Standard disclaimer. I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. I just love borrowing the characters. 

Author's note: The story was set in modern times at different places. From the title itself, the story will go about royalties.

Things written in italics is all about the dream described at the first paragraph. Enjoy!

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Waking from a dream, a man, lying in his bed, opened his eyes abruptly. Even in his awaken state, the dream was rewinding clearly in his mind's eyes. For so many times it kept on playing vividly in his slumber like a theater show. A show without music. Only a bitter feeling of loss, wanting and emptiness.

He rushed beside a small girl as her body inclined forward into a fall. Her arms involuntary reached before her to prevent the fall. She fell anyway on her knees.

Slowly, he bended his knees and offered a hand. She accepted it and then he pulled themselves up.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied honestly. She then examined her palms and knees and grimaced slightly, feeling the stinging scratched skin.

"It stings," she added as her eyes came to look at him. She didn't like the amusement in his eyes.

"What are you doing her alone?" he asked.

"I wandered out." She met his blue eyes with an almost defiant look as if challenging him 'What do you care?'

He looked at her as she suddenly glanced behind worriedly. When she looked at him again, gone was the two different emotions he saw in her hazel eyes seconds ago. There was only an unfathomable delight.

"I have to go. Kaasan will be looking for me. Thank you…" she hesitated for she did not know his name. And he was hesitating too whether to tell her or not. Before he could decide, she bowed slightly and turned her heels.

His eyes followed her as she made few steps away.

Then, unexpectedly he saw her turned to him. And there was that smile again. This time, though, her eyes was conveying nothing else more than what her small pinklips articulated.

"I'm glad to meet you," she said.

And on its own volition, his lips tilted up into an acknowledging smile.

She lingered a few seconds more to see his face lighten, and seemed to memorize how he looked so beautiful in his smile.

Finally, she turned away, almost in hurry, without looking back.

Sighing in an almost unkown reason, he thrust his palms to his pockets and stared absently at the marks her fall had made on the poor grasses below him. Then his gaze shifted to his shiny black shoes. Any minute now, he would be leaving this country for good, with Jiya, of course. From here, they will take the train to Nagoya airport. From there, a twenty four hours flight to Stockholm will forever part him from his birth land.

Suddenly, his eyes were caught by something that glittered in the grasses. His eyes narrowed before he picked and examined it closely.

It was a green gemstone. Oval-shaped and expensively polished. The precious stone emerald, if he's not mistaken.

He was beginning to wonder who might have dropped this, when he remembered the girl wearing a necklace. Its oval-shaped pendant was hanging in her chest. If he wasn't been very observant, he would not have noticed the oval hole in it and he thought it was simply holed.

As the picture of the gold pendant persisted in his mind, he decided finally that this precious stone he's holding belonged to her. This is the missing part of the pendant hole.

He looked searchingly ahead, despite the fact that she had been gone for quite a while already.

How would he be able to return this to her?

"Fool! What are you still doing there? We have to be at the train station now," a grumpy voice of an elderly man called out.

He glanced behind but his eyes came back to the stone in his palm.

"I…"

"Another minute you linger there, it will be too late." The man approached him.

Confused, he closed his palm tightly around it.

"Come now, boy! We must be on our way or else it'll be too late."

Jiya's arms closed firmly around his shoulders leading him away.

Hesitatingly, he followed but without looking back for the last time.

Staring blankly at his closed palm, he murmured something inaudibly.

"It's too late."

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This is my secondattempt on Aoshi/Megumi pair.I know, the summary sucks. But I was thinking that this story is about Megumi and Aoshi is a hint enough. Anyway, the story will unfold itself. Please Review! )