Disclaimer: I don't own anything in the Kenshin Universe except the characters Ushiro Ryu and Nozomi. Feel free to use them if you ever want, just please credit me, and let me know...

Change

She was trapped by her own uncertainty. This war... it was a man's game. Not something for her to understand, and she had been content with that. Only concerning herself with the effects of the war that she could see. The pain of those she cared about.

But the war was over now... or ending. She wasn't sure if she believed that this war could ever really be done. Wasn't sure if she could imagine the streets being safe and night. No more deaths. No more wounded soldiers.

No more soldiers at all.

And that was why she was trapped in her own mind. All of this change... Changes that she was supposed to be hoping for... but still...

Battousai had already left not long ago. He would not be coming back. Of that she was certain. He had changed so much in those last few months of the war, and she worried for him. Unless something changed drastically for him, she couldn't imagine that he'd easily survive the peace of a new era.

And so she sat on the porch of the Kohagi Inn, so lost in her own frustrated thoughts that she hadn't even noticed the young soldier approach her. Hadn't even realized he was there until she heard his soft voice say her name.

"Nozomi-chan?"

The girl's face snapped up and her cheeks flushed as her eyes met the eyes of the soldier. A kind man, who had tried to befriend everyone, even Battousai. Although most of the soldiers had already left, he was one of those who had been wounded in the last turbulent battles. He had been brought back here to heal. And for the first time Nozomi found herself unwilling to wish a quick recovery on him.

"Ushiro-san," she whispered, lowering her eyes. As she did so, she noticed a few small flowers in his hand. Again her eyes flew to his face. "Ushiro-san?" she said again, hesitantly.

It was his turn to flush a little. The tall soldier slowly sat next to her, levering himself down gently with his wooden crutch and smiling awkwardly. "The doctor suggested I walk every morning. He said it will help heal my leg quicker. I..." He glanced away briefly.

"Yes...?" The girl's eyes hadn't left his face.

Ushiro cleared his throat. "I saw them on my walk this morning. They were pretty, and I thought of you..." He coughed to cover his embarrassment. "I mean," he added quickly, "that you seemed to be so sad lately. With the war over and us leaving. And I thought you'd like it. The flowers, I mean. Not us leaving. I mean..." He trailed off, appearing completely flustered and embarrassed.

Nozomi gently slipped one of her hands over his to grasp the flowers' slender stems. "I love them," she said softly.

He finally looked her in the eyes. "You do?"

She smiled. "They're beautiful. Just what I needed."

The young man managed to genuinely smile back at her this time. He opened his mouth once to speak, and then closed it as though thinking better of that decision and settled instead on slowly standing and bowing slightly at her, the pleased smile still playing on his lips. Shining in his eyes. "I'll leave you to your thoughts, Nozomi-chan." He turned and carefully walked away, his crutch thumping softly on the porch stairs as he made his way up to the door of the inn.

Just as he slid the door open and began stepping through, Nozomi spoke.

"Ushiro-san... might I ask how you knew I regret you leaving...? All of you... the solders, I mean..."

He turned and smiled briefly back at her, thinking a moment before replying gently, "Because I regret it as well." With those words, he entered the inn, sliding the door shut behind him, leaving the quiet girl to digest his words and the significance of the small collection of flowers in her hands...

Perhaps change wasn't so bad after all...

Author's Note: First of all, I know I've been gone forever. I know I should be updating things. I know I'm either going to lose readers or sadden/ frustrate those that I'm not losing. Sorry to all of you. As usual, I'm having a hard time with life, and it is hurting the writing process for me.

I do however hope you enjoy this fanfiction. Another fiction that goes along with the "Out of Time" storyline. This would take place after "I Remember" (if you actually have any interest in reading these in any order... weird... I feel like I'm making a little "Universe" for "Out of Time." I'm not sure if I think that's cool or just plain weird.

Also, I'd like to note that I find it vastly amusing that I wound up writing a fanfiction that consists solely of two OCs...

And as a final note (since it seems really appropriate to hype this here), I've taken it upon myself to hype WhiteRabbit5's new forum, "The OC Exchange." It's a REALLY cool idea. Basically, you go there and post info about your Kenshin OC and then you exchange OCs with someone else and you either draw or write fan work for their OC while they do the same for you. Please check it out. It seems like an idea that could be a LOT of fun.

And if WhiteRabbit5 is reading this... yeah... sorry for hyping without asking if you care... I figured you wouldn't mind, but if you do, let me know.

Sirius