***It is not yet dawn, but the sky is blood-red, as if it knows what lays on the ground
below it. Bodies litter the once green grass, a war happened here. A young woman runs
amongst the death, holding a writhing little girl to her chest.

"Joo! Put me down! Where's daddy? Why are we running?" the little girl repeated over
and over. Glancing in fright over her shoulder, she tried to silence the wiry child without
slowing down. They were nearing, she could hear the hoof beats of the horses they rode
behind them. Again the little girl tried to pry loose of Joo's hold. "We're going the wrong
way! Daddy's camp is over THERE!" she insisted, pointing her finger west to the north they
were traveling.

A horse neighs, and a man wielding a large sword suddenly blocks their path. Joo screams,
clutching the girl to her tighter and turns around as fast as she can, her breath coming in
short gasps. More horses, more men block them. Joo is crying now. Why is Joo crying? Men
on horses were with Daddy, weren't they?

No choice. She can't let them have this little girl. The girl's father put her into her care. No
choice. She must go west. Dear Kami-Sama, please let there be no death there!

Joo is praying? Why is Joo praying? Why is Joo scared? Joo is going to daddy now, right?

The men surround Joo and the girl, trapping them against the base of a rocky hill. Her tears
flowing freely, she presses the girl against the rock wall. "Climb Kioku." She murmurs into her
ear, "climb and don't ever look back." Swinging around, she pulls a long knife from a hidden
sheath within her kimono, and, upon letting out an animalistic screech, she charges at one of
them, the knife raised.

"JOO!!"

No, she turned...no, don't look at me Kioku. Run before you die. You must live, no matter what.
The sword has pierced through me. I will be gone soon. Please, don't come down to me Kioku.
Just keep climbing. Get away from this.

"JOO!!" she screamed again. Joo looked up at her, a faint smile passing over her lips, as the
man withdrew his sword from her.

"Climb Kioku." She whispered. Her eyes shut then, and did not open again. Crying openly, she
did as she was told and kept climbing. Horses couldn't climb up rocks, she knew this much.
The bad men would have to go around to get her. But she'd be safe soon. Daddy would make
them go away.***

Stirring slightly, Kage let out a hoarse moan and shifted her arm. Opening her eyes slightly she
was greeted by bright sunlight. It's morning already? she thought, squinting against the glare.
It can't be, it was just night a few minutes ago. Hearing someone gasp, she tried to lift her head,
but found that her muscles had stiffened up and the movement hurt them. She also discovered that
she was laying on her stomach, and had nothing covering her back.

"Oyy! Are you alive?" a young boy's voice suddenly came. She turned her head as much as she could
to stare blankly into his face. Squinting again, not recognizing black spiky haired young boy before
her, she swallowed, trying to get her voice to work.

"N..Nani..? she managed. His face suddenly lighting up, he scrambled to his feet and darted out of
the room, yelling something about her being alive. Wincing again as she moved one of her arms under
her chest to push herself up, she heard footsteps pounding down the walkway to the room she was in.
As she pushed herself to a kneel, the cuts in her back crackled as the skin around the stitches someone
had put in, stretched. She let out a weak cry and fell to her elbows again.

"SHE'S ALIVE!" a female voice exclaimed, coming into the room. Turning her head again, she squinted
at the person in the doorway.

"And she's topless." The same boy's voice suddenly came, dripping with pre-pubescent glee. The girl
gasped.

"Yahiko! What are you doing following me in here! Get out! Get OUT!" Much scuffling, and sounds of
resounding whacks from a wooden sword, the boy was sent away, cursing under his breath.

Sliding the door shut, Kaoru approached Kage timidly, unsure of how to behave around someone raised
by Yakuza. "Anno.." she peeped. Still squinting, Kage tried to push herself to her knees again. Kaoru knelt
down beside her and gave her a helpful push. Handing her a blanket, she settled on her own knees next
to the futon.

"Where am I?" Kage asked, frowning at how unused and tired her voice sounded. She raised a hand to
her face and began to knuckle the sleep from her eyes. Kaoru smiled helpfully.

"Kamiya Dojo." She said proudly. "You've been here for the past three weeks, I'm glad to see that you
finally woke up." Pulling the blanket she had been covered with over her chest, Kage's eyes finally
focused on Kaoru. Her mouth parted in surprise.

"I've been here for three weeks? ASLEEP?" Kage asked, disbelieving the load of shit this girl was
handing her. There was no way she'd been out for that long! Why, it was just a few moments ago that
she'd been whipped and...

Whipped. She had been whipped and thrown into the mud. She thought she had felt someone carrying
her. And now there were stitches in her back. Perhaps this girl wasn't lying. Trying to be friendly, Kage
smiled at her.

"Anata wa dare? She managed out clearly. Kaoru puffed out her chest, always proud to show that she
and she alone ran the dojo. Well, almost her and her alone. Aside from the menial labor Kenshin and
Yahiko did.

"Watashi namae wa Kamiya Kaoru." She said, her pride expanding more. Kage smiled in amusement at the
girl. Kaoru looked to Kage, it was her turn to introduce herself. Her smile leaving, Kage looked at her in
surprise, then cleared her throat.

"Her name is Kage." A familiar gruff voice came from the door. Both girls lifted their heads, and both
went into glares at the same time.

"SANOSUKE! Do you MIND? She's half-dressed you hentai!" Kaoru growled, stomping towards him,
while pushing the sleeves of her kimono up around her elbows. His face contorting into a cheesy grin, a
fishbone locked firmly between his teeth, he slid out of the doorway, waving shortly at Kage as he went.
Standing in the door frame, Kaoru continued to yell after Sano's departing figure. Looking away, Kage
began to laugh, silently. Turning around, shocked confusion on her face, Kaoru stared at the girl who,
from Sanosuke's account, had shown no other emotion but anger and fear. Sanosuke, peeking his head
back into the room, shared the same expression as Kaoru. Not only because of the fact that she was alive
and showing a positive emotion, but because there was something about that laugh...

***Tch, Kioku, you're going to fall again.***

***But not far! Look! I'm an acrobat!**

***Then why don't you go join them? I hear they're in Kyoto this week.***

***You're so mean to me Katsu-Kun.***

***You'd better believe it mendo.***

**Don't call me a mendo!**

***Mendo! Mendo! Nya!***

***Stop calling me...AHHH!"***

***Kioku! I've got ya!***

***Sano-Kun saves me again! Sano-Kun! Daisuki-de!!!! Hee Hee!**

"Oyy, Sano-Chan..." Katsuhiro said sing-songish, waving a bottle of sake in front of Sanosuke's
dazed face. Sanosuke blinked twice, then glared as Katsuhiro's taunt clicked.

"Shut up." He growled, snatching the sake away from Katsu. Taking a swig from the bottle itself,
he drew himself totally away from his daze.

"All right Chicken-Boy, what's on your mind." Katsuhiro asked evenly, pouring some sake from
another bottle into the appropriate shot glass. Setting the bottle down loudly, Sanosuke wiped at his
mouth with his gi sleeve and averted his eyes from his friend.

"Nothing's bothering me. Just tired, that's all." He mumbled, finding sudden interest in a hole on his
pants. Katsuhiro sighed impatiently.

"Don't give me that shit. I know when something's up with you Sano-Chicken-Ass. Now you can't just sit
here and tell me that you stayed three weeks worth of nights at that dojo just to make sure no Yakuza
came and attacked them for that girl? You've got to have more of a motive than that." Katsu took a long
drink from the bottle, forgetting that he held a shot in his hand. Sighing in exasperation, Sanosuke
stood up and walked to the porch of Katushiro's apartment. The night was sticky, and the heat was
making his temper fuse short. No doubt there would be death tonight. Sitting down cross legged in
the door frame with a THUMP, he took looked up at the star-lit sky. The moon was a pale rose color,
showing the season. It was much like the time the Sekihoutai was ambushed, the sky was. It un-nerved
him.

"Katsu..do you remember a little girl who used to hang around the Taichou and follow us around?" he
started, leaning his elbows onto his bent knees. Katsu spewed out his mouthful of sake.

"Don't tell me you're upset over someone who died ten years ago!" Katsuhiro asked in disbelief, wiping
the sake off his chin. He downed the shot in his hand and began pouring himself another. "Sure, I
remember her. Actually, I thought that since you never brought her up, that you'd forgotten about her."
He took a drink before continuing. "She was Taicho's daughter with that one woman who killed herself,
remember? It always puzzled me as to why he didn't just leave her in a town with some old couple to take
care of her. She was an annoying little bitch, that Kioku." He lowered his sake bottle, staring at Sanosuke,
who had turned and was staring intently at him. "Oh no, Sanosuke, don't even say it. Don't even tell me that
you think this girl who kicked your ass is Kioku." When Sanosuke's unblinking stare never ceased,
Katsuhiro dropped his head into his hands, moaning in frustration.

Looking back up at the sky again, Sano waited until Katushiro had stopped his exasperated noises.
Standing, he stretched his arms behind his back and looked down at his friend, who still had his head
in his hands.

"Orra...she's conscious now. Come with me by the dojo tomorrow and then you can tell me that she doesn't
behave like Taicho's illegitimate daughter did." Katushiro met Sanosuke's challenge with a nod.

"Yosha. And if I'm wrong, you let me beat the shit out of you without a fight back." Katsu growled.
Giving him a lopsided grin, Sanosuke waved and left the apartment, walking to his own.
-----------------------------------------------------

"Yahiko..where is Kaoru-Donno?" Kenshin asked, holding a bowl of tofu he was commanded to fetch.
Yahiko paused in his showing off to Ayame and Suzume to shrug.

"Last I saw she took off into her room to play dress up with Kage." He replied, placing the tip of his
kendo sword on the ground and scratching the back of his head with his free hand. Picking up his bamboo
sword again, he began slicing at the air once more. "They've been in there long enough, I think they're
done. It should be safe to go back there." Giving Yahiko an unsure look, Kenshin made his way towards
Kaoru's giggling voice. The girls, suddenly interested in their Ken-nii-san, watched the direction that
he had disappeared in intently, while Yahiko continued to slice the air. There was a soft knock heard,
and then a sliding of a door. Kenshin's voice followed, but was suddenly drowned out by a screech Kaoru
let out. It was then succeeded by the sound of clattering from the throwing of many objects aimed for
Kenshin's head. A moment later, Kenshin, a few large lumps forming on his head, ran past the girls to the
kitchen, the tofu bowl still in his hands. The girls began to giggle, and Yahiko stopped slicing the air to
look at them quizzically.

"Nande?" he asked, leaning on the sword again. Still giggling, both girls looked at Yahiko and shook
their heads. His look of clueless ness was erupting more laughs from the girls.

"Oyy...anyone home?" Sano called, walking in the gate. Katushiro followed a second later. The girls both
began chanting Sanosuke's name and promptly latched onto his legs. Sighing in instant defeat, he trudged
around the dojo, giving the giggling girls a ride. Katushiro gave Sanosuke a look of utter pity as the girls
demanded another ride from him, Yahiko once again returned to his air slicing, and Kenshin plopped down
on the porch, holding his head where Kaoru had hit it with her random flying objects. Now summer, the
locusts sang in the trees as the sun climbed higher into the sky, warming the air. After what seemed like
hours, Kaoru, a pleased flush to her face, rushed out from one of the back rooms.

"I would like to present to you," she started, her grin growing wider, "the new Kage!" Smiling widely,
she stepped to the side, revealing a very embarrassed and fidgeting Kage behind her. Kaoru had somehow
gotten her into one of her kimonos, this one was lavender with blue cherry blossoms embroidered into it.
Her hair was tied up in a spare ribbon, some strands of it pulled down to frame her face. Now that it was
clean, her hair waved slightly with curl, something that was rare in Japanese women. She stepped forward
slightly, looking to the side, her face creased with frown, blushing furiously. All of the male parties present,
which were everyone minus the little girls who still clung with a jaws of life grip onto Sano's legs, blinked at
her, unsure if this was the same girl they had pulled out of the mud three weeks earlier. Katushiro stared at
her in disbelief, understanding now why Sanosuke was suddenly bringing up Kioku once more. There WAS
something about Kage...he just couldn't put his finger on it...

"Well, I think it's time for lunch!" Kaoru said cheerfully, breaking the gawking session. "Now that Kenshin's
brought the tofu, I'll go make us some food!" Kaoru began to make her way to the kitchen when she turned
around, Kage following her nervously. "Kage-San. Daijobu?" Kage looked positively petrified to be left alone
with the men.

"May I help Kaoru-San?" she asked in a small voice. Once again, the street wise tough girl they had brought
into the dojo was surprising her with another unseen emotion. Smiling, she took Kage's arm and began walking
to the kitchen.

"Sure Kage-San. I'd like the help." Kage smiled at her in relief.

"Yeah, cuz you need it." Yahiko mumbled. Kaoru glared at him, her face darkening and a vein appearing on
the side of her head.

"What was that?" she challenged. Folding his arms behind his head, Yahiko turned away, an aloof look on his
face. Still glaring, Kaoru picked up her pace and dragged Kage the rest of the way into the kitchen.

"Itadekimasu!" Yahiko, Sanosuke, Ayame and Suzume chorused a half-hour later. Everyone was seated around
the low table, eating the lunch that had been prepared by Kaoru and Kage. Yahiko made a gleeful noise.

"This is great! You can tell it wasn't made by the old hag this time!" he said through a mouthful of rice.
Kaoru clenched her chopsticks, almost breaking them.

"What did you say?" she fumed, her face darkening once more and a vein popping out of her hand.
Sanosuke agreed with him, causing more growling from Kaoru.

"Actually, Kaoru-San did all the cooking. I only helped stir and cut." Kage said nonchalantly, bringing
some rice to her mouth. Everyone at the table's mouths dropped open. Kage continued to eat silently, not
noticing the disbelief surrounding her, while Kaoru put her hands on her hips and laughed in triumph. The
first to snap out of it, Kenshin joined Kage's state of obliviousness and ate silently as well. Yahiko fell over
with a thump, his rice bowl somehow held upright, Sanosuke stealing the fish off of his plate as he went.
Just as he was placing the fish into his mouth, a pair of chopsticks instantly closed themselves on his nose.

"Spit it out Chicken-Head! That's my fish!" Yahiko growled. Deliberately chewing the fish, Sanosuke spit out
the slimy, half chewed mess a moment later. Both of the little girl's chorused "eeew!" Gingerly lifting his
precious half-eaten fish from off of his plate, Yahiko's face was contorted into a look of mournful pain. A
moment later, his gaze locked on the rice-munching oblivious Sanosuke, and he began to bear what looked like
fangs to Katsuhiro.

"If you don't want that fish now, I'll take it." Sanosuke said calmly as Yahiko pounced and latched his mouth
upon Sanosuke's head, gnawing loudly.

"Eat my fish? I'll just eat you ya bakaro!!" Yahiko said, his voice muffled by the mouthful of Sanosuke's hair
lodged in his mouth. Sighing in boredom, Sanosuke re-placed the fish in his mouth and began to chew slowly,
Yahiko's chomping relentless. Katsuhiro, his eyes wide and rice barely touched, leaned over to Kenshin.

"Is it always like this when he comes over?" he whispered to the half-finished rurouni.

"It's either Yahiko-nii-san vs. Kaoru-nee-san or Yahiko-nii-san vs. Sano-nii-san." Suzume piped in. Suddenly,
and wisely loosing interest in the goings on around him, Katsuhiro dug into his food, gobbling it up quickly.
-----------------------------------

Kage was not used to all the commotion at the Kamiya dojo. By the time dusk fell, she had slipped away as
discreetly as possible to be alone. Walking down the road that sided a large wall, Kage cursed to herself
as her back began to throb once more. Trying not to wince, she put a hand to the wall to brace herself as
she walked. Spying a tree stump on the river bank about 100 yards in front of her, Kage's feet, which
weren't used to wooden sandals, gave her a throb of joy at the thought of sitting down.

Scurrying over to the stump, she eased herself down upon it, biting her lip as the skin on her back
stretched again under the stitches. Sitting straight up, trying to ease the strain off of her back, she gazed
out at the river, which was flowing calmly. Fireflies were beginning to come out, flying over the placid water
and illuminating little circles of it for a moment before flying away to shine in another spot. Kage smiled
wistfully. For the first time in forever, she was at peace.

"So you're alive after all." A familiar stony voice suddenly came. Snapping out of her short moment of
contentment, Kage turned her head to find Kamisori leaning against a tree on her left hand side. Frowning,
she turned away from him just as quick, looking back at the river. "Quite a surprise, but then again
we always said you were a cat with nine lives." He pushed himself to his feet, walking towards her
with a slight sway. Still frowning, she kept her eyes set on the river, watching the fireflies.

"What are you doing here Kamisori?" she asked in a cold voice. Kamisori gave her a dark smile.

"I've come to retrieve you. Your punishment is over, you can return to us now." He said in a husky
voice, placing a hand on her shoulder. Kage stiffened at the action. "Who have you been staying with
these past three weeks? Looks like they're treating you well. Gave you a pretty kimono to wear...must
be rich people.." he spoke as if she were a small child, yet the hint to steal money from them was rich
in his voice. Kage reached up and pushed his hand off of her throbbing shoulder with her hand.

"I'm not coming with you." She said flatly. His calm face suddenly twisting in rage, Kamisori grabbed
Kage's arm and yanked her to her feet. She yelped as one of the gashes in her shoulders re-opened under
the stitch and began to bleed.

"You will come with me, you bitch. Your place is with us, not with these soft fools. You weren't born for
a high life, everyone knows that." He growled. Kage's eyes were shut as she tried to pull away from
Kamisori, her back feeling as if it were on fire.

"Orra....I'd let her go if you knew what was good for ya." A voice came from behind Kamisori. Turning
around, a look of insane rage on his face, Kamisori came face to punch with Sanosuke's fist. Staggering,
he released Kage's arm and stumbled into the tree he had previously leaned upon. Looking down, Kage
held a hand to her bleeding shoulder, shivering.

"Y-you always look for a reason to fight, don't you?" she said, glancing up at Sano. He gave her a
crooked grin.

"You betcha." He said, catching Kamisori's fist as he threw it at him. Still gripping Kamisori's fist,
Sanosuke twisted his arm under, then kicked him in the side. Kamisori fell to the ground, his shoulder
dislocated. Standing again, he glared at first Sanosuke, then Kage.

"Your friends are dead." He spat. Gripping his shoulder joint, he took off towards the Yakuza compound.
Kage watched him go with a weak expression.

"Kamisori was never one for a physical fight," she murmured. "But he's a fearsome sword fighter."
Wincing from a sudden dizzy spell, Kage sat back down on the stump, trying to clear her vision.
Sanosuke bent down and inspected her shoulder.

"We'd better get you to Gen-jii-san." He said, holding a hand out for her. She looked at him, confused.

"Why are you so nice to me?" she asked, looking into his eyes. They stared at each other for a heartbeat,
then Sano stood up and looked away.

"You just remind me of someone, that's all." He replied quickly, clearing his throat. Standing on her own,
Kage walked a few steps, before having to stop and steady herself on a tree.

"Oyy, are you OK?" he asked her, genuinely concerned. She nodded her head.

"Daijobu." She managed. Not believing her, Sanosuke picked her up and began walking, carrying her as
he did to the same destination three weeks prior. Face reddening, Kage tried to wriggle out of his hold.

"Put me down you aho!" she exclaimed, pushing against his chest.

"I don't feel like standing around all night watching you take a few steps then have a dizzy spell. It'd take
us hours to get down the street if I just let you do that. So quit squirming, shut yer mouth and enjoy the ride,
cuz this is the last time I carry your ungrateful ass." He responded, picking up the pace of his walk. Kage
fell silent, pouting.

"Aho." She said under her breath.

"I heard that." He grunted. She looked up at him and was about to reply with a cruel comeback, when a
slight amused grin on his face caused her to close her mouth. He glanced down at her, the grin remaining.
Blushing, she looked away quickly, embarrassed to have been caught expressing such an emotion.

She wanted to get away. Something was nagging her from her the locked door her memories resided
behind. It wanted to come out, and if anything else that felt familiar happened, she was afraid it might.
----------------------------------

"Well, it's healed enough so it didn't do any major damage when it re-opened, however," Megumi said
analytically, studying Kage's wounds. Sanosuke stood outside of the door, his back to them, listening.
"It seems that you've got yourself a fever now, probably due to the strain and shock of moving again.
I gave Kaoru-San instructions not to move you off of your stomach while you were unconscious.
Now that you're awake, your body couldn't handle the stress." She began wrapping soft fabric
over her shoulder. Kage turned her head slightly.

"How does moving give me a fever?" she asked, frowning. Sighing professionally, she paused to
look up at Kage.

"It's a medical reason Kage-San. If your body goes into shock, you'll get sick from it. Simple. So
right now I'm sending you back to the dojo, and there you'll stay until these have healed properly.
No mass amount of moving, got it?" she said, her voice belying on a snap.

"Don't you know that.." Kage began, pulling Kaoru's kimono up over her shoulders once more.

"I know that I'm a doctor, right now you're my patient, and you'll do as I say if you want to live
through these wounds!" Megumi snapped. Sanosuke winced at the tone of her voice outside. Many
times had that tone been used on him, he was smugly amused to see someone else stubborn enough
to earn its usage. Her voice softening, she added, "Don't worry about the people chasing you. Ken-
San won't let anyone in who isn't a friend."

"Ken..Kenshin will..?" Kage blinked in confusion. Why were these people so nice to her? Megumi
shot an acid glare at Sanosuke's back.

"And I'm sure someone ELSE will escort you back there like a gentleman." She growled as
Sanosuke scooted out of view from the door. Kimono firmly in place, Kage stood, attempting
to bow politely, but only managing a nod. Understanding Megumi nodded back and waved her
on her way.

Sanosuke and Kage walked back to Kamiya dojo in silence, Sanosuke glancing down at her every
now and then, wanting to ask her about Kioku, but unsure of how to do so. Finally he cleared his throat.

"Is something wrong?" Kage asked, looking up at him. Sanosuke stopped and looked down at Kage, who
stopped walking as well.

"Do you know who Sagara Souzou is?" He asked her, watching her expression. Kage's face remained
expressionless.

"Iie, is he someone important?" she replied, blinking. Looking back out at the river the road ran against,
he stuck his hands in the pockets of his gi.

"He was my Taichou when I was with the Sekihoutai, and killed in cold blood." His voice had lowered,
Souzou's death still difficult for him to tell about calmly.

"T-Taichou...?" Kage whispered, her eyes widening. Turning on heel, she quickly scurried away from
a surprised Sanosuke, walking as fast as she could in the wooden sandals, bracing one hand against
the wall on the other side of the road. Sanosuke jogged up after her.

"Oyy, why'd you take off so fast?" he asked, matching his pace with hers. Her reply was a swift glare
and an increase in pace of walk. "What's wrong with you? You gonna be sick or something?" He
reached out his hand and touched her arm. Once again, her fist came out and met his jaw in a punch.
This time, however, she stumbled, exertion had caused another dizzy spell. Sano turned back to her,
her punch had been weak and not hurt him, but he was shocked at her outburst. Bracing herself fully
against the wall she took in a few shaky breaths.

"Please..just..let me get back to the dojo..." she whispered. It felt like there was something in her
throat, and she swallowed against it. She hadn't eaten anything recently, why was there suddenly
something lumpy there? Frowning, Sanosuke began walking again, Kage behind him at a slower pace.
She was hiding something, or she was trying to forget.