Standard Disclaimers Apply
--====-- Chapter 15: Only Memories --====--
Kaoru looked around her surroundings. It was a foggy night, and all was quiet, except for the sounds of someone walking. Then, a figure was emerging from the mist. It was walking in a slow, lazy manner, like someone so tired and weary of walking, of living.
Of wandering.
Then, there was another sound. Running steps, fast approaching.
"Hitokiri Battousai!" A shout came out from the darkness. The initial figure stopped, then turned. Kaoru gasped. It was the red-haired man! But, he looked so tired. His eyes was not sparkling and alive. His body was declined of peace and joy. His clothes were travel-worn, the red gi that he wore was stitched in many places that looked like it had seen better days.
Another figure emerged, and this time, it was a woman. And that made Kaoru lean on the wall with shock. The woman was her, only wearing gi and hakama, holding a bokken in her hands. She attacked the red-haired man, and he evaded it, only to hit the roof of a house and crashed down on something.
"Is this really Hitokiri Battousai? He's so clumsy and small!" Kaoru's other self asked, looking down on the red-head.
"Sessha wa rurouni de gozaru," The red-head replied. "I just came into this village just tonight, so how can I kill anybody?"
"But, your sword--!"
"Sakabatou de gozaru."
"Sakabatou...?"
The rurouni took the saya and offered her other self the hilt. She pulled it and gasped. The blade was completely reversed, and it looked like new.
"Even though!" The girl replied, pointing the sakabatou to his face. "Swordsmen and samurais are not allowed to carry such weapon anymore, under the rule of the Meiji Government!"
Kaoru indignantly huffed in answer to her other self's statement. The Meiji Government? How quaint. And the same government is the same one that housed many assassinations on politicians and people that were blocking their way.
"Such high words, my dear," Kaoru mumbled. At first, she thought that the two will hear her, but they did not answer nor turn to her direction. It was like they didn't hear her at all. "What's happening here?"
Suddenly, there was a loud shrill of a police whistle. Her other self threw the sword away, leaving the red-haired man to catch it. She ran towards the sound. Kaoru followed her but was lost in the thick fog. When her surroundings cleared, she could see she was in a different place.
It was a dojo, and her other self was kneeling down. The red-haired man looked like he was leaving.
"If...if you're leaving, at least tell me your name. Not rurouni nor Hitokiri Battousai, just your name."
"Himura. Himura Kenshin."
"Well, Kenshin. Have a nice trip."
There was silence, before the shoji door closed. Kaoru saw herself sigh in sorrow then to stiffen when Kenshin spoke up, "Sessha wa rurouni. I may not know when I will go away but until then, I'll stay."
Kaoru smiled. So, the red-haired man is Himura Kenshin. And now, drinking that antidote showed her that she really has a connection to Kenshin. But the remaining question was, how deep?
--==--
So many memories flew by Kaoru. She had seen what had happened to her during the time Udoh Jin'eh kidnapped her, and when so many adventures emerged. Myoujin Yahiko, Sagara Sanosuke, Takani Megumi...they were her friends. Oh, how could she forget?
"Damn Hoshi," Kaoru swore, remembering the potion Hoshi slipped in the tea. She clenched her fist, only to soften when she saw beautiful fireflies flying on the night air. She was standing by the side of the river, taking in the cool night breeze. And then, she heard the sound of...sniffling?
Kaoru slowly walked towards the source. What she saw made her gasp loudly. Kenshin...and her...What was Kenshin doing?
"Sessha wa rurouni..." Kaoru heard Kenshin say as he hugged her other self. "Ima made arigatou...soshite...sayonara."
/He's...leaving.../ Kaoru thought, panick-stricken. /No, it couldn't be.../ In the memories that she have seen, her love for Kenshin was relived inside her, and she could feel the intense sorrow of her heart, crushing her. "No, please don't go..." Kaoru whispered, tears flowing down her eyes.
"Kenshin!" Young Kaoru cried, but still, Kenshin kept on walking away. For the first time that night, Kaoru noticed his heavy feet, like they tried to pull him down the ground...
...and the tears that fell unchecked down his face.
--==--
Young Kaoru held her hand out, her lips curved into a soft smile. "Okaeri nasai." She whispered. At first, Kenshin seem to pause, before he took her hand.
"Tadaima de gozaru."
--==--
Her memories kept on coming to her in a fast pace, and she could no longer stop them. So many joy, sorrow, content, peace and love. Kaoru's mind was in a clouded whirl.
/Please, let this end soon!/ Kaoru practically begged. The memories pounded themselves on her head, her mind aching. /Please!/
--==--
Kaoru suddenly gasped, her eyes opening. When she calmed down, she realized that she was no longer dreaming, not reliving memories, but she was inside a room in the camp, half-conscious. She decided to slump on the wall to rest and gather her senses before she stood. She had her memories, so there was no reason why she couldn't remember Kenshin and her other friends. A smile found itself to her lips, her eyes more bright.
But as she walked down the hallway, she heard crashing noises and cries. One of them was surely of Hoshi...and Kenshin. He seems to like to use his Ryu Tsui Sen often as his battou-jutsu. Kaoru looked out from her viewing point and saw Hoshi making a long whip made out of flame.
Hoshi started to attack him. Kaoru, not holding any longer, waved her hands and water sprouted out of nothing, and going to the direction of Hoshi's whip. It never touched Kenshin and the whip came out only as steam.
"Nani?!" Hoshi cried furiously. She looked up to the direction of the water attack to see Kaoru's icy blue eyes glaring down at her from the small balcony two floors up from the ground.
To Be Continued...
--====-- Chapter 15: Only Memories --====--
Kaoru looked around her surroundings. It was a foggy night, and all was quiet, except for the sounds of someone walking. Then, a figure was emerging from the mist. It was walking in a slow, lazy manner, like someone so tired and weary of walking, of living.
Of wandering.
Then, there was another sound. Running steps, fast approaching.
"Hitokiri Battousai!" A shout came out from the darkness. The initial figure stopped, then turned. Kaoru gasped. It was the red-haired man! But, he looked so tired. His eyes was not sparkling and alive. His body was declined of peace and joy. His clothes were travel-worn, the red gi that he wore was stitched in many places that looked like it had seen better days.
Another figure emerged, and this time, it was a woman. And that made Kaoru lean on the wall with shock. The woman was her, only wearing gi and hakama, holding a bokken in her hands. She attacked the red-haired man, and he evaded it, only to hit the roof of a house and crashed down on something.
"Is this really Hitokiri Battousai? He's so clumsy and small!" Kaoru's other self asked, looking down on the red-head.
"Sessha wa rurouni de gozaru," The red-head replied. "I just came into this village just tonight, so how can I kill anybody?"
"But, your sword--!"
"Sakabatou de gozaru."
"Sakabatou...?"
The rurouni took the saya and offered her other self the hilt. She pulled it and gasped. The blade was completely reversed, and it looked like new.
"Even though!" The girl replied, pointing the sakabatou to his face. "Swordsmen and samurais are not allowed to carry such weapon anymore, under the rule of the Meiji Government!"
Kaoru indignantly huffed in answer to her other self's statement. The Meiji Government? How quaint. And the same government is the same one that housed many assassinations on politicians and people that were blocking their way.
"Such high words, my dear," Kaoru mumbled. At first, she thought that the two will hear her, but they did not answer nor turn to her direction. It was like they didn't hear her at all. "What's happening here?"
Suddenly, there was a loud shrill of a police whistle. Her other self threw the sword away, leaving the red-haired man to catch it. She ran towards the sound. Kaoru followed her but was lost in the thick fog. When her surroundings cleared, she could see she was in a different place.
It was a dojo, and her other self was kneeling down. The red-haired man looked like he was leaving.
"If...if you're leaving, at least tell me your name. Not rurouni nor Hitokiri Battousai, just your name."
"Himura. Himura Kenshin."
"Well, Kenshin. Have a nice trip."
There was silence, before the shoji door closed. Kaoru saw herself sigh in sorrow then to stiffen when Kenshin spoke up, "Sessha wa rurouni. I may not know when I will go away but until then, I'll stay."
Kaoru smiled. So, the red-haired man is Himura Kenshin. And now, drinking that antidote showed her that she really has a connection to Kenshin. But the remaining question was, how deep?
--==--
So many memories flew by Kaoru. She had seen what had happened to her during the time Udoh Jin'eh kidnapped her, and when so many adventures emerged. Myoujin Yahiko, Sagara Sanosuke, Takani Megumi...they were her friends. Oh, how could she forget?
"Damn Hoshi," Kaoru swore, remembering the potion Hoshi slipped in the tea. She clenched her fist, only to soften when she saw beautiful fireflies flying on the night air. She was standing by the side of the river, taking in the cool night breeze. And then, she heard the sound of...sniffling?
Kaoru slowly walked towards the source. What she saw made her gasp loudly. Kenshin...and her...What was Kenshin doing?
"Sessha wa rurouni..." Kaoru heard Kenshin say as he hugged her other self. "Ima made arigatou...soshite...sayonara."
/He's...leaving.../ Kaoru thought, panick-stricken. /No, it couldn't be.../ In the memories that she have seen, her love for Kenshin was relived inside her, and she could feel the intense sorrow of her heart, crushing her. "No, please don't go..." Kaoru whispered, tears flowing down her eyes.
"Kenshin!" Young Kaoru cried, but still, Kenshin kept on walking away. For the first time that night, Kaoru noticed his heavy feet, like they tried to pull him down the ground...
...and the tears that fell unchecked down his face.
--==--
Young Kaoru held her hand out, her lips curved into a soft smile. "Okaeri nasai." She whispered. At first, Kenshin seem to pause, before he took her hand.
"Tadaima de gozaru."
--==--
Her memories kept on coming to her in a fast pace, and she could no longer stop them. So many joy, sorrow, content, peace and love. Kaoru's mind was in a clouded whirl.
/Please, let this end soon!/ Kaoru practically begged. The memories pounded themselves on her head, her mind aching. /Please!/
--==--
Kaoru suddenly gasped, her eyes opening. When she calmed down, she realized that she was no longer dreaming, not reliving memories, but she was inside a room in the camp, half-conscious. She decided to slump on the wall to rest and gather her senses before she stood. She had her memories, so there was no reason why she couldn't remember Kenshin and her other friends. A smile found itself to her lips, her eyes more bright.
But as she walked down the hallway, she heard crashing noises and cries. One of them was surely of Hoshi...and Kenshin. He seems to like to use his Ryu Tsui Sen often as his battou-jutsu. Kaoru looked out from her viewing point and saw Hoshi making a long whip made out of flame.
Hoshi started to attack him. Kaoru, not holding any longer, waved her hands and water sprouted out of nothing, and going to the direction of Hoshi's whip. It never touched Kenshin and the whip came out only as steam.
"Nani?!" Hoshi cried furiously. She looked up to the direction of the water attack to see Kaoru's icy blue eyes glaring down at her from the small balcony two floors up from the ground.
To Be Continued...