Chapter 3: Past's Awakening

"I see you, please Tomoe-san, tell me, why are you making me this?" he said in a saddened voice. Her brows furrowed and she tried to approach, but he drew back. He shut his eyes, and he shook his head vehemently.

"Shessha…gomen ne…" he said trying to gain control over his reason.  His hands clutched in fist over the tatami floor. He was still with his eyes shut. She approached him, as she caressed his left cheek, he opened his eyes widely, fear more visible in them.

"Don't…"he warned, she pulled her hand back, worried about his behavior, she welled up some tears. Her lips were trembling and she was trying to hold her cry.

'Who is she? Who's the one that brings you so much pain?' she asked mentally. Kenshin stood up.

"Before you go…onegai…tell me who is this Yukishiro Tomoe?" she begged, Kenshin turned around to get lost in her deep dark eyes. Her face pale as white as snow, her red lips… couldn't she remember who she is? Was it another dream? A twist of fate? Did she know how much pain it was causing him to see her again? Why was she making this? Where was Kaoru? All this questions swirled around on Kenshin's mind. Then he sighed, looking tenderly at her demure figure.

"Tomoe-san, don't you remember?" he asked tenderly. She only gasped, again Tomoe-san…who was she? 'Maybe if I follow this he'll tell me who she is' she thought. Then she shook her head, looking carefully at him.

"Yukishiro was your last name when you were single, but…when we met each other, you became Himura Tomoe" he said exiting the room, leaving a baffled Kaoru.

'He…was…married?' she tried to make words more clear. Then she cuddled in the futon, sobbing silently.

Kenshin could hear her cry, he leaned backwards on the shogi, and lifted his head up to the roof. Maybe the storyteller was right, maybe she had come to finish something. And maybe she had lost her memory in the meantime. But, Kaoru-dono? Where was she? Was he hallucinating Tomoe in Kaoru? He shook his head in denial. It couldn't be, cause she smelled like Tomoe, her voice was as Tomoe's and her touch was as Tomoe's.

"Why is the girl crying?" Aoshi asked emerging from the darkness lighting up a candle. Kenshin straighten up. He looked away.

"Who do you see?" Kenshin asked, inviting him to look inside. Aoshi gave him a puzzled look, but he did what he was said.

"A girl crying" he said effortlessly. Kenshin sighed then he shook his head.

"What's her name?" he asked again. Aoshi was now with a troubled look.

"It's Kamiya girl…who do you want me to see? Your dead wife?" he murmured without looking at him. Kenshin tensed up looking in awe at him.

"How…how do you know?!" Kenshin asked with and enigmatic emotion. Aoshi closed the shogi. Then he looked him, ice freezing the overwhelmed rurouni.

"Our information network is the best Battousai, we are ninjas, we know how to search…" Aoshi said walking to his room. The light fading as he passed away.

"Why did you want to know about her?" he asked trying to reach him. He stopped but he never turned back.

"To know your weak point, when I was with Shishio, I wanted to know everything about you…I got some information about your dead wife, and how she died…gomen Battousai, but as it seems, I'm not the only one that investigated about her…" he said keeping up his pace. Kenshin was shocked. 'someone knows…about her? What does she has to do with all this?' he thought, trying to gain some sleep. He covered himself thinking about Aoshi's information.

~*~

"When are you letting me go?" the ninja asked sitting in a corner of the room. Aoshi blew up the candle, making the moonlight illuminate them.

"You made a great job up there…now, you're getting the antidote…and then you go, but far away so they suspect about us, ok?" he said sitting on his heels. The ninja nodded with a wide grin.

"But sir, you said you were going to erase…" the ninja tried to say but Aoshi shushed him.

"Forget about what I've said, I won't let Battousai interfere in my territory, he'll get what he want, the antidote. But if he gets more into this…there I should take my part and take him out of my way…" he said in his husky voice. The ninja smiled excitedly. Then the ninja disappeared going for the antidote.

~*~

Next morning:

Kenshin sensed a ki and smelled blood. He woke up suddenly and he sat up, but some strong hands pulled him back. His eyes searched for the person, he saw Sano's brownish eyes looking down at him. Megumi was there too, but her gaze was on his shoulder, her hands making some movements on it. As she stitched his cut.

"Kenshin stay calm, why didn't you tell me you had an injury?" Megumi asked without looking at him. Her eyes fixed up on his cut. Kenshin looked at her.

"Because it wasn't something to worry about, its just a scratch, Megumi-dono, really…" Kenshin tried to smile.

"You call a 2 inches deep cut a scratch? Don't fool me Ken-san, I'm checking you if there's any poison on your wound" she said arching her brows.

"But I'm feeling right, I have no fever no hallucinations, no nothing…" he said sheepishly. Megumi gasped, as her eyes widened. Then a worried expression covered her face. Sano looked surprised at his statement. Kenshin didn't have a clue about what was happening.

"We heard you Kenshin" Sanosuke said without emotion, looking down at him. Megumi unfastened the hankie on her head. She sighed. "You talked about a girl named Yukishiro Tomoe…" Megumi continued Sano's statement. Sano took off his hands from Kenshin, so he could sat up.

"The wound had some poison, but your body metabolized it perfectly. What worries me the most, is that you called Kaoru, Tomoe-san…who is she ken-san?" Megumi tried to ask with a worried expression. Kenshin was doomed.

"Well, don't worry, It doesn't matter, what it's important now it's that Kaoru is graver than the other days. For some reason her defenses lowered last night. There's no more I can do for her…"Megumi said gripping the hankie on her hands. Kenshin looked startled at her. He stood up walking to Kaoru's room. Then, in the shogi, a motionless Misao was unable to pass in. Kenshin approached her. Her face was very sad and the sparkle in her eyes was already gone.

"Why are you waiting outside Misao-chan? Kaoru-dono needs you to be by her side" he said patting her shoulder giving her a cheerful smile. Misao looked at him, some anger on her eyes showed up.

"No, Himura, that's your job!" she said pushing him inside the room, where she was lying motionless. Kenshin's eyes looked in horror at her figure. 'Not again! What's going on!" he said grabbing his head tightly.

Misao looked at Kenshin's reaction, she backed away, then she crushed with Aoshi's chest. Aoshi was looking Kenshin carefully.

'She's Kaoru-dono! Not Tomoe! Not Tomoe!' Kenshin shouted mentally. He kneeled. He tried to see Kaoru, or imagine her…but his efforts were useless, he was looking at Tomoe's motionless figure on the futon. Just like the day he fired the cabin…

Kenshin sighed, he closed his eyes, and tried to remember about Kaoru. All the time he had spent with her, and all the adventures he had with her. But as he thought more about it, the less he could remember. Little things were cracking up in his mind. Each memory sinking deep into nowhere. He opened his eyes again. He was still looking at Tomoe, but this time, she was more vivid. He couldn't handle anymore, he couldn't see any traits of the 'supposed to be' Kaoru. He stood up rapidly trying to escape from the room. Aoshi and Misao looked surprised at his reaction. Misao was going to catch him up. But Aoshi stopped her.

"Let me do this, you take care of the Kamiya girl" he said as he followed the redheaded rurouni. Misao entered the room with doubtful steps. She sighed, her eyes closing, she didn't want to see the lamely figure that was lying there.

Aoshi could follow Kenshin, he was sitting on one of the koi's rocks. Aoshi leaned on the nearest tree from the koi. As he looked the confused rurouni look his reflection on the water.

"Battousai…why are you becoming your present into your past? Are you all right? I don't think so, you barely know who Kaoru Kamiya really is…what a good manner of dying, don't you think?" Aoshi stated. Kenshin looked at him, he didn't understand.

"Knowing that the one you love is hallucinating that you are somebody else" he said crossing his arms over his chest.

"I didn't know you had Saitoh's sarcasm, and I don't know what are you talking about" he said seriously.

"That girl is going to die Battousai, and you don't know who she really is" he said in a deep voice, making Kenshin wince.

"If you're thinking about this is about the poison, you're wrong. The poison you had is already gone, as Megumi explained. What you have is an inner fights you had blocked for so many years" Aoshi said no looking at him. Kenshin only looked away. Misao went running, she was breathing heavily. Kenshin and Aoshi looked at Misao in amazement.

"What is it Misao?" Aoshi asked, Misao held composure as she tried to breath calmly.

"We…need…the antidote…quick" she tried to say. Kenshin widened his eyes. Misao guided them into the building. He walked to the corridor, as he stepped in Kaoru's room.

He clenched his fists. Why on earth he couldn't see Kaoru? And instead Tomoe?! Megumi searched for Kenshin's recognition. But all he saw was a serious Tomoe lying on the futon.

"She has been calling you…" Megumi bowed her head. Kenshin approached to the lying body, he tried to remember, Kaoru-dono, Kaoru-dono. He closed his eyes as he kneeled in front of her.

"I'm here Kaoru-dono…I'm here" Kenshin caressed her cheek. her white skin…she turned her gaze to look at him. Tears began to form on her eyes. 'That's the way I always wanted to see me…but he never did…because his heart belongs to the woman he thinks I am…" she stated mentally, as her hand traveled to his cheek. Kenshin smiled, he again was daydreaming about her touch, and how much he had waited to feel her again.

"Leave…" she said in hoarse voice. Kenshin's eyes opened then he looked down. Searching for a reason.

"If you are still seeing Himura Tomoe, leave…" a single tear rolled down her face. Kenshin looked at her in shock.

"What makes you think that I don't see you, Kaoru-dono?" He said emphasizing 'Kaoru-dono'.

"Because you never looked me that way…I can see it in your eyes…it's not me whom are you looking at…" she stated seriously as she looked away. Kenshin hung his head, as he gripped his hand on hers.

"Don't touch me neither…"she said taking her hand from his. Kenshin felt more miserable.

"At least I can die by saying that I loved you…and that I always will, even you didn't love me back…" she said weeping away her own tears. Kenshin widened his eyes…that's what Tomoe said the day she…

"Your not gonna die Kaoru-dono, you'll see…just wait a little longer…onegai" he said with a brief smiled that faded away at her indifference.

"I told you to leave Kenshin!" she tried to yell, but her heart was too weak to dig farther.

Kenshin bowed his head, he stood up and turned to leave. He could feel all their gazes on him, but it was her decision. He must go…he closed the shogi behind him. He looked down, not a sparkle in his violet orbs. He walked doomed over the halls, preparing to wander again.

"Are you going to make the same thing you did 11 years ago?" Aoshi appeared from nowhere. Kenshin only nodded exiting the building.

"You barely know who's 'Kaoru-dono' right? That's what hurts you the most, ne?" Aoshi stopped Kenshin with his words. For some strange reason he had no idea who he was talking too.

For him it was Tomoe Himura…but deep inside he knew it was somebody else. Why did he forgot her? What was so special in her that made him feel so miserable? He was lacking something…but at least he saw Tomoe again.

A little smile crept on his lips, his eyes still doomed for the person he was forgetting. Aoshi lowered his eyes, he was right, little by little he was converting Kaoru in Tomoe…and he finally replaced Kaoru for her dead wife. Kenshin started to walk again. Exiting the Aoiya. Aoshi he stood motionless in the entrance, looking thoughtfully. Then he turned, as he found an almost weeping Misao. She was drawing her tears back.

"Why did he leave? Kaoru-chan needed him! Even she said she wasn't, she was screaming for him! He has to be there, for her, for her sake!" Misao clenched her fists. Aoshi placed his large hand over her small shoulder, Misao looked up at him in awe.

"He'll come back…" he soothed her. Misao unable to hold back her tears anymore, she crushed herself into Aoshi's chest. Leaving him out of words. Her sobs shushed by his hard chest, he looked down at her in shock. It had been a while since the last time he saw her cry.

"I don't want Kaoru-chan die!" she said hoarsely. Aoshi reached up a hand to pat her back.

~*~

"Oh for Kami-sama's sake! You look more awful than you usually do baka deshi!" Hiko sipped from his sake. Kenshin wasn't in the mood to handle this. So he only sat in front of his master, his bangs covering his eyes.

"I told you I won't teach you and help you anymore" Hiko stated. Kenshin shook his head.

"I just wanted…to…" he murmured. Hiko sipped again from his sake. Then he closed his eyes.

"You may stay, I need a servant actually to do some housework, and I bet you know 'cause you worked in Kamiya's dojo. And let me guess, the Kamiya girl was sick of you and kicked you out of her house, ne?" he said with a wide grin.

"I've forgot who Kamiya Kaoru really is…that's why I left, she's dying…" he said without looking at his master, a hint of guilt rushed through Hiko. He sighed.

"Were you taking any opium?" Hiko asked, Kenshin lifted up his head as he arched a brow.

"Oro?!" he babbled. Hiko sighed in disbelief.

"I didn't know the master of the Hiten Misturugi Ryu doped himself" Hiko said. Kenshin went blue, as he wailed his hands and shook his head vehemently.

"Iie Sensei! I don't consume any drug…" he said with little sweat drops over his face. Hiko chuckled.

"Then what the heck is on your mind that you don't know who Kamiya-san really is?" he said angrily as a vein popped out.

"They said Kaoru was dying, but all I see is Tomoe-san lying on that futon instead o Kaoru" he said furrowing his brows."Hmm so you don't remember a thing about her?" Hiko looked more seriously.

"Only her name…and that I'm lacking something…I don't know what" he said placing his hands over his knees.

"Now you aren't only stupid but waco!" Hiko said scratching his head. Then he took Kenshin by his yukata's neck and dragged him out of the woods.

On the way Kenshin told the events he had passed, but instead of naming Kaoru he always mentioned Tomoe as the character of the actions. He retold the events until he got to the woods with Hiko. Hiko was frowning and not a single word came out from his mouth.

They finally get to the nearest cementer. Kenshin looked to the pile stone where Tomoe was buried. He stood in front of it. But words where vanishing making them blurry. Hiko noticed Kenshin's stupor.

"What does it said Kenshin?" Hiko pointed the written letters on the floor. Kenshin frowned as he tried to read the katanas written on the floor.

"Ka-mi-ya...Ka-o-ru..." he finally blurted out. Hiko's eyes widened, Kenshin looked puzzled at his master. 'This is more serious than I thought' Hiko thought.

"Kenshin, there's no Kamiya Kaoru in that pile stone. It says "Yukishiro Tomoe" Hiko read. Kenshin kneeled but he only saw the 6 katanas on the floor. "So who's the one that I saw in the Aoiya?" Kenshin asked worriedly.

"You must go and find out before it's too late…"Hiko said solemnly. "But she was dying, she was ordering me to leave! I can't go back…" Kenshin stood up, cleaning the dust in his hakama. "Who ordered you?" Hiko asked. "It was Tomoe's figure, but deep inside I sensed a different ki…" Kenshin reflected.

"I order you to go back, and investigate who is she!" Hiko ordered knowing exactly what he was asking for. Kenshin started with several "But..but…" but Hiko shushed him "I don't care what she ordered you…You MUST go back! You must find yourself and the thing you're lacking, you'll find it there Kenshin, so go!" Hiko snorted. Kenshin thought about is as he slowly walked away.

"I still think that baka gets drugged or something…" Hiko said leaving the cementer behind returning to sip some sake. "Now I'm a kind of counselor…oh kami-sama, what have I done…"

End of chapter 3

Author notes: I don't really know if Japanese cementers have the names of the deceased ones on the floor or in the gravestone. So please be gentle, I don't know THAT much about Japanese culture. I forgot to thank Kali-chan! C'ya in next chapter, please tell me if the characters are too OCC, I tried not, but constructive reviews can help! But please be gentle, I'm sensitive…Thanks Gypsy-chan and Omochi too! And to Noa-chan's objections of Aoshi being a bastard. He's not a bastard, I swear!!!! And I agree that his one of the coolest characters in Ruroken. That's why I included him in my story! I ask you to read the whole story, so you could REALLY know if I'm placing Aoshi as a bastard or not. ^_~ Ja ne!