Chapter Six: When the Fire Rises

"Do not get held back in the past...there is nothing to do but fight for the present." Himura Kenshin, Rurouni Kenshin Vol. 21

"Kenshin, huh..." Kaoru murmured, looking up into the sky. She was perched atop the highest tree she could find, listening to the wind blow as it passed through her hair. Leaves danced in the wind, catching in the branches of the endless sea of trees. Moonlight shone down from the pure black sky, disturbed only by the accompanied glint of starlight.

Megumi had told her personally of this great man. His long, flowing scarlet hair, narrow violet eyes, and mysterious x-shaped scar...seeming to be absolutely gorgeous.

But Megumi seems to be perfectly infatuated with him, Kaoru thought. But...wait! What am I saying? I've never even met the man before, and I can't afford to let my attention sway from Yahiko. He is my brother and I must care for him with every mite of energy I have...that is what father would do.

Kaoru sighed. But Megumi seems to be crushing on that Sanosuke, too. I have to admit that I do not blame her...though he is a bit of a perv.

Chuckling, Kaoru shifted herself so that she could leap from her perch. Diving through the tree branches with experienced grace, Kaoru landed on the forest floor without a sound.

As she had expected him to, Yahiko stepped from the shadows in wolf form. His yellow eyes flickered to his sister, and in a low growl he asked, "Did you see anything?"

"Do I ever?" Kaoru returned, sighing once more.

There was a pause. Finally, Yahiko mumbled, "You know, we can't stay with those people, sister. They're...not like us. I'm not like you...but you're not like them, either...ya know we'll never be able to fit in their world."

"I know..." whispered Kaoru. "But I can't help but feel attatched to them. Something about them, you know?" She turned her head to smile affectionately at Yahiko.

Yahiko's eyes narrowed when he viewed the unfamiliar smile on Kaoru's features. "By 'them' are you talkin' about that...man?" he asked, irritation boiling under his tongue.

Kaoru shaded slightly, frowning. "No, Yahiko-chan...Mister Sanosuke is only a friend for now."

"For now?" quoted Yahiko, frowning.

Kaoru smirked. "You know what I mean," she said, "until we leave them."

Yahiko snarled softly, padding nearer to his sister. "I don't like th'way he looks at you. He's got a funny look in his eye, even when he isn't. I think there's something shady about him, and I won't trust 'im 'till I find out what it is."

Sighing for the umpteenth time, Kaoru replied, "Yahiko...I understand what you're saying, but it's not polite to pry into people's pasts. Even if it is someone like Sanosuke-san."

"Why even bother callin' him 'san'?" Yahiko spat. "He's a 'chan' if I've ever met one."

Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Let's drop it," she suggested, and Yahiko succumbed to her grudgingly. "Anji-san said we'd be heading out for that pirate camp soon, and I don't want to miss anything."

As Kaoru turned to stride off into the shadows of the night, Yahiko hesitated before following her. "Right."

-

"UWAAH!"

CHOMP.

"AAAAAAH!"

"TAKE THAT!"

"WHY, YOU--! ANJI-SAN! ANJI-SAN! SANOSUKE BIT ME!"

"'CAUSE YOU DESERVED IT, WITCH!"

Sanosuke and Megumi bickered like cats and dogs (as usual) as Megumi attempted to treat Sano's wounds. He had arrow punctures from Kaoru and bites from Yahiko, not to mention Sanosuke had bloodied his hands while training. Megumi treated Sano well and knew exactly what she was doing; but unfortunately, what Megumi was doing was making Sano squirm like a worm on a hook.

"DAMN! THAT HURTS, WOMAN!"

"WELL, IT WOULDN'T HURT SO MUCH IF YOU'D STAY STILL!"

Megumi secured Sanosuke's bandages concerning his hand, giving it a healty slap for good measure. Sanosuke flinched, to Megumi's malicious pleasure. Pardon the ryhme. She then inspected the bite marks on her hand, in irritation. "Mou! Rooster, do you have fangs or a beak? From the looks of it, I was bitten by a bear!"

Sanosuke grumbled something ungrateful sounding.

Megumi scowled, seizing the Rooster by the hair and pushing him face-first into the ground. He yelped in surprise, but with his hands bandaged so tightly he couldn't catch himself or put up much of a fight.

"Stay still--and this time, I mean it!" Megumi warned. "I have to treat those arrow wounds on your back...unless you want to walk about like a block of swiss cheese."

Sanosuke grumbled something ungrateful sounding.

Seconds later, he was screaming something ungrateful sounding.

Anji stood afar, watching the lady doctor treat his young pupil. Amused by their lovingly hateful relationship, Anji made no move to intervene--even when Sano had went so far as to bite Megumi's hand.

His thoughts were interrupted when Kaoru and Yahiko emerged from the forest. "Are you ready?" Anji asked.

Kaoru nodded. "Yes, whenever you are."

"I'm always ready," replied Yahiko.

Anji looked over at the wriggling Sanosuke and the lecturing Megumi, unable to supress a chuckle when Megumi went so far as to bandage the young man's mouth shut. Seconds later, the Fox Doc had Sanosuke's hands bound behind his back. "Well, then...let's go."

Kaoru, Yahiko, and Anji turned to leave, but paused when they heard Sano yell. "HEY! WAIT FOR ME!"

Actually, since Sano's mouth was now bandaged, it sounded more like: "HMM! MMHFMMMM!"

Anji turned to give Sano a plain look. "Since you are injured, you'll stay here and guard Miss Megumi. We will return with Mister Kenshin soon."

"WMHH!" Sanosuke shouted, looking horrified. "NMM! NMM! MMHFMMMM! NNN!"

Megumi purposely jabbed Sano between the shoulder blades, where a prominant bruise was found. Sanosuke winced, shutting up. "Alright, Anji-san!" Megumi said cheerfully, eyes flickering with malice. "I'll take good care of Sanosuke. Be safe!"

Anji smiled slightly, nodding. Then, turning about, he walked off into the forest again; Yahiko and Kaoru in his stead.

Sanosuke watched them go in defeat, letting his forehead fall and bounce on the turf with a sigh. Once again, he had missed out on his chance to prove himself. "...D-Dang..."

Megumi watched him in silence.

-

Kenshin whimpered as a pair of pirates removed the kunai from his flesh, in no way gently. It had been a while since Kenshin had been peirced with a blade; his skin had grown soft and unacustomed to the feel.

He was lowered from the board, plunked onto a stretcher. Two men lifted the device, beginning to carry Kenshin swiftly to...wherever the planned to execute him, Kenshin deciphered.

A prayer formed in Kenshin's searing mind as he was transported to his death. Kami... I have failed...I don't know who I am, and my quest to find out so has failed...I'm going to die, Kami-sama, so please forgive me for being so...worthless...

"Dammit! Watch that rock--!"

Kenshin's world spun as he was knocked off the strecher, tumbling into the greenery on the side of the path. The forest here was dense, and Kenshin found that he felt quite submerged in the thicket, so submerged that his senses were dulled further and he felt like he had lost himself. Pain ate at his skin, thrown into an uncomfortable position.

"Ah..." Kenshin groaned, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Shinta-sama," a voice murmured. "Prince Shinta, wake up! Oh Shinta, the King is dead...you must wake up!"

Shinta opened his large purple eyes, to peer confusedly at his maid, Kikyo. She was middle-aged, donned in a traditional pink kimono with a brown apron dressing it.

Sitting up in bed, Shinta asked tiredly, "What is it, Kiyko-san?"

"Shinta-sama...I am afraid your father is dead." Kiyko whispered.

"Daddy?" Shinta gasped, shocked.

Kikyo nodded. "But you must come with me, Prince--for your father was murdered and now the killer may target you, next! You must escape from here, Shinta, far away...I will go with you, but you must!"

Shinta stared at his servant, frightened. "Leave? But what about Daddy?"

"King Himura is beyond your reach," Kiyko whispered, smothering tears of her own. "But as a faithful servant of his memory, I can't allow his one and only son to die or live in the hands of his murderer. Come with me, Shinta!"

"N-No!" Shinta cried, tears swelling in his childish eyes. "I won't! Go away, before I call the guards! They'll take YOU far away, for trying to kidnap me! L-Leave, now! Go!"

A look of horror crossed Kiyko's features. "Shinta-sama, please--!"

Provoked, frightened, confused, and angry; a high-pitched wail escaped from Shinta's lips. Kikyo was about to soothe him when soldiers burst through the doors, without hesitation stabbing the maid through.

Blood spattered, in front of Shinta's wide lavender eyes, Kikyo's shocked expression imprinting her reflection in his irises. Shinta's cry ceased in horror, melting into tiny sobs as Kikyo fell to the carpet without life.

"It smells like death," A familiar shadow entered Shinta's room, smirking to himself. It was a tall, sable-haired man, one Shinta recognized as his uncle Shishio. "Heh..."

"Shishio-nii!" Shinta stammered, crying again. "They--they hurt Kikyo-san!"

Shishio looked at Shinta with his narrowed black eyes. Shinta hiccuped in terror, wincing under the feirce glare. "Shishio-nii..."

"Take the girl and throw her to the dragons," Shishio ordered his men, turning from Shinta. "As for the boy, leave him. He'll be good for a cover-up...heh."

"Shishio-nii!" Shinta yelped, as his uncle walked out of the door. "Shishio-nii!"

The guards picked up the corpse of Kikyo, carrying her roughly in Shishio's stead. A pool of scarlet blood, with dribbles of it left in the soldier's path's, was left on Shinta's carpet floor.

"SHISHIO-NII!"

Kenshin gasped, wide awake. His chest heaved, and his limbs sweat. His blood and respiration mingled to form blossoming beads on his skin.

Looking up, Kenshin met the eyes of what at first appeared to be an angel. Midnight black hair hung down in silky waves, cascading around the woman's shoulders. Ice clear, sky-blue eyes flickered down at him, beads of clear light shining like frozen tears in her eyes, her ivory white skin masking her flesh like warm silk.

"Uh...ah..." Kenshin stammered, unable to take his eyes off the inhumanly beautiful creature.

"Are you alright, Kenshin-san?" came the soft voice, as the angel cupped his scarred cheek with a gentle hand.

"O-Oro?" Kenshin mumbled, dazed. "Wh-Where am I, de gozaru ka...?"

"Right where you left yourself," she replied, blinking. "My name is Kamiya Kaoru, and I'm here to help you. Stay still, please."

Kamiya Kaoru. Kenshin gazed up at the heavenly girl, wondering if he was indeed dead. "Miss Kaoru...please...where am I?"

"In the middle of the forest, being hunted by Kairyuu Pirates. I'm going to take you back to Megumi-san...I have friends with me also, nearby."

"Are...are you an angel?" Kenshin found himself asking.

Kaoru felt herself blush. This stunning man, who was every bit and more as beautiful as Megumi had insisted, thought she was an angel? When she, in truth, was nothing but a swordfighting theif. "No, I'm not," she replied. "But now we've got to be quiet. Kairyuu pirates are no doubt on the hunt for you."

"Arigatou..." was all Kenshin could muster, before he again passed out.

Feeling his forehead to check for a fever of any sort, Kaoru afterwards scooped the wanderer up with all the strength she had, trying to sneak stealthily to safety with him in hand. An unconcious person, she remembered, is as heavy as a drunk person is a dead person. This made sense, because Kenshin obviously weighed no more than (at a guess) one hundred twenty pounds. At the most.

Kaoru lugged the wandering swordsman as far as she could, until she reached the eaves of a huge oak tree. This had been where she had split up with Yahiko and Anji; it had been planned to regroup here in fifteen to twenty minutes.

Setting Kenshin down in the most comfortable position she could figure, Kaoru collapsed next to him to catch her breath. "Hoo!" she gasped, grinning to herself. "I did it!" Over all, she was quite pleased with herself that she had found Kenshin so quickly.

Kaoru's eyes wandered over to the unconcious rurouni. The first thing her eyes took in was the man's mysterious scar. Like two fates, the cuts overlapped one another with an unexplainable fresh red, as though Kenshin got them recently.

Before anything else could form into thoughts, Kaoru found her fingers tracing Kenshin's scar. His skin was surprisingly smooth, his hot breath racing over her wrists as he maintained his comatose status.

"Kenshin..." Kaoru breathed his name, repeating its meaning in kanji, "Sword heart..."

Is this the heart of Kenshin's sword? Kaoru wondered. The mystery of Kenshin's x-shaped scar must be a great one...where did he get it from? Fighting...with who?

"Miss Kaoru?"

Kaoru jumped, her fingers withdrawing themselves like they had been bitten. Kenshin's pale violet eyes were opened, blinking confusedly.

"K-Kenshin-san," Kaoru stammered, blushing. "Ah...um...h-how are you feeling?"

Shifting slightly, Kenshin winced. "Am I still bleeding...de gozaru ka...?"

Kaoru mentally smacked herself. Baka! she thought scoldingly. "Uh...I'm not sure--lemme check!" Kaoru scrambled self-conciously to Kenshin's side, peering at the kunai slits in his chest and hakama. "Your wounds seem to have calmed a little, Kenshin-san. I, ah...don't have any materials with me to treat you with, but Megumi-san can once we get back."

"Who are we waiting...for?" Kenshin sighed tiredly, but not impolitely.

Kaoru allowed herself to check Kenshin's temperature again, hoping she was sounding sure of herself and sophisticated. "We're waiting for my little brother Yahiko, and Anji..."

"Anji?"

Nodding, Kaoru explained, "He's the sensei of Megumi's friend Sanosuke, who is at the camp with her. I think Anji's a Christian priest or pastor, or something."

Kenshin's mind sparked with fuzzy interest, but it quickly died as a splitting pain seemed to come from nowhere. It felt like all of his wounds were reopening as wide as ever. "Ohhhh--!"

"Mister Kenshin!" Kaoru cried, panicking. "What's wrong?"

Kenshin's scar began to burn, furiously. "It...it's on fire!" he gasped incoherently, through the pain. Writhing, Kenshin tore at his face like a madman, screaming loudly when his scar suddenly gave a wrenching pulse, bursting into a river of blood.

Kaoru cried out, sitting back in fear. "Kenshin-san...!" she stammered, unsure of what to do. His scar seemed to be bleeding for no reason at all! "Kenshin-san!"

Tears streamed from Kenshin's tightly pinched eyes as he held his head, howling. A ringing came to his ears, fiery needles of pain jabbing into his brains like mini spears. God, HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Kenshin screamed inside, tossing and turning crazily.

Kaoru was about to succumb to a complete panic, when suddenly shouts reached her ears. She looked up to find a number of Kairyuu pirate swarming their way towards them. Kaoru stood, pulling out her blade in a flash of light. Kenshin groaned, tearing at his head and face as blood stained him deeply.

"Get them!" yelled a pirate to his peers. "Kill the girl, but retrieve the man! Hurry, before Shura-sama becomes impatient!"

"Hmph," Kaoru mumbled, crouching close to the ground in a defensive position. She waited until the fastest men came near, before lashing out in a battle dance that no pirate could top. Her blade shimmered like a fine beam of light as it struck men like lightening, casting her opponents aside like leaves in a gust of wind.

Kenshin's eyes found the stamina to open slightly. He was impressed by Kaoru's stunning swordsmanship, though in his dying pain he was unable to create complete thoughts of praise. Kami...she's powerful...Kami...

Kaoru finished over half of the thirty men that approached from the forest. As the rest surged in on her, only to be blown away, one soldier held a horn to his lips. When he blew, a deep note echoed through the forest, calling for assistance. An answering horn replied seconds later, confirming that help was on the way.

Gritting her teeth, Kaoru slashed again, defeating the original men. She did this, only to find that even more were coming from the forest. Dang...I can't fight them all! Kenshin needs help...or...who knows what'll happen!

Kaoru posed again, ready for the Kairyuu to near. As they did, she was surprised but relieved when a familiar snarl met her ears.

Yahiko burst from the undergrowth, pouncing on men and biting their ankles and legs so that they fell to the earth, unable to walk. The werewolf child dodged blades and kicks, using his battle instinct to attack the vital places of his opponents.

Anji came running (rather, thundering) to the field, wiping out several men in one punch. He lifted a decent tree from its roots, shouting, "Yahiko! Duck!" As the wolf did as warned, Anji swung the tree with his inhuman strength, clearing a large portion of the pirate crowd.

"Anji!" yelled Kaoru. "Kenshin's dying, I think! We need to get him to Miss Megumi!"

Not replying, Anji instead surged deeper into battle. He was trying to send Kaoru the message of, "Take Kenshin, and run while you can," but Kaoru was not recieving his notion. Instead, she guarded the sobbing wanderer with her blade, blasting daring Kairyuu like flies on a summer day.

Little did they know that Shura and eighty more men were on their way that exact moment.

-

"Hmh! Fmx mhhh!"

"Shut up, baka. I'm trying to think," said Megumi rubbing her temple. After treating his wounds, Megumi had left Sanosuke tied up in the corner. Wriggle as he might, Sano found it painful to the point of crying out if he tried to snap his bonds.

Sanosuke, of course, did not shut up. Instead, he went on talking loudly behind his gag, making sure to annoy Megumi to his fullest ability. He even began to sing, which simply sounded like badly tuned muffled noises.

Eventually, Megumi snapped. "I told you to be quiet!" she barked, and Sano grinned. "If I free you, will you leave me be?"

Sano nodded.

"I don't believe you," Megumi said, folding her arms.

Letting his head thump against the ground with a sigh, Sano said something in irritation. "Mmfghh..." After a moment, Sano looked back up into Megumi's eyes. Doing what he thought would work best, Sanosuke pouted and looked at Megumi like an innocent little dog who only wanted to be loved.

"You and your damned puppy eyes won't do anything," Megumi said, scowling. "If you'd say please, I might untie you."

"Fmwms!" Sanosuke cried loudly.

"What'd you say?" Megumi taunted, grinning.

Sano tried again. "Fmwss."

"Whaaaaat?"

"FMWSS!"

"I can't understand you!"

"FM-WSS!"

Megumi chuckled at Sanosuke's steamed expression, crawling over to his side. "I'll let you go if you apologize to me for biting my hand."

"Mvhr mm ddmmn bdm, wmmn," Sanosuke growled, and in English, he meant: "Over my dead body, woman."

Rolling her eyes, Megumi pretended to accidentally pinch the bruise on his sweaty back. Sanosuke howled into his bandages, squeezing his eyes shut. Pleased, Megumi said in a fake cheerful tune, "Sorry, Roofie. What did you say?"

"MWFT FWHHN MM RMHHFH! (Quite callin' me Roofie!)" Sanosuke screamed, thrashing about angrily.

Megumi giggled, enjoying her time torturing Sano. Eventually, however; she grew bored of teasing him about his inability to speak, and decided to free his gag. Slipping it from his head, she recieved a hurricane of a toungue-lashing.

"You damned wench!" Sanosuke yelled. "What th'hell is s'matter with you? Tyin' me up like that n'wrappin' me up like some mummy or somethin'! I missed the damned fight with Anji and Kaoru, and it's all your FAULT! WHY N'THE HELL DO I HAVE TO PUT UP WITH YOU?"

Megumi rolled her eyes again. "I could as the same question," she replied, and then smirked. "Besides, I thought you told me you didn't want to help rescue Sir Ken from the Kairyuu."

"I lied," replied Sanosuke, simply and proudly.

"Retard." Megumi muttered.

"Ditz." Sano replied.

Megumi narrowed her eyes. "Pervert."

"Ingrate," Sanosuke shot back without hesitation.

Scowling, Megumi argued, "Player!"

"Whore!" Sano yelled back.

"Lazy nitwit!"

"Prissy schoolgirl!"

"Thoughtless brat!"

"Stuck up, ungrateful Fox Lady!"

"Perverted, Rooster-Headed moron!"

This went on for quite a while, before both contestants found themselves out of breath and out of insults. Panting, they glared at one another as they attempted to maintain their usual breathing pattern.

"Ohh," Megumi snarled at last. "When I get my hands on you--!"

Sanosuke cut her off, smirking. "Oi, don't be too rough on me, Fox. I know you've had a lot of experience in the medical field; but whether you realize it or not, some parts o'me can break in two if you tug on them too hard."

Megumi flushed, smacking Sanosuke on the opposite cheek she had last time. "HENTAI!"

And thus ensued another war of insults that was far too long and obscene to record in text. However, in the middle of their arguement, Sanosuke and Megumi were interrupted by the blasting sound of a war horn in the distance.

"That sounded bad," Sanosuke muttered, looking up as far as he could. "Kaoru and Anji might be fighting the Kairyuu right now...they might need my help..."

Megumi rolled her eyes. "The only person who would need your help, Rooster, is someone who wanted to be killed. Then again, I doubt you'd even get that right."

Sanosuke huffed. "Untie me," he demanded, casting Megumi a warning glance.

"No." Megumi said simply.

Narrowing his eyes, Sano threatened, "I'll bite you again."

"I'll toss you into the river," replied Megumi.

"You couldn't pick me up," Sanosuke said proudly.

Megumi smirked. "Because you're a lazy Rooster who does nothing but whine, eat, and squish rocks," she replied sharply.

Unable to counter, Sanosuke resumed to grumbling to himself in a low voice. After a minute, Sano looked up again at Megumi. "Listen," Sano growled. "Just untie me, already! I've got a bad feelin' about this whole situation. What if we're jumped? How am I gonna protect ya if I'm bandaged up like Shishio?"

Megumi sighed, finally allowing Sanosuke to be freed. As soon as she snapped his bonds, Sanosuke leapt to his feet. He winced slightly at the twinge of his injured muscles, but ignored it as he scooped Megumi up into his arms without warning.

Throwing Megumi over his shoulder like a sack, and ignoring her enraged screeching, Sano yelled, "C'mon, Fox! You're comin' with me!"

"PUT ME DOWN! RIGHT NOW! NOW! NOW! NOW!"

Sanosuke, instead, shot off into the forest. He made sure to keep a tight hold around Megumi's waist, in fear she might wriggle too much and slip out of his grasp. In Sanosuke's opinion, he was pretty sure Megumi would rather kiss him than the dirt. Or, so he hoped.

Megumi was far from finishing her screaming. "IF YOU DON'T PUT ME DOWN RIGHT NOW, I'M GOING TO MURDER YOU! PUT ME DOWN! NOW, YOU ROOSTER-HEADED MUTT!"

Sanosuke sighed. "Would you shut up already!"

"WHY, YOU--!"

-

Kenshin moaned again, finding himself covered in blood and sweat. His heartbeat was hammering at the rate of a mouse's, as he slowly became more and more aware of his surroundings. Sounds became clearer, sights became visible, colors became prominent again, and details were present once more as the pain died away.

"Uuaaaah!"

Sitting up shakily, Kenshin did so just in time to see Kaoru smashing into the oak tree. Her sword flew from her hand, rendering her helpless as two men closed in on her. Kaoru clutched her bleeding shoulder, clenching her teeth as the soldiers came near.

I've got to save her, Kenshin thought fuzzily. He lurched to grasp the hilt of Kaoru's sword, standing with only his will to support his muscles.

A blade flashed, and Kaoru screamed out her brother's name, squeezing her eyes shut as the sword cut the air.

"HITEN MITSURUGI, FLYING DRAGON!"

The swordbearer was knocked sky-high by Kaoru's sword, and Kenshin immediately whipped about to rid them of the other two men. They stood no chance; both of them shot through the air with dwindling yelps.

Kaoru opened her eyes wide, amazed to see this remarkable man, drenched in his own blood, bearing her sword. He huffed, sticking the blade into the ground, and sinking to his knees.

"Kenshin-san!" Kaoru stammered, crawling to Kenshin's right as he toppled to one side. She managed to catch him before he hit the ground, causing blood to rub onto her own clothes.

"Miss Kaoru..." Kenshin managed to tell her, "...that is a very fine sword. You must be honored to carry...it..."

Kaoru picked up the hilt of her sword, and the blade flashed in the sunlight. Kenshin, at first, thought his eyes were decieving him; but it was true. Kamiya Kaoru's sword was no ordinary blade. As Kenshin struggled to confirm his sight, he was astonished when he found his eyes had not lied.

"A...reversed-blade...sword...?"

End of Chapter Six

MadiSano: Kaoru with a sakabatou? Yes, I know...but I have a plan for that sword. I think it'll be kind of cool, but you'll just have to wait, won't ya? Heh. (Fox Ears!) Ohoho!

I think it was kind of cute of how Sano leapt up and took off with Megumi like that. I could just see him dashing through the forest with Megumi over his shoulder, Megumi screaming at him at the top of her voice. Especially if they were all chibi-ish and Sano had these big feet and an irritated/embarrassed expression, while Megumi's fox ears are matted against the back of her head...just my opinion.

As for the storyline, the whole Shura deal will be over in the next chapter. I'll top it off with a shorter chapter after that, and then...enter Saitou, Aoshi, and (I'm hoping, anyways,) Misao! Yaaay! Just a question concerning the plot: can anyone see Aoshi as a bartender? Lol!

I was surprised to find that so many people approved of Yahiko being a half demon. (That's explained in the next chapter, BTW.) I'm glad, though--thanks for the support! I am happy.

Since I've been getting so many new reviewers (I was happy! 36 reviews!), I don't think I'll be able to carry on replying to every single one of my reviewers right here. Unless they had questions or a particular remark. Such as:

ANONYMOUS BUT VERY INTERESTED: As for Kaoru and Megumi, I think Megumi is more the image of the 'mature, harshly truthful beauty' and Kaoru is the 'innocent, heart-warming beauty', so I think they're both quite beautiful. But sometimes, in some pictures, Megumi looks better than Kaoru (especially when Kaoru's mad and goes all demon-eyed, lol!), but when Kaoru's sad or smiling compared to serious Megumi, Kaoru is more beautiful. It depends, you know? But that's just me.They're both awesome! As for Shura...well...in a sense, if you think back to the anime, she fell "in love"with Kenshin because of the wisdom he showed her...only, it's not Kenshin this time around. Someone else. You'll see. And don't say you're ditzy! You're awesome! If anyone around here's a ditz it's gotta be flamers or myself. Lol. And as for "him", I'm on the lookout. Thanks with all my heart!

SHAUNTELL: I am doing my best to put more Kenshin in the fic! The tide is turning! Thanks for the review!

STARSHIPDELTA: I knew you'd want Saitou! (laughs) You mentioned it in another review, I think... Anyways, Saitou will be in Chapter Nine, I believe (if I'm calculating correctly)...and all's I have to say is feel bad for Sanosuke! Haha! And Aoshi, your other favorite, is also making his arrival in Chapter Nine. As an icy, debonair bartender. Lol...don't worry, Aoshi's really cool. In my opinion, anyways...Aoshi's always cool, unless he's in one of those fics where he snaps and goes crazy or something. OO Lol! Thanks so much!

Well, that's about it, nakama. I'll see you soon! Please review! JA NE!