Deep crimson fluid pours from her lifeless body. What have I done? the inescapable thought echoes through his mind. He stares down at his bloody sword, the red has thickened at the base, but trickles in soft droplets onto the cold wooden floor of the dojo. He can't help but stare at her limp body lying morbidly against the back wall of the dojo. Her head leaning to the right with an eerie grin spread across her blood stained face. Her legs in a pike position in front of her, feet tilted to the sides, pointing outwards. Blood encircles her body, forming a puddle stretching to her feet, it won't stop flowing. Her blue kimono, nearly completely violet from her wound's endless flow of liquid, seems to dissolve in the wetness. Kenshin can no longer distinguish between the kimono and her own skin. All he can see is blood Her blood.
"K-Kaoru-dono," the words spill from his mouth, nearly inaudible. A thick lump forms in the middle of his throat, and his eyes begin to burn as he stares. He can't remember what happened. Kaoru-dono What have I done? His body starts to tremble, and the blade falls from his shaky fingers. Not again! Not again! He rushes over to her body, "Kaoru-dono, Kaoru-dono. Wake up for Sessha, you cannot die, you cannot leave me!" He screams, cupping her bloody cheeks with his trembling hands. Not again! Help me! Help me please! gently shifting her matted hair out of her eyes, he shakes her shoulder softly. "Please wake up, please," he cries, staring into her clear blue eyes. They still manage to shine even with the blood streaking her face.
"k-k" she is staring back at him. "K-ken"
"Kaoru-dono?" Joy runs through his body, she is still alive! "Kaoru-dono!"
"Kenshin," Kaoru manages to whisper, whimpering in pain.
"Kaoru-dono," he tries to push her to say something else.
"Kenshin, you killed me," his heart stops as he hears her words, and his body begins to ache.
"I don't know what happened, Kaoru-dono," he says, trying to convince himself that it wasn't happening. "Forgive me," he begs, but it's too late. Her eyes become an opaque, deep, blue, and she is gone. "Kaoru!" He stares at her blank eyes. "Kaoru! Don't leave, please! I love you! I love you Kaoru," he screams, as if the words would bring her back to him.
"Kenshin," he hears a voice call from behind him, but can't stop staring at Kaoru's lifeless figure, eyes wide with shock.
"Kenshin!"
"Kaoru-dono!" Tears wrench out of him in uncontrollable sobs. "Kaoru-dono! Wake up! Please wake up for Sessha!" The pain becoming too much to bear; he can't stop crying.
"Kenshin!" The person behind him screams, "Kenshin!" but he doesn't hear.
"Kenshin!"
Kenshin gasped, lungs filling completely, back straightening towards the ceiling; his eyes shot open. "Kenshin! Are you alright?" He heard a familiar voice ask him.
Kaoru---dono? He looked at the person next to him. She's alive! His arms instantly wrapped around her shoulders, hugging her close. She's real!
"Ken-shin" Kaoru flushed, embracing him. It was only a dream, Kaoru is real, she is alive. He could smell her fading perfume engulf his senses, and butterflies fluttered around his heart. He could feel her heart beating, warm, against him. Not wanting this to be a dream, he hugged her tighter. They were so close that the soft air from her breathing brushed against his ear, tickling his senses.
What am I doing? He released her from the embrace. "Forgive me, Kaoru-dono," he smiled, "Sessha was only surprised to see you. I'm sorry if I have disturbed your sleep," he grinned at her, trying to convince her that nothing had happened.
"Are you alright Kenshin? You were talking in your sleep," she blushed, still taken aback by his sudden embrace.
You are so beautiful, his cheeks reddened slightly while looking at her similarly flushed face. "I'm sorry for making you worry Kaoru-dono, but Sessha is alright, that I am. You can go back to sleep now, that you can," he said in his usual happy façade. I do not deserve such a wonderful woman. There is too much blood on my hands, I cannot allow my sins to destroy her life as well.
"Kenshin," she pushed, "I only worry about you because I-"
"There is no need to worry about Sessha," he cut her off, "it was only a dream, that it was," he concluded. "Please go to sleep now Kaoru-dono, I should start making breakfast." Please don't ask me anymore questions, if I keep looking at you, you'll know that I love you more than anyone else in this world. I would do anything to keep you safe, here with me. But, I am not good for you Kaoru, I will never be good enough for such an innocent
"Hey Busu! Kaoru! Where are you?!" They heard stomping feet coming towards Kenshin's room, "I need to practice! Kaoru! Come on! Let's go!" Yahiko pleaded as he opened the shoji, running into the room, bokken in hand.
"Yahiko! It's not even sunrise yet!" Kaoru objected, cheeks becoming increasingly red with the look Yahiko was giving them.
"Maybe I should leave you two alone," he teased, "why would I want to practice with a busu like you anyway!" He laughed and ran out of the room.
Cheeks ready to burn off from embarrassment, she turned back to Kenshin who was already beginning to depart from the room. "Thank you for worrying Kaoru-dono, but you should go back to sleep now, that you should." Kenshin encouraged while stepping out of the room with his reverse-blade sword attached to the side of his gi.
He closed the paper-thin shoji and left for the kitchen to prepare breakfast. You were probably dreaming that I was someone else, that's why you hugged me. Kenshin, why won't you Why don't you love me? Thoughts of Kenshin loving someone else suddenly overloaded her mind, is that why you pulled away so quickly when you realized it was me? her heart sank at the thought. Tears began to well up in the corners of her eyes, Kenshin she thought as thin streams of warm tears trickled down her cheeks as she covered her face with her hands. "Kenshin no baka," she whispered to herself, and suddenly became very tired. There were no blankets on the floor because Kenshin always sleeps sitting up, so Kaoru curled, shuddering, into the fetal position in the middle of the hardwood floor. She cried herself to sleep, dreaming of Kenshin.
Hehe, there is going to be more to this story, it's not a one-shot. Please tell me what you guys think of it so far ;) thanx for reading ;)
oh yeah... can't forget this...
DISCLAIMER: I don't own kenshin, so please don't sue me, this is strictly for my amusement ;) and whoever else wants to read ;)