Chapter four already! I'm on a ROLL! ^,^ Anywho, the naming contest is going on still, so please send me in your names!

Thank you to all who have been reviewing my story and giving me help with it. *mutters to self* It's a gi and hakama, not a kimono.. ^,^ Enjoy the newest installment!

NOTICE: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. However, that does not mean I am not allowed to try and trap them for their own. Safety. *is preparing the pits and nets*.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

"Tsukiyo-san, you can do it!"

"Come on, Tsukiyo! You're almost there!"

The cries of the members of the Kamiya Dojo filled the air as the invalid took the last few steps that would bring her to the other end of the garden. She gave a cry of delight herself as she felt the smooth, age hardened wood of the wall. Turning to Kenshin, she held out her hand, waiting for her prize.

Kenshin's face held a bemused expression. He had thought of the idea of giving her a long-term task to accomplish as a way to keep her mind off of her limited capabilities, but it had turned into an obsession. Day in and day out she could be found tottering around the halls, catching a breather on the walls and posts of the school. Everyone had made sure to praise her whenever she made a new walking record, to keep her spirits up.

She had been ready to try walking across the garden days ago. But for some reason, she had avoided that particular area like the plague. She had discovered that by using a strange little hopping method, she could run around the main room once without falling. So she spent the past few days working on building up her endurance and balance without having to enter the garden.

//Red-sad-cross have no reason not to give to self prize. Self completed task, now self get reward.// Her fingers ached to be wrapped around the smooth, dark wood of her bo stick, with the carvings of the moon and symbol of night underneath her palm.

Kenshin hesitated for only a moment before handing the victor her prize. "Well you did, Tsukiyo-san. But farther you have to go, that you do." He smiled and left her purring over her only possession to do some much needed thinking.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Kaoru stopped as she passed Kenshin's bedroom that night, listening to hear the comforting sound of his breathing. Curious when she couldn't, she slid open the shoji door carefully, trying not to make a sound.

His futon was neatly folded, his blankets on top. Kaoru frowned in worry, but the worry lines departed when she heard the sound of a body shifting its position on the roof from above. Rolling up her sleeves, she clambered up to the roof to see if she could provide some help with whatever was bothering him enough to stay up this late.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Kenshin sighed with relief when he heard the sounds of Kaoru making her way to the roof. He had wanted someone to talk to, but hadn't wanted to have to go straight out and ask her to come to the roof with him. Megumi and the others might have taken it the wrong way.

He turned to her as she sat, smiling at the way she grumbled at her yukata. "Kaoru-dono, shouldn't you be asleep now?"

"Well. I happened to pass your room and see that you weren't there. I thought you might need someone to talk to." She looked hopefully at him, pleading with her eyes to be allowed to stay.

"Actually, you are correct, that you are. I needed to ask a favor of you."

She tilted her head quizzically. Kenshin never needed to go out on the roof before to ask anything. "What do you need? Whatever it is, I'll give it to you."

"It is nothing drastic," he said, waving his hand reassuringly at her. "All I need is for you to let Yahiko have one afternoon off a week so that he can work with Tsukiyo-san."

Now Kaoru was more confused than ever. "Of course he can! But why, if you don't mind my asking."

"I do not mind in the least bit. It is just that." He drifted off, looking at the stars before continuing the thought. "I think it would be better if she had someone her own age to talk to. If she can get used to Yahiko, then she will have someone else besides me to run to if there is something wrong."

Kaoru nodded, her understanding much clearer. She herself had been worried about Tsukiyo continued silence, even after spending so much time with the Kamiya Dojo members. "Yahiko can have tomorrow afternoon off, so he can start as soon as possible."

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Yahiko grinned with triumph as he finished off a hundred strikes. His stamina was getting better every day! //Pretty soon I'll be able to beat Busu!//

Kaoru sneezed as she waved at Yahiko to stop. "Good job, Yahiko! I've got one last thing for you to do before you can call it a day."

Warily, he asked, "What d'ya need?" It was never a good thing whenever she put that annoying tinny voice on.

She became extremely serious as she walked closer to Yahiko. "Yahiko, I've been drilling you mostly on how to defend and attack if someone is coming at you with a sword. What I haven't been teaching you very much of is how to fight if you are defending against someone with something else."

"So what do you have in mind?" He felt much more relaxed now. The worst she could do was throw Sanosuke at him, and that would be easy enough. But he couldn't see Sano anywhere.

"I want you to work with Tsukiyo-san. She'll help you with defense against other weapons."

He groaned. //Scratch that, Tanuki-san CAN do worse than throwing Sanosuke at me.//

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Tsukiyo timidly walked out from her room, heading towards the main room. //Silly-nice said self work with Short-spike-talk. Now self have bo, not sure how good now.//

She entered the room to find Kaoru and Yahiko waiting for her. She bowed to Kaoru and sat, waiting for Kaoru to tell her to do something.

"Tsukiyo-san, I want you to work with Yahiko so he can improve his tactics against weapons such as yours. Would you mind?"

She shook her head, standing up as she did so. She always tried to show Kaoru the most respect possible, while still holding her vow of silence. //Work with Short-spike-talk? Interesting.// She shifted her grip on the staff until her hands were shoulder-length apart, held at about mid-chest.

Yahiko tensed, shifting unconsciously into a battle stance. //Hmm. She seems to know what she's doing, but I can't read anything off of her.// He gripped his bamboo sword tightly as he waited for her attack.

It came as a whirlwind, the staff suddenly leaping to life in the redhead's slender hands. She spun it in front of her, so fast that he could barely make out where the stick was and where it was only an illusion. He saw her attack a second too late as she broke the spin and tapped him lightly on the head.

Yahiko cringed, knowing he was beaten. //Shimatta! If that had hit me full on, I'd probably be dead!// But he didn't hear Kaoru's voice scolding him or giving him advice. //Busu must've left us alone.// He straightened, and Tsukiyo's staff left his head and returned to the position she had held before. Grinning sheepishly, he said, "That was pretty good, Tsukiyo-san. I couldn't even see where the attack was coming from."

She cocked her head slightly to express her puzzlement. //Short-spike-talk DID see the attack! Defend move could have been his sidestepping! But self needs to tell him! Break silence? Words? Must happen.// Shaking her head, she said quietly, "You might have sidestepped and parried attack. When coming from above, one has little control over opponent."

Yahiko almost didn't hear her at first. He had been too busy berating himself for allowing his concentration to have been snapped by the attack when he caught her words. //Tsukiyo actually spoke to me! I thought she'd only do that to Kenshin!// Blushing, he muttered, "Well, I was too busy trying to make out where the staff was instead of reading you." Not seeing her look of puzzlement, he got ready again. "Could you come at me again with that attack?"

She nodded and began the spin.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

A few hours later, Kaoru tiptoed over to the training room where she had left Yahiko and Tsukiyo. Pressing her ear to the shoji door, she could hear two voices, one was Yahiko's excited tone, and the other was muted and softer. //The second must be Tsukiyo-san! I guess she decided that Yahiko was okay!// She stood silently, trying to catch the conversation.

"Tsukiyo-san, you're amazing with that staff of yours. Who taught you?"

There was a pause, and then Tsukiyo's voice came out. "Master did. He taught self when self was very young."

"Does he have any other name?" Kaoru took a deep breath, hoping the question wouldn't stop her talking.

"No. He is only Master."

Kaoru could hear Yahiko sigh with a touch of frustration. But he changed his questions to something completely different. "Tsukiyo-san, why do you only speak to me and Kenshin?"

There was dead silence, and Kaoru cringed. //She must not want to tell you, baka! Now she'll probably stay quiet!// Yahiko was thinking along the same lines, for he said, "Tsukiyo, if you don't want to answer, it's okay."

"No. Self is trying to figure it out." She paused, thinking, and then continued. "If Kenshin-sama told you not to speak, no matter what, would you do it?"

"Of course! Kenshin would only tell me to do that if it was extremely important!"

"Master told self that self must not speak. Speaking was noise, and noise stole concentration. Without concentration, no self. Self has been. bad. Disobedient, too. Self broke Master's order, but self does not know why. Self knows something is wrong, but self cannot know what. Is that good explanation?" Kaoru's mind was whirring. //She was ordered not to speak? How could someone do that?// She held that though as Yahiko said uncertainly, "Yeah, I get what you're saying." He paused for a few seconds, then said excitedly, "Hey Tsukiyo!"

"Yes?"

"How would you like to go to the Aka-beko for dinner? They have the best food there!"

Kaoru whipped open the shoji door so fast that it nearly went flying. "And just where do you think you'll be getting the money, mister?"

The question had been directed towards Yahiko, but it was Tsukiyo who replied. She stood, brushing off her gi -which had been modified from an old castoff of Kenshin's-. Smiling slightly, she turned her head so she as looking Kaoru straight in the eyes and said, "Kaoru-dono, if it wouldn't trouble you too much, self would like to sample the Aka-beko food. Yahiko said it was good, though not better than your cooking."

Kaoru stood there, transfixed. She was the only one who had heard Tsukiyo speak when she thought she was alone, and Kaoru was relatively sure that the girl knew that she had been there. //What is it about this girl that makes me want to treat her like I do Yahiko, but respect her like I do Kenshin?// She shook her head and said kindly, "It wouldn't be a bother at all. It'll be my treat, so Yahiko wont have to work it off."

Yahiko groaned in relief, but Tsukiyo smiled and touched her scar, almost in respect to the assistant master.