Otherworld - 14



Chapter 14 - Kenshin

That evening the Princess sent for him, and Kenshin walked slowly down the corridor to the sitting room. The Princess was waiting there -- waiting for him. He knew about her powers from the stories he had heard. What was she planning to do? He took a deep breath and opened the door. She sat there in flickering firelight, her face serene. She smiled gently at him and beckoned him closer. He could feel her peace. And he envied it. He had never known peace in his entire life. To live in Otherworld… it was a chance for happiness, maybe his only one. But did he deserve happiness after all the blood he had shed? Happiness? He had known so little of it in the 28 years of his life. As a very young child, his parents had died of cholera and he had been sold into slavery. But when slavers were killed by bandits, he alone was saved by a man who would teach him how to use the sword. How to kill. As a teenager, he had become an assassin for the Imperialist army in their war with the Shogunites.

	He had been so full of ideals, of foolish hopes for a better world for everyone. The only thing he had accomplished had been to give many a violent, bloody death. Too many! Ten years of wandering, trying to use his sword for good, had not erased one drop of the rivers of blood he had spilled. He would never get the blood off his hands no matter how hard he tried.
Princess Aara looked at the small, delicate looking man who knelt before her. On his cheek was a terrible scar. His liquid violet eyes seemed at first glance innocent and wide, but there was an ocean of pain in their depths. She gently reached out and touched the scarred cheek, and was flooded with his guilt. Only a child when he became an assassin, his whole psyche was seeped in guilt. He believed he would never atone for his sins. She grieved for him and brought him closer, wrapping her arms around her. Aara could never take away all this guilt.
	She lifted his face to hers, "Kenshin, dearest Kenshin," she thought, stroking the scarred cheek, "How can I stop your pain? How can I give you hope?" She brushed his wild red hair back and kissed his forehead lightly, the barest whisper of a kiss.
Her mind was racing, there had to something she could do for him. Kenshin would not stay in Otherworld for he felt that he did not deserve the chance. But Otherworld was his only hope for a future. The Human World could only promise him more pain and an early death. She probed his emotions deeper and he whimpered at the intrusion. "Forgive," she whispered, holding him tightly as she pushed her power into him. He groaned -- it hurt! There! Under the ocean of guilt, a tiny ray of hope. Kaoru! He loved her deeply but he thought himself undeserving of Kaoru's love. She was the key! Princess Aara pulled her power back and he sighed in relief. She was still holding him tight, but he did not pull away. There was so much love in her touch. Even when she hurt him, he could feel the love. For one small moment, he envied her males. They lived in this joy. "Go rest, Kenshin dear." she told him, "and I will come for you tomorrow morning."

The next morning, Princess went first to Kaoru's room. "I have a question for you, Kaoru, and let me take your hand while you answer." She reached for Kaoru's hand and asked, "What are you willing to do to heal Kenshin?" "Anything!" she said, a determined tone in her voice. But the Princess ignored the words and felt her emotions. She could feel Kaoru's deep love for Kenshin. It was pure with no judgment or holding back. It was exactly what Aara had hoped for. "I have a request." "I will do anything for Kenshin." Kaoru repeated. "You must be willing to give yourself totally to him. Do you understand what I am asking?" Kaoru blushed, then nodded. The Princess looked in her eyes, and softly said, "Your love can heal him." Kaoru saw the promise in her eyes, "I will be waiting." Then the Princess went to Kenshin's room where he was nervously waiting. She knocked lightly, but walked in before he answered. "Come with me." she said. Together they walked up the long winding stairs to the South Tower. At the top was a strange room, filled with crystals, jars, herbs, and many strange devices. Kaiba stood there waiting, holding a thin blanket. He nodded to the Princess. "Trust me," the Princess said to Kenshin, and lowered them both to the floor so that she was sitting and he was partially in her lap, his head resting on her shoulder. With Kaiba's help, she began to undress him, covering him with the blanket as she did. He gave himself to their hands, his body pliant. He did not know what they were doing, but he trusted the Princess completely. Princess Aara winced as terrible scars were uncovered. A sword cut there, a badly healed bone, a pulled muscle, even a bite mark on his shoulder. She felt as if she was drowning in his pain, but to accomplish what she wanted to do, she had to be emotionally connected to him. So she gritted her teeth against the onslaught and deepened her connection until he was naked, covered lightly by the blanket. Her golden eyes met Kaiba's blue ones. He nodded and they began. One scar, one torn muscle, one pulled tendon at a time, Kaiba placed his hands over them and healed them. Her power augmented Kaiba's healing power and the scars began to disappear, the broken bones knitted correctly, and the torn tendons relaxed. Kaiba's hands were hot with his power and Kenshin was surrounded by their warmth. Throughout the morning they worked, until there was only one scar left. She brought his face from her shoulder. "You've held on to this pain long enough," she whispered to him. Kaiba placed his hand over the cross-shaped scar on his left cheek and finally, after ten long years, it began to heal. When he removed his hand, it was gone.

	The Princess walked into Kaoru's room after softly knocking, with Kaiba carrying an emotionally exhausted Kenshin. She asked Kaoru to sit on the bed and Kaiba placed Kenshin partially on Kaoru's lap with his head was resting on her shoulder, almost a copy of his previous position on Aara's lap. Kaoru wrapped her arms around him. "Kenshin," the Princess whispered in his ear, "Feel Kaoru's love for you." And then she embraced them both and poured her power into them. She opened Kenshin's heart to Kaoru's love. Kenshin suddenly felt Kaoru's complete and unconditional love and he whimpered softly. It was overwhelming and wonderful at the same time. Tears slid down his cheek. For the first time in his life, he had hope.
"He is yours now, Kaoru," she said as she moved away from them and slipped out of the room. Kaoru kissed his now unscarred cheek. She wasn't sure what to do, but she let her instincts and her love guide her. She covered him in kisses and Kenshin trembled in her arms, buried in the warmth of her love. With the power of her love, she healed his heart.