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

8. Ignition

The Fires of Vengeance- Chapter 8: Ignition

JK: (dances around) I ish back with a new chappie of The Fires of Vengeance! WOOT! And here I was thinking I wouldn't make it past chapter seven.

Penny (shaking her head): Don't you just want to smack her sometimes? That modesty of yours gets rather annoying after a while… (displeased look)

JK: -.- Oh fine. Once again…I really don't feel like writing a humorous author's note at the beginning of the chapter…so on with the fic!

Okibi: You could've introduced me first.

JK: Ah yes. This is Okibi, my…erm…online brotherly figure, also known as The Fic Critic. He will be taking Happy Beauty Yoshimi's place in my author's notes since Yoshimi has met her demise. (looks at Okibi skeptically) May I go on now, dearest onii-san?

Okibi: By all means…

Kenshin: I must voice a small, quiet concern first.

JK: (pauses) What is it?

Kenshin: AM I IN THIS FREAKING CHAPTER OR NOT?!

Okibi: Quiet, eh?

Penny: Quiet, Okibi. He's just frustrated because JK's completely edited him out of the picture.

JK: I did not! He'll be in it soon enough. And Penny, don't go starting verbal wars with Okibi. I cannot simultaneously keep you two from killing each other and type.

Penny: I have every right to snap at him, JK. He insulted my Sessho-sama!

Okibi: Like a battle of wits would last long when you pit someone as sharp as me against her… (smirks)

(JK shakes her head wearily.)

JK: Enough.

Kenshin (pouting slightly): Am I ever going to meet everyone again?

JK: Sure you will. But see…they'll all hate you.

Kenshin: Even Reiko?

JK: Have you been following the bloody plot line?! She already loathes you!

(Kenshin sighs.)

Hiko: Great, now look at what you've done. He's going to go drown his sorrow using my sake. What the hell have I done to deserve this? WHY ARE PEOPLE ALWAYS TAKING MY SAKE?!

Penny: Because at the rate you stock up, there isn't enough to go around for the rest of us.

(Hiko's face takes on an expression identical to Kenshin's.)

JK: Brilliant move. The thirteenth and fourteenth masters of the Hiten Mitsurugi ryuu are angry. This can only end so well!

Okibi: They look more distraught than anything else…

Kenshin: (glares at Hiko) At least you have a role!

Hiko (to JK): Is it a role in which I drink sake?

JK: Hiko, you do not exist anywhere without your sake. Do the math.

Hiko: FINALLY! PROCEED WITH THE FIC! I'll do that disclaimer thing. JK is not our master. We belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki up until the time he decides to sell his copyrights to JK…which will hopefully be never.

JK: Your fate is in my hands, remember?

Hiko: I'm indispensable to your plot. You need me. (smug look)

JK: (clutches the dagger Penny was kind enough to give her in a review) You were saying?

Okibi: JK, just start the fic!

Sanosuke and Megumi stared after Yahiko as he proceeded to exit the dojo, standing in a kind of morbid silence. Both of them knew what was required for both of the situations that had suddenly arisen within the Kamiya dojo, but neither had any idea how to approach them. Megumi sighed helplessly. She was about to voice a feeble question as to how and why everything had come to this, but she caught herself in time. There were plenty of people around her and Sanosuke wallowing in their own despair, and there was no need for that number to increase. Besides, now wasn't the time for self-interest. She and Sanosuke were far better off than Kaoru and Reiko—not to mention the suddenly brooding Yahiko—so it was their duty to mend any rifts the past month had caused. No…that's not right. I'm accusing Kaoru and Reiko of wallowing in their despair, but that isn't just. They're human. They're people. And they deserve to have a small measure of happiness in their lives. How easily you gave Kaoru happiness, Battousai…and how easily you took it away…

Leaning on Sanosuke, she said softly, "Tell you what. You can go speak to the adult who acts like a child, and I'll deal with the child who thinks she's an adult."

Sanosuke shook his head warily. "I never thought I'd see the day when my role in our little group would be peacemaker."

"Ah, well…lots of things have changed since you last thought about something."

"Megumi!"

"I was only kidding…but you must admit, plenty of things have changed since the way they were before."

"You mean since Kenshin decided that fatherhood was one ordeal he couldn't face?"

"I mean even after Reiko's birth. She's changed so much…and in such a short expanse of time. It's unnerving," Megumi murmured, pensive.

"Things like that happen when you realize your father is a cold-blooded killer, your mother would not hesitate to kill you at certain times during the year, and that plenty of people want you dead for the first fact," Sanosuke answered. "Suddenly I think it would've been best if Reiko never found out."

"By not telling her, we'd only be delaying the inevitable. You know Reiko is incredibly insightful. She would've realized, at one point in time, that we were deceiving her," Megumi pointed out. "She may not have learned the Hiten Mitsurugi, but I guess that quality is something that just runs in their blood. A trait she inherited from him." As he stood studying the spotless floors of the dojo, Sanosuke realized that Megumi had no need to clarify who she meant by "him." They had reached a sort of silent, mutual consent as to how they would refer to Kenshin from now on: a stressed, contemptuous pronunciation of the word, "him."

"That's true," Sanosuke admitted. "Anyway, how do you expect me to talk to Yahiko? Sure, I may have a way with words when it comes to Reiko, but I helped raise her. That's only to be expected."

Smiling, Megumi added, "You not only helped raise her, but you transferred a bit of your personality to her."

"And which part of my personality might that be?"

"Oh…I don't know. Maybe your complete lack of concern where rules and/or laws are concerned?"

"Oh, don't give me that, woman!" Sanosuke snapped. "It's been years since I've been in trouble with the law."

"Only because you've been lucky and haven't gotten caught yet," said Megumi teasingly.

"What exactly have I done that's against the law lately?"

"You gambled a few weeks ago."

"So?"

"Gambling's illegal."

"…it's not enforced. It doesn't matter." Megumi shook her head wearily.

"Let's not start yet another conflict, Sano." Sanosuke nodded in accordance.

"Yeah…but that changes nothing. Just 'cause you named me negotiator doesn't mean I'll be any good at it. Besides, Yahiko's been acting different lately. It seems as though he's hiding something. And forgetting all that, what the hell is his problem? What does Reiko hating Kaoru have to do with him?" Sanosuke speculated.

"I'd have to say that he doesn't want to be caught in between all the time. He does live here, after all. In any case, your job is to find out what the hell his problem is," Megumi said with a hint of bittersweet cheerfulness. Sanosuke grunted in annoyance.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're enjoying this?"

"I'm bossing you around. Did you think I'd be upset about that?"
"No…just…in light of what happened…I figured you'd be a bit more melancholy."

"Just what happened? Kaoru overcame her insanity. Reiko didn't respond well to meeting her would-be murderer. Everything in the world comes with ups and downs. They exist in order to maintain a state of balance. The amount of evil in the world always equals the amount of righteousness. That's the way it has always been and the way it always will be."

Sanosuke chuckled. "What ass-backwards dream did you infer that from?"

"SANO!"

Snickering, he said, "Sorry…it was a nice attempt at philosophy, though."

"Go brainwash Yahiko, Sanosuke," Megumi commanded crossly. Still smiling at having beaten her in a battle of wits, Sanosuke adhered to Megumi's wishes.

Megumi clenched her hand and held it up to knock once she reached Reiko's room, but faltered. Perhaps my best approach to the matter at hand would be not to confront her openly, she noted. And so, without the slightest hint of noise, Megumi slid open the door to Reiko's room and entered, silently sliding it shut to offer them some privacy. After all, the conversation Megumi intended to have would involve plenty of impassioned remarks from her smart-alecky "niece." Although, Megumi couldn't help but beam inside. She'd entered Reiko's room without the child so much as twitching, which was a rather overt indication that Megumi had successfully remained inconspicuous. Well now, Battousai…you were apparently not the only person within this dojo who possessed some merit of stealth. How would you react upon finding out that my presence went unnoticed by the child who, essentially, is your duplicate?

"Are you just going to stand there and breathe for eternity and beyond, or are you going to say something?" Reiko asked sullenly, her back to Megumi. The doctor nearly staggered back in shock. Of course. While my skills might rival the lowest of the Battousai's, there is someone here who actually possesses his skills, Megumi realized. Reiko's managed to hone them considerably for someone who's had no practice or instruction.

Reiko rotated her body so that she was facing her. She sat there, calmly staring into Megumi's eyes with a cold and yet completely pacified expression. Wasting no more time, Megumi sat down directly in front of Reiko and folded her hands in her lap.

"I can do plenty more than just breathe," Megumi said, initiating the conversation.

"Congratulations. You have mastered two—perhaps three—bodily functions that all human beings are capable of. You are truly gifted," Reiko retorted sardonically.

"Now why the hostility, Reiko? I'm not here to wage war with you."

"Maybe not on my side, but you are here to instigate a battle of some sort. Whether between the two of us…between myself and some other member of our disturbed family…maybe even between all of you and myself. Or perhaps you're here to cause a war within me, in which the parts of my soul will oppose each other. I honestly don't know."

"I am not your enemy, Reiko, nor am I an instigator who wishes to ordain a conflict of any kind."

"I have certain qualities that can only be referred to as astonishing since I inherited them from a bastard who can only be called inhuman. But just because my sixth sense is as acute as a dog's does not mean that you have to serve as the bone they throw me to try and get me to mellow out!" Reiko shouted.

"You're reading too much into this, Reiko-chan. I am attempting nothing pertaining to what you have just said. I wish to speak to you about a past you can only hear about from a few people, most of whom would never be willing to tell you," Megumi said calmly.

"Past?"

"What happened between your parents."

"Yahiko already told me the sword and sheath story."

"I didn't mean that."

"Then by all means, Megumi. If it is something you think I need to know, speak."

"Oh, and I am grateful for your permission," Megumi said with a sarcastic aloofness.

"Is all this necessary? What happened to all that talk about lessening the hostility?"

"Sometimes I find that difficult when being forced to contend with utter disrespect."

Reiko—for perhaps the first time in her life—bowed her head in shame. "Forgive me, Megumi-dono," she said softly. "You're not the person I'm angry with."

"You'll have to forgive me as well. You've undergone a terrible tribulation, and I acted as though you were being an immature little girl," Megumi answered. There was no reason to ask whom Reiko really was mad at, for it was bound to figure later in their conversation.

"Isn't that what I am?" Reiko asked with a half-smile.

"Hardly."

Reiko shook her head. In the past year I've had enough time to mutate into an incredibly difficult person, and in the past month Megumi has learned how to tame me. I do believe that I've let my guard down. Well, she can be certain that it will never happen again… Reiko thought, resolute.

"Now, Reiko, tell me. How do you see your father?" Megumi asked mysteriously. Reiko quirked an eyebrow. This was certainly not how she expected the conversation would start out.

"What do you mean?" she asked quizzically in return.

"What type of personality do you think the Battousai had?" she elaborated.

"He must've been manipulative, that's for sure. And if both you and my mother managed to fall for him, then he had to be pretty damn attractive," Reiko noted, grinning.

"Ah…but if it were only Kaoru and I who fell in love with him."

Reiko paused for a moment, before blushing faintly and inquiring tentatively, "Um…Megumi? Just how many women did my father have around here?"

"One. And that's the point. Out of all the women who had ever loved him, he chose one. Kaoru," Megumi explained.

"Don't," Reiko said sourly.

Megumi looked slightly baffled. "Don't what?"

"Refrain from feeding me this bullshit about how my parents actually loved each other. If love means leaving your lover and your unborn child, then we live in a perverse world and I'd happily commit seppuku here and now," Reiko stated bitterly.

"Passionate words, coming from someone who's never been in love," Megumi pointed out, smiling teasingly.

"Please, Megumi. Even if I ever do fall in love, which I highly doubt, I would never so wholly give myself to a man that I could never live without him."

"You forget, Reiko. You are but eight years old, whereas your mother was seventeen when she met your father. For all you know, your mother had the same beliefs when she was your age."

Reiko shook her head knowingly. "She couldn't have had the same beliefs. She grew up knowing her father. I, on the other hand, never met the man who helped make my existence possible…all he taught me was a bitter loathing for him and the rest of the male population," she said.

Megumi folded her arms, studying Reiko with an inquiring gaze.

"Yes, Megumi, I hate men. All of them, save for Yahiko and Sanosuke, of course," Reiko went on.

"Reiko," Megumi reprimanded, sighing.

"What? Men are selfish bastards who think women are property! They know nothing of the hell we go through, and yet consider themselves our superiors! That's the way it's always been and the way it will always remain. After all, people's mentalities are difficult to change. Look at humanity's history. We don't learn from our past mistakes, and we don't make good use of anything that we do learn!" Reiko exclaimed.

"Reiko," Megumi repeated wearily.

"I wouldn't shut up about this topic even if you got me a katana! Well…scratch that, a katana might just be worth it," Reiko mused.

"Yes, well, good luck with that. Because none of us are intending to buy you a weapon in the near future," Megumi responded.

"You said near future…which means, THERE'S HOPE!"

"In any case, going back to our previous serious topic of conversation, you didn't let me finish. I don't believe that the Battousai actually loved Kaoru. There was plenty of love in their relationship, but it was all one-sided. But I can guarantee one thing: something kept him rooted here for the time that he actually stayed. There was some sort of quality in Kaoru that the Battousai was attached to, but I have no idea what it might have been. Is it possible that he loved what she had to offer him and not her? Very. But once he realized the consequences of what he had done, fleeing was his only option."

"I'm the product of sin. I feel so honored. So, what's the moral of this story?" Reiko questioned.

"Your father was a very captivating person, Reiko. He was able to bend us all to his will quite easily, and we followed him with a blind devotion I now cringe because of upon remembering it," Megumi answered calmly.

"Ah…so my father was basically a walking disease, a plague that manifested itself into everyone he met," she speculated. "And he's the type of disease that never dissipates, isn't he? There's no cure for the mark he made on any of our lives."

"A charming thought," Megumi remarked sarcastically. Little does Megumi realize that the Battousai is still very much around… Reiko thought cynically. Whether he is physically alive right now is irrelevant, for he lives on inside of me. I'm the testament to his existence. He may have disappeared and died as far as the rest of Japan is concerned, but he left me to finish his life's effort. But I won't. I won't become you, Battousai. I don't care how many of your enemies track me down. I won't become the monster you are! I refuse to! The strange thing about Reiko's mind was, however, that she always added to both sides of an argument. …I'm a fool. I truly believe that I can avoid becoming the Battousai. I've failed to realize that it's already too late. I completely wasted Ikeda. And I enjoyed it. That "amber" look in my eyes, as they all called it, was very much present. And I can find the perfect word to illustrate the expression. It was bloodlust in my eyes, for I thoroughly enjoyed being the one to deliver the ass-kicking they all received. Well then, Battousai. It's your wish for me to become you? Your genes seem to be too powerful for me to fight them. All right. You'll get your wish. I'm too far gone to fight the instincts you planted within me. I'll acquire all of your skills and personality traits. And then I'll track you down, Battousai. I'll track you down and make you know my hell and that of your victims a thousand times over! She resolved.

"…Megumi…I've been curious for a while…can you tell me about the day he left?" Reiko asked after a moment had elapsed.

"Well, that was the day Shinta Wakamaru chose to attack us in an effort to get to your father. He and Sano were off gambling, and Wakamaru kidnapped Yahiko and myself first. Yahiko tried to fend him off, but his skills back then were no match for him. Although today, I'm sure Yahiko could've sent Wakamaru to Kingdom Come without suffering so much as a scratch," Megumi recounted, a slight hint of pride in her voice.

"Well, Yahiko is far more skilled in the Kamiya Kasshin ryuu than I ever plan to be," Reiko told her indifferently.

"Is that so?" Megumi asked skeptically, wondering just what Reiko meant by that comment.

"Hai. Where was my mother when all this was happening?" Megumi looked reluctant. "Well?"

"She was…throwing up."

"What? Why…?" Reiko said, but the second word was barely audible, for she had already ascertained the answer to that question. She had picked up quite a few bits of medical knowledge from those long hours in Megumi's clinic.

Megumi's voice attained a harsher tone that she intended when she resumed speaking. "Think, Reiko. This was the very day your father left and never came back. Your mother was retching in the yard when Shinta Wakamaru arrived because she was pregnant with you."

"Mind if I sit here?" Sanosuke asked a sulking Yahiko once he managed to locate his whereabouts. He had chosen a pretty poor place to mope around in, for there were plenty of people near the bridge they were both currently standing beneath. Yahiko grunted in reply, and Sanosuke interpreted it as a positive answer.

Picking up a stray stone and tossing it into the water, Yahiko mumbled, "They've sent you to be the mediator? Is Megumi out of her mind?"

"I was wondering the same thing. So, Yahiko, what exactly is your problem? I mean, we have plenty of dilemmas, what with Kaoru and Reiko not speaking to one another. Where do you go off acting like you're the one who's suffering the most out of all of us?" Sanosuke asked angrily.

"You never became a diplomat, Sano, and do us all a favor. Never do."

Sanosuke blinked. Normally, Yahiko would've made some stupid remark in retaliation to a speech like that and would've bitten Sanosuke's head or something of the like, all in a blind rage, but he had reacted far too distantly. Damn…he must be more depressed than either of us realized… Sanosuke thought.

"You're dodging my question. Shockingly. Your skills at dodging blows at the age of ten are normally more impressive, and we know how awesome your skills were back then," Sanosuke said mockingly. "What's the matter?"

Yahiko sighed. "It's no big deal, really. It's just…I thought…maybe…you know what, Sano, you've never committed to anything in your life, so I don't think you're the best person for me to tell."

Sanosuke gazed at him through half-lidded eyes. "That…was a joke, right?" he asked. "I mean, I've never committed to anything?! I still wear the symbol for bad on my back, even after all the years since the Sekihoutai disbanded, as a mark of my loyalty to my past, and you're telling me that I can't commit?! I was willing to ditch all of you for the sake of the Sekihoutai!"

"Sanosuke, that just makes you a weenie who is afraid of change," Yahiko answered, sticking out his tongue.

"Oh yeah, that's the mature way for a twenty-year-old to behave!" Sanosuke affirmed. "And you still haven't told me why you're so depressed."

"You'd laugh."

"I'd do no such thing! If it was funny, I'd chuckle."

"Sanosuke," Yahiko said firmly, his tone indicating that all humor had evaporated from their conversation.

"What is it, Yahiko? Are you ill? Are you going to prison?"
"No…it's just…I…well, you see…I kind of…well…"

"Spit it out!"

"I asked Tsubame to marry me," he said all in one breath. Sanosuke openly gaped at him. "Well…that's better than overt laughter."

"Damn, Yahiko, I've been waiting for this moment for years! It's about time!" Sanosuke stood and slapped Yahiko on the back. "Way to go!"

"What the hell, Sano?! How can I possibly get married when Reiko and Kaoru are so pissed at each other?! What right have I to be happy when everyone around me is miserable?!" Yahiko shouted. "And let's not get started on the problems you and Megumi have…"

"I think we've more or less solved those," Sanosuke said with a wink.

"Do I want to know what that wink means?"
"Don't be such a pervert, Yahiko. What that means is Megumi and I have a more complicated relationship now, and we still argue like hell, but on the bright side, we've actually admitted that we like being around each other," Sanosuke explained.

"You've always liked being around each other. You two would dive in front of oncoming bullets for each other!" he said, laughing. "Damn, Sano, I've been waiting for this moment for years! It's about time! Way to go!" To further mimic Sanosuke and get on his nerves, Yahiko slapped him on the back approvingly. Sanosuke mumbled incoherently, for which Yahiko was thankful, since he didn't think he really wanted to know what Sanosuke was saying.

"Anyway," Sanosuke began once he recovered his composure, "leave it to you to dramatize everything. Kaoru and Reiko will be fine in a matter of days. Besides, did Tsubame even say 'yes'?" Yahiko nodded. "Well, what, were you planning on getting married tomorrow? Get married in a few months! By then, everyone will be fine."

"If you say so." Sanosuke rolled his eyes and punched Yahiko lightly on his head. "Hey!"

"Get out of this pathetic state of depression, Yahiko! You and Tsubame will get married. Trust me, you might end up thinking that the day came too soon," Sanosuke said sagely. "Besides, we need more sane people on our side in the final stages of the little confrontation going on in the dojo."

Smiling, Yahiko nodded. "Yeah, I guess I was being melodramatic. I'm sorry," he said sheepishly.

"Apology not accepted, but we love you anyway," Sanosuke said lightheartedly.

Reiko and Megumi sat in absolute silence, Megumi watching Reiko as she allowed her statement to fully register. I'm sorry, Reiko…you must be feeling immeasurable guilt right now. But there was no avoiding that little factor in this story, Megumi thought.

After another silent, uneasy moment, Reiko let out a wry chuckle. "Why the tone with that comment, Auntie Megumi? Is it my guilt you were trying to bring about? I refuse to accept my mother's condition as being my fault. If anything, don't try to invoke any pity or empathy in me when it comes to that. Her pregnancy was the Battousai's fault, yes, but hers as well. I hate him not for causing my conception, but for leaving because of it," Reiko explained. "Her retching was as much her fault as anyone else's."

"You slightly blame Kaoru for what happened, don't you?" Megumi asked weakly.

"Of course not, Megumi! I understand that I'm not the kindest person, but I'm not completely heartless. However, I do think it's partially her fault that I was conceived. It's not as though he forced himself upon her. From what you told me, she loved him, even if it was pathetic unrequited love. This idiotic infatuation with him, I cannot blame her for. Nor can I blame her for the insanity she experienced when he left. Mom needed someone to depend on…someone to be her protector, someone who upheld her and kept her will to live in existence. She thought she found these qualities in him, and so relied on him so completely that life without him seemed unbearable. I know that she lived a hard life, and I can't blame her for needing someone like that." Reiko sighed. "No…I don't blame her for anything else…"

"If you don't blame her for her infatuation, why call it idiotic?"

"Because it was. Why did she have to experience such an utterly blind attachment to him? If he didn't love her…she would've been able to see that. But she was so trusting and in such a complete state of denial that she didn't see it, or pretended not to. But enough speculation on who was right and who should be strung up and stoned to death."

"…we never mentioned stoning or stringing anyone up."

"Yeah…well…me thinking, us mentioning, same thing. Continue with the story."

"Yes, well, since she was vomiting when Wakamaru found her, I'm assuming he supposed that she was pregnant. Either that…or sick. But either way, if the Battousai knew that 'his woman' was in danger, Wakamaru assumed that he would come running. And come running he did.

"The Battousai showed up at the docks—the meeting place Wakamaru had appointed—alone, without Sano. Sano stayed back to keep the dojo from burning to the ground, for Wakamaru had decided to set it on fire because of his twisted desire to appeal to your father's dark side."

"I love how you imply that there was some part of him that wasn't dark, Megumi-dono. Unless dark side refers to my charming daddy being a pyromaniac?"

Megumi laughed, although Reiko could sense that she did more to mask her obvious distress than because she thought Reiko's comment was humorous. "Your father showed up where Wakamaru had taken us and…well…for lack of a better description, kicked his ass. We all returned to the dojo, and as your mother had passed out shortly after the attack, I immediately began tending to her. Sanosuke was the last person to speak to your father before he left. Funny…it rained steadily as he abandoned us…"

"Did he give any reasons for leaving?"

"No."

"Hmmph. I'm not surprised," Reiko remarked. "So at this point in the story, the Battousai ran away. I know of Mom's long term reaction, but how did she respond immediately?"

At this inquiry, Megumi was absolutely silent. Of course, judging from the beads of sweat rolling down Megumi's cheek, Reiko could easily infer that her hesitance to answer was not a result of not knowing. "I can plainly see that you know the answer to my question, so just tell me."

"Hai, Reiko, I know the answer quite well…being that I was the first to notice it…but I don't know if…if…"

"Do not fret about my reaction to your answer, Megumi. After what I've already found out, do you honestly think that anything can shock me?" Reiko asked nonchalantly.

"Reiko, this isn't a joke. Out of all the revelations that have been made, this one will be the hardest for you to bear. Do you truly believe that you're ready to know?" Megumi asked seriously. She shouldn't have to know…this'll only make her hate Kaoru. But she has a right to know, and I don't think I could ever sit down and persuade myself to explain anything to her yet again in the future. Now is the only chance for her to find out. If I don't tell her now, the best way I know how, someone else might do it. Megumi thought miserably. Either way, I'm in too deep already. The only way out is to lie, and she'll only be that much angrier when someone else tells her, revealing the fact that I was too gutless to tell her the truth. I'm sorry, Reiko, but whether you're ready or not, you're about to learn something about both your past and your mother's that might be incredibly repulsive.

"Megumi, enough postponing the inevitable. What was my mom's—"

"She attempted suicide," Megumi interjected quickly. Reiko's arms—which until this point had been folded over her chest—fell limply at her sides.

"She…what?" Reiko murmured weakly.

"She stabbed herself in the abdomen, thereby endangering your life as well as hers. You said that Kaoru needed someone to lean on, lest she would lose the will to live. Rei-chan, you were completely correct. Kaoru lost that someone, and no longer saw the meaning to her life," Megumi went on. "But that's a very dangerous way of thinking, Reiko. Not one single person's life is meaningless." Don't become a vicious murderer like the Battousai, Reiko, for you must realize…the people he killed had lives, and he tore those asunder as well as the lives of the ones they held dear.

Reiko said no more but instead rose and began to make her way out of the room.

"Reiko, where is it that you are headed?"

"Out," Reiko replied simply.

"I can see that," Megumi said distastefully. "But as your guardian, I have a right to know where you're going. In fact, I'd call it more of an obligation than a right."

"Megumi, you just told me that my mother attempted to kill me yet another time besides the incident that occurred a month ago, and this time was eight months before I my birth," Reiko spat bitterly. "I don't know where I'm going after hearing a statement like that, although you can be sure that I wouldn't tell you either way."

"Allow me to remind you, Reiko, that you stated oh-so-confidently that you'd be able to hear me out without the slightest amount of shock afterward. And this was the response to your question! Are you saying that I sprung this on you with no prior warning?!" Megumi cried.

"I'm saying nothing," Reiko said as she stepped over the threshold, her voice completely impassive.

"Reiko, our conversation is not yet over! Don't just walk away!" Megumi shouted after her. Infuriatingly silent, Reiko simply sped up her pace as she trod upon the floors of the dojo that she had called home for eight years. It was amazing how floors whose every crack she had memorized suddenly seemed so foreign to her… I no longer belong here… She thought. I'm the outsider. I'm the one who shouldn't have been born. After all, my mother tried to kill me twice. She bore me against her own will, of that I can be certain. But who can blame her? I could hardly expect her to want to carry the child of a man she trusted so wholly, who in turn betrayed her so unreservedly. As she approached the dojo's entrance, she awaited the onslaught of tears she was certain were only a moment away. But despite her tormented mind and her completely obscure thoughts, the tears wouldn't come. She was no longer the girl who crawled up in her own miserable little corner and wept to her heart's content. No matter how intense her misery got, no matter how pointless her existence seemed to her, she would not give way to tears any longer. And why should I cry? My mother hates me. But that hate is not unwarranted, so I have no right to hold it against her. She's suffered far worse than I have, and I look so much like the Battousai that she sees him every time she lays her eyes upon me. Reiko thought, before scoffing. All of his victims see him when they look at me. You haven't even granted me my own persona, Battousai. Is there no limit to what you'll take from me? First my innocence, then my happiness, then—albeit indirectly—my life, and worst of all…my identity. Even the dead usually have names carved into their tombstones. But the name "Reiko Kamiya" will be utterly meaningless when carved into my tombstone as of yet, for I am nothing more than your exact duplicate. By this time, Reiko had already reached the door. As she prepared to walk outside, she both expected and dreaded the cheerful sunlight she would be met with. But as she walked into the yard, preparing herself for the squinting she would undoubtedly have to contend with as her eyes adjusted to the sunlight, she realized that the weather had changed from earlier in the day. There was not one inch of blue sky to be seen, for dull, desolate clouds stretched as far as Reiko could see and beyond.

Reiko was pulled out of her sky-gazing as Megumi placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you ready to come back and talk again now, Reiko?" she asked gently. Reiko forcefully shoved Megumi's hand away.

"I shouldn't have spent so much time hesitating before running out of this damn place," Reiko said aloud, although she knew she was reprimanding herself. "No, I'm not ready to come back and talk again." She held no grudges for anyone but the Battousai, and yet she didn't want to return. Despite the rage she was positive Megumi would feel, Reiko turned around without another word and sped off down the road.

"REIKO! GET BACK HERE!" Grinning to herself, Reiko continued running, not quite sure where she was so boldly headed but feeling insanely pleased with herself nonetheless.

Hmm…the docks…not my favorite place to be…but they'll do. Reiko noted as she finally stopped walking. The area was devoid of any of the usual onlookers, for they probably came to the realization that rain was not long in coming. Even many of the workers were beginning to make haste, those with families probably eager to return to them and those without probably eager to find shelter. Family… Reiko thought, smiling bemusedly. What I have can only be called a makeshift family. Makeshift…a lot like the useless sword Hiko broke.

"Oi!" someone called, interrupting Reiko's reflection. She glanced up and was met with a middle-aged man's penetrating gaze. "Don't just stand there like your legs are made of lead! Move it! We've got loads more work left, and we'd like to be finished before we're soaked through to the bone!" What, does he think I'm a worker? Reiko wondered blankly, looking back at him through half-lidded eyes. "Am I speaking gibberish or something? Get off the docks! What's a little girl like you doing out without her daddy, anyway? That's dangerous, you know! You can never tell the psychopaths apart from the normal human beings!"

"In that case, you're secure. You did say that psychopaths appear to be normal human beings at first glance, so I'm not at all worried about you being a psycho," Reiko answered smartly with her trademark grin.

"Yeah, yeah, real cute," the man answered, rolling his eyes noticeably. After shoving Reiko off the docks and onto the beach, he shouted some incoherent command at one of the other workers and returned to his own task.

Collapsing onto her back in the middle of the beach, Reiko sighed and stared up at the sky. It wasn't at all a distraught sigh, but rather a content one. Reiko felt too at peace with herself, taking into account what had just transpired in the dojo. But as she lay spread-eagled on her back, she felt a kind of serenity throughout her whole being that she had not felt for years. Listening to the waves lapping against the shore, Reiko knew that the tranquility she now experienced would be short-lived. I can hardly stay here forever… She told herself silently. But for now, she had no obligations, no responsibilities to carry out. Not even the oncoming storm could stir her from that spot.

After a period of ten minutes or so, steady drops of rain began to beat against Reiko's body. The commotion close by intensified, the dock's workers eager to finish their chores before the storm could get any stronger. Reiko, quite unlike the rest of the people around her, welcomed the steadily worsening downpour. After all, what was a little fall of rain compared to the raining blood her soul was awash in? The torrent of water felt refreshing as she remained there, unmoving…

…until she could no longer feel any drops beating against her face.

"Oro?" she murmured, opening her eyes. The gray sky was not to be seen, for her view was interrupted by a plain white umbrella being held above her head.

"Having fun, Kamiya-san?" its owner asked, his voice slightly perplexed. Reiko propped herself up on her elbows and glanced at the speaker.

"Oh, it's you, Yagami," she said sourly.

"Care to get up, or would you like to lay there for the rest of your life?"

"I'd rather lay here, thanks." Shaking his head, Satoshi bent down and grabbed Reiko's arm, pulling her up.

"Not unless you'd like to catch pneumonia, you wouldn't," he remarked.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Reiko asked, exasperated. "Do you commonly take strolls when a typhoon is raging outside?"

"Do you?"

"…" Reiko was silent, unable to find anything to say in response to his inquiry.

"I thought so," he said, smiling. His smile, as Reiko was shocked to find, lacked any detectable arrogance.

"…you don't get any enjoyment out of putting people in their place?" she asked, bewildered.

"Of course I do," he said, kneeling so that his face was just in front of Reiko's. (He was a head taller than she was, after all.) "It's just difficult to tell with me. It's called craftiness, Kamiya. Ever thought of getting your hands on some?"

"And I was just about to comment on how you lack arrogance," Reiko answered dryly. Satoshi straightened.

"I resent that! I'm not arrogant! Just selectively…proud. Besides, I'm a swordsman. A swordsman with an ego is worthless," Satoshi retorted.

"You'd be worthless without an ego, too," Reiko said, grinning.

"Aren't you just a bright ray of sunshine?"

"We need some sunshine when the weather's this crappy, ne?" Reiko countered. Satoshi laughed.

"You really have no tact! Honestly, you were just lying in the rain getting soaked to your skin. You obviously don't think this is crappy weather," he said. "Anyway, I'll walk you home."

"And why would I need an escort?" Reiko asked, Satoshi's seemingly-sincere smile unnerving her greatly.

"Never said you did. But we should both be getting home since the storm's worsening, and we're also in the way of the workers," Satoshi whispered, indicating them with a tilt of his head.

"Damn, I didn't realize we'd wandered onto the docks!"

"Now, now. I know I'm just that captivating," Satoshi boasted.

"Yagami…if you truly value your life, you will cease speaking," Reiko suggested pointedly.

"What, they'll sentence me to execution for it?" Reiko rolled her eyes in frustration and began walking away from him, quickening her pace by a small fraction with each new step. Once she was finally off the docks and on the road, she turned in the direction opposite the one leading to Kamiya dojo. "Oi! Kamiya!"

"What, Yagami?!" Reiko snapped, halting.

"You don't live in that direction."

"…yes I do."

"Don't bother. I know the direction you go in when you head home after school, and this isn't it."

"This is a completely different part of Tokyo. How do you know that this truly isn't the right direction?"

"Because this one leads to a completely different part of town, Reiko," he snapped. When Reiko was silent, he added, "You're about to lie to me."

"I just…don't want to go home, that's all," Reiko murmured. Satoshi obviously sensed the distress in her voice and approached her, all trace of humor and cheerfulness gone from his expression and his voice once he spoke.

"What's wrong? Did your parents get into a fight or something?" Reiko found herself wondering why he would automatically assume that this was the reason for her melancholy, and then stumbled upon a realization. I'm really different from normal kids, aren't I? She thought, fighting a sigh. After all, a fight between their parents was something that greatly terrified young children. Reiko never really had discord in her home, so it wasn't something she was all too familiar with…until now.

"Well, it's difficult for your parents to get into a fight when you don't have a father, now isn't it?" Reiko asked him. Satoshi's gaze adjusted towards the ground immediately.

"Your father…died?"

"You could say that."

"It's all right. My mom's been dead for two years," Satoshi said softly. He walked in front of Reiko and lowered his umbrella, staring up at the sky and allowing the drops of rain to beat against his face. "She's the reason I come here. She used to take me here frequently. Every time I was upset, my mom would bring me here and watching the waves always seemed to pacify me. This was the place I always ran to when something was wrong, the place she always knew I'd be when she came looking."

"You sound like you care for her a lot…" Reiko observed, and for a moment, she envied him. Reiko wasn't capable of caring for someone who was already dead, as the Battousai had been to her for the duration of her life. Of course, Reiko felt deep-seated loathing for her father now, but prior to that, she never felt anything. She knew what a father was, and yet she felt no regret that he was dead. At times she felt the need for someone to protect and comfort her, but that was the extent of how much she longed for a father. There existed some sort of empty cavity within her up until June of 1888, and on the day she discovered who her father truly was, it had been filled with sheer, utter abhorrence.

"I do," Satoshi answered. "When did your father die?"

"Before I was born. I never met him, so I suppose it's easier for me to accept that he's dead," Reiko said with a shrug.

"I don't really think that's true…I, at least, have memories of my mother to sustain me. What do you have?" Reiko was absolutely silent, and Satoshi immediately said apologetically, "I'm sorry! That was a really insensitive thing to say. I have no right to—"

"It's all right, Yagami. I don't miss my father. I don't care that I don't have a single memory of him," Reiko said indifferently.

"Well, in that case…" He went up behind her, placed his hands on her shoulders, and began pushing her in the direction opposite the one she wished to go in.

"Yagami, you're pushing me towards my house, you're still holding the umbrella, and it's sort of digging into my flesh," Reiko pointed out. "How much more discomfort do you wish to cause me?!"

Satoshi withdrew. "I'm not pushing you towards your house, I'm pushing you towards mine!" he said happily. "I need someone to keep me company while my dad goes through his daily rants about how I spend all of his money on swords and other such equipment!"

By this time, Reiko had already opened her mouth to protest, but immediately changed her choice of words to acquiesce. "Swords? YOU HAVE SWORDS?! WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO EARLIER, YOU HALF-ASSED TWIT?! LEAD THE WAY!" Reiko shouted. Dashing forward, Reiko failed to notice a small and wet boulder protruding slightly from the ground, leading her to slip on it and fall face first into the mud. Passing by, Satoshi failed to stifle his hysterical laughter.

"I guess I'll have to lend you some of my brother's clothes…he's scrawny too, so they should fit you," Satoshi said as Reiko sat up. Glaring, she kicked him in the back of his knee, causing him to lose his balance and come crashing down into the mud right beside her.

"And I guess I'll lend you the clothes that are too big on me. They should fit your delicate, feminine build. Satoshi-dono, honestly, a gi and hakama looks so out of place on you!" Reiko answered with a devious smile.

"…that was cold."

"And not undeserved."

"But you are scrawny!"

"And you are feminine!" Reiko knew it was the highest insult she could give to a boy, but took great satisfaction in using on Satoshi—even if she was insulting her own gender in the process. She got to her feet and extended a hand to him. Pouting slightly, he took it and rose.

And throughout the whole walk to Satoshi's house, the talking and throwing insults at each other, Reiko failed to realize that she was committing what she considered a heinous crime—she was allowing herself to become close to another human being. Every single person she'd ever trusted had ended up betraying her in one way or another. Minako was the only person she still trusted slightly, but there would surely be a deep rift between them in due time, after what Reiko had revealed and what she still intended to do. Besides, she sensed that there was some sort of instability within Minako, something that made her deeply forlorn, and until Minako would be able to come to terms with the negativity she felt about herself, she wouldn't be able to grasp Reiko's position in the right perspective. After all, people who are too preoccupied with their own destitution can never understand someone else's.

But Satoshi…though he had suffered his own tribulations, they didn't cloud his reasoning. He seemed genuinely concerned, lacking his own personal vendetta when he helped a fellow individual. He sent her curiosity into a frenzy, for Reiko couldn't fathom why he seemed so self-sacrificing. After all, he hadn't done much to help her. But perhaps it was the fact that she hadn't been shown an act of kindness in so long that a simple gift such as an umbrella over her head on a rainy day seemed inexplicably considerate.

Why am I so happy, anyway? She wondered as they walked and Satoshi blabbered about something. And back at the beach…why did I feel so…calm? It's as though I know exactly what I have to do and as though my thoughts are completely organized. I ran from the dojo in a state of utter turmoil but now… Her thoughts trailed off for a moment as her mind put two and two together. Back at the beach, lying in the sand as the rain beat against her relentlessly, Reiko experienced a moment of complete lucidity. It's what I've wanted to do all along…I reached a conclusion earlier that the way for me to defeat you will be to use your own technique against you. If I succeed in mastering Hiten Mitsurugi…it's that simple. The idea was hidden in the far recesses of my mind, but it was always there. There's only one way I can truly exact vengeance upon you, and I've finally realized what it is.

Satoshi stopped in front of a huge, slightly westernized building and began fumbling with the gate.

"Why are you trying to break into some government building? You know they'll shoot you on the spot, right?" Reiko asked lazily.

"This isn't just some government building, Kamiya," Satoshi said matter-of-factly. "I live here."

"You live in a government building?"
"THIS ISN'T A GOVERNMENT BUILDING!" Satoshi barked. "It's my house."

"Y-yagami…WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE RICH?!"

Pushing the gate open forcefully, Satoshi answered, "You never asked. Besides, there's nothing much to tell. My dad's in politics. And that's pretty much all I know. He keeps trying to convince me to sit down and listen to him explain exactly what he does since he thinks I'm going to take over for him one day, but he fails to get that I really couldn't give a damn about what he does for a living and have no intention of ever becoming a politician. The Meiji government hasn't done crap for the people of Japan, and I don't want to become associated with that."

Reiko smiled slightly. "You and my uncle Sanosuke would get along great." The comment didn't seem to register on Satoshi, however, for it appeared as though he was bracing himself.

"Er…I suggest you just block out the next several things my father says," he advised, pushing the door open.

As soon as they were inside, a cacophonous voice assaulted their ears. "Satoshi Yagami, where in Kami-sama's name have you been?! It's been hours since you left!"

"It's been one hour, dad, onehour!" Satoshi corrected loudly.

"You know I have plenty on my plate without you running off! Do you know the problems you'd cause if you got kidnapped?!"

"Not really. One less mouth to feed, no?"

"I'm not done, Satoshi!" he snapped. Then he glanced at the servants in the room, some of whom had startled expressions on their faces. "Leave us!" Mr. Yagami ordered them. The servants scurried from the room like frightened rodents, a scenario that made Reiko want to chuckle. She turned to leave as well, but Satoshi latched onto her arm firmly.

"I don't see what the big deal is. I have every right to go for a walk once in a while. Besides, you weren't even here when I left!"

"Hideki was here and he said you left hours ago."

"Hideki can't even count!" Satoshi shouted venomously. Furious, Mr. Yagami kicked Satoshi in his side.

"Don't you dare blame your brother for your shortcomings, Satoshi!" (A/N: SHORTCOMINGS! From THE list. (grins pointedly at Penny))

"Yeah, yeah, perfect Hideki. Go forge some papers and make it seem as though he's your oldest son! I know you wish he was born first! That way he could be your heir and you could completely cast me aside! It's what you want, isn't it? Hideki would make a far better politician. Hey, he's got one skill a politician needs—the kid can sure lie well," Satoshi retorted. "And let's just get down to the heart of the matter! It's not me leaving that's pissing you off, it's the fact that I deliberately went against your wishes and spent most of the day practicing swordsmanship! Kami-sama knows you have enough money to spare on a few pieces of metal to make your son happy, so why do you have to constantly nag about it?" In response, Mr. Yagami grabbed Satoshi by the collar of his gi.

"I have a better question. Just what did you do when you went for that stroll, frolicked in the mud for several hours like some sort of peasant?" he asked, finally noticing Satoshi's mud-stained attire.

"This was an accident," Satoshi grumbled. Mr. Yagami studied him carefully, and then fixed his incensed stare on Reiko.

"So this is what you do when you go out for 'strolls?'" he asked coldly. "Pick random tramps off the street?"

At that comment, Reiko's hand instinctively moved to grasp the bokuto she unconsciously knew would not be there. Upon discovering that she was attempting to clasp air, she clenched her fists instead.

"Tramp?" she said huskily, wrenching her hand out of Satoshi's grasp. "I don't care if you are some big-shot politician! Nothing gives you the right to speak that way about someone you don't know!"

"A peasant with an attitude?" Mr. Yagami asked with an amused smile plastered on his face.

Shoving Satoshi aside, Reiko said calmly, "If there's one thing about this era that's supposed to make sense, it's that human beings—people—can no longer be separated into classes. This is an era of equality, even though I know the pigs in the government fail to realize that. You lost the right to call me peasant and/or tramp, Yagami-dono, in 1868. Rather than bitching at your son, you should open up a history book and read up on what's been going on for the past twenty years. Evidently, you've been in a state of oblivion all this time."

At first, a look of absolute loathing overtook Satoshi's father's features. After a silent moment passed by, the look eased into a triumphant smirk.

"Hey, dad, I don't think you're granted the right to smile when you've lost an argument," Satoshi remarked. Mr. Yagami ignored him and, instead, spoke to Reiko.

"Dear child, if anything, a history book would not help me in knowing about the events taking place within this nation. Even simple-minded fools such as yourself should've realized by now that a truly wise country would never put every aspect of its history in print for other countries to read and embellish."

"Why?" Reiko questioned, sneering. "Because there are scandals within the government that put even Makoto Shishio's conspiracy to shame?"

Astonished, Mr. Yagami asked, "How do you know about that? There are few people who know that Shishio did not die during the Boshin War! It took a good deal of research and bribery on my part to find out!"

"They must value your contribution to the government, then, if no one bothered to tell you," Reiko retaliated spitefully.

"Wait, Makoto Shishio?" Satoshi interrupted. "The guy the government set on fire? Don't tell me he lived through that!"

"Hai, and he not only lived through it, he launched a plan to overthrow the feeble government that then controlled Japan and still does," Reiko said.

"Not another word," Mr. Yagami said frigidly. "You utter one more syllable and I will have you thrown out of here like a sack of trash."

"Don't you worry, I'll leave of my own accord," she replied coolly, turning to exit the way she and Satoshi had entered.

"Forget it, Reiko. He may be master of this household, but plain decency should coerce him into allowing you to get what you came here for," Satoshi said firmly, blocking her path. "Now follow me." Much to both children's surprise, Mr. Yagami didn't express another word as Satoshi led Reiko to Hideki's room.

Hideki giggled once he saw Satoshi's dirt-covered clothes. "Onii-san, you look like a piggy!"

"Ignore him," Satoshi murmured, heeding his own advice and making his way toward Hideki's closet. "He's six, annoying, and horribly naïve."

"I'm not annoying!" Hideki protested.

"May I bring you something?" the maid in the room asked Reiko politely. Reiko stared at her for a moment, wondering whom she was addressing. "Miss?"

"You're talking to me?" Reiko asked, incredulous.

"Of course. You're the young master's guest!" she answered. After studying Reiko's attire, she suggested, "Some wet cloth, perhaps?"

"I don't want to intrude or any—"

"Just accept it, Reiko," Satoshi interjected. "Atsuko-san, ignore her declination and bring it to her."

"'-san,'"? Reiko inquired with a raised eyebrow, advancing toward Satoshi. "You take this equality thing seriously, don't you?"

"Of course. I may as well try to prove that not everyone who has something to do with the government is a hypocrite," he replied. Then he asked Hideki, "Which clothes don't you wear anymore?"

"Why?" his younger brother asked, sliding off the chair in front of his desk. "You have clothes, onii-san."

"They're not for me," he said in return. "They're for her."

Hideki studied Reiko for a few seconds before saying, "You're pretty. Are you Satoshi's wife?" Reiko glared at him menacingly.

"Don't be a baka, Hideki. I'm eight, and so is she. Reiko's just a friend of mine." Satoshi was still going through the contents of Hideki's closet.

"Our mommy was pretty too, Reiko," Hideki said, grabbing Reiko's hand and bringing her closer to the dresser. "I'll find something nice for you."

"Er…thanks. And Yagami?"

"Hmm?"

"Refrain from calling me Reiko unless there's a –sama attached to it."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because I would own you in swordsmanship." Satoshi chuckled wryly.

"Care to test that out?" he asked, smirking.

Reiko responded evenly, with a sly smirk of her own. "Feeling particularly brazen today, Yagami, or just stupid?"

"You accept, then?" Satoshi asked instead of answering.

"I don't like picking on those weaker than me, but for you, Yagami-dono, I'll make an exception."

"Um…Reiko-sama?" Hideki asked tentatively, holding out a magenta gi and a white hakama. "I've never worn it because it's a girly color…but I think it'll look nice on you." Satoshi's younger brother smiled sweetly. "If you don't like it, I can—"

"It's perfectly fine, Hideki," Reiko replied, smiling back at him sincerely. Taking the clothes from him and ruffling his hair in a display of affection Satoshi could swear he'd never seen her show before, she turned toward the elder brother. "Um…where can I change into this?"

"Well…the servants are probably cleaning the guestrooms at this time…but there's a place I know none of them ever set foot in," Satoshi answered pensively. "Follow me."

With perked up interest, Reiko trailed him as he led her to a corridor that was bustling with maids. One thing, however, remained very apparent. The maids all avoided one particular door along the corridor, and it was to this door that Satoshi led her.

"The maids aren't allowed to go in here, so you're guaranteed privacy," he explained cryptically.

"Why would you forbid maids from entering a guestroom?" Reiko asked, her brow slightly furrowed in perplexity.

"Young Master!" Atsuko interjected before he could reply, walking over to them swiftly. "I have the cloth you requested." She presented Reiko with the wet cloth, bowed to Satoshi, and left them to attend to her other duties.

"I don't allow any of the maids in there to clean because it was my mother's room. And still is, in a way, because everything in there has been preserved as it was before she died. I clean it myself. So, you see, it's not really a guestroom. Just my favorite room in this house," Satoshi explained quickly.

"And why are you permitting me to enter?"

"I usually don't let anyone enter, but for you, I'll make an exception," he said, smiling widely.

"What was that; your spin on cruel irony?" Reiko asked dryly. Finally glancing at the cloth in her hands, she felt her lips part in an unsuppressed gasp. "This—th—it's brand new linen! Stark white linen!"

"And…?" Satoshi pressed.

"I was expecting rags."

"Please, you're my guest. Why would I make you use rags?" Satoshi brushed off her remark airily. "Besides, we have, what, seventy more of these?"

"What is this place? Heaven? Have I died?" Reiko asked incredulously.

"You're far off," Satoshi answered, twisting the handle and opening the door. As he motioned for her to enter, Reiko distinctly heard him mutter—if not to her, then to himself, "It's Hell on Earth." He shut the door behind her. "I'll be down the hall. Come see me once you're done, and we can see which of us is the better swordsman."

At that, Reiko heard his gait gradually getting quieter until he was a considerable distance away. Wiping off dirt and changing into Hideki's clothes, Reiko couldn't help but study the room acutely. The red curtains that hung from the rod above the large window caused everything to be bathed in a ruddy glow, but she could still see that everything around her looked as if it hadn't been moved in ages. She would've assumed that the room hadn't been breached for years if someone hadn't taken careful measures to keep it devoid of any dust. Could Satoshi have done all of this? She wondered as she straightened out the oddly familiar-seeming gi.

"Yagami!" she called upon spotting him leaning against a wall down the hallway. He had also managed to change into cleaner attire. "Let's go." Satoshi nodded and picked up the two katana that were propped against the wall.

Noticing them, Reiko asked, "We're using actual swords?"

"What were you expecting, a bokuto? I don't like them that much. Besides, you claim you're pretty skilled. So let's see how well we can both do with a katana," Satoshi responded. Kuso. Reiko thought over and over again. I've never even held a real sword. Well, how hard can it be? You hold it the same way you hold a bokuto, so I should be fine. She couldn't explain why she felt so confident about her abilities as a swordsman, especially after having had to resort to such a mundane method of fighting as that of using her fists.

"Here we are," Satoshi's voice broke into her thoughts as he led her to an underground room and switched on a light, illuminating a large gymnasium. "I don't really like using this place, but since it's still raining I figured it's best if you don't soak your dry clothes." He walked inside, Reiko close behind, and tossed her one of the swords once they were situated a few meters from one another.

Reiko stretched out her arm, preparing to catch the sword, but felt her face darken once her hand and sword made contact.

She couldn't lift it.

I should've known. What am I going to do now? What good is a sword to me if I can't even pick it up? The katana's weight had pulled her to the ground and she stood there, transfixed by the sword, as she made feeble attempts to move it even an inch off the ground.

"So you do have a sense of humor," Satoshi commented. "Now stop fooling around and get into your stance." But as he watched her failed tries at picking the sword up, it became more and more evident that Reiko was not, in fact, fooling around. "Reiko…" Satoshi said gently, approaching her. "You've never used a real sword before, have you?"

"Sure I have," she answered, making one final stab at raising it off the ground.

"Don't lie. You should've told me. I wouldn't have suggested sparring," he went on.

"Oh, shut up and stop being so apologetic. It's my fault for being an arrogant idiot and thinking that I could do something perfectly from my first try!" she snapped at him. "Don't give me false words of sympathy. I don't need them."

"Reiko!" Satoshi said exasperatedly. "I can help you develop enough strength to be able to hold it! And anyway, a lot of it's in the mind. You've just become accustomed to using a very light sword. Look." He bent down and unsheathed the sword, leaving both the katana and the sheath on the floor. "Grasp the katana as you would a bokuto and I'll do the rest."

Feeling rather irked at having to take orders from her peer, Reiko did as he bid her anyway. "Like this?" she asked.

"Yes. Exactly." He went around her and took the sword in his hands as well, his arms on either side of her. "Now, I'll help you lift it." With Satoshi aiding her, Reiko easily picked the katana up. "I'm going to let go, and see if you can hold it up once it's actually off the ground."

He did, but Reiko found that she couldn't hold it up for longer than a few seconds, having to jump back to avoid getting hit by the sword as it plummeted to the ground.

"Well, that was better than before," Satoshi remarked with approval in his voice. "Let's try again." They repeated the process for hours until Reiko had exercised her arms enough to be able to hold it and cope with the weight. "Great!" Satoshi said upon noticing how much she had improved since her first attempt. "You'll be able to use it now."

By the time they had finished, it was dark outside and the rain still hadn't ceased. As Reiko walked under a borrowed umbrella, she felt an overwhelming joy at having been able to learn so quickly. True, she had quite a few bruises and a painful cut under her left eye from sparring, but she hadn't felt so optimistic in ages. I'll be lucky if I'm a quick study when it comes to the Hiten Mitsurugi ryuu, and if Hiko's as patient as Satoshi was, she thought. Unconsciously, Reiko had accepted him as a friend, although she was too stubborn to admit that she had truly valued his company throughout the day. It's a bit strange that I find the rain so calming, though. Because it's funny how many instances there were where I should've died but didn't, and the rain reminds of that. Fate has been throwing me into the line of fire constantly, but I pull through each time. It's something that was manifested into me before my birth, when my mother nearly ended both of our lives. She stabbed herself directly in the abdomen. I should've died. But I didn't. Then there was my encounter with Fujitaka Wakamaru. The man possessed far more skill than I did, but I managed to somehow outwit him for a moment. But even if he didn't kill me directly, the raging sea should've once he threw me in. And, by some bizarre twist of fate, Sanosuke came just in time to rescue me. Even then, I didn't die. It rained steadily both times. What'll happen to me now, I wonder?

Satoshi sat in his father's study as he stood by the window, looking outside with a strangely satisfied grin on his face.

"You look awfully happy, 'tou-san, which can only mean that someone else is miserable, or will soon be," Satoshi said coldly.

"I'd never expect you to find yourself a girlfriend with qualities that are actually admirable, Satoshi," his father responded simply.

Rolling his eyes, Satoshi shouted, "Do you and Hideki have one-track minds or something?! Reiko's not my girlfriend! What the hell is this, the Sengoku Jidai?! Two people of opposite genders can be friends without any of that!"

"You need to learn not to get riled up about nearly everything, Satoshi. Your future co-workers will be able to see right through you."

Satoshi groaned. "I told you that I'm not taking over your position once I come of age! I refuse to be your heir!"

"Why, you assume that I'm giving you a choice in the matter."

"It's my life. I'm free to do as I like with it."

Yagami-san sighed. "You know, Nadeshiko was far too lenient with you. She apparently got you thinking that you have no debt to your parents," he said disappointedly.

"Don't you dare talk about mom like that! She was a far better person than you'll ever be!" he retorted, jumping up. "You're into industrialization, dad. What the hell was mom to you? A baby factory? Someone who possessed 'admirable qualities' that would give you a well-bred heir?!"

"Calm yourself, Sato-kun," Yagami-san reprimanded him, sitting at his desk and eyeing him calmly. "You may yet find Reiko useful to you."

"As a friend or a companion, maybe. But not in your sick, twisted, and manipulative way," Satoshi answered callously. "And I'm tired of listening to you. You criticize 'kaa-san when you're not even qualified to speak her name." Unwilling to listen to anymore of his father's opinions and lectures, Satoshi boldly strode out of the room.

Yagami-san smirked after him. "You'll come to value my thoughts yet, Satoshi…"

Kaoru paced anxiously by the dojo's gate, awaiting Reiko's return. Megumi had explained that Reiko ran out of the dojo earlier in a blind fury and immediately assuming that her state of being during May was the reason for it, Kaoru hadn't pressed the matter any further.

And after standing by the gate for the past several hours, Kaoru was getting increasingly more worried. Reiko had never stayed out for more than a few hours before unless it was a school day, and she'd certainly never disappeared for a full day!

Approaching footsteps forcefully pulled Kaoru out of her trance. Looking up, Kaoru saw her battered daughter calmly stepping over the threshold as if she'd only been gone for ten minutes.

Smiling a slight, contrite smile, Reiko began, "I'm sorry I've been gone so long. I didn't mean to worry y—" Reiko was unable to finish her apology, for Kaoru fell to her knees and threw her arms around her daughter, sobbing into her shoulder.

"I was so worried…I thought that…that you hated me…that you weren't ever coming back…that something terrible had happened to you! Kami-sama, I'm so glad you're safe…" Kaoru choked out in between sobs. Smiling sadly, Reiko returned the embrace.

"I might have been mad, but I could never hate you," Reiko said softly.

"I thought you may have gotten hurt…"

"I'm not an easy person to hurt. And I also know that no matter what happens to me, I mustn't give up. Suicide is not the answer," Reiko told her, pausing to reflect on why those words sounded so familiar.

Drying her eyes with her kimono sleeve, Kaoru stood up sharply and eyed Reiko, first with curious eyes and then with crestfallen ones. Standing there with those innocent, lavender eyes, a few bruises, and a small cut on her face, Reiko looked just as Kenshin used to when he returned from a battle—wounded, but ever the apologetic rurouni for having troubled her. She was also dressed in the exact same clothing Kenshin had worn all those years ago, the very same color combination Kaoru had always deliberately avoided buying Reiko. I need to stop. It doesn't matter if she's exactly like him. This isn't the last time she'll look just like him, the last time she'll unearth memories that I'd prefer would remain buried. Kaoru told herself silently. It's not her fault I see him at every turn. Kaoru smiled slightly. Do I even deserve her? After everything I've tried to do to her…she's still so forgiving. And…perhaps a little too forgiving. Kaoru's disposition immediately darkened, for there was something about Reiko's words—namely, "Suicide is not the answer,"—that invoked a suspicion that Reiko knew a bit more than anyone was letting on. Putting the thought to the back of her mind for the time being, she slipped an arm around Reiko and began walking toward the dojo with her.

"Come along now. If it's no big secret, you can tell me and the others where you've been all day," Kaoru bid Reiko.

"All right. Mom, can I have food first? I'm starving," Reiko asked, for she was indeed rather famished after all the training.

"Of course. Megumi left you some of the food she made earlier."

Upon noticing the way Reiko and Kaoru entered the dojo, Sanosuke shot Yahiko a triumphant look. Okay, okay. He was right. They look to have made up. Yahiko thought.

"She's back," Kaoru announced. Megumi glanced up from a medical record she was currently pondering over.

"Reiko! Where in the hell have you been all day?! Yahiko was worried!" Sanosuke barked at her.

"…I was?" Yahiko inquired, folding his arms and raising his eyebrows at Sanosuke.

"You were pacing in front of the door like an expectant father, Yahiko," Sanosuke stated.

"You lying rooster, you were the one doing that!" Yahiko snapped.

"So where were you all day, Reiko?" Megumi asked loudly over Yahiko and Sanosuke's bickering.

"Well…I went to the beach. Then it started to rain, and I ran into a classmate of mine named Satoshi Yagami and he offered to lend me some of his brother's clothes since mine were soaked," Reiko recounted and held out the satchel she had with her, which contained her soiled clothes.

"It took you eight hours to change into a new set of clothes?" Kaoru asked skeptically.

"Well…no."

"And where did those bruises come from?"

"That's the reason it took so long," Reiko explained sheepishly. "We also sparred. Yagami's a lot better than I am, so he won easily."

"You can't get a nasty cut like that from a bokuto, Reiko," Megumi observed. "It looks like it came from a—"

"The training room in Yagami's house had a whole bunch of katana, so when I fell, I narrowly missed getting diced into little pieces."

Without bothering to answer, Megumi glanced into the sack Reiko had handed to her and gasped. "Reiko!" she said incredulously.

"Nani?" Reiko asked wearily.

"Your clothes are covered with dried mud," Megumi went on. "How did this happen?"

Reiko growled inaudibly. "Because I slipped on a rock and fell into a nice puddle of mud, both of which seemed to be waiting there just for me," she replied crossly.

"Stop interrogating her," Kaoru said to Megumi. "For perhaps the first time in her life, Reiko spent the whole day having fun with a friend. Don't attempt to penalize her for that." She handed Reiko a bowl of rice. "Eat this, and then Megumi will look at that cut."

"Stop fussing over me, mom. I'm fine. The cut's pretty shallow. It should heal soon. It's not even going to leave a scar," Reiko surmised.

"Are you positive?"

"Yes," Reiko said flatly.

"Fine. Eat up, and then go to bed," Kaoru ordered.

"Oro? Why?" Reiko asked, swallowing her rice.

"You've got a long day ahead of you tomorrow. I'm sending you shopping for food. If you're feeling up to it, that is," Kaoru added.

Reiko immediately brightened. "Of course I'm feeling up to it!"

"Why the thrilled reaction?" Sanosuke asked slowly, his voice containing more than a little skepticism.

"It means mommy trusts me enough to do all the shopping!" Reiko lied, voicing the first excuse that came to her mind.

"Don't feel too honored. Kaoru used to send Sano out for the groceries," Yahiko mentioned.

"Only because she was worried you'd devour all the food before delivering it safely home," Sanosuke retorted.

"Shut up, both of you," Reiko snapped. "You're giving me heartburn."

"You'll get heartburn either way. You're eating next to Sano," Yahiko said smartly.

"And I'm sitting next to Yahiko, which is why the heartburn will be cut in half. I, unfortunately, will be hit full-force."

Rolling her eyes, Reiko used the napkin and wiped the corners of her mouth. "You're so mature," she said sarcastically, then added to Kaoru, "Thanks for the meal." Bowing, she retreated out of the room.

As soon as Kaoru heard the door to Reiko's room slide shut, she rose to her feet and checked to see if Reiko was truly behind the literally paper-thin screen. It wasn't the best barrier to their voices, although it was coupled with a few hallways, but Kaoru was more or less convinced that Reiko wouldn't be doing any eavesdropping tonight. Re-entering the kitchen, Kaoru made sure she had their attention before glaring at Yahiko, Sanosuke, and Megumi in turn.

"Just what the hell did you tell her?" she demanded in a tone that bordered on a shout.

"What do you mean?" Yahiko asked.

"Let's just say that something Reiko told me seemed to be said a little too pointedly. It went like, oh, 'Suicide is not the answer.' Now, what could have driven her to say something like that?"

"Just what are you accusing us of, Kaoru?" Megumi asked calmly.

"It's not just that. Reiko was too nice to me, considering what has transpired. Unless my eight-year-old child had some sort of epiphany, I doubt she could've excused my behavior that quickly. What does she know, besides that he's her father and that I used to go insane every May? I don't care what you told her about my history with her father. My sole concern is what you let her know about what happened after he left that final time."

"Nothing major," Megumi answered simply, eyeing Kaoru squarely before going back to studying the chart.

"If you're going to lie, I'd appreciate if you at least gave me the honor of not looking me in the eye as you do it!" Kaoru snapped. Yahiko and Sanosuke were silent and merely served as witnesses to the exchange.

"I only told her what you should've explained to her a long time ago," Megumi muttered, still staring at the chart but not processing any of the information it conveyed.

"Define that. And define 'nothing major.' Because if it was in fact 'nothing major,' then I would've told her," Kaoru said.

Angered, Megumi thrust the medical chart into Yahiko's hands—as he was the closest person to her—and jumped to her feet. "I hated having to act as the instigator, Kaoru, but I couldn't very well lie to her when she asked me just what happened to you after her conception! I wasn't going to cover up your tracks any longer! Everything I told her—she should've known it ages ago!"

"Forgive me for trying to salvage what was left of her childhood. Doesn't it strike you odd that Reiko talks and acts far older than she really is? Finding out your mother tried to kill you on a spur of insanity and that your father was a bloodthirsty hitokiri can do that to a child! We've stolen a good deal of her happiness, I wanted her to retain at least a small portion of it!" Kaoru said coldly.

"We've stolen her happiness? Please, Kaoru, don't preach to me. We had nothing to do with it. We never tried to kill Reiko. We don't go insane once a year. We don't find life without your precious manslayer unbearable."

"Shut up, Megumi! Don't behave as though you know what I went through! I experienced a hell you'll never know!" Kaoru shouted, clenching her fists.

"What makes you think I can't understand what you went through?! I loved Kenshin, didn't I?! In my heart of hearts, I wasn't as different from you as you seem to believe!"

"That's where you're wrong. You never had to bear his child, did you? You didn't have to bring into the world a constant reminder of the person you so loved and yet so hated!"

"I may not have had to bear his child, but if I did, I wouldn't have resented it as much as you did! And, in addition to that, I wouldn't have tried to commit suicide!" Megumi shouted vehemently.

"Evidently, you think you'd make a far better mother than I've been. You constantly tried to take him away from me! You failed then, so what's your new goal? You want to take my daughter from me instead? She may not be the child that came from your body, but as long as you feel some sort of bond with him, what does it matter, right?!"

Megumi's arms, which had been tensed due to the fact that her fists were clenched just as Kaoru's, fell limply at her sides. Her eyes bore such a pained and wounded expression that Kaoru regretted her last accusation, but only for a moment. "How…can you say that?" Megumi asked weakly. "You honestly believe I want to take Reiko away from you? I don't have feelings for him anymore. I don't want to take Reiko from you. But I couldn't have lied to Reiko when she asked me how you immediately reacted. We've lied to her enough for the past eight years, and I figured that those eight years were eight years too long. And for another thing, Kaoru, after all we've done for you and Reiko these past eight years, you're being extremely unappreciative. We could've abandoned you, but we stood by your side during your pregnancy, during your months of lunacy, and helped you raise Reiko for you definitely couldn't have done it on your own. You have no right to behave like a spoiled little girl and say that after all that, I wanted to take your daughter away from you."

"You may not have wanted to take Reiko from me," Kaoru began softly, "but the thing is, you did. The only thing that binds her to me now is pity. She feels sorry for me, sorry for the fact that I'm such a weak fool and sorry for the fact that I couldn't stand the thought of living without her wretched father. It's not a negative feeling, for she cares about me, but you can't build a strong relationship off of a foundation like that. She may love me, I won't deny that, but there's no trust between us anymore. No understanding. She now believes that I kept that fact from her on purpose without the intent of telling her at all. I guess you just forgot that Reiko's still a child and that her psyche is still delicate and can be easily broken. I guess she just has that effect on people. And I guess I'll have to put up with the fact that she'll love me out of obligation, necessity, but not choice."

"And it's my fault that this has happened?"

"Not completely, but if you had just let me tell Reiko the one fact that completely shattered the stone barrier she kept around her since the day she found out about my psychosis, then perhaps the effect wouldn't have been as drastic for her…or for me."

"You'll have to forgive me, then. I made you lose the one souvenir Kenshin left to remind you of his stay. You must hate me for that," Megumi said unsympathetically. "I'm sorry, Kaoru, for the fact that you believe I made you lose your daughter. But what you fail to realize is that you lost her long before I told her you tried to simultaneously end both your lives. The pity she feels for you did not materialize today, but formed a month ago when she found out how you chose to respond to one little mishap in your life. Hate me for it, if you think that'll ease you pain. But you'll always know that there is a small difference between theft…and loss." After Megumi's speech, she sat down in her traditional manner and folded her hands in her lap, staring down at them intently. Kaoru, too, stared downward silently, only she stared with unfocused expression, for everything in her line of sight was blurred due to the fact that her eyes were brimming with tears.

"And the saddest thing of all? You're right…and you've been right from the start," Kaoru admitted, shutting her eyes tightly and allowing her tears to fall to the wooden floor. "It's something about human nature that drives a person to lack satisfaction unless they have someone to blame for every single thing that goes wrong in their life. It gives them a feeling of vindication, for they're always under the impression that what happens happened as a result of someone else's mistakes, not theirs." Tears streaming out of her eyes, she laughed. "But I can't be ruled by this law of human nature any longer. After everything that's happened, there's no one to blame but myself." With that statement, Kaoru concluded her ephemeral bout of self-pity and sat down, refusing to look directly at any of the other occupants of the room.

"You can't blame yourself, either," Megumi said quietly. "What happened is not your fault. Life sometimes takes a turn for the worst, and your life did, but you managed to pull through and you're completely fine now. There are, of course, wounds that not even time can heal, but you still have much to live for."

"Are you two done?" Sanosuke asked in a drab voice. "Can we move on with our self-absolving, senseless lives?"

"You'd better not be making fun of me, Sanosuke Sagara," Megumi and Kaoru said in unison.

"They're baack," Sanosuke commented.

"Ano…on a lighter note…" Yahiko interrupted, "…I'm engaged."

"You're…what?"

Once her aimless stroll had extended into its third hour, Reiko decided that it was time for her to head back home. Drawing out her dagger—which, thankfully, her guardians had forgotten for the time being—she tugged on her kimono sleeve until it was taut, thereby making far easier to cut. Wincing, Reiko pulled the elegant sheath off and slashed through her cotton sleeve, creating a shallow gash just above the crook of her right elbow. As the blood gradually flowed onto her sleeve, Reiko fiercely thought, They'd better buy this. She bent down, scooped up a handful of dirt, and began powdering her clothes and face with it. Looking around sheepishly, she collapsed onto her back to give the stains a more realistic look. She also ripped her sandal's strap. When she was finally satisfied, she jumped to her feet and delicately hid her dagger and the substantial amount of money Kaoru had given her that morning, along with the money she'd managed to attain throughout the day, in the folds of her obi. Satisfied that these items were inconspicuous and that her physical appearance showed evidence of some sort of struggle, she began her trek towards the Kamiya dojo.

A few paces from the entrance, Reiko forged the aspect most vital to her plan's execution. In order for her mother and the rest of her guardians to truly believe her story, Reiko would have to look dejected, forlorn, lost…but above all—defeated. She cast her eyes to the ground and at her damaged sandal before mustering up enough courage to walk up to the door and knock.

Yahiko was already talking when he slid the door open. "There's no point in knocking, you could've entered yourself. And honestly, what took you so long? You should've been—" Yahiko broke himself off. "Kami-sama…" he breathed once he noticed Reiko's condition.

Reiko looked up at him with beaten, hopeless eyes. It was a look she hadn't worn for ages, and it certainly wasn't one he expected from her ever since she developed her hardened personality.

"I must really look like a wreck, huh?" she asked, smiling slightly.

"Rei-chan…" Yahiko said slowly, addressing her with a nickname he hadn't used since she was five years old. "What happened?" In response, Reiko fell to the floor and simply sat there, looking utterly dismayed. "Rei-chan…it's okay. Whatever happened, we can fix it."

"There are things you can't fix, Yahiko! Don't sound so self-assured! You may find whoever did this, but you can't fix my pride! I'm a useless, stupid, weak little girl!" she shouted at him, sobbing. Or, at least, what Reiko wanted Yahiko to believe was a sob. She didn't know when she'd learned how to cry at will, but was thankful she had, for Yahiko appeared to be completely convinced.

Sighing, he knelt and wiped away her tears before turning his back to her. "Get on," he said, gesturing for her to position herself on his back.

"Oro?" she asked, puzzlement dominating her features for the moment.

"I'll take you to the others and Megumi can have a look at you," Yahiko said quickly. "Now get on." Knowing that it would make her appear all the more crushed if she arrived in front of the rest of her family by way of Yahiko giving her a piggy-back ride, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held on, careful not to choke him.

"Wasn't there someone knocking?" Sanosuke asked as he watched Yahiko enter the room he was lounging in.

"Reiko's home," Yahiko said simply, advancing towards Megumi.

"Where is she?" Kaoru asked, glancing around and abandoning the bowl she was drying.
"Right here," he said, motioning towards the small figure that was clutching the collar of his gi with small hands. Eyes shut tight with her head positioned against Yahiko's shoulder, Reiko remained silent.

"I honestly expected you to be carrying groceries, not Reiko," Kaoru said skeptically, frowning. Something's not right here… she thought silently.

Yahiko set Reiko on the ground in front of Megumi, who was immersed in a medical novel the entire time. Realizing that many questioning eyes were upon her, she looked up.

"Kami-sama!" she exclaimed. "What happened to her?"

"She refused to tell me," Yahiko said.

Kaoru ran over to Reiko, concerned. "Reiko! What's the matter?" She looked her over, noticing the gash and the dirt, and grasped what had happened. "You were attacked, weren't you?"

Sitting down and refusing to look Kaoru in the eye, Reiko nodded in response.

"Just what happened, Jou-chan?" Sanosuke inquired, making his way over to the crowd that was assembling around her.

"Mom's going to hate me," she answered miserably.

"Don't talk in circles, Reiko!" Sanosuke snapped. "What happened?"

"I don't have any of the groceries or the money she gave me. I know she's going to be mad."

"Just what the hell does that mean, Re—"

Megumi interrupted Sanosuke and gently asked, "Tell us exactly what happened, Reiko."

Eyes still focused on the ground, Reiko wiped away her false tears and sniffled. "I…I guess I should've been more careful…then this wouldn't have happened. I already bought a few of the things and I wanted to get the shopping done faster, so I took a shortcut on my way to get the leek. The place was deserted, but I wasn't worried. I kept walking and then…two men cut off my path. They had weapons of some sort and I couldn't fend both of them off. They took what I already bought and then searched me for money before taking off with all the yen I had left, too. I would've been able to get rid of them somehow if I had my bokuto, but I didn't. And I was also dressed in uncomfortable clothing, which made it very hard to defend myself."

"Do you remember what these men looked like?" Megumi asked.

"They were tall…and had black hair. One had a goatee."

"Tall, black hair, and a goatee. Gee, that's only a quarter of the Japanese male population," Yahiko interjected sardonically.

"It's the best I can do," Reiko said quietly.

"How are we supposed to track them down without a decent description?" Sanosuke asked angrily.

"You're not," Megumi snapped. "Don't attempt to act as a vigilante, Sano. We'll let the police handle this."

"Thugs like Saitou are in the police force! You actually expect me to leave it to them?!" Sanosuke screamed.

"Yes," she answered. "It's not up to you to track these men down, Sanosuke."

"Don't tell me what I'm allowed to do and what I'm not, Megumi!" Sanosuke replied. "I want to find these bastards and I want to beat the tar out of them."

"Don't," Reiko said weakly, looking at him beseechingly. "Don't sink to their level…"

"I…" Sanosuke began, before submitting. "Fine."

Megumi examined her wound studiously. "Hmm…the cut's not that bad. They went easy on you."

"They underestimated you," Sanosuke remarked.

"Don't lie," Reiko said hardheartedly. "They didn't underestimate me. I'm a weakling. For all my knowledge of swordsmanship, the Futae no Kiwami…I proved to be a completely incompetent and cocky fool who couldn't hold her own against two inexperienced dolts."

"Don't be hard on yourself. They were older than you, taller than you, and on top of that, they were men," Sanosuke attempted to console her.

Reiko fought the urge to glare at Sanosuke. She already had one overly passionate outburst and couldn't afford to have another. If only he knew how I revile that mentality, that men are born stronger than women.

"Go wash up, and I'll tend to it. Some warm water should do it good anyway," Megumi instructed. Nodding, Reiko got up and left in the direction of the bath, delighted to know that her small bundle was still concealed within the folds of her obi.

"What's the matter, Kaoru?" Yahiko probed. "You've been silent ever since you heard her story."

"I'm fine," Kaoru said quickly.

"Should I get the police?" Sanosuke asked distastefully.

"Don't bother," was Kaoru's indifferent reply.

"…what?"

"I said, 'Don't bother.' We have no reason to track down the men Reiko spoke of."

"Kaoru…I don't know if you noticed…but…YOUR DAUGHTER WAS ROBBED!"

Before Kaoru could reply to Sanosuke's statement, Megumi said, "Her wound isn't bad at all. It's quite shallow."

Kaoru smiled knowingly. "Self-induced wounds usually are."

"What are you talking about?" Yahiko asked.

"There are far too many discrepancies in Reiko's story…too many things that don't seem to add up."

"Oh?" Megumi asked.

"Reiko generally hates wearing a kimono, and yet today she jumped at the opportunity when I told her that one of hers was out of the wash. Then there's the fact that her 'defeat' had her so broken up. Reiko's not the type of person to be emotionally scarred so easily, as all of you should've realized by now. And in the event that she was feeling upset due to being beaten, she's too perceptive and too keen on holding grudges to have allowed them to leave without memorizing exactly what they looked like. The men who defeated her would have their faces firmly imprinted in her memory. For another thing, Reiko hasn't spoken the way she just did for over a year now. All of this seems to have been an act…almost as if she staged this whole thing," Kaoru explained.

"That's ridiculous!" Sanosuke said, although a part of him had been greatly swayed by her argument.

"Then there's what Reiko told me yesterday. Her exact words were, 'I'm not an easy person to hurt.' And those words…they're true. She dealt with a man like Fujitaka Wakamaru, whose son was not lacking skill with a sword, and there's no way I'm going to believe that these street bandits were at all better than he was, even when they're put together. If they had some merit of skill, they wouldn't be wasting their time attacking a little girl for some yen."

"If you're right—"

"Which I am."

"Don't interrupt," Megumi reprimanded her, before starting again. "If you're right, what could her motive possibly have been?"

"She needs the money for something," Kaoru answered immediately, for she had not failed to notice the small bulge in Reiko's obi that the others had so conveniently overlooked.

"So…why not confront her? Ask her why she did what she did?" Yahiko mused.

"Because I'm curious to see what she's scheming. Earlier, I was worried that she pitied me, but now I believe she didn't pity me as much as she was carefully, calculatingly, measuring every one of her moves. Everything she did today and yesterday is all part of some grand design. I have no idea what it is, but I have nothing against lying in wait and finding out," Kaoru responded.

"So we're supposed to wait and see what your eight-year-old kid does with forty-odd yen?" Sanosuke asked in disbelief.

"Yes." Sanosuke sighed. "You know…it's funny," Kaoru went on. "In the end, I managed to understand her and anticipate her actions far better than any of you. Perhaps she's a bit more like me and a little less like him than I realized…"

Bracing herself, Reiko knocked on the door of the Ishimori Inn. Minako's mother opened it and peered down at her.

"Reiko-chan! You're here early," she commented, wiping sweat off her brow. "Is there something you need? Because we're extremely busy on Saturdays…"

"Actually, that's why I'm here. I'd like to help out," she answered cheerfully.

"Well…we are a bit shorthanded again…why the sudden interest in helping?"

"I want to spend some time with Minako…I haven't seen her much this past month. Maybe she doesn't want to spend her time with someone who's six years younger than she is…in which case, that's completely understandable," Reiko said.

"It's nothing like that!" Minako's mother answered, laughing. "She's been ill. It was an unusual disease, actually. She recovered and fell ill again several times. Anyway, you can work in the kitchen with my husband. There are plenty of dishes to wash. I'll send Minako in to help you shortly."

"Great!" Reiko answered. It's truly amazing how the Fates keep presenting me with such prime opportunities at every turn. Ishimori-dono has unknowingly ordered me to work alongside the man I specifically came here to see. Reiko thought, avoiding the inclination the smirk at her conclusion.

"Ryoji, I've brought help," Minako's mother announced, ushering Reiko into the room. "This is Minako's friend, Reiko Kamiya."

Reiko bowed. "Ohayo gozaimasu," she greeted him. Ryoji Ishimori wiped his hands and extended one to Reiko. Startled at the unusual show of equality, she shook his hand anyway. Ryoji frowned for a moment, but then smiled amiably.

"You've got quite a grip there," he told her. "I'm impressed."

"It's nothing too impressive," Reiko said in an attempt to be humble. "I'm from a dojo."

"Interesting. Which one?" he asked, turning back to his work at the numerous pots, bowls, plates, and utensils littered across the large table.

"Kamiya Kasshin ryuu," Reiko answered.

"Reiko, if he starts interrogating you, ignore him. He still has a deep obsession with swords, so he'll without a doubt ask you to describe each and every one you've seen in your dojo," Ishimori-dono said airily. "I'd better get back to the counter, so I'm entrusting these dishes to you. I expect them to be spotless once you're done."

Nodding, Reiko began scrubbing away, listening intently for the moment when Minako's mother would leave the room. Hearing the door click shut, she opened her mouth to initiate a conversation, but found that Minako's father was one step ahead of her.

"Child…I have but one question. Yes, you trained in a dojo, but it is forbidden to use real swords in this day and age. You could only have come into contact with a bokuto," he began.

"Hai…" Reiko said slowly, beckoning for him to continue.

He directed his attention back to the various foods and dishes. "Why, then, would someone who has never trained with a real sword have calloused hands that could only have come from training with a katana?" he asked carefully. Reiko nearly dropped the dish she was currently scrubbing. It appears I've taken him too lightly… She thought. But no matter. This makes it that much easier to state my request.

"In that case, I will need no explanation as to why I am here. Coming to this inn and saying that I simply wanted to scour a few bowls was but a ruse. I'm here to ask you for a favor."

"A favor? You're that comfortable with asking favors of someone you've just met?"

Reiko scoffed. "I may have just met you, but your reputation and I have long since been acquainted."

"My reputation?"

"I know that you used to create swords during the revolution and have not lost your touch, for I haven't failed to perceive how well-made your knives are. Your daughter and wife happened to share that these knives were all generated by you, and so I have a request, Ishimori-san. I'm asking you to forge me a blade."

"Reiko-chan, I have no idea whether to laugh or demand if you're serious," the man said, chuckling lightly.

"Please don't start talking in loops and in the end avoid answering my question. I won't tolerate that," Reiko said icily. "This isn't a joke."

"I've never been confronted with this type of situation before," Ryoji mentioned, smiling in such a condescending way that Reiko wanted to punch him, Futae no Kiwami and all. "You want me to make a nice toy sword for you?"

"You find this an endearing situation in which one of your daughter's friends is asking for a trinket to play with, Ishimori-san? Do you think I'm unobservant, or just plain stupid?" Reiko retorted. "Answer the question. Will you or will you not forge me a blade?"

"Back during the days of the Revolution, there was no reason for me to ask why people came to me in search of a katana…a wakizashi…a dagger…the like. But with you, I must ask. What can a small child possibly want with a sword in an era where they're prohibited?" Ryoji inquired, emptying out an ample amount of rice into a pot.

"Don't worry. I don't intend to wreak havoc upon this feeble nation. All I want is a katana. I've wanted one all my life and after realizing that I can manage to practice with one, I'm convinced that I can master my sword technique with it. I'm not asking for much. I yearn to be able to one day hold my head up high within a crowd of men and be able to declare how I have bypassed them in strength, speed, and power," Reiko lied, improvising at an astonishing rate.

"Men are no longer dependant on honor brought them by their swords. What makes you think that these men you intend to be faster than, stronger than, and more powerful than will even show the slightest amount of concern?"

"But they were dependant on this honor once, and I'm sure I can reawaken stirrings of its influence," Reiko said confidently. "Ishimori-san…please…I'm asking you to trust me. I don't intend to have my sword ever taste the blood of another human being—not at my hands. The sword you forge, if you indeed decide to, will not be used for the maltreatment of anyone, but simply to enhance my skills."

Ryoji studied her. Her words were certainly convincing, as was the imploring look that accompanied them. He sighed, feeling trounced.

"All right, Reiko. See me in a week. And rest assured. By then, you'll have your sword."

(faints) CHAPTER EIGHT IS FINALLY COMPLETE! And it only took me all summer, too. (sheepish grin) Now, I have a few remarks. For starters, I'm sorry that this chapter is probably not up to par with my usual ones. Next, my apologies to the real Masashi Ikeda. (bangs head against table) I developed his name before I realized that someone who actually had that name existed. As it turns out, the real Masashi Ikeda is the producer of Inuyasha. -.-; On a final note, I received a review that Reiko is too mature for her age. This is true, but it is neither unintentional nor impossible. I've known eight-year-olds that were more sophisticated than some of my peers. And in Reiko's case and why she's overly mature…finding out that your father was a bloodthirsty murderer who killed countless people, that your mother is suicidal, and that she tried to kill you twice can do that to a kid. Anyway, please review and I hope you liked this installment!