:: chapter 6 ::
Kaoru sat in her room - no, Tomoe's room - no, it's Kenshin's room - oh, whichever - reading one of the books she had found scattered around the room.
The door slid open, and Tomoe, fresh from her bath, walked in. "Oh, Konichiwa, Kaoru. I didn't expect you to be here."
Kaoru gave Tomoe a greeting smile. "I was going to ask Okami for some work to do. However, she seems to feel that both of us are still unable to do work." Kaoru pondered a moment. "Or is it that she thinks I'm too clumsy?"
Tomoe nodded. "Probably the latter."
Kaoru found herself nodding in agreement, until her mind processed Tomoe's words. "Are you calling me a baka?"
Tomoe looked shocked. "Never."
Kaoru sweatdropped. "Oh, sorry for the accusation, then, Tomoe."
"I only inferred it."
Kaoru glared daggers at Tomoe, who was calmly arranging her hair back into its sleek ponytail. "That was really dry humor."
Kaoru waited for Tomoe's laughter, a chuckle, or at least a mischievous grin for having pulled off an act of wit. But, as Kaoru watched Tomoe's face in the mirror, Tomoe's lips did not give the slightest indication of a smile.
In fact, there was hardly any indication of emotion at all.
"Tomoe . . . I just noticed . . . how come you never seem to smile at all?"
Tomoe put the finishing touches on her hair. She stood back up, picked up a pen and a small black book from under her futon, and sat down across from Kaoru. "Is there anything to smile about?"
Kaoru was shocked. "But . . . aren't you ever happy?"
Tomoe paused. "Yes . . . I was, occasionally . . . but I still cannot find reason to smile."
Kaoru was about to comment when a sharp swish of wind passed by the closed window. "What was that?"
Tomoe glanced towards the window. "I don't really know."
Kaoru walked towards the window as another slash of wind passed by. She pushed open the window, and a blur of red and blue flashed by.
Blinking furiously, she tried to follow the blur. Then finally, the blur stopped it's light speed attack, ending in a swing of a katana that had so much force, it ruffled the leaves of the trees all the way across the yard.
"Kenshin?"
Kenshin moved as Kaoru had never seen him move before. True, his body and stature was smaller than Kaoru had known, but he moved with such speed and agility. The only time she had seen Kenshin move in this way was when he battled Saitou Hajime.
Kaoru recognized many of Kenshin's moves. That was the Ryu Kan Sen . . . the Ryu Sou Sen . . . only executed in a precise, sharp manner. A precise, sharp, deadly manner.
Kaoru noticed a sharp inhale by her side, and only then did she notice that Tomoe had moved next to her, eyes fiercely focused on Kenshin. Tomoe's face, already a milky complexion, had turned into a chalk white color.
"Tomoe . . ."
"Look." A voice of such fierceness Kaoru had never heard before was emitted out of Tomoe's tight lips.
Kaoru watched as Kenshin leapt high up in the air, and then propelled down towards the ground, striking down hard, performing the Ryu Tsui Sen. Then, he sheathed his katana, and walked out of Kaoru's sight, his crimson hair swaying from the motion of his practice.
And all this, he had done in silence.
"I never knew Kenshin was this good . . . I mean, I knew he was good but not this good!" Kaoru exclaimed.
Tomoe shook her head passionately, words spewing out her mouth venomously. "Good . . . good for a hitokiri, one who murders people when they are least expecting it. Good . . . was he ever honorable, facing up to his opponents face to face? No, all he knows is to sneak up behind his opponents in dead silence, and launch an attack of his that instantaneously kills. Good? Good enough for a murderer."
Tomoe looked at Kaoru's face, which was frozen in surprise. Her clenched hands loosened, and her features softened. Her face went back into its emotionless state. "Gomen for that, Kaoru. I didn't mean to frighten you."
"It's alright, Tomoe." Kaoru knew why Tomoe was so passionate. She remembered Kenshin telling her that it was he who killed her fiancé, Akira. She decided against further interrogation, knowing the strain Tomoe must be under. "Come and eat some lunch."
"Hai, arigato."
About ten minutes later, after Tomoe had completely calmed down to her impassive self, footsteps raced up the stairs and stopped in front of the door. Kaoru looked up from her tray and glanced at the door. Tomoe simply sipped her tea calmly.
Kenshin sweatdropped. These two girls - what were their names, Kaoru and Tomoe? - were acting as though they were completely used to living here. My room! He thought, almost angrily, though mostly irritated.
"Konichiwa, Himura-san," Kaoru said politely. It certainly wouldn't do to act too friendly now, since she wasn't supposed to have known him 10 years later.
He nodded back in response. "Kaoru-san." He raised an eyebrow for one instant at Tomoe, who seemed to ignore his presence altogether. "Tomoe- san."
Kaoru went back to her meal. Awkwardly, Kenshin perched himself upon a windowsill and rubbed his head nervously. "Um, about last night . . ."
A side glance at Tomoe registered Kaoru's thoughts that Tomoe would not talk to Kenshin. "Yes?"
He looked slightly embarrassed. "I want you two to promise to forget last night . . . and just leave."
Kaoru bit her lip. She didn't want to antagonize Kenshin like this, but she had to. After all, what did she come all this way for? Futilely, she searched for an excuse. "But . . . am I really that much a burden? Okami seems to like me . . . well enough."
Kenshin tried hard to find a good reason for those two girls to leave. "Eh . . . wouldn't your families be worried?"
Kaoru was just about to answer when Tomoe said sadly, "If I had a family to go back to, I wouldn't be out at night anyways."
Kaoru nodded, remembering the nights at the dojo right after her father had passed away. "Me too."
Kenshin seemed flustered by their protests against leaving. "I know you two are both without a place to go, but . . . we really are in no condition to look after you!"
Tomoe looked up at Kenshin. "So will you finish us off? Like that samurai in black?"
Kenshin immediately retorted, "You can think what you want, but I am only fighting to bring a new era. My only enemies are those of the Bakufu who oppose us." He paused for a moment, then continued. "True, civilians go up against us as well, but I would never attack someone unarmed."
Unarmed? Kaoru could only think of what would have happened if she had faced Kenshin with a bokken . . . in this era, maybe a real sword . . . in her hand.
Tomoe softly said, "So bad people carry swords and good people don't?"
"Uh . . ."
Kaoru looked into Kenshin's eyes. "Suppose I had been carrying a sword last night - just suppose - then would you have killed me?"
Say no, Kenshin, no. You wouldn't kill us, would you?
But Kenshin only stared at his feet in silence, pondering.
Kaoru felt intimidated. If she had been carrying a weapon, Kenshin might really have killed her! This Kenshin . . . was so different from her Kenshin. She stood up, and walked towards the door. Tomoe followed. "If you have the answer to my question, let me know." And she walked out the door.
Kaoru was lost in her thoughts. Kenshin . . . Kenshin would really have killed her?
[ I know that Kenshin didn't practice in the manga or probably the OVA, but I thought it was good for the story. * shrug * Sorry if these chapters seem boring and often very manga-like, but I'm just trying to get past this time without it being a time flash. Gomen nasai! I promise . . . well, I hope it'll get better. ^.^;; ]
Kaoru sat in her room - no, Tomoe's room - no, it's Kenshin's room - oh, whichever - reading one of the books she had found scattered around the room.
The door slid open, and Tomoe, fresh from her bath, walked in. "Oh, Konichiwa, Kaoru. I didn't expect you to be here."
Kaoru gave Tomoe a greeting smile. "I was going to ask Okami for some work to do. However, she seems to feel that both of us are still unable to do work." Kaoru pondered a moment. "Or is it that she thinks I'm too clumsy?"
Tomoe nodded. "Probably the latter."
Kaoru found herself nodding in agreement, until her mind processed Tomoe's words. "Are you calling me a baka?"
Tomoe looked shocked. "Never."
Kaoru sweatdropped. "Oh, sorry for the accusation, then, Tomoe."
"I only inferred it."
Kaoru glared daggers at Tomoe, who was calmly arranging her hair back into its sleek ponytail. "That was really dry humor."
Kaoru waited for Tomoe's laughter, a chuckle, or at least a mischievous grin for having pulled off an act of wit. But, as Kaoru watched Tomoe's face in the mirror, Tomoe's lips did not give the slightest indication of a smile.
In fact, there was hardly any indication of emotion at all.
"Tomoe . . . I just noticed . . . how come you never seem to smile at all?"
Tomoe put the finishing touches on her hair. She stood back up, picked up a pen and a small black book from under her futon, and sat down across from Kaoru. "Is there anything to smile about?"
Kaoru was shocked. "But . . . aren't you ever happy?"
Tomoe paused. "Yes . . . I was, occasionally . . . but I still cannot find reason to smile."
Kaoru was about to comment when a sharp swish of wind passed by the closed window. "What was that?"
Tomoe glanced towards the window. "I don't really know."
Kaoru walked towards the window as another slash of wind passed by. She pushed open the window, and a blur of red and blue flashed by.
Blinking furiously, she tried to follow the blur. Then finally, the blur stopped it's light speed attack, ending in a swing of a katana that had so much force, it ruffled the leaves of the trees all the way across the yard.
"Kenshin?"
Kenshin moved as Kaoru had never seen him move before. True, his body and stature was smaller than Kaoru had known, but he moved with such speed and agility. The only time she had seen Kenshin move in this way was when he battled Saitou Hajime.
Kaoru recognized many of Kenshin's moves. That was the Ryu Kan Sen . . . the Ryu Sou Sen . . . only executed in a precise, sharp manner. A precise, sharp, deadly manner.
Kaoru noticed a sharp inhale by her side, and only then did she notice that Tomoe had moved next to her, eyes fiercely focused on Kenshin. Tomoe's face, already a milky complexion, had turned into a chalk white color.
"Tomoe . . ."
"Look." A voice of such fierceness Kaoru had never heard before was emitted out of Tomoe's tight lips.
Kaoru watched as Kenshin leapt high up in the air, and then propelled down towards the ground, striking down hard, performing the Ryu Tsui Sen. Then, he sheathed his katana, and walked out of Kaoru's sight, his crimson hair swaying from the motion of his practice.
And all this, he had done in silence.
"I never knew Kenshin was this good . . . I mean, I knew he was good but not this good!" Kaoru exclaimed.
Tomoe shook her head passionately, words spewing out her mouth venomously. "Good . . . good for a hitokiri, one who murders people when they are least expecting it. Good . . . was he ever honorable, facing up to his opponents face to face? No, all he knows is to sneak up behind his opponents in dead silence, and launch an attack of his that instantaneously kills. Good? Good enough for a murderer."
Tomoe looked at Kaoru's face, which was frozen in surprise. Her clenched hands loosened, and her features softened. Her face went back into its emotionless state. "Gomen for that, Kaoru. I didn't mean to frighten you."
"It's alright, Tomoe." Kaoru knew why Tomoe was so passionate. She remembered Kenshin telling her that it was he who killed her fiancé, Akira. She decided against further interrogation, knowing the strain Tomoe must be under. "Come and eat some lunch."
"Hai, arigato."
About ten minutes later, after Tomoe had completely calmed down to her impassive self, footsteps raced up the stairs and stopped in front of the door. Kaoru looked up from her tray and glanced at the door. Tomoe simply sipped her tea calmly.
Kenshin sweatdropped. These two girls - what were their names, Kaoru and Tomoe? - were acting as though they were completely used to living here. My room! He thought, almost angrily, though mostly irritated.
"Konichiwa, Himura-san," Kaoru said politely. It certainly wouldn't do to act too friendly now, since she wasn't supposed to have known him 10 years later.
He nodded back in response. "Kaoru-san." He raised an eyebrow for one instant at Tomoe, who seemed to ignore his presence altogether. "Tomoe- san."
Kaoru went back to her meal. Awkwardly, Kenshin perched himself upon a windowsill and rubbed his head nervously. "Um, about last night . . ."
A side glance at Tomoe registered Kaoru's thoughts that Tomoe would not talk to Kenshin. "Yes?"
He looked slightly embarrassed. "I want you two to promise to forget last night . . . and just leave."
Kaoru bit her lip. She didn't want to antagonize Kenshin like this, but she had to. After all, what did she come all this way for? Futilely, she searched for an excuse. "But . . . am I really that much a burden? Okami seems to like me . . . well enough."
Kenshin tried hard to find a good reason for those two girls to leave. "Eh . . . wouldn't your families be worried?"
Kaoru was just about to answer when Tomoe said sadly, "If I had a family to go back to, I wouldn't be out at night anyways."
Kaoru nodded, remembering the nights at the dojo right after her father had passed away. "Me too."
Kenshin seemed flustered by their protests against leaving. "I know you two are both without a place to go, but . . . we really are in no condition to look after you!"
Tomoe looked up at Kenshin. "So will you finish us off? Like that samurai in black?"
Kenshin immediately retorted, "You can think what you want, but I am only fighting to bring a new era. My only enemies are those of the Bakufu who oppose us." He paused for a moment, then continued. "True, civilians go up against us as well, but I would never attack someone unarmed."
Unarmed? Kaoru could only think of what would have happened if she had faced Kenshin with a bokken . . . in this era, maybe a real sword . . . in her hand.
Tomoe softly said, "So bad people carry swords and good people don't?"
"Uh . . ."
Kaoru looked into Kenshin's eyes. "Suppose I had been carrying a sword last night - just suppose - then would you have killed me?"
Say no, Kenshin, no. You wouldn't kill us, would you?
But Kenshin only stared at his feet in silence, pondering.
Kaoru felt intimidated. If she had been carrying a weapon, Kenshin might really have killed her! This Kenshin . . . was so different from her Kenshin. She stood up, and walked towards the door. Tomoe followed. "If you have the answer to my question, let me know." And she walked out the door.
Kaoru was lost in her thoughts. Kenshin . . . Kenshin would really have killed her?
[ I know that Kenshin didn't practice in the manga or probably the OVA, but I thought it was good for the story. * shrug * Sorry if these chapters seem boring and often very manga-like, but I'm just trying to get past this time without it being a time flash. Gomen nasai! I promise . . . well, I hope it'll get better. ^.^;; ]