Two reviews? Does my summary suck or something? LOL…reviews would be greatly appreciated.

Chapter Two:

Broken Promises Aren't Forgotten

Once again, Kaoru found herself drowning in a bottle of sake. If the past day hadn't been dramatic enough, that man had to come back into her life. No…he was not back in her life. He was just passing through. Now that he had a life here, it was impossible for her to return to Uuban ever again. This would make the trip to her loved ones very difficult now, for the town after this was four hours away…on horse. On foot, it was closer to half a day. DAMN HIM! Damn Himura Kenshin! This was all his fault, his doing. He had once again made her life unbearable.

"Another bottle, Kamiya-san," an older man asked. Kaoru only waved him off and rested her chin on her hand. He returned behind the bar and frowned. The owner had never seen her like this. Something new was troubling her heart. She had already downed four whole bottles of sake, twice as much as she would normally drink. But, she did not appear intoxicated. No, she seemed more focused on her thoughts. Kaoru walked over to the old man and handed him a large amount of money. He looked down at her hand, eyes wide with surprise.

"Take it. You have been good to me the past few years. You will never see my face again. This is just a thanks," she said as she patted him on the back and continued out the door. The night that met her was very different from the one prior. It was quite humid and warm, so her cloak was far from needed. She had gone to the linen maker and purchased enough material to make two pair of pants, two undergarments and a large knapsack. Now, she was the one who was the Rurouni. She looked up to the sky to find Polaris and then began to walk south. She traveled all night, reaching the next town early the next morning. It was quite the trek, but she was more than used to it. She was walking towards the inn, when she felt eyes on her. She did not panic. Panic caused death. She just continued on as if she felt nothing, only her eyes darted about, surveying the area. She then reached the steps of the inn and turned about. For a moment, she was surprised and after that faded away, anger.

"Did you ride ahead, or were you following me?" she asked Kenshin, who was beside his horse. He smiled that smile of his, that smile that used to make her heart melt. Too bad she didn't have a heart anymore, at least not enough heart to feel anything for him.

"I followed you all night, Kaoru-san," he said formally. "I was worried about you traveling alone for so long with only liquor in your stomach."

Kaoru's eye twitched in anger. He had been watching her all night long? How could she not have noticed up until now? Of course, he was quicker than lightning. The reason she sensed him then was because he wanted her to know he was there.

"Why are you so concerned about me now, Himura-san? If you were so worried, why didn't you come back after the Shinko era began? Why did you leave in the first place? I do not care to know the answers you may have. Just making the point that your concern is about six years too late, Himura-san. Now, if you continue to follow me, I will have to kill you," she said clearly and distinctly. Her voice did not waiver, her eyes where narrow and determined. She meant every word she spoke, Kenshin could feel it. How she had changed from the seventeen-year-old girl he had met in Tokyo. Now, she was about twenty-four and hard as nails, not that she was ever soft. Well, she did at least have emotions then, a fire about her. She burned of passion, innocent passion. Now, that was replaced by maturity, the kind of maturity you get from war, killing and almost being killed. The kind that makes your heart cold and your body numb. Kenshin knew all too well what that was all about.

"I do not wish to fight you, Kaoru," he said, moving his hand towards his sword. "But, I will not stop following you… so you will have to kill me."

The amusement on Kaoru's face was quite obvious. She chuckled heartily, then burst into hysterical laughter. Kenshin, confused, dropped his hand down to his side. Only when he felt himself hurling to the ground did he realize his mistake. She had attacked him when his guard was down. Her movements were quick and completely unexpected. He barely had time to draw his sword and cross Kaoru's strike. Her eyes were dark and cold, it was not her…not at all. Kenshin was able to gain his footing and pushed her off of him. She stepped back, only to strike again, this time nearly splitting his throat. A trickle of blood ran down his neck. She was not holding back…and neither was he. She had become more than a kendo teacher, she had become a master swordsman. She no longer wielded a wooden sword, saying that it should be used to save and protect. She wore a katana, a blade meant for killing. What had happened to his Kaoru? Was he really the cause of this?

"You are keeping your guard DOWN!" Kaoru yelled, disappearing behind Kenshin and moving to slash him in two from behind, but Kenshin moved just in time to catch her attack once again. Her speed was almost the same as his, for he was only barely able to dodge her attacks. She then flew back and put her sword back in its hilt, her fingers still hovering over it. Kenshin's eyes grew wide. She was using his style of fighting. She placed the sword back in its hilt because the speed of the withdrawal would be much quicker and deadlier than any free-slash. He remembered she witnessed him using the technique. Had she simply remembered it, or did she learn it. Who did she learn it from?

"Do you really want to do this," he questioned, still holding hid sword in his hand. He could not be confident. He could not read her, he was not sure of her true ability. All he knew is that she was extremely skilled, he dared say almost as much as he. She eyed him, her gaze challenging him. She did not speak, her body only moved closer, as if in slow motion as she withdrew the sword. Kenshin could see the speed at which she was going, and saw a flaw in her technique. Her angling was off, causing friction and slowing the blade down. Only that minor miscalculation allowed him to block the attack, but that was not all, for he felt as if is left side was caving in. Her knee was firmly planted there, aimed at his ribs. They seemed to float in midair, until she took her left fist and drove it into his face. Kenshin fell to the ground, holding his side. He was fighting to control himself, control the Battousai within him. She had pushed him to the very edge, she had surprised him. She would kill him if he did not let him out. But if he released him, he would kill her.

"Go ahead, let him out. This is not the depth of my skill. You must let him out if you want to live, Himura. I will kill you. I will be glad to kill you," she said, tossing his sword back to him. He looked at it as he picked himself up off the ground. He didn't even notice he had dropped it. Did he really have a choice? Was he to kill her?

"No. I may not have not kept all of my promises, but I will never become him again. I had once, for you…but I will not do it against you, I cannot," he said through his pain, standing up with the help of his sword. Kaoru's expression did not change. Her breathing was controlled, her hands steady. She could kill him at any second. She could…

"Do not follow me, Himura-san. You act as if the past never happened. You act as if I am just to speak to you as no time has elapsed and we were the same people we were six years ago. I will never forget that morning when I woke and you were gone. You were dead to me then, and you are dead to me now. Leave me be, Kenshin," were her words and she sheathed her sword and turned her back to him. The small crowd that gathered to watch the dueling pair parted for her as she left the scene. Kenshin watched her walk away into the inn. There was so much mystery surrounding her, he wouldn't know where to begin or who to ask, though he could draw several conclusions.