Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Back To The Start ❯ Kidnapped! ( Chapter 17 )

Back To The Start

 

Chapter 17: Kidnapped!

 

“Kenshin!” Kaoru screamed just before she was knocked unconscious.

 

“Kaoru!” Kenshin yelled back, stretching his arm out toward his beloved. Quickly Kenshin raced after her.

 

Kana started after him, but Hatori pulled her back saying, “Iie. What we did was wrong. They love each other. Let him go.”

 

“Demo! I love him!” Kana cried, and burst into tears, falling into Hatori's arms.

 

Kenshin continued searching for Kaoru using his Ki abilities, but had a hard time of it. Goons from that group ambushed him several times, and he beat them all down mercilessly. How dare they take his woman!

 

 

Kaoru was taken to a building and tied up. They whipped her when she refused to give information on Kenshin. They continued to abuse her when she would not give in.

 

“Woman! Tell us what you know about Battousai! We know that you are his woman!”

 

“Never! I'll never give you information on Kenshin! I won't let you hurt him!”

 

“We know he loves you. He will come chasing after you. There is nothing he won't do for you. He could never leave you here.”

 

“I don't care what you do to me! I won't let you hurt him! I love him.” The men continued to whip her and merely cackled at her feeble attempts to defend herself.

 

`BAM!' the door was kicked open in rage. Kaoru and her abusers turned to look at the man in the door.

 

“Kenshin!” Kaoru cried in joy. She thought that he would leave her. Kenshin looked furious.

 

“So you've come, Battousai,” the man smirked.

 

“Hai. What did you do to Kaoru?” Kenshin asked coldly. His eyes burned with an ice-cold fire.

 

“Good, good. You wish to defend her. Well then,” with that, the man whipped Kaoru again.

 

“Ah!” Kaoru cried, biting her lip.

 

“Kaoru!” Kenshin called out in pain and guilt. He felt horrible. He felt that he'd brought this upon her. He should have been there to protect her. The man holding the whip cracked the whip once more, making Kaoru cry out again, and then sent a kunai flying to her wrist bindings, letting her fall. Kenshin leapt forward and caught her before she hit the ground.

 

“Kaoru. Are you all right? This one is sorry he didn't come earlier,” Kenshin asked while looking at her worriedly.

 

“I'm fine. Don't worry, Kenshin. I'll be all right,” Kaoru panted. Kenshin only kept gazing at her, the worried expression still lingering.

 

“Battousai. Will you fight me?” Kenshin's gaze flickered amber and for the first time, willingly accepted the duel.

 

“Kenshin!” Kaoru gasped, grabbing his ankle. “Please don't.”

 

“Don't worry about this one, you're in bad shape. This one shall be fine. We'll go home together,” Kenshin said crouching down to loosen her fingers, his eyes fading back to violet.

 

“Kenshin…” Kaoru whispered, recognizing those words as her own. Finally, Kaoru agreed and sat back to watch her beloved rurouni nervously. Fearful for his safety.

 

“Battousai, we'll start now.”

 

The two men jumped at each other and Kenshin's sakabatou broke the other man's katana. But, this match was not over yet. He still had a wakizashi and his whip. When the wakizashi was knocked out of his hand, the man had his whip ready. Kenshin wasn't sure what to make of this, but he and his opponent charged all the same. Kenshin noted that he was skilled with the whip. But, he also noted that he was unskilled in fighting a whip. This was his first time fighting an opponent whose weapon was a whip. His opponent wasn't stupid; he knew where to aim his hits. At Kaoru. He knew that Kenshin would do anything to save Kaoru. Now Kenshin was having a hard time parrying the blows since now they weren't aimed at him but his precious Kaoru. Kenshin swiftly moved to stand in front of Kaoru, but his opponent only flicked the whip so that it went around Kenshin. To protect Kaoru, Kenshin took many of these blows. That only caused Kaoru more pain. Every strike Kenshin received was a strike to her heart. Kaoru bit her lip until it bled to keep from screaming. It also took all her self-control not to jump in front of Kenshin to take those whips for him. She knew what Kenshin would do if she did. He would push her out of harms way and do what he could to shield her with himself. Then, the person would take that chance to rain blows on Kenshin. Finally, Kenshin's sakabatou was sent flying. Kaoru stifled her shout in alarm. She was appalled to see the unfazed expression on Kenshin's face.

`He can't defend himself! What do I do? I can't let him get hurt! How can he be so calm?!' Kaoru thought in alarm.

 

A smirk spread across the man's face and he cracked the whip with all his might. Kaoru cried out. But, that smirk quickly changed to shock when he saw Kenshin catch the whip bare-handed, and that expression changed to fear when Kenshin twisted the whip out of his hand sending the man sprawling on to the floor. Kenshin shot over to the sakabatou and was back in front of Kaoru within a heartbeat. The other man had also snatched up his wakizashi and the two dueled again. Suddenly, the wakizashi flew out the window and Kenshin's sakabatou pointed at the man's throat.

 

“Battousai, finish me.”

 

Kenshin lowered his sword and replied, “Iie. This one will not take another life.”

 

“Then, go, and take the woman.”

 

“Arigatou,” Kenshin whispered. The man stared after him in shock at that word and bowed in admiration. Kenshin slowly walked to Kaoru and knelt down beside her.

 

“Kaoru, are you okay?” Kenshin asked worriedly.

 

“I'm fine, Kenshin,” Kaoru responded wearily, offering a tired smile. Kenshin leaned over to hug her, but Kaoru pulled away.

 

“Kaoru?” Kenshin questioned, surprise showing through in his voice.

 

“You're dating Kana. It wouldn't be right,” Kaoru said in a resigned voice.

 

“Wh-What? This one is not dating Kana-dono. This one thought you were dating Hatori,” Kenshin accused.

 

“Kaoru's head snapped up. “Huh? I'm not dating Hatori-san! And what do you mean you're not dating Kana? You went out with her tonight. And you broke up with me.”

 

“This one went with her because this one thought you did not want to be with him. This one didn't care if he went with Kana or not after that. Besides, this one only broke up with you because he thought you loved someone else.”

 

“I don't. I broke up with you because I thought you didn't love me.”

 

“I love you, Kaoru. Never doubt that.”

 

“I love you too, Kenshin. That'll never change.” Kenshin gathered Kaoru into his arms and they stayed that way for a while. Kaoru's abuser slipped out of the room in the middle of this.

“So, let's go home,” Kaoru said, pulling away suddenly.

 

“Aa. Let's.” Kaoru attempted to walk but fainted after a few steps. Kenshin quickly caught her and checked her over in alarm. He'd just realized how badly hurt she was. Her kimono was torn to shreds and she had been repeatedly whipped. Kenshin's eyes glowed amber for a moment before fading back to its normal violet hue. He set off toward the dojo.

 

Yahiko spotted them as he stood outside the dojo and called out, “Kenshin! Kaoru!”

 

“Yahiko, go get Megumi-dono. Quick.”

 

“She's here. She's inside. But wh-,” Yahiko's eyes widened when he saw how Kaoru was. He bolted inside and yelled, “Megumi! Help! Quick!”

 

Author's Notes: `Ello! Just a couple more chapters! I know that some people thought that the kidnapper was somebody they knew, but it's just another person that wants to fight Kenshin. The thought that Kana might hire the guy who kidnapped Kaoru crossed my mind, but I thought that was too much. Anyway, this will all become much clearer next chapter.