Sooo, hi? I've spent the last three years getting through law school (I'm officially done with school forever!) and studying for the Bar Examination so I have had no time to write. This chapter is extra long. I apologize for any typos. Please read and review! You're the reason I keep writing even if it takes forever to get something out of me.
Kenshin agreed to sit with Kaoru while Tomoe and Megumi went to help with the repairs as well as juggling the dinner crowd that would come. The front of the store wasn't damaged, despite the street being almost destroyed, and since people would come to gawk there was no doubt they would also want to eat. Tokio had also excused herself after promising to explain her relationship to Yumi after Kaoru regained consciousness. Tokio also wanted a chance to help her own family repair the damage done to their store and home.
'This is troublesome. The look on Tokio's face when she told us what could happen was disturbing. Kaoru wouldn't let the power change her.' he thought as he studied her sleeping face. She was no longer mumbling in her sleep and seemed to be resting easier now that Tokio had looked her over. Kenshin could admit to himself that he was relieved that Tokio had arrived to look over the younger girl. It had eased his fear that Kaoru might never wake up from her slumber. It had not helped his conscience when he remembered it was his punch that had caused her to faint.
'This was why I didn't want you to fight, Kaoru. I didn't want you to get hurt. I don't doubt your strength. I want to protect you even if you don't need me to.' he thought as he reached out to brush her bangs away from her forehead. She sighed in her sleep and turned her head towards Kenshin.
'I can't lose you. Not after I found you when I thought I'd never meet you again. Not when I thought I had lost you forever. I can only apologize if it makes me overprotective.' he thought as he continued to watch her. He watched, in slight shock, as her eye lids fluttered. His eyes widened as she opened her eyes and looked straight at him.
"Kenshin. W-where am I?" she whispered. He reached out and took her hand in his. Tokio had told them it would be at least a day before she regained consciousness let alone be coherent.
"In my room at the Aoiya." he told her. She studied him for a moment before furrowing her brow.
"What about the fight? What happened? I remember that man ordering for the Aoiya to be burnt down then nothing. Did I lose consciousness? Were you able to stop him?" she asked. Kenshin sighed as he rubbed her knuckles with his thumb. He wasn't sure what he should tell her but one look at her eyes told him if it was anything but the truth he would not leave the room unscathed.
"Ah. Well, according to Tokio-dono you managed to shred the seal on your powers. There are remnants of the seal. She thinks that some of your powers are still sealed. However, when you shredded the seal you lost control. There was no question as to who would have won the fight if Tomoe and I had not stepped in. I stopped you from killing him. His subordinates took him away before we could capture him." he told her. He watched as her eyes widened in shock. He was sure she had not been expecting such news.
"I...almost killed him? Me?" she whispered. He squeezed her hand in hopes to reassure her.
"That's why I stopped you. We could tell you weren't in control. It was scary, Kaoru. Are you sure you can't remember anything about it?" he asked. She studied him for a minute before shaking her head.
"Nothing. Was anyone else hurt because of me?" she asked. He could easily read the fear in her eyes. He immediately shook his head.
"No. The street took a bit of a beating from where you slammed the ball attached to his weapon into the ground hard enough to snap the chain." he told her. He watched as her jaw opened in surprise as she stared at him.
"I...I broke the chain by slamming the ball into the ground? That thing was heavy. I should know. I took a direct hit from it." she told him. She could tell she had said the wrong from the way his eyes went from warm violet to gold-tinted blue in less than a second.
"You were directly hit?" he demanded. She swallowed before nodding. She knew she couldn't lie to him.
"Yes. He caught me off-guard but I'll be fine. It hurt my pride more than my body. I'll be bruised and in pain for the next few days but there was no permanent damage done." she told him. She was relieved when his eyes faded back to an icy blue. She wasn't sure what he thought he would be able to do but for some reason she didn't think it would be a good idea for him to go on a rampage to find the man she'd fought.
"Are you in pain? I can have Megumi come check on you." he told her. She smiled at him before letting his hand go.
"Not as of right now but it probably wouldn't be a bad idea for her to check on me while I'm awake. Besides, I'm sure you've been watching over me for a while. You need to eat and get some rest for yourself. You're still recovering as well, Kenshin." she told him. He remained silent for a moment before leaning forward to place a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"I'll send her up. Try to get some rest, Kaoru. If you got the beating that you're only implying you got then you need it as well." he told her. She gave him a sheepish look.
"You caught that, huh?" she asked. He raised an eyebrow causing her to giggle. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised."
"No, you shouldn't. I will go let Megumi know you're awake." he told her. She nodded and watched as he left the room. She let out a sigh as she moved her gaze back to the ceiling.
She closed her eyes as her heart gave a painful thump. This was not going the way she had expected. She wasn't even sure if Tokio realized what she had done. She would have to visit her immediately. Kaoru opened her eyes and listened before slowly standing up and changing into her clothes. This was not something that could be put off. She would have to sneak out so the others wouldn't see her.
Tomoe was sitting in the office that Aoshi had been kind enough to reserve for her whenever she visited Kyoto. She made it a point to not visit often but when she did the Aoiya always welcomed her. She sighed before reaching down to open the desk drawer she had just unlocked with the key she always kept on her. It was the place she kept two of her most important possessions. In the drawer sat a small diary with yellowing pages and a broken spine. It was an object Tomoe could recognize on sight as she had watched Kaoru write in it almost every day. She and Kaoru had always made it a game when they were younger to attempt to steal the other's diary. Tomoe blinked back tears as her gaze moved to the object the diary sat on. It was a delicate, purple shawl. It was the last item Kaoru and Akira had given her for her eighteenth birthday. Akira had died only a few months later and Kaoru had left the world only a few weeks before her next birthday.
Tomoe took a deep breath before carefully pulling the shawl out of the drawer then shutting the drawer. Kenshin was not aware she had Kaoru's diary and it had only been recently she'd toyed with the idea of giving it to him. She knew he wasn't ready yet, there was still the shadow of pain in his eyes, but the time was coming.
Her attention turned back to the shawl as she allowed it to rest in her lap. She allowed her tears to fall, tears of sadness and happiness, as the memories overtook her. She had been delighted when she opened the package from Akira and Kaoru to find the shawl. She had nearly tackled Akira in her delight at receiving such a beautiful gift and had done the same to Kaoru after Akira had laughingly told her the younger woman had helped him. A smile spread across her face as she remembered she had immediately put the shawl on and dragged her beloved out for a snowy walk. That had been when the snow held only good childhood memories.
'Everything changed so quickly. I thought once everything settled down in Otsu the changes would be good. I was still heart sick from losing Akira-kun but so very happy for Kaoru-chan. I thought, at least, her happiness would last so much longer than mine had. Why does it seem whenever one of us finds happiness, everything goes to hell in a hand basket?' she thought as she picked the length of fabric and allowed it to flow back into her lap. She wasn't sure how long she sat remembering the happier times she had with Akira and Kaoru before a knock pulled her from her thoughts.
"Come in." she called as she wiped her tears. She didn't need one of the workers walking in to see her crying.
"Tomoe, what's wrong?" she glanced up to see Kenshin standing in the doorway with his arms crossed. He had changed into a maroon shirt and black slacks. His hair was once again pulled back and other than the slight shadows under his eyes he looked as he always did. She managed to smile before moving the shawl so it was on her desk and he could see it.
"I let myself get pulled into the past. That's all. I'm not sad. At least, not really. I'm crying because of the happy memories and sad because they were so fleeting." Tomoe told him. He returned her smile before sitting down in the chair on the other side of her desk.
"Kaoru has awoken. I was hoping to find Megumi here. I was going to ask her to check on her." Kenshin told her. Tomoe felt her eyes widen at the news.
"She's awake already? Tokio said it would be at least a day!" she exclaimed. He nodded in agreement as he leaned back in his chair.
"I know. Tokio also sounded surprise. She told us to keep an eye on Kaoru to see if she's acting differently as well as making sure she doesn't leave her bed other than to use the bathroom or bathe. I asked Misao to sit with her once she finished helping the kitchen staff. I would do it myself but I'm sure she would be unhappy that I changed and ate so quickly." he told her. Tomoe couldn't bite back the smile at the look on his face. She would never tell him but it looked like he was pouting.
"Oh? And how long did it take you to change and eat?" she asked. He looked at her for a moment before looking away. She raised an eyebrow as they continued to sit in silence. "Kenshin?"
"Ten minutes." he told her shortly. She failed to stop the giggle that escaped her. Her giggles turned into full out laughter when he glared at her.
"Oh, Kenshin. You really haven't changed. Don't you remember when Kaoru-chan caught that summer cold? You wouldn't leave her side and only did so when she insisted. I can remember one time you returned within five minutes of her telling you to get rest and tried to convince her you'd been gone longer. I believe she physically threw you out of the backroom, didn't she? Hitokiri Battousai bested by his sick wife." Tomoe asked with an amused smile. His glare only intensified.
"How is it you clearly remember ever single time Kaoru managed to convince me to do something I normally wouldn't do?" he asked. She grinned as she also leaned back in her chair.
"I grew up with Kamiya Kaoru and she was the epitome of childhood embarrassment." Tomoe told him. His glare faltered before he grinned at her.
"You have a steel trap for a mind, Tomoe." he told her. She shrugged before clearing her throat.
"Call it what you will. Was there something else you needed, Kenshin? I have to make a call and see how our newest manager is handling things in Tokyo. You're lucky you caught me before I made the call. You know how much not being there irritates me. It's just another reason for me to wish Shishio Makoto into the deepest pit of hell." she told me him with a scowl.
"Tomoe, I'm sure they're doing fine. We've been gone for two days. If anything had gone wrong they would have contacted us." he told her. He swallowed as the glare he'd given her was turned on him. Tomoe's glare was much more intimidating.
"Kenshin, you're trying to placate me. I don't like being placated." she told him. He held his hands up in surrender with an amused smile. "You're also right. I hate it when you're right."
"You're right more often than I am, that you are. I thought opening a restaurant was a bad idea but you insisted. We've done very well." he told her. She nodded in agreement before folding the shawl.
"We have been very lucky. That's true. Now I'm sure you've come in here for a reason other than to look for Megumi. Unless it's because you're bored. I can always give you paperwork. If I remember correctly you were to take over management of our Kyoto restaurant while our current manager is on maternity leave. That was before Kaoru came back into our lives but it still holds true. I hope you haven't forgotten." she told him. He made a face at her as she basically threatened him with work.
"I haven't. Indeed, when I learned we were on our way to Kyoto because of Shishio I asked the current assistant managers to pull double shifts. They agreed." he told her. She sighed before shaking her head.
"I shouldn't be surprised that you already had it handled." she observed. She studied him for a moment. "Have the two of you talked?"
"About what?" he asked. She met his eyes and knew he knew what she was talking about. She sighed to herself as she wondered if he would actually open up to her for a change or shut down on her completely. She was used to him refusing to speak with her when it concerned the Kaoru from the past. She always managed to drag it out of him. Unfortunately, it usually required getting him drunk. She made a mental note to talk to Sanosuke if Kenshin didn't talk to her.
"About you as a couple. She said she has a lot of her memories back now that the soul has become whole. Tokio said that was unusual for a reincarnated soul. You should take it as a blessing. This means the two of you could start over again. Finally. You could have your happiness again, Kenshin." she told him. She met his gaze as he looked at her.
"That is impossible, Tomoe." he responded. She had to stop herself from making a face at him. She should have known he would make it hard for her to talk to him about the return of Kaoru's memories.
"Why do you say that, Kenshin? I would think of everyone in the world we would know best that nothing is truly impossible." she told him. He studied her for a moment before turning his head away. She fisted her hand on her desk as she restrained from standing and hitting him on the head. She knew it would not make her feel better nor knock any form of sense into the man.
"It's not that I'm being difficult for the sake of being difficult, that I am not. I'm being honest. Kaoru and I cannot be together, not happily, when I cannot even give her a sliver of my heart. A heart I no longer possess." he told her. She leaned back from her desk in slight shock as he turned his eyes back on her and she saw a pain she had not seen in his eyes for many years. It was almost as though the loss of Kaoru was fresh. She swallowed as he looked away from her again.
"Kenshin, it's possible to return your heart. You know that. We can find the way. I'm sure Tokio will be able to help." she told him. He glanced at her with a bitter smile.
"How long will it take to find that way? I can't make Kaoru wait her entire life for an uncertainty that may never become certain. I cannot and will not do that to her." he whispered as he stood from his seat. She watched as he walked over to the window to look out onto the damaged street. Misao had told her that Aoshi had insisted on overseeing the repairs. Some of the members of the Oniwanbanshuu were helping put the area back into semi-working order. Tomoe was just thankful the restaurant was on a street where only foot traffic was allowed. She forced her thoughts back on the task at hand. Kenshin.
"It amazes me, Kenshin, how you seem so adverse to being happy. Yes, it might take some time to find a way to return your heart. Yes, it might be difficult. Yes, Kaoru might be a little older than she is now. How does all that add up to you refusing to even try?" she demanded. She met his gaze as he turned to look at her. She didn't flinch even though the gold flecks in his eyes had become more pronounced.
"Tomoe-"
"Shut up. If you refuse to even try for your own happiness, no matter how hard, then why should I keep trying to convince you? This argument has been ongoing for over a hundred years and I am tired. I am tired of telling you that Kaoru would want you to be happy. And now that we've found her reincarnation I thought perhaps you would take it as a sign that you are meant to be happy. I'm tired, Kenshin. You win. You don't want to be happy then don't." she told him. She watched as his eyes widened as she stood from her desk. She moved towards the door even though she was shaking.
"Tomoe." she paused but refused to look back at him. She could feel his eyes on her but refused to give into the itching feeling between her shoulder blades.
"The restaurant needs our help. Even though you made arrangements with our sister restaurant I think it would best if you went to help them tonight. If anything changes with Kaoru I'll have Misao or Aoshi notify you. Excuse me." she said before walking out the door. She allowed the door to slam shut behind her. She fisted her hands as she resisted the urge to hit the wall.
"Tomoe? Is something wrong?" she was pulled from her thoughts as Megumi turned the corner. The doctor was still in her suit and white coat from where she had been working at the clinic earlier.
"Nothing new, if that's what you're asking." she responded.
"Kenshin. Is he being stubborn again?" she asked. Tomoe studied her for a moment then nodded.
"It would seem it's his middle name." she joked. Megumi laughed before motioning the older woman to follow her. Tomoe followed the doctor to Aoshi's office. She looked for the man when they entered the room only to blink when he was nowhere to be found.
"Aoshi and Misao have gone on a reconnaissance mission. Misao noticed something about the man that Kaoru fought with. She convinced Aoshi to go with her and he told me that I could use his office to catch up on some work regarding the hospital I work at in Tokyo. I can only be thankful that all the patients I have there right now aren't critical. I still hate to be away from them though." Megumi said with a smile as she sat down behind Aoshi's desk. Tomoe managed to return the smile even though her mind was still on the man she had left in her own office.
"It shouldn't be much longer before we finish this, Megumi. Then we can return to our version of normal." Tomoe told her. Megumi hummed in agreement before letting out a soft sigh.
"Perhaps. Sanosuke and I have talked quite a bit since you told us you thought it might be possible for us to regain our hearts. We have decided that, if possible, we want our hearts back." Megumi told her. Tomoe studied her for a moment before letting out a soft sigh.
"Of course. Tokio seems to think it will be possible for Kaoru to return our hearts." Tomoe informed her as she took a seat in the chair on the other side of Aoshi's desk.
"I know. Tokio told me after she checked on Kaoru. She said she told you of the possibility when Kenshin and Kaoru went out on their walk shortly before she was kidnapped. Perhaps I'm being optimistic or just a fool in love but I would like to have the opportunity to finally grow old with Sano." the doctor told her. Tomoe studied her for a moment before smiling softly.
"I had the feeling this was coming. The two of you aren't fooling anyone when you try to pass that ring off just as a birthday present." Tomoe said as she pointed to the ring on her friend's left hand. Megumi blushed a bright red as she looked down at her ring before back up at Tomoe with a small shrug of her shoulders.
"I didn't think that story would work for long. Sano was the one that came up with it so I knew it would fail eventually. He's not very good at lying even though he swears he is." Megumi said with a laugh. Tomoe grinned in response.
"I hope you get your happiness, Megumi. I really do. It will be odd to not have you around as much if this works. I've come to rely on you quite a bit." Tomoe told her. Megumi just smiled at her.
"I'll always be around, Tomoe. I promise. I need to get back to the hospital since the office I was promised seems to be a little preoccupied at the moment. Is there anything else you need from me before I leave?" Megumi asked. Tomoe thought for a moment before shaking her head.
"No. I'm going to go check on Kaoru. You may want to keep a room open for me. I'm not sure how much longer my sanity is going to last with these two." Tomoe told her. Megumi studied her for a moment before laughing.
"I always have a room open for you, my friend. I've never been sure how you've managed to keep us all together without your sanity taking a good long vacation." she responded. Tomoe only shrugged her shoulders.
"That would make two of us." she said before bowing her head in farewell. She made her way towards Kaoru's room. She forced herself to take deep breaths as she knew she couldn't take out the anger she was feeling towards Kenshin out on Kaoru. If she was honest with herself she wasn't sure how to act around Kaoru. They hadn't had much time to talk when they returned to the restaurant. Tomoe hadn't realized how much she actually missed her friend. She just wanted to sit down with her and fill her in on everything that had happened over the years. She could only hope Kaoru was willing to listen to her.
"Kaoru, are you still awake?" Tomoe called through the door once she reached it. She frowned as silence met her ears. She didn't think Kaoru had already gone back to sleep. "Kaoru?"
Tomoe waited for another moment before opening the door. She realized it must have been a tiring experience to fight, be knocked out, and then rip the seal on your powers to shreds. Tomoe was sure Kaoru was not used to such things. Tomoe wanted to check on her to make sure she was okay if she had fallen back asleep. Tomoe's eyes went wide when she realized the futon Kaoru should have been laying on was empty.
"Not again." Tomoe groaned. She glanced at the window to make sure it was closed before racing down the stairs. There was only one place she could think of that Kaoru would go to and she wasn't sure that was the safest to place to be when being hunted. 'Damn it, Kaoru, can't you stay in one place?!'
The streets were busy enough that Kaoru felt as though she were hiding in plain sight from anyone that might have been trying to locate her. She had managed to get the address of the shop that Tokio had told her she currently ran in downtown Kyoto. She could be thankful that the inn was near downtown and that she didn't have to take any sort of public transportation. She wasn't exactly a fan. She also felt like the others would expect her to take public transportation because she was unfamiliar with the developed Kyoto.
'Of course, I probably don't have that much time before they find out that I've disappeared from the inn again. I honestly just want to move to a nice warm beach after this is over and never feel hunted again.' she thought as she dodged the many people that were wandering the streets of Kyoto. She wondered how many of the people she dodged lived in Kyoto and how many of them were tourists. She stopped at the crosswalk and eyed the storefront that boasted the name of the herb shop that Tokio currently ran. Kaoru knew that it had many incarnations because of Tokio's desire to stay in Kyoto. Kaoru had the sneaking suspicion that Tokio told customers that she was the great-great granddaughter of the original owner.
'Everyone has had to do so much to keep from being detected by normal humans. At least they weren't alone in their endeavors. It must have been difficult.' she thought as she waited for the light to change. She had to keep moving forward because if she started thinking about what had happened in the past the guilt would consume her. She didn't currently have the time or desire to go on a guilt trip.
Kaoru was pulled from her thoughts as the crosswalk signal changed. She followed the other people around her as they crossed the street. She turned towards the store that she had studied while waiting for the light to change. She let out a soft sigh before moving towards the front door. She wasn't sure what kind of conversation she and Tokio would have but she knew it had to be without Kenshin or Tomoe present.
"Well, well. I didn't expect for you to show up without Battousai following you like a puppy." Kaoru scowled at Saito when he spoke. The man was sitting behind the counter with a smirk on his face. She noticed that her scowl did nothing to cause the smirk to slip from his face.
"Unfortunately for you, I happened to sneak out. And if you breathe that to Kenshin within the time I'm speaking to Tokio, I will make sure they never find you." she threatened. She watched with a triumphant feeling as the smirk fell from his face.
"I would do as she says, Saito. I've seen the destruction she can cause." Kaoru turned her gaze to the woman that had appeared from the backroom that was separated from the public by a beaded curtain. The woman had her hair up in a ponytail and was wearing a long sleeved shirt and jeans. Kaoru could tell the woman had been cleaning from the dust that was coloring her dark hair.
"We need to talk." Kaoru told her. She watched as the woman sighed before motioning for the woman to follow her to the back of the store.
"I was wondering how long it would take for you to seek me out." she told her. Kaoru just nodded. She followed the older woman into the back while ignoring the look that Saito sent her as she disappeared. She had the feeling the man would ignore her warning for all of thirty minutes before he called Kenshin to rub it in the other man's face that he knew where Kaoru was and the redhead didn't.
"I suppose you're here because you know that I didn't tell them the whole truth about your powers being unsealed." the woman said after she led Kaoru to small table in the backroom. Kaoru bit back a frown as she noticed the hole in the wall that currently only had a tarp tacked around it to keep any elements out of the storage area.
"Why didn't you tell them that I had completely unsealed my powers? The seal isn't in shreds. It's gone. To the point that I'm not sure it was there to begin with." Kaoru said as she also sat down. The woman studied her for a moment before sighing as she crossed her arms on top of the table.
"It means that you're stronger than what anyone first thought, Kaoru. It means that you're not just a reincarnation. It means you've lived as long as us you just don't remember it. The only person that would be able to completely remove a seal in such a fashion is the one that created it. I should know. I'm the one that helped you create it." she told her. Kaoru felt her stomach drop as her eyes widened.
"But that's not possible! They buried the other Kaoru! How can I be that Kaoru if they cremated her and buried her?!" Kaoru demanded. Tokio studied her for a moment before sighing as she shook her head.
"It may seem impossible, Kaoru, but it really isn't. When you accidentally sealed your powers in that knife, you made a bond with it with your soul. As long as it survived so would you. Many witches use such a technique to elongate their lives. When you died, your soul temporarily left your body out of shock. However, when it tried to return it couldn't because you had already been buried. The body you have now isn't the one you had then. I know because I helped your soul obtain the body you have." Tokio told her. Kaoru felt her eyes widen even further and she felt the blood drain from her cheeks.
"What...what are you talking about?" she managed to whisper.
"Your soul came to me shortly after Tomoe gave me your ashes to put into the stone. Instead of doing as she asked, I restored your body. Unfortunately, when your soul returned your memories were gone. I had to hide you from Tomoe and Kenshin when they came for your grave stone. You were different. You knew something was missing and it was causing you pain. I knew I had to act to preserve your sanity.
"Over the years, I have wiped your memories and allowed to live many different lives because it became too much for you when you realized you weren't aging and I tried to explain it. I knew the only way to keep you from going crazy was to find a way to merge the part of the soul that had split to watch over Kenshin. I've spent much of my time looking for a way to do so. You managed to figure it out within two or three days of being around Kenshin again." Tokio continued. Kaoru stood up and moved towards a small window. She managed to pull the window open and closed her eyes as fresh air caressed her face. She wasn't sure how long as she stood there before turning around to look at Tokio.
"So everything that I thought was my life up to this point has been a lie? My father? The dojo? The training?" she asked. Tokio shook her head as she also stood up.
"No. The man that you knew as your father loved you like a daughter and he did teach you how to use the sword. You were already full grown. I tweaked your memories so it would seem like he had started teaching you at seven rather than the age you are. You lived with him for the past sixteen years and when I heard he had passed away I kept an eye on you. I didn't expect for you to run into Tomoe." she responded. Kaoru felt her eyes narrow.
"Were you trying to keep me from Tomoe and Kenshin?" she asked. Once again Tokio shook her head.
"Yes and no. Yes, because I wasn't sure how you would react. I didn't know if the memories would flood and overwhelm you or if they would come back slowly. I knew they would return but I didn't know how. I also didn't know how they would react once they saw you. I knew they would assume you were a reincarnation instead of the real Kaoru but even then I was unsure. I did what I did to protect everyone involved. I'm sorry I didn't tell you when we first met but I knew at that moment Kenshin was not ready to hear the truth." she responded. Kaoru sighed as she moved to take the seat she had abandoned earlier.
"I can't believe this. If what you're telling me is true then that means I am Kenshin's wife. I don't even remember the wedding, Tokio. I have enough of my memories to know that I was there, enough to make me think I was just a reincarnation, but not enough to tell Kenshin about this. How am I supposed to tell him that I am the Kaoru that lived in the hut in Otsu with him when I can't even remember when we got married?" she asked. She met the woman's eyes as the older woman covered her hands while standing at the table.
"The memories will come back, Kaoru. I promise. Now that your soul has become whole again they will come back. However, that is not the biggest reason I wanted you to come see me. You were untrained when you died the first time and you are untrained now. You're also very, very powerful. You can't remain that way if you want to defeat Shishio and he must be defeated. We need to start your training immediately as I am sure you will be one of the strongest witches ever born." Tokio told her.
"I feel like I should be in shock. I just can't muster it. It seems like everything else that has happened to me within the last few days has made me immune to such surprises. First, I looked like, well know that I know the truth, me from the past. Then I had to accept the fact that I was the reincarnation of the wife of the guy I was crushing on. Next, I find out that the one funding Shishio is actually Enishi, Tomoe's brother and basically mine as well. Now, surprise, I'm finding out that I'm actually Kaoru of then and not a reincarnation. I feel like I don't even know who I am anymore, Tokio. I know what you're telling me is the truth. There's something inside telling me that you aren't lying. It's just hard to accept." she said. Tokio nodded in understanding.
"I know. It will probably help to start your training. Learning to control your power will help clear up the fog that you're feeling right now. Trust me. I've read enough spell books trying to find a way to restore your memories each time I had to give you a new life. The only solution I could find was having your soul merge and then training you on how to use your powers. We saw what happened last time when you used your powers, even unintentionally, to protect your loved ones." Tokio explained. The younger girl nodded as she ran her hand through her hair.
"You're right. I'm the one that caused all of this. I have to find a way to fix this. In order to do that I need to learn to control my powers." she agreed. She closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. Kaoru knew she was going to have to explain to Tomoe and Kenshin about what had happened but she wasn't sure how she could explain. How did you explain something that you knew was true but you didn't know how it was true? Her eyes snapped open when she felt a familiar energy approaching.
"I'm going to kill your husband." she told her as two familiar figures burst through the bead curtain. If Kaoru had not been so annoyed with Saito for ratting her out she would have found the way that Tomoe and Kenshin's hair stood out at different angles humorous. As it was, she was in a very bad mood with the former Shinsengumi captain and the way his energy suddenly disappeared from the shop told her that he knew she was not happy with him.
"Kaoru! Thank goodness! What were you thinking leaving like that? Shishio could have found you before you got somewhere safe!" Tomoe berated the moment she saw Kaoru. Kaoru bit back a response that she didn't need a babysitter.
"She came to speak with me about something that she felt that you and Kenshin did not need to know. She was safe in traveling as when I checked on her at the Aoiya, I placed a protection spell on her to keep her safe from Shishio's goons. Not that she needed from what you told me. It sounds as though she's perfectly capable of protecting herself." Tokio responded. Kaoru noticed the way they both seemed to wince at the reprimand. She realized it probably would have been a good idea to at least tell them she was going to be making a visit to Tokio.
"As true as that is, there is still the fact that you said her powers are still partly sealed. Just because they responded the last time one of Shishio's men attacked doesn't mean they will respond again once your protection spell fades. The fact remains that she isn't strong enough to fight against them without the magic that she possesses." Kenshin said.
"That's the other reason that she came to me. I can teach her how to use those powers so she can fight." Tokio once again responded. Kaoru realized it was like watching a tennis match from the point of view of the ball. She was the reason they were all arguing but she couldn't say anything to defend herself because Tokio was doing it for her. She wasn't sure if she liked it or not but she found she wasn't inclined to interrupt the older woman. She had the feeling Tokio would be able to say what was needed without revealing any of the information that needed to remain secret for the time being. Like the fact that Kaoru wasn't a reincarnation but actually Kaoru.
"Kaoru, is that true?" Kaoru looked up from where she had been inspecting her hands, she hadn't realized how scraped they were from her fight that she had no memory of, to meet Tomoe's eyes. She gave the woman what she hoped was a convincing smile.
"Yes. Like she said, I had some questions for her that only she could answer. It wasn't that I wanted to exclude either of you from that conversation but I felt it was necessary to get answers as soon as possible. I was also sure the two of you would be busy with helping with cleanup. Although, I remember telling Kenshin that he needed to eat and get some rest." she said as she shot the man a look. She received a similar look in response.
"I would have gotten more rest if someone hadn't thought it necessary to leave on their own after nearly being killed by one of Shishio's men!" he snapped. She blinked at him before sighing as she crossed her arms. She was still sitting in the chair and had no intentions of leaving until she finished talking with Tokio. She still had many questions for Tokio that needed to be answered outside the presence of Tomoe and Kenshin.
"That's enough of that. Now that the two of you are here you can do the work that I told my husband to do but as Kaoru has put the fear of all the gods in him, he has run away. I need everything up front inventoried and put in the proper place. I'm taking Kaoru upstairs to my office to continue speaking with her and setting up a schedule for her training." Tokio said. Kaoru swallowed at the look on the woman's face. It was the same look that Tomoe got when she was fed up with how everyone was acting and decided to take charge. Kaoru glanced at her friends to see they were both blinking at surprise. Kaoru squeaked as Tokio grabbed her arm and started to pull her over to a set of steps that she hadn't notice earlier.
"Tokio! Wait!" Tomoe called. The older woman shot her a look over her shoulder. Kaoru wasn't able to see Tomoe's reaction as she was being pushed up the steps and into an office where the younger man, Okita, was currently sitting typing on the computer. He looked up at their entrance and sighed as he stood up from the desk.
"Hello, Kaoru-san. Tokio told me that we were to expect you. I assume she has told you everything?" he asked. She studied him for a moment before shrugging her shoulders with a small laugh.
"To be honest I'm not sure. It depends on your definition of everything and my definition of everything." she told him. He blinked before looking at Tokio as the woman took the seat he had just vacated. Kaoru watched as the woman folded her hands before resting her chin on her interlaced fingers.
"I suppose we should start explaining. The easiest place to start is at the beginning." she finally spoke. Kaoru just nodded in agreement.
It started to rain almost immediately after the woman named Tomoe left the shop. Tokio knew she should have taken it as a warning that nothing was as it seemed but she had been too preoccupied with getting the other stones ready for the families that were coming to pick them up. Tokio understood the need for grave markers but the fact her father could run such a successful business of that type because of the war broke her heart. She knew to be thankful that her husband and best friend were not to be marked only with a stone that showed they existed. She had made sure of that.
"Tokio-dono?" Tokio glanced up from the receipt she was filling out for a man that had ordered a stone for his young son, only seventeen, that had been killed in the latest skirmish at the palace. Okita had come inside from the outside area where they carved the stones after they had been shaped as a headstone.
"Yes?" Tokio asked. She watched as the younger man held up the bag that Tomoe had dropped off that morning. The one that she had been told held the ashes of the house they had all lived in before the girl, Tokio recalled her name being Kaoru, had passed away.
"I thought you said these were just the ashes of a building that needed to be ground into the stone." he said. She frowned at him as she heard something in his voice that told her she as not going to like what he was about to tell her. It also usually meant that things were going to get much more complicated.
"That's what I was told. Why?" she asked. She watched as the man studied the pouch in his hand curiously before looking back up at her.
"Because I sense a life force. Did our customer say if her loved one was burned in the house as well?" he asked. Tomoe shook her head.
"No. She said the body was moved to Kyoto before the house was burned. Are you sure it's not just residual energy that you're feeling? You have become much more sensitive since...well since then." Tokio said. Okita immediately shook his head.
"No. This is a life force. If the body wasn't burnt in the fire that destroyed the building then something of this person's that they were attached to was in the house at the time. I'm sensing that it may have been a hair ribbon or something to do with the hair. Tokio, this person...she was a witch." he told her. Tokio sighed before motioning for Okita to follow her into the main back room.
"Pour the contents out on that long table. Let's see if we can get this poor girl's items out so she isn't bound to a stone for the rest of her afterlife." Tomoe said as she turned away to pull on a pair of gardening gloves. She heard Okita pour the contents of the bag out. She turned to tell him that he could return to carving the stone for the next schedule pickup only to be blinded as a bright flash of light filled the room.
Tokio's eyes clenched together as she waited for the light to fade away. Even when the light was no longer piercing her eyelids she was hesitant to open her eyes. It was only Okita's gasp that had her eyes snapping open. She also gasped at what met her gaze. Instead of just the ashes that Okita had poured out there was a young woman laying on the table dressed in the white robes reserved for those that had already passed away.
"What just happened?!" Okita demanded. Tokio didn't look at him as she was still focused on the girl that had suddenly appeared on the long table they used to carve the finishing touches on the grave stones.
"You did say she was a witch. I've only heard of this happening when the witch attached her soul to an item that still exists even though the witch has died. It's a loophole many witches have used over the centuries but I've never seen it actually happen. Mostly because we learn to hide from those that wish to kill us." Tokio explained to her friend as they moved closer to the unconscious girl.
"She doesn't look alive. How are we supposed to explain to the customer that we managed to steal the body of the girl we are supposed to make the stone for?" Okita asked. Tokio glanced at him before shaking her head.
"This isn't the same body, Okita. Her magic has provided her a new body. She's breathing so she's alive. Go upstairs and get one of my smaller kimonos. She can't go around wearing a funeral garb when she wakes up." Tokio ordered. The man nodded before disappearing from the room. She remained quiet as she heard up climb the stairs before turning her gaze back to the woman. She jumped in surprise when the woman's eyes suddenly opened. She put a hand over her heart as she forced herself to breath.
"Goodness. You gave me a fright. I thought you would stay asleep for a little longer." she laughed. She watched as the girl sat up and looked around.
"Who are you? Where am I?" the girl demanded.
"My name is Tokio. You're at my father's gravestone shop. You passed away and your friend, Tomoe, came to purchase a stone for your grave. You were able to revive. I'm going to send a note to Tomoe once we are able to get you in a proper kimono." she told the girl with what she hoped was a comforting smile. She knew it had to be disconcerting to return from the dead but Tokio was sure the girl's friend and husband would be ecstatic to have her back.
"Tomoe? Who is Tomoe? For that matter, who am I? Why can't I remember anything?!" the girl, who Tokio knew had to be Kaoru, cried. Tokio moved over to the girl and placed her hands on each side of her face. She closed her eyes and sent a soothing sensation into the girl's soul. She felt the panic ebb away but as it did Tokio found something she had not been expecting. She opened her eyes and met the girl's wide blue eyes.
"Go to sleep. When you wake everything will be as it is meant to be again." she ordered. Kaoru nodded before laying back down on the table and falling asleep. Tokio sighed as she turned to watch as Okita reentered the room. He paused when she saw the look on her face.
"What now?" he demanded. She glanced at the unconscious woman before sighing as she turned her gaze back on her friend.
"She has lost her memory. Probably because some of her soul is missing. It would seem that she's an untrained witch and when she bound her life to the object of her choosing it was an accident. When she was reduced to temporary soul form because of her death, her soul split into what I believe is two parts." she explained. The man sighed as he sat the folded kimono on the table near Kaoru's feet.
"What does that mean, exactly?" he asked.
"It means that there was someone very important to her that she wanted to watch over. My guess is that she didn't understand what she was doing when she went to watch over that person. I'm sure, by this point, that part of the soul understands what has happened. With death, witches gain knowledge." she continued as she shook her head. She didn't know of any other witches that had split their souls but had studied the subject when she was going through her own training.
"Then what are we supposed to do with her body? Is there a way to reunite the two halves?" he asked.
"There is but I don't know what the effects would be. I also don't know exactly, how, to reunite a divided soul. All I know is that it is a complicated process. I have an inkling as to who her soul may be watching over but I am not sure what would happen if this part of the soul, the one that has returned to her physical body, and that part of the soul meet." she said as she continued to study the sleeping woman.
"We can't keep her from her loved ones, Tokio. They have a right to reunite with her!" Okita cried. Tokio sighed before looking at her friend as she once again shook her head.
"They will but not yet. I can't risk having the soul completely destroy itself because it is not ready to return. The damage that would be done not only to her but her loved ones if they lose her again so suddenly would be tantamount to torture. I will not impose that on anyone." she told him. He studied her for a moment before finally nodding in agreement.
"I understand. What do we need to do?" he asked her.
"I will wipe her memory and give her a new life. She will age as though she is a normal human but when she passes away she will return to this form and it will be necessary to give her a new life. For now, I will allow her to stay with us as a helper. I will have to keep her hidden when her friend comes to pick up the tombstone that was ordered." Tokio explained. Okita nodded in understanding.
"What do you need?" he asked.
"I'll need my spell book from the trunk upstairs under the bed. I will also need my dagger. This spell is complicated so I'll need her blood and mine." she told him. He sighed before nodding.
"A blood ritual. Great. Because that won't go wrong." he grumbled as he left the room. Tokio watched him go before turning her gaze back to her unexpected visitor once again.
'Somehow, I feel like this is only the beginning.'
"Over the years, I gave you many incarnations. You were even a survivor on the Titanic although I had to erase your memories earlier than normal because of how traumatic they were." Tokio told her. Kaoru felt her eyes widen before she sat down hard on one of the chairs on the other side of the desk.
"I was a survivor on the Titanic? But I've never seen a picture that resembles me!" she cried. Tokio smile her for a moment before shrugging her shoulders.
"I've become very adept at keeping your incarnations out of the public eye, Kaoru. The only evidence that you were on the ship was the ticket you purchased under the false name I had bestowed you. It was an English name. You had made friends with a young woman that was working on the boat. You were living with me at the time in England. You were so excited that you glowed every time you talked about it. You had never been to America before and wanted to go. I allowed it because I thought it would be good for you. That and I had just gotten word that Tomoe and Kenshin had arrived in the same part of London that we were living in. I needed to make sure you didn't run into them." she said.
"Wow. So you let me go on a cruise to another country? Those must be some amazing memories. To be a survivor on the Titanic!" she laughed. Tokio just shook her head at the younger girl.
"Yes. Although from what I was told you were very stubborn and demanded that every child be put in the lifeboat you were in. You also made sure it was filled to capacity. The young girl you were friends with had just been married and you forced her husband into a dress so he could get on the lifeboat with the two of you. Unfortunately, they passed away from pneumonia after being rescued. That was what broke you. When you came back to England you were so depressed that I feared for your life. I had to erase those memories and give you a new life as soon as possible." she explained. Kaoru studied her for a moment longer before nodding.
"I can see that. I did a paper on the survivors of the Titanic. Most of them suffered PTSD. At least, that is what we would diagnose it as today. There was no such thing back then. Have I lived through any other big events that I should know about?" Kaoru asked. She swallowed as Tokio got a gleam in her eyes and knew that she had just stuck her foot in her mouth.
"Each day we train together, I will tell you a story about one of the many lives you have lived. Deal?" she offered. Kaoru sighed before nodding in agreement.
"I would like to know what to expect before we get started." she requested. Tokio hummed as she stood up and went to a bookshelf. Kaoru watched as she pulled out what seemed to be the largest book from the shelves. She grunted as the woman then dropped it on her lap.
"Go through that tonight and pick out five spells that seem right to you. Tomorrow, I'll show you how to cast them. Then you'll cast them. Once you've mastered those spells we'll move onto the next ones." she explained. Kaoru frowned as she glanced down at the book.
"How is this supposed to help me train to defeat Shishio?" she asked. Tokio chuckled as she sat back down.
"The spells that you pick out will show me what your power levels are at. It'll be more of an intuitive choice that anything. Your power will help you decide which spells to choose. Once I know where your power stands, I'll start training you to get stronger. We have to start somewhere." Tokio told her. Kaoru glanced down at the book once more before furrowing her brow as she felt something tugging at the back of her consciousness. She opened the book and quickly flipped through the pages as the tugging became more insistent before disappearing completely as she reached the page it had been demanding she turn to. She looked up from the spell to meet Tokio's curious gaze.
"I think I found the first spell my power wants me to master." she said. Tokio furrowed her brow as she once more stood to go to Kaoru's side. She felt her eyes widen as she looked at the spell printed on the page Kaoru had turned to.
"The soul binding spell you accidentally placed on yourself. Well, that is definitely an indicator of how strong you are." Tokio said as she ran a hand through her hair.
"What do you mean?" Kaoru demanded.
"Let me put it this way, Kaoru, I only know of three or four witches that can cast that spell and none of them are under the age of three hundred. They are some of the most powerful women I know. You were able to cast that spell unintentionally and now your power wants it to be one of the first ones you learn. You were able to create a new body as an untrained witch and I would bet money that will be the next spell it makes you choose. You have managed to survive the last two hundred and fifty years because of your magic. You tell me what you think that means." she said. Kaoru looked up with a sigh.
"Yes, Kaoru, why don't you explain? What does she mean you've been living the past two hundred and fifty years?" Kaoru looked at the door only to swallow as she saw Kenshin standing there looking as though he couldn't decide whether to be angry or furious.
'Crap.'
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