The Fires of Vengeance

by Halcyon Seraphim

After realizing that his very presence is a danger to Kaoru and the others, Kenshin leaves the Kamiya dojo, unaware that he's leaving a little something more behind than just his friends. And years later, that something wants him dead... UPDATED! Chapter

5. Lies, or Truths?

The Fires of Vengeance- Chapter 5: Lies...or Truths?

Disclaimer: Are these things really all that necessary in each chapter? I don't own Rurouni Kenshin! Honestly, if I did, would I be a pathetic obsessed person sitting in front of my computer typing a fic when I could just make this the real thing?

(Everyone gasps.)

JK: So much for me trying to skip the author's note again...

Evil Authoress: Yay! There's an author's note! I get to rant about how stupid sake is!

JK: That doesn't sound like something you would do...

Hiko: It isn't something she would do. I'm just paying her so I get all the sake! All for me!

Yahiko: Hey! I'm not a minor anymore! I get to drink sake too! I mean, the only person here who can't hold her liquor is Kaoru.

Kaoru: What was that?!

Yahiko: Nothing.

Kenshin: Oh...Miss Kaoru will be very angry, that she will be, when she finds out what you said...

Kaoru: Kenshin!

(Kenshin gulps.)

Kaoru: What did Yahiko say?

Kenshin: That you can't hold your liquor.

Sanosuke: Hmm...was this the very same night Reiko was created?

JK: No.

Sanosuke: How would you know?

(Evil Authoress snickers.)

JK (glaring at Evil Authoress): Simple. Reiko does not really exist. She is a weird figment of my imagination. That is why this is called a fanfic, and why she is called an original character. Understood?

Sanosuke: Yep.

Evil Authoress: Yeah. So...do we get to torture anyone before the fic begins?

JK: Like who?

Evil Authoress: Let's burn Shishio! Again! (takes out flame-thrower)

JK (sighing): Man, she likes that thing.

Shishio (sighing): I know chicks dig me, but, really, this is a bit much.

Evil Authoress: I---I---I OF ALL PEOPLE DIG YOU?! NEVER! (burns him)

Shishio: Er...ouch?

Evil Authoress: (gasps) He doesn't die!

Seta: Silly girl, Master Shishio has the remnants of the flames of hell burning inside him. Your silly gun wouldn't do a thing. Mm hmm, mm hmm. ^^

JK: Okay...you're weird.

Seta: Yep, yep, yep!

Evil Authoress: Insane is cool! (glomps Seta)

Seta: Er...

Shishio: Hey! I'm insane!

Evil Authoress: You're right...yay! (glomps him)

Shishio: (victory sign)

(JK sighs.)

JK: Are we done here yet?

Evil Authoress: Of course not. I still have to rant about how sake is bad for you. (holds up sign that says, "Sake: has killed more sour old farts than this world shall ever know")

JK: Except for Hiko. He is one sour old fart with a very strong will to live.

Hiko: HEY!

JK: Come on. You know it's true.

Kenshin: Shishou...you got dissed! Go women! (Shishou is Japanese for "Master".)

Sanosuke: Not this again...Kenshin, have you no pride in your manliness?

JK: What manliness?

Sanosuke: Good point.

Kenshin: Hey! I am a man!

JK: I know. I just like torturing people.

Shishio: So do I! (sets Houji on fire)

JK: And without further ado I bring you chapter 5!

* * *

As the rain beat against her face, Reiko tried to contemplate her odds as calmly as she could. The futae no kiwami would be of absolutely no use to her in this predicament since her hands were tied behind her back. Although the futae no kiwami could be used when head-butting, she hadn't learned how to do that yet. Her legs were also bound together. In the simplest of terms, the odds of her escaping this mess alive were slim to nothing. All this came to Reiko very slowly. Her mind was a turmoil-filled mix of curiosity and sheer, utter terror, with the terror dominating. 'What could he possibly want with me?' she wondered miserably.

"Well, well, well," the man pressing the sword to her neck said lazily, glancing back at her. "Look who's finally woken up. Did you have a nice sleep, Reiko?"

Reiko simply stared at him, afraid to do so much as breathe. A part of her told her that even something as subtle as an intake of breath would dig the sword deeper into her neck.

"You're pretty weak, you know," the man commented. "You were knocked out for two hours from a simple blow to the head. It's sad, Reiko. I expected more of you." He still didn't remove the sword, though, despite his genial way of talking. That way of talking disturbed Reiko. He sounded as if he knew her somehow. Reiko stared into his almost black eyes with her own lavender ones. She put all the desperation and pleading she held inside her into that stare. The man, much to Reiko's surprise, removed his sword. But he stared at her with obvious disgust. "Ugh," he said. "Disgusting. Your father wouldn't have begged for mercy. He would've done something."

Rubbing her neck, Reiko tried not to show that her breath was coming in short, quick gasps.

The man studied her carefully. "You have your father's eyes, Reiko." Reiko responded with a wide-eyed stare. "Yes...his eyes when he was in one of his pathetic moods." Reiko's eyes went from a big-eyed stare to a glare with clear dislike. 'Who is this bozo? And how does he know about my father? Hell, I don't even know about my father,' Reiko thought angrily. Her old personality, that of a whimpering little girl, was evaporating quickly. Somehow, she knew not how, her voice was completely steady when she spoke, unclouded by fear or rage.

"Who are you?" she asked. "And why did you bring me to the docks?"

The man laughed hard. "Now don't tell me...your wench of a mother kept you away from the docks, didn't she?"

Reiko opened her mouth to contradict him, but she realized it was true. Her mother, Sanosuke, Megumi, and even Yahiko had NEVER let her anywhere near the docks. They told her they were afraid she would drown...but somehow that made no sense. When she once visited the hot springs Gensai-sensei's sister lived nearby, no one had supervised her and she was only five at the time. 'They obviously knew I could take care of myself. And I can swim, too. Could he really have a point?' she wondered.

"I'm right, aren't I?" he asked. "Don't answer that. I already know. Of course, I can understand why she would. Your father committed murder on these docks, Reiko."

"What the do you know about my father? What's this crap you keep preaching about?" she spat angrily. While he watched her carefully, Reiko desperately tried to weave her hands out of the rope that bound them. She was having little success.

"Now, don't tell me. You have some bizarre fantasy that your father is really a good person?" the man asked, laughing again. "He must not talk to you often. You live with a person you know nothing about."

"You obviously don't know anything about me," Reiko spat. "I don't live with my father. In fact, I don't know the man. I don't even know his name." The man laughed again. "Shut the hell up!"

"Don't lie."

"I'm not lying!" Reiko shouted. "I don't know who he is! I don't know what he looks like!"

The man stopped laughing. "You're not lying..."

"No, you idiot. I'm not lying."

"That moron!" he muttered angrily. "I told him to find out everything about you...oh well. He'll be dealt with later. When I hire spies I want them to do their job fully and not just half of it."

"Excuse me?" Reiko asked. The idea of someone stalking her and watching her every movement was not appealing to her at all.

"Shut up while I think," the man said, putting the sword to her neck again. Reiko held her breath and tried not to cry. 'I don't want to die! Not yet, not here, not because of him,' Reiko thought, feeling utterly forlorn.

"Now, now. Don't be frightened. I have a story to tell you before the ground runs red with your blood," the man told her once he noticed she was afraid again. "Swords scare you, now don't they? Hmm. Coincidences can be frightening. They bothered my son as well. Although I see you have a wooden sword. Is it just metal swords that you're afraid of?" When she didn't speak, he looked at his sword and removed it. "It wouldn't hurt for you to talk, you know."

"Swords don't scare me..." Reiko lied. The truth of the matter was, they now did. What she had failed to tell her mother about her dream was that she knew swords had caused the blood bath she witnessed.

"You lie," the man said. Reading her expression correctly, he added, "I could see it in your eyes. You don't hide emotions well at all."

Sighing, she asked, "Now, what was it you wanted to tell me about my father?"

"So, you're really interested?" he asked, smiling. "All right then. Your father was known as 'Hitokiri Battousai.'"

"I'm sorry..." Reiko said when he didn't continue. "I don't know who that is."

"You've got to be kidding," the man said incredulously. "He was a legend! He shed so much blood during the Revolution! How could you not know who he is?"

"I don't!" Reiko snapped. "You know, before we go on to my father, let me warn you. Kidnapping is illegal. Did you know that? As soon as I get free, I'll kill you! And if I don't get a chance, then the police will."

The man chuckled. "I doubt whether you'd so much as poke me in the eye, let alone kill me. And what would you kill me with? That wooden sword at you waist? The biggest creature that thing could kill is a fly; perhaps a cricket." He smiled at her. "You will know who I am soon enough."

"Soon enough isn't good enough for me. I want to know now!" Reiko ignored the fact that she sounded like a whiny little child.

"Now, now. No need to whine. I said you would know who I was soon enough, and you shall. Besides, you are in no position to make requests or threats for that matter. Or is this a pathetic attempt to drag my story out longer by arguing with me? No, I don't think that you're smart enough," the man said. "Now, sit quietly and listen. Your---"

"You won't kill me," Reiko said.

"What?"

"You won't kill me," she repeated.

"Would you care to test that philosophy?" he asked, looking down at her. Reiko looked away. The man walked over to a wooden post and sat down, leaning against it. He looked at her as he spoke. "I take that as a no. Hitokiri Battousai was one of the most feared men during the Revolution that accompanied the end of the Tokugawa regime. Or do you not know what that is, either?"

"I know what the Revolution is. I'm not stupid."

The man scoffed. "You sure could've fooled me, Himura."

"Oro?" Reiko asked. 'He goes from calling me Reiko to Himura? Who the hell is Himura?' she wondered.

"Ah...I should've guessed. Your last name is not Himura, is it?"

"No," Reiko replied.

"So you took your mother's last name? They really want you to have no connection to the Battousai, do they?" the man asked. Reiko stared at him quizzically.

"I thought you said my so-called father's name was Hitokiri Battousai," Reiko said slowly. The man sighed.

"Are you stupid or something? Who would name their child 'Hitokiri Battousai'?" he asked. Reiko considered this, and realized that he had a point. No sane person would give their child the first name of "Assassin." "Now, may I continue? Without any interruptions?" Reiko nodded. She still desperately fumbled with the rope that bound her. He had tied it expertly. She doubted whether anyone would be able to untie the ropes when they found her without having to cut them. 'That is, if I'm ever found,' she remarked silently. "Okay. Now, your father was a very skilled assassin. I don't think I have ever seen anyone kill without any remorse in his eyes. But the Battousai lacked pity of any sort. I myself once witnessed one of his assassinations. The man was fearless. In battle, I don't think he cared whether he lost his life."

"You seem to admire the Battousai," Reiko said dryly. The man glared at her.

"Baka girl...I was simply trying to assure you of your father's insanity," the man replied. He brushed his bangs out of his eyes, and those eyes bore a very pained look that made Reiko nearly pity him for a second. But the look disappeared instantly, along with her sympathy.

"This man you speak of..." Reiko said slowly. "You call him my father. I disagree with you, that I do. I have no father. A father is a man that cares for his child, or at least spends time with him or her. A person such as that doesn't exist for me. I have a mother, and that is all."

"Don't try to romanticize the role, Reiko," the man told her, reverting back to first-name terms. "A father is a person who aided in your creation. If he is not with you in spirit that doesn't change the fact that he is still your father. Or are you too naïve to know what I mean by creation?"

"Shut the hell up!" Reiko barked. "I may be a little slow when I'm fearing for my life, but that doesn't make me naïve!" As soon as she had spoken, she knew her words had been a mistake. The man was now assured of her fear, and she had caused his assurance. She felt like kicking herself, and she probably would have if it weren't for the ropes.

Chuckling, the man went on. "All right. I won't accuse you of being naïve. You seem to be rather offended by that. Although it would be wise if you tried to hide your emotions a bit more. Your mind is like an open book to me."

"Open book my ass," Reiko muttered, still desperately fighting to free herself.

"I suggest you loosen up on the hostility. I wouldn't like to kill you without you knowing why. And stop trying to get those ropes off. I believe even I will have trouble untying them," the man advised her.

"Wait. So you intend to untie me? What for?"

"I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I killed you without allowing you to fight back," he replied airily. "Now, pay attention and shut up." Reiko nodded again, wondering where Sanosuke was and whether or not he had even noticed she had left the room. "So...where was I? Ah, yes," he went on. "I must admit, I felt a tinge of admiration for him at first. I remember speaking of the man often to my wife, and my son was always keen on listening to stories of this 'great legend.' Unfortunately, those stories turned out to be his doom." He pulled a piece of paper from his sash. "This is the letter my son wrote to me before his death." He walked over to Reiko, who was sitting on her knees, and placed the letter in her lap with trembling hands. "You can read, can't you?" he asked, settling beside her but still shaking.

"No shit," Reiko said, and glanced down at the letter. 'The longer I take to read it, the longer Sanosuke will have to look for me,' she thought to herself.

The letter was addressed to a man named Fujitaka Wakamaru. She glanced at the man, who was looking anywhere but at her and the letter that was in her lap. "So that's your name," she commented. "Fujitaka Wakamaru." The man nodded shakily, still avoiding looking at her. 'So that's the name of the bastard who shall kill me in the next five minutes...unless my bastard guardian hurries up and gets his butt over here! I can't fend this psychopathic loser off on my own. Sano, where are you?!' Her eyes began to sting and she knew she was on the verge of tears again. 'No. I can't give up. He'll come. He has to,' she thought. Sighing, she looked back at the letter and read it to herself:

'Dear Father,

'I am afraid that by the time this letter reaches you I shall be dead. As you know, I decided to follow in the footsteps of my idol and have gone on what has been called a "psychopathic rampage". Honestly, all that uproar just because I killed a couple dozen people. It's not like their lives meant anything...'

Reiko paused in her reading. The letter was disgusting. Fujitaka Wakamaru's son had absolutely no respect for other people. 'A couple dozen people,' she read again. 'What the hell is wrong with him?!' Though the letter wanted to make her retch with disgust, she forced herself to keep reading.

'...Father, I am sorry if what I have done brings you pain. But I have achieved my lifetime goal. I have become exactly like the Battousai. There is no point for me to live anymore. Besides, the police are on my trail. I must admit, I was a bit careless with my last murder. I decided against burning the body, as I normally would do. I stayed at an inn and the woman there showed me much kindness. Feh...kindness. Such an empty word. Anyway, she did do something for me that I am grateful for. She allowed me to stay in her inn for free when I was being paranoid that I would be discovered and killed. At the time, I didn't feel ready to die. Not at the hands of the police. She got someone to take my things into a room, and I carelessly left my bloodstained sword in that bag. That someone must have informed the woman, so she tried to question me. (Foolish oban.) In any event, the woman figured out who I was. It seems someone she knows was murdered by me. My thoughts were, "Oh well," but I imagine hers were rather different. Anyway, I killed her in my usual way: slitting her throat and letting her bleed to death. Her death was not at all pretty. She kept writhing in pain during the little while she remained alive after I wounded her. And it would have been better for her if she hadn't been thrashing about so much. Perhaps then her head would have stayed on.' Reiko stopped at that. She felt a bitter taste in her mouth. Turning so she wouldn't get that bitter taste all over her clothing, she retched onto the wooden dock, letting out all she had eaten for the whole day.

"I imagine the letter caused that," Fujitaka commented when she was finished. Reiko glanced at him and saw he was still avoiding looking at her.

"There's no way," she said weakly, wiping her mouth on her shoulder as best she could. "My father wouldn't act like that. Only a madman would."

"And your father was indeed a madman. Did you think a hitokiri could possibly be sane?" Fujitaka asked.

"Still..." Reiko sighed. "Take your letter back. I don't want to read anymore."

"Finish it," he ordered. "I don't think you understand my motive yet."

"I don't want to," Reiko told him flatly.

"Skip over the part that made you retch and continue. I need you to know why I despise your father so much," Fujitaka told her.

"Being that you despise my father, why do you wish to kill me?" Reiko asked. "I am not my father. How could I be, if I don't even know the man?"

"Reiko, Reiko, Reiko," he said, shaking his head with an irritating patience. "Deny it all you like. The blood of the Battousai runs in you. You are bound to be like him in some ways. Like I said earlier, the two of you share the same eyes. Although his at the time were a rather different shade..."

"Then how would you know whether or not my eyes are the same as his?" Reiko retorted.

"Please, Reiko. I saw the man after he supposedly gave up killing for good. His eyes were pathetic. So much sympathy. You know, it wouldn't have bothered me had I not known that a manslayer hid behind those eyes. The eyes were just a mask."

"Then how could I have inherited them, then?" Reiko asked quietly. "People don't inherit masks. They inherit what their parents were born with."

After a few minutes, Fujitaka said, "Finish the letter so I may finish the story. Then we shall do battle."

Reiko switched her gaze over to the letter.

'...I was also forced to kill that someone who gave me away. His body I burned. This proved to be a mistake, however. The police connected all the murders by that one fact, and they were able to somehow trace it to me. Stupid pains in the rear. And everything was going so well for me, too.

'And I suppose you wish to know why I seem not to care that my life will only last a few hours longer. It is because I have come up with the perfect way to die: by having my idol kill me. And I also devised the perfect way to make him kill me. I know of all the talk that he has given up his manslayer ways, but in my opinion, a manslayer is a manslayer until the day worms have consumed his flesh. I WILL bring out the hitokiri within him. Now for my plan: I have kidnapped his friends and also his lover. It's funny. It seems my timing was perfect. When I found the woman, she was throwing up. I think she's pregnant. That should really anger the Battousai. Now, as for why I want to die: I know that as soon as the police find me, they will kill me. After all, before I left I was already sentenced to death by being hung. But I will choose who shall do the killing, not them, and the way in which I shall die. And dying at the hands of the Battousai and the Hiten Mitsurugi ryuu...it's a death one can only dream about.

'Tell Mother not to worry. And you don't worry either. I don't care if my soul doesn't make it to heaven. Hell will suit me just fine.

'Your Son,

'Shinta'

"I finished the letter," Reiko told Fujitaka.

"You know, that letter reached me too late. I already knew my son was dead before it got to me. And knowing that his idol killed him was no consolation, Reiko. Shinta wasn't even my son's real name. He changed it to Shinta to have something in common with the Battousai. It was actually through this letter that I found out that a child of the Battousai might actually exist. I want to kill you, Reiko, because your father took away my child. It is only suitable that I should take away his," he informed her, taking the letter from her and pulling her to her feet. "Now. Let us match my talents against yours, heir of the Battousai." With his sword, he cut the ropes that tied her hands and her legs together. "I'll allow you to make the first move, Reiko."

Reiko looked from her wooden sword to his metal one. This was thoroughly stupid. Her sword couldn't slice through anything, while Fujitaka's sword could slice through her neck in one, swift motion. Besides, he was twice her height and twice her width. Fujitaka could kill her just by sitting on her. Another problem was that the ropes had dug red welts into her skin that were filled with a searing pain. And then there was the rain. Reiko tried gripping her sword. "Damn it..." Reiko whispered as her mind tried desperately to come up with some sort of strategy. "The pain is impossible to deal with."

"All right. I'll go first," Fujitaka offered. He gripped his sword and began to circle Reiko. She kept her eyes on his sword. If he was to attack, he would attack with that. It took only for her to blink and Reiko lost sight of Fujitaka. She blinked again. 'Where the hell is he?!' she wondered. For a moment she felt no more drops pouring onto her head, and looked up. Fujitaka was above her, about to bring his sword down upon her head in one fatal blow. Reiko brought her bokuto up to protect herself from it. 'I guess the rain wasn't such a bad thing after all,' she thought with relief as her own sword cracked from the pressure. Fujitaka jumped back.

"Not bad, Reiko," he said. "But I expected no less."

"Enough talk," Reiko whispered, backing up.

"Ah, so you think retreat will save you? Don't get your hopes up." When Reiko was backed up against the edge of the dock, Fujitaka charged at her, sword pointed at her neck. Reiko waited until he was close enough and knocked his sword away from her neck. Fujitaka did, however, manage to slash her shoulder. Ignoring the additional pain in her sword arm, Reiko jabbed her sword in his stomach with all her strength. Fujitaka actually stumbled back. "Not bad at all," he said, clearly impressed. It was now Reiko's turn to go on the offensive. Wasting his attention on idiot talk, Fujitaka didn't notice her run up behind him. She jabbed her sword into the crook of his knee, causing him to stumble again. Now that he was short enough to reach since he was on his knees, Reiko tried bringing her sword on his collarbone. With enough force, she would be able to break it. But Fujitaka was too quick for her. He grabbed her sword and, with Reiko gripping it firmly, flipped it over his shoulder. Reiko landed on the very edge if the dock, sprawled on her back.

"Shit!" she swore, trying to get up. Fujitaka stepped on her stomach.

"Now, now. You should've known that you were entering a battle you couldn't win. I am simply not in your league," he told her. "Now die." He pointed his sword downward, aiming at her heart, and thrust.

With a speed Reiko didn't know she possessed, she rolled out of the way and the sword missed her heart, grazing her left shoulder: the one that had not been damaged up until that point. But in doing so, she rolled off the dock itself, managing to grab onto the edge of it with her left hand and cling for dear life. The dock was wet, and this was proving to be difficult.

"Like I said, you and I are not in the same league, Reiko," Fujitaka said coldly, looking down at her. "If I won't kill you, then the ocean will." He stepped on her hand. Reiko tried to ignore the pain and held on. "So I see you aren't that easy to kill," Fujitaka commented. "All right then. You just HAD to be difficult." He brought his sword down on Reiko's hand. This time, she had no choice. Unless Reiko wanted her arm amputated, she had to move it. She still wasn't fast enough, though, and the sword grazed it. "Have a nice swim!" Fujitaka called as Reiko plummeted into freezing cold water, made all the more tumultuous by the storm. He strode off, whistling to himself.

Reiko fought to swim to the surface. When she did, another wave pushed her down again. 'Kuso!' she thought, kicking her feet desperately. When she was above water for a matter of two seconds, she screamed, "SANOSUKE!" A wave of water covered her head again. It was as if the ocean was fighting to kill her. "SANO!" she called again when she resurfaced. Seeing that another wave was approaching, she held her breath and went below water. 'Unless I get help,' she noted, 'I'm a goner. The shore is no where near here.' Out of breath, she swam up again. "SANOS---" Reiko was cut off as another wave covered her head. As Reiko tried to swim up again, not willing to allow the ocean to win this fight, the worst possible thing happened: her leg cramped up. 'Kuso! Kuso! Kuso! Kuso!' she thought, trying to kick herself up with one leg. It wasn't working. The struggle was making her sink deeper and deeper. 'Well, at least my bokuto fell in the water,' she thought grimly as her consciousness slowly began to slip away. 'That way, they'll have some idea of where to look for my bod...' She wasn't able to complete her thought as she slipped away into total darkness.

* * *

"Where in all the hells is she?!" Sanosuke asked himself worriedly. He had looked everywhere for her. Reiko hadn't gone home, she definitely wasn't in the backyard, she didn't return to school, and she didn't go back to his house either. It was as if she had just disappeared... Sanosuke sighed. This search was starting to remind him of his long night seeking Kenshin. Especially since it was pouring. Suddenly, Sanosuke stopped. He was facing a road that led directly to the docks. "Could she have possibly gone there?" he wondered aloud. Sanosuke shook his head. "No, she knows that place is forbidden." He started to turn around, but the faint sound of someone calling his name made him stop. Without giving it another thought, he sped off toward the docks.

Sanosuke arrived in time to see Reiko's head get covered for a last time. Sanosuke looked around quickly, his mind inventing a rescue. He spotted a long rope. Securing it to a post, Sanosuke threw it over into the water. Then he dived in.

Sanosuke ignored how freezing cold the water was. All he concentrated on was Reiko's rapidly sinking body. 'Damn it!' he thought angrily. 'She's unconscious. That'll make it harder for me to get back to the dock.' Sanosuke swam toward her and, grabbing her, began to rapidly kick his legs to get to the surface.

Once he did, the cold air and pouring rain seemed to return Reiko to consciousness.

"S-sano?" she asked weakly as she opened her eyes.

"Good, you're awake. Do you think you could grab on to my neck so I can climb back to the dock?" he asked her. Reiko nodded and did as he requested. Sanosuke grabbed the rope, and began pulling them up.

"That was some drink, Reiko," he commented dryly as he set her down on the solid wooden dock. "Now...I'm going to try not to get too angry...BUT WHAT IN A THOUSAND HELLS ARE YOU DOING AT THE DOCKS WHEN THERE IS NOT ONE SINGLE PERSON HERE AND THE RAIN IS POURING NON-STOP?!"

Had the situation been less serious, Reiko would've laughed. Sanosuke's face was beet red and he looked like he was ready to strangle her. "Hey, Sano, did anyone ever mention you look like a wet chicken after a swim?" she asked, unable to help herself.

"I---but---REIKO!" Sanosuke yelled. "Answer the question! What are you doing at the docks?! You know this place is forbidden!"

"Oh yes, I know that, but I can't say anyone cared to share WHY this place is forbidden. People come hear everyday," Reiko said calmly, fighting back the stinging feeling in her eyes. She would NOT cry in front of her uncle Sano.

Sanosuke calmed down, and then actually observed Reiko. Both her shoulders were bleeding, her wrists and ankles had painful looking welts on them, and one of her hands had a cut running across it. "Reiko...you didn't come here willingly, did you?"

"Well, now, Uncle Sano, I knew you weren't a complete idiot. No, I didn't come here willingly. While you were playing with your dice, I was bashed over the head and kidnapped. You'd make a wonderful father, Sano. And speaking of fathers, where the hell has mine been these past eight years? Committing a couple dozen murders or so? Or has he been bedding women besides my mom and then leaving them to fend for themselves as well? Wherever he's been, it certainly hasn't been here," Reiko snapped. She sat down on the dock and proceeded to rip a piece of her kimono off to use it as a bandage. It was stained and torn beyond repair anyway. Wrapping strips of it around her bleeding ankles so she'd be able to walk, she pressed, "Well, Sano? Any comments?"

After blinking several times, Sanosuke asked, "Reiko, what are you talking about?"

"Answer my question, Sano!" she snapped again. "Where has that bastard been all these years?"

"Reiko, you're hurt. We can talk after you've got your wounds tended to, and maybe when you've had something to eat---"

"Will you stop clucking any time soon, Mother Hen, and answer my questions?" she interrupted sardonically.

"There's nothing to answer."

"Yes there is. Tell me who my father is. If he is indeed the person I think he is, then it's his fault that someone attempted to kill me today," Reiko said quietly. Sanosuke looked at her sharply, and when Reiko met his eyes, she saw there was a mix of pity and remorse in his eyes. They were the complete opposite of her own eyes, which held nothing but severe hate and anger with an unseen person: the Battousai.

"Reiko..." he said softly. He wanted to hug her, but thought better of it. "Who told you something about your father?"

"That isn't important, Sano. What's important is WHAT he told me. My father is Hitokiri Battousai, isn't he?" Reiko asked. "Don't bother answering that question. I know it's true. But tell me this instead: why hasn't anyone told me about him all this time?"

"Hitokiri Battousai?" Sanosuke asked, laughing shakily. "Now, really, Reiko. That's ridiculous! Your father was a humble man who died of disease, not some raving lunatic manslayer!" He laughed again. He was all too aware of the fact that Reiko was staring into his eyes, almost as if she were reading him. 'What's wrong with her?' he wondered. 'What brought this change in her? The look in her eyes...it's not the look of the cheerful little girl I remember. She's completely cold. Her expression looks completely foreign. And as for another thing...her eyes, they're not lavender anymore...they're blue. Like Kenshin's were when he faced an opponent who didn't bring out the manslayer within him.'

Reiko smiled sadly. "You're lying. I can see it in your eyes."

"Don't be stupid, Reiko! I'm not sure if the Battousai even exists!" Sanosuke said airily. "Now, let's get you to Megumi." He hoisted her over his shoulder, Reiko desperately beating his back and screaming at him to put her down before she did just what Shinta Wakamaru had done to his victims. 'It's funny. After I read it and let everything out of my system, it's a lot easier to talk about it,' she noted. "Glad to know they're teaching you beautiful things in school."

"I didn't learn this in school, Sano," Reiko commented blandly, "I learned it from my captor."

After that, it was a very quiet walk to where Megumi resided.

* * *

"Reiko, quit fidgeting," Megumi ordered sternly as she applied an ointment to one of Reiko's shoulder cuts.

"You'd shut up if you knew how badly this hurt, Auntie Megumi," Reiko said coolly. "Saying it hurts like hell is saying that Sanosuke is somewhat stupid."

"Ah, well, I'd have to agree with you there," Megumi replied as Sanosuke shouted, "HEY!" "You know, I'm surprised. From all the blood loss, you should've fainted." Reiko looked away from Megumi. There was no way she was going to admit that the reason she didn't faint was because she had been too terrified at the thought of what would happen to her if she were in Fujitaka Wakamaru's clutches while she was unconscious.

"She did faint," Sanosuke said to Megumi, "only it was for a few moments."

"Freezing cold water along with a few cuts on your body can do that to you, Sano," Reiko said dryly. "OW!" she yelped as Megumi applied the same ointment to her other shoulder.

"Quiet, Reiko. Talking isn't going to help your recovery," Megumi said. "And you, Sano, should be ashamed of yourself! Kaoru told you to watch her! What were you doing, miles away from where Reiko was?"

"I was...you see...it's like this---"

"He was GAMBLING, Auntie Megumi," Reiko said wickedly. Sanosuke froze as Megumi turned to look at him sternly.

"You were what, Sanosuke?"

"I was WORKING, Megumi, WORKING," he told her quickly.

"Yeah, with dice," Reiko put in.

"SANO, YOU PROMISED YOU WOULD STOP DOING ILLEGAL THINGS! WITH ALL WE HAVE TO PUT UP WITH, IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE DIDN'T HAVE TO BAIL YOU OUT OF JAIL!" Megumi shouted, absolutely furious. "AND YOU WERE GIVEN ONE GOD DAMN THING TO DO! YOU HAD ONE RESPONSIBILITY, AND YET YOU STILL SHIRKED IT! IT'S BAD ENOUGH YOU'RE A FREE-LOADER WITH NO CONCERN FOR ANYONE EXCEPT FOR YOURSELF, NOT MENTION THE FACT THAT YOU'RE A LAZY IDIOT WHO NEVER DOES HIS SHARE AROUND THE HOUSE, BUT YOU'RE ALSO RECKLESS! WHAT ARE KAORU AND I GOING TO DO WITH YOU?!"

Sanosuke pointed at Reiko as Megumi paused to take a breath. Glancing at her, she noticed that the child was completely asleep. "God, to think, with a volcanic eruption just centimeters away from her she still fell asleep," Sanosuke stated.

Megumi glared at him, shoved him out of the room, and calmly said, "You're not off the hook, Sano." She closed the door behind her.

"Oh, joy," he muttered.

"Now, enough of the ridiculous bull shit we were acting out in front of Reiko. Explain what happened," Megumi ordered. Sanosuke glanced at her, a little awed. 'Did she just say the word "shit"? Kami-sama, I'm starting to rub off on her,' Sanosuke thought. (A/N: Evil Authoress: I get it! JK: Shut up.)

"Nothing happened, Megumi. I guess Reiko decided to go for a walk," said Sanosuke, lying so badly the truth was clearer than crystal to Megumi.

"Mmm hmm, Sano, and is that why she was bleeding and soaked?" Megumi questioned, making Sanosuke look down at his feet. "I know she didn't get clumsy with a kitchen knife, Sanosuke. Something has happened that you're not telling me. Where exactly did you find her?"

"Megumi, there's nothing to tell. She was going for a walk and got soaked because it was raining," he replied.

"Was it raining sea water, then?" Megumi asked him skeptically. When Sanosuke bestowed upon her a look that roughly stated, "How did you know?" Megumi said, "Sea water has a distinct smell, Sano. Now please, tell me all that you know."

Sanosuke sighed heavily and turned away from Megumi. He was thoroughly ashamed of himself, not to mention incredibly guilt-ridden. The fact that Reiko had to go through something so upsetting was completely his fault. He should have been watching out for her, just as Kaoru had asked him to, and instead of that he had been wasting his time on petty games with dice. "Reiko was kidnapped," he said quickly.

"WHAT?!"

"Kidnapped," Sanosuke repeated. "And I suggest you brace yourself, for the reason why isn't any more appealing than what actually happened. It was because someone somehow found out exactly whose child Reiko is."

"You mean...?" Sanosuke heard Megumi say softly.

"Yes. Someone found out she's the Battousai's child."

"Don't call him that!" Megumi snapped. Sanosuke, feeling his rage get the best of him, spun around to face Megumi.

"And just what exactly do you expect me to call that bastard, Megumi?!" he shouted. "Am I supposed to call him our good friend Kenshin Himura?! No! I am going to call him exactly what he is: an obnoxious, conniving, murderous thug who doesn't deserve to be alive in this world!"

"Sanosuke!" Megumi hissed, pushing him away from Reiko's door. "She's finally asleep! There's no need to wake her up after the ordeal she faced today!"

"And you know it's all his fault that Kaoru goes insane every May," Sanosuke went on once they were far from Reiko's room. "I don't see how you can still stand up for him."

"I don't like it when you call him Battousai because the Kenshin we knew was not a raving assassin but a kind person who we owe our lives to," Megumi said icily.

"Are you so sure about that, Megumi? Your little crush on him hasn't gone away even after all these years and it's blinding you," Sanosuke said quietly.

Megumi slapped him. "It's taking all my will-power not to strangle you right now, Sanosuke. Men need to learn how to not pry into a woman's heart! What could you possibly understand when it comes to my feelings for Kenshin?" she spat.

Sanosuke dared to continue. "What do I understand about them? Simply this: that they're completely selfish. Megumi, just give up already! If Kenshin were to return, which I highly doubt since he's a bastard whose face I really want to shove in the dirt right now, he would naturally go back to Kaoru! So enough being so biased against reason and start acting your age, not like a lovesick little school girl!" Megumi, glaring at him vehemently, raised her hand to slap him again, causing Sanosuke to wince, but then lowered it.

"You know, Sano, for once in your life, I think you're right. Now, about your story, it doesn't make any sense. No one knows that Kenshin had a child besides you, me, Yahiko, and Kaoru of course. I don't think even he knows," Megumi said reasonably. "So are you sure she was kidnapped because of that?"

"Megumi, we're not the only ones who knew. Saitou also knew that Kaoru was pregnant. I spoke to him the day Kenshin left," said Sanosuke.

Megumi raised an eyebrow. "Who's being biased now, Sano?"

"That's got nothing to do with it!"

"Oh yes it does. But wait...how did Saitou know?" Megumi asked, then shooting Sanosuke a suspicious look.

"I didn't tell him, if that's what you mean," Sanosuke replied, interpreting her look correctly.

"So does that mean Kenshin knew?" Megumi asked him.

"No...I think he said...I think he said that Shinta Wakamaru told him!"

"What? How did he---?" Megumi broke off, knowing the answer to her own question. "When Shinta Wakamaru found her, she was retching all over the yard. He may have guessed. But that doesn't make any sense."

"And just why not? I mean, who else could it be?" Sanosuke asked.

"Sano, Shinta Wakamaru is dead. Don't you remember reading about his death in the newspaper? Of course I'm banking on the fact that you can read," Megumi told him.

"Yeah, I do remember, for your information. But who knows? Maybe it was some sort of government conspiracy and he really didn't die!" Sanosuke theorized.

"I don't think the government would waste their time on a conspiracy as insignificant as that one," Megumi pointed out.

After a moment, Sanosuke said, "Point well taken. But really, I found her drowning at the docks. Who else could have thought to take her there?"

"That could be a coincidence, you know," Megumi said.

"What could be a coincidence?" a voice asked. Both Megumi and Sanosuke turned around to see Kaoru approaching them, back from training with her students and looking very worn out.

Megumi stood up and began tidying up the room as Sanosuke stood to leave. Wiping her brow with the back of her hand, Kaoru asked, "What's going on?"

"On? Going on? Whatever do you mean, Miss Kaoru?" Megumi asked, trying to appear innocent. Sanosuke smacked his forehead. 'That idiot! We all know it's been a while since she and Kaoru were on formal terms with each other!' he thought with frustration.

"Okay, Megumi, I'm getting worried now. Has something happened?" Kaoru asked. Then she froze, remembering the events of the previous night. "Has something happened to Reiko?" she asked, gripping Sanosuke's arm.

"Damn! Do you people have some sort of womanly instincts that tell you these things?" he asked.

"It's common sense, Sano," Megumi said. "Kaoru, please sit down."

Refusing to sit, Kaoru asked, "Is Reiko all right?"

"Yes, she'll be fine. But first, you have to know what happened," Megumi said, sitting down herself. Sanosuke also sat down, but grabbed a nearby pillow for protection in case Kaoru decided to throw something at him. Kaoru studied them both for a second, then followed suit. "Now, perhaps Sano should be the one to tell you the story."

"Megumi!" Sanosuke said pleadingly, looking at her with desperation. Megumi just waved for him to begin. He sighed. "Kaoru, remember how you were saying that Reiko had a disturbing dream and you were worried that something was going to happen?" Kaoru nodded. "Well, something did happen.

"I know you told me to watch Reiko, and I did. The only time I let my guard down was when she said she needed to get a drink of water. She went into the yard and I didn't accompany her. I think that was when it happened," Sanosuke said.

"Just what exactly happened, Sanosuke?" Kaoru asked.

"Well...you see...Reiko was kidnapped," he said quickly. As Kaoru opened her mouth to say something, Sanosuke went on. "And nothing you say or do will make me feel any more guilty, Kaoru. I know that it was all my fault and that I should've kept my promise. So---"

"That's not what I was going to say. Who kidnapped her?" Kaoru asked. For a moment, Megumi and Sanosuke studied Kaoru very carefully. She hadn't blown a fuse, she wasn't kicking Sanosuke in painful places, she wasn't screaming, and she looked no wearier than before.

"Kaoru...what are YOU leaving us out of?" Megumi asked carefully.

Kaoru sighed. "Let's just say I knew something like this was going to happen."

"How?" Megumi and Sanosuke asked in unison.

"A little while after my attempted suicide and when I found out that Reiko was still alive, I got a nice, cheery letter from the police telling me to be on my guard because Shinta Wakamaru was not without friends. They would've naturally heard of his death, and would've targeted anyone close to Kenshin as a method of venting out their anger. I knew it was only a matter of time before something happened. Enough of that, though. Is Reiko okay? Is she hurt?" Kaoru asked.

"Yes, but not critically. She should be fine after a little while," Megumi said shakily. She and Sanosuke were still looking at Kaoru with queer expressions. It did not take Kaoru long to find out what their expressions meant.

"Why didn't you tell us, Kaoru?!" Sanosuke shouted. "We had as much right to know that as you did!"

"I decided not to worry anyone. And after nothing happened, I put the letter out of my mind. Did Reiko give the name of her kidnapper?" Kaoru asked. "Or why they kidnapped her?"

"No. But she did mention that whoever her kidnapper was, they knew about the Battousai, whom Reiko now knows is her father," said Sanosuke.

Looking at her feet, Kaoru spoke very softly, "Her kidnapper must've explained a lot to her. But that doesn't matter. Reiko isn't ready to know that her father is really Hitokiri Battousai. No matter what she asks, no matter how much she insists that Kenshin is really her father, we won't let her know the truth until she's ready."

"Then what are we supposed to tell her if she asks, Kaoru?" Megumi questioned.

"Well, I told Reiko that her father died of disease," said Sanosuke. "And if she asks what he did for a living, we could say he worked for the government."

"Sano!" Megumi said.

"What? There are honorable jobs in our stupid government, too!" Sanosuke retorted.

"That's fine," said Kaoru. "Where's Reiko?"

"Asleep in the sickroom," Megumi replied. As Kaoru set off toward where Reiko was, Megumi couldn't help but utter an observation to Sanosuke. "I have to say, she took that rather well."

"I agree."

Little did the both of them know that Kaoru's serenity was a mask, and that inside, her soul was being torn to shreds.

* * *

"Reiko, get up. You have to go to school today," Sanosuke said as he shook Reiko. "Trust me, if it was up to me, I'd let you stay home all the time."

"But in May it IS up to you, Sano. Mom's away in China. She'd never guess," said Reiko. "And besides...I'm not fully recovered yet." She looked at him hopefully.

"Trust me, Reiko. You're fine. Now get out of bed and get ready," Sanosuke ordered, and left the room. Sighing, Reiko got out of bed and walked over to the corner of the room where her clothes were spread out when she stayed with Sanosuke. 'I'm not wearing a kimono today. I don't care if I'll get in trouble at school. Male clothing is a lot more comfortable and it won't be tight on my wounds,' she thought, grabbing a sky blue gi and a white hakama. After she was dressed, she walked over to her mirror to try and tame her hair without her mother's help. It was her main predicament every May. 'Stay down, stupid! Stay down!' she thought desperately, but to no avail. After fiddling with the brush for ten minutes, she realized that what she was doing was pointless. So rather than trying to force it to stay down, she let her hair remain puffy. And rather than tying it in a ponytail that resembled her mother's, she tied it low. 'It's not TOO bad,' she noted, examining her reflection in the mirror. 'I could get used to looking like this.' She stared at the mirror absentmindedly for a little while longer, and then a thought struck her. 'I wonder...do I look like my father? I wish I knew more about him. No one really clarified what he looked like. But I'm actually thrilled that he's not the Battousai. I don't want a murderer for a father, nor do I want to think about exactly HOW he became my father...' She shook her head to clear the thought and left her room.

Sanosuke choked on his breakfast when he saw her.

"I look that bad?" she asked, not in the least bit disheartened. Her looks never concerned her as much as they would the average girl. But she still didn't want to look as sickening as, say, Masashi.

"No. It's just...are you sure you want to go to school dressed like a boy?" Sanosuke asked carefully. 'So it's not my hair,' Reiko thought.

"I really couldn't give a damn, Sano. Personally, I think I'll be able to learn better if I'm comfortable. Kimonos are tight, annoying, and difficult to move around in. Besides, a kimono would be overly tight on my wounds, which would give me unnecessary pain. Would you really want to subject your niece to that kind of punishment?" Reiko said sweetly.

"You have a way with words, Jou-chan," Sanosuke said. "You should be a salesperson."

"Hmm...I'll remember that," Reiko said. "Now I have to go to school."

"Reiko? One last question," Sanosuke said.

"What?"

"Are you sure that the reason you're not wearing a kimono has nothing to do with the fact that you're probably going to kick Masashi's ass today?" asked Sanosuke.

"Now, Sano!" Reiko said, pretending to be hurt. "You don't know me well at all, do you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I could kick his ass dressed in a kimono as well," she replied, smiling for the first time in days.

"All right then. Be sure to tell me all about it once you get home. And punch him a couple of times for me," Sanosuke requested.

Smiling wider, Reiko answered, "With pleasure."

A while later, Reiko slid open the door to where her classroom was. Ignoring all the strange stares her fellow classmates were giving her, she took her seat and directed her attention at the teacher.

"Kamiya," Mrs. Inoue began, "how nice of you to join us for class today. Staying home got boring, I presume?"

"Oh, yeah, and school is just SO much more interesting," Reiko replied sardonically. 'That woman needs to start looking with her eyes and not with her ego,' she thought angrily.

"Why exactly haven't you shown up for class for the past two weeks, Kamiya?" Mrs. Inoue inquired.

"Well, you know, I've only been recovering from near fatal wounds, Inoue-sensei, but you know, you're right. Who cares if I would've died on my way here? At least I would've upheld my duty as a student and would've TRIED to come here to learn useless facts about why the crops have been so dry lately," Reiko said, never ceasing to be sarcastic.

Mrs. Inoue looked a bit taken aback. "You've been doing what at home?"

"Don't you hear well? I've been recovering from nearly fatal wounds," she repeated slowly to make sure Inoue-sensei heard every word.

"Ah, well...then..." Mrs. Inoue was trying to find a way to scold Reiko for her absence, but was proving to be unsuccessful. So she searched for something else improper to preach about. "Why aren't you wearing a kimono?"

"Because male clothing isn't tight and doesn't press down on where I've been hurt, all right?" Reiko snapped.

"It's indecent, Kamiya," Mrs. Inoue pointed out.

"Don't go insane, Inoue-sensei. I AM wearing something underneath the gi, so there's nothing indecent about it. Now, I'd hate to continue being a disruption to your extremely enlightening lesson, so why don't you continue?" Reiko said. But due to powers out of her control, she was still being a disruption. Several boys had gathered around her and were staring at her with respectful awe. Reiko blinked several times. 'Since when do boys look at ME like that?' she wondered. Then a realization hit her. 'They're not Masashi's cronies. So it's not life-threatening for them to speak to me without slipping an insult in every sentence.' She glanced over to where Masashi was sitting. He looked sullen and downright pissed off, and that made Reiko smile. Some of his "followers" were looking at her too, but not with the contempt-filled gazes that she was usually met with. There was some respect in their eyes, too. Either respect, or pity.

"Where'd your wounds come from?" a boy asked. Reiko regarded him for a second. She didn't recognize him.

"Who are you?"

"Oh, that's right. You weren't here a week ago. I just moved here. Name's Satoshi Yagami. I know all about you from them, though," he said, pointing to Masashi and his group.

"Yeah, they must've had REAL nice things to say about me," Reiko said, with a hollow laugh.

"If you're wise you won't ask," Satoshi replied. "So, how DID you get that?" He pointed to her bandaged hand.

"Sword fight," Reiko said simply. The boys around her openly gaped at that.

"You mean you were in an ACTUAL sword fight? With ACTUAL swords?" a boy named Kensuke asked.

"Um, yeah. What's so special about that?" Reiko asked, inching away from them. They were starting to scare her.

"Don't be so modest," Satoshi said, slapping her on the back. "From what I heard from Masashi and his friends, modest is the last thing you are."

"Masashi told you a lot about me that you'll find false," Reiko retorted.

"Anyway, you know swords are illegal. How'd you get one?" Satoshi wanted to know.

"Oh! I didn't have a REAL sword. My opponent did, though," said Reiko. 'Why are they all so fascinated?' she thought incredulously.

"Can we see?" begged another boy, named Akira.

In response, Reiko stuck out her hand.

"I mean the actual wound."

So Reiko removed the bandage from her hand and showed it to them. "Knock yourself out," she said.

"Ouch," Satoshi noted. "That's gotta hurt."

"Didn't you say you had WOUNDS? As in, in the plural?" Kensuke asked.

"Yeah, on my wrists, ankles, and shoulders," Reiko answered. She showed them her bandaged wrists and rolled up the bottom of her hakama to show them her ankles. The boys just stared.

"All right, people. Enough of treating Kamiya like you would a side show. Take your seats and pay attention," Mrs. Inoue snapped. Looking defeated, the boys around Reiko stood and returned to where they were seated before. Reiko wasn't sure, but it seemed as if she'd made a few friends. She heard a small sigh next to her and turned. Sora was sitting right next to her and was not looking pleased.

"Oh, hi Sora! I didn't see you. I thought you sat on the other side of the room," said Reiko genially. Sora regarded her coldly for a second, shook her head, and then looked at the teacher. 'What's her problem?' Reiko wondered, raising an eyebrow.

"Kamiya!" Mrs. Inoue said. Reiko looked at her.

"Yeah?"

"What is eighty-nine plus seventy-two?" Mrs. Inoue asked. Reiko stared at her paintbrush for a second before the answer came to her.

"One hundred and sixty one," Reiko replied.

"Who did you copy off of?" Mrs. Inoue inquired.

"No one. I'm not stupid, you know. I did it in my head," Reiko said. "Satisfied?"

"Two hundred ninety-nine plus forty," Mrs. Inoue spat.

"Please, that's an insult to my intelligence," Reiko boasted. "Three hundred thirty nine."

"All right. You've proven that you have sufficient knowledge of addition. But I would prefer for you to pay attention," Mrs. Inoue said.

Speaking for the first time since Reiko had gotten there, Masashi called out, "You're asking the impossible, Inoue-sensei."

"Masashi, I'd tell you not to get your loincloth in a bunch but since it's a little late for that, I'll just ask you to shut up. And you'd be wise to do so while I'm being nice," Reiko advised icily. Masashi raised his eyebrows in surprise. 'Is that wench TALKING BACK to me?' he asked himself, annoyed.

"Repeat that, wench, and I'll beat your face in and forget the fact that you're a girl and obviously weaker," Masashi retorted in a huff.

Reiko smiled wickedly in replication. "I'd like to see you try, Masashi Ikeda."

"KAMIYA AND IKEDA! YOU ARE DISRUPTING THE LESSON!" Mrs. Inoue interrupted, looking absolutely livid with rage. "Kamiya, you will regret it if I have to speak to you one more time. And you, Ikeda, will regret it even more if you're responsible for her actions. Understood?" Reiko and Masashi nodded, still glaring at one another.

At lunch, Reiko tried to eat and ignore the fact that most of the girls in her class kept throwing her looks of contempt. 'What is their problem?' she wondered, confused. 'They never knew I existed before.' A few feet away she saw Sora and Minako standing together. Minako was listening as Sora talked.

Afterwards, Sora, Minako close behind, went up to Reiko and said, "You were really rude to Inoue-sensei today! And just because you think you're so cool doesn't mean you can show up dressed for school like a whore!" With that, she stormed off. Reiko stared after her, unable to say anything.

"Reiko, I'm sorry," said Minako. "But I'm---"

"Don't bother. I know you probably agree with her, so just leave and I won't care," Reiko said coldly, looking down at her food.

"You should have let me finish. I don't agree with her. You look nothing like a whore, so don't pay her any heed. Besides, she's just jealous because you had ten boys crowded around you today from what I heard," Minako reassured Reiko.

"But that's just because they were interested in how I got hurt. I'm sure they were only interested in why I know someone with a real sword," Reiko said.

"Hey, Kamiya!" someone called. Reiko turned around to see Satoshi running toward her. "Kamiya, would you mind sitting with is? We really want to hear about your sword fight!" Reiko slapped her forehead as Minako raised her eyebrows.

"Sword fight?" she asked.

"Heh, about that---"

"Yeah, Kamiya has wounds all over her body from a real sword! Isn't that cool?" Satoshi exclaimed. "So can you sit with us?"

"I generally sit with my friends..." Reiko started.

"Aw, what are you, a man-hater? I could be your friend too!" Satoshi said.

"You know, you can come join us, if you want," Minako interjected. Satoshi looked at her.

"Really? An older girl like you wouldn't mind?" he asked.

"Not at all," Minako replied. "I'd love to hear about why Reiko has wounds all over her body too."

Satoshi dragged his friends over and Reiko made up some story about how she was attacked by a stranger who selected random people on the street and tried to kill them. The boys seemed to buy it, and said their goodbyes once a few older boys called them over. Minako, however, was looking at Reiko unbelievingly.

"They're gone now, Reiko. You can tell me what really happened," she said quietly.

"I did. That was the truth," Reiko lied.

"Reiko, be honest. Did the person who attacked you try to force himself on you?" she inquired.

"What? No! It was nothing like that!"

"Then what really happened?"

Reiko sighed. 'Well, Minako's one of my most trustworthy friends. Well, my MOST trustworthy friend considering I don't have many anymore. I can tell her the truth, I suppose,' she decided silently. Taking a deep breath, Reiko told Minako the real story.

"THAT'S what happened?!" Minako asked, amazed once Reiko had finished. Reiko nodded. "But...why didn't you ever tell me you were the child of the Battousai?!"

"Keep your voice down, Minako!" Reiko hissed. "I never told you because it's not true. The man made a mistake. I'm not the Battousai's child."

"How sure can you be?" Minako asked. "You never knew your father, so for all you know, you could be."

"My mom wouldn't lie to me like that," Reiko insisted. "I'm sure that my father isn't the Battousai."

After regarding her for a moment, Minako said, "I hope you're right."

* * *

"Masashi!" Reiko called once they were all dismissed. Masashi turned around to look at her.

"Yeah, wench? Come to beg for forgiveness?" he asked smugly.

"Actually, I've come to you in hopes of making amends. I was wondering if we could start over and try to get along," Reiko said, hiding the evil smile that was trying to make its way onto her lips. 'For his own sake, he better say yes. Otherwise I'm kicking his ass without any remorse,' Reiko told herself.

"Get along? With YOU?" Masashi asked, scoffing. "I have a better chance of getting along with a monkey!"

"By monkey I presume you mean the three morons that surround you all day, eh, Masashi?" Reiko asked.

"Don't start with us, wench," one of his friends warned Reiko. "We WILL beat you up, and it WILL hurt."

"Okay then. Beat me up," Reiko said, completely calm.

"You have a death wish or something?" the same boy who had spoke before asked her.

"Yeah, I have a death wish," Reiko muttered, getting into her battle stance.

"All right then. Your death will be your own fault," Masashi said, and lunged at her. Reiko stepped out of the way, spun around and kicked him in the head. Masashi fell to the ground. One of his friends came at her from behind, but she heard him and elbowed him in the stomach, causing him to clutch it and back away. As she approached Masashi, yet another of his friends lunged at her from behind. She ducked and her fell over her onto Masashi. She knelt to bring Masashi to his feet, but one of his fallen comrades pulled on her leg and knocked her down. The one that had pulled her down stood up and smirked at her, thinking himself superior to her. Reiko rolled her eyes and knocked him off his feet using her leg. She stepped on the area under his stomach when she stood. Not taking her time, she grabbed Masashi's collar and pulled him to his feet.

"Listen to me very carefully, you idiot bastard. This is pay back. Pay back for every single time you made a snide remark about me. Pay back for every single time you've embarrassed me. And it's also pay back for that time you slapped me two years ago. I don't forgive, and I don't forget. Perhaps you'll learn to forget the humiliation you'll feel from this, that is if you live to remember the tale," she informed him, contempt practically dripping from every word she spoke. Up until that point, she hadn't been using the futae no kiwami. Now she felt it was only proper to inform Masashi, the hard way, as to what she'd been doing for the past two years. Smiling as maliciously as he had always smiled at her, Reiko punched him in the face. Masashi was thrown back against the wall of their school by her attack, and he collapsed, unconscious. Reiko walked over to him and slapped him. "Wake up, fool. I'm not done with you yet." She lifted him to his feet. "I don't expect you to apologize, Ikeda. All I expect is for you to leave me alone for the rest of my life. Understood?"

Despite the fact that Masashi was half-conscious, he was still as arrogant as ever. He scoffed. "Leave you alone?" he asked weakly. "After this? Heh, you wish."

"Now, I was hoping it wouldn't come to this," Reiko whispered.

"You're not gonna...do anything more..." he choked. Although his voice was confident, there was obvious fear in his eyes. Reiko's grip loosened around his collar without her meaning for it to.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked him. When he didn't reply she pushed him against the wall. "Answer me!"

"It's funny...I always thought your eyes were lavender colored. I never noticed they were amber..." he told her weakly. "But like I said, you won't kill me."

'Amber?' Reiko wondered, tightening her grip once more as her other hand hung limply at her side. 'What does he mean, amber? My eyes ARE lavender.' Shaking her head and realizing that her punch was probably making him see things, Reiko clenched her free hand into a fist and punched Masashi in the stomach with all her might. Masashi coughed up blood and Reiko let him fall to the ground. To make sure she hadn't killed him, she knelt beside him and felt his wrist for a pulse. It was there, but very faint. Breathing a small sigh of relief, she turned to face his two friends. The other had fled somewhere, which brought a wider smile to her lips.

"Come," she beckoned to his remaining friends. They only backed away from her, looking positively terrified. "What, you're not going to come to the aid of your leader?"

"What are you, some kind of witch?" one of them asked. Reiko blinked. That hardly seemed an appropriate thing to say at the moment.

"What?"

"Your eyes used to be lavender. Now they're amber-colored. How the hell did you do that?" the other piped up.

Reiko didn't reply. They had clearly lost their minds. Her eyes didn't change color. Was that even possible?

"My eye color is none of your business. Now I suggest you go see to your friend and get him some medical attention. Have a nice day," she said to them genially and turned to walk toward the Kamiya dojo. Her reason for going home when she knew she wasn't supposed to was because she needed to take a new gi and hakama with her considering the one she was wearing at the time was covered with dirt. Sanosuke wasn't the type to do laundry, and she just wasn't in the mood.

"You know," she said out loud to no one in particular. "I enjoyed kicking his ass, that I did." But there was a troubling thought in the back of her mind. Why did they say her eye color changed while she was in battle? It was along the lines of what Fujitaka Wakamaru had said happened to the Battousai. Why did she bear any likeness to him? It wasn't possible that she was really his child. There was just no way.

She slid open the door to the dojo and ran in, heading for her room. She looked in the mirror as soon as she entered the room. Her eyes were lavender, not amber. Clearly, the three boys had simply been raving. About to grab her clothing, Reiko heard the faint sound of crying. It seemed to be coming from the kitchen. Abandoning her task of getting new clothes, she walked over to the kitchen. Inside, she saw Kaoru hunched over the table where Reiko usually chopped vegetables, sobbing.

"Mom?" she asked. Kaoru turned to look at her. Reiko was forced to gasp at her mother's appearance. Her eyes were bloodshot, her hair looked as if it hadn't been combed in days, and she looked as if she was ready to tear Reiko limb from limb. "What's wrong, Mom?" Kaoru grabbed a nearby knife and flung it at Reiko. She missed by quite a distance and Reiko didn't even have to get out of the way. Then she fell to the ground, sobbing again. Reiko ran over to her. "What's the matter? Please, tell me what's going on."

"Your existence is a mistake, you know. And it's all his fault you're alive. All his fault. You shouldn't have been born, you bastard child. You shouldn't have ever been created. I hate him! I hate him for doing this to me and I hate him for leaving you with me and going off without so much as a goodbye! I hate you for living! You look just like him...you look so much like the man I loved..." Kaoru said. Then she beat the ground with her fists. "It isn't fair..."

Fighting the tears that were coming to her eyes, Reiko backed away from her. "Who was he? What was his name?"

Kaoru looked up at her for a moment, then smiled strangely. "Your father's name? That bastard's name was Hitokiri Battousai." 'How did I know?' Reiko thought sarcastically. Involuntarily, she kept backing up against the wall by the door. And for the first time in her life, she was terrified of her mother.

"Now," Kaoru said, standing up and sounding very businesslike, "I am going to rid this world of his likeness." She grabbed another knife and began to walk toward Reiko. Reiko just stood there, backed against the wall, too numb and too shocked to move. 'Is she really going to kill me? All because of HIM?' she asked herself. Kaoru was now directly in front of her. She would've been able to stab Reiko right then and there. And she tried to. Fortunately for Reiko, her paralysis wore off and she ducked just as Kaoru tried to thrust the knife into her. Reiko moved so she was behind Kaoru, then kicked her in the back. Kaoru was thrown into the wall. Before she recovered, Reiko did what any normal person would do when confronted with this kind of situation: she ran. She ran out of the dojo and down the road, not really sure where she was going. She knew one thing, however. There was no way in a thousand hells that she was ever going back there.

Without realizing it, Reiko had ended up in front of Sanosuke's door. She slid it open and saw Megumi and Sanosuke, talking to each other but looking very distressed. For a moment they looked relieved when they saw her, but when they actually observed the condition she was in, they looked concerned once more.

"You lied," Reiko rasped, out of breath. "I know now."

"Know what?" Sanosuke and Megumi asked, shooting each other a nervous look.

"I know that Battousai the Manslayer is my father."

JK: Yep...me and my cliffies. I'm sorry to have disappointed people by not making Reiko's kidnapper Kenshin, but that would kind of screw up the whole plot of my story. And yes, Saitou is still alive.

Evil Authoress: Shockingly. Miracle Lung lives!

JK: Yeah, and he comes in later in the story. In the next chapter, actually.

Evil Authoress: Yeah, yeah. My turn to talk. Sake is bad. It gives you hangovers and bad breath. Just ask Seijuro Hiko!

JK: Evil Authoress, I don't think anyone cares.

Shishio: Shut up. Where would we all be if we didn't have sake?

Kenshin: Probably a lot saner.

Sanosuke: Nah, I doubt that. See, some of us can actually hold our liquor.

Kenshin: Except for Miss Kaoru.

Kaoru: KENSHIN! (takes out bokuto) Take that back!

Kenshin: NO!

Kaoru: TAKE IT BACK NOW!

Kenshin: NO!

(Kaoru begins to chase Kenshin around the room, trying to bash him on the head with her sword.)

Kaoru: TAKE THAT BACK!

Kenshin: AW, GO TO HELL!

Kaoru (stopping and gasping): What did you say?!

Kenshin: Sorry, Kaoru-dono! Sorry!

Kaoru: JERK! (bashes him on the head)

Evil Authoress: This is the perfect example as to why sake is bad for you. It tears families apart. (wipes away non-existent tear)

Hiko: Er...can I have my sake now?

Evil Authoress: NO! ALL MINE! (runs off screaming about how all the sake in this world belongs to her)

(Shishio takes out a jug of sake from his...er...kimono. I mean, he doesn't dress like Kenshin's kind of clothing.)

Shishio: Any takers?

Yahiko: Right here!

Yumi: I wouldn't mind some.

Sanosuke: I GET HALF!

Megumi: Let me pour it! I want to pour it!

Yumi: No...it's my man's sake, so therefore I get to pour it!

Megumi: NO ME!

Yumi: GO GET A MAN!

Megumi: ME!

Yumi: I POUR IT!

Megumi: I WANNA POUR IT!

Yumi: No you don't!

JK: Are you sure they're not drunk already?

Shishio: The wenches? Beats me.

Yumi and Megumi: WHAT WAS THAT?!

Shishio: Eep! (runs away with the sake)

Sanosuke: Nooooooooo! Shishio, come back!

(Yumi and Megumi stop arguing and stare at Sanosuke.)

Megumi (to Yumi): So that's why he kept rejecting me when I was giving out all the signals!

Yumi: I feel bad for you, Megumi. But I knew he was gay from the moment I met him. I just hope Shishio is...er...straight.

Sanosuke: I AM NOT GAY! I JUST WANT THE SAKE!

(Penny: Angel of Darkest Dreams pops up.)

Penny: Hey! Sanosuke's so straight he makes rulers look curvy! (disappears)

Megumi, Yumi, and Sanosuke: Rulers?

JK: Anyway, thanks for reading my fic! Please review! (And if my fight scenes suck, be sure to tell me!)