Ciao!!!

My cast is off, my cast is off, my cast is off, my cast is off, my-

Yasai: Chi, it's OK, the friendly men in white are on their way…

Geez, I'm just happy that I can finally move normally again! Now there's training to do, physiotherapy, I need to build my muscles again- highjump is out of the question for a few more weeks, but fencing helps so I will start intensive training again. Dancing is OK, too, and since I'm fifteen I will have my first dance course starting October 6th. Yay! Of course, I will have to be able to do classic ballroom dancing once I graduate… and it's only eight more months until then… Ry is helping me, albeit grumpily, since I still have trouble walking... we'll be going to the same course... poor twin ^____^

"…." Denotes talking

….. denotes thinking

*~* means a change of scenery (either temporal or local, I think which one of those will be clear) has taken place

Disclaimer: I do in no way own any rights, moral or others, to Rurouni Kenshin, its characters or plot. Characters other than the characters from Rurouni Kenshin bearing any resemblance to persons living or dead are purely coincidental. I do not intend to make any profits out of this story, it's written for entertainment purposes only and any attempt by persons natural or legal to make money from it in any way is not in accordance with this author's express wishes.

Chapter 14

Retournés

Soujirou gave Kenshin a cocky- seeming smile as he freed his sword from the restraints of his sheath, casting a wary glance towards the left, where Sano- he had caught the tall fighter's name when Himura had thrown it- and Usui faced off. His hands never wavered, even though his opponent was a man who had many more legends stuck to his name than anyone else. "So, Himura-san, shall we?"

Kenshin didn't even acknowledge Soujirou. His eyes glinted dangerously, his face showing nothing of the struggle and turmoil his mind was going through. With Aoshi, it had been a matter of honor to fight, it had been necessary since the older man wouldn't listen otherwise, but with this kid… the agent allowed his eyes to narrow as he remembered that most people would see him, too, as a kid when meeting him face to face. He hadn't even cracked the mark of twenty years yet, but six years of service with the Agency had made him twice as old as his years. He hardened his resolve to break free of his mental restraints. He would and could use that sword, he swore, even though it was sharp-edged and deadly. It was to protect, one last time…

Sano's fist connected with Usui's jaw, a hollow crack sounding remarkably similar to a gunshot echoing around the circular hallway. Kenshin spared the fighting pair a quick glance. Usui, having underestimated the ex-Sekihoutai's speed, was on the defensive, barely holding his own against the whirlwind of well placed fists and feet Sano used to attack him. You are going to make it, Sano, Kenshin thought, his encouragement so strong it seemed palpable as his friend gave him a quick grin between two punches, I believe in you!

He turned his attention back to Soujirou, his mind clear of fear and doubt. He would do what he had to do to make the dream of the eight people he had come to care about in the last few days come true, and to make the world a safer place for their children. The Pharaoh might be strong, he might seem like he had the advantage, with his endless supply of troops and his control over the place they were fighting at, but he didn't have what it took to win: the will and the heart.

A heart… His left hand briefly touched the scar on his face, the mark of trust and betrayal, of love and of hate and of a future yet unborn. My heart still lives… and my will is bound to someone else. I will make it! A shadow falling on his face returned him from his thoughts to the outside world. A sharp gasp escaped his throat as he realized just whom this shadow belonged to.

"I think there is someone else standing between you and Battousai still, Soujirou."

"What? What is this?" Soujirou looked positively puzzled as he whirled around, only to find himself staring at a broad chest clad in a dark blue garment soaked through with blood. Sano stopped attacking Usui, who meanwhile had managed to at lest free his sheath from his belt and defend himself with lightning-quick movements of it, and drew in a sharp breath as well, letting it out again in a whistle. "Whee! Look who has returned from the dead!" He remembered Usui, then, when his opponent's strike hit him right in the middle of his abdomen. Doubling over, he cast one last, apologetic look at the three persons standing opposite each other and resumed the pattern of attack and defense, now made much harder since he had given Usui the time to draw his sword. Dodging the blade, he concentrated on the snake-like man's movements, only half aware of the presence of the other three anymore.

"Did you really think I'd go down this easily, Battousai? I am far more than a mere onmitsu. I am the Okashira of the Oniwabanshu. You are held back by your beliefs. My beliefs make me stronger. You can't kill me, but I very well can. Come, now, we have a fight to finish!" Aoshi stood tall, proud, his trenchcoat discarded and partially ripped to shreds to serve as bandages for the wounds his body sported. He was pale, much more so than ever before, but the insane fire in his eyes had rekindled itself and had grown to new heights. "I have knocked out that fool Anji once I came to. There's no way I won't finish this." He took another step towards Kenshin.

"You have tried to distract me with all that talk about Misao and her suffering, but you have forgotten one thing: even though I may have been betrayed as were you, I am not one to forgive and forget such betrayal. You are the cause of it all, if not for you, I would still be the proud leader of the finest ninja group in history. You will die- now!"

"Aoshi, don't." Kenshin, who had been frozen in place by the sudden reappearance of an opponent he had thought defeated, found his voice again. "There's no need for you to fight me. Shishio was the one who orchestrated the whole betrayal. He sent his General, and with him Tomoe, to us. He is the one you should direct your revenge to, but if it makes you feel better, I'll take the blame. Misao needs you. If you still need to fight me, I will. I regret being the one to kill your men, however indirectly, that I do. If you want to heap the responsibility for that onto my shoulders, please do so. But don't hurt those who need you any more. If I fight you again, promise you'll return to Misao, no matter what the outcome. I won't fight you otherwise, that I won't."

"Very well then. No matter what the outcome, I will find Misao and see her one last time. Now, prepare yourself to die." Aoshi took one step back, drawing his twin weapons out of their long sheath. Soujirou, caught in the middle, shrugged and stepped out of the way.

"But I'm next, alright, Himura-san?" He stopped once he was ten feet out of reach and warily eyed the two warriors circling each other. Kenshin couldn't help but wonder what made that boy tick, literally speaking. He couldn't be normal, not with that smile.

"I don't want anyone to die, that I don't," he replied evenly to Aoshi's challenge, keeping his musings to himself. His opponent scoffed at his remark, the brief flicker of emotion on his pallid face the only sign he was human- apart from his bleeding wounds.

In the blink of an eye Aoshi flew towards Kenshin once more, his twin blades held in the scissor position he had hit Kenshin the last time with, this time, however, he was calling out the attack name as well.

"Oniwabanshu no Nittou Kodachi Ryuu, Goko Juji!" A flying leap carried Kenshin out of the path of the scissoring swords, towards the vaulted ceiling of the circular hallway they had chosen as their fighting terrain, but Aoshi's body reacted just as quickly, angling the blades upward to catch the agent between them, slicing him in half once he descended from the apex of his leap.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu, Ryu Tsui Sen!" Kenshin didn't have a choice but to catch the twin blades with his own. The added weight and momentum from his aerial attack allowed him to break Aoshi's technique, a somersault across the balance center of the three blades intertwined in a braid of deadliness and a quick jab with the knee of his behind leg sending the Oniwabanshu onto the floor.

"Don't underestimate me. Your men don't wish your death, Misao doesn't wish your death, I don't wish your death, that I don't. But the way you are fighting now, as a ghost of yourself, you cannot win. It is easy to throw everything away, to just leave it all behind, that it is. You, Shinomori Aoshi, are not fighting for your men. They are but a ruse to disguise your true incentive, that they are. You search for a way to join them, to die honorably… but all that is just a disguise for the bloodlust that inhabits you!"

One of the two short swords came rushing towards the agent's head, narrowly dodged like the rest of the assault. "Silent!" Aoshi thundered, the scalding tongue of the agent wounding him deeper than his sword could.

"Isn't this already proof that I am telling the truth? You are fleeing from yourself to avoid having to think, that you do. But no matter what you do to me, these four won't come back to life for it! Don't you realize you are hurting their memory? You are but a coward, Aoshi. Face your weakness and don't always blame it on them! It's time to reclaim the pride you have lost. Time never stands still, that it doesn't. Wake up, Aoshi!" The last attack was broken with a slash of Kenshin's katana blade, sending one of Aoshi's weapons spinning into the wall on his left.

"You do realize I still have to finish that fight? I can't move on before that!" The tall man went to retrieve his weapon from where it was lodged in the wall at the height of his shoulder. Pulling it free, he turned to face the agent, his eyes a sharp, glittering blue that held the promise of strength and commitment.

"That is alright for me, that it is," Kenshin replied, his face losing its tense, pained look for the first time since the beginning of the second round of the fight, his eyes glittering in a hypnotic mix of a light cobalt blue and yellow gold, bearing down on his opponent despite him being a good foot shorter.

"Alright, Kenshin, show him!" Sano held a pretty beat-up Usui by the scruff of his neck, the unconscious snake-man only protesting against that harsh treatment with feeble groans. The agent smiled at his friend, relieved to see that at least one fight was already won before turning his full attention back to Aoshi. An almost imperceptible nod from both fighters was their signal, in the blink of an eye their blades clashed, sparks flying from all three of them.

Aoshi's greater reach and weight gave him the advantage in close combat, Kenshin's only hope lying in his agility he barely dodged the double-slash attacks that Aoshi could employ with deadly precision because of his mastery of two blades at once. He managed to catch one of the kodachi with the tsuba of his sword, temporarily inhibiting its movements, but failed to see the hilt of Aoshi's other weapon coming for his ribcage. With an agonized cough he slammed against the wall, his left hand clutching his ribs while his right held onto the hilt of his katana for dear life.

"Nittou Kodachi Ryuu, Onmyo Hasshi!" His only warning was the harsh battle cry the Oniwabanshu Okashira gave before a kodachi came flying towards his face with ungodly speed. It's a technique similar to Hi Ryu Sen, using centrifugal force! the agent thought as his blade met the speeding one in mid-flight, flinging it to the side.

What? There's another one? the second kodachi flying directly behind the first had escaped Kenshin's attention, and he had to throw his body to the side in a bone-jarring impact against the floor to avoid being skewered. His left shoulder, however, last on the downward arc he forced his torso into, didn't quite make it, a long slash appearing vertically across it. And Aoshi's punch caught him in the jaw, throwing him in the opposite direction before he could even hit the floor.

"Urgh!" was all he could say as the metallic-sweet taste of his own blood threatened to choke him. Pain lanced through his shoulder and ribs when he met the hard ground in a tumbling roll, his breath coming in short gasps as he forced himself to his feet again. Aoshi had retrieved his weapons and was pressing the attack, and with his back against the wall, the agent was hard-pressed to defend himself from the slashing and stabbing of the twin blades.

Finally, an opening presented itself to him amid the shimmering arcs the sharp edges of Aoshi's kodachi wrote in the air. Pushing himself forward, teeth gritted against the pressure he forced upon his injuries, he broke through the barrage, one slash of the katana enough to avoid certain injury, one stab with his sheath into Aoshi's kneecaps felling the taller man, buying the agent enough time to apply his special techniques in a whirlwind of skilled precision.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, Sou Ryu Sen- Ikazuchi!" With blinding speed first the sheath and then the blade sprang from their resting place at the agent's hip, both strikes faster than what his opponent had been anticipating and preparing to block. Kenshin's sheath glided down Aoshi's parry, but his sword continued unhindered towards the Oniwabanshu's neck. Panic rose like bile in his throat. Exerting supreme control he flipped the blade in mid-strike, the blunt edge flying at Aoshi with slightly diminished but still god-like speed. It struck the seventh Halswirbel, effectively paralyzing Kenshin's opponent. Aoshi crashed to the ground, his full length splayed across the off-white-and-olive plastic of the floor. Kenshin dropped to his knees, breathing deeply and trying to calm his racing pulse.

"Oi! Are you alive?" Sano prodded Aoshi with the toes of his left foot. Even without moving a muscle in his face Aoshi managed to look indignant.

"Can you get up?" Kenshin got to his feet with the help of his katana, wincing as he pulled the sliced muscles in his shoulder. Aoshi contemplated his question for a second, his sharp blue gaze turning inward.

"Not yet. Your strike was quite effective," his eyelids threatened to fall shut as pain clouded his features. "I will keep my promise, Battousai. You have kept yours."

"Thank you, Aoshi," Kenshin nodded, sliding the katana and its sheath back through the strip of cloth that served as his belt. His pants were remarkably intact if the state of his shirt was taken into account. That rather resembled a random array of strips of cloth fluttering from two muscular shoulders. The original beige color was indistinguishable since it had been dyed with mud, water, dust, blood and sweat until it was a dark, dirty brown. Sano snickered as Kenshin made his way over to him.

"You look like a scarecrow, Kenshin," he grinned. Kenshin smiled back at him.

"I'm sorry but I will have to remain that way for a while still, that I have."

"That's right, Himura-san. After all, it's finally my turn!" Soujirou walked forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his katana, his blue gi and hakama pristine and perfectly pressed.

"Oh, I almost forgot about the smiling freak," Sano said, a little taken aback by Soujirou's sudden move. "But he won't be a problem for you, will he, Kenshin?" Dark delft-blue eyes studied him from head to toe.

"I don't know," Kenshin finally answered, the similarities between the boy and him more apparent now that they stood directly opposite each other.

*~*

The Agency hideout near the Regime border was much more comfortable than any of the homes Kaoru and the other women had inhabited for the past few months. Situated in a turn-of-the-century apartment house each of them had been given their own room, even Yahiko and Tsubame. All of them were rather depressed, their successful escape marred by the loss of their two companions. As much as the agents that had led them to the safe house tried to cheer them up, all of them were rather down, and not once had a smile graced either of their faces.

"Tae and Sae are waiting for you in the common room." A young agent going by the name of Tsukioka Tsunan came into Kaoru's room, studying the prone figure lying on the futon facing the outside wall with a sigh. That girl hadn't even once moved, all she did was cry and lie there, looking out of the window that faced towards the Regime. "They ask you to have a cup of tea with us four, Miss Kamiya." The young man blushed when he thought of the 'four'. The twins Sae and Tae had taken a liking to two of their rescuers, Tsunan and his twin brother Katsuhiro. Of course, their feelings were not one-sided…

Kaoru didn't answer. The frozen lump in her chest that had taken the place of her heart refused to even acknowledge the presence of another living being in her room. All she could think of were those gently smiling, amber eyes turning blue as he said goodbye to her… and how he fell, without a sound, as though he had only been a dream… she sighed, tears spilling from the corners of her eyes into the futon once more. His shoulders slumping down in defeat Tsunan decided to leave her alone. She would someday overcome her depression, but until then… well, he wasn't a psychiatrist. He gave up after a few minutes, Kaoru just wouldn't budge. A pity, since this tea meeting would be where they would plan the rescue mission for their missing companions… Megumi, Misao and Yahiko working together had been too convincing, and the Regime having caught the Battousai was just not tolerable.

"Ka-o-ru!" Why, oh why couldn't they just leave her alone? Misao in all her energetic bounciness was the last thing the depressed girl needed.

"Yes, Misao?" She turned to face the young Oniwabanshu ninja. Misao was wearing her full ninja garb, her kunai ready at her belt and a small knapsack over her shoulder.

"Kaoru, what are you still doing in here? We're going to look for Kenshin, Sanosuke and Aoshi! Megumi is ready already. Now, come on, after all, we don't want that goodbye to be forever, right?" Kaoru didn't answer, just buried her head under the thin blanket. Not again…

"You are getting up now!" Misao robbed her of her cover, "we're leaving in two hours. Katsu and Tsunan are going to accompany us, and I'm sure Yahiko won't stay behind as well. Sae and Tae won't go, since Tsubame needs some rest, poor girl is all shaken. Now, what do you say? Aren't you willing to go find the man you love?"

"Man I love?" In spite of her pitiful state Kaoru bristled, "whoever said I loved that stupid… man?" Misao laughed at her, she must have been a picture with her braid loosened, her Yukata disheveled and her face puffy and flushed from crying so much.

"Ah, deny it as much as you want, Kaoru, but I know you are in love with him! After all, I know how you feel- I have my Aoshi-sama!" Her eyes unfocused as she dreamed about how she would find the only one who inhabited that special place in her heart. "I just know Himura will make him come back, and then we will be together forever. Now why are you still lying there? Come on!"

Kaoru never had the sliver of a chance. In the two hours Misao had given her she was washed, dressed, and packed. Standing in the front hall of the house she waited together with the ninja girl for the others to come down. Somehow, during all these hectic activities, her heart had started beating again. Just hold on, Kenshin. I'm coming for you. You know- Misao is right and I do love you, even though I don't really know you…

"All set?" The identical twins Tsunan and Katsu were the ones to lug the heavy equipment around. Even though each of the rescuers had been given a revolver and a semi-automatic pistol for defense purposes they were the ones to carry the heavy artillery, their blankets and the survival tents. Megumi nodded. The agent for all the world looked like a rich young woman going on a safari tour, the hardships of the past months forgotten once she had found a pair of fresh clothes and was once again freshly washed. Her hair had regained its luster, and even her lips were painted red. When Misao had questioned her about that, she had only laughed, the illusive fox ears Sano swore she sometimes sported popping up.

"Just because the rest of you are tomboys and savages doesn't mean I can't look like a woman, does it, weasel girl?" Misao had nearly skewered her with her kunai when she mentioned the nickname Saito had given her. Only the timely intervention of Tsunan and Katsu had saved the physician-in-training from serious bodily harm.

"Now, let's all calm down and start this operation. We have three camouflage jeeps at this base, although we would technically need only one for five persons we're going to go in two, just for safety reasons. Once we have reached the border, we will have to keep strict radio silence. We don't know where Shishio's hideout is, so our only chance lies in finding tracks of the horsemen's passing. As remote as the territory is, we won't risk capture. If we are spotted, Katsu here will drop a smoke bomb, then we split and make a run for the border. Each one has been assigned a partner?" Nods from all the other four assured Tsunan that was indeed so. "Good. You will look out for your partner, meeting point is the other side of the creek. However, we hope this plan will not have to be used. Now, let's go and find ourselves an Agent and…"

"A rooster." Megumi inserted helpful. Tsunan chuckled.

"Operation Agent Chicken it is. Off we are!"

*~*

Shishio was enjoying himself immensely. Not only did the second round of fighting between Aoshi and Battousai far surpass his expectations, but there was also Yumi, having returned from her duty of sending messages, sitting on his lap massaging his shoulders. His hands were occupied with the most pleasurable task of stroking his woman's soft, reddish-brown hair, his eyes feasted on her creamy face and pouty lips, and the sweet taste of tobacco accompanied the lingering aroma of the Burgundy wine on his tongue to make for a most intriguing mix. And the entertainment wasn't about to end… Soujirou, his young protégé, the boy genius he had found in one of his camps as the toy of that camp's leader, was now facing the Battousai who looked a little worse for wear, his shirt gone, ripped into bandages that were wrapped around his right hip and left shoulder as well as his neck, but nonetheless dangerous, with his eyes trapped between gray and amethyst at war with amber.

"Sou-chan seems to be having fun," Yumi purred, snuggling closer to Shishio's warmth as a chill wind entered the building through some creak in a wall. The Pharaoh relaxed, letting his gaze wander from the screen on which the two warriors were preparing to fight each other around the luscious room he had had decorated in the style of an Egyptian grave chamber, complete with traps and entrance hallways to deceive potentially threatening forces. The gold-and-black design of most of his antiques glowed with the dimmed light he preferred since his allergy to sunlight prevented him from ever going out when the light was bright. He would be burned in seconds if his skin were exposed to too much UV rays unprotected, thus he had settled into a life of twilight. The red eyes of an Anubis statue imported from the Valley of the Kings glowed when light from the fire lit in a chimney that was designed after a sarcophagus fell upon them, a bloody red shadow dancing across the Pharaoh's pale features. His long black hair, drawn up into a strict ponytail, his bangs combed back to accentuate the lines of his face shimmered when his lover moved her fingers through it.

"Why don't we have fun ourselves, Shishio-sama?" she asked. He shook his head, his full attention turned back to the screen and the four small figures, one of them motionless, it depicted.

"Later, my dear, later," he told her, ignoring her disappointed pout.

"Then all I can do is watch Sou-chan have fun," she whined, the futility of her seduction already evident. Shishio didn't answer, even though his arms were encircled around her waist his mind was with the two little men jumping and slashing at each other on that screen. Even Yumi, who didn't know too much about sword fighting, could see those two were masters. Somehow, the deadly dance of their blades, the way they circled each other warily only to jab at the other with movements so quick she only saw them after their completion was erotic. The red-headed agent seemed to have the advantage, his low crouching, spinning swipe having forced Soujirou against the wall., but then the boy recovered, launching himself into a pirouette of sharp steel clanging together with Himura's blade with a force that sent tiny dustclouds up from the floor.

"What an entertaining show, Shishio-sama!"

*~*

Making sure the familiar weight of his katana was safely secured at his side Soujirou tapped his feet in preparation for his next attack. A lull in his close-quarter fight against the equally agile, equally skilled and much more experienced agent had left them a distance apart, catching their breaths, slowing their heartbeats and drawing their concentration together to the sharp focal point on the tip of the opponent's weapon.

Some part of Kenshin didn't want to look at the man opposite of him, yet he knew he had to. Slowly, he allowed his eyes to drift up over him. Taking in his small stature till he reached his face, his smiling face, the vacant eyes hiding their insecurity behind the sparkle of a smile. He looked different, seeing him now. Soujirou's cold, dark blue eyes focused on the katana Kenshin had taken off him, focused on the moment the agent would attack. The boy stood there in a relaxed stance, but the agent knew that he could move forward at any moment, as was announced by the incessant tapping of Soujirou's right foot.
Nodding his head, his smile renewed amid the sweat pouring from his brow and into his squinted eyes Soujirou looked at Kenshin, meeting the agent's scrutiny.
Soujirou could feel Kenshin's eyes travel over him. His face was once more a mask, a mask he couldn't seem to ever put off. When interned in a Camp as a small kid it had been his large, blue, innocent eyes full of tears that had attracted the unwanted attention of the camp leader. His smile, though as securely on place as his sword at his hip, looked strained like he was fighting to keep it there. His right hand was closed over his sword and he watched Kenshin, anticipating his first move. He wouldn't have thought that the agent would be able to pull himself together like this, into a deadly predator with eyes that reminded him of these situations he wished to forget and tried to hide behind his happy face. Silently, he wished that if he were to ever find himself in a situation such as this one that he would be able to show the same courage as the proud man that stood in front of him, sure of himself, even though his impressive chest muscles were bare and heaving with his labored breath, of his abilities, and of the people behind him. But he knew that such a situation would never arise for him. He never let anyone get close to him.

"Why are you smiling?" Kenshin's question came out of the blue for the young boy. His smile faltered for a second before he reattached it.

"Eh?" Soujirou stopped tapping his foot on the ground for just a second before he resumed the frantic rhythm. "I am smiling?"

Sano slumped against the wall, slamming one hand to his forehead. "What is this guy? Dense?"

Neither Soujirou nor Kenshin heard his words, too intent were both of them on reading each other's movements. As had been the fact while locked in close combat, Kenshin found himself unable to read Soujirou. The boy's smiling mask extended even beneath the surface, his emotions a blank card, his movements not to be anticipated. This troubled the agent more than he let on. In spite of his teacher telling him he must not relay too much on his almost supernatural precognition he had not yet mastered fighting without that ability. His ki-senses, finely honed and developed, alerted him to Soujirou's attacks, this much he had been able to establish, but left him in the dark as to the direction they would come from.

"You are smiling, that you are," Kenshin said, finally pulling himself together again, a smile of his own just touching his lips but not extending to his gleaming eyes. Soujirou looked puzzled, but hid the puzzlement behind a blank stare out of stark blue eyes.

"You fight well, Himura-san, but I think it is time to end this," the boy said instead of answering Kenshin's question. He felt somehow unsettled by the older man's scrutinizing gaze and sharp analysis of him, as was evident by his question as to why. Why am I smiling? Soujirou looked into himself, at the white wall behind which he had trapped his memories. Because you would be crying if you didn't? He couldn't listen to his thoughts anymore. Without warning, he exploded into motion, the motive behind the tapping of his foot finally revealed as his speed reached new levels.

Sano couldn't believe what he saw- or rather, what he didn't see. Rubbing the sleeve of the shirt he had taken off since the fight against Usui had made the air in the hallway unbearably stifling to him, over his eyes, Sano tried to discern the images that were too quickly changing for his brain and eyes to register them all. He had known that Kenshin possessed superhuman speed when he fought, he had witnessed it in the agent's fight against Aoshi, but that seemed like a slow power-struggle against the race that was on now. Both fighters used their lithe, small bodies to the fullest, twisting and turning in impossible parries and thrusts, evading attacks that Sano couldn't even see but that left deep slashes in the walls. As of yet, neither had hit the other, the heavy sound of breathing and tapping of feet against the hard ground the only sound since both concentrated on dodging instead of blocking.

The first meeting of the blades in ages rang like church bells in Sano's ears. Sparks flew like fireflies, extinguished against the flickering neon lights on the ceiling. The power behind their strikes sent shockwaves through the air that ruffled Sano's hair and even had the ends of his red bandanna fluttering on the wing. Staring at each other over their crossed blades a strained smile appeared on both fighters' lips.

Even if I'm crying inside, there's on truth: life is a fight, and only the strong survive it. Soujirou grinned and threw Kenshin back with a flip of his blade. "The strong survive in the fight of life, Himura-san," he said, having finally found the answer to Kenshin's question- in his opinion.

*~*

Misao sat in the front seat of the first Jeep as they carefully drove through the hills that led towards the Regime border. Her heart beat faster than the drums at a Salsa gig, her eyes shining in bright turquoise as the scenery flashed by. Hope was what fuelled her change, hope that there might be someone waiting for her wherever she was heading. Himura had given her a promise…

Megumi seemed impassive, completely at ease, her poise and elegance found in the simple act of showering and dressing in clean, fresh clothes. However, her heart was replaying the few moments she had shared with a certain lopsidedly smiling individual with a penchant for chewing on straws, how nice his arms had felt as they lay on her shoulders, warming her and making her feel herself, taking away the need to pretend, the need to compete, the need to shine with the brightness of her intellect. Even though Megumi was one of the youngest medical students in her country, not to mention an agent as well she sometimes felt lonely, too spent to go on. That brown-haired man with his spiky haircut had taken away that feeling, had filled the hole in her heart that had been there as long as the young woman remembered. She wanted to see him again, if only for a second, to ascertain that feeling, or to make sure it wasn't there. What exactly it was she was searching for on this rescue mission she didn't know, nor did she know whether she would find it. But she would try…

Kaoru sat in the second vehicle, next to Katsu who was constantly speaking of Tae as he drove, shifting now and then to puffer the bumps and steep hillsides their route took them across. The girl was half-asleep, content in her knowledge that she was in love. Her only desire was to see that love safe, and as the mission she was on as to ensure that safety the anxiety in her heart was suppressed. She knew it would come back once they came closer to their target, but for the moment she simply reveled in the knowledge that she had found her love. She didn't know what she would do once she had found him. She only knew her feelings were true.

The two jeeps stopped at the border to Regime territory. The sun was setting, but the three ex-fugitives and one Oniwabanshu felt as though much more than twelve hours had passed. It was time to start the rescue mission.

… to be continued …

Heehee… what do you say, people? I have managed to adhere to the First Rule of Heroism™: The hero always manages to lose his shirt… and not only with Kenshin, but with Sano as well! Yay me!

Yasai: Uh… Chi, could you tell me just what you intend to say with that?

Huh? Aw, muse, you never watched Galaxy Quest, did you?

Yasai: No. I was being sent out of the house when you had that video night…

OK, then you can't understand and are forgiven. I just hope you remember what I told you about heroism.

Yasai: Yeah, yeah… *bored scribbling of First Rule of Heroism™ on a notepad* Don't you have something else to do besides buggering me?

Ah, yes. Info and Reviewer's corner, right?

Yasai: *sweatdrop* You're a genius, Chi.

Thank you! *smiles* Anyways, here's the usual info…

What the hell? Aoshi's back? Now, you didn't really believe I'd make him go down that quickly, did you?

Tsukioka Tsunan: the artist alias of Sano's Sekihoutai friend from the manga.

Tsukioka Katsuhiro: the real name of Tsukioka Tsunan… but in my story Tsunan's twin brother ^_^

Soujirou: I had to invent a new past for him... so he might be OOC... anyways, more about him in the next chapter!

Dove of Night: Love my author's notes? Whee! It's where I hve fun... Ry is grumpy at the moment- he had to practice walking with me and I was not the best of pupils... so I'll tell him right away, and grumpy-twin will turn to friendly-twin... I hope! Teacher killed love of history? Should sic Saito on him! Aku Soku Zan history teacher! (never mind, I'm a little hyper right now...)

Queen of Shadows: Aoshi going down so quickly? *giggles* I loved writing this part. Now we'll only have the coming-to-senses to worry about...

EEevee: Catch up? Wow, you're a very diligent reader! Thanks for your compliments- my ego has been fed... and my muse as well. She's hardly able to move at all! If I may ask- where in Italy are you? I have not been there in a long time (my family somehow is too busy to go on vacation ...) but I would like to revisit...

Asuka-chan: Thanks! Hihi, you've got me. Kyoto it is!

lebleuphenix: sorry if Soujirou was OOC- he and Aoshi are the most difficult characters for me to write... and I've read too many books on psychology, I guess... childishness as a psychological syndrome... I don't know if I can keep that up! *grins* But if it was feeling eerie then I've reached my goal *smiles*. I'll try to make dear Smilie-chan more IC the next time!

Jensa: Just don't stress yourself too much! I'm looking forward to reading from you, and hope you liked chap 14!

Natsuko: Ugh! Sewing machines are EVIL! I'm about as talented when it comes to sewing, knitting or anything alike as an elephant... or perhaps even less, since there are rumors that an elephant could crochet... Halloween is so much fun! Wish they had it in Germany *sighs* I would LOVE a Kenshin costume!

Ohboy, difficult question, they do so much research there on particle physics mostly... An Electron Synchrotron is a huge electromagnet that looks like a very long, very sleek circular tunnel. They 'shoot' electrons through it and accelerate them, to learn more about the properties of large biological molecules like proteins, or about very diffuse matter, since the 'rays' the speeding electrons form are highly parallel and a unique kind of 'light' especially suited for these purposes.DESY also works as a particle accelerator.

Don't worry, I wouldn't dream of translating Spanish in under 20 seconds... I'm only a beginner!

all readers: Thanks for reading! Hope you liked this one as well!

Special thanks to:

Natsuko, Zei, Kauro-kamiya, Dove of Night, Jensa, amie-dono: Uh… what can I say? *Chibi gives the word 'crimson' a whole new meaning* Thank you for putting me on your favorite's list! I'm sorry if this sounds inadequate, but I'm slightly at a loss for words right now… just hope it won't extend to writing *smiles so much her jaw starts hurting* Anyways, you made my day! Thanks!

Until next time! Cya!!!

Chibi-chan and Yasai