Yay you finally get KK action! Thank Ravyn – she was getting um… rather insistent that things between Kenshin and Kaoru start speeding up hehe.

Enjoy!

-Shiin

000

The next day dawned too early for Kaoru's liking.

Breakfast was a quick affair of bread baked the night before and lukewarm coffee. Even though everything was ready there was still much to be done – things had to be checked and re-checked and everything accounted for.

Kaoru got shooed out of the kitchens when she offered to help pack up the food and so she ended up being recruited to catch and saddle the horses.

Karuna ears perked up as Kaoru approached her, bridle slung over one arm and carrying the saddle in the other. Some of the mares excitement at being ridden dimmed after Kaoru tied her up next to the already saddle horses and she watched with what Kaoru thought was a bit of annoyance as Kaoru caught some more of the horses and saddled them up.

Packs were brought over and tied, saddle bags adjusted.

When Kaoru returned to the camp all of the tents had been dismantled despite the people milling around it looked as if there had never been a camp in the first place.

She didn't want to leave. She had grown used to the mountain. The way the air turned cold at night and mist covered the ground before the sun rose fully to burn it off… The multitude of stars that covered the sky…

She caught sight of Tomoe and hurried over to see if she needed anything.

Tomoe smiled when Kaoru approached.

"How are you?"

"I'm… ok I guess," Kaoru admitted.

"Aa," Tomoe nodded. "Kenshin is with Enishi. He sent the falcon out and found a quicker route to Kasshin from the mountain."

"Oh," Kaoru murmured. She would have loved if it would have taken a long, long time to get to Kasshin. "How long?"

"Three days."

Only three days and then she would be back where she had hoped never to return to.

"Is everything packed up?" Kaoru asked. "There's still plenty of room in my saddlebags if you want to bring anything."

Tomoe shook her head, "I'm fine thank you."

Kaoru nodded. "Ok then."

She turned away and tried to find something else to do to keep her busy.

And nearly ran right into Kenshin.

Kaoru flailed as she lost her balance and blinked when he grabbed her arm, helping steady her.

"Thanks," she said gratefully.

"We'll be leaving shortly," Kenshin informed her. "Is everything ready?"

"Yes," Kaoru nodded. "I'm ready to go." Well not really – another year would be very nice but I'm as a ready as I'm ever going to be.

Kenshin inclined his head. "You might want to ride Karuna a little bit before we leave. She's acting frisky."

"She's just impatient to get going," Kaoru told him. Unlike me….

"Aa," Kenshin murmured.

"Any chance you can't just drop me off somewhere and go to Kasshin without me?" Kaoru asked hopefully. "I can stay on the mountain… watch it… take care of it… something like that…"

"No," Kenshin almost looked apologetic. "You're needed."

It was on the tip of Kaoru's tongue to tell him that she was sick of being something of convenience. Ignore me when you don't want to have anything to do with me and then suddenly remember I'm there and I supposedly have some sort of destiny to fulfill that's tied with you. Nice way to treat a girl.

"The blue gi looks nice on you."

Kaoru blinked wondering if she'd actually heard right.

Before she could respond he was gone.

She blinked several more times after his retreating figure. 'Okay I've been wearing this particular gi the past couple of days since my clothes that were buried in the snow are frozen solid and he actually notices it and then he pays me a compliment about it!'

She didn't know whether to cheer or hit him.

"…Right… ride Karuna… don't want to get bucked off halfway down the mountain…" Shaking her head she went to the picket line where the horses were tied.

Kaoru found the palomino mare standing next to Fiachra, Kenshin's big bay stallion and looking quite cozy.

'Spring… it's soon going to be spring right?' Kaoru asked herself. 'Maybe that's why Kenshin's acting… not like he usually does…'

The look Karuna gave her when she attempted to untie her and pull away from Fiachra had Kaoru shaking her head and putting her back next to the stallion. 'I'd rather not be riding a pissy mare.' Karuna was usually very sweet but Kaoru knew – and had seen – that several of the mares could be temperamental. She was just glad Karuna wasn't a chestnut.

Giving the mare a kiss on the muzzle she let them be.

It was about half an hour later that the call to mount and be moving went through the camp.

This time Karuna let herself be pulled away with no fuss. She knew that they were going to get moving and soon.

"Maybe I should have ridden you," Kaoru muttered as Karuna gave a little buck and pranced, head arched, head up and ears hard forward.

Suddenly she nickered and jumped forward and Kaoru found them riding next to Fiachra with Kenshin astride him.

"Stop acting silly," Kaoru admonished Karuna who couldn't seem to care less.

Out of the corner of her eye Kaoru caught sight of Sano's Sekihoutai with Megumi among them.

"Megumi decided it was better that she stay with Sano," Kenshin said.

"Keep him from killing himself?" Kaoru asked.

"Something like that." He replied.

Megumi looked happier and less annoyed with him anyway.

Sano waved at Kenshin and then he and the Sekihoutai reined their horses and took off in the opposite direction that their group was heading.

Ahead, Kaoru noticed Misao riding alongside Aoshi. Yahiko was centered among a group of kids his age that he had made friends with.

Which left her stuck with Kenshin.

"It's a nice day," oh please someone shoot her. You know there wasn't anything to talk about when you brought up the weather!

"Mmm," Kenshin murmured.

Kaoru twitched slightly. What to talk about?

"Let's play twenty questions."

Kenshin blinked, "what?"

"Twenty questions." Kaoru said sweetly. "I ask you a question. You ask me a question and so on and so forth." Last resort, ditch effort gah!

"Okay," his reply came readily enough and Kaoru felt a bit better.

"Let's start at the basics. What's your favorite color?"

"Blue."

Kaoru rolled her eyes, "what color blue – blue is a lot of colors."

"Indigo," he muttered.

Kaoru eyed him. "Violet."

Kenshin blinked.

"You're turn now – ask me a question."

"Favorite food?"

Let's stare at the bare bones basics shall we?

"Chocolate," Kaoru replied. "Yours?"

"Apple pie," Kenshin answered.

"Huh," Kaoru murmured. "Would have figured you to be a steak and potatoes guy… you have a sweet tooth."

Kenshin snorted. "Your turn."

They went back and forth for a while asking various questions. Kaoru did her best to stay away from ones that could be considered too personal or about his childhood ( she did ask him about pets and the fact that he had named his first warhorse – given to him at age 8 – a red roan gelding Lighting had her laughing – Kaoru hadn't really had a pet but had adopted one of the castle mousers a fat old calico and called her Precious) – partly because he would have shut up at that point and partly due to the fact she was reluctant to talk about her own.

The day passed quickly.

Almost too quickly.

It seemed the closer she got to Kasshin the faster the time flew.

Kaoru's legs ached as she dismounted and even Karuna looked tired. The mare wasn't unfit really, but after doing nothing but lazing around in the pasture for the past couple of weeks a hard day's ride she was tired.

Kaoru untacked her and gave her a thorough grooming which ended up with the palomino dozing and sighing in pleasure. Kaoru then turned her out in the makeshift corral and threw her flakes of hay. A water trough was being filled off in the corner.

Karuna taken care of, Kaoru went in search of her own dinner.

She found Misao and Yahiko seated around the fire eating bowls of stew. Kaoru's stomach woke up at once and complained that it was empty and she sat down beside them, sparing a brief second to thank one of the servers as she was handed a bowl before attacking it.

It had been cooked several days before and they had just reheated it. Even so the meat was still tender and the vegetables while soft were still flavorful. The bread she was given was hard but nothing a minute or two's soak in the broth didn't fix. It beat trail mix and jerky any day of the week.

"Where's Kenshin?" Misao asked as Kaoru finally slowed her eating.

"Probably doing a quick run through of the camp," Kaoru eyed the stew pot as she finished her own meal. "I better grab something for him or else when he finally does remember to eat it'll be gone."

Kaoru filled a bowl up and snatched a hunk of bread and went in search of him.

She found him after several minutes of searching at the back of the camp helping set up one of the tents.

The quick thought that bringing him food was a very wifely thing to do fluttered through her mind and she quashed it. True they were married… or whatever it was that you wanted to call it… but they didn't have a husband-wife relationship.

She didn't even know what kind of relationship they had.

But even she could see he was trying.

So she could at least try as well.

"Dinner?" She held the stew and bread toward him. "Don't worry I didn't cook it."

Kenshin nodded and they found a nearby rock to sit down.

"How much longer until we reach Kasshin?" Kaoru asked as he ate.

"We should arrive around midday tomorrow," Kenshin answered.

"I thought it'd take three days!" Kaoru's eyes widened.

"We're making better time than we thought we were." Kenshin's eyes narrowed slightly. "Than we should be making."

Kaoru felt her stomach clench.

Something was pulling them toward Kasshin.

Altering… twisting… changing…

The urge to suddenly turn around and flee in the direction of Tomoe and Enishi's mountain filled her.

"So tomorrow," Kaoru murmured softly.

"Yes," Kenshin's eyes flickered toward her and she bit her lip.

"Done?" Kaoru took the now empty bowl of stew from Kenshin and fled.

The next day dawned too early for Kaoru's liking.

Everything indeed felt as it had sped up. Become rushed.

To what end she didn't know.

She didn't like it.

Karuna was tense underneath her and Kaoru stroked her neck trying to calm herself as well as reassure the mare.

The scenery around them changed as they left Hiten and crossed the boarder into Kasshin. The red dirt of the earth turned wetter and blacker. The trees changed – the colors of their leaves were bright. Soon they would fall and snow would cover everything.

It was fall Kaoru realized, late fall – almost winter. She had arrived in Hiten in mid-spring.

The castle… her family were only a few hours away.

Karuna nickered softly and Kaoru tensed as she heard hoof beats and then Kenshin on Fiachra pulled up beside her.

She bit her lip and refused to look at him.

Everyone else was looking at her and she groaned silently.

'If anyone talks to me or touches or says anything to me I'm going to scream or hit something or both.'

"Kaoru?"

Kaoru screwed her eyes shut. "Don't… just leave me…"

"What's wrong?" Kenshin asked.

"Nothing." Everything. "I don't want to talk about it."

Kaoru hadn't realized her hands were tightening on the reins until Karuna began shaking her head in protest. Sighing she loosened her grip and the mare yanked her head down, mouthing at the bit.

Kenshin's mouth opened but at that moment a shout cut through the air up ahead.

"Riders," he muttered and pulled Fiachra away and kicked him into a canter to go to the head of the line.

Kaoru sighed as Karuna decided to follow Fiachra.

Everyone had come to a stop. Facing them was a semi-circle of five riders. After so long being in Hiten where the clothes though very nice were functional, the gaudy colors of the Kasshin made Kaoru's eyes hurt. The uniform was purple velvet (in this heat?) with a magenta sash, gold buttons tied a double-breasted coat together and the breeches were snow white, the boots polished to a high gleam. The swords at their sides were ornamental and looked flimsy.

Kaoru looked down at her own slightly-travel stained tunic and breeches and sighed. She felt very much so like the country bumpkin coming to the city to meet her relatives.

Still the others were staring at the Kasshin riders with a mixture of disbelief and hilarity on their faces. Clothes like that were not meant for riding and they looked indeed as if they had never been ridden in. The swords probably couldn't cut a stick of butter in half and Kaoru had a feeling that if her own group wasn't so well armed it would have been an insult.

Had they been attacked and not able to defend themselves – leaving it to the Kasshin riders – they would have been slaughtered.

Insult indeed.

"We are here to escort you to the castle." The one with the most gold and… tassels said.

It took Kaoru a moment to realize they were speaking in the Kasshin language and not Hiten, which she had become so accustomed to, that she hadn't even realized she had been speaking.

Even her thoughts seemed to have had switched languages.

To her ears now the vowels seemed clipped and hard and lacked the fluid musicality of the Hiten tongue.

Kaoru wanted so to be back in Hiten – in the gardens of the Castle or the breve-saol's mountain.

Remembering them she turned and found Enishi and Tomoe behind her. Enishi's eyes were glittering and Tomoe's eyes flashed darkly.

They looked ready and willing to give her relatives hell, anticipating the moment that they would meet them, and Kaoru wanted to hug them for it.

"So little one," Tomoe urged her mare alongside Kaoru. "How are you feeling now?"

"Better," Kaoru attempted a smile. "Can you do something… make them run into a tree branch for instance?"

"No," Tomoe's lips twitched. "But if anyone is afraid of mice I may able to work with that."

The image of one of her particularly nasty relatives (who also happened to be deathly afraid of mice) atop a chair and screaming as mice swarmed around it nearly made Kaoru grin and she felt better.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," she flashed Tomoe a grateful smile and clucked at Karuna to trot faster until they came alongside Kenshin.

The escort riders didn't seem to recognize her and Kaoru felt some of the tenseness fade.

Still it felt far too soon when they arrived at Sheval, the Capital city of Kasshin.

The streets were crowded with people. They gawked openly and the sudden narrowing of the streets forced them to pack tightly against one another and didn't allow Kaoru to vanish into the center. She was trapped at Kenshin's side as they found themselves paraded through the street.

Karuna's ears were flat against her head and she was tossing her head, wanting to kick and disliking being so packed together.

They rounded a corner and Kaoru felt her stomach drop to her toes.

The entire family had turned out to see them.

She must have made some sort of sound because Kenshin head snapped toward her, eyes narrowing into slits as he looked at her.

"Kaoru?" He murmured his voice low.

Kaoru's face had turned white and her eyes looked far too big in her face. Ever so slightly he could see her shaking. Karuna head-tossing turned violent as her hands on the reins turned white knuckled.

"Kaoru!" He snapped.

She jerked blinking furiously. Her hands loosened on the reins and she murmured a soft apology to Karuna.

She jerked again as one of the women in the group, the eldest – her hair snow white though still thick and coiled elaborately around her head and threaded with jewels. Her gown was a dark cobalt blue with silver and gold stitching. Eyes the color of her dress narrowed and her mouth pulled into a frown as she took in Kaoru.

"So…" Contempt dripped from that one word. "You've come back to us have you?"

Kenshin felt a snarl build in his throat as Kaoru seemed to shrink into herself.

"Y-yes," the Kasshin word was uttered so softly he barely heard it but it was the expression on her face that worried him the most.

Fear.

Stark blatant fear.

He felt fury build inside of him at the smirk on the old bitch's mouth.

What had they done to Kaoru to make her react this way?

"We will be waiting for you once you are cleaned up." She gave Kenshin a civil nod and then turned away.

Beside him Kaoru let out a low shuddering breath, the color starting to return to her face. She dismounted from Karuna and leaned against her, burying her face in the mare's neck and refusing to look at any of them.

"Kaoru?" Kenshin tried again.

She flinched. "Don't…" her voice sounded broken. "Just don't."

Still not looking at any of them she wrapped her hand around Karuna's reins and started to lead her away. "I know where the stables are. I will see you in a bit."

Once they were out of sight Kaoru allowed herself to cry. The tears were hot and burning as they slipped from the corners of her eyes and down her face.

She thought it would be different…

But no… it was the same…

She was still the half-blood bastard child in a family that loved to inflict pain.

000

"What are you waiting for!" Misao's voice cut through his thoughts.

Kenshin jerked his gaze to her. The smaller girl was rigid her green eyes blazing.

"Get off your blasted horse and go after her." Misao snarled. "…Kaoru can't be alone…" her voice lowered. "…they – they delight in doing things to her…" The fire in her eyes dimmed and shuttered.

Kenshin nodded curtly. "Stables?"

"That way," Misao pointed.

"You will tell me everything." Kenshin said in a voice that booked no argument.

Misao shook her head slowly. "I… can't. Kaoru should be the one to tell you…" She bit her lip. "I'm sorry."

Kenshin dismounted and tossed the reins to Aoshi, and then he took off in the direction Misao had pointed out.

The stables took longer than they should have to find.

How many gardens and courtyards did the damn castle have to have?

Kenshin fought the urge to start knocking down walls.

Finally he found them.

He had to give the Kasshin credit. Even though they're horses were mainly used for show and parades and not war they were well taken care of. He estimated the stalls were at least twenty by thirty and each lead out into a private five acre paddock.

He rounded a corner just as a scream tore through the air.

When a snarl of fury he recognized Kaoru's voice.

000

Kaoru knew the stables well. They had been one of the few places she had been able to escape to when she needed to hide or just have a moment to herself. She had never been taught to ride until she had been sent to Hiten, but there had been an old broodmare who'd had at least eighteen foals and who had spent the rest of her life in happy retirement. Kaoru had loved to curl up in one of the corners with the mare standing over her and snuffling at her hair and occasionally lipping at it.

Kaoru had felt content, soothed, protected.

So when she fled with Karuna it was only natural she headed toward the stables.

She quickly untacked the mare and put her in one of the stalls, opening the back gate that led into the private paddock. Karuna had immediately found a far corner of the paddock and rolled.

The mare taken care of, Kaoru had slipped out of the stall.

The next thing she knew she was flung against one of the stall walls, her head connecting painfully with the solid wood.

"Isao," Kaoru yelped as her vision cleared and one of her own personal nightmares was standing over her, a decidedly ugly expression on his face.

Kaoru had learned how to fight, to defend herself while living in Hiten.

Why was it now that when she needed the skills the most she couldn't remember any of them?

She shrieked softly as he grabbed strands of her hair and hauled her to her feet.

"I've missed you darling."

"I haven't missed you." Kaoru regretted the words as soon as she said them. His fist connected solidly with her cheek.

"Have you been having a good time with that bastard?" Isao's voice dropped to a hissing whisper. "What is so special about you that he would threaten war?"

Kaoru wanted to point out that Kenshin hadn't known it would be her that they would be sending – or more precisely they hadn't known that she was the one that was wanted. She had been the most convenient one for them to send.

"What is so special about you?" Isao repeated again. "You're a worthless half-blood."

"D-don't know," Kaoru stuttered feeling twelve years old again. Everything had started when she had turned twelve. They… they had started watching her, looking at her with eyes that made her feel dirty… Eyes that promised things she didn't want to know about…

"Stop!" She shrieked as she felt his hand touch her knee and slid upward.

"Why?" Isao laughed darkly. "I want to know exactly what's so special about you. Does he make you scream?"

Kaoru's stomach twisted at his words. She could feel something writhing at the back of her mind, turning dark and angry. She knew that feeling. She knew what had happened before…

"Stop!" She tried again. It was warping inside of her, turning vicious and angry wanting to hurt who was hurting her. Goosebumps broke out over her flesh and she turned cold. "Please stop…" she begged.

Isao laughed again and yanked on her hair, pressing his mouth to hers.

At the touch of his lips against hers something inside of her snapped. The thing that had been clamoring to attack him for hurting her broke free.

Someone was screaming.

Isao.

Her.

Brilliantly colored lights burst in front of her eyes and there was a ringing in her ears. A harsh wind whipped around her and the strands of her hair blinded her for a moment. There was a ripping and tearing sound as whatever it was that her body was containing, broke free. Her clothing hung in tatters around her.

Kaoru's body itself felt like ice was spreading from the center of her chest to the very tips of her fingers and toes. Tears were falling down her face a hot contrast to the ice that covered her. Her body sparked in pain in then turned numb. Blissfully numb.

Her screams continued to rise in pitch until it was all that she could hear.

The power she had unleashed lashed around her but didn't attack anything.

For that she was grateful.

000

Kenshin raced around the corner and then skidded to a stop, nearly running into a wall of wild seething magic. The air faintly smelled metallic and as it washed over him he heard a faint sizzle and pop of magic.

He ignored it – eyes locked in the physical tornado of power that spun in the center of the aisle. Colors raced along its edges in a seething flicker of rainbows, gold, and silver, purple, red. Blue dominant above all.

Tossed against a wall in the manner one would fling a rag doll was a burnt out husk of what could have once been considered human.

In the center – the eye of storm – stood a screaming Kaoru.