Chapter One: Recalling

In the mist of a foggy morning, loud cracking noises were being generated from the Kamiya dojo. A woman, isolated from the further parts of the city, was practicing her family kendo style in the fighting hall. Sweat seeped from her pores making her hair and clothes wet. This was the perfect opportunity to work out everything she had past been thinking. All of her emotions were centered on that one red-haired Kenshin. He had walked away from her and left her all alone …just turned and walked away.

"I'm sorry Ms. Kaoru…I fooled myself into thinking I loved you. In actuality ... I love another. Please don't take this personally, but I think if you don't see me again we both will avoid any awkwardness…"

"…but Kenshin! You kissed me! You told me you loved me and no one else…"

"I know… and I'm sorry…"

With that he hugged her tightly, hesitant on letting go in case the fragile girl turned to stone or even beat him with the most intense of furies. He turned, only uttering the words "good-bye" in her ear. Tears welled in her eyes and fell without the help of the lid pushing them out. The worst day of her life had just happened…what else was there for her now?

She took some steps back to the wall and slid to the hardwood floor, with her knees to her chest, and sobbed. This wasn't happening. It was merely a dream, she thought. But in fact It was real. He did this horrible thing to her and left. She had never felt so alone. He was the only one left. Yahiko moved to another town with Tsubame, and Sano hadn't said so much as a "hello" to her for weeks.

Her heart throbbed with the intensity of a pounding hammer. Breathing became harder as she focused on the pain, trying to make it cease. Crying didn't help her in any way; but that reaction could not be helped. She was broken. Thrown to the floor for someone else to pick up. A weeping mess no one wanted to clean.

But now she was passed crying. Or so she thought. All of her bodice was so soaked in sweat and she couldn't feel her limbs anymore. Nonetheless she knew she had to continue or risk thinking about her pitiful suffering.

Kaoru stepped out of the steaming bathhouse and commuted to the dreaded kitchen. She knew she had to feed herself, but even if she could make herself something descent, there was nothing to cook. This meant the gossipy public had to be visited. She pulled together whatever kimono presented itself first, grabbed what money she had, and stepped out onto the dirt road.

Kaoru avoided the normal salesman that "they" usually bought from. The lady down the street was just as good, right? The seemingly-cheery Kaoru only bought what she could carry. Her arms still felt like they weren't even there thanks to this morning's practice. Despite that, she continued to keep to herself and carry the heavy load back to her dojo. She walked slowly down the same back street. The mass of the food added to the emotional weight that was subconsciously arising.

It was a nice day, she had to admit; but in her mind it was not so. Bridges that connected her to new worlds were crumbled and lost. The atmosphere for her was a dark gray and the sun only came when necessary. Just to hide her discoloration.

On the other hand, she was surprisingly more aware of her surroundings now that she had nothing to focus on in her own life. Swordsmanship was falling in numbers, the love of her life left her, and she was alone in her own household. Alone until the last of her days when, only then, she would be reunited with her parents. Those were the only people she had now… and they were dead.

In the near distance Kaoru heard suspicious footsteps coming from behind her and getting increasingly louder. Kaoru stopped, annoyed with the idea of a robber coming to steal her goods at a time like this.

"Listen…" she said in the calmest tone she could manage, "I am not in the mood to be stolen from today. Go and do it to someone else who has more and has someone to go home to," she turned to face the robber, "and to cry to.…just.." tears began to fall from her face and onto the ground.

"I'm not here to rob you if that's what you're crying about," the silver-haired man said with a raised and confused eyebrow.

"oh…" Kaoru replied embarrassed and quickly wiping her tears. "Well then you can help me carry this since you seem like you're not preoccupied with anything. Don't worry I'll pay you."

Without a reply she shoved the hefty load of food into his steel-looking arms. Although she wanted to look at the uncommon size of his biceps, she turned around and began to lead him to the dojo. The man stood there stunned for a moment.

"I did not come here for this!" the man said fiercely and threw the packages to the ground. "You are to come with me! You are battousai's woman are you not?"

Her eyes grew, "Kenshin?..."

"Ah, so you do know him. I was going to make you sleep for our trip but if you would just come along quietly I think you would very much enjoy the scenery-," he stopped, seeing her eyes and her trembling bottom lip.

"Kenshin…isn't here anymore… he's gone!" she shouted before running off.

Kaoru ran to the back corner of her room and fell tripping over her own foot. Sobbing and screaming, she began to bang on the floor with all her frail arms' strength. When they gave out she could only weep. Sinking even lower to the floor, the tears began to retract and sting their own creators. Look what he had done to her. At the very mentioning of his name she turned into a puddle of water; the ripples furiously trying to escape but are trapped in the little containment the puddle has so cruelly supplied.

A warm hand was suddenly felt on her left shoulder, "Ms. Kaoru..."

A wave of shock was sent through her body and she quickly sat up, "Kenshin?!"

"Kaoru…" he gently wiped the tears from her face, "you shouldn't be crying." Kenshin pulled her into him and she inhaled. She could always remember his scent perfectly no matter how long he was away. The "Kenshin scent" she called it.

"I missed you…" she whispered peeking up at him.

"I missed you too, my love…" Kenshin said tilting Kaoru's chin up to his so he could take her lips in his and show her just how much he had missed her.

Each pair of lips parted and shared each other's sweet fire. Everything at that moment was perfect. Their mouths were made for each other, and their hands were made for each other; Each and every part of them was carefully crafted for love of one another. Their souls invisibly intertwined while the bodies held together in a heap on the floor, moving only to continue the pleasure the warmth gave them. Both of the lovers moaned in ecstasy of each other, fueling the great conflagration even more.

But then a moan, not of pleasure, escaped Kaoru's mouth, and she woke up…