Finally completed


Few days later

.

.

.

Yahiko swung his shinai in a downward slash... again... for the ten... thousandth time. He glared secretly towards his freakin master the Busu herself. Visualizing each swing struck her; he smiled with an evil sneer for a second.

Kaoru absently looked in his direction. She noticed little of reality as she pondered. All her thoughts seemed to wallow in the murky waters of a corrosive pool of self-doubt.

"One more time ... mind your grip ..." She routinely sighed, her hands demonstrating the proper form with her hands.

"BUSU! That's what I've been doin! Freakin check your eyes!" Yahiko fumed, throwing down his shinai. His small form quivered in anger, his face burned a bright crimson.

Sanosuke and Kenshin watched from across the courtyard, frozen in midst their everyday routine: Kenshin washing the laundry and Sano complaining about the day before. The rotten fish bone Sano chewed teetered silently in his gapping mouth. Both awaited the upcoming verbal joust.

"One more time..." Kaoru sighed again, her mind numb and eyes lifeless. She gracefully waved her right hand motioning for Yahiko to repeat.

Her entire mind was a dark void. Memories flashed before her; she was a completely senseless to the world.

Does Kenshin understand that I am not a burden…that I am a completely independent person… that I am not some damsel in distress… that I am an asset to the Kenshin-gumi… that I am not weak …

Yahiko froze, he turned around his brown eyes wide in confusion. He rustled his spiky brown hair and sighed. His lower lip trembled slightly; it went unnoticed by himself but not Kenshin.

"What?" Yahiko breathlessly gasped.

Kaoru blinked, her head turned awkwardly toward Yahiko. She tried to manage a smile on her face; somehow, its brilliance seemed obscured. But, nonetheless, it had a somber beautiful undertone.

Kenshin crouched dazzled by her, her ki pulled him in to her. Deep within he could sense something amiss, the Battosai recognized it, but the wanderer was too enthralled to notice. Kenshin jolted himself out of his trance, began the scrubbing again.

Kaoru slowly drawled, "Yahiko, please do as your instructed."

"Busu!" Yahiko screamed and grabbed onto her left wrist. "BU-."

Kaoru snapped back into reality, blood raced back to her pallid cheeks. "Clean the dojo and then you can rest for the afternoon... Now! Yahiko-chan!" She twirled away and stormed off. Raven locks framed her face and swayed behind her in her usual ponytail.

She ran, her footfalls echoed, quickly she rounded the corners. Throwing open her door, she flung it sideways; quickly she slammed it closed after her. Kaoru's chest heaved; she fell to the floor. Air seemed thicker than water; she shuddered gasping.

Sanosuke deeply chuckled, he shook his head. Shouting loudly he announced, "Jou-chan, what a little spitfire!" Clearing his throat, "Yahiko, you better do it or she'll get ya!" He patted Kenshin on the back and decided to leave for town. "See ya later." He walked out the wind billowed his white jacket.

"Damn free loader." Yahiko muttered as he gathered the cleaning material.

Kenshin silently chucked, he then continued the rhythmic motions of the wash.

Kaoru's hands shook while she tried to force her hands into fists. "Focus, I need to focus!" She growled.

Scrubbing the floor, Yahiko mumbled. He shot glances down the hall toward Kaoru's room. His breathing seemed to slowly catch in throat. The trembled slightly though he did not realize it was from his hands.

Kenshin rinsed and wrung out the last item of clothing, it was Kaoru's training gi. It was worn, dirty, stained, and beautiful... at least to him. Lifting it above his head, he put the sleeves through the pole that the rest of the laundry resided. His eyes caught the peculiar stillness in Yahiko's form.

"Yahiko, are you all right?" Kenshin asked from across the courtyard. Violet eyes focused on the young boy.

"Yea, Kenshin." Yahiko responded with a smile. "Why wouldn't I be?" He laughed and restarted his task.

Kaoru stood in the middle of her room. Trying to calm herself, she repeated her kata with her comb. She twirled around her room, joy rushed into her system. Laughter leaked through her parted lips . The smooth footwork echoed with the constant sliding of her tabi socks against the tatami floor. She remembered her father's teaching as she danced her kenjustu. In her excitement she collapsed on the floor. Hair spread wildly around her flushed face. Her heart echoed like a taiko drum.

"If only life was a simple as a kata." She grumbled.

Kaoru started stretching her lithe body out. She stood up then leaned back till she heard it her back crack into place. Deciding to lean further, and further, her body complained slightly but with ease she finally managed to touch the ground in a back bend. Kaoru pushed herself back up and smiled. She shrugged out of her top freeing her arms and tried again. This time she pushed her weight on her hands till she was in a handstand. After a couple of seconds, she returned her weight back to her feet. She laughed again and continued to exercise to keep the morbid thoughts at bay.

Kenshin finished the laundry; he wiped his pruned hands against his pant legs. He smiled his classic smile that sent a happy aura around him as he heard Yahiko. Confusion plagued his mind to why the pair was acting so very queer. He put his calloused hand upon the youth's shoulder, startling Yahiko.

"Nada!" Yahiko screeched as he jumped into the air. He landed with a thump that sent the bucket of dirty water all over him and Kenshin. Their locks hung limply and a frown marred both their faces.

Yahiko scowled. Standing up, he shook himself trying to dry himself off a bit. Kenshin laughed loudly.

"Are you part dog Yahiko?" Kenshin remarked.

"I hope you know this means I am not helping you get the o-furo ready tonight." Yahiko stated as he waddled off angrily.

Kenshin smiled and made his way to the kitchen. Once there he grabbed a teakettle and the container with ground green tea leaves. Additionally he looked over the food he had in stock and gathered some vegetables, a small amount of the leftover seafood, as well miso stock paste. Carefully, he balanced everything in his arms. Once outside he set everything down by the fire pit. He reached over to the bucket of water that stood next to the pit. He ladled some into the kettle and a pot that already hung above the burnt out fire.

Yahiko noticing the amount of food Kenshin had came by and squatted next to him. "Dotenabe, right?"

"That would be what this one is making for our dinner." Kenshin answered with a charming smile before he asked, "Would you get some firewood and flint for this one please?"

Yahiko sighed and scurried off to accomplish his task begrudgingly. He returned shortly and threw the logs on into the pit. Yahiko chucked the flint at Kenshin, who caught it with ease.

Striking the flint with a small knife, the sparks flew down onto dry logs and the left over tinder. Leaning down Kenshin blew on the tiny flames till they began a roaring fire. The water in the kettle and pot where soon boiling.

Yahiko and Kenshin sat in silence as Kenshin lazily fanned the fire. When water bas hot enough Kenshin threw the food into the pot and placed on the lid.

" I am going to make some ocha would you like some Yahiko?" Kenshin politely inquired.

"Iie, but I am sure Busu would like some." Yahiko groaned grabbing the fan to cool himself down.

Kenshin retrieved to small tea set and returned to the fire. Quickly he poured the water from the kettle into the teapot. He then scoop a bit of the ground green tea leaves into each of the cups. He waited a bit and poured water into the cups. He left one of the cups with complaining Yahiko and went to Kaoru's room.

Kenshin kneeled down and knocked on the one of the panels of the shouji doors. "Kaoru-dono this one has some ocha for you."

"I am coming." Kaoru answered breathlessly. She ran to the door and flung it open.

Meanwhile, Kenshin had been getting up from the floor and was greeted with an eyeful of her bound chest. Kenshin still bent over started at the slightly damp bindings and the flushed skin that surrounded it.

"Kenshin Where is the tea?" Kaoru exclaimed with the adrenaline still rushing through her.

"Anno … " Kenshin tried to speak but his mouth was suddenly dry and he felt the urge to crush Kaoru against himself.

Kaoru noted Kenshin's strange behavior as she came off her adrenaline high. She looked down, she finally realized her state of undress and proceeded to slap Kenshin and slam the door shut.

"Oro …" Kenshin moan as he felt a knot form on his head as darkness over took his senses.

Kaoru rushed to but her top back on she hurriedly tuck it into her hamaka. She tried to compose herself, went to the door and slowly slid it open. "So how about that tea, eh?" Kaoru meekly asked.

She looked down and saw the untouched tea and the passed out Kenshin. "Kuso, now I have to deal with Megumi today." She had to fight to keep her eyes off of his peaceful face. Kaoru locked her arms from under his arms to behind his neck and proceed to drag Kenshin to where Yahiko lay napping.

"Hey, wake up!" Kaoru commanded with a sharp kick to Yahiko's side. Yahiko groaned awake and rolled over to see the passed out Kenshin.

"I get it, 'Yahiko go get Megumi'." Yahiko squealed in a girlish tone as he pushed his nose up to look like a pig.

Kaoru began to quake with anger and Yahiko scrambled off before she could land another blow. She went back to her room, she entered while giving a side long glance to still untouched tea. Kaoru began to rummage around looking for gauze when her fingers caught on a loose mat. She peeled it back to reveal a medium-sized trapdoor.

"Nani?" Kaoru uttered as she lifted it up.

Dust flew around, Kaoru waved her hand around as she coughed. The door fell back with a soft thud. Inside she noticed a chest. She lifted it up from the hole. Kaoru inspected the outside of the chest there was little decipherable other than the her family name of Kamiya on the lid. Slowly it creaked open.

"Naze?" She uttered as she lifted a damaged bell shaped skirt.

It was of European fashion but it was made out of a dark navy silk so dark it shined black. Her fingers danced along the smooth fabric and the holes that dotted the skirt. Kaoru placed it on the floor next to her. He eyes were met with a worn Noh mask that had lost all of its paint and a black corset with a silver design of roses. She picked up both and saw an aged photo of her father standing next to an English woman. Kaoru hands dropped the other objects and clutched onto the photograph. Tears welled in her sapphire eyes.

"Otousan..." She cried. She looked at the face of her beloved father so much younger than she had ever seen. "Who is she?" She pondered.

Kaoru flipped the photograph over and read "From your beloved wife. So we can always remember our wedding."

Kaoru gasped and the photo slipped from her fingers into the hole. "Iie!" She yelped.

She lean forward and fell into the hole. Once inside she notice that on one side it continued on and she could see a speck of light in the distance and feel a breeze.

Kaoru followed the light to where it might lead…


Ya I made Kaoru mom not Japanese but genetically I wanted it more realistic why she would have blue eyes. Therefore, Kaoru received random recessive allele on her dad side and her mom had blue eyes too. I am going to try to write more while I have free time in Japan. So thankies for reading this if you did ^w^

ありがとう

またね