Disclaimer: No I do not own Rurouni Kenshin

Chapter 1

Kyoto Studio Park

Her dull blue eyes stared at the picture in the art gallery. Her face was a neutral look and seemed almost distant to the world around her. If anyone could see the inside of her mind you would see clashing emotions of love and protection, danger and hurt. Joy and sadness, all and many more welled up inside this 17 year old girl. She walked along the hallways of the gallery stopping at one that caught her eye, her dull eyes seemed to brighten at the sight of the mixing colors of blue and purple, green and pink. Fairies danced in a field with some planets high above them. The brown bark of the trees mixed the purple leaves with the purple outer space. The green field the fairies were playing in seemed so life like she could almost see it move in the wind. For a moment the young girl wished she could be one of those fairies, dancing and playing in the painting without a care in the world. She wanted to touch the painting and feel its life but the gallery rules said that touching the paintings was not allowed so she merely brought her hand up and pretended to touch it. "Kaoru" a voice caught her attention and she turned around to see a girl with short black hair that reached her shoulders "come on, it's time to go" she called. Kaoru nodded her head and ran to her friend who was waiting for her. The girl Kaoru wore a pair of blue and white sneakers with a pair of shorts and a blue t-shirt, her long black hair was pulled up in a high ponytail with a pink ribbon. The hot summer sun shone down on them as they left the cool airconditioned art gallery.

Kaoru looked at her watch "why did you want to leave so early Usagi?" Kaoru asked her friend.

The girl named Usagi smiled, she wore a pink sphagetthi strap top and shorts with white and red sneakers. "I know how much we love the gallery but we need to get to the park, remember, we are meeting up with the others today" she reminded the girl.

Kaoru laughed "guess I forgot" she said, "good thing you remembered" she smiled at Usagi and then her smile turned into a frown and she looked over to her right seeing a couple talk about going to the beach. She overheard a family talking about dinner, the mixture of emotions inside of her began to hurt but Kaoru didn't let them go. She merely looked at her watch again, her eyes beginning to dull once more.

Unknown to Kaoru, Usagi saw the look on her friends face and shook her head. Recently Kaoru had seemed to be becoming more and more depressed and her friends had noticed it no matter how much Kaoru hid it. Usagi had to give her friend credit though, Kaoru had become good at hiding her emotions recently and it kind of hurt her that Kaoru wouldn't share what was going on. Usagi smiled and grabbed Kaoru's arm and began to run "come on" she said with a laugh. Little by little, I want to help her Usagi thought looking back at the surprised Kaoru who was trying to keep up I want to learn what's wrong, I want Kaoru to share her pain and not keep it inside anymore Usagi released Kaoru's hand "race you to the station" she called.

Kaoru raced after Usagi blocking out the laughter of others and just focusing on Usagi and herself. "Last one to the station buys the tickets" Kaoru called as she passed her friend unable to keep the smile off her face. She and Usagi raced all the way to the train station and Kaoru smiled extending her hand to be the first to touch the wall. "I win" Kaoru said to a panting Usagi. "You alright?" she asked her friend who nodded trying to catch her breath. "Well come on" Kaoru said and they entered the station together. Usagi bought the tickets and the two girls collapsed on a nearby bench.

Usagi handed Kaoru her ticket and the two relaxed catching their breath as they waited for their train. "I don't know how you can run so fast Kaoru" Usagi said.

Kaoru looked at Usagi "you just need to exercise more" she told her friend knowing that Usagi preferred video games, computers, and junk food more then getting out and exercising.

Usagi looked at her friend "come to think of it, your family runs a dojo right?" she asked.

Kaoru looked at Usagi "not really, at least not anymore" she muttered the last part under her breath. Recently the dojo had been closed so only Kaoru, her little brother Yahiko, and their father lived there now. No one knew why the dojo was closed but no one besides her brother and a few others knew that Kaoru had found a training spot where she had gathered the old students and taught them her family's style. Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. Kaoru was knocked out of her memory when she heard a train pull in. "That's our ride" Usagi said and stood up. She walked over to a water fountain and began to gulp down some water before she began to walk towards the train getting in a line to board. Kaoru stood behind her. They boarded the train and got into a spare seat and sat down across from each other. Usagi smiled "so we go to Uzumasa Station and then we are there" she said cheerfully.

"After we reach Shijo-Omiya" came a female voice behind them.

Kaoru and Usagi looked over and smiled when they saw Sakura and Kyoko standing there "make room" Kyoko said plopping down beside Usagi while Sakura made her way into the seat beside Kaoru. The group smiled "I'm so excited, finally we get to go to Kyoto Studio Park" Kyoko said cheerfully as she and Usagi became engaged in a conversation about what they were going to do when they got there.

"What about you Sakura, you've never been to Kyoto Studio Park before, are you as excited as those two?" Kaoru asked motioning to the two girls across from them.

Sakura nodded her head "yes, I'm glad my Mom is letting me stay with my Dad over summer break this year" Sakura said. Sakura was a girl the same age as Kaoru, Sakura's parents had divorced and her mother had received custody of Sakura. They lived together in Hokkaido while her father lived in Kyoto. It was only Sakura's second time in Kyoto since her father usually came and visited them in Hokkaido. "This is going to be great" Sakura said before joining the conversation with Kyoko and Usagi.

Kaoru nodded her head "yeah, just great" she said, then looked at her watch. It was currently 2 o'clock they had plenty of time but Kaoru still couldn't get her mind out of the gutter. She looked out the window as the train pulled from the station, she entered her own mind and began to wander off. Once they reached Shijo-Omiya they needed to get onto a different train that would take them to Uzumasa Station. After about a 5 minute walk they would reach Kyoto Studio Park. It had been awhile since they had all gone together [with the exclusion of Sakura, so Kaoru hadn't been that surprised when Kyoko had declared that they go some time this summer before school started and they entered their senior year in High School.

Kaoru's thoughts wandered again and soon she couldn't hear anything but the images and words running through her own mind. "I'm really excited about this" Sakura said before looking over at Kaoru "do you think that this'll cheer her up?".

Usagi nodded her head "of course it will, she was pretty excited today when I reminded her about the park" the girl said. The three looked over at their friend who was lost in her own thoughts again "I hope she's as excited as she says she is" Usagi mumbled. They turned their attention back to each other and continued their discussion about what to do at the park. Before the girls knew it they had given their tickets to the conductor and had reached the next station. Sakura knocked Kaoru waking the girl up from thinking and the group got off the train and bought their new tickets quickly boarding the next train that would take them to the station.

After 15 minutes of waiting the train began to pull out of the station and they headed off towards their new destination. "So, let's forget all of our worries and have fun" Kaoru exclaimed cheerfully.

She's one to talk Usagi thought as she agreed, the four girls caught the attention of a nearby family as they joyfully cheered and the girls explained to Kaoru what they were going to do.

Since the train ride wasn't that long they reached the station in about 10 minutes or so. They got off the train and stretched ready to head off to Kyoto Studio Park. Kyoko smiled "let's hurry you guys" she said and began to run out of the station and out into the bright sun. It was about a 8 minute walk or so to the park so instead of taking the bus the group began to walk with a mixture of other people. They reached the park enterance in no time, paying up the fee they entered the amusment park at last. "No holding back" Kyoko said and the friends began their adventure at the park. Riding rides, getting and taking pictures, looking at the sites. "Hey Usagi, let's try that game over there" Kyoko said when they decided to take a break after a rollercoaster.

Sakura and Kaoru both grabbed a table at a small out door icecream shoppe. They bought some shakes and watched Kyoko and Usagi try to get the rings around the hoops. "So, are you enjoying yourself Sakura?" Kaoru asked stirring her straw around in her strawberry shake.

Sakura nodded her head "yes, I'm glad we decided to come here" she said admiring the rides and appearance of the feudal era the park gave. "Hey let's take a picture next, as Geisha" she said.

Kaoru looked at Sakura and laughed at her friends' idea before looking over at the depressed Kyoko and Usagi as they trudged over to the group. "That game is impossible to win" Kyoko muttered grabbing one of the shakes and sitting down and taking a sip. "So now what are we going to do?" she asked.

"Well Sakura wanted to get a group photo as Geisha" Kaoru said.

"That sounds fun" Usagi said cheerfully looking over at the sound of a screaming rollercoaster. "Alright after the shakes we'll take a picture" she said, the others nodded in agreement.

"So Kaoru how's Yahiko, I haven't seen him recently" Kyoko said to the raven haired girl.

"Still as annoying as ever" Kaoru said, "he just doesn't know when to shut-up" she took a large sip of her shake at the thought of her younger brother and in return she let out a scream and held her head. The others laughed at the brain freeze.

Once their shakes were finished they brought the cups back up to the counter and left to go and get their picture taken. They arrived at the studio, the workers changed their clothes and applied their make-up and everything else "haha, look at me, I'm a geisha" Sakura said playing with the fan a worker had given her. They waited for their turn and were placed in the position before the worker set up and took their picture.

Kaoru waved farewell to her friends as they split up, Kaoru got onto the bus and sat down waiting for her bus station. She looked out the window, gripping the picture of her, Kyoko, Sakura, and Usagi all dressed up as Geisha to her body. This was something she would keep safe forever. Kaoru reached into her purse and pulled out her wallet and opened it. She looked at a picture of her and Sakura together, it had been taken when they had first met. Sakura had said that she wanted to take a picture with the people she knew she was going to love forever. Kaoru frowned as she remembered Sakura saying that, would she really love her forever or would she pity her. Kaoru put her wallet back into her purse along with the picture as the bus came to a stop. She slid out of her seat and got off the bus jumping onto the concrete pathway sad to be getting off the cool bus and back into the summer heat.

When the bus departed Kaoru began to head home to the dojo hoping that her father was passed out on the couch or out doing something. She headed up the stone stairs before reaching the dojo, she pushed open the gates and walked to the door. The moment her hand touched it she heard a scream from inside and the next thing she knew Kaoru saw her little brother pinned down by her father.