Chapter Four: Changes

I know that last chapter was really sad, but trust me, it will definitly get more lighthearted as I progress. Erm, well, not "lighthearted" exactly, but at least not as dismal. This chapter is (finally) the continuation of chapter one, so you might want to go back and read it again. Yes, I know, there is a missing chunk of the story, but all will be revealed in time. Well, I can't remember the names of the Oniwaban members living with Misao in the anime, so I made up new characters instead. Thank you again for all of the reviews! They really inspire me to continue!

"Our information was obviously wrong. The second shift wasn't supposed to arrive for another thirty minutes! If we leave now, we should be safe, though. Let's go through the back alleyway." Stated the commanding voice.

Misao suspected that they would go around the other side of the building like this "Beshimi" person, and was horrified when they did not. She tried to run, but before she even had the chance to move Aoshi and Hannya rounded the corner.

In the next few moments, several things happened in rapid succession. The two Oniwabanshu were running at top speed for their getaway, but stopped short at the sight of the petrified child. Aoshi's mind automatically registered her as a threat, for one of the most important teachings of the Oniwaban was "leave no witnesses." Without really stopping to think about it, he grabbed Misao around the waist and bolted off into the night, along with his two companions.

The night air was cold and damp from the recent drizzle. Misao did her best to struggle out of Aoshi's grip, but he was much too strong. Now she hung limp at his side and waited for him to stop running. The uncomfortable journey seemed to go on forever and ever; she had no idea when it would end, only that she hoped it would be soon.

Her first instinct was to be frightened, but there was something about the warmth radiating from his body that made her feel like she could trust him. The way he carried her: it was almost as though he was protecting her. 'Protecting you from what? He's the one you have to worry about.' Her concience scolded; and yet, there was another part of her, a part that wanted nothing more than to snuggle in closer.

Aoshi looked down at the girl pressed to his side. There was something…….familiar ….. about her. Had he seen her somewhere before? His brows furrowed as he concentrated on the back of her head. After thinking about it for some time, he gave up. Nothing came to him.

The buildings of Kyoto flew by, one after another, fading into a blur of moonlit concrete. Misao grew tired, the rythem of Aoshi's steps lulling her into sleep. The tall ninja felt a slight tug as the small girl at his side went completely limp, drifting into a light slumber.

Aoshi walked solomnly into the Aoiya, defeat etched on his face. He had failed in a mission once before: at the end of his punishment he hung only inches away from death. Squinting, he crossed over to a young woman with short black hair standing next to the doorway that lead into the kitchen.

"Aoshi-sama, who is that?" Asked Yukaria, a fellow member of the Oniwaban.

"A witness. Killing her would have been messy, so I decided to bring her here for questioning." He replied stonily.

"I'll take care of her, but you'd best hurry along. Okina is waiting for your report."

"I know." He heaved a heavy sigh, then walked down the hallway to the stairs. He felt as though he was walking to his death. His footsteps echoed in his ears as he searched desperately for something to calm his fear, something that could save him, but did not find it. The walls were completely bare except for a painting on the right-hand side that stood out like a sore thumb against the pale white of the walls. Placing his hand on the smooth, wooden railing, he walked up the first three steps, turned, and began his final ascent.

'Final ascent, hmm Aoshi? Aren't you blowing this a little out of proportion?' Laughed a voice from within his mind. Until now, he wasn't aware that there was still a part of him able to laugh. He made a mental note to exterminate it if he lived through this. He grew ever more doubtful that he would with every step he took.

Finally, with one last movement, he was at the top of the staircase. He took a deep breath, stood up straight, squared his shoulders, and walked forward down the hall. When he came to the last door to the right he turned and knocked.

"Who is it?" Grumbled a voice from inside.

"Aoshi Shinamori, here to give you my report, Okina-sama." He said it as business-like as he could, but was positive that his elder would hear the fear in his voice.

"You may enter." Aoshi opened the door bowing, then walked toward his leader. Okina was seated on the floor atop a silk covered cushion with another cushion positioned across from him. He motioned for Aoshi to sit, but he did not, knowing that he would be on the floor bowing for forgiveness soon enough anyway.

"Do you have the documents?" Asked Okina, putting business first as always.

Aoshi kneeled and bowed deeply, "No, Okina-sama. Our information was incorrect: the second shift arrived thirty minutes earlier than planned. I apologize for my failure." His voice dropped to a low whisper when he spoke the last line. A deadly, venom-coated silence fell over the two, broken only by the sound of Okina's breathing, for Aoshi had ceased after he finished speaking.

"Aoshi, I'm very disappointed in you, you know that. The first time you failed, I had to teach you a lesson, a lesson that I can plainly see you haven't forgotten. You've gotten older, my boy. You're not a child anymore, so I won't treat you like one. I'm giving you a second chance, but not without punishment. You will take Hannya's place as martial arts instructor for the rest of the week. You are dismissed." Aoshi raised his head to meet Okina's eyes, and could swear that Okina almost smiled.

"Wake up Yukaria, time for breakfast!" Announced a voice from outside. Yukaria didn't need the call: she had been up all night watching the child. She was so small and cute, it just made her want to pinch Misao's little cheeks, but she refrained for fear of waking her. In her heart, she didn't really want the little girl to wake up. Who knew where she was from, or for that matter, who she was at all? When she opened her eyes, she would have to come to grips with a lot of things that no one, especially not her age, should have to deal with. Returning to whatever life she had before wouldn't be an option, and she didn't think she could bear to see this child look at her with the sad eyes that she looked at Okina with all those years ago.

Her stomach gave a rumble of disapproval, wondering if she would ever get around to feeding it. She got up for a moment, but decided that she should be the one to explain things to the girl, having gone through this herself, so she sat down again. Her eyes had become fuzzy from both the lack of sleep and the constant staring, so she shook her head in an attempt to force them to work again. She blinked and looked up, regaining some focus.

The room they were in was pretty enough, but it was still very plain. The Oniwaban couldn't afford to waste their resources on petty things such as interior decorating. There were only two times of the day that the room really came to life: dawn and dusk. Light poked its way through the tiny window, bending slightly because of the glass. Yukaria smiled at the sight: a singular beam had strayed from the rest of its comrades to focus itself on Misao's sleeping form, causing her face to glow. 'She looks even more like an angel,' thought the sitting teenager.

Misao's eyes fluttered open, but then closed again immediately because of the blinding light. She turned her head toward the wall so that the sun wasn't aimed directly into her pupils and again opened. Where was she? Was she on a bed? A real bed? She squirmed a bit, feeling the fabric to affirm that it was genuine. 'This isn't right….I'm not on the street. How did I get here? Hmmmmmmm……let's see……I remember being in the rain, about to go to bed, but then……oh yeah! That's right, that guy kidnapped me.' The thought of the tall, dark man made her heart pound, but not completely from fear. In a way, she almost wanted to see him again. 'That's not very logical. He kidnapped you after all. Who knows what kinds of things he's going to do to you.' Came her conscience.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a tiny voice, "Sweetie, are you awake?" Misao turned to look at its owner, and was shocked at what she saw. A very beautiful young woman was sitting on a chair near her bed, looking at her with deep, sad black eyes. She was wearing a very pretty dark blue kimono with a silver tiger pattern glittering on the right side and a golden phoenix pattern on the left, further accented by her deep purple obi. Her hair fell just short of her shoulders, framing her pale complexion in shiny, but dark, black. Two perfect arches resided above her eyes and two deep red lips were situated under her tiny nose. Misao couldn't bring herself to speak: she was too enthralled by the angel sitting in front of her.

"Sweetie, do you know where you are?"

"N-no." Misao finally managed to stutter.

"What do you remember about how you got here?"

"Well, I was sitting next to a building in the alley that I've been sleeping in, and I heard whispers above my head, and was going to see what was going on, but then a carriage came and a man on the roof jumped down and said that they had to run, and then two tall men dressed all in black came around the corner and grabbed me. I must have fallen asleep when they were running." Spouted Misao, trying her best to remember everything. The angel just nodded her head in response.

"Little girl, what is your name?"

"Misao. What's yours?"

"Yukaria." Misao turned the name over and over in her head, thinking about how it was perfectly matched to the girl in front of her.

"Misao, is it? Well Misao, do you have any parents?"

Misao tilted her head slightly at this. "Everyone has parents." She said, then furrowed her brows, a questioning look in her eyes.

Yukaria giggled and could no longer resist the urge to pinch Misao's cheeks. "I know that, but are yours alive?"

Misao lowered her head and then shook it to indicate that they were not.

"Do you have any other surviving relatives?"

The little girl looked up, and Yukaria noticed a hopeful glimmer in her eyes and an expression of determination on her face. "Yes, there is one other person in my family, my mother's father. I never met him, but my mommy told me he lived in Kyoto, so I came here to look for him since my parents died." She paused, as if trying to make an important decision, and a few moments later nodded her head decisively. "Excuse me, Yukaria-sama, but do you suppose you could help me look for him?"

Yukaria's eyes widened in surprise, both at hearing someone add a "–sama" to her name and also at the girl's request.

"Perhaps, in time, Misao, but first I have so explain something to you, something that will be very difficult for you. Are you prepared?"

Misao tried and tried, but for all she was worth she just couldn't imagine the angel making something difficult for her. "I'm ready," she said after a few moments.

"Misao, it's very unfortunate, but when you were in that alleyway last night you witnessed a crime. Those men on the roof are part of a group called the Oniwaban, a group of spies and ninjas dedicated to the shogunate. Even though it wasn't your fault, the fact remains that you are a witness, one who could turn them in at any time. Aoshi, the man who kidnapped you, made the decision to bring you here instead of killing you. We of the Oniwaban call this place the Aoiya. You have a decision to make, Misao: Stay here for the rest of your life and become a member of the Oniwaban, or be killed. Think about it carefully. I'm going to go eat breakfast now, and I'll bring you a plate when I'm finished. Stay here until I return."

The little girl watched the angel leave, shocked into silence.

Author's note: I really am not good at spelling names, so could some of my reviewers PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell me how to spell the names of the four Oniwaban members with Aoshi that were killed? THANKS A BUNCH!