A/N: Bwahahahahaha. Err. Well. I'm twisting the timeline to fit the story and keeping most of the events and stuff as vague as I can. So ignore all my out of order discrepancies and stuff. It also turned out that Kenshin was actually not an assassin when he first arrived in Kyoto, but a recruit for a year. Which is, to tell the truth, relatively convenient for me, so don't mind the small edits.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin aside from a few volumes. Oh, how I wish I could...Then maybe I could do something to raise the fandom's popularity so I can have more people to bounce ideas off of instead of getting weird 'what are you talking about' looks.

Chapter III

.

The trip to Kyouto was relatively uneventful - if one could call the interaction between Kaoru and Enishi such. Tomoe smiled as she schooled her face to hide her mirth as she watched the two boys interact. The young swordsman - for since he had no lord nor was taught in any matter of the way of the bushido, he was not a samurai - and her younger brother were once again arguing. From the eyes of an outsider, one could have assumed that the two were old friends from their bickering.

"Why the heck is your blade in such a sorry state? Don't you even know how to respect good steel?" At the sight of the young Yukishiro examining her katana, Kaoru snatched it back with a glare, holding the sword high above her, blue eyes narrowed at the offending youngster. Enishi glared back with equal force, huffing irritably at the treatment of the katana.

"It's not in a sorry state at all. She was made like this." It was true. The katana she had on her and the katana wrapped in her pack were sisters of the same smith. She had spent most of her life and training with the one with a blade, being cut just as many times as days she was alive by the thing. The one she was currently holding out of the brat's reach was younger, barely a month old, and made with the intent to protect and not take life. And because of it, the steel was much stronger than normal blades. However, Enishi's response was simply raising an eyebrow.

"What use is a blade that can't cut?" He said with a dismissive shrug. "Unless it's for show or you're too scared to kill-ACK!" Enishi yelped as he plunged forwards into the cloth in the basket in front of him as the young swordsman delivered a sharp tap to the back of his head with the sheathed blade, making obvious her displeasure at what he was speaking.

"Not everything's about killing. My shishou always told me that the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu was meant for defense rather than offense, under its first principle - hence why I don't kill." 'Well, with less dignity and more like drank-all-the-sake-kegs-that-couldn't-jump-out-of- his-way-fast-enough drunk...Which were noble deaths, I think, if they managed to get something half way decent out of his eternal stupor.'

"Kamiya-san, I agree with. Enishi-" Kaoru looked up at the sound of her just recently chosen surname to see the older woman's head turned slightly at them from her spot in the front. She gave the two young teens a small smile as they listened to her raptly, her dark eyes slightly crinkled. "-I do not think in the slightest that killing should ever be praised. For what use is there to end a life before considering if it can change?"

This seemed to have silenced Enishi quite effectively, who was now diligently studying the floorboards of the cart. The words, though soft and kind, held the same weight as a harsh scolding that Kaoru was glad that it wasn't directed towards her. Yukishiro Tomoe at first glance seemed to be almost a ghost in her saintly presence, yet since Kaoru had first met her, the older woman proved to hold a more solid backbone than any blade forged with the best steel. She easily wielded her tongue with an excellency akin to a master swordsman that could have put her shishou to shame - something Kaoru, who had been subjected to such torture all her life, could only sit and admire.

"What brings you to travel to Kyoto?"

Kaoru hugged her knees as Tomoe questioned her. Looking out to the road ahead, Kaoru spoke, briefly pausing, debating whether to answer the question or avoid it. However, she settled with mostly truth, understanding that it would make her feel guilt should she lie. "I am searching for someone - someone...important to me that has left for Kyoto. We have been together since we were young."

A slight sadness passed through Kaoru's eyes as she spoke, not unnoticed under Tomoe's sharp eyes. Keeping her voice low, Tomoe sought to soothe the young man in front of her whose melancholy tugged at her heart. She understood what it was like to be separated from a loved one, which was stamped so clearly on Kaoru's frame, whether the swordsman knew it or not. "I am sure you will find her, Kamiya-kun. You are welcomed to stay at my family's home in Kyouto, should you wish to."

Tomoe's years of rigorous training was what managed to keep her face schooled as she resisted the urge to chuckle as she watched Kaoru's eyes widen in surprise.

"Oh no! No, the person I'm searching for is a fellow student of my teacher - and, ano, I don't think I should really impose on you and the hospitality you've been showing to me..." Kaoru had turned beet red as she attempted to clear up the misconception, only to realize she had probably made it worse. 'Tomoe-san had thought...oh better not think of that...'

"It is quite alright, Kamiya-san. The house will need help cleaning and repairing and Enishi-chan will need someone to keep him fit for the duration of his stay in Kyouto. So I can't say my offer is completely out of good will."

Kaoru sighed slightly as she crossed her arms, tucking her hands into the sleeves of her gi with her sword cradled in her arms. She found herself wondering again if the woman was completely desensitized to danger. 'Surely children raised in higher class families should have had at least some sort of conditioning to being nice to unknown people. I suppose that I could, well, stay and help.' She mentally thought it out as she leaned back against the edge of the cart. 'I should probably keep an eye on her for her safety.' Not to mention, Kaoru had been so absorbed in finding Kenshin that she hadn't thought much farther into it. She had barely enough money for a meal, let alone a place to lodge.

"Thank you." Kaoru spoke sheepishly. "If possible, I wish to accept, and I will do my best to help."

Kaoru passed the rest of the time in feigned sleep, her senses alert in her quiet mediation, realizing that she really hadn't rested since she left her home in the mountains. The boy had tired himself out with fighting with Kaoru and had taken to napping with his head snuggled in his beloved sister's lap. She had done her best to cover the little information she knew of the outside world from the pestering of Enishi.

It seemed to be hours before the gates to the city of Kyouto raised itself into the faraway horizon, Kaoru feeling it before seeing it as the cart drew closer to the checkpoint. Ahead of them was a small line of travelers and merchants, all intent on entering the city before sunset. It was well know that the country of Japan was at war, and it was tremendously safer to be inside the city than to remain outside where bandits and deserters could easily ambush a small group and kill and/or steal from. A small swell of anticipation grew within her from the pit of her stomach at the thought of finally reaching Kyouto...

'Kenshin's there. I know it. He has to be.' Her hands clenched the fabric of her hakama, hiding the small tremble that went though her body as she attempted to keep her ki under strict control. She had arrived. After a year and a half, she could finally confront Kenshin and from him extract the answers she had been seeking.

'Why did you...' her mind trailed off as she sighed softly, unwilling to finish the question. The cart had passed through the entrance gate and was making its way down a path, directed by Tomoe who was giving the driver instructions. The district they had arrived in was surprisingly affluent compared to the rest of the houses, stands, ins, and such that they had passed earlier. They stopped in front of a high and thickly walled off residence, in which a servant carrying a small lantern to light up the twilight was waiting. At the sight of Tomoe, she bowed, helping her down the cart. Enishi, still drowsy, clambered after as the cart driver busily unloaded the luggage, Kaoru helping.

"Tomoe-san, tea and some refreshments have been prepared."

The servant spoke quietly to Tomoe as she cast a nervous glance at the youth that had come in after them. Omitsu had come from a long line of servants that served the Yukishiro household, choosing to stay even as the household fortunes dwindled. She had watched the two siblings grow up from the day they were born, binding herself to them with a maternal instinct. Tomoe could only smile off the older woman's concern before speaking quietly. "Thank you, Omitsu-san. Your kindness and selflessness is always greatly appreciated. Why don't you sit with us at the table and bring me up to speed on the happenings of Kyouto?"

Omitsu fugitively glanced around, as if fearful of being heard, before leading Tomoe and the still half asleep Enishi to the dining room. In hushed tones, she spoke, "I fear it has only gotten worse. There are rumors of killers walking the streets at night, thirsting for blood. The officials turn a blind eye, while people hide away in fear of being accused of supporting the rebels." Sitting the two down, she quickly busied her hands with a teapot. "People die daily, there is nowhere safe outside the walls of the dwelling. Your father already requested Kiyosato-san to marry you right away, in order to pull him safely out of this madness."

Hearing her beloved's name, Tomoe grew solemn. The young, idealistic Akira had left to join the Tokugawa in order to defend Japan against the foreign invasion and rebels despite her protests. She only hoped that what her father had proposed would be enough to convince him to if not leave the war completely, to resign to a less active role. Tomoe looked up to see worry in Omitsu's eyes, which she quickly responded with a small, but reassuring smile. "I am sure Akira-san would not disagree with this arrangement."

The other woman only nodded, leaving unspoken worries hanging in the air between them as she picked up a cup to sip from. Omitsu felt a slight prickle on the back of her neck, turning to face the gaze of the young man that had come along with her mistress and young master. He looked to be only a few years older than Enishi, but still younger than Tomoe. Yet despite his youthful age there was some some strange quality about the man deep within his eyes that made her shift uncomfortably. Eyes of blue spoke of gajin - of demon. Realizing that Omitsu was staring at her, Kaoru turned her head slightly, hiding the accursed eyes under her bangs self-consciously.

"Omitsu-san, I believe I have yet to introduce you." Tomoe's sharp eyes had noticed the interaction between and spoke quickly to dispel any doubts of Kaoru that Omitsu had, introducing to the old housekeeper the swordsman. "He will be boarding with us until he has found a place to stay in Kyouto. In return he will he helping with the house repairs and helping Enishi keep in shape while he is away from his training back home."

Omitsu bowed politely to Kaoru, still feeling a twinge of unease. Though she understood that Kaoru would not harm them, there was a sense of a barely chained animal that slid under those blue eyes - eyes of demon. Watching as the tea and small candies disappeared quickly, she slid open the shoji door next to her to bring out the evening meal. Omitsu was thankful for her foresight of making more than the usual amount of rice, thinking that Enishi would be ravenous from the long travel. It served as both a distraction and a way to cover her anxiety.

Kaoru bowed her head at a slight angle, keeping her eyes cast downwards, as the housekeeper dealt out the meal. Self-consciousness that she had not felt in years began to creep in, reminding her of barely remembered days. Her knew that her eyes were foreign, demonic even. It was a memory forced into habit by endless pointing and weary looks that no amount of forgetting would ever get rid of. Grasping the thought, Kaoru buried the memory for now, distracting herself with focused concentration on the rice. It smelled delicious and was soft in her mouth, the vegetables and fish adding flavor. It reminded her of the meals she and shishou used to have, when Kenshin-

'Well, at least it's better than what you normally make,' thought number two cut off quickly as she idly made an examination of her surroundings. 'I still believe that patch of grass that suffered what you call miso soup is now inhospitable to even weedy life.' Which had led to Kaoru chasing a certain redhead she refused to think about around the mountain for daring to drink something so dangerous.

"Is there something amusing?" Kaoru looked up to see Tomoe looking at her with a bemused expression. Kaoru shook her head as she set down her bowl and chopsticks, the rice already gone.

"No, I was just reminded of a past memory. Thank you very much, Omitsu-san," She gave the woman a small bow. "It was delicious."

The meal quickly disappeared and Omitsu shuffled over to pick up the emptied plates. Kaoru was led to a guest room and told to rest as Tomoe helped her brother up to make his way to his own room. Sliding the shoji door closed behind her, Kaoru examined the new surroundings. It was plain, but clean and removed of dust. She opened the closet to find a thick futon and blankets, fit for the cold weather and a place to set her belongings in. She only had one change of clothing, which she slipped into, spreading out her travel worn ones to air out before taking them to wash tomorrow morning.

Sighing softly, Kaoru curled up under the blankets sword held close and drifted into a light sleep.