Disclaimer: I don't own anything
here, blah blah blah
Prologue:
She was trying to sleep, tired out
as she was from crying. It has been 2 months since Kenshin has left, this time
for good. He had gently apologized, explaining that his need to protect the helpless
stems from his guilt and was also a kind of promise to Tomoe, which he would
fulfill no matter at what costs. Kaoru sniffed again at the memory. She knew
that the sentence was Kenshin's subtle hint that he was well aware of her
feelings, but he could not return them. And she also knew what prompted his
sudden departure. After all, she herself could not help but notice Tae's
not-so-obvious hints to Kenshin about the joys of weddings etc, followed by the
damage to an unmarried woman living with a young, single and, to quote her
words, virile young man. Kaoru winced at the memory. No wonder Kenshin
decided to resume his wandering again. Heck, even she would run if she was in
his position. But it doesn't make the hurt less. Noticing the time, which says
3.00am, Kaoru decided to try and grab some sleep, since she has an early lesson
at another dojo the next morning. Besides, no amount of tears and sleep
deprivation would get Kenshin back. Nor the others, who had decided to "tour"
the country with him. Unfortunately her tears refuse to cooperate and she was
soon crying again.
It was a good thing that she was
still crying, otherwise she would have missed the tiny sound coming from the
dojo. Instantly alert, she ran out to the dojo, grabbing her shinai as she ran.
When she reached the dojo, she saw the intruder, all covered in black,
dismantling her father's shrine and tablet. When the intruder saw her, he
muttered something under his breath and suddenly vanished right in front of
her. How did he accomplish that feat? Magic? Or just the fruit of the lack of
sleep for 2 months? Making sure that the intruder had already left, Kaoru
decided to postpone taking any actions till the next day, and it looks like she
will have to cancel tomorrow morning's class. Besides, now that everyone has
left, she does not need as much money as before and could afford skipping some
of the classes. She was only keeping all the classes out of responsibility and
also to keep herself busy so that she would not keep dwelling on Kenshin's
departure. There. She's thinking of him again. She sighed and went back to bed,
this time taking extra caution to lock up all the doors and gates carefully.
Fat lot of good that would help if the intruder could appear and vanish at will
without going through any doors and gates, she grumbled to herself.
The morning came and went in a
hustle. The policemen had come down and taken her statements. She had
deliberately left out the part where the intruder had vanished before her eyes,
saying only that the intruder had left when she arrived. She grit her teeth in
anger as she remembered the policemen's air of disbelief when they were told
that the dojo had been broken into. But she could see their point: it is after
all a small, rather run-down dojo. What is there to attract thieves? Besides,
by her own admission, nothing was stolen. But still…. the least they
could do was take her seriously! Which they didn't. In fact they behaved as if
they suspected her of playing a trick on them. "As if I have nothing better to
do!" thought Kaoru angrily. Then the thought struck her again: "Who broke into
her house? Was it more than 1 person? And what were they looking for?" And
enlightenment dawned on her, as sudden as the flash of lightning on a stormy
night. Of course! She had all but forgotten about her family's heirloom, and
the curse that follows it. And with the understanding, came the swift decision:
it was time for her to leave her old life at the dojo and start a new one all
over again.
