Kenshin and Hikaru give each other a little scare in this part. One thing I wanted to be sure to include in this story was a foreshadowing of Kenshin's later abilities as a swordsman, but as I wrote that, I realized Hikaru was not going to take it very well!

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Hikaru woke alone in her bed, but that was normal, because Toshiro was an earlier riser. Always slow to rouse, she took several minutes of yawning and stretching before she remembered she'd had another bedfellow last night. Alarmed, and feeling silly for being so – after all, everyone here knew Kenshin, what harm could befall him? – she jumped out of bed, pulled on a robe, twisted her hair into a quick knot, and went out barefoot to find him. Where is Kenshin? was the only thought in her mind, and those were the first words to her maid when that young woman, who was waiting at the door of her room, rose from her bow.

"I think he's with Fumi and the children in the gardens, lady."

I hope he's playing. Seeing Kenshin play, just play, was one of her fondest hopes for this visit. She wasn't even sure he knew how to play. And I hope Fumi isn't treating him like any other 9-year-old. On any given day, for varying reasons, there were always children in the compound, either neighborhood children or children of the servants and artists. Bunto's young wife Fumi had the task of watching them, when Hikaru herself wasn't doing it. But Fumi had experience with normal children, not with a boy like Kenshin. Treating him like a child would only confuse him.

Her fears were groundless, however. Kenshin was indeed playing, but he had taken it upon himself to become Fumi's "helper" with the children. When Hikaru stepped out onto the porch, Fumi came smiling to meet her and pointed out where her "helper" was being taught a new game by his charges. Something he said made them all laugh, and he looked bewildered. Then one of the younger boys crept behind his legs (which Kenshin pretended not to see), another boy pushed him backward so that he fell over the first, and all the children then piled on him to hold him down, screeching with glee. Kenshin lay there pretending to be pinned and complaining at the top of his voice, although he could barely be heard over the laughter. One toddler climbed over his head, and Kenshin, shaking the others off, rose with the toddler riding on him and pretended to look around, asking where Riku had gone, as if the child didn't have double handfuls of his red hair in her clutches and as if he hadn't put one hand up to steady her. The other children all laughed and pointed, and Kenshin pretended to start with surprise. Then he swung little Riku down, told her she should be more careful, and set her on the ground again.

Hikaru knew she could only get in the way. She went back inside to dress properly.

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At midday, Fumi took the children to eat and have a nap, and Hikaru took Kenshin into Kyoto for a fancy meal, and then to see the Moriguchi Entertainers, a modest circus that made its headquarters in the city. Kenshin had never seen anything like it, and she actually had to explain to him that these people were putting on a show of skill for the entertainment of an audience. Like other times when she realized how little he'd experienced of the world so familiar to her, she explained with a light tone and a smile, while his wide-eyed attention to her every word tore at her heart. When she finished and pointed out the next act, she put an arm around his narrow shoulders, more for her own comfort than his, and he happily leaned into her side and gave his attention to the jugglers.

Now that he understood, Kenshin stopped gaping and began smiling, and then laughing and applauding enthusiastically as the show progressed. He was very quick to pick out what moves took the most skill, and every once in a while, a quietly serious comment from him along the lines of, "That must have taken much time to learn to do right," made her take a closer look at the performers and increased her own pleasure, already doubled by his mere presence.

However, entertainment wasn't all he got from the show. When they rejoined Bunto and the ex-soldier asked how Kenshin had liked it, Kenshin announced, "I was watching them closely, and you know, I can do some of that!" He then demonstrated his unhoned skills, doing handsprings and cartwheels, then running along a rope holding up an awning and doing a backflip down, to the danger of all passers-by. He came back to Hikaru flushed with triumph for what he'd done right and embarrassment for what he'd done wrong, and she knelt and praised the one while minimizing the other, letting her loving smile conceal the fact that she'd been frightened nearly out of her wits the entire time. "Seijuro is teaching you some unusual things!"

Blithely unaware of deepening her shock, he said, "Oh, Master didn't teach me that. I was just copying what I saw the circus people do." Then something else caught his attention, and he scampered off to investigate, leaving her to rise slowly and exchange a horrified look with Bunto.

On the way home, however, he was destined to frighten her even worse. They passed a shop that sold household items, where she saw several things that interested her, and she released his hand in order to more carefully look over the goods. She recalled Seijuro saying that Kenshin had had a cold before, and she also recalled Kenshin complaining about the frigid temperature in the cottage in the winter mornings, before the fire was built up. Yesterday she'd bought him a warm coat and new boots, and now she bought him two blankets, a densely woven tatami to go under his bed, and some herbs which, heated in a small pot placed on a hot ceramic brick in his room, would fill the air with a vapor that was good for warding off colds. While bargaining with the shopkeeper to get everything delivered to her home, she heard the commotion begin out in the street, but she paid no attention to it. Something was always going on in Kyoto. People were always fighting. Her ear was trained to listen for the sounds of possible killing fights, and to tune everything else out.

Then Bunto appeared at her side. "You'd better come, Hikaru-san," he said, and immediately left her. This was so odd that she at once waved off the shopkeeper and looked for Kenshin.

He wasn't in the shop.

"Kenshin??"

Bunto appeared in the doorway and gestured for her to come, and she went to him, saying, "Where is Kenshin? I don't see him!"

Bunto nodded toward where a little tableau had just frozen in the street, and Hikaru clutched his arm. In the center of the tableau were three people. One, a man, was on the ground, apparently injured, and trying to crawl out of the way. Another was a big, burly, red-faced, angry-looking man holding a long staff. And the third was Kenshin, standing straight-shouldered, with one hand lightly on his shinai, his head tilted back, looking up into the big man's eyes. A crowd was already forming, and Hikaru picked up her hem and started to run toward them, only to be stopped by Bunto just at the edge of the crowd. Kenshin didn't notice them. He was telling the big man to leave the other one alone.

The crowd was chuckling, amused at this small boy being so calmly impertinent. But the big man wasn't amused. "Get out of my way, you little brat. He owes me money."

Most of the people in the crowd jeered at that, and Kenshin smiled slightly. "He says he paid you back already, and these people agree with him."

"They know nothing about it. Move, or I'll squash you like a bug." The bully punctuated the threat by raising the staff menacingly.

Hikaru couldn't believe all these people were standing around doing nothing about a small boy facing such a monster. No one was even stepping in to help Kenshin, never mind protect him. She once more tried to step forward, determined to get between them, but Bunto stopped her again, this time forcefully. "Don't break the boy's concentration," he said quietly to her. "He knows what he's doing."

Knows what he's doing? That man's four times his size! She tried to break free, furious. Meanwhile, coolly, Kenshin was saying in his high, clear voice, "You've had too much sake. Why don't you go home and sleep it off? Then if you still think this man owes you money, take it to the authorities."

The crowd muttered agreement, that the boy spoke good sense, but the comments were all anonymous, and the drunken man paid no attention. He leered. "I want that money now. And I want it so I can buy more sake. I'll take it out of his hide if he doesn't give it to me. Yours, too, if you get in my way. What the hell are you doing with that shinai, you puny little rat? Do you think that will help you against me?"

Kenshin shrugged. "You know," he began, this time in a different tone of voice, deliberately provocative, "my Master says... I mean, I say that, if a man can't hold his sake without losing control over himself, then he should not drink at all."

Hikaru hissed to Bunto, "He's trying to pick a fight!"

"Now he is, yes."

"He'll be killed! Stop this, Bunto!"

"Look at him, lady. Young Kenshin is alert, perfectly balanced and ready. That man will never touch him. Don't forget, he is already accustomed to fighting a man much larger than he is."

"Bunto...!"

He looked down at her, black eyes expressionless. "I'll step in if you wish, but he would not like it."

For a moment she struggled with her protective instincts, as the big man tossed a few more insults and threats at an impassive Kenshin. The crowd was still jeering, but they were also staying well back. Bunto promised, "I'll step in if it looks like he's bitten off more than he can chew."

"If he gets hurt, Seijuro will never forgive me."

"I think if Master Hiko were here, he'd be laughing."

"If he gets hurt, I will never forgive you," she swore. Then she sucked in a breath, too shocked to let it out in a scream, as the staff suddenly arced through the air straight down at Kenshin.

But the staff hit nothing but the ground, and it hit the ground more than a foot from where it had been aimed. Kenshin had stepped from under it and at the same time pulled his shinai out, using it to deflect the blow to one side. The drunkard growled in fury and, in earnest this time, began raining blow after blow toward Kenshin. Holding the shinai with both hands, never allowing a strike to land squarely, Kenshin kept moving into the arc of the staff, forcing the man to retreat in order to strike at him.

Hikaru's nails dug into Bunto's arm, and she whimpered. "He can't even reach the man! He's too small!"

Bunto said placidly, "He has a plan, and he is doing well. Watch. It's almost over."

Her mind full of thoughts of firing Bunto, setting Kenshin's broken bones, and abasing herself to Seijuro, she turned, trembling, to look again.

Even as she did, Kenshin's plan came to fruition. The big man had backed up to the edge of the wooden walkway, but he was so angry at not being able to hit Kenshin that he wasn't paying attention. An incautious step tripped him, and he went down heavily. Even as he fell, Kenshin let out an unearthly yell and jumped high into the air, coming down in a blur as he whipped the shinai around in a swift, controlled blow to the crown of the man's head. The bully went flat on his back and stayed there, unconscious.

There was a moment's stunned silence, while Kenshin, landing lightly and in perfect balance, unconcernedly put his shinai back into its place. Someone asked, "Is he dead?" and someone else said, "No, just knocked out." Then some woman cheered, and all the crowd started either cheering or laughing. To Kenshin's bewilderment, he suddenly found himself the center of a multitude of people who all wanted to clap him on the back, congratulate him, and find out how he'd learned to fight like that. Wild speculation ran through them, ranging everywhere from Kenshin being the son of a samurai to the whole thing being a matter of luck. Fortunately, no one bothered to give Kenshin a chance to explain, which was just as well, because he was painfully uncomfortable and obviously had no intention of telling anyone about Seijuro. The only person Kenshin paid any real attention to was the injured man who had crawled away from the fight. Still limping, the man came forward now and bowed, thanking Kenshin for saving him, and Kenshin, with his usual exquisite manners, bowed a little more deeply and claimed it as his honor to help. Then, reassured of the man having suffered no more than bruises, he looked around for Hikaru.

Seeing her with Bunto, he smiled and trotted toward them, leaving the crowd behind. But as he drew near, he got a better look at Hikaru's expression and stopped. "Hikaru-san? Are you angry with me?"

She tried to hold her temper, but she'd been too badly frightened to keep it inside. "Of course I'm angry with you! How could you do that to me?"

His lower lip disappeared between his teeth and his eyes grew anxious as he wrestled with confusion. "Do what? What did I do?"

"You left me in the store…"

"But you were in no danger. Bunto was there, too." He seemed pleased to have the problem out of the way. Then he realized it wasn't, and flinched, waiting for the next volley.

"You left me without telling me where you were going, and when I find you, you're in the middle of a public brawl!" That was as far as her temper could carry her, however. Her voice broke as she said, "You could have been hurt. You scared me to death, Kenshin!"

He finally understood. With a sure instinct, he pulled the shinai from his belt, got down on his knees, and bowed to her, apologizing. She was on her own knees in the next second, hugging him fiercely while telling him, not very convincingly, what a horrible child he was. He wrapped his arms around her neck and said, "I didn't mean to desert you without saying anything, and I didn't mean to get into a brawl. But that man was beating Kisho-san badly, and I was afraid he'd break his bones or even worse. I didn't have time to explain, and I had to help. But I am sorry that I worried you."

She held him away from her to look into his face. "Do you know this man Kisho?" That, at least, would explain it.

"No. He told me his name just now, and of course the crowd was saying it, too."

"Then why did you help him?"

"Because no one else would. They were all afraid of that big man."

"For good reason! He was vicious! He might have killed you!"

"He was drunk and very slow. I was in no danger." His shoulders drew together a little under her hands, and he looked at the ground. "Hikaru-san, please don't be angry with me. I'm very, very sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you."

She gave him a little shake, already having forgiven him. "Just don't do it again."

To her surprise, he raised his eyes and straightened his shoulders, and although his expression was one of misery, he spoke with quiet determination. "I can't give you that promise, Hikaru-san. I'm sorry. I'm unworthy. If you wish, I will go back to the mountain right now. You don't need to send someone with me, I know the way."

Bewildered, she said, "Of course I'm not sending you back up the mountain. What kind of monster do you think I am? But why can't you promise me?" She hadn't been serious about it anyway, but he was so earnest, she wanted to know his reasons.

"I can't walk past someone who is in trouble, if I can help them. Master wouldn't like it if I did, and I… well, I just can't." He was looking at the ground again, and shaking.

She was ready to kick herself. He had no experience with her temper, and she could only imagine what the temper tantrums of others had brought on his head before this. She had probably frightened him much worse than he had frightened her. Yet, even when he was this upset, he was sticking to the principles that he believed in. Sometimes he was exasperatingly like his Master, but he had a wonderful courage that went beyond the mere physical. Just like Seijuro.

She stroked his hair, then tilted his chin up and kissed his forehead. "You're a good boy," she said, "and I'm very proud of you. But I can see it's going to be up to me to keep you out of trouble. Can you at least promise me not to run off again without telling me you're leaving?"

An uncertain smile bloomed. "Yes, I can promise you that!"

"I suppose that will have to do, then."

The smile disappeared, despite her gently amused tone. "You're still angry with me. What can I do to make you stop being angry?" he said desperately.

"I'm not angry. I never really was mad at you. I was just scared that you might get hurt, and sometimes, when you scare an adult, they act angry when they see that there was nothing to be afraid of after all." He still looked uncertain, and she said, "I promise." When that didn't work, she hugged him and held him, saying, "Kenshin! I'm not mad at you, I'm not! Don't look at me like that. I still love you."

After a second or two, the slender strong arms wound around her neck again and he hugged her back. "Please don't be mad at me," he whispered.

"I'm not. And even if I do get mad at you, that doesn't mean I'll ever stop loving you. I get mad at your Master all the time, but I keep coming back, don't I?"

The grip around her neck tightened, and his chin dug into her shoulder. "That's true."

"But if you ever scare me like that again, I'm going to seal you in a barrel and give you to the circus to use for the juggling act!"

He chuckled, although his grip didn't loosen. "Next time I get into a brawl and scare you, I'll make sure to get hurt, and then you won't be mad just because there was nothing to be afraid of."

"Don't you dare!" she said, and hugged him tighter.

Bunto picked up Kenshin's shinai and smacked him in the behind with it. "Hey. You're making a public spectacle of the lady, young man. Let her get up. And take this thing. You obviously know how to use it."

Reluctantly, Kenshin unwound his arms from her neck. "Thank you, Bunto-san. If I do, it is thanks to my Master," he said politely, replacing the weapon in his belt.

Bunto's expression was an approving one, soldier to soldier, and she knew that, if Seijuro were here, his would be the same. Rising, Hikaru unclenched her fists before Kenshin saw them. It's not right. He's just a little boy. Win or lose, he's a child! He shouldn't be fighting.

He was looking up into her face again anxiously. He was far too intuitive for her to be so careless. She drove out all thoughts of swords and Bunto and Seijuro, and thought only of Kenshin the boy and how much she loved him. Then she smiled at him and held out a hand. His own sweet smile bloomed and the shadow went out of his eyes, and he wound his fingers through hers.

He was silent on the way back home, however, and Hikaru was desperately trying to think of other ways to convince him that she wasn't angry, when suddenly he said in a small voice, "Hikaru-san? May I ask a favor?"

"Of course! Anything."

"Please don't tell Master what I did." He hastily added, "I don't want you to lie! Just don't mention it unless he asks. You see, I'm not supposed to be doing that attack. Master says... I mean, I'm not ready to do it properly, not without more practice, and if he finds out that I used it..."

"You'll get a lot more practice than you want," she finished for him dryly.

"Yes." He looked ashamed. Hikaru loved Seijuro, but the urge to kick him at that moment was very strong, so it was just as well he was nowhere near.

Bunto chuckled behind her. "It didn't look to me as if you needed any more practice at it."

Alarmed, Kenshin twisted to look up at Bunto. She thought he was going to ask Bunto for secrecy, too, but instead he said, "I do! I was clumsy, and the technique was flawed."

Bunto shook his head. "If you say so. But if I were that fast, I'd still have my right arm. I'm sure your Master would be pleased, but if you wish it, I'll also promise to make no mention of today."

Kenshin gave him a shy smile. "He would not be pleased. He'd call me a clumsy oaf and make me do it again and again. But thank you, Bunto-san." He turned big, pleading eyes back to Hikaru.

"I won't mention it!" she promised. "Your swordplay is absolutely the last thing I would ever talk to your Master about, and he knows it. He won't ask me, and he won't hear it from me."

That was all Kenshin needed. His sunny disposition came back at once, and he skipped beside her, holding her hand tightly.