A/N- hmmm…relationship is finally developing…now; the actual plot will begin to form! Mwaha! Plus, this chapter I try my hand at the cliffhanger thing. …Oh and thanks to my few reviewers. I would like some more. wink, wink, nudge, nudge

Disclaimer: insert witty disclaimer here

Scratching. A pencil against paper, maybe.

Ronin's eyes snapped open. He unsheathed his sword and pressed it fiercely against the throat of the other presence.

Back off! Back off, back off, back off! his mind said to him urgently. His sleepy vision started to clear, little by little, and he suddenly realized that his sharp katana wasn't pressed against another damn vampire hunter, but a startled Toklata.

She was absolutely terrified, and Ronin found that he was too. He could have killed her. Slowly, he took the blade away from her. He saw scattered papers and, sure enough, a short, gnawed-on pencil on the dirty floor of the small cave. Her knees shook, and Ronin feared she would faint before he could offer an explanation, but she held strong.

"W…why did you…do that?"

Ronin drew back completely now, clutching his head, trying to think of a decent answer, or at least a clever retort. "How did you find me?"

"Why do you always answer my questions with more questions?"

"You've got a pretty sharp tongue for someone who just narrowly avoided getting her head chopped off," Ronin snarled, slightly irritated as he noticed the golden rays of sunlight coming through the cave's mouth. "Urgh…What time is it, anyway?"

"Prolly after four," she answered warily. "I got out of school at three. And it must have taken me a good hour to find you. I was doing my homework when you…" She couldn't bring herself to say "nearly murdered me", Ronin suspected, and he couldn't blame her. Instead, she bunched up her shirt in her hands and asked, "Did you want to kill me, Mister Ronin?"

Again with those difficult questions. No, he hadn't meant to kill her specifically. But he had meant death to whatever presence was in the cave with him, someone who he had automatically figured wanted him dead, so yes, he had meant to kill her, in a way.

Could he really blame himself for being so jumpy, though? Didn't everybody want to kill him these days? Everybody but Toklata?

No, it wasn't a question, it was a fact. Everybody but Toklata.

He gripped his head harder. He had almost killed her. He would have killed her if not for that little voice that had told him desperately to back off.

Does it hurt to go insane? Does it hurt to become sane again? Does it hurt to welcome back long lost emotions? And which one was happening to Ronin Takoda?

"Are you okay?" Toklata looked genuinely worried, her eyes full of concern.

"I didn't mean to hurt you," Ronin finally sighed. "You surprised me, that's all." Silence, for a while, then Ronin went on. "You shouldn't stick around with me, girl. It's dangerous. You'll just end up getting killed, whether by me or by someone trying to hurt me."

"But I like you!" She sounded upset again. "Who would want to hurt you? I don't want to leave, I just want to stay with you forever."

"Don't be stubborn, baka! Use your head! You've got a full life ahead of you! I can't risk taking it away from you!"

Toklata looked at her feet, defeated. "Can I just stay for today then? And will you explain some things to me?"

"…Yeah…I guess."

They sat there for a good two hours, Toklata across from Ronin, wide-eyed and amazed, as he answered all of her questions. He hoped this would help her understand why she had to leave him alone. She had made herself very comfortable on his lap by time they finished.

"Wow. So you're a real vampire," Toklata sighed, looking up into his golden eyes. "That explains a lot of things."

"You're not scared?"

"Why should I be? After you just told me all that stuff, how you don't kill people you drink blood from and stuff."

"You use the word 'stuff' too much," Ronin sniffed, pushing her off of him and standing up. "It makes you sound unintelligent, though I suppose that is fitting."

"One more question. Why are you always so sad…or angry…or whatever you are?"

A painful memory wriggled its way into Ronin's mind, but he quickly pushed it to the back of his head again. He changed the subject. "You should get home now, but walking through the forest while its dark isn't a wise thing to do…still there's no use of cowardice. You'll be fine. Go on now."

She nodded obediently and gathered up her things, looking a little forlorn, knowing she couldn't come back tomorrow, knowing she was going to be alone again. Ronin sent her on her way, watching her until the trees swallowed her, then he went back inside the cave, thinking he would stay here a bit longer.

The woods are dark, but not scary, Toklata thought to herself, not in any hurry. In fact, she thought she might stop by a steam and…cry? Again? Alone again.

She heard running water, and confirmed her thoughts, heading towards the sound, finding a clean, well-hidden stream. Kneeling on the rocks around the rather wide creek, she glared at her reflection.

A strong hand wrapped around her left wrist and pulled her off the ground. It hurt to be dangling by one arm.

"Ronin?"

"Guess again."

katana- a long, slightly curved Japanese sword.

baka- idiot, stupid