Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, the characters, or anything related to it. The anime is owned by Watsuki Nobuhiro.

Fanfic Title: Epic of a Rurouni

Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance

Rating: PG-13 for violence and mild language

Summary: Yuki tells Soujiro exactly how she feels about him and something surprising happens afterwards.

There are certain things one cannot forget,
There are obvious feelings one cannot regret,
Although everyone sees certain lovers as insane,
They would never let words turn their love into pain.



Chapter 8: Shifting Emotions

He ran like the Tenken should, to the girl who was waiting for him near trees he could never miss. Sweat dampened his face and he quickly brushed it aside as he arrived at his destination, looking around and whispering his friend's name loudly. Soujiro felt his kimono being yanked from behind, and his back slammed into a tree. To his surprise, he was face-to-face with Yuki.

"Soujiro-kun! I thought you would never come," she whispered as she embraced him quickly while he leaned against the tree.

Soujiro smiled pleasantly as he hugged her back. "Gomen, I woke up late."

"I'm just glad you're here. I wanted to see you and that baka Mamoru drove me crazy last night!" she shouted, but in a low tone as if they were being watched.

Soujiro looked at her in a puzzled way. "What did he do?"

"He wanted me to sleep in his bed last night, and I kindly refused. But he just kept asking me over and over," Frustration rose in Yuki's voice as she held Soujiro's hands in her own.

"So, did he eventually force you to sleep with him?" asked Soujiro.

Yuki grinned at him. "No, I hid from him by lurking in the kunoichi bed chamber."

"Wow, sounds like you had a pretty fun night," chuckled Soujiro.

Yuki smirked a little. "I got Yoko-san's runner to follow you, and he said you went with someone all the way to the Aoiya. I should've thought of that but it's a good thing I still have admirers among the Kishuu Ninjas."

"Omasu-san, one of Misao-chan's ninjas, invited me to stay there since she knew I had no where else to go," said Soujiro, in a morose tone.

"Now I'm starting to like the Oniwabanshuu better than my own clan," laughed Yuki.

Soujiro giggled at her remark while light zephyrs passed by them, giving the air a tranquil lightness like when they were near the lake. Then, they were silent for a moment. Soujiro still leaned against the rough tree while Yuki held his hands as if she would never let them go. It seemed they never wanted to let this moment go. The beauty of the nature around them and the sense of being alone with someone you loved was the only thing in their careless muses.

"Soujiro-kun, how do you feel about me?" Yuki finally asked, shattering the silence.

"What do you mean?" Soujiro smiled at her, as if he already knew the answer.

"Well...y'know, do you see me as a friend or more than a friend?"

"Let's say...I see you as more than a friend."

Yuki smiled at him. "I feel the same way, Soujiro-kun."

Gently, she leaned in towards him to kiss him lightly. Red was rushing through Soujiro's cheeks.

Yuki's brows furrowed. "Why're you embarrassed?"

"I've...never been kissed by a girl before," he said, sounding immature.

"Then I'll kiss you again, so you can be kissed twice and get used to it," she said with a giggle. So she once again brushed her lips against his.

Soujiro's eyes snapped open as a shuriken barely missed his face and punctured the bark of the tree he leaned against. Yuki turned around swiftly, wondering who had caught them. Mamoru stood in the shade provided by the tree tops; an angry and ashamed look was on his strong face.

"Satsuki, how could you do this to me?" he said slowly and vehemently. Yoko and a group of ninjas stood behind him, looking quite surprised.

"Mamoru, I don't love you anymore. Why can't you understand that?" Yuki asked, standing in front of Soujiro like a sentinel.

Mamoru said nothing, but the ninjas behind him began to advance towards them. Soujiro grabbed Yuki's arm, pulling her away from them.

"Let's get out of here!" he shouted at her. She nodded and they ran through the small forest, with Kishuu Ninjas chasing them.

- - - -

Soujiro and Yuki were surrounded, since her "loyal admirer" the runner had told Yoko of the note and she had arranged ninjas to hide deep in the forest. Soujiro could have had a chance with his broken sword, but he was weaponless since he stupidly left the remains of the Kikuichimonji Norimune propped by the futon at the Aoiya. He wondered what he would do since there was no way out. He was not much without a sword, but Yuki was. Unfortunately, she was greatly outnumbered by people who shared her style of fighting.

Yoko and a group of kunoichi advanced on the two, their weapons ready. Yuki managed to attack some of them while Soujiro blocked their violent shots, but was slashed in the back by one who lingered behind him. He fell to the ground, and Yuki stepped in front of him to prevent anymore attacks from hurting him. Yoko grabbed Yuki easily and then she eyed Mamoru for new orders. He drew a line across his thick, muscular neck with his finger and nodded to her. Yoko pushed Yuki away from her and before she could fall on Soujiro, Yoko used her ninja katana to slash Yuki's throat. Blood splashed up and floated through the air, and then fell after an eternity as Yuki's corpse landed on top of the rurouni. Soujiro took advantage of everyone watching the death and grabbed a hold of Yuki's body to rush out through a group of unwary ninjas. He felt a shuriken puncture the slash on his back but he ran, allowing his feet to let him fly through the ground.

- - - -

After running non-stop for a while, Soujiro collapsed with Yuki's body on top of him on the verdant grass a little outside of the forest. He panted and noticed a digging utensil near the base of a tall tree. He gripped with his bloody fingers and sighed as he looked at Yuki's motionless body.

"Yuki, why did you save me?" he whispered to the body as he dragged it to the base of the tree that had the tool.

Before leaving, Soujiro smiled ruefully at Yuki. Then he sauntered back into the forest, ready to go ninja hunting.