TITLE: Let There Be Darkness
AUTHOR: Victoria Leighton (moi.)
RATING: PG-13 (...quite a bit of violence.)
PAIRING: None really... minor Sano/OFC
SUMMARY: Another contestant comes to challenge Kenshin; one with a vengeance and a will to see the end of the battle no matter the cost.
DISCLAIMER: None of the RK character's are mine, cept Naria... she's my creation. Though, I really wish I could have Sano, you know like- as a birthday present! *winkwinknudgenudge*
WARNING: Violence/Nightmares/Some blood.
NOTES: There may be more of this story to come... if I have time. *sigh*
Kenshin Himura sat in silence on the back porch of the Kamiya dojo. Around him all manner of activity ensued, as if it were any other day in Tokyo. Sanosuke had gone into town to buy food for that night�s dinner. Kaoru was sweeping the floor at the front gate. Yahiko and the little girls were, as usual, running around squealing.
From the front-gate, Kaoru�s voice rose above the happy shrieks of the children. ��Kenshin!�� The ex-samurai�s head tilted toward the voice that called across the dojo. ��Someone�s here to see you!��
Rising from the floor, Kenshin quickly crossed to the entrance of the training house. Kaoru stood quietly next to a dark-haired woman who, in despite of the warm, summer weather, was wearing a lengthy black cloak.
Upon seeing the samurai, her eyes lit with a fire Kenshin did not fail to notice. ��There you are Kenshin.�� Kaoru�s voice brought the laconic woman out of her reverie. ��This is Nadoku-san. She wanted to speak with you.��
Kenshin bowed from the waist, a highly respectful gesture of fellowship. He chose to look beyond her strange attire, instead receiving her with grace. ��Himura Kenshin,�� he said cheerily, ��why do you wish to see me?��
Hearing the grace and generosity in his town forced a laugh from the woman�s mouth, an oddly merciless sound chuckle that carried more sarcasm than joy. ��I come not only to see you, Himura-san,�� she answered, voice light and airy. Never once did she raise her head to look him in the eyes, though he could see the remnants of a faint glitter in hers. Kenshin�s own soldier-sense spiked, breaking the balance of his normally carefree attitude. He quickly noticed adjustments in her posture as she shifted her weight, dropping her centre of gravity. The tail-end of a crimson ribbon flickered just outside of her cloak, a warning brand against the black. ��I, like so many before, have come to challenge you, in all seriousness, to a duel.��
Naria slipped the cloak from her shoulders, exposing her light-weight flame to the samurai. Her build, though far more feminine, was much like Kenshin, in height and size. Over the men�s clothing that she bore, she carried two kodachi-like swords strapped to her waist. Removing the red ribbon Kenshin had seen from her wrist, she tied her hair back in an all too familiar manner. �Where have I seen that woman before?�
Kaoru�s mind lay in a state of confusion. Above all, she would never understand why people kept attempting to battle Kenshin. In the end, they always lost, regardless of how powerful they had once been. Now, a woman, much like herself, had joined the great throng of contestants? She had attempted it herself, a long time ago, but that was in the past. �That ribbon looks a lot like Sanosuke�s,� she said in silence to herself.
Withdrawing both swords from their sheathes at the same time, Naria began to slowly twirl the blades, creating a raw whistle as they sliced through the air. With practised ease, each kodachi cut a pathway through the current of warm atmosphere. ��I have come to challenge the past,�� she whispered, taking a fighting stance.
Knowing he would have no choice, Kenshin accepted the woman�s dare, only half-drawing his blade from its sheathe. As the duelling formalities ensued, he searched the woman�s face, knowing she possessed some trait he had seen before.
Raising both swords in an x-shape above her head, Naria began the duel with a customary exchange of introductions; name first, followed by sword technique, then clan or sword group name. She would hide none of her past from the ex-samurai, though she knew her statement would cause him some distress. ��Sagara Naria.�� Kenshin�s eyes widened with recognition, realizing exactly who she was. ��Kannuma Takimori-Ry�.�� Her last words need not have been spoken, for Kenshin knew her backing before it left her mouth. ��Sekihotai,�� he thought, just as she voiced the words.
The atmosphere, to those watching the confrontation, changed very little, but to those upon the duelling field, it was as though a typhoon had struck. Tension crackled throughout the air, sending the hairs on the back of Kenshin�s neck into static needles. Many of his enemies had fought with grievances against him, but few would match the fury he knew he was about to endure. ��Himura Kenshin. Hiten Mitsurugi-Ry�.�� He lowered his centre of gravity, aiming for a defensive stance. ��Rurouni.��
No sooner were the words off his tongue before the woman attacked, lunging forward. Rather than using both blades in one attack, as many had the habit of doing, she focused each separately, though wielding them at the same time. Kenshin caught the first attack on the reversed egde of his sword, but the other, being out of his range, slipped under his guard to scrape across his chest. The damage was minimal, but the pain of such a paper-thin cut was intense.
Kaoru�s eyes widened in shock, not expecting the woman to land a blow so soon in the game, and one so vitally close to Kenshin�s heart. ��Who is this woman?�� She had not recognized her technique, though the name�s she had given were all too familiar. Sagara, she knew from Sanosuke, who claimed the same family name, though not by blood. Sekihotai, the Peasant�s Army, were known to most as treacherous dogs, assassinated for their disloyalty to Japan. Though Sanosuke had fought with the same vengeance when he realized just who Kenshin was, the dispute had been settled, with explanations on both sides.
The dulled spark that had once flared through Naria�s brown eyes came out once more with a renewed fury. ��You dare call yourself Rurouni,�� she shouted, spinning both blades at an uneven momentum, ��when you are nothing more than a murderer.�� Kenshin braced himself, trying, in vain, to find a way to counter both blades, rather than just one. ��I still question, Himura-san, how one who has taken so much, could even dream of asking forgiveness.�� As her blades flew at him, Kenshin parried the first blow, forcing his sword to the side, in hopes to catch the other as well. As any good swordsmen would do, Naria simply raised the focus of her attack, cutting instead, across Kenshin�s shoulder.
Ignoring the banter, the ex-samurai pedalled backwards, knowing the talk for the bravado it was. All his thought remained concentrated upon blocking both swords. Each time, however, only one answer came to him. There was not enough time to move his sword from one blade to the other, but the only manner in which he could extend the seconds he had would be to reverse his blade, forcing one blade against the other. He thought little of the idea, however, turning over his sword was not an option.
��I see the answer had come to you. Well done, Himura-san.�� Naria dove at him a third time, swords slicing through the air. Kenshin deftly caught the blade aimed at his chest, forcing himself to bear the pain across his forearm. He had not expected the dizzying blow that convulsed through his stomach as Naria�s foot connected squarely with his body, knocking him clean off his feet.
Flicking the blood from her kodachi, Naria stepped closer to the grounded samurai as he quickly struggled to his feet. ��You�re weak, Himura. But I suppose you hear that quite often.�� Kenshin�s breath came in sharp gasps, both from the pain of his minor wounds, and the blow to his abdomen. Kaoru watched in horror from the dojo�s porch, surrounded by Yahiko and the little girls, who were minutes from diving into the fray themselves, if only to help Kenshin. Everyone had turned out to watch the duel; all except one.
Sano was returning from the town with the basket of food he had purchased slung over his arm. His light and airy step, when coupled with his tuneless whistling hinted at his ignorance to what was happening back at the Kamiya dojo. As he rounded the corner, however, his ears picked up the faint clashes of metal on metal, followed by a high pitched scream that could have only come from a terrified Kaoru. Assuming the Kenshin was suffering the vicious revenge of another ex-samurai, he took off, long legs carrying him swiftly down the dirt road.
At the dojo, Kenshin was suffering further at Naria�s hands as she repeated the same attack, a move seldom made by swordsmen. In a seamless combination of karate-hend� attacks, Naria�s foot shot out, catching Kenshin clean across his face. A ragged line of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth in evidence of force of her kick. Every move seemed to blend with the next, the only defining feature being the crashing sounds the ensued from her sword meeting Kenshin�s. Even the ex-samurai�s lightning speed could not hold against such immediately positioned attacks. Trapping Kenshin�s sakebato in between the two kodachi blades, Naria deftly twisted the sword out of Kenshin�s hands, despite his attempts to retain his grip. The cut across his forearm prevented him, however, as the jagged scratch glistened anew with fresh blood. Sword and swordsman flew in opposite directions, Kenshin landing quite painfully on the stairs of the dojo, and his sakebato at the dojo�s gate, sliding into the earth, handle up, as though the ground were its sheathe. ��Kenshin!�� Kaoru�s voice broke through the stillness as all attention turned to the warrior.
Blood poured from several lines across his body, and his face shone with a bluish pallor, as he squinted through one eye. His breath was heavy, but then again, so was his opponent�s. Naria retained no visible damage, having not met any of Kenshin�s feeble diversions. Her own attacks, however, the basis of which was pure speed and efficient timing, were tiring her just as quickly as they tired Kenshin.
Sano, who had picked all the speed his long legs would allow, crashed around the corner of the dojo, and came skidding to a halt just as Kenshin�s sword stuck into the earth, no more than a metre in front of him. In his first glance alone, he saw several things he never dreamed he�d see. A solitary woman with a crimson band, identical to his, tied around her forehead, stood between a heavily-wounded Kenshin and his sword.
��There is a need for your speed here, samurai,�� she said, voice even. ��Even I am no match for the god-like agility of the Battosai.�� She placed one arm in front of her, blade outstretched. The other, she placed behind her, tip pointed toward the heavens. ��But you�re not the Battosai, now are you?��
Justifying the claim, Kenshin darted forward, keeping low to the earth, to minimize his attack zone. He spotted his sword no more than a few metres from the dojo�s gate, and Sanosuke standing right beside it. ��Sanosuke, move!��
Time seemed to still until it came to an almost complete stop. With the force of an arrow from the bow, Naria hurled the first of the twon kodachi at Kenshin, or rather, where Kenshin should have been. Instead, in his lace, stood a tall boy with spiky brown hair and a red headband. His name reached her as the sword left her hand. �Sano?�
Having less than a second to decide, Kenshin did the only thing he possibly could. Using all the weight his body had, in combination with his speed, he threw himself at the much taller, and much heavier Sanosuke. The force, which ordinarily would not have moved Sano an inch, had he been expecting it, successfully toppled both men to the ground where they rolled a good distance from the glittering sakebato. The kodachi, which had been aimed at Kenshin, hit the wooden posts of the gate with a thud, marking the place where Sansuke had been only moments before.
The ex-samurai quickly got to his feet, leaving the somewhat-dazed Sanosuke on the ground. Naria faced him with an air of hatred, the name ripping itself from her mind and furthering her rage. With little to no effort she began to spin the one blade she had left around her hand, moving slowly toward Kenshin. ��Now show me, Himura,�� one foot fell quietly in front of the other. ��Show me where I may find the fighter that so ruthlessly helped to destroy the Sekihotai?�� Sano�s eyes widened as he stared at the sky, wondering if what he heard was reality or nothing more than a nightmare. The girl�s voice floated through his head, painful memories searing through his chest like bullets from a patriot�s gun. ��Where is the man who so willingly destroyed my family!��
As Kenshin dived for his sword, a second time, Naria spun on one heel. Her foot connected with the samurai�s hand, crushing it into the dirt with a sickening snap. Kenshin grunted with pain as he felt the bones in his wrist break. His other hand, relentless in its pursuit, shot out toward the upright sword, but was met with cold steel. Picking up the heavier blade in her right hand, and the lighter kodachi in her left, Naria kicked the un-armed Kenshin over, so that he could look up at her.
��Face it, Himura-san. Without the power of the Battosai, you can�t defeat me. You can never defeat the past.�� Turning over the blade so the sharp side faced her, she dropped the sword into Kenshin�s working hand. ��I came to fight the past, Himura, not you.�� Kenshin simply gazed at her through pain-streaked eyes, making no move to stand, or to fight.
In a rage, Naria kicked him viciously across the face again. ��Fight me, Battosai!�� Kenshin reeled backwards, drops of blood flecked across his face and flowing in rivulets from his mouth and nose. ��You want forgiveness?�� she whispered. ��You want atonement for your sins?�� She dropped his sword once more into his hands. ��Then give me the honour you never gave my father!��
Sanosuke shot up from the ground, seeing the face clearly, the face of the girl he hadn�t seen for more than ten years. Naria swung her solitary blade at the swordsman, who instinctively, used his sakebato to thwart the thrust. He could not, however, effectively block the foot that connected with his chest. Thrown backwards, he crumpled at Sanosuke�s feet, sword in hand.
Sanosuke�s eyes connected with Naria�s as she looked up, seeing his face for what should have been the first time. Both carried the same fighting spark that would never, no matter the odds, perish, and yet, both believed the other had died more than a decade previous. ��Impossible,�� they simultaneously whispered.
��This is just another illusion,�� Naria muttered.
��IT�s just another nightmare,�� Sano countered.
With a fury rebounded for third time that afternoon, Naria set upon Kenshin, her rage proving quite impossible for Kenshin to stand against, but her own strength was quickly waning, regardless of her lack of injury. The ex-samurai countered each of her hits to the best of his ability, despite several open wounds, a broken wrist, and a dislocated shoulder. ��What must I do to get you to fight?�� she cried, relentlessly attacking Kenshin.
Though he had regained his footing, Kenshin only parried each thrust, unable to do much more. Changing her tactics, Naria began her attack with a forceful kick, rather than the blade of her sword. Kenshin, who had been expecting the opposite, braced himself, using his sword as a shield. Using the non-sharpened blade as a railing, Naria vaulted off of it, slicing through Kenshin�s haori, cutting across his back as she went. Further spasms of pain racked through the ex-samurai.
��It hurts, doesn�t it, Himura?�� Balancing the blade of her kodachi in front of her, Naria placed one foot in front of the other, characteristic of an airborne attack. ��Alas that if you can�t do it, Himura-san, I must do it for you. I have nothing to lose.�� Leaping into the air, as Kenshin had predicted, Naria used her sword as a guiding force, before diving downward upon the enfeebled Kenshin. Lifting the now immensely heavy sakebato to protect himself, and steadying it with both hands, Kenshin prepared to meet the oncoming force of her kodachi, which he assumed would have her full weight behind it. He, as well as Sano, realised moments too late that the sword would not be the first strike to fall.
�That�s suicide!� Kenshin thought as the Naria�s body rotated, bringing her feet closer and closer to the blade.
��No, Naria! Stop it!�� Sanosuke screamed, knowing full well there was no way to stop.
Both feet connected with the sakebato, landing lighter than a cat at first. Using the flat side of the blade as a support once more, Naria stepped down with her heel, driving Kenshin down to his knees and forcing the sharpened edge of the blade upwards, towards her. At the same time, the full force of her own body, and its momentum, when coupled with the kodachi�s pointed strike, connected with the blade of the sakebato, which snapped like a twig under the immense pressure.
��Kenshin!��
��Naria!��
The kodachi�s force, which had been focused at the middle of Kenshin�s blade, had cracked the metal of the sword, weakening its strength. Naria�s own precarious positioning could no longer be supported by the sakebato, and so, the sword gave in, shattering at its centre. Gravity took care of the rest as Naria slid down the sharpened ends of the broken sword, driving the broken points into Kenshin�s own chest. Kenshin, who could endure no more of the suffering, blacked out, temporarily lost to the world. Naria, who to that point had endured no damage save an enduring fatigue, was now bleeding profusely from either side of her chest. She, too, was quickly lost into a state of unconsciousness.
��No!�� An immediate chorus of voices rose up as Sano, Kaoru, and Yahiko raced toward the fallen. Sanosuke easily picked up the girl from her immobile place across Kenshin. Her face rolled toward him in its oblivion. Sanosuke experienced a moment of dawning comprehension, an epiphany so to speak. It was no longer the nightmare he had suffered through for more than half of his life, but a reality that he feared may end at any moment. She was the girl he thought he had seen, the one who had been like a sister to him throughout childhood. The one he thought he had lost, like everyone else.
Kaoru was bent over Kenshin�s crumpled frame, bawling herself senseless in hopes that he would awaken and kiss away her tears as if nothing had happened. It was only in a moment of sanity that she sent Yahiko to fetch the doctor, as the little girls ran to grab blankets and bandages. Wiping away her tears herself, Kaoru began to mechanically treat Kenshin�s wounds, as he lay stupefied on the ground.
Sanosuke remained in shock, completely oblivious to the blood that was quickly staining his white clothes the darkest of crimson. In his own moment of sanity, he took off, Naria in his arms, out the gates of the dojo. Kaoru yelled after him, wondering where he could possibly be taking the woman, who obviously also needed tending to.
Upon reaching a small shack in the centre of the market place, Sano kicked the door to the side, with relative ease. Calling to the rather confused looking man that sat upon the floor, he instructed him to find water and bandages as quickly as he could.
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