Author's Note: This might end up being the longest chapter in this story and the next chapter will most likely be the last. It also might seemed rushed and for that I apologize. Anywho, I'd like to thank those who read and reviewed, I appreciate it! :) And again, I will go through and fix these chappies once I have completed this. I make a lot of mistakes, lol.
Disclaimer: I don't think I did this at all during my story....so...uh.... here it is:
By order of the law, any character presented to an audience in this story does not in any way, shape, or form, belong to me. I hereby proclaim that they are only being borrowed for the duration of this piece that I have written to give testimony to my adoration of the series: Rurouni Kenshin; and it's author, producer, origins, etc... After that, I will give them back. Thank you.
Chapter Four: Out Of Reach
Return thy hope, release thy fear
into the sweet abyss...
Open thine eyes and be renewed
for you are heaven's gift.
In a rush to practically nowhere, she was lost and breathless. She had seen no sign of Aya in any of her usual hangouts. No giggles to follow-no trails of flowers. The girl was no where to be seen and Kaoru was starting to feel lonely, not that she hadn't been already.
Finally, Kaoru's feet led her to her field, as she had come to refer to it as. Among the brush outlining the field she heard sniffles and found her 'brother' crying there.
"What's the matter?" She asked, in a concerned and loving voice. He peered up through his wet hands and moist lashes to observe her, trying to disguise the sobbing of his body with silence now that she was there.
"She left..." He choked out the words. Kaoru stilled.
"Who did?"
"Aya." Kaoru pulled the poor child into her arms to give him as much comfort as he would take in her embrace. Rubbing small circles into his back, she held him even after he calmed down and fell asleep.
Kaoru rushed inside to find mother arranging irises. It was odd that she could smell and more odd that she smelled white plum at this moment, rather than the scent of an iris. She looked around briefly, noticing just how many iris bouquets were in the room. Kaoru brushed it aside and steeled herself. But before she could unleash her anger, the woman turned kind eyes to her and Kaoru felt her words die instantly in her mouth.
"It happens quite frequently, believe it or not. How long it takes just varies," the woman answered. She already knew what Kaoru had stormed in about. Her hands moved gracefully and skillfully as she arranged the flowers in a vase.
"How?" Kaoru asked. She knew this was way beyond her. To understand would take a power unfathomable to her psyche.
"Acceptance. One must learn to accept the things they cannot change. Only then does one truly understand the meaning of life. Aya's father finally found peace and so Aya is free to join her mother." Kaoru closed her eyes and imagined the giggly girl skipping along beside an older more experience family member that was her mother. And her worries were momentarily forgotten.
"Flower arranging is something you might like, Kaoru," the woman turned towards her with a twinkle in her eye.
"You already know how to spot them." Kaoru eyed the woman more closely, feeling bewitched in a way. Mother seemed familiar, but she knew she had never met her before. The old woman provided Kaoru with a vase and then gestured towards the bundle of flowers just waiting to be picked up.
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Kenshin woke with a start. He felt sore all over from the way he'd slept. He was half sitting half lying, with his back side barely touching the wall. He was extremely uncomfortable and so he shifted to rid his body of the aches. Then he gazed down at his patient, still unmoving.
He brought his hand close to her mouth, it warmed from the tiny breaths of air she exhaled. Kenshin then yawned, tears collecting in the corners of his eyes and leaned back fully against the wall. How long had it been? He blinked slowly and stared at her face. She was regaining some color...that was a welcome sign. That mixture was difficult to feed her but it was finally working. Kenshin silently thanked Megumi for her talent. His hand inched out to caress Kaoru's cheek.
"Kaoru, it takes too much effort not to feel..." he whispered, pleading.
Sanosuke watched as his comrade dully served out the meal he had prepared minutes before. Looking down at it, it looked rather bland. Sanosuke didn't know if he could take anymore of Kenshin's depressed creations, even if he did sympathize with the poor man. He cautiously brought the bowl to his lips and took a sip. His face blanched automatically. He glanced quickly to the cook's face, then swallowed and lowered his bowl.
The table was unusually quiet, even now. Sano figured Yahiko had given up on trying to instill some sense of hope in the Rurouni. He actually looked at Kenshin this time and was appalled to see he looked paler-if it was at all possible. Sano couldn't take this. He clenched his fists and slammed them into the hard surface of the table, rattling the china that sat upon it. He only succeeded, however, in getting a startled reaction out of Yahiko, who jumped a few inches out of his seat.
"Kenshin," he growled, "You can't do this to yourself anymore!" The Rurouni merely smiled a ghost of a smile and collected his dishes.
"Sessha sincerely hopes you have enjoyed dinner, de gozaru." He turned and entered the kitchen. Yahiko's eyes followed the man's form out then flitted to Sano.
"That's all he does. Chores, cook, and look after Kaoru." Yahiko felt like he was telling on Kenshin, but this was good tattle-tale. He was concerned about his idol being unhealthy.
"The man is out of it..." Sano angrily stated. "I love Jou-chan but he needs to get some rest. Maybe, get away for a bit." He looked over to Yahiko who nodded.
Kenshin sat down near Kaoru's head and carefully fingered a strand of her hair.
"I hope... you found your answer... Kaoru." He whispered as he caressed her cheek with no reserve. He then tenderly stroked the hair from her face and regretted not having ever taken the opportunities that had been so numerous to kiss her.
"Sessha is going away for awhile..." He whispered, looking back towards his small pack of belongings. Sanosuke had actually packed it for him. He and Yahiko were waiting out by the gates. He took one last look at Kaoru and then turned around. Grabbing his pack, he carried out to join the other two who were talking with Megumi. Her eyes brightened at his arrival, but then calmed down in disappointment when she observed his fatigue and depressed state.
"Konnichiwa, Ken-san. Sano asked me to watch over Kaoru while you guys were away."
"Hai. Arigatou gozaimasu," Kenshin said. Sano smiled at her, then swung his arm around the Rurouni's smaller shoulders to lead him away from the Kamiya household.
Megumi watched the trio walk away at a slow dejected pace set by the man whom they were trying to cheer up. She shook her head and crossed her arms, hoping that Kaoru's stubborn Ken-san wouldn't block out their concerned ministrations. She then picked up her medical bag and entered the Kamiya residence with a weary mind. So quiet..... She half expected the tanuki to jump out at her. Megumi finally entered the sleeping girl's room and took note of her state.
"He's really watched over you this time, tanuki. How could you never see it in his eyes?" She sighed and felt for a temperature. Taking the appropriate actions to combat her patient's illness, she sat back and watched the girl lying before her.
It was evening now. Megumi felt irritated. It was extremely way too quiet for her liking. She was used to being surrounded by rambunctious rude people, such as Sanosuke, that she rarely ever spent a moment alone in the company of silence. She found herself making noise just to combat the eery silence that plagued the house.
After pacing the kitchen and deciding that she was bored, she found the broom and began to clean. She then realized what she was doing and began coming up with excuses for it if the need ever presented itself for her to explain why she was doing chores. A laugh escaped her, and her shoulders slumped. It had helped to relieve her of some of the stress. She had been focusing completely on the revival of the Tanuki. She had no idea how the Rurouni could do it and still be conscious after all he did for Kaoru AND the house.
She found things just laying out and put them away in places she thought they might go. After wiping everything down as best she could, she went to the guest room and decided to take a nap since there really wasn't much more to do anyway. Silence greeted her in her dreams.
Eight empty bottles where sake had once occupied, laid strewn about carelessly on the floor. Everyone had forgotten what they were celebrating and the party was calming down.
Kaoru somehow found herself sitting outside on the porch, in her love's loose embrace. This registered fairly well in her mind for she had only consumed fair amounts but she played drunk so the moment would last longer.
Apparently, Kenshin had more than her could handle, which had to have been a lot, considering... He was indeed, a little tipsy and that made Kaoru giggle in adoration. He smiled goofily back and then swooped in to taste her lips in a sloppy kiss. This effectively shocked her to stillness and she stared at him as he downed another cup. She then took the cup away, all the while staring at his lips and then timidly initiated a kiss of her own. 'Even if he doesn't remember... my first kiss... Kenshin...' They then fell asleep, entangled in each others limbs.
He blinked his eyes of the sleep he had just awoken from and sat up stiffly from his futon. The dream, he couldn't remember it. But his lips tingled and that made him think of Kaoru. Snoring took his attention and he turned to see his friend lying not too far away from him. His blankets were, however, on the opposite side of the room and Kenshin wondered how Sanosuke had managed that in his sleep. Yahiko was already up, and sitting on the window ledge, gazing out of it. In his hands he had his companion, his bokken.
"Ohayou, Yahiko," Kenshin greeted him softly. Yahiko turned his head, slightly startled but then smiled and nodded. A loud snort caught his attention and he smirked as an idea formed in his head and he tiptoed over to the unsuspecting late sleeper. Kenshin merely shook his head and decided to clean up before the war started.
Poke. Poke.
Yahiko was incredibly ecstatic when Sano did not wake up. And now to commence!
"YAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOW! SHIT!" Sano leaped up from his futon and glared angrily at the little samurai, who, by the way, was grinning much too loudly for Sano's liking.
"I'll show you!!" Kenshin sighed as they wrestled.
They were going home today. It had been two days since they had left. Kenshin wondered how Megumi was handling everything at the dojo, not that there was much to do when no one else was around. He wanted to get going but he didn't want the others to know, so he waited as patiently as he could.
Sano noticed that Kenshin looked and acted more like himself. He smiled inwardly, pleased that he had helped the Rurouni in some way. Without wasting anymore time, he decided that they would head out now. He could tell Kenshin was antsy and more than ready to get home to Kaoru. They had accomplished what they'd set out to do and now that Kenshin was better, everything would be fine again. Of that he was sure.
Megumi backed into to Kaoru's room, holding a tray of her mixture that she was going to have to feed her today. She was surprised to see the futon empty. She almost lost hold of the tray in her hands as her eyes found the tanuki standing in her closet, searching for a kimono.
The girl then paused and her head slowly turned to see the doctor standing there in disbelief. A small smile made it's way onto her face and she hurriedly crossed the room to give Megumi a hug.
"Where are the others?" Her voice croaked and she bowed her head in embarrassment.
"Uh, they went away for awhile, but they'll be back. I think Sanosuke said today." She jst stared at the tanuki before remembering the mixture.
"I am glad you're awake now, you can just drink this on your own now. But you really should stay in bed..." Kaoru nodded and complied by sitting back down in the futon and accepting cup offered to her from the doctor.
"I am still tired..." Kaoru agreed. Megumi felt her forehead and found that her fever was almost nonexistant. She took the cup from Kaoru and then stood up.
"I have to go to Gensai's for something, okay? I will be back soon. I'm glad you're back. You don't know what it was like..." Megumi smiled and then left the room.
Kaoru moved into a comfortable position, fingered her scarf that was still around her neck, and smiled up at the ceiling. 'I'm back.' She took in a big breath of air, savoring it as it went in her lungs and the smells that came with it. And then she exhaled slowly. She closed her eyes to remember what ahd happened before she woke up and found herself here.
"Kaoru, I am finished with your scarf," mother said as she motioned for her to come close so she could wrap it around her neck. She patted her back in encouragement.
"I'm glad that everything has been decided for the best."
"How do you know that?" Kaoru enquired. She was scared. She didn't know what was going to happen, only that it was time to go. Suddenly, the old woman in front of her turned young. Her face was elegant and knowledgeable. The air changed dramatically and Kaoru knew now who mother was.
"I know. Please take care of him. He has finally accepted..." She smiled for Kaoru and then bowed respectfully. Kaoru felt an enormous amount of love and respect for the woman standing in front of her. She had no idea how to thank her, so she opted for returning the bow.
"Arigatou gozaimasu." Mother lifted her hand and placed it on Kaoru's eyes.
"Now close you eyes......"
You are Home.
thanks again to all who reviewed. I will try and post the last chapter soon.