Kaoru's Tears of Sorrow
The sun shined brightly over the cliff, Kaoru walked along, the cliff brought back memories she'd wish would just go away so she may live on with her life, but they clung to her heart.
'Why does your face haunt me? Your soul has floated away but I still know who you are, your gone why cant I let go of you?' she asked herself as she sat under the tree that hung over the cliff. Softly the wind blew the cherry blossoms up and over the cliff, Kaoru watched them dance in the wind. Kaoru heaved a heavy sigh,
"I don't want to be alone!" she cried as tears began to fall from her face.
Kenshin raced trough the Dojo in a frantic fright, Kaoru was gone she left early that morning for a walk before he even woke up leaving Kenshin alone in the Dojo all day. But when the sun began to set beneath the Tokyo horizon Kenshin began to worry.
"Where did she go, oh this one should have followed her." He scolded himself as he grabbed his sakabato and heading to the gate. Everyone else in the Dojo seemed to have other thing to do this day and ran off before Kenshin had the chance to ask them exactly where Kaoru went so Kenshin began his search in the crowed market.
Kaoru watched the sun softly disagree form the horizon.
"Oh, its so beautiful I just wish this day didn't have to be such a sad one, anyway I need to tell you something, aunty, which is because I'm not going to gloat on the past I'm going to look towards the future. You once told me under this tree that if I wanted something I should never give up if it's truly what my heart wants. That's Kenshin; I love Kenshin now even if he doesn't say it I know he loves me in return," Kaoru said genitally letting go of a dried up Lilly over the ledge. Kenshin by now scoured the town for Kaoru and the sky started to get dark. Kenshin looked off the betted dirt road back to the Dojo and saw someone sitting by the old cherry tree that hangs over the ledge. Kenshin looked hard at the person.
"Is that Kaoru?" he asked himself.
"It has to be her I would know her anywhere," he said to himself as he began to walk to the ledge where Kaoru sat talking to the wind. Kenshin stopped when he heard her speak.
"I know he's a wander never know when he will leave but I think if he wanted to leave he would have done it already. Aunty, why did you have to die just when I need your help, well Aunty, I hope my fear never comes true guide me please." She stopped when she heard a sound from behind her.
"Kenshin! How did you… find me?" she asked a smile came over his face not like the normal one but a more charming and loving smile.
"On accident, but I am very glad I found you."
"What is that suppose to mean how much did you hear?"
"Nothing at all Kaoru-dono, but you had me worried I was truly scared something had happened to you," he said Kaoru looked up at him.
"Worried why?" she asked getting up off the ground Kenshin took her hand and shook his head.
"It doesn't matter anymore, I found you and that's all that matters to me."
"What are you saying Kenshin, what's going on?" she asked.
"You seem troubled by your past and I want to tell you I will be here for you, and I will always be here for you." he finished bowing his head Kaoru's eyes filled with tears and she fell into Kenshin's arms.
"You're the reason I'm here, I lost someone dear to me," Kaoru cried Kenshin held her close
"Like Tomoe," Kenshin said quietly, and low Kaoru looked up at him.
"Tomoe?" she said.
"Well, I too had a love before now but I killed her although she knew it was coming I think but its still by fault. But I can't let go like you can," He said to Kaoru who smiled and handed him a daisy.
"Let it go Kenshin, free your spirit sure you can always remember Tomoe like I will always remember Agori, but you are the one I really love now Kenshin…. Look forward to something else," she said wincing at the fact she admitted her love but Kenshin surprisingly smiled and took the little flower.
"Your right Kaoru, I can always remember Tomoe, looking forward to loving someone else and not parading over the past is something good, in fact there is someone I would like to love." Kenshin stopped and gazed at the flower before dropping it over the ledge following Kaoru's down to the bottom. He turned to Kaoru.
"And that's you, each time I can't find you in the Dojo my heart is shredding its like losing Tomoe again and again," he said looking out over the ledge to where he dropped the daisy.
"I feel the same way every-time you leave its like you're going off to Kyoto again, but this time you won't come back," Kaoru said out of the silence that fell over the two. Kenshin looked at Kaoru surprised at her words.
"Do you really feel that way Kaoru?" he asked and Kaoru's head bobbed up and down.
"Going back there is the last thing I would want to do, come on Kaoru-Dono, it's getting cold, I don't want you to catch anything lets go back to the Dojo" he said taking her hand.
"Ok Kenshin," she said hooking her arms to him; Kenshin looked at her as she gazed at the ground. Kenshin grasped her hand in their arm lock. As they walked home to the Dojo a silence emerged from the two Kaoru remained bowed head and staring at the ground and hers and Kenshin's feet as they moved. Soon Kaoru looked up with a start with hearing her name.
"Kaoru?" Kenshin said it was like he had been trying to get her attention for a while. "Are you all right Kaoru?" he asked again now facing her. Kaoru didn't seem to notice that she had been crying ever since they left the ridge. "No your not, are you Kaoru does it still hurt?" he asked but Kaoru couldn't find her voice all she managed to do was fall in his arms and continue to cry. As Kenshin held her tight to try to subdue her tears he tough of what she said and what she was letting go of. She never truly let go of this man she loved just like he hadn't truly letting go of Tomoe that snowy day, until this very day, never really confronting the fact she is dead and its time to move on. But telling Kaoru she needs to move on and let go isn't doing much since that's exactly what she is trying to do. "I'm sorry Kaoru." That was the only thing he could think of telling her but she just clung tighter finally she spoke.
"Kenshin, you don't have to be sorry, I'm the one why is crying uncontrollably over someone that needs to be forgotten," she said softly Kenshin smiled and let a chuckle escape
"You don't have to forget about this person they obviously held a special spot in your heart," he said as he began to wipe tears from Kaoru's face.
"No there was nothing between him and I that jut happened to be the place where we would hang out. The truth is …that I…. I heard you in your sleep, you where talking to Tomoe you love her she possesses your whole heart so I can never have a place in it," Kaoru said and ran into the Dojo. Kenshin was now confused he hadn't dreamt of Tomoe in years and what would posses her to make up such a story about a lover. There had to be more to this story, and right now Kaoru was too much of a mess to further talk to. "But maybe there is some clues in what she has already told me," he said to himself and walked into the Dojo, he could hear her sobs from the end of the hallway. Kenshin sat by her door in hopes she would expose some of her sorrow, sure enough as if she knew he was sitting out there sang like a bird to what was causing her so much pain.
"You baka why did you say that to him, stop this Kamiya at once!" she scolded herself and smacked herself then cried some more. "He said it and that's all I wanted that's what I wished for wasn't it? It was out of pity he doesn't really care. Sure I loved Agori but who wouldn't love their last family member alive," she said as Kenshin listened Yahiko came up and was about to speak when Kenshin hushed him and showed him away.
"Oh so that's it," he said to himself.
"Why did I have to lie about it? Why did I have to do that to him? it brought bring back painful memories for him just to get the truth out of him so I could know that I too wouldn't die alone. I'm such a jerk," she said and broke down in tears again Kenshin smiled and got up and tapped on the door.
"Kaoru-dono may I Talk to you?" he asked. Kaoru opened the door and looked up at him.
"Kenshin? Um yes I would like that," she said forcing a smile. Kenshin entered the room and sat in front of Kaoru.
"I need to ask you what's wrong with you Kawaii and I want you to tell me the truth." He said not realizing what he just called her. Kaoru looked at him she couldn't believe what he just called her it sent a feeling of love and caring bliss down through her soul he called her darling.
'Is that how he really feels about me?' she asked herself then cleared her through ready to come clean
"Then you know I was lying I received a letter last night that the only remaining family member, my Aunt, died. Well, that tree is where she would take me when I was little before she left Tokyo I hadn't seen her since that day. And now I will never be able to see her; I'm truly an orphan now and I kept thinking that even though you're here and Yahiko and often Sanosuke are here that it wont last and I will be alone again and I would truly be alone." She stopped to try to fight back some tears.
"Kaoru? That's horrible, but you don't need to worry about being alone forever I will be here for as long as you want me to be here because I do truly love you," he said placing his hand on hers she smiled.
"Will you be all right Kaoru?" Kenshin asked she nodded and wiped her eyes.
"Kenshin, can you come with me to the cliff tomorrow?" she asked Kenshin smiled and nodded.
"Of course my Kawaii, anything that will make these tears of sorrow disappear." he said to her she smiled and kissed his scared cheek.
"Thank you Kenshin," she said and Kenshin left the room.
The next morning, Kaoru woke up earlier than she told Kenshin, she wanted to go to the cliff she glanced once more at the letter and read it to herself again.
"Dear Kamiya Kaoru,
On news of your father's death, and your coming of age your father set, it is time you become my wife. This arrangement was made many years ago between your parents and mine, It was agreed that if you are not married by the age of 17 and a half that I Agori Yunnmi would be betrothed to you. Since your mother and fathers death I waited for you, I would always hope that you still remain a maiden. I will arrive at your Dojo to bring you home in two days.
Forever yours, your future husband
Agori
"I won't do this, I love Kenshin and I know he loves me but theirs no way he can stop this betrothal. So I must take charge." Kaoru said to herself quietly and left for the cliff She stopped at the Dojo gate and looked back.
"I'm sorry Kenshin, but it's the only way, Agori will stop at nothing to keep the betrothal and I just cant bear it." She said softly, then ran to the cliff.
Kenshin was just stirring awake when he heard Kaoru's door slide shut.
"What is she doing? did I sleep to late?" he asked then looked outside. "No it's too early." Kenshin walked out of his room tying the belt to his Hakama, he drifted past Kaoru's room the door was still cracked. He saw a piece of paper on the floor, Kenshin walked in the room and picked it up. It was the letter Kaoru had revived, Kenshin skimmed over the letters contents.
"WHAT!" anger shot up Kenshin's arms, as they began to shake.
"She…. That's what's bothering her… than at the cliff yesterday, and this...mor.. .ning NO KAORU!!!!" Kenshin yelled, running through the Dojo in search for her but she was already gone. Now he stopped in the front seeing the gate open.
"No… Kaoru!" Kenshin whispered then bolted in his god-like speed to the cliff, he arrived just in time to see Kaoru jump off the cliff.
"NNNOOOOO!" he yelled running to the edge of the cliff, and watched her body plummet to the ground below. "No Kaoru, why this cant be happening not again!" Kenshin cried.
End