A/N: Based on the characters in the English dubbed version.
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.
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Battousai no Kokoro
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~01~
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The rain fell steadily onto the dojo. A solitary figure stood along in the dark night. She was wearing robes that were dark tan in their soaked condition. Her hair was heavy and dripping. Her eyes were sad and longing as she stared out into the surrounding darkness. She clutched a wooden training sword to her chest. Five minutes passed, ten, fifteen, and she stood without moving. Her lips parted and she said on word, her voice coming out in a whisper.
"Kenshin..."
"Kaoru Kamiya!"
Kaoru blinked out of her gloomy trance at the sound of her name. She turned to see Megumi in the doorway, dry, and elegant as ever, frowning at her.
"What are you doing out in this rain?"
"I'm sorry, Megumi. I was just... thinking..."
"Moping's more like it. Now come in here, you're going to catch cold!"
Kaoru nodded, and with one last glance out into the night, she went inside. She stood awkwardly as Megumi toweled her off and squeezed some of the water out of her hair.
Yahiko and Sanosuke were sitting in the corner. Piles of coins sat beside Yahiko, who wore a grin. Sanosuke grabbed the two dice and shook them, then chucked them into the wooden bowl that sat between the two. Yahiko burst out laughing again at the result and Sano handed over more coins from the feeble amount that lay beside him. When the two noticed Kaoru, they froze, watching her. Yahiko's grin faded, and Sano's expression hardened.
"Kaoru, you can't keep this up. It's been a month since Kenshin left."
Yahiko stood up, nodding at Sano's words.
"And you've been waiting outside every night since then for him to come back!"
Kaoru looked at her feet and mumbled something that sounded like and apology. Megumi smiled at her.
"He'll come back for you, Kaoru. He loves you."
Kaoru looked up and managed a smile.
"Thanks, Megumi."
Kaoru brushed past the doctor and headed back to her room, still dripping slightly. The other three watched until she shut the door behind her. Sano sighed and Yahiko sat back down and grabbed his ankles in thought. Megumi looked up at the ceiling.
"Kenshin... why have you done this to us...?"
*~
It had started a couple months ago. Everything was going just the same as always, with all the evils dying down. Kenshin was his cheerful self and everyone was happy. Ten one day a letter came for Kenshin. No one but him knew what the letter was about. For the rest of the month, Kenshin acted normal around everyone. But when he thought he was alone, he would sit and stare at nothing, lost in thought and apparently worried by something. Kaoru knew that he was troubled, but when she approached him about it, he always responded with, "You don't have to worry about me, that you don't," and change the subject. One night, about a month ago, Kaoru awoke to a noise outside. She ran out, and saw Kenshin standing there. It was raining, and Kenshin was soaked.
"Kenshin...?"
Kenshin turned at the sound of Kaoru's voice and smiled.
"You shouldn't be out in the rain like this, Miss Kaoru. You'll catch a cold, that you will."
Kaoru walked up to him.
"What are you doing out here?"
Kenshin's expression hardened for a second, then his warm smile returned.
"You should go back inside, Miss Kaoru."
"Not until you tell me what's going on."
Kenshin was still smiling, trying to comfort her without words.
"I need to leave for a bit, that I do."
Kaoru's eyes widened a bit, and Kenshin continued.
"I won't be long, Miss Kaoru. There's something I need to take care of. You should get back inside so you don't catch cold, that you should."
Silence fell except for the pitter-patter of the raindrops on the dojo roof and the dirt under their feet. Kaoru looked down at her bare feet. She felt Kenshin's gaze watching her. She lifted her right hand slowly and grabbed the front of Kenshin's robes. Kenshin blinked.
"Miss Kaoru?"
"Don't leave me again."
Kaoru looked up at Kenshin, her eyes much like the clouds above that were pouring out rain.
"Please don't leave me again, Kenshin."
Kenshin's expression softened as he looked down at the young girl. He put his left hand over hers and smiled. With his other hand he pulled her into a lose embrace.
"You don't have to worry about me, that you don't."
His left hand closed around her right, and she let go of his robes. He took a step away from her, with the same smile. His left hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his right on Kaoru's shoulder. He took another step away, then turned around and took another step, then another, then another, in a steady pace. Kaoru watched with crying eyes Kenshin as he slowly disappeared into the darkness...
~*
Now, as Kaoru sat on the floor next to the mat she called a bed, Kenshin's words rang in her head.
"You don't have to worry about me, that you don't."
Kaoru sighed. One long month. And he still hadn't returned. What was taking the wandering samurai so long...?
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Somewhere near Kyoto, a lone figure was walking along the dirt roads, passing trees spread out widely between two towns. He stopped and looked up at the sky, his blue eyes sparkling from the light. After about half a minute, he shook his head, his red hair falling into his face, and continued walking.
"Kenshin...? Kenshin Himura...?"
The voice was familiar. Kenshin stopped and put a smile on his face, then turned to face the owner of the voice.
"Hello Misao."
Misao had her hands on her hips.
"What the hell are you doing way out here?"
Kenshin blinked. Misao was quick; she was standing in front of him, glaring up at him, in the blink of an eye.
"And where's Kaoru?"
Kenshin sighed, and turned.
"Shall we walk?"
Misao frowned, but fell into step beside him anyway.
"What's going on, Himura?"
Kenshin was walking with his left hand on the hilt of his reverse-blade sword. He tended to walk like that when something was bothering him. It's not like Misao knew this, though. He shrugged nonchalantly.
"Just thought I'd go for a stroll."
"A stroll my foot."
Kenshin focused ahead, not fazed by this comment.
"You sure have gotten nosy, Misao."
Misao stuck out her tongue and put her hands behind her head as she walked.
"You're worried about Kaoru."
Now this comment fazed him. Kenshin blinked and stopped walking, staring at Misao, who walked a couple of steps before stopping and turning to smirk at him.
"You are, aren't you?"
Kenshin sighed and walked towards her, then past her, silent. Misao's eyes followed him, and finally she ran to catch up to him.
"Tell me what's going on!"
"I got a letter."
Misao blinked, then grinned.
"Now we're getting somewhere!"
Kenshin was silent again, and Misao stomped her foot.
"C'mon, Himura!"
Kenshin looked over at her, his eyes sad. She went silent-those eyes scared her. The two walked in silence for a bit.
"You didn't want Kaoru to get hurt."
Misao locked eyes with Kenshin when he looked over. Misao's eyes were determined; Kenshin's eyes were still sad and blue... And Misao knew. They both knew.
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Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.
*
*
*
Battousai no Kokoro
*
*
*
~01~
*
*
*
The rain fell steadily onto the dojo. A solitary figure stood along in the dark night. She was wearing robes that were dark tan in their soaked condition. Her hair was heavy and dripping. Her eyes were sad and longing as she stared out into the surrounding darkness. She clutched a wooden training sword to her chest. Five minutes passed, ten, fifteen, and she stood without moving. Her lips parted and she said on word, her voice coming out in a whisper.
"Kenshin..."
"Kaoru Kamiya!"
Kaoru blinked out of her gloomy trance at the sound of her name. She turned to see Megumi in the doorway, dry, and elegant as ever, frowning at her.
"What are you doing out in this rain?"
"I'm sorry, Megumi. I was just... thinking..."
"Moping's more like it. Now come in here, you're going to catch cold!"
Kaoru nodded, and with one last glance out into the night, she went inside. She stood awkwardly as Megumi toweled her off and squeezed some of the water out of her hair.
Yahiko and Sanosuke were sitting in the corner. Piles of coins sat beside Yahiko, who wore a grin. Sanosuke grabbed the two dice and shook them, then chucked them into the wooden bowl that sat between the two. Yahiko burst out laughing again at the result and Sano handed over more coins from the feeble amount that lay beside him. When the two noticed Kaoru, they froze, watching her. Yahiko's grin faded, and Sano's expression hardened.
"Kaoru, you can't keep this up. It's been a month since Kenshin left."
Yahiko stood up, nodding at Sano's words.
"And you've been waiting outside every night since then for him to come back!"
Kaoru looked at her feet and mumbled something that sounded like and apology. Megumi smiled at her.
"He'll come back for you, Kaoru. He loves you."
Kaoru looked up and managed a smile.
"Thanks, Megumi."
Kaoru brushed past the doctor and headed back to her room, still dripping slightly. The other three watched until she shut the door behind her. Sano sighed and Yahiko sat back down and grabbed his ankles in thought. Megumi looked up at the ceiling.
"Kenshin... why have you done this to us...?"
*~
It had started a couple months ago. Everything was going just the same as always, with all the evils dying down. Kenshin was his cheerful self and everyone was happy. Ten one day a letter came for Kenshin. No one but him knew what the letter was about. For the rest of the month, Kenshin acted normal around everyone. But when he thought he was alone, he would sit and stare at nothing, lost in thought and apparently worried by something. Kaoru knew that he was troubled, but when she approached him about it, he always responded with, "You don't have to worry about me, that you don't," and change the subject. One night, about a month ago, Kaoru awoke to a noise outside. She ran out, and saw Kenshin standing there. It was raining, and Kenshin was soaked.
"Kenshin...?"
Kenshin turned at the sound of Kaoru's voice and smiled.
"You shouldn't be out in the rain like this, Miss Kaoru. You'll catch a cold, that you will."
Kaoru walked up to him.
"What are you doing out here?"
Kenshin's expression hardened for a second, then his warm smile returned.
"You should go back inside, Miss Kaoru."
"Not until you tell me what's going on."
Kenshin was still smiling, trying to comfort her without words.
"I need to leave for a bit, that I do."
Kaoru's eyes widened a bit, and Kenshin continued.
"I won't be long, Miss Kaoru. There's something I need to take care of. You should get back inside so you don't catch cold, that you should."
Silence fell except for the pitter-patter of the raindrops on the dojo roof and the dirt under their feet. Kaoru looked down at her bare feet. She felt Kenshin's gaze watching her. She lifted her right hand slowly and grabbed the front of Kenshin's robes. Kenshin blinked.
"Miss Kaoru?"
"Don't leave me again."
Kaoru looked up at Kenshin, her eyes much like the clouds above that were pouring out rain.
"Please don't leave me again, Kenshin."
Kenshin's expression softened as he looked down at the young girl. He put his left hand over hers and smiled. With his other hand he pulled her into a lose embrace.
"You don't have to worry about me, that you don't."
His left hand closed around her right, and she let go of his robes. He took a step away from her, with the same smile. His left hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his right on Kaoru's shoulder. He took another step away, then turned around and took another step, then another, then another, in a steady pace. Kaoru watched with crying eyes Kenshin as he slowly disappeared into the darkness...
~*
Now, as Kaoru sat on the floor next to the mat she called a bed, Kenshin's words rang in her head.
"You don't have to worry about me, that you don't."
Kaoru sighed. One long month. And he still hadn't returned. What was taking the wandering samurai so long...?
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*
Somewhere near Kyoto, a lone figure was walking along the dirt roads, passing trees spread out widely between two towns. He stopped and looked up at the sky, his blue eyes sparkling from the light. After about half a minute, he shook his head, his red hair falling into his face, and continued walking.
"Kenshin...? Kenshin Himura...?"
The voice was familiar. Kenshin stopped and put a smile on his face, then turned to face the owner of the voice.
"Hello Misao."
Misao had her hands on her hips.
"What the hell are you doing way out here?"
Kenshin blinked. Misao was quick; she was standing in front of him, glaring up at him, in the blink of an eye.
"And where's Kaoru?"
Kenshin sighed, and turned.
"Shall we walk?"
Misao frowned, but fell into step beside him anyway.
"What's going on, Himura?"
Kenshin was walking with his left hand on the hilt of his reverse-blade sword. He tended to walk like that when something was bothering him. It's not like Misao knew this, though. He shrugged nonchalantly.
"Just thought I'd go for a stroll."
"A stroll my foot."
Kenshin focused ahead, not fazed by this comment.
"You sure have gotten nosy, Misao."
Misao stuck out her tongue and put her hands behind her head as she walked.
"You're worried about Kaoru."
Now this comment fazed him. Kenshin blinked and stopped walking, staring at Misao, who walked a couple of steps before stopping and turning to smirk at him.
"You are, aren't you?"
Kenshin sighed and walked towards her, then past her, silent. Misao's eyes followed him, and finally she ran to catch up to him.
"Tell me what's going on!"
"I got a letter."
Misao blinked, then grinned.
"Now we're getting somewhere!"
Kenshin was silent again, and Misao stomped her foot.
"C'mon, Himura!"
Kenshin looked over at her, his eyes sad. She went silent-those eyes scared her. The two walked in silence for a bit.
"You didn't want Kaoru to get hurt."
Misao locked eyes with Kenshin when he looked over. Misao's eyes were determined; Kenshin's eyes were still sad and blue... And Misao knew. They both knew.
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