In the garden of time and destiny, we have seen both

the autumn and the spring

We have seen both the time of joy and the time

of sorrow Nâbî

What an odd pair they might seem to anyone who could catch a glimpse of them. The young girl in her soft blue satin clothes, the fine, inky-black wisps of hair framing her deceptively innocent face, a deep contrast to his dark clothes and frightening mask that often earned him the name 'Akuma'. They were too well hidden from the untrained eye however, perched high above the ground in one of the many pine trees that lined the streets of Kyoto, blending with the shadows, quietly keeping watch over the city as it readied for bed.

"It must be nice to live behind a mask." Misao broke the silence with her absently whispered observance. "Ne Hanya?"

Hanya, used to her clear and unsubtle questioning was not often surprised when they came. This comment however, earned her a sharp look as it had caught him completely off guard. She met his gaze with her usual smiling eyes but he noticed, for the first time that there was something more in the cerulean depths than her normal candor. Something that he would have never expected to see in 'her' eyes, that he 'had' never seen in her eyes… sadness.

When had this happened? He wondered. And why had he not noticed it before?

"What I mean is…" She paused and lowered her eyes, feigning interest in the clasp that held her braid. "To reveal to the world your chosen face and…"

She paused; letting out a quiet, mirthless laugh and shaking her head before once again turning her eyes to meet his behind the mask he wore. He remained silent as he watched her fingers seek out the end of her long braid and absently begin to toy with it, as she often did when something was troubling her.

"You would never have to hide your feelings." She continued quietly with hesitation. "You could smile, even as you wept."

"Aah." He agreed with an accompanying nod was all the response he could produce as he sat stunned wondering silently, who was this beautiful woman beside him and when did she replace his Misao-chan with her wisdom and grown up looks?

At his continued silence she offered him another sad smile and turned her head to gaze up at the sky, offering him the chance to view her objectively, for the first time, without his eyes clouded by her childhood image superimposed over the image of her now. How could he have missed it, her fine, pale skin accentuated by the dark hair that framed the delicate features of her face and set off her bright blue eyes? He smirked behind his mask as he noticed that she even had curves, the chubby-ness of her childhood had evaporated and the womanly figure beneath had filled out without him even knowing, until now. He would love to laugh and tease her about it but knew she would exact revenge, the likes of which hell could not compare if he did and so remained quiet on the subject.

Many things became clear to him in that moment of observation, many things he had dismissed as inconsequential at the time they had occurred. The lingering looks of the male customers he'd noticed in the Aoiya as he'd stood guard and watched over them. Even those among his own were already on the verge of being in love with her as he recalled a stuttering Beshimi and deeply, red-faced Shikijou running away in reaction to her flirtations. Shiro was probably the most serious as Hanya remembered the young onmitsu on several occasions, not merely gazing at her as the others did but taking great pains to please her and often reacting to Misao's flirtatious nature in kind. Strange how he had not made the connection earlier, maybe because it appeared, if he recalled correctly, that Misao herself had not noticed, or took it any more seriously than her own innocent teasing. Of course he could be wrong, maybe she did know and maybe Misao felt about Shiro the way he now suspected Shiro felt about her.

"Hanya?" She halted his train of thought with her hesitantly whispered question. "Do you know what it means to love someone?"

Surprising him twice in one night was a record; it wasn't so much that her question had surprised him, it was more the fact that it happened to correspond with his thoughts her query had interrupted. Hanya quietly contemplated his answer, not sure how he could explain it to her. He knew what it meant to feel love for others, he did feel love for others, so much in fact that he would lay down his life for any one of them. What she was asking him about though, was the kind of love that is shared between two people that had no boundaries, that made two people one… romantic love.

The cruelty of his youth had left its mark on him however and Hanya knew that he could never give so much of himself to another, nor could he accept such a gift from another. Without a doubt he would be half in love with her already if he granted himself such liberties. He did love her, as he loved Aoshi-sama and the others, as much as one such as he was permitted to love others and although what he displayed to her, to any of them could not really be deemed as affection, they all knew that he loved them.

"I love you and Aoshi-sama," He answered her carefully, honestly, trying his best to avoid the real subject of her question. "As well as the others."

"I'm not talking about the way 'you' love Aoshi-sama." She reiterated, sighing heavily, her tone that of an elder speaking to an obtuse child. He would have to be an idiot to have missed the emphasis of that one word; he was surprised yet again. It seemed he would have no chance to evade the subject.

"Misao-chan?" He inquired gently unsuccessfully trying to mask the surprise in his voice. "Are you in love with Aoshi-sama?"

Hanya waited patiently as she returned her eyes to the sky, her fingers still absently toying with her braid, her silence carrying on for several moments.

"How does one know they're in love Hanya?" She responded with a question of her own. "Is there some kind of formula you work out? A riddle that you suddenly know the answer to?"

She kept her face averted as he stared at her; he had noted her evasive answer and it merely served to strengthen his suspicion. If he had been paying closer attention he might have realized it sooner; he wondered if Aoshi suspected her feelings or if she had told him of them. Neither would surprise him and it would certainly explain the recent rift that had cropped up between the two of them in the last month or so. Not even a rift really, it was more of a tangible discomfort, a conscious effort that both of them made to be someplace other than in the company of one another. Hanya was saddened at seeing the two people who meant the most to him in this state of unease. Misao and Aoshi had always been so close, had always shared an underlying affinity that it was disheartening to see them drifting apart, whatever the reason. He silently reprimanded himself again for his lack of perception, he had put this 'rift' between them down as Misao simply being a girl, which no one could ever understand completely except another female.

He would try to answer her in a way that would put her at ease but was not completely convinced that he was the right person to give her advice on such a subject, she might be better off asking Okon or Omasu in matters of the heart.

"I have never been in love Misao-chan." His voice prompted her face to turn and meet his gaze. "Shikashi… I would imagine that knowing you are in love is like…" he paused searching for the exact words to use.

"…Is like?" She prompted him to continue her eagerness for his answer evident in the tone of her voice.

"…Like knowing which weapon is your favorite." He noted her frown as well as the firm disbelief showing in her eyes at his analogy and stopped, giving a short laugh as he shook his head. He should have known better than attempt to explain something such as this.

"Please," Hanya felt the light pressure of her hand on his as she spoke and looked up to see eyes that beseeched him. "Go on."

He was surprised to say the least but cleared his throat and continued as she had asked. He swiftly produced a kunai grasping it gently in his fingers.

"Well… there's just something about the feel, the weight, the smoothness or roughness of it against the palm of your hand." She nodded as he continued. "You can't explain it, you just know that it's your favorite. Love… the weight of it in your heart… smooth or rough, without explanation, you just know that it's love."

He met her steadfast gaze evenly and watched the play of emotion run across her face as she assessed his explanation and drew her own conclusions from his words. She began to nervously chew her bottom lip and he knew that something was still troubling her. He waited, knowing that another question would certainly follow; he did not have to wait long…

"Should I…" Misao began only to halt and begin again. "Do you think one should tell a person how they feel about them?"

Should I? If he had not already suspected, those two words would have told him that she was indeed in love and her continued uncertainly had him convinced it was with Aoshi. But how should he answer her? He knew that he would never have the courage to confess such feelings to another, but then she was not like him. He had learned at a very young age how vulnerable one could be, both physically and emotionally. He'd learned to guard against it as one of the Oniwabanshu, they all had and that included Misao, to a degree. She was strong, no one could argue that and it was more than just physical strength. However, Misao's time as one of the Oniwabanshu had been after the war and the difference in training, in mentality, in all things, was significant. Outside the death of her parents, of which she had been too young to retain any clear memory of, Misao had never suffered wounds to the heart. So, how should he answer her? How should he tell her… by all means Misao, if the one you love is Shiro, or the merchant's son who admires you as he eats his meal, or any other respectable person in Kyoto, tell them of your feelings for they will gladly lay their heart at your feet. If the person you love is Aoshi however, bury your feelings deep; do not utter a word of it for I fear it will not bring you happiness.

It behooved Hanya to take his time thinking over his answer as the sense of one of their own tickled his senses and he was saved from having to reply. For know anyhow…

"Our relief watch is here." He announced as he climbed to his feet, watching below as Shiro emerged from the shadows. Misao climbed up beside him and recognizing Shiro she leapt from the branch that had been their perch, somersaulting through the air she landed as light and graceful as if she were a gentle lady stepping from a carriage.

Hanya waited above, as was the procedure when relieving another, to report any anomalies as well as receive any information from your replacement. It also afforded Hanya the chance to confirm what he believed he'd seen earlier, in regards to Shiro's feelings for Misao. It did not take long, as the two of them spoke in tones barely above a whisper; Shiro was hanging on her every word and was quite obvious in a matter of seconds how he felt. Not quite so obvious were Misao's feelings for Shiro, always gentle and affectionate, Misao who always wore her emotions in plain sight now proved more difficult to gauge because of it. She seemed to receive his attentions easy enough but whether that was because she returned them or simply because she was oblivious to them Hanya could not tell.

Growing instantly alert at the sudden sense of someone nearby, someone watching with angry eyes, watching Misao. Hanya's eyes pierced the darkness in search of the source, wondering if it could be the one they were watching out for before he caught the impression of familiarity, realizing in less than a moment that the person was Oniwabanshu.

The night was full of surprises as he realized a half second later that it was none other than the Okashira, he rarely checked up on his people, always having complete confidence in them carrying out their duties. What surprised Hanya more than his appearance however, was the anger he could feel emanating from him, it was masked now, but for it to have surfaced at all… and for it to be directed at Misao. Aoshi was not the most candid person with his emotions, even his smile, if one could call it that, revealed little pleasure as it was often devoid of emotion. So why would he reveal his anger so boldly, what could have made him forget himself? Aoshi knew he was being watched; he would have sensed Hanya's eyes on him from the beginning. He had not become Okashira at fifteen by being a fool and when Misao and Shiro stiffened at recognizing his presence only moments after himself, Aoshi silently separated himself from the shadows and moved forward.

Hanya remained at his post, quietly observing the interaction of those below, their voices barely enough to penetrate the night air but to Hanya's expertly trained, sensitive hearing they could be shouting.

"Misao." Aoshi was the first to break the silence and it seemed strange that he would address her directly when they had all witnessed the growing silence between them of late. "Your shift is over, it's time for you to head back to the Aoiya."

Hanya noted the significant change take over Misao as Aoshi spoke to her. Her open smile disappeared, the brightness of her eyes dampened, it was as if a door had suddenly closed and all her emotions were now behind it. It seemed that she had learned a great deal more from their Okashira than he realized.

"I had planned on remaining a while longer with Shiro." The emptiness in her voice matched that of Aoshi's.

"Shiro does not need your assistance." Came Aoshi's quick reply, surprising Hanya with his words. Why would Aoshi refuse to let Misao stay longer; there was certainly no harm in it.

"Hanya did not need my assistance either, yet you sent me with him." Misao paused and when she spoke again her voice was clearly angry. "Or was it that Hanya was sent to assist me because you feel I could not do it alone?"

The heavy silence matched the tension in the air, Shiro wisely decided to remain, or at least pretend to be, aloof and oblivious to the two beside him. Hanya, however, although quiet stared in shocked disbelief at what he was witnessing below. He could never recall Misao speaking so disrespectfully to Aoshi, not even after their 'misunderstanding' or whatever it was that had made them avoid each other. And Aoshi… Hanya could not understand his earlier anger or why he would refuse to allow Misao to stay longer with Shiro. She was strong enough to take care of herself and her walking back to the Aoiya unaccompanied in the middle of the night was no cause for concern. Hanya knew the two of them would never put their personal feelings or desires above their duty, they felt their position as Oniwabanshu far to deeply for that. So why deny her, why not let her enjoy some time with Shiro. If the two of them had discovered something special between them outside of being Oniwabanshu why should Aoshi deny them, unless…

Hanya's eyes narrowed to near pinpoints. Could it really be possible? He wondered as his sharp gaze looked from the Okashira to the defiant Misao. Did Aoshi-sama harbor such feelings for Misao that he could be jealous of what 'appeared' to be developing between her and Shiro?

The very idea was laughable, less than a day ago Hanya would have laughed in the face of anyone who would have suggested it. Tonight however, Hanya had seen with his own eyes the possibility of such an idea. Aoshi's earlier anger, his refusal to allow Misao to remain with Shiro, it suggested something that Hanya would have never thought possible from his Okashira… jealousy.

"This is not up for discussion Misao." Aoshi's voice filled the silence. "You and Hanya will return to the Aoiya and leave Shiro to his post."

Hanya watched as Misao shook with anger as Aoshi turned his back on her, but even she was not so brave as to argue with such finality from Aoshi. Still she did her best to defy him and turned to Shiro, her smile returning as she told him that she would accompany him tomorrow afternoon as promised and after a cheerful goodnight to Shiro she turned and smirked at Aoshi.

That girl… she could test the patience of a monk! Hanya grumbled silently as he listened and watched her dig at their Okashira in any manner she could. Aoshi made no outward acknowledgment that he heard Misao and this only served to make her more angry. Hanya had felt something from him however, it was brief and quickly covered up but there had indeed been something. He would have loved to remain where he was and reflect further on his observations but Shiro mumbled a quick goodnight and leapt into the tree, landing quietly beside Hanya. He was half tempted to ask the young ninja just what the hell was happening with those two but remained silent on the subject, stating quickly that there was nothing to report and jumped down.

"Anything out of the ordinary Hanya?" Aoshi asked.

"Nothing Okashira." He replied while thinking 'nothing but you and Misao.'

Misao sighed heavily and stomped off angrily toward the Aoiya, he and Aoshi following close behind, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Hanya sneaked a few glances at Aoshi as they walked along in silence; he would never have believed his Okashira capable of what he now suspected. Still, if Aoshi did have such feelings for Misao, if he was indeed in love with her this did not necessarily constitute good news for Misao. Aoshi did not take well to that which he did not understand, emotions especially. Not to say he didn't feel things, quite the contrary, he felt things very deeply and for that very reason he kept them locked away.

Hanya raised his eyes, his gaze turning sympathetic as he watched Misao, her angry stride putting more distance between them… no, not between them, between her and Aoshi. If only things were as they used to be, if only she were still a small child, easily pacified with an embrace, her cheerfulness restored with just the right word. He knew that would not help matters now, even so, he would do what he could for her, for both of them.