Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be!

Sorry I took so long, explanations are at the authors note at the bottom!

((())) The Aoiya ((()))

A few hours after the tour Okami and Katsura were both sitting in a room at the Aoiya. After they had finished the tour of Kyoto, Misao had insisted that they stayed at the Aoiya. Although she had warned them that other guests were coming the next day, so if they didn't mind the extra noise, they were free to stay.

"So what did you think of Shinomori-san?" asked Okami, curious.

Katsura hesitated a moment before answering, "I have to admit I'm at least slightly surprised. Lord Makimachi is supposed to be very outgoing and a fighter to the core. Shinomori-san, on the other hand, seems to be more into strategies and negotiating. Although I do like whoever it was him that told him that about suicide and living."

"I agree. Who do you think it was?" asked Okami.

"I have no idea. I wish I knew though. Then we could ask him what he would say to Himura-san," answered Katsura, slightly wistfully.

"I wish I knew what happened to Himura-chan," said Okami, also wistfully.

Aoshi had just returned from the Zen temple when Misao hurriedly informed him that the two people she had been taking on a tour of Kyoto, were staying at the Aoiya and also that the Kenshin-gumi would be arriving in Kyoto tomorrow morning.

He walked up the steps, brooding about what the two had said to him that morning. While during the revolution, suicide had been quite common – especially seppuku – now, during Meiji, it wasn't nearly so common.

What could have happened to have made this person contemplate suicide? He paused at the top of the steps, wondering whether he should go to their room and find out just who this friend of theirs was, and find out what had happened to them. Perhaps he could even get Himura to talk to this mysterious person. Aoshi would swear on his kodachi's that the redhead could talk anyone out of suicide.

He walked over to the room that Misao had given the two, and paused outside their room, trying to decide whether to go in or not. However when he heard them talking, he decided to just listen in. He probably shouldn't, however, he was a ninja and old habits die hard.

What he heard surprised even him, the one that was called an ice-block because of his lack of emotion. They knew of Lord Makimachi, but few people knew of him. Only the Oniwaban and a few of the Imperialists that were important back during the revolution. And…they knew of the Oniwaban. Nobody during Meiji knew of the Oniwaban. Therefore…incredible as it may have seemed, they must have time-traveled. But how? Of course, any ordinary person would probably just ignore it and think that there was a better explanation. But Aoshi was no ordinary person. He was the leader of the Oniwaban Group, and had contacts that some people didn't even dream of having. Anything was possible. Anything.

He deduced that they were most likely from 1865-1867, before the end of the revolution, and before Lord Makimachi died and left him as leader. Of course this also explained the whole suicide thing. Suicide was very common back during the revolution; apparently it was an honorable way to die. Aoshi sincerely doubted that, where was the honour in killing yourself? Of course, if it hadn't been for Himura, then he might still be thinking those same things.

This also made things a whole lot simpler for this mystery person. If he could just tell them that Himura would be able to help, then they could organize something. It should be easy for them, it was obvious that they were Imperialists. In fact, Aoshi was surprised he hadn't noticed. Kogoro, as in Kogoro Katsura, leader of the Choshu clan and one of the three great Imperialists.

Of course, this was easier said than done. For one thing, they knew he was Oniwaban. This meant they probably wouldn't trust him they were, after all, on opposite sides of the war. And while the war had ended over a decade ago for him, for the two time-travelers, it had only just begun.

He continued to listen, hoping for an opening, or even just figure out what to do. He should be able to help, after all that was his job as a master of the shadow arts. The Oniwaban may have been disbanded but it was still their job to help the people. Just as Himura had been doing as wanderer for the last ten years.

So Aoshi continued to listen, and what he heard just plain astounded him. According to their conversation, not only did they know Himura, but he was the one that apparently wanted to commit suicide! Aoshi wouldn't have been surprised if his face registered pure shock at that one. For as long as he had known Himura, the redhead had always stood up to his beliefs. And his number one belief was that everyone deserved to have a chance to live, and that suicide was never the answer.

It seemed, that the same person who drove people mad because of his stubborn refusal to die, actually had, at some point, wanted to die, and by his own hands also.

Aoshi wondered what had happened. The Himura he knew would never give up on life, and he detested suicide with a passion. He just couldn't imagine the redhead even contemplating suicide, let alone trying to go through with it.

Aoshi walked away from the door, still brooding. He didn't need to enter the room, he had all the information he wanted, and more than he needed. And a whole lot more than he expected. It seemed that Kenshin Himura the Battousai, the greatest swordsman alive, in control of a spirit that absolutely refused to die or give up no matter what the odds, had apparently at some point, sunk low enough to contemplate suicide.

He needed to talk to Himura. Hopefully before the other two saw him. For one thing he wanted to know whether his theory of time-travel was correct, and he also wanted to know if it was true.

Aoshi walked into his room, deciding to meditate some more in there. However, he couldn't achieve a proper state of mind. His mind just couldn't stop flashing to what he'd heard. And he just couldn't believe it. But then again, he would never have believed that the famous Battousai was barely five foot tall.

So he idly began to calculate a few things in his head. What he realized nearly made his blood run cold. Himura was currently twenty-eight years old. The revolution ended a decade ago. Which meant that Himura was eighteen at the battle of Toba Fushimi. He had served the Imperialist for at least five years prior to this. Which meant…Himura had been thirteen when he became a manslayer. Thirteen.

Himura, by the age of fourteen, had probably killed more people than Aoshi had in all of his twenty-five years. And yet, Himura always seemed so cheerful. He always had a smile on his face, had never-ending patience and whole list of other things. Most fully grown men went crazy when they became manslayers. Yet Himura, a mere boy, not even a man yet, had managed to escape that fate. Yes, Himura felt guilty, but he was also happy. There had to be a reason. There was no way that a mere thirteen year old could manage to escape the cold-hearted reality of being a manslayer.

And he guessed that this all led back to what managed to brake Himura's spirit enough for him to consider the one thing that he detested beyond all else: suicide.

((())) The Next Morning at the Aoiya ((()))

The next morning both Okami and Katsura woke up early. Both were too accustomed of this to do otherwise. Normally Okami would have to wake up to make breakfast for an inn full of hungry soldiers, and Katsura would either have a secret meeting, or had to make plans.

As they really couldn't either at the moment, they decided to go outside. The sun was only just rising, and they were sitting in front of the koi pond. They mainly talked about the changes that had occurred in Kyoto over the last decade. They were so immersed in their discussion that they didn't even notice when a whole group of people entered.

So when Misao called them, they both looked up, startled. They walked over to where Misao was with a group of people who they assumed were her friends from Tokyo. There were two women, one man, one kid, and two little toddlers.

They went into the Aoiya and sat at the table, getting acquainted with each other. Well, except for the little girls, who were playing outside with a ball.

Of course, unbeknownst to Okami and Katsura, there was one other person missing. A certain red-haired samurai to be more exact. But the two had no idea that the person that they wanted to know about happened to be in the other room. Sipping tea with the leader of the Oniwaban Group. And they had also been joined by…surprise, surprise, a certain wolf that had been sensing something off in Kyoto over the last day or two.

Of course, the two of them had no idea. And neither, come to think of it, did Saito and Kenshin. Were they in for a surprise.

((())) A few hours later ((()))

Okami and Katsura had listened to some of the stories that the Kenshin-gumi had told them. To their surprise, they discovered that Tokyo wasn't just some ordinary town but actually the capital of Japan!

They also learned of a few changes that had happened over the last decade. For one thing one of the women, Kaoru Kamiya, owned and ran her own dojo, an action that was completely unheard of during the revolution. Then there was the other woman, Megumi Takani, who was a doctor. Once again this was incredibly rare during the revolution.

Although not everything had changed. The kid, who was called Yahiko, and not Yahiko-chan or little Yahiko under any circumstances, still carried on the spirit of the samurai. He had said that he wanted to be exactly like his role model. Everybody seemed to know who it was, though it seemed that most of them (the man Sanosuke, in particular), didn't think that he would reach that goal. Or at least not anytime soon.

Okami was curious as to how Kaoru could fight. Katsura was to. While women may have carried weapons back in their time, it was only for protection, and was very rarely used. He wondered how good women would be with swordsmanship.

So when Kaoru asked them whether they wanted to watch her and Yahiko spar, they agreed quite eagerly. Sanosuke said that he'd pass, and then went to find a friend of his. Another friend from Tokyo, from what the two had gathered.

They walked outside, into the courtyard, and sat down on the porch to watch. From what they'd found out, Kaoru taught the Kamiya Kasshiin Style and Yahiko was her first (and only) apprentice.

Okami and Katsura looked up as master and apprentice stood opposite each other. Both were wearing plain white hakama and dark blue gi. After doing what were apparently breathing exercises, they stood up and got into position. Then they started. It was obvious that they were both good, and neither was planning on losing either.

However what surprised them wasn't that apparently a seventeen year old woman and a ten year old boy were expert fighters. What surprised them was that they used bokken and shinai, wooden swords.

To Okami and Katsura this meant a great deal. It meant that finally their dream of people being free to live their lives without the constant threat of being hurt was true. Now, apparently, they used wooden swords instead of real one. While less effective, it was still useful, especially since it wouldn't be able to kill the opponent and that was the worst thing the Shogunate did. Killed innocent people with no reason.

Now, they were in the future where not only had the Shogunate fallen, but it was an era where people lived in peace. Where they could go out into the street without having to be protected. Where people were able to conduct their daily business without fear of getting hurt or worse. Where everybody, even women and children, were treated like equals. This was what they had dreamed of, and it was a reality.

In the darkest times, this would bring them hope, knowing that they would succeed, knowing that without their effort those two little girls would not have been so innocent anymore.

It was a memory that they would remember and treasure forever.

Now, about that red-haired samurai sipping tea…

((())) Authors Note ((()))

Sorry about that guys, I just had a massive history project due and I had to write up the entire script by myself from scratch! And then we had to dissect a sheep's heart in science :shudders:

Anyway I hope you guys liked this chapter because it was all for you!

I should hopefully be able to update in a week, but I have to go to hospital again so no guarantees. Promise that I'll be no longer than 9 days, ok?

In the meantime I would like to thank: akisu-san, nissepisse, starfruit-22 and MikaylaMae. Thanks for reviewing, please do so again!

Please drop me a comment and I'll see you next update!