Kaoru woke up. Once again in a strange place and strange clothing. She blinked, realizing that it was far to familiar to have been a strange place. She was home, in her dojo. She looked down at the clothes she was wearing, well at least she had been right about that. It was a Chinese dress, made of a dark purple silk with intricate orange tigers embroidered on it. She smiled. It was a nice dress. She squinted into the bright sunlight streaming into the room, why had Enishi taken her back, she couldn't Imagine he was done with his revenge unless…

           "Kenshin!" she gasped and jumped out of bed, rushing out of the dojo, only to pause at the door. There was a note. She picked it up and opened it, only to find elegant calligraphy. She blinked, when had Enishi had the chance to learn to write so well. Despite the formal writing, the content was abrupt.

           "Kenshin is not dead." It started, Koru sighed in relief, it figures that he'd know what she was thinking. She read on "He has disappeared, and is likely in China. I felt there was no reason to keep you, as your friends have no knowledge of where he went, or how to reach him. I will likely not se you again. But don't try to look for Kenshin, it won't do you any good. Please accept the dress for your trouble. Also supplied are the boken you used on the island, and your kitchen is stocked. Thank you for cooking for me."

           Kaoru frowned. She still didn't like the thought that he'd likely dressed her. How did he move her in the night without her knowing? She absentmindedly looked at his signature at the bottom of the page. It was clean and quickly done with confidence. It was said you could tell a lot about someone through his writing. Enishi was not one to draw things out, he'd certainly gotten right to the point with his letter. She started fuming, don't go look for Kenshin indeed. What else was she supposed to do. She sighed and let the paper fall from her fingers as she slid the door to the dojo open and stepped out into the cool morning air.

           Kaoru was startled from her revere by a hard thump on her head, she whirled around, smacking her assailant into the far wall. It was Yahiko. She glared at him

           "What was that for you brat!" she yelled at him. Yahiko rubbed the back of his neck as he pushed himself off the floor.

           "Well you're defiantly not a ghost." He grumbled wincing in pain.

           "Why couldn't you just shriek and run away like a normal person would do, or heaven forbid…ask me!" she continued her tirade, fading off as she realized what Yahiko had said. "a ghost?" she asked "Me?" He nodded at her. She blinked.

           "Why would you think I was dead when there was no body" she said oddly quietly. Was this why Kenshin hadn't come for her? An almost emotionless voice came from behind.

           "I suspected as much." She turned around to see Aoshi looking coolly at her. Misao wasn't far behind. "It will be easier to show you than to explain. Come" with that he turned around and headed out of the Dojo.

           The small portion of the original "Kenshin-gang" arrived at it's destination, although all but Aoshi seemed confused. The silent leader of the group seemed determined, and Misao, being able to read his subtle emotions, knew that he was also blaming himself for something. Although she wasn't sure what for. Aoshi paused at a grave and closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath. As he opened them he made a quick movement with his foot and a huge hole appeared in the newly placed dirt. The top of a barrel could be seen buried in the ground. Aoshi crouched down and lifted it easily in his hands, placing it to the side of the hole.

           Kaoru was looking pale, as she had noticed the name on the tombstone. It was simple, just a stone with writing almost painfully carved across it. The writing brought tears to her eyes, as she instinctively knew it had been Kenshin who wrote it. It was written in the form of a haiku.

           "Kaoru. As she always followed me, I will forever follow her graceful shadow."

           Misao watched Aoshi curiously as he pulled of the top of the barrel, and tossed the nail-ridden article aside, where it settled to the ground with a solid thump. Inside was the body of Kaoru, as they had last seen it, Cross-shaped bloody scar carved in her cheek, gaping wound in her stomach, and lifeless eyes. Kaoru gasped as she saw it, realizing that Kenshin must have seen it too. A new stream of tears rushed to her eyes, flowing freely.

           "No," she whispered grievously "Not like this" she collapsed to her knees and cried over her grave, not for herself, but for Kenshin, who had lost a second person that was important to him. Both of them no better than by his own hand, that was the message left behind in the scar carved on her cheek. Misao spoke up, interrupting her silent mourning.

           "Aoshi-sama, you said you suspected this?" she inquired, her voice a happier tone than she spoke to anyone else with. "What did you mean by that." Aoshi glanced sideways at the shorter Okashira. He reached into the wound in the body and pulled out what looked like a bunch of wires.

           "The body was too perfect. Even with the wounds." He said coolly. "There were no signs of decay before the burial." He paused. "I would have said something earlier, but Sanosuke disappeared with Kenshin. Kaoru frowned and looked up at Aoshi, whipping her tears away.

           "I heard about that. Exactly what happened?" she asked the scarred warrior. Aoshi looked down at her, Kaoru stood; disconcerted by his look, even though she knew he was basically harmless. Misao spoke up, knowing that Aoshi preferred not to speak much, and likely would not give a satisfactory response.

           "After you died, Kenshin buried you himself and carved this stone" she said gesturing to the grave header. Kaoru nodded, she had surmised as much "Afterwards he sunk into a depression, chaining his sakabatou up. He didn't do much of anything after that, day after day he sat in a desolate part of town" Misao fidgeted a bit, uncomfortably going on with the tale. "Sanosuke went to him everyday, trying to break him out of it. At one point Tsubame even came and begged him to help Yahiko, who was almost killed by that big guy with the cannon arm."

           "Saitoh saved me" Yahiko said bitterly, interrupting Misao and continuing her story for her. "Sano finally got sick of Kenshin's attitude and hauled him off" Kaoru looked at Yahiko's eyes and she thought she saw what seemed like a pleading look, but Yahiko looked away and wouldn't meet her eyes as he finished. "As far as I'm concerned, both Kenshin and Battousai are dead" he said abruptly. Kaoru looked at the ground.

           "It's all my fault. I should have tried to escape harder, or done something." She said furious at her self, tears still in her eyes. "Damn it" she swore for the first time that she could remember "I even got along with that bastard! Hell he helped me train, I cooked him food!" her voice rose to a frightening pitch. Yahiko burst out in laughter at the last line.

           "Aww Kaoru, you have nothing to worry about, your awful cooking is worse than any revenge." He grinned at her. Kaoru sighed inwardly, at least Yahiko's spirit wasn't as broken as it had appeared. She almost smiled as she decked him.

           Aoshi considered Kaoru silently through the whole conversation. His eyes flickered slightly as she mentioned training with Enishi. Something had been bugging him about her, but he was glad he could pinpoint it now. She seemed to hold herself more confidently, as if she was surer of herself. Kenshin had always encouraged her kendo, but it must not have been enough. As she was now, she might even have caught up with Misao at the very least. She still wasn't anywhere near him, or Saitoh for that matter, but they had years, and experience at killing to hone their skills and their emotions. Even so, Enishi was very dangerous if he could bring about this much change in a person in a matter of months.

           Aoshi sighed almost imperceptibly, the future looked bleak, they had all gained so much just to loose it so fast. He was almost afraid, afraid for all of them, if only one man could tear everything apart. He glanced at Misao who was looking at him with concern in her eyes. She must have caught his sigh. He looked strait back at her as if he were trying to convey that everything would be ok. He vowed to himself that he would make sure that for Misao at least, they would be. It was to late to save Kenshin.. or Kaoru for that matter, but the one that mattered most was still alive, and she still loved him, he'd be forever damned if he ever let her go.