My excuse: I'm in law school now! Yay! It also means no time! I'm luck to have gotten this out but I made it extra long! I don't know when the next update is so I gave as much information as I could as well as some serious foreshadowing! I hope everyone enjoys! Let me know what you think!

Kaoru had snuck down to the empty restaurant after the other Kaoru had finally left her to process the information given to her. She was sitting at one of the many tables looking out the window next to it. Her arms were crossed on the table and she was resting her head on them sideways so she could stare at the stars blinking at her from behind the glass of the window. She felt even more confused than she had before the other Kaoru had paid her a visit.

'I feel as though I've stepped into a warped science fiction novel that I have no idea on how to get out of it. It feels as though if I make one wrong move it's gonna end in a game over sequence that is equal to my life ending.' she thought with a groan. She continued to sit there staring out the window before her eyes slowly closed. She wasn't sure how long she was asleep before someone was shaking her awake.

Kaoru lifted her head only to fully wake up when she saw Misao smiling down at her. She sat up quickly rubbing at her eyes as her friend laughed at her. She scowled at her while wondering what was so funny. The younger girl sat down beside her as she continued to smile.

"You gave all of us a fright when Tomoe couldn't find you in your room this morning. Everyone is looking for you. Imagine my surprise when I found you sound asleep in the restaurant. Why are you down here?" Misao asked. Kaoru blinked before giving a small smile. She knew if she told her friend the real reason she was downstairs the girl would completely freak out. She decided a slightly less truthful story was the best route to go.

"I couldn't sleep and felt constricted in my room. I came down for a change in atmosphere. I guess I fell asleep." she said with a laugh. She didn't notice the look Misao gave her before the girl also started laughing. They stopped when Tomoe came rushing into the room obviously also looking for Kaoru.

"There you are! We've been looking everywhere! You should have told us you found her, Misao!" the woman cried. Kaoru shared a look with Misao causing them to both giggle once more.

"She was sound asleep when I found her at this table. I just woke her up and was talking to her about why she was down here." Misao told her. Kaoru nodded in agreement as she met Tomoe's eyes.

"I was restless last night. I just found myself sitting here and apparently fell asleep. I didn't know I had fallen asleep until Misao was shaking me awake. I'm sorry if I worried everyone, Tomoe. I would offer to make breakfast for everyone but my cooking isn't that good." Kaoru said with a sheepish shrug. Tomoe blinked at her before laughing loudly. Kaoru blinked as the woman leaned forward in a conspirator manner.

"I'll let you in on a secret. Neither am I. We'll let the cooks do it, okay? I was actually hoping we could talk before we eat. That's why I was looking for you when I discovered you weren't in your room." Tomoe told her. Kaoru nodded with a smile as she pushed away from the table.

"Alright. I'm going to change but you can come with me. We'll talk while I'm getting dressed." Kaoru told her. Tomoe told Misao to let the others know that Kaoru had been found before following the girl out of the restaurant. They made their way to Kaoru's room quietly while Kaoru wondered what Tomoe wanted to talk to her about. She found out almost immediately after they entered her room.

"Kaoru, I've been thinking. I may not know much about why you healed so much but I want you to know I'm here for you. I want you to know how thankful I am for what you did for me yesterday. You saved my life." Tomoe told her as she went to start changing. Kaoru paused and turned to look at the woman as she held her jeans in one hand a t-shirt in another hand. She blinked at her before smiling.

"I might have an idea how you could help me, Tomoe. I don't know much about my family other than my father was also an orphan who traveled to Tokyo from Kyoto because a kind foster family agreed to take him in. Do you think, perhaps, you could help me find some information on him? He was always working so when he died I didn't know very much about him. Other than he loved his family." Kaoru told her as she quickly changed. She didn't notice the sad look Tomoe gave her. What she didn't tell the immortal woman was she wanted to see if she could find a connection between her and the other Kaoru.

"Of course I'll help you look for information on your father. The best place to start would be, my best guess, city hall. Once you get dressed we can go over there. We can even pick up breakfast on the way. That way you aren't answering everyone's questions at once. We'll let Kenshin deal with that." Tomoe told her with a wink. Kaoru blinked at her before laughing out loud.

"If we do that I feel like I'll be abandoning him. Maybe we should ask him to accompany us. The more eyes looking usually means we'll find more." Kaoru pointed out. She watched as Tomoe made a face before shaking her head. Kaoru wondered why the woman was refusing to invite Kenshin to help them look for information.

"No, trust me when I say you don't want to invite Kenshin to accompany us to the courthouse. There are some…acquaintances of ours that work there. They and Kenshin…well, they've never seen eye to eye. It would be best if we don't even tell him where we're going other than the fact we are going out." Tomoe told her with an exasperated smile. Kaoru blinked before deciding she wouldn't push the issue. She could tell by the look on the older woman's face she probably didn't want to know.

"Oh, okay…that's fine with me. I didn't know he had…issues with some of the employees that work there. It would certainly make it harder to get them to cooperate with us if they don't like him." Kaoru said as she pulled her shirt over her head. She also quickly changed into jeans before turning to Tomoe with a grin on her face.

"I guess you're ready. Let's get started then. I have the feeling it's going to be another long day. Now that I think about it…it might take some convincing to make Kenshin let us go by ourselves." Tomoe said. Kaoru sighed as she realized her friend was right. The last time they had gone out without someone else with them they had been ambushed.

"Oh! I know! I'll ask Aoshi to come with us. He's a good fighter and won't mind going to the courthouse. I'll go ask him right now. Meet us at the door." Kaoru watched as Tomoe suddenly disappeared. She let out a sigh before also leaving her room. She reached the front door of the inn without bumping into anyone which she thought was surprising. She sat down on the elevated floor to pull her shoes on while waiting for Tomoe and Aoshi to show up.

Kaoru had only heard of Aoshi from Misao. She had never met the man but from what her friend had told her she knew he was a fighter. Kaoru also knew of his background because of what Tomoe had told her. She continued to wait as she wondered what was causing them to take so long. She supposed Tomoe had to explain to the man why he had to come with them instead of Kenshin.

"Alright, he's going to meet us there in an hour. We'll get something to eat first if that's good with you." Tomoe said from behind her. Kaoru almost jumped out of her skin before turning around to look at her friend. Tomoe was just smiling down at her in amusement causing Kaoru to scowl in return.

"You enjoy the fact you startled me, don't you?" Kaoru asked as she climbed to her feet. The older woman just shrugged as she slipped hers hoes on.

"You don't seem to scare easy so I have to admit that I enjoyed it. But only a little, I promise. Let's get going. I'm hungry." Tomoe said. Kaoru rolled her eyes as they exited the inn. They traveled to a small bakery Tomoe strongly recommended and bought a light breakfast that they ate as they traveled towards the courthouse. They made small talk mostly with Tomoe telling her how the city had looked when she been there many years ago.

"It was such a beautiful city back then. It's still beautiful but so much more modernized. It's hard to see when you've seen it like it was so long ago. I prefer the scenery of the past but the peace of this time." Tomoe told her as Kaoru looked around as newer buildings overtook the older architecture. She glanced at Tomoe to see the woman had a sad look in her eyes. She could see her friend wasn't only thinking about the changing scenery but how long it had been since she had seen the other Kaoru. She knew the two had been close from the way Tomoe talked about the girl. She also knew that Tomoe missed the other Kaoru more deeply than she would ever admit verbally.

'They were like sisters, of course she's still in mourning over the loss of that Kaoru even after all these years. I bet Tomoe thought if she was going to live so long it would be with her best friend at her side.' Kaoru thought as they continued to travel. She glanced at Tomoe's face to see the woman had a look on her face that told the younger woman she was lost in her memories. Kaoru found she couldn't fault her for wanting to relive the happier memories.

"I've been meaning to ask, Kaoru, but where in the world did you learn to fight like that? I know you caught Yumi by surprise but you also caught me by surprise." Tomoe suddenly spoke. Kaoru blinked at the randomness of the question before laughing as she scratched the back of her head.

"Well, my father knew that I couldn't exactly carry a bokken around with me everywhere I went. He taught me how to defend myself with just my fists and when he died I continued training my fighting skills. That was the first time I've had to use them extensively against anyone." she said with a smile. She watched as Tomoe's mouth dropped open and knew she had succeeded in surprising her friend.

"That was your first time fighting like that and you thought it was a good idea against someone so powerful?!" Tomoe cried. Kaoru just smiled at her sheepishly. She knew she should have kept that particular detail to herself.

"I had to do something. I wasn't going to stand there and watch you die or let her kill me. It's called self-defense for a reason." she told her. Kaoru watched as Tomoe shook her head.

"You didn't really know what she was capable of when you attacked, Kaoru. That's really dangerous especially now that you've been pulled into this debacle. I should smack you upside the head!" Tomoe exclaimed. Kaoru just shrugged as she crumpled up the wrapper her breakfast sandwich had been served in.

"It's really not that big of a deal, Tomoe. I've used them before in the past but usually it was just to get away from the type of creeps who follow you home from the bar." Kaoru explained with a smile. Tomoe just shook her head.

"That's still significantly different from fighting one of those who serve Shishio. Believe me. I know the difference." the older woman responded.

Kaoru wasn't sure how to respond so she remained quiet as they continued down the streets. She swallowed as her thoughts once again turned back to Kenshin. She found herself thinking more and more about him. If what the other Kaoru had told her was true then it meant she had been reborn to meet him. She wasn't sure if she liked the idea of having a preordained fate.

"Tomoe, can I ask a rather personal question?" she suddenly asked. Tomoe glanced at her after they had been caught by a crosswalk light. She simply nodded as she waited for Kaoru to continue.

"How did Kenshin die?" Tomoe blinked at the question. She hadn't expected such an inquiry but knew she should have expected it.

"The war had just ended and we had made the decision to roam the countryside to help those recovering. We had made the decision to go to the ruins of Edo and see what we could do to help. Unfortunately, we were ambushed and Kenshin was hurt badly. I was surprised he had allowed himself to be hurt but after our attackers had been dispersed I could see something in his eyes. Something that told me he had allowed them to hurt him so badly.

"It didn't take long for me to realize he had done so in hopes to join the other Kaoru. I don't know why I saved him but something inside me told me I had to. I guess it's what most people would call a conscience but for some reason it sounded like Kaoru. He's been a thorn in my side ever since." she laughed. Kaoru also giggled as she shook her head.

"That's not true and you know it, Tomoe! It's easy to see the two of you are close friends." Kaoru told her with a scowl.

"Kenshin and I have not always had a good relationship, Kaoru. The first years after Kaoru's death I blamed him. I hated him more than anything for allowing her to die." Tomoe whispered. Kaoru felt her eyes widen. She hadn't suspected there had once been so much animosity between them.

"What made you change your mind?" she asked as the light changed and they quickly crossed the intersection. They stopped in their journey once they had managed to safely get on the sidewalk.

"After I kept him from dying, I realized he was punishing himself more than I had ever wanted from him. I wanted an apology for allowing Kaoru to die. I felt entitled to it since she was like my sister. I realized how selfish that was after his almost death. He had suffered just as much as I had and in his mind the only way to atone was to die. I knew Kaoru wouldn't want that so I forgave him. He did not need my anger on his shoulders as well as his own." Tomoe whispered. Kaoru swallowed before reaching out to touch the woman's shoulders. She gave her a small smile when dark eyes met hers.

"I'm sure he knows what you've done for him, Tomoe. I'm not that Kaoru but I have the feeling she hates the fact the two of you blame yourselves for what happened. Accidents happened and she made her choice to protect both of you. If anything I admire her for her strength. I don't think I'd be able to make the sacrifice she did." Kaoru told her with a smile. Tomoe just blinked before also smiling.

"I believe you and the other Kaoru are more alike than you think. Anyway, we're almost there. Let's hurry. I know Aoshi has the patience of a saint when it comes to our contacts within the police force but I would prefer not to push that patience to the limit." Tomoe said as they continued their journey.

"How did Aoshi become part of your group?" Kaoru asked. She looked away as Tomoe attempted to meet her eyes.

"Someone is awfully curious today. Aoshi died for Misao." Tomoe told her. Kaoru blinked.

"So he tried to protect her from what killed her?" she asked. She remembered, vaguely, that Tomoe had told her Misao had been shot. Kaoru hadn't asked the girl how she died.

"No. Misao…died before we even met Aoshi. Kenshin and I had decided to stay at the Aoiya to see what kind of information they had on the government officials that were working out of Tokyo almost ten years after the war ended. They were hesitant to welcome us but they agreed to give us the information they had as long as we promised to keep the secret of where they operated.

"Even though it was a peaceful time many men still hunted Kenshin in hopes to gain vengeance. We were ambushed late one night and did not know they had brought guns with them. Misao didn't know at that point who Kenshin was and tried to protect him from one of the bullets. After we saved her, the former Okashira told her she had to travel with us and he would record her death.

"We met Aoshi in Tokyo shortly afterwards and when he found out what had happened he demand I do the same to him. I refused." Tomoe paused for a moment. Kaoru frowned as she thought about the tall man they were talking about.

"Since I have met him, I'm going to assume he eventually convinced you?" Kaoru inquired. Tomoe outright laughed as she stopped in front of a set of stairs that Kaoru realized led to city hall.

"He kept coming after Kenshin, actually. There's another story behind why he was so determined to fight him and I'll leave that to Aoshi or Misao to tell. At any rate, he followed us all across Japan. Kenshin eventually asked me why I wouldn't do as Aoshi demanded and I told him that I couldn't do it because I refuse to kill anyone. Eventually, Aoshi got involved in one of the many scuffles that seemed to follow Kenshin around and he was killed much the same way Misao had been. Shot." Tomoe finished. Kaoru sighed as she shook her head.

"He must really care about her to go so far to stay with her." Kaoru observed. Tomoe just nodded with a small smile on her face.

"Indeed. Let's go see if he's been able to find anything that can help you jumpstart the process. If not, we're going to be here for a very long time. I'm not sure I want to explain why we might miss lunch to Kenshin." Tomoe told her. Kaoru laughed before following the older woman up the stairs. She had the feeling she would find exactly what she was looking for. She just wasn't sure how Tomoe would handle the news.

Kaoru stretched her arms as she leaned back in her chair. She had found the founder of the Kamiya Kasshin Style, that had been founded shortly after the other Kaoru's death, but that was as far as she had gotten. It was almost like her ancestor had just popped into being the created the sword style. She watched as Tomoe turned a page in the book she was currently looking through. Kaoru caught sight of the kanji that formed Tomoe's last name.

"Did Kaoru have any other family besides her parents that passed away?" Kaoru asked. She watched as Tomoe stilled for a second before turning another page.

"She talked about an uncle that she had after her parents passed away and she came to live with us. She said he couldn't care for her because he was fighting in the war. I can remember father saying that he would allow her uncle to stay with us once the war was over so he could reestablish himself. That was the last I heard of him. Why do you ask?" Tomoe inquired.

"The man that created the Kamiya Kasshin seemed to pop into creation. He doesn't have any ancestors but it says that he had a brother. I tried to look for records on the brother but there doesn't seem to be any. I…I think my great-great-great grandfather was Kaoru's uncle." she explained. She watched as Tomoe's eyes widened.

"That…that would make sense. The reason you look so much like her is because she's a distant relative. I…I never would have thought of that." Tomoe confessed. Kaoru shrugged her shoulders with a small smile.

"It was just a hunch on my part. It also might not mean anything. Anyway, what are you looking at? Didn't you say you had a brother?" she asked. She watched with a sinking feeling in her stomach as Tomoe's eyes shuddered.

"His name was Enishi. He and Kaoru always fought about everything. When she decided she would accompany me to Kyoto he was absolutely livid. Kaoru didn't like being told what to do and she certainly refused to let him tell her what she could and could not do. I knew, and I think she did, he only fought with her because he didn't know how to show he cared to her. He always showed me what he had learned at the nearby dojo and always told me it was so he could protect me.

"Kaoru had already learned how to fight from her father so she was able to protect herself. In Enishi's mind, she was also his sister and it was his duty to protect her. She wanted to protect herself so it always ended up in a battle of wills between them. Kaoru usually won though." Tomoe said with a sigh as she shut the book in front of her.

"How did he handle her death?" Kaoru whispered. She watched as Tomoe's eyes closed and her hands fisted on top of the book cover.

"Horribly. He blamed Kenshin for what happened to her. He hated him with a passion I've never seen. I tried to tell him it was my fault as well but he wouldn't listen. He said I'd never do anything to harm Kaoru. I couldn't convince him otherwise so eventually I disappeared with Kenshin. I know he wrote me and I know he visited Kaoru's grave but I kept away from him. I wanted him to live as normal of a life as possible without realizing his sister had become a monster." Tomoe whispered.

"You're not a monster, Tomoe! He may have not understood what was happening but I don't think he would have ever thought you were a monster." Kaoru exclaimed. Tomoe laughed before shrugging with a smile.

"You're probably right. Well, it doesn't matter now. According to the family records, he drowned when he was twenty-two while returning from a trip to China. A storm formed and caused the ship to sink. I just hope he has forgiven me." Tomoe whispered softly. Kaoru reached out to cover the other woman's fisted hands.

"I'm sure he has now that he knows the truth. What do you say we get out of here? I think I've taken as much of this musty old room as I can. I'm also pretty sure I've found out all the information I can concerning what I was looking for. It isn't much but at least I know there's the possibility I'm related to the other Kaoru." she said with a small smile. Tomoe studied her for a moment before responding.

"Why is it so important that you be related to her?" she asked. Kaoru thought for a moment then let out a soft sigh.

"It's just the fact that I feel more attached to this whole situation than I should be. If I'm related to her then it gives some credibility to the fact that I'm here since she's not. I'm supposed to help put a stop to this and if I can…I want to give you your mortality back." Kaoru confessed. She watched as Tomoe's eyes went wide.

"Kaoru…what makes…what makes you think that might be possible?" she asked. Kaoru swallowed as she wondered what to tell the woman. She really didn't want to tell her that she had been able to communicate with the other Kaoru. She was sure it would only hurt her friend.

"Let's just say I have a hunch." she responded. Tomoe let out a soft laugh, with no mirth, as she leaned back in her chair.

"A hunch? You're going to stake you're life on a hunch?!" she exclaimed. Kaoru shrugged her shoulders with a cheeky smile.

"Let's call it a really strong hunch." Kaoru responded. Tomoe let out another sigh and opened her mouth to respond. She never got a chance as the door opened to reveal Kenshin and Aoshi standing there. Kenshin looked distinctly unhappy and if Kaoru looked closely enough she was sure she could see mirth shining in Aoshi's gaze.

"You didn't find us as fast as I thought you would, Kenshin. You're getting rusty." Tomoe teased. Kenshin scowled and the flash of gold in his eyes told Kaoru that he was agitated.

"I didn't know I was looking for you until Saitou called and rubbed it in my face that he knew where you and Kaoru were! Dammit, Tomoe! How am I supposed to protect you if you won't tell me where you're going?!" he exploded. Kaoru stood there blinking only to jump as Tomoe started to laugh. That was not the response she had been expecting from the other woman.

"Kenshin, calm down. I knew better than to ask you to accompany us. Especially with how you interact with Saito. It's why I asked Aoshi to meet us here. Do you honestly think I'd put Kaoru in danger?" she asked. Kaoru winced as she wondered if the woman was still poking at the bear.

"I don't know what to think anymore, Tomoe! You keep taking risks like this with Miss Kaoru and I would say that you're trying to tempt fate!" he growled back.

"What would you know, Kenshin?! Do you think you're the only one that cares?" Tomoe stood from her seat as anger started to color her cheeks. Kaoru realized that things were going to escalate quickly if she didn't stop it immediately.

"I know you care but you have started taking chances that I can't condone! You'll get her killed!" he snapped. Tomoe's jaw clenched and Kaoru knew it was time to step in.

"That's enough, both of you. I'm fine, Kenshin. We're in city hall with hundreds of police officers as well as Aoshi. We were perfectly safe. I'm sorry we didn't tell you where we were going but we agreed it was for the best that you didn't run into this Saitou character. It's obvious he called you just to irritate you. Please calm down." Kaoru told him. She met Kenshin's eyes only to bite back a sigh of relief when the man nodded.

"I apologize, Kenshin. I should've told you where we were going as well as the fact Aoshi would be with us." Tomoe spoke up. He nodded before giving her a small smile. Kaoru bit back another sigh of relief. She was just glad the two weren't fighting each other as it looked like they were going to only a few moments ago.

"I return that apology, Tomoe. I overreacted." he responded. Kaoru smiled as they both looked at her. She just shrugged as she continued to watch them.

She wasn't fond of Kyoto. She hated the way people looked at each other and the way they looked the other direction when people needed help. She also hated the way it seemed to throw Tomoe into memories it was obvious the woman didn't want to remember. She had tried so hard to convince her foster sister to abandon the idea of visiting Kyoto to see where Akira had died but the woman had been stubborn.

'Stubborn. That's the nice way of putting it. Her stubbornness has also led us to this…this is a bar, right? Ugh…this alcohol stinks. How can she drink this?' she thought as she looked at the cup in her hands. She glanced up only to sigh as Tomoe downed another cup. Kaoru had heard of drowning one's sorrows in alcohol but she had never thought Tomoe would be one of those people.

"Need someone to take you home, missy?" Kaoru scowled as a man attempted to hit on Tomoe. She slammed her hands on the table which caught Tomoe's would be pursuer's attention.

"I've gotten it taken care of sir. Please leave us alone." she requested. The man growled and reached for her arm. His fingers had barely brushed her arms before Kaoru had flipped him onto the floor. She hated having to fight but she wasn't going to let anyone bully her. "I said leave us alone. We're leaving now, anyway. Come on, Tomoe. Don't forget your umbrella."

She waited for the woman to grab her umbrella and watched as she stumbled slightly out of the bar. She followed her friend only to sigh as it started raining. She blinked as Tomoe covered her with the umbrella.

"Thank you, Kaoru. I'm sorry I've been so much trouble these past few days. Tomorrow…tomorrow we will leave for Edo." the woman murmured. Kaoru sighed before shaking her head.

"It is okay, Tomoe. We can stay a few days more. I know you need time to heal. I just wish you wouldn't drink so much." she said. Her friend laughed as she leaned heavily on her shoulder. Kaoru continued to grin before freezing as she heard something rattle. She turned her head only to gasp as something went whooshing past her face. She was surprised to find a dagger embedded in the ground. She turned, with Tomoe still leaning heavily on her, to see a man standing behind them with a sadistic grin on his face.

"Tell me where the Battousai is and I may let you live." the attacker growled. Kaoru blinked in confusion.

"Battousai? I have no idea what you're talking about!" she cried. She knew she wouldn't be able to defend against the man. She could see the weapon at his side and knew he could easily overpower and kill her. Unbidden, the image of the soldier she and Tomoe had met earlier that day, met and fed at her insistence, came to mind. She shook her head to clear her mind.

"Battousai….he killed him! I would never…protect…monster…" Kaoru looked at Tomoe in astonishment. She wanted to know how Tomoe knew had killed Akira but knew that was a question for when they weren't face imminent death.

"See?! You do know him! Where is he?" the man growled as he pulled his sword. Kaoru took a step back as more men appeared with swords drawn. Tomoe giggled as she moved away from Kaoru to glare at their attackers.

"If I knew, he would be dead!" Tomoe snapped. Kaoru wanted to slap the woman as she was only affirming their belief that they knew the legendary assassin.

"She's drunk! She doesn't know anything about him. Please leave us alone!" Kaoru said.

"If you won't tell us willingly, chickadee, we will make you sing with the edge of our blades!" Kaoru took a step back, wondering how to get herself and Tomoe out of this mess, before gasping as a blade suddenly protruded from the large man's throat. Their savior was only a flash of blue and red with blood flying everywhere. Kaoru swallowed as their savior finished the last attacker.

Her eyes went wide when she realized it was the man they had met earlier in the day. His eyes seemed to glow golden in the limited light the moon provided. She could see by the way his eyes widened that he also recognized her. They stood there in silence among the deceased attackers and the moon glinting of the sword in the man's hands.

"K-Kaoru…" she turned at the sound of Tomoe's distressed voice. She tilted her head as she wondered what was wrong with her friend. "Y-you're…you're covered…in blood."

"What?" Kaoru whispered as she looked down at her kimono. She was surprised to see that it was covered in blood. She hadn't noticed it as she had been engrossed in watching the man that had saved her. She looked up from her clothing when she heard a thud. Her eyes widened when she saw that Tomoe had fainted.

"Tomoe! Oh, this is why I told you not to drink so much." she mumbled as she knelt by the woman. She attempted to pick the woman up only to grunt as she found Tomoe's dead weight was too much for her. She glanced up as the heard footsteps. Her eyes went wide when she saw the soldier, Battousai her mind whispered, standing in front of her with his sword drawn. She had heard about how he was a shadow assassin that no one had seen. She wondered if it was because he killed the witnesses. Something in her heart, reaffirmed by the gleam in his eyes, told her he would not harm them.

"You must come with me." he told her. She swallowed before looking at Tomoe. She nodded before jumping as the sound of a sword sheathing met her ears. She moved away as he picked Tomoe up. He glanced at her before walking off once he was certain she would follow.

"Thank you for saving us." she whispered. They continued on in silence. She had the feeling he didn't talk much.

"I am sorry." he suddenly said. She had to sidestep him as he had suddenly stopped in front of her. She met his eyes, once again a deep blue, as she wondered what he was talking about.

"You saved our lives. There is nothing to apologize for." she whispered. She watched as he glanced at her kimono.

"I covered you in blood." he whispered. She remained silent for a moment before reaching out to touch his shoulder.

"It is not my blood." she responded. She watched as his eyes flashed for a moment before he nodded.

"We are going to an inn that I stay at while in Kyoto. Please leave your kimono at the tub once you change for bed. I've…I've gotten good at washing out blood." he responded. She caught up to him as he started walking again.

"You don't have to do that." she told him. He only shook his head and she had the feeling he would find a way to get hold of the kimono to wash it. She sighed before eying the bandage on his cheek. She knew the wound wasn't healing. "Alright then. As long you let me treat your wounds."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"Do you know the meaning of the word 'no'?" he asked. She giggled as she saw the exasperation in his eyes.

"Yes. I just don't like that word. Besides, someone needs to take care of you. I have the feeling we won't be allowed to leave wherever it is you're taking us for a long time. It's the least I can do as thanks for saving our lives." she told him. He sighed before looking away from her.

"You shouldn't taint your hands with blood." he whispered. She paused for a moment before letting out a sigh.

"It won't be tainting my hands. I'll be helping someone. There's a difference." she told him. She was sure he would have responded if they hadn't reached the inn he was obviously leading them to. She followed him inside only to be assaulted by the smell of smoke.

"You? You are the one I always trusted to be a gentleman." came a raspy voice. Kaoru studied the woman sitting a small table in the little kitchen. The soldier cleared his throat as he put Tomoe down on a cot she hadn't noticed.

"They're witnesses, obaa-san. I brought them here to speak with Katsura-san. I was not going to leave them in the rain." the man explained. Kaoru jumped as the woman's gaze turned on her. It was almost as scary as the man's golden gaze.

"What's wrong with your friend?" she asked.

"Ah…she drank too much." Kaoru explained as the man began to move through the door to the hallway that undoubtedly led to the rooms. The woman was currently looking over Tomoe as her friend snored lightly.

"Wait!" she called. The redhead stopped at the door. He had already pulled the curtain aside giving Kaoru a glance into the hallway. She watched as he glanced at her over his shoulder obviously waiting for her to speak.

"I never got your name." she said with a small smile. There was a pause and she wondered if he would answer.

"Battousai." he whispered. She scowled and wondered if it would be in bad taste to throw her shoe at him. She decided it would be and she had the odd feeling he'd be able to catch it before it would make contact.

"I don't want the assassin's name. I…want the soldier's name…the one who I treated to lunch this afternoon. I want his name." she told him. She noticed his shoulders tense and swallowed with a sad smile. "I'm being rude, aren't I? I'm asking for your name and I haven't even given you mine. I'm Kamiya Kaoru."

She wondered if he'd respond. As the silence spread on she realized he wasn't going to answer her. She let out a soft sigh as she decided to ask the old woman once he was out of earshot. She'd need clean clothes from her anyway so getting a name out of her wouldn't be hard.

"Himura. Himura Kenshin." her eyes widened as she turned back to look at him. He still had the curtain pulled back but he was looking at her. She smiled at him before tilting her head.

"Thank you once again for saving our lives, Kenshin-san. I'll leave my kimono by the wash basin like you told me." she said. He nodded before disappearing through the door. Kaoru turned to the old woman, who had taken her spot back at the table, when she chuckled.

"That's the most I've seen him interact with someone. You're changing him." she said. Kaoru shrugged her shoulders with a small smile.

"Humans change."

Kaoru's eyes snapped open and she found herself staring up at the ceiling of her bedroom in the Aoiya. She knew what she had just seen had been a memory. It was different from the first memory she'd had. Instead, it had felt as though she was there instead of an observer. She sat up as she put a hand to her head. She realized with a start that she could still feel the cloth of Kenshin's gi beneath her hand and smell the alcohol Tomoe had been drinking that night.

"White plum sake." Kaoru whispered. She shook her head before jumping as the other Kaoru appeared suddenly. She realized, with a sick feeling, that the woman was more transparent than she had been.

"What's going on?" Kaoru asked.

"I'm allowing the soul to merge. It will take a few days but the memories will come. I'm so sorry." the ghost whispered. Kaoru's expression must have given away her confusion. "You will have to relive our death and all the emotions attached to it."

"Relive my death?"

"Who are you talking to? What do you mean "relive your death", Miss Kaoru?" Kaoru's eyes cut to her door only to widen in surprise as Kenshin was standing there with a pained expression on his face. She wasn't sure how to explain what was happening before gasping as Kaoru jumped her. Pain seared her stomach and she looked down only for her eyes to widen when she saw blood. Her world began to spin as she slumped forward.

"KAORU! NO!"

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