Subject: [KFFDISC] [repost] Real Dreams chapter 6 Date: Sat, 29 Dec 2001 06:06:43 +0000 From: "Lee H." Reply-To: kffdisc@nabiki.com To: kffdisc@nabiki.com hey there!^^;;; been some time since i actually posted a fic... then again, was too busy --;;; ookay... i was able to write 2 more chapters of real dreams ^^;;; been months since i worked on it but, hey ;p blame it on the workload in school! ^^;; anyways, here's chapter 6 for a review of what happened: Disclaimer: RK is the property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, SPE, Shueisha, Fuji TV, Jump Comics, and all their affiliates. No copyright infringement intended. For entertainment purposes only and not monetary, people! REAL DREAMS Chapter Six By Lee ***** His eyes were shut tightly with tears falling unchecked upon his cheeks. Ears were shut as well as both of his hands were cupped over them. 'No more... no more!' he urged silently as he tried to will away all of the invading memories. 'Please...!' he silently begged, 'No more...' Kenshin was more than just depressed. Panic and dread etched themselves upon him as he vainly tried to get away from the persistent images. Yet, they kept coming, kept pushing like the great waves of the ocean, always there, always ever present since the beginning of time. At first, he had resigned himself to see what is to be seen until that final scene erupted from the blues: the death of Tomoe. Although he was expecting to see that particular memory sometime soon, reliving it is another thing entirely. The raw pain that emanated from the memory just overwhelmed him more than any physical pain that was and can be inflicted upon his body. Kenshin was so lost in his thoughts that he did not sense the other presence approaching nor did he see the pure sympathy held by the other entity until a hand landed softly yet firmly on his shoulder. Kenshin came to with a start and, with ease, drew the katana out from its sheath at his side, grabbed the gi of the newcomer and pointed the katana at the individual's throat in one fluid motion. For a few seconds, silence reigned as none of the two individuals moved nor dared to breathe. "Whoa..." was all the second individual could manage to croak out as astonishment replaced his panicked face. Kenshin heard him and looked at his hands in horror before sheathing the katana. Shaking his head in disbelief, Kenshin looked pointedly at the unnamed individual and simply said with a shaky voice, "Please... What's happening to me?" The unnamed individual sighed with mock exasperation before sitting down cross-legged. Kenshin followed suit. "I... I'm not allowed to... tell you everything..." the other man began hesitatingly. "However, I am to tell you what I'm *told* to tell you. Please, listen carefully... " 'Worthy One, trials befalling thee are trials prepared... To look back, to see what is true... Leave be what needs to be... See with thine eyes the well where thee is cast... Challenge the mystery of what one reflects and holds... Future will await at the end of the rainbow while patience, virtue, and determination will be at your side.' " When the unnamed man finished the message, Kenshin could easily say that he'd track the meaning of most of the message; who wouldn't? But.... "'Challenge the mystery of what one reflects and holds...'", Kenshin thought, "what does that really mean?" He looked quizzically at the man with him yet the latter just smiled mysteriously. 'Matte...' Kenshin thought, 'This man looks quite... familiar somehow...' "Namae ka?" Kenshin inquired again. The other man laughed at that and replied, "Not again... I told you, please keep me nameless for now... Besides, from the look you were giving me, I think you already suspect who I am to a certain degree ne?" he added, making Kenshin raise his eyebrows in astonishment. "Well," the nameless one grunted as he struggled to stand up, "gotta get going! I have other charges to look after to, you know." As he prepared to leave, his long dark hair billowing behind him, Kenshin stopped him. "Matte... what's all these visions? Yume de gozaru ka? [Dreams?]" The man smiled. "You're sharp. Maybe, maybe not depending on your point-of-view. However, truth be told, they are." With that, he disappeared as he came leaving a startled, question-filled redhead behind. ***** Kaoru took the damp cloth between her trembling hands before sponging Kenshin's face with it. Worry and confusion still etched in her features yet a firm resolve had settled itself in her guts, encouraging her not to give up. However, she is slowly losing the battle and she knew it. As the damp cloth traced Kenshin's effeminate features, Kaoru sighed imperceptibly while her expression softened. "Kenshin..." she whispered before tracing her fingers against the cool skin of his face, towel forgotten on her other hand. "We'll get you out of whatever this is..." Suddenly, Kenshin's face contorted in pain, tears appearing at the corners of his eyes. A slight moan escaped the redhead as his fists balled up in pent-up frustration. Kaoru gasped and let go of the cloth she was holding. "Kenshin..." she called softly as his body began to tremble, "Kenshin!" she called louder. Nothing. Kaoru moved closer, panic somewhat etched more onto her features. Gently, she reached for the rurouni's head and laid it on her lap. Still no change and the redhead moved with some unknown pain. Kaoru began to cry earnestly while unconsciously rocking back and forth, cooing Kenshin to calm down. Time had no meaning as they stayed like that in perfect solitude. Tears continued to stream down both their cheeks as one desperately fought off dreams where pain attacked long gone emotions while the other fought off pain brought about by the unknown. Then, after what seemed to be an eternity, Kenshin calmed down, some final tears straying upon his cheeks. The sleeping form gave one final shuddery sigh before settling down, fists loosening to indicate calmness within. Kaoru still continued to rock back and forth until that too subsided in time. Gently, gingerly, she wiped his tears with her fingers before unconsciously combing through the redhead's bangs, marveling at the soft locks framing the rurouni's face. After a few pauses, Kaoru sighed before laying down Kenshin's head back down and rearranging the jumbled up futon. Then, she returned quietly to his side, all the while sighing in relief. "Come back to us..." Kaoru said quietly. "Please, come back to us..." ***** Yahiko swung the shinai with growing frustration, not caring if he was performing the kata the wrong way. He's tired of this, tired of all the mess they're in. What's worse, they don't even know what it's all about. Back and forth the shinai went and still, Yahiko wasn't paying attention. That went on until another individual joined him onto the grounds and he didn't even notice it. "Oi!" a voice announced. Yahiko kept on practicing, apparently deaf at the moment. The person sweatdropped. "OI!" he cried louder, both hands cupped around his mouth. Yahiko came to with a start. Sheepishly, he turned around to face the individual. "Ne, Sano, how long've been there?" Sano raised an eyebrow, "Long enough, Yahiko-chan!" "Quit calling me -CHAN!" the boy retorted before doing his classic climb-the-rooster-and-chew-his-head routine. "Yarou!" Sano called as he vainly tried to remove the pest on his head. "Onigiri desu ka?... Oh my..." a quiet voice announced her presence. "Ah! Tomoe-san!" the warring boys announced simultaneously before righting themselves. They both blush furiously at their misdemeanor and looked aside. "Ano... Onigiri anyone?" Tomoe announced again after the silence that ensued for the next few minutes. A sweatdrop had formed itself on her head. "Are? Oh, hai, hai... domo." the men announced again simultaneously before getting a piece each. Tomoe sat down gracefully at the porch while the two digged in. "Strange..." Yahiko said as he thoughtfully chewed on a piece of his treat. "You know," he continued, "your onigiri tastes just like the ones Kenshin makes." That comment brought surprise to both Sano and Tomoe's faces although the latter showed it with a slight widening of eyes. 'Hmm...' Sano thought pensively, 'now that the kid mentions it, it does taste a little like Kenshin's...' He shrugged yet that comment brought more suspicions up front. Another thought hit him. Then, 'Nah... It's not possible... Not possible for the dead to come to life ne?' he said as he chewed more onigiri. ***** Megumi entered Kenshin's room just as Kaoru stood up to change the water in the basin. Both women looked haggard as well as worn out, having endured the week on a tight watch over the well-being of the rurouni. Kaoru raised her head up to meet Megumi's eyes and slightly acknowledged the older woman's presence. "Megumi-san..." she started. "Daijoubu... How's he doing?" the doctor replied while indicating the sleeping form ahead of her. Kaoru sighed deeply before replying, "Same as always... He did... cry out in some sort of... of pain earlier." Kaoru started to sob and her body shook with emotion, "There was... nothing I could do and..." tears started to fall again. Before she could do anything, Kaoru felt Megumi hold her, hug her. "Shh..." Megumi said as she held Kaoru protectively as an older sister to a younger one waking up from a nightmare, "Shh... everything would be alright ne?" she continued before looking at Kaoru straight in the eyes. "Kaoru... he's going to make it, you hear? Now, go and change the water ok?" The younger woman nodded her acknowledgement and went to the kitchen. Megumi sighed tiredly as she watched the hurrying form of the woman she considered to be an imouto [younger sister]. ''He's going to make it...'' rang through her thoughts. 'Ken-san... You'd better make it... For Kaoru-chan's sake...' Then, she turned to her patient and started taking his vitals. Aside from losing weight and some sweating, Megumi could not find anything wrong with Kenshin. It's been a week yet Megumi had tried everything she knows and... nothing. She can't tell what's wrong. She sighed again and her thoughts drifted to a certain inhabitant of the Dojo. Ever since her arrival to Edo, Tomoe had struck Megumi as odd. First of all, the woman's bearing was one Megumi has not seen nor witnessed for some time. Furthermore, some of the traits and habits of Tomoe were not normally practiced by one in the lower bracket of the society. Things like these and then some made Megumi start to wonder and her paranoia seems to have transferred to Sano as well given their earlier conversation that was interrupted by Kaoru. 'I must speak to Sano about this later on...' Megumi thought. ***** "Psst..." an insistent voice called out. "Psst... over here!" Sano looked around for the insistent calling and, to his surprise, found Katsu. The latter motioned for some time to talk and the ex-gangster excused himself from Yahiko's and Tomoe's company. Then, he motioned for Katsu to go to the front gates of the dojo. There, Sano approached him swiftly, all the time checking if anyone was around. "What's up, buddy?" he asked quietly yet insistently. "I got to check what you asked for earlier through some contacts." the other man replied just as quietly, throwing furtive glances around as well. "Apparently, there's nobody named 'Yukimura Tomoe' anywhere from where she's claiming to be from nor the family that she says she's come from in the past. Furthermore, her description doesn't fit anyone's seen for the last few months or years as well." This pronouncement seems to have not surprised Sano at all. "Is that it?" Sano asked. Katsu smiled sardonically. "Yes, for now. And, Sano," he started to say when the other turned to leave, "take care, will you? I'll find out more if I can." Sano smiled as well and winked, "Sure thing. Thanks." And, with that, Sano turned back to the dojo while waving one hand back to Katsu. Katsu smiled again before leaving in the shadows. ***** Once Sano left, Tomoe was puzzled yet did not let the emotion show. However, Yahiko, probably sensing the puzzlement told her anyway, "That's Katsu, Sano's friend." Tomoe looked somewhat relieved, banishing some insistent thoughts about something going wrong with this trial. After some moments, Sano returned with an odd look to his eyes although he had a jaunty expression. Tomoe couldn't place her finger at the issue but she knows that something passed between this man and the visit from his friend. She felt some tightening at her guts as she tried to appear nonchalant yet a few sweatdrops betrayed her nervousness. Then, she got up and excused herself saying that it was time she started to prepare tonight's dinner. Curious glances followed her until she disappeared around the corner. Tomoe sighed in relief and walked swiftly to the kitchen. 'That was close... I'm losing it...' she glanced around the small confines of the room. 'It's almost time though... He's to enter the real trials soon...' Just then, the wind picked up. Tomoe reached up to brush back some loose strands of hair behind her ear. 'All will be revealed soon...' she thought and, seemingly, the wind seemed to agree with her. End chapter six. Notes: ok, that was weird... was half-asleep when i was writing this so i'm sorry for it's horrible content ^^;;; comments and suggestions are welcomed anytime! ^^ Lee ^^v