Disclaimer: Nani? Again!? I told you! *gives Rumiko evil look* Eee! I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or Innocence, there, happy!? *gives Rumiko another evil look* *Rumiko cowers behind a nearby sofa*

~Kaze~Itai Ame~Sakebi-goe~Kireta Ito~Fuyu no Sora~Boku wa naze waratte'ru no?~Wakaranai~Nakushita yo~

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"Seta……Soujirou?" Himura-san asked, but I didn't intend to answer. I don't even think he even asked, just "said". I stood there in my soaking clothes in the rain drenched cave, kneeling as I held on to the hilt of my sword. Yep, I bet I looked pretty strange. I thought of something to say, but nothing came to mind. A cold gust of wind blow, and attacked my wet clothes.

"Achoo!" I said rather loudly. Now I felt really strange.

"Soujirou……." Himura-san said again. Please don't say anything about my sneeze. Please don't say any-

"Are you sick?" the red-haired man asked. Gah! Why did I have to sneeze? Stupid- achoo. Darn, achoo! Am I getting- achoo! Achoo!

"I'm not –achoo- sick." I said trying to hold back my sneeze. I hadn't sneezed these last three days, why was I sneezing now?

"Oro? But you just-?"

"Achoo!" I sneezed again, interrupting Himura-san's sentence.

"I think you are sick, Soujirou." Himura-san smiled. I sneezed again. My body started to feel hot and my nose got stuffy. I let go of my sword and sat down. I didn't feel so good all of a sudden. Himura-san walked over to me, while Sano-san and Yahiko-chan stood there watching.

I watched him as he came closer, he put his right hand on his forehead and then I watched him as he put his left hand on my forehead. He stood holding his hand on his forehead and his other hand on my forehead. Another gust of wind blow and I sneezed again. He took his hand of my forehead and his other hand of my forehead.

"Anone, Soujirou, you have a temperature." Himura-san said with a worried tone in his voice. Worried? Was he……..really worried about me? Himura-san, the Battousai, who caused the whole incident that forever changed my life? Was he really the same man standing in front of me?

"Please……let me help you." He said holding out his hand to help me up. Right then, my whole life flashed before me. The stormy night tragedy, meeting Shishio-san, being in the Juppongatana, killing………

fighting Himura-san……..everything.

"Please, Soujirou, please let me help you." He held out his hand. I started to lift my trembling hand. I watched it raise, I felt as if I had lost all control of it. As it raised to meet Himura-san's, I felt smacking his own hand away. Yes, that was what I was going to do. My hand below his hand, and I raised it back and………..I grabbed his hand. Himura-san smiled. What the…….I was goining to…….but I………okay, maybe I should leave that thought alone, it's hurting my head.

Himura-san smiled as he helped me get to my feet. A cool wind swiveled around the air causing me to sneezed three times in a row.

"Are you alright Soujirou?" Himura-san said as he put his hand on my shoulder. He quickly drew his hand away from my soaking gi. And had a puzzled look on his face.

"Soujirou, your…….all wet." Himura-san said. Like I didn't already know that already.

"No wonder why you've been sneezing, your drenched!" Sano-san said as he tugged the sleeve of my gi.

Yahiko-chan looked up at the sky ominously. "Hey, Kenshin, Sano, looks like it's gonna start raining. We should go back to the Dojo if we want to get home dry."

Himura-san looked up at the sky and sniffed the air. "Your right, Yahiko, we should start back, I wouldn't want Kaoru-dono worrying about us." Dojo? Did Himura-san own a Dojo? I didn't remember Shishio-san saying anything about Himura-san owning a Dojo. I was curious to see.

"Well, come on now Soujirou, what are you waiting for?" Himura-san said as he motioned me to follow him and his to companions. I stared at him for a moment and then at the winter sky above me, a gust of wind blew past my soaking body swaying my ragged clothes in the back and forth. I closed my eyes and let the cold wind blow my hot face. I ignored Himura-san and his friends for a moment. I was in my own world now. I ignored there shouting for just a moment. I slightly tilted my head back. I felt tiny of sprinkles of rain sting my face. I let out a little laugh without noticing that I had let it out.

"Hey Soujirou!" Sano-san yelled in my ear. I sighed, as I came back to Earth.

"Look, we're going back to the Dojo now before it starts raining. Are you coming or what?" Sano-san said sounding frustrated.

"I'm coming." I said I walked down the hill, following Himura-san and Yahiko-chan.

"Hey!" Sano-san said. "Where are you going!" Sano-san yelled to us.

"You better hurry up if you don't want to get left behind Sano." Himura-san answered as he walked down the hill.

"Yea Sano, better hurry up!" Yahiko-chan teased.

"That's it Yahiko your going to get it now!" Sano-san said as he chased off after Yahiko-chan who was already running down the hill.

Himura-san only smiled. I watched them, and laughed. But at the same time, I wanted to join in the chase for some reason. I tilted my head to look up at the sky.

"Smells like rain." I said smiling. I had a feeling I would find a piece of the truth I had been searching for real soon…..