As usual, I make no claims to owning Kenshin et al, which is not to say I wouldn't like to have him all to myself, bwahahaha. In any event, here is the new story for your reading pleasure (hopefully) and as always, please review!

Prologue

"Like one that on a lonesome road

Doth walk in fear and dread,

And having once turned round walks on,

And turns no more his head;

Because he knows, a frightful fiend

Doth close behind him tread."

-Samuel Coleridge

A cold wind swept raven hair into the face of the lone traveler as stormy blue eyes turned upward to confront the oncoming storm. After a moments hesitation the traveler's thoughts returned inward. Fired. Again. Her step-mother was not going to be happy. Even the extra money in the pouch bouncing gently against her thigh would not be enough to prevent her step mother from flying into a rage upon hearing of her employerless state. An involuntary snarl escaped.

Filthy, greedy, Bitch.

Her fathers body had barely cooled in the ground when her step-mother had informed her that her labor had been sold to the local tavern in Omura. Furious, Kaoru had listened as her step-mother, Yumi, had calmly explained that since her father was dead it was her job to support her two younger brothers. The day of her fifteenth birthday Kaoru had been bundled up and shipped across town to her new workplace. She still remembered the hot lonely walk across town, sweat dripping between her newly formed breasts and everything she owned in a pathetically light sack strapped to her back. She remembered the fear and the anger and the desperation.

Three years later in the summer of her eighteenth year, a rebel group under the control of Lord Shishio staged a coup and seized control of the Island State of Shimabara. The other Island States of the Thousand Islands muttered in protest but nevertheless confirmed Shishio Makoto as the new head of state. At the time Kaoru didn't care. She had waited three grueling years to reach her majority, the age at which her step-mother could no longer dictate her life, and nothing as insignificant as a change in governments was going to affect her mood.

She was wiping down a table in a tavern in Isahaya when the letters arrived three days before her eighteenth birthday. The first was a letter from the Island State of Shimabara Department of Health and Family. The words were still burned clearly in her memory.

This letter has been sent to inform those it may concern that the person, Kamiya Kaoru, has been declared mentally unstable by the Island State of Shimabara Department of Health and Family. Protective custody has hearby been granted to Yumi Komagata, the step-mother and only living relative of Kamyia Kaoru indefinitely.

Sincerely,

Shimabara Department of Health and Family

The second letter was from her step-mother informing her that her labor contract had been renewed for another 7 years. That was six and a half years ago. Since then she had worked for every bar, tavern, and restaurant of ill repute on Shimabara. Her last employer unwilling to keep her and unable to find anyone willing to buy her contract, had released her with a note to her step-mother demanding compensation for the 6 months of labor still owed him.

Kaoru shuttered as another freezing blast of wind tore through her. Careful saving had allowed her to have enough money in reserve to pay her contract debt to her step-mother, even with the interest the bitch was likely to add on. However, Kaoru had no doubts that Yumi would contract her out again. Growling softly, Kaoru trudged on. No legitimate business would have any interest in purchasing the labor contract of a mentally unstable young woman. The bitch complained often enough when her normally violent refusal to "service" paying clients resulted in her contract being sold. She had no doubts Yumi would smile in glee as she sold her contract to the nearest whore house. The violent shiver that racked Kaoru's body had nothing to do with the quickly dropping temperature.

Forcefully shaking herself from her morbid thoughts, Kaoru paused as she arrived on the outskirts of Omura. Almost nine years had past since the last time she had laid eyes on her hometown. It had grown from quiet fishing village to bustling port town during her absence. New buildings stood where her memory insisted open fields should be, and even with the threatening weather the streets were filled with people going about their business. Traveling through the town itself was a risk. However, the threat of the oncoming storm outweighed her fear of being recognized before she reached her families dojo. Keeping her head down and letting the hood of her winter cloak fall around her face she shuffled along the edge of the crowd toward the far side of town.

Two more streets then a left and she'd be able to see her destination. As much as she loathed seeing her step-mother again, she couldn't help but look forward to seeing her two brothers for the first time in nearly a decade. She wondered if they'd remember her. Stepping lightly she swung around the final corner... and slammed to a stop.

Bakers shop, Fuji residence, annoying old ladies house, burnt ruins where the Kamiya dojo should be, grumpy old fish mongers residence, Hoji residence …

Rubbing her tired eyes in disbelief she tried again.

Hoji residence, grumpy fish monger, burnt ruins of Kamiya Dojo, annoying old ladies house, Fuji residence...

No matter how she looked at it the smoldering ruins were right where the Kamyia dojo should be. But that was impossible, wasn't it? Wasn't it? Warm wet drops slid down her cheeks as the storm finally broke, drowning the street in freezing rain.

Kaoru needed answers and she needed them now. The Bakery was closest. Sweeping the noren aside she entered the warm shop.

"Hai? I'll be with you in a minute"

Muffled noises from the back preceded the emergence of a woman Kaoru didn't know. Bowing low, the shopkeeper plastered on a huge smile. "Welcome! How can I help you?"

"Ano, do you know what happened to the dojo down the road?" Kaoru watched as the smile melted off the woman's face.

"Ah, a real tragedy, the place burned down two nights ago in a Mage fire."

"Mage fire?" Kaoru asked puzzled.

"Yeah, really creepy, the more water we threw on the fire the hotter it burned but the flames never touched any building but that one." The woman removed a cloth from her apron and begun wiping down the counter as if to clean away the unpleasant memories.

"Do you know what happened to the family that was living there?"

The cloth paused in its path. "All dead. We found what was left of their bodies when the fire finally died out. Why do you ask?"

Kaoru couldn't answer as the floor fell out from under her. Worriedly, the lady rushed to kneel beside her.

"Hey, are you okay?"

A weak mewing sound was all Kaoru could come up with.

"You're kin to that family, aren't you?"

Kaoru could only nod dumbly.

"I'm sorry. Here lets get you up and get something warm in you belly."

She helped Kaoru over to one of the tables, filling a cup with tea and placing a gentle hand on Kaoru's shoulder before disappearing into the back.

Kaoru's world spun in a dizzying fashion as emotions swirled round her head.

Her brothers were dead. Her step-mother was dead. She was free. She was alone. Her brothers were dead. The dojo and all its memories were gone. Her brothers, her dojo, the only things which kept her sane were gone. Forever.

An offended "MEW!" drew her out of her thoughts as the lady emerged from the back carrying a box that was making the most interesting hissing noises.

"This cat belonged to the family. Don't know how he escaped the fire but besides a few scorch marks he appears to be fine."

Kaoru lifted the top flap on the box.

"Neko!"

"You want him then?"

"Yes, I'll take him." Kaoru deposited a few coins on the table and picked up the box as she rose to leave, bowing awkwardly to the shopkeeper.

"Thank you very much for you help."

Tucking the box containing the unhappy feline under her cloak, Kaoru pulled up her hood and stepped out into the pouring rain. The previously bustling streets were deserted as she made her way toward the inn near the docks. At least she hoped the inn was still near the docks. The drumming rain against her body a sharp counterpoint to the erratic drumming of her heart.

Chapter 1

The morning light brought with it new resolution for Kaoru. Everything had a price. The price for Kaoru's freedom had been her brother's lives. Yumi had been explicit on that point. It was a price she had not been willing to pay. In the end it hadn't mattered. Her brothers were dead and she was free. However, she couldn't stay on Shimabara. She couldn't risk drawing any attention to herself. She couldn't risk loosing her freedom again because of her "delicate mental state." She couldn't afford the bribe necessary to keep her from becoming a ward of the state. Better by far, to just leave the Island and try to start a new life elsewhere. First, however, she needed a bath.

Kaoru sank gratefully into the spell-warmed water. She had been surprised when the Inn's proprietor had offered the option of a spelled-bath with the room. Shimabara was a bit of a magical backwater. Mage born luxuries, like spell-warmed bath water, were uncommon. However, being so close to the trade port must have allowed the proprietor to engage the services of a mage often enough to maintain the spells on the water tank. No doubt, the Inn's keeper turned a tidy profit on travelers, like herself, who couldn't bring themselves to reject the chance to languish in water that never grew cold. Unnecessary expense though it was, Kaoru couldn't bring herself to regret it as the warm water melted the knots out of her abused muscles. Absently, she ran the washing cloth over her skin. Glancing over at her dilapidated travel bag, she sighed in disgust. She would need to go shopping before she left. Neither of the two extra sets of clothing she owned were appropriate for anything other then the career she hoped to leave behind her forever. The garments practically screamed, whore, which was exactly what the bars proprietor had been going for.

Filthy, disgusting, males.

She wasn't sure if the thought was aimed at her former employers or her former customers, neither of which excelled at keeping their hands to themselves.

Bastards.

If she had learned nothing else these last nine years, she had learned a resounding hatred for anything and everything male.

Drawing a fresh batch of warm water from the faucet, she rinsed the soap from her body and rose, prancing a bit when her feet came into contact with the cold floors.

Gah! Cold. Cold. Cold!

Slipping hurriedly into the more modest (Ha!) of her two outfits, she pulled her cloak tightly around herself checking to make sure her knifes were settled into place and headed through the door. Downstairs the warm bustle of the morning meal was well underway. Tantalizing smells wafted across the kitchen drawing a murmur of protest from Kaoru's empty stomach as she headed across the common room and out into the bustling streets. It wasn't the first time she had done without breakfast and despite the strenuous protest of her empty stomach she would survive. Until she knew how much passage off this rock was going to cost she had best be thrifty.

The rain from the evening before had passed, leaving the late autumn day cool and crisp. Pausing outside the inn's entrance Kaoru debated with herself before turning and heading towards the outdoor markets. While the impromptu dock markets were in many ways more dangerous then the more respectable shopping areas, she would have less of a chance of being recognized. Securing passage on an outbound ship would also be easier closer to the docks. However since respectable merchants went nowhere near the dock markets it would mean purchasing castoff clothing, clothing Kaoru knew from experience that would come nowhere near fitting her slight frame. It was regrettable but she would rather seem prudish in ill fitting clothes then be mistaken for a dockside whore; besides more respectable clothing could always be purchased once she reached her destination, wherever that might be.

She wondered briefly if she should try and seek out her childhood friend, Katsu. It had been almost a decade since they had seen each other but she, like everyone else, had heard news of his exploits over the years. Even in the most backwater parts of Shimabara she had encountered stories of Lord Shishio's crackdown on his anti-government newspaper, which had forced him to sell his families inn and flee into hiding. If anyone knew of a discreet way off the island, he would. It would, however, take time to track her old friend down, time she was afraid she didn't have. Her best bet was still to acquire the supplies she would require and book passage on the first ship leaving with the evening tide.

Settled, she strode through the increasing traffic at the edge of the bazzar, pausing briefly to readjust her hood and her bearings before heading off in the direction of a rundown clothing booth. The ancient crone attending the makeshift shop unleashed a cackle that unhinged her spine when she explained what she was searching for but nevertheless pointed her toward a pile of cloth near the corner of the stall. She was just lifting the garment (which was certainly prudish enough if a rather...unfortunate... shade of orange) when a commotion down the street caught her attention.

Replacing the dress and stepping backwards to get a clearer view around the other customers she had a split second to gaze in horror as the cause of the commotion barreled straight into her plunging them both ground-ward in a wild tangle of arms and legs. A sharp jerk and strong grip had her up and running again before her poor brain had time to register hitting the ground. Another sharp jerk, a disorienting moment where the world spun crazily, and finally her brain caught up with her body as her back slammed forcefully against an unyielding stone wall. It was only then she registered the press of a body against hers. The feel of unmistakably male hips as he shifted to block her legs. His one calloused hand discreetly pinning her own firmly behind her back while the other gently tilted her chin upwards. She was trapped, his face so close to hers that his features blurred and his breath tickled across her cheek. Course green cloth gently fell to obstruct her view of the outside world. He was wearing her cloak she realized suddenly.

When the hell had that happened?

She stiffened as she felt the feather-lite fluttering of his lips against the corner of her own.

"Shhh, be still, I don't want to hurt you."

At his comment she froze. Innocent or not, she couldn't risk attracting the attention of the local law enforcement, couldn't risk them figuring out who she was. Which meant for better or worse she couldn't risk causing a commotion.

A short eternity passed before the sound of footsteps and the muffled shouts of men caught her attention. The sounds drew closer to their hiding place and faded into the distance without seeming to pause. Kaoru released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Given their rather...intimate position she had no doubt that the guards mistook them for the exact thing she had earlier hoped to avoid, a less-than-discreet dockside whore and her client. For the first time in her life she was grateful for that particular idiotic pig-brained assumption.

Several tense seconds followed the passage of the guards, wherein Kaoru became aware of the extremely uncomfortable nature of the wall behind her, before a soft sigh tickled her face and the pressure holding her to the wall receded, creating a small space between them.

Blue eyes clashed with purple. He was male, male and touching her, the knowledge swamped her, driving out the other thoughts clamoring for her attention.

"Let. Go." She growled low in her throat. Her voice as cold as the breeze that rustled across her exposed chest. Slowly he released his grip and stepped backwards, grinning like an idiot.

Was he insane?

She briefly considered demanding he return her cloak but decided the sooner away the better and instead turned briskly, striding down the ally. The spot between her shoulder blades itched at turning her back on a potential adversary but she had learned through experience that hesitation was a fatal flaw when dealing with males.

She didn't have to turn around to know he was following her.

Stubbornly, she continued another block before her temper snapped and she spun around demanding sharply, "Why are you following me?"

"You can see me?" Confusion flickered briefly across his features.

Kaoru was dumbfounded. "Of course I can see you!" and as if to prove her point she took a step forward and poked him firmly in the chest. If possible his eyes widened even further in surprise as he grasped her wrist.

Okay, maybe he really was insane. Some kind of escapee from the local asylum. Before she could take that thought any further a shout from the other end of the ally grabbed both their attention.

"That's him over there!"

She glanced over his shoulder in time to see three guards blasting down the alley straight towards them. The decision was instant. Later she would decide it was sympathy for their mutual insanity that led her to take a firmer grasp on his wrist and bolt down the ally; there was certainly nothing of sanity or reasoning in the decision.

Several frantic turns later she whisked them through a back door and staggered to a halt in the shadows on the far side of the inn's small washing court. Blessing all the years she had spent dirty-kneed chasing Katsu through every inch of his families inn, she waited silently for the maid to pick up her laundry basket and trudge indoors before stealthy crossing the courtyard. Slipping a small knife out of it's hiding place she deftly slipped the latch to the door concealing the back staircase. The stair had the musty smell of disuse as she quickly ghosted her way up to the second floor and down the hallway to her room.

As soon as the door was safely closed and latched she hurried into the relative privacy of the small bathing room, panting a bit from her exertions. A fine trembling ran through her body as she rinsed her face and took stock of her situation. Okay, she had failed miserably at discreetly leaving the country, but had succeeded spectacularly at drawing the exact type of attention she had desperately needed to avoid. Instead of buying the nice prudish dress and leaving on the first ship to safety, she had helped a man, who was probably criminally insane, escape from the guard not once, but twice. Now she was stuck with said lunatic, and out of ideas. She was beginning to think she really was mentally unstable. Breathing deeply and re-centering herself as her father had taught her, she focused on calming her thoughts. When she felt steady enough to return to the main room she found her uninvited guest sitting on her bed stroking Neko.

The bastard was sitting on her bed, holding her cat. If they survived this she was going to kill that...

"Kenshin." His unexpected voice startled her out of her internal tirade. "Kenshin." He repeated. "My name is Himura Kenshin and I'm pleased to make your acquaintance." The surprisingly gentle tone, like he was wooing a startled deer, made her stop and really look at him for the first time. Deep purple eyes looked out of a face almost too pretty to be considered masculine, with dark red hair, dusty from his fall, drawn back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. A fresh cut above his eye, presumably also from his fall, dripped blood down the side of his face to the cross shaped scar adorning his left cheek. He was wearing a nondescript outfit of local origin with nothing remarkable except her cloak which was decidedly too small. He certainly didn't look physically intimidating but remembering how effortlessly he pined her earlier made her wary. Those amethyst eyes looked back at her appraisingly.

"I'll go get something to wash that with."

"What?" it was his turn to be surprised.

"That cut." he placed a hand on his brow wincing as if realizing the injury for the first time, as she turned and headed back into the washroom. She returned a short time later, wet towel in hand, to remove the cat from his lap and hand him the towel, which he promptly used to clean his face.

"Thank you for helping me." The measuring look in the eye not currently being obscured by the towel made her feel uncomfortable. Wielding bluntness like a weapon she asked, "Why exactly were you being chased by the city guards?" He looked down and away from her.

"I have something they want," he said vaguely.

"What?" she insisted.

"Oh just some plans and papers and such…" He shifted slightly and removed the towel from his forehead.

"And here I thought you had escaped the local asylum." The look on his face was priceless. "but your a thief...I guess I should probably turn you over to the guards."

"You don't wish to be involved with them anymore then I," he challenged.

It was her turn to shift uncomfortably. "Since Shishio-sama's coupe, no sane female wishes to draw the guards attention." Which was true enough, if there was more to her reasons then that it was certainly none of his business. They lapsed into an awkward silence. Recovering the towel she escaped into the washroom and used more of the spelled water to wash it clean. When she reemerged Neko had regained the mans lap. What was she going to do with him? Throw him out the window? The image popped so suddenly into her head that she almost laughed out loud. Not only would that rectify the problem but she also suspected it would relieve a great deal of stress. She was so caught up in her thoughts that his voice startled her.

"I don't believe I ever caught you name..." It wasn't quite a question.

She hesitated.

"Mitsune Hikaoru."

"Well, Hikaoru-dono, I..."

She would never know what he was going to say next because a loud bang from the door suddenly commanded both of their attentions.

"In the name of Shishio-sama, open the door!"

They looked at each other as the pounding increased in ferocity until he rose abruptly, breaking the spell.

"Come now, grab your things."

She looked at him dumbly.

"Would you rather be here when that door gives?" He asked harshly.

That got through to her, as she hurried to comply, grabbing both pack and cat and following him out the window she had so recently envisioned throwing him out.

Her feet had no sooner touched ground when a loud crash signaled the demise of her door and as one they broke into a run down the ally. As mad dashes go, this one was surprisingly short. She collided with his back as he slammed to an unexpected stop several streets from the inn and began rummaging through the garbage strewn about the alley. She could only stop and stare. Disaster was literally bearing down on them and he was...picking through the trash. He was insane. Whatever he was looking for he evidently found it, smiling triumphantly he seized her arm and the world bucked violently, dissolving around her.