Chapter 2

The morning sun filtered through Kaoru’s open window, waking her from her dreams. The quiet sound of Kenshin already chopping wood outside caused her to smile, and she stretched, pulling her muscles loose of the confinements of sleep. Looking down, she noticed a small slip of paper protruding from her blanket and curiously picked it up. Kaoru gasped at the sight of the two deadly throwing knives attached to the paper and felt almost afraid to read the kanji written on the note.

Calm down Kaoru..It’s probably nothing to worry about. Shivering slightly, Kaoru released the note from the beautiful weapons and opened it. She stared at the paper for a moment before falling to her knees. Warily, she picked up the throwing knives and studied them more closely. Each knife consisted of a silvery, fragile-looking, yet beautiful blade and a black handle. On one handle, a dragon had been intricately carved, on the other, a phoenix. Slowly, Kaoru opened the note and read it again. Only one thought raced through her mind:What on earth is going on?

*******

Yahiko grinned at Tsubame and said,

“Guess what?! Kenshin’s back!!!”

“Really, Yahiko-ch...I mean, Yahiko? That’s great!! I’ll bet Kaoru’s happy.. You guys should all come here and visit us some time.”

Tae walked into the room and smiled at Yahiko.

“Good morning Yahiko. You’re early today. Yes, Kenshin and all of you should come and eat here again. We haven’t seen you in quite some time.”

“Sure, I’ll suggest it to the others. As for Kaoru being happy, I’m not too sure about that..considering Megumi...”

Tae smiled again.

“That Megumi! She always loves making Kaoru mad......”

**********

Kenshin stopped his chopping and stood silent and still for a moment. Something felt wrong, as if everything had changed overnight and he had missed it- all of it. He lifted his ax to chop at the tree again, but dropped it almost instantly. Something was wrong with Kaoru. He could feel it. It wasn’t anything too big, not yet, but it would get bigger. That’s what the feeling told him.. Something had happened overnight, he had missed it, and it had something to do with Kaoru. What was happening?

Quickly, Kenshin put his ax up and went to Kaoru’s door. Quietly, he knocked.

“Miss Kaoru? Are you there? It’s me, Kenshin.”

No answer. He knocked again.

Still no answer.

Kenshin opened the door and saw Kaoru, clutching two tiny knives to her heart with one hand, holding a piece of paper in the other, and looking at it with a look of pure fear, confusion, and shock all mixed into one. As if looking away from the paper might kill her, Kaoru slowly and painfully tore her eyes from it to look at Kenshin.

“Miss Kaoru? Are you all right? Where did those knives come from? What happened?”

Kaoru grabbed Kenshin’s sleeve and thrust the note at his face, still not saying a word. Kenshin scanned the words:

“I know who you are, yet you do not know me. You are the day, and I am the night. What is to come is your destiny and my fate. Your friends and you have still many perils to face. Watch your back, sweet day, for if you die, I, the night, will live eternally, and if I die, you join me in my gruesome fate. Unfair, you think, and yet it is not for me to decide what lies in wait. Death, life, love, hate: what are these that you crave? You and your friends will find out soon, and I, the night will will accompany you always, your faithful moon. Yes you, the rising sun, and me, your faithful one, always watching, waiting, and loving you. The two throwing knives are a gift to you from me. Keep them with you always, for you will need them to conquer the ultimate evil. To refuse to do so will result in death..”

Kenshin looked up at the trembling Kaoru and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“I have no idea what this is and who is doing this, but be calm. I will protect you Miss Kaoru. Sanosuke, Yahiko, and I...we will all protect you.”

At this moment, Yahiko raced into the room, a silly grin on his face.

“Hey Kaoru and Kenshin! Guess what! Tae and Tsu....what’s wrong? You look like you saw a ghost or something! Where’d you get the knives?”

Kenshin explained the matter to Yahiko and the boy immediately became serious. For a child of only 10 years, he had the heart and understanding of one much older.

“Kaoru-san, no matter what, me and Kenshin and I’m sure Sano will stick next to you... Whatever those perils and ultimate evils are, will beat the crap out of them! Right Kenshin?”

Kenshin looked at Yahiko and forced a smile.

“We’re not sure how strong our enemy is yet..or if he is an enemy at all.”

“What enemy? I though Shishio and friends were dead. gone. deceased”

The trio turned to see Sanosuke entering Kaoru’s bedroom. Again, Kenshin explained the matter to Sanosuke.

“Oh wow. Some crazed peeping tom snuck into Kaoru’s room last night and sent her a love letter and a weird gift.....hmmm.”

“This isn’t funny, Sano!! This is MY bedroom and MY sleep being disturbed!! I don’t like the thought of some strange guy sending me threatening notes that don’t seem to mean anything sane... at night....when I’m in bed and supposedly safe......”

“Sorry Kaoru! It just doesn’t sound logical. I mean what kind of guy would be admiring YOU! I mean, it’s definitely a love letter.. I know these things.. but YOU! You act like a guy more than a girl, and you can’t cook worth anything! What kind of guy is gonna like a girl that can’t....?!”

A flash of silver catches Sano’s eye and he barely avoids being hit by one of the throwing knives. Kaoru stands, eyes narrowed, with the other knife already in position and aimed at Sanosuke’s head. Immediately, the street fighter backs up and grins.

“Hey Kaoru! I was juist kidding! Lay up a bit.”

The girl glares at him, retrieves her throwing knife and leaves the room. Yahiko snickers

“Watch out rooster head. The girl is armed and dangerous.”

Sanosuke only looks disdainfully at his torn clothing. Kenshin sighs and turns to Sanosuke.

“Look Sano. Kaoru hasn’t been feeling well at all, and obviously her feet are still bothering her... We really should try to encourage her, not make fun of her.”

Sanosuke looks down and doesn’t reply. Finally, Kenshin and Yahiko leave the room.

“Fine...just pick on the guy with the funny hair.”

Gloomily, Sanosuke sits down and sulks.

*******

Kaoru walks a few paces and manages to get outside the dojo before she collapses. Her feet ache and burn, but she refuses to admit defeat. The straining she has put on her feet have made her dizzy and gives her a headache, but she ignores the pain.

I’m strong. I can get over a little burn.... stupid friends....nobody cares. They pretend...but they don’t really care........no........ What’s happening to me.?.. that’s not right... They’re my friends.. how can I think so poorly of them. I’m the one sitting here sulking with the rotten soul while they’ve been nothing but support for me... Sano was only fooling around... Something weird is happening to me...I can’t control it... I almost killed Sano..I could have if he hadn’t been so fast...I have to leave... I can’t hurt my friends..

Forcing herself up, Kaoru looked around, making sure nobody was watching, before she escaped into the dark forest. She had promised never to hurt her friends, and she would keep that promise, even if it meant killing her. Something was happening to her that she could not explain, and she wouldn’t allow it to hurt everyone she loved.. She had almost killed Sanosuke, and if her soul continued to change as it was, she eventually would kill him...him and Yahiko and Kenshin...yes, even Kenshin. Painfully, she raced through the trees and tried to ignore her blurring vision. Even as she ran, she was losing consciousness, but still she continued and clutched the two throwing knives to her heart, oblivious to the red glow in both the dragon’s and the phoenix’s eyes.

*******

The dark figure watched as Night’s angel raced through the forest. The girl was extremely beautiful, of course, or else Night wouldn’t choose her to be his Day. Then again, it wasn’t the figure’s place to judge the girl. She belonged to Night, and not to him. The plan was working much more rapidly than expected. Already, the powers of Night were overcoming her soul. She would make a very formidable weapon against Hitokiri Battousai, considering he would refrain from hurting her because of their past friendship. The figure smiled to himself. Night and his party of five would win for sure with the girl on their team...what was her name?...oh yes,...Kamiya Kaoru..

The figure started as he noticed Kaoru’s limping and faltering. There seemed to be something wrong with her feet. Suddenly, she fell to the ground and lay very still. The figure cautiously leaped down from the tree he was hiding in and landed softly next to her limp body. The girl was alive. Sighing with relief, he bent over and picked the girl up. She was extremely light, much lighter than he’d first expected. Night would not be pleased that his Day possessed a flaw. The figure frowned to himself and carried her away, into the darkness.

End of Chapter 2