Shorter update but an update nonetheless! Please review! They give me motivation!
"I don't like this, Tomoe. It feels like a trap. Why are we suddenly agreeing to their terms?" Kenshin said as he watched Tomoe move around her room at the Aoiya.
"It is undoubtedly a trap. They said if we don't agree to what they want, they'll kill her. I am not going to let that happen. Kaoru saved my life when Yumi tried to kill me. I'm going to do everything possible to save hers." Tomoe told him as she turned towards him. He met her eyes.
"I am not protesting the fact that we must rescue Kaoru. You know I would do it by myself if possible. My concern is that they have required we meet them in our old clothes. The clothes we died in. Shishio knows how each and every one of us died with you as the exception." he told her. Tomoe sighed as she crossed her arms into the sleeves of the kimono she had just changed into. The kimono she had been wearing when she had taken her heart. Kenshin glanced down at his own gi and hakama that he had nearly died in on the battlefield. He frowned at the memories the outfit brought before looking back up at Tomoe as she began to speak.
"It was part of their terms, Kenshin. They told Aoshi they would not make the trade unless we were all there and dressed in the clothes we died in. I know the cautious part of you is protesting and I am asking that part to trust me for just a little bit longer. Long enough to save Kaoru." Tomoe whispered. He sighed before stepping into her room.
"And what will we do without you, Tomoe? You may not believe it but you are the glue that keeps this group together." he told her. She smiled at him before shaking her head.
"Kaoru will be able to do that. She'll be able to take my place. And when she does, perhaps, just perhaps, you and her will find the key to Shishio's defeat. In the grand scheme, sacrificing myself is a small price to pay to save the world, agreed?" she asked.
"It is not a small price but a steep one. There is a way to save Kaoru and keep you safe at the same time. Of that I am sure. Kaoru would not agree with such a trade. You know that." he told her.
"The Kaoru of the past, perhaps. But this Kaoru does not know me nearly as well. So, tell me, Kenshin, of which Kaoru do you speak?" she asked. He narrowed his eyes at her before also crossing his arms.
"I speak of Kaoru. There is no distinction. Kaoru is Kaoru and she would not want you to make such a sacrifice for her. And that is what it is. You believe it will also save the world but you are wrong. Let me go alone with Aoshi. We can find her and bring her back safely." Kenshin told her.
"No, Kenshin. We have no time. If we wait any longer they will kill her. If I don't go with you they will know. They know they have us trapped. All we can do is wait for them to call with a location to meet. We have no other choices, Kenshin, unless you have an idea of where they may be hiding her." she said.
"This is a trap, Tomoe." he repeated. She smiled at him before approaching. He closed his eyes as she gently covered his scarred cheek with her hand.
"As I've already said: it is undoubtedly a trap, dear friend. One I will gladly walk into for Kaoru. Have you noticed? Since she returned to us, your scar does not look as angry as it once did. You have finally begun to live again. It is my turn to protect your happiness." she told him. His eyes opened as he attempted to formulate a response. He was not going to let her sacrifice herself if there was a way to prevent it.
"Tomoe! Kenshin!" he jumped as Misao ran into the room. He was slightly taken aback when he saw that she was dressed in her old Oniwanbanshuu uniform.
"Is everyone ready, Misao? Have we been notified of Kaoru's whereabouts?" Tomoe asked. Misao grinned at her as she shook her head.
"No, and we don't need it! Aoshi decided to track Kaoru's cellphone. We got a hit! We're not sure if she still has it since she hasn't tried to call us but we have a pretty solid location. It looks like they're holding her in or near the abandoned town of Otsu just outside the city limits." Misao told them. Kenshin glanced at Tomoe to see her face showed the shock he felt. He turned his gaze back to Misao and she seemed to read the shock on his face. "We've checked it three times. That's where her cellphone is at. I don't know if that's where she's at but that is where it is at."
"Then she has to be nearby. There isn't another town for at least fifty miles." Tomoe whispered. Misao nodded before frowning.
"That's true but there is a nearby port where ships will unload so they don't have to come to the busier Kyoto ports. They'll unload onto the trucks and the trucks will bring the load into the city. If they found the phone on Kaoru, which they probably did, and tossed it out then there is the distinct possibility they've got her on a boat somewhere in the ocean." Misao pointed out. Kenshin shook his head with a frown.
"No, someone had this planned out. Someone knows or someone told Shishio about the significance of Otsu." he said with a scowl.
"Significance of Otsu?" Misao asked. Kenshin glanced at Tomoe when she sighed. He could see the tears in her eyes and wondered how much Shishio knew of what had happened. He also wanted to know who had told the other hitokiri because the only two people, outside of Kaoru, who could have told him had died a long time ago. Kenshin also doubted that Kaoru had told them as they kidnapped her about what happened in the small town.
"Otsu is the town we lived near when Kaoru passed away." Tomoe informed the female ninja. Misao sighed as she leaned against the doorway.
"Right. That sounds like something Shishio would do. What do you want to do? Do we go there to find her?" Misao asked. Kenshin glanced at Tomoe when the woman didn't answer immediately.
"Tomoe?" he whispered. She looked at him with sad eyes making him swallow. He hadn't seen those eyes for a very long time.
"What if they find out we know where she is, Kenshin? They could kill her before we get to her." she told him. He moved close to place his hands on her shoulders once more. He gave her a small smile which caused her to furrow her brow at him.
"If we let fear paralyze us now then we won't save her. We will be giving into them, Tomoe, and you will be forced into a sacrifice that you do not have to make. We cannot let that fear paralyze us. A rescues mission always needs a hero, Tomoe. Kaoru needs a hero. She needs us." he told her. She studied him before nodding with a smile.
"Yes. You're right. We can't wait any longer. Misao, go tell Aoshi to have the car ready in ten minutes. We're going to Otsu to bring Kaoru home." Tomoe said. Misao gave a small cheer before disappearing through the doorway. Kenshin stepped away from her and moved towards the doorway to follow suit. "Kenshin, wait."
"Hmm?" he inquired as he turned back towards her.
"Why wouldn't you let me protect your happiness by myself?" she asked. Kenshin chuckled as he tilted his head.
"You don't understand, do you? You are part of my happiness, Tomoe. All of our friends are part of that happiness. Yes, Kaoru is a large part of it but so are you. If you weren't there when I needed you I would have never been able to meet her again." he told her. He watched as her cheeks flushed slightly. "You've protected my happiness for a very long time, Tomoe."
"I'm glad, Kenshin. I'm glad that we've found her again." she whispered. He nodded with a smile as before glancing at her kimono.
"You can change out of that. No one's going to die today. Not on our side. Not if I can help it." he told her. She raised an eyebrow as she glanced at the sword hanging from his belt. Her brow furrowed when she realized she recognized the sword from a time before the war had ended.
"Kenshin, that is not your sakabatou. Why are you carrying that sword?" she demanded. He glanced at her briefly before looking away. "Kenshin, you cannot kill. You made a vow."
"I also made a vow to protect Kaoru." he responded. Tomoe shook her head with a scowl.
"You can protect her without killing. Isn't that what you told me all those years ago when you first received the sakabatou? You said there is a way to protect your loved ones without killing." she told him. He turned to look at her as he shook his head.
"I've lost her once, Tomoe, I cannot do it again. I will do everything in my power to protect her. If that means killing Shishio then so be it." he whispered.
"No. This is not Kenshin Himura talking. This is Hitokiri Battousai talking. Listen to me, Kenshin. You have protected and helped thousands of people over the years with only the sakabatou. Trust in me, Aoshi, Misao, Yahiko, and Sanosuke to help you protect Kaoru. Trust in Megumi to heal her if she does get hurt. Believe in your friends, Kenshin. The reason you had to kill all those years ago is because you didn't have us. You do now. Do not give up on us by taking up the katana instead of the sakabatou." she told him. He studied her for a minute then looked down at his sword. He slowly slid it from his belt before holding it out to Tomoe. She stepped forward and took it from him.
"I apologize." he whispered. She shook her head as she held the sword to her chest.
"There's no reason to apologize, Kenshin. We all have someone we would return to the madness of the war for." she told him.
"'Madness of the war'?" he repeated quizzically.
"Yes. If you fought with the intent to kill again, Kenshin, can you truly say you would not return to that time? To the time when you lost her the first time? To the time when you had to allow killing to become a habit to survive?" she asked. He studied her for a moment before shaking his head.
"You're right, Tomoe. I can't say that." he told her. He wasn't sure how long they stood in silence before she cleared her throat.
"Go get the sakabatou, Kenshin, so we can save Kaoru." she told him. He nodded before glancing down at their clothes.
"And our clothes? It would probably draw less attention if we changed." he pointed out. She shook her head with a small smirk.
"No. Let's stay dressed like this. We can make them think we're playing into their hand, right? That way we'll have a slight upper hand when we rescue her." she said with a grin. He chuckled as he shook his head.
"It seems dangerous, Tomoe. They know how we all died." he pointed out.
"That is why only four of us are going to save her. Aoshi, Misao, you, and I will be the only ones making this journey. We will be the hardest ones to kill as they must know, exactly, what the killing blow was. They only know you died from injuries received during battle. The only thing anyone knows about Misao's and Aoshi's deaths is that they were shot. It's dangerous, yes, but I would say the odds are in our favor." she told him. He shook his head at her with a grin.
"Very well. I will go grab my sakabatou. Thank you for reminding me why I have it." he told her. She nodded before winking.
"I will always be here to remind you. At least until we get Kaoru back so she can knock some sense into you." she told him. He rolled his eyes before leaving the room. 'I will never let you forget the vow you made not to kill. It is what truly brought you back from the brink of insanity that losing Kaoru sent you to.'
Tomoe was sitting on a log on the side of the road as she waited for Kenshin to return from whatever last minute errand he insisted he had to run in Kyoto. He had told her was going to wander Japan to see who he could help without killing in order to atone for the lives he took during the war. Tomoe had insisted she travel with him as she was unsure how she could return home when she no longer had a heart. She was still unsure about the powers the dagger contained, but she knew because of them she no longer belonged anywhere. Except with the man who now shared her fate. Himura Kenshin.
'Although, if he takes much longer I'm going to be tempted to see if he can truly dodge anything.' she thought as she eyed a particularly heavy looking rock. She knew her aim wasn't great but she had the feeling it could be to her advantage. She looked up as she heard footsteps approaching. She climbed to her feet when she recognized Kenshin's red hair only to frown when she saw he was holding a sword. They had buried the blades he had once used so that he would never use them again.
"Kenshin-san, what is that?! You said you would no longer kill! You swore to me in front of Kaoru's grave!" she snapped once he was in hearing range. He looked up at the sound of her face and immediately began to shake his head.
"No, Tomoe-san! Shakku-dono gave me this sword to use on our journey. Here, look." he said as he held the hilt out towards her. She frowned at him, displeased that he even had the thing in his possession, as she reached out to draw the sword. Her eyes went wide once the blade was released from its sheath.
"The blade! It's...reversed!" she whispered. She glanced at Kenshin and he nodded.
"It's called a sakabatou. It won't cut anything when I use it. That means it won't kill anyone, either. I...I can protect people using my swordsmanship instead of killing." he told her. Tomoe sighed before nodding as she handed him the sword.
"I understand, Kenshin. I apologize for overreacting. I should know you wouldn't break your vow. Not after what you've seen." she whispered. He shook his head as he sheathed the new sword and slid the sheath into his belt.
"I understand, Tomoe-san. I know, at the very least, you will make sure I keep my vow and for that I am thankful." he responded. She tilted her head as she studied him.
"Do you think you'll be tempted to break your vow?" she asked softly. He swallowed as he met her eyes.
"I don't know. I want to say no but I'm unsure. If I'm told that the only way to save someone important to me is to kill another person...I'm not sure I would hesitate." he confessed.
"I think you would, Kenshin, for one simple reason." she told him.
"What reason is that?" he asked.
"You did not fight in this war to gain notoriety or power. You fought to make a better world for people. That is why I believe when faced with the choice to kill or not to kill, you will not kill. You will find a way to save whoever is in danger without killing. The sakabatou will assure that." she told him. He furrowed his brow before looking away from her.
"There is still a sharp blade, Tomoe-san. I can turn my blade and kill again." he whispered. She shook her head as she took a step towards him.
"No, you won't." she whispered.
"How do you know?" he asked.
"Because it would be a conscious decision that a killer would make. You're not a killer, Kenshin, despite your actions. You have a good soul. Only a pure soul could love as much as you and mourn as deeply as you do. I know that because I saw how much you loved Kaoru and how much you mourned her. You will not make the conscious choice to kill again. Of that I am sure." she told him.
"Why do you have so much faith in me?" he asked. She smiled at him.
"Because Kaoru-chan had faith in you. That is enough for me." she whispered. He looked at her stunned and she turned away from to look down the road. "Let's go."
"Thank you."
"I still don't understand how Shishio could have found out about the significance of Otsu, Tomoe. You and Kenshin didn't tell any of us about it and even if you had I know none of us would have told him." Misao said from the passenger seat of the car as Aoshi turned onto the road that would lead them out of Kyoto and towards Otsu.
"I'm not sure, Misao. That is not our concern at this point. We need to save Kaoru first and then worry about how he got this information later." Tomoe said from the backseat before she looked over at Kenshin. He was currently looking through the window as the city slowly faded away only to be replaced trees. Tomoe looked down so see that the sakabatou was resting in his lap and his hands were clenched tightly around the sheath. She slowly reached out to place a gentle hand over his white knuckles. She met his eyes as he turned to look at her.
"We will save her, Kenshin. We both know how stubborn Kaoru is." she told him. He smiled at her before nodding.
"You're right. I wouldn't be surprised to find that Shishio has already been defeated once we get there. Kaoru doesn't like being told what she has to do and I feel as though being held captive falls into that category." he said. She nodded with a small smile.
"Oh, look! There's stairs leading up that hill!" Misao interrupted excitedly. "There must be a shrine up there! I haven't seen stairs like that since before World War II!"
"Stop the car!" Kenshin ordered. Aoshi immediately pulled over and Tomoe looked at Kenshin questioningly. He looked at her with a smile that almost broke her heart. She began to shake her head as realization dawned on her.
"It can't be. That shrine was in disrepair when we found it, Kenshin. There's no way it's still up there. Besides, we're here to find and save Kaoru." she said. He chuckled before opening his door and stepping out. "Kenshin! Get back in here!"
"Tomoe, I can't explain it but something is telling me to go up there." he said as he stuck his head back into the car. Tomoe scowled as he shut the door before climbing out herself after she told Aoshi to keep the car running.
"Kenshin! What are you doing?! There's not going to be anything up there! It's probably completely overgrown! We are wasting time!" she called as she followed him up the stairs. He turned to look at her as he crossed his arms into his sleeves.
"I know this is silly, Tomoe, but something is telling me that this shrine is the key to saving Kaoru from Shishio." he told her. She rolled her eyes as he began to climb the steps.
"Unless you hid some grand weapon up here when I wasn't looking I'm not sure how going to this shrine will help. Are you sure this feeling isn't connected to the fact this was the shrine you and Kaoru got married at?" she demanded.
"Then perhaps Kaoru is showing me the way! I'll apologize if I'm wrong." he said. She didn't respond and continued to follow him. She was breathing heavily once they reached the top of the stairs only to blink as she realized someone, dressed in a familiar blue kimono, was already standing at the shrine.
"Kaoru?!" Kenshin cried. Tomoe looked at him surprise before turning back to the figure in front of the shrine. Her eyes widened as Kaoru was staring at them in surprise.
"Kenshin? Tomoe?!" the younger girl cried when she saw them standing at the top of the steps that led to the shrine.
"Kaoru, are you alright?! You're covered in blood!" Tomoe exclaimed when she noticed the blood standing the obi and lower abdomen of the kimono. Her eyes went even wider when she finally realized why she recognized the kimono. It was the one Kaoru had been wearing when she died so long ago.
"I'm fine. What?!" Kaoru gasped as she looked down at her clothing. Tomoe saw confusion and realization in Kaoru's eyes as the girl looked at the clothing. Tomoe had the distinct feeling that Kaoru had not been wearing the kimono until recently. She also had the feeling she had not been hurt until recently.
"Kaoru, what happened?!" Kenshin demanded as the girl reached down to touch the blood. Kaoru looked up at him confused before beginning to sway.
"I don't know." she managed to whisper before collapsing. Tomoe watched as Kenshin dashed forward to catch the woman before her head hit the ground.
"Is she okay?" Tomoe asked as she moved towards them. Kenshin looked up at her with a small nod.
"Her pulse is strong and there doesn't seem to be a wound. Look, the fabric is torn where the blood seems to have originated but there isn't a wound or scar on the skin beneath it." he said as he moved the fabric so she could see Kaoru's skin beneath the torn kimono. She met Kenshin's eyes when he looked up in response to her sigh.
"Kenshin, you have to recognize the kimono she's wearing." she whispered. Kenshin looked back at the woman he was holding before his eyes widened.
"That's...that's the kimono...how is this possible?!" he demanded. Tomoe shook her head as she continued to study the unconscious woman.
"I don't know but we should leave. She's obviously escaped and I'm sure they're looking for her." Tomoe said as she climbed to her feet. Kenshin nodded in agreement as he stood with Kaoru in his arms.
"You're here, sister." Tomoe felt her eyes widen at the voice. She slowly turned away from the stairs that she and Kenshin had been moving towards. Her eyes widened at the large man that was standing near the trees. Even though he had grown since she last saw him, she was able to identify him immediately.
"Enishi?" she whispered.
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