Nornal text = the present (See chapter one)
Bold = written articles: letters, newspaper clippings, etc.
Italic = the stuff that happened leading up to the stuff in normal text. (flash back)
Bold/italic = Setsunas past (flash back)
Names are written "last name, first name" when giving a whole name in the story.
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Kenshin walked down the dusty road with a smile on his face, glad to know tha Setusna was well enough to be able to recuperate the rest of the way at the dojo. He wanted to be able to keep and eye over her much better then he had already. He partially blamed himself to what had happened to her. He wanted to make sure that she would be safe from the people that were after her.
He walked up the pathway to the clinic, the wind chime ringing softly in the breeze. He stepped into the clinic and was greeted by a smiling Megumi. "She's in her room waiting for you Kenshin."
"Arigato Megumi-dono." He proceeded to the hallway that led to Setsunas room, standing in front of the doorway he cleared his throat. "Gomen kudasai!" He opened the door and fell over..."ORO?!" She wasn't there. He got up from the floor and a wave of nausea swept over him realizing that someone must have gotten to her first. He turned around fast and burst out of the room running out of the clinic, his eyes with a hint of amber in them. Setsuna must have been kidnaped. There is no way she could have just been able to walk out of the clinic unnoticed like that.
He rushed through the clinic, weaving through Megumi and a few patients to get to the entrance of the clinic. He rushed to the door and opened it running out and he was half way down the stairs when he saw them. Sano and some girl chatting and walking down the road right in front of the clinic. She looks familiar, wait, that's Setsuna! He fell missing a step and landed hard on his face. Setsuna and Sano saw the flash of red go down on the steps of the clinic seeing that Kenshin just fell on his face again.
Megumi rushed out to the steps seeing that there was blood where kenshin had fallen. She gently turned the rurouni over seeing, while trying not to laugh, that he had broken his nose all over again.
"Ken-san, can you hear me?"
"Orooooooooooo.................."
She helped him stand up and lead him into the clinic so that she could clean him up all over again. This would prove even more fun then the first time she had to reset his nose.
~~~~~
The boy closed the office door with a smile on his face and quickly walked down the hall. His orders were clear and he didn't want this screwed up anymore then it already was. He trew open the door to his quarters and quickly packed some gear into a traveling bag. Satisfied with what he had gathered together, he put on his wariji sandles and his traveling straw hat. He then rushed out into the hallway. A tall woman dressed in a kimono with a large rope bow stopped the boy in the hallway abruptly by grabbing the back of his kimono.
"Where do you think you're going Soujiro?"
"I'm going to Tokyo and that's all I can tell you right now." Soujiro turned around the woman letting go of him, not fully satisfied with the answer but knew she would get nothing else from the boy.
~~~~~
The darkness of night settled into Soujiros camp earlier then he wished it would have. He had many miles to go, and not enough time to travel them. He finished his meal of fish and rice cakes, then proceeded in dumping sand onto his fire pit. He gathered his few belongings and left his makeshift camp behind him. Sleep was for those who gave up, and knew that he wasn't about to until his body made him. Slowly he made way back to the dirt path that he had been traveling down all day, to conitnue his journey to Tokyo. It had been many years since he last saw Kaname. He hated to see her leave the way she did. She was the only other person then Shishou-sama that could match his swordsmanship. Teaching her things was like watching himself when she executed them right. She was the big sister he never had in a way. It would be so good to see her smiling face one last time before they finally sent someone else to Tokyo. They knew why he was going, and now he could never go back himself. Now he was running, no, he would never run. He was leaving because he wanted answers from her. Why didn't she die when she betrayed everyone and left? Was it because she was stronger then them, or did they take pity on her like the ex-batousai did on so many?
His mind was muddled with thoughts that confused him to no end. He loved Kaname strangely. It's alsmot like I need to go there to let her know this... He looked into the sky seeing the stars of a late summer night shining back at him. He had changed so much after he left the Juppungatana. He had discover things that Shishou-sama never told him. Almost as if he had been mislead and lied to by the only person he respected back then. He never thought that he would join yet another orginazation like that, but, like a Samurai, he couldn't give up his ways. The Kuragari had become his new family after he stoppped his wandering ways. Months later she came to them with so much hate in her heart. He could taste it whenever she talked. He knew the pain that it held. He had been there so many years ago.
~~~~~
Setsuna looked up at the stars as she sat on the porch of the Kamiya Dojo. The night being still warm enough to star gaze late at night.
"Setsuna-dono?"
She turned her head to see Kenshin standing behind her holding a tray with two tea cups on it. "Hai?" She smiled at him pleasantly as he kneeled down and set the tray on the floor.
"Care if I join you?"
"Not at all."
Kenshin handed her a teacup and she took it thanking him. She returned her gaze to the stars taking a sip of the warm tea. "I use to watch for falling stars with my Father every night before I went to bed. I only ever got to see one, but, my Father told me it was bad luck to see more then one in your life. He said that we could only have one wish, or we would become greedy. After I saw that one falling star, I almost refused to star gaze with him after that. I eventually got over it and watched the stars with him again. I regret not making a wish that counted when I saw that star. Maybe things could have been different for me.
"You know Himura-san, my Father was in the war. I didn't know it back then what he was doing,but, I do now. I was only six when it broke out. My Father left soon after. For such a long time me and my Mother never heard from him. Not a letter or money sent back, nothing. She eventualy got very sick and we couldn't aford any medical treatment for her. I alone at the age of seven left home to find my Father. I asked so many people and eventually a soldier introduced me to a government official that told me an address to check. When I arrived no one believed what I was saying. He had told them all he had no family. He did see me that day, but denied me right to my face. Told me I was a liar and he knew no such people." Setsunas eyes swelled with tears and she griped the tea cup hard, digging her nails into the enamel. Kenshin put a comforting arm around her shoulders.
She wiped the tears violently from her eyes and pushed his arms from her shoulders. She stood up dropping the tea cup to the ground, breaking on impact. She said nothing and ran in the direction of the front of the house. Kenshin stood up and followed her, knowing he didn't need to recall what happened a few days ago the hard way.
Setsuna tripped on her own feet and fell onto the floor of the wrap around proch. "Setsuna-dono, daijoubu?"
She reached into the back of her obi and pulled out a dagger, slashing wildly at Kenshin. "It's your fault! You made him deny me and my Mother!" She slashed at him again cutting the fabric of his kimono. He dogged the next slash, only to see that the fogginess in her eyes was clearing up and her movements were becoming more fluid. She knew what she was doing know and her true talents were showing themselves.
Kenshin didn't understand what was happening, but that didn't matter right now. He needed to get the dagger from her and have her calm down. Lord knows what she would have done if Kaoru was awake. Possibly attack her? Kenshin observed her movements, dogged, then grabbed her by the elbow, twisting her arm around to her back. "Drop the dagger Setusna!"
She dropped it without hesitation and fell into heap on the ground sobbing, and shaking like a lost soul. She looked up with him with confusion, hurt and regret in her eyes. "Gomen..." She got up and ran again, heading towards the gates of the dojo. Kenshin was too quick for her in the condition she was in, and tackled her to the ground.
"Setsuna, please, what's going on?!"
She looked into his eyes, "My Father...he had been the head of underground thing during the war. I found out that he had an assassin working for him. Although, I never knew who that man really was."
"What was your Fathers name?"
"Choshu, Katsura desu."
Kenshins face paled, and his mouth dropped open. He hadn't hear anyone say that name in over fifteen years.
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Wow, have I eveer had a bad case of writters block. I hope you guys are enjoying the story. Hopefully I can keep the chapters going now that I've got a few ideas to play with. Leave reviews or ideas. They are always welcome. I'm sorry to keep my readers in suspense for so long. I feel so horrid about that. Well, I am going to try and get the next chapter out much soon then this one. 'Till then, Ja na!