Author's Note: Oh my goodness, I am a terrible person. I need to update more! The shame, the shame! Happy Spring Break, however! I have quite a lovely tan, I must say. I have changed my policy on flamers just this once. Feel free to yell at me for my impertinence. And thank you, my dear Miss Buttknee, for your lovely sing-a-long. I plan to dedicate the next chapter to you, where I shall include another sing-a-long. I love you babe, but I do want my Xenosaga II game back. Seriously, I haven't even played it yet! GIVE IT BACK. Thank you.

-Soujiro-

Last night, after Misao-dono and I finished talking, she called everyone at the Aoiya together for an emergency meeting. Me, not being an official member of the Aoiya staff was not allowed to attend. It was weird, though. As they were all coming out of the kitchen, Misao-dono threw open the door and screamed, 'GOT YOU!' It scared me so badly that I fell over. Misao-dono was pretty embarrassed, actually. I guess she'd had some bad experiences with men and eavesdroppers. From the Kenshin-gumi, no less!

Everyone was acting strangely around me as they exited the kitchen, especially Misao-dono. Omasu kept shaking my hand and beaming at me. Even Okina would occasionally break into song and laugh ridiculously at me. The other members of the Oniwabanshu kept glancing warily at me and smiling hesitantly. I suppose by now they all knew I was.

Anyway, after about ten minutes of confusion, Misao-dono explained what the meeting had been about. It seemed that the members of the Aoiya had decided to let me stay here, provided I was willing to work in the Aoiya. I am quite grateful, and it seems a small price to pay for the kindness they've shown me. Everyone here at the Aoiya is quite willing to forgive me, a kindness that I will never be able to repay, not in a million years. I can't stop thanking them all.

"Misao-dono, I am eternally grateful. I can't ever thank you enough. I-"

"Soujiro?"

"Yes Misao-dono?"

"Shut up."

"Of course, Misao-dono."

The only one absolutely unwilling to forgive me is Aoshi-san. Later in the night during everyone's dinner he burst into the Aoiya, physically shaking in rage.

"Tenken! Get out! How dare you come back here?"

He whipped out his double kodachi and advanced toward me. My hand flew to the hilt of my sword, but too late I realized I hadn't asked for it back yet.

"WAIT!" Misao-dono surprised me by running up and placing her hands on my arm. I could feel heat rising in my face. It was a strange feeling, and I wondered what I was experiencing. Did I have a fever?

-Misao-

Uh-uh, no way was I gonna let Soujiro get away from me. I had so much work to do with him!

"WAIT!" I yelled at my Aoshi-sama. I grabbed Soujiro's arm and a strange look passed across his face for a split second, almost like his features weren't sure how to arrange themselves. What a weirdo. "Soujiro is a member of the Aoiya now! Aoshi-sama, meet our new janitor!"

Aoshi-sama's lower eyelid twitched. He wasn't going to let this go easily at all. I gazed into the eyes of my beloved. "Please, Aoshi-sama. Give him a chance. I believe Soujiro can change. Tell you what, if I can't change him you can do with him whatever you want."

Soujiro sweatdropped.

Aoshi-sama turned his attention to Soujiro. "Fine, Misao. I place the Tenken in your charge. But the Tenken knows he can't change, and the second you slip up, Seta…" Aoshi-sama brought the kodachi blade up to Soujiro's throat. "I will not let this go so easily, Tenken. You and I have a score to settle."

And with that, Aoshi-sama whipped around and stomped off toward his room. Wow, he really was angry.

Whatever, Aoshi-sama was too dramatic. "Come on Soujiro, I'll show you to your room."

Soujiro looked up at me in surprise, his clear blue eyes wide. I couldn't help looking back into them. They were a beautiful blue, just like Aoshi's but they held none of the coldness Aoshi's did. He really was just a kid. What had happened to him that motivated him to join Shishio? Soujiro put him hand on my shoulder and looked deeply into my eyes, leaning closely in to my face. The hair on the back of my neck stood up and I felt sick inside, but I couldn't seem to move away. "Misao-dono, do you really want me to stay here? I am still not sure that causing the discontent of Aoshi-san would be a good idea."

"What! Are you thinking of leaving again? Do you think I would have gone through all this trouble just to kick you out at the last minute! I DON'T THINK SO! Now come on, you can stay in our guest room. Did you know, it's the same room Kenshin stays in when he visits! Isn't that funny! I guess our little restaurant attracts all sorts of rurounis! HA HA HA HA HA!"

"Ara!" Soujiro squeaked as I dragged him down the hall. "Move yourself Tenken, I haven't got all night," I grumbled, irritated at having to push the little rurouni around everywhere, like an infant! "Can't you see how dark it is outside? I need my sleep, ya know! It's not easy, looking so beautiful all the time."

Soujiro muttered something under his breath as we reached his room.

"What was that!" I screamed at him, flinging open the door to his room. I picked him up over my head and flung him headfirst inside. "GET IN THERE BAKA!"

"ARA! Soujiro wailed. "I said yes, you are very pretty, Misao-donoooo!"

"Eh?" I blinked in confusion. I blushed and raised my hand behind my head in embarrassment. "EH heh heh, you're kidding right?"

Soujiro's face was completely blank as he looked me straight in the eye. "Yes, Misao-dono. I believe you are a very beautiful person. And also very strong. But I must know Misao-dono, do you plan on throwing me every time I compliment you?" He sighed. "I'm not so sure I will want to pay you anymore compliments if that is indeed the case."

I patted him lightly on the cheek. "Forget about it, Soujiro. I can see I have a lot of work to do with you."

Soujiro's features made that funny face again, like he didn't know what emotion he was supposed to be conveying. "What work, Misao-dono? Do you mean my job at the Aoiya?"

"SOU NO BAKA! Don't tell me you forgot already. Did you think I was joking when I said I would teach you to act like a normal human being? For example, what kind of weirdo are you? You keeping making weird faces at me."

Soujiro made the strange face AGAIN! "HA! See, that one! What's one your mind, Soujiro?"

His features tightened, but he decided to go with a warm smile to me. "It's nothing Misao-dono. I must just be tired." That little sneak.

I smiled evilly and got right in his face. "You just think you're safe from me, but just you wait. I'll deal with YOU tomorrow." With that being said, I spun around to the door.

EEK! I'd spun too fast and twisted my ankle in Soujiro's sleeve, him still being crouched on the floor. I wobbled for several tense seconds before crashing clumsily to the ground.

-Soujiro-

I saw the second Misao-dono turned that she was going to fall. Instinctively I braced myself to catch her before remembering what had happened last time I tried to save her from a fall. I ended up springing backward to avoid her at the same time my arms lurched out to catch her. The result was we both tumbled awkwardly together in a messy heap.

Misao-dono sputtered trying to detangle her hair from her face. I brushed the bangs from her eyes and realized I was lying almost on top of her. She was much, much too close. I leaned in closer to her face until our eyelashes were touching…

I jumped up nervously. Soujiro, what were you thinking. I expected her to get angry or yell at me, but she didn't say anything. When I happened to glance up at her face, she was looking at her feet and blushing like crazy. "Um, it's late, you should, er, get to sleep Misao-dono."

She ran her fingers through her short hair, still blushing. "Yeah, um, it's late. I'll be, uh, going now. Futon's in the closet." She ran so fast out of the room she almost tripped again.

I sighed and picked up the small hand mirror on the desk. Looking at my reflection, I saw a young smiling boy staring back at me, but his eyes were blank. I closed my own eyes and put the mirror back on the table. What was that I had seen in the mirror? It can't have been me. Picking up the mirror again, I studied the face. By now I was sure the face wasn't mine. I reached up to touch my face, and so did the picture in the mirror. The mirror-boy was completely emotionless. Emotionless and alone. Studying the mirror-boy further, I realized I saw nothing of myself in his face. I was nothing.

Suddenly angry, I threw the mirror at the wall.

"I AM NOTHING!"

My hands were shaking in rage. I hadn't felt angry since…

My mask of unfeeling dropped back onto my face as I thought of that day so many years ago. My hands stopped shaking, but I hardly felt at peace. An odd feeling was twisting in my gut, and I had the sudden urge to run to someone and tell them everything. About my past, my life with Shishio, about the strange effect these people had on me. Not just the members of the Aoiya, but a certain ninja girl…

I shook my head and pulled out the futon. It would be a long night. Misao-dono, what makes you so different?

-Misao-

Outside of Soujiro's room Misao shivered, an invisible breeze unsettling her nerves. She hadn't left since she shut the door to his room, and had heard everything. Now she was even more sure something had happened to Soujiro. Himura had even said Soujiro seemed plagued by unwelcome memories of his past.

Hesitantly I knocked on Soujiro's door. "Um, Soujiro? May I come in?"

The door whipped open suddenly and Soujiro stood facing me, his face completely blank of anything. I could feel tears rising in my throat, but I pushed them down.

"Soujiro I… I've changed my mind. If you want to talk to me now, I'll listen." I pushed my way into his room without really giving him a choice.

Soujiro let me in obligingly and closed the door gently behind me. I flinched a little bit when I saw the hand mirror, shattered beyond repair strewn across the floor. When I looked up at Soujiro questioningly, he turned away from me.

I made myself comfortable and sat down on the floor, motioning for Soujiro to do the same. He sat on the futon already spread on the floor and looked at me questioningly, his cute little head tilted to one side. For some reason when Soujiro looked at me, he always looked at me. That sounds weird, ne? When Aoshi-sama looked at me, it always seems like he's looking behind me. I'd have to do better to get Aoshi-sama to look at me, the person inside of me, not behind me.

Soujiro cleared his throat rather loudly. I jumped and focused on him apologetically. "Aa, sorry Soujiro. I was just thinking." I closed my eyes and tapped my fingers together. How could I say this…? I nodded once and spoke. "Soujiro… what do you think makes people the way they are?"

Soujiro's smile faltered for a split second, almost unnoticeable. His gave dropped away from me, and I couldn't help feel like my body lost some of its warmth when his gaze left mine. "Misao-dono, I'm not sure if any human being can answer that. I guess some people are just born the way they are. I'm not sure if they can help it."

I was more than a little shocked. "So, you think some people were just born evil?"

"And you think everyone was born good? Then how could there be any evil in the world, huh?" I was surprised at his harsh reaction to my words. I bit back tears before answering him. "Soujiro… we're all only human. Being human, we are an imperfect race, but we've been blessed with the capacity to do good."

He chuckled with no trace of humor. "Huh. Even me, Misao-dono?"

I smiled faintly, play-punching him in the arm. "Well, I don't know about that Soujiro. But don't worry, I'll make sure to find out if it takes me years. You won't be able to hide anything from me."

He didn't smile back, and I dropped my arm in defeat. Pushing myself up, I prepared to leave.

I stopped and turned slowly. Soujiro had grabbed me arm tightly and was staring at me in absolute pain. My heart dropped to my feet and lay in pieces around my ankles. Biting back tears, I crouched back down and held both his small rough hands in mine.

"Tell me everything."

Soujiro shuddered slightly, closed his eyes, and began to speak. Slowly and shy at first, but he soon picked up his pace and spoke as though reciting, his eyes still squeezed shut.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"My mother was a common women of the brothels who became pregnant with me after a fling with my father. So when my both my parents died when I was very young, my father's family took me in. At first when they accepted me into their house, I was grateful and thought they took me in for love.

I was wrong.

My father's family was a greedy bunch of people, as I quickly found out. It didn't take me long to realize that they had only accepted me because they were afraid of what other people would think. By the first day I found myself laboring with the paid workers in their rice business, except I would work longer and never be paid. I wouldn't really ever complain though, I was happy having someplace that would let me call it home, no matter how unfit a home it was.

One night when I was moving rice bales into the storage shed, the oldest of my cousins called out to me, obviously drunk with sake. I was five then. He came at me, cursing my existence and screaming at my inability to do is every bidding. After he yelled a bit, he drew out his wooden practice sword and began beating me. I was so scared and betrayed. This was my family. Why didn't they love me?

At first when they'd beat me, I'd cry or get upset. But after awhile, I got tired of groveling and just smiled when they'd beat me. This would confuse them, and they'd eventually leave me alone. My smile hasn't left my face since."

I sighed with a sense of relief. It was almost over. Misao-dono, you will hate me forever, but I want to share everything I am with you.

I cleared my throat and resumed. "One evening, my 'family' demanded I move one hundred bales of rice to the storage shed before I could sleep inside, so I had been spending the night in the shed. I was laying on the floor and then…"

I ground my face in my hands. I could still remember it perfectly, but it didn't help that my head was pounding louder than a crowd of western tourists.

"It was dark and still, a perfect night for someone like Shishio. When I heard the screams of the policemen as they were cut down, I was terrified. I ran out to investigate, and saw Shishio for the first time. He was bandaged from head to foot and seemed to glow cold blue flames from the inside out. I tried to sneak away, but… he advanced on me, his sword drawn. 'You saw me… now I have to kill you.'

"All of a sudden he lowered his sword. 'Does death really make you that happy?' I was smiling, a habit from being terrified. I was confused, but when Shishio demanded I provide him with food and a place to stay, I could hardly refuse. He frightened me, this man covered in bandages, and I remember asking him: 'Are you a good person, Shishio-san, or a bad person?'

'It's those Meji dogs who are the bad people. They're just interested in riches and power.'

'So you're a good person?'

He laughed. 'I wouldn't say that at all. I've killed a lot of people obeying their orders.' He then told me something I've never forgotten, something I had believed in almost my entire life since that day.

'Only the fittest survive in this world. The strong live, and the weak die.'

The weak, die? I'd never heard of anything like that before. Shishio-san then presented me with his wakizatshi sword, and told me that I could change and become stronger, so not to be weak anymore.

I wasn't really sure if I really wanted to be stronger. To cut a man with a sword… it was sure to be painful. I knew what it felt like to be beaten, and being sliced by a sword was certain to hurt even more. I just didn't want to inflict that pain on other people. Sure I was weak, but was that really such a bad thing? Was being weak all that bad? I figured I'd better return that sword to Shishio-san. I just was not strong like Shishio-san, and it didn't really bother me that much.

Unfortunately, my family wasn't very impressed with an escaped convict living on their land. Noticing the missing bandages, and the fact that there was a criminal with burns all over his body loose in the area, I guess they put two and two together and came to the conclusion that I was behind it.

I guess I never saw it coming. Sure, they had short tempers and liked their sake a bit too much, but I never thought they'd resort to murder. Unfortunately, that's exactly what they planned for me.

'You little brat! How could you do this to us after all we've done for you!'

'There's a violent criminal loose, remember? Maybe the police will even give us a reward for reporting his death.'

'He's only the bastard son of a whore. Nobody's going to miss him anyway.'

They were serious! They were going to kill me, and place the blame on Shishio-san! Lightning slashed through the sky and I screamed in panic, running blindly.

'Help me! Anybody! SHISHIO-SAN, HELP!'

He didn't come. Of course he didn't. Someone like Shishio-san would never help a weak child like me. I sprinted to the space under the rice shed where I'd hidden the wakizatshi Shishio-san had given me. My youngest cousin followed me, crawling on his hands and knees. I clutched the sword, trembling. 'What do you got there? Is that a sword? My, it looks expensive. Let's take a look…'

He slowly pulled the sword from its sheath, leering at me. Shishio-san's words came back to me.

Only the fittest survive in this world.

I gripped the handle of the sword, so tightly the bound leather cut into my palms.

'AYAAAAAGHhhh…'

Outside the rice shed, the rest of the family laughed. 'Was that Soujiro? What a pathetic scream. What else would you expect from a spineless bastard?'

I saw their faces as I pushed his dead body away from me. I saw as their faces changed from smug pleasure to horror as I raised the sword, dripping with blood in the rain. I can never forget how they died at my hand, begging for mercy that they never received.

Shishio-san watched me coldly as I stood numbly in the rain, sword now held limp and motionless at my side, drenched in the blood of my family. I tilted my head upward to receive the cool drops on my face.

'Soujiro… are you crying?'

I turned to Shishio-san with my frozen smile immobile on my face. 'No, Shishio-sama.'

He smiled cruelly back. Coming closer to me, Shishio-san beckoned for me to follow him and began walking.

'Shishio-sama… can I be stronger?'

'I will make you the strongest, Soujiro. Second only to myself.'

But in reality… I was crying. I haven't cried since, but I've always felt guilty, terribly guilty about everything I've ever done. But I've never been able to express anything to anyone, and I've never felt inclined to try. Everything is just too painful… I get a headache just remembering my past. I've never been able to talk to anyone about it at all. But you, Misao-dono… you're different."

-Misao-

I smiled through my tears. Soujiro, you've been through so much! My entire life I've always wished I could have at least met my family… but poor little Sou-chan!

Soujiro brushed a tear from my cheek. "I'm sorry Misao-dono. I'll understand if you never wish to speak to me again."

This only made me cry harder. "Sou-chan no baka! There's nothing wrong with wanting to atone for the crimes of your past! Why won't you let anyone become close to you?"

He blinked furiously. "Sou… chan?"

I smiled shyly. "Sou-chan, have you ever had anyone cry for you? Maybe all you needed was a friend." I laced my fingers with his. "It's never too late to change."

He just looked at our hands as though in a daze, not even blinking. Suddenly without warning, he placed his hands on my shoulders and pulled me into his embrace.

"You're right Misao-dono… I have always wondered if my life would have been different if I had met someone with a good heart, instead of Shishio-san. But I can never resent him… if I hadn't met him, I never would have met you. Thank you for crying for me, Misao-dono. I owe you so much."

I pulled away and smiled, a bit confused but happy at the same time. "Sou-chan… call me Misao."

Soujiro beamed at me and hugged me again. "Thank you… Misao. I've always wanted a friend."

I sighed contentedly and melted in his embrace. Being friends with Sou-chan wasn't such a bad thing after all…

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Author's Note: Phew, I'm finally done. I stayed up until two writing this, so I hope you like it. Oh and REVIEW please? If you review I will telepathically send you and e-cookie. Or e-chocolate, whichever you prefer.