DISCLAIMER: Everything here came from my brain! Except for the characters, and their backgrounds, and a whole buncha other stuff… I guess my brain got off easy! ;)

PART 3. Missing Places for Nagging Faces

After the couple had finished their meal they left the restaurant. Kaoru had offered them a place to stay at her dojo, but they declined stating they had already made previous arrangements. In addition to that, Kenshin, excuse me, Shinta had an impeding feeling about the girl, a strange feeling of… well, strangeness overcame him whenever Kaoru and Tomoe were together. Respectively, the couple and girl went their separate ways… but not for long…

Shinta and Tomoe made their way over to the inn they were staying at.

Shinta pretended he was sleeping as Tomoe wrote in her diary. He never knew what she wrote about and he never dared to read it. He was about to talk about the strange feelings he got from Kaoru girl when she got in the futon, but she fell asleep all too quickly. He decided to try and forget about it.

During the night Shinta couldn't close his eyes. Every time they would close, images of distant memories would flood his dreams. People he couldn't recognize, some who looked familiar and yet he couldn't place them. He thought maybe he saw that Kaoru girl in his dreams, but whenever he would look at her, she would vanish. He tore his eyes open for the millionth time that night. He couldn't take it anymore.

***

Shinta and Tomoe decided they'd go to town for some shopping, the market was on the other side of the bridge from their inn. As they were making their way across the bridge, the sound of footsteps could be heard. Ttk! Ttk! Ttk! Ttk! Ttk! Shinta put his hand on his sword. He whipped around just as a spiky haired little boy grabbed his wallet. Shinta grabbed him by the collar, retrieved his wallet, and threw the little boy to the ground. When he saw the look of a little pity on his wife's face as the boy struggled to get up, Shinta took out a coin and tossed it to the boy. "Here, take this", he turned to go.

:DOINK: The coin hit the back of Shinta's head. He whirled around. The little boy was standing up with a defiant look on his face. "I, Myojin Yahiko, am from a Shizoku family! I won't take pity from anyone! Especially you! You loser!" With that the little boy ran off onto the opposite side of the bridge. "What a proud little boy. It's good to see a samurai spirit once in a while. I'm sure I'll never forget his face…" His face… I've seen it somewhere before. But where? Shinta tried to hide his bewilderment, and ignore his wife's as she wondered why he hadn't finished his thought. Shinta and Tomoe made their way towards town in silence.

***

"Do you see that man over there? That's Zanza… one of the strongest street fighters there is."

These types of remarks were being made all over downtown Tokyo as Shinta and Tomoe were making their way to the market. Finally, at the most recent comment, Shinta's curiosity got the better of him as he turned his head to where they were pointing.

He was expecting a huge, bulky man that would take up half of the walkway. Instead he saw a tall, lean male who looked to be in his late teens, with rooster hair. He looks… interesting… Shinta turned back towards Tomoe who was examining daikon. He was excited because that night she said she would make him his favorite dish. A scream forced Shinta to spin back around.

It seemed an unfortunate drunk had made the mistake of challenging Zanza and had gotten his butt kicked. He lay sprawled on the street with his arms twisted behind him. Zanza snorted, "Don't go off fighting drunk again… next time you might die." With that, the mysterious street fighter turned his back for all to see the character for 'Aku' (evil) written on his back. Shinta's head was spinning… that man… something about him made Shinta's stomach reel. What was it with all these familiar faces in Tokyo? "We should get back to the inn." Tomoe nodded in agreement.

On the way back, Shinta noticed Tomoe's face was a little more cheerless than usual. "Is there anything wrong, Tomoe?"

"Oh… I'm not sure why… but something about this town just makes me feel like I don't belong."

Like she doesn't belong? What's worse is I feel it too. "Nonsense. Don't worry we'll be out of here by the end of this week anyways. Back to good ole Kyoto." He wanted to laugh when he said that. The place of countless horrors? The place that was the battlefield from Hell during the Bakumatsu? "Good ole"… what a way to describe it.

His cynical thoughts were suspended by the sounds of children singing. There were a group of little kids running around a tree singing a song…

The fireflies are coming

Tonight is the night

Their wings shall be humming

To cast a spell that's bright

The fireflies are coming

Coming tonight

You shall awake by the drumming

And see what's in the light

Shinta shuddered at the innocently eerie words of the song.

"It must be season for the fireflies…", Tomoe said softly.

"Oh yea… did you want to see them with me tonight?"

"I would like to. But, I must decline." Without another word Tomoe walked off towards the inn alone.

She always leaves me alone… And he would always go after her no matter how many times it happened.

~+~+~

Thank you to those who reviewed! You spurred me on to keep writing this story! ::BIG SMILE::

I hope you liked this chapter! I'm doing my best to keep it enticing! I hope it worked!! ^____^

Thanx you for reading, & do come back for more! ;)