See chapters 1-2 for disclaimers and acknowledgements
~*~*~
Chapter 3
"You can live your life lonely, heavy as stone
Live your life learning, and working alone
Say this is all you want,
But I don't believe that it's true
Because when you least expect it,
Waiting around the corner for you,
Love comes quickly whatever you do"
The Pet Shop Boys, "Love Comes Quickly"
This boy...why did he seem so familiar to her? She
found herself staring at him over the library table yet
again, and had to consciously tell herself to stop. Although
she was sure he had noticed, he didn't seem to mind too
much. When he caught her, he would just smile sweetly and
silently go back to his work.
It was weird that an American boy spoke and wrote so
well in Japanese. When she questioned him about it he had
blushed scarlet. He explained that a friend of his back home
had collected anime and had insisted that he take Japanese
with him at their old high school. Kaori had raised an
eyebrow at that, but kept silent.
Despite that bit of weirdness, they sat in
companionable silence, with only an occasional question
asked between them. The time seemed to pass more quickly
then normal, and all too soon it was time to return to
class.
They gathered their things, and made their way back to
the classroom. Many of the girls glared at her as she walked
in the door. She ignored them, and walked directly back to
her seat and sat down.
She tried very hard to pay complete attention to her
lessons, but she found herself sneaking glances at him
again. She needed to stop that. She didn't need anymore
dirty looks shot at her back. None of them would ever get
into a physical fight with her- she was the captain of the
Kendo club after all. She knew quite well how to use her
bokken, but if it came down to it, she didn't really need
it. Kaori sighed quietly to herself. She really didn't have
the faintest clue why they didn't like her. It really didn't
matter. Kaori forced herself to dive into her lesson and
forget about everything else.
~*~*~
From his seat two rows away, Kevin let his eyes slide
her way again. It was her, it had to be. She looked almost
exactly the same, except for the bleached red highlights in
her hair. And her name was Kaori. The names were so
similar...
When he learned that she was the captain of the Kendo
club, it only served to reinforce his impression.
When they had returned from the library, and re-
entered the classroom, he was shocked to feel the distinct
presence of fighting ki. He watched Kaori walk quietly to
her desk, the eyes of many of the other girls in the
classroom following her, and their expressions went from
mild annoyance to bitter hatred. Whatever the case, it was
obvious that Kaori was not well liked among her peers.
Kevin could only wonder why. Lost in thought, he
almost jumped when the lunch bell rang. Almost. He was about
to get out of his seat to talk to Kaori, when a crowd of his
female classmates surrounded his desk. His listened politely
to introductions, and equally politely, if even somewhat
coolly, he declined offers of after school tea, and homework
help. As he tried to escape it seemed that they only crowded
closer, as if trying to imprison him.
He floundered helplessly in the throng for a few
minutes, until Nicky stepped up, her eyes glowing weirdly.
"Excuse me girls, but he's coming with me!" Grabbing
him by the arm, she jerked him out of the crowd. He found
himself being carried off, out of the classroom and down the
hall. As soon as they located a place that was somewhat
empty, Nicky began the drilling.
"You didn't say anything weird to her did you?" Nicky
instantly asked.
"No!" Nicky's accusing tone caught him off guard. "No,
all she did was give me a bunch of books to study, explain
them a bit, and then we came back to class. I didn't really
get a chance to say anything."
"Well that's a start. Are you sure it's her?"
"I'm certain. She looks just like her, and her name is
Kaori- too close to be a coincidence."
"I hope you're right. Makes my job that much easier
for a change. I'm sure The Guy Upstairs is gonna throw us a
few curve balls along the way, because that's just how It
works. But so far so good! Did you learn anything else about
her?"
"She's the captain of the Kendo Club. I guess she's
the first female captain they've ever had."
"Are you going to join?" she asked pointedly.
"What?" Join? Why would he do that?
"Are you going to join the Kendo Club?" Nicky
repeated, irritated.
"Why?" He asked, slightly confused.
Nicky smacked her forehead. "Because," Nicky began,
her voice showing her frustation "you will be able to learn
more about her, to help you determine if she is the one?
Perhaps get to know her better, if she is?"
Kevin blinked for a moment before responding. "I
hadn't thought of that!...That might be a really good idea.
Would you mind if I asked you a question?"
"What's that?"
"When I first woke up this morning, my mom was
standing over me. Normally if someone came within a 10 feet
of me, my eyes would have snapped open. But when I walked
back in the classroom I felt something very near fighting ki
from some of the girls. If I didn't have my ability to sense
ki this morning, why did it come back?"
"The body you now inhabit is getting used to having
the instincts and reflexes of an ex-assassin suddenly dumped
into it. I think that you may get some of your reflexes
back, and it seems that even your ability to read ki is on
its' back as well. I doubt you'll get ALL of your old
abilities back. But I could be wrong. Think of it like a new
computer trying to load old software. It's still trying to
figure out what to do with it, before it can get anything
running properly. Understand?"
"Ano...Sort of."
"Ack. I keep forgetting that... oh, nevermind.
Everything is going as well as can be expected, and that's
what matters. Lunch is almost over, let's get back to
class."
~*~*~
The bell rang again, announcing the end of lunch.
Kaori had watched the blonde girl, Nicky, drag Kevin
unceremoniously out of the room and away from the crowd of
disappointed girls loitering around his desk. And now they
came back in, both of them returning quietly to their seats.
Nicky appeared to be American as well, perhaps she knew him
from before? Perhaps they were...? He was gorgeous, she
admitted to herself. She would be upset if a bunch of girls
were trying to ask her boyfriend out too. She normally
didn't let herself think that way because of what had
happened the last time...
Kaori shook her head sharply to clear her thoughts.
Best not to think of that anymore. She was Kevin's tutor for
two weeks tops, and after that, they'd probably never have
any reason to talk ever again. She valued her solitude, and
it looked like he was already taken.
Class passed quickly enough. She looked forward to the
end of school so that she could hand out the new uniforms
and get practice started.
Finally the bell rang signaling the end of school. She
scooped her pens, binder, and schoolbooks quickly into her
bag. Shouldering it quickly, she scooted out the door.
Halfway down the hall, a hand fell on her shoulder.
She spun quickly around, surprised. Kevin. He smiled that
same sweet smile.
"Would you mind if I came and watched you practice?"
He inquired. He's interested in Kendo? It was probably just
the obsession foreigners had with martial arts. And if his
friend had gotten him into anime...Kaori rolled her eyes.
Well, it couldn't hurt to let him watch, now could it?
"Sure. Come on, I have some things to do before
practice, so we need to hurry." She didn't want too many
people to see them together...
"I was wondering..." Kaori started as they hurried out
to the gym.
"Yes?" Kevin inquired, following a bit behind her.
"Is Nicky-san your girlfriend?" Kevin stopped in his
tracks, and stared after her for a moment.
She thinks Nicky and I...? How absurd. Well, how could
she know? Kevin shook his head in amusement.
"What's so funny?" Kaori asked, turning around and
cocking an eyebrow at his mirth.
"Dating Nicky would be like...dating my older sister.
You don't need to worry." Kevin shook his head, one side of
his mouth twitched up in a half smile.
"WORRY? Why would I worry?" Kaori snapped back at him.
Kevin waved his hands placatingly in front of him.
"Calm down, I didn't mean it that way! I'm sorry."
'But I'm glad you took it that way...' he though to himself.
They must have had this same scene a million times before.
If he wasn't sure of her identity before, he was positive
now. She had reacted exactly how Kaoru used to when Megumi
had flirted with him. A secret little smile settled itself
inside him, and life seemed so much brighter then it ever
had.
~*~*~
"So, what did you think?" Kaori asked him while she
toweled the sweat of her recent workout off her face.
"I don't think I'm any good at it at all." Kevin
looked at the shinai he held helplessly. He wasn't any good,
-anymore-. He'd NEVER been good with a shinai, having only
used them perhaps once or twice. Shishou had always had him
train with the real thing. He had to remind himself that
this body hadn't been trained as his other had. He'd been
pretty bad when he first started under Hiko as well. Hiko
had called him his baka deshi for a reason. But he had
gotten better, he reminded himself. Much, much better. He
didn't really need sword skills in this day and age, but if
he was better it would comfort him a little. It had been a
part of his life for so long...And according to Nicky, it
had been that way in all his past lives as well. He reminded
himself that his helpless feelings were a chosen state of
mind. What he had to do was look at the potential for
growth.
Kaori gave him a skeptical look "What do you mean,
you're not any good? Everything I showed you, you did
perfectly on your first try! I think you should join the
club."
"You think so?"
"Yeah! If you learn everything this fast, you could be
competing all over the country in a year! Are you -sure-
you've never done this before?"
"I've never held anything remotely resembling a sword
before in my life." The irony of that statement almost made
him laugh. He'd never held a sword in -this- life.
"I can't believe that. Anyway, are you going to join?"
"Well, if you think I'm good enough..." He let his
voice trail off.
"You're good enough. Or you will be soon. You're in.
I'll order you a uniform as quickly as I can."
"Thanks! Um...I was wondering..." He went back over
his earlier conversation with Nicky. As they'd headed back
to class, she'd given him a few tips on modern dating.
'Kevin' knew most of it, but it was like he had to be -
reminded- of it, for the information to be called forth.
'Kevin' had done what he was about to do many times.
'Kevin'had had confidence in his good looks. 'Kenshin' had
never cared.
"What is it?" Kaori smiled at him. He felt two of his
most important organs turn to putty. One was his heart. He
could go without blood for a few minutes. The other was his
brain. That on the other hand...
"Well...I was kinda wondering if...if maybe...well,
you know...if you might wanna go get a cup of coffee, or
tea, or whatever it is you drink out here, or something.
Yeah." He mentally shivered in disgust. Just put your foot
in your mouth why don't you, a voice inserted sarcasticaly
in his head.
Kaori's face froze. She shook her head, and bowed
politely. "I'm sorry, I need to get home now. I have a lot
of homework. I'll see you tomorrow at school." She
practically ran as she turned the corner, and left his
sight.
It was Kevin's turn to freeze; only his was in shock.
He knew it wasn't the most brilliant thing he could have
said, but it wasn't that bad! Or was it? Vague stirrings of
panic fluttered through him, like dry autumn leaves rustling
in the afternoon breeze.
"Oi, Hannah-san, your jaw is hanging open."
A boy his age, only shorter and wirier, stood next to
him. Yoichiro. He was a member of the Kendo club, and one of
the better ones. Kevin let his jaw snap shut, audibly so.
"What did you do, Hannah-san?"
"I didn't do anything. At least I don't think I did
anything. If I did, I don't know what it was."
"You didn't ask Myoujin "Ice Queen" Kaori out did
you?"
" 'Ice Queen' ?"
"She had some major problems with an ex-boyfriend her
freshman year. I'm not sure what he did to her, but I heard
it was -bad-. Everytime someone askes her out, she always
tells them that she has too much school work, and not enough
time."
"Do you have any idea what happened?" Kevin asked
tentatively.
Yoichiro cleared his throat, and spoke. "Well...I'm
not sure of the details, but I know he was a lot older then
her. Word was that she caught him in bed with another girl
after he went away to college. When she broke up with him
for it, he started to stalk her. Who knows what happened
after that? It's none of my business anyway."
"That's...horrible!" Kevin burst out. He wanted to
find that guy and hurt him. Dark tendrils of anger flared
inside his gut, and swam around amidst his organs. It
stirred the person he once was, even a lifetime away. Inside
his mind he could almost feel the tattered soul of the
assassin waking, one golden eye slowly sliding open. It
assessed the situation coldly, and decided it wasn't
needed...yet. The eye slid closed once more, waiting.
"I agree. Which is why I understand why she turns
everyone down. You might wanna just do yourself a favor,
Hannah-san, and quit while you're ahead. She seems to think
that she's found a great student in you. Be happy with
that."
Yoichiro strode down the hall, in the same direction
that Kaori had gone. A second later, he stuck his head back
around the corner.
"You didn't hear that from me, got it? Last thing I
need is a good beating -before- a tournament."
~*~*~
Some Notes: I've gone out of my way to make Kenshin/Kevin
and Kaoru/Kaori seem sort of OOC. After all they are
different people now, ne?
~*~*~
Chapter 4
"I can feel the discomfort in your seat,
But in you head it's worse.
There's a pain, a famine in your heart,
An aching to be free... Can't you see?
All love's luxuries are here for you and me"
Depche Mode, "Halo"
Kaori leaned up against the slippery tile of the
shower, as the too hot water poured over her. It slicked her
hair to her body and her face, before falling in a rush to
the drain below. The noise of the water was comforting to
her; it drowned out the sound of her sobs.
"Endless rain, fall on my heart, kokoro no kisuni, let
me forget all of the hate, all of the sadness...*" she sang
quietly to herself. This song always comforted her when
nothing else could.
Why did that boy upset her so much? But most of all,
why did he seem so familiar to her? Normally when she turned
a guy down for a date it wasn't anything to her. She was
just protecting herself. But this time...
She felt like she had some kind of connection to him,
as if he had been a very good friend from a long time ago.
He looked hurt and confused as she had turned to leave, that
expression somehow twisting a knife in her heart that she
hadn't known was there.
She hated that expression. After getting away from
him, she let herself cry, although she didn't really know
why she was crying. Was it for her, or for Kevin?
She shouldn't be crying for herself anymore. Crying
made her feel better, but it didn't really change anything.
Nothing could change what had happened, especially not
crying. She let herself sink into a ball, and the water ran
over her. She stayed there until the hot water ran out, and
turned ice cold.
The freezing water sent her sputtering out of the
shower to the safety of a fluffy warm bath towel. After
briskly drying herself and donning her robe, she padded
barefoot down the hallway and returned to her room. Through
her open window, the sky was lit dusky blue and purple and
was sprinkled with wayward clouds, still stained pink and
red with the remnants of the sun. A few brave little stars
had begun to peek out from under their soft night blanket
blinking their eyes sleepily as they prepared for their long
night.
Such romantic metaphors, Kaori thought to herself. She
didn't have time for anything like that. She had schoolwork,
and she had Kendo practice, whether it be for Kendo club or
for her family's old Kenjitsu school. He parents sometimes
swore that she was born with a bokken in her hand. That
always made her smile.
Born for the sword... That made her think of Kevin
again. He had taken to Kendo like ducks take to water. He
swore that he'd had never held a sword of any kind- wooden
or otherwise- in his life. But there was a faint smile
behind that statement, as if there was more to it then he
was saying. His grips, stances, and swings were all perfect.
She had only had show him things once and he'd absorb them
perfectly, as quickly as she could snap her fingers.
Later, she'd had him spar with one of the better
members. Her first true shock came when she realized how
fast he was. His only real problem was that he handled the
shinai as though he was used to something heavier. What that
something heavier would have been, she chose not speculate
on. Besides that small over-balance, she'd think that he'd
been practicing for years.
Kaori shook her head roughly to clear away such
wayward thoughts. She had a long night of homework ahead of
her and she needed to be able to concentrate.
~*~*~
Later that evening, Kevin sat cross-legged on the
floor of his bedroom while a flustered and indignant Nicky
ranted away from her perch on his bed.
"What did you do to make her scream and run away from
you?" Nicky huffed indignantly. No wonder his master had
called him baka deshi. He was dumb after all.
"She didn't scream!" Kevin replied hotly "She
just...ran." He finished lamely.
"Oh so she just RAN, he says! When someone runs from
you, that means that they are scared. You of ALL people
should know what it means when people run from you. I'm sure
people used to run from you all the time! Are you on crack?"
She was so baffled she couldn't think of anything else to
say.
After a moment of silence, she asked tiredly "What did
you say to her?"
"I just asked her if she wanted to get coffee!" His
voice rose in pitch defensively, and his reply came out
almost as a squeak.
"And nothing else?" Nicky added, threateningly.
"No, nothing at all! However, one of the other guys
from the Kendo club said that she got burned pretty bad by
an ex-boyfriend."
"Well then, it might not be you, even as unsmooth as
you are." Nicky stated dryly with one eyebrow arched nearly
into her hairline. "And another thing! How can you wear
those jeans?"
Kevin looked down at the pair of jeans he was wearing
curiously. "What's wrong with them?" he asked innocently,
his face quizzical.
"What's wrong with them? They're HUGE!!" Nicky spread
her arms wide, as if to indicate their size.
Kevin smiled pleasantly at Nicky's pole-axed
expression. "Wearing these raver jeans is like wearing a
hakama again. They fit about the same."
Nicky plucked at the cuff, and pulled it taut around
his ankle. "That's gotta be around 32 inches... I never
thought of it that way. That's all completely beside the
point, back to Kaori. What are we going to do?"
Kevin shook his head helplessly. "I really don't know.
Just wait and hope for the best?"
"You know, I think that's all you can do at this
point. Out-wait the enemy and all that rubbish. Anyway, my
friend, I need to dematerialize for a while. Even Heavenly
Guides need rest sometimes." She winked at him. "Don't worry
sweetie, we'll figure something out. I haven't failed a
mission yet!" With that, Nicky snapped her fingers and
disappeared in a picturesque cloud of smoke.
Kevin sighed, and lay back on his bedroom floor, his
hands clasped beneath his head. Life was never easy, was it?
This whole thing was so strange to him. The entirely
new world, and an entirely new life. Everything was so
fascinating! Thanks to Kevin's memories he knew all about
the world he lived in now, but that didn't steal the sense
of wonder he felt.
Music. He needed thinking music. For some reason he
seemed to function better now when there was music on. He
examined his collection, amazed by its sheer size. Kevin
hadn't just liked shoes. He liked CDs too. Most of it was
80's British pop, with some gothic dark wave and industrial
peppering the mix. It was strange to think that all of this
was -his-.
Kevin's clothes suited him just fine- big worn raver
jeans, ancient and soft pairs of cotton and wool slacks in
somber colors like gray, navy and black. All of the shirts
were loose, some brightly colored, some not. It was his
shoes he didn't like. After a careful inspection of the shoe
collection, he discovered something wonderful- a pair of
worn-in leather fisherman sandals, which you HAD to wear
with socks. Right up his alley.
It was odd though; this time didn't seem as foreign as
he thought it would. When he'd seen a car this morning he'd
nearly jumped out of his skin. But on the way home he didn't
even notice them at all.
He sighed and looked at his desk where his books were
stacked. He had homework to do. He'd better get started, if
he wanted to get to bed at a decent hour. But first he had
to have music. Once again he examined his CD tower and
settled on Once Upon a Time, by Siouxie and the Banshees.
Time to start, Pre-Calc was waiting.
Only 20 minutes later a knock at his bedroom door
interrupted him. His mother poked her head in and looked
briefly around.
"Kevin, sweetie, what are you doing?"
"My Pre-Calc. This stuff is hard!" He threw his pencil
down in frustration. "I need a calculator..."
"Kevin I didn't even know you knew how to do
Calculus!" Shock was evident on his mother's pretty face.
Kevin looked at his mother. It was so wonderful to
have a mother to worry about him. He didn't remember his
other mother...she had died when he was very young. It was
also nice to look at her, and see some of his own features.
Currently her purple eyes, which were so like his, were
etched with worry.
"So did you have a good day at school then?" Worry
turned into surprise gradually.
"Yeah, actually I did. I joined the Kendo club, and I
met this really pretty girl too. I asked her out, but she
turned me down. I'm gonna keep trying though. Her name is
Kaori, she's the kendo club's captain."
"Wow, sweetie, that's wonderful! I'm going to leave
you to your homework. Study hard!" She gave him a thumbs up.
"I will, mom."
His mom shut the door, and walked slowly down the
stairs to where her husband sat in his favorite leather
chair watching TV in the family room.
"Honey, I just had a weird experience."
"What's that, Jenice?" Her husband asked without
turning his eyes from the TV, the glare shining off his
glasses in the dark.
"Kevin was doing his homework." Jenice replied,
deadpan.
"He was actually doing homework? I wonder how badly
they threatened him at school." Sarcasm dripped off the
statement, like water off an oil-slicked surface.
"And he actually joined a school based athletic club
too."
"That I don't believe."
"He did! Well, he told me he did. And he told me about
a girl he was interested in too."
"KEVIN?? Interested in GIRLS? I never thought that
would happen! I'll believe that when he brings her home, and
we actually meet her."
"I'm willing to believe it, just because I've always
wanted him to be normal. Not that there's anything wrong
with being gay, but...."
"Well as long as he's actually doing his school work
I'll support him in whatever else he does!"
"We can only hope for the best."
~*~*~
Later that night-
Moujin Kaori slept, and in sleeping, dreamt. In her
mind's eye, she saw a pretty red-haired man. He smiled at
her, and did her laundry. He was a poor man, but was happy
with his life. They all wanted to be like him.
*They?*
Yes, her and the rest of her family. None of them were
related by blood, but they all were her family, regardless.
Although everyone's faces blurred together, she felt the
love there.
Who was this red-haired man and why did he stand out?
It couldn't be simply that he was beautiful- although he
most certainly was. His red hair was long and glossy; she
was certain that it was as soft and fine as the hair babies
had on their head's when they were born. His purple eyes
were velvet soft too- and they were earnest in whatever they
expressed, weather it be joy, sadness, or the most extreme
anger-
*No, that wasn't right. When he was very angry, his eyes
became the most frigid yellow- *
The only thing that marred his beauty, and kept him
from looking completely feminine, was the harshly angular
cross scar on his left cheek.
*But that scar is gone now, and he is even more
beautiful...*
But he was dead- he died young, and he died with a
smile on his face. She'd lived her life without him after
that, and taking comfort in the serene smile that had been
on his face when he'd left them. They'd taken his sword,
which was as unique as he was, and enshrined it in the dojo.
That way they could always feel him there-
*It's still there, you know*
She missed him so much. She still loved him as much as
she had all those years ago-
*Yes, you still love him don't you? Go and be with him, and
tell him.*
Yes, that sword was still in their dojo even after 120
years. There was a picture there as well, from when the
founder of their dojo had taken them on a train to Yokahama-
*How did I know that was where it was? How? HOW?*
Kaori's eyes snapped open, and she looked around her
room in confusion. She was too far off the ground-
*A bed, not a Futon*
Her heart calmed slowly. Too slowly. Why was she
scared? She was in her room, in her house, and nothing was
out of place.
*Then why does everything look different to me?*
*-Because it is different-*
She briskly shook her head. This had to be her
imagination. She was hearing voices. This couldn't be
happening. She scrambled out of bed, and slid her feet
clumsily into her slippers even while struggling hastily
into her bathrobe.
She rushed through the old rice-paper hallways of her
turn of the century house, and out to the walkway the led
through the yard and into the dojo. Once there, she went to
a small recess that had been built into the right wall.
There, sitting serenely on its stand, was that man's
sword. She walked by this sword three or four times a day,
and it had never seem particularly interesting before. Her
father had once told her when she was small that as long as
that sword was here, that this dojo and whoever lived here
would always be safe.
Although she never had before, for some reason she
believed him now.
And now as she knelt before it, she saw for the first
time the small yellowed photograph that hung there. There
were four people in it; one was a tall man with spiky hair
who looked like he's just been poked in the rear with
something sharp. Also there was a small boy, who's hair much
resembled that of the tall man. Next to him sat a girl- no,
a young woman- in what would have been a beautiful kimono.
Her parents had often told her that she resembled this
woman, Kamiya Kaoru, who had left this dojo to her great
great grandfather, Moujin Yahiko, when she died. The photo
was so old that she could hardly make out the floral pattern
on the kimono. And next to her-
-Was that man. Scar, hair, sword, and all. He was
smiling, and it was a sweet smile.
Where had she seen that smile before? Everything about
this man was so familiar. Like she'd known him herself.
Behind the sword, and under the photo, was an urn. It
held the ashed of the red-headed man. According to the
antique dealers that her mother had taken them to, both the
sword and the urn were worth a fortune. The sword was
valuable not simply because it was old, but because of who
this man was and because of who made it, but most especially
because it was totally unique. The urn was vauable because
of who made it- some famous reclusive potter who had lived
on a secluded mountin outside Kyoto at the time- and also
because of whose ashes it contained.
Kaori couldn't remember exactly why this sword was
unique. She was sure she had been told, but at the time it
hadn't seemed that important. It looked like every other
katana she'd ever seen. It had been just as well cared for
as any other family heirloom might be. The shark skin that
was used to make the grip was in perfect condition, and the
saya shown from wood polish.
She felt like a thief as she reached forward to take
the mouldering grip in one hand, the hard polished wood of
the saya in her other. Lifting it carefully from its stand,
she unsheathed it to inspect the blade.
A gasp escaped her, and left her lungs screaming for
air that she couldn't draw. The sharp side was on the inner
curve instead of the outer!
*"Could I kill anyone with this?"*
*"The blade is on the wrong side! And there are no
scratches- why, it's practically brand new!"*
She let her gaze slid to the hilt. The hilt seemed to
be a touch loose; maybe it's moorings had come loose from
age?
*"The loose hilt is why Shishou is alive- it allowed the
blade to give just enough. If not, the ougi would have
killed him, and possibly broken the sword."*
Kaori looked at the sword in horror. It was -talking-
to her! She quickly resheathed it and set it back on its
stand. -Looking- at it wasn't to bad, but she didn't want to
touch it again.
After long moments of looking at the strange sword-
*Sakabatou*
-She realized that there was a gap in her memory. She
could recall almost everything about this man, but she
couldn't remember his name! She was certain her father had
told her multiple times, but she couldn't recall it to save
her life.
She continued to stare at the sword in hope that it
would somehow jog her memory. Eventually, Kaori simply shook
her head, and got up to go back to bed.
Reaching forward to slide the old wooden door back in
its runners, Kaori paused and turned to look back around the
darkened dojo.
*"If you must leave, will you at least tell me your name?"*
*"Kenshin. Himura Kenshin"*
Frozen at the strange voices echoing eerily through
the large room, her eyes moved hastily over the walls, and
familiar wall hangings. There is no one here but you, she
told herself, trying desperately not to loose the battle to
remain calm.
She was loosing. She'd only been this terrified once
before in her life. The scream welled up in her throat, even
while she tried to smother it. Eyes and fists clenched
tight, she curled into a ball and leaned against the wall,
and tried to take control of the situation again. After a
moment, and a few deep breaths, she straitened up, and
squared her shoulders. When no more strange voices floated
out of the old walls, she sighed and left the dojo, and
hurried back to the relative safety of her bedroom.
* Endless Rain, by X-Japan