A/N: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin in anyway.


Chapter 1: The Witch's House

He sighed. The town was small, smaller than he expected. This was where he was going to live for the next few years. The people here were kind. Very nice to him indeed. Greeting him as they pass by, offering to help him to fit into this community. Most of his new neighbours offered their help to him. They were happy that someone had finally decided to buy the empty house that has been deserted for so long. Himura Kenshin was glad that he was welcomed and appreciated their help. But he couldn't forget the past which had being so tormenting to him.

"If they only knew...they wouldn't even dare to look at me..." He sighed again and looked out the window. It was going to be winter soon and the trees were bare. Then, his eyes caught sight of something outside the fence of his house. Slowly, he could made out a shape of a large house, almost hidden away by all the trees and the huge amount of fungi growing on the walls. It looked like there hadn't been anyone living there for a very long time.

Suddenly, the door bell rang. It must be Sagara Sanosuke. The tall, energetic neighbour who lived opposite him. Sanosuke was loud, careless and sometimes very emotional with his speech. This was what Kenshin like about him. He like Sanosuke's frank manners and honesty.Sanosuke had offered to help with moving the first time they were introduced. Sanosuke sure was friendly.

Kenshin opened the door and smiled. Sanosuke was leaning against the wall, he looked up and grunted.

"Oi, Kenshin! What took you so long to answer the door?"Sanosuke said impatiently.

"Oro. I was busy." Kenshin apologized.

"It's okay! I was only joking. You need to learn to relax man. So, anything that I can help with?" Sanosuke laughed, punching Kenshin on the shoulder.

"Yeah, can you help me with the heavier furniture?"Kenshin said, gesturing to the larger boxes.

"Sure.As long as I don't go hungry. Anything for me to eat?" Sanosuke said, licking his lips.

"Oro,you! We haven't even start working yet and you are already hungry?" Kenshin said.

"Okay! Okay! Let's get down to business!" exclaimed Sanosuke, opening one of the large boxes.

"I am cooking dinner ,just to let you know..."Kenshin called.

"You? Hell no! I don't want to get poison! What are you cooking?" cried Sanosuke, dropping the box.

"Oro! Oro! My furniture!"Kenshin gasped. "Don't worry, it's going to be okay. My cooking isn't that bad. You won't get a stomach ache. I promise"

"Whatever. What are you cooking anyway?" Sanosuke asked.

"Potato salad, spahetti, garlic bread. Tiramisu for dessert. Or maybe ice cream if you want." answered Kenshin.

"Oh...that doesn't sound so bad."Sanosuke answered. The both of them continued to work.

When they had put all the furniture to place, Kenshin begun to cook dinner. Sanosuke wanted to help but Kenshin insisted that he should wait at the dining room. After 30 minutes, Kenshin came out with steaming Spaghetti, Potato Salad and garlic bread.

"Wow,it sure smell nice!" Sanosuke said, already digging into his food. Kenshin laughed as he watched Sano gulped down the food ravenously. He sat down and noticed that one of the rooms in the big house covered by fungi was light up. "Weird...I thought no one lives there?"

"Sano, who lives in the house next to mine?" Kenshin asked.

"That house?" Sano mumbled(his mouth still full of spaghetti), pointing at the house through the window. "That is the Witch's house. You know, to tell you the truth, this house, the one you've just bought is never occupied because of the Witch's House. No one dare to come near this house. Everyone who came near contracted a mysterious disease. The small boy who live next door to me, Yahiko fainted and stayed unconscious for three days after he walked past by the gate of that house. Not just him. Other queer things happened to the others too. They are all fine now. But imagine if anyone do more than walking past the house!"

"But why did you offer to help me when you know that you need to walk past, errmm... the Witch's House(?)...to come to my house?" Kenshin asked, confused.

Sanosuke laughed, "Of course I don't believe in all those rumours! I only believe in what technology had proven to be true! A witch? Haha! Impossible! Maybe it is just some old widow who lived there all alone and since nothing ever happen in our small, tiny town people start to spread rumours about it."

"But, there must be some reason why they think whoever lives inside is a witch. Hasn't anyone seen the person before? Someone must have seen the person. People just don't go around unnoticed." Kenshin said.

"Yeah, maybe that is why the rumour started. Not only is it true that many had fell ill because they went near the house, no one has ever seen anyone coming out or entering the house before. We saw some rooms being light up at night but there is never a shadow. Which is kinda weird..."Sano said, scratching his head.

"Oh,okay. Now that is really weird. Now I am getting worried..."Kenshin mumbled.

"Chill Kenshin! Nothing is going to happen to you! Just be careful." Sano laughed.

Kenshin nodded and looked at the window again. Suddenly he felt like as if something was calling to him. He walked towards the window and looked out into the dark night. The light was still on in the room of the Witch's House. He stared hard as his eyes caught a glimpse of a figure among the many trees in the Witch's House's garden. It was a woman, very young, barely near adulthood. She was wearing a white kimono, her long black hair hanging down to her waist. The wind was blowing strongly against her and then she suddenly turn her gaze towards Kenshin. Kenshin saw her then, her large eyes reflected the light of the moon. She was like an angel, so etheral; so unhuman.

"Sano! Come here, the owner of the Witch's house is in the garden.."Kenshin said, the girl's gaze was still on him. Her face was emotionless and her face was so white. Sano hurried over and stared out of the window.

"What are you playing at? There is no one there!" Sano grumbled. Kenshin looked and saw that the woman in white had disappeared.

"She was just there a moment ago…" Kenshin muttered. Where could she have gone? Had he just seen a ghost?


Kaoru couldn't believe that she had finally step out of the house after so many years of isolation. She badly needed some fresh air last night. After breathing the same air for the past 20 years, she really need smell some clean air again. Especially now...

She gasped, she could feel another attack coming on. Where is her inhealer? She swore that it is around here some where

She gasped again, her throat was tightening up. Then she saw it, it was under her white kimono thrown carelessly on her bed. She quickly inhealed and felt that the beating of her heart was calming down. She remembered now,she was wearing this white kimono when she went out to the gardens last night. Someone was gazing at her from the window of the house next to hers. No one had ever lived there for years...and that person... she wasn't sure whether it was a he or a she. She could only make out that the person has long tied up hair. Probably a woman...

Kaoru sighed. She was not suppose to let others see her, she don't like other people's gazes and she had not interact with anyone for many years. She remembered that person's reaction when he or she caught sight of her.It was surprise and shock.

I don't balme that person at all...no one has seen me for so long. And I was wearing white. I might have looked like a ghost.

She shivered and coughed again. Winter was coming, she would need to go get new supplies soon.


"Kenshin, who did you see in the Witch's House's garden last night?" Sano asked through the phone.

"Sano, not now. I need to go get groceries. I'll call you later..."Kenshin said impatiently.

"No! Tell me. What did you see?" Sano demanded.

"I saw a woman, her hair was as long as to till her waist. She was wearing a white kimono..." Kenshin said uncertainly.

"Eh! A ghost? So the Witch is a spirit?" Sano exclaimed.

"I don't know, she seemed too real to be a spirit...but..."Kenshin replied.

"But what?" Sano asked again.

"I don't know. She doesn't look human. She has this weird aura, like a immortal or something..."said Kenshin slowly.

"So,she is a spirit!" Sano said, is tone final as if what Kenshin had just said had confirmed his theory.

"Ermmm..."Kenshin mumbled and glanced at his watch. "It's already that late! "Hey! I need to go.Bye!" With that he hung up.


Kenshin arrived at the small grocery shop .He was disappointed at how limited the varieties of things he can buy. But then,I need food... He sighed and begun to choose from the racks. He was the only person in the grocery shop. The cashier looked like he was asleep.

Then, another person came into the shop. Kenshin turned to look. It was a woman. Her face was almost all hidden away by her large woolly hat and she was clad in all blue. Her hair was tied into a thick bun. Somehow, she seemed familiar. She picked up some items and walked floatily to the counter.

The cashier was really sleeping.

The lady touched the cashier lightly on the shoulder and he awoke quickly, like as if the lady had just shock him with her touch. She handed him an exact amount of money for her purchases and floated out of the shop. There was something very different about the way she walk. It was like she didn't have legs and the air was lifting her. A sense of deja vu swept over Kenshin. She reminded him of someone. He just didn't remember who...


Kenshin entered the house and immediately sensed that someone had entered his house. And they are still in here...the harmful Ki energy was strong. His eyes turned in to an amber colour and he could feel the Ki energy even more distinctively. There was more than three of them at least. They were hiding somewhere. He knew that something like this was going to happen but he didn't realised that it would be so soon. His samurai sword was hidden away beneath his bed in his room.

He ran and swiftly took out his sword. Whoever that came to disturb the peace he found will have to pay. He begun to walk down the corridor slowly, he was sure that one of the men is...

Shinomori Aoshi

Then,there they are...

Three tall figures appeared before him. The tallest was Aoshi, next to him was two men that Kenshin had never seen before.

Weird...Kenshin had felt Ki enerdy of four people. But there was only three of them.

"Long time no see,Battousai." Aoshi said coldly. His face emotionless and his ice blue eyes staring hard at him.

Another person stepped out of the shadow behind Kenshin. Kenshin jerked around,his eyes widened in shock...

It cannot be...


A/N: Revised on 8/1/06