Part 7

"Kaoru-dono?"

"Nani?"

"I think I remember being with Hiko more. I remember he taught me swordsmanship, Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu (sp?). And my name was Kenshin." Kenshin said slowly, looking down still.

Kaoru smiled. "That's good Kenshin. Your memory is getting better." The woman was glad that Kenshin had finally spoken of his memories. He had been so quiet lately, and she was worried a bit.

She turned and went inside, getting out things to make dinner. When she came outside a few minutes later she found Kenshin slumped against the pole, sleeping soundly. She smiled and went to find a blanket, then returned and draped it over him. He moved slightly at her touch, but stayed asleep.

At that moment a knock came to the door. She turned to go answer it, almost knowing that it would be the youngest member of the team that had been missing for a little while.

Yahiko knocked on the dojo's gates, finally coming back after his few days' vacation from it at the Akabeko. He had been staying with Tae and Tsubame. Kaoru opened the door and smiled at him happily.

"Yahiko, it's lovely to see you," she said, holding out a hand and ushering him inside. Yahiko looked around and then suddenly gasped. Kenshin was on the porch, leaning against a pole, sound asleep.

"Kenshin!" Yahiko said in surprise.

Kaoru stopped him. "Quiet Yahiko, he didn't get any sleep last night. He's exhausted. He woke up a few days ago, but he lost his memory. You'll have to be patient with him; he doesn't remember who you are."

Yahiko's face fell. "He's lost his memory? That's bad…." The boy looked the rurouni over, seeing that Kaoru was right. Kenshin's face was pale, and there were dark smudges under his eyes. He looked awful, but he was getting some sleep.

Kaoru smiled gently as she watched the redhead. "He's been having nightmares a lot, memories of the Bakumatsu. At first he didn't remember any of that, but it's been coming back. I think he knows he was the Battousai now, that's what he remembered last night." She sighed. "I'm worried about his health; he hasn't been sleeping or eating very well since he woke."

Yahiko looked up at her. "Why?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. It's almost like he's going through another one of his depression stages."

Yahiko turned serious eyes back to Kenshin, watching as the man stirred beneath the blanket that Kaoru had no doubt placed over him, muttering in his sleep. Kenshin's right hand clenched and Yahiko almost instantly knew that he was grasping for his sword. Kenshin flung his head to the left, then his eyes snapped open and he was on his feet in an instant, eyes wide and speckled with amber.

Kaoru walked to him immediately and touched his shoulder. "Kenshin?" The man jumped slightly at her touch, then looked at her. "Are you alright?"

Kenshin shook his head and blinked, and the amber disappeared from his eyes, leaving a clear amethyst. "Hai Kaoru-dono, I'm fine." He blinked again. "Just….memories."

She nodded understanding and left it at that, though she wanted to talk about them with Kenshin, she would not force the rurouni into something he didn't want to consent to.

The rurouni sighed and stretched his arms, then noticed Yahiko for the first time. His eyes narrowed and he studied the boy, trying to remember who stood before him. Yahiko was silent, letting the man try to remember him. Kenshin's eyes suddenly lit up. "Yahiko."

Yahiko smiled and nodded. "Hai Kenshin."

Kenshin looked extremely proud of himself since he had remembered the boy's name without any help, and he smiled back at the younger boy. The smile helped to clear up some of the shadows around his features, and Kaoru noted with joy that his eyes seemed livelier.

Kaoru touched his shoulder again. "Are you hungry Kenshin? It's nearly time for dinner." Kenshin nodded to her and she looked at Yahiko. "Do you want to join us Yahiko?"
Yahiko nodded, deciding to slip back into his normal pattern of speech with the woman. Though the boy was older now and had nearly mastered the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu, he still loved to tease Kaoru. "Sure, whatever busu."

Her face reddened and she glared at him. A bokken appeared from almost no where and she grinned evilly and brandished it at him. Yahiko skipped away with a laugh, glad that his teacher was back in a fairly good mood, and also elated that his mentor had finally woken, even though he did not remember him well.

Kaoru moved through the dojo, again watching for Kenshin. The man had not made any sound this night, and she was slightly worried. She peeked in on him, and found him against the wall, the sakabatou propped comfortably against his shoulder. He was not asleep, but staring at the wall across from him in deep thought.

Kaoru knocked on the wood of the door lightly to get his attention, and true to his senses he immediately looked up. "Kaoru-dono, what are you still doing up?"

She moved into the room and sat beside him, folding her legs. "I was worried about you Kenshin. You've been so quiet lately."

He smiled gently at her. "I'm alright. I've just been remembering so many things since I woke up, and some of them are a bit overwhelming."

"Do you want to talk about any of them Kenshin?" Kaoru asked delicately.

Kenshin sighed and closed his eyes. "I always see faces, and blood falling like cherry petals. I am always wielding a katana, and people are afraid of me. They call me 'the Battousai.' But I'm not him anymore Kaoru. I stopped that long ago."

She smiled. He was remembering more than he let on. "I know that Kenshin." She suddenly hesitated. "When you first woke you said that you killed someone, a 'her.' Can I ask who?"
Kenshin started when she said this, and looked down, allowing his red bangs to fall forward and mask his expression. "Not now Kaoru-dono, onegai…."

She nodded and touched his hand lightly. "It's alright Kenshin, I don't mind. You talk when you're good and ready. I won't rush you."

Kenshin looked up at her again, eyes bright and shining. "Arigatou Kaoru-dono."

She nodded and stood, leaving the room. "Oyasumi Kenshin."

He nodded to her and she shut the door. As she walked away from his room she felt a sense of triumph. He had begun to open up, however small that may be. She smiled again. He was healing, slowly but surely.

Kenshin was healing, but some part of him was still dying. The rurouni didn't sleep that night, or the next one. The shadows on his face got deeper, bags appeared under his eyes and the normally bright amethyst began to fade. His skin got paler by the day, throwing his scar and the smudges beneath his eyes into sharp relief on his face. Kaoru was extremely worried about the rurouni and one day she finally confronted him about this sleeping problem of his.

"Kenshin, what's wrong?" she asked forcefully, kneeling beside the rurouni where he sat against the wall on the porch.

He looked up at her. "Nothing is wrong Kaoru-dono, I'm fine."

She narrowed her sapphire eyes. "Don't you lie to me Kenshin Himura. You look like a ghost; you most certainly are not fine. You haven't slept in days!"

Kenshin stood, as if to prove what he thought was correct. "I'm fine Kaoru-dono, I assure you. I'm only having some trouble with nightmares." He began to walk away from her, and she watched in horror as he swayed, and then fell to the side off the small step onto the dojo's porch, his head striking the hard dirt.

"KENSHIN!" she screamed, running to the fallen man and pulling him back onto the porch, cradling his head in her lap. He was still; face eerily peaceful in her eyes.

Yahiko heard her scream and came running, gasping when he saw Kenshin unconscious in her arms. "I'll go for Megumi!" he called instantly.

Kaoru nodded and stroked Kenshin's hair gently, a tear sliding down her cheek. 'Oh Kenshin, why do you have to be so stubborn!'

Translations:

Nani – What

Hai – Yes

Busu – Ugly, Yahiko's name for Kaoru

Onegai – Please

Oyasumi – 'Night