Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Sei Shi ❯ Chapter 8

Sunlight filtered in through the closed blinds landing on the figure lying on the bed. After a few moments the figure began to stir, twisting around a low whimper coming from their throats.

~*~*~*~*~

Kaoru glanced around her but all she could see was darkness. Blinking a few times she tried to figure out where she was. She held her hands out in front of her and felt around only to grab onto air.

`Where am I? How did I get here?'

She whirled around when a small swishing noise caught her attention. She felt her body go tense as she listened for the noise again. It came a few seconds later and her eyes widened when she caught a flash of light. It was small and only there for a second but it was enough for her.

Taking a calming breath she began to walk forward keeping her eyes locked onto the area where she saw the flash of light every now and then. The closer she got, though to her it didn't seem like she was moving, the sound got louder and the light appeared more frequently.

`Almost there, wherever that is.'

She came to a halt her eyes widening slightly when the image of a field came into view suddenly. The ground was covered in fog and even though it was dark she could still make out the edge of a forest and a small pond with a few rocks by it.

Taking a few hesitant steps forward she let her gaze wander over the area wondering where the flash of light had come from. She soon found herself getting frustrated when the swishing noise reached her ears and caused her to whirl around.

Blue eyes widened considerably as they took in the scene before them. Kenshin was standing before her but he was not as she knew him. He was dressed in traditional clothes of a haori, hamaka, and sandles. His hair was pulled up into a high ponytail instead of the low one she knew he wore.

The shouts of another voice caught her attention and she turned to see a man around Kenshin's age maybe younger standing a few feet away his sword raised and pointed at Kenshin. She stood there and watched as he shouted his face showing his emotions, anger the most dominate. She turned to her right when she heard Kenshin's soft voice drift through the air.

`What's going on? Who is that man and why can't I hear what they are saying? And why are they dressed like that?'

She stood there watching as the two men took there positions and when the light dimmed the two attacked. Kaoru panicked she could feel the fear grip her heart as she watched the two men fight.

`Kenshin!'

Screamed her mind and heart as she watched them fight, finding she was unable to stand here and watch she found her feet taking her towards the two. With out realizing it she threw herself between the two and latching on to the dark navy haori.

She could feel the sword pierce through her back before scraping against her ribs and coming out the other side before being just as swiftly ripped out. Her body sagged and fell forwards, her grip on the shirt loosening.

Glancing up she found her self-trapped by a pair of deep turquoise eyes framed by white hair. She opened her mouth to speak only finding out her voice was not her own.

"Forgive me…brother…."

`What?!'

"Please-please do not hate him…I…"

She saw the sadness in the eyes of the young boy holding her, she turned her head to gaze at an equally shocked and sad Kenshin. His beautiful violet eyes tinged with a rim of gold blinked back at her own foggy blue ones.

`Kenshin…'

"Anata…"

`Whoa! What?!'

Kaoru could feel her body getting heavier and just as Kenshin reached for her she felt the world slip out from under her and everything fell away. She screamed as she fell the darkness moving past her, small flashes of light the only indication she was actually moving.

`Help me! Someone help me!'

She landed with a hard thud, her body jarred from the impact. A moment later she pushed her body off the ground and let her eyes look around. What she saw was not what she had expected. She was in her father's dojo and a few feet away was her dad, holding a wooden bokken and smiling down at her.

"Now Kaoru you have to keep you balance. You also have to remain loose, if you stay stiff then your opponent can defeat you easily, just as I did."

`Father…'

"Hai."

She stood up and tired again. It seemed as though only a few moments went by before her father ended the session and brought her to bed. When she opened her eyes she noticed that it was still night and the sounds of fighting could be heard coming from outside.

Jumping out of bed she raced down the hall to watch as her father fought off some burglars. He pushed them back along with the help from some of his students. She smiled and raced towards her father only to stop short when the image began to shift and change.

Her father and the dojo fading away to be replaced by a stark white room filled with monitors and people rushing around in pale green outfits shouting. She gazed around the room her eyes falling on the figure of her father lying on a table, covered from head to toe in blood.

"Daddy!" Shouted the eight-year child as she raced towards the table her fingers just brushing against her fathers as she was pulled away from him and out into the hall.

The images morphing once more to a dark ally way in the city a now sixteen-year-old Kaoru cornered with a group of thugs surrounding her. Grabbing the nearest object, an iron pipe, she began to make use every lesson she was taught. She knocked out a few of them before the pipe was ripped form her hands. She felt her body slam against the pavement, the gravel and broken glass biting into her flesh as it was pressed into it. Growling at the two she tried to escape, clawing, kicking and punching everything with in her reach. She could feel the tears well up when she saw the other two coming towards her. Just as she was about to give up a shadow appeared in the ally way.

`Misao…'

Suddenly she felt the ground become soft and she began to sink, the gray cement swallowing her up. She struggled her brain telling her body she needs oxygen not comprehending she was in a dream.

She found her self-staring up into a pair of cold amber eyes, before being helped up off the ground.

`Saitou?'

"Hn, not bad raccoon. You got the job."

"I'm not a raccoon!"

She watched him smirk down at her before tossing her back her bokken and readying his sword once again.

"Now lets see if you can handle the real thing."

She turned to see four werewolves, their glowing pale green eyes staring hungrily at her as they slowly closed in, surrounding them. She frowned setting her face in determination and poising her bokken just as the first wolf attacked the world shifting once again.

This time she was in feudal Japan again and Kenshin was staring at her with angry gold eyes sword dripping in blood. She took a step back but found her escape blocked by solid wood. She watched him stalk closer to her, turning away she closed her eyes and waited for the worst.

When nothing came she opened her eyes to find her self-staring at the reflection of a young woman with long black hair and large brown eyes. She gave a small gasp before she felt a hand enclose over her chin and turn her head around. A pair of soft amber eyes gazed down at her.

`That wasn't my reflection. What's going on?'

Before anything else could happen she watched the images move once more Kenshin fading away with them until darkness surrounded her once more. Her eyes darted around trying to figure out what was happening when a hand closed over her mouth and warm breath hit her skin.

Kenshin sighed his violet eyes staring blankly at the stove before him as he stirred the contents in the pot. Sighing once again he turned off the heat and moved slowly to the table before walking out and into the hall stopping to stare at the far wall in the living room.

A scream from down the hall snapped him out of his thoughts. Quickly he raced down the hall and into the bedroom. His eyes a dark amber as he scanned the room for enemies, dying down to a dark navy upon seeing none but still worried he turned towards the bed.

"Kaoru?"

He watched the young woman thrash around on the bed before screaming again and bolting up right. He was by her side in a second and pulling her into a comforting embrace.

She sat there dazed her breathing still ragged, body shaking slightly. Stroking the top of her head he murmured soothing words in her ear while his hands rubbed her back and arms.

"Shh…it's all right Kaoru. I'm here, it's ok now. Shh…your safe, its all right."

He felt her body relax in his arms her head lolling to the side and falling on his shoulder. He waited for a few moments before trying to talk to her again, whatever she had dreamt caused her to cry out to him. And Kaoru was not one to cry out to anyone, not even when she needed. That is what he loved about her and also what caused him to worry too.

Kaoru sat there her mind racing from the images, her body numb from the cold. After a few moments she felt the fog lifting from her brain and the warmth seeping back into her body. Sighing she relaxed and felt her head land on something firm, unsure of what it was but too tired to look she lay there for a few moments. Only when she felt the soft touch of skin on her own did she react. Jerking away she shoved whoever was touching her pushing them back from her.

The jumbled images from the dreams she had come flooding back and she began to panic once again. Scrambling from the bed, tripping once over the sheet she made it to the door and threw it open not stopping once to see who was with her or where she was.

She just had to escape.

--

Kenshin felt her stiffen before being shoved away and an overwhelming sense of fear washed over his senses. He sat there stunned for a moment as he watched Kaoru scrambled away from him and stumble out the door, the fear and panic increasing greatly with each passing second.

Worried he got up and went after her, stopping her in the hallway. He had reached out and grabbed her wrist only to be caught off guard when she whirled around and punched him in the jaw. Stumbling back somewhat he loosened his hold on her wrist and just stood there looking at her with confused violet eyes.

--

Kaoru stood there her blue eyes widening upon recognizing who had grabbed her and wincing when she remembered whom she hit.

`Oh my gosh! I hit Kenshin!'

She stepped forwards a look of concern in her deep blue eyes as she reached out and brushed her fingers against his jaw softly.

"Kenshin I'm so sorry…I didn't know it was you…I'm such an idiot. Let me get you an ice pack."

Grabbing his hand she pulled him towards the kitchen, telling him to sit down while she got the ice. When she placed the small pack on his jaw she finally noticed that she was not in her apartment nor was she in her clothes.

"Kenshin?"

He looked at her his violet eyes looking her over, a hint or worry still lingering in them before disappearing to replaced by calm. Still unsure she sat down across from him and waited for him to explain.

"Are you all right Kaoru?"

"Hai, I'm fine Kenshin but-how did i…why am I wearing…"

He watched her stutter trying to get out all the questions he knew were floating around in her head. His face softening, body relaxing now that he knew she was no longer afraid and seemed to be her normal self.

"I brought you to my place last night after you fell asleep. I changed your clothes too, I hope you do not mind. I did not want to leave you until I was sure you were all right."

Kaoru sat there taking all of it in, blue eyes blinking in surprise before narrowing in anger when the words `I changed your clothes' registered in her mind.

"Kenshin no Hentai!" she shouted right before slapping him

"Oro?"

She glared at him the anger seething out of her before she noticed that she hit his jaw again.

"Aa…gomen nasai Kenshin! I didn't mean to hit you on your jaw again!"

He watched as the anger once again drained from her and she began to gently check his injury again. Her soft fingers ghosting over the swollen jaw before tipping his head to the side to get a better look at the bruise. He let his eyes wander over her face before moving down her body.

`She looks better in my shirts than I do.'

He mused as he took in her sleep ware, one of his long button work shirts the hem reaching mid thigh. He came out of his musings when she pushed rather hard on his jaw. He looked back up to see her glaring down at him as if she knew what he was looking at.

"Kaoru why were you crying?"