Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ The Slumbering City ❯ The Versatility of Chocolate ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin does not belong to me.

AN: Dedicated to Ravyn, who kept poking for an update. Lots of love to everyone and thanks for waiting!

Corrective comments by katyclismic, Elley, and Ravyn. Much, much love!

The Slumbering City

By Indygodusk

Chapter 5: The Versatility of Chocolate

Spirit was something that Kaoru had always prided herself on. Yet at that moment, she felt as weak and pale as winter grass. What scared her most was the thought that if Kenshin really had been standing behind her, his chest pressed intimately against her back, lips hovering near the nape of her neck, she might succumb. She might come with him, come to him and let herself be molded into what he wanted her to be.

But he isn't here. You're strong, Kaoru. You can do this. Forcing her breathing to slow and steady, Kaoru assured her wavering heart that distance and time would be enough to break his hold on her emotions. It would have to be.

“Is everyone alright?” Sano asked, breaking into her thoughts.

Kaoru pushed herself to her feet. “I'm fine.” Wafting a hand in front of her face to try and brush away the particle filled air, she sneezed. “Megumi? You okay?”

“No injuries from the earthquake,” she answered, “though I'll probably end up with some bruises from the rough handling.” Thumping Sano on the arm, she scolded, “You didn't have to tackle me.”

“Better safe than sorry,” he replied unrepentantly, smirking. Then he threw an arm over Megumi's bare shoulders, right after darting a glance at Kaoru, and said, “Besides, now we'll have a matching set.”

Why would he have bruis- oh, right. Kaoru blushed. I did not need that mental picture!

“I don't remember any earthquake warnings recently,” Megumi calmly mused as she retracted her elbow and stepped away from her husband's gasping body. Poor Sano, that elbow must have hurt. Being a doctor really gives her an unfair advantage in knowing where to hit to cause the most pain with the least amount of effort. “Let's turn on the radio and see how bad it was. I hope no one got hurt too badly.”

As Megumi walked by Kaoru, the doctor paused to squeeze Kaoru's shoulder sympathetically. “After that, my friend, you can tell us why you're only wearing one shoe and what happened last night.” The sheet wrapped around Megumi's body fluttered elegantly as she moved away. It made Kaoru think of an expensive designer gown being paraded on a catwalk. Only Megumi could make cheap sheets look chic.

With a flick of her manicured fingers, Megumi adjusted the dial through crackling static and crooning boy bands until she found talk radio. As the announcer finished up a story on stray dogs and the pigeons who loved them, Sano came out from the kitchen with glasses of iced tea. After passing them out, he plopped down onto the ugly orange couch next to his wife. I still can't believe she got married and didn't tell me!

Beads of water condensed on the outside of each frosted glass. Kaoru took a large gulp and promptly began coughing. The icy chill made her throat spasm. Sipping more carefully the second time, she savored the tart raspberry flavor, washing the taste of fear and disappointment from her tongue. Kaoru rubbed the chilly glass against the side of her face to cool her flushed cheeks. Taking another sip, she crossed her arms and allowed the half empty cup to dangle from her fingertips.

Letting out a low sigh, she leaned back against the olive green wall. It felt sturdy against her shoulder blades and Kaoru slowly allowed herself to relax. A symphonic burst of sound suddenly blasted out of the radio, followed by the news they'd been waiting for. “We interrupt your current program for a breaking news story. Approximately five minutes ago, an earthquake hit the southern section of the city. Dust from broken masonry and steam from ruptured water pipes can be seen filling the sky from almost a mile away.”

Kaoru jumped away from the wall with a squeak. An inquisitive look from Megumi silently asked why she was acting so twitchy. Their eyes met and the moment stretched out like salt water taffy. Just as Kaoru opened her mouth to break the silence, another symphonic burst of music blasted out of the radio. Plastering a reassuring smile on her face, Kaoru looked back to the radio. Yet a few seconds later her teeth were worrying her bottom lip anxiously. Kaoru reassured herself that nothing would be gained by telling Megumi right away what had just happened. After all, they needed to hear more about the earthquake and, more importantly, Megumi didn't have magic. Let's not bother her prematurely. Putting her glass down on a nearby table, Kaoru shot a suspicious glare at the olive green wall out of the corner of her eye.

Just a second ago, she had turned her head to look out the window. As soon as the bare skin along the edge of her ear had brushed against the wall, she had felt the solid wall instantly become the consistency of mud. An elbow and half her cheek had sucked past the paint and plaster before she'd realized what was going on and leaped away. For a split-second, Kaoru would have sworn that she felt the edge of a fingertip graze across her skin and catch on a lock of her hair.

Somehow, Kaoru's newly awakened magical sense informed her that Kenshin didn't know exactly where she was. Yet. But he was zeroing in fast and he was not happy. Every muscle in her body vibrated with the urge to flee.

However, if she wanted to succeed she needed a plan. And to make a good plan she needed more information. Sharply leashing her instincts, she moved a few steps farther away from the dangerous wall and stepped onto a shaggy brown rug. Kaoru hoped that the rug would protect her from a repeat incident. Sinking into the wooden floorboards below would give her all sorts of new phobias. I already have my quota for the decade, thank you very much. Forcing her breathing to remain even, Kaoru tried to concentrate on the radio.

Whatever fluke had allowed her to influence the walls back at Lord Battousai's estate seemed to have passed. When Kaoru sent a tendril of that other kind of thought at the building, she got the grudging impression that it felt surly and blamed her for its damaged condition. It wouldn't actively tell the Master she was there, but if she got caught in a trap or needed an escape that wasn't an already existing door or window, she was on her own.

Kaoru almost got the feeling that the building would enjoy a smug laugh at her expense. If buildings could laugh that is. Glaring at the floor not covered by furniture and rugs, Kaoru had to resist the urge to kick the wall or stomp on the floor. She knew that the only thing she'd probably accomplish would be sore toes and cautious looks from her companions, but it just might be worth it for the pure satisfaction.

Although her feet twitched, she forced her attention back to the radio. “No casualties or injuries have been reported yet, but- wait, can you repeat that? Thanks. Listeners, I've just been told that the event might not have been an earthquake after all. At least not one caused naturally. Eyewitness reports claim that the ground itself didn't shake, only the buildings. I repeat, only the buildings were affected. Furthermore, the only buildings that experienced the so-called earthquake were those made with magic. The newer buildings in the southern section built with mundane materials had no tremors at all. You all know what this means.”

Confused, Kaoru looked to Sano and Megumi for elucidation. At the announcer's words, Megumi covered her face with one hand and groaned tragically. A wide-eyed Sano met Kaoru's gaze. “Wow, I'd never have expected it from a little thing like you.”

“What?” Kaoru replied, still confused, not to mention aggravated. “And I'm not little!”

Fortunately, the radio chose that moment to explain before her irritated confusion could turn to violence. “Yes folks, that's right. Lord Battousai is Angry with a capital A. Last time we saw something like this was when the stadium was bombed. I remember how the city shook off and on for 24 hours until the culprits were captured. I don't know if they ever did find all of the body parts, but good riddance to bad rubbish I say. Of course, if Bill wasn't out sick today I know he'd be arguing with that statement. Feel free to call in and take up his torch.

I just got a note from the station manager. We still don't know what could have set Lord Battousai off, but we'll open the phones in a minute to see if anyone out there might have a clue. It has to be something terrible if He's involved. Some people complain about the almost absolute power the Battousai dynasty wields here in the City, but I've always felt safe knowing they're looking out for us. I know we'll all rest easier as soon as the culprit gets caught and He can calm down. Whoever he's hunting, I don't envy them,” the news anchor chuckled and then opened the lines for callers.

Meeting Megumi's troubled gaze, Kaoru just knew that her cheeks had paled to white. “Do you think I shouldn't have run away?” Kaoru asked weakly. Megumi didn't answer, but Kaoru wasn't sure that she wanted one anyway. Her friend's brown eyes softened and she sent Kaoru a small, sympathetic smile. It bolstered Kaoru's flagging spirits. Thank goodness for best friends.

“Do you think we should call in?” Sano asked, forcing the women to break eye contact. His voice boomed excitedly from where he was picking up the telephone. “I've always wanted to be on the radio.”

Kaoru may have just met Sano a few minutes ago, but that wouldn't save him from her wrath. She lunged. Megumi ignored the sound of Kaoru tripping on the edge of the rug and merely crossed her arms, employing her own favorite weapon - her razor-sharp tongue. “I know you're an idiot, but you can't be that stupid. Right?”

His index finger froze on the number pad as he slowly turned to look at his wife. “Er, yes?” Sano replied. With a sheepish grin he replaced the receiver and shrugged.

Meanwhile, Kaoru cowered on the ugly brown rug and sent death glares his way. When she'd tripped after jumping at Sano, she'd caught herself with one hand, a knee, and a foot on the bare floorboards. At the touch of bare skin, her body had started to sink down below the wood. Toppling backwards onto the rug on her butt and scooting frantically to the center had saved her body, but not her sock and remaining shoe.

Kaoru was not a happy camper. She wanted to bash Sano's stupid grin into the telephone on the wall. She wanted to be wearing more on her feet than one sock on the left, barely hanging onto the heel, and some white lint on the bare toes of her right, and she really wanted to stop sinking through the freaking building!

Earlier on she'd been willing to be magnanimous about the loss of the first shoe. Those sneakers were due to be replaced anyway. But now Kenshin had gone too far. She loved those socks. Kaoru had spent hours embroidering a little sword on each ankle. Sure it was only two straight lines of stitches, but it had been hard. That right sock still had the blood stains to prove it! But now no one would ever know, and she would forget, because all she had left was one left sock with no blood stain that didn't match any other sock anywhere in the world except the one that had disappeared underneath the floorboard. An angry growl ripped from Kaoru's throat.

Kenshin was a dead man. She wouldn't forgive this. Not even if he popped up out of the floor and nibbled on her toes beseechingly. He could even bring flowers and offer to massage every inch of her body with scented oils and she still wouldn't forgive him.

Maybe if, and it would be a big maybe, he brought chocolate dipped fruit and a variety of really expensive cheeses and wore only a fringed silk loin cloth while he massaged her slowly with his long, talented fingers while sultry music played in the background. Maybe then… but no. Even that wouldn't be enough. He'd have to do all of that AND make the building give back her sock. But the sock would have to be washed and pressed and both Kenshin and the building would have to apologize. Abjectly. Then, and only then, would she forgive him.

Looking up, Kaoru saw Megumi kneel down next to her on the rug and felt the doctor place a cool hand on her forehead. “Are you alright?” Megumi asked carefully.

Kaoru scowled. “The floor ate my sock. Of course I'm not alright!”

Megumi's face morphed into an expression of artificial calm. In a professional tone of voice she soothed, “I'm sure the last few hours have been very difficult. Why don't you come and lie down for a few minutes while I get dressed. Sano can get you some juice and cookies.”

Sano interrupted, “I'm not a waiter or a short order chef, you know.”

“Sano,” Megumi's voice sounded soft and dangerous. “I can very easily become a widow. There are several young interns at the hospital more than willing to help me hide the body. Not to mention console me afterwards. Neither of us want that to happen, yes?” Kaoru could see the big man gulp and take a step backwards at her threatening words and tone. “Get. The. Juice,” she ordered.

“You can't just threaten me every time you want something done,” Sano grumbled sotto voce. “I have ri-” seeing the glitter in Megumi's hard brown eyes, he closed his mouth and slunk into the kitchen.

“And chocolate!” ordered Megumi after her cowed husband. Then Kaoru's reprieve was over and Megumi turned her attention back to her patient. Her face and voice once again looked calm, as if she hadn't just threatened to murder her husband. “I'm sure you'll feel better after some rest and chocolate.” As Megumi spoke, she picked up Kaoru's wrist and took her pulse. Then she lifted Kaoru's eyelids to check for pupil dilation.

Despite the recent show of how scary Megumi really could be, Kaoru had reached her breaking point. Slapping the hands away, Kaoru protested, “Don't patronize me! I'm not crazy and I'm not on drugs! Lord Battousai,” she spat out his name angrily, “is trying to use the magical buildings to trap me. Just because he has magic he thinks he can push me around. Well, I won't take it, do you hear me!” By the end of her tirade, Kaoru was standing up and yelling at the ceiling.

Sending her a look that questioned her sanity, Sano mutely proffered a cup of orange juice and a plate of cookies. Kaoru resented that look… but the cookies were chocolate chocolate chip. Stuffing a cookie into her mouth, she decided that he'd bought himself a few more minutes of life.

As for Megumi, her face did not look pleased. No one yelled at the fashionable doctor with impunity, not even her best friend. Sheepishly Kaoru looked down at the greasy chocolate smears on her hand. “Sawy Megu'i.” Kaoru swallowed the last of the cookie and continued her apology. “I didn't mean to yell at you. It's just-” Pausing a moment to quickly lick the chocolate off her fingers, Kaoru knelt down. “Look, I'll show you I'm not crazy. Whenever my skin touches the floor or walls, it tries to suck me in.” Taking a firm grip on the ratty brown rug with one hand, Kaoru placed two fingers of the other on the floorboard next to Megumi and gently pushed down.

Before Kaoru knew it, her arm had submerged all the way past her elbow. Instead of the thick muddy consistency she'd expected, her fingers had dropped through the floor as if it had become soup. Shrieking in surprise, Kaoru tried to pull her arm back, but before her forearm could completely clear the floor, steely fingers locked around her wrist and began to slowly drag her farther in.

“Sano!” Megumi called frantically. The doctor grabbed Kaoru's arm and heaved back with all of her might. A fierce tug on Kaoru's wrist from below the floor ripped Kaoru's anchoring hand off the rug, along with a handful of brown string, and jammed Megumi's fingers into the floor. Two red-painted nails snapped off with sharp cracks. Megumi swore. By this time the floor had almost completely consumed Kaoru's entire arm.

“Lemme go, lemme go, lemme go,” Kaoru chanted semi-hysterically under her breath. The flesh of her arm underneath the floor felt cold and buzzed unpleasantly. She refused to contemplate what would happen if her head went completely under as well.

Then Sano joined the fray. Bracing his feet on either side of Kaoru's shoulders, he gripped her under the armpits and heaved with a mighty roar. With Sano's help, the tide finally began to turn. Slowly, inch by slurping inch, Kaoru's arm reappeared. Yet the phantom fingers locked around her wrist kept her hand from completely clearing the floor. The calloused fingers, they had to be HIS fingers, refused to free her arm.

“Let Me GO!” Kaoru demanded fiercely. Plunging her free hand beneath the floor, she raked the imprisoning hand with her fingernails. His fingers flinched in surprise and loosened for a split second. That spasm allowed her wrist to escape so that only her palm and fingers remained submerged under the floor.

Too quickly his fingers retightened, but the flesh he now grasped still bore smears of greasy chocolate. His fingers slipped slightly. Kaoru prayed that it would be enough. Contorting her fingers she shouted, “Pull!” Sano grunted and Megumi turned red with effort. Finally, painfully, she wrenched out of his grasp.

Her sudden freedom overbalanced everyone. They fell to the floor with a loud crash. Laying half on the rug and half on Sano's body, Kaoru cackled triumphantly. Her voice might have carried a slightly insane edge, but at that moment she didn't really care. I'm free!

`BOOMba-BAdabada!' thundered the walls and floor as the building again violently trembled. Strained planks snarled and groaned in shock until the shaking finally stopped. The earthquake shattered Kaoru's momentary euphoria.

“Now would be a good time to run away,” issued Sano's muffled voice from the bottom of their pile of bodies. “Preferably outside and away from all magical buildings that eat people.”

Kaoru carefully stood up and hopped over onto the couch. She wasn't taking any more chances. The more space between her and the floor or walls, the better.

“Let me just get dressed while Sano grabs some emergency supplies and we'll leave,” Megumi called over her shoulder as she rushed into the bedroom. Sano hurried into the kitchen, but paused in the doorway with a teasing grin. “No more cookies for you, Jou-chan. I feel like I've been flattened by a hippo!” The phonebook Kaoru sent hurtling at Sano clipped his shoulder as he ducked out of sight into the kitchen. Unfortunately, her aim was off. She'd been trying to hit him somewhere a few feet lower.

After his retreat, Kaoru found herself left alone in the living room. Alone was bad. Without something to distract her, Kaoru found her thoughts buzzing loudly around her head like angry wasps - dangerous, persistent, and impossible to ignore. Looking down at her hand, she saw a bruise forming around her wrist. She scowled. If I wasn't doing my best to get away from that jerk, I'd hunt him down and show him a thing or two. Kaoru shook her fist at the wall, then dropped her hand and sighed. Deep down she knew with startling clarity that he hadn't meant to hurt her. The bruising was unintentional.

Nevertheless, he was still in the wrong. How dare he try to control me? That, more than the bruise itself, was what really made her mad, though he needed to pay for the bruise too just on principle. What she wouldn't give for just five minutes alone with that jerk handcuffed to a chair at her mercy. She'd teach him a lesson he'd never forget. Yes, his offence definitely called for chains and a leather whip… hmm leather…. Kaoru coughed, wiped her mouth, and dragged her thoughts away from any and all dark fantasies.

Desperately looking around for something to distract herself with, she noticed a few brown threads still dangling between the fingers of her other hand. They must have ripped out of the rug when she'd lost her grip. Meticulously cleaning off the threads, Kaoru froze when she realized that she had blood and skin beneath her fingernails. So, I did hurt him.

Instead of feeling vindicated, she felt vaguely guilty and sick to her stomach. Looking away from her hand, she cleaned her fingers as best she could on the couch cushion. When she brought the hand up to eyelevel, the fingers looked clean. But she could still sense it. How did things go so quickly from kissing to hurting each other?

Closing her eyes, she clasped her koi pendant in the fingers of her injured hand. The ache in her wrist had dulled to a muted throb. Oh, Kenshin. As if thinking his name had turned a key, the buzzing around her head got louder. Something inside her head thrummed back. Suddenly, Kaoru knew that Kenshin didn't know that he'd bruised her. And that he would forgive her, had already forgiven her for the injuries she'd inflicted.

What he wouldn't and couldn't forgive was that she had run away. While his dogged pursuit frightened, angered, and frustrated her, Kaoru didn't know what else she could do. She only saw one option - keep running away.

An idea suddenly slithered into her mind full-formed. She was certain it would get Kenshin off her back. Coldly certain. However, there were some depths to which Kaoru would not stoop.

Rubbing her wounded wrist gently, Kaoru let out another sigh. Kenshin would be horrified to know that he had hurt her. With her new, intimate knowledge of Kenshin, the Lord Battousai, she knew he wasn't the type of man who would hurt a woman. Not outside of war or battle at least, and definitely not a woman he considered under his protection. Both his honor and his personality would forbid it.

If she really wanted to devastate him, all Kaoru needed to do was show him her wrist, look into his eyes and quietly ask, “Who wouldn't run away?” That would cut him more deeply than any physical knife or sword ever could. Then he would let her escape. She had no doubt that the question would torture his conscience. It would irrevocably break something inside of his heart. And for that reason he must never know.

Since she didn't expect to ever see him again, it was a moot point. But just in case, Kaoru made a mental note to find a good way to hide her bruises. That or come up with a really good excuse or distraction. She would not be responsible for damaging the psyche of that man, no matter how aggravating she found him.

Flopping onto her back, Kaoru opened her eyes and made a disgruntled face at the ceiling. Despite her best efforts, she'd started to care for Kenshin. Now she couldn't stop, not even when his eyes became that distant and dangerous mountain lion yellow-gold. Not even when the jerk tried to suck her into a building. Underneath the anger and fear remained the caring.

Tracing the outline of the koi's arcing back with a fingertip, Kaoru acknowledged to herself that somewhere in the last few hours she'd abandoned reason and unconsciously accepted the soul-bond he'd forced on her. She hated to admit it, and she'd NEVER tell him or even say it out loud, but there was very little she wouldn't do to make that man happy. Unfortunately, one of those things was go back and pretend to be a vapid socialite, someone who thrived on parades and big parties. She wouldn't, she couldn't, and so she would continue to flee.

A man like Kenshin was too wonderful not to find happiness eventually with someone else. He would be okay. Not questioning why that thought didn't bring her any comfort, Kaoru released her necklace and sat up. Instead of just waiting passively, she decided to start rearranging furniture and rugs to make a safe path to the door.

Soon Megumi and Sano came out. Kaoru's wait certainly hadn't been idle. After she'd made herself a path, she'd gone through Megumi's shoe collection and picked out something appropriate to her mood. The last embroidered sock had gone safely into her pocket.

On seeing the couple she cocked one hip and asked, “We ready to get this show on the road?” Sano gave a quizzical smile at her attitude. If he expected her to fall to pieces, he had another thing coming.

Wearing Megumi's scarlet leather sandals, how can I not feel sassy and confident? Ah, the power of red leather. Nothing can stop me now! Kaoru grinned to herself. Megumi scowled down at Kaoru's feet, but settled for a warning glare about returning them undamaged before opened the door. An eddy of dust from the hallway swirled into the room when she opened the door.

Looking down at the navy and beige hexagons tiling the hallway, Kaoru felt a crack form in her confidence. She'd counted on the hallway being carpeted, or at least full of rugs. But there were only bare tiles stretching in both directions. “Oh, great,” she frowned.

Sano, who up to that point had been both slightly charming and very infuriating, brushed past Kaoru's frozen body. Crouching down, he presented her with his back. Kaoru hesitated. “C'mon Jou-chan, I don't bite.” The smile he sent her over his shoulder was gentle, almost sweet. It didn't match his words, but it did match the boyish twinkle she'd yet to see missing from his eyes.

“That's not what Megumi tells me,” Kaoru replied dryly. He let out a deep chuckle. Patting his firm shoulder, Kaoru declined. “Thanks for the offer of a ride, but I can do it myself. I'll just, um, somehow, er….” Tilting her head back and forth as she examined the hallway, Kaoru drew a blank. She really had no idea how she would do this.

A split second before she capitulated, Sano decided for her. Quickly grabbing her behind the knees, he surged to his feet and forced her falling body onto his back. Kaoru shrieked in surprise and pulled his hair angrily. “Knock it off, girly, or else get dropped,” he yelped.

“I didn't want to be picked up in the first place!” Kaoru yelled into his ear as he strode off down the hallway. The scarlet leather sandals dangled from her toes, forcing Kaoru to flex her ankles and arch her feet to keep them off the floor.

“You're just lucky I live on the ground floor,” Sano grunted with a wince as he leaned his head away from her mouth. Bouncing her up higher onto his back he warned, “And if you don't stop pulling my hair and screeching in my ear, I might have to drop your cookie-heavy butt onto the bare floor.”

Sputtering in incoherent rage, Kaoru held onto her self control by the tips of her fingers. Her vision was a red haze bordered by chibi Sanos with x's drawn for eyes and limbs spread-eagled after being beaten unconscious. As soon as they were safe, she would be making Megumi a widow. Her friend would just have to understand.

“Um, you okay back there, Jou-chan?” Sano asked warily. “You've become awfully quiet.” Adjusting his grip on her thighs, he exited the building and added, “You know that I was kidding, right? Right?”

“Just keep walking, Rooster-head.” Kaoru growled. “It's too late to dig yourself out of that one.”

A few minutes later they reached the poorer section of the city. Most of the buildings in this area had little to no magic go into their construction, according to Megumi. It should be safe. “I think you can put me down now,” Kaoru informed Sano in an even tone.

As he slowly set her down, Kaoru noticed that Sano balanced on the balls of his feet and kept a firm grip on her leg just in case the solid ground once again became swampy. When nothing happened, they all let out a relieved breath. Sano stood up and turned around. “You okay?” he asked. Kaoru appreciated his care and concern, but it didn't get him off of the hook.

“Thank you for the ride,” she said sincerely. Then her voice hardened. “Me and my `cookie-heavy butt' are fine.” Kaoru cracked her knuckles. “In fact, why don't I give you another one of my favorite foods in appreciation? It's called a knuckle sandwich. Not as sweet as a cookie, but making it sure helps me keep my figure.”

Sano turned to look beseechingly at Megumi, but his wife just shook her head. “No woman would protect you after that comment.” At his wild-eyed look she sighed, “Though as your wife I do promise to bandage your wounds. If you're good for the rest of the day, I'll even kiss them better.”

“Take it like a man,” Kaoru drawled before launching herself at Sano and wrestling him to the ground.

After beating up on Sano for a while, the trio spent the rest of the day trying to escape the city - trying being the operative word. They hadn't succeeded. Everything that could go wrong with their escape plan had. Somehow (Kaoru had her suspicions) the wallet that Sano had left sitting on the floor of his bedroom full of cash was practically empty when he pulled it out to buy them lunch. At first, Megumi accused him of gambling the money away in a drunken stupor and then forgetting about it.

What worried Kaoru was that Sano acknowledged that that could be a possibility on any other night. How could my friend, the responsible doctor, end up marrying a man who was financially unstable? At least Megumi earned enough to support the both of them.

Besides which, Kaoru didn't see Megumi putting up with any man who gambled her rent away. She would reserve judgment for now until she knew more. As long as they were happy and healthy, she'd keep her nose out of it. Otherwise, the good doctor would probably snap it off at the tip.

Although Sano had admitted the possibility, he refuted it with the simple fact that the two of them had ordered take-out the night before when Megumi had shown up. “Remember when I pulled out my wallet and you teased me about having no reason not to give the deliveryman a good tip?” he asked his wife.

Snapping her fingers, Megumi exclaimed, “You're right, I had forgotten about that. For once you actually did have some money. Just our luck you'd leave it at the house.”

Without money or credit cards they hadn't been able to rent a car. They didn't even have enough to take a taxi. Coincidentally, Megumi was also missing her wallet. She'd dropped her purse onto the floor in the apartment. Because of the rush, she'd merely swept everything back in without taking inventory. Megumi assumed that her wallet must have merely tumbled under a chair unnoticed. Right, and if Megumi really believes that, then I have some ocean-front property I'd like to sell her. Darn sneaky building cheating and helping Kenshin by sabotaging our escape. I hope it gets condemned!

Kaoru's grumbling was interrupted by Megumi. “People think you're crazy when you talk to yourself, you know.” In reply, Kaoru crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue. “How old are you again?” sniped Megumi. “And stop muttering about cockroaches and termites. Sano knows better than to try and make me sleep somewhere like that. At least he'd better!” She scowled over at her husband where he stood squeezed into a phone booth. “He's found us a safe place to stay with a friend. As long as it's reasonably clean and I can sit down and take off these heels, I'll be happy. Come on.”

Of course Megumi had refused to wear something sensible like sneakers for their escape. Did Megumi even own sneakers? Looking down at her aching feet and the red leather sandals, Kaoru laughed at herself and followed. She hadn't exactly chosen the most sensible footwear to borrow either. What was it Megumi always used to say? `Pain is temporary, but a fashionable impression lasts forever.'

While they'd trekked all over the city, Kaoru had filled Megumi in on all that had happened with Kenshin. Of course, some details she just couldn't share. A few times it was because she didn't want Sano to overhear. Other times Kaoru's tongue would become thick and refuse to form the syllables. Nevertheless, despite a few holes Megumi knew the majority of the story by the end of that day.

The devious doctor even managed to wrangle out some of the more intimate details when Sano went off to peddle favors with his shady friends. He'd come back with money, thankfully, and allowed Kaoru to escape before Megumi demanded a blow-by-blow account of her night. Well, to be honest Megumi had already demanded, but right when Kaoru broke down and started describing, Sano had returned and changed the subject.

As the day went on Kaoru found herself able to do certain uncanny things just by thinking to herself, if I was Kenshin, how would I do this? A second later the answer would unfurl in her mind like a blossoming flower. That worked wonders except when she thought about how to escape from him. Then her Kenshin advice-voice would always whisper, you can't. She learned to stop asking that question real quick. Obviously such an answer only meant that the voice wasn't infallible.

When Kaoru had awakened Lord Battousai's fountain, she had somehow become connected to him and his memories. She wasn't anywhere near sorting them out or understanding even a fraction of them. Nevertheless, when he'd forged the soul bond it must have strengthened and even started to organize that connection.

At least they hadn't been caught by Lord Battousai or Shinomori yet. They should be grateful for that. Tapping Kenshin's memories, Kaoru had figured out how to make herself invisible. She wasn't sure quite how she'd done it or how it worked; she just knew the knowledge had come from the part of him now inside of her.

Unfortunately, the invisibility spell made her invisible to Kenshin alone. Everyone else could still see her. At least it meant that Kenshin's spells were unable get a fix on her position. Nevertheless, Shinomori and half the cops in town were probably looking for them. Kaoru sensed that there was some way to make herself invisible to everyone else too, but Kenshin's memories on that point were too complex for her to figure out.

So despite her handy attempts at magic, the three of them were still forced to adopt disguises. Sano managed to scrounge up some amazingly bizarre items that totally changed their appearances. They got to keep their shoes, but put on clothing that managed to make even the ever-fashionable and beautiful Megumi look shapeless and boring. Worn baseball caps, wigs, and sunglasses further obscured their features.

After Sano's styling, the trio looked nothing like the pictures springing up on walls and poles all over the city. Shinomori must have raided Megumi's picture album, because the wanted posters had a formal picture of Kaoru from a few years ago. Even though the disguises seemed successful, Sano kept them from betting cocky. He made sure they were careful to avoid anyone who might be searching for them.

On top of that, Kaoru still had to watch out for any devious tricks Lord Battousai might have put the buildings up to. Whenever she came close to a magical building, it recognized her. Most of them didn't want to help her either. They, too, wanted her to stay. Some could be persuaded to stay quiet, but not all. Luckily, her invisibility spell had somehow expanded at the feel of Kaoru's panicked desire to keep the snitching buildings silent. The new spell now kept the buildings from telling Kenshin exactly where she was until she was long gone. Otherwise she'd have been locked up somewhere earlier this morning, she didn't doubt. Even though the spell had expanded once, she didn't trust it to protect her further if she ran into a group of men armed with billy clubs.

Despite these limitations, Kaoru found it ironic that the thing that had forced her to run, her affinity with magic, was also the thing helping her to escape. When she told this to Megumi, the tired and sweaty doctor had merely snapped that Kaoru had misused the correct meaning of dramatic irony. Kaoru ignored the rest of the doctor's rant on the downfall of the education system. Her best friend was worn-out, dirty, and hot. An unhappy Megumi was a scathing Megumi. Kaoru decided that she probably wasn't missing much by not listening.

In fact, Kaoru sometimes credited her ability to space out during Megumi's rants with the longevity and success of their friendship. Their early years had been full of lots of loud arguments (Kaoru), spiteful words (Megumi), and bitter silences. Luckily they'd both become expert at forgiving and forgetting. Nowadays they could bicker amicably. Usually. Only listening to every other paragraph of Megumi's tirades kept Kaoru feeling civil. One of these days she'd have to ask Megumi what method she used.

Although Sano seemed to know a lot more about sneaking around than your average law-abiding citizen, even his talents couldn't overcome the many obstacles they encountered. Routes were blocked by construction, crowds of people (which Kaoru couldn't handle wading through), or tall, slick fences that sprang up out of nowhere.

Alternate modes of transportation besides foot were also out. Any car she touched inevitably stopped running. She couldn't even ride a bicycle. After about a block the tires would go flat or the rims would warp. Megumi had refused point-blank to even contemplate trying skateboards or rollerblades. Going on foot, four of those six feet aching from wearing heels, and constantly backtracking meant that they'd barely made any discernable distance from Sano's apartment at all.

Several times Kaoru had sensed Kenshin's presence nearby. Only luck, Sano's talent for finding alternate routes and disguises, and Kaoru's erratic intuition and magic had kept them safe. All three of them were feeling discouraged.

Despite these problems, Megumi and Sano didn't seem to resent Kaoru for their present predicament. When she'd mentioned trying to forge ahead on her own and let them get back to their normal lives, Megumi had forbidden it in no uncertain terms. Sano had seconded his wife, handed Kaoru a bottle of cold water, and told her to stop talking nonsense. Of course, he had to ruin the warm glow in her heart by questioning if a girl like her was even capable of talking sense.

Megumi seemed undecided on whether to be pleased or not about how Kaoru and Sano had hit it off. They got along smashingly, in the sense that they enjoyed teasing each other and smashing the other person into the nearest object or wall. Kaoru found it to be a great stress reliever.

After a day of running, they'd settled in at a two room apartment on the poor side of town. All of the buildings in the area were relatively new, non-magical, and shoddily built. Ignoring the strange yellow stain on the ceiling, Kaoru gazed outside the window.

A gibbous moon now illuminated the night sky. Moonlight merged with electric lighting to form a glowing lattice across the city darkened only by the shadows of clouds, trees, and tall buildings. Most of the stars were obscured from view. Only the brightest of stars, those that formed the main lines and corners of major constellations, could be seen.

Leaning folded arms against the windowsill of their small hideaway, Kaoru sighed. Then she stuck her tongue out at her reflection in the dark window. The rumble of Sano and Megumi's voices could be heard from the other room, but their quiet words were indistinguishable. Pushing open the slightly grimy window, she leaned her head out and squinted up into the sky.

She missed seeing the sprinkling of tiny stars. Back home she loved to sit out in her backyard after dinner. Crossing her arms behind her head, she'd lay down in the sweet-smelling grass that, depending on if she'd remembered recently to water or not, would sometimes poke through her shirt and tickle her skin. Then she'd gaze up into the atmosphere. Sometimes she'd watch clouds curl across the blue sky or try and name all the colors of a sunset.

However, her favorite view could only be seen at night. Kaoru preferred a starry field for her heavenly contemplations. The vastness of the velvety blackness and the far distance of the twinkling stars always calmed her. It tickled her fancy to know that the darkness only existed because of her lack of vision. If she could see to the very rim of the expanding universe, every dark space in the sky would be filled with distant stars. There would be no darkness, only varying intensities and shades of light.

Since their hideout had two rooms, Kaoru had volunteered to sleep on some spare pillows in the outer room while the couple took the bedroom. Their apartment had little to no furniture. Setting up her makeshift bed against one wall, Kaoru left the window open and lay down. She hoped the fresh night air would help her calm down. Of course, now that she was settled it began to feel a little cold, but she lacked the energy to get up and close the window. Drowsily she rubbed her finger back and forth along a divot gouged into the floor. The edges were smooth.

As her eyelids dropped to half-mast, she felt a gentle tingle in her fingertip. Letting her eyes slide closed, she hazily saw herself surrounded by a pack of curious yet wary puppies. Smiling gently, she let herself fall into the dream.

The bravest puppy sniffed her hand inquisitively with its damp nose. The nose lifted, only to be replaced by a wet and friendly tongue. Giggling in her sleep, she curled onto her side. Then she carefully scratched the bold puppy behind the head.

Soon the other puppies ventured forward to be stroked and petted. After a few minutes of this, they curled up around her limbs in a dog pile of fur and body heat and went to sleep. Now warm and content, Kaoru allowed oblivion to take her, unaware of how her right hand drifted off the pillows to rest gently against the wooden floor. Or of how her left hand lovingly clasped the koi necklace from Kenshin.

TO BE CONTINUED SOON

Dictionary:

Koi - Depending on the kanji used it has different meanings. In this chapter it means carp - a fish found in ornamental ponds. It also means love, tender passion; the command form of the verb kuru - to come; (and a bunch of other things that aren't used here… yet.)

Jou-chan - Sano's nickname for Kaoru

AN: Obviously, this wasn't the last chapter. I think I'm going to give up saying `the end is nigh' in my stories until I've actually posted the ending chapter. Ah well. The next chapter will have Kenshin and the red leather sandals. Sorry it took so long to write. Just expect long waits and then be pleasantly surprised when I update quickly. That might be best.

Since the last update, I've become obsessed with Babylon 5 and Bones. Maybe The Pretender too. Evil TV, it really does suck out your brain! (And I'd know because I'm an expert. That's what I do at work everyday - remove rodent brains.)

And what's up with the way this site screws up the spacing between random words when you upload a chapter? I've noticed it in my fics and in other people's too. (I think I actually sent Ravyn a complaint about this once to my now great shame.) If you notice any here, mention the words so I can fix them please!

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