Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Love Hina Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Disaster? ❯ A Little Drama ( Chapter 8 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disaster?
A Rurouni Kenshin Self-Insertion Fic
By: Serenity-chan and K-chan

Chapter 8:
Name this chapter when I'm not tired

'I must be dreaming,' thought Souzou, sweeping Nicole up in his arms.

Nicole was thinking basically the same thing. The only reason Souzou was aware of this was because he felt it whispered against his neck. Souzou held Nicole a little closer and nuzzled into her neck.

"We should go back now," he told her, kissing her jaw line. "I'm not sure if I can see to get back..."

"I can see," said Nicole, looking around. "But I have no idea where I am."

"You're with me," responded Souzou, smiling at her. "And I won't let anything happen to you..."

The two heard running footsteps coming towards them.

"Souzou, what's that?" Nicole asked in a small voice.

"I don't know," answered Souzou, tightening his arms protectively around Nicole. "I'm hoping it's Reichi and Kyo..."

"Souzou, there you are!" hollered Kyo. "We have a problem!"

Souzou practically jumped back from Nicole.

"What is it?" he demanded, trying not to act frazzled at having been caught with Nicole in his arms.

"It's Reichi!" yelled Kyo, louder than before, then lowering his voice. "I think there's some kind of Ninja out here! There's a dart in his shoulder..."

"Oh shit..." whispered Souzou.

He turned to Nicole and took a firm grip on her shoulders.

"Nicole, Reichi is my best friend," he told her, panic evident in his dark eyes. "Please, let Kyo take you back to camp. I'll be there soon, I promise."

He gave her a little push, urging her towards Kyo, who grinned lecherously at her. (AN: Once again, think Miroku) She looked up at Souzou uncertainly. Though fear and panic were obvious in him, he managed to smile gently at her to reassure her. Nicole looked up at Kyo. He was holding out his hand to her, his eyes showing plain worry as well. Looking back one more time, Nicole walked past Souzou, asking "Well, where is he?"

Kyo smacked a hand to his forehead. There was just no stopping this girl! She had no idea the situation they were in, did she? Reichi could be dying and Souzou only wanted to spare her the pain of watching a man die. But he was running after her, trying to explain.

Nicole only wanted to help, but she wasn't ready for the sight that awaited her and Souzou. Reichi was lying against a tree in the snow, a metal dart in his shoulder. His face was pale and his eyes fluttered. Strong poison was coursing through him and heading straight for his heart. The only chance was to get the dart out and hope it could run its course in a smaller amount.

"Souzou?" asked Nicole, her voice soft. "Is he going to---?"

"I don't know," Souzou cut in tonelessly.

Nicole left Souzou's side to kneel down beside Reichi. He wasn't too far gone and had a very strong will to live. That much she could tell. Uncertainly, she reached out to his shoulder, her fingers inches from the dart. Biting her lip, she looked at his face. Piercing brown eyes that were mirrored in the face of his son stared at her. She smiled at him, remembering the anime series and seeing Sano's face every day. He really did grow up to look just like his father.

"Hang on..." she told Reichi. "I think I can get it out."

She was about to try when Souzou stopped her.

"Those are barbed," he said grimly. "Like a fish hook."

"I know how to get fish hooks out!" replied Nicole.

"Don't you think I'd have done that already, Missy?" asked Reichi, rolling his eyes.

Nicole sat back on her heels, wondering what to do. Was she about to watch this man die, powerless to stop it? This couldn't happen! Reichi died in battle! He wasn't just murdered by some rogue Ninja in the shadows of a burning forest! Why wasn't Sailor Pluto stepping in?

'I'm sure I saw her in the Time Tunnel!' Nicole thought frantically. 'Sailor Pluto, help me!'

"Here!" said a disembodied voice, deep and feminine.

And before their eyes, the dart dissolved.

"But don't expect me to do that again," said the same deep female voice inside Nicole's head. "I only did it to keep time the way it's supposed to be."

'Thank you, Setsuna,' thought Nicole.

Souzou had his hand on his best friend's shoulder, his eyes wide in astonishment. Reichi was grouching and trying to push Souzou's hand away, insisting that he was fine now. Nicole rolled her eyes and pushed herself up off the snowy ground. Souzou got up and Reichi swatted his hand away when he offered to help him up.

"It's not like I was dead, y'know," he grumbled, falling back on his knees.

"Stop acting stupid," snapped Nicole, grabbing his arm and pulling.

"Quit it already!" he griped. "I said I don't need help alright!?"

Nicole dropped him and stalked off. Souzou rolled his eyes at both of them and thanked God for allowing him to keep his sanity. He hauled Reichi to his feet, complaints and all, and had to go and point Nicole in the right direction.

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It took about half an hour to get back to the Sekihoutai camp, what with wrong turns and Nicole going A.D.D. and dashing off at random.When they finally did get back, the group: Souzou, Nicole, Reichi, and Kyo, found Touya pacing around the entrance to the camp. Kyo took one look at his best friend and rolled his deep gold eyes.

"Hey! We're over here, genius!" he yelled, waving one arm around over his head and nearly smacking Reichi in the face.

"Watch it, wouldja?" complained Reichi, scratching at his shoulder.

A look of pure relief slid visibly over Touya's suntanned face and his turquoise-blue eyes positively shone. Souzou smacked his friend's shoulder good-naturedly and let him off his post, smiling gratefully at him. Nicole gave Touya a quick, friendly hug and said, "Sorry for all the trouble..." Touya smiled down at her and patted her shoulder.

"It's no problem, Miss..." he started, then paused. "What did you say your name was?"

"It's Nicole," replied Nicole with a smile. "And I already know who you are - Touya..."

"Huh!?" Touya choked out.

"And thank you for being so concerned about me..." Nicole added shyly.

"No problem.... But... How did you---" Touya sputtered.

"Don't worry about it," Souzou cut in, his voice firm.

Nicole giggled behind her hand and headed for Souzou's tent, yawning and stretching - she'd had a long day and it was catching up with her. All the men present - about half the Sekihoutai - gawked at her. Her response was just the same as it usually was when guys stared at her in the mall back home. She gave each and every one of them her fiercest eye and stepped up the pace of her walking a bit. She would never know that it was not her glare but Souzou's that the men shyed away from. None of them were foolish enough to try and hit on the Captain's woman.

Well... Almost none of them - then there was Kyo.

"Miss, was your name again?" asked the twenty-one-year-old lech, pretending he hadn't heard what she said no more than thirty seconds ago.

"Nicole," the girl replied, her tone patient, as if she were speaking to a child who happened to be very slow.

"Would you walk with me then, Nicole?" asked Kyo, actually acting like a gentleman for once.

Nicole shyed away, remembering their first encounter and the way he had looked at her in the forest. Kyo turned his golden eyes on her, his expression pleading, and looked no more dangerous than a disappointed kitten. On seeing that, Nicole gave in, figuring that maybe her knocking the hell out of him had taught him something. She only flinched a little when he draped one arm around her shoulders and gently pulled her closer.

"You know, you're very pretty," murmured Kyo, his voice soft and shy.

Nicole blushed out of reflex and looked away, noticing that they were near a lonesome, darkish part of the camp. They kept going farther and farther out and Nicole was getting fairly uneasy at being alone with Kyo. Again, the young man's hand slid down her back. It didn't feel deliberate, so Nicole only shrugged away a little. The hand slid a little farther and, when Nicole turned around, it slid down to her rear.

"Get your paws off me, you Hollywood wolf!" screeched Nicole, slapping him hard across his cheek and drawing the whole camp's attention.

Everyone ran up to the deserted end of camp just in time to see a chibi Kyo get drop-kicked in the style of Suu from Love Hina. Nicole's entire face was bright red and it looked like she might actually have been getting ready to cry. Embarrassment and anger radiated like heat off her face and her lower lip was trembling. Had she been a cat, every hair on her body would have been standing completely on end.

Souzou was absolutely livid, only his face was white as a sheet and his hand was on the handle of his sword. When Kyo stopped being chibi and spiral-eyed, he found an outraged Captain glaring down at him. At first, for a few terrifying seconds, Kyo really did think that one of his best friends was about to slice his guts out. What actually happened was, in his mind, worse.

"Keep your hands OFF her!" ordered Souzou, every syllable shaking with rage.

It would have been easier on Kyo - and quicker - to have been killed than to face Souzou's anger at full strength. He figured that the worst was yet to come and he had only been spared for the moment because Souzou wasn't going to do anything in front of the rest of the men. Souzou spun on his heel and stalked away, swearing fluently under his breath. The entire camp watched in shock as Souzou slid his arms protectively around Nicole's shoulders. It seemed she really was the Captain's woman.