Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ The Bet ❯ In Kyoto ( Chapter 11 )

Disclaimer: I DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT own Rurouni Kenshin.

Note: Ah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe it's been almost another month since I lasted updated. Gomen! Gomen! Gomen! Gomen! Gomen! Gomen! Gomen! Gomen! Gomen! I started school 2 days after my last update and since then I've been extremely busy. Math every night, I'm on the yearbook staff this year, illness, and just loads of homework. So, I'm extremely sorry again for the long wait. My goal is to have this story completely finished by Halloween, Thanksgiving, or the end of the year. (Whichever one I can manage to achieve). Anyway, enough of my babbling. On with the story!

Last Time on The Bet redone: Kenshin let his stupid pride and wanting to be popular get in the way and he hurt poor Kaoru. Now, Kaoru's in Kyoto with Misao until Christmas Eve and so the story continues.

The Bet Redone

Chapter 11

In Kyoto

A two weeks had passed since Kaoru had arrived in Kyoto with Misao. So far they had been shopping, ice skating, sledding, and gone to a festival. Kaoru was having such a great time. All her pains and worries seemed to wash away has the days progressed. Misao was happy to see Kaoru feeling better. It was now December 21 and the two girls were going out and to buy their last minute presents. At 9 o'clock in the morning they left. The morning air was chilly when they walked out the front door. They were both thankful for the heavy, warm coats that were currently hugged close to their bodies. The two girls walked down the street and snow began to lightly fall.

"I'm going to take you to this really cool store. It's got everything you could ever want!" Misao was telling Kaoru as they made their way down the street.

Kaoru gave a light laugh. Her breath making a small cloud and the warm air that came from her mouth came in contact with the cold, fresh air. It was then that they noticed it was snowing. Kaoru stopped walking and reached out her gloved hand. A small snowflake landed gracefully into her palm. Kaoru stared at the snowflake as memories came back to her.

"It was snowing when we first came to Kyoto. The day that," Kaoru stopped short as her head bent down and her bangs covered her eyes.

Misao noticed Kaoru's depressed look. She quickly grabbed her friend's outstretched hand and began to pull Kaoru down the street. Kaoru was surprised by the sudden gesture.

"Misao?" Kaoru asked.

"Come on! Don't get so gloomy. It almost Christmas! You have to be happy!" Misao told her friend with a great big smile.

Kaoru quickly lightened up and smiled.

"You're right!" Kaoru said as she pulled her hand from Misao's and began to walk beside her friend once again, "It's the holidays and I'm on vacation! I have no reason to be sad!"

With that said Kaoru felt much better and the girls continued to the store unaware of their follower.

: 10 hours, 20 stores, 15 bags, and $600 later :

"That was so much fun!" Misao exclaimed.

"Yeah," Kaoru agreed as she looked at the bags in their hands, "but I think we may have gone a little overboard."

Misao giggled, "Don't worry about it. Gramps will pay for it (flash to the future: Gramps staring at his credit card bill motionless, with eyes wide and mouth wide opened.)."

The two soon became silent as they walked down the now dark street, half the moon shined the only light available on the street. It was still snowing slightly and the ground had about 2 inches of snow on it already. In the quietness Kaoru suddenly heard another pair of feet crunching snow behind them. She looked over to Misao and saw that she had noticed it too. Misao mouthed to Kaoru, "On the count of three run."

Kaoru nodded as they began to walk faster.

"One" Misao said barely under her breath.

Both their hearts were beating extremely fast when they realized that the person behind them began had began to walk faster as well.

"Two."

Kaoru got ready to break out into a run.

"Thr.." Misao barely managed to say out loud before they were both grabbed from behind and thrown in an alley.

Both of them hit the ground hard, the breath was knocked out of both of them. Misao was the first one to recover.

"Why you! Who are you?" Misao commanded and she got to her feet.

"Who I am is of no concern to you," the man stated.

In the faint light Misao could only see the he was tall, buff, and bald. The man began to make his way to Kaoru, who was standing, but was slightly wobbly. Misao ran in front of Kaoru.

"Get away from my friend!" Misao exclaimed.

"Get out of my way!" the man said slightly annoyed.

"No!" Misao said as she went to punch the guy.

However, Misao ended up getting kicked into the alley wall. As her body came in contact with the wall her eyes widened and her breath was stolen from her lungs. She fell to the ground unconscious.

"Misao!" Kaoru yelled as she tried to run and help her friend.

However, the man stopped her by pushing her into the wall and then holding her up by the throat.

"So, little Kamiya girl. How does it feel to be weak?" the man asked her tauntingly.

"Kenshin," Kaoru slightly managed to gasp out as she closed her eyes. She reopened her eyes as she realized something.

'Kenshin. He's not coming. He doesn't care about me,' Kaoru thought to herself as she remember the day she left Tokyo for Kyoto, 'Even if he did care, I'm in Kyoto and he's nowhere near by.'

Kaoru began to choke as she used up the last of her air supply and began to desperately attempt to get more air. However, she couldn't because of the man's grip on her throat. The man laughed.

"Well, I was going to shoot you, but watching you die slowly from suffocating seems a lot better," the man said as a sort of joke.

Kaoru's sight was beginning to fade.

'No this can't be happening. I'm still young and have my whole life ahead of me. And what about Misao?' Kaoru thought as her vision became worse.

'I'm going to die.'

Kaoru's vision was about to go black when the grip around her throat loosened slightly and her lungs filled with well-needed air. When her vision cleared she saw the man that was trying to kill her looking at the end of the alley. Kaoru turned her eyes in that direction and was shocked at what she saw.

"Who the hell are you?" her supposed killer yelled.

The man at the end of the alley stood staring at the scene with cold, golden eyes. His red hair held back in a low ponytail.

"You'll put her down now," the golden-eyed man almost hissed.

'Kenshin?' Kaoru thought before the man holding her by the throat tightened his hold once again.

Kaoru gasped as the man holding her smirk.

"And what if I don't?" he asked cockily.

"Then I have no choice," Kenshin stated as he drew his sword from under his coat and disappeared.

The next thing Kaoru knew was that the hand around her throat released her and she fell to her knees on the ground. She sucked in as much air as her lungs could take before she looked up at the scene in front of her. Kenshin had put his sword away and the man was now on the ground unconscious.

"Kenshin," Kaoru lightly whispered his name, but he heard it.

He didn't turn to face her though.

"How did you," Kaoru asked, but her voice faded off.

"I asked the school office. They were reluctant at first, but then they told me where you and Misao had gone," Kenshin said as he paused before beginning again, "I came here to tell you that I'm sorry."

Kaoru looked at him in complete shock.

"I didn't mean what I said that day. It just slipped out before I could stop it," Kenshin said as he turned around to face her, his eyes once again violet, "will you please forgive me?"

Kaoru didn't know what to say. Her mind was in a twirl. She was still slightly woozy from almost dying and now Kenshin was standing in front of her, in Kyoto, apologizing to her. The thought made her head spin more. Kenshin waited for a response, but he got none. He turned his back to her once again.

"Well, I just came here to apologize. I hope you'll forgive me. I can tell right now you're probably not sure if you can trust me, but," he paused for a moment, "I care for you so I promise it's not a joke."

He began walking out to the street once again.

"I called the police so you might want to get out of here fast unless you want to be questioned," he walked out to the street, but before he turned the corner he said, "I'll hopefully see you on the 24th."

With that he disappeared from sight. Kaoru just stared for a moment before she stood up and walked over to Misao. She picked Misao up and put her arm around her shoulders. Kaoru was happy to find her still breathing. She picked up their bags and, as fast as she could, left the alley. As they trudged forward Kaoru began to think to herself.

'I can't believe what happened. Can I trust his word?' Kaoru was starting to get frustrated.

"He's so confusing!" Kaoru yelled to herself as she made her way to Misao's family's house.

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Author's note: I know it's short, but please spare me. I was limited on time. I know my grammar may not be too good, but I hope this chapter is okay anyway. Got to go. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!! THANK YOU!!

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