Chapter Five

Shishio was going to make that bitch wish she could die.

Ten years he'd waited. Ten years since he'd found out how she had betrayed him, depriving him of what he wanted most.

But she would pay.

Standing by Shinta's grave ten years ago, Shishio had listened to her, believing the lies she told him and he'd agreed to go along with her little plan.

They would adhere to the original timeline--to a point. She would fill Battousai's role. Shishio would step in, just as he had before, but that was when they would change things. From then on, he would control the revolution, just as he should have before, and when Himura appeared (How could he not? Battousai would be compelled to deal with a gaijin so fragrantly defying the rules, just as he had before.)--Shishio would defeat him; then, Shishio would control the Meiji era in the mortal world, and wear the gaijin title of Battousai. He would be the ultimate power.

However, when Shishio had slaughtered the men planning his assassination, Aoshi had shown up in Kyoto unexpectedly, searching for him, forcing Shishio to hide outside the city to avoid capture.

Without actually having lived in this timeline, Aoshi had few connections with the Oniwaban group, being forced instead to do his tracking through his gaijin powers alone. While those powers were nothing to scoff at, Aoshi was definitely taking longer than he would have previously. The former ninja had obviously been growing frustrated, leading Shishio to prematurely crow over his escape. Then that stupid farmer had stumbled over Shishio hiding in his barn. Again, within a day of killing, a man bearing Aoshi's description had been seen in the local town asking questions. Shishio had to abandon Kyoto altogether.

That's when Shishio realized what Kaoru had done. Somehow, in rewriting the timeline, she had put a bind on him without his knowledge. When he killed, he could be tracked. Unless he wanted to be caught by Battousai, he couldn't kill. If he couldn't kill, he couldn't amass the power he needed to defeat Kenshin. If he couldn't defeat Kenshin—then all this was for nothing.

The rage he felt was almost overwhelming. It burned in his skin hotter and more all consuming than when he'd been burned literally. Only one thought allowed him a measure of peace. Little Kaoru hadn't covered all her bases. He knew her weak spot, and there was still a chance he could take from her what he couldn't take from the masses of mortals. So he waited, hiding in the shadows, until she arrived in Tokyo.

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'Hey! Tae! How's it going?'

Tae smiled at Sano but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She was clearly wracking her brain for a reason this complete stranger had greeted her like an old friend. Had she met him before and didn't remember? Misao elbowed him in the ribs. 'Moron! She doesn't know who you are! Stop drawing attention to yourself!' She whispered furiously. Ignoring her, Sano strode up to Tae and bestowed a winning smile on her. 'My name is Sano and I had the pleasure of eating at your sister's fine establishment in Kyoto! She said you had the best beef-pot in Tokyo!' Tae's face cleared instantly. 'Why yes we do! Two is it? Right this way!' Sano smirked over his shoulder at a glowering Misao as he strolled after the restaurateur. Tae got them settled at a table and quickly ran off for the order of sake Sano requested.

'Let's see how friendly she stays when she finds out how you never pay your bill.'

'She never cut me off before, and besides, this is your treat, right?'

Tae returned before Misao could respond and Sano noted with glee the steam that practically poured from her ears.

'Here you are! Your meal will be out any minute; is there anything else I can get for you?'

'Actually, we were hoping you might have seen a friend of ours. We heard she might be in this area and she simply loves beef-pot, so she might have been in here. She's about so high, pretty with black hair and blue eyes—goes by Kaoru? She might have been wearing a sword.'

Tae's eyes widened. 'Sorry. Since the ban, I haven't seen anyone wearing a sword. I can keep an eye out for her though if you like.' Sano presented her with his charming face. 'I'd appreciate it, darlin, thanks!' Tae blushed slightly and bowed before hurrying off to see another customer.

'I doubt Kaoru would just stroll into the Akabeko, of all places, for a bite to eat. She knows we're looking for her.' Misao said in annoyance.

'It doesn't hurt to ask. What's your problem today? You've been cranky all morning.'

'My problem? My problem?' She hissed. 'My problem is that we're trapped in the mortal world because a big, black nothing has consumed ours! My problem is that we don't know what Kaoru hopes to accomplish with this insane spell or what to do, even if we do find her! My problem is that Kenshin is slowly being destroyed trying to maintain all the excess power by himself. My problem is that Aoshi is too exhausted from jumping all over this crazy timeline to face Shishio if he turns up again!' Misao was breathing heavily, face flushed. Sano had frozen in astonishment, sake cup halfway to his lips. He slowly set the cup back on the table and leaned in with a serious look on his face.

'So. What exactly is going on between you and Aoshi, anyway?'

Misao was about to break the table with Sano's face when they heard Tae's distinctive voice break though a lull in the din of the restaurant.

'Why Yahiko-chan, back again?'

Sano and Misao froze. Misao was sitting on the side facing the door. Sano nodded at her. Holding her breath, she eased her body over until she could see around the booth wall to the entrance. There, standing in plain view, was Yahiko Myoujin. Misao settled back into place, aware Sano had been watching her expression with intensity. Her eyes met his. She let the air out of her lungs evenly and said, 'It's really him.'

After Shishio had escaped the second time, Kenshin had decided they would conserve energy by picking a time and place Kaoru was likely to show up and wait. The gaijin world had grown too unstable by that time anyway, so they had settled down in Tokyo around the date when Kenshin had first started living with Kaoru. They had guessed correctly apparently, because when Kenshin had gone over to see if Yahiko was in the same predicament in this timeline, he discovered through various injured Yakuza members that some insane hitokiri woman had shown up two days ago and kidnapped the boy. After a frenzy of searching, it appeared Kaoru had taken Yahiko and slipped through their fingers again. Except, here was Yahiko, right in front of them placing a to-go order with Tae, that was much too big for one boy; even one with Yahiko's appetite.

'What should we do?' Sano whispered.

'I'll follow Yahiko. You go get Kenshin.'

Sano nodded and stood casually, walked the opposite direction from the entrance and slipped out the back of the building. Misao was so focused on Yahiko, that it took her a moment to realize Sano hadn't left any money for his sake.

He'd stiffed her for the bill after all.

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Someone was following him.

It had been hard to tell in town, with so many people shopping and going about their business, but now that he was outside the bustle, there was a twitching between his shoulder blades. He had gotten the same feeling when the police were doing undercover work while he'd been with the Yakuza, trying unsuccessfully to catch him in the act of pick-pocketing. The fact that Yahiko had only just sensed this person meant that they were quite skilled. This was no bumbling cop.

Yahiko had only known Kaoru for a little while, but he knew she was uneasy being in the same place for more than a day. From the way she avoided people and going into town, he could only guess she was hiding from someone or something. Yahiko held no illusions that the person trailing behind was after him; he or she was after Kaoru. So he slowed his pace and turned down a different road than which he came, wondering if he could lose this person long enough to get back to Kaoru and warn her. He was so intent on the person following, he didn't notice the person in front of him until the man snatched him right off his feet by the front of him kimono. The bundle of food splattered to the ground.

'Hey! What's the big idea? Let me go!' Yahiko's hands went to the man's wrist, attempting to pry free, but the stranger's grip was iron. The only reply to the demand was a violent cuff to the ear that left Yahiko dazed. A trickle of blood ran down his cheek.

'Shishio! Let him go! Now!'

Yahiko blinked in surprise at the new voice. Trying to force his vision into focus, he looked over his shoulder at the newcomer. A young woman was standing there, wearing what appeared to be ninja garb, long black braid swinging behind her. She was looking at the man holding Yahiko with a mixture of anger and hatred. He belatedly noticed she held several kunai laced between her fingers. Was she the one who had been following him?

'Misao! How delightful to see you. I'm so glad you're here. You can deliver Kaoru-chan a message for me. If she wants her little boy back in one piece, she'll meet me at sunset. She knows where.' Yahiko flinched at the tone in the man called Shishio's voice. His eyes were hard, cold and slightly mad it seemed to Yahiko. He, like Kaoru, wore a sword at his waist.

'I don't know where she is, you bastard!'

'Your ineptness is astounding. She's down by the river, right now, waiting for her precious charge to return.'

In disbelief, Misao looked for a second in the direction of the river. Could it be true? Had Kaoru been that close to them all this time? When she turned back, Shishio was gone. All that remained was the discarded food in the road. She screamed in frustration. What should she do? Run back to Kenshin? Would he know where Shishio had taken Yahiko? Would he even go after Shishio? Or would he head straight for Kaoru? Even with the gaijin world at risk, Misao couldn't get the image of the blood on Yahiko's face out of her mind. There wasn't much time until sunset. Cursing, Misao ran for the river.

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Kaoru lay limp against the drill house wall in her dojo. She was still exhausted from Saitoh's attempt to force Battousai out of Kenshin. Kaoru had used every last shred of her power keeping the immortal bound. It almost hadn't been enough. If Okubo hadn't shown up and brought the men to their senses, Kaoru wasn't sure what would have happened. She'd been so relieved at first, that Battousai hadn't escaped—then they'd been told what Shishio was doing. It had been so long since she'd revived Shishio, Kaoru had assumed he had never recovered enough, even with her power, to find the Battousai, let alone do anything about him. She'd practically put him from her mind.

And then Kenshin had unexpectedly shown up in Tokyo, confessing that he'd made a vow to never kill again. Of all the things she would have imagined him doing with those missing years, not killing hadn't even been on the list. Was that why no one had been able to find him, because he hadn't been killing? The rurouni personality was so unexpected, Kaoru didn't know how to react. Although she'd thought he'd regained his gaijin memory during the revolution, he didn't seem to recall her, or their past relationship—so Kaoru had reluctantly let him into her home and life, determined to find out what was going on with her spell.

She was amazed, and reluctantly charmed at the way he cared for Dr. Genzai's granddaughters. Then he had saved Yahiko and brought him in to live at her dojo. He'd allowed Sano to fight him for the sole purpose of banishing the demons riding the man called Zanza. Kaoru never would have attributed this personality to the Battousai. Was this the result of her spell? Had Shinta somehow been superimposed over Kenshin, creating this unassuming and gentle rurouni? If so, was it possible he would keep aspects of this personality when he returned to the gaijin world? For the first time in years, Kaoru relaxed slightly.

Jineh broke that calm. When the murderer took her, and fought Kenshin, she realized how close to the surface Battousai really was. In the brief moment Kenshin had looked at her with that narrow, golden gaze she'd seen such fire there that it had paralyzed her more effectively than Jineh's meager power ever could. It may have only been for a second, but he'd recognized her and in terror, she had responded with such an outpouring of her power that she'd not only broke Jineh's hold on her, but also suppressed the gaijin so forcefully that his eyes instantly returned to violet. She'd nearly passed out. Nothing had been so welcome as the familiar rurouni dialect, asking if she was okay, and thanking her for repressing the Battousai.

Remembering now, Kaoru felt the tears well up once more. When Kenshin had pulled her against him to say goodbye, she'd been shocked. He'd never shown interest in her that way as the rurouni; the lack of attention had been one of the reasons she'd allowed him to stay with her in this life. At that point, it wasn't his abrupt and obvious display of affection that unnerved her, but her response to that nearness. Kaoru had always been inexplicably drawn to Kenshin, and she'd been fighting it ever since he'd arrived in Tokyo. As Battousai, the attraction was almost a compulsion, something uncontrollable that robbed her of her will, but it wasn't until that moment, when he had embraced her gently as the rurouni, that she felt something other than just a physical response. She actually cared for the person he had become; the person who thanked her for controlling his blood lust. And now she would lose him through her own foolish choices.

She had revived Shishio; Shishio would revive Battousai, and her rurouni would disappear forever.
.

Kaoru snapped out of her thoughts to the sound of soft footsteps approaching. Although they were light, they did not belong to a ten year old boy. Getting to her feet, she scanned the trees. The owner of the footsteps had not made his or her appearance; Kaoru had the feeling the person was hesitant to do so. She put her left hand on the sheath, just under the hilt. Her thumb caressed the guard in anticipation.

'I know you're there. Come out.'

The silence was deafening. Then, a hesitant voice—

'Kaoru? It's me.'

'Are you alone?'

'Yes.'

Misao had been nervous before, even scared, but she'd never had her blood run cold just from the sound of someone's voice. Whatever changes she had expected from Kaoru, fearing for her fucking life hadn't been one of them. Kaoru was dressed in somber, dark colors. She was thinner than before, almost skinny, but not from youth. Her body had been honed into wiry strength from living as a hitokiri. Her hair was longer, gusting lightly in the breeze, but these things were not what petrified Misao. When the air lifted Kaoru's bangs, her eyes were revealed. Gone were the soft, wide, indigo eyes that had held so much expression and emotion. Instead, her gaze was narrow, assessing and crystalline blue, colder than ice and harder than diamond.

'Misao. Come out.' She commanded.

The ex-ninja slipped out of her hiding spot. As reluctant as she was to face this Kaoru, she had the feeling making her wait was worse.

'I swear I'm alone.'

'And Battousai?'

'At the dojo.'

'My dojo?' Kaoru asked in surprise. Misao nodded.

That was unexpected. She couldn't imagine why the Battousai would choose to stay there, given how it must remind him of his captivity. Then again, maybe he wanted to be surrounded by reminders of her treachery. It would make running her to ground so much more enjoyable. In this life, the Kamiya dojo had no heir. It had been sold off almost before the revolution had come to a close; surprisingly, the property had remained in one piece over the years although it had ceased to function as a school. If it had been operational, Kaoru might have placed Yahiko there.

Kaoru's eyes suddenly sharpened. 'Yahiko. Where is he?'

Misao blanched. In her distraction over Kaoru, she'd almost forgotten. Would Kaoru be angry with her for letting Shishio kidnap Yahiko? Then a thought occurred to her. If it weren't for Kaoru, Shishio wouldn't have been there in the first place! Also, if they didn't hurry, Sano would arrive with Kenshin before they had a chance to save the brat. A bit of her customary courage returned and Misao glared right back at Kaoru.

'Shishio took him. He wants you to meet him at sunset. He said you'd know where.'

Kaoru dropped her eyes. The wind lifted Kaoru's hair from her neck, and billowed the sleeves of her gi, yet she stayed where she was. What was she waiting for, Misao wondered. The sun had almost reached the horizon. Was she afraid of Shishio? Maybe she needed a little push…

'I sent Sano to fetch Kenshin. He will be here soon.'

There was no response. Kaoru remained motionless.

No. Not motionless, Misao realized. Kaoru was shaking. Shaking so violently that it was barely perceptible, and when she finally looked up, Misao stumbled back from the look in Kaoru's eyes. Pure, unleashed fury shone through cerulescent eyes.

'Then we'd better hurry.'

A/N: Up next: I earn my 'T' rating. Finally!