Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Voix ❯ Ocean ( Chapter 7 )

Chapter Six- Ocean

Her eyes followed him.

He offered his hand, helping her over the small trickle of water over the rocks. Her ocean blue eyes thanked him, then turning down demurely.

The late afternoon sun burned on their backs as he stole another glance at her. She looked up into his eyes for a brief moment, before turning away and blushing lightly.

"Kaoru?" He whispered as he helped her over a sharp rock.

H-hai?" She choked, glancing up at him.

He touched her cheek gently. "Are you afraid? I can take you somewhere where you'll be safe..."

She nodded. "But I won't leave you. Not... now." She whispered, clenching his hand.

"They might try to kill you... or abduct you again. I don't want you to be put in that kind of danger."

"I know..." They stopped, staring at one another. His breathing became slow and heavy. She stared into his eyes, the heavy heat pressing against her skin.

Do you care? Is it still just loyalty? Or... is it more? She thought, losing herself in his ocean deep eyes, just as she had the night before.

"We really should keep moving... Kero can't catch us... he'll kill you... and me."

She nodded, taking his hand into hers. "Kenshin...?"

"Yes?"

"I... How... do you feel about... last night?" She blushed deeply.

He sighed, realizing that they weren't going to make much more progress. He sat down slowly, pulling her down to sit next to him. "Enishi wanted to contact us anyway..." He held her against him.

"You're avoiding the question."

"No... I'm not." He stared up at the sky, which was darkening slowly. "I... I don't know what I think. I've never felt anything like this, and it's not like the lifebond connection."

She stared out across the landscape. "Did it at least... mean something?"

He sighed and closed his eyes. He began to say something, but was cut off by the sound of a loud shout.

"Kenshin!"

His eyes snapped open to see a small band of angels; no more than three. "Enishi's messengers..." He stood up, helping the girl to her feet. "This will have to wait." He glanced at her apologetically, squeezing her hand and turning to the delegation.

The brown-haired angel folded his white wings and stepped towards them, a purple-haired girl landing nearby, her own matching purple wings stretched out, then folding on her back.

Kenshin pushed Kaoru behind him and stood stoically. The third angel landed, pale, icy blue wings matching his eyes. The three strode up to them, the brown angel dashing forward.

"Kenshin!"

"Sanosuke..." Kenshin murmured silently.

Sanosuke held himself back from embracing him tightly. "Enishi told us what happened... I was so glad it wasn't you... We were all so glad."

"Sanosuke." The ice-blue angel stared at him icily. "We were sent here for a reason."

"Oh...yeah..."

Kaoru stared at the angels silently, clutching Kenshin's gi.

"Aoshi... Misao... Enishi sent you?"

The girl bounced forward, braid beating on her back. "Yep!"

Aoshi touched her shoulder to calm her. "He told us to tell you to move as much as possible. You're being watched by Kero's men-"

"Shit." Kenshin spat and Kaoru closed her eyes.

"But your master is trying to create a distraction... take the focus off of you."

"Tell him not to."

Aoshi's eyebrow raised. "Why not?"

"I don't want him getting caught up in this. He doesn't need to."

"He wants to take care of you."

"Tell him it's not worth his life." Kaoru noted that his voice was quiet.

Aoshi scoffed, and Sano stepped forward. "Kenshin... Enishi also told us that... we should give this to you..." He reached over to his waist, where Kaoru had not even noticed the long katana at his waist.

"My sword." Kenshin stared at him. "How... did..." He stuttered, taking them as Sano held them out.

"I don't know... Enishi got it... Said it might be better than the human blade you've got." He gestured to Koshijirou's sword, which Kenshin touched instinctively.

"His wife gave it to me..."

"But it won't help you..." Misao's voice was soft. "It won't harm anyone..."

"I don't want to hurt anyone."

Kaoru followed the conversation silently, eyes staying on the ground. She felt completely out of place.

"It's inevitable." Aoshi said calmly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It's from her family. It's an heirloom. Her mother gave it to me to save her."

"But it won't help you anymore."

Kaoru bit her lip and pressed her eyes into his gi. She felt the hot tears rising in her eyes.

"Kaoru?" He whispered.

She pulled away, rubbing at her eyes. "Yes?"

"You can wield a sword?"

"Yes..." She whispered gently.

"Do you want your father's sword?"

She nodded, and he handed it to her gently.

"Sanosuke... my sword?"

Sano handed it to him without much ceremony, and Kenshin drew it slowly. He turned it over in his hands, then nodded. "Thank you."

The three nodded, Misao staring at him sadly.

"Kenshin?"

He turned to the young angel. "Yes, Misao?"

"What are you going to do if Kero comes for you himself?"

"I have no fear of that. Kero is a coward. He will wait for me to come to him..."

Kaoru slid her hand in his. "She might be right..."

He sighed. "She may be... but it's not something I'm very worried about. I just need to keep you safe until I can confront him. Then..."

Misao brightened. "You'll let everyone know the truth!"

Kenshin sighed. "Misao... they're not just going to accept me back. They need me to bear the burden for the loss of a Seer... Kero was supposed to be an honorable man... I am the black-winged angel."

"You are the scapegoat."

Sano resisted the urge to reach over an hit Aoshi. "That's not really encouraging..."

Aoshi shrugged. "It's how it is. He knows it."

Kaoru clenched her fists. "Enough!" She cried. It was hard to hear them talk so casually of his shame... "Why does it matter that his wings are black?!" She demanded.

Kenshin pulled her close, and she realized that he had allowed his wings to appear, and his golden eyes were set on Aoshi's blue ones. "It matters... because I am the only one."

"It's because you're different?" She stumbled out. It made no sense. Angels were supposed to be perfect...

Sano sighed and held out a hand, almost in apology. "It's because the last angel who had black wings... was a long time ago. He... caused a lot of trouble... just like all his predecessors."

"It's a stereotype, then."

Aoshi watched her silently.

"It's not that easy, little human..." Misao told her, blue eyes sighing.

"I'm not little!" Kaoru protested, and Kenshin sighed.

"You are to us." Aoshi put in. "It's just that every black-winged angel had great power. This is well known... but with that power... not one of them used it well."

"Except Kenshin." She stated, as though it were a fact, rather than her assumption.

"The rest of the angels don't think so. Enishi's sister was a beloved Seer; one who saw the future of the worlds. Kenshin was a soldier... only because of his wings..." Sano gestured to her necklace. "You've probably seen his tattoo... the one that matches the necklace you're wearing. It's the mark of his enslavement... not only was it scary for the people for him to love her... it was probably against some ancient taboo. A soldier and one of the most powerful individuals in all of heaven. When she turned up dead... well... the blame automatically fell to Kenshin... not even to mention the evidence that turned up when Kero took over the investigation..."

A small trickle of blood slid from Kenshin's tight fist as the blade cut into his flesh.

"We should have known... then..." Even Aoshi seemed somewhat embarrassed. "We were some of his closest... friends..." The words were hard for the stoic angel. "But we fell victim to popular belief, and did not even bother trying to find the truth for ourselves."

Kenshin slid his katana back into its sheath with a sharp snap. "Enough. I didn't tell her for three years. I had a reason."

Misao's eyebrows rose, similarly to Aoshi's. "Why's that?"

"She doesn't need to get involved in this."

"A bit late, don't you think?" Sano cut in. "She saved you the day you fell. Created the lifebond that pushes you two together, whether you know it or not. Whether you like it or not. She at least deserves an explanation for what happened. For what got her parents killed."

Kaoru's eyes filled again, and she fought the coming tears. "How did... you know?"

He sighed, eyes gentle. "Enishi... he told me.:"

Kenshin's voice was low. "I don't want anything to happen to her. If she knew too much..."

She swallowed. "Kenshin..." She suddenly felt an ocean's distance from the night before. Where was the Kenshin she knew? This one seemed too much like a heartless warrior. Was that truly what he had been like?

He stared at her, eyes suddenly sad. "I can't bear to lose you, like I lost her. I loved her... If something were to happen to you..." His words were enough; almost an affirmation that, maybe, it wasn't wanton, what happened the night before.

Misao's eyes scanned the sky. "It's getting completely dark... We have to go soon..." She seemed somewhat awkward at the moment.

Sano nodded. "Kenshin... We're working on undermining Kero's plans... Enishi's still playing a double role... we have to trust him... and you have to trust us."

A faint, almost ghostly, smile played over his face. "I do trust you..."

Aoshi touched Sano's shoulder. "Sanosuke... we have to go, before we're missed."

They spread their wings and were gone in a moment.

Kaoru sighed and curled her legs up against her chest, laying her face on her knees. "I don't like everyone knowing what happened to my parents... It hurts, Kenshin... It hurts."

He crouched next to her, almost helplessly. He lifted her chin to stare into her ocean deep, blue eyes. The waves of Fate crashed over them, Time washing over them like the sea foam on the surf.

Kaoru cried like the storm on an ocean, Kenshin holding her tightly against him. The sobs that tore apart her small frame pained him. Her voice was so sorrowful.

Would she never be like before? Would he never hear her voice as it was before?

He held her to his chest, staring out to the rising moon. If he could cry...

"Kenshin... It hurts."