Edit/June 20th 2005

AN: Yet another chapter revamped. Woo.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Rurouni-Kenshin related. I've just got this little fic here that I can say, 'yeah I wrote it. Can't you tell? It doesn't make sense…'


To Make a Difference

Chapter 1: A Boy and His Angel


"Can you tell me what town I'm in? I've seemed to have lost my way."

One nodded. "Yeah, you're in the prefecture of Kanagawa, kid."

Misao blinked. 'How the hell...?' She was confused, but still...she couldn't believe she had the guts to ask, "What year is it?"

Both men laughed. "This kid's really been worked hard. It's 1868, girl."

Misao shook her head as the men left.

"What? If they're right then how is that possible? And…why am I here? In this place?"


Misao watched as the two figures retreated down the road. '1868…Impossible. It's just not possible.'

Suddenly, Misao felt very much isolated from everything. Wrapping her arms around her small frame, she eyed everything with wary gaze. Nothing was right. This wasn't right. Was this some cruel joke? Playing with her mind like this?

She then realized her clothing. She immediately felt very awkward wearing something that revealed her arms and legs. Reaching for her money bag, she decided to purchase something to cover up her lack of modest clothing.

Funny, she had never cared what others thought of her clothing before, but now… knowing that she was far from home and possible in a different time, she became aware of her vulnerability. She only had some money and two sets of kunai on her.

It didn't take long for her to find the town's clothing shop. She stepped in, surprised at how un-Western-like the shops was. 'Think, Misao. Think. This is ten years ago. The war is just over!'

An elderly man stepped from behind the counter. "Irrashaimase, Ojou-san. How may I help you?" He raised a brow to Misao's clothing but didn't offer a comment to go with it. Misao felt his eyes on her and it made her uneasy. "Anou… I'm looking for a new set of clothes…you see, these are my work clothes and well, uhm…" Misao struggled for an explanation that didn't sound too bizarre. "I just got off work and didn't have time to change. But today is my shopping day."

The man nodded, half believing. "Alright then, what are you interested in? A kimono, perhaps?"

Misao frowned. Definitely not a kimono. Then again, what else could she purchase? "May I just look at what you have on display?"

The man nodded, "But of course. I will be over here."

Misao waited until he had his eyes off of her and proceeded to look through the clothing on display. Yukata, haori, hakama, michiyuki, formals, obi… They had a variety of clothing. Misao finally settled on just getting an overcoat, something she could wear over her current clothes, yet it wasn't purchasing a whole outfit. She pulled out a white coat which faded into a blue at the sleeves and the base. The back of the coat painted a landscape with a crane wading in the water, the blue end of the coat. It was simple, really. But to Misao, it seemed to dictate to her, "Take me."

She turned to the store keeper. "Excuse me…"

He turned to look at her. "Have you chosen what you want?"

"Un. How much?"

The man looked at the michiyuki she handed him. "A beautiful pattern, it suits you well." He offered her the price and she paid him for it.

"Arigato!"

The store keeper just nodded as she left then shop.

Misao felt her spirits rise with the beautiful coat on. She twirled around a couple of times, laughing softly. People watched her from a distance, smiling at the display of lively spirit. Misao opened her sea-green eyes at the sound of yelling. It was faint, but her ninja ears were tuned in to cries of anger or distress. She dashed down the street, where few people were. She came upon a scene, two young men, a cart of rice and a small, dirty boy.

"You ruined another bag of rice!"

"I'm sorry! It was too heavy!" The boy cried out as the man yelled.

"Excuses! You worthless brat! We give you a home and this is how you repay us? With your laziness?" The other man yelled as he raised his hand. The boy gasped and slunk back, bracing for the blow.

"Take this!"

The boy waited, and nothing came but a calming, gentle whoosh. He opened his bright blue eyes to see a petite figure clad in the most beautiful of blues and whites with a braid of ebony silk swaying behind her softly. He blinked and saw this angelic being had blocked the hand meant to knock him down for not being able to carry the heavy rice bag. Both men were stunned and blink. This incarnation of beauty was protecting that bastard child?

"You bastards," Misao hissed. "Carry your own damned rice. A child's not supposed to do a man's work. Of course, after seeing this scene you aren't even worthy of being called men."

The younger of the two spat. "Hold your tongue, woman! You have no place to speak such words."

Misao arched a brow. Flicking her wrists, she drew her two set of kunai. "Wanna back up that bark with some bite?"

The older held up his hand. He had seen how easily she blocked his attack and knew that she wasn't just some girl with a smart attitude. She had something to go with it. "Just drop it, brother."

"But…"

Another look and the younger of the two held his tongue. "Let's go get something to eat. Sou! Clean up this mess. And you, woman… You should learn to stay out of family affairs."

Misao could almost see the strain it took for the man to say "family." She just watched as the two headed to a nearby restaurant. She then squatted down, picking up the rest of the rice that had fell from the cart. She secured them tightly and turned to see the child staring at her with his wide blue eyes. 'No one's ever stood up for me or protected me...could she be… be an angel?'

He blinked and turned to see the brothers walking out of the restaurant. He turned back, intent on asking the girl only to find her gone. But in her place was a single tobikunai. He quickly seized it and hid it within his clothing.

The brothers regarded the cart of rice secure. "Must've got the bitch to fix it for you, eh boy? Just wait until you get home. Father's going to give you a good bashing."

Soujiro smiled weakly and trailed behind them.


As the moon shown through the wisps of cloud dotting the sky Misao stood by a stream, taking in the cool night air. She decided to stay away from the town that night, still baffled as to why she was there.

She failed to hear the small footsteps creeping down a path to the creek.

Soujiro wiped the blood from his lip and trotted down the path. Normally, he'd use the well beside the barn to clean up, but after being thrown in there and left all night in the wet and cold pit, he was scared to go near it. Fortunately, there was a stream a quarter of a mile in the woods. He stooped down and cupped the water in his hands, bringing his face to it and drinking hastily. He was so thirsty.

He raised his eyes upon seeing a billowing white form and gasped at seeing the angelic girl who had saved him earlier that day.

Misao stood with her feet in the stream, her toes settled between the small pebbles dotting the bed. The cool breeze blew her hair and coat around her as she raised her closed eyes to the sky.

Misao heard the gasp but didn't sense alarm. She calmly looked towards the source of the sound and saw the child from earlier. She smiled softly, but her smile quickly faded at seeing the new bruises and cuts on the child's face and arms. Soujiro stood frozen as the girl waded to him, the water never reaching past her ankles. She stopped, and kneeled before him on the stone slab that descended into the water.

Using a handkerchief that she carried with her, she proceeded to clean Soujiro's face, gently and with care. "Are you alright?"

The boy's eyes widened as his small smile vanished. "D-daijoubu…"

He paused for a moment then asked her the question that had been on his mind all day. "Ano… Are you an angel?"

A small spark of amusement plays upon her lips. "No, I'm human like you."

This seemed to surprise the child even more. 'A person who is kind and cares for me?'

Misao finished her ministrations and stood up. "What is your name?"

The boy smiled. "Boku wa Seta Soujiro."

Misao's eyes widened. 'Seta? Tenken?' She remembers Seta's words. "Why can't anyone love me? Do they get pleasure out of hating me?"

A hand went to her mouth as tears formed in her eyes. This abused child, beaten and malnourished, would one day become the feared Tenken, right hand of Shishio Makoto.

She backed up, stumbling over the stones as she stepped into the water. "I… I must go…" she muttered before running off into the woods.

Soujiro just watched her as she disappeared into the night. "Haha… how odd."

Misao ran, a thousand thoughts swirling in her mind. Blindly dashing through the forest, she stumbled over a visible root, crashing to the ground, her head colliding with the trunk of a tree. Misao slipped from consciousness as a few tears fell from her closed eyes.

The higher power, who had given Misao this chance in time-travel, was with the present Soujiro, who couldn't believe what he had witnessed. "She… she took care of me. And helped me… I was weak, but she still helped." The fate nodded. "Now, to give you the second chance that you deserve."

There was a flash of light and Soujiro covered his eyes…


The sun peaked through the dense forest, a ray of light landing on a head of ebony black hair. Misao mumbled something that couldn't be deciphered and opened her eyes. Her first thought was that she was on guard duty and had dozed off, falling out of a tree. However, a sudden throbbing pain in her head made her realize that was not the case. She sat up, struggling within the binds of her coat, which was entwined around her and reached up to touch her head.

Blood.

She wasn't going to cry, because Makimachi Misao did not cry. She stood up and frowned. Man, her coat was bigger than she thought. She traced her steps, backtracking to the creek she had been at last night. 'Creek? What creek? I remember being there, but what was I doing there? And where am I?' A thousand questions plagued her mind and she couldn't answer a single one of them.

She stepped down to the water's edge, dipping her hands in the cool liquid. She paused to gaze at her reflection. She frowned yet again. Something wasn't quite right. Sure, it was her but she expected to see an older version of herself.

Not the six year old girl staring back at her in the crystal clear water.

To Be Continued…


Translations:

Kunai/Tobikunai: Dart like knives, Misao's weapon

Irrashaimase: Unless I got it wrong, it means "welcome" and is used by shop owners.

Ojou-san: Miss

Anou: Uhm, Uhh

Kimono: Formal wear, a robe like dress...whatever; you know what it is.

Yukata: Sleep robe/summer wear

Haori: Short kimono, usually worn over gi

Hakama: Samurai/training pants

Michiyuki: Overcoat

Obi: Sash used with kimono

Arigato: Thanks

Daijoubu: I'm okay.

Boku wa Seta Soujiro: I am Seta Soujiro

Tenken: Heavenly Sword/Sou's epithet


AN: Big change in plot! And…I must admit, it was a last minute change. I am bowing down before Kyouhi, who gave me some great ideas for this fic. So uhm, yeah. Sorry about the lateness in this update. Also took out some of the Japanese but not all of it. More common words and phrases I left.

To the reviewers who asked questions:

Misao Seta: Soujiro's still a child, 8 years old I believe.

AngelMoxie: I know that it seems Sou's break was a bit rushed, but what I think is, he's got those teetering emotions suppressed by what he can muster up. He knows he's gotta think about them but he doesn't want to. Then Misao shows up and says those things and it just hurts him so much he crumples all over again. ...Okay so it's not a good excuse but work with me here!

And thanks to the rest!

Reviews and comments appreciated.

Phoe-chan.