“YAHIKO!!!” Sano yelled. “Megumi...”
Both Kenshin and Amano stood speechless, their immense tension taking its time to losen up. “Yahiko...” Kenshin murmured. Suddenly it struck Kenshin. A greater tension began to build up inside him. More than his surprise to see Yahiko and his powerful voice to stop everything in the world, he felt the bright morning turn black for he knew Kaoru was out of his reach... again. All blood drained out of Chiemi’s face. She slightly trembled and took a step back and unintentionally touched Sano. Sano noticed this and looked down at her carefully.
“Are you okay, Chiemi-chan?”
No response..
“Yokata, I made it in time,” said Yahiko trembling in pain. “Kaoru.. Kaoru is gone. Gomen.. Gomen ne.. Ken...shin....” Yahiko immediately lost his conscious and fell off the horse but Sano caught him just in time.
“Yahiko!!” Kenshin shouted, running over to him. Megumi got off her horse and checked Yahiko’s pulse.
“He’ll be okay. It’s amazing how he withstood all that much pain untill now.” Megumi sighed. When Kenshin looked up to Megumi, she was startled to see what she saw. Kenshin’s eyes reflected terror as well as hatred, burning straight into Megumi’s eyes.
“What... happened to Kaoru-dono?”
“I heard that a guy name Rui kidnapped her,” Megumi replied a bit nervous just as Kenshin closed his eyes in despair.
“Kuso...” Suddenly Amano broke in. They all turned to look at him. Amano mischieviously looked around the forrest and smiled. “I was focusing on the battousai so much that I didn’t realize....” Amano jumped high up in the air faster than the lightening and struck his sword down a big tree branch. Instantly a black figure quickly fled from the blow and landed across the Kenshin-gumi. Kenshin narrowed his eyes and held tightly onto his sakabatou and at the same time Chiemi gasped.
‘Oh no.. why... what is he doing here???’ Chiemi shuddered, her hands closed over her mouth. Meanwhile, Sano was picking up all her reactions, his ephemeral trust turning into heaps of doubt.
“Who are you?” Kenshin demanded without the slightest animosity. Amano smiled amusingly.
“Knowing you for so many years, it’s so damn easy to pick up your chi. Hitokiri, looks like you are gonna have to wait for me to kill you later. I must kill my little FRIEND, Rui, here who hired you to kill me, first,” Amano licked his sword and starred fiercely at Rui. Kenshin’s eyes widened in surprise. His eyes immediately narrowed again, more aggressive and fiery this time, and asked rather quietly which was more frightening for all of them.
“Doko... where is Kaoru-dono...”
Rui knew the reality; he couldn’t possibly beat Amano or, now he realized, Kenshin either. He knew he couldn’t escape when Amano had said, “kuso.” His only hope now was Chiemi. Kenshin did not wait for his hesitance. He took another step forward and asked again, his eyes invisible under his hair.
“I said... where... WHERE DID YOU TAKE KAORU-DONO!!!!”
“Chiemi!!” Suddenly Rui shouted. Chiemi flinched and backed away. “Look what has happened! Your hitokiri couldn’t kill Amano! Our deal is over!” Everyone turned to look at Chiemi who was trembling helplessly.
“What deal exactly??” Sano asked starring down at Chiemi.
‘Good,’ Rui thought, ‘Make them distracted with Chiemi and I’ll take my chance and escape from here!’ Rui cleared his throat. “The deal was that she gets the hitokiri to kill Amano for me, and I take Kaoru to kidnap and sell her, in order for the rurouni to settle with her.” Chiemi dropped down to the floor and covered her face with her hands sobbing.
Sano angrily grabbed her arm and shouted, “Uso!!!” Chiemi merely sobbed trembling. Kenshin for a minute seemed pale. He slowly walked back to Chiemi and grabbed her shoulders. Without looking at her, he asked, his voice in much turmoil and pain.
“Chiemi-dono... where is Kaoru-dono?” Chiemi only kept her head low, shaking violently in her silent sobs.
Rui squinted at the group and at Amano who was looking at Chiemi as well. ‘NOW!’ Rui jumped and rushed through the forest.
Amano instantly followed Rui, smiling, “I don’t think so Rui.”
Kenshin quickly started after them when Chiemi held onto his hakama. “Chiemi-dono!” Kenshin cried not being able to hide his anger and frustration. Chiemi looked up to him, her sad eyes asking Kenshin to stay with her. But all she could find in the eyes of his was just one thought: Kamiya Kaoru. She dropped her head again and whispered releasing his hakama,
“Go stop Amano. I don’t know where Kaoru-san is. Only Rui does.”
Kenshin unspeakably troubled, ran after the two. “Mate, Kenshin!!” Sano called out running after Kenshin.
Chiemi sighed in tears watching Kenshin run far away from her. She turned her head away from him, only to be greeted by Megumi’s keen hand. Chiemi held her cheek with her hand looking up to Megumi wide-eyed.
“Baka!! Baka!! I want to do more than just slapping you! Is this the only way you know how to love? To make the one you love suffer? How could you do this to them again! You don’t even know what they’ve been through, what Kenshin’s been through, what Kaoru’s been through. Look at that boy over there. He’s broken two legs, now lying unconcious and all because of your selfishness to claim your love. Love is not possesion, don’t you not know that? I won’t forgive you if something happens to Kaoru-chan!” Megumi yelled and yelled furious, tears welling up in her own eyes. Chiemi looked at Megumi surprised at first, then broke into tears, crying endlessly.
PUK!!
The window cracked tiny bit. “Ahh~~~~” Kaoru wailed T.T holding her hand that crashed into the window. “HI!!! Okay, this time for reals!!” Kaoru put on her serious expression once more. “One, two, THREE!!!”
CRASH!!!!!!
The window shattered in all direction and Kaoru climbed out the window, getting cuts in the process. ‘Where am I??’ Kaoru thought, feeling her headache coming back little by little. ‘I’d better get out of this forest.’ Kaoru picked a direction and started walking on her barefoot. With her headache worsening every step, she could have only one thought in her mind: ‘Gomen ne... Ken..shin...’