***
Chapter Two; Sky at Morning
***
I came by myself to a very crowded place
I was looking for someone who had lines in her face
I found her there but she was past all concern
I asked her to hold me, I said, "Lady, unfold me,"
But she scorned me and she told me
I was dead and I could never return
-Leonard Cohen
***

Kaoru ducked her head as Yahiko fled the kitchen to greet Enishi. She wasn't sure whether she wanted to face Enishi again, not after ten years. He'd be a grown man now.

"He's still hurting for you something bad, if you want to know." Raven volunteered as she came into being beside Kaoru. "That's why Yahiko is here as the Dojo's heir, Enishi wanted to train him to take over the Dojo so that he would be free to go looking for you."

Kaoru flinched. "Maybe coming back wasn't the best of ideas."

"You don't have a choice." Raven said staunchly. "This is the way it supposed to be."

"Enishi is -supposed- to be an insane weapons merchant right now." Kaoru said scathingly. "I should have been the idiot out there challenging Gohei last night."

Raven scowled. "Haven't you learned anything? Remember the Law! The Wanderer Tortured by His (or Her) own Past must arrive at the Dojo tonight and save the Heir from False Assassin. Otherwise..."

"Yes." Kaoru waved a dismissive hand. "I know, otherwise I could trigger a paradox. I understand." she sighed and adjusted the bokken at her belt. "We all have roles we must play..."

***

The young man in Chinese clothing, caught in the act of kicking off his shoes in the genkan, made a noise of surprise (something like GRGK!) when Yahiko pounced on him.

"You're back!" the ten-year-old enthused, he got a strangle hold on the older boy's neck and growled into his ear. "Where the hell have you been? Do you have any idea what's been going on since you left?"

Kaoru watched the exchange by peeking covertly around corner of the kitchen door.

The older boy, Enishi obviously, wrestled out of Yahiko's sleeper hold and pinned the boy to the ground, preparing to tickle the breath out of him... until Yahiko began extolling the extent of the damage done by the false Battousai.

Kaoru breathed a sigh of relief when Enishi released Yahiko, dusted the boy off and sat down to listen with a sympathetic ear to what had happened.

She didn't listen too closely to Yahiko's confessions, after all they weren't meant for her ears, but instead she watched Enishi's eyes and face for any hints of madness. She hoped not to find any but Raven had hinted that because Enishi had been mad in the previous time line it might have carried over into this new series of events even though they'd eliminated the cause of said madness.

However Enishi's eyes, though still an unsettling shade of red, were clear and lucid behind his tinted glasses. His hair was still shock white, but Raven had explained that his hair was the result of a something called a 'genetic mutation', that same 'mutation' was also responsible for that ability Enishi had to turn himself into some sort of superhuman.

"Look, Yahiko." Enishi said sternly, breaking Kaoru's train of thought. "That guy last night couldn't have possibly been the Battousai..."

"I know." Yahiko replied. "That's what Kaoru-san said, don't tell me you know him too!"

Enishi went still in shock. "Did you just say...?"

Yahiko nodded. "The Ronin who saved me last night, that was her name." Kaoru sighed at the canny look on Yahiko's face, he was testing her story. Smart child. "Do you know her?" he pressed.

Enishi grabbed Yahiko and held him up to his face. "Is she still here? Spill it runt! Which way did she go?"

Kaoru had to smile in spite of herself... this is where she came in. She stood up, dusted off her hakama and entered the front hall.

"Myougin-san? Where do you keep the oolong tea?" she called. Even though she was well aware of it's location (on the tea shelf in the box labeled 'oolong') but it was a convenient excuse.

Enishi dropped Yahiko and leapt to his feet. "Sensei!" he whispered in shock.

***

As few as ten minutes ago, Enishi had believed that his sole chance at being reunited with Kaoru Kamiya lay in training Yahiko to take over the Mastery of the Kamiya Kasshin Dojo.

He'd worked hard and fought hard for ten long years to become good enough with a sword that he could join Kaoru on her mysterious journeying.

Only to have his dream snatched away before his eyes, just before his hands closed around it, by Kamiya-sama's death... he still mourned that...

She stood in the hall way, dressed in shabby men's clothing with her sleeves tied back and bits of radish clinging to her calloused hands. He hair had grown longer and her pony tail almost reached the back of her knees and Kami only knew when she'd cut her bangs last for they had grown long to frame her face and tickle her throat.

"Hello, Enishi. Did you train hard under Ue?" she asked, and he could hear that age had roughened and mellowed her voice.

The Goddess from his childhood stood before him... and she was a mere human.

Then Kaoru brushed her bangs out of her eyes, giving a brief flash of cobalt eyes and the hideous x-shaped scar on her cheek... suddenly she was beautiful and Enishi's breath stuck painfully in his throat.

***

Kaoru had no warning other that the tensing of Enishi's muscles, her hand reflexively darted for her bokken but she topped herself.

The next thing she knew, Enishi was nearly crushing the air from her lungs.

'Did I miss it?' Kaoru panicked in the privacy of her mind. 'Is it me he hates?'

Then hot tears stung the tanned flesh of her neck and she knew... Kaoru returned Enishi's embrace and murmured comforting nonsense things in his ear the same way she had the night Tomoe had almost died.

Enishi suddenly pulled away and there was no trace of the tears in his eyes. "You're not leaving again." it wasn't a question.

Kaoru nodded and touched the shiny wall of the hall. "Yes, I always knew when I came home it would be for keeps."

"Your father's dead, he left the Dojo to me." Enishi continued ruthlessly.

Another nod. "I knew that too, that's why I'm here. Do you know where? I want to go make offerings..." she looked away as tears blurred her vision, she'd had so much less time with Ue in this time line than before... she mourned it.

"Wha... what are you two talkin' about?" Yahiko demanded, sensing that he was the odd person out on this conversation.

Kaoru smiled at the younger boy, a smile that (while she wasn't aware of it) had charmed many men and boys right out of their tabi. "I neglected to give you my full name when we met, Yahiko. I am Kaoru Kamiya, one time heir to the Kamiya Kasshin Dojo and the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu."

"You're in Tokyo to take over the Dojo?" Yahiko cried.

"No." she shook her head. "No, I am here as an assistant teacher..." she glanced at Enishi. "If that is acceptable."

"I said you weren't leaving." Enishi growled.

Kaoru grinned, her real smile, not the tranquil one she adopted for casual conversation. "It's all settled then..." she winced. "The Oden!"

Enishi blinked as the ex-ronin took off for the kitchen. "Oden?" he looked at Yahiko. "Oden?" he repeated.

"She's cooking," the boy explained. "and boy is it better than the slop you make..."

"Watch your mouth!" Enishi snarled and made a snatch at the younger boy. "It's not like yours is any better."

Yahiko blew a raspberry at his sensei and danced out of reach. "At least -my- miso doesn't crunch!" he teased.

***

"I've discovered why Enishi can't cook but for some reason you can all of a sudden." Raven volunteered as Kaoru yanked the almost (sigh of relief) burned Oden off the flames and hurriedly transferred it into a serving bowl before the residual heat in the wok burned it.

"And what would that be?" Kaoru asked distractedly... where did those two idiots put the chopsticks...?

"It has something to do with the Law." Raven explained as she pulled the chopsticks and the dinner bowls out of a disused cabinet.

Kaoru stacked them in a wooden tub along with the rest of the meal and carried it to the dining room (sorry, don't know the proper Japanese term for that one) Raven floated along behind her.

"For some reason," Raven gestured sketchily in the air as she spoke. "It's because you couldn't cook before, but Kenshin could. Now you're assuming Kenshin's role and Enishi has taken yours so now you can cook and Enishi can't."

"You must have a lot of free time to think that out." Kaoru commented, causing her friend to make a face at her. She looked up when the two young men she would be living with from now on followed their noses to supper.

Raven disappeared, presumably to occupy herself with whatever it was her job was (Kaoru still wasn't too clear on exactly what the messenger did for a living)

"Wow!" Yahiko enthused. "That looks great!"

"Smells good too." Enishi agreed.

The two boys dug into their food, not noticing the tress tick underneath Kaoru's eye.

'I swear, I'm doing nothing different...' she thought and started on her own meal. 'It's not fair!'

***

Meanwhile...

Back in the thug's hideout that Gohei Hiruma dared to call a Dojo, Gohei nursed his pride with a bottle of sake and a hot compress for his thumb (it ached when he exerted himself).

One of his 'students' watched to make sure the sake didn't stop flowing until Gohei's thumb stopped hurting. If the giant ever ran out of booze before he numbed himself then he tended to take his frustrations out of the nearest warm body.

"I could swear I've met that woman before." Gohei grumbled into his liquor. "Something about those eyes... those aren't the eyes of a common stick waving loser."

The 'student' refilled Gohei's sake bottle and while his attention was diverted, slipped a little white power into it. Opium powder. That ought to speed things up...

Unfortunately, Gohei chose that moment to quit drinking. He glared at his 'student' through red-rimmed eyes. "Go get the others together, we're gonna finish off the Kamiya Kasshin tonight!"

***

"He's on the move." Raven informed Kaoru, who was elbow deep in dishwater.

"He would be." Kaoru replied. "How many thugs will he bring to make himself bee in control?"

"Roughly 18, give or take... the sake was flowing freely when I checked. Some may be out of it." Raven shrugged. "More than your boys could handle, but well within your limits." he black eyes twinkled. "Now... what was your last count?"

Kaoru flushed. "Raven!" she warned.

"Fifty-two, I believe?" the Latina messenger continued as if she hadn't heard. "Now that is impressive!"

"It was forty-one." Kaoru groused, "The police-men don't count." she was long past the point where body counts mattered to her, but Raven delighted in the tallying.

Raven shrugged and took up a dishtowel to dry bowls as Kaoru washed them. "Anyway, let's hurry. They'll be here within the hour."

Kaoru cast a glance outside the kitchen smoke-escape window. "It'll be dark by then." she cast a glance on her informant. "Where are Enishi and Yahiko?"

Raven grinned back nastily. "At the bath, Enishi is heating up the tub and Yahiko is filling it up." she nudged Kaoru. "Maybe he might want for company?"

"Get your mind out of the gutter!" Kaoru snarled. "He's eight years younger than me! That would be robbing the cradle!"

"Picky, picky." Raven chided. "And Himura was, what? Eleven years older than you?"

"That's different..."

"How so?" Raven insisted. "It's been ten years since you looked at a man in the proper fashion, and don't tell me I'm wrong because I was there! I would have known if you did the dirty."

Kaoru gave Raven a supremely dirty look. "What about the reason I'm here doing all this? Doesn't that count for anything?"

"That reason is married." Raven said primly. "and if he knew anything of this he'd probably agree with me."

"Not Enishi." Kaoru said firmly. "He's too much like a little brother, I'd never be able to look Tomoe in the face again... besides..." she sighed and stopped washing the dishes, suddenly over come by a wave of homesickness. "Besides... no one is my Kenshin."

Raven bit her tongue. "I apologize... I know how you feel, I was being insensitive."

"No." Kaoru sighed. "You were being logical, but I don't want to move on. I can't do what I need to do without the comfort that it's for a greater cause... even if it might not be."

Raven nodded. "Forgive me?"

"Nothing to forgive."

***

By the time Yahiko had the tub filled up, Enishi had a merry blaze going underneath it to heat the bath.

"Who gets first wash?" Yahiko asked as he squatted beside his sensei.

"Think, runt." Enishi said gruffly. "Which of us is the most likely to have gone the longest without a hot bath?"

"I'll get Kaoru-san, then." the apprentice agreed and ran off to fetch her.

Enishi drug the hem of his sleeve across his forehead to sop up the accumulated sweat from his brow.

A shadow appeared on the ground before him.

"No, you can't borrow anymore money here, Sagara." he informed the newcomer before he could even speak.

"I love you too, Yukishiro." the man replied. He was tall, even by western standards. His spiky brown hair was mostly caught in a ponytail but several chunks around his hairline stuck up, defying gravity. He wore a fairly non descript outfit, it was only notable because it wasn't a normal Japanese gi and hakama.

He looked up at the tall, lanky man and gave him a once over. "Well, the Meido has sprouted flowers." he commented. "You finally got rid of that stupid white ensemble."

"Maa Maa." Sanosuke made placating gestures. "No need to be catty."

Enishi snorted. "How bad in debt are you?"

Sanosuke grinned winningly. "I'm not in debt... yet. Actually I currently have gainful employment."

Enishi snorted with laughter. "'Gainful employment'!" he mocked. "Have you been reading again?"

"Watch yer mouth!" Sanosuke threatened. "I've done no such thing; I got a job, are the words small enough for you?"

"Then why are you here?" Enishi pressed, apparently not bothered by his squatting position on the ground where Sanosuke could tower over him.

"I heard some bad talk down in Ruffian Row." Sanosuke said. "So now I'm looking for someone, to pass on a warning."

"A warning?"

The street fighter nodded. "Yeah, you ain't happened to have seen a kenshi around here, a female one? She has long black hair and an x-shaped scar of her left cheek. She carries a bokken too."

Enishi frowned. "That would be Kaoru Kamiya, the residing Master of the Kasshin style."

Sanosuke whistled appreciatively. "So it -is- her, then? No wonder she risked her neck for the runt last night. Is she around, I got some information she might be interested in."

"And that would be?"

Both the men turned to face Kaoru who, followed by Yahiko, was approaching them with a towel thrown over her shoulders.

"Hey." Sanosuke waved in what he must have thought was a cool manner. "I'm Sanosuke Sagara."

"I know who you are." Kaoru acknowledged. "What is this information you say you have?"

Sanosuke snickered. "See, Yuki-chan?" he teased Enishi. "She's heard of me, now ya gonna believe I've got a rep?"

Enishi snorted. "Spill, Sagara."

He gave a long-suffering sigh. "I get no respect. You saw the bugger who's been murdering people last night, didn't you?" he asked Kaoru, who nodded. "Well, I dunno if you know this but he used to be a student here."

"Bite your tongue, rooster-head!" Enishi snarled. "That bastard never trained here!"

"I'm well aware of that." Kaoru said as if Enishi hadn't spoken. "His name is Gohei Hiruma, he was expelled nearly eleven years ago after my father caught him abusing the junior students. His right thumb is crippled and he's spent the past eleven years perfecting a left handed sword style in order to revenge himself on this school." she smiled. "Is that what you had to say?"

Sanosuke laughed. "You sure live up to your reputation, do you -really- know everything?"

"No," she demurred. "It just appears that way. Was there anything else?"

"Actually, I got word that he and his thugs are moving out tonight. I think they might make a try for this place." he cracked his knuckles for emphasis. "I haven't had a good throw-down for ages, feel like letting me cut in?"

Kaoru shook her head. "No, I believe it might be a better idea if you let Kasshin business stay solely Kasshin business. Thank you for the information." she bowed. "As you can see, we're settling down for the night perhaps you could visit again another time?"

Sanosuke laughed. "I didn't think you'd need my information, after all, word on the streets is that the Ronin Kenshi woman sees all and knows all." he waved his hands on either side of his face. "Her eyes can see into a man's soul and right out the other side!"

Kaoru chuckled. "Not really..."

"Nah, I just figure got some good informants." he shrugged. "Anytime you feel like taking a fight easy though get word to ruffian row, eh?"

"I'll do that." Kaoru agreed. "Good-bye."

Sanosuke turned on his heel and left the courtyard of the Dojo. He paused outside the gates... shook his head, and kept walking. All the time, his self-assured smirk never left his face.

"Cocky rooster-head." Yahiko mumbled. "Someone needs to take him down a notch or seven."

Kaoru shook her head at the young boy. "No, he has something to be cocky about." she told him. "His ki is very powerful."

'Too powerful.' she thought in the privacy of her own mind. 'And too well controlled, he may act like the Sano I remember... but he's a completely different fighter. It feels as if he's been concentrating solely on his fighter's ki... although I have no room to throw stones' she smiled ironically. Sanosuke just might prove to be a valuable asset in the coming times.

"You taking first bath?" Enishi offered.

"No," Kaoru declined and handed him the towel she'd brought with her. "I went to a bath house yesterday, I'll bathe in the morning, I always sweat in my sleep."

"Okay." Enishi allowed and tossed the towel to Yahiko. "You first then, you've had a busier day than me."

"Okay." Yahiko took the towel and looked at Kaoru. "I'll put the dishes away after my bath, you can go to bed now if you want. I set out a futon and quilt in the third bedroom."

"That was my bedroom when I lived here, before." Kaoru noted and ruffled Yahiko's hair. "How nostalgic..." she murmured only half to herself. "Good night." she told them and left for the bed.

She had no intention of sleeping tonight until after dealing with Gohei. She regretting missing out on the bath, her calves were sore from walking all the way from Hakone, but the hot water would have relaxed her muscles and made her slow.

'I've fought and beaten more than eighteen men at a time.' she told herself. 'But I didn't get up to fifty-two men in a single battle by getting lax. Eighteen men is eighteen chances that one of them will get in that lucky blow.'

*******
End chapter Two
*******

Seiyuu- sorry guys, I didn't want to wait to introduce Sano-chan, he's gonna be a lot of fun though and wait until you see what evil things I've got planned for Megumi!!!