Chapter 10

By Crystal

Author's Notes: [DiaBLo] I don't know, I checked it on the anime and it said waraji. I'm not sure, so it would be nice if someone told me. =) By the way, gomen I didn't update last night. I was sick and I had to study Shakespeare, test coming up on Monday. Sorry, sorry ^^;;.

*Screw the disclaimers ^^;;*

It was July 7th 12 year into the Meiji era. Today was the last night they would be staying at Kyoto, they would be off to Tokyo by tomorrow morning.

Soujiro had given Toshiko the hair pin and hakubai-kou he had asked Sae to buy. He was already dressed in the clothes they bought for him and he was very pleased, he looked very nice in them indeed.

The hair pin Sae picked for Toshiko was lovely, it matched with the kimono perfectly. Toshiko was dressing up while Soujiro was waiting outside the room. When she stepped out the room, Soujiro had forgotten to breathe, she looked simply...breathtaking.

While Soujiro had forgotten to breathe, Toshiko was blushing at the handsome Soujiro in front of her. He looked a lot more handsome with the new set of clothes she'd bought him. She blushed and Soujiro remembered to breathe again.

Her hair was tied up in a neat bun decorated with the hair pins Sae had bought, the black obi matched the kimono perfectly and she looked elegant. Soujiro held out his hand and she took it. Before stepping out on the streets, they had both written their wishes on coloured strips of paper and hanged it on bamboo branches in the inn's lobby.

Toshiko was very excited, she was going to see fireworks with Soujiro tonight! She was also looking forward to meeting Sae-san, perhaps with a boyfriend?

Colourful streamers of Japanese paper were hung everywhere and there were every kind of origami hung on the bamboo poles on both side of the streets. There were plenty of drunks already on the streets and they would have to avoid them.

Soujiro had brought his katana like usual just in case something happened, but he did doubt it. He'd never had to use it when he was with Toshiko. He sighed, he had thought of himself living a normal life these past two weeks when he was working at the Shirobeko, he didn't mind it a lot, but what he hated about the job was washing dishes.

Around a week later after he left Anji to search the truth, the thought of ever living a normal life scared him, but it really wasn't that bad at all, now that he's tried it. He briefly thought about Himura-san washing dishes and cooking and doing chores, thoughts alone sent him laughing inwardly. Little did he know that Himura-san does do all these, including doing the laundry.

They were walking to a restaurant for dinner and sake and when they got there, they saw Sae with an average looking guy. Toshiko waved at her and Sae invited them to sit with them, which they agreed to. Otherwise, they would have to wait for a table. They spent dinner knowing Sae-san's 'boyfriend' and had fun having a conversation. Soon enough, they went separate ways, the fireworks were going to start in about half an hour.

Soujiro lead her to a tall building and held her tight while he jumped on the roof, the fireworks would look perfect here. He saw her turn to him and smile which he smiled back and started another conversation about Kyoto and Tokyo, even about each other's past sometimes, until...

The fireworks started.

They had stopped talking immediately and Toshiko whipped her head around to see the fireworks. Soujiro heard Toshiko whisper to herself about 'beautiful' and felt her head on his shoulders. He wrapped his left arm around her back and smelt white plum.

"...It's beautiful, ne?" She said quietly.

"Aa..." He replied just as quietly.

"I wish it was like this everyday..." Toshiko said, "With you..."

Soujiro turned his head slowly and looked at her.

Toshiko blushed, "Woops...did I say that out loud?" He nodded, "heh, heh, heh. You didn't hear that." And turned her head back to the fireworks, acting as though the fireworks were very interesting. Soujiro saw right through the façade but said nothing.

The fireworks ended. Toshiko was sleeping on Soujiro's shoulder, 'she must be exhausted.' He smiled, carried her in his arms and jumped off the room lightly and making sure that he would not wake her up, and he didn't.

He laid her on the bed and started to pack all their stuff. They had already bought whatever they needed for the trip. They were both going to wear their old clothes so the new ones wouldn't be ruined on the trip. After packing up, he unrolled his own futon and fell asleep.

*Tsuyo kereba iki, yowa kereba shin. Shishio-san's voice rang in his head as he said these words, or rather, he dreamt he said these words.*

*This wasn't real, of course not! Shishio-san was dead. I thought I was never going to have any more of these dreams anymore...'*

*Father getting murdered, mother at the funeral with himself weeping, the Seta family hitting him, himself smiling when getting hit, Shishio-san showing up and giving him a sword, slaying his family. Tons of faces of those he killed flashed before him, and then finally, Himura-san and him getting ready for the last hit. His own sword snapped and he flew in the air.*

*He knew this was only a dream, but he felt tears down his cheek and a hand brushing them away. 'Toshiko...'*

He opened up his eyes, it was already morning and Toshiko sat beside his futon wiping away his tears. He groaned, it felt like he just slept.

"Daijoubu ka?" Toshiko's concerned voice rang in his ears.

"Aa...daijoubu" he replied.

"Dreaming about your past?" she asked, he nodded, "Sou ka. Hmm...Looks like I fell asleep on the roof top while watching the fireworks." She looked down at her clothes. "Anyways, I promised Sae-san that we'd be there one last time before we left Kyoto. She promised us breakfast."

"Hai, hai." Soujiro replied, looking out to the scenery, Kyoto was certainly beautiful. He hasn't been here for an whole year. He whispered softly in the wind, "Tsuyo kereba iki, yowa kereba shin. Shishio-san, you taught me that. But I have the right to believe what you said was wrong. Everyone has the right to live, ne Himura-san? Even the weak." With that, he turned around and followed Toshiko out the door with all their belongings.

* * * * *

'You...remarkably made it rain. Rain of blood.'

'It's getting cold... You were near the window.'

'Have you read all these?'
'No...Not one. They're perfect for falling asleep.'

'So you judge people's right to live. But you even leave that to others. You just do as you're told.'
'If I know a lot about the other person, I'll have doubts.'

'Run the way we came.'
'Don't you know? A sword needs a sheath.'
'What are you saying?'
'How much longer will you continue killing people? I want to see with my own eyes...
...my very own eyes.'

'So we go to Otsu...
...as newly weds...'

'Kimi wo mamoru. Kimi wo, shiawase wa, ore wa mamoru.'
'Hai.'

'Gomen... na...sai A...na...ta'

'TOMOE!!'

"NO!" Kenshin woke up suddenly, having the same dreams again and again playing in his head. He groaned. Snow, blood, rain...and white plum. It seemed like he'd never stopped dreaming about them. The souji slid open and Kaoru, Sano and Yahiko's heads popped up. Sano had slept at the dojo last night because he stayed until late at night and was too lazy to go back home.

"Daijoubu, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked.

He closed his eyes, "Aa, Kaoru-dono. Sessha is fine, de gozaru. It's just...a nightmare." He stood up and continued to the kitchen. Cooking breakfast, then laundry, maybe a bath. Then back to cooking lunch.

"Kenshin, go take a bath. I'll cook breakfast for today, you don't look too well." She pushed him in the direction of the bath house.

He was going to agree because he didn't want to die of food poisoning, but he listened, he was too tired to argue with her anyways. The dreams seemed more vivid than usual, right now, the smell of blood and white plum still flooded his senses. A bath would do him good. He walked to the bath house exhausted, not hearing the insults from Yahiko, Kaoru-dono and Sanosuke.

Once out of the bath, he wanted to plunge back down in it, it was so warm and comfortable, but on second thoughts, he better check out how Kaoru-dono might be doing with the kitchen, she might have already burnt it down already. Quickly dressing up, he went towards the kitchen.

Fortunately, nothing was burnt and Kaoru turned around and saw Kenshin standing there, and gasped. Sano and Yahiko turned to look at him and their eyes were as large as saucers.

"Nani?" Kenshin asked with his usual goofy rurouni smile plastered on his face.

"...It's..." Kaoru hesitated, "...It's bleeding..."

"Nani?" And he felt a drop of thick sticky blood roll down his left cheek and hesitantly went up to touch it and withdrew his hand, then looked at it. Blood was on his hands, his eyes widen. "Tomoe..."

Author's Notes: I would guess no more than 3 more chapters until the both of them meets Kenshin. Oh, by the way, Kenshin has not told anyone about Tomoe except Kaoru. He's fought with Enishi already, but lied to the others that it was just someone from his past, not telling them about Tomoe. I kinda changed it, but eh =p Getting really close to where Toshiko meets Kenshin ^^;; Thanks for all the reviews, guys!

Hakubai-kou - White plum perfume
Futon - Japanese mattress to sleep on
Tsuyo kereba iki, Yowa kereba Shin - The strong survive, the weak just die
Daijoubu ka? - Are you all right?
Daijoubu - I'm fine
Sou ka - I see
Kimi wo mamoru - I will protect you
Kimi wo, shiawase wa, ore wa mamoru - I will protect your happiness
Hai - Yes
Gomen nasai - I'm sorry
Anata - What wives calls husbands
Souji - Japanese door
Sessha - 'I' for Kenshin, stands for 'the unworthy one'