM!!" Kenshin shut up immediately and leapt onto the boulder he had been instructed to. There was another boulder on top of him, one that was overhanging. He looked at Kaoru and wondered why the strange request, to find that her attention had already shifted somewhere else.
"Sanosuke! You too!" She shouted.
"ME?" Sano questioned with a weird look on his face.
"JUST DO IT!!"
Grumbling, the white clad fighter hopped onto the boulder beside Kenshin and then both of them stared at Kaoru.
The rumbling sound grew louder.
Kaoru's eyes widened. "Kenshin! Lean against the wall with all your might and don't look down!!"
That having said, she disappeared into the shadow of a rock that was overhanging the boulder she herself was standing on.
"Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin shouted again, worried.
And then it happened.

Saitou stood at the path beside the riverbank and watched, wide-eyed with absolute surprise as the river disappeared right before his very eyes.
"What in Tokyo-"

The entire bank had collapsed, and now water gushed in from the river into the tunnel, filling it up almost to the half-way mark. Kenshin's muscles tensed and he gripped his sword tightly, having never seen so much water pour down from his sides before, and being nominally afraid of what was happening in front of him. Sanosuke merely covered his face with both hands and leant back to the walls, trying to avoid getting splashed by river water.
That's right.
Kenshin had almost forgotten that this was a tunnel beneath the river.
It was dangerous enough when it was sealed. When it was unsealed, the winds would affect the ceiling of the tunnel, which was actually the basin of the river above.
And once the impact was great enough, the river would crash into the tunnel.
Almost unconsciously, he felt himself covering his face with both hands as well, like Sano. It was a sight too terrible to behold, and Kenshin with all his years of experience was not about to challenge that.
"Kaoru-dono..." He whispered, unwilling to face the fact that she too was facing this calamity. What surprised him really was that the overhanging rock was doing wonders. It saved him and Sano from being washed into the waters on the tunnel floor, and kept them dry. If he hadn't listened to Kaoru...

The noise of the collapsing riverbank was so loud, Tokyo awoke.

Rain continued to pour down, and lightning lit up the skies, transforming everything from their dark colours into bright, luminous white. The tunnel was no longer a tunnel. It was a gaping rock chasm between what used to be two riverbanks.
The entire river had collapsed.
Kenshin lifted his eyes to look at the horror in front of him. Water, encircling beneath him threatened to eat him up should he fall into it. His hand trembled a little, but he did not give up his mission. Quickly, he checked the rock Kaoru used to be standing at.
"Kaoru-dono! Are you there? Are you all right?"
Silence. Only the sounds of rushing waters greeted him.
Kenshin panicked, and tried again. "Kaoru-dono!! KAORU-DONO! Yahiko! Megumi-dono! Are you all okay??"
He thought he heard a noise, but a few seconds passed and no familiar face popped out to greet him.
He really panicked this time.
"Sanosuke, can you see them?" He turned behind to ask his companion. "Sanosu-"
He stared at the spot where Sano used to stand.
The point here: 'used to stand'.
"Sa... Sanosuke... ?"
The water droplets had not cleared, so he could not see the opposite cliff to check if Soujirou and Murasaki were still there and not washed away by the waters or whatever, but somehow, he knew that Soujirou was resourceful (and fast) enough to be able to dodge an incoming gravity attack.
But what about those he saw before the river came down, and was now missing?
Kenshin could find no words to express his fear.
"SANOSUKE! YAHIKO! MEGUMI-DONO! KAORU-DONOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

END PART 8

bread@bread.freeservers.com
7/11/98


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