Hi everyone!

I am sorry for the delay...

Thanks to everyone who reviewed and favourited my story. It is reaching the end...

Hope you to like this chapter.

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Chapter 15 – Flames of Hell

Ancient wisdom says that when we are about to die, moments of our lives flash in front of our eyes. Just like a movie.

As for me, there were no images…. Just his voice… screaming my name. And I didn't mind how desperate his tone seemed to be… I was just thankful that of all the people in the world It was his voice I heard before I died. I was even allowed to feel his fingers touching my face as the smell of his skin swaddledaround me.

I smiled and thanked God over and over for letting me keep his memory.

There was an incomplete happiness growing inside my chest. I was glad because he would be my last reminiscence and sad because I knew he was nothing more than a delusion… a Fantasy of a dying human.

"Arigato…" – I remember saying over and over until everything went black.

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BY THE END OF THE DAY

When that day started she never thought it would end that way…

First she heard screams, but she didn't mind. Maybe a few months ago she would have run to see if she could help, but Kaoru learnt that this was a dangerous country, and, screams were a part of the ambient sound… So she continued writing in that small book Aoshi gave her weeks ago.

After her conversation with Tomoe she felt no more nerve to go ahead with her plan. That woman was as desperate as she was, maybe more. Her heart was not black as she first thought; it was just wounded, as hers.

As she heard people running to the outside Kaoru stopped writing and got up.

What in the world is happening here?

It was only when wreckage fell from the rooms above hers and covered her way out that she realized how trapped she was.

Kaoru picked up her notebook and run to the other corner of the room as she saw flames starting to burnt between the wreckage. This place Is on fire!

She thought furiously of ways to save herself, but her only way out was blocked, and any other would kill her. As the smoke reached her nose, and the flames approached her, she fell to the ground almost unconsciousness.

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At the Beginning of the day

Kaoru rolled herself on the futon. She tossed and turned all night unable to sleep. Tomoe's diary gave her nightmares. Her words filled of pain and regret echoed in her head as if Tomoe herself was reading them for her.

She sighed deeply. I cannot do this.

"Kaoru?" – she heard Yumiko's voice on the other side of the paper door. "Kaoru, are you awake? There is a woman downstairs; she says she needs to talk to you."

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Kenshin rested his head against the wood of the wall. After the attack he and the other samurai were "forced" to stay in Katsura's house. Last night showed their vulnerabilities were bigger than what they ever thought. We need to protect the remaining heads of Ishin – he remembered Iizuka's words – Or all of our efforts were in vain.

Iizuka had a point… But then, why did Kenshin felt so unsteady?

He promised himself that the first thing he would do after being released of his duty was to find her and do everything in his grasp to bring her back… She was in danger… he was sure.

Just… wait for me… Please.

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Kaoru walked downstairs and from far made a signal to the woman to follow her.

What she was doing was brave and Kaoru didn't want her to risk her life for her. If someone saw them together, Tomoe would be a dead woman for sure.

As they reached her room Kaoru opened the door for her to enter.

It was then when Tomoe did the unexpected. She kneeled on the ground and bowed her head: "I am so sorry Kamyia-san. My misjudgment almost get you killed."

Kaoru, still in shock with her action, kneeled down and forced her to look at her. She didn't need to ask what she meant, because she had read the plans and schemes Iizuka had forced her to do. "No." – and even if she was a part of his plan to destroy her relationship with Kenshin, it was never her fault the things that happened before. "They used you. "

"No… I've searched for them, because my fiancé was murdered. And I thought that revenge would soothe my conscience..." – Tomoe replied.

"I know." –Kaoru said.

Tomoe stare at her in awe. How could she know?

"Someone gave this to me." – Kaoru opened one of the wardrobe doors and show her the diary Saito gave her. Tomoe eyes widened recognizing the object. Kaoru walked at her: "I wanted to tell him the truth. And Show him that I wasn't the person behind of this plot… your diary would prove my innocence."

Tomoe opened her mouth to speak but Kaoru's next move took the words out of her mouth. She just hand the diary back to her: "But then, I realized that sometimes pain lead us to make wrong choices. The kind of choices that can get you killed." – she mentioned her to pick the object from her hand and so Tomoe did. "Sometimes love can get you killed." – she end up saying.

Tomoe stood quiet for a while but then realization hit her: "Iizuka wants to kill you." – she said.

"I was almost sure of that… I will ask a friend for protection. Don't worry." – Kaoru was planning to ask Aoshi's help. "Now go. If he knows you're here he will kill you."

Reluctantly Tomoe made her way to the door, but before leaving she turned back at her: "I will tell himKaoru… he is a good man he will understand...he will come for you…I will tell him the truth myself."

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It was almost noon and he waited patiently. Saito knew she wasn't alone and he saw the moment Tomoeleft Kaoru's room. He slid the door open and found Kaoru staring blankly at the ceiling: "If you're friends than you should have ask her about the diary instead of asking me to steal it."

Kaoru didn't noticed him entering but didn't mind either. "I have some names for you."

She was acting strange. Distant, as if she didn't care for nothing anymore. The flame that used to burn in her eye was gone. "Go ahead."

"Iizuka from the Inshin; a man named Kojiro, Tendo, Heinshin and Another one named Saotome." – She said the names mechanically. She had memorized all the names Tomoe wrote about.

The last name brought a smile to his face: "Thank you for your information." He turned his back and was ready to leave when Kaoru asked him:

"Does any of these names have a meaning for you?"

He stopped and answered without looking back: "You have no idea, Tanuki, you have no idea."

Aku Soku Zan "Swift dead to evil" – Now, he had some cleaning to make.

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"Seems like you have a leak of information. " – Tendo said to Iizuka as he saw Tomoe leaving the restaurant.

That wench! She is not useful after all. "It will leak no more."

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After discussing with Tomoe, Kaoru just couldn't stop thinking about her father and a conversation they had years ago. She didn't knew why, but… that day, his words couldn't get out of her head.

All memories about her family, even if they were happy, used to bring her to a melancholy state, so after dinner she decided to go downstairs and see some familiar, maybe find someone to talk for a while.

She saw Yahiko passing by: "I heard you mother is better."

His face showed how relieved he was: "Yes, she is ok now. Thanks for taking her place while she was sick."

"You're welcome."

But as he stared at her and sighed she knew he wanted to tell her something: "Listen Kaoru, you should becareful."

"Why?"

"That man, the Mibu Wolf…" he approached her and lowered his voice.

"Saito?" – she asked

"Yes. Today I was called to deliver a message to one of his friends, and when I get to the place I saw something: I saw him killing one of his men. I think it was a revenge." – he stopped talking at looked seriously at her: "Be careful around him."

Now I see… One of the names I gave him… It was one of his men.

"Ah… I almost forgot. This is for you." – Yahiko handed her a letter.

Kaoru smiled at the name on ir. It was from Aoshi. "Thank you Yahiko."

"Just doing my job." – he said - "Just don't forget What I told you." – he said before leaving.

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As he left and she made sure she was alone, Kaoru opened the letter:

I will have to leave for a couple of weeks to solve some situations.

Take care of yourself. You're surrounded by influential but also dangerous people.

I don't believe that a lamb can survive among the beasts… unless the Wolfe acts against its nature and falls in love with the lamb's innocence.

But that's another story. Stay low… at least when I am not around.

Aoshi

:

Kaoru sighed. But she didn't have much time to think about the implications of his absence because she heard a noise. Someone is here. Running to the outside she sees A Shadow. It was a small person and his hair looked just like Yahiko's: ""Yahiko, I thought you were already gone."" – But as the boy come out of the shadow Kaoru realized it wasn't him.

His hair was black, his face was dirty as his clothes but it was his eyes that got Kaoru's attention. That vivid green… "Are you hungry?" – It was the first thing that came to her mind. That boy really seemed to be mistreated.

Instead of answering walked fast at her and stretch his hand: "This is for you." – Another letter

"Who gave you this?" – She asked

"A man sent by another man." – He was instructed to say the minimal.

She opened it and her eyes scrutinized the message on it:

Discretion is a well appreciated virtue in a woman.

Stop nosing around…

Keep your mouth shut. Or we will shut it for you.

He was waiting for her reaction. It was supposed to tell them what she said, and it didn't took much longer:

"Tell to whoever gave you this that I will not bow to their will."

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"I don't know. Maybe we should keep things low for a while." – Okubo said

"No. They think we are fragile. We must show them the contrary!" – Katsura replied.

Kenshin was listening to their conversation for a while when the town bell started ringing.

Kenshin counted the times, one, two, three… It didn't stop. They all left to the outside and see the fire from far.

As he figured out the place he started running.

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Tomoe wakes up in the middle of nowhere. Her head aching.

"Oh No!" – she remembered she was heading to Katsura's place to see Kenshin when Iizuka appeared. After that everything went black.

Even if her body was screaming for her to stop moving, she stood up and walked as fast as she could.

I have to make it.

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Shishio's voice woke her up. She was safe on the outside. I remember people running and screaming… because of the fire… "Oh my God my restaurant!" – her hands flew to her chest as she pictured the scenario in front of her.

The place she worked for more than ten years was engulfed in flames. "No one knows how it started." – She heard Shishio tell her. She sighed and looked around. "Is everybody ok?" – she asked Yahiko and Haruka. The boy mimic her move: "Wait, where is Kaoru?" – Yahiko asks

Yumi tries to run to the inside but Shishio pulls her back: "What are you doing? I almost didn't get you in time." – he reprimanded her

"But It's Kaoru!"

"Forget about her. If she is on the inside she is already dead."

"Yumi." – she felt a hand grabbing her arm and making her turn just to see the face of a desperate man. She winced in pain and shook her head as tears fell down knowing what he was about to ask.

The red-haired man tried to ignore the meaning of her expressions: "Where is Kaoru? Tell me!"

As Yumi eyes turned to the burning restaurant as an answer Kenshin shook his head: "No. She can't die." –

No one stopped him as he run to the inside of the building in flames.

No Kaoru, You can't die…

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