Weeee, I should give up my day job…….(I think I fixed the spelling errors . . . lemme know if I missed any)

WARNING: Possible spoilers, if you haven't seen or read past the Kyoto Arc, don't read this. And also, big surprise: I have no rights to Kenshin or his friends; those belong to Watsuki Nobuhiro, Shueisha, Sony Entertainment and Jump Comics. Please review, flames accepted with a tolerant smile. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride . . .

Last time in Bended Shadows:

Kaoru finished wrapping her bandages around her chest, and pulled up her gi around her shoulders. {I can't go in a kimono; I need to be able to move freely. It isn't entirely proper for me to be traveling like this, but then, when have I ever worried about proper before?} She looked around the dojo once more, letting her eyes rest on her fathers bokken displayed on a shelf above her students name plaques. "I'm sorry father."

One that day, Kamiya Kaoru, became a rurouni, and into the shadows . . . she vanished, alone . . .

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"SHE DID WHAT!?!?"

Megumi accidentally on purpose dropped the man's broken leg to the table with a CLANG, and ran to the other room, finding Sano, smoke rising from his head, throttling a red faced Yahiko.

"She . . . she left." Yahiko repeated, trying to keep the bubbling hysteria out of his voice.

Sano plopped to the ground, dropping Yahiko in a heap on the floor, and buried his face in his hands "Oh man. Vow, or no vow, Kenshin's gonna KILL me!"

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Kaoru sighed, and looked up at the sky. I think I may be lost. It is going to get dark soon . . . another night, outside.

As Kaoru walked down the small path through the woods, she let her thoughts wander, thinking of her father, of Yahiko, and mostly, about Kenshin. "Nine days, and I'm not one thought closer to figuring anything out, I wish I knew what I was looking for-" she gasped, and spun her body around, drawing the katana in one swift move. "Who's there?" She kept her voice steady, but her thoughts were jumbled. No! I'm not ready for this, I can defend myself, but I don't know if I want to or not, maybe I could flip the blade, and use it as a sakabattou, like Kenshin uses?"

"Kamiya Kaoru."

Kaoru narrowed her eyes, "Aoshi?" she asked suspiciously.

"Kaoru-chan!!!!!" Misao lunged out of the bushes, grinning widely, and probably would have kept right on going, if Aoshi hadn't grabbed her collar, her feet now dangling a couple feet off the ground.

He set her aside gently with a warning look, and returned his glare to Kaoru. "What is this?"

Kaoru just . . . stared. Two of her close friends had just appeared out of nowhere!? She didn't even know where she was! Coincidences had always given her a funny feeling. When she regained her senses enough to think, she followed Aoshi's glaring eyes to . . . her sword. "Oh!" She exclaimed, and dropped the blade to the ground absently.

Misao raised her hand to her chin, and pushed it up, closing her gaping mouth. 

"What are you doing with a sword?" Aoshi asked sternly.

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Kenshin stood up shakily, pausing to return his sakabattou to its proper place, and walked into the small clinics kitchen.

Megumi, Sano and Yahiko all stood at the same time, "Kenshin!" "Kenshin!" "Ken-san!"

They all rushed around him, helping him sit, pouring him tea, patting his head.

"Maa, Maa! I'm alright, that I am." Kenshin raised his hands meekly to fend them off.

They all glanced at each other over his head, thinking the same thing, Uh oh!

Kenshin looked around to each of his friends, and noted their strained expressions, it would have been funny, if it didn't nearly stop his heart in fear. He took a deep breath, almost afraid to ask, not wanting to hear the answer.

"Where is Kaoru-dono?" There, I've asked. Now I have to hear what they have to say, something's wrong! Please! Kami-Sama, let her be alive!

"You don't remember, do you?" Megumi asked softly.

Kenshin paled, his face turning a sick shade of white.

Yahiko jumped up, seeing the horror on Kenshin's face "She is still alive Kenshin!" He rested a hand on his shoulder, "She didn't die, she's still alive."

Kenshin felt dizzy, his world was spinning out of control, then Yahiko's gentle hand snapped him back into reality. "Kaoru-dono! Where is she!?"

Sano looked directly at Kenshin, into his deep violet eyes, "She's gone Kenshin. She left here, 10 days ago. She has a lot of things to sort out, and we have a lot of things to explain to you."

Kenshin stared back at Sano, confusion, pain, fear, anger and most of all, trust, filled his eyes as he looked at his best friend. "Tell me what happened, Sano, and then we will bring Kaoru-dono back home, that we will."

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Aoshi held his hand out to Kaoru, helping her to stand up. It had been a long few hours, and it had been exhausting to relay the entire, horrible tale to her friends.

"Shall we walk with you?" Aoshi asked Kaoru gently, as Misao took his hand, and held it firmly in hers.

"No. Thank you, but I need to continue on my own. Please, I'm sure that my friends in Tokyo will send word, don't tell them where I am, I need to find my answer, before I see them again."

"Of course, you can trust us Kaoru-chan!" Misao ran over and hugged her friend, then taking Aoshi's hand, they left the clearing.

*~~~*~*~*~*~~~* A few moments later, out of earshot:

"They will be here in about 8 days, you think Aoshi-sama?"

"Five."

"You're on!" Misao chuckled.

Aoshi, over Misao's head, smiled, very softly, and wrapped his strong arm around her shoulder.

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A/N:

I will start with a great big THANK YOU! to all of you who have reviewed my story, it gives such wonderful motivation, to know that others are enjoying this thunderstorm in my head!

I know this is short guys, don't worry, the next one is nice and long! (Say Hello all you Hiko fans out their, your time is soon to arrive!) I tried to put a little comic relief in here, I was missing some of the characters funnier traits as I was writing, and I wanted to get my people a little more IC. Let me know what you thought, I'm worried on two notes, one that it ruins the flow of the story, and two, it just didn't work. Review please, let me know if I should keep adding the little character jokes in there or not! I know . . . I know . . . Darn-it! Its Hard to write Misao without her seeming a little . . . you know, Misao-like . . . sorry! R&R!

Chiburui - a sharp flick of the wrist, to clear excess blood from the blade, done deliberately, and menacingly.

Jou-Chan – Sano's name for Kaoru, roughly "Missy, or Little Missy"

Busu – Hag, or Ugly, Yahiko teases Kaoru with this name a lot.

Kami-Sama - God

Shoji – rice paper doors

Oneesan – "my elder sister"

Sakabattou – Kenshin's reverse blade sword

-chan - added to given name to address children affectionately, can also be used among girls who are close friends

-dono - very polite equivalent form of "-san", usually for royalty and nobility

-san - added to given or family name to express respect and friendliness

-sama - polite equivalent form of "-san", or used to express appreciation, or used for gods, royalty, or someone one "worships". Aoshi-sama is what Misao calls Aoshi.

Ohayou – Good morning

(Some definitions from Gypsy-chan's website: )