Title: Upon Perished Grounds

Author: ThirdReInCaRnAtIoN

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin belongs to its rightful creators; inspiration and ingenuity.

Rating: R

Spoilers: Not really any...maybe just mentions of some stuff....

Author's Note: This is an AU but some of the story will have insights into the actual storyline.

Summary: She could still taste the sorrow like a lingering kiss, a kiss of one whom she could not have. (K/K/B)

Chapter One

Kenshin was annoyed, no scratch that, he was completely and utterly pissed off. Bait was supposed to scream and struggle or perhaps even yell out a few choice words, they were absolutely not supposed to cry out his real name in such a familiar tone and then pass out.

It was unacceptable. Especially when he was absolutely clueless as to whom she was. She had a familiar feel about her but nothing he could place, which meant she could have been anyone; a spy, an assassin, a ninja, a victim...there were a lot of options for him to choose from.

Finally he settled for victim. She fit the basic profile; small and slender with delicate features; a small nose, petite mouth and large, wide eyes, with hair the colour of dark woven silk. Either way he could tell that she was probably going to be more trouble than she was worth. He simply couldn't afford to let anyone know his true identity. It was a requirement of a shadow assassin that they would be exactly that, a shadow.

Anyone who witnessed an assassination or uncovered records of the hitokiri's name, appearance and address were promptly dispatched from this world to the next. Letting loose a distorted growl that sounded suspiciously like a sigh, he drew he sword and swept across the room to lean over Kaoru's prone figure.

She looked fragile posed as she was; her legs bent under her, with her torso tossed outwards, hands outstretched as if reaching for something. He saw the profile of her face, strong and feminine made from ivory skin, a deep rose mouth and two sets of long, dark, curved eyelashes.

"For the sins I have committed, for the good of this country, you must die." His arm lifted the sword above his head and swiftly began to bring it down. A sudden slice of pain that rippled across his cheek made him grip the sword tighter and pull away in surprise. He'd expected for her blood to be shed, not his own. His free hand fingered the scar on his cheek, the scar he'd had for as long as he could remember and as he pulled his hand away, he smeared blood down his face.

"Bleeding," he muttered. "I've only heard of healed scars bleeding once before." He's thoughts raced to the teachings of his master Hiko in the Kyoto Mountains. He'd once read a scroll explaining that the depths of one sins were told by the scars on one's body and soul. The scars only reacted to deep feelings such as sorrow, love and on occasion, anger. For it to bleed now as it had never done before... He ran the blunt age of his weathered sword down Kaoru's neck. "Interesting, quite interesting."

Kaoru, in her former life must have been known for sleeping in. Her alarm clock had been ringing for the past 20 minutes and still she could not fathom for what reason she had to leave the comfort of her bed. Her neighbor's voice rang throughout the house. "Kaoru-san are you here?" Kaoru groggily reacted to Dr Genzai's voice. She was about to reply when he started muttering to himself. "Of course not you old fool, she's gone to see Kenshin off of course!'

Kaoru bolted from her bed, her eyes wide. Kenshin was leaving today and whilst she'd been sleeping he'd probably been waiting for her. She jumped from her bed still wrapped in her teddy bear pajamas and dashed to the front door.

Kenshin lived three houses down around the corner, which happened to be up a very steep hill, Kaoru puffed and panted her way up, determined to at least get to say goodbye. As she reached the top, she noticed the moving van was packed and a very tall, stocky foreign man was yelling at Kenshin in a strange dialect of Japanese. Kaoru marched right up to them and smacked the man in the knee.

"Stop yelling at Kenshin...you big oaf!" The man snarled at her and spun around marching to the van. Kenshin looked at Kaoru and sighed. "You're very late so everyone is mad at me for making them wait." Kaoru blushed, ashamed of her inability to get out of bed.

"I'm sorry, but you know me..." Kenshin sighed again. "We can't say goodbye properly now...I have to leave now or we won't get to Kyoto on time and if we're not on time Hiko might reconsider the training." Kaoru pouted. "I don't see why you have to train anyway!! It's almost the 21st Century; you can't go running around with swords like we're still in the Feudal Era, no matter that Inuyasha and Mokoto do!"

Kenshin frowned, "It's for the honor of my family, so don't act like it's nothing." Kaoru's eyes glazed and she burst into tears. "But I don't want you to go!" Kenshin shook his head, his eyes flickering with turmoil going between their normal purple and amber. He wanted to comfort her, he wanted to be strong, he wanted to hold her tightly in a hug and apologize a thousand times, and he wanted to protect... her. With that thought, finally the amber won. His hands moved quickly across his wrist as he threw something to the ground. Then he brushed past her. "I'm leaving."

Kaoru quickly wiped her tears away just to watch him climb into the car. "Wait!" She yelled, her eyes growing wide as the ignition started. "Kenshin!" She screamed. She watched as his face looked idly out the window, his eyes never meeting hers, half his face hidden by the long white bandage.

Kaoru collapsed as her knees gave out. "We didn't say goodbye." Silently she questioned how long the emotions writhing within her would last, hurt, sorrow, anger and betrayal. Hadn't they made a promise?

Looking at her bandaged wrist she smacked it against the asphalt. "Stupid" she whispered to herself. Glancing up her vision was caught by something glinting on the pavement. Cautiously she brushed her fingers over it and choked back a sob as she saw the small silver bracelet her mother had given Kenshin before she, Kaoru had been born.

Kenshin had told her how her mother had given it to him when he was two and he could still remember her words. "You're going to need to look after my Kaoru, Kenshin. She'll be strong willed and hard headed but I want you to look after her for me. You've grown into such a big boy, I think you can handle it." Then she'd given him the small bracelet with two 'K' letters engraved into in. Next to one K was a small sword with flowers growing around the blade, next to the other K was a blade with a serpent wrapped around the blade.

Sniffling she snapped it on around her own wrist. It was a bit too big but she would grow into it, just like she felt that perhaps Kenshin had grown out of their friendship in a single night. Pulling herself together she turned her poor broken 11 year old heart and body towards home.

Kaoru woke up, feeling a faint feeling of nostalgia and tears wet upon her cheeks. "So you decided to wake up." Kaoru's head jerked upwards and met the Battousai's unrelenting, cool glare. He held her at sword point, the tip brushing carefully against the column of her throat. One move and she'd be a goner. Strangely it reminded her of a scene from Ranma ½. Akane and Ranma verse off. She was Ranma. She didn't have a chance.

"Explain" His voice commanded cool with unused power. Her eyes traveled the expanse of his face and noticed the bleeding scar, the scar that was supposed to seal a promise forever. "What happened to you Kenshin?" She questioned. Meaning so many things that she couldn't even begin to voice what she wanted to say, or what she felt. She gulped as the sword nudged her more insistently.

"Who are you?" He growled finally when the silenced had just about deafened them both. Kaoru's eyes flamed with anger and she jumped to her feet, catching the hitokiri off guard as he fell over backwards. "What do you mean, 'Who am I?' Who THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM! Remember me? Kaoru Kamiya? Best friend who left in the dust, driving away off to Kyoto for you precious 'special training' leaving me with issues that I haven't quite yet resolved. CAN YOU TELL!?!?!"

Kenshin leapt to his feet, eyes narrowed, sword still at the reading. "Once again I'll ask. Who are you?" Kaoru stared at him in disbelief. "You really don't remember." Anger radiated off her. "You really don't fucking remember...YOU BASTARD!" Then she lunged.

Every time we pass each other under a broken, falling sky

I wonder if yesterday's snow is piling up like my feelings

Gathering up all my memories, what will I not reflect on?

Only embracing words will ride on this wind

'Carnation's Comments

Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I'm trying to keep my promises this time so here's the next chapter of UPG on Sunday