Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Resistance ❯ ch 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Rurouni Kenshin characters. I'm just kind of messing with them.

His absent eyes stare at the moon. His mind is deep in thought and his heart in turmoil. He is poison, or at least that's what he believes. His mind wanders to the young woman inside the dojo. It's my fault…all my fault…

The dojo door slides open and another woman walks outside. She shuts the door behind her and calls out. "Ken-san?" He doesn't hear her; he can't hear her. "Ken-san? Are you out here?" She looks around but doesn't see him. Megumi is anxious to give Kenshin an update. She finds him sitting on the porch at the back of the dojo. "Ken-san…" He doesn't make any sign that he heard her.

She approaches him slowly and cautiously. Dried blood has stained his clothes but he is in no need of medical attention. None of the blood belongs to him. Megumi stops behind him, she has to fight her primal urge to retreat from the danger that is this man. His cold, detached demeanor frightens her but she is determined to tell him the news. "Ken-san..." She reaches out to touch his shoulder, as a friend would, but she hesitates. This man is not her friend. Her hand hovers above his shoulder and is slowly brought back down to her waist. "Kenshin," she said. She decides to abandon the nickname until Kenshin, or Ken-san, as she dubbed him, returns.

He stands and turns around slowly to face her. The bangs of his blood red mane can't seem to hide his glowing amber eyes. His eyes pierce Megumi. Her voice gets caught in her throat but she manages to speak. "Kaoru is fine. She's sleeping right now. I just finished stitching and bandaging her wounds." His eyes flashed. She wouldn't have any wounds if it weren't for me. "Kenshin, it's not your fault. You fought hard and saved her. It's over now…it's over."

Something in him snapped. Battousai's hand shot forward and grabbed Megumi's upper arm. His grip was crushingly strong. "Over?" He growled, "How can it be over?" He dragged Megumi to him and peered into her face, his eyes glowed with danger. His voice was just above a whisper. "Nothing is ever over. Every time one enemy is defeated another comes to take his place. How is that over?" He demanded. "I can't be there to save the day every time, so then how am I supposed to protect the people I care about? How do you propose I do that, huh? Kill every person who is capable of becoming a threat!?" His grip grew stronger. "We were lucky Kaoru wasn't killed this time but what about the next time or the next? What do we do when our luck runs out?" He glared into her face; saw the pained expression, the fear in her eyes.

Fear? She's fears me? "Kenshin, y-you're hurting His eyes flashed back to their normal soft azure as Kenshin abruptly released Megumi from his grip. She stumbled back and rubbed her sore arm; a large bruise was probably already forming.

He hung his head down, "Megumi…I didn't mean to hurt you." He moved towards her but she recoiled in fear. Poison, I'm poison. Everyone who gets close to me just gets hurt. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry…"

"I know that Ken-san. I know." Megumi reached forward and touched his face. "You were right about one thing." Kenshin looked into Megumi's eyes. They were full of sympathy and sadness. "How can you save us?"

Kenshin couldn't answer. How can I save my friends? "I'll keep fighting. I'll protect my friends with my sword and my life."

Megumi shook her head sadly. "What I meant was…how do you expect to save us from…from you…?"

Kenshin stepped towards her. "Megumi…you, Sano, Yahiko, you're my friends, my family. I care about you all so much, and Kaoru…I…" Love her "You have to believe me. I could NEVER hurt my friends."

Megumi touched her bruised arm, "really? You're sure you can't?"

Kenshin was eerily silent. I can hurt my friends. I HAVE hurt my friends. His mind flashed to Kaoru; Kaoru, who had given him a home, a person to love, close friends and a new life. Kaoru, who had been abducted today in an attempt to coax Kenshin into a fight.

He could still hear his sword clashing with another. He can still feel the Battousai coming out to fight after his enemy slashed Kaoru across her side. He still feels the rage; the desire for the kill, the need to destroy his enemy after a loved one had been injured. He could still hear Kaoru yell at him to stop, saw her crawling towards him leaving a trail of blood, saw the tears stream down her face, heard her strained and injured voice begging him to spare his enemy's life. He then saw her collapse into a bloody heap. He ran past his defeated opponent and cradled Kaoru in his arms.

Kenshin brought himself back to the present and peered into Megumi's face. She was still holding her arm. Megumi broke the unusual silence. "I'll be heading to the clinic now. I'll be back in the morning to check in on Kaoru. She'll be fine tonight. Yahiko are Sano are taking care of her so you should try to get some rest."

Megumi left Kenshin standing at the back porch, lost in his thoughts. She walked to the exit but stopped and turned to glance at the dojo. She whispered a silent prayer and continued to leave. Kaoru, please get better. He can't expect to save us. He can't even save himself. You can though. You can protect him. Kaoru…save him.

Kenshin walked into the dojo shortly after Megumi left. He walked to Kaoru's room on cat's paws. Yahiko and Sano had recently fallen asleep outside the door. They were both thoroughly tired and needing a good rest.

Kenshin silently entered her room and approached the sleeping figure. He knelt down beside her and brushed away a strand of hair away from her pale face. He could still smell the blood from her wounds. He spoke to in a soft voice, careful not to wake her. "Kaoru…I'm sorry." He doesn't know what to say, no words can reverse what happened. A decision has to be made, and I've decided. His resolve is strong.

Kenshin leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Kaoru lips. He stood up and left her to go to his own room where he begins to pack his belongings.

I decision had to be made and Kenshin made it. This has to be done, to protect my friends. "In one week," he tells himself, "I'll leave to wander again."