Gundam Girl: Wow, I?ve actually started a Rourouni Kenshin fic. Animechick is gonna kill me for this. . .
Animechick: No! How could you? You?re supposed to be writing Sea Of Emotion, you jerk!
GG: Eh heh.
Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is the property of Nobuhiro Watsuki. I do not claim to own them.
*~Now That You?ve Returned~* Prologue
?Hurry! Oh, God, what if he?s??
?Don?t start now, Yahiko! The important thing is to get there before that happens!?
Sanosuke Sagara?s feet pounded the dirt. His breath heaved out while in one sweating hand he clutched a dagger, glinting in the sunlight, while in the other he held the hand of Kaoru Kamiya. Yahiko Miyojin was at his side shouting curses and ?what if?s.? For once, Kaoru was completely silent as she sprinted behind him, the ribbon tying her kimono together flying out behind her waist below the wafting silk of black hair.
For a moment, Sanosuke?s brown eyes turned back to glance at her. The missie was hardly ever quiet, much less noiseless. What was going on in her mind? More to the point, what was going on ahead of them?
All three runners halted when an explosion sent smoke pouring from the grove of trees in front of them.
?What the hell?? asked Sanosuke.
?I smell gunpowder,? Yahiko said in turn. ?If this was on purpose, then. . .?
?Kenshin!? Sano winced as the young assistant master to the Kamiya dojo tore herself away from him and carried on ahead. ?Oh, God, Kenshin!?
?Wait! Missie! Dammit, I said wait!? Sanosuke took of after her, Yahiko at his heels. Just when he was wondering how the hell she could move in that kimono, Kaoru stopped in her tracks before a pile of rocks.
?It?s too smoky!? Yahiko insisted, further back with Sanosuke. ?Hey, come back, Kaoru. There?s no breathing here!?
?Kenshin!? she exclaimed, beginning to claw frantically at the rocks. ?They fell,? she said, raising her eyes to the cliff above for a moment. ?It was no accident, someone made them fall. Kenshin!!?
?I don?t give a damn about smoke.? Sano rushed beside Kaoru and tried to reassure her. ?Kenshin?s not in there, there?s no way. His god-like speed would spare him, don?t be so untrusting!?
?That?s very optimistic, Mr. Sagara.?
?The fuck?? Looking up, a young blond boy in a trim tailored suit stood on the edge of the cliff. ?Get down from there, kid, you?ll get yourself hurt.?
The boy frowned for an instant before smirking smugly again. ?I am certainly no boy ? not when I am the one who has rid the world of the Battousai!?
?Don?t be ridiculous!? Yahiko shouted, spitting. ?You moron, Kenshin isn?t in there.?
?No?? He grinned. ?Unlike my father, I exceed in planning. But I am not weak; I do not need a ruthless group like Aoshi?s sloppy mob. I can fend completely for myself.?
?Yeah? And who the hell are you??
?And what have you done with Kenshin?? demanded Kaoru, adding to Sanosuke?s notorious cursing.
The boy grinned then, and Kaoru?s brows lowered. ?My name is Derekai Takeda.?
?Takeda?!? echoed Yahiko in disbelief. ?You?re Kanriyu?s son?? He paused, wooden sword in hand. ?Boy, it must suck to be you.? He grinned as the one who must have been five years his senior scowled.
?Do not voice something I already know,? he replied snobbishly. ?In answer to your question, Miss Kamiya, I have taken the liberty of burying Mr. Himura myself ? in two thousand pounds of rock.?
Kaoru recoiled.
?You?re lying!? Yahiko lifted the wooden sword until its flat tip was aimed at Derekai. ?That?s what I?ve decided. Kanriyu couldn?t have ever had a son. Who?d want to marry him anyway??
A muscle in Derekai?s jaw twitched. ?It does not take rings to conceive a son, Yahiko Miyoujin. Nor to rape the woman who would bear him.?
?You bastard!? Yahiko didn?t even give a thought to how true the title rang.
Sano set a hand on the young swordsman-in-training?s shoulder. ?It?s cruel, but he isn?t lying.?
Yahiko growled lowly.
?Hey, you! Kanriyu Jr.!?
Derekai?s eye twitched.
Sanosuke, seeing he had annoyed him, smirked. ?It isn?t possible that Kenshin was killed by your play avalanche there. His speed is incredible. Surely, you?d know that much about him if you want him dead.?
?My father killed himself in prison. He swore every day to kill the Battousai. When he committed suicide, I knew it would be my duty to grant his last wish.? As Derekai said this, he watched Kaoru, slowly, frantically removing the smaller rocks by herself. ?He isn?t there,? he called to her from above. ?Not alive, anyway. See for yourself. Go to the other side.?
Warily but panicked, she walked around the pile.
And saw an oozing trail of blood coming from the inside, along with a piece of a magenta robe.
Tears filled, then fell from her eyes as Kaoru grabbed the cloth and pressed it to her cheek. As she sobbed, Sanosuke glared.
?He?s really dead,? Yahiko murmured. As he started to cry with Kaoru, he waved his stick at Derekai. ?I?ll kill you myself!? Tucking the sword in his belt, he started to climb the cliff.
?Don?t assume I?m so easily defeated,? replied Derekai and produced two hand bombs from a pouch at his waist. ?Climb any further, and I?ll blast you and your friends to a whole separate dimension.?
?Yahiko,? Sanosuke said slowly, ?come down.?
?I?m not afraid of some child?s toys,? Yahiko assured him haughtily. ?Watch me kill him! For Kenshin!!?
As the young samurai relinquished his wooden sword, Derekai lifted a match and held it toward the bomb?s wick.
?STOP IT!?
The son of Kanriyu paused.
?Can?t you see you?ve done enough to us?!? Kaoru demanded. ?You?ve killed Battousai the manslayer -- or what used to be Battousai the manslayer.? She paused, twin tears slipping from her eyes. ?Isn?t that enough? Will you kill a boy younger than you as well??
?We?ll go to the police!? Sanosuke threatened. ?Yahiko, get down here!?
Not willing to argue with Sanosuke or those bombs, Yahiko lowered a foot. Before he could touch it to a lower section of rock, Takeda the younger grabbed Yahiko?s robe and hauled him to the cliff?s edge, holding a knife to his neck, the bombs discarded.
?No!? Kaoru exclaimed as Sanosuke shouted a curse.
?I?ll make a deal with you.? Derekai held the knife closer to Yahiko?s throat. ?You,? he said to Kaoru, ?will take the place of Megumi Takani??
?If you touch her. . .? Sanosuke began.
??and you will be the one to marry me.?
There was silence. But not for long.
?What the? Are you insane?? Yahiko began, squirming in the grasp of the strong-gripped Derekai. ?Why would Kaoru do that? I?m a scrawny little brat.? With a blade to his lungs, he thought in disgust.
?Yeah, she loves Kenshin, she?ll never marry you!? added Sano. ?You?re just a psycho kid; she can?t love you!?
?But it seems I have the upper hand. Will you, Miss Kamiya?? he asked, his eyes turning hopefully to hers. ?I will be a very good husband. And for the time being, a very merciful opposition. With your Himura gone, there doesn?t seem to be any obstacles.?
?The dojo,? she managed.
?The dojo will continue to be under your care. We?ll only be a few blocks away from it, and of course, your friends will still be permitted to live there. That is,? he said, pressing the blade into Yahiko?s flesh so that a trickle of blood flooded down his neck to soak in his robe. ?If they manage to survive.? Yahiko began to turn pale.
?Stop it!? Kaoru yelled.
?Don?t do it. . .Kaoru,? muttered Yahiko. ?You love Kenshin. . .?
With a pounding heart, Kaoru fell to her knees, set a hand on the rock pile. ?Kenshin,? she murmured, red eyes shutting.
?He is losing blood,? Derekai prompted.
?I?m sorry. . .? Her face shot up, tears subsided. ?Stop this! I?ll marry you. Give me a ring, just let him go!?
?All right.? Releasing him, Derekai nodded as Sanosuke sprang forth and caught Yahiko. ?Impressive. Both you and Mr. Sagara have managed to settle this little matter with no death. That I will applaud.?
?You sick bastard,? Sanosuke said, Yahiko passed out over his shoulder. ?Let?s go, Kaoru. Run!?
?Take another step and I?ll shoot her.?
Mortified, Sano turned. ?You?ll what??
Derekai?s pistol glinted in the afternoon sunlight wafting through the diminishing smoke. ?Try to escape, and I will kill Miss Kamiya. We had a deal after all.?
?He?s right, Sanosuke.?
?What?!? asked Sano. ?You?re actually going through with this??
?As the assistant master of the Kamiya school, I will not go back on my word.? Ice carried the words from her mouth.
?Pride. I admire that, Miss Kaoru.?
?Don?t you understand what you?ve done?!? Sano shouted. ?You?ll break her this way! She?ll be nothing but a shell if you don?t let her go! She can?t even mourn the man she?s lost if she marries you right away!?
?There will be no need.? Derekai leapt from the cliff to land on his feet directly in front of Kaoru. He lifted a hand to caress the back of hers. ?I will ease her pain.?
?Cut it out!? Sanosuke yelled. ?You idiot, you?!?
Even when Derekai leaned forward and kissed Kaoru?s lips, she didn?t react.
Sano froze. ?Missie. . .?
?I made a promise, Sanosuke,? was all she said.
Pleased, Derekai smiled. ?Excellent. Now come. I will show you where you will be living, Miss Kamiya.? The young man paused. ?Or should I say, Mrs. Takeda??
Kaoru shut her eyes and began to follow him. ?Take Yahiko to Miss Megumi,? she instructed Sano. ?I will return to the dojo later.?
Sano fell to his knees. ?Kaoru. . .? Whirling around, he glared at the pile of rocks. ?You moron! Can?t you see what?s happened now that you?re dead?! Kenshin, she?ll be gone from you forever! Just like you?re gone from us. . .? He lifted a shaking fist and punched the nearest tree. ?Damn you, Kenshin! DAMN YOU!!?
Kaoru halted at the damnation.
?Is something wrong, dear?? asked Derekai, too happy to be annoyed.
?I was just wishing my respects to Kenshin Himura,? she told him. ?That was all it was.?
And all it ever would be.
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Gundam Girl: *smiles uncomfortably* If I?m not stoned for this, it?ll be a fun fic to write. I hope you liked it. Please review and let me know if I?ve paid the excellent Rurouni Kenshin justice!
Now That You've Returned - Prologue
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Now That You've Returned - Prologue
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i read this before but i didn't review like i did with the rest of the chapters. anyway, this was my initial reaction:
WHAT? WHAT? WHAT?
How could you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*cries* more soon! please! he can't be dead! he can't! she can't marry him! NOOOOOOOO!
*composes herself* more soon. k? thanks.
WHAT? WHAT? WHAT?
How could you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*cries* more soon! please! he can't be dead! he can't! she can't marry him! NOOOOOOOO!
*composes herself* more soon. k? thanks.
Oyuki