The Inevitable

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

'......' signals thoughts

hey, minna-san! Me is back with another chapter! oh and I decided to use ArchAngel Of Fire's suggestion (but perhaps in a different way than you thought) enjoy!

Chapter 5: Return of an Old Friends

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Soujirou trotted down the path doing a very un-Soujirou like thing. He was whistling. Why? Well, the answer was quite simple. He was giving Misao a visit! That is, if she was back yet. But if she wasn't. Shinomori-san might get mad again and he would leave immediately. But is she was there, then he would stay a few days and take his leave, imposing on the Oni's was not a very wise thing to do. But no matter! It shouldn't take more than a few weeks to reach Kyoto, eh?

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"Misao-chan!" Omasu called.

Misao sighed inwardly. She and Aoshi had not told anyone about the Tanabata yet, not even Okina, but somehow Okon had found out and well, once Okon knew, everyone knew. And she had been hoping to keep it between them until she wanted to tell others.

"You're going to the Tanabata with Aoshi-san!"

"So I hear," Misao remarked dryly.

"We have to find you a kimono!" Omasu rambled on, ignoring Misao's comment.

"I already have one"

"It has to be red-no! orange-no wait. . .green!! yea, green, it must green. And with a flowery design stitched into the sleeves . . ."

"I already have a kimono, Omasu." Misao said, a little louder.

"The obi, it must be light, very very light. wait no, dark, very very dark. Black? no, no, no, how about pale blue?"

"Omasu"

"Yes, Misao-chan?"

"I. Already. Have. A. Kimono." Misao said, slowly stressing each and every word, wishing that Omasu would get the point. "And besides, there's still two months until Tanabata!"

"But don't you want to look especially nice for Aoshi-san? hmm. . .?" she questioned.

"Not really," Misao muttered in response.

"Of course, you do!" Omasu answered her own question, again ignoring Misao's answer. "So, it's my duty to help!?"

"I'd rather you not." Misao said, but of course, Omasu ignored it. Again.

"We have to go shopping! oh! and let's get Okon, too!!"

Misao sighed, yet again. It would, undoubtedly, be a long day.

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"This way please." Aoshi guided a couple to a vacant table in the Aoiya. He usually didn't do this kind of thing. He handled the Aoiya's internal affairs, but with the three women gone, the four men had to compensate.

Aoshi pitied Misao. Okon and Omasu had, yet again, kidnapped her in order to search for a suitable kimono. He shook his head. Poor Misao, the tenth time this month.

Did it really take this long to find a kimono? Aoshi suspected that the two older onmitsu just wanted to sneak a visit to Hiko's hut and innocent Misao was dragged along as an excuse to take the days off.

But either way, it didn't matter to him, at least no one was bugging him, yet. And that was all that mattered. The Tanabata was in a little over a month and he was sure that nothing was ruin his plan.

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It was nearing noon. He walked into the Aoiya and looked around, as if looking for someone. Okina spotted him and went over to greet him. "Welcome to the Aoiya! Is there something I can help you with?"

"Ah-yes! I'm looking for Misao. Is she here?" He was not in a very good mood. it had taken him two extra weeks to get to Kyoto because of some wrong turn he made. But all that mattered now was that he was at his destination and he would soon get to see Misao, well hopefully.

Okina had not seen Misao since the morning, but perhaps Aoshi would know. So he called him over.

Aoshi strode over and did not recognize the smiling guest until he got close. "Go on Okina, I'll take care of it." and so Okina left. He turned back to the visitor. "Looking for Misao again?" he asked icily.

He nodded vigorously. "Yes, I am. Have you added mind reading to your long list of abilities, Shinomori-san?"

"Leave Tenken, Misao doesn't need you."

"So, she's back." Soujirou's smile instantly widened. "Well, perhaps, you better let Misao decide if she wants me here or not."

"She doesn't want you here."

"I find it difficult to believe that you should know that." He said with a placid smile on. "How are you so sure that she would choose you over myself?"

"How do you know she hasn't already?"

Soujirou laughed. "It doesn't matter to me who she chooses. I'm just here for a pit stop, to see Misao. I'll be gone within a week."

"You'll be gone by the end of the day." Aoshi almost growled.

"That will be for Misao to decide." Soujirou responded, trying to keep his pleasant face intact.

"We'll just see about that." he replied shortly. And then he promptly left.

"Yes we will." Soujirou said to no one in particular. And then he too left.

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"I'm going back to the Aoiya."

"but Misao! we just got here!" Omasu pleaded with her. "Please stay, just for today. We'll leave soon.

"Yeah, well, your 'soon' isn't soon enough for me!" Misao turned to leave. "If I'm lucky I'll be back by noon or one. "It was around 10, Okon and Omasu had risen at sunrise to go for some 'fun-filled kimono shopping' 'Yeah right, kimono shopping, my ass.' The pair dragged her to Hiko's hut and Misao wasn't about to stay, again.

It was a little past noon when Misao saw the Aoiya come into view. She was about to walk in when she heard some people talking.

"Leave Tenken, Misao doesn't need you." It was Aoshi. When would he stopped treating her as a child? Wait! Tenken! That was Sou-chan! He came to visit. Misao smiled slightly.

"So, she's back. Well, perhaps you better let Misao decide if she wants me here or not." Of course she wanted him there! She was sure Aoshi knew too.

"She doesn't want you here." Her smile disappeared. 'There he goes, making decisions for me again.'

"I find it difficult to believe that you should know that." She snorted. He doesn't know. "How are you so sure that she would choose you over me?" Ha! If she had to choose, she's say neither!

"How do you know she hasn't already?" She sighed. "Just because I'm going to the Tanabata with him, doesn't mean that I'm marrying him!'

"It doesn't matter to me who she chooses. I'm just here for a pit stop, to see Misao. I'll be gone within a week." Misao decided that she would persuade Soujirou to stay longer.

"You'll be gone by the end of the day." 'He. Will. NOT. How dare he! Sou-chan was a friend, and a very good one at that too!'

"That will be for Misao to decide." It better be! Because it seems like every else was making decisions for her.

"We'll just see about that." she heard soft footsteps fade out.

"Yes we will." And the door to the Aoiya opened.

Misao stood in front of him with her hands on her hips. "I can't you believe you Seta Soujirou!"

Soujirou blinked, taking in the sight before him.

"You would talk to Aoshi-sama, before me?"

"Ah-gomen, Misao. You were not there"

"Bad excuse, Sou-chan." she said before engulfing him in a hug that resembled one of a boa constrictor.

"Let's go for a walk," Soujirou suggested after taking a few big gulps of air.

After they had walked in a companionable silence for awhile, he asked. "So how have you been, Misao?"

"What? No Mi-chan?" she asked, teasingly

"I am far too old to call you 'Mi-chan' and you, my dear, are far too old to be called 'Mi-chan'" He laughed out.

"'far too old'?"Miso raised an eyebrow. "Just say you'd rather call me Misao, instead."

"alright, alright. I'd rather call you Misao, Misao." he said, ending that part of the conversation.

"So," she started. "I cut my hair."

"I noticed!" he exclaimed. "Why did you do that? Your hair was so beautiful"

"It was time for a change." she said simply.

"Like a change in a relationship?" he questioned. "like with a certain tall, dark-haired, ninja?"

"Aoshi-sama? What does he have to do with this?"

"He seems to care very much about you."

"He treats me like a child." she spat out.

"He loves you."

"He doesn't not." she bit out. "And anyway, I'm not looking for love. Look what it did to me when I thought I loved him. Can you ever wonder what it would do to him if I really loved him?"

"But love can be magical." Soujirou said, in an attempt to warn up Misao's icy heart.

"But magic is only an illusion." she replied softly. "And you know as well as I, I hate things that aren't what they seem"

Soujirou only laughed. "My, you certainly have turned cynical, Misao, what happened to the fun carefree girl I once knew?"

"She died and a new girl took her place" she whispered. "or you could say that she grew up."

"You almost seemed the same at first, perhaps, she was only buried deep inside, frozen by time."

"Think what you want, but she is long gone."

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A/N: Well, Sou-chan's back, how long, I'm not exactly sure yet. oh yes, and if anyone is wondering why Aoshi didn't sense Misao when she was listening in. she simply masked her ki. hope you enjoyed this chapter, I sure did. ^^

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