A/N: This entire chappy will be basically all in Kyla's POV, except when the others talk or when there is a page break. I'll usually let you know; otherwise you should figure it out pretty quick.

Chapter 3

I don't remember much from my childhood, but my mother has always been a constant memory. Kenshin looks just like her. I can remember her telling me that I was going to be a sister. I was so excited; I couldn't wait until my sibling was born. I would always ask my mother if I could feel, and I loved to hug her.

The next major memory is my capture. There were two men, and they took me in the night. I woke up in a sack, being dragged on the ground. They had shoved a rag in my mouth and bound my hands and feet, so I couldn't do much. After what seemed like forever they took me out and gave me to my Master.

My Master was tall, yet skinny. He was a giant in my four-year old mind however….

(28 years ago)

"Your name."

"K-kyla."

"She'll do. Get up."

The young girl got to her feet, tears still soaking her cheeks. "Where's my mommy?"

"Shut up and stop your crying!" the man snarled, causing the child to flinch. "From now on you will answer to me. You will call me Master and nothing else. No more crying. Every time you complain you will be beaten."

"But…."

A vicious backhand to the girl's cheek silenced her, and then started her crying anew. Again she was hit, and again. She learned quickly, and held her cries.

"Good, you're learning. Now, get some sleep. We start training in the morning."

Kaoru interrupted me to pour some more tea. "So you never learned his name?"

I shook my head. "No. I was forced to call him Master. I don't even know what my sword style is and neither does anyone else. It died with him, and I don't intend to pass it on."

After that he trained me with a vengeance. Every morning he would wake me at dawn, and soon I rose with the sun automatically. He trained me first in self-defense, punches and kicks, throws and such. After that he would have me run a mile, but it increased over the years. Then a short break, then he brought out the sword. He taught me all that he knew, and never let up the training, even when I was injured so I would learn to keep fighting even when wounded.

He beat me whenever I cried, and soon I learned to keep my mouth shut. One thing especially was drilled into my mind. "Never show what you feel. Feelings are vile things, they will betray you. A true Hitokiri does not feel, and it is better not to. You are stone."

For 11 years I went through this every day. I grew stronger, and became a cold emotionless assassin. When I was 16 I got my first assignment. I was only to kill a leader, but I ended up slaying him and 10 guards that saw me. After that I began to train myself in the way of silence, and from that I earned my name, Hitokiri Musei. From my 17th year on I was undetectable, and I wore a black gi and navy hakama to blend with shadows.

I was 19 when I first heard of the Battousai. I was not worried at first, but then I was told about him……

(13 years ago)

"You have a new assignment Musei."

Dark red/black bangs covered icy green eyes. "Explain."
"The Hitokiri Battousai, or Himura the Battousai."

Eyes widened, though she portrayed no emotion other than that. "Himura?"
"Kenshin Himura. He is another hitokiri like yourself. But he is getting in the way. Slay him with no mess ups."

"Get out."

"What?"

"Get out before I slay you where you stand," the hitokiri growled, her ice green eyes boring into the man. With a gulp he scrambled out of the room, leaving the woman in the darkness.

"Himura," she murmured. "Kenshin Himura. Is it possible?" She stood, forever quiet as the Musei she was. She slinked from the house, traveling through the night.

She had not gone far when she stopped, her eyes narrowing as her sharp senses picked up a small sound. She whirled, darting into a dark corner.

A boy walked past her, a young one of about 15. He had red hair, pulled into a high ponytail. He was silent, his face emotionless. The only sound was his sandals as the hit the ground. He suddenly stopped, and turned cold amber eyes to look at her.

There were no words between the two assassins, they just watched, and then the boy reached for his katana. Musei moved faster, whipping out her own weapons and meeting his blade as he struck at her.

Blades met and silver flashed as the two fought. Both remained silent, sinking into the steady rhythm of their deadly dance of skill. Musei suddenly winced as his blade slid down her own and struck her face. Blood obscured her vision and she flung the Battousai off and was gone like smoke.

"Musei," the boy murmured, and then he sheathed the katana and continued onward into the night.

Kenshin's face was slack, shock in his eyes. "I-I remember that." He looked at me. "I remember doing that." His fingers came up, shakily reaching for my face. I was still, watching him relive that moment. I felt his fingers lightly trace the scar on my face. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry onee-san."

The endearment shocked me, but I did not let it show. Instead I smiled gently. "You did not know Shinta. I do not blame you."

His name calmed him in a way, and he nodded, pulling his hand back.

Yahiko spoke up. "Shinta?"

My brother looked at him, and then smiled when he realized the boy didn't understand. "Shinta is sessha's true name. Kenshin was given to me by my sensei."

Kaoru smiled, and then looked to my brother. "Shinta. I like it."

Sano butted in. "Hey, I was just getting into the story. Is it over?"
I chuckled. "Almost."

Shinta's soft voice called my attention to him. "Onee-san?" I looked at him. "Why did you stop the ways of a hitokiri?"
I smiled and touched his nose lightly with one finger. "It was you."

His eyes widened. "Oro?"
"Seeing you made me realize that not all was lost, that I had a family. I saw what you had become, and I was afraid. No matter how hard you tried that day, I, as another hitokiri, could read your emotions in your eyes. What I saw was you, the rurouni inside you and not the Battousai. I saw a young boy looking for a truth, for a constant. I decided that I would help you, yet it took me 3 years to figure that out, and to free myself from my Master."

"Free yourself?" Yahiko questioned.

"I slew him….."

(10 years ago)

"What is the matter with you Musei! You've refused every assignment! You disappeared for 2 and a half years!" My Master walked furiously in front of me, his eyes angry. "First you fail an assignment…."

I let lose a snarl, halting him in an instant. "I did not fail. I succeeded better than I ever have."

"You didn't kill him!" Master screeched, pointing at me. "You let him get away!"

I ground my teeth together, standing up and popping my katana from its sheath with my thumb. "You are grinding my nerves Master. I suggest you stop this."

He eyed my threatening position. "And what will you do Musei?" he snorted. "You can't even kill a boy."

Something snapped. I launched myself at my sensei, and my youth and training in the ways of a manslayer lent me speed he could not match. My katana was at his neck in an instant later, my icy green eyes glinting. "You do not know nor do you understand my reasons. You know nothing." I smiled maliciously. "And you have no more purpose." The man slid limply from my grasp and I calmly wiped my blade.

"I will find you Kenshin, my brother." I murmured, walking away from my past, and hopefully to a new future.

"By that time you were gone. I wandered for the past 10 years trying to find you. I finally have." I finished.

Shinta was sitting relatively close to me, and I could feel his shoulder against my own. Kaoru was looking at me sympathetically, Sano and Yahiko just watching.

"You've certainly been through a lot Kyla." Kaoru murmured. She smiled. "Well, Kenshin believes you, that's good enough for me. Welcome to the family."

I received agreements from all around, and Shinta's soft voice assured me. "You are always welcome here onee-san."

I smiled. "Thanks otouto-chan. Thank you to all of you."

Translations:

Hitokiri Musei – Silent Manslayer

Gi – shirt

Hakama – pants

onee-san – big sister

Shinta – Kenshin's birth name, from now on Kyla will call him that while the rest of the characters refer to him as Kenshin or Battousai (in the case of bad guys)

Sessha – this unworthy one, Kenshin's name for himself

Oro – Nobody knows…….just a really cute word Kenshin says a lot

otouto-chan – little brother