Author's Note I really don't like typing these all the time. Just review and check out my other stories. I decided to keep the powers! LOL! I know some people wanted me to take it out because it was confusing, but I was an idea just hit me… and I assure you it hurt like *beep*! LOL! Potty mouth… -_- Any who… what do you want me to type here? C'mon just review telling me what you want up here! Advice column… funny junk… riddles… jokes… stupid things… quotes… fortune cookies… you get the idea! LOL! Power to the reviewers! O.o

Summary Amber eyes glowed eerily in the dark surrounding them. All he knew was that a soft heart wasn't a heart at all. It must be of stone, so as to carve the law of living: The strongest survives. Will a light pierce the dark abyss they call insanity?

Disclaimer I don't own Rurouni Kenshin so don't sue me.

King's Box

Chapter Seventeen: Goodbye?

Dedicated to: Sagitarious Devil

Thanks for the idea!

I guess you'd say,

What can make me feel this way?

My girl,

My girl,

My girl!

I've got sunshine on a cloudy day,

My girl!

-Righteous Brothers

Kaoru saw that Aoshi was preparing her caravan to leave. She looked around the place, she felt a sense of loss. She didn't want to leave, but she had to. She had to get back to Shisio and somehow intimidate him… like she did when she was young.

"Kami-sama!" Kaoru pulled at the end of her hair and twirled it playfully around her finger. Kenshin was gone with Tomoe, again. She was starting to wonder if there was really anything between him and Tomoe. Kaoru walked around the fields towards the forests. For some reason she felt a pull there.

"Kaoru-dono?"

Kaoru turned at the sound of her name. It was the person of her thoughts. Kenshin Himura.

"Kenshin…" It's been a long time since he had spoken to her. She was starting to wonder if he felt any friendship towards her… any pull towards her at all. She smiled up at him.

"Hello Kenshin!"

"Kaoru-dono… Have you seen Tomoe?" Kenshin looked down at her crestfallen face and was confused. Did she not like the idea of him and Tomoe? Kenshin felt a guilt inside him. He didn't know if there was anything between him and Tomoe, but he knew that there was something between him and Kaoru. He felt attracted to her. He wanted her as his own. He wanted her kisses, her thoughts, and her. He wanted all of her… but, could that mean he was in love.

No, he was with Tomoe. Kaoru looked down at the ground and her hand unconsciously touched her lips.

"I haven't seen her."


Kenshin felt a cold sensation spread throughout his whole being… He had kissed those lips only days ago. He found his passion for her rekindled. He wanted those lips. To kiss them and caress them. Kenshin leaned closer to Kaoru.

"Kenshin… I'm leaving soon. I just wanted to tell you…"

"Kaoru-dono… Shishio will kill you."


Kaoru smiled as she crumbled dirt mounds under her sandals. She fingered the rose pattern on her yellow kimono.

"If I do die, Kenshin, I won't regret it. Knowing you and being with you has made me happy, but I'm afraid it's more than enough happiness I deserve."

'No! You're wrong! Kaoru-dono, you deserve the world's happiness!'

Kenshin wasn't sure as these thoughts passed his mind. Was it love? He didn't want her to die. He didn't want her to leave, but no. He was with Tomoe. The beautiful, elegant lass. Kenshin stammered.

Kaoru held up her hand.

"If I die, I just want you to know that you made my life complete and I died a happy girl." She smiled weakly and walked off.

She felt her heart tearing with each step.

"Kaoru!"

She stopped and closed her eyes. She felt tears well up in her eyes. She didn't want her last conversation with him to be a sorrowful one. She slowly turned around and Kenshin was there in front of her. He walked forwards slowly… then in one movement gathered her into his arms. His lips were on hers. Kaoru stiffened as her brain slowly registered what was going on.

Kenshin was here, kissing her.

Kaoru finally recovered from her shock and started to push Kenshin away. She screamed, but it was muffled between their pressed lips. Kenshin tasted her and craved her more.

She struggled against him and she managed to awaken a new passion within him. He claimed her mouth with ferocity. Kaoru continued to struggle more, pushing and punching.

But, Kenshin's hold was tight.

Finally he let go.

"Kenshin… This is wrong. I'm sorry, goodbye." Tears filled Kaoru's eyes as she turned. Kenshin grabbed her hand.

"Kaoru… If it was wrong, why did it feel so right?" Kaoru didn't look at him. She didn't want to look at him. If she did, she didn't know if she would be able to leave. Kenshin cupped her cheek and forced her to look at him. Now tears were falling from her eyes and collided with the ground in forms of sparkling diamonds.

She bit her lip and forced his hand away.

"Kaoru…"

"Kenshin, there is nothing between us. Remember Tomoe… she's waiting for you."

Kenshin stood there and watched as Kaoru ran. He tried to grab her hand and he ran after her, but lost her in the forest. Kenshin felt pricks in his eyes. Kaoru awoken passions and emotions in him that he had locked away. He fingered the scar on his left cheek and broke down weeping like a woman, but in the arms of the green, green forest, no one would see.

"Kaoru!" His voice wrenched out with dismal.

But, no… He was not in love…?

******

Kenshin was only eight years old when he received his scar. He didn't live with Hiko-sama then. He lived with five sisters. They were traders that wandered Japan. Although he was bought as a slave, they treated him like a little brother. They cared for him a lot too. Then one day the caravan was attacked.

He watched as the slaves, children, everyone dies. One by one they collapsed to the ground with their hands over their eyes, begging for mercy. They begged and begged, only to get killed. They found release through death.

Four of the five sisters crowded around Kenshin. The oldest of them spoke to him in a trembling voice.

"Live Shinta! You must live! We have already lived enough and choose our end, but Shinta… your time has not come yet. You need to live and be able to choose how you live." They were torn from each other and killed. The oldest clung to Kenshin.

They brutally pulled her away and ripped her kimono. She struggled as much as she could against them. They soon got tired of her and stabbed her through the stomach. She fell to the ground, too weak to move.

"Shinta…"

Her voice trembled and the sound of death hung about her every word. Everything didn't matter… only what she wanted to tell him.

"You must live for me… you must live fo-"

One of the assassins stabbed her through the neck and her last words were not heard. Kenshin cried.

That was when Hiko-sama arrived.

Hiko heard screaming and saw a small boy carrying a heavy sakabatou. It seemed that he was against at least six full grown men. Hiko unsheathed his sword.

"That hardly seems fair."

"Old man! Stray not from your own business!"

"How insolent is that tongue of your! How would you fair if I cut it off?"

The man laughed and boasted.

"You are as old as I am young, now that hardly seems fair."

Hiko just smiled.

"I'll take all of you at the same time." The men laughed, but they consented.

"Give the man what he wants." Five of the six charged towards Hiko. Kenshin gasped as Hiko slashed his blade so fast that the only thing that was seen was a long arc of light. Two men collapsed in a puddle of their own blood. Hiko grinned sadistically as he flicked his sword, cause blood to splatter onto the ground.

He fingered the blade and grinned.

The three men charged once more, but Hiko disappeared. The men were too bewildered to notice that he was behind them. With one slash of his blade, all three of them were dead. Now it was only their leader.

The leader nervously unsheathed his sword.

"No!" A woman appeared from behind the bushes. It was the youngest sister. She pulled Kenshin to her and held a blade against his neck. Kenshin shivered with sorrow as he put it together. She had betrayed them all. She betrayed her sisters and her whole caravan for this man. Were they in love?

"Don't kill him!"

"Hisui! I don't need you to protect me!"

"Kakatou! I promised you all our merchandise and gold, you could at least live for me."

The man called Kakatou looked at her with unfeeling emotions.

"I don't love you."

"That can't be true."

"Yes it is!" Hisui's face grew pale.

Hisui looked at him with hope in her eyes.

"I'm going to kill you, boy!" She pulled the blade closer to Kenshin's neck, but before metal could meet flesh, she screamed. Blood spurt from her neck and in desperation to draw blood as revenge, she stabbed at Kesnhin and collapsed in a heap of blood and betrayal.

Kenshin a burning on his cheek and clasped it. Blood. Hisui had grazed his cheek.

Kakatou looked in horror at Hisui's dead body. It seems that he did love her.

"Old man! You will die!" He made frantic attacks, all of which Hiko managed to evade. Kakatou wanted revenge. The insanity of death gripped his mind. He saw Kenshin at the corner of his eyes and ran to him with his blade out. Kenshin scrambled backwards, but fell to the ground. Hiko managed to block the attack directed towards Kenshin, but still the blade bit him on the same cheek as Hisui.

The two scars intersected and made a cross shape.

Hiko killed the man with a strong blow to the head.

After the fight, Kenshin buried all the dead bodies, even the murderers. Four large stones were put at the head of the four sisters that guarded him. Hiko saw all the work that his little hands did. Hiko saw the pain and confusion in Kenshin's face.

"What's your name?"

"Shinta."

"Too soft for a swordsman. From now on your name will be Kenshin."

"Ken…shin…"

From that day on, Kenshin stayed with Hiko and learned the Hiten Mitsurugi under him.

******

Kaoru ran away. She didn't want to stay here anymore. Everything was so confusing. She wanted to leave… even if it did mean death. Death was far better than this. Kaoru collapsed on the ground and cupped her face, catching the crystallized tears as they fell. Why did Kenshin have to do this to her? He found his someone in Tomoe… where could she find love? Kaoru heard footsteps and looked up. It was Misao.

"Kaoru-chan?"

Misao saw Kaoru's puffy eyes.

"Kaoru!" She wrapped her arms around her.

"What happened?!"

Kaoru shook her head and Misao dropped it. They both stayed silent, but Kaoru's sniffling could be heard from time to time.

"Kaoru, I'm going back with you."

"Misao…"

"No, Kaoru. I made up my mind. If my love can't see me when I'm near, who knows what will happen when I'm gone?"

"Misao… do you love Aoshi-sama?"

Misao blushed and nodded.

"Then you should tell him!" Kaoru smiled encouragingly.

"No." Misao smiled. "I want him to discover it by himself."

The sun had set and it was dark. Kaoru and Misao only had the moon to guide them back to town. They walked into Aoshi's land through his gardens. Kaoru and Misao laughed as they tried to loose each other in the maze of turns. Suddenly, Misao and Kaoru stopped. There in front of them was Kenshin and Tomoe kissing under the pale moonlight.

There was a strangled cry and the two broke apart. Kenshin's eyes widen when they set on Kaoru. Her eyes already looked red and more tears were coming down. She forced them back. She wouldn't let Tomoe see her cry. She wouldn't let Tomoe know that she was broken. She wouldn't let anyone know. Kaoru turned and walked away, trying her hardest to act composed.

She shouldn't say anything. She had rejected Kenshin when he kissed her… but, she didn't want him to kiss Tomoe. She lied… There was something between them. It might just be one sided, but she had to admit it to herself… she had to give in before the sheer insanity of it took over…

Kaoru Kamiya had fallen in love with Kenshin Himura, the Battousai.

Misao watched as Kenshin bowed his head. He didn't go after her? Misao looked over Kenshin's shoulder and saw Tomoe grinning like a Cheshire cat. Kenshin turned his head away and walked the other way, forgetting about Tomoe.

The two most meant for each other… the two who needed each other and wanted to be together walked away from the spark that could have grew into a bitter-sweet romance.

******

Kaoru angrily tossed her food bag onto the horse. Why was she so angry? It wasn't as if he would have chosen her anyway. She knew that Kenshin and Tomoe were the best match. She looked up and saw Soujiro and Misao approaching.

"I'm going alone."

"No Kaoru. I'm going with you."

Kaoru looked at Soujiro. She shook her head.

"No matter how many times you tell me to stay, I will still follow you." Kaoru frowned.

He was bound to her by guilt. He was her best friend, almost brother and he thought of killing her. Yes, he was bound to her by guilt. He didn't want her to experience this pain she was going through.

'Himura-san…'

Misao brought out two horses. The three saddled up and left the town under the safe camouflage of night.

******

"Himura!" Kenshin looked over his shoulder. It was morning and he was fix the futon he didn't sleep in. He messed it up and fixed it to pretend that he slept in it. He didn't want to offend Aoshi by not sleeping in the beds prepared for him.

"Kaoru, Misao, and Soujiro are gone!"

"What?"

"They left and wrote this."

Kenshin took the note from Aoshi.

Dearest Kenshin,

I was so naïve. I hope your happy with Tomoe-san. I wish you all the happiness in the world. I'm going back to Shishio… I don't know what might happen. I'm glad to have met you. Kenshin, you made life more exciting. You gave me happiness and I thank you. I know it's too late now, but Kenshin… I love you.

Kaoru

Kenshin shivered as he gently held the letter to his chest. She loved him… But, did he love her. No, his heart was for Tomoe.

Kenshin wasn't sure if he was forcing himself to love Tomoe, but he couldn't go after Kaoru now.

"Himura, are you coming with me?"

Kenshin looked up at Aoshi.

He shook his head, maybe it was time… like all the great lovers in the past…

Maybe it was time for good bye?

TO BE CONTINUED… OR WILL IT…

This could be the end you know… But, thank gods, it's not! There's a few more chapters left…

I hope you enjoyed this lovely chapter. It's long… right? I hope it was too your liking! ^_^

Too lazy to show Rie and ^_^ right now…

Good job everyone! Let's move out!