Screams of panic and death broke through the tranquility of the day. a rush of blue coats with white diamonds on them flooded out of the compound. They clashed with flashes of red and white that swirled around them. Blood being slung off swords at every turn. The sudden sense of fear as she saw a man with white hair and glowing red eyes charging her. Another man with black hair jumps between them and is ran through the heart. As the sword is pulled from his body he gives her a lingering look of apology then falls to the ground. The pain of the same sword going through her back then jerked out as she fell forward. Her hand reaching out toward the man with the black hair. Her brown eyes locked onto his deep violet eyes. Hearing an echo of the words "I am sorry I couldn't protect you." Then a sudden rush of tears from her eyes before it all goes black.

Otohime jerks awake with a scream as she sit sup. Tears streaming down her face as she hears the pain filled voice apologizing for not protecting her. The pain in his beautiful eyes. Without a word she dropped her head in her hands and sobbed. Just as the comforting arms of her best friend wrapped around her.

With a slight rocking motion, Kishiko held Otohime in a hug. No doubt she had the same sort of dream that she had. She heard the last words that were spoke to her by her husband before they both died. "I know Otohime. I know what you heard I heard the same thing."

Looking over where Sannan stood and the other side of the camp at Susumu Kishiko raised her eyebrows then sighed. "You both heard something someone said to you didn't you?"

Nodding his head Susumu closed his eyes with a sigh. "It was the one that was leading those things in the massacre. He was taunting me for not being able to protect the children that I swore I would protect."

"Our children."

"Hai."

Keisuke nodded. "I heard the voice of the same man. Doing the same thing to me, for Toshizo and his wife and children."

Everyone, even a still lightly sobbing Otohime looked up at him with wide eyes when they heard the venom in his voice. Taking a step closer Susumu narrowed his eyes. "There is more. Tell us."

"Hai. There is more. I know that voice. At one point in time in 'this' life I saw that man as my savior in a way." Looking up to see two sets of blinking eyes and one glaring one he narrowed his eyes. "Doctor Keiji Chikage."

Making the connection right away Kishiko jumped to her feet with a glare even more livid than Kisuke's! "You mean to tell me that the sorry bastard that was going to force us to stay in that nut job of a place is the one that is the leader of the damned things in our dreams!?"

"I am. I see him, he is the one that kills all of your children. The two of you, your husbands, myself, Susumu and five others. I could never see any faces other than those of us here and those we a trying to find. Last night, after meeting you Susumu it changed."

With a smug smirk Kishiko half glared at Kisuke. "See. What did I tell you? After we met you ours changed three different times. And now again after Susumu. So I would be willing to bed that it will change at least five more times."

Though the topic of conversation changed when everyone heard a loud growl and looked down at a now embarrassed Otohime. Looking up at them with a big smile and closed eyes Otohime blushed as she hugged her stomach. "I am hungry guys."

Blinking Susumu just stared down at her. "Two seconds ago she was a sobbing mess?"

Kisuke sighed as he dropped his head with a smile. "These two are going to take some getting used to for you. Otohime I have figured out. Kishiko is a different story all together."

With her arms crossed Kishiko glared. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Meaning while you are small and thin, your attitude makes you worse than any man we could come across."

Turning her back to them and her long black hair falling down past her behind. "I don't give a damn. Growing up one of us had to be a stronger one and Otohime wasn't up to it, I was so it just happened like that. I won't back down and will beat sense into them if I need to." Then she sighed as she looked around. "I have no clue where we are. Susumu do you know how to get to Neyagawa?"

"Neyagawa?"

"That is where we are going next."

With confusion in his bright amethyst eyes Susumu turned to with blinking eyes. "Sannan?"

With a smile Kisuke fixed his glasses. "We looked online before we left Osaka and figured out all the places that the Shinsengumi had a base at between Osaka and their main headquarters in Kyoto. Kishiko even figured out where they were by placing older maps on top of newer maps to get the exact location. Had we not decided to stay at the hotel right across the street from the warehouse, we were going to go to the warehouse you called home the next day."

"I see." He thought for a moment then sighed. "We need to go back in town. I can take us around through the woods and get to the train station without having to go anywhere near the warehouse. Otherwise we will be walking there and that could take about five or six days."

With a sigh Kishiko dropped her arms and her head. "If we have to we have too. I just hope that the same thing doesn't happen in Neyagawa."

"It may."

Glaring up at Sannan Kishiko crossed her arms again. Her green eyes narrowing. "Come again?"

"It happened at the asylum. It happened at the warehouse. It may happen in Neyagawa and the others that we go to. We have to expect that Keiji knows where they are and he is going to stop us from trying to find them and reunite with them."

"Why would he want to do that? It isn't like we can go back in the past and change things."

With a sigh Kisuke dropped his head. "Think about it Kishiko. I didn't even know that I could use a sword in this life. I did in the dreams but until last night I had never touched a sword in my life."

Her eyes going wide as it sank in what he was saying. "We remember more stuff and become stronger the more we get together."

"I have a feeling that we won't see your husbands until the end. Everything seems to be centered around the two of you, your husband and children."

Nodding Susumu came up next to him. "The dreams all show us trying to protect them and dying trying."

"It makes sense now though."

Standing with a still growling stomach Otohime cocked her head to the side, her brown eyes curious. "What does?"

"Why he was so excited to see the two of you there. We had people that had been plagued with night mares before and not once had he suggested that I use the medication that we gave to the two of you. He was adamant about you taking it and forgetting. I want to know what the two of you knew that would make him want to kill you then and not want you to remember anything this time."

"Good point but can we talk about it later?" Then she gasped and jumped behind Kishiko as her stomach let out another loud growl. "I am really hungry."

With a smile Susumu reached out and took her hand and lead her off. "Do you like strawberries?"

"I love them."

"There is a bush that would have big ones this time of year if you would like to eat some."

"I would love it!"

As they all made their way toward the bush, Susumu leading the way followed by Otohime and then Kishiko, Kisuke took up the rear. He kept looking behind them as his hand rested on the sword that he now had on his hip. It felt right having it there and he didn't know why that was. But he could also feel like someone was there. Watching. Waiting. 'Not this time. I won't let them die this time Keiji you bastard. Now I understand why you suppressed my dreams. What are you trying to stop them from doing?'

X

The scream of a baby woke Sanosuke from a sound sleep. His nightmare was just getting ready to start so he was glad of that. He rushed from his bed and to his daughter's as he lifted her in his arms. "There there Hanako. I promise you that we will be with your Mama soon."

As she started to settle down he sat back on the bed. "I hope sooner rather than later."

"Did you get to have your nightmare tonight?"

"No. It just started when she woke me up. I will have it at some point though."

"It will be different this time."

Turning to look into the deep amethyst eyes of his friend her blinked. "Again?"

Toshizo nodded from his spot in the doorway. "It has been a few days since it changed. I have to wonder though."

"Wonder about what?"

"If they are searching for us like we have been searching for them for so long. Are they making their way to Kyoto like we did and the closer they get the more our dreams change?"

Looking down into the bright eyes of his daughter Sanosuke smiled. "I hope so. I get the same feeling when I think about her. That she is coming and we need to just stay here."

"Hai."

After his friend walked away Sanosuke looked out the window into the moon. His eyes seeing a flash of the black hair and green eyed woman that was smiling standing at his side holding Hanako. "Where are you?"