AN: Ok, guest speaker: Manek! So how's carso? I see he isn't with you today.

Manek: I know…he was feeling a little…blue…And i think i'll stay with green or red for now…poor little lobster…he didn't do anything to the world, why does the world do this to him?

Me: Well, i hope he feels better soon. So how did you like my story?

Manek: Are you kidding! The bloody parts were so necro fart!

Me: Yeah, but were there any questions that you had in mind?

Manek: is this chapter going to be bloody! Aw, i love the gruesome stuff. You should stick some zombies in this story, that would totally rule!

Me: Uhhhh, i don't think so, Manek.

Manek: Well…i guess that's orange juice…

Me: Oh! There was one review that i just got. Sorry, i won't put flipping ANs in the middle of a chapter anymore. Unless i forget. If i do, burn me. I give you the permission. How can you pass that up, right? except if it's something that's like explaining my madness, you know i do that cuz if i were reading it i would be confused…but i don't think i've done that in a while.

Manek: I think you should give us the rest of the story, like, now, so i can go get begingered…I'm so 'effing' depressed right now…

Me: What! Why!

Manek: Cuz you won't put any 'effing' zombies in!

Me: Oh, Manek…Non-necro! ok, here's the story…oh and, uh…disclaimer…duh…

(-hey, manek, who cut your hair?

-i did!

were you bejingered?

um, maybe, i don't remember…anyway, shush, i'm trying to read!)

part 8: Red Rain and White Plum

A year and a half passed since the fight with Kiyosato and the other guard. Kaoru and Kenshin had changed a lot. For instance, Kenshin actually talked to Kaoru a little. He didn't know what his feelings were for her, but they were strange. He didn't think it was love, but the desire to protect her, at least.

Kaoru had changed more though. The whole assassin role was really sinking in now. She got much stronger too, maybe because she watched Kenshin fight sometimes and wanted so much to be as powerful as him that she tried to be.

Her eyes were no longer as soft as when they first met either, but cold, piercing silver. Full of hate that was rising up in her from god knows where. Maybe it was the fact that Kenshin was too stupid to know that she loved him and he couldn't see this plain fact. Or perhaps it was that she thought doing this assassin thing would help her, but it just made her a murderer, cold-blooded and never thinking twice about her victims.

Kenshin stood back up straight and flicked his blade, ridding it of the newly spilt blood. Kaoru did the same. Fifteen bodies lay around them, bloody and mutated.

He then felt the familiar sensation of his wound opening. It didn't really bleed anymore but still, it was getting a bit old, he thought.

Kaoru looked over at him and smiled, "Well, that was a piece of cake. Shall we head home now? Iisuka should be here soon to clean this up…" She looked around, not seeing him pop out of the shadows as usual to clean the mess they had made.

She held out her hand but she still hadn't been able to ever get him to take it. Tonight was no different; he just walked past her, expecting her to follow him. She did.

They walked past a few quiet houses, hoping no one would see them in their bloody state so they didn't have to kill anyone else. It began to sprinkle and they were actually glad for it might help soothe them of the blood that was caked to their clothing.

Then they sensed a ki. A fighting ki. They knew it was an assassin. Kenshin got tense, ready to protect Kaoru from whoever attacked them. Suddenly a man shot out of the shadows as soon as he realized that Kenshin and Kaoru noticed him. He aimed to kill Kenshin but when Kenshin blocked him he jumped up onto the roof of the house that they had been walking by.

"Kaoru, stay down here," Kenshin ordered, "I'll take care of this scum…" He too jumped up onto the roof. Kaoru could no longer see what was going on for the roof was too high. But she could hear that all too familiar sound of metal on metal. She heard the assassin grunt in frustration and then Kenshin screamed in anger.

Kaoru was somehow able to hear the tearing of flesh and the spilling of blood. Probably because she was so used to hearing it by her own blade. Her heart skipped a beat as she stood there in front of the house and closed her eyes. Blood sprayed over the edge of the roof like red rain and hit her in the face. She nervously licked her lips, disgusting as it would be to anyone else, and tasted the blood that had covered her. She knew Kenshin's blood had not spilled.

He jumped off the roof and landed next to her. She opened her eyes and embraced him. What had she worried about? He was a god. How could she have thought that he had…? But she didn't care as she hugged him to make sure he was, for sure, alive and in her arms.

"Next time, fight on the ground where I can see you…" She told him.

"Heh…" He let her hold on to him, though he thought it was silly for her to have been so worried. But, really, she had just suddenly realized that she loved Kenshin with all of her heart. He was all she had in this dark life that she chose. He alone lighted her way and kept her slightly sane. If he died, she realized, she would die also. But still, he seemed unhappy all the time, and that was also killing her.

She released himand gave him some space. The body of thenow dead assassin was heard falling onto his face and then he rolled off the top of the building, landing between Kenshinad Kaoru.

The light drizzle started to turn to a pouring rain and she turned away from him, letting the rain splash her face and wash away the foul blood that lingered on her taste buds. She cupped her hands letting them fill with water and drank it to wash her mouth out.

Then, through the rain, they were hit in the face by a rush of a pleasing aroma. It was white plum perfume. She spun around trying to see where it came from and saw Kenshin staring uncertainly at woman. She was holding an umbrella staring also at the two of them. Blood had splattered on her umbrella as well and even a bit on her kimono. How did Kaoru not notice her before? She must have been there the whole time if the blood got on her. Then she noticed that the woman was actually walking forward. She must have been in the shadows before.

"Kenshin…" Kaoru said, hoping he wouldn't chicken out, "We have to kill her…"

Kenshin looked at Kaoru.

"She saw…You even got blood on her… Kenshin… Kenshin, you know the rules…Kensh—"

Then the woman began to speak and Kaoru stopped short, "You…you made it rain…blood…A bleeding rain…"

Kenshin gasped when she said this. No one had ever said anything like that to him before. He was surprised. Then he realized that he felt the blood trickling down his face, his cut had opened and started to bleed badly.

The woman noticed this, "Oh, you're hurt…I can…help you…" She started to stagger faster towards him but fell forward, unconscious. Kenshin ran to her and broke her fall by catching her.

"Kenshin!" Kaoru shouted at him, "She has to die! Do it now so she won't feel it! You won't feel as bad!"

"I can't do that," He said.

"Why not!" Kaoru screamed, "Anyone who witnesses an assassination must be eliminated! It's the rules! She has…to…die…!" Kaoru's eyes were watering, and thanks to the rain no one could notice the fresh tears that began flowed down her face.

This woman was stealing her Kenshin's heart, she could tell. All of her chances of gaining his love were over because this angel had to drop into his life. She was beautiful, she even offered to help…What more could you ask for when you first met someone?

Kenshin picked the woman up and carried her over and stood next to Kaoru, "We should take her back with us…"

Kaoru looked down at her feet in surrender and then started walking back as if this had never happened, just like they were before the assassin came…

"Kaoru? Kaoru!" He called after her. But she just sped up. So he went after her, not knowing what to say, so saying nothing.

The next morning. Kenshin rushed out of his room. Where did they put her? He had dreamed that he actually killed her last night while she was sound asleep on her plain little futon in one of many rooms.

But then he saw her, carrying a tray of tea, "Oh, good morning…You are the one that found me, are you not? The red haired man?"

"Ah--… y-yes, I…" He was a loss for words. She was still alive, they spared her.

"I'm sorry you had to…I'm sorry I burdened you last night…I was so drunk…I'm sorry…um…My name is Tomoe. They told me your name was…Kenshin…right?" She smiled at him and continued on her way with the tea.

"…drunk…" He said to himself. She must not have remembered what had happened at all…

Meanwhile, Kaoru lay on her futon, pretending to be asleep still as Kenshin walked back in. He obviously knew she was awake but didn't say anything. He knew she didn't feel right about the whole letting Tomoe live thing, so he pretended he went back to sleep as well…

Tomoe went outside to wash some laundry for the kind woman that let her stay. But as she sat down beside the wash tub a boy stepped out of the shadows.

"Tomoe-chan! I can't believe I finally found you!" He smiled, wide-eyed.

She looked up with a gasp.

AN: Ok, there you have it. My short sweet little chappie about…Tomoe…grrr…sorry, i just don't really like her…in fact…i hate her…

Manek: Yeah, she seems suspicious.

Me: Well, I guess we'll see you guys next time!

Manek: Salad! Oh, and RELEASE YOUR FREAK!