The Beginning

My life story always had some sort of turmoil in it. From the death of my mother then father, to almost losing my home to the person I loved leaving me, almost twice. But the story I'm about to tell you is something I never would have thought I would have to face. And through most of this plight, I would be alone. The night I died would be the most life changing experience ever. The obituary would have read about a loving dojo caretaker, a forgiving friend and strict sensei. But there would be no obituary. For the night I died I was reborn into a stronger being. With whole new freedom no one could ever have imagined. But let's not start off at my death. First, we look back a few days before hand at my old life.

The light bounced of the hair of a dark-haired, pony tailed woman as she stormed out of the new dojo across town from her own. Kaoru had come all the way from her own dojo to try and make friends with the newest Dojo master. But instead of treating her with respect as a kendo master, that spat at her. They insulted her family's honor and her own confidence then to end it off, kicked her out of their dojo. She would have dealt with it in a calm and fashionable manner if she had been kicked out for any other reason. But to insult her practice just because she was a woman infuriated her. They had even the nerve to break her wooden sword. But she hadn't fought back. How could she, she was surrounded by at least ten armed men. If she knew their kind, she knew that they wouldn't have held back just because she was a woman. She walked past the Akabeko without saying hello to Tae and Tsubame like she usually did. She walked into the open market place and looked around. Her confidence had been somewhat put to the boot. She suddenly felt intimidated by the crowds of people that hovered about here and there. She turn around and was about to walk down the path by the river when she heard her name being called.

"Kaoru-dono?" She turned around and smiled when she saw a red haired man walking up to her. He was carrying a bucket of tofu and another bucket of rice. She blushed a tiny bit as he smiled back at her. She lifted the rice bucket from one of his hands to help him out. "What are you doing in the market place? You usually send me to do this chore, that you do."

"Aww Kenshin, you don't have to worry about me. I had planned to visit the new dojo in town but…" She paused in uncertainty. She argued with herself whether she should tell him or not. He would probably get pretty mad if he knew what they had done to her. Ever since the Enishi incident he had become almost overly protective of her and the dojo.

"But what, Kaoru-dono?"

"But I decided not to. You know that I've been getting a lot more students coming in and out now. I decided to leave this new place alone. They probably would get aggravated with strangers coming to their dojo everyday." She smiled at her well told lie and began walking back to the dojo. Kenshin looked at her from behind with uncertainty before catching up to the side of her. She usually wouldn't care what other people would think but he guessed it was her affair what she did with her sword fighting career. Kenshin walked ahead and opened the dojo gates when they had returned. One minute they had walked in together, the next Megumi was there taking the tofu from Kenshin, or ken-san as she called him. Kaoru took a deep breath in to yell at her but reconsidered and kept walking, ignoring the two flirting. The two watched her walk away in amazement.

"That's odd. Tanuki usual gets so mad at us for doing this." Megumi gave a hearty laugh with her mouth covered. "She's finally realizing that she has no chance at beating me. She's giving up the battle, leaving handsome sir ken to me.

"Megumi-san there is nothing to battle over. My feelings for you are not mutual. You're just a friend." He took Megumi's hands from around his neck and took the tofu back from her.

"Oh I know sir ken. I'm only giving the tanuki girl a bit of healthy competition."

"Well maybe you need to calm down a bit. It must get tiring for kaoru-dono to have to see that everyday." Megumi raised her eyebrow as she watched Kenshin walk toward the kitchen and Kaoru. She sighed and shook her head. She turned when she heard a slight mewing sound coming from behind. She noticed a glimpse of the new stray cat before it disappeared. She looked back towards the kitchen.

"When will you two get some courage and confess already."

"Kaoru-dono…"Kenshin walked into the kitchen and was immediately worried again. Kaoru was sitting on a bucket, her knees tucked up tight against her body her head between her arms. Her body shook a little, indicating that she was trying to suppress her tears. Kenshin looked down to the ground as he put the tofu on the counter then came beside her. "Kaoru-dono, you know that what Megumi does to me I shrug away with no thought. This one doesn't like her. Megumi does this to get you flustered." Kaoru gave a little hiccup and looked up at Kenshin with puffy eyes. "And by the looks of it, it worked pretty well don't you think."

"I'm fine Kenshin, really. I just stubbed my toe when I came in her all mad, that's all." She stood up and brushed off her lap. Kenshin sighed and stood up with her. They started preparing the rice and tofu for that night's dinner. She put the rice in with water and got the fir underneath to a good size. Later in the day, Kaoru had gone to the dojo and Kenshin went out to the garden to pick the vegetables. He looked up from pulling to see her and Yahiko giving full thrusts into the open air. He stopped what he was doing to gaze at the sight. Her black hair moved with the wind but also her body as she thrusted into the air again and again.

"That's not right Yahiko!" She swung down, hitting her apprentice over the head. He growled and just swung his shinai harder. She took a deep breath, turning around while wiping the sweat off her face with a towel around her neck. She looked up to find Kenshin's hands completely tranquil while his eyes and other senses were focused only on her. He realized this one minute to late and flustered as he went back to doing laundry. She blushed a deep red and looked down at her feet shyly. She turned around and whacked Yahiko over the head again, without a reason this time around.

"Hey Kaoru! What was that for?!" He turned his head sharply around to stare at the vacant expression of his sensei's face. He gave her a weird look before waving his hand in her face. He noticed didn't notice strange looking cat that she was staring at. "Hey are you even paying attention to me?"

"Uh uh…"She shook her head no, again not really paying attention to him. The cat sitting by the door had her full attention. Kenshin looked up from doing laundry to see what was going on but by then the cat had vanished, leaving a silent Kaoru staring out the door.

"Kaoru-dono, are you ok?" She snapped out of her stupor by his voice. She turned around and gave a feeble smile at him before turning back around to Yahiko. She glanced up at the door before shaking her head with frustration and walked backed to the dojo hall to put up her bokken. "Kaoru-dono, would you like me to fix her bath for you?"

"Ahh…hai. That sounds wonderful Kenshin. Thanks." She walked off to her room after putting her bokken away. Kenshin watched as she turned around the corner then finished his article of clothing. He got up and brushed the suds away from his hakama then turned to Yahiko.

"Yahiko, could you hang the clothes for me? This one has to go start kaoru-dono's bath." He walked off toward the bathroom, leaving Yahiko cursing about his swing practice. Kenshin got some of the wood he chopped yesterday and threw it into the fire pit. After starting the fire, he looked up at the evening sky. "This one hopes Sano doesn't come back tonight."

Not only had Sano come back that night, he had also brought his friends. Kaoru tossed in her futon, her pillow trying to block out the sound. After a few more minutes of no sleep, she threw back the covers and stumbled out the futon and went threw the shoji doors. She snuck past the door of her obnoxious student; his snores could barely be heard of the boisterous friends of Sano. She heard Kenshin grumbling behind his doors and knew that he probably couldn't hear her. She finally got to the dojo hall and peers around the corner to find Sano and his friends drinking even more sake. She got up her nerve before sliding the door back a bit more and showing herself to the men.

"Eh…Jou-chan? Come have a drink with us!!" Sano held up his Sake cup and laughed at the bewildered expression of Kaoru. His other friends looked Kaoru over before snickering to each other and pointing to certain parts. She kicked at something imaginary at the ground before coming forward a bit more.

"Sano…?" She tried to get his attention but he went back to his sake and friends. "Sano…I thought maybe you could just…be a little bit quieter…"

"Ah come on woman. You just need to get a life. Why would you want to sleep for when you could be with us?" His friend stumbled over to her and put his arm around her shoulder. She tried to push his arm off but, in his drunken state of mind, he forced her even more. "Come on, you stupid wench. We'll give you a good time tonight."

"Oi…stop it. Sano, tell your friend to get off." She pushed the guys head away from hers so she could breathe freely. Sano didn't move though and she became even more aggravated at them. When she felt his hand go someplace it really shouldn't have, she let out a screech. She heard some one run behind her.

"Please let kaoru-dono go." Both she and the drunken friend turn their heads towards Kenshin's voice. He stood there with his yakuta half open and his red hair spilling over his shoulders. The guy let her go with a ruff grunt. She hurried over to Kenshin and felt his hands on her shoulders as she passed him. "Don't worry. I'll talk to them, you go back to sleep."

"Thanks Kenshin." She left the room as Kenshin slid the shoji doors behind her. She stood behind the door as Kenshin started to talk to the men. After a few minutes she left them to go back to her room. Yahiko apparently had heard the noise and had come out to the porch.

"What's going on? Did Sano come again tonight?" She nodded. Yahiko sighed and went back into his room, closing the doors behind him. She went back to her room as well and got back into her futon. She fixed the blankets around her and was about to lay back down when she heard a small tap at her door. "W-who is it?"

"It's this one, Kaoru-dono. May I come in?" She light out a meek yes and he slid the door open and closed it a bit behind him. He went over to her to check up. "Are you ok? They didn't do anything did they?"

"No. They didn't do anything too bad. The guy just got too close and I let out a small yelp. I'm sorry if I woke you up Kenshin." He smiled without worries. She didn't tell him about the whole grouping deal with him. That would just make him mad and it would never end.

"This one couldn't sleep because of the noise. But they said they would quiet down." Kenshin looked at the door and whispered to her before he left. "And I made Sano promise not to bring his friends along next time."

"Thanks again Kenshin. People just don't seem to listen to women these days. Especially if those certain people are drunk." Kenshin smiled before going back out to the porch and closing the door behind her. She continued smiling until she knew he couldn't see her anymore then laid back down. She flipped over to her side and thought about the day's events before falling into a peaceful slumber.