Disclaimers: The usual.
Chapter Nine: Some Things Can't Be Stopped, While Others Are Planned.
"I must go to my room." Kaoru hobbled away leaning against the wall; she didn't notice the note was left on her seat.
"I wonder what that was about," Sano said. They sat in silence for about 15 minutes wondering.
"Kenshin! Everyone look, she left that note!" Misao shouted. Kenshin came over and grabbed it and began to read. "So what's it say?"
"It reads this,"
'Dear Big Sister,
I know you'll get mad at what I say but by the time you read I will have already started my task. The Battousai has made another attack, and he still claims to use the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. I'm going to find and defeat him once and for all.
Yahiko
P.S. Don't come after me. I don't want you hurting yourself anymore, ugly.'
"Wait there's something taped on the back."
"Well Kenshin read it!" They shouted.
'Hey Kenshin,
Here are some words of warning. Go to Kaoru's room now! If I know Megumi and you guys you already read my first letter. Knowing that my big sister left it there in a rush. This means you know the situation, and my post script note telling Kaoru not to come after me. If I know Kaoru, she has already excused herself to her room, which is just cover. She really is coming after me. Make her stay, in her condition she can't walk let alone fight the legendary Battousai. STOP HER!
Yahiko
P.S. If more than 20 minutes have pass since she left the room you have missed her.'
After Kenshin finished reading the note he began to panic. "How long has it been since Miss Kaoru left?"
"Um… I don't know about 20 minutes," Sano replied.
"Good there is still time, that there is."
"Why? And still time for what?"
"We must go to Miss Kaoru's room that we must."
"Why?" But before they could get an answer, Kenshin already took off.
"Don't just stand there rooster-head, let's follow him!" Misao shouted.
"Right," Sano said and he, Misao, and Megumi ran after Kenshin. They stopped running when they got to Kaoru's room.
"Oi, Kenshin, where's the missy?" Sano asked when he saw nothing but Kenshin and an empty room.
"She's gone, Sano,' Kenshin said.
"She's what?!"
"She left. Read this note." Kenshin told him giving him a folded up paper. He began to read it aloud.
'Dear sister and friends,
I have decided that it is time for me to take my leave. I miss my dojo and brother too much. I'm sure I can recover well from my dojo walls just as well as I could from within the castle walls. I will miss you all, but this won't be the last time we meet, I mean my sister is marrying the prince.
Bye,
Kaoru'
"How can she do this?!" Megumi shouted.
"Why should you care fox-lady?" Sano asked.
"Because she is my sister. She didn't leave because she wanted to; she left because she felt she had to."
"What?"
"Kaoru always does something mostly because someone needs her; she never does anything for the safety of herself. That's what she did for Misao. It's because of Yahiko isn't it?"
"Yes." Kenshin said.
"And how would you know big brother."
"Because in that note, Yahiko wrote, he said he was going to fight someone."
"That idiot!' Megumi shouted.
"Well there's nothing we can do now," Misao said.
"Yes there is, I'm going to look for her," Sano announced.
"I will help, that I will," Kenshin offered.
"N, the king wouldn't want you out. You are to stay Kenshin. I'll find the Missy."
"Fine," Kenshin said leaving the room. He began to think 'Sano can't tell me what to do. I'm going to find Miss Kaoru eve if I have to sneak out. That brat of a brother Yahiko, if he didn't send that note we wouldn't be in this mess.' So Kenshin returned to his room and waited for night to fall. When he knew that it was dark out, he left and went to the garden, and hi favorite tree. He climbed onto it, for it was the easiest way to jump the wall without being noticed. That's exactly what he did, he jumped over and ran into the darkness, and little did he know that he was being watched. His secret watcher ran back into the palace into a certain room.
"He fell for it," the man reported, to the woman in the room.
"So did the girl, that idiot. We have the boy right?" The mysterious lady asked.
"Yes my lady."
"Take me to him."
"Of course," the man said, and so the two left and went to the dungeons. He led her to a certain cell and opened the door. This cell however was totally different from the others for this one had a luxurious look; it looked like a guest room in the palace just a different location.
"So did ugly fall for it?" The prisoner asked.
"Yes, she did. So how are you enjoying your stay Yahiko, being taken care of?"
"Yes, it's so nice of you to do this for me."
"Anything for a brother."
"And a sister I'm guessing. I mean you are putting your life on the line for them, for this plan."
"The plan hasn't failed yet, not one step has."
"I know, but will it work."
"Of course it will it is already starting to work, earlier than I expected to."
"Hope it does, but did the prince follow her."
"Yes, now be good Yahiko, I'll come back if I hear anything."
"Um…"
"Yes?"
"Thank you for helping me save Kaoru."
"I'll do anything to save Kaoru, anything."
"You are a great sister, Megumi."
"Thanks Yahiko," with that Megumi left the dungeons and went back to her room waiting to see if the plan will succeed.
Kenshin searched everywhere he could, but he found no Kaoru. When he decided to give up he heard a high-pitched shriek. He ran towards the source. Finding what made the scream filled him with joy and anger. For his joy was he had finally found Kaoru, but what got him mad was that she was surrounded by drunken men.
"Get away from me!" Kaoru shouted.
"Come on cutie, we just want to have some fun," one of the guys said, grabbing her arm.
"I said no!" She shouted and slapped him hard.
"Feisty one aren't you," he said. Kaoru tried to run but her leg wouldn't allow it and in no time they were on top of her. So Kaoru did the only thing she could think of. She screamed.
"Now don't be like that, no one is gonna hear you. So just stay quiet and let's have some fun." One of the attackers said, while trying to untie her obi. But before he could finish, he was laying unconscious on the ground.
"Hey boss what happened?" One of the men asked.
"You fool. He's unconscious, he can't talk," a comrade said.
"Who knocked him out?" Another asked.
"I don't know, but this means the girl is free," a guy said grabbing Kaoru's arm.
"Let me go," she said, struggling against his grip.
"No, it's time to party!" All shouted.
"I would let her go, that I would," a voice said from the shadows.
"You would, would you? Well I ain't you, and I'm ready to have some fun." One of the men declared.
"Me too,' they all said in unison.
"You will put her down, and you will never touch her again!" The voice boomed.
"Come out and say that."
"Yeah, tough guy."
"Why, I'll just do to you what I did to your boss." The voice said, sounding all knowing.
"Just try."
"Do you really want me to come out?" The voice asked.
"Yeah, Mr. Tough Guy."
"Fine, I shall come out," and out stepped…
A/N: Hehehe another cliffhanger. I just love these, don't you? Well who is the guy? I have no clue. Find out next time. Ciao!