A/N: Hello again! It's a four day weekend and I've wanted to update this so bad! So here it is! My next update! Okay, to respond to one reviewer Mip the Fox Demon, thanks for the tip on spelling, lol and I'm really glad you gave it a chance anyway! Oh don't worry, the Battousai you saw in the first chapter is just trying to be threatening , but he doesn't always act so cold. I hate it when others make him out to be like that!
Okay, writing in italics is character thoughts, except of course for the author notes! Okay, now, enjoy chapter two!
Kaoru's jaw dropped as well as the rest of her friends. 1865? They...they were in the war? No, that couldn't be. Mere minutes ago they were in Tokyo during the Meiji Era. Megumi, Yahiko and Kaoru all figured they were going crazy. Sano simply concluded he was drunk once again
No one really thought about the fact that this meant that the Kenshin in front of them wasn't the 28 year old Rurouni they all knew so well and loved. This was Battousai. The man...no...the boy that they had heard so many horrible stories about. Kaoru's eyes filled with tears and Kenshin released his hold on Sano backing away from the group, sword still in hand. Kaoru shook her head.
"We don't want to hurt you Kenshin," she said wiping her tears away. "Don't you recognize us a little?"
He continued to give them a bewildered look, looking extremely childish It greatly contrasted with the cold-blooded killer he was supposed to be. With a shake of his head Kaoru walked towards him.
"You can put your sword away," it was more of a beg than a command and it only made the young assassin back away further and clench his fingers around the handle.
Sano stepped forward now, away from the tree that he had been pinned again and raised a shaky hand to rub his throat. The movement caught Kenshin's eye and he glanced up at the taller man.
"Sorry," he muttered.
Sano blinked, the apology not helping his stunned state. "It's...It's no problem Kenshin."
He earned a sigh from the short red-head. "You haven't told me yet how you know my name."
"Because we're your friends! We know you from when your older," Kaoru said trying to get closer to him, pained to see the face of the man she loved showing absolutely no recognition of the group. Shouldn't some magical bond help him realize this? Good things were supposed to happen to good people! Kaoru was a good person! The thoughts ran through her head as her statement only gained more steps backward and an expression that clearly read 'You're crazy.'
Kaoru's infamous mood swing suddenly made itself known as she threw her hands up in the air and turned around on her heel facing away from Kenshin. Had she been looking very closely at him she would have seen the corner of his mouth twitch in a smile. The small action went unnoticed by the other members of the group, for their attentions were on Kaoru. Megumi stepped towards the younger woman.
"Kaoru," her tone hushed so the ears of their friends couldn't hear. "Let's just try and sort this out. I don't know what's going on, but I promise we'll figure something out."
As hard as she tried to ignore the flirtatious woman at her side, Kaoru couldn't help but feel comforted by the kind words. Maybe there was even more to Megumi than Kaoru thought she knew. She nodded and held in her tears of frustration and sadness. This was not the time. She turned once again to the younger version of Kenshin and smiled, only confusing the hitokiri further.
This time, as she walked towards him she did not stop and she laid a hand on his shoulder. She gasped in shock as he flinched rather violently and drew back? Could her touch truly cause him that much pain? No, there was something else...upon further inspection she could see a stain on his Gi which had at first thought to be water. The red color was overlooked and seen as a trick of the red sky and the blue Gi.
"Kenshin! You're hurt!"
"No I'm not."
"Kenshin no baka! Don't lie! I can see it!"
It was true. Now that she realized it, the blood stain was plain to see. Some things never changed.
"No, that's an old stain."
"Surely you could afford a new Gi if it really was stained."
"I like this one," he said while staring at the very opinionated woman near him.
"Well then, take it off and prove it. Go on! Take it off!"
He furrowed his brow and stepped away.
"I'm not taking off my shirt."
"And why not? If there's nothing for me too see then-"
"That's right. There's nothing for you to see, so I don't need to show you."
"I want to be sure," she said stamping her foot. "Why don't you tell people when you're hurt?"
He shook his head and sighed. "I don't even know you. Why would I tell you I was hurt?"
The words hit Kaoru like a brick. He didn't know them...he really didn't. When would she accept that?
"Please let us help you. Megumi here is doctor."
His gaze fell to the older woman keeping her distance and she nodded, her own eyes looking to his right shoulder.
"There's no need for you to lie. We know you're hurt. The blood on that shirt is fresh and if you want to lie and say that it's someone else's go ahead. I'm not going to beg you to let me help you if you don't want it, though I wish you would allow us to." The words were gentle, but got the meaning across and also took Kenshin's next excuse about the blood.
Kenshin sighed and rolled his eyes. He gave up and turned to head back towards Kyoto. He needed some sake. He sheathed his sword and slowly walked away not taking the extra time to look back or bid them farewell.
"Wait!"
The determined young woman's voice reached his ears again and her. The single word wasn't a command; it was a plea. A plea for him to stay. Why on Earth would someone like her want to be around him and want to help him. Did they even know who he was? Maybe not.
"Do you even know you I am?"
"Of course we do," she answered quietly. "You're Himura Kenshin. You're kind, sweet, and caring to a fault..." She looked down. 'And the most wonderful man I've ever met,' she finished in her head. "And yes, I do know who you are at this very moment. Hitokiri Battousai. Assassin for the Ishin Shishi," she said with a tear sliding down her cheek.
"What do you know about the Ishin," he asked with panic in his voice.
"Only that you're in it and you're their only hope," Sano answered for her. 'Enough of this," he thought. 'I'm gonna get some answers.'
Kenshin didn't respond. He didn't even move. He only stared down at the ground until his level of comfort reached an all time low.
"If you want, I can take you back to Kyoto unless you have a place to stay."
Yahiko stood behind all of them staring at only Kenshin. He was so different, yet still the same. He was still rather polite. He didn't seem like the heartless man that everyone said he was.
"Fine Kenshin. Take us to Kyoto, on one condition," Megumi decided.
"And what's that?"
"Let me take a look at you."
"What?"
She sighed. If the situation wasn't so serious, she would've laughed at his horror mixed with confused expression on his face.
"I want to treat your shoulder."
"It's not even bleeding anymore."
"That doesn't mean it can't get infected," she explained. Honestly, he should know this. He probably did, but was just choosing to be difficult.
"I don't care."
She was shocked. "Well you should. You can die from a bad infection."
At his lack of response she shook her head. 'Stubborn fool,' she thought. 'Looks like some things never change.'
"Well, I'm going back now. If it suits you, you can stay here and...do whatever. It's your choice."
He turned to leave. Kaoru, Megumi, Yahiko, and Sano all looked at each other a moment before scrambling after Kenshin to go to Kyoto.
Kyoto...maybe now they would learn what it was about the city that caused their friend so much pain. What control could a city have over a person? How horrible did it have to be?
Walking through the deserted city was eerie. Even the Tokyo Samurai stuck very close to the group, edging closer and closer towards Kenshin until eventually he was walking next to him. The adults could all tell that Yahiko was deeply affected by the change in Kenshin. They all knew that Kenshin was almost like a father to Yahiko and now he was barely older than him, a killer and didn't recognize them.
From what they could tell, Kyoto wasn't such a monstrous city, but they realized that they couldn't even dream of what Kenshin had probably seen in his young life. Finally, they reached an inn. It was quiet inside. Each had been expecting a loud rough looking interior, filled with loud rude men; but that wasn't the case. It was quiet and almost peaceful inside. The only people inside were an elderly women who was sweeping at the floor and two young girls, a bit younger than Kaoru helping to clean cups and bowls.
When the group entered, they gained the attention of the three women. The elderly woman smiled and walked towards them.
"Good evening Himura."
He gave a polite nod but didn't speak.
"Who are your friends?"
He looked as if he was going to answer, but he soon realized he didn't know all of their names. He looked back at them, his eyes asking his unspoken question.
"Oh, I'm Kamiya Kaoru, and these are my good friends, Takani Megumi, Sagara Sanosuke, and Myojin Yahiko," she said with a smile.
"Well hello to all of you. You can just call me Okami. Everyone does. Is there anything I can get you," she asked, returning Kaoru's smile.
"Actually, if it's no trouble, could I have some tea," Kaoru asked, hoping she wouldn't inconvenience the kind lady in any way.
"No of course it's no trouble! I was going to make some for myself and the girls anyway. Anything for you gentlemen?"
Sano considered asking for some sake but changed his mind as he realized that he didn't want to be troublesome. "Tea is fine, thanks."
She nodded and busied herself with the task of boiling water and getting out several cups. She paused a moment and then turned to Kenshin.
"Would you like anything Himura? It's really no trouble at all."
"No thank you Okami-san."
"Oh, Ms. Kaoru, do you and your friends have rooms for the evening?"
"Um no, we're kinda new in town."
"Ah. Well, I have two rooms if you and Ms. Megumi don't mind sharing. Same goes for Yahiko and Sano."
"No, we can share. Thank you very much Okami-san."
She smiled. "It's my pleasure, and I told you, just Okami will do. Ignore Himura's politeness. I can't snap him out of it," she said with a laugh. She looked at him closer now. "Kami-sama Kenshin! You're bleeding!"
"It's nothing really. I'll change and be right back. Please excuse me for a moment."
Okami looked after him worriedly, as did the rest of his friends and Megumi stopped him as he headed upstairs.
"Kenshin, please let me help you with your wound. I really don't want to see it getting infected."
He didn't answer, but simply continued to walk upstairs.
Megumi frowned slightly and turned to Okami. "Okami-san, do you have any medical supplies? I'm going to help him whether he likes it or not."
"Oh you're a doctor? That's wonderful! As a matter of fact I do. Aiko, will you please get me the medicinal box from down the hall." The young girl nodded and ran off, eager to help. "I'll tell you though Ms. Megumi, he probably won't like it. He's quite independent. Doesn't usually accept help from anyone. Good luck."
"I've noticed. Thank you," she said as the girl handed her a box full of ointments and bandages.
"I hope you find what you need in there. I'm afraid my medical supplies are in rather short supply," Okami said, looking over the box Megumi held in her arms.
"Oh, I'm sure it's fine. Thank you again. Could one of you please show me Kenshin's room," she asked the girls with a smile.
The one that hadn't retrieved the box nodded happily. "It's just this way Megumi-san."
Megumi followed her, hoping that her now young friend wouldn't be angry. Kaoru followed her, not wanting to have to be away from Kenshin. The way she followed him around was almost sweet in Megumi's mind. It would have been sweeter, save for the bitter feelings she sometimes felt that Kenshin couldn't be hers. He was the perfect man really. Kind, polite, funny...but there was no use lingering on the subject. Kenshin would probably hate her after this, but if it saved his life...it would be the price she had to pay.
After walking down the quiet hallways, they finally reached a room that had a bar of light shining from the bottom. The young girl lifted her hand and knocked twice on the shoji door. "Himura-san?"
After a moment the door slid open to reveal amber eyes staring out at the three women who had bothered him.
"Megumi-san is here to see you," the girl said before giving a bow and turning to leave. "Please tell us if you need anything else," she said before hurrying down the stairs again.
Kenshin didn't say a word.
"Kenshin, can we come in?"
There was silence for a while and then a slight sigh. He slid the door open further and stepped aside to allow the women entrance. The neatness of his room was no shock to them. They had seem how orderly he had been back home in Tokyo. He probably wasn't in this room very often anyway.
Megumi walked into a corner by the rolled up futon and set down her box.
"Please let us help you Kenshin. Haven't you learned by now that we mean you no harm? We're your friends."
"How can I trust you as friends when I don't know you? I've-I've never seen you before in my life."
"No, you haven't met us, not yet, but...you have now right," Kaoru said with a nervous laugh. "And we care about you so let us help you okay?"
"But-But I don't have any friends," his voice trailed off softly, as if he was in disbelief of what was taking place around him. Was this Katsura's doing? Was he trying to get people to hang around him so he would feel better. That must be it. 'Great,' he thought. 'Now he has people following me around.'
"Well, you do now Kenshin. We're your friends, so take off your shirt and let me see that wound of yours," Megumi said gently. This young Kenshin was a lot more fragile than he appeared and was made out to be, mentally of course. Physically he was incredibly stronger than he appeared.
"I told you, it's not that bad."
"I'm the doctor, I'll be the judge of that."
"Please, no."
His subtle beg made her heart lurch. No, he wasn't supposed to be like this! He was supposed to be a merciless killer! Not a polite gentle boy! The look on Kaoru's face clearly said that she felt the same way.
"I'll say it one more time to reassure you. I don't want to hurt you. I can trust me, I promise."
The worried look didn't completely vanish from his face, but soon enough, he gave a short nod, and slid his blue Gi off.
The group was sitting at the table downstairs. Kenshin had gone out again...and all of them were afraid to talk about it so they carefully avoided the topic of his absence. Each sipped their tea, trying to relax themselves and keep their mind from wandering to Kenshin's current location and whathe was doing.
"For being an assassin, Kenshin doesn't have that many scars," Megumi stated, trying to start a conversation. They had to figure some stuff out.
"Well duh, Kitsune, he's so good no one can get him that often. Only if he's surrounded by men twice his size...and he has a broken sword or something," Sano said in a half serious, half joking tone. They all knew that getting Kenshin was hard, but the notion of him having to have a broken sword was obviously wrong. Perhaps this was an old wound that had opened up again.
Around his waist he had wrapped a bandage. He had done a good job, nearly as perfect a job as Megumi, but he hadn't applied any ointment, claiming he hadn't had time. Luckily, there was no infection, and Megumi re-wrapped it, careful to make it loose enough so he could move easily. There was no way she would be responsible for his death because he couldn't move.
"Say, how old is Kenshin anyway," Yahiko asked.
"I believe Katsura-san said he was 17," Okami answered.
"Wow! That means you're all older than him for once," Yahiko exclaimed happily. "That's kinda weird."
Okami suddenly looked confused. "You mean you've met Himura before?"
Kaoru sighed. "Well actually not before...later. We're not from this time. You see, somehow, we ended up 10 years in the past. We know Kenshin when he's 10 years older. I know you probably won't believe me, but honestly, that's the truth."
"I've heard crazier stories," she answered while nodding her head.
"You mean, you believe us?"
"I'm sorry. I don't want to seem rude, but it does sound rather hard to believe. You said you know Kenshin 10 years from now. That would mean he'd have to survive this war."
"Well, yes, why do you say that?"
"Many assassins commit suicide after they are finished with their jobs. Kenshin I'm afraid is one those people that doesn't know how to live in normal society. He was raised alone, and now most of the human contact he gets is from his victims. He's not a happy person, as you can tell but I pray that what you say is true. He's a good kid, he really is. Well, I'd say he's one of the most polite boys I've met in my life."
"Suicide," Sano questioned. "I don't think so. He always talks about having to live to repent for past sins."
The group nodded. Megumi could especially relate to this, as she had been ready to take her own life. She would have to, if Kenshin hadn't stopped her and told her how he lived his life. She missed that side of him.
Presently, Yahiko gave a big yawn and Megumi laughed.
"Well, thank you very much for everything Okami-san. I think I'll head off to bed. Do you need help cleaning up," Megumi said while standing.
"Oh no, of course not. Off to bed with you. You've all obviously had a hard day."
Each of them said their thanks and headed up the stairs while Okami put away the cups and eventually headed off to bed herself.
Megumi laid flat on her back on her futon. The breeze that came in from the window was refreshing and she took a deep breath.
"Why do you think people say such horrible things about Kenshin, when he's so polite," a voice from across the room sounded.
"I think there's a whole other side to him that we have yet to see. People wouldn't make up stories like that for no reason," Megumi answered truthfully.
"I feel sorry for him," Kaoru said again, sounding sad. "He's not happy. The way he acts is almost like he doesn't care whether he lives or dies. Do you think that's possible?"
"I think it's not only possible, it's probably very likely that he feels that way. I don't want to make you sad Kaoru, but we know that he makes it out all right, right?"
Kaoru didn't answer, but she nodded her head to herself. "I guess this is why his past is so painful for him."
"Hm-hmm," Megumi said with her eyes closed.
Today had been one of the most stressful days in her life and her body was exhausted. Her brain refused to do any more work, but Kaoru felt different. As tired as she was, she didn't go to sleep, she simply stared out the window while laying on her side and looking out at the stars.
'Kenshin, I wish we were back home. I miss you so much,' she thought. Even though he was there with her, it wasn't the Kenshin she knew and loved. However, seeing him at her own age did make him seem a lot more attractive in a way. As shallow as that sounded, she knew it was okay because she still loved him as the happy Rurouni they had left in Tokyo. Would they ever find a way home?
Sano and Yahiko didn't speak much for awhile, but Yahiko finally broke the silence.
"Kenshin doesn't really seem like a killer does he," he said quietly. "He's to calm and polite."
"Yeah I know what you mean," Sano answered.
"I mean, from what Saitou and Shishio said, I thought he'd try and kill us as soon as he saw us."
"But he did pin me to a tree..." Sano trailed off.
"But he apologized. Even I thought that was weird."
Sano nodded his head. That scene was being replayed over and over in his mind and he couldn't figure it out. Why had he looked so demonic one instant, and then he was apologizing and flinching at a woman's touch the next. Something didn't add up. Had Sano been a threat? Was Kenshin just in a killing mood? He had no clue. Hell, for all he knew, Kenshin had multiple personalities. The one question that was on everyone's mind though was:
Will we ever get to go home again?
A/N: Haha! Yes! I hope that you didn't find that to horrible, because I think it was okay. Not my greatest and rather boring, but I promise, things will get better! I have a whole plot set out! Please review and tell me what you think about it so far, otherwise I'll think no one's reading and I won't want to continue as bad. Thanks and see you next chapter! Happy readings!
