Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Memories in Kyoto ❯ Answers ( Chapter 7 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin *sob*

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Answers
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Rae struggled to maintain her balance. Darn that old man! How long did he expect her to stay here?! She couldn't believe that he could be so… so dang heartless! She swayed to one side, causing her to cry out. With much effort, she regained her stability, mentally slapping herself for not paying attention. Geez, even when the geezer wasn't here, he still mocked her! Beads of sweat slid down her face, splattering on the cold stone she poised upon in dark circles.

She looked up toward the entrance into the Aoiya where everyone had apparently gone to. She saw their forms chatter and sip tea. Seijuro was drinking sake… again! That's all he drank. It surprised her that his heart was still working. She smirked at her silent insult to her master. Her eyes rested upon the red-haired man she had met earlier. Kenshin, was it? He was a queer one… Her mind flashed back to the time when she was at the Ryotei and ran into those thugs. Kenshin was the one who sat next to her and watched the whole time. He had moved for them so as not to cause any trouble. Any weak willed man would do so as to obey the empty authority of common gangsters. She had never noticed them before nor cared for them.

She scoffed at herself. She knew she had done a foolish thing as to waste her time on them but… if she hadn't then so many more people would have suffered under their brutal yet meaningless wrath. What she did had some purpose… She narrowed her eyes. And that Kenshin… He carried no sword but he was a swordsman. She knew. A strong swordsman would not have picked a pointless fight but still would have rose up to the challenge if need be. Seijuro had called him a `stupid apprentice.' That could only mean one thing. Kenshin had learned under Seijuro before her. It was evident that he knew his way around a sword. Of course, why would he be carrying one around? The sword-banning act is in affect now and he would be arrested if he did.

She grunted, feeling the fiery pain slowly creep up her arm. Stupid arm! She bet that Kenshin had to endure this too when he was being trained. Rae heaved a constricted sigh, her hand going numb. Footsteps reached her ears. She lifted her head again, seeing Kenshin walking out of the Aoiya. Where was he going?

Rae watched as Seijuro began to sip his sake again, saying nothing. Silence swept the room, all eyes staring at the floor. What happened? Seijuro stood slowly, walking outside toward the rock ledge. His arms were crossed across his chest, his face grim. She remained silent, pretending to concentrate on balance. He looked up at her.

"Alright, that's enough for today," he said. She nodded, using the last of her energy to push off her hand and land on the ground. He sighed, rubbing his temples. She bowed out of habit, running inside. She said her good-byes to her new acquaintances, rushing out the entrance. There was just enough time to visit Mom.

The sky was still clear, a blue color. Rae sprinted, her form a blur to the untrained eye. Training under Seijuro had made her a lot faster. She turned sharply around a corner, sliding on the dirt ground. Dust rose from around her but quickly dissipated.

Her eyes shifted from side to side, searching. In the distance, there was a flower vendor. She smiled. There it was! She accelerated, reaching the cart in mere seconds. The seller widened her eyes at her great speed. Rae smiled, panting slightly.

"W-Well, hello there!" the vendor stuttered, utterly surprised at Rae. She had never seen someone go so fast! She raised an eyebrow. Was this a girl or a boy? The woman looked Rae up and down. This person's build was small yet muscular, fitting a man's kimono perfectly. Red hair was tied into a ponytail, silky and quite long. The face was small and delicately framed. Violet eyes watched her, glowing. A boy would not be this beautiful. No, it was a girl; a strong one at that. She nodded to herself, putting on a smile. "What can I do for you?"

"I would like… to buy… some flowers…" Rae managed to say, still out of breath. She put her hands on her knees.

"What kind?" the woman asked.

Rae sighed.

"I don't know… what would you recommend?" she inquired. The vendor laughed.

"Well, I have some very nice lilies. The best of the season!" she exclaimed, bending down to get a bucket. Rae watched patiently.

Suddenly, two young girls ran up, jumping up and down. Rae blinked. One seemed to be around the age of nine and had a frown on her face. The other was younger, her sister obviously, about five. Both wore small kimonos of blue and orange. The younger one had an impatient expression, her little hands clenched into fists.

"Mommy, mommy! You said you were going to be done soon and take us out for ice cream!" they shouted in unison. The vendor turned to them, smiling.

"Alright, be patient, Akane-chan. You too, Hikaru-chan," she said firmly. Akane and Hikaru pouted, crossing their arms across their chests.

"Please hurry up, mommy!" Akane pleaded. The older sister nodded vigorously. The mother sighed and shook her head.

"I will. Just let me take care of this last customer," she answered. Slowly, she took out the bucket, which was now filled with water. Rae gasped. A single white lily rested in the container, water drops shining in the sun. Small golden spots dotted the petals while the long pollen stems hung over. It was beautiful! Rae sighed in awe, examining the flower carefully with her fingers. It was perfect.

"It's… wonderful," Rae exclaimed, still marveling at the unique flower. The vendor nodded.

"It's the best one I have," she said. Rae looked up from her observation of the lily. The young girls watched Rae with much curiosity.

"How much?" she asked quickly. Mom would love it.

"20 yen." Rae pulled out her money, giving it to the woman. She took the bucket, careful not to spill or trip. Hikaru kept an eye on Rae, suddenly grinning. Akane still frowned, tapping her foot. Rae walked over to them, setting the bucket on the side and bending down. The younger sister blinked with surprise. Rae smiled warmly.

"You be a good girl and cherish your mother," she said softly, tapping Akane on the nose. Akane stared at Rae with a confused expression on her face. Hikaru cocked her head to one side.

Rae stood, grabbing the bucket and walking down the street. The two girls stared after her, still not understanding. The vendor just chuckled, seeing Rae disappear around a corner. The girls put a finger to their chins, still wondering what Rae meant. The woman frowned suddenly.

That poor girl… She must really miss her mother.

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Rae kept walking, listening to her sandals scuff on the dirt ground. She stared straight ahead, her eyes a distant lavender. Mom… Gosh, it's been so long since she had last visited. What would she tell her mom about? There was so much to talk about! It was impossible to tell her everything that has happened. Well… there was one thing that she had to tell her mom. She had to talk about… Kenshin. Why? Even she didn't know. She had never seen him before nor heard about him from Seijuro. When she first saw him in the Ryotei, she felt some sort of bond toward him. Like he and she were connected. She didn't know how. She didn't know why. All she knew was that she did. She wondered… Did he feel it too?

Rae stopped, looking around. This was it. The cemetery. She was about to go into it when she saw him. She gasped, her heart racing. Quickly, she ducked around the corner, panting. Kenshin? What was he doing here?

Carefully, she edged her way to the end of the wall, peering over at Kenshin. He bent down, a smile on his face. She watched. He was at her mother's tombstone. Why was he there? He picked up the single Sakura blossom that rested upon her grave and planted a kiss. She furrowed her brow. What? He placed the flower on the grave, standing and walking out. Rae held her breath, making sure that he didn't hear her breathing. She stayed still, leaning against the wall.

Kenshin walked by, not noticing Rae.

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Kenshin walked out of the cemetery, sighing. He hadn't cried for a long time. Maybe it still showed that he was human and alive. He had Tomoe to thank for that. In a daze, he ambled down the street. He was sure that Kaoru-dono and the others would be wondering where he had gone. Little did he know that Rae watched him from around the corner.

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What the hell was going on? Rae saw Kenshin leave, going back to the Aoiya. How did he know her mom? Who was he…? Really? She had so many questions and yet no answers. Slowly, she stood, taking the bucket with the lily. Seeing that Kenshin was not in the vicinity, she went to her mother's grave, kneeling down.

She took the lily, setting it on her grave next to the Sakura blossom. Her eyes moved to that pink flower. Rae reached out, caressing the soft petals that Kenshin had kissed. Why did he…? She turned to the tombstone.

"Mom," she said aloud. "What's going on?"

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Kenshin had gotten back to the Aoiya, his presence unknown. The sky had gotten darker, the sun nearly set. He walked in, taking off his sandals. How long was he gone? He walked down the hallway, searching for any signs of his friends. He walked past a shoji, stopping at the sound of voices.

"... going on here?" a voice said from inside. Kenshin bent down cautiously so as not to make any sound. "I'm starting to get worried…"

It was Kaoru's voice. By the sound of it, she was troubled. He leaned closer to the door, his senses growing keener.

"Me too. Himura has been acting strange," another said, obviously Misao.

"Yes, he has been distracted," a raspy voice said. Kenshin blinked. Okina?

"I wonder why," a voice commented. It was Sano. "Hey… Do you think Kenshin's still thinking about… you know… Shishio?" he asked, whispering the man's name.

"It's possible. I doubt that he would not," a colder voice retorted. "No one, especially Himura, would forget something like that."

Kenshin recognized it as Aoshi's voice. What? Were they worried… about him? He mentally slapped himself. Of course, they were. He knew that he should have just moved on but he couldn't. He just had to go back to his memories, reliving his nightmares all over again. His memories had made his friends worry. He had made them worry.

"Maybe that isn't the only thing…" Kaoru said.

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"What do you mean?" Sano asked, watching her with questioning eyes.

"I mean, Kenshin… may not just be thinking about Shishio but about… everything," she explained, shifting her eyes. "I mean… the Revolution."

"The Revolution… yes," Okina whispered. He looked at his friends. "It is possible. Himura has a strong tie to Kyoto. No matter what, he cannot forget the things than happened here, whether it was in the distant past or the recent past. It does not matter for he is still reflecting upon his sins and deeds." He paused, shaking his head. "I'm afraid that coming back here was too soon."

Aoshi nodded. "It may seem to the rest of you that four years is enough time. It isn't for a warrior such as Himura. He is forced to bear the memories of his past. Even now, he still holds on." He looked at Kaoru. "If he is still recalling such memories from over ten years ago, he is still thinking about his battle with Shishio."

"But that was so long ago!" Misao complained. "I think Himura should move on already."

She crossed her arms, pouting slightly. Sano glared at her, trying hard not to bash her face in.

"Look… Kenshin's got a lot to deal with so cut him some slack, will ya?" It sounded more like an order than a request. Misao flinched slightly, looking at the ground in shame.

"And that girl, Rae…" Kaoru began. "She looks so much like him!"

"Yeah, I noticed too!" Misao exclaimed. "I mean, how many people have red hair?"

"It's true. Rae looks much like Himura," Okina concurred. He put his hand to his chin. "Her last name… Yukishiro, was it? It seemed to have struck a chord." He said, reminding them of Kenshin's sudden exit from before. He frowned, the wrinkles in his face deepening. "We do not know much of Himura's past… Is it possible that he knew a Yukishiro during the Revolution?"

Aoshi narrowed his eyes. "Anything is possible," he said simply.

"Do you think that Kenshin has some sort of connection to Rae?" Kaoru inquired, looking up at Okina.

Okina close his eyes, sighing. "I do not know. Only Himura has the answer."

Sano watched Kaoru. She was really worried… What did Rae have to do with anything? Sure, she looks a bit like Kenshin but that didn't mean anything! Did it? He snorted, resting his chin on his hand. They were gonna find out though…

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Kenshin swallowed. They were on to him. He was so stupid! In the beginning, he assumed that his friends wouldn't notice but now… He blew at his bangs. Of course they would. They always did. Sometimes, he wondered why he even bothered. Why try hiding your problems if it's going to get out anyway?

Kenshin stood slowly, walking down the hallway. His mind wandered, referring to what the conversation that he eavesdropped. Rae… Did he have a connection to her? It was a bit uncanny that she would look so much like him and have the last name of Yukishiro. It wasn't everyday that something like this happened. He would need more information and he knew just where to get it.

His eyes moved to the lounge of the Aoiya. Quickly, he walked to the room, spotting Seijuro sitting there. His former master was still sipping sake. How Seijuro was still alive was truly a mystery. Seijuro looked up, acknowledging Kenshin.

"Hello, my stupid apprentice," he greeted, almost half-heartedly. Kenshin sat down opposite from Seijuro, watching him from across the table.

"Seijuro…" he began, his voice on the edge of dangerous. "What do you know of Rae?"

"She's my apprentice," Seijuro answered callously. Kenshin rolled his eyes. The older man noticed, sipping his sake. Kenshin hadn't rolled his eyes like that since he was fourteen.

"I know that," Kenshin snapped suddenly. He breathed, trying to calm himself down. "I meant, where did she come from? How come I never heard of her?"

Seijuro sighed, setting his sake cup on the table. Kenshin clenched his fists, anxiously waiting for Seijuro's answer. Hopefully, Seijuro would give him his answers… now.