Summary: Kaoru finds out where Kenshin goes to practise his fighting forms and decides to stay and watch, learning something she never knew about the eternally strong rurouni.
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or its characters (Boohoo I love them though!)
Dusk had fallen at the Kamiya dojo and Kaoru smiled peacefully watching the huge bright koi that flickered under the surface of the large pond, their backs making the water ripple and shine with the different colours of their scales. It was starting to get too dark for Kaoru and sighing she got to her feet, dusted off her light blue kimono and starting the walk up to the house. The dark didn't bother Kaoru but she had learnt that Kenshin would worry if one of his friends wasn't back in the house by nightfall. Smiling Kaoru stopped when she heard Yahiko and Sano shouting at each other and couldn't help but sigh again, her house was been taken over by pesky freeloaders slowly but surely the dojo was turning into a hotel for freeloaders. Kaoru shook her head amused before freezing slightly. At the sound footsteps a suspicious Kaoru ducked into the shadows and looked out. A small figure made its way soundlessly down the small dojo path and moved towards the shady woods which seemed to beckon to the small figure. Kaoru narrowed her eyes and saw a flash of red disappear into the trees and she blinked surprised. What was Kenshin doing in the woods at this time, the rurouni had gathered wood earlier and anyway he was supposed to be making sure Sano wasn't destroying anything with his normal accomplice. Kaoru fumed silently for a second before quietly making her way after him looking down brows furrowed as she saw a small trail made through the bushes. Hesitantly the assistant master started to follow it only becoming sure this was Kenshin's trail when she saw a long red hair entwined in the bushes where he had got caught or had got distracted by something or other.
It started to rain lightly as it got lighter up ahead, something was breaking through the thick canopy of trees that filled some of the Kamiya Kasshin Dojo's land. Kaoru paused and squatted in the bushes hiding from the paths line of view and hidden from the clearing ahead. It was a small circular clearing with a singular stump in the middle of it. The figure of her friend stood to one side letting the rain soak him as he drew his sword and thrust it into the ground, leaving himself unarmed for the first time Kaoru could remember since they had returned from Kyoto. Slowly he started some forms that left Kaoru breathless, he flipped over the clearing and swung himself around ducking an invisible sword before leaping forward and landing on the vertical trunk of the tree for a split second. Tensing strong muscles he pushed off and spun slightly, hair flying out behind him like a wreath of flame. Kaoru sat and watched realising Kenshin was kidding himself to say he was a wanderer, no wanderer could share his skills and the way he handles himself with quiet pride, ready to be put in the way of danger for his friends. The lilac gi fluttered behind him the loose sleeves like wings as Kenshin took flight moving faster and faster eyes closed as he flipped and spun not battling his enemies but avoiding them even in practise. Lean muscles contorted to shapes Kaoru watched in awe as he flowed like water across the clearing never making a sound on the hard dirt beneath him. Dust flew up as he landed covering his lower half in a tornado of earth before he suddenly stopped, opened his violet eyes and looked up at the rain falling with heavier droplets soaking Kenshin through as he patted the dirt from his white bottoms sending up a plume of dust. He picked something up from the tree stump and stared at it sadly his eyes twin violet pools filled with an old grief. The thing in his hand flashed gold and she smiled softly in the bushes, it was a thin gold band. Kenshin raised his eyes to the pouring heavens and to Kaoru's surprise began to sing, his voice velvet soft and melodic but held the same ancient grief. Kaoru closed her dark blue eyes and let the song wash over him.
"If tears could build a stairway and memories were a lane,I would walk to you in Heaven, to be with you time for farewells my sweetheart, there was no time to say good-byeYou were gone before I knew it, and only I will ever know whyMy heart always aches in sadness, and in secret my tears flowI never meant to lose you, my Tomoe I'll never let go." Kenshin stopped and Kaoru looked at him, eyes were shadowed by his long bangs as rain trickled down his face like tears, one pale hand stroked one line of his scar before he finally stood and left the clearing replacing the ring.
"Goodbye again my sweet Tomoe, I'll be back tomorrow this one promises." he whispered softly his voice seemed slightly hoarse as he passed Kaoru. The girl sat frozen in the bushes and down her cheek a long tear trailed her cheek as she started to realise how much Kenshin had really lost in the revolution and how Kenshin dealt with it. The silly antics were his façade hiding his pain and slowly Kaoru put her face in her hands and sobbed for her friend. Kenshin wasn't eternally strong not anymore that's why he was the rurouni.
XD ok guys I'm done this just come to me one day =D please review.
I've not watched the whole series of Rurouni Kenshin yet so don't really know if Kaoru knows about Tomoe or not, I set this right after the Shishio stuff in Kyoto seen as that's where I'm up to. Review if you want but be kind T.T this is my first fiction.