A/N: Oh dear. Look at this Doverai. We appear to have missed several long months of updates. I would get into why, but I'd only be whining. . Eh. I was grounded. Have been for a long time…I actually wrote this months ago. 0.0

I started watching Full-Metal Alchemist…so keep an eye out for a fanfic. –grin- Yeah, like I don't have enough. . I've also seen both Inuyasha movies. - My boyfriend bought me the second one. It was nifty. And my friend Michelle allowed me to borrow the other.

Uh…I won an essay contest for Teen Zone at my library and they redecorated my entire room, so now it's totally Oriental-themed. I'll have to put some pictures up on my website.

In other news…I watched Kenshin tonight (Finally! it's been –far– too long) and I feel inspired.

Solace

A Vulnerable Moment

"If we shadows have offended, think but this and all is mended.

That you have but slumbered here…whilst these visions did appear…"

-Puck, A Midsummer Night's Dream

"Sano!" The exhubarant cry that assaulted his ears made the fighter flinch. He was already busily engaged in an early hang-over. Not wanting to alarm his friends, Sano had decided to lie about everything. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), Sano needed to be tipsy to really lie convincingly. "Where were you?" Asked the frenetic (albeit shrill) voice of a worried (and loud) Kaoru as she finally released her deathgrip of his waist.

Sanosuke paused for a moment to regain his breath, and then shrugged carelessly. "I went to a bar. Hung out with some 'ole friends, floored 'em with details of my lovely ex-charge, and got sort of drunk." 'I am good at this' Sano decided, amused. Part lie, part flattery, part obvious truth; the story was convincing to even him.

"Oh." Kaoru replied in a much quieter tone. Sano knew she wasn't feeling any pity for the beginning of a hangover that was causing his skull to throb, but had decided not to make him suffer any more. He was grateful for her decision.

"Yeah." Sano was also not exactly in the most chatty mood he'd ever been in, either.

It got worse when his stomach began to roil. Kaoru caught the deathly pale pallour that his skin took on just in time to drag him to the bathroom.

For the next hour and a half, Sanosuke Sagara paid tribute to the porcelain god. When he was done, Sano found Kaoru waiting at the door. She helped him to bed, where she'd turned down the sheets and closed the drapes. The dark-haired young lady then helped Sano into bed, forced him to take a drink of water, and tucked him in.

Patting him fondly atop the head, she vacated the room and Sano was asleep in minutes.

An unexpected influence caused the fighter to awaken. The sounds of screaming, objects breaking, and cries of pain. He sat up, startled, and struggled from his sheets.

Stumbling to the door of his room, Sano yanked it open and readied himself for a fight.

No amount of steeling could have prepared him for what he saw.

Kaoru and Soujiro were hunched over, faces pale and eyes bleary. Kenshin was watching both with clenched teeth, his eyes hard and his fists balled tightly.

Staring from Kenshin's white knuckles to the look on Soujiro's face, Sano slumped against the door jamb as Kaoru shrieked in fury once again. Kenshin executed an x-x-triple-square-R1 move that Sano had never seen performed and his fighter went crazy, executing the two other characters.

"No fair!" Kaoru whined irritably, lunging to her feet and throwing her controller down, pitching a tantrum.

Soujiro laughed, placing his down and working his thumbs gingerly. "So goes the game – when one plays against someone like Kenshin, one is gonna lose."

"That one is." Kenshin laughed, turning his eyes toward Sano. "Tylenol and water in the kitchen."

Sano chuckled and rolled his eyes, drifting into the kitchen and one-upping Kenshin. Instead of Tylenol, he popped a few Ibuprofen and then downed water. This achieved, he reentered the room.

"You. Me. Mortal Kombat." Sano challanged Kenshin.

The swordsman quirked and eyebrow and smirked. "You wanna just pay up now?"

"Nope." Sano shot back, flopping to the ground and nabbing Kaoru's abandoned controller.

"Winner…?" Kenshin inquired as he tossed the container with Mortal Kombat to Soujiro, who popped it into the playstation.

"Buys dinner at the Akabeko tonight."

"How can you be hungry?" Kaoru wondered. Sano ignored her, as he was too busy involving himself in a playful insult-match with Kenshin over skills.

Either Sano had more skill with a controller than he cared to share, or Kenshin let him win…but somehow Kenshin found himself pouting as he was shoved out the door of the apartment.

"This bites." Kenshin mentioned off-handedly as he continued to pout, watching Sano drive and Kaoru pout next to him in the back seat. Soujiro appeared pityless.

Dinner was uneventful – they ate, Kenshin paid, conversation occurred. Nothing really ground-breaking occurred until they left the resturant.

In the middle of the trek back to the car, six black-clothed men seemed to materalize around the quartet. "You are freaking kidding me." Sano snarled, "Who sent you?"

"Nobuhiro, Watsuki." Replied a gravelly voice.

"Watsuki?" Kenshin replied, wide-eyed.

"Yes. He wishes for the liquidation of those who know too much. You, and your group top the list currently. Die."

With no more chatter, they were attacked.

Kaoru froze, trying to figure out what she wanted to do. Sano broke the nose of his attacker, Soujiro knocked his attacker out, and pulled his sword free. "Kenshin!" He called, tossing it to the barely-defending fighter.

Kenshin caught the blade, and moved to swing it…only to give a throaty shout of pain and drop the blade, clutching his arm to his chest and narrowly avoiding another strike. Startled, Soujiro dove into the fray and snatched up the abandoned blade, slashing at the two attacking Kenshin.

The sword took both across the chest and dropped them – not dead, only in some intense pain.

The final two attackers had Kaoru, her arms pinned. Usually she'd be fine with this. Kenshin would save her. But Kenshin was incapacitated and she was pissed off. It took her thirteen seconds to lay both men flat, where they were going to stay for a while.

"Kenshin?" Kaoru scampered to her fiance's side, reaching out. "What's wrong?"

"My arm." Kenshin hissed. "As soon as I got a grip on the sword, I felt blinding pain." He stared up at her, his eyes terrified. She didn't see that look much. "I cannot hold a sword. I think I may have damaged nerves during that…thing." Kaoru swallowed hard. She knew what this meant.

Kenshin was defenseless.

Feeling considerably less sure of themselves, the group returned to the apartment. The last thing that they expected upon entrance was to find Yahiko sitting in the living room, his head down and his wrists a frightening red.

Kenshin frowned, and nodded to his companions. "Go into your rooms. I'll handle this." The three nodded and did as was requested – Kaoru went into her room to go to bed, Soujiro sat playing his guitar quietly, and Sano watched television.

"What's on your mind, Yahiko?" Kenshin inquired, seating himself next to the distraught boy.

Yahiko looked up, his eyes dark. "It's my fault."

"What is?" Kenshin pressed gently.

"The men. I told Watsuki where you were going."

"How did you know?" Yahiko shook his head, obviously not wanting to answer that. Kenshin let it slide. "Well, it's not all that bad."

"I almost got you all killed! Kaoru and you both risked your lives to save me and I went and tried to get the whole group of you killed! I was supposed to live here and be safe but Watsuki found me and threatened my sister and I had nothing else to do so I just went along with it, said I was moving in with Megumi, and left you all. I didn't want to!"

"Sister?" Kenshin inquired sharply, latching on to that bit of information.

Yahiko dropped his head once more and nodded. "My sister Kashmir."

Kenshin frowned, "Where is she?"

"Watsuki has her prisoner, he said she's at Koshijirou Kamiya's mansion." Kenshin stiffened and sighed. He knew he should have finished that man off when he had the chance. The first miss had been a once-in-a-lifetime event.

"Then we'll get her back."

"You can't hold a sword." Came a quiet comment from behind Kenshin. He turned, frowning. Kaoru stood in her door-jamb, leaning against it tiredly. Obviously she'd been in bed listening.

"Go back to bed." Kenshin ordered sharply.

Kaoru gave him an icy glare and came to his side, shaking her head. "You can't. What are you going to do about that?"

Kenshin shrugged and held up his left hand. "I trained for a Wakizashi with this hand. It's not as powerful as a Katana and not as long and I'm not as good with it, but I can still out-do most of the men in Watsuki's employ."

"What are we talkin' about here?" Yahiko wondered cautiously.

"Heading in to rescue Kashmir, of course." Kaoru replied brightly.

"Why?" Yahiko whispered.

"Why not? She's your sister and you're our friend."

Yahiko stared at them for a long moment, and his eyes filled with tears. He scrubbed at them in vein, and Kenshin sat beside him, dropping his arm companionably across the young boy's shoulders. "Where did you get the bruises?" He inquired.

"Watsuki's men had me tied up 'cause I was coming here to warn you and they didn't want me to. But I got free and came…but I was too late."

"You thought six men could take us?" Sano wondered from his own door. "You gotta be kidding. When're we leavin', Kenshin?"

"Tommorrow evening. I need some time to work out the kinks in my left arm. Figure out what attacks I can use with the Wakizashi."

"A Wakizashi can do more than you think, Mr. Himura." Soujiro mentioned from his door.

Kenshin rolled his eyes. "Why did you three even bother pretending to follow my orders?"

"We thought we'd let you feel better about yourself." Sano offered.

Kenshin grumbled to himself. When had he turned from the most feared man in the room to the man who everyone 'pretended' to listen to, so as to preserve his tender 'feelings'?

When you stopped being Battousai and started being a wuss.

Shut up.

Very well.

Kenshin patted Yahiko atop the head, traversed to the linen closet in the bathroom, took a pillow from his bed, and dropped the pile of sheets with a pillow on top on Yahiko's lap. "You can use the couch for now, we'll find you a new arrangement once we rescue Kashmir."

"What about the bunk beds?" Soujiro wondered faintly.

"With all the stuff you've piled on there? It'd take all night to find the mattress. Let the kid sleep and then make him clear himself a space on the bed." Soujiro stuck his tongue out and vanished into his room to pout.

Sano laughed himself back behind his door, and Kaoru pecked Kenshin on the cheek and vanished from the room.

"I'll be up at six." Kenshin mentioned to Yahiko as he turned toward his room, "Then you can go sleep in my room – I need the livingroom." The boy nodded, eyes wide, and watched his hero vanish from sight.

The next morning, at exactly six in the morning, Kenshin exited his room and gently sent Yahiko packing. The boy grumbled into Kenshin's bed and was asleep in an instant. Kenshin closed the door and settled his Wakizashi against his right hip.

Feeling uncertain, he gripped the hilt. His left wrist patiently bent as ordered, and waited for what was next. Feeling silly for having thought both arm were useless, Kenshin whipped his sword from its sheath in a Battou-Jutsu.

That went well, and he swiftly moved into a simple warm-up form he'd created exclusively for his Wakizashi. Upon completion, Kenshin was pleased to find that thus far everything was going very well.

That all changed when he tried to use an attack. The usual 'Tsu-Ryu-Sen' was first, and to his shock it didn't happen. Flat-out did not. The blade moved, but the attack didn't wholly occur.

Disgusted, Kenshin tried a few more attacks, before desperately attempting a Ku-Zu-Ryu-Sen and Ammakakeru-Ryu-No-Hirameki. Both attacks failed miserably. Again, the blade moved – as did he – but the attack itself did not occur.

"Oh … crap." There was no more intelligent response than that. The attacks that Kenshin had grown comfortable with using had been created for someonethat was right-handed and wielding a Katana. Given that he couldn't grip a hilt with his dominant hand and was using a Wakizashi – which was smaller than the usual Katana – Kenshin had nothing to work with.

Frustrated, Kenshin moved to just slashing at the air, taking his anger out through brute strength, just hacking at nothingness.

"Your finesse is gone," Observed a faint voice. Startled, Kenshin turned to glare at Kaoru, obviously very grumpy. She smiled at him and strode forward, standing on her tip-toes to place a butterfly kiss on his cheek. "You're just swinging randomly. You look like me trying to attack someone with a broadsword."

"My attacks are not formatted for a Wakizashi. Nor are they created for a left-handed fighter."

"Ah." Kaoru tilted her head and quirked an eyebrow. "Can you change them?"

"The Hiten Mitsurugi style is hundreds of years old. I cannot just change the attacks at whim! It took years for the attacks to be created in the first place!" Kenshin cried, aghast.

"True, years for them to be created… but they're already created – right? So now you just need to edit them a bit."

"And how do you suggest I do that?" Kenshin snipped, obviously still stinging from the fact that he couldn't use his style properly.

"Well…" Kaoru offered thoughtfully, gnawing on her bottom lip. "Can't you just…reverse it? Just flip the order that you move the attack in, and either reach more or draw nearer to the person you're attacking to make up for the length difference?"

Kenshin smacked himself on the forehead with the palm of his right hand. "Ye gods and little duckies, you're right!" It was so obvious – it had been right in front of him the whole time. But he'd gotten frustrated and lost his cool and therefore had been blind to the simple answer that Kaoru presented to his worries.

"I'm sure the duckies appreciate it." Kaoru smiled and yawned. Without another word she meandered back into her room and after a few moments was in bed and asleep.

Kenshin stared at her door for a little while, before turning. It was going to require some speedy re-self-training, but perhaps he could perfect a few attacks in time for the evening.

Kaoru had seen many imposing buildings in her twenty years – but Koshijirou's mansion took the cake.

After all…she'd lived there for fourteen years of her life.

For some reason, Kaoru hadn't connected Koshijirou and his mansion to her childhood, but standing with the group of people she'd come to trust implicitly Kaoru found herself facing the memories of a rather terrifying chapter in her childhood.

"You okay?" Kenshin murmured, his hand fluttering across her elbow for a moment. Kaoru nodded swiftly and forced a smile.

She wasn't going to let Koshijirou hurt her any more.

Kaoru could feel a presence in the back of her mind, but didn't know who it was. Rain…Rumor…Akuma…Kurei…none of them were particularly pleasing prospects. Rain was only a little child, Rumor was too … well, there was no description for her. And to top it all off, Akuma and Kurei were both blood-thirsty fiends who'd sooner kill Kenshin than marry him.

With these facts in mind, Kaoru firmly kept as much control as possible over herself and her others. She'd progressed relatively far in America – until Crystal's murder.

"Let's try to avoid slaughter." Kenshin murmured hopefully. Kaoru knew that he didn't want to risk letting Battousai out – which was a distinct possibility, the fact that he had one violet and one golden eye sung out the fact that Battousai was closer to the surface than anyone wanted to admit.

Kenshin's mini-temper-tantrum that morning proved that fact.

"Good plan." Sano agreed.

"Get in, get Kashmir, get out." Soujirou agreed. "Where did Yahiko say she was?"

"He didn't, really."

"She's probably in the basement." Kaoru muttered. Surprised glances were shot her way. "Fath- ahem - Koshijirou locked me in there sometimes. There are spiders and rats and funky things that go bump in the night. There are no windows, the bulb is broken, and there's a cot down there. Only one way in and one way out. It can only be locked and unlocked from the outside. It's an ideal place to keep a prisoner."

Frowns were sent her way – meant for Koshijirou.

But no one mentioned the fact, since Kaoru's knowledge was going to make the trek easier.

Through the side door (the same one Kenshin had used to glean Kaoru), down that hall, to the left, to the right, right, right, left, right, left, left, left, right, end of the hall.

Readying themselves for the labyrinth that was Koshijirou's mansion, the group entered with their collective weapons at ready.

The group reached the basement door in fifteen minutes flat. As soon as the four realized that they were at the end of the trek, they also knew that they'd been outsmarted.

It had been far too easy – Koshijirou had sent out more guards for the staged kidnapping than for his current prisoner.

Soujirou picked the lock, and Kaoru pushed the door open. "Kashmir?" The last thing that anyone expected was a response.

"Yes?"

"Are you a prisoner here?"

"Yes'm, I am."

"Would you like some help out?"

"I most certainly would, if it's not too much trouble." A girl appeared from the darkness, trundling up the stairs. She was thin – not stick-thin, but healthy looking. Her skin was olive-coloured, and her hair fell several inches past her shoulders in a straight black curtain. Her eyes were a mix between light green and brown, and she had a friendly smile on her face.

The ludicrous conversation continued – "I'm Kaoru Agarais, this is Kenshin Himura, that's Soujirou Seta, and Sanosuke Sagara is over there."

"I'm Kashmir Miyoujin." She shrugged, obviously completely content to wait for their next move.

The definition of placidity: Kashmir.

The foursome began to lead their new company away from the dark basement when the guards arrived.

As they had suspected – Watsuki had known they'd come for Kashmir.

Kenshin stepped forward to meet the first attacker, sweeping up with his sword to cut away his gun and punching him across the jaw. The guy dropped like a sack of potatoes.

Sanosuke took out three with a powerful left hook, right hook, left elbow combination. And to her own surprise, Kaoru took out two with two spinning snap-kicks. Soujirou brought down two of his own with his Wakizashi.

Kashmir didn't take any down, she was content to serenely watch.

"You want to help?" Kaoru inquired as she panted, flipping the man who'd had her in a choke-hold and kicking him across the temple to knock him out.

"I'm a pacifist. I don't fight." Kashmir replied and shrugged with a smile. Kaoru blinked at her, shrugged, and continued to wildly throw herself around.

Kenshin passed by his fiance every once and a while, making sure she was alive and uninjured.

Very swiftly, they were taking out the guards that had attacked. It took almost ten minutes, but the quartet brought down the sixteen men – only four of them at been carrying guns and had been taken down first. The other twelve stood no chance.

Kaoru grabbed Kashmir and yanked her behind them down the hall.

The five reached the door, burst through, and realized that they were free. Before joy could register, pain did.

Kaoru hissed, staring at her stomach. A dart.

Her eyes blurry, she stared up at Kenshin. He, too, had a dart. He hurried to her side, however, and caught her as her knees collasped. Kaoru tried to speak, but slurred. Kenshin set her down gently, and turned to glare at someone.

Kaoru couldn't see who it was, but she saw Kenshin jerk back as if another dart had hit him. Soujiro was beside her, his face ashen and slack. Sano was on his knees, two darts in his stomach. Kashmir was to her other side, a dart in the juncture of her throat and shoulder – the place that would spread the agent in the dart to the recipient's brain in the most speedy manner.

Kaoru numbly watched Kenshin sway and fall after a third dart. Sano dropped as well – after his fourth dosing. Everything was getting confusing. Dim. Lost. Dark. Falling.

Blackness.

"That's what we get for being compassionate." The angry mutterings of one angry Kenshin awoke Kaoru.

"Well, it's your fault. I didn't want to." He replied to himself. Kaoru dimly realized that he was arguing with Battousai.

"Lies! You said it would be fun."

"You didn't even use your sword!"

"I did too!"

"Once! To cut a weapon! No fun!"

"I don't want to hurt people!"

"Well, I do. And my needs and wants should be met."

"They were for about twenty years. I think it's my turn."

"You had your chance – you gave in to me."

"I was eight!"

"So? I want control."

"To do what? Alienate everyone? Hurt my fiance and make her flinch from me again? No thank you."

"But I want control." Battousai snipped plaintively.

"I have control, so you have to wait."

"You'll pay." Muttered a dark voice. After a second, Kenshin rose and traveled to Kaoru's side.

"Are you all right?" Inquired Kenshin's warm, concerned voice.

Kaoru yawned, still out-of-sorts. "Else?" Was all she could manage.

"Soujiro woke up but got bored and is now sleeping, Sano is still trying to shake the effects – he hasn't awoken yet, Kashmir is still asleep."

"You first? Me two?"

"Yes, I woke up first, but Soujirou woke up after me – remember? You're number three."

"Ah." Kaoru tried to roll over but couldn't quite achieve it, so she settled for mumbling to herself and closing her eyes.

Kenshin lifted her head, sat down, and placed her head on his lap. He patted her cheek, and then began to stroke her hair soothingly. Kaoru fell asleep in an instant, comfortable.

When Kaoru finally came to once more, she was pressed against a wall. When she glanced up, Kenshin's familiar crimson hair brushed against her cheeks. "Ken-?"

"Shhh." He cut her off sharply, and she fell silent with a confused noise. Kenshin reached back, patting her arm comfortingly and apologetically. His posture was stiff, defensive. Kaoru felt her heart rate beginning to speed up.

"Outta the way." Snarled a male voice that she didn't recognize. "We knocked yer out the first time'n we c'n do it 'gain."

"Not unless you have a different solution. Anyone with research skills knows that I build immunities far more swiftly than any other normal person." Dead silence. Obviously the man was feeling one-upped.

Kaoru peered through a convinient seperation between Kenshin's arm and torso – remembering when Shishio had attacked. Three men were standing in the doorway, armed to the teeth with their weapons out and trained.

Obviously they were not to kill – they'd have just shot Kenshin and been done with it. The guns were for self-defense.

Kaoru frowned – did Koshijirou want something? It only made sense – perhaps he was going to try to force her to give him her inheritence.

Well, gosh. She had nothing better to do with it. He could have it.

"One to the knee-cap should take you to the ground for a bit." Threatened the leader. Kaoru gnawed on her lower lip.

"Try it and-" Kaoru cut Kenshin off by gently tugging on his arm. He turned his attention to her.

"I'll go." She murmured, knowing that they obviously wanted her. Kenshin frowned. "He probably wants the money – he can have it."

"What about you?"

"I don't need money. And you have enough to let us live a middle-class lifestyle. Why do I need anything else?"

"What about our family?"

"Soujiro and Sano can deal."

"Not them. Any other family we may glean."

"But…oh." Kaoru shook her head, "We can't have children if we're dead." She pushed free of Kenshin and slipped by him, striding to the men in the doorway.

They glanced at her and Kenshin suspiciously, before seperating and letting her through. "Study?" She inquired. At a sharp nod, she began her trek to the study. Her memory of navigation in the house was returning speedily.

"Don't…" Kenshin pleaded faintly behind her, "Don't let him win." The door slammed and cut him off. But Kaoru knew that if at any instant he thought she needed him, he'd be out in an instant. Kenshin was letting them consider him a prisoner on a whim, to keep the others safe.

Now that she thought about it, only she and Kenshin had been in that room. Where had Sano, Soujirou, and Kashmir gotten to?

It turned out that she didn't have much time to worry about it – the door of the study loomed open before her. Stepping into the room, Kaoru was assaulted by dark mahogany, maple, oak, and birch everywhere she looked. Mahogany floors, maple panelling on the walls, a large oak desk, and the rest of the room decorated by multiple birch creations. The only non-wooden thing in the room beyond herself, Koshijrou, and his guards were the three black leather chairs.

Seated in the largest chair, behind the desk, Kaoru saw the man she'd called 'father' for so many years. She felt the world tilt, but tenaciously refused to show fear. She crossed her arms and stared him down, eyes cold and mouth pressed into a thin line.

Koshijirou quirked an eyebrow and waved to a chair. "Have a seat, Kaoru." She did as he said with defiant slowness, settling herself comfortably and then leveling her azure eyes in a cold glare. "Oh, why the dislike my darling?"

Kaoru blinked, shocked. He dared to ask? After a moment, Koshijirou snickered at her expression. "All right. Fine. I get that. But you still don't have to be so cold."

"…" Kaoru still didn't have a response.

"Fine. Pleasantries aside, sign this and I'll release you all." Kaoru accepted the document and pen. She lifted it up and began to read, gnawing on the pen.

After a moment, she began to cross out words, and then sentances, and then paragraphs.

"What are you doing?" Koshijirou snarled.

"Rumor is telling me that she doesn't like what this says. I don't argue with Rumor."

"…Rumor…?" Kaoru didn't reply, finishing the document and continuing to gnaw on the pen. And then she reached to sign it. Koshijirou leaned forward eagerly.

Kaoru pressed the pen down to sign away her inheritance, and froze.

"Stupid." Akuma snarled, "What's wrong with you?"

"What?" Kaoru inquired, shocked. She'd been sitting, with a pen…and was now floating in some sort of black void with no pen.

"You're going to sign away our last memory of mother and father so you can walk away from Koshijirou without a fight?"

"Yes. Sounds like what I was planning."

"I won't stand for it!" Snapped a new voice. Kaoru turned her eyes from Akuma to stare at the red-eyed version of herself. Kurei.

"You can't stop me."

"Technically, they can." Rumor offered absently, gnawing on her nails. Kaoru blinked and frowned.

"They can not!"

"Yes. We can. Silly." Giggled Rain. Kaoru had the funny realization that she was somewhat insane. But the feeling of uneasiness passed in a moment. So what? The others were there to protect her, and Kaoru would take that where she could get it.

"I just want to sign it and leave!"

"Did you not listen to the ninja-things last night?" Akuma hissed, advancing on Kaoru. She tried to back up, but couldn't figure out how to manuever in the void. "Nobuhiro wants you dead – signing the paper just makes the job easier. He's going to kill your brother, your lover, and the friend. And that girl you saved."

"He's not my lover." Kaoru muttered defensively as she blushed. Coughing, she continued, "And maybe-"

"No." Rumor snapped, "Akuma is right. And if you don't promise not to sign, we're going to lock you here and one of us is going to take control.

"No." Kaoru pleaded faintly. She didn't want to be locked alone in the darkness of the void. Even with others it was a terrifying place. She teetered unsteadily, as if she were going to fall from her existance, just fade away. She did very much want to not fade away.

"Well, then don't sign."

"But I want-"

"What about what we want, Kaoru?" Akuma inquired, her voice gentler. "We're here, too. Don't we get a say? There are more than one of you, and we all have our own selves. Rain, Rumor, Kurei, and myself…all four of us want you to refuse to sign. If need be, Kurei or I will fight you free. But it's a four-to-one vote and majority rules.

"But…" Kaoru paused, "Doesn't my vote count for more, since I'm the primary persona?"

"Nope." Rumor replied, "How do you know that you are the primary? What if Rain was, until she was eight, and then you took over and she was trapped in here with a child's mentality?"

Kaoru felt a chill rush along her spine. Kurei drifted closer, with a smile that was more terrifying that reassuring. "You are the primary. But you're not the only one here, Kaoru. We want our say to mean something now. We're tired of just being convinient."

"So…you really feel strongly, don't you?" Kaoru sighed, giving in. Receiving four identical nods, Kaoru conceded to her 'sisters'. "Very well. I promise not to sign."

"Kaoru?" Koshijirou inquired sharply. Kaoru dropped the pen and lunged to her feet.

"Sorry, Kosh. Majority rules – looks like I'm keeping my inheritance."

Rage purpled Koshijirou's face. Kaoru felt someone swing at her, and then everything went black.

The man gave a shout of pain, dropping to the ground and clutching his broken wrist. "Do not hit me." Kurei mocked with a faint giggle. "I do not like it." She kicked him, and turned to intercept another attack, swiftly breaking the man's jaw and dropping him.

"Kaoru-"

"You're not very good at this, are you old man?" Kurei laughed, "I'm Kurei. Perhaps you haven't met me…no, you haven't. But I feel like I know you. And I owe you something." She lunged for him.

"NO!" Kaoru screamed in the void. Rumor rubbed her left ear.

"What?"

"Don't let her!" Kaoru pleaded. She didn't like watching her body move, seeing through her eyes but having no control. "Don't let her hurt him!"

"Why not? We all want him dead."

"He's my father!"

"No he isn't, Kaoru, and you know it."

"But he raised-"

"Sanosuke Sagara practically raised you. Not him." Kaoru groaned in pitiable defeat. She wanted the blissful unconciousness that usually came with a switch – not what she was experiencing.

"Don't?" Rumor reached out and patted her shoulder.

"Relax, darling. She won't kill him." A pause, "I think."

A right hook, an uppercut, and a round-house kick followed by a haymaker elbow-strike to the jaw.

Koshijirou was not happy, and not concious. Kurei revelled for a moment in the spilled blood before turning and heading away, down the hall. Following her instincts, she found a door with the sounds of people behind it.

Unlocking it, she pulled the door open and saw Kaoru's – her? Older brother, Sanosuke, and some girl. Carelessly, she left the door and moved on to the next, unlocking it and releasing Kenshin.

"Did you sign it?" He inquired sharply, grabbing her arms. Kurei slipped free smoothly.

"No, Kaoru did not sign it. We had a talk with her." Kenshin blinked, and peered at her eyes for a moment.

No recognition lit his face. "You are…?"

"Kurei. I believe we met for a moment."

"Oh. Is Kaoru available?"

"Not right now. I like this freedom. Let's go." She turned and strode confidently down the halls. The group followed, confused but trusting.

Kurei led them out of the house with no incident, smoothly avoiding any guards that may have been walking by. Kenshin was reminded of his first venture into Kamiya mansion.

"We live here?" Kurei wondered, poking the walls. She'd been fascinated by everything on the drive home, and at the apartment apparently found the textures incredibly fun.

Kenshin nodded, and pointed. "Bathroom's over there. You have blood on you, might want to wash up. Before Kaoru comes back."

Kurei smiled and vanished into the room.

Kenshin flopped onto the couch, groaning. Kashmir watched everyone silently. Yahiko appeared quite suddenly at the door of Kenshin's room.

He stared around nervously, until his eyes locked onto Kashmir. He lit up like a candle, sprinting to his sister and tackling her in a hug.

Kenshin smiled at the display. He sort of liked 'helping' people. It was better than slaying them. Most people didn't grin when they were about to be murdered. And the few that did…well, Kenshin tried not to think about them.

"I don't like her." Sano offered, also flopping into a random seat. Soujiro nodded silent agreement, sitting as well.

The group sat in silence for a while, watching Yahiko chatter with Kashmir, who was as animated as him suddenly.

Kurei reappeared silently, drifting to a wall and leaning against it silently. She had Kaoru's hair pulled into a high bun now, obviously not liking the feel of hair on her throat or shoulders.

Kenshin thought the hairstyle looked nice. Of course, he said nothing.

Kurei frowned after a moment, tilting her head.

"What's wrong?" Sanosuke asked.

Kenshin already knew. He got to his feet, drifting into his bedroom and reappearing with his Katana in a left-handed grip. It was awkward, but would do for threatening. Hand-to-hand would do the rest, considering his speed.

"Someone is outside of the door."

The group tensed, Yahiko and Kashmir moving furthur from the closed wooden menace.

A few moments of dead silence followed.

At long last, a strong but cautious knock filled the apartment. The six blinked in confusion – an attacker knocking?

Kenshin leaned his sword against the wall and smoothly strolled to the door, hesitating and then pulling it open.

When the group realized exactly who they were faced with, dead silence filled the room as twelve stunned eyes stared at the visitor.

A/N:

And alas…a cliffhanger.

But this was eighteen pages long – c'mon, I really ran myself through the wringer to get a reasonable amount out to make up somewhat for my absence. Although the final chapter of "Chasing Methusulah" (So my spelling…sucks) is about eighty one pages long…since this isn't the final chapter, I don't think I need to worry 'bout that. - Yet. We'll see.

Again, I apologize for the wait.

Okay then, thank you all very much for reading – and to everyone who has reviewed: I owe you a huge thank you for all of your sweet words (mostly) and dedication to this series.

It's really not that good, so I'm pleased to know that some people find it amusing. If it makes me laugh, I consider it a success. If it makes someone else laugh, I consider it a work of art.

Farethewell, have lots of fun, and dance until the night is done.

With a little bit of Love and a lot of Angst,

Doverai