New chapter is new! Reviews, please!
'Wait, what?' Kaoru thought as she watched Kenshin turn away. She found her legs were frozen as he began to walk away from her. She dropped her gaze before turning to open her door. She slowly walked to her bed and collapsed on it. She had certainly not expected to share a name with the woman who Kenshin had loved. It was beyond the imagination.
'That explains a lot, though. Why he sometimes looks as though he's spacing out when he looks at me. It's because he's comparing me to the other Kaoru. He must be trying to see if I'm similar to her. I know it's weird because there's a lot of people with the same name but…it had to be a comforting mechanism for him.' she thought as she lay down her bed. She could feel a frown marring her face as she stared up at the ceiling.
She wished there was something she was able to do to help the obvious pain he held within himself. She knew he was hiding the majority of it but it didn't stop her from wanting to help him. She was surprised when he told her he had been married to the other Kaoru but at the same time she hadn't been. She knew in that day and age if women and men so much as touched they were considered married.
'She and I were married in the eyes of society.' his words echoed in her mind. Curiosity had her wondering what they had done to make it so. She also wondered if the other Kaoru had a last name as he had told her only his last name. Her frown deepened as she realized that as much as she knew about this namesake she knew a lot less than what perhaps Tomoe or even Misao knew about it.
"It must be a sad story…for such sorrow to still be abound after over a hundred years. I'm not sure I want to hear it." Kaoru murmured to herself before allowing her eyes to close as sleep overtook her. She dreamt of snow and blood once again only this time the figure laying in the arms of the swordsman wore the same kimono as the one in the painting.
"Tomoe, may I speak with you before you talk to Miss Kaoru?" Tomoe looked up from her desk to see Kenshin standing in the doorway. She could tell by the suit he was wearing he was going to the restaurant. She assumed it was to hide from whatever storm was about to take place. She knew Kaoru was going to ask more questions now that she was allowing them to approach her. Tomoe also knew she would be unable to keep the truth from her.
"Of course, Kenshin. What is it?" she asked gently. She wouldn't admit it but she felt bad for the way she had berated him the night before. She knew how much he cared for the woman he called wife and she called friend. It had always been a sore subject for them and tested their friendship strongly for the past hundred and forty-eight years.
"Last night, Miss Kaoru and I talked, that we did. She learned more from me about what happened than I thought I would reveal. If she asks for the fully story, how we met and how we parted…I want you to tell her. I do not have the strength for it, mentally nor physically. If you must call me a coward then do so." he said. Tomoe felt her eyes go wide at the confession. She hadn't seen him opening up to Kaoru so much that he would talk about that time in his life.
"Kenshin…I cannot call you a coward for that because I, myself, am unprepared for it. What brought on the conversation? I can't see you just volunteering the information." she replied. She met his eyes and saw with a start he looked as though he were barely keeping himself together. She wouldn't mention how wide his eyes were nor the sheen in them. It was not her place.
"We were walking to the kitchen from my office…we passed the painting I keep near it to calm my nerves sometimes. She commented on it and before I knew what I was doing…I was talking to her." Kenshin replied. Tomoe let out a soft sigh before shaking her head. She gave him what she hoped was a comforting smile.
"I will talk to Kaoru then and answer any questions she has since you have asked me to be completely truthful about this. Is there anything else?" she asked.
"There is one more thing." he replied. She furrowed her brow as she wondered what it could possibly be. "She asked me what my wife's name was once again. I found I couldn't deny her request and told her."
"You told her Kaoru's name?! Kenshin, how…how did she react?" Tomoe asked. She felt as though if she had a heart it would be down in her stomach.
"I told her Kaoru's name once she was married to me. She has no inkling of her last name, she does not. If she asks…tell her. I'm done playing games…I've been playing them so long I just want to end them." he whispered. Tomoe let out a soft sigh before nodding in agreement. She could understand his feelings.
"The games will only end once Shishio is gone. According to Aoshi and his information network Shishio has gone into hiding once more. No one has been able to find him or the double Kaoru told you about. It's almost as though they've disappeared off the face of the planet." Tomoe whispered under her breath. She wasn't surprised when Kenshin replied. He'd always had sharp hearing.
"He is in Kyoto. I have no doubt he will be transporting the weapons Kaoru told us about there as well." he said. Tomoe looked up before nodding in agreement. She'd also had the feeling he would take the fight to Kyoto. He would take it before any other city because of personal reasons, one of which included his death.
"You're right. Tell Aoshi to have the Oniwanbanshuu on high alert. I want rumors no matter how questionable they may be. Then you can go hide- I mean work." she told him with a grin. She watched as his eyes went wide before he made a face at her. She watched as he turned to leave before another thought hit her. "Oh, and tell Yahiko to quit flirting with Tsubame. I gave her the job because her mother asked me to but she's clumsy, he's making it worse."
"Ah." she bit the inside of her cheek at the annoyance in his tone. It was as he slammed the door behind him she found it was impossible to hold the laughter back. She had wondered if he would rise to the bait as was prone to do. She was glad to see he wasn't nearly as tense as he had been when she had seen him the night before. He must have felt slightly more at ease after talking to Kaoru.
'Kaoru…what are we going to do? It's only been two days since we met and she's already in so deep. I don't want her to find out what happened in the past but somehow…I feel as though she's going to get the story from me. At least about Kenshin, Kaoru, and myself. It's not a story I feel emotionally ready to tell but know I must.' Tomoe thought before pushing away from her desk.
She stood up and walked out of her office. She journeyed towards Kenshin's office only to stop in front of the painting he had told her he and Kaoru had conversed in front of. The Kaoru from the past smiled down gently on her. Tomoe reached out and placed her hand over the folded painted hands.
'I'm so confused, Kaoru-chan. Neither of us thought when we set out from Edo things would turn out this way, did we? You…you thought I was just going to visit the city where Akira was killed. An attempt for me to move on. I never told you my true intentions until it was already too late and…we were on two very different paths. How do I explain I'm just as much as at fault for your passing as Kenshin?' she asked silently. The painting only continued to smile down at her. Tomoe felt tears in her eyes before looking down at the ground.
'I miss you every day. I wish…I wish I had stronger but…I'm glad you knew Kenshin and were happy in love for that short time. You gave him the chance to reclaim his humanity. It's time to make sure he doesn't lose it again. We must live in the present for the moment. Forgive us, Kaoru.' she turned away from the portrait. With a soft sigh she began to make her way towards Kaoru and a painful story.
She paused outside of the door. She wasn't sure if she was ready. She knew she could walk away but Kaoru had asked her to visit. She had also promised Kenshin she would be the one to tell the story. She knew while it would hurt her emotionally it would not destroy her like it would him. With a deep breath she knocked on the door. She waited until Kaoru finally opened the door. The younger woman's eyes widened before softening.
"I thought it was you. Come in. I'm unpacking some of the clothes Megumi brought me from the stuff you got from my apartment." Kaoru told her. Tomoe nodded before taking a seat in the chair in front of the vanity mirror. She watched as Kaoru sat down on the bed. She wasn't sure how long they stared at each other. She could read the nervousness in Kaoru's eyes but knew it wouldn't deter her.
"I'm here to answer all of your questions. I will hold nothing back." Tomoe finally said. Kaoru nodded in understanding.
"Tell me…tell me about you, Kenshin…and the other Kaoru." she requested. Tomoe felt her heart jerk. She let out a soft sigh.
"This is first time I will tell this story so please excuse me if I get sidetracked." Tomoe told her. Kaoru once again nodded.
"Before we start, there are some things you must know. Kaoru and I were both from Edo, we had grown up together with me being slightly older. She was the little sister I never had. My brother and her rarely got along but that's another story. At any rate, I was engaged to be married but he felt the need to go off to fight in the Bakumatsu. He was killed and I was informed by a radical group Hitokiri Battousai had been the one to land the killing blow.
"I wanted to go to Kyoto and find him. I wanted…I wanted to see the man who had taken away my happiness. Kaoru refused to let me go alone so I told her I wanted to go there to visit the city my fiancé had died in. She thought it was a way for me to learn to move on. I didn't want to tell her I was going there to…see the man who killed Akira, my fiancé. She would have never allowed it.
"It was in Kyoto that we met Kenshin. Our lives became intertwined forever as we stayed in the inn the Ishin Shishi operated out of. Or at least where Kenshin operated. He and Kaoru grew close. However, it was not long after the Spring Solstice the inn was attacked and we were forced to run to Otsu." Tomoe looked up at Kaoru to see she was staring at her.
"Otsu?" the other girl questioned.
"Yes, a small town outside of Kyoto. It's where all of this started.
"Tomoe-san." Tomoe looked away from the couple in front of her as they studied the burning sky of Kyoto. She met the eyes of Kogoro Katsura. He was studying her and she wondered if he could see through her mask. She knew he was a formidable mane as one of the major players in the Bakumatsu.
"Yes, sir?" she asked quietly. He motioned to the couple and her eyes also returned to them. Kaoru had stepped closer to him and Tomoe could see Kenshin's jaw moving. She had a feeling he was comforting her about the loss of the inn. She had become attached to it in the short time they had stayed there.
"Protect them. I know there is not much you may be able to do but they are the future we desperately fight for. Kenshin has changed since he met the both of you. Protect their happiness so he may regain a sense of normalcy once this is over." the man told her. She turned back to him only to watched as he disappeared down the road and into darkness. She sighed before once again turning back to her companions.
'I will protect this happiness for Kaoru. I know not how to feel about you, Battousai, you took away my happiness but I would never begrudge Kaoru's hers.' Tomoe thought before putting on a smile. She cleared her throat to get their attention and watched as they turned away from Kyoto. Kenshin looked unhappy at the fact Katsura had already disappeared and Kaoru had drying tears on her cheeks.
"If we're going to make it to Otsu by next dusk we need to go." she said. Kenshin nodded before motioning for Kaoru to walk ahead of him. The younger girl looked up at him confused.
"We are still within attacking range of any Shinsengumi out there or any other radical groups. I would prefer to be where I can see both of you in case of a surprise attack." he told them. Tomoe reached out and took Kaoru's arm.
"A wife does not travel in front of her husband, Himura." Tomoe said with a small scowl that he easily matched. She had seen the look in Katsura's eyes when he had suggested the outrageous plan of Kaoru and Kenshin acting married. There would be no acting as in the society they lived if a man and woman lived together and were unrelated they were legally wed. Kaoru and Kenshin would be married the moment they set foot in the house in Otsu.
"I wish to protect my wife and her stubborn sister! You will walk ahead of me so I can do that." he told her. Tomoe sighed before pulling Kaoru along with her. She noticed out of the corner of her eye how Kaoru looked over her shoulder at the man following them. Tomoe sighed at the soft look in Kaoru's eyes. She supposed she would have to try to find a way to like Kenshin.
"He only wants to protect us, Tomoe-san." Kaoru told her as they walked. Tomoe nodded before looking back at the boy. He had his arms crossed inside his gi with the arms waving in the wind.
"I understand, Kenshin. Thank you." she told him. She watched as his eyes went wide when she let go of Kaoru. She smiled before continuing on as the two younger teenagers stared after her in shock.
'He'll take care of her. She will be happy. Even if it is with the man who took my happiness he has done something no one else had been able to truly do. He's made her happy.' she thought before smiling. 'I can like him for that reason alone.'
"Tomoe-san!" she turned with a smile on her face. She saw they were still standing there in shock. She tilted her head. The smile Kaoru gave her in return could rival the sun itself. Kaoru understood the meaning behind Tomoe's own soft smile.
"Let's go. We'll be counting on you, Kenshin." Tomoe told him. He nodded before walking towards her with Kaoru preceding him. Despite the warmth of the spring season and Kaoru's smile, a chill went down Tomoe's spine.
She wasn't sure how long they traveled before the smoke from Kyoto finally faded from the air. Kenshin had finally agreed he would walk in front of them as he felt they were far enough away to be safe. Kaoru was walking behind her and Tomoe knew the girl was getting tired but would say nothing. She had always been stubborn about having stamina. Tomoe knew they would only stop when either she or Kenshin decided to. Kaoru wouldn't request it.
"Oh!" she turned around only for her eyes to go wide as she saw Kaoru laying on the ground. The girl pushed herself up only to gasp and clutch at her left ankle. Tomoe saw her sandal had broken. The way Kaoru's ankle was turned told her it was sprained or broken.
"Kaoru!" she watched as Kenshin quickly approached her. He knelt beside the injured girl to touch the injured appendage. Kaoru let out a soft cry of pain. Tomoe began to walk towards them before stopping as Kenshin swept Kaoru up into his arms. He walked over to a large boulder next to the pathway and set her down.
Tomoe watched as he gently pulled the sock off of Kaoru's foot to reveal the ankle had already started swelling. He began to poke and prod and Tomoe could see his eyes narrow each time Kaoru made a sound of pain. He didn't like hearing the girl in pain but was doing it for her own good. She met his eyes as he looked up at her.
"Tomoe-san, do you have anything we can wrap it with? As far as I can tell it's sprained." he told her. She blinked before shaking her head.
"No, all I have is the money I managed to grab when I realized we'd have to leave the city." she told him. He sighed before looking up at Kaoru. Tomoe could see the sad smile hiding behind his eyes even if he didn't allow his lips to show it.
"We have to find a way to wrap it, Kaoru. If we don't, the swelling will get much worse." he told her. Tomoe watched as Kaoru thought for a moment before tilting her head.
"Does it matter what it is? As long as it's a length of fabric?" she asked. Kenshin shook his head in response. Tomoe watched as Kaoru pulled the silk from her hair that had been keeping it in a ponytail. She felt her eyes widen. It had been the last token Kaoru's mother had given her.
"Use this then." Kaoru said. Tomoe was about to protest before her eyes widened as Kenshin gently curled Kaoru's fingers around the fabric. She swallowed at the surprised look in Kaoru's eyes. Tomoe watched as Kenshin also pushed Kaoru's hand back until it was touching her chest.
"A ribbon as pretty as that shouldn't be stained with hands soaked in blood or by dirt." Kenshin told her. Tomoe felt her eyes widen as he reached into his gi and pulled out a length of white fabric.
"I use this to clean my sword…I washed it before we had to leave. Is it okay if I use it to wrap your foot? It is also stained with blood." he whispered. Tomoe felt her eyes soften. He had a human heart that was writhing in pain at what he had become. She could tell by looking at him he only wanted to help create an era where people could live happily. People like her and Akira and Kaoru.
"You're helping me, Kenshin, of course it's alright." Kaoru replied. Tomoe sent her a soft smile as Kenshin slowly began to wrap her ankle. She watched him work until he had the injured ankle wrapped. He carefully slipped Kaoru's sock back on her foot before reaching for the sandal. Tomoe sighed as she saw it was broken.
"The strap is broken. I have no idea how to fix this." Kenshin said. Tomoe stared for a moment before taking the sandal from him.
"Do you have any more fabric like what you just used?" she asked. He nodded before pulling out a smaller square. She sat down beside Kaoru and ripped the fabric into two long strips. She took the loose straps of the sandal and pulled them out of the bottom of the shoe. She quickly tied knots at the end of each strip before threading them through the holes in the bottom of the shoe. One of the strips was longer than the other and she threaded it through the other hole before also knotting it. She tied the loose piece of fabric around the longer one and knotted it as well.
"Tomoe!" Kaoru exclaimed as the older woman handed her the shoe.
"It won't be the most comfortable thing to work but it should hold up as long as we don't have to run or you trip again." Tomoe told her. Kaoru made a face before Kenshin took the shoe from her.
"It's very well done, Tomoe-san. Where did you learn to do this?" he asked. Tomoe smiled before standing up.
"My father repairs broken things. Including shoes. I learned by watching him. Let her put it on so we can if she can walk." Tomoe said. Kenshin held his hand out to help Kaoru stand up. He remained kneeling until Kaoru stopped wobbling. He stood up once she seemed to gain her balance. He still took her arm once he was also standing.
"Here, just hold onto me. We can go slower. You're getting tired at any rate." Kenshin told her. Tomoe smiled at the surprised look on Kaoru's face. She had thought the man had noticed the younger girl was getting tired.
"We should get a little farther then before stopping for the night. I don't want it to get worse." Tomoe said with a small smile. Kaoru looked at her before lowering her eyes in embarrassment. Tomoe could see the fact she didn't like being the reason for them to slow down because of her injury.
"We're not that far from Otsu, Kaoru-san. It'll only be a day once we start off tomorrow. Your ankle will also have time to heal enough to be able to walk without my help." Kenshin told her. Tomoe watched as Kaoru looked up at him with a light blush dusting her cheeks. She had a feeling she knew what the girl was going to say.
"I don't mind having your support, Kenshin. It's nice." she told him. Tomoe looked away as she saw Kenshin's eyes go wide with a blush also staining his cheeks. She turned away with a knowing look on her face. He was obviously a teenage boy. It caused her to feel as though he could become a normal person one the war was over. She was surprised at how much her opinion had changed of him in such a short time.
"Kaoru, very well." Tomoe bit back a smile at the strained tone of his voice. She knew he didn't like human contact but he was making an exception. She glanced over her shoulder to see they were slowly following her. Tomoe let out a soft sigh as they journeyed at a much slower pace. She wanted to make sure to give them space but at the same time wanted to get as much ground between them and Kyoto as possible. She had the bad feeling someone was following them and they weren't a friend.
"Tomoe?" the older woman looked up in surprise as Kaoru called her name. She blinked before smiling gently. She let out a soft sigh as she shook her head.
"We managed to reach Otsu the next day…with Kaoru hobbling by the end. Kenshin had to carry her the last half-mile because of how swollen her ankle was. She really was in pain but she was hiding it. Kenshin saw through it though. He could usually read her." Tomoe whispered before letting out another sigh. She could feel tears in her eyes.
"You don't have to tell me the rest. It's obvious this is really painful." Kaoru whispered. Tomoe looked up at her with a shrug of her shoulders. She could see the other girl obviously wanted to know but didn't want to hurt her. Tomoe respected that about her.
"It's okay. I just need a break. The next part…I have trouble thinking about it let alone talking about it." Tomoe told her. Kaoru nodded in understanding before they both looked at the door as there was a knock. The girl stood up to answer it. Tomoe felt her eyes widen as she saw Kenshin standing there with a small smile on his face. She raised an eyebrow as he met her eyes. He shrugged his shoulders.
"I went to the restaurant and…as much as I don't want to relive this…I felt I shouldn't put it all on your shoulders, Tomoe. I'm sorry I asked you to. If you'll tell me what you've already told her I can take it from there." he said as he entered the room. Tomoe watched as he also sat down on the bed when Kaoru reclaimed her seat.
"No, Kenshin. Neither of us should have to tell this story alone. We've relied on each other this long…we should continue to do so." Tomoe said. He met her eyes before nodding in agreement.
"Where were you in the story?" he asked. She sighed before looking back down at her hands she had folded in her lap.
"I had just told her about how we arrived in Otsu." Tomoe told him. He cleared his throat before turning to Kaoru with a small smile.
"Well, Miss Kaoru, Otsu was an absolutely beautiful place." he told her. Kaoru smiled at the soft look in his eyes.
"It was. Kaoru-chan loved the trees. She thrived in the countryside. She'd never liked living in Edo and I don't think she was fond of Kyoto. She was meant to live in the countryside. I'm glad she was able to do so for a short amount of time." Tomoe whispered. Kaoru saw she also had a content smile on her face.
'This other Kaoru…she really touched this two people deeply. I may not know you, Kaoru, but thank you. Your presence in their lives have made them the people that I've started to care for.' Kaoru though as she looked between Kenshin and Tomoe.
"Let's begin again." Kenshin finally said.
This story does have slight canon hintings, obviously. It was something I really wanted to do when I first go the idea. The twisting of the canon story is a big part of this story itself. Its where everything started. I also wanted to make it like when Kenshin was telling the story in the manga with a small break in the middle. I thought it was important to have Kenshin come in. However, it's all up for you to decide! Please review! I'm going to be busy for the next few days so I don't know when I'll get a chance to update again!