Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Another Morning ❯ Chapter 2

Chapter II

The night fell on the semi destructed Aoya. The noises of the day had been silenced and it was a quiet night. Kaoru was getting cold again so she put the blanket on top of her shoulders. The movement make her body hurt. She looked at Kenshin again; a lone tear came running down her face. "He is so hurt; his body is full of the new scars that this battle gave him. He did it; he saved Japanagain, saved all of us without thinking about himself. He is so selfless, even though he was a hitokiri, he has the warmest heart I've ever known." Kaoru's eyes were heavy, she was very tired but she couldn't bring herself to sleep. She knew Kenshin was awake, even tough his eyes were closed and he didn't talked or move at all, she knew he was awake, just to tired to move.

Yahiko was sleeping soundlessly beside her. "I am proud of him. He fought bravely against that Henya guy. He won, but he is also injured. That cut on his back is very deep; the doctor said it would be all right but he still needs a lot of rest. He is only ten years old and he has already been through so much. He is a very strong boy, both physically and mentally. I was so scared today, I tough I lost him when that giant attacked him and he wouldn't move. He was waiting for Kenshin to come and save him, he knew deep in his heart Kenshin wouldn't let him die." Kaoru sighed thinking about her own actions. "Why did I move? Is not that I don't trust Kenshin because I do; is just that I promised him we would go back to Tokyo together so I couldn't give my life up, I had to fight until the last moment, as I'm sure he did too. The doctor said that he had three wounds that alone could have killed him, but his spirit is too strong just to let go. He couldn't die in that battle, he would never allow himself to do so."

Kaoru heard some noises outside their bedroom. The Aoya was almost destroyed so anyone could get in. She got up slowly so her body wouldn't hurt as much and then, she walked toward the door and slid it open. A tall man stood against the wall, he had a sword and was holding a big bottle of sake.

"What are you doing up?" He asked without even looking at her. "You are injured and you need to rest if you want to get better."

Kaoru closed the door behind her so the noise wouldn't annoy the ones sleeping inside. "He's still awake. I can't sleep tonight, not with him like this. I just can't"

"I still don't know what you see in my baka deshi," said Hiko still looking as relax and confident as ever.

"Would you please stop calling him that, at least when you are in my presence? He has a name you know? It's Kenshin and I would prefer if you refer to him as that." Hiko gasped. It wasn't easy to impress the thirteenth master of the Hitten Mitserugi Ryu, but that girl had done it. His baka deshi was really fortuned in finding her. Just a little girl but she was so strong willed.

"Anyway," she continued smiling smugly at him. "You are still up as well. Don't tell me you are worried for Kenshin too?"

"I am not worried at all. I know he had a very strong shishou that thought him well. Whit a master like me no one could get killed by someone as Shishio, not even him." Hiko was as arrogant as ever but he didn't referred to his pupil as his baka deshi, he didn't call him Kenshin either, the girl couldn't get away with that.

A suffocated scream came out of the room and Kaoru rushed inside without even saying "Oyasiminasai Hiko-san."

Hiko drank more sake and stayed in the same spot Kaoru found him. No matter what, he would stay that night close to his baka deshi.

Kaoru closed the door behind her and looked at Kenshin. He was exactly as she left him, but he wasn't the one that screamed. Yahiko was still asleep at his futon, which left only one possibility, Sano.

She approached him quietly and knelt beside him. "Sano are you awake?" She asked in a whisper. He opened his eyes, looked at her and smiled softly. "Are you alright? Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Jo-chan, what are you still doing awake?" He asked in a sleepy voice. He already knew the answer, he knew she wouldn't leave Kenshin's side until he was completely recovered, but he also knew that she was worried about Yahiko and him too. "That's the kind of person she is, always thinking about others before herself."

"You are hurt, you should be resting," he said without letting her answer his question.

"Its fine, I am alright but I herd you scream. What happened?"

"Sorry, I tried to shut my self up but I guess I failed," Sano said as he gave her a brave smile. "I was sleeping and somehow my hand ended up beneath my body."

Kaoru took his hand softly and place it into hers. She smiled warmly at Sano and looked at him. She could feel a tear ready to slide by her cheek. "Thank you Sanosuke, for bringing Kenshin back. I don't know what would have happened if you didn't help him. Thank you so much." Then she couldn't control herself anymore and hid her face between her hands and cried quietly. Sano put her arms around her and let her cry in his chest.

"It was nothing, Kenshin saved my life in there more than once, he saved us all today, the least I could do was bring him back here to his friends. I know he would do the same for me, for any of us."

Kaoru nodded, and then she got up and came back with some medicine in her hands. "This would help you relax and sleep. The doctor said it would help to ease the pain."

Sano drank the medicine and closed his eyes. Jo-chan was like a little sister to him, she helped him a lot, he wished he could stay awake longer to keep her company, but he couldn't, he was so tired.

Kaoru heard Sano's breathing until she was sure he was asleep. He was such a good friend; she knew that no matter what, she could always count on him. She knew that night that she would be forever grateful to Sanosuke Sagara for bringing Kenshin back to her.

Kaoru sat beside Kenshin again. She looked at him. He was awake and he was in pain. Kaoru bit her lip thinking that there was nothing she could do to help him. She ran her fingers through his red hair and started singing softly to him so only he would be able to hear her. "Get well Kenshin."

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Another person was awake at the Aoya and determined to stay the night up watching over some one. He couldn't remember being in so much pain ever before. Every inch of his body hurt and he had a fever.

"Battousai's woman is awake."He could feel her watching over him. "She is not going to sleep tonight; her physical pain is mitigated by her emotions towards him, to take care of him."

Aoshi exhaled a deep breath and gasped when he felt the sharp pain going through his body. He was so cold, his body was weak and the fever was making him feel dizzy. The sound of a painful breathing made him forget his problems for a while. Misao. She was asleep but she was having trouble breathing. He looked at her face and could see that she was in pain. Misao-chan. His Misao-chan.

"She has certainly grown a lot. She is not the helpless little girl I left behind to pursuit my own ambitions. She has changed but she still cares for me. Himura told me that; he said that she asked him to bring me back, that she cried for me. I made her cry so many times. And now there she is, asleep like the last time I saw her so many years ago. But now she is hurt and it's my fault. I chose the wrong side, joined with evil persons, and it was them who hurt her. I don't know what happened in the fight, I couldn't ask anyone, anything, but I heard the doctor say that she has three broken ribs. And she still waited for me to return, took care of me and she was injured all along. She may be sleeping but she isn't resting; I can see she is still in pain and there is nothing I can do for her. Hyotokko, Beshimi, Hanya, Shikijou I'm sorry, our Misao-chan is hurt, I didn't protect her and it was my job. Makamachi-sama left her in my care and I failed him.

Aoshi gasped again and closed his eyes waiting for the horrible pain to go away. A soft hand was placed over his and he opened his ice blue eyes to meet hers. She was knelling in front of him with a warm smile on her face. Her long black hair had fallen loose and some strays fell on her face. She was having trouble breathing and he could see the pain reflected in her eyes, even though, she tried to hide it. "Are you alright Aoshi-sama?"

"You should be resting Misao, you are hurt." He managed to get his voice even and hide all the emotions he was feeling at the moment. He was good at it.

"It's nothing serious. You'll see I'll be running again in no time." Suddenly her expression changed and she lowered her eyes. "But you are so hurt Aoshi-sama, is there anything I can do to help you?"

"So kind, still thinking about me." "Go to sleep Misao."

She went back to her futon and tried to sleep but now she couldn't. Aoshi was staring at her waiting for her breathing to be regular again but it didn't happen soon, he had to wait almost an hour before he was sure Misao was sleeping again. He spent the night watching her sleep and then the sun rose again and another morning came, but this was a very different morning for him, it was a new beginning.

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