Start Scene Four: Reality

Kaoru cautiously opened the door to Kenshin's apartment, stunned as usual by its pristine condition, as he was a male. But he didn't need or want much, and his home could barely fit anything as it was. The entire area was made up of a miniscule living room, only big enough to fit a three-cushion couch and TV four feet away, a 'kitchen' consisting of a microwave, sink, and a cupboard as well as a bathroom tucked away behind it all. It was tiny enough to allow someone to wash their hands while sitting down. All in all, it took up less room than a mobile home. He had to take his showers at a nearby gym or her house, on the rare occasions he asked to do so.

His uncle Hiko paid for it all, the rent and bills. Pricing was cheap, however, and Hiko was rich; he ran a fencing school that many of the wealthier children and teenagers attended. Kenshin's barely existing expenses made no dent in his fortune. Kenshin did odd jobs to compensate for food and luxury pastimes, and that was the extent of what he needed to live, in the area of monetary matters.

She wasn't quite sure why she was here. It had been a random impulse, just a want of visiting her best friend. They saw each other almost everyday, never long enough to suffer from withdrawal. Yet, something was different now, at this moment. Whatever celestial force that always seemed to be watching over Kenshin and herself had compelled her to visit his apartment right now.

From what she could see, there was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.

Stepping over a pile of neatly-folded laundry, Kaoru sank into the couch, contemplating what to do. He could be home at anytime before midnight. But she was here, and would wait until then of necessary.

The door suddenly sweeping open startled her out of the semi-reverie, and she stared in surprise at the large figure I the doorframe. It was Hiko, looking irritable as usual as he took off his coat. Seeing her, he made no movement of surprise but instead said, "Oh, you're here? Where's the runt?"

Her temper rose as it always did around him for the constant verbal abuse of his nephew. "Yes, I'm here. No, I don't know where he is." She answered curtly.

"Damn kid. I need to talk to him."

She stood, crossing her arms and trying to look down her nose at him, made difficult by the fact that he was much taller. "I'll take the message."

He glanced at her as he would a stranger in passing, then let his eyes roam around the single-room home in disgust. "Heh... Well, tell him that he can come back to my house if he wants to. I started thinking about it, and it would be for the best."

Kaoru's jaw fell for a moment before she snapped it back up. Kenshin had been living here for five years – since he was fourteen. He had been adamant in his decision never to go back to his uncle's.

"Why now?" The question popped out in the midst of her surprise.

Hiko fixed his perpetual glare on her again. "Because I promised his mother that I would take care of him if anything ever happened to her. Or my damn brother-in-law. The idiot made me angry and when I let him leave, that was going against the promise. I was deemed godfather, so those family ties are tugging at me."

"But it's so sudden..." The last time she was aware of Kenshin speaking to Hiko was at least eight months ago.

"So that's the way it is. Sono mama, Miss Kamiya."

She blinked in shock. "You know Japanese too?"

Hiko sighed at her, again in disgust. "We're living in the ruins of Japan. I made it a point to learn the language, even though we grew up with English. Our names are Japanese, Kaoru. They're the ones we know, so we use them. You were lucky enough to learn it from your parents. In the beginning, I was hoping I could teach him things that would help him become a leader and help get this world out of the state it's in. Look how he turned out. Do you ever speak to him in Japanese?"

"Short sentences every once in a while."

"But that's all."

"Hai."

A corner of his mouth twitched upwards wryly. They faced each other silently for a while, until Hiko spoke again. "You know what's going to happen to him eventually if he keeps on living the way he does. Maybe even if he does clean up his act. You'll be walking along to see him one day and then you'll find him on the ground, bleeding or already dead."

Her throat choked up; this image had played through her darkest thoughts once or twice when she had waited late for him, but she had never taken it seriously. He lived the most dangerous life, the lone Ishin Shishi, but he was a spectacular martial artist. She bit her lip and looked away.

"The people who did it might still be there, even. If they are they'll scatter when they see you. It might have been a simple killing, or he might still be barely alive after an hour of torture. Some of the kids are harsh enough. But you, girlie, will hold him and feel his life slip away, just like his mother and father. Except the people who killed his father went after her, too. And this is all true. You now it. He probably does, too."

Kaoru tried to muster up some strength against the vivid picture he had painted in front of her eyes. "He's a great fighter. They wouldn't be able to pin him down or anything."

"Everybody slips up eventually. Even I did once. It could be just a minor one on his part, but it could cost him his life."

She didn't want to hear this anymore, but Hiko kept on going. "Kaoru, I do care for the idiot, even though he'll most likely never know. I don't want him to die any more than you do, and I made a mistake when I let him leave. I threw him to the wolves because he made me angry and frustrated. I can't be an overprotective guardian now, but he does still need to be taken care of even though he's nineteen."

Slipping his coat back on, he turned to go back out, pausing one last time. "You don't have to tell him, if you don't want to. But think about it."

He left as abruptly as he'd come.

Kaoru sat down hard, not feeling steady enough to stand any longer. She felt as if she's eaten something spoiled. The sick sensation rose from the pit of her stomach to settle in her chest, eventually turning into a deep ache as she heard Hiko walking down the street outside. Sitting stock-still, she suddenly flung herself down on the cough, punching a limp cushion until a brief well of tears passed by without showing themselves. Now that she had allowed herself to see her best friend dead, the image wouldn't leave. Hugging the pillow she had abused, Kaoru thought she could smell some traces of him lingering on it, although faint. The scent comforted her a little, and she gradually fell asleep curled around her pillow.

She was awoken by Kenshin gently shaking her shoulder.

"Hey, are you okay? You were crying a little in your sleep."

Smiling now that he was finally home, Kaoru nodded. After the rest and knowing Kenshin was alive and well, the fear could disappear for now. He was so vibrantly alive that it almost seemed as if what Hiko had said was complete folly. But he had seen much more of the world, and Kenshin's uncle was not the type to scare people that badly just for fun.

Just for this moment, at least, everything was good in the world as Kenshin asked her what had happened. Pulling him down to lie next to her, she knew the offer could wait.

Now was peace.

End Scene Four

I told you I would update in a week! For once, I kept my promise. Alas, my muse has gone to work on Separate by Species, so I won't be working on this for a while. However, I WILL NOT be scrapping it on any account! I like it to much for that. I do have ideas, though, but still tell me what you'd like to see since now you know what this story's like! Please RR!!!

P.S. Still a short chapter, I know. I'll try to work on it (I write these in a notebook, so the length can get confused. I mean, 15 pages in college lined paper equals 8 pages in size 12 font!)