Departure Scars

Chapter 7:

"To Remember"

Her eyes scanned the others around her. A spark flickered in her eyes when an idea struck her mind. She looked at Sanosuke as a grin played with her lips. "I know...I'll just ask Sanosuke. He has to know something."

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"Sanosuke." Kaoru called while Megumi did the dishes.

"What is it Jou-chan." He asked.

"Well...um...I was wondering if you could answer some questions I have...?"

"It depends on what the questions are." He replied, giving her a little smirk.

"Well, I can't really remember what happened to me...and Megu--" She cut herself off, thinking whether what she was about to say was a good idea; especially the Megumi part.

"And, what?"

"Do you know what happened to me...I mean...concerning my wound?" Kaoru hoped her would tell her. She hated the empty feeling that kept on bugging her and wanted to know why it was there.

"No." Sanosuke said flatly.

"What!?" Kaoru nearly yelled, startling Sanosuke. "This can't be right! He has to know something!" Kaoru glared at him. "You don't even know a single thing?"

"No." He repeated. "I can't believe this! Ugh! I bet he's lying! Yeah. He's lying!" She peered at his blank face carefully. He gave her an innocent look.

"Oh, really?"

"I don't know what happened to you Jou-chan. I mean it." He lied, keeping face. It had to be very realistic so he could convince her. Kaoru was could be very sharp at this when what she wanted to know something that was important and Sanosuke didn't want to suffer from Megumi's wrath or see Kaoru in pain either.

"I don't think so." She implied.

"I don't know Jou-chan!"

"Humph!" Kaoru huffed and glared at him. Sanosuke sulked.

"Jou-chan, don't look at me like that!" He pouted innocently. "I really don't know anything!" Kaoru turned and walked away grumbling to herself.

"Mou..." "I know he's lying. But, why would he do that? There has to be some reason! Who else would know...Yahiko!" Kaoru turned on her heel and walked to the back of the dojo, where Yahiko was finishing, scrubbing the veranda.

"Ano...Yahiko?" Kaoru began. Yahiko stopped scrubbing and looked up. Kaoru squatted down to his level and continued. "Do you know anything...about what happened to me?" She asked, feeling hopeful again. She gave him a small smile.

"Happened to you when?" He asked and turned back to his scrubbing.

"When I got my wound here." Kaoru patted her upper chest, even though he wasn't looking.

"I don't know anything about that. Why would I?" Yahiko dipped the cloth into the round bucket of water.

"Because you live here!" Kaoru pointed out, getting annoyed all over again.

"What makes you think it happened here?"

"There is a huge blood stain on the floor in my room!" She reminded. Yahiko was quiet; acting like he forgot what they had just been talking about. He scrubbed the floor again, moving away from her.

"Well?" Kaoru said impatiently after not getting an answer.

"Well, what?"

"Do you know what happened to me!?" She forced through clenched teeth. "Dammit, this is ridiculous!"

"No." The word came out so simple and that frustrated Kaoru even more.

"Why not?!"

"I wasn't here."

"Why didn't you say that in the first place!?" She growled.

"You didn't ask." Yahiko replied. She fumed, stood up, whirled around and began to stomp off. "Oi! Where are you going?"

She didn't answer.

"Where around you going?" He repeated.

"For a walk." Kaoru snapped and shut the door noisily. Yahiko let out a light chuckle. "Mission accomplished."

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Kaoru grumbled to herself as she walked along the dirt road, into town. People were darting about, rambling about prices and asking questions at food stalls. "Megumi won't tell me, Sanosuke won't tell me and either will Yahiko! Mou! Why?! It's my body! It's my wound! I have the right to know! Megumi won't even answer the simple question about the 'Battousai's Woman'. I better not be someone's wife! Oh, Kami-sama! I know that at least one of them is lying." Kaoru thought as she passed the Akabeko. "Maybe I should ask Tae."

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Kaoru left Dr. Genzai's muttering things. No one knew what happened to her...well, they acted like they didn't. She marched down the path back home. "Something's not right! I have to find a way to get it out of them!" Kaoru slowed to a stop at the sound of water. She remembering the grassy bank and the sparkling stream that she always would sit before.

She was about to sit down when she paused at a sudden feeling...sadness? Anxiousness? Fear? She couldn't really tell but she felt as if she could be becoming depressed. "Depressed? How could I be depressed? There is nothing to be depressed about! You're supposed to be angry because your close friends are lying to you." Kaoru told herself mentally. But still...it did sadden her to know that she couldn't really trust them.

She picked up a twig and dipped it into the water, watching the small fish dart away with fear. She sighed and tossed the little stick behind her.

Suddenly, a snatch of red.

Kaoru lifted her gaze to a large tree and stood up. She hopped over the stream and held her breath. Was someone there?

Something crunched under her sandals. A poorly made fishing pole stuck out from under her foot and a fish lay dead, to the side of it. Someone was here! Kaoru peered cautiously at a large tree, around where the red came from. As silently as possible, Kaoru crept towards the large tree trunk. "If someone is there...why would they hide from me?" She wondered. Then, she jerked her head to the side and looked behind the trunk.

Another snatch of red and nothing.

She jerked her body the other way.

Red. Nothing.

This repeated again and again until she held her head in the same position and person turned, whipping something right into her face.

Red.

Kaoru stumbled backwards a few feet and looked at the person that stood there with a mixed expression on his face. Red hair, violet eyes, a cross shaped scar, a magenta gi and a sword at his left side. None other than...

"Iye..."

Both of their eyes widened. It was...

Kaoru shook her head as her vision blurred and she saw nothing but him. His hello. His soft gaze. His amber eyes. How he used to hold her so protectively after he saved her. How so much of him was a mystery. How much she loved him. How warm he was when he hugged her. Then how her heart broke when he left.

Kaoru's lips parted. A word formed on her tongue. It dangled there like a dead petal on a blossom.

It was the lie.

It was her lost piece.

Her memory.

It was...

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Translations:

Jo-chan- little girl, little missy. Sanosuke's nickname for Kaoru.

Ano- um

Gi- Kenshin's shirt

Iye- no

Mou- I don't know how do describe this. Um... maybe a form of exasperation? Almost a sigh.

Kami- God

Gomen- sorry

Author's Notes: Oh, I'm mean aren't? Leaving all you Kenshin fans hanging there. Tee hee. ^_^ I'll try to get the next chapter up soon. I've now totally gone from my original. I didn't even need my little book it was written in. So, now I have to think this up carefully. Okay, um...I hope you like it. Please review. I like to know what everyone thinks. Any opinions on what should happen? Maybe I could add them in later in the fic...

(Re-edited)