Fatality of the Strong

Chapter 5: Forgotten Memories

By: Devilspet

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. I only own Kureno Izaki.

Devilspet: Hello, sorry I haven't updated in a while! Fanfiction.net has been having a lot of problems lately and I've been having MAJOR writers block ^^; Sorry again! Read, enjoy, and review!

~*~

Kaoru, even though she thought it was unbelievably stupid, decided to help Kureno out in any case, thinking that maybe . . . just maybe . . . there was truth to it and she could get Kenshin back.

Kaoru stood in the middle of the room looking in to nothingness. She just stood there staring at nothing in particular, lost in her own thoughts.

'What was Takanashi talking about? Soul replacement? Why have I never heard of this before? How exactly does it work? How would Takanashi know of it but not me? I know plenty magical remedies but I have never heard of getting your soul REPLACED with someone else's!! That's outrageous!' she thought furiously.

"Kaoru?" Kureno asked. He was staring at her worriedly; she was standing there unaware of anything and everything around her.

It was strange; she looked almost entranced in thought, worse than lost.

'Would I? Could I maybe get Kenshin back? I just miss him so much! I would do anything to have him back! I- Look at me, I'm being so selfish . . . this isn't for me . . . it's to help Kureno understand what's going on with him that's all! I won't think of Kenshin at all until it's over!' Kaoru looked determined but was still staring.

Suddenly, she felt tears sting her eyes. 'Oh great! Why am I going to cry now?? Just because I was thinking about him?! That's pitiful! I'm pitiful! God, why'd he have to leave me here?' Tears slid down her cheeks and she cursed herself for it. Kaoru angrily wiped them away but felt more coming.

"Kaoru! What's wrong?" Kureno asked, moving towards her.

"K-Kenshin . . .?" she whimpered when she saw Kureno. Tears overflowed her eyes again and rolled down her cheeks. She slumped to the floor and sobbed.

Kureno kneeled in front of her, wondering what to do. Kaoru flung herself into Kureno's arms and cried in his shirt.

Kureno's eyes widened . . .

It was strange.

He'd never had top comfort some one who was crying before. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around her for comfort and let her cry against his chest.

~*~

Kaoru had stopped crying and was now sniffling something about Kenshin leaving her to hell.

Kureno couldn't help but feel sympathy for the young woman. She'd lost her love to suicide and he had no idea how it felt to be in her position seeing that he had never lost some one he loved considering he had never loved except for family, which he still had where as she didn't. There was no family to comfort her while she mourned so he assumed that she kept it to herself.

'Poor girl. She doesn't deserve all of this at such a young age. If I were in her position I don't think I could live but she keeps going strong.' Kureno smiled slightly. 'She's strong though not in the way she thinks . . . I'm weak compared to her and she doesn't even know it.'

Kaoru wiped her eyes. "Why are you smiling?" she asked in a whisper.

Kureno grinned. "You're strong and you don't even know it!" he said.

Kaoru looked at him strangely.

"You've got will power. I couldn't go on if I was in you situation." He explained.

"What do you mean? I've cried my eyes out numerous times since you arrived!" she countered. She was weak and she knew it.

"It's understandable. If I were you, I don't know if I would even be smiling yet let alone laughing so much I cry when someone raises their voice!" he said cheerfully.

Kaoru still looked at him strangely but shrugged it off mumbling a thanks and wiping away the stray tears.

Kaoru washed her face to calm herself so she didn't start crying again and went back to Kureno but found he wasn't there. She groaned; he had to leave didn't he?

"Kureno! Get out here!" she called.

No answer

"Kureno! Come on out; this isn't funny!"

Still no answer

She walked out of the room and saw him leaning on a wall with a distant and emotionless look on his face.

"Kureno? What's the problem?"

He didn't answer her. He just turned his head to look at her but no answer.

That look scared her. "Ku-Kureno? Are you o-okay?" Kaoru asked.

Suddenly, Kureno blinked. "Yes, what is it Kaoru? You look scared . . . like you just saw a ghost."

Kaoru blinked and shook her head. "Just don't scare me like that."

"What scared you? How did I scare you?" he asked innocently. He had absolutely no idea what scared her. How did he scare her?

"That look, that look you gave me, it was scary, like you weren't all there."

"Look? What look?" he asked. 'She just walked up!' Kureno thought. He honestly didn't remember even looking at her.

'Oh my God! He doesn't remember! Why not?' Kaoru thought. "Nothing, Kureno, nothing important." She answered.

"Okay. Are you sure?" he asked.

Kaoru nodded. "Come on! I'm going to show you around maybe it'll jolt your memory."

Kureno nodded to Kaoru, who ran off for the gate, then followed, walking slowly.

Kaoru simply didn't bother going into why he looked at her like that because he obviously didn't realize he was doing it. 'Maybe it was a flashback or something and he just forgot it when he went back to normal.' She reached the gate and shivered slightly. 'It was nerve wrecking though, to be looked at like that.'

Kureno caught up to Kaoru shortly after and she pulled him through the town, pointing out their favorite places. Kureno remembered a few things but not much and he was still pondering on how he freaked out Kaoru.

When they finally went back to the dojo, things were a lot clearer of Kureno. He understood how he met every one at the dojo, even Misao. He now knew who the infamous Aoshi of the Oniwabanshuu was and the relationship of Kenshin and Aoshi. He also knew of Shishio and that Kenshin had stopped him from taking over after a long struggle. Just seeing things here brought back memories of things that happened in Kyoto.

He knew a lot more now but there were still things he does not remember yet. Things that he still needed to know to get his full memory back. There were things that Kaoru still hasn't told him yet but needs and wants to know. There was something she was hiding and he knew it. But what is there to hide?

~*~

Chapter 6: 'What do I need to know?' coming soon

Devilspet: . . . any one? Any comments? Questions? Anything? Kaoru?

Kaoru: . . . *lost in thought again* -_-

Devilspet: Yahiko?

Yahiko: *shrugs*

Devilspet: *sigh* Sanosuke?

Sanosuke: Nope, nothing here.

Devilspet: Megumi?

Megumi: No, sorry, nothing!

Devilspet: Kenshin?

Kenshin: *not working on set anymore*

Devilspet: Oh, yeah, I forgot . . . Kureno?

Kureno: Yeah, what am I missing here?

Devilspet: I can't tell you!

Kureno: Why?

Devilspet: 'cause I don't know yet . . . sorry.

Kureno: *sigh*