Chapter 4

“Get back, Kaoru-dono....!”

Yuugure roughly pushed Kaoru back into the thick, prickly underbrush from which the two had just emerged. Kaoru opened her mouth to protest, but immediately shut it again at the sound of approaching hoofbeats on the firm surface of the nearby dirt road. Yuugure narrowed his eyes and smiled coldly. Swiftly turning to face Kaoru, he wound the rope tying her around a thick tree truck nearby and quickly returned to his original position. As the horses and their coach came racing toward the two hidden deep in the thick underbrush of the forest, Yuugure crouched low into a launching stance and prepared to leap out at the coach.

“I’ll be back, Kaoru-dono.”

“...demo....”

“Shutup. I’ll be back.”

Kaoru angrily glared at Yuugure’s retreating back and concentrated on her idea of escape. If Kenshin and them aren’t going to show up anytime soon...I guess I’ll try using these. Arching her bound hands painfully, she retrieved the two throwing knives hidden deep within the folds of her kimono and put them to the ropes tying her hands, allowing the sharp edge and sawing motion to cut through her binds one by one.

Suddenly, a scream cut through the peacefulness of the forest, and Kaoru stopped her sawing. Curiously, she looked up toward the road from which the screaming had come and gasped at the sight of Yuugure standing, ominous and dark, above a man covered in sticky, red blood. A sword protruded through the man’s chest, and Yuugure was its wielder. Kaoru watched in horror as Yuugure roughly tore the sword from the man’s body and flicked his wrist, ever so slightly- shaking the excess blood off his sword. Immediately, the man fell choking to the ground and shuddered violently. Kaoru watched, dumbfounded and horrified, as Yuugure released two horses from the wrecked coach and led them through the forest to where she was held captive.

“Kaoru-dono...”

Yuugure looked down at the throwing knives in her hands and the severed ropes and frowned.

“So, Night’s angel is trying to run away....isn’t it ironic that she’s using Night’s gifts to escape.....”

Kaoru’s hands began to shake violently, and she fought to control them as tears started to fall down her cheeks. Kenshin...where are you? He’s going to kill me....he’s a killer....a master of kenjetsu...Kenshin....

For a minute, there was only silence, except for Kaoru's muffled weeping, and after a while, even that subsided a bit to only occasional whimpering. Suddenly, Yuugure was in front of Kaoru, his face level with her own. Kaoru quickly put up her still-tied hands in defence, but he reached out and gently pushed them away. Contrary to Kaoru's expectations, and much to her surprise, he took her face between two fingers and looked her straight in the eye.

“I know what you’re thinking, Kaoru-dono. I know you think I’m a monstor, killing that man so mercilessly, but when you’ve lived a life like mine, you learn to ignore the guilt and horror that comes with murdering. Don’t worry...I won’t hurt you, though..I wouldn't ever hurt you...Night...he would...he would be upset.”

Kaoru stopped crying and looked at Yuugure, surprised.

“You’re...not..you’re not going to kill me?”

“no”

“Not even after you caught me trying to escape?”

Yuugure burst out laughing at her question and grinned at her.

“If you didn’t at least TRY to escape, I’d think you were very strange. Your attempt proves your courage...It’s a sign of your good character.... If I had friends as good as yours and was in your place, I’d try my best to escape too... Or if I had the authority to release you, and allow you to return to those friends, I’d do it immediately...but I don’t have the authority, so you’re coming with me, onto one of these horses, and I’m taking you to Night...”

Kaoru stared dumbfoundedly again at Yuugure, and slowly, a small smile spread across her face. She knew the prospect of escape under Yuugure’s sharp supervision was impossible unless Kenshin arrived- he, having the skill and ability to defeat even the best warriors, but then again, being with Yuugure wasn’t so bad.. She was also beginning to feel that Kenshin and Co. were just a dream..characters hidden within a haze of imagination, existing, yet not existing all at the same time.. or perhaps they were the enemy. Kaoru shook her head... No, they were not the enemy...just figments of her imagination..yes, that was it.. just imaginary characters..

*******

Yahiko paced back and forth in front of the Kamiya Kasshin school and frowned deeply. Already he missed his young teacher and was impatient to try to rescue her. Kanshin sat inside, still and unmoving, a disturbed look on his face. Sanosuke sat on the roof and glared irritatedly at his surroundings. He, like Yahiko, was impatient to save Kaoru. Even though she could be pig-headed and annoying, the dojo felt “empty” without her usual strong presence.

Kenshin sighed and cursed himself inwardly at not running after Kaoru when she left her room. Perhaps if I had followed her and stayed with her, Yoru would not have been able to kidnapo her...I would have been able to save her!!! No..that’s not right. Knowing Yoru, he’d send someone to do the dirty work...perhaps one of his Stars.....Three years ago I fought him and his Stars...Three years ago we battled and ended in a draw.......perhaps we’ll finish what we started now.....I will not run away this time.....not this time......

“Battousai......do you give up???......Your wife is dead.. Your family is dead. You may as well let me kill you so that you too may join them..”

The hitokiri battousai snarled and looked up through glowing red eyes. Slowly, he forced his torn and battered body up from the ground and held up his sword.

“I...will NEVER lose to you, Yoru.”

A dark, cold young man stepped forward, the extent of his injuries matching that of the hitokiri.

“I was to be the next hitokiri battousai, but no,......you.....there cannot be two, and so I promise, I will kill you!!!! You will lose, BATTOUSAI!!!!!!!”

With a flash of silver and a blurring movement, the two were upon each other- striking, blocking, slashing, never giving the other enough time to perform any special sword techniques. A sudden blow penetrated battousai’s defences, and he flew back, clutching at his wounded face*. (I don’t remember how Kenshin got his scar, but I know this was not how he received it. Please understand that this is fictional, and it fits in my story, so that’s how I’m going to write it. ^_^) Reaching up, battousai felt the warm liquid pouring from his wound and scowled deeply. He was in no condition to fight Yoru now. Looking around quickly, he found a tree and leaped up into it.

“So long, Yoru...We will end this fight another time...and I will win.”

With these words, the hitokiri battousai disappeared into a dense, dark fog, leaving Yoru, the king of Night, screaming in anguish.

Kenshin shuddered and slowly lifted up a single finger to touch the scar on his left cheek. After that fight, he had been invalid for weeks, unable to move or speak much because of the intense pain. Now Yoru was back...and he had Kaoru......Yoru knew that if he kidnapped Kaoru, Kenshin would come to rescue her...He knew because he could see that Kaoru meant a lot to the former hitokiri...as did Sanosuke and Yahiko,....but Kaoru was female, and a girl could be much more entertaining for the king of Night... Kenshin clenched his teeth at the thought of Yoru playing with Kaoru..using her for entertainment. She was above those standards....

Quickly, Kenshin stood up and walked outside. Both Yahiko and Sanosuke walked over to him and looked at him expectantly.

“Let’s go find Kaoru. If Yoru’s still the same as I remember, he’ll be residing with his Stars in an inn...a dark one.”

“....you mean,...Akuma Inn? The one way on the other side of town..the part that closed down after the rise of the new government?”

“Yes, Yahiko..that one.”

“Well c’mon then!! Let’s go get Kaoru... I thought you’d never ask!!!”

Kenshin looked at Sanosuke and smiled.

“Yes Sano. Let’s go rescue Kaoru.”

End of Chapter 4

NOTE: I know this chapter wasn't that great, but I'm working on it, and I promise chapter 5 will be better. Sorry there hasn't been much actioni yet, but I'm still working on developing things, and even I don't know what's going to happen in the chapters to come (Ideas come to me as I write). Please be patient and bear with me! Thanx. ~Mana-chan