Aurora whisperwind: Well, when I was browsing through my forgotten fics, when I came across this one. It needed a lot of work, and I'm pretty sure it's better than before, at least I hope it is. Thanks to lolo popoki, maxy-chan and moeru-himura; whose support meant a lot to me. I'm sorry all the earlier reviews got deleted.

Disclaimer:I do not own Ruroken.

Chapter one: Meeting

A strong gust of wind rattled the bare trees as the last few leaves danced mockingly around the young swordsman, symbolic; as the faces of the people he had murdered danced around him in his nightmares. Winter was approaching. He hated winter. It brought to mind her memories, painful memories, memories that made him cry out in horror and misery in his sleep even now, after five long years. Five years of wandering that resulted in nothing- no peace and no solace. A girl who was to betray him, a girl he knew only for a short while, to think a slip of a girl could affect him so badly. But then again, Tomoe was no ordinary girl.

But life went on. He had thought of dying, but something inside had stopped him. His greatest fear, that he would never get the peace of death. The people he had killed, their friends and families, he had never thought of all the pain he would have caused them. He was always much too busy fighting, believing all that senseless killing would lead to a better future. God only knew how many children he had made orphans, and how many women widows. He had not known what it was like to love someone and to miss them when they were gone. Tomoe's death opened his eyes to the fact that he was only human. And it stung.

His mental agony was disturbed by a piercing scream. He hesitated, and then raced across to the source. It was a woman's scream. Probably bandits. After Tomoe had died, he had sworn to himself that he wouldn't let any woman die, not if he could help it. And he would save this unknown woman. There had to be someone waiting for her at home.

It was too late. He had knocked out the thieves easily and they had fled at the first opportunity, but the woman was stabbed multiple times and was very near death. He watched her die, and buried her as well, all the while thinking, 'Why??? I did everything I could, why did this happen again?' Because you don't deserve it, the cruel voice inside him said; you don't deserve to be a hero, you don't deserve to save anyone, not after you spent half your life being the villain.

Her young daughter seemed unhurt, though she seemed to be in a shock. Another woman had died, and he couldn't do anything to stop it… The child had neither moved nor spoken. A snub-nosed little girl with a dirt smears on her face and scabby knees, dressed in a yukata so dirty he couldn't even guess its real colour. He felt sorry for her, her mother was slaughtered in front of her after all; but he felt unable to speak words of cheer, like there was any to begin with.

He felt sick. 'Everything I do goes wrong….' and turned away, unable to stay there any longer. He was leaving a little girl alone, he knew. It was wrong. 'I'll somehow end up causing her death too, if I took her….' By the way things looked she'd probably die anyway of grief. Or if not, someone else would definitely pass this way again, it was a well-travelled road. Someone who would be a good influence on her. Someone who deserved to attain the love of an unspoiled child. And with the reassurance in his heart, he turned to leave.

People were screaming as the bandits struck down everyone in their path. Confusion and panic reigned supreme everywhere as blood flowed like a river. There was no escape. He had wanted to fight them, but the three women taking care of him wouldn't let him. They protected him, even at the cost of their own lives. "Shinta, you are young, you deserve to live. You deserve to make your own choices. You deserve to be strong, and to fight back. You need to live, Shinta…" their words echoed around him as the bandits sliced them down as well. Well, maybe he did deserve to live, but it was not going to happen. He was going to die, just like everyone else. He would see his parents again…He choked as the tears threatened to fall. He swallowed them, closed his eyes and waited for his turn. It never came. A tall, powerful looking man had saved him. Why??? The man had asked him some questions, but he found himself unable to speak out of shock. The man had then left, leaving him to his fate.

He had never expected to see him again, but he returned. And he took him in. And taught him to be strong.

The memory chilled him as it washed over. 'Doesn't she deserve it as well? Doesn't she deserve to live? Doesn't she deserve to be strong? Doesn't she deserve to make her own choices? What if Shishou had turned away and left him where he was?' Shishou had made him strong; but it wasn't his fault that his pupil had become a monster. 'I could at least take her back to her family, if she has anyone left'

He laid a hand on her mop of unwashed, frizzy brown hair. She looked up. The grubby face looked a little surprised. "What's your name, Osanago?" He asked her kindly. She took a long time to respond. "Amaya"

"Amaya. What's your family name?"

Her big brown eyes looked confused. "Don't have one"

A peasant. "Well then, what's the name of your village?"

"Don't know. We don't stay anywhere. Mamma and Amaya travel" she replied, and then looked curiously at the freshly dug grave, wiping the snot from her nose with a dirty hand. Obviously the fact that her mother was dead began to sink in then. "Tell me, is my mamma dead? Did she go to heaven?"

"Yes…she did… but heaven is a beautiful place, you know? So don't worry"-he answered hesitantly, not expecting such a direct question.

She stared at him for a while and then turned back to the gravestone that he had placed. "But I was supposed to go first. Mamma told me so"

Authors note: Kenshin is not the Kenshin we know, he's a bitter, pained individual who's looking for peace yet unaware of how to obtain it. I normally don't like OCs at all, but I'm trying my best to create a normal, believable character who will not interfere with the main story line.

And to note- 'A peasant' before the meiji era and for a long time afterward only the samurai classes and above had last names. The common people had only a 'given' name

'Osanago'- Little one

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