Hello, all. I'm Sosoru. I'm mainly a DBZ author, but I just recently got into Rurouni Kenshin. I IMMEDIATELY fell in love with the storyline, the characters, the setting, EVERYTHING. Now, I have been reading everything I can on it and reading fics as well. Now, I don't know everything, but I'm going to take a stab at my first RK fic. This IS an AU. Let me know what you guys think, ok?

~ Sosoru

Prologue

Lightning flashed across the sky only illuminating the room for just a split second, allowing Kenshin to look at Kaoru. Her dark blue eyes were wide and full of tears. Her lips were pursed, her cheeks flushed, while the rest of her exposed flesh was the color of heavy cream. Kenshin kissed her lips softly, then he slowly moved to her cheeks, catching the tears as they fell from her eyes. The thunder rumbled, though not as low as his groan as Kaoru stroked Kenshin's bare chest. He captured her hand into his and placed it over his heart. Kaoru's expression fell as she began to sob even harder.

"Hush, Kaoru-dono," were his words as he took her lips and kissed her with all the passion in his heart and fire in his soul. Her body ached for him just to be near, to be in his arms. She never wanted to let him go.

"Promise me, Rurouni," she sobbed through their kiss, "...promise you'll always stay."

Kenshin did not say a word, he only laid her body down on the futon and showered her with all the love he had felt for her over the past few months, but had been too reserved to show. How he loved her! Her fiery temper, her compassion, the way she would always try to help him with her bokken in the most impossible of situations. Oh, she was so sweet, such a joy. How could he ever leave her?

How could he?

Kaoru lifted her hand to her face and rubbed the bridge of her nose, trying to rid herself of the memory. She threw down some money onto the small table she was sitting at, rattling the glass half-full of sake resting upon it. She muffled a few curses as the eyes of dirty, drunken men fell upon her. Kaoru only fixed her cloak about her and placed the hood over her midnight-black hair. She walked to the door of the drinking house and was greeted by driving rain. Lightning dove from the low clouds to the ground not too far from where she stood. It was dangerous out, but she had to continue on. She drew her cloak closed, covering the hilt of her katana and continued out into the storm. It wasn't long before the rain soaked through and the cold wind started to cut through the fabric straight to her bones, but she didn't shiver. She had known discomfort, this was nothing to her. Her body was numb to pain, her heart was void of emotion...except when it stormed. And then memories of him came flooding back into her head, remembering the last time she saw him. Kaoru looked up to the sky, the heavy rain falling into her eyes, beating hard against her face. She did not flinch, she only let the water cleanse her of the memory, so she could stalk the night again.