Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ How the Past Can Change ❯ The Good and the Bad of Change ( Chapter 8 )

How the Past can Change

A K&K Rurouni Kenshin Romance FanFiction by: bunny ;D

---------------------------------------------------------------- ---------

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is the creation of Nobuhiro Watsuki, with the manga and anime rights belonging to Jump Comics and Sony Entertainment, respectively. I do not own and did not create the series or its characters...I'm just a fan, and I have no money anyways, so NO SUING ME!! :D

---------------------------------------------------------------- ---------

AN: This story is altering the original story of Rurouni Kenshin / Samurai X. It also has some OOCness, (especially with Battousai.) If you don't like that idea, or can't handle it…I would advise you not to read this fic. If you are a hard core Tomoe and Kenshin forever kind of person, I would advise you to not read this fic. Don't get me wrong, I like Tomoe, this is just a different story ok?

Ja ne,

Bunny ;D

---------------------------------------------------------------- -------

Kaoru turned her head to where Tomoe was sitting on the floor, tears also streaming down her face. She frowned at her friend. She needed to tell them. 'Might as well come clean' she thought.

"Tomoe..." she began, addressing Tomoe. She thought it would be less painful to watch Tomoe's expressions about the news than Kenshin's. She didn't want to see him realize his love for the other woman...friend or not, after the events this morning, the pain of him choosing her would leave a scar, possibly forever. "You, and Kenshin, you are supposed to be married, not me and him."

Tomoe's eyes widened in astonishment, and she quickly glanced to Kenshin's face to see what he thought of what his newly wedded bride was saying.

Kenshin was completely shocked. He took a step back from Kaoru and examined her closely. 'Me, and-and…Tomoe?!?!???...married?!!!!!?!?!?!??' he thought.

---------------------------------------------------------------- ----

Chapter Eight

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Kaoru sneaked a glance at Kenshin. He was staring at her in disbelief.

"It's true...Kenshin." she said softly.

"No." he said, shaking his head in denial. "I think you are confused…I killed her fiancée…not 'I am her fiancée,'" Kenshin gestured, pointing to himself as the bad guy. "She hates me, she came here to get revenge." He pointed towards Tomoe's form sobbing on the ground.

Kaoru opened her mouth to protest, but her protest died before it began as Kenshin turned towards Tomoe. "I'm sorry, Tomoe-san for killing your fiancée. I choose not know to these types of things about those that I kill. It is my job, and if I knew those types of things, I would be unable to do my job. I'm doing this so that Japan can have peace, and a new, improved way of life. I want you to know that, had I known who your fiancée was, I would never have done that." He grinned a cocky grin…"I would have just knocked him out and brought him back to you, where he belongs."

Tomoe half smiled through her tears nodded in affirmation. "I hope you can forgive me also, Himura-san, for scarring your cheek," she paused, "I've known since the beginning that it was Akira, that had succeeded in scarring your face. They told me, what he had done before he died. So I came here, to find you, and exact my revenge for my fiancée, but I found that I couldn't help but like you despite the atrocities that you have done. I had a much more elaborate plan, which would have lead to your death. However, I have called it off, and decided that I would cross the scar of my beloved instead." She paused again, a wistful look on her face, "I really like your wife, she is so sweet, and it's because of her that I changed my plan for you. I did not even want to do this, but…I had to…do it…for Akira."

Kenshin and Kaoru both nodded in understanding.

"Kaoru-chan…" Tomoe said addressing her new friend. "I want you to know how much you have changed my life for the better. I want to start over, with a new life. I was thinking of going to China, a place where I have no past, and no ties to it." She half smiled at the couple.

"Tomoe-chan," Kaoru began.

"Yes, Kaoru-chan?"

"Please, bring your brother Enishi with you...he can watch out for you and take care of you. I think it will be better for you because you won't be so lonely." Kaoru said.

'Enishi!!' thought Kenshin. 'Isn't that the guy that kidnapped Kaoru in the future?!?!? She mentioned him...didn't she?'

"Thank you, Kaoru-chan, I think that's a great idea. Enishi and I both need to start over." Tomoe walked over to where Kenshin and Kaoru were standing. Kaoru was able to pull out of Kenshin's embrace to give Tomoe a heartfelt hug good-bye.

"Take Care...Kaoru-chan." Tomoe whispered to her. "Goodbye, Battousai," she said as she turned to leave. Then turning back to them, she said, "take good care of Kaoru-chan, I'm worried now that she may be loosing her mind." She paused. "All this talk about us getting married…of all the ridiculous things." She said and then turned and headed out of the room.

"I'll be fine Tomoe-chan…don't mind me, I just get silly ideas of jealousy in my head sometimes, right Kenshin?" Kaoru called to the retreating form of Tomoe, jabbing Kenshin in the side to agree with her.

Kenshin let out a sort of snorting sound.

Tomoe turned back one last time smiled at the couple, and bowed. Then she opened the paper screen door, left the room, and quietly slid the closed behind her.

New tears streamed down Kaoru's face, but these were tears of happiness. 'I hope she has a wonderful life,' Kaoru thought. 'Enishi too...he was a good guy at heart; he was just tormented by sad childhood memories, and a little off the wall because of it. Ok, a lot off the wall...' Kaoru suppressed a giggle of happiness knowing that the next Kaoru and this Kenshin she was with now wouldn't have to go through all that.

Kenshin watched Kaoru's tears stream down her face and puzzled over all he had learned about her that morning. She was still such a mystery.

'She MUST have been making all that stuff up about Tomoe and me...right? Silly woman,' he thought.

"Kaoru, are you ok?" Kenshin asked.

Kaoru looked up at Kenshin through her tears of joy. Then she reluctantly stroked his bloody and scarred cheek with her hand. "Well, at least now you look more like yourself," she said, trying to brighten the situation.

Kenshin frowned, "you mean 'it's not an x, it's not an x'?" he questioned.

Kaoru smirked. 'He has an amazing memory…it's no wonder he's the greatest swordsman in all of Japan.' "Yes, Kenshin, now it's an x, as it should be," she whispered to him.

Kenshin's frown deepened, "so…I'm going to have this scar on my face for the rest of my life?" he asked.

Kaoru shrugged. "Well, you had it when I met you, when you were 28, and you still have it now, and your 30 now."

Kenshin scowled, "why do I have to be so old?"

Kaoru burst out laughing. "My sentiments exactly!! I can't even begin to tell you how many times, you held that as a barrier between us…as if age matters anyways." Kaoru finished, rolling her eyes.

Kenshin grinned. "Your right. If age mattered, I wouldn't be in love with a woman that's 4 years my senior."

Kaoru giggled, "actually Kenshin, I'm just a little girl right now…ummmm…5 years old to be exact."

Kenshin sweat dropped, "you weren't kidding when you said I was old!"

She smiled at him, her eyes shining. As Kenshin leaned his face in towards Kaoru's, she closed her eyes. Just before their lips met, there was an abrupt rap on the paper screen door to their room, making the couple jump a mile apart.

"Himura-san!! Emergency meeting, right away!!" Someone yelled through the paper-thin door.

Kenshin grabbed his katana off of the floor and slid the door open with force.

"What's going on?" he asked the man.

"The Tokugawa Shogunate are having a secret meeting, we've been informed that they are planning on attacking tonight." He replied.

Kenshin curtly nodded his head. "One moment please." He said to the man waiting for him in the hallway. He went back into the room, swiftly grabbed one of his hakamas and a gi and handed them to Kaoru. "Kaoru, change into these clothes and get a katana. You are coming with me tonight, and you might need to be able to defend yourself. Get our things and tie them up in a blanket, we won't be coming back here tonight, the Shogunate has discovered our whereabouts."

Dumbfounded, Kaoru took the items Kenshin was handing her and nodded her head.

Kenshin leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "It's ok honey, I will protect you. I just need you to be able to move quickly, you're an assistant master anyways, right?" Kenshin replied on his way back to the hallway.

"Yes." Kaoru replied, nervously.

"Good. Meet me downstairs in 5 minutes. That's where the meeting will be. Bring your katana, or get one if you don't have one." Kenshin said shutting the door behind him.

"But, I only use bok-" Kaoru stopped, realizing Kenshin couldn't hear her anyways "-kens…" she finished lamely to herself.

'I only use bokkens you crazy assassin!!' she fumed to herself. 'Mou!' Kaoru shivered. 'I'm going into a real war battle tonight' she thought nervously.

Pushing her thoughts aside, she quickly changed into the younger Kenshin's clothes. Kaoru took a deep whiff of his clothing once it was on her and closed her eyes for brief a second, letting the smell of him take her home to her peaceful rurouni, to calm her jumping nerves and pumping adrenaline. 'Stay focused tonight Kaoru,' she told herself as she quickly gathered their clothes and tied them all up in a tight and small blanket. Then she grabbed a broom and broke off the bottom for a make-shift bokken, gave it a couple of practice swings to see if it would make do, and after nodding her head that it was indeed as good as she would get for a bokken, headed downstairs to meet up with Kenshin and the rest of the Ishinshishi samuari.