~Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or Rurouni Kenshin characters. This story was not written for sale or profit. Don't forget to review.

A/N—Many thanks to Madiha, Midori Natari Himura, LightofHope, and April-san for your reviews. And I will be posting my next Aoshi/Soujiro story soon.

A Reason for Love

Chapter 17: Fighting for Love

In every aspect of his life for as far back as he could remember Aoshi had never been in a position where he had to rely on the emotions of others to control his actions. He had always been confident, assured of his actions and in total control. He had been the one giving the orders, making the plans and seeing that they were executed. But after making some very bad emotional decisions everything had been turned around and he now had to deal with the results of those choices.

For the first time in his life, he was nervous for now he would have to face the people he had betrayed and seek their forgiveness. He had decided that he would not try to explain his actions because he was not sure he fully understood why he had taken that path. But that didn't ease the nervousness that he felt as he traveled back to Kyoto.

As the carriage pulled into the town, Aoshi was ready to face his future; he would get the seal to Soujiro, and then start the process of returning to the human race.

~ ~ ~

"I want it, I want that kimono," the young girl begged, pointing to the bright orange kimono that was on display in the shop, "Oh please buy it for me, Oh please, please."

The older man calmly stood next to the young girl, a smile on his face, "And why should I buy that kimono for you? It is very big and your small body would get lost in the fabric."

"I will grow into it and come back just to show you. So will you buy it for me Aoshi-sama?" the young girl looked up at Aoshi, her eyes filled with hope.

Nodding, Aoshi paid the shopkeeper the price for the kimono. Picking it up he handed it to the smiling young girl.

The memory of that day would forever be etched in her mind, for she had cherished that kimono and every year for seven years she had tried it on to see if she had grown into it.

Looking out the window, Camilla watched as Aoshi stepped out of the carriage, hurrying into the inn where she waited for him.

~ ~ ~

Descending from the carriage, Aoshi hurried into the inn, taking the stairs two at a time he raced to the room where he had left Soujiro.

"He's not there," a soft voice said.

Freezing in mid reach, Aoshi slowly looked in the direction the voice came from. His eyes focused on a bright orange kimono. It took him a few moments to recollect where he had seen that color, for that was not a popular color for a kimono.

"You look like you have seen a ghost," Camilla said, walking slowly towards him.

"You have grown into that kimono, I see," Aoshi said, looking into her eyes. His memory took him back to the day he bought the kimono. He remembered looking at the small girl as she begged for the bright orange kimono but he didn't see Camilla, he saw Misao and he could not refuse to buy the kimono. "I could never resist you when you begged for something that was out of your reach."

"I know, that was why I always came to you," Camilla said, smiling. Stretching her arms out so that Aoshi could see her entire body, she stated, "See I told you that I would grow into it."

"Yes you did," Aoshi agreed.

"But that isn't the only reason that I am here, I have a message for you from Kamie. He wanted you to know that he's at the Temple waiting for you."

"Is he all right?" Aoshi softly asked, remembering the way Soujiro had looked the morning before.

"Yes and he is adorable," Camilla said, standing next to Aoshi. Hesitantly, she asked, "Did you get my letter?"

"Yes, and I can't right now," he said, "In a couple of days, maybe…"

"It's the boy, isn't it? You're worried about the boy. If I help you will you at least hear what I have to say?" she asked, looking at the floor, she clasped her hands behind herself, nervously twining her fingers. "I will do anything to help speed things up," she said the tone of her voice depicting the seriousness of her statement.

Aoshi stood for a moment pondering then produced the seal and in a hushed tone he asked, "Can you deliver this to him at the Temple, get him to the train station, and make sure that he is on the train to Tokyo?"

"Consider it done," she whispered, taking the seal, she bowed.

Giving her a polite bow, he turned to leave then stopping with his back to her, he quietly said, "Thank you," before walking away.

Camilla watched as Aoshi disappeared down the hall, wishing that she could have been the one he loved.

~ ~ ~

Entering the Aoiya, Aoshi felt like he was walking to his execution. He had known Okina since he was a child and in some respects, he had made an acceptable replacement for his father but Aoshi had still turned against the old man when he should have been seeking his council. Would Okina be receptive to helping him now that he had decided to put his past behind him? he wondered.

Aoshi had finally come to terms with his actions against Battousai and his betrayal of the clan. But there were still some residual things that had to be addressed and he would face them one at a time until he could completely accept himself once again. For how one dealt with the problems in life was what made up the character of the person and his character had suffered some major set backs after succumbing to his alter ego. It was a hard thing for him to admit to himself but it would be even harder to admit too the people who had suffered at his hand.

Okina patiently sat and watched as Aoshi took his seat across from him. He searched Aoshi's face looking for the self-confidence that he always displayed, but what he found was the man Aoshi had become. His self-confidence was still there but it had been tempered with the guilt and self-crimination that had plagued the former Okashira for the past year. Okina wanted to hug the younger man sitting across from him, pat him on the back and tell him that everything would be all right. But he knew that by doing that it would harm more than help so he simply sat quietly, waiting for Aoshi to reveal his information.

Sitting across from the old man, Aoshi found that he didn't know where to begin. He was grateful that Okina sat waiting for him to start the conversation but it was not easy for him. He knew that he couldn't expect to just blink his eyes and all would be right in his world. But he had not counted on it being this hard to start. So staring straight forward he searched for the words to say.

While waiting for Aoshi to reveal why he had asked for the meeting, Okina could tell that the younger man was finding it difficult to start the conversation. And as the silence between them became overbearing, he could almost hear the thoughts that the younger man was thinking.

"I…" Aoshi whispered, watching as Okina cocked one eyebrow. Speaking in his normal voice he started again, "I am going to accept an offer to work for the government, but before I do I have to somehow make amends for my actions."

"And how do you intend to do this?" Okina asked, rubbing his chin.

"I am here to ask for your forgiveness. My actions toward you were unforgivable," he said, keeping the emotion out of his voice. "And I have no excuse to explain them."

"Aoshi there is nothing that you can do to change the past," Okina said, the serious tone of his voice uncommon for him, "I understand that you were fighting your own demons but you must also understand that I have always wanted what was best for you."

Bowing his head slightly, he lowered his eyes to the floor before replying, "I will comply with what ever you decide is necessary to prove my intent."

"Are you sure that you want to make that statement?"

"Yes," Aoshi said emphatically.

"Well then, lets have a party and invite the whole town and you can mingle with the guests," he cackled, "We'll have lots of pretty girls and plenty of sake and good food to eat." Jumping up and down the old man started grabbing air as if he was holding someone then pulling them towards him, smooching them, he gleefully laughed, throwing his head backwards.

Aoshi quickly snapped his head up; shock filled his senses as the realization of what the old man was saying reached his thought center. He sighed deeply then straightening his back, he accepted his sentence.

The old man leaned forward, rubbing his lower back with one hand. "I'm not as young as I use to be," he exclaimed. Looking at the shocked expression on Aoshi's face, he smiled and then he sat back down. It had been worth the pain in his back to see some emotion on the younger man's face.

Aoshi was silent, not wanting to believe what the old man had said. He knew that Okina liked to party and he had been serious when he agreed to prove himself but now he wondered if the old man had taken him seriously.

"Aoshi," Okina softly said, "times have changed and so must you. We no longer live in a time where our society is so structured and stiff that to party was unheard of. You must let go of the past and live in the present while planning for the future." The serious tone of Okina's voice gave credence to his words.

"Then…"

"No, I wasn't serious about you mingling with the guests," Okina said not letting him talk. "Although it would not hurt you if you were to attend a party." The old man once again laughed when Aoshi just sat staring at him.

~ ~ ~

Camilla quickly changed back into her jeans and white shirt. Stuffing the kimono into her knapsack, she scanned the room to make sure there was no trace that she had been there. Picking up the seal from the dresser, she tossed it into the air, deftly catching it in her other hand. Slinging the jacket over her shoulder, she picked up her knapsack before leaving the room.

Walking down the hall, she opened the shoji where Soujiro had been staying. Quickly finding Soujiro's travel bag, she placed the seal inside before stuffing it inside her knapsack.

Acting like the tourist that she wanted people to think she was, she carefully made her way back to the Temple to deliver the seal and travel bag to Soujiro.

~ ~ ~

Being as how he had been left alone in the garden, Soujiro chose to just sit and wait for Camui to return. The calming effect of the garden was beginning to have a lulling affect on him, making him feel safe. So he stayed in the garden, not wanting to re-enter the main building until it was necessary. His dream was still too fresh to just calmly ignore, making him leery of the main building.

Sitting on the ground, he looked down at his crossed legs, trying to visualize what Camui had said about being in the right position to meditate.

Which one do I put on my thigh first, he thought. Unable to decide, he grabbed the leg furthest from his body and quickly pulled it towards himself. With his foot going completely over the top of his thigh, it went to far to fast and in an instant his foot went over the top onto the outside of his thigh and with his knee high in the air and his hands still clenching his leg, the rest of his body went horizontal.

Pushing himself back into a sitting position, he sighed while looking at his twisted legs, trying to decide if it was worth attempting again.

"Do you want me to help you?" Camui asked crouched down in front of him. The monk, amused by the position he found Soujiro in, understood that without instructions some people found the positions difficult to obtain.

Nodding his head yes, Soujiro watched as Camui straightened his legs then gently put them in the proper position. After Camui placed the young man's arms on his thighs, he reached around behind him and gently straightened his back.

"Now look straight forward," Camui said, sitting back on his feet. With the tips of his fingers, he raised Soujiro's head up slightly. "Good now slowly close your eyes and open your mind to the thoughts that you have buried deep within yourself."

Doing as Camui instructed, Soujiro was surprised to find a lost little boy, all alone, wanting, needing someone to make him feel loved. Needing someone, who would love him as much as he loved them. The revelation startled him enough for him to open his eyes. But then, this was something that he had known all along, he had known that one of his desires was to be loved by someone, someone he loved. And he already knew that someone for he could not deny that he was in love.

Becoming very serious, Camui said, "The power of meditation can be used for self discovery or can lead you into the abyss that everyone has buried inside of them." Standing up, he walked over and sat on the bench waiting for the younger man to join him.

Once Soujiro was seated next to him, he said, "To Meditate is to clear the mind so that you can see what is there instead of what you think is there. In this way if you were to meditate, then you could discover just who you are instead of who you think you are."

"Who I am?" Soujiro quietly asked, looking very confused. Maybe that is why Aoshi meditates so much, Soujiro thought, he may be trying to find out who he is.

"Yes, do you know who you are?" Camui asked, leaning forward for emphasis.

"I know my name, but I don't think that is what you are talking about. And to answer your question, I don't know," Soujiro answered honestly.

"Good answer. Now you can begin your meditation to find out who you are," Camui said, adjusting his seating he looked at the young man before he continued, "It will be a journey that will bring you great rewards and if you have the good luck to travel down life's path with a companion, then you will be doubly blessed."

"Excuse me," Camilla softly said, walking toward them. "They told me that I could find you out here."

"Ah, Camilla-san," Soujiro said. Standing up, he walked over to her looking behind her. "Are you alone?"

"Yes I am," she said hesitantly. Setting her knapsack on the ground, she pulled Soujiro's travel bag out and handed it to him.

"Has…"

"Yes he has returned to Kyoto, but he wanted to take care of something first. He asked me to get you to the train station and he will catch up with you as soon as he can," She quickly said, watching as Soujiro's face went from a smile to a frown.

"I see," he said, taking the travel bag from her.

"Look, he will return soon, he told me so himself," she said, turning to face away from them before quietly saying, "And he is a man of his word."

Putting a cheerful smile on her face, she turned back around and addressed Soujiro "I put the seal in your travel bag. He said that you would need it."

Soujiro opened the bag and there was the seal sitting on his clothes. Reaching into the bag, he pulled it out.

Camui's eyes opened wide when he saw the seal. "Where did you get that seal?"

"Tsuka-san gave it to me so that I could get the Takara from a monk at this Temple," Soujiro answered, lowering his voice, "I need the Takara to help a friend of mine."

"I see" Camui said, "Well you came to the right place and the right monk. You see Tsuka is my sister. And by giving this up I am hoping that she is getting over her need for revenge."

"I believe that she will be all right," Soujiro said, "She has people who care for her and that always helps."

"That is wonderful news," Camui said, "Wait here and I will get the Takara for you."

Soujiro smiled, at last he would have the Takara and then the adventure would be over. But will Aoshi then vanish back inside the Temple where he has been for the past year or can I persuade him to… to what? What do I have to offer him, my body? I have already given that to him and it didn't seem to make any significant difference to him. The only other thing I can offer him is the love that I feel for him, thought Soujiro. But would that be enough?

Camilla sat down on the bench, watching the young man that stood before her. She wondered what was going through his mind as his face displayed several emotions starting from happy, then slowly turning into a dark frown. Standing back up, she walked over to Soujiro. "Are you going to be this moody all the way back to Tokyo?"

"Huh?" he replied when he realized that she was talking to him. "I'm sorry I didn't hear what you said."

"That's all right," she said, putting her knapsack over her shoulder. "We will have to hurry if we want to make the last train to Tokyo."

"You're going to Tokyo?" Soujiro asked.

"I have…" she started to say but stopped when she saw Camui walking toward them.

Camui reappeared carrying a small box that had been wrapped in brown paper and then tied with twine. Stopping in front of Soujiro, he handed him the box. "I knew that she shouldn't have taken it but I believe that there is always a reason for everything that happens and maybe it was for the better."

"Thank you for…" Soujiro started to say then stopped.

"Next time we meet, I hope that it will be under better circumstances and maybe we could have tea together," he said, smiling at Soujiro.

After both men bowed to each other, Camilla and Soujiro left the garden, entering the temple.

Soujiro wasted no time going through the temple. He couldn't remember anyplace that made him feel so fearful. But having Camilla's cheerful nature and constant talking helped him to smoothly navigate through the massive Temple.

But after leaving the Temple, they walk in silence, each lost in there own thoughts. It was as if both parties knew that the other needed some time to reflect on their individual problems.

"You don't really have to accompany me, I can take care of myself," Soujiro commented. While he liked the company, he also felt uneasy knowing that he may be putting her in danger. Wagashi had backed off when Kamatari arrived but Soujiro felt that Wagashi would force the issue if they were to meet on the street especially if he felt that he had the advantage.

"I know that but I gave my word and so I will see you safely to the train station. Besides that's where I'm going also, so we can keep each other company," she replied. She had told Aoshi that she would safely deliver the young man to the train station and that was what she would do. Her uneasiness caused her to wonder if she would be putting him in danger, so when she spotted the train station she sighed in relief.

"Are you all right?" Soujiro asked, noticing her sudden relief at arriving at the train station.

"Yea, I'm fine," she casually said, "Just glad to be leaving Kyoto."

Buying three tickets with her own money, she gave one to Soujiro, "Here you get on the train and stay there," she commanded.

"I told you before, I can take care of myself," Soujiro said, lowering his voice, "Besides I want to wait for Aoshi."

"You can wait for him on the train. Please just get on the train, that's what he wanted, to know that you were safe, all right?" she asked, pleading with him.

Succumbing to her pleading, Soujiro slowly turned, but then he whipped back to face Camilla, "If he doesn't make the train you must promise to find him and bring him to Tokyo or I will refuse to get on the train," he demanded.

"I promise and I never break a promise," Camilla softly said, taking his shoulders she turned him around. "Now get on the train." She solemnly watched as Soujiro boarded the train. Standing on the platform, she waved at the young man as the train left the station.

As she casually walked away from the platform, her first thought was to find Aoshi and get him to Tokyo thus fulfilling her promise. Her first stop would be the Aoiya and have a talk with the old man.

~ ~ ~

Aoshi knew that he had spent too much time at the Aoiya talking to Okina and he would be lucky to make the train. But he had to go to the train station because knowing that Soujiro was safely on his way to Tokyo would be compensation enough. He was confident that Camilla would somehow get the young man on the train, like she had said she would. But one must never take such important things for granted.

Having his talk with the old man was important to him because he felt that he owed it to him and in order to start on his way to a new life with Soujiro, he wanted nothing in the past to come back and haunt him in the future. And once he joined Soujiro in Tokyo, they would have plenty of time to plan for the future.

Just when he thought it was safe for him to walk the streets of Kyoto, who should appear in front of him but the very man that had threatened him before he left Tokyo. Aoshi stopped, he remembered Ryochi's warning, but looking at the man standing in front of him, he had to question his friend's information. But then things are not always what they seem.

"All alone, are you?" Wagashi asked an evil grin spread across his face. He stood in Aoshi's path leering at him like he was in total control of the confluence. After all he had planned this little meeting and he was confident that the outcome would be to his satisfaction.

"I have no time for you today, come see me next week and I will try to fit you in," Aoshi said dryly. His senses honed to the surrounding area.

"Well, you see I may not be in Japan next week," he said, taking a step closer to Aoshi, "But I am here now and I think that you need to be taught a lesson in ownership."

Aoshi started walking forward to confront the man face to face but with each step that Aoshi took Wagashi would back up a step. Deciding that the easiest course of action would be to just walk past Wagashi, Aoshi kept advancing, hoping the man was just an empty threat.

Neither man was aware that Okon, who had been walking down the upstairs hall of the Aoiya, had stopped to watch Aoshi leave the building. When she noticed Aoshi stop and talk to Wagashi, her instincts warned her that Aoshi was walking into a trap. She watched them for a few moments, and then when she saw the group of men that surrounded Aoshi, she ran down the hall.

"Ok boys, kill him," Wagashi commanded, backing into the shadows of a nearby building.

Aoshi stood and watched as he was completely surrounded by the men that Wagashi had hired, each wielding a dagger. Already in a bad mood because he was late getting to the train station, Aoshi stood ready to fight. Looking around at the men, he was not worried, he had fought with the best and these men were mere amateurs, hardly worth his time, a minor annoyance. Having just enough time to make the train, he had to hurry and finish this if he was to get aboard the train before it left the station.

Aoshi glared at Wagashi as the men he hired made a tighter circle around him. He could feel the hesitation that the men were experiencing, each man waiting for someone else to attack, non of them wanting to be the first to attack.

"You cowards, kill him," Wagashi hissed, walking up behind one of the men in the circle. Grabbing his clothes, he pushed him forward into the circle towards Aoshi. The man stumbled forward, his hand outstretched, holding the dagger that had been given to him but before he could use it, Aoshi hit him in the chest with the full force of his sheathed kodachi, knocking the wind out of him. With Aoshi's attention on the first victim, some of the men felt brave enough to take this opportunity to attack. Aoshi quickly accessed the advancing men and picked out the one closest to him. Swinging his kodachi like a staff, he managed to knock another one out.

As the circle of men tightened around him, his attackers were having trouble staying out of each other's way, thus Aoshi easily started taking them out one at a time. After five bodies lay unmoving on the ground, Aoshi was swinging his kodachi at the next one when he felt the sting of a needle in his neck just below his right ear. His timing was just a bit off, thus the man was able to keep from being hit in a vital spot and managed to thrust his dagger at Aoshi. The only thing that saved Aoshi from getting wounded was his fighting instinct.

Angered at the absurdity of the attack, Aoshi's body pumped adrenaline into his blood stream, allowing him to continue to fight. But even so, his strikes were off the target and he was getting weaker with each hit. But he still managed to knock out his opponents; only it was taking more hits to accomplish the task.

Gripping his kodachi, he attacked where he though the next opponent was but his senses had betrayed him for there was nothing there to hit thus his body spun around. Catching his balance, he prepared himself for another attack but what had originally looked like a handful of men now seemed endless, as his vision was becoming blurry, his strength waning and he felt himself start to fall.

Feeling a fiery pain that laced through out his body, the last thing he heard was the evil laugh of the man who was responsible for his being detained before his world went shiny black.

~ ~ ~

Soujiro chose a seat next to the window making it possible for him to watch the train station until the last minute, hoping against hope that Aoshi would somehow manage to arrive and make the trip to Tokyo with him. As the train slowly left the station, he focused on the platform where Camilla stood waving to him. Picking up speed, the train rambled down the track so that all he was able to see out of the window was the landscape that surrounded Kyoto.

He picked up his travel bag that he had unceremoniously dropped on the floor when he had arrived at his seat. Putting the bag against the wall, he leaned against it while holding onto the paper wrapped package that Camui had given him. He placed his feet on the unoccupied seat across from him and relaxed, letting his mind wander.

The time that he spent with Aoshi had awakened a part of him that had never been touched. And although it was a wonderful experience, he wanted more. At the moment he was feeling the emptiness that Aoshi had filled. Until this adventure started, he hadn't realized what had been missing in his life. But now, he knew and he had no desire to return to wandering alone again. But he had no idea how to convince Aoshi to stay with him.

And now not knowing where Aoshi was and if he was ok or not, a chill went through his body.

"Aoshi," he whispered, "Please be all right."

~ ~ ~

To be continued…

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