Familar Voice
It was along walk but she had little money to spare. Not nearly enough to get her to Kyoto by boat. So walking was the only answer. Kaoru had but one small bag strapped to her back and her bokken tied to her side. She figured it would take two weeks to get there. That left her with a whole lot of time to think about her situation. And she really didn't want to think about it. Her only hope was that Megumi would be able to help her. She changed and threw her hair up in a bun under a straw hat in hopes to avoid being recognized as a woman. The last thing she needed was for some baka to try and rob her or worse. She trusted her skills enough to believe that she could ward off any unwanted attention but it was still better to try and avoid trouble. She was still healing from her last visit from the enemy. Her greatest fear was that they would know about her relationship with Megumi or even Misoa but then they had showed up the year after Megumi had left and she had had little contact with either of her friends.
It was dark when she arrived at a small town three days out from Kyoto. It was a small farming town with only one tavern. She had run out of food the day before and was now famished. She had hoped to be able to avoid stopping but her hunger won the argument and so with great care she headed to the small tavern. It had not snowed in a couple of days but the snow still clung to the ground. The streets were empty and the air was filled with a deafening quietness. She slowly made her way to the soft glow coming from the only lit building. The tavern was nestled in between a small police station and a run down home. It took little force to push open the door. She was greeted with the warmth of a fire that was burning in the far corner. She quickly scanned the inside of the small building there was a few patrons scattered around the facility and a table of a few men bent over a document talking quietly and secretly.
"Good evening stranger what can I help you with," a gruff voice startled her out of her contemplation of the situation.
"Um… something to eat and a room if you have one available." She softly replied. The man was slightly startled upon hearing her definite female voice but nodded his head no less and left to go get her food. She found an empty table away from the other patrons in a quiet dark corner. It was away from the fire but the cold didn't have much of an affect on her. As she waited for the man to return with her food she took in the taverns appearance. It was old, small but clean. It wasn't until after the man had returned with her food and she had already eaten the small bowl of rice and soup that the door was once again opened. A cold wind swept the place blowing the soft snow with-in the warm haven causing a few grumbles from the others. She looked up to see the back of an oddly familiar young man talking to the same man who had gotten her food. She could not hear their conversation nor place the man for his body was wrapped in a think scarf. She felt ill at ease. They couldn't have possibly picked up her trail yet. She had been so careful to hide it. As if sensing her gaze the man turned to look at her curiously only to have his eyes widen upon seeing her face. She still had no idea who he was for his face was still concealed within the scarf. She began to panic as he quickly mad his way towards her.
"Kaoru is that you?" The mans muffled voice called to her. Sensing her unease he cursed his stupidity and quickly pulled his scarf away revealing his face. "It is you isn't it? I was on my way back to the dojo to check on you."
Kaoru's eyes widened with happiness and shook. Before her stood Yahiko whom she hadn't seen in over a year. She felt excitement at finally seeing him again but also unease for she wasn't sure if she wanted him to see her in her current state. She smiled weakly pulling off her hat so that he could see that it was really her. "I didn't expect to see you here." Or ever again she thought to herself.
He sat his lanky body at the table and looked her up and down with concern on his face. She felt like he could see her many wounds even through her clothed form. How she wished she had not taken her hat off because there was no way to hide the hidouse scare that ran from her temple to the corner of her eye. A wound she had obtained from the red-hot sword from their last visit. She had not thought much on it but now she felt subconscious under Yahiko's intense gaze. He reached out a hand tenderly to touch her face but she flinched away moving the scar from his view.
"My god Kaoru what have they done to you?" Yahiko breathed out in bewilderment. Bewilderment that quickly turned to shame, "I shouldn't have left you, I should have stayed."
It hurt her to see him so upset. She was filled with the undeniable urge to protect her brother figure. She was honestly happy he had left so that he didn't have to continue to watch her be degraded. If he had stayed they would have killed him, that was something she wouldn't have been able to stand, "No Yahiko, I am glad you left, there was nothing you could have done, and it wasn't as bad as you think." No it wasn't as bad, it was worse but she never wanted him to know that. It was her burden to bear.
"What are you doing here? Why aren't you at the dojo?" Yahiko's face was full of childish curiosity. It brought a smile to her face something that felt foreign. Before she could answer the man brought Yahiko his meal, the same she had just eaten. He paused to look at them curiously before returning back to his chores. She said nothing as he ate happy to just sit and enjoy his company. It was nice to see him but it also brought back lots of memories of old times, happier times, times she tried hard to forget. They sat long into the night talking, catching up. She could tell that Yahiko could sense her reluctance to speak about what had happened so he dropped the subject to talk about other things. He had just come from Kyoto to ask Misao's help locating Kenshin. He had arrived in a town ten months ago who had seen him just two days before his arrival but he was never able to find him. Two more times their paths almost crossed but both times he was too late. He stopped to talk with Misoa and Aoshi and then had planned to return to help her. They were the last ones awake so the silently went up to their rooms with plans to leave together the next morning.
It was before dawn when Kaoru awoke. Hours before Yahiko would awaken she felt guilty as she trudged out onto the road to Kyoto alone. She had told Yahiko that she was going to the mountains to hide, she hoped he could find it in his heart to forgive her. She spent the next three days on the road not stopping in any towns. She stayed to herself not wanting to run into anymore-familiar faces. It was midday on the third day that Kaoru wondered into Kyoto. She stopped at a local Inn near where Megumi was located. She didn't want her to see her in her travel warn garb. After a quick bath and changing into a deep red Kimono wrapping a red shawl around her head to conceal her scare she headed out to see Megumi.
The streets where full of people out running errands laughing and talking with their neighbors. Young children playing tag darted in-between the feet of the adults. Such happy people with normal happy lives. It hurt her to watch their interactions. She could never feel that at ease again. She wondered not for the first time if this is how Kenshin felt. An Outcast, someone who was intruding on the world, tainting it. She arrived at the designated address quicker than she was prepared for. She stood and stared unseeingly at the front of the small clinic. She didn't know what she was going to say to her. She hadn't thought about it tell then.
"May I help you?" A very familiar feminine voice asked from behind her. Her heart caught in her throat, she wasn't ready yet.
Turning around she tried to plaster her old smiling face on but it felt strained and fake. Now wasn't the time for Megumi to learn the truth. "Megumi.." No friendly greeting, no teasing just a name but that was all she could get past the lump of dread that had formed within her throat.
A/N I know I know this chapter is really short that and not the well writen it seems very choppy to me but I have mid terms and projects and stress...hehehe... dont we all! Anyways I wanted to put out something so hear it is I originally planned for a much longer chapter but I haven't had the time to work on it hopefully after Thanksgiving I can put out a longer chapter. Thanks all for your reviews it keeps me motivated.