(Author's Note: Thanks for the reviewers that reviewed! I'M SO DAMN THANKFUL! *sob, sob* Anyway, thank you candy-Animelover600 and Dark Dragon34 for making me think that this story is worth writing for! As for the rest of you…REVIEW! THANK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU~!!!!!)

The Forgotten Era

Disclaimer: *continuing from the previous chapter…* NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

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Everyone: SHUT UP!!!!

Disclaimer: *cowers away*

DH (DarkHand): Well, now that's over, why is the dead mummy and the Pink Gi Dude still here?

Shishio: For your information, I have a name! AND I AM NOT A MUMMY!!!!

Kenshin: And it's not pink! IT'S MAGENTA!

S4R (ShinHwa4Real): 0_o;;;

MC (MysticChaos): Well, um…I can't poof them away. My conscious won't allow me.

MCC (MysticChaos's Conscious): *smiles innocently*

S4R: 0_o; Conscious can smile?

MCC: I'm a special conscious! ^_^

DH: That's just freaky.

Shishio: Well, I will rule Tokyo since I am back from the dead! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~!!!!!

*About to run off but DarkHand grabs him by the few tufts of hair that he still has.*

Shishio: OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW~!!!! *attempts to scratch DarkHand, but his resistance is futile*

Kenshin: *laughs hysterically*

Shishio: Shut up, Pink Boy.

Kenshin: IT'S MAGENTA! *jumps on Shishio*

MC: Ok….Wellllll~ON WITH THE STORY!

S4R: 0_o;;; *watches Kenshin attack Shishio*

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Chapter 4: On the Road Again

The next day, the woman woke up feeling cramped and tired. Getting up with painful slowness, a wet towel tumbled down from her forehead, coldly ignored by the woman. Suddenly, the door opened.

"Hello. I see that you're up." Kaoru said, picking up the woman's towel and rinsing it in cold water that she held.

The woman made no comment, but she did look away from Kaoru. She saw this and smiled.

"It's okay. Kenshin's always attacked by people. If he can forgive you, we can too. At least me for that matter." said Kaoru, handing the towel back to the woman. She didn't take it.

"It is not that. I will not apologize to a manslayer since that hitokiri did much more then what I accused of." the woman snapped. Kaoru ignored this.

"What is it then?"

"Peh. Why do you care of a manslayer's rants?"

"That's why I'm asking."

"…"

"So….?"

The woman replied in a quiet voice, "It is just because my suspicions were incorrect. I thought the battousai took my brother away."

"Your brother?"

"He was my only family left."

"What happened to the rest of your family?"

"They…were either killed off by a disease or murdered."

"Oh. I-I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't pity me. I am not weak as you are."

"I know that."

"Now go away."

"…Alright."

Kaoru was about to leave, but as she was about to close the door, she asked, "What is your brother's name?"

The woman twitched a bit. Then whispered, "Saitou…Saitou Hajime."

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"Are you sure you heard right, Kaoru?" Sanosuke asked with a slight shocked face. Kaoru nodded.

Kenshin looked thoughtful and said, "Well, she does resemble Saitou. The eyes, the hair…the personality."

Everyone muttered their agreement.

"What are we going to do with her now?" Yahiko asked, gazing at the room that the woman was staying at.

Kaoru sighed. "She will stay here as long as she wants to."

Everyone looked at Kaoru. Then looked away when she glared at all of them, forcing them to agree.

"What do we tell her? About Saitou I mean." Sanosuke questioned.

Everyone took an intake of breath and looked piteously at the shadow of the woman that showed through the rice paper door.

"The truth." Kenshin simply replied, walking toward the woman's room. Everyone quickly followed him.

The woman was in the center of the room, sulking as usual (mostly glaring at Kenshin). "What now?" she hissed. Kenshin entered the room alone, closing the door behind him and sitting in front of the woman. Taking in a deep breath, he looked straight at the woman's eyes, as if determining if she should know about her brother's death. Strangely, all Kenshin could see was her golden irises. He could not see anything beyond that. It seemed as if she had a wall behind her eyes. Sighing softly, he started, "Miss? Even if you do hate me, what I am about to tell you is the truth." She continued to glare at Kenshin, showing no emotion whatsoever.

Kenshin continued, "I know your brother. I have known him since the Tokugawa Era. He and I…used to be enemies. He was part of the Shinsengumi. The captain actually."

This time, the woman's eyes flickered as if recalling an old memory.

"He…went against the Imperialists, killing many. Finally he stopped and became a police officer, going under a fake name. Saitou was cold, but very helpful for those he respects. He helped Sanosuke and I beat Shishio in Kyoto."

The woman nodded very slightly, knowing the man named Shishio. Then Kenshin hesitated.

"By the time we had beaten Shishio, the tower that we battled in started to burn from the flames that surrounded the building. We escaped, but Saitou…Saitou…"

The woman's eyes flashed with a hint of fear.

"He…he couldn't make it. He died with the tower."

There was a long silence and when Kenshin was about to leave, the woman whispered, eyes now gazing blankly at the floor, "I do not care if he is dead or not. I will still try to find him, even if it means finding his grave."

Kenshin was about to sympathetically come forward and pat the woman on the shoulder, but he thought otherwise and left the room. After the woman heard his and his eavesdropping friends footsteps start to fade away, the woman set her hands on her face and started to cry quietly.

She truly was alone in the world now…

…Or is she?

That night, the woman crept slowly out of her room, outside, and was about to open the gate until a deep voice said with amusement, "So you kept your word."

The woman swiftly turned around, looking into the shadows with dislike. "How did you know I would get out in the night, Sagara?"

Sanosuke rose out of the shadows and shrugged. "You looked like a person that would keep their word. You did say that you would leave at three days and two nights."

"Smart mind for such an arrogant man." she snorted, continuing onto the gate, deciding that he would not be a threat to her escape. Then man huffed in slight annoyance. Then Sanosuke asked, "What's your name, anyway?"

The woman turned and looked at Sanosuke, this time with sheer confusion. She looked as if she was never asked that question before. Then she smiled, startling Sanosuke. It wasn't a smirk, a evil grin…just a simple smile that made her face glow, showing a sliver of joy.

"Saeko." she said simply.

Sanosuke walked toward the woman and leaned down to look at her straight in the face. Then he patted the woman on the head and grinned, "Well, Saeko, don't forget to write."

Saeko's grin grew bigger, making her look attractive in Sanosuke's opinion. "Maybe." she shrugged. Then she suddenly turned and jumped over the wall that was connected to the gate, disappearing from sight. Sanosuke smiled, standing there in the starlight for awhile.

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*Kenshin, Helen, and Shishio are still fighting*

MC: I NEED HELP IN THE PAIRING!!!

S4R: 0_0 W-why?

MCC: She likes making pairings. She thinks it's fun.

MC: YES! AND I LOVE TO EAT SOY BEANS!

S4R: That was…completely out of the subject.

MC: Well, reviewers, I am calling on your help to make the pairings! ShinHwa4Real and Conscious, start the choices!

S4R: Well, they are Sanosuke, Soujirou…

MCC: …Or, Hiko and Aoshi.

S4R: Wait…Isn't Hiko…a bit too old for Saeko?

MCC: Yeah, and isn't Aoshi already taken by Misao?

MC: I know…I was thinking of making Hiko just more father-like to Saeko, but I needed more people for the pairings. And for Aoshi…well…he's actually just there to take up space.

MCC and S4R: -_-

MC: You can still pick Aoshi of course. Who knows…maybe I'll enjoy torturing Misao…

*Random fan girl stuff of Aoshi and Misao pairings rain down on MysticChaos*

MC: OW! OK, OK! I GET THE MESSAGE! BUT I'M STILL PUTTING UP AOSHI!

*Gets pelted even more*

MCC: Well, since MysticChaos seems to be a bit preoccupied, we'll continue on.

S4R: Yeah. Well, um, MysticChaos cannot do love triangles for some reason, so screw that. She horrible at it actually…

MC: I HEARD THAT! OW!

S4R: ^_^;;;

MCC: And YOU MUST VOTE IF YOU ARE TO REVIEW! Flames are welcome since we'll just delete them anyway.

S4R: In other words, KEEP THOSE DAMN EVIL WORDS TO YOURSELF! For good one, simply review! ^_^

MCC: REVIEW, REVIEW, AND REVIEW!!!

MC: X_X