Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin does not belong to me.

Author's Notes: Hi! This chapter is much shorter compared to the others, but I will update the next chapter pretty soon. ^_^ Thanks!

~ A Memory Forgotten ~

Chapter 29

PANT, PANT

Yahiko leaned against the tree with his hands over his knees, trying to regain his normal breathing pattern. It was incredibly hard for him to have seen her and not brought her back. It was hard for the young boy to stay there and not hold onto her so he started running away. He understood that bringing her back now would do no good. Kaoru needed time to gather her thoughts.

Yahiko sighed as he sat up against the tree. He noticed that he was beside a lake.

He smiled as it had reminded him of the small pond near the dojo back home in Tokyo. As he sat there, he heard something.

He looked over towards the sound with his bokken tightly gripped within his sweaty hands.

What he saw surprised him.

It was Kenshin.

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"Ken – shin?" Yahiko slurred out in an unsure tone as he crept quietly over to the lone figure. The man was crouched over tiredly in a sitting position with his head drooped between his knees. His crimson red hair was in disarray and it seemed to engulf the small man's entire being. The sound of the grass being crushed underneath the boy's sandals did not even stir him. It worried Yahiko. How could the man be so oblivious to everything around him?

"Kenshin!" Yahiko called louder this time with a worried look on his face.

The man did not even budge.

Out of sheer annoyance, Yahiko took out the bokken from behind his back and raised it up ready to knock back some consciousness into the Rurouni.

SWISH

Yahiko stood there wide-eyed frozen in fear.

Amber eyes gazed back at him.

Kenshin's hand had stopped the bokken from making its mark just a couple of centimeters away from his head.

His hands began to shake. Cold sweat began to pour from Yahiko's forehead as he unconsciously took a step back.

The man quickly shook his head as he closed his eyes tightly. When it reopened, the young boy saw that Kenshin's eyes had returned to its normal hue of lavender. He sighed out of relief. That was the second time he had seen the man's eyes turn amber, but it was the first time that it had been directed at him.

"Oro?"

Yahiko still stood there unsure of what to do. Both of their hands were still laced around the wooden bokken. Kenshin noticed first and quickly removed his hand and laughed to shake the feeling off.

"Yahiko," he started as he looked down on the ground, "I'm . . I'm sorry."

The boy looked blankly at the man still shaken from before. It took him awhile to comprehend what had just happened and what the man had just said. A few minutes later, the words sunk in. Yahiko let out a hoarse laugh as he scratched the back of his head.

"You had me scared there for a second, Kenshin," the boy said. He's probably acting like this from all the stress about finding Kaoru. But! Yahiko thought as a bright smile crept up on his face as he looked down at the man in front of him.

"Kenshin!" Yahiko almost shouted as he slid his bokken back in place behind his back.

The man looked back up with a mournful look on his face. Yahiko shook the look off as he told him the good news. "We found Kaoru today! She looked great and . ." The boy was so lost in his outbursts that he didn't take notice of the fact that Kenshin did not seem surprised in the matter. After a few more minutes of rambling, Yahiko stopped and looked at Kenshin, waiting for his response.

The crimson-haired man just sat in the same position with his eyes directed to the ground.

Confused, Yahiko called out to him again, "Ken-shin? Did you hear what I said?"

The man looked up and smiled cheerfully with his eyes closed. "Hai, de gozaru yo. Sessha is very happy that Kaoru-dono is safe."

Silence.

Yahiko stood there aghast, the man didn't seem to be surprised by the news at all. He didn't even seem to be that excited about it. What was wrong with him? "Ano .. Kenshin .. don't you want to see her?"

Kenshin's smile faltered for a mere second before returning to its place. He slowly got up from his sitting position using his sword as a means for support. He looked at Yahiko as he slid his sword into his belt. "Sessha . . sessha will go see her, de gozaru ka."

The boy's face lit up in glee. Once Kaoru sees Kenshin, she'll definitely remember everything!! "Yosh! Let's go, Kenshin! Sano will be glad that you're there."

Kenshin nodded pleasantly as he began to walk alongside Yahiko with a heavy feeling over his heart. Yahiko had not mentioned it, but he knew from what the boy had told him that Kaoru's amnesia was still present. That .. she didn't remember the boy nor did she remember Sanosuke. He sighed silently as he took another step. The stone streets and buildings were coming back in view.

Visions continuously flashed through his head of the past that he had shared with Kaoru, Yahiko, Sanosuke, and the others back in Tokyo. He had never taken those times for granted and when he had discovered that Kaoru was gone, he had always believed that once they had found her that things would turn back to normal again.

He hadn't expected this.

An image of a boy with blue eyes and a smile flashed through his mind. The memories of fighting him when he was with Shishio, the boy's face right before he performed his own form of battoujutsu, and . . and . .the image that Kenshin was sure that would always be engraved in his heart. The image of Kaoru, his Kaoru, in Soujiro's arms.

Kenshin stopped walking as he clenched his eyelids closed.

Yahiko stopped in suit when he heard the soft crunching of gravel beneath Kenshin's sandals become silent. He turned back and looked at the older man. Worry sketched over Yahiko's face as he watched the man. There was something very different about him. The boy had noticed it the very first time when he found Kenshin sitting there by the tree. Something about him was . . missing.

"Daijoubu, Kenshin?"

The man nodded his head meekly as he began to take a step forward. "Daijoubu, Yahiko. Gomen."

The boy looked at the man awhile longer before deciding that everything was all right before moving on again. "I hope that rooster head will remember how to get to Kaoru's place."

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Soujiro paced back and forth within his small room. His head was hurting. Kaoru. Kaoru had to have been friends with Himura-san, he screamed within his head. He looked over to the side of the room towards the window where he saw Kaoru sitting underneath a large maple tree. A multitude of leaves were being blown around Kaoru and she sat there like an ephemeral beauty. A calm feeling was cast over the young boy's demeanor as he watched her.  Soujiro smiled.

Was this the girl Himura-san had been staying with when he was in Tokyo?, he thought to himself.

Soujiro watched her awhile longer before making the decision to go out and join her.

As he was about to take a step outside the door, he saw a man approach Kaoru.

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Kaoru sat on the moist grass running her fingers through her dark tresses as the wind picked up. So many thoughts and feelings were running through her mind. Her head was filled with that boy's words. The way that he had called her 'busu' of all things seemed just so . . just so right. A heart clenched a little in pain at the thought that she couldn't remember who they were or  . . .

Who she was.

"Hello."

Her eyes widened in shock as she jerked her head up to look at the man who had just addressed her.

And at that moment, soft lavender eyes met widened blue ones.

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- To be continued

Author's Notes:

Please read and review! Thanks to all those that have reviewed! I really enjoy reading your comments and feedback on this story. ^_^ Thanks again! I didn't have time to reply to everyone so I'll make sure to do so in my next update. ^_^