Ok, there will be some internet conversation in this chapter, so I made up names for the crew. I hope you don't mind what I pick for them!

Chapter 2

(Kenshin)

/Kenshin? Is something wrong/ Shinta's soft voice echoed through my mind, startling me from my thinking state.

/No. Why do you ask Shinta/ I whispered to him, opening the laptop on my desk and logging onto the messenger.

I heard a sigh from my other personality. /You know why Kenshin. Our handsare shaking/ he said firmly.

I looked down, and then was alerted when a message popped up on my laptop screen. It was from Tanuki, Kaoru. As much as she hated the nickname that Megumi had given her she still used it on the messenger, it was an easy way for everyone to know that it was her. I read it with pensive violet eyes.

Tanuki: Hey Kenshin. How are you feeling?

I slowly began to type back to her, answering her question with shaking hands. Shinta was right, something was wrong. I was terrified.

Oro-kun: I'm alright Kaoru. Arigatou for asking.

I could almost see her gentle smile. She had called me that once, because the word that I said often was 'oro.' She had just been teasing, but I found that it fit me well, so I had incorporated it onto the messenger. My laptop chimed, and I saw that Megumi and Sano had logged on. A moment later they joined the conversation Kaoru and I had going.

Megistune: Hey everybody.

Zanza: What's up?

I smiled. Megumi was as sly as a vixen so she had always been 'Megistune' to us in our small group. Sano had once owned a large sword known as the zanbatou, and he had created that name for himself. I typed out a response.

Oro-kun: Hey guys.

Zanza: Hey Kenshin!

Megistune: Kenshin, nice to talk to you again. You were really quiet yesterday. Is everything alright?

Oro-kun: Hai Megumi, I'm fine.

Tanuki: Hey guys, Kenshin has something he wants to tell you.

I jumped, my fingers leaping away from the keys. /Whoa Kenshin, calm, it's alright./ Shinta's voice reassured me, and I felt the shaking of my hands lessen as he leant me courage.

Oro-kun: Why don't you all come to my apartment. It'll be easier for me to tell you in person.

Megistune: Alright Kenshin. Cya in a few.

MEGISTUNE HAS LEFT THE CHAT.

Zanza: On my way.

ZANZA HAS LEFT THE CHAT.

Tanuki: Are you sure you're alright Kenshin?

Oro-kun: I'll be fine Kaoru.

Tanuki: Alright. I'm coming over.

TANUKI HAS LEFT THE CHAT.

I logged off my computer and shut the laptop with a sigh. There was a knock on my door and I rose to go answer it. My friends stood in the door, all of them wearing worried looks.

Megumi looked at me with serious brown eyes. She was studying medical, and I could almost see her doctor pretense taking over. I knew that I probably looked horrible, since I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. My hair was loose around my shoulders, and I felt sick.

Sano put a hand on my shoulder as I let them into the room. "Are you alright Kenshin? You don't look so well."

I smiled shakily, but I could feel it failing. "I'm alright Sano. Just a bit…." I hesitated.

/Terrified/ Shinta's soft voice supplied.

/Hai./ I murmured back.

"Just a bit shaken." I said slowly. I could sense that neither Megumi nor Sano believed me by the narrowing of their eyes, but I sighed and sat on my bed. They all took seats around me on the floor, but Kaoru sat beside me and put one of her slender hands on my right shoulder.

"I…" I found I couldn't speak. I felt Shinta pressing me forward and I looked down at my lap. My hands were shaking again. "I'm schizophrenic guys. I have more than one personality."

Megumi narrowed her eyes. "Did a doctor tell you this Kenshin?" I shook my head and she smiled gently. "Then you've come to the wrong assumption my friend. Schizophrenia does not mean that a person has more than one personality."

My eyes were wide. "Then…"

She smiled. "You are not schizophrenic, that's for sure." She frowned. "But how can it be that you have more than one personality?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I've been like this as long as I can remember."

Kaoru squeezed my shoulder lightly. "Tell them what you told me last night Kenshin."

I looked at her in fear. "But…"

She shook her head. "They will understand Kenshin. We are all your friends, and we will all help you through this. You have to trust us."

I looked down again. I tried to still the trembling in my fingers, but to no avail. /Shinta/ I whispered softly.

/Would you like me to speak with them Kenshin? You are too stressed. We cannot let our body go into shock./ Shinta said urgently. I knew what would happen if our body did go into shock.

/Him…/ I whispered. I sighed out loud. "I will show you my friends. Onegai, trust me." I looked up with tears in my eyes. "Do not fear me, onegai. I don't want to lose you."

Megumi smiled gently and placed one hand on my knee. "I will stay here for you Kenshin. You are a dear friend to me, and I will not abandon you."

Sano merely grinned. "I wouldn't leave you if you paid me buddy, and you know it."

I smiled, and then relinquished control to Shinta, sinking back into the recesses of my mind.

(Normal POV)

Megumi, Sano, and Kaoru watched as Kenshin's body stiffened, his eyes widening and noticeably shifting color to a deep innocent amethyst. Kaoru gripped his hand, surprised when the slender hands stopped their shaking.

Kenshin smiled at Kaoru. "Arigatou Kaoru-san."

All three instantly noticed the difference in his voice patterns. He looked down at his friends, nodding to them. "My name is Shinta. It's a pleasure to meet all of you in person."

"Shinta is the personality I met last night for the first time." Kaoru said softly.

Megumi studied Shinta with serious eyes. "So you're another personality inside of Kenshin?"

Shinta nodded with a smile. "Kenshin was getting too stressed. He let me take control of our body." His eyes grew serious. "As you already know, there is Kenshin, and then me. I became more of a shield for Kenshin, for when he became too emotional. The more we feel the more our body becomes vulnerable for the other personality to take over. That is why we are alone often."

Sano tilted his head slightly. "Other personality?"
Shinta shuddered slightly. "Kenshin and I have not thought of a name for him yet. Him is all we call him. He is the evil personality within us, and He has only managed to get loose once before. We fell in love, with a girl named Tomoe. We dated her for 2 years, and we were going to propose to her. She knew about me, and Him, and she still accepted us. But that night, He managed to break through our defenses, and He murdered her. She gave us this scar…" Shinta reached up as Kaoru cocked her head.

"Scar? What scar Shinta?" She asked slowly.

Shinta rubbed on his left cheek, causing the makeup to disappear. A large cross-shaped scar marred his otherwise smooth skin, usually hidden by the powder. "She was trying to protect herself, and she threw a glass at us. He did not care, and it hit us across the face and left this part of the scar." Shinta traced the vertical scar with a finger, and then traced the opposite one. "She completed the cross when she was dying. He shot her, and then receded just as she fell. Kenshin took over at that point."

Megumi's face was slack with shock with all this information. She sat back on her heels, and stared at the redhead before her. "Wow…"

Shinta looked at her with watery eyes. "Are you going to leave us?"

Megumi smiled gently and stood, wrapping her arms around his slight shoulders. "Of course not….I'll always be here for you."

Shinta smiled, and then let loose an 'oro' as Kaoru joined the hug. Sano sighed, and then simply placed a hand on Megumi's back. Kaoru reached up and tugged the tall man down against his wishes, and he finally consented to the embrace. "We're all here for you buddy."

Shinta smiled. "Arigatou, all of you." His eyes squeezed shut, and then the gentle lavender of Kenshin's eyes looked out at them. "Arigatou for trusting this one. But, what if He got loose; I could kill all of you."

Megumi smiled. "Split personality disorders are not common, but the actions of other personalities are often not the fault of the others. I do not blame you for the death of Tomoe, but we will help you keep the other at bay. I promise."

Kenshin smiled, closing his eyes. /I am glad that we have such understanding friends Shinta, that I am./

He heard a chuckle. /I am too Kenshin. I am too./