Standard disclaimers apply.

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Inside the Akkabeko the air seemed to be stuffier. Kaoru sat down wearily, starring at the large pot of beef stew. "I don't think that we can eat all of this by ourselves," she said aloud.

"That's okay," Enishi responded. "Whatever we can't eat we'll take back to the dojo. I can always heat it up for breakfast tomorrow. It'd probably be better than your cooking anyway."

"That's not very nice," Kaoru said softly. "I - "

Enishi leaned towards her. "I believe that you know what your food tastes like, so let's not flatter you uselessly. Besides," he added, leaning back, "You'll have a lot of things to do in preparation for the wedding. You won't have time for cooking or anything like that."

Kaoru looked startled. "I have a lot to do?" she questioned. "I mean, what do we need to do?"

"Not we, you," Enishi said, helping himself to a portion of soup. "You have to get fitted for your wedding kimono, unless you already have one that is. Then you'll need a couple of kimonos for the reception - "

"I don't think that we'll have a reception," Kaoru interrupted. She was thinking about her friends and how they were completely against her wedding. They probably wouldn't want to come.

"We'll have one anyway," Enishi said, reading her facial expression rather then her mind. He knew what she was thinking. He also knew that the whole situation was boarder lining on depression for the young master of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu.

"Why bother?" Kaoru inquired.

Enishi took a bite of his soup, stalling for time in answering the question. He swallowed quickly and took a deep breath. "Basically, you still don't know how everyone's going to react. At least wait until you see the people you invited from Kyoto. Once they're here we can make more plans, and in the meantime, let's plan that they'll love the idea, ne?"

Kaoru eyed him narrowly. "Why are you being so helpful?" she asked suspiciously.

Enishi blinked slowly. "I should have thought that would be obvious," he said finally.

"Well, it's not," Kaoru said.

"It should be," Enishi responded. "You're a beautiful young woman, strong in spirit and kind of heart. You're a talented swordswoman with burning blue eyes. And to top that off, you're going to be my wife. I get to be your husband."

He leaned closer, dropping his voice to a bare whisper so that Kaoru had to lean foreword to hear him. "You are amazing, and I swear that I'll be the best husband that a woman could ask for. And if you let me, I'll love you. I know that I will."

He sifted his head slightly and laid a gentle kiss on her mouth. "I promise to be everything that you need." He leaned back in his chair, gazing at her while bouncing Kenshin on his lap.

Kaoru refused to answer him at all. She started to quickly eat her food, making sure that she always had food in her mouth. Enishi's words, coupled with the intense look in his aquamarine eyes had held her spellbound. Much to her surprise, her pulse had quicken noticeably, and her heart was fluttering in her stomach.

She had always dreamed of romance. Ever since childhood, she had imagined finding someone that made her breath still and her heart thunder in her chest. She had dreamed of someone who she could love.

Since meeting Kenshin, she had decided that he was the perfect person for her. She had spent many nights lying in bed, imagining the way it would feel if he ever said or did anything romantic with her.

His words had made her feel lightheaded and giddy, but Enishi's had struck a cord deeper in her soul. It was as if he had been talking directly to her heart, bypassing her common sense and all other emotions.

And he had kissed her! It was all that she could do to not raise her fingers to her lips and confirm the tingling sensation that was a byproduct of her mind. It was all she could do to keep her face turning into a deep crimson blush.

"Ahem, can I get you some more tea?" Tae inquired abruptly from behind her. The owner of the restaurant sounded upset and a trifle betrayed.

"I'll have some," Enishi said quickly, handing her his empty cup.

Tae eyed him coldly and glanced back at Kaoru.

The ebony haired woman was still eating quickly. She wanted to answer Tae, but her voice didn't feel like working. She was afraid that if she attempted to speak, her voice would emerge as a breathless whisper. Then she wouldn't know what to do.

Tae thought that she was betraying Kenshin by marrying Enishi. In a way, it felt almost like she was. For so long she had wanted him. For so long she had dreamed of him. Now, for her to be getting breathless and crimson over a mere kiss from Enishi . . . . It was starting to feel like betrayal.

She hadn't thought that she was attracted to Enishi. She hadn't thought that she could even love him. It was only supposed to be a marriage of convenience. She wasn't supposed to feel anything for him except gratitude at his willingness to raise Kenshin with her.

She felt lost and confused for the millionth time that day. It was all too much. How could she sort out her feelings for leaving Kenshin a baby if she also had to sort out her feelings for Enishi in comparison with Kenshin.

'What I need,' she thought bitterly, "is a girlfriend to talk to. However, with Megumi, Tae, and Tsubame all against me, who can I talk to?' The thought struck her rapidly. There was still a chance that she could talk to Misao about the situation.

The young leader of the Oniwabanshuu was supposed to come up for the wedding reception less then three days. There was a chance that she would be able to confide in the shinobi.

She smiled broadly at Enishi, in better spirits with the prospect of speaking to a female friend who would at least (hopefully) hear her out.

** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

Tae approached the crimson robed man at the back of the restaurant with a look of disgust on her face. "It's horrible!" she exclaimed softly, but with great anger visible in her words.

"Is it not like I told you it would be?" the red robed man asked in a feathery voice.

Tae peered at him closely, looking for any sign of what the man looked like under his hood. It was a short stooping man. Wearing crimson robes with golden tassels, his feathery voice sounded old. In his left hand, he held a long golden staff with three bangles on each side.

The man had arrived at the Akkabeko with an interesting request earlier that morning. "I'm Rizuu, a priest of the Shinto way. I have come to restore Himura Kenshin to his proper age."

Naturally, Tae had been suspicious. "Himura Kenshin is in Hokkaido, delivering medicine for Dr. Gensai - "

"He was until the lunatic Enishi Yukishiro abducted him. He was accidentally turned into a child by a member of the priesthood. Before we could reverse the process, he was taken from the area."

Tae opened her mouth to respond, but her raised one hand, requesting silence. "You may choose if you will help me or not. In any event, wait until you have seen your friend, Himura."

Tae had agreed to make a choice by the end of the day. Rizuu had stayed at the Akkabeko in a corner booth sipping tea and meditating all day long.

Then the Kenshin-gumi had arrived, and from what was said, Tae learned of Kenshin's plight.

"What do ya need me to do?" Tae asked softly.

"Put this herb into Yukishiro's tea. It's a sedative and will put him to sleep," Rizzu the priest said.

Tae nodded once and prepared a cup of tea. "What about Miss Kaoru?" she asked. "Will she be a problem?"

"Of course not. The young miss is simply confused by Yukishiro's words and actions. The sooner we return her true love to his proper form, the better it will be. However, I may need a young man to hold her down while I take Himura to the holy place."

"Yahiko," Tae said instantly. She turned to Tsubame. "Tsubame, go fetch Yahiko. Tell him that we're going to get Kenshin back to his proper age immediately, but we need his help."

"Tae-san, are you sure that this is a good idea," Tsubame whispered. "I mean, Miss Kaoru looks really happy. They almost look like they're a family-"

"That's the problem!" Tae exclaimed. "Yukishiro is using her. We have to get Kenshin and Kaoru back right away! Now hurry along," she ordered and made a shooing motion.

Tsubame scurried out of the restaurant and off to find Yahiko.

** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

Kaoru and Enishi were talking about kimono designs when Tae returned with Enishi's tea.

"Do you think that we should go with a sakura blossom design on the second or third kimono?" Kaoru inquired.

Enishi shrugged, accepting his tea with a nod of his head. "Personally, I think that a soft pink and white kinomo with a sakura blossom print would be good for the actual wedding. It's accent your eyes nicely."

Kaoru considered his words carefully. "We could try on a couple after we finish eating," she decided. "I was actually thinking more along the line of a blue for the first kimono."

Enishi nodded his head slightly, picking up his tea and taking a small sip. "I think that would be - " his voice died off suddenly. A strange expression flashed across his face, leaving him paler then he already was.

Then he started to bleed. It wasn't like you would normally bleed. It was more forceful, like a million cut had suddenly exploded all over his body.

Heavy drops of warm blood splattered across Kaoru and Kenshin's faces and clothes. Enishi, who was almost immediately drenched, doubled over, clutching at a particularly dark area under his rib cage.

Kaoru moved foreword, trying to see what was wrong. Yahiko's tanned hand rested on his shoulder. "Hey busu, not this time. Yukishiro's the one responsible for Kenshin being a baby."

"He'll be fine, it's only a sedative," Tae added from where she was standing. She looked a little nervous at all the blood, but was determined that she was making the right choice.

Tsubame stood beside her, hiding behind her tray. Her eyes were sad and regretful, like she realized she had made a mistake and didn't know how to correct it.

Then Kaoru seen him. A hooded priest was strolling foreword. Instantly she knew that he was there for Kenshin. "NO!" she shouted and started for the child that was only a couple of feet away from her.

Yahiko wrestled her to the ground. "I'm not going to let you stop him!" her apprentice exclaimed. "He's going to return Kenshin to his proper age."

Kaoru struggled to throw her apprentice off of her, but he had her firmly pinned. She already knew that it was useless, but she kept on trying. Tears were streaming down her face. "Yahiko, please don't do this," she sobbed, going limp with defeat in his arms.

He loosened slightly. "I'm sorry. I have to do what I think is - " before he could finish talking, Kaoru flung him into the wall and sprang towards Kenshin.

A strong hand grabbed her wrist and jerked her back abruptly. "Yahiko's right. We have to do what we feel is right, Jou-chan," Sano's voice announced. He had been with Yahiko when Tsubame came and delivered her request.

"He not a baby," Megumi said firmly. "You're just afraid to love him when he's grown up. You know that it's easier to love a child then an adult and -

"He's as he should be," Enishi's voice slipped past his bloody lips. He picked Kenshin up, holding his gently to his chest. He tried to stand up, but ended up falling to the floor with a cry of anguish as Rizzu smashed him in the middle of his back with his staff.

"I don't think that you should be moving," Rizzu said softly, removing Kenshin from the unconscious man's arms. "You're dying from the tea leaves I had Tae give you anyway . . . . . . "

"What do they do?" Tsubame asked quickly.

Rizzu smiled under his cloak. "They judge him. Unless given the antidote, all injuries that he has ever sustained shall remain unhealed. Being a warrior, I'm sure that he'll be dead from past injuries within the hour."

"But you didn't say that you were going to kill him," she whispered.

Rizzu didn't answer her. Instead, he spoke to everyone. "I shall go to the Holy Place now and return Himura Kenshin to his proper age!"

He strolled out the door without another word.

After several moments, Sano released Kaoru with a muttered apology.

She didn't move for several long moments. Indecision tore at her heart. "Ken . . . shin . . . . ." she whispered, starring at the door. "En . . . ishi . . . " she murmured, glancing back to the bleeding man.

Angry tears formed in her eyes. "Help him!" she exclaimed at Megumi. "Don't just stand there, he's dying."

Megumi didn't move. She turned and walked out of the room, a strange expression on her face. Yahiko and Sano headed out the door as well.

Tae, who had made sure the restaurant was devoid of other customers turned to Tsubame. "Start cleaning this mess up. I'm going to go get some more water from the well." She left the room quickly.

Tsubame hurried over to Kaoru. "Can I help?" she asked, then stopped, seeing a hot angry look on Kaoru's face.

"How could you do this?" Kaoru exclaimed. "How could you . . . . . " she hoisted Enishi up, wrapping one arm around his bleeding side. "I'm never coming here again!" she exclaimed, tears trailing through the blood on her face. "I hate you all!"

Her words were rash, and she wished she could take them back. She headed into the street, crying and holding the bleeding man in her arms and hurrying towards Dr. Gensai's clinic.

The ageing doctor wouldn't turn anyone away. He would treat Enishi's wounds. Then she would find Kenshin. She had to find Kenshin . . . . . .

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Author's notes;

Rizzu is the real bad guy. Please don't be mad at the others. They're just a little confused on what to do. Please read and review.

Thanks for reading,

Kissa-chan