Fluty Matters

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story except the plot; I might not even own that. Parts of this fic are true, but most of it's not. Enjoy.

"Blah" —Speaking

'Blah'—Thinking

(Blah)—My notes

"You're ditching me again!" Kaoru yelled at her boyfriend. "You always ditch me once or twice a month." Tear streamed down her face. "Why do you go? A-am I so much of a tomboy that you find me repulsive? Do you continue to date me because you feel bad? Every time you leave, do you go to someone else, someone prettier and more girly then me?"

Kenshin gripped her shoulders and pulled her close. "It's nothing like that. I would never cheat on you because there is no one better for me." She looked p at him, questions in her eyes. "But I can't tell you what I'm doing; I don't want you to laugh or think I'm messed up. I'll tell you in due time, just be patient with me." Kaoru nodded and wiped her eyes. Kenshin kissed her gently before telling her, "That's a girl. Now go home; I'll come by and see you tomorrow."

Kaoru nodded again. "Okay, see you later." She stood for a while after Kenshin walked away. She turned to return to her apartment when a poster caught her attention. It said:

Northwest Music

presents

The Northwest Symphony

and the

Masked Flute

The Masked Flute has announced this

as his last performance and will unveil his

identity once and for all.

Come see the fantastical finale!

March 15, 2007 at 6 PM

Soaring Park Amphitheater

"Hmm, it says admission is free; maybe I'll go tonight, after all, I don't have anyone around tonight." Kaoru returned to her apartment, content.

Kaoru strolled down the lawn of the theater, a blanket over one arm. Few people had arrived, but she knew more would follow. She spread the blanket out and lay down to wait.

Kenshin paced the length on his room, dressed in all black. His red hair was pulled back into a thick braid and hung to just above his waist. He fiddled with his hands, amethyst eyes darting to his kitchen table and back.

On the table rested two black cases, one long and thick, the other square and thin. He picked up the thin one and turned it over in his hands before picking up the other one.

"Where are you, teacher of mine?" he asked the air. "I wish you could see me now, how far I've taken that little bit you taught me." Kenshin touched one case then the other before gathering both and leaving.

Kaoru looked up from the blanket when people began to file on stage. Each was in black and carried their instruments and a black folder. She observed that all of the upper woodwinds, flutes and clarinets, were women. She was so absorbed in watching them that a voice startled her.

"Look!" whispered a child beside Kaoru. She looked at the child, no older than ten. She then followed the girl's finger to the stage and watched a flash of black and red zip among the players. "Daddy!" she exclaimed. "Did you see him? Did you? It's the flute guy!"

Kaoru jumped in surprise at the first note, but soon relaxed to enjoy the concert. She closed her eyes and laid back. She opened her eyes lazily when the symphony stopped suddenly. She watched a masked man, the Masked Flute, take position at center stage.

Thick red hair was pulled into a braid at the base of his neck and cascaded over a thin body clothed in black. A white mask covered most of his face; it covered everything except his eyes and mouth. The only jewelry he wore was a necklace tucked into the top of his shirt

'He looks familiar. Something about his looks and the way he holds himself reminds me on someone I know. Medium height, long red hair… no, it can't be." Her thoughts trailed off as he turned to play. 'Look at me, please look at me.' He seemed to have heard her thoughts because he did.

His eyes locked with hers, purple and blue. Kaoru covered her lips in surprise. 'It can't be him, he would have told me about something like this.' She studied him carefully, before turning her eyes. But something else caught her attention. His necklace had fallen out of its confinement and sparkled in the setting sun.

She stared at it in shock. 'That's the necklace I gave Kenshin for Christmas.' It was a charm that she had special ordered so it was one of a kind. A crystal sword dangled from a thin black cord. Two threads hung from the tip of the sword, dangling two gem spheres, one sapphire and one amethyst, in her view. 'It is him.' They tore their eyes from each other. She watched him as he began to play, the symphony following his lead.

She watched him until her eyes slid closed again.

Kenshin watched her relax. He saw the realization on her face when she looked at him, the necklace especially. She knew it was him, but he wondered if she realized this is where he always disappeared to.

He tapered off his last note and took a bow. Kenshin saw Kaoru look up at him but ignored her for the time being. He stepped forward and began to speak instead.

"Good evening and thank you for attending. I know many of you are waiting to see my true identity. You will find out, but be patient with me." Kenshin looked over the gathered crowd and the many expectant faces. "I must say one thing though. You may have noticed, over the course of our performances, that I am the only male of the upper woodwinds. And, not to be sexist or anything, but the flute is the most manly of instruments. ( A direct quote from the guy who sits next to me in band and he does play flute.) Some may find it strange, but I know some of you have questions and I'll answer them now, before we close the show. Whose question shall I start with?" Kenshin descended from the stage, raising his voice to be heard. He caught the eye of a teenage boy sitting on the side. "What about you?"

"How did you first start to play the flute?" he asked.

"Very good question. Well, it all started with a girl." Half the crowd groaned. "I know it sounds corny, but it did. She was the daughter of one of my parents' friends. My mother asked her to play for us once when they visited. I was twelve or thirteen at the time, this girl was eleven. I was amazed that she could play so well already. She set her flute on our couch when she was finished and went into the kitchen to get a drink. I couldn't resist picking up the instrument and trying to play. She walked back in and I swear she was going to chew me out. But the only thing she said was 'You're holding it wrong.' She showed me how to hold it and play a few notes. I guess my musical career took off from there. I begged my parents for a flute and lessons, and before I knew it I was here. I never did learn her name; that was the only time I talked to her. I saw her at competitions all over the place for many years, but then she just disappeared."

Kenshin flew through a few more questions before he came to the little girl sitting beside Kaoru. He walked over to her and crouched down so he was on her level, his flute rested against his knees. "Yes, little one, what do you want to ask?"

She looked over at Kaoru shyly, and then whispered her request. "Can I take your mask off?"

Kenshin looked stunned then smiled. "What's your name, little girl?"

She looked back at her father before speaking. "It's Shelomi."

"That's a pretty name. I'll tell you what; if you come on stage with me you can take it off." Shelomi quickly looked back and got permission to go. "We must take one more person though. Who do you think we should take?" Shelomi pointed at Kaoru. "Great idea! Will you accompany us, miss?"

"S-sure," Kaoru stuttered. Kenshin took her hand and Shelomi's and led them to the stage.

Kaoru couldn't believe it. Kenshin was taking her on stage when he knew she had stage fright. She felt him squeeze her hand and smiled; he wouldn't abandon her.

When they reached his original spot, Kenshin kneeled down to Shelomi. "Grab the sides of my mask and pull." Shelomi did and a gasp was heard from the audience as the mask slipped off. Kenshin knelt there, closed eyes pointed at the ground, barefaced to everyone.

Kenshin was known in the community as the outcast, the one who didn't count. He looked up in surprise when two sets of arms wrapped around him. He looked down to see Shelomi hugging him like a hero. Behind him, Kaoru was wrapped around his neck, whispering apologies to him.

"Thank you, Shelomi, you can sit down now." When she went to hand the mask back, he shook his head. "You keep it. Bring it back later and I'll sign it for you." She smiled big and ran off. He turned on his knees, taking Kaoru's hands in his. "Kaoru, I love you more than anything and I didn't want you to know because you might not like me anymore. Many people thought it was weird I played flute so I hid it. I-I wouldn't be anywhere without you." Kenshin sighed. "I planned on being totally romantic, but that's out the window now." He looked up at her and asked the question. "Kaoru, will you marry me?"

A shy voice rose from the crowd, "Say yes!" Both of them looked over to look at little Shelomi, who hid her face.

"I was getting there." Kaoru looked back at Kenshin. "Of course, but did you have to do it here, in front of all these people?"

Kenshin hugged her tightly. "Of course, I had to involve you in both aspects of my life, you and music." He kissed her and turned to the audience. "Thank you for coming to my finale, but I must bid you goodbye. I am giving up the world of music for the love of my life. So goodnight and remember it's those who don't count who matter the most." ( Again, from the guy who sits next to me in band.) He bowed and left the stage, flute in one hand and a shocked Kaoru in the other.

"W-why did you give it up? Music made you happy."

"Because you make me happier." He pulled her closer. "Besides, it's not like I'm giving my flute up or anything."

"Yeah, but…"

"But what?"

"Never mind, it's not important." Kaoru leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Come on Kaoru, tell me what it is."

"That girl in your story, I think I've met her before."

Kenshin looked shocked. "Really?"

Kaoru nodded. "Yeah, but she gave up the flute a few years after she met you. She said something along the lines of not being able to compete and feeling like a failure to the musical world because of it."

"She was never that, at least what I saw. It took me two years to catch up to her. I wonder if that's the only reason she stopped."

"First there was the- the girl from across town." She desperately wanted to say something else, but not with children running about. "She always thought she was better than everyone else. I went to some of those competitions with her and learned it first hand. Her name was Holly Shryer. She had the best flute money could buy and played it like crap. She had no feeling in her music, but she always beat the girl. The only person that ever beat Holly was you. And then the girl's parents died when she was fourteen. She tried to find solace in the music, but couldn't. Her parents loved her playing and she couldn't do it without thinking of them and the horrific crash that took them from her." A single tear slipped down Kaoru's cheek.

Kenshin wiped it away and led her behind the stage, where instrument cases were piled. "Let me put this away and we'll go home." Just as he put the last piece away, Shelomi flew around the corner, father in tow.

"Flute guy! Flute guy!"

"Hello there, Shelomi. Do you want me to sign that for you?" She nodded and he took the mask from her. He scribbled his signature on it and handed it back. "Now your friends will be jealous because you have my mask and it's signed."

"Thank you." She hugged him again and ran off.

"That was sweet of you to do, giving her your mask like that."

Kenshin smiled as he slung the flute case over his shoulders and took Kaoru's hand. "Let's go home. Maybe I can teach you how to play flute and you can take my place up there on that stage." He squeezed her hand. "Music is good for the soul. I wonder if that girl knew it."

"I-I imagine s-she did." More tears slipped down her face. "B-but music c-can't heal e-everything." Sobs escaped from her lips, before she tore herself from Kenshin and ran.

He stood for a minute, shocked. "Kaoru!" He ran after her yelling her name. 'I have to catch her before she does something drastic. Why does she have to be so fast? At this rate, I won't catch her for a while.' He saw her dart down a side street and into her apartment complex. He followed her up and into her apartment. She didn't stop there.

Kaoru flew into the bedroom and began tearing boxes out of her closet. "I –I didn't g-get rid of it, I-I couldn't. I-it's here s-somewhere." She pulled box after box off the shelves (she has a large closet) finally stopping with the last one. It was about twenty inches long and six inches wide all made of cardboard; it was thick too, reminding Kenshin of a flute case.

"Kaoru…" Kenshin whispered to her. She ignored him and tore the box open. Inside it was a black case with silver latches. Kaoru opened the latches and sat back, crying. In the case sat a silver open-hole flute, virtually untouched by time.

"I haven't touched this since I was fifteen. I never wanted to open it again." She shifted her eyes up to Kenshin. "But you, you made me open it; you made me remember."

"What?"

"I'm that girl Kenshin. I taught you how to play years ago. We sat on your parents' couch for hours as I taught you the basics. I saw you at competitions but was too shy to say anything. Then my parents died and I had no one to cry to. I tried to use music to console me but it reminded me too much of them. And I knew that I would never be able to compete again. And then I met you. I thought it was best I didn't bring up the subject. But you did it; you brought up the most painful subject on earth for me. I couldn't play and felt like a failure; I couldn't compete or play anything even remotely competition grade. It was too painful. Tell me now that the girl wasn't a failure; she couldn't even keep up with her studies."

Kenshin knelt down beside her and hugged her close. "You're not a failure, you never have been. I bet that if you picked that flute up right now and tried, you could play anything you wanted. You're only going to get over this one way, you have to play." Kaoru shook her head. "Forget about Holly, the concert, even me. Just play and remember the joy you gave your parents and those around you." Kenshin hugged her tightly, before handing her the flute case.

"I-I'll try." She began to put it together, her hands shaking uncontrollably.

Kenshin laid a hand on hers. "Do or do not, there is no try."

She glared at him. "You've been watching too much Star Wars lately."

"So have you if you knew where that was from. Play, Kaoru, play like you used to."

Kaoru signed and put her flute to her lips. She randomly played notes, but it soon turned into a song. She played, beautiful sound filling the room. Tears slipped down her cheeks some more. She faltered and broke.

"I can't do this; it's too painful." She pulled her knees close and rested her head on them.

Kenshin tilted her face to him. "Would your parents have wanted you to stop something you love? I don't think so. So keep playing and think how much they would enjoy it."

Kaoru nodded and began again. She played the same song, sailing right through the difficult parts. "Wow," she said. "It's been seven years and I can still play like that. I thought I had lost it all after they died." Kaoru hugged her flute close and cried. "I've missed music so much, I didn't even realize it." She kissed Kenshin gently on the lips, surprising him. "Thank you for finding my spirit. I feel whole again."

"Promise me you won't do that again."

"Do what?"

"Run off and scare me. I thought you were going to leave."

"Never in a million years would I leave you, especially when I'm going to be Himura Kaoru. I love you, Kenshin."

He gathered her close, flute and all. "I love you too. Don't every stop playing again."

"I won't. I've found my soul again and I'm not about to let it go."

AN: The Holly chick, yeah real person that I despise.