UPDATED: 4/4/05: I changes a few things in this chapter so that later chapters would flow better

A/N: Sorry all of my 'oh brother' fan's for the delay, but I have two chapters on their way and almost ready for you but until then I have another story to start, I hope you guys like this one too.

Disclaimer: Honestly if I owned RK would I be writing this? (Ok I probably would but that's beside the point.) I don't own it or any money so please don't sue.

The land was cold and bitter, frozen with the harsh weather of winter, a figure fighting its way through the now furious snow. Blood dribbled slowly from an open wound; it had been so long since they had been home, before the chaos, before this. The figure stumbled and as they lay in the snow a memory flashed in its mind.

FLASHBACK

Morning silently crept up on the Kamiya Dojo. The young adjutant master was still slumbering peacefully as a red haired rurouni watched her sleep. "I need nothing more in this life," he whispered contently to himself as he walked off to prepare breakfast.

Kaoru mumbled something incoherently and snapped her eyes open. 'I thought I saw Kenshin watching over me...' she pondered still trying to wake the rest of her body up. 'Probably just a dream...' She finally pulled herself out of bed and wandered into the kitchen where she found Kenshin cooking.

Now, normally she wouldn't be surprised to see him, but today was a different story. "What are you doing here?" She asked her hands positioned on her hips. "I thought your train left this morning?"

Kenshin gave her his rurouni smile, and shrugged. "No, the train won't leave until tonight, that it won't."

"Tonight, really?" she smiled idly. "Well I hope your friend will be well soon."

It was true, Kenshin was going to Hokkaido. He had been summoned by an ill friend, one that he had made during his years of wandering. Kenshin knew that there was something more to this trip than he let on. The less Kaoru knew about it the better it would be for everyone.

END FLASHBACK

It had seemed like had been a long time since that day, the figure lay in the snow and tried to pick themselves up. 'I have to keep going, I have to get back...' with all the strength they could muster, they stood up and started again to fight blindly through the snow. 'Will I ever see your face again?' Tears started to brim in their eyes. 'I can't think of that now.' They fought their way through the blinding storm. "I...won't...give in," the figure muttered through jagged breaths. The figure stumbled once again but this time they stumbled onto a door. 'A farm house? I don't want to cause them any harm but what am I to do?' With the remaining little bit of strength the figure had knocked on the door once. The figure leaned against the door exhausted and overly weary unable to do the seemingly difficult task a second time.

The door slowly creaked open and the figure fell forward almost automatically, and whispered "Please... help me..." And closed its eyes.

"Oh my!" said a young looking woman as she opened her door, never expecting to find something like this. "Shuichi! Come quickly!" She yelled, turning the figure over.

"What is it Yuki?" Said the middle aged looking man, then noticed the figure lying on the ground, "Are they...?"

"No, not yet but we need to do something quick!" She said feeling wary of the situation.

Suddenly from behind Shuichi, his good friend Himura Kenshin stepped out of a room; he could sense all of the commotion. He looked down at the figure on the ground, finding what he would never expect. "Miss Kaoru!"

To be continued...

A/N: What do you guys think? Sorry if it seems a bit rough, I don't have a second set of eyes looking at this so I may not see every mistake.

Just kidding! I wouldn't do that... Or would I?

Battosaichick: See ya!