Author's Note: Yuppers, there is a definite end-of-vacation gloom going on around here…so sad, so sad…Ah well…I think all good things have to come to an end eventually. Still, I don't think I can get over how fast this vacation went…whoosh. Okay…onto the next chapter!

Disclaimer: Did the Grinch manage to steal Christmas? NO! Then did I manage to steal Rurouni Kenshin? NO! TT WAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!

Chapter 12

Pick up the shattered pieces

Of your life

And embrace a new beginning.

"Aoshi-sama?"

Aoshi turned toward Misao.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Aa…"

Aoshi turned from her again, and continued to stare straight ahead of him, carrying a strange look on his face. Misao didn't like the facial expression. It wasn't very noticeable to a person who didn't know Aoshi, but to Misao, it was one of guilt.

He's blaming himself again…

Aoshi always seemed to be so stoic and cold, but he wasn't. Not inside, at least. He always blamed himself for things that couldn't possibly have been caused by him.

Misao could not take the silence any longer.

"Aoshi-sama, this WAS NOT your fault!" she burst out.

Aoshi looked at her.

"You just did what you had to do, that's all," Misao said gently.

Aoshi shook his head. "I should have prevented it. I should have never believed Keiichi in the first place." And with that, he turned his gaze defiantly from her to something in front of him—something that Misao couldn't seem to see.

Misao looked at him exasperatedly. "That was the PAST! You can't do anything about it! All you can do now is just look ahead, and everything will be FINE! I promise!"

Aoshi continued to stare ahead of him.

Glowering, Misao scooted up to him, held her hand steadily up to his face, and slapped him—hard.

Aoshi looked at her once again, an almost surprised look on his face. Aoshi's ice-blue eyes had widened. His hand moved to his cheek where Misao had slapped him. It was slowly reddening.

Looking calmly at Misao, Aoshi opened his mouth to speak. "What did you do that for?" Aoshi asked Misao quietly, his voice dangerously low.

"You IDIOT! How can a man so intelligent be so incredibly STUPID!" Misao screamed. "For the last, stinking time, it was NOT your stinking FAULT! UNDERSTAND! IT WAS NOT YOU FREAKING FAULT!"

Aoshi was still looking at Misao in a calm manner, which to Misao was VERY annoying.

"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT!"

"I am obviously looking at you."

Misao stood, red-faced and still glaring.

"I just hate it when you blame yourself for EVERY FREAKING THING THAT GOES WRONG ON THE PLANET!"

Aoshi turned away from her, and looked back to where he was staring at previously before Misao had interrupted.

The pink bow was happy. Okina could tell, since it wasn't sagging at the moment anymore.

That means that everything will be okay…

Okina looked out of the window. The moon and the stars seemed to be winking at him. And all is well…but…what's this? The pink bow had given a mournful quiver. What does that mean? Did something bad happen?

The important thing was that the bow wasn't sagging—so that at least meant that Aoshi and Misao were both alive. Perhaps somebody else died…

Okina shrugged. Who cares? As long as Aoshi and Misao were okay, he would be fine!

"Ah…It's good to be happy…" Okina said out loud.

"Hmmm? Okina? What are you doing up so late?"

Okina turned to see Okon and Omasu in the kitchen.

"Oh…just getting a bit of tea…why? What are you two doing?"

"Well…" Omasu began, "we couldn't sleep."

"Were you two worrying about Misao?"

"Yes…" Okon answered.

"Stop worrying."

"Why?"

"She's going to be fine," Okina said contentedly, patting his pink bow in a satisfied manner.

"And what about Aoshi?" asked Omasu.

"He's fine too."

"How do you know?"

"I just do…"

"Nakago-sama—dead? How can this be?" a few men whispered amongst themselves. They emerged from the trees and the bushes, staring disbelievingly at the body of their once leader. "Keiichi has also been killed…"

"Keiichi was of no importance…" someone scoffed. "But Nakago-sama…"

"What are we to do?" another asked. He wasn't particularly sad over the loss of Nakago, since when he was around, there was always a constant fear of death.

"Do we kill them?" a man suggested, pointing at the dark figures of Aoshi and Misao.

"What else are we to do?"

"Shhh! Don't you know that they're able to hear us?" another man said fearfully. "They were the ones that Keiichi and Nakago—which means they are to be feared!"

"So that means we kill them?"

Misao's ears perked up as the men continued to discuss the situation amongst themselves. Kill us? What the hell do they mean by 'kill us'? She turned to look at Aoshi, who was still staring intently at something that Misao couldn't seem to see. She sighed.

"Aoshi-sama?"

"…"

Misao pushed him. "What the hell do you think you're doing? These men are talking about killing us, and you're just sitting there staring at imaginary things that I can't see! Well? What are we going to do?" Misao said as quietly as she could, while still trying to maintain a stern tone in her voice.

Aoshi finally looked at her. "What else do you propose we do other than kill them?"

Misao stared.

"Isn't that just simple then? We just kill them," Aoshi said calmly as if discussing something as simple as the weather.

Looking surprised, Misao's mouth dropped open, seemingly to be at a loss for words. Correcting that mistake when she noticed it, Misao abruptly shut her mouth, only to have it open again when she had decided on an 'intelligent' comeback—what she thought was one.

"Well…that IS a good idea…but how do you suggest that I fight without weapons…?" Misao said in sickeningly sweet tones. Hmph…Mr. Icicle can't solve that problem, now can he?

Aoshi reached into his pockets. "I brought your kunai," he said coolly and serenely.

Misao glowered. That smart-ass…

She snatched the kunai from Aoshi's hands. She looked affectionately at Aoshi for a moment. But a cute, lovable, quiet, strong, hot, intelligent smart-ass…

Misao got up. "Well, aren't you going to help me?"

Aoshi merely looked at her.

"Well?" Misao said again.

"I don't think you need my help."

"WHAT!"

"Just remember what I taught you."

"And what if I get killed?" Misao asked testily.

Looking seriously at Misao, Aoshi said, "Do you think I would let that happen?"

Misao blushed. "W-Well…n-no…"

"Then why ask such a stupid question?"

Misao didn't answer. She just glared. Grrrr….when I get my hands on him…

Nakago's men pulled their swords out clumsily. Not even blinking, Misao put each of the kunai in between her fingers and took careful aim. She had just enough kunai for each man to at least have one blow. That meant that she had no room to mess up.

The men began to charge, holding their swords in awkward angles.

Misao got ready to throw, but—

"Lift your wrist a little higher," Aoshi's voice cut in.

Misao rolled her eyes, but she complied, lifting her wrist 'a little higher'. The men continued to charge blindly, not daring to believe that their deaths were coming. And every man staggered as the kunai pierced them in their vitals.

"SCORE!" Misao yelled gleefully, as each man fell, either dead or immobolized. They were now safe.

She turned to Aoshi. "How was that?"

Shrugging, Aoshi said, "If I hadn't helped you, you would have missed."

"YOU—"

Misao was about to hit Aoshi again, when she noticed something. Aoshi-sama is speaking in FULL sentences! WOHOO!

Misao stood up. "Shall we go back to the Aoiya now?"

Aoshi nodded. "You go on…I'm going to bury Nakago…"

"But…" Misao decided not to finish her sentence. She understood that Aoshi needed some time alone—some time without her, since SHE was the reason that he had killed Nakago. And she decided that it was best that he bury Nakago by himself...

"Okay…just remember, Aoshi-sama…it wasn't your fault. You just did what you had to do…"

There was no answer from Aoshi, but Misao understood.

Aoshi pulled one of his kodachis from Nakago's chest, and then proceeded to pull the other from Keiichi. He began cleaning the blood off. Hesitating for a moment, Aoshi slowly reached for Nakago's katana, which he had dropped.

Nakago… And Aoshi cleaned the blood off the katana also.

Gazing at Aoshi in a sad manner, Misao said quietly, "Well…bye, then…see you when you get back…"

Aoshi didn't answer.

Misao turned to go but was stopped by the sound of Aoshi's voice.

"Misao…thank you…"

"Of course, Aoshi-sama…" And Misao turned to go for the second time, but was again stopped by the sound of Aoshi's voice.

"You're going the wrong way."

Turning back around, and not saying a word to Aoshi, Misao marched past him, trying to not lose any more dignity than she already had.

Unfortunately, while trying to march with her nose in the air, Misao had not spotted a tree root, and all her dignity flew out the window.

Misao only managed a feeble "Ow…" before heading off into the RIGHT direction, her face burning and her knees stinging in pain.

Aoshi looked after her for a moment, before turning back to the hole he was digging. I'm sorry…Nakago…I hope that you'll soon find out the truth…and I hope that one day, you'll find it in your heart to forgive me. I can't dwell in the past…I have to move on…

I must pick up the pieces of my shattered life and embrace a new beginning…

Perhaps…a new beginning with Misao…

The End
Author's Note: That was easily the cheesiest chapter I have EVER written! Ah well…it wasn't TOO bad, was it? Anyways…I'm kind of happy since this fic is done…and kind of sad for that very same reason.

I trust that you all have had a great Christmas break! (I know I have…unfortunately for me…it's all over now…) Now, REVIEW!

Thanks to all who reviewed!

So, the holidays are over, and all of us are trying to make that transition from 'vacation mode' to 'school mode', ne?

BUT, the question is, are we REALLY?

What if we're just PRETENDING to make that transition from 'vacation mode' to 'school mode'?

What if we're really still in 'vacation mode'?

And what if we DO want maple syrup on our pancakes?

There is NOTHING that the schools can do to us if we want maple syrup on our pancakes in the morning!

SO…

Who's with me?

Are we going to rebel by putting maple syrup on out pancakes or WHAT?

WELL!

Or maybe I should just shut up and leave you people alone…

Of course before you leave

There WILL be a small fee…

A REVIEW please! OR…you'll be stuck with NO syrup FOREVER!

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!