Rain- The Rurouni Returns

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"...Nozomi?!" Kenshin said once he had studied the girl at his feet. He held his hand out and helped her up. They gave each other a hug overjoyed to see on another.

"What are you doing here?" Nozomi asked. "I thought you were…"

Kenshin quickly put his finger over her lips before she could continue. Nozomi began to blush. But Kenshin wanted no one to know who he used to be. He had already done enough by telling Nozomi who had been. And by not stopping her they'd both be in danger.

"No I'm a Rurouni now." Kenshin told her softly shaking his head. Bits of red hair swept across his face as he did so.

"Then why do u still have a sword?" Nozomi asked confused as she pointed to the sword and sheath to his left.

"Hmm? Oh this…It's a sakabatou." He told her slowly drawing his sword from its sheath. Kenshin showed Nozomi the blade. She ran her hand along the smooth unsharpened side like a curious child. "It's not like my other swords that I used before" he continued.

"So I see." Nozomi replied. Nozomi was glad that Kenshin was back yet she couldn't smile. It seemed as if her emotions had been gone ever since that day Kenshin had left her 7 years ago. She wanted to smile to show her joy but she could not almost as if a curse had been draped over her.

"W-would you like to come to my dojo…again for a while?" She asked Kenshin.

"Why not it'll be like when we were little" he answered. Kenshin held his arm out for Taka to fly onto. She did for a moment as if to say welcome back but then flew back onto Nozomi's head.They walked back to the dojo together. Cherry blossoms fell from the trees above as they walked along the path side by side. To Nozomi it was like a pleasant dream. Everything was perfect. Her old friend was back, they were alone away from all the people, and the cherry blossoms were falling is if for them.

~***~

When they finally got to the dojo Nozomi went with Kenshin inside but then dismissed herself for a moment. She rushed into the training room and grabbed her bo. She quietly put it away. Before Nozomi had left for town she had been practicing bo. But Kenshin had followed her and saw her put it away.

"You practice bo?" Kenshin asked her with a surprised look on his face.Nozomi jumped a bit when she heard Kenshin's voice. She thought she was alone but it was apparent that she was not.

She turned around and answered him. "I'm learning."

"Learning?" he asked as if the word was new to him. Kenshin obviously wanted to know more about Nozomi and how and why she was learning bo.

"About a month after you left I left the dojo for a while. I went wandering into the next town wanting someone to talk to because I couldn't stand being alone." she began.At the sound of this Kenshin's heart was crushed. He hadn't wanted to leave Nozomi but he didn't have much of a choice back then. After all he had a job to do.

"I got fascinated by the ninjas that lived there and there technique of bo. One day I absent mindedly wandered into their dojo without permission. I got caught and explained my presence and how there art had fascinated me. They thought that wouldn't hurt to teach me bo so now I am learning. They had let Taka and I live there for a few months but when I explained I had to return here they let me go. Yet I still go back to their dojo every week on Tuesdays and take classes." She explained.

When Nozomi had finished Kenshin and her were sitting across from each other on the wooden floor. He had his sword to his left and she had her bo on her lap.

"…Nozomi I still regret the day I left you. I am so sorry. I didn't mean for you to become sad again." Kenshin said with regret.

"Daijoubu wakkata…" she replied not wanting him to feel bad.

"But…I too know how it feels…to be alone…my parents died when I was still an infant. And everyone else I have loved have also passed away." Kenshin said revealing a shard of his past for the first time to Nozomi. She stared at him for a while as he looked down at the floor. She felt sorry also for making him have to relive painful memories.

"Kenshin…" She began. "I've missed you a lot and it doesn't matter if u left me then I'm just glad you're back." Nozomi said finishing. Then suddenly for once in 7 long lonely years a smile appeared on Nozomi's face. She had never been one to smile or show her feelings at all. Kenshin was the only one other than Taka that she really smiled too. But know that she was back to her normal self she could show her feelings again. It may have only been to Kenshin but it made her feel better.

"Thank you." He said. With that he leaned forward and gave her a hug.

He pulled back and gave her a small smile. "You're really nice Nozomi, I couldn't have a better friend."

Nozomi blushed a bit at the compliment. "That's sounds like something you would say if we were still kids." she told him still smiling a little.

"…True" he said as a sweat drop rolled down the side of his face.

"But what did happen with the fighting and your other swords?" she asked.

"…Ah…those…" he sighed "I couldn't keep fighting it was too much…"

"…What do you mean?"

"I sooner or later came to my senses and I couldn't stand to hurt people anymore. I wanted to form a new era but not the way I had been trying too…and my swords…I couldn't hold on to them…all they ever did was haunt me with there blood stains and dirt marks…I gave them up." Kenshin said finishing with a sigh.

"Oh…I see……well you're welcome to stay here for as long as you want."

With a glance at her copper colored hair and gentle face Kenshin whispered "Thank you."

~***~

Upon Kenshin's return on Saturday the days quickly were lost in time. Before he knew it Tuesday stumbled upon him and Nozomi. Nozomi quietly slid open the rice paper door. It was still earlier in the morning and she did not want to wake Kenshin. She snuck into the training hall and took her bo. She headed out the door with nothing but her bo, her purse, and the clothes on her own back.Her wooden shoes met the hard dirt of the court yard as she slipped out into the cool spring morning.

The sun hadn't even arisen yet. At this early in the morning she had to be careful not to wake the birds none the less Kenshin. Nozomi was about to begin her journey then suddenly behind her she heard the foot steps of another. With a jump from freight she stood frozen. The cool spring fog dampened her face a bit as her heart pounded at the speed of light. Her feet seemed to be glued to the dirt path as her feet would not move.

Suddenly the footsteps began again. They were coming closer to Nozomi by the second. Without thinking Nozomi then yelled out "Stay away! I have a bo!" as if trying to scare whoever was behind her off. What made it worse was it was still so early in the morning that the any chance of getting a clear glance of the persons face would be nearly impossible. Then she couldn't take it anymore. Suddenly her feet began moving and Nozomi turned around quickly. Without opening her eyes she swung her bo at the unknown person.

'Pap' the bo made a soft landing noise as it hit something solid.

"N-nozomi?" a voice said.

Nozomi looked up at above her was Kenshin. She could feel her face become lit up with red. She stared at him for a moment and then at her bo which had been stopped by the palm of his hand. Immediately she lowered the stick from his hand and saw she had turned it a bit red.

"You're quite the tough on aren't you now." he said with a smile on his face. Nozomi looked down in embarrassment knowing she was redder than ever.

"G-gomen nasai……" she stammered.

"Daijoubu…no harm done." Kenshin said ruffling her hair. This was easy for Kenshin to do as Nozomi was at least a half a foot shorter than him maybe even a full foot shorter. She looked up and understood what he was trying to say. Nozomi stuck her tongue out with a small smile.

"So…where are you going this early?" he asked his hand still on Nozomi's head. Kenshin had completely forgotten their conversation from the other day.

A serious took over Nozomi's once happy traits. "To my bo class you baka." she said tapping him rather hard on his head with her bo. She then turned around and started walking once again not saying on word more to him. 'That baka! He didn't even remember our conversation from Thursday!' she thought as an angry look hid all her other feelings from being seen. Nozomi walked at least two-thirds of a mile before she finally noticed. Faint foot steps had been following her as before. She turned around.

The April morning was still blanketed with black shadows so she could scarcely see. Squinting her eyes she could make out someone taller than her and carrying a sword.

"Kenshin!" it didn't take her long to figure out who was following her. "What are you doing?"

"Coming with you." he said as a smile light up his face.

A dull shade of red tinted Nozomi's checks. "W-why would you want to come with me?" she said trying to sound angry at him.

"…I want to see how well you've become at bo…and besides I know you're not really angry at me." he said walking ahead of her.

"W….wha!...Why you! Get back here!!!" she yelled as she ran after him.

When she finally caught up to him, Kenshin stopped and she could see a grin of content on his face.

"You think that was funny don't you!? why you…" Nozomi began. She raised her bo above her head and it attempted to him. But of course he once again blocked it using merely his hand. Nozomi was now breathing hard yet she was not angry. In fact she was having fun playing with the rurouni by her side.

"No fair…" she mumbled as Kenshin lowered her bo from his hand once again.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

CD: Do you people not like my story? Please review me, I worked really hard on it..... T-T

PLEASE READ + REVIEW!!!!!!!!!