Summary: 50 stories about Kenshin and Kaoru, sometimes meandering to include other members of the Ruroken cast. Mix of canon and AU one shots. Some crack.

Disclaimer: Anything you can recognize here belongs to Watsuki Nobuhiro.

Characters: Kenshin (Rurouni) and Tomoe

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Memory

It had been an exhausting day. Kaoru's shoulders throbbed and she could feel the muscles of her upper arm screaming for relief. She hadn't meant to get so carried away but Yahiko had been so attentive today, she thought to make the most of it and sparred till they were both literally, ready to drop. She glanced over at her student, who sat with Kenshin, enthusiastically regaling the older swordsman with how he had read her moves and how much faster he'd become and how…

"You really ought to join us the next time we spar Kenshin. At least I'll get a little variety. Busu always works the same old moves."

What? Same old moves? Excuse me? Kaoru pricked her ears and sat up straight, pain in the shoulder be damned. Who did that little brat think he was?

"Just a minute, Yahiko-chan!" A nerve twitched madly on her forehead and she reined in the desire to bash him into pulp.

"Don't call me that," Yahiko retorted almost instantly.

"I'll call you whatever I choose. I'm your teacher! And the reason why I try the "same, old moves" on you is because that's all you can handle at this level of your training. If you want variety, you had better be prepared to back it up with more practice."

And like always, the argument continued well into the evening, until Kenshin diplomatically pushed Kaoru towards the bath house and told Yahiko to wait his turn while she washed up. Dinner was quickly shovelled into hungry stomachs and the lights went out one by one as night settled over the dojo.

Kenshin sat alone on the parapet near the well, gazing into the starlit night. It was a quiet night, save for the yearning buzz of cicadas and the watchman's staff on the road, not a sound could be heard. The wind suddenly picked up, lifting his bangs away from his face. The familiar, intoxicating fragrance of white plum drifted into his nostrils and a slow smile stretched across his lips.

Two delicate hands covered his eyes, and a soft voice whispered in his ears, "Anata."

Kenshin smiled. He covered the hands with his own, unwilling to let go. "I knew you'd come tonight." He turned, and there she was. Pristine, beautiful, seraphic almost. His Tomoe.

She slipped a hand into his arm and sat down. "You are happy. I am glad. You are finally beginning to let go."

"I am finally gathering the courage to let go." He looked at her and smiled. Tomoe gasped, her fingers touching her lips as she stared at him in wonder. Her eyes seemed to glisten with moisture.

She smiled. "Ten years I have waited for you to smile like that, anata." She stood and looked around the dojo. "This place is good for you. There is courage here, and kindness that can dispel even the darkest of your fears."

"I fear I impose too much upon them."

"Why do you say that?"

"They are…so innocent. I fear my shadow will draw that innocence away." He looked up as her fingers held his cheeks and tilted his face up.

"You have thrown away the darkness that surrounded you. They look up to you. You give them courage. You give them peace….but most importantly, anata, they want to take away your loneliness. They want to give you peace."

"I don't deserve it, Tomoe."

"You deserve to be happy."

"Tomoe…"

"I must go soon….I can no longer stay by your side, anata. My time…draws near. But before I go, I want you not to be lonely."

"Tomoe?"

"I want you to be happy."

"Tomoe, wait!"

"I want you…to live."

"Tomoe…"

"Live…anata."

A/N

Hello peeps!

This drabble…hmmm…I am not usually kind to Tomoe in my regular fics, well she's only appeared in LLE and she's not exactly a bundle of sweet peas there but since I'm concentrating on canon here, this is my take on her. As a friendly ghost who sticks around to chit chat with Kenshin.

Please comment!

P.S. The Muse has abandoned me for everything except Dark Promises and In the Shade of Pink Elephants. Pffft.