In my last chapter I forgot the disclaimers…here they are – I do not and will not own any character of Rurouni Kenshin, etcetera, etcetera.  HOWEVER - any characters of my own creation are strictly that and are not to be stolen (at least not w/ out my permission). Oks, that takes care of the formalities…so let us continue.

Once they were in the Dojo, Kaoru planted herself in front of Tsukiyo.

"Why did that fighter pause when he saw you?" she demanded. Sano was watching her with practiced indifference.

"I don't know him," Tsukiyo said, carefully avoiding the question. Kaoru pounced.

"That's not an answer!"

"I know that fighting style. If someone knows a fighting style, they generally know and understand how to exploit the weakness. Fukusha is a complicated technique used by assassins and spies of a special caliber. They could spend their entire lives going after one single target, usually one of military or political importance. They spend months or even years studying their target's fighting style until they can do a near perfect copy of it. By doing so, they pick apart your very life style until they know how many times you blink in a day, never mind your weapon. The fact that this man is going after you now suggests that you either were a target or a potential target and were studied as such, and having resurfaced, you have been deemed dangerous or someone just doesn't like you," she said softly. Kaoru's hands were at her mouth. Aki, Kaeko, and Toshio were looking at Tsukiyo with a mix of wonder and fear. Yahiko's mouth was wide open. Tsukiyo shut it with her hand.

"So he knows Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu?"           Sano asked, rocked mentally.  Tsukiyo shook her head.

"He only knows Kenshin's style. Every fighter differs slightly. Besides, he may be able to copy the attacks, but they will always be lacking in some area. He put years of study into a person, not a technique. There is an extreme difference," she said, rolling her shoulders.

Tsukiyo looked around the dojo.

"Would you mind if we stayed here tonight? It's a little late to be going home," she said, examining the thick walls.

Kaoru nodded, not missing where the woman's real concern was; the children.

"I ssswear, it mussst have been her! No other woman hasss thossse gray eyesss!" the spy said, bowing on the floor. A large man nodded. He had ash colored hair with bright blue eyes. His face was hard and sharply defined. Tall, he was clad as a traditional host. He had the same beauty that a sword had; revered by those who served it, feared by those who opposed it, and completely made of metal.

"I never thought those rumors about the Kazeno Ryu were true. We looked for her in all the wrong places, too, when did a follow up. To think, she kept her true name after all these years…" the man ran a finger along a straight blade.

"Himura is still a target. But watch the girl. I want her alive. She may be worth more than even the Battousai, given the right customer," he said, eyes glowing. The man on the floor nodded.

"And Ogawa? Fail me again, and I will kill you," he said as an after thought.

"Yesss, Kogasssu-sssama," the man murmured. Kogasu smiled slightly, and left.

Tsukiyo changed into her training clothes. Something was not right. Kenshin felt it too. After a while, Kaoru took all the children inside and changed. Yahiko and Akiko stood guard with Kaoru. Megumi was in the room, holding a gun with deadly certainty. As a doctor, it was her profession to save rather than kill, but if forced to, she would do so to protect the children.

Sano shivered as a shadow passed over head. He shouted a warning to Kenshin.

"DIE HIMURA!!!" The figure screamed. "I am Ogawa, and I have been sssworn to kill you!"

Ogawa charged, sword glinting in his hand. He had raised it to strike when a chain wrapped around his ankle. He was pulled to the ground and found a dagger in the kill position quicker than he dreamed.

"Ogawa, who sent you?" Tsukiyo hissed, eyes icy. Ogawa felt their magnetism, and shivered.

"I cannot ssay…" he whispered. The dagger prodded his windpipe. Sano moved forward, and picked the creature up. Tsukiyo screamed, "No, Sano!" but it was too late. Ogawa stabbed and darted away. Tsukiyo supported Sano and moved him out of the way. Ogawa took out a gun and began shooting. Hiko and Kenshin moved in beautiful symmetry, slowly working their way in to the assassin. Tsukiyo ripped off strips from her haori and was cleaning Sano's wound when Kenshin sliced off the front of the gun.

Ogawa paused, and tried to move away. Cold steel bared his path. His eyes were wide under his cover of gray.

"What do you want with me, Ogawa?" Kenshin asked.

"It wassss sssssupposed to be an eassssy job. The Mansssslayer issss tired, they ssssaid," the man whispered, eyes frantic, pupils pinpricks.

Tsukiyo stood up, and walked up to the man. Her voice was calm, gentle, even.

"Now, Ogawa, I'm sure a man like you is useful nowadays. After all, the Fukusha is a difficult and time consuming technique. I bet you know all sorts of information on past targets. You can probably even recite conversations on their part," she said, voice slow, seeming to hang in the air. Tsukiyo leaned in closer, her skin giving off the scent of forest trails and hidden grottos. Ogawa nodded almost drunkenly.

"I am valuable to them…I am irreplaccceable, no matter what Massster Kogassssu sssays," he said, voice slurred as he inspected Tsukiyo carefully. Hiko gripped his sword slightly harder when the spy reached up and stroked a lock of hair, admiring the dark lights that played on the strands. Tsukiyo didn't move. She was too intent on getting information to notice her gestures seemed coy and inviting.

"What would Master Kogasu want with him," she asked, eyes lowering. Ogawa smiled.

"Massster hass friendsss who do not like the memory of battlesss lossst. It wasss to be a gift," he said, and then inspected her arm, running a gloved hand up it. Tsukiyo didn't react.

"Kazeno Tsukiyo… you are to be hisss persssonal gift," he added, eyes suddenly flashing in anger. Tsukiyo understood.

"What would he want with a mere woman?"

Ogawa's eyes followed the curves of her body adoringly. "He wantssss the woman that wasssss hidden assssss the greatessssst sssssecret of a renowned sssspy…"

Tsukiyo sat in the garden, head in her hands. She was not crying, just holding her head as if suffering from a headache.

Kaeko had brought her tea; it was next to her, cold. Ogawa had been imprisoned in the local jail Tsukiyo had sat in the secluded area ever since, trying to organize her thoughts.

Megumi and Kaoru had looked at her in shock. Kenshin, Hiko, and Sano weren't the type to approach her until she was done sorting through her memories. Kaeko and Toshio were too young to understand. Akiko had gasped, and then glared at her in such fury that Tsukiyo had left.

She remembered those glares from her mother's family. Those glares of utter revulsion at such a dishonorable father. Tsukiyo ground her teeth. Her father had been an Imperial spymaster. He had risked his life many times over to ensure the revolution and the protection of innocents. He had worked hard, had never shirked his responsibility. He was no drunkard from the taverns. Every time a woman had told her what a disgrace her father was to the family, she had been forced to nod, swallowing tears of anger. To see such a similar look on the face of Aki broke her heart.

Sitting up, she rolled her neck. Memories weren't important right now. What was important was this Kogasu. He obviously had money, or else a Fukusha master wouldn't work for him. Also, Ogawa had been clothed in expensive but plain clothes. No one in Tokyo had that money and an interest in affairs. No one in Tokyo wanted Kenshin dead immediately.  And she had been certain to cover her tracks here. Very few people knew she existed, let alone lived in Tokyo.

She walked back into the dojo and sat down in the center of the group who were whispering softly. They looked shocked that she was back.

"I must find this Kogasu soon," she said gravely. Kenshin nodded. She turned to Kaoru.

"Kaoru-sama, I would ask that you lend me some clothing, and Megumi, if you could lend me make up of some kind? I must find this man," she said, bowing till her head brushed the mat.

Kaoru looked confused. Megumi tugged at her arm and led her out of the room in search of clothes.

Tsukiyo stood up briskly and began undoing the complex knot that held her binding in place.

"What do you mean to do?" Kenshin asked as Sano took a step closer to the door.

"If this Kogasu wants me bad enough, he should hire another thug. I plan to work at a teahouse; the best customers always go there. I might be able to find something out there…" she said, leaving her binding on and now undoing one of the thick braids that she typically wore at night.

"Why not stay here?" Sano asked. Tsukiyo shrugged.

"Too dangerous. The children need a safe place and a good home for now; the dojo will more than suffice," she said, finishing one braid and moving on to a second.

"You can't go!" a young voice said, horrified.

Aki hadn't been able to sleep since Tsukiyo's past life had been revealed. She had wondered about it often, but that Tsukiyo was born into a family and had chosen to leave…she just didn't understand why Tsukiyo had hidden herself for what she was; the daughter of a fighting house who had won honor in the revolution. Now, the thought of loosing her caregiver who had replaced her parents overwhelmed any sense of confusion she might have had.

Tsukiyo looked at Akiko, and opened her mouth. Akiko cut her off.

"You need to keep us safe. Kenshin is nice, but he doesn't understand me like you do, and what if they come for us? Who will protect us then?"

Tsukiyo was about to point out that there were several others who were more than strong enough to deal with even an exceptional fighter, which most fighters for hire were not. Instead, she noticed Aki was starting to cry. She opened her arms, and hugged the girl.

"Do you not want us any more?" Aki hiccupped into the soft fabric. Tsukiyo gripped her tighter.

"No. Of course I still want you all."

"When Mama died you came and got me and Kaeko, and then you found Toshio…you gave us a home and made us a family. We don't want to loose you too," she wailed. Tsukiyo sighed, and looked at the men. Sano was halfway out of the door, Megumi holding Aki's blanket. Tsukiyo sighed again, and picked up the girl.

"Ok. I promise. I won't leave you here. But I do have to go back to work," she said as Aki yawned, her emotions spent. As she walked out she kicked Sano lightly in the shins for getting her only weakness.

Kaoru glanced around frantically. Where was Tsukiyo? She was supposed to be working here today. She grabbed Tae by the arm and shook her.

"Where is Tsukiyo?" she gasped. Tae pointed into the back room. Kaoru darted in and grabbed her.

"The dojo! It's on fire! Some one set it on fire!" she babbled, tears in her eyes. Tsukiyo paused, and then grabbed Kaoru's hand and sprinted out of the Akebeko.

One of the buildings was burning cheerily; they had managed to ward off the other flames. Everyone was milling about in the yard, confused. Tsukiyo darted in and looked crazily for her children. Aki, Toshio…where was Kaeko?

Hiko saw her lurch toward the building in a shambling run. He grabbed her from behind as she writhed in his arms, struggling against his superior strength.

"Kaeko is in there! Let me go! I have to get to Kaeko!" she screamed. Hiko dodged a flailing arm and held on tight.

"Shut up! You can't do anything for her! I'm sure Kenshin saw her on the yard…"

A high pitched scream cut through the din of the inferno. Tsukiyo caught a glimpse of a figure struggling through the smoke. She broke his hold on her and barreled through Sanosuke and leapt through a small window.

Tsukiyo rolled in on the ground, smothering the flames that licked her clothes. She covered her mouth, and squinted through the haze. She felt thick tendrils coil around her, weighing her down. She shuddered, and spat out the taste of the woody scent.  She felt splinters dig into her feet. She hated fire. Ignoring that, she looked around. On the floor was a child coughing sporadically. Tsukiyo turned her over; it was Kaeko, sporting a large burn on one hand. She picked her up and started to head toward the door. Outside, Kaoru screamed as the roof began to cave in.

Tsukiyo flinched as an ember struck her cheek. She coughed, and looked for the window. A heavy wooden beam blocked it. Setting Kaeko down, she rammed against it with all the strength she had left.

Yahiko heard the splintering wood and pointed. Hiko and Sano ran over, and a small bundle was dropped into their arms. Tsukiyo was hanging half in, half out, shoulders bleeding. Hiko gently took her out while Megumi readied two beds. Tsukiyo leaned on him heavily for support, struggling to keep her legs under her. She could smell some of her hair burning; smoke clogged her throat. She felt bile rise in her mouth. She ran over to a water barrel and stuck her head underwater, trying to wash away the smell. Hiko steadied her as bubbles floated to the surface. She slowly left the fluid surroundings, hair dripping into her face. Hiko half supported, half carried her into the dojo, away from the now dimming flames.

Aki sat next to her sleeping friend. Tsukiyo had been tossing in her sleep for the past hour, unable to find any rest in her dreams. Finally, when she could take the inane babble no longer, she tapped the woman on the shoulder. Tsukiyo snapped up, one hand reaching under her pillow while the other went into a guard position. She saw Aki's outline in the dim light, and relaxed.

"You were mumbling," Aki whispered. Tsukiyo nodded, and got up.

"I won't be able to rest now," she said, picking up her thin chain. Aki nodded, and slid open the door noiselessly. Tsukiyo disappeared, no more than a wraith.

Ayame awoke to the sounds of Akiko practicing on a target. She stood, transfixed, as Aki lunged and stabbed furiously at the scarecrow. Sweat trickled into her eyes. She paused to wipe it away, and then returned to her practice. She ended up beheading the thing.

"Why are you so mean to the scarecrow?" Ayame asked. Aki turned, and smiled, so like Kenshin that Ayame did a double take.

"I need to practice. Last time, those men almost hurt me. I don't want them to hurt anyone else." Ayame nodded, eyes following the wooden sword.

Kogasu looked through the bars at his servant. All around him the guards lay, slain. Ogawa trembled, eyes nervously following the blade that his master leaned upon so casually.

"Ogawa, you have disappointed me. You know, I heard a ruffian asking questions about me. This simply will not do, Ogawa," he said, smiling slightly.

"Spies are supposed to be silent, are they not?" Ogawa nodded. Kogasu smiled.

"Well, I don't want you to feel tempted to break your vows again," he said. Ogawa died without a sound.

"I shall just have to get the girl on my own…perhaps a trip to Kyoto is in order. She will follow me. I'm a threat," he said to the corpse.

Tsukiyo lurched out of her seat when she heard the news.

"He's what?"

"His name is Kogasu Murazaki. Son of some hot shot from Kyoto. Apparently he went down to see Ogawa and all the guards were dead. Including Ogawa. Now he's going back to Kyoto…"

"Kogasu…he's the one Ogawa mentioned…" Tsukiyo whispered. She went back into her room and began packing a basket swiftly. Hiko leaned against the doorway.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I am going to Kyoto," she said. She was formatting a plan. If she avoided the road and cut cross country, traveling from sun up to five hours after sun down…she could make the trip quickly.

"No need to go alone," he said, watching her closely. Hiko had been surprisingly normal with her, avoiding saying anything of extreme arrogance. He had the feeling that if he did, she would give him a mocking stare, stripping away the truth behind his words and leave only a frightened child, which was ridiculous. "I have a cabin in the mountains near Kyoto. Kenshin and Sano have already volunteered. We also have connections in Kyoto, and I'm sure we could visit…

"I won't leave the children unprotected. Kenshin would come whether or not I wanted him to, which would mean Kaoru coming. A healer might be needed where ever Sano is concerned, so Megumi would come. That would leave only Yahiko and Aki to defend the dojo. I will not leave them unguarded. You all stay here," she said, voice iron. Hiko nodded sympathetically.

"I was just saying we have connections in Kyoto. I'm sure we could stay the children could stay there for a while…"

Tsukiyo jerked up, looking at him hard. "You'd better not be lying to me, Hiko Seijuro. Because if you are I swear that I will hunt you down if as so much as one hair ends up out of place on those children and I will torture you in the most painful way I can find," she growled. Hiko believed her.

"We're going on a tri-ip! We're going on a tri-ip!" Kaeko and Akiko sang as they danced around Tsukiyo, Kaoru, Kenshin, and Sano. Sano regarded the train with intense dislike. Tsukiyo's face was impassive, though Toshio poked the side and asked, "This hunk of metal is really going to take us all the way to Kyoto?"

Kaoru nodded. "Yes. Trains are much faster. And it will be nice to visit Misao," she said. Tsukiyo cocked her head, a silent question, but said nothing.

On the train, Toshio and Sano suffered from severe motion sickness, resulting in both of them sending glares at the four little girls who were combing their hair while they were in a near vegetative state. The end result was Sano having a large smear of lipstick on from ear to ear and Toshio having eye shadow with bows in his soft hair. Tsukiyo went to find some water to clean them up.

Kaoru sent a glance to Hiko, retreating in the other direction. Megumi followed her glanced and murmured, "What an odd pair they make."

Kaoru nodded. She wasn't the only one who had noticed how subdued Hiko had been since Tsukiyo had shown up. She had the smiled at the thought; perhaps the arrogant master did have a soft side. Megumi saw all of this play out on her face.

"Why would he be that way around her, though? She is strong, yes, but she seems…too much steel."

Kenshin, who they thought had been sleeping, looked out the window and said, "Pain. He saw very much pain in her eyes, de gozaru yo. She is still trying to heal herself, something she cannot do alone. She is healing, though. Very slowly, it is true, but she is healing."

Kaoru jerked. Sano sat up and fixed his eyes on the floor.

"Yeah. I saw it too. Wonder what she went through to cut her so bad," he said queasily. Megumi rubbed his back, trying to ease his spasmodically moving muscles. Akiko looked at the ground.

"She never talks about her family," she said quietly. Kaeko looked at her sister, motioning frantically. Toshio tried to heave himself up to get her to stop.

"You aren't related?" Kaoru asked, surprised. She couldn't see any direct resemblance, but sometimes that was how it was with siblings. And she didn't seem incredibly old, so she couldn't be the mother, especially when they referred to her as sister.

Aki looked away from Kaeko and Toshio, swallowed, and then met Kenshin's eyes.

"No. Kaeko is my little sister. Toshio we found with Onee- with Tsukiyo-dono," she said, gritting her teeth as she spat the new phrase. "Our parents lived on a river. There was a flood. Our parents were killed. She found us and took us with her," she said. Kaeko whimpered and started to cry softly. Kaoru picked her up and rocked her. Aki went on relentlessly. "Our mama and papa, they were good. But they were friends with mean people. Those mean people came after us. Tsukiyo-dono made them go away. She made anybody who looked at us the way that man looked at me a few days ago go away."

Kenshin flinched, and as her voice began to crack, he brought her into a hug.

"Toshio…Toshio's parents liked sake a lot. Some days there wasn't enough food because of the sake, right, ototo?" Toshio nodded, crying in spite of himself. Aki pushed away from Kenshin and hugged him tight. "One night, they left. Just left. Tsukiyo-dono found Toshio and took care of him too," she whispered.

Yahiko regarded her coolly, and then patted her back sympathetically. Aki looked at Kaoru. Her voice throbbed painfully.

"Tsukiyo-dono found us and traveled for a while. She brought us to Tokyo. She found that house. She made sure we had enough food to eat and a place to sleep. She doesn't drink, she doesn't gamble, she's never once laid a hand on us. She helps kids get jobs. She taught girls holds to stop an attacker. She is even teaching us to read and write. She is all we had for two years, and she kept us safe. She…she loves us," Aki finished, and gave way to helpless sobs. She jerked away from them all and ran out in the opposite direction of Tsukiyo.

Aki sobbed weakly in a hidden corner. A large hand patted her shoulder.

"What happened?" he asked.

She glared accusingly at Hiko. "You heard everything. Don't act stupid," she growled. He smiled and helped her up.

"It's true, you know. She's not hurting as much, because of you. You don't treat her like a fighter, or a jewel, or a fool. She's been treated like those things before and she didn't like it. Not one bit. But now…she smiles easier. And she smiles with her eyes again," she said drowsily, spent from her emotional breakdown. Hiko shrugged. She glared at him again.

"You better do good by her, or I'll hunt you down and no power in heaven or hell'll save you," she growled. Hiko smiled.

"And you are sure you two aren't related?"

Tsukiyo came back to find the children all asleep. Sano was looking surprisingly better, though his lips were still green. She passed him the water to wash his face.

Ayame and Suzume moved so she could sit. She put them both in her lap. She leaned back and was about to sleep herself when Ayame tugged her shirt.

"Kaeko says you braid good. Could you braid my hair?" she asked, eyes hopeful. Tsukiyo nodded and carefully drew back the hair. Suzume tapped her shoulder.

"Can I go next, Kiyo-onee-chan?" Tsukiyo smiled at the shortened version of her name, and nodded.

"Kiyo-onee-chan! Wake up!" a small hand shook her. Tsukiyo opened her eyes slightly and nodded. The train was slowing down. Toshio and Sano had finally regained their color. Aki saw the woman stand up. Tsukiyo's eyes widened. Kyoto was beautiful. It had changed so much, and yet not at all.

"Come on, Tsukiyo-dono. We must get off the train, de gozaru yo," Kenshin said, smiling. Kaeko blinked in the sunlight. Toshio and Akiko both tugged on her arms, trying to take her every which way at once.

                I know, snoozer chapter, nothing happening, very boring, too long, sucky plot…I originally wrote this 4 fun and my friend suggested I post, so here I am. I think it gets better later…or maybe I just suck at this entirely. Whatever. J Come back if you dare. ;p