{A/N} (( '~' indicate a character's thoughts ))
Hello again everyone! I'm back with chappie one of my fic. ^^ I was originally going to wait until I got some more reviews, but oh well! I got my first TWO! XD, that that's all that matters, hehe. Much thanks to:

*Kasumi- For the praise.. :: blinks :: that's something I definitely wasn't expecting, and also the suggestion. That helps me a lot, actually, because I didn't realize that I was running on w/ my sentences until then, so thank you! Hats off to my first reviewer, yay!

*Celtic Oak- Thank you thank you! ^^, your words mean a lot to me, and I'm really glad that my descriptiveness isn't annoying ^^; I definitely plan on doing something with the altered timeline. ... but it's a mystery right now, lol. And as for the Faerie, you'll meet her soon, I promise. ^^

(On a side note, I forgot my disclaimer in the prologue, so here we go w/ that: All Rurouni Kenshin characters are owned and copyrighted by the greatest man in all of time, Nobuhiro Watsuki, and therefore, no suing the poor high school freshman! I don't even have a job.. .; )
With that said, on with the fic!! ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~

Chapter One: The Spirit of Water

Kenshin stared, dumfounded, at the small pool that had ~. healed me?~ He leaned down close to the still water, watching it begin to ripple in soft undulations, increasing as bubbles began to surface. The crimson- haired katana wielder merely raised an eyebrow as he stared quietly. It was in an instant that small, delicate fingers reached out from the depths, causing Kenshin to gasp in surprise and jump back a bit, now fixing the pool and the pale flesh of an arm with a tentative gaze.

The gleaming fabric of a small kimono revealed itself, followed by a glimpse of mahogany hair, and two blue, smiling eyes, filled with compassion. A delicate and miniature form slowly emerged from the pool, the creature tilting her small head in question at the samurai, laughter in her gaze as she took small steps towards him, her white-washed leather soles crunching, barely audible, against the earth as she walked across the scattering of leaves towards the boy's crouched form.

~N-nandetou.?~ The single question rose in his mind and repeated itself as he watched the tiny girl that had ~come out of the water?~ approach him. He looked at her small form as it strode over to him, her shoulder-length, bobbed hair bouncing cheerfully as her eyes shone up at him. so little. He dropped his hand from where it unconscionably rested on the hilt of his blade and let it drop on the soil, a silent gesture for her to come.

The young creature stopped in her trek abruptly, staring at him wide- eyed.

"Human. you can see me?" Her startled eyes belied her disbelief at the conclusion as she stared at his outstretched hand. Then an idea struck her and she smiled triumphantly.

"I know, you're half oni, aren't you? Or, maybe elfin?" She looked at him quizzically, with a bit of a shy glance as she awaited his answer.

Kenshin stared at the small creature before him, trying to decipher her words. ~Oni..elfin? Hiko-sensei has spoken of those creatures before, but in stories and lore. Mythological species made up by people long ago. but, if it is all fiction, what of this girl before me?~ He inhaled deeply and looked at her with an analyzing glint in his eyes, noting that she barely came up to his knee in his crouched position.

"Little creature, if I can assure you one thing, it is that I am human, not these things of which you speak. However, could you please tell me how can I be sure that you are not a figment of my fatigue?"

He smiled softly, knowing that with that said, she would disappear and he would find himself nursing his wounds in a few hours beside the fire.

But she didn't fade away. She merely smiled pleasantly at him, her eyes alight with excitement as she spoke in a soft, high voice,

"Amazing! A human that can see and talk to my kind; you must have enhanced spiritual powers, and an incredible aura!" She calmed down a bit before continuing.

"As to your question, well, I healed you using my powers; you saw it before your eyes. This is a trademark of my race, healing through the use of water." She smiled shyly as she looked at his shocked face.

"Curious samurai, I am a water sprite."

The girl grinned up at him, still in disbelief that a human could talk to her. She had never been able to interact with one before, merely observe their unique customs and help those that she could. She had been watching this swordsman over the course of several days, and seeing him so badly injured had compelled her to heal his broken body and weary soul. She greatly enjoyed watching humans, but this particular samurai intrigued her to no end with his demon-like speed and precision, not to mention his elfin- like grace. Yes, it had seemed to her that this boy was a medley of Reikai creatures when she first saw him. But the fact that has was nothing more than a regular human heightened her interest to an even greater degree.

Her statement took Kenshin aback. He leaned in closer to her, cupping his hand gently in front of her. ~So, she's real.~

"A water sprite? And you can heal using water?" Kenshin stated, still not believing it fully, even if he had the evidence right in front of him.

The sprite nodded her head, taking a few steps and climbing carefully into his hand. She trusted him not to hurt her or be a follower of Aeika, for what reasons she did not know. But she definitely wanted to learn more about humans, and he was the perfect place to start.

"What is your name then, little water sprite?"

Kenshin smiled in slight amusement at her sheer size, finding it odd that a creature so small could be so like a human.

"Tsubame."

He smiled softly, beginning to believe the reality of the situation, and acknowledging for the first time how little he really knew.

"That's a very nice name" He stood up slowly, Tsubame in his cupped hand as he looked up at the fiery sky.

"Domo arigatou, Tsubame." He stated quietly, smiling down at her. "I am sure that without your help, I would have felt the complications from my injuries for a few more days."

Tsubame smiled shyly, a small flush coming to her. "Oh, Douitashimashite, healing is simple and natural for me, so no worries." She, too, glanced up at the early sky, her eyes suddenly widening with fear. She jumped swiftly down from Kenshin's hand, landing on the soft earth and fidgeting nervously.

"Gomen nasai, samurai, I must get back to my clan by sunrise, I am not supposed to be out now." She offered him a nervous smile. "If you wish, tomorrow come back to this pool and I will take you to see the other sprites. ~Even if Otousan said humans were not to be trusted, I believe that there is reason to trust this warrior. He has the ability to see us, and so maybe he is the one who holds the barrier key.~

Kenshin looked at the Tsubame in interest. "Alright Tsubame, I will come back here tomorrow after I finish my training, I would like to learn more about your race, ~and everything else that I have failed to notice in my life,~ and I did not know that beings such as yourself truly existed."

He now looked at the forest with a new perspective, reaching out with his sixth sense; he almost did a double take at all the new presences he felt. ~Wh-what could they all be. Are they all water sprites? Why is it that I can sense them now and not before... it's almost as if the forest is alive. ~

Tsubame smiled a bit. ~So he wants to know more about us, maybe he really does have the key, and is just unaware. That would certainly explain his strange ability to sense us.~ "Hai, samurai, Ja matta ne!" She swiftly ran off, weaving between tree roots and diving into a small lake a few yards away.

Kenshin watched her retreating form, shaking his head softly. ~What a cheerful little creature, a water sprite, huh?~ He glanced back at the pool one last time before gathering the wood he had originally set out to get and shouldering it, walking towards camp. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him, stopping him dead in his tracks, the blood draining from his face. ~Oro. Hiko-sensei is going to want me to do the rest of my chores before he returns. I still have to make breakfast!~

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Comments, questions, *REVIEWS?* Hehe, well, was it what you expected it to be.. I hope so. ^^ There is still a lot of mystery and confusion, but don't worry, I just like to keep the suspense rolling. . So, was the healer who you thought? Lol, I know you are probably wondering about the Faerie, and she will some soon enough, I promise minna! Thanks so much for sticking with me, and keep your eyes peeled, the plot id about to be revealed!

Note: In case there is any confusion about the water sprites, here is some general information on them: Water sprites are water sprites that have the ability to manipulate water in any form they wish. Their primary power is healing, but they can also possess other magical properties, such as shape- shifting, elemental magic, etc. They are responsible for keeping the seas calm and the shifting of tides. They also control the weather, to a certain degree. Tsubame is a young sprite, and in human years would be about 9 yrs. old.

ALSO!: (Just for the purposes of this fic, I will keep the sprites in a separate category from faeries, even though they are often thought to be the same thing. Notice that Tsubame doesn't have any wings, and also, faeries are normal sized, not miniature.)