Based on characters and situations from the manga series Rurouni
Kenshin, created by Nobohiro Watsuki. All rights reserved.

SPOILER WARNING: This story takes place a year after the Jinchu
Arc. Some events within that arc are mentioned here.

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Chapter One: Greeting

In the late Tokyo afternoon, a bespectacled old man strode
toward the Kamiya Dojo. There was nothing remarkable about the man,
with his straw hat to protect him from the midsummer sun and his
tattered, shabby clothes. His only companions on his errand were the
small group of songbirds that flocked around the old fool as he sang
his nonsensical song.

He passed unnoticed through the city; most people assumed he
was some poor senile old man and let him go about harmlessly about
his business. Anyone that did notice him wondered about the odd
round package that dangled from the end of his fishing rod, but then
decided it was none of their business and proceeded with their tasks.

As he arrived at the front gate of the dojo, he stopped
humming the tune he sung on his errands and noticed the sign posted
on the door. He hummed as he read the announcement:

Gone to visit friends; will be back in a couple
of days. All classes will go as scheduled in
the Maekawa Dojo.

Kaoru

He stood for a moment, wondering if his time in getting here
was wasted since there didn't seem to be any way to deliver the lamp.
As he listened closely, however, he noticed that, despite the sign,
practice of some sort continued within. Even better, as Oibore was
concerned, the sources of the racket were approaching the gate.
Perhaps he came at the right time after all, he thought.

*** ***** ***

"...and what kind of move was that, Cat-eyes?" Yahiko yelled
at his fellow student and full time rival.

"It was still more than enough to counter your upward swing,"
Yutaro countered as he wiped the sweat from his brow with a towel.
"Still, it was a good practice session despite the low quality of my
opponent."

"Low quality?! And just *who* learned the Kamiya Dojo
Succession technique in a week, eh?"

"Whatever. Let's just get to the baths, then get a good
meal at the Akebeko and be back before Kaoru-sensei and Kenshin
return," Yutaro answered as he gathered the soap before walking to
the baths.

Yahiko nodded and did the same. When they opened the front
gate they were surprised to see Oibore at standing before them,
fishing rod in hand and a strange lamp-shaped box dangling from the
other end.

"Hey," the old man greeted them.

"Oibore," Yahiko noted. "What brings you here?"

"I was in the area on my begging rounds (you wouldn't
happen to have a little something, would you?)," Oibore began,
holding out his hand to emphasis his aside.

Yahiko looked at Yutaro. Yutaro reluctantly gave the
old man some coins, muttering, "you're almost as much of a mooch
as Roosterhead."

"Anyway," Oibore continued, "It's been a while since I've
seen that young man Kenshin back in the Rundown Town. Not that
it isn't a good thing, mind, but I was thinking of giving him this
little trinket. Sort of a late get well present."

"Sort of late?" Yahiko thought, recalling how many months
it had been since Enishi took Kaoru from them and sent Kenshin to
dwell among the broken of Rakuminmura. "Can't even keep track of
time, can you?"

"When you're old and foolish, what'ya need calenders for?
What the hell, as long as I'm here I figured I'd give it to the
young man. Is he here?"

"No. He and Kaoru-sensei are in Kyoto, they'll be back
later today," Yahiko answered.

"Ah! When did the two of them get hitched? Well, never
mind that," Oibore unhooked the round box from the end of his
fishing rod and presented it to the boys. "Since I know you,
young lad, maybe you'll make sure my present gets to Kenshin
when he returns. Will you, please?"

Yahiko looked at the package. It was a cylinder, that
almost looked like what one would put a lamp or a hat in. The
package was clean, if plain, and very light. He took another
look at the old man, glanced back at the box, and finally said
"Yeah, I'll make sure he gets it."

"Thank you, young lad! I'll be off now. Bye," Oibore
replied. With that, he nonchalantly strode off with his birds
in tow singing his nonsensical "what the hell, what the hell"
to no one in particular.

Yutaro turned to his classmate as he brought the present
back to the house. "Do you know the old man? How did he know
Kenshin."

"Oibore?! Misao and I met the old coot when we were
looking for Kenshin after Enishi took Kaoru and made us think
she was dead. Kenshin ended up in Rundown Town, and when we
tried to get him come with us to avenge ourselves on the
white-haired freak, the denizens of the place attacked us.
Oibore got them to leave us all be so we could talk to Kenshin."

"I think he stayed with Kenshin while he was fighting
his demons back there. I think," Yahiko paused, thinking of
the old man's visit to the dojo just as he and Misao were
preparing to rescue Kaoru. "I think he may have helped save
Kenshin back there."

"Oh," Yutaro nodded. He knew when he returned that
something happened to Kaoru and Kenshin, but most of what he
learned about Enishi was from rumors in the neighborhood and
the stories of Yahiko's fight with the one-handed giant
Kujiranami from Senichi.

"Well, we can make sure Kenshin gets this tonight.
Let's get going; I want to hit the baths before they get
back." Yahiko said.

"Yep. Have to be presentable to the ladies,"
Yutaro replied as they left the dojo grounds.

"Not *too* presentable to *one* lady, I hope," Yahiko
darkly muttered as they headed to the public baths.

*** ***** ***

"Welcome back," Kaoru's two students cried as she and
Kenshin stepped across the threshold into the Kamiya Dojo, home at
last from a long trip.

"Did you two attend the classes at Maekawa as I asked? I
don't think I have to ask if you too sparred," Kaoru queried as she
took a peak at the combat hall to see if it was still in more or
less the same shape she left it. Satisfied that it wasn't totally
wrecked by the two she left to look over the place, she nodded.
"Anything happen while we were gone?"

"Everything's quiet around here. No Dojo-destroyers,
mad mummy-men with dreams of conquest, or obsessed freaks come to
wreck everyone's lives," Yahiko replied.

"What about the old man," Yutaro asked. "I still think
he was suspicious."

"Oh yeah! There's a package for you, Kenshin. Oibore
brought it over here this afternoon."

"Oibore?"

"The old man that stayed by you back before we rescued
Kaoru? It's in the foyer."

"I wonder what he brought," Kaoru asked as he walked up
on the entryway, taking off his shoes and putting them in their
usual place. The entourage waited as the swordsman looked
curiously at the plainly wrapped cylinder before opening it to
reveal...

"Oro?! It's a paper lamp," he noted in surprise. Lifting the
lamp out of the box, he noticed a small note inside. Looking at the
lamp, he turned it around until he noticed kanji on one side. The
characters revealed a name, but before he could read the name the
lamp lit up as if alive.

As if that wasn't enough to frighten the more easily frightened
in the house, the lights inside the house suddenly flickered and
dimmed, as if their energy was being absorbed by something. A moment
later, another glow emanated from the courtyard of the Kaoru
residence.

Yahiko took his shinai from his belt and raised it to a guarding
position, ready to confront the intruder. Kenshin took the paper lamp
he held, and, carrying it from it's rod, opened the sliding door to
see...

"A GHOST!!!" Yutaro cried as he looked outside. Turning to
Koaru he stammered, "You di..di...didn't tell me this place was
ha-ha-haunted!"

"My dojo is *not* haunted!" Kaoru yelled. Geez, she thought,
some people just get the wrong conclusion about everything.

"Cats-eye's afraid of ghosts, huh?" Yahiko chided. He had to
see what frightened his rival now, he thought. Walking into the
courtyard, he noticed Kenshin standing in silent shock before the
apparition. Looking further, it looked to the young student that
the swordsman recognized the female, cooly beautiful, ghost. She
wore an old style yukata, with floral patterns, ghostly white
sleeves, and a purple sash. The one thing that Yahiko would forever
remember, however, was the faint scent that lingered in the courtyard
as she loomed before them, the smell of...

"white plums," Kenshin muttered. A moment later, as Kaoru
and the others stood in front of the door, he said, "Tomoe?"

The ghost of Tomoe Yukishiro nodded.

"Tomoe? Wasn't that.." Yutaro queried Kaoru.

"Kenshin's wife during the Bakumatsu. The one Enishi was trying
to ruin him to avenge," Kaoru nodded. "Yes. That's her."

END CHAPTER ONE