I meant what I said. Twisted is my mane goal right now, because its almost finished. I hope to get Amber or Trade Winds updated soon, but I have only one more chapter of Twisted and then the Epilogue to go and that’s enough for me to buckle down and work on it.
So once it’s finished I can work on other things.
But yes, here you go, the second to the last chapter! Whee! I am so excited! Once again its not edited, but that’s because my Beta is busy traveling around Europe but shall be back eventually….I promise!
Ravyn
I credit all the information on Kaoru’s sword style and some of the bits I took from Kenshin’s to the websites that I got them from on my site since the links won’t work here. But the names are Samurai-X and Hitokiris Anonymous. There both lovely sites and I was thankful for the information.
I do not own Kenshin.
Violence in the chapter. You have been warned.
Yahiko stared down at the bokken in front of him and felt his muscles clench. The noise had stopped. However, as untrained as he was in Chi, he could still feel the flaring of emotions that was coming from inside the Dojo. Yahiko didn’t know what Kenshin had taken apart in his fit of dangerous fury, but he knew that when he came out of the Dojo, they were going to go hunting. He could still remember the mess he had left his room after they had found Gein's horrible doll. Saitoh had left not long after telling them of the situation. Something odd had crossed over his eyes as he told them to stay put while he went to gather information.
Something about them just being in the way.
He almost jumped out of his skin when the Gate to the Dojo opened. He wasn’t even aware of Kenshin moving until he was standing next to him. A presence that almost burned along his side and shoulder. The only person who could have been aware of what happened was Saitoh and Tae-san, so it was logical that one of them was coming. What walked in the Dojo was not a sight he had expected to see.
Kenshin watched with eyes that were narrowed with a fury he could barely contain, as a woman who was quite clearly late in her last trimester waddled in. Saitoh was behind her, his expression oddly furious, with a mixture of surprise he had never thought have to seen in the Wolf’s face.
“You’re Tokio.” Kenshin informed her darkly. “What do you want?” He had never met the dark haired woman, but he had seen her; once or twice in the past few months.
“Sit down and be quite, Himura.” Tokio waspishly told him. Fine beads of sweat lined her pale face and she seemed to be huffing. “Yahiko, you are Yahiko, yes? Good, go and fix me some tea. I need something to calm my nerves down and my glaring husband isn’t helping.” There was just enough sass to cover her obvious exhaustion and Saitoh’s expression turned even darker.
Kenshin moved, so that by the time Tokio made it up the steps, there were several soft cushions for her to rest on. Her face lit up with barely repressed delight and she sank down only after yanking Saitoh over so he would help her. Kenshin watched them with narrowed eyes, pretending not to notice the tenderness in Saitoh’s moves as he helped his wife. Even in the dark anger rolling in his blood, hot and shadowed, the faintest touch of amusement flickered through him at the woman’s behavior.
“Now,” Tokio said with a sigh but Saitoh interrupted her.
“Whatever you wish to say, wife, can wait until the boy brings you that tea.” There was an edge to Saitoh’s voice and the woman with dark eyes as flashing as his Karou’s opened her mouth and then closed it. There was a lingering look that promised he was in trouble.
Yahiko appeared in record time with the Tea, and for all that he rushed to procedures as much as possible, it was fairly decent.
“Thank you.” Tokio softlythanked them. Once she had taken several, careful, delicate sips, as if unaware of the tension in the Dojo; she started to speak. “Hajime has told me that Kaoru was kidnapped today. In the market?”
There was a tightening of tension. “Yes.” Yahiko finally got out when it was apparent that neither of the men were willing to talk.
Tokio made a little noise in the back of her throat. “I told that girl to go straight to the clinic and then home. I have never met a woman with quite her stubborn streak, that one…” she paused when she caught the expression on his face. Kenshin was quite sure that it was as pole-axed as the dark expression that said that Hajime was just as stunned. Or had been.
“How,” Kenshin ground out, tempted to yell but unwilling to howl in front of a pregnant woman who had already proven to have a temper. “Do you know Kaoru?”
Tokio grinned then. “I have had the pleasure of knowing Kaoru since a little after the Kyoto incident that required my husband to chase the lot of you around Japan.” Her voice was fond. “I really am not sure how she found me, but there she was, pulling mud from my youngest’s fingers and asking how Eiji was.”
Saitoh made a noise in the back of his throat that might have been disbelief but Kenshin was to busy hashing over time-lines and possible visits to worry about it. That wasn’t important…
“We became quite good friends after that. We decided it was in our mutual benefit to keep tabs on our…prospective men’s lives. So, we would get together once a week or so and discuss what you two, being you, Battousai, and my husband, were doing and attempt to figure out exactly how they coordinated with each other.” Tokio gave a delicate little shrug. “To be honest, that little Ninja she brought over some months ago has been the best source of information so far.”
There was a silence that had never been heard before at the Kamiya dojo as they sat on the steps that afternoon, absorbing the words that were being spoken.
“However, that is unimportant.” Tokio informed them, her dark eyes taking on a shine that was dangerous. “What is important is getting Kaoru back before something happens to that baby.”
Kenshin sat the cup that was lightly clutched between his fingers down carefully so that he wouldn’t break the cup. Kaoru was very proud of her tea-cups, they had belonged to her mother and were from a time that the Dojo had been more prosperous. She ahd cried everytime Sano or Yahiko had broke one and he refused to give her a reason to cry now. “Baby?” Kenshin asked finally, his voice so low that it was a good thing Yahiko had stopped breathing. They might not have heard it otherwise. “What. Baby.”
Tokio blinked. “What do you mean, what baby?” Her voice was annoyed. “Unless there has been someone else sharing her futon, I would think it was quite obvious what baby.” She set her cup down at the shocked, frozen look on the face of the man who her husband had never quite beaten. “Kaoru is pregnant.” Tokio informed them firmly. “From the sound of it, at least two months along, perhaps more…” she stopped at the expression that was slowly crossing Kenshin’s face.
Kenshin let his bangs fall into his face. It was the only shield he had at that moment. Something dark and dangerous was burning in his veins. When he finally got enough control of himself to look up, he ignored the way Yahiko paled. Even Saitoh seemed disturbed at something. Only Tokio met his eyes.
“From everything we know, it’s a politician, someone with a grudge that might even extend to the Bakumatsu.” She told him softly. “Is there, perhaps, someone who was on the Ishinshishi side who might not be happy with the way things turned out? Someone who you might have offended in the recent years?”
“No.” Kenshin informed her quietly, his voice a mere breath of sound.
Tokio nodded. “That’s what Kaoru said. She said she was fairly certain that the Rurouni had dealt with his debts before he left and even more certain that you had killed everyone else.” She took a deep breath. “Hajime, darling, is there something you would like to add?”
Saitoh was silent and he turned an irritated look at his wife. Tokio calmly ignored the look and instead sipped on her tea and raised a brow over her calm eyes. If he hadn’t been in such a hurry to find Kaoru, he would have been highly amused at the situation.
“Hajime,” Tokio said simple. “Is there something you would like to add?”
Kaoru rolled the small piece of wood in her hands, crouched low on her heels. Darkness was falling and she hoped it would be to her advantage. Along with the fact that she could smell the sake and she forced herself to think of something other than that. Rolling the wood between her fingers she felt the impurities, slightly thicker than her bokken, and wondered how she would manage it.
‘Now is not the time to be getting nervous, Kamiya.’ She scolded herself fiercely. ‘Its not just you anymore, is it?’ She forced her mind away from that terrifying thought and instead ran over her options again.
Hadome.
Hawatari.
A smile curved her lips.
Kecho Giri.
Hadome was simple enough. Tilting her head as she formulated her plan she licked her dry lips. The act of restraining her opponents was easy as breathing now. Between the messes with Jineh, Gohei, Enishi, and even the Oniwabanshu and Shishio had taught her that. Defense had been beaten into her since she was a child and she had perfected those techniques. She knew how to subdue someone.
Then there were the nine points she could hit. She chewed on her bottom lip for a long time. She just didn’t know if she could hit them fast enough and hard enough to be able to hit them without brining herself into the line of fire. Her best shots were probably the Karatake, right and left Nagi, or the Sakakaze. Maybe. It would depend on her opponents reach. Her fingers traced patterns across the piece of wood in her hand. It was amazing how much worse it was when you actually had time to think about these things.
Multiple opponents. Hopefully the firelight and shadows would work for her and give her the space she needed. She could hope. If not she only had two other options.
Kecho Giri was Misao’s favorite stunning attack, a swift kick to the head, and she had forced Kaoru to learn it. Well, circumstances had forced Kaoru to learn it and Misao had gleefully taught it to her. If that didn’t give her the space and time she needed to run then that left only one option. Especially if those idiots knew how to use there swords.
Hawatari.
Kaoru swallowed. The Succession technique was difficult in broad daylight with a practice sword coming at her head, much less a naked blade in the dancing firelight. She had spent many days working, beating it into herself, going over and over with it. If she had thought for a moment Kenshin would have helped she would have beaten him until he complied in helping her finish her training.
The wooden shaft was enough for it, but if she failed to complete it then she would be open for attack. Completely open. If not, then she would have bought herself the time to hit the man with her own attack. Preferably something that would break a bone or two. Again she wasn’t certain of the force she could put into her blows.
She was going to try.
There was no way she was going to sit down and let herself be rescued again. If she got away and back to the dojo in time, then perhaps she could have proved that she was capable of taking care of herself and Kenshin would feel the relief and be allowed to leave. Or this kidnapping attempt would chain her to him forever. Heat boiled up in her stomach, heat born of pain and longing and sweetest desire. They deserved what was coming to them for that alone.
She listened to the sounds of footsteps, clenched her teeth, and readied herself for her attack. The door creaked open with a wave of sake and she watched as one of men blundered in. The change of lighting momentarily blinded him and she struck.
This was one of those times she wished someone could fall gracefully and silently. It took two swipes of her stick across his temple before his body registered the impact and he fell like a giant tree hitting the forest floor. With all the impact and noise. Kaoru slid out the door and attempted to blend into the wood hut. She desperetly blinked, attempting to grow accustomed to the firelight.
By the time she could see again, they were moving in her direction. She could only hope that the light had blinded them enough so that they couldn’t see her. ‘You just had to pick this day to wear pink and yellow. You honestly have the worse sense of timing, Kamiya. Next time, make sure you wearing something appreciatively dark.’
She licked her lips and almost screamed when the door banged shut next to her. If she had been an inch closer her arm would have been smashed and then she would have been defenseless. Swallowing she tightened her grip on her bokken to hide her nerves. Just because this wasn’t the first time she had been in a life-threatening situation, didn’t mean that her nerves would behave. She knew she would look back at this and be thankful that she hadn’t become used to such a situation, but right now it was just disgusting.
“Stupid Bitch!” A male voiced hissed furiously, “She is gone!”
“When we find her,” another voice, deep and rough, “we are going to share her. Screw orders.”
Kaoru tightened her hands on her ‘bokken’. As she listened to them talking she bit her lip. Her best bet was to make for the woods and hope she was heading the right direction, but if she could trust what they were saying, if they didn’t find her they would find someone else to take there aggression out on.
Closing her eyes she felt her stomach knot and twist and sweat dribbled down her temples and the valley between her breasts so that she was slick with it. She had a better chance than any helpless woman on the street. Steadying herself with a deep breath and biting her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, she attempted to remember what Misao had taught her about blending in the shadows.
“Spread out,” dark and rough ordered. “She can’t have gotten far.”
‘Right…their spreading out Kaoru. You can take them out if there in groups of one, you know you can. Their brutes and plain thugs. You were taking care of their kind by yourself long before you were part of the Kenshin-gumi.’ Kaoru pep talked herself. A curious smile crossed her face as she moved to a better view on the three men who were left.
‘Besides, you chased the man who you thought was the Hitokiri Battousai through the streets of Tokyo,’ Kaoru mused as she slipped to another shadow, watching as two men slipped into the woods and the other picked up the jar of sake and took another pull.
Her movements would have been perfect, if not for the dry stick she miss-stepped on. The man whirled, his mouth full of sake, and stared at her.
Kaoru lunged forward. It was all she could do. Sake hit her on the side of her face so that it stung on the mild cuts there, mixing with her sweat. She was suddenly thankful that she had grown used to the smell with Sano or she might have hurled. Dodging the mans punch she swung at his stomach with a quick slicing cut that knocked the breath from him. Or it should have. Apparently he had stomach muscles like a brick. She danced out of his next blow, watching as his eyes swung down and she didn’t have to look to know his Katana was there.
She had to move quick.
Her entire body shrieked with protest when he gave a shout, calling for his friends. In that split second she swung upward with all the strength she had and hit him swear in the jaw. There was a sickening popping noise and the man fell, barely missing the fire. She turned in frustration as she heard the sounds of branches snapping. Frantically she looked for something and she found a small jar of sake.
Sake. Fire. Explosion.
Reaching down she grabbed the clay jar and looked up at the man running at her, his blade unsheathed. Her hand clutched the wood in her hand and she waited for the right moment. The man’s eyes caught the firelight and she could clearly read the intent in his eyes as he licked his lips. Her right arm reared back and she hurled the stick with as much accuracy as she could manage, and then chunked the sake at the fire. Spinning she dove away from the fire as it flared up, the heat hot against her back. She covered her eyes in an attempt not to loose her night vision. Once the sounds and echoes and spot cleared from her eyes she rolled to her knees. The man was lying on his back and she could only assume her stick had manage to hit him in the head. Moving forward she stumbled a bit in the uneven terrain and stared at him.
Reaching down she found a good sized rock and held it between her two hands just in case. She didn’t expect the man to lunge up, wrapping her up and taking her down, hard. Her head hit the ground with enough force to daze her,and she frantically thought about the baby and the pushed the thought out of her mind. She was brought back forcible when he roughly grouped her, his hard hands clutching at her breasts and clothing. She tried not to panic and to think through the sudden fear, and her hands grouped around behind her as she struggled to kick him off her. Her desperate fingers found the rock she had early and she brought it up to smash into his temple. He made a single noise and fell onto her hard.
Kaoru shoved him off and rose to her feet with a sob. She shook for a moment, her breasts burning with the impression of hands: rough and meaty and calloused hands, pushing and digging into her skin. Forcing herself to shove that memory out of her mind, she looked around and blinked back tears.
Two…that meant there was one more…