Disclaimer: No, I don't own RK. ;P
Author's Notes: Since last chapter was only Kenshin and Saitou, this one is going to be all Soujiro and Kaoru ^_^ (sigh .. Sou chan) Also, I know the information about Kaoru's father is still not clear yet, but it will be revealed in time, don't worry =) =)
Also, let me repeat: This is a K/K fic. (Gomen nasai Soujiro/Kaoru fans .. I know that Soujiro and Kaoru make a cute couple, demo I might make a fic with that couple later on).
~ A Memory Forgotten ~
Chapter 12
Kenshin walked up the familiar steps of the dojo and jumped up onto the roof. He sat down and looked up at the bright stars. Tears were beginning to sting his eyes.
Kami-sama, I know I'm not worthy to ask anything of you right now, but Kaoru does not deserve any more sadness in her life. Please take care of her wherever she is right now. And .. and .. wherever she is, please give me the strength to find her.
With that last prayer, Kenshin broke down and cried, tears streaming down drop by drop, mixing with the blood on the cloth.
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A week had passed since Kaoru and Soujiro first started to reside in the little house near the hill. Kaoru's wound had gotten much better and she had almost full use of her shoulder again, much to her and Soujiro's delight. The past few days went by rather quickly. Kaoru and Soujiro enjoyed each other's company throughout the entire day by filling up the hours with talking and laughter. In the late afternoons, it was almost a ritual to go out and take a walk and later going back inside once the sun had set beneath the mountains of Tokyo.
"Oyasumi-nasai, Kaoru-san," whispered Soujiro before sliding close the shoji door.
"Oyasumi-nasai, Sou-chan," replied Kaoru endearingly as she began to close her eyes.
She heard the door slide shut and all was quiet around her .. except .. except for those voices in her head. She hated the silence because it meant that her thoughts would return to her. Those thoughts only brought pain to her heart.
"Naze .. naze? Why do I feel like this?" she whispered to the cool air around her.
Kaoru shifted in the futon uncomfortably. She had had a dream the week before and when she had woken up she had found her face wet with fresh tears. Why .. why? was the only question that plagued her mind.
I know it has something to do with my past, if not why would it affect me so much so?, she thought as she looked at the blackness around her. As she looked at the emptiness of the room, voices from her dream came flooding back into her mind.
A sword is a weapon. Kenjutsu is the art of killing. Whatever pretty words you use to speak of it, this is its true nature. What Kaoru-dono says are the words of one who has never dirtied her hands. An idealistic joke.
But, I like Miss Kaoru's idealism better than its true nature. If one can ask so much, I want the world to accept this joke as its true nature.
Those words replayed in her mind time after time. She didn't understand why it affected her so much and warmed her heart whenever she thought of it. And of course there was always that ever-incessant name-calling "Busu busu." Kaoru grimaced when she thought of that and closed her eyes.
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The next morning, Kaoru and Soujiro had their usual breakfast. The rice was running low so Soujiro thought it would be best if he went to town to buy some more. Kaoru wanted to go also, but he insisted that she shouldn't. Those men that were after her could find and attack her there he reminded her. She nodded her head in reply and decided that she would clean the place.
As Soujiro was perusing through the marketplace he couldn't help, but overhear a conversation at one of the stalls.
"Did those people come into your house also?"
"Yeah, yeah .. they were looking for some girl."
"Yeah, same here."
"Did you notice the increase in the amount of police in the streets lately?"
"Yeah, I noticed. I wonder what's going on."
Soujiro started to feel uncomfortable and quickly left the busy area once he bought the rice. I have to hurry back to Kaoru-san as quickly as possible. Tokyo is not a safe place for her anymore.. but where would I take her? He grit his teeth in thought as he ran back home.
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"KAORU-SAN!" Soujiro called out when he found the house empty. Where did she go? Masaka! Don't tell me they've already found her!, he thought in desperation as he searched the house. He started to run back outside when he saw her walking up to the house. He let out a big sigh of relief. She's okay.
"Where were you, Kaoru-san? Didn't I tell you it's not safe to venture outside alone when there are people looking for you?" Soujiro reprimanded her lightly.
Kaoru smiled at him at seeing how much he cared for her. "It's alright. I just went out to get some fresh water." She pulled out the bucket of water from behind her.
"Aa."
"You're such a worrywart, Sou-chan," Kaoru said playfully.
"Maa, maa," Soujiro replied with a slight blush on his cheeks.
They went back inside and Soujiro prepared lunch as Kaoru cleaned around the house. This feels so nice. It feels like I have a home…I only wish this could last longer, he sadly thought. After they ate lunch, Soujiro decided that he would have to tell her what he found out at the marketplace.
"Kaoru-san, would you like to go on a walk now? We have a lot to discuss."
"Hai," Kaoru replied. She was a little confused by the seriousness in Soujiro's voice. There must be something wrong, she thought as she followed Soujiro along their usual trail outside.
They reached the log that they usually sat on and Soujiro sat down. He motioned with his hand for Kaoru to sit next to him.
Soujiro turned to face her and looked into her sapphire blue eyes. "Kaoru-san, staying here is not safe anymore. I think it is best to leave Tokyo."
Kaoru panicked inside as her blue eyes widened at the thought. "Leave .. Tokyo?" She looked down at her hands.
"Yes. Those men are rapidly increasing in their forces in their search for you. It would only be a matter of time before they find you," the boy replied solemnly. He didn't want to leave the place that he had thought of as home for the past week.
Kaoru was thoroughly depressed also. She looked back at the man next to her. Will you stay with me?, she thought. Why would he? I would only be a burden . . . and from what he's told me before. He didn't know me before that incident, she thought sadly. Her eyes started to fill with water at the thought. I don't want to leave you Sou-chan.
Soujiro looked at the girl next to him and saw that she was about to cry. She doesn't want to leave Tokyo, he thought. But there is no other choice.
The girl clenched her fists as she began to speak with a wavering voice, "Arigato Sou-chan. You've helped me so much. I don't know how to repay you." Her bangs were in front of her eyes so that he wouldn't be able to see the sadness in them.
Soujiro looked upon Kaoru sadly. He knew it would be hard to break the news to her, however he didn't know that she would take it that badly. You're going to really miss Tokyo that much?, he thought. I guess that she would. Her friends are here even though she doesn't remember who they are. He looked at the girl's face and noticed a lone tear slide down her cheek. She's crying?
Unconsciously, he took his hand and cupped her face as he wiped off the tear with his thumb. They gazed into each other's eyes. Kaoru couldn't take the feeling of sadness and loneliness anymore so she let it out and cried. Soujiro was stunned. He brought her closer to him and embraced her.
"Don't cry, Kaoru-san. Everything will turn out okay," Soujiro said to her comfortingly.
"Iie," Kaoru replied as he stroked her hair. I don't want to leave you, Sou-chan.
Soujiro embraced her even tighter when he heard her reply. He couldn't understand why she would think that negatively when he saw from the times that he was with her, she was always a positive person. I don't like seeing you upset, he thought as he felt her shaking body next to him as she cried.
"I .. I'm going to m- - miss you, Sou-chan," she said between her tears.
Soujiro was shocked. Miss me? She cares for me that much that she would cry? He felt his heart warm at the thought. But why? I thought she knew that I was going to go with her. I wouldn't allow anything to happen to her along the way . . . till at least her memory gets back. He let out a chuckle as he broke the embrace and looked back in her eyes.
Kaoru looked at him as she wiped her eyes. " It's n - - not funny," she said.
Soujiro looked at her with a gentle smile. "I never said that I was going to leave your side, Kaoru-san. I'm going to help you, until your memory returns," he said.
She looked up at him with a confused expression on her face as she let the words sink in. He's not going to leave me? "You're not leaving me?" she asked after sniffling.
"No, I'm not," he replied in a serious tone.
She could feel her mouth twitch into a smile as she looked at Soujiro's eyes again. She could tell he was telling her the truth when she saw his cobalt blue eyes. Her eyes started to water up again.
He looked at her confused. I thought she would be happy that I was going with her? Why is she starting to cry again? Maybe she doesn't really want me to be with her? His mind was in an uproar.
Kaoru pulled him into another strong embrace and cried.
"K- - Kaoru-san, why are you crying again?" he asked.
"It's b- -because I'm so happy," she replied in between sobs.
"Eh1?!?" he replied. His eyes widened. He was completely confused now. Didn't tears mean sadness? He felt her laughing into his shoulder.
She looked back up at him and said in between laughters, "Baka . . these are tears of happiness," she said with a smile.
"Aa," he replied with a smile even though he was still a little confused. I didn't know there was such a thing.
After her laughter, she became serious once again. "Demo .. what about your home here? And what about your family and friends?" she asked him.
He looked down at his hands. "I'm a rurouni. I don't have a home."
She was stunned. Rurouni? That word was so familiar to her. Why? When she heard those words, she felt a pull in the strings of her heart. "Sou-chan," she started as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "if and when my memory comes back to me, I would like for you to stay with me. I .. I mean that is if you want to."
Soujiro slowly turned his head back to look at her. Was she serious? "But you don't even know that much about me. . you don't even know about my past," he said in a hurry.
Kaoru smiled a loving smile at him. "I don't care about your past. I know who you are now. Your past is what made you you, it is not something that you still are now."
Soujiro widened his eyes. She doesn't care about my past? She accepts me for who I am now? He looked as she smiled brightly at him and felt the walls that he created around him over the past sixteen years break down a little. I don't need to pretend when I'm around her, he thought.
She placed her other hand on top of his hand and squeezed.
He knew at that moment that this girl was special to him.
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- To be continued
Author's Notes:
Please read and review! Thanks much! No cliffhanger this time either =( .. sigh ..
This chapter is mainly used to develop the relationship between Kaoru and Soujiro .. well, to show how much their relationship has developed over the past week or so ^_^ Hehe .. So, not much has happened.
Thanks to my reviewers:
Nicky, AnimeFreako, wolfpack, Uenki, somebody, Princess of Darkness, Tsugoi Kakarlena, kenshinfan, kato, Souryusen, chibi, Briar, shippo, beriath, chibi frog, Luna Angel, hoots, kaoru-no-tanuki, Ana, CurlsofSerenity, pushpitake, Inugirl, tigerrelly, Califpinay3001, animelub, ranma sao, saotome, kiki, kim, john, Poohbear, Jouchano8, anime lover, Clemen, Miya-chan, Kyoznekozukigirl, nihongo55, Aino Saori, wudnt u like 2 kno, kuru kuru 17, Sarahi, thunder sister, Ayuka Moonwind, Inuyasha chic515, Ryuugirl, Volleygurly, and Sanosuke Sagara for your support!
Kenshinfan – Thanks for your review! =) Aww.. I'm so glad that you like it. Hehe .. I'm very flattered by your comments. I hope the rest of it will be up to your expectations.
^_^ - I understand the feeling. .poor Kenshin . . ^_^
Hiei7 – I'm glad you're enjoying the fic.
Briar – The kendo thingy .. I'm planning to do that .. but I'm not sure where to insert it =/ .. hmm .. Thanks for the suggestion though =D