Book I

Foraois

Forest

Chapter X

Pivot

"May your journey overflow with beginnings and endings."

As Kaoru waved Ro off as they took different paths away from the Long House to return to their respective districts, she pocketed the sweet potatoes that another patroller had been doling out in the Long House and smiled at the thought of sinking her teeth into the rich and creamy orange vegetable. Ro's brimmed hat vanished from view and Kaoru herself pattered back towards the residential district, her cap tucked under her arm and her boots hitting the ground in anticipation of reaching home and changing into more agreeable clothing.

Rounding the last corner, she nearly skidded to a stop at the cloaked form of Kenshin standing outside the house, hugging the perimeter of their small fence, a caster seed lantern held in his hands. His red hair was tucked neatly underneath the cloak's hood and his face was mostly obscured by what looked to be one of Sanosuke's scarves. As she broke into a clumsy canter towards the red head, his head lifted and he greeted her with a warm smile that was accentuated by the warmth of the lantern light. Kaoru drew up to him and his smile did not falter despite the fact she looked preoccupied that he was outside.

"Sanosuke assured me that this one would be able to watch for Ms. Kaoru as long as it was close to the house," He offered by means of explanation and Kaoru felt her eyebrow tick in annoyance at the seasoned patroller. She fixed her expression though at the realization that Kenshin had taken it upon himself to wait for her patiently by the house, seeming content that she had returned home intact and healthy compared to the last few times she had returned home. She very rarely had anyone waiting for at the home considering that she and Sanosuke only overlapped for a few hours but she did not find the experience disagreeable as she nodded in acceptance of his reasoning.

"Thank you," She said simply and they turned to walk into the house together, Kenshin flanking her closely as he closed the door behind them and slowly began to extricate himself from the cloak. Kaoru herself was pulling hers off, her arms catching occasionally in the cumbersome sleeves, but she managed to free herself and carefully folded the garment over her arm.

"I'm sorry that I took a bit longer, but I was able to get some sweet potatoes from another patroller," Kaoru remarked as she fished the potatoes from her pockets, lining them up carefully on the table for Kenshin to inspect. "It's not very often that we get these—so it's a real treat! We normally roast them or cook them over a fire." Her blue eyes were animated as she began to rattle off the process of roasting them and cutting into the delicate skin just the right way to ensure optimum flavour preservation and Kenshin nodded along in amusement, seemingly clinging to her words like they were a prayer despite the trivialness of sweet potatoes.

Kaoru poked at one particularly fat spud and nodded as she realized that she was even able to roast them in the oven without destroying them. She gathered them up and moved towards the kitchen, Kenshin trailing after her lightly over the wooden floors. He watched curiously as she washed her hands quickly, shaking the water away, and began to delicately slice into the sweet potatoes with surgeon-like precision despite the fact that her cooking skills would kill many lives as opposed to save them.

"What did you do today?" Kaoru inquired as she looked up at him, knife still moving fluidly as she went through the motions of cutting into the potatoes. "I know it's sort of boring sticking around the house without a lot to do…" He did not respond to her sympathy towards being trapped within the house but he tilted his head as he looked at her with a docile violet gaze that seemed to sooth her still-frayed nerves from the last few days.

"This one was quite taken with the books that Sanosuke has left out," Kenshin replied placidly. "Sanosuke gave this one the liberty to examine their contents, that he did. It has been quite an informative afternoon trying to understand the history of these lands, that it was."

"Oh?" Kaoru rasped as she nearly sliced the side of her index finger with the knife.

"Yes, there was an almanac from Capozana that gave a lot of information about the trade routes as well as the agricultural and industrial practices of the region," Kenshin said thoughtfully as he leaned against the doorframe, his shoulder pillowing his head as he watched Kaoru's movements. "There was a lot of documentation about immigration as well: it seemed that this area historically welcomed more people from neighbouring states in better political conditions.

"There were also some books about general history of the country prior to the new government's mandate," He continued as Kaoru once again lined up the potatoes on a metal slat that she shoved into the oven and slammed the heavy door shut. "It seems as though each cultural group is defined by a variety of elements that differentiate as well as unite them under a common culture: language and certain systems of belief being two of the more prominent ones. However, the biggest difference that this one was able to understand was the attitude towards anything that originated from the other world."

Kaoru's eyes narrowed slightly at the fact he had been able to acquire so much information and process a complex history of a country that should have existed as five different ones. It was a topic that was fairly sensitive to citizens who had experienced both sides of history and were privy to the fact that the four cardinal civilizations all had varying views and arguments in regards of allowing themselves to be close to the mythical creatures that moved easily between the two worlds. The South had always been the most liberal of the four cardinal groups but the North had not trailed too far behind them in many ways.

"The East and West seem to be the be the ones at constant odds with each other as they had waged battle after battle over resources because they were much closer in distance than the North and South are," Kenshin droned on as his eyes seemed to glaze over as his brain was overrun by information pertaining to history. "The North and South would not involve themselves in the conflicts but they grew weary of the other regions of the country acting out and started respective paths towards pulling ahead in terms of advancement in industry as well as education and medicine. However, the most developed and powerful region has always been the Capital where they had destroyed a significant portion of the land surrounding the city in favour of development."

"That's right," Kaoru said slowly as she leaned against the counter and crossed her arms. "Which book did you read that from?"

"It was a thick book that was bound with leather," He answered dully and Kaoru knew immediately that he had found one of the books forbidden by Central to be in the possession of common citizens. Kaoru had managed to hide it away from the soldiers when they had ripped through her family home and she had lovingly squirrelled it away in a secure place in the very house she was sharing with Sanosuke. They both had what was prohibited literature and they knew it was risky to have these books but it was a cherished part of their documented history that they desperately clung to and refused to hand over to the likes of the Central government and their idealism of destroying any traces of the past. After what Kaoru had explained to him when they had ascended to Mendiak, he could understand easily why she was protective of such texts.

"I see," She replied with a nod. "Yes, the country has always been a bit… tense between the four cardinal civilizations and our history is not the cleanest one that we would like to convince ourselves that it was." She reached up and brushed a loose strand of hair from her face as her blue eyes took on a steely shimmer as she frowned deeply at the recollection of her father explaining the tensions in the East and West. She had found it always difficult to comprehend how people from the same nation could hold such rancour towards each other when collaboration and cooperation seemed much more feasible but when her father had explained that it was no one's place to determine whose thinking was erroneous or correct but rather to reach mutual compromise and empathy with the other. She had not thoroughly understood it then but rather only when the battles between Central, the vizinhos, and each other began to sprout up in her life.

"The tensions have died out for the most part since Central took over but there are still a lot of underlying issues that seemed to have been tabled for the moment," Kaoru said with a shrug as though she were fairly indifferent to it. "Being so far north, we don't really have too many issues with the other cardinal civilizations, but the closer to the Capital you get, the more you'll see. There's a lot of hostility, but it's to be expected, I suppose."

"Such a tragic path for history to follow, isn't it?" Kenshin mused aloud as he stepped out of the kitchen and slowly wandered towards the sofa, plopping down into the plush cushions as he stared into the fireplace. Kaoru watched him with a half lidded gaze as she tilted her head in mild agreement, she herself sad at seeing what the country had morphed into over the course of the last few years.

"It is," She agreed readily. "I don't like it—most of us don't." Kenshin's gaze was still trained intently on the flickering flames that licked the warm stone hearth as Kaoru slowly sank next to him on the sofa. "Most people just want to live and ultimately die peacefully—most are content with letting nature take its course as opposed to raising a hand against her. Unfortunately, when defiance is punished, we all become cowards. Living in fear but being able to eat is much more attractive to many than it is to live freely but starve to death." Her eyes were oddly passive as she wove her fingers together as she herself felt the pressure of making that decision weigh heavily on her heart.

"Ms. Kaoru, what this one saw when we were in Mendiak… perhaps it is a clue to why this one has been awoken in this time and place," Kenshin began slowly as the flames glimmered within the dulled violet eyes that seemed to be bathed in soft shadows in the dimming light.

"You mean the Great Migration to the South?" She murmured softly to which he nodded firmly. "But without knowing what that is… or why you saw it… you realize that it would be a dangerous thing to do, correct? With zero knowledge of this world and how things are truly done; whatever you read in a book is one thing but the reality is much worse." Kaoru's hands came up to cup her face as she stared into the fire, every nerve in her body protesting even entertaining the thought of the conversation that she knew was about to unfold before them. Internal travel was already arduous and risky and letting a foreigner who was not even human attempt to make any sort of movement was beyond idiotic: it was suicidal. Even in that day's patrol she had been unable to ask Ro about whatever this Migration-thing was and she had not expected Kenshin to leap directly into it upon her arrival to her home.

"This one may not understand what it is but there is no doubt that it is of importance," Kenshin said softly. "Whatever has brought me to this place is not in Tereré." She was silent as she pondered his words and had to subtly agree: Tereré was a place that was an industrial wasteland only exploited for its resources as Central slowly tightened their grasp on the village and its people. Kenshin's awakening in the forest may have been a potential catalyst for him to realize the true cruelty of their world yet the most heated conflicts were sheltered in the Southern lands to which very few traveled. His purpose being unknown yet the inexplicable knowledge and things he could see with his third eye that went beyond her mortal understanding of her native land and its relationship with the parallel world: Kaoru could wager a healthy bet that within very little time he would probably have a significant grasp on the conflicts that paralyzed the country from top to bottom.

"Maybe because I speak from what I understand of this world and not from any other," Kaoru began slowly as her head listed slightly, her stare fixated placidly on the flames as her thoughts churned much like an angered sea. "But if you are destined to walk these lands, I cannot stop you—but I would ask you to at least wait until you have more information. Acting irrationally would not favour the situation at all."

"Does Ms. Kaoru speak as a patroller who gathers data to understand the world around her?" She narrowed her eyes at what was a seemingly harmless question but she understood it as a subtle challenge to her reasoning.

"In part," She replied tersely as she refused to look at the red head.

"And the other part?"

"Don't make me answer that," She warned quickly as her voice dropped an octave as she rose to her feet swiftly and turned to make her way to the kitchen. Kaoru's back was straight and tense as she bent down to examine the sweet potatoes that were coming along nicely in the oven, still refusing to meet his gaze. Kenshin was watching her out of the corner of his eye, a hint of bemusement that flickered playfully in his stare as he realized that Kaoru, who seemed enthralled by information and obtaining it, was not one to easily share it with others.

"Perhaps this is a selfish request on this one's part," He began to speak again as he watched her procure two plates from the cabinet. "But would Ms. Kaoru consider accompanying this one if the vision is to be proven credible?" She nearly dropped the plates grasped between her hands as she gawked at him with wide blue eyes that registered confusion and a spark of anger. He frowned at her expression, unsure as to if the inquiry had been offensive to the human female, and he watched as she eyed him warily as she returned to the sofa.

"Ms. Kaoru—"

"—No," She cut in briskly as she inched closer to the hearth, her body cast in shadows that were illuminated by the fire. Kenshin felt something in his throat catch as he considered her figure and his eyes widened slightly as he studied her closely for the first time: she was tiny, even smaller than him, and her posture hinted that she hummed with energy and trained discipline yet she seemed unsure about herself. Her hair was caught and swept up into a ponytail—practical yet simple—and her back was straight, hinting that she was fairly prideful or she would mask things from those around her. The gentle side profile showed youthfulness and aging at the same time: he was baffled by how someone her age could have obtained such a stricken look to her gaze.

"I'm sorry, but I'm needed here," Kaoru relented as she exhaled. "I cannot abandon Tereré—despite my qualms with how things are being done—this is my home, Kenshin, please understand that." She still denied him a glimpse at her full face as she turned away even further from him, seemingly shocked that he had contemplated requesting such a thing from her on the basis of a whim of a vision that may or may not hold any credibility. Kaoru wished to treat the entire situation with a healthy dose of skepticism in regards to what she could and could not categorize as sourced information and she knew that following a vision that had possessed him momentarily on Mediak would not make her budge from her place.

"This one would not depart immediately," Kenshin said softly. "There is great reason to Ms. Kaoru's logic: information is key to this one's survival as well as understanding of who this one is." Kaoru finally turned her head slightly to look at him out of the corner of her eye, a stricken look tinged with sadness and reservation creeping over her face as she eyed the nearly opiated figure of Kenshin who had bowed his head, hiding his expression from her. He knew that requesting her to consider accompanying him was farfetched and would sit poorly with the patroller who'd never ventured outside her village yet there was an internal nagging that whispered to him that she was vital and he could not afford to lose the opportunity and let her slip away from him as she withdrew from what he was destined to do—be what it may be.

"How long do you think you will stay?" She ventured to ask.

"This one cannot say at this moment," Kenshin replied honestly, the sincerity of his voice unsettling her greatly as she looked away from him and stared back into the fire that danced freely within the confines of the hearth. "When the time comes, there is no doubt it will make itself known."

"I see," She said mutely.

"Please disregard the previous request, Ms. Kaoru," He said silently. "It was not correct for this one to burden Ms. Kaoru with such an unfair petition. This one will not request it again." She was deathly still as the words entered one ear and seemed to snuggle against her existence, the mere rejection that he must have felt when she cut his request down violently in the interests of protecting herself: it had been horrendously cruel on her part to have done it in such a way yet she herself did not wish to even consider the penalties and consequences that would befall her if she were to even give second wind to such a heavy request.

"Don't worry, Kenshin," She murmured as she turned on her heel to look down on his curled frame as he still did not raise his head to met her gaze. "I apologize for having said it in such a way—I do not wish to discredit whatever has brought you to these lands." Her gaze softened immensely as she released she could harbour no malease against him despite her sharp rebuking at his request. There was a gentleness to such an exotic being as Kenshin and she knew that despite potentially housing a great unknown within his body, he was careful and prudent in his actions and words as though he seemed to avoid trying to destabilize the environment he was thrust into: Kaoru likened him to being a rock in a raging river—the current flowed around him yet he stood still and persisted, allowing himself to be battered by the rough waters that yearned to drag him down.

Kaoru sighed as she turned to linger her gaze on the fire, she herself unsure as to if she wanted to be like the rock or if she wished to be swept away in the currents and thrash against him and his steady existence.

"It seems that there is something being hidden from us by one of your patrollers, Aoshi," Kanryuu drawled as he moved the neatly rolled cigarette between his lips, his hands reaching for a match that was tucked perfectly away in a handcrafted box he'd brought from Central. He was seated at his expansive desk that was littered with documents from the village delegation as well as the capital, long political bulletins mixed with economic reports as well as other documents pertaining to the running of the industrial village.

"You know how we dislike it when something of value is hidden away from us, especially in such trying times such as these," He continued as he contemplated the matchstick before striking it to life, lighting his cigarette in a well practiced gesture as he laid the match on the table. Aoshi stood quietly at the front of the desk, his expression revealing nothing as he merely observed the Delegation leader's movements. Kanyruu inhaled deeply, the putrid taste of tobacco filling his lungs pleasantly as he leaned back in his plush velvety chair, eyeing Aoshi with a knowing look.

"You said that the Southern amongst your ranks gave an oral report to one of your superiors regarding an incident that took place in the forest area on Route Zed two days ago," Kanyruu remarked dryly as he narrowed his eyes at the unresponsive commander. "Yet we have documentation from the forgery that hints that what was related in the verbal report does not coincide with the damage done to the two weapons that had been repaired. The report that was given by the patroller hints that they had been able to slaughter the vizinho on their own yet the evidence from the damage reports hinted that the axe had been partially melted and disfigured.

"Additionally, the damage reports from the forgery team also reveal that the head of the axe carried no evidence of blood, fur, or skin samples—which leads me to believe that either they were destroyed by whatever disfigured the weapon's integral part or they had never made contact with the beast," Kanryuu continued as he took another deep inhale before billowing the smoke out from between yellowing teeth. "There were also reports from civilians that, that same evening they had witnessed a bizarre phenomena in the mountainside near the end of Route Zed: a mysterious light that seemed to flicker about that was not one made of the characteristics of human made ones from these lands." His mouth tightened into a thin line as he regarded Aoshi with the same manner he regarded a cockroach or rat.

"Tell me, Aoshi, have these two patrollers ever given you problems in previous assignments?"

"They have not," Aoshi replied curtly as he narrowed his glare on the government worker who was leaning further back in his chair, his knee bumping against the edge of the desk. "In fact, they are both diligent patrollers and are regarded for their skills amongst their ranks relative to their experience."

"If they're so highly regarded, what motive would they have to potentially lie about what really left their weapons in such a ragged state?" Kanyruu's eyebrow arched mockingly at the commander who did not so much as budge or react to the question's subtle indications. "Frankly speaking, Aoshi, it hardly seems to be a coincide that the following day there was a vizinho found in the green area clearing that had not been killed but rather temporarily disabled." He removed the cigarette from his mouth and let it dangle carelessly between his fingers, ashes spilling to the carpeted floor.

"Of that incident I am aware, yes," Aoshi relented.

"Why would there be a vizinho in an area that they never venture to?" Kanyruu questioned darkly as his gaze sharpened immensely at the mere thought of how he was leading the conversation. "And considering there was a vizinho in that particular perimeter, how would it have been rendered to such a state? Upon closer examination by other patrollers, there were no injuries or wounds yet it was unconscious. Don't you find these incidents to be quite curious?"

"Most would," Aoshi answered. "Although I fail to see such a defined connection between the incidents and the basis of accusation of anyone working underneath my detail." Kanryuu grinned impishly as he allowed his chair to rock forward as he leaned on the desk, his elbows propping him up as he took another drag on his cigarette before putting it out and tossing it into a filthy ash tray.

"There are no direct accusations being made, Aoshi," Kanyruu corrected. "I'm simply trying to connect the dots to this very interesting situation that seems to be brewing in this industrial dump of a village. There are many coincidences that form a picture we cannot be overlooking—especially if patrollers are involved." His grin widened as he shifted in his chair, his back sinking into the curve of the chair's frame. "It's all so, so curious.

"I have to brief Central in two weeks as to the economic activities and general conduct of Tereré," Kanryuu mentioned as an oddly feline glint took over his already deceptive eyes. "They will be very interested in knowing that these 'coincidences' have been accumulating in such a short amount of time—amongst other things, of course. We've received a very interesting figure in the village who's been slowly stirring the metaphorical pot."

"You're referring to the woman who has the visions," Aoshi said bluntly.

"That I am," Kanryuu said. "From what I've gathered, she has also had contact with your two patrollers on two separate occasions. Once again, it's all so, so curious that these two women seem to crop up in these little details, don't you think?"

"This is a small village after all," Aoshi remarked.

"Timing is everything, Aoshi," Kanyruu tutted as he gave the commander a pointed look. "Coincidences form a lovely part of life that bring joy or, in many cases, problems: and this is starting to become more and more problematic for these two patrollers. The eyes have noticed that the Southern has been visiting Ms. Kamiya's residence frequently over the last few days and stays late into the night—not something an intelligent woman like herself would do knowing that she's unarmed and night is the witching hour in Tereré." Kanyruu's eyes narrowed accusing at Aoshi as the silent commander continued his stone-cold acknowledgement of Kanyruu's words.

"The eyes see everything, Aoshi, and you yourself are accountable for your subordinates' actions even if you yourself are not directly impacted," He explained calmly as he folded his hands together, fingers lacing with each other neatly as he regarded Aoshi with a controlled expression. "While we have no physical evidence that is sufficient enough for us to call a formal proceeding and investigation, it would be best to remind your girls of their place and the consequences of trying to shield things from Central. Mere coincidences add up, after all, and the eyes have seen enough to begin the base of making a case against them as well as you. You know how these sorts of things tend to go… you'd be accused of conspiring against the state. A hefty penalty, execution would not be off the table for anyone."

"I assure you that there is no need to reach such extremities," Aoshi said cooly as he crossed his arms over his cloak that was embroidered with the symbol of the patrolling division. "It's hardly a fair case if they're basing it off coincidences."

"Fairness is a novel concept," Kanryuu said with his dismissive tone as he reached for a specific paper from the mess of documents that cluttered his desk. "Unfortunately, our legal system discards fairness and looks at what is presented in terms of evidence, Aoshi, and even if the evidence is shaky at best, the judgement will be made."

"I'm aware," Aoshi answered tepidly as he raised his hand to salute the government delegation leader. "Please excuse me." Kanyruu did not return the customary salute that was forced on all subordinates to the state but rather sneered nastily at the commander before waving him away. Kanyruu had abandoned his comfortable position in the Central capital for a higher pay check in the Northern lands but even he had to question if that was the proper decision to have been made all things considered. He found the lack of Northern hospitality to be abrasive as well as how they protected their own to be primitive and endearing in a backwards sort of fashion.

"Barbaric, really," He muttered to himself as he grasped his ink pen and began to draft his report to Central regarding the latest developments in Tereré, his long and flourishing handwriting highlighting the page beautifully as he began to weave the words together for the officials in the capital.

Kaoru's back rested lightly against the base of the worn bark of the tree as she stretched out her legs in front of her, the loose fabric of her pants pooling underneath her. She was still amazed that her wounds had been healed by the foreign magic that Kenshin had introduced into her body and she could have sworn that the warmth of his spell was still lingering in the very place where the wound had been made. She marvelled at such a thing, having never experienced the soothing touch of healing magic before, and she was fascinated that it seemed effortless on his part as he channeled whatever energy he was drawing one through her body like a lighting rod.

She had slipped out of the house, confident that Sanosuke had already returned from his shift and Kenshin was deeply asleep on the sofa, covered in blankets and basking in the warmth of the hearth. Kaoru had slowly crept down the stairs, knowing which ones were prone to creaking and which ones she knew she could rest her weight on, and she had thrown on her cloak as she silently pulled the door open and vanished into the night, her feet ghosting gently over the streets of the residential district as she slowly made her way towards a safe zone that she knew would allow her the privacy to think uninterrupted as well as clear her mind with fresh mountain air that tended to roll in through the night.

As she settled against the tree and tightened the cloak around her body, she inhaled deeply and scented the remaining traces of rain that loomed overhead: the grass beneath her was damp from the rainfall from earlier that day but she was unbothered by the soaking of her clothing. Her life had been lived in a constant rainstorm and she had grown to love the catharsis of the rain and its gentle presence that seemed to wash the sins away from her tainted body. She knew that the rain was essential to the harshness of her lands and she welcomed it kindly for it provided a cleansing that a mere shower was incapable of performing. It was a rugged attitude she had towards the environment that surrounded her and her village yet she truly appreciated the forest and its dangers, its mysteries, and its wonders having walked through it many times.

When she was younger, Kaoru's father had taken to strolling around the village at night when he was plagued by nightmares or was unable to rid himself of the fitful sleep that he had began to suffer when his wife had passed. Kaoru had caught her father in the doorway one night, her hands rubbing away the remains of sleep from azure eyes that peered at him curiously, and he had relented and allowed her to walk with him. As they trailed their way through the empty market, Kaoru's eyes adjusted to the darkness as she blinked steadily, the forms of the buildings seeming to dance in the darkness as the shadows as their forms extended and retracted against the dark sky. She had clutched her father's hand as they arrived towards the end perimeter of the village and the mountain awaited them in the distance, beckoning to them as the trees swayed back and forth in the breeze.

What a wonderful place it is where we live, Kaoru, Her father proclaimed in a soft voice as his wise eyes softened as he fixed his gaze upon the mighty mountain that seemed to enchant him. Kaoru knew that her father was thrilled by the mountain and his stories of the mythical beasts that he encountered sparked her curiosity in being able to begin her own journey between the trees. He would relate to her the tales of the forest, the great gifts he was given and brought home for her to examine—they're from the very ones that watch over us—and he would stir something within the recesses of her imagination that Kaoru was certain still drove her creativity to understand the forest and the vinzinhos that inhabited it to this very day.

The circumstances had changed when Central blew through on their campaigns and the marvellous gifts stopped coming and her father would return more and more haggard looking and sporting more injuries. He had ceased telling her the tales of the forest, despite her young insistence, and she eventually learned that whatever had happened within their country had changed the forest from a magical sanctuary of wonder to a hostile and dangerous territory that seemed hellbent on destroying the humans that dared to encroach upon it. Her father's enthusiasm ceased completely and his late night walks had also stopped in favour of him sitting in his study, desperately documenting things on scrolls that not even Kaoru knew where they were these days.

But would Ms. Kaoru consider accompanying this one if the vision is proven to be credible? Kenshin's words echoed in her mind and Kaoru found herself pondering if her father would have known what Kenshin was. She wished desperately that she had been much more proactive in her insisting that her father impart his knowledge of the forest and the other world on her as opposed to have sealing himself away and not indulging her in what would be useful knowledge. She knew her father detested the new government as much as the next person and she knew that he was heartbroken when he saw how the forest was being pillaged of resources and stripped away into cold nothingness. He would be rolling in his grave knowing that his one daughter had joined the very government that destroyed what was once his lively-hood and it broke her heart into millions of pieces to think what he would say to her if at all anything.

The other aspect that bothered her on a much deeper level was such an open invitation that was laden with such a pure form of trust and acknowledgement. The mere request to join him in whatever journey that was to be determined went way beyond her understanding of how he saw the world or how he perceived humans. Kenshin's mere inquiring of interest had invoked a wave of fear that had crashed into her and nearly drowned her. Her excuse of being needed in her village was a partial truth, she decided, because she was relied on by many people to protect the safety of what was basically the economic motor of the village: on the other hand, Kaoru realized, she had rejected his offer so bluntly because he had touched a nerve of fear and rejection of the outside world because she did not want to leave the safety of what she knew and was familiar with. The mere prospect of considering venturing into something that could be potentially worse frightened her to the most inner layers of her mind and soul.

Kaoru lived balanced on a precarious line that defined many extremities within her life and its narrative: she loved the forest because of her father but she was working beneath those who just saw it for exploitation and profit. Her hatred of death and mindless killing spurred her philosophy to not raise a sword for evil yet she was expected to slaughter what had once been an ally to many within the country and she complied in the selfish interest of ensuring that she was able to eat and sustain herself only to repeat the same vicious cycle she was spiralling deeper and deeper within with no sight of escape. She desired to follow her father's teachings and morales that had been enshrined within her in the hopes of fulfilling the family legacy yet she found herself contradicting them in the face of adversity as she struggled to equalize the cruel reality with the soft fantasy she wished to live. She hated death yet she submitted herself and signed away her life to a path that grew bloodier and bloodier the more she advanced.

She realized in that very moment that she had the potential to be a flesh-and-bone enigma to someone like Kenshin or to someone who did not know her. Her existence was hypocritical in many ways and she could understand how he would be perplexed by her. Kaoru's mind came to a halt as she truly felt a pang of sympathy in trying to understand humans: they were complex and inconsistent creatures whose existence was wrought with hardship and joy that bred many dimensions that could not be understood by mere face value.

"We're horrible," She murmured to herself with a wolfish grin as she rested her hands on her knees and turned her head up towards the grey sky. Kaoru knew that whatever was being planned in Central was driving the country down a dark path like an unstoppable train that was quickly running out of tracks. She heard the rumours from other Cardinal villages yet she never paid them much attention, knowing that there was little that could be done to undo the damage that was being caused from the Central plain and the capital. Perhaps it had been necessary for her to meet someone like Kenshin who had no horse in this political race and his reinterpretation of the world around them for her to truly grasp the concept that humans were the most destructive force that threatened to drag everyone down.

There's a certain innocence to the creatures in the forest, Her father's voice cropped up in her mind once again as she felt her memory slipping back to happier times when he would speak to her of the forest and its wonders hidden within the thick brush. They do not carry themselves the same way that we do, Kaoru: they do not have the same arrogance that we do.

Arrogance? An eight year old Kaoru echoed as she craned her neck to look up at her father who was busy writing at his desk.

Yes, He said with a reassuring nod. They lack the arrogance that we have in believing that we are the owners of this domain. The great beasts coexist happily within the forest and understand the way a life cycles. If one is to perish, he is left to become one with the Earth once more—whereas we burn our dead and return them to the skies as though we are worthy of ascending to the great beyond. He gave his daughter a tentative smile as he reached down to pat her head affectionately. Humans are wonderful in their own way and we are the innovators that drive the future, but we seem to have forgotten that we, too, shall have to return to the Earth one day. We idolize ourselves and try to rise to the level of the Gods.

I don't understand, Kaoru said with a pout to which her father laughed heartily.

I don't expect you to, my dear, He said gently. Perhaps one day when you meet such creatures you will be able to understand. Our arrogance, my child, will be the death of us—if it is not our greed and need to push the boundaries that have always existed. His smile faded from his face and his memory slowly drifted away into the darkness as Kaoru felt herself come back to the present moment as the darkened grey sky reminded her that the past was to remain concretely in the past and she had to remain anchored to the present to be able to survive.

" , this one believes it may not be safe for you to be out alone," A gentle voice startled her and she started momentarily as she shot to her feet and found herself face to face with Kenshin who was watching her with a guarded yet curious look. His eyes were alert as though he were scanning the perimeter with an unknown radar and he had sloppily thrown a cloak over his frame to fend off the cold.

"I'm alright," She said slowly as she lowered her fists to her sides before sinking back to the ground, once again resting her body against the tree as she crossed her legs beneath her cloak. "I just needed some space to think, that's all."

"At night in the forest?" Kaoru nearly smiled at the skepticism that bled into his voice but she kept her expression cool and controlled as Kenshin slowly walked over to her side before crouching on the ground next to her. He peered into her face with the same guardedness that she felt within her body at the moment before sighing softly. "This one heard you leave, that I did. Perhaps it was a good idea to have followed you here."

"Someone could see you," Kaoru pointed out.

"There are very few awake at this time," He retorted pleasantly. "Tereré sleeps heavily, that it does."

"Right, I suppose it does," She muttered as she resisted the urge to bury her face into her hands. Kaoru was someone who did not mind company but even she wished to have moments to herself to be able to reflect peacefully or roll around in her own self perpetuating misery if she so desired. Sanosuke never had pursued her—she was not sure if the older patroller even knew if she snuck out the house—and she appreciated the fact she could have a good hour or two to go over whatever was possessing her mind in that moment.

"This one would hate for anything to happen to Ms. Kaoru," He offered by means of apologizing for his intrusion.

"Well, you're here already," She said half heartedly as she finally met his eyes with her own and watched as his pupils contracted in the shifting of the light. His red hair was bright in the dark evening and she found herself oddly entranced with the crimson colour that she'd never seen on anyone else before. Despite his features giving him a slightly feminine presence about him, the colour made her mind skip to a strong colour that matched an even stronger individual. Kaoru blinked a few times as she shook her head and plastered a neutral expression on her face.

"Why this place?" He breathed and Kaoru felt the tiny hairs on her arm stand up at the whispering that spilled from his mouth as though a dam had broken and he had lost the control to censure himself.

"Why this place indeed," She mused as she rested her chin on her arms. "When I was little I used to take walks with my father. He would tell me stories about the forest and all the vizinhos. The legends and our interpretations of the reality of the other world." Kenshin nodded hesitantly as her words seemed to settle in a much deeper seat than they normally did as she was slowly opening to something that he was subtly aware was difficult to speak about given that it was ridiculously personal to the young woman. "I enjoy being close to the forest in a way—I feel closer to my father."

"Ah," Kenshin murmured in muted response.

"I think my father would have enjoyed speaking with you," Kaoru said absently as she ran her fingers through the damp grass that she had imprinted with her bottom. "You're very connected to the Earth—almost like the nexus that unites humanity with nature, I guess. I'm sure you two would have had interesting conversations." Her eyes were dulled in the dim light of the evening and Kenshin risked the moment to try and peek to read her expression. Her face was emotionless as she busied herself with brushing the tips of the grass, flattening them and letting them pop back up at their will.

"This one is sure that he was a wise and honourable man," Kenshin remarked quietly, himself unsure as if he was comfortable with Kaoru's very opiated state as she seemed absorbed in the world of her mind that seemed to be an endless maze of intrigue.

"He certainly was," Kaoru said in easy agreement as she still refused to meet his eyes with her own. Her stance was slack as she leaned back into the tree once again and her conscious began to sink into the recesses of her pool of memories: some crystal clear whereas others were beginning to fog over as the time dragged on and she seemed to lose the image of her father as the memories curled in at the edges like an old photograph.

"Shall we take a stroll before returning to Ms. Kaoru's home?" Kaoru's shoulders twitched at Kenshin's voice but she seemed interested in his request as she felt his form next to her rise gracefully to his feet, his cloak billowing around him comfortably as he brushed the dirt from the fabric. Turning to her and extending his left hand down to her, Kaoru felt her eyes glue to his outstretched hand before she allowed her own hand to reach up and grasp his, his momentum bringing her to her feet as she rocked on the balls of her feet comfortably. Kenshin maintained his delicate grasp on her hand as he reached up with his right hand and caught both their hands together, pressing them tenderly as he looked down at them with a forlorn look on his face.

"This one can feel Ms. Kaoru's sadness," He said simply as he refused to release his hold on her hands, his fingers squeezing hers in reassurance that stunned her with such docile sweetness that she felt something within her body cry out into oblivion at the innocence of such a gentle gesture as it swept over her. It was almost serpentine in its movements as a coil of golden warmth slinked its way through her body and wrapped itself securely around her heart, its sinewy form softly constricting her heart in a protective way as it hissed words of adoration and chants of protection into her ear—her mind fine-tuned to such a bizarre sensation as it curled against her, leaning against her as a support but also offering her its form to lean back on herself.

"Magic," She murmured, mesmerized by the sensation that was slowly rolling over her mortal body and existence and she realized that she would be perfectly content with submitting herself to the whims of the red headed man who was joined at the hand with her. Kenshin's thumb brushed over the delicate skin of her knuckles, massaging away the tension that seemed to congregate in her body and she felt his magic swirl through her belly once again, a golden pool of pure spiritual energy settling in crevices of her body that she had previously not known to have existed. She felt as though Kenshin was invading her body in a placid manner, his magic running deep rivers in the chasms of her mere mortal life.

She felt his body shift closer to hers as though to shield her from the outside world and Kaoru felt the last defences of her mental wall come crumbling down as she allowed him to step beyond the very edge she had set herself on. It was almost as though they were suspended in time as the delicate golden hue of his magic fused with her own essence, the world silencing as she could only pick up on the rustling of the breeze that had picked up around them as magic moved the invisible currents of the mortal plain.

"Do not be sad," His voice whispered as he continued to gentle infuse her body with his spiritual energy that healed as much as it could destroy. It was a soft ringing of a foreign bell in his head, a soft tingling in the winds that marked his rhythm as a subtle metronome and he knew that he would be marked as a fool for allowing this woman to escape from him. Kenshin's mind filled with a flurry of images and memories that Kaoru's soul seemed to release upon to him: fields of red poppies and bright blue skies as well as warm pastel colours that bled into his vision and brightened the darkened night skies. The ringing in his head grew much more insistent as he freed one of his hands and rested it gingerly on her lower back, Kaoru allowing him to close the distance between them momentarily, as he his subdued spiritual presence roared to life and seemed to coat the two of them in a sheer film of magic.

Kenshin himself was unsure as to what he was truly doing but his instincts were howling at him to comfort the sadness that he had felt emitting from Kaoru as her spirit dulled. There was a push from within that propelled him forward as he grappled with trying to comprehend what drove him to such bizarre intimacy with a human female that he barely knew yet felt bound to by unseen threads. His eyes were bright as she looked up and locked gazes with him, her eyes wide with awe as the tendrils of magic strung them together in a wonderful symphony of earthen unity.

"Why are you doing this?" She murmured as though intoxicated by the magical forces that were woven onto the very fragile surface of her humanity.

"Sadness does not suit Ms. Kaoru, that it does not," He replied dutifully as he felt his hand splay out on the terrain over her lower back, his fingers warm even through the thick material of her cloak. "Kindness to a stranger such as this one—it is much more fitting." His lips flicked into a soft yet taut smile as he felt the layers of dark emotions peel away as his magic slowly probed her soul, revealing much more to the complex woman standing before him than he would have ever gathered at mere face value.

"This one will not ask for explanations that Ms. Kaoru is unwilling to give," Kenshin continued in a nearly silent voice as the world fell silent around them, his magic retreating from her body and she felt herself reaching out, trying to grasp it between her fingers. As though delicate whispers brushed against the soft slope of her ear, Kaoru could have sworn that it was singing her a soft song of departure as it slunk away into the recesses of the great distance that she herself would never reach.

"However, if permitted, this one would listen if Ms. Kaoru were to tell them one day," He finished in the same halting tone as his eyes closed, inhaling the scent of the evening as he felt Kaoru's other hand reach up and cling to the fabric of his cloak. As though trying to steady herself, she grasped the material between shaking fingers as she took in a long breath in the hopes of being able to centre herself once more. Her eyes were still wide with the shock of having magic run through her body once more in the most bewildering yet welcomed ways she could have ever imagined.

"What are you?" She whispered through her teeth, her voice reduced to a whistle as Kenshin's smile did not budge from his wise face as he drew her closer to his figure, his hand resting more firmly upon her back as he released her hand and slowly began to guide her back towards the residential area.

"This one still cannot answer that question," Kenshin answered docilely as Kaoru fell into step with him, she herself permitting herself to lean into him a bit more. "However, this one is grateful to have been woken up—even if the circumstances are dire." She did not react outwardly to such sincere words but she felt herself smile inwardly as she recognized that Kenshin's faux-naivety was slowly melting away into trust to allow himself such vulnerability in a world where exposing your back to the unknown was assured death. There was a truly innocent air to the redhead that Kaoru found fascinatingly foreign as though she were glancing into the reflection of a mirror and staring at the wide-eyed child that she once was. Though her innocence had long perished within the forest and the unwilling slaughter she had become involved in, she still felt a flicker of hope come to life where his magic once streamed over her body.

"Perhaps one day…"

A/N: And so ends the first arc! Now we are going to be able to delve into the meat and bones. :) I would like to take this moment to thank all my reviewers who have faithfully stuck through with this story: your patience, kind words, theories, and comments help overcome that seemingly daunting writer's block! A special thank you to Teaplease1717 (tea always!), LadyDot, skenshingumi, and DavidB: your kind reviews motivate this story, too!

Don't own the characters, but I like to put them into new worlds. :D