The Inevitable

Disclaimer! Rurouni Kenshin doesn't belong to me, but to Nobuhiro Watsuki. Darn, maybe some day ^_^x

'......' signals thoughts

hey, minna-san! Thanks for all the reviews I received. I do realize that there are many Misao-goes-away- and-comes-back-different stories, but what I have planned for this story is different than the ones I have read. And hopefully, different than the ones you have read as well.

Chapter 2: Explanations

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"Misao, you can't keep hiding from me."

Misao sighed. It was a sigh of exasperation and defeat. Two days. Two days she had been avoiding Aoshi and telling tales of her wanderings. It was actually much harder avoiding Aoshi than it was five years ago. Five years was a long time and during those long five years, Aoshi stopped going to the temple. He had realized that it was his salvation and he began to help around the Aoiya more often. When he was not helping out, he was training.

For the past two says, where Aoshi was, Misao wasn't. She kept to herself and most of the time trained, sharpening the skills she had acquired throughout her trip. She had learned to sense ki, her speed had increased greatly, as well as her aim. It had improved so much that she could hit a moving target almost every time.

And yet, all her training failed her when she realized that she was being watched. At least for ten minutes, and she was being watched by none other than Aoshi. Using all her speed and strength, she hurled all her kunai toward him. Deftly, Aoshi dodged and deflected her kunai, but not without earning a few cuts.

"You've improved." he said, in a conversational tone.

"You're more talkative than I remember." Misao retorted.

"Five years is a long time. Many things have happened and changed while you were gone." Aoshi replied.

"And yet one thing will remain the same. You will still treat me as if I were a child, needing your protection. Well, I'm sorry to tell you, but I'm not a a little girl anymore, and I don't need your protection. And until you realize that, I had no desire to talk with you." Misao turned and started to stalk out of the training hall.

She heard Aoshi's voice as she stepped out. "Well then, would you care to tell me why Seta Soujirou came a year and a half ago, asking for you?"

Misao froze in mid-step.

"You heard me correctly. Seta Soujirou. Tenken no Soujirou."

--Flashback--

Misao walked down the streets of Yokohama when she saw a patch of familiar dark hair. Who it belonged to she couldn't quite yet say. She followed him for awhile, trying to grasp who it was.

"Hey!! You!! Matte!!"

He turned around and waited for Misao to run up. "Gomen, have we met?" he asked.

Misao gasped. "You're Seta Soujirou! Tenken no Soujirou! Shishio's former right hand man! I knew I recognized you!"

Soujirou frowned for a moment. "I'm afraid you have the wrong person"

"Don't lie to me, Seta. Do you not recognize the Okashira of the Oniwanbanshuu?" Her ocean blue eyes had fire raging in them. He scrutinized her for a minute before answering.

"Ah! Makimachi-san! Now I recognize you! Forgive me for not knowing sooner. it has been over five years since we last met. What are you doing in Yokohama?"

"Just passing by."

"Really? Where are you headed to?" Soujirou smiled.

"Nowhere in particular."

"Ah, so you are wandering, too?"

"Hai. I'm trying to . . . find myself . . . and . . . forget . . . some things." Misao said, a bit slowly.

"I see. Well, seeing as how I am also wandering what would you say to a traveling companion?"

"A . . . traveling companion?" Misao repeated with uncertainty.

"Yes, You and me. Last time we met, I'm afraid we were not on the best terms. perhaps we could get to know each other better?" He answered hopefully.

Misao smiled. "Sure" She stuck out her hand. "Makimachi Misao, pleasure meeting you."

Soujirou returned her smile, glad that she had accepted his proposal. He took a firm hold her hand. "Seta Soujirou, the pleasure's all mine, Makimachi-san"

Misao giggled. "Call me Misao Seta-san."

"Then you must call me Soujirou." he replied

"That can be arranged" And the two walked off together, chatting, starting a stronger friendship

--End Flashback--

"During the second year of my wandering, I bumped into Soujirou in Yokohama and we traveled together for awhile."

"I see." Aoshi frowned.

"Is there anything else you'd like to know, Aoshi-sama?" 'Yes, would you care to pry into my life even more?' Misao added in her mind. She wished he was just back off already. Her whole life she had fantasized about him finally carrying on a conversation with her. However, it was different now. The memories she had with Soujirou were personal, and she would give Aoshi the quickie version.

"How long did you travel together?"

"A little over a year"

--Flashback--

Misao and Soujirou had been traveling together for eight months now. The had in the span of three months, forgotten their past differences and become the best of friends. Misao called Soujirou 'Sou-chan' while Soujirou called Misao 'Mi-chan'.

In their fifth month of wandering together they posed as newlyweds and got a free night at an inn.

"Oh, Sou-chan," Misao said as they were leaving the town. "we shouldn't have done that. It's not nice to cheat people."

"But Mi-chan, it's not our fault she thought we were newlyweds. we were going to ask to work there for awhile, you know? So the fault is not ours." Soujirou replied with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"You're so bad!" Misao teased, punching him lightly in the arm.

"I know." he laughed.

They went from town to town, working various places for a few weeks, sleeping in forest clearings, talking the night away, as if they had known each other for the bulk of their lives.

"You make such a cute couple." one lady had said to them while they were purchasing some things to eat.

"Oh no, we're no-" Misao started while blushing a pretty shade of pink.

"Thanks you." Soujirou said, while leading Misao away, leaving her wondering, 'what made him say that?'

--End Flashback--

"And why did you separate?"

Misao sighed. She knew that he would ask that question sooner or later.

--Flashback--

By the time the ninth month rolled by, Soujirou had fallen in love with Misao. Her easy-going attitude, her perkiness, her cheerfulness, her general optimistic out look of life. Anything she wanted, he would give to her, although unknown to Misao. Misao wanted to be able to sense and use ki, so Soujirou taught her. And when she had mastered the basics, she thanked him with a kiss on the cheek. And Soujirou in turn had blushed ten shades of red.

Fourteen months had passed since they started traveling together.

Soujirou watched as Misao bounced down the road. She stopped when she realized that Soujirou had stopped and was watching her.

"Sou-chan! We're not going to be able to cover much ground if you're always staring at me!" She scolded lightly. "C'mon!" she waved her arm and gave him a bright smile.

She turned and walked slowly waiting for him to catch up.

She heard Soujirou call her, still not yet moving. "Mi-chan?"

"Yes, Sou-chan?"

"Marry me . . ."

Misao froze in her track. "M...m...marry? ... you?" She repeated in disbelief.

"I love you, Mi-chan." Soujirou was next to her in an instant and took her hand. "Please marry me."

"Sou-chan...I don't know what to say....."

"Say yes, tell me you'll marry me." he pleaded.

"I....I...." she stopped, tears welling up in her eyes. "I...can't...I just can't" And tears fell, hitting the ground, herself, and Soujirou.

"It's Shinomori-san, is it not?" he said softly. There was no trace of disgust, anger or hate, just a voice of sadness and comfort.

Fighting back more tears, she nodded slightly. "I'm sorry, Sou-chan. I left on this journey, trying to forget him, but I can't, I just can't. I realized that I truly do"

"love him?" he finished quietly.

She nodded again. "Sou-chan, it's time that I wander alone again. I have to find myself, get stronger, and I want to do that by myself."

"But Mi-chan..." he protested.

"I just can't travel with you anymore...not after this...." she trailed off. "But promise me, that you'll come to the Aoiya to see me. I don't know when I'll be back, but I don't want to never see you again."

"Of course."

Misao hugged him. "It's been the best year of my life, thanks for everything."

"It was nothing, nothing at all."

Misao pressed a kiss to his lips. "Goodbye, Sou-chan...." and walked quietly away from him.

--End Flashback--

"He asked me to marry him, but I declined and we parted ways after. I told him to come and visit the Aoiya sometime."

"I see." Aoshi paused for a moment. "And why did you reject his offer?"

Misao's anger flared. 'How dare he ignore me for all these years and then come waltzing back into my life, like nothing happened! I don't care that even though I do love, he can't just ask me questions like that!! questions with answers that should only be kept to me!'

"How dare you!! Those are personal matter which do not concern you!" And with that she stomped out of the training hall.

Aoshi watched the angry Misao stomp out and smiled. It was finally nice to see the old Misao back, even if it was an angry Misao. But an angry Misao is better than an emotionless Misao. He would lure her out of the shell and the barriers she had built within the past few years. And when he finally did, he would propose, but would Misao accept or reject the offer?

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A/N: The flashbacks that Misao has have no relevance to what Aoshi knows. The only information that was given to him was what Misao said. The flashbacks are just memories. Just to clear up any possible confusion. I hope you liked this chapter. sorry to Sou/Misao fans.

Next chapter coming soon! PLEASE REVIEW!!