*Bonus Chapter, Kyuzo's POV

When I awoke the morning after asking Amaya to come with me I could hear her gathering things together in her bedroom. Something told me that she would take me up on my offer. She seemed very determined to learn weaponry, but I was unsure of how much natural talent she possessed. She had terrible form and had quite an issue with keeping her emotions in check. Unlike me. I never allowed people to know what I was thinking.

We set out and it wasn't long before the questions came. I was honest with her when I said I had only traveled here to challenge The Dragon, and she blatantly told me that I wouldn't have emerged victorious from that battle. I could tell she was angry, and she would definitely have to work on that. We walked in silence after that, arriving in the city where I bought some water containers for our journey. My companion and I were out of the city in no time and after a few hours of walking she needed a break. On the break Amaya apologized for her outburst earlier and the we continued on to the rest house. I was already proven right about her slowing me down.

She wasn't looking too well when we finally did arrive at the house four hours later. The place was very small, but at least we would be getting food and shelter for the night. When I opened the door to our room there was only one futon on the floor and I stared at it. But it wasn't until dinner when the real trouble started. The elderly gentlemen asked Amaya and I had long we had been married and since she choked on her drink at the question, I answered.

And after dinner, the shit really started. She wouldn't shut up complaining about this and that so I idiotically dropped my guard and ended up kissing her. Really, how stupid could I be? But she got to me, she was under my skin after just a few days of knowing her. I hated it. It drove me crazy on the inside, but I just had to keep a straight face. I left her there in the rest house, frozen and stupefied. Afterwards I had bathed in the outside bath and ended up sleeping beside it.

When we arrived in Kogakyo the next day I ran into none other than Ayamaro, the man I used to serve as a bodyguard for. I was lucky that Amaya was able to drag me away from the annoying man, but his words about Firefly House had intrigued her and she wanted to visit it. As we were making our way through the city, she suddenly pulled me aside to a small shop. She was longing over a pair of samurai gloves, but she wasn't willing to pay the price, so I laid down the money. She tried to argue, but the merchant doing the selling was desperate for the money and talked her into accepting my thanks for her ridding my presence of Ayamaro.

Once we walked away from the shop, she thanked me and put on the gloves. They suited her and would help her with the training I planned to put her through. I decided to go ahead and take her to Firefly House, where I was absolutely sure more problems would arise. If Shichiroji had survived the battle in Kanna Village, he was sure to be there, and he was sure to have questions.

Sure enough, not long after we paid for our room Shichiroji emerged into view extremely confused at first at the sight of me, but he led us to a private dining room and took a seat with us at a long table. Amaya seemed highly curious about this man that sat before us.

"Kyuzo-dono, I see that you are well. Although I must say I was absolutely sure you had died," he stated. "I mean, I saw it happen with my own eyes." I stared at him remaining silent. He went on.

"I can see you haven't changed much since Kanna, but I have to ask who is this young lady you have with you?"

I turned my view to Amaya and she looked at me questioningly.

"My wife," I said being sure not to stray from our original story. Shichiroji looked shocked at my response.

"Shichiroji-san," Amaya spoke up. "Would you mind telling me about the battle in Kanna? As you know, Kyuzo-chan doesn't like to talk much."

"Absolutely."

I sat there in silence as Shichiroji's wife came in mid-story and took a seat with us. Our food was brought out and he continued the story over dinner, Amaya listening intently to his tales. When he got to part about me being shot by Katsushiro, she looked a me with a pained expression. She was finding out more about me than I had intended, and even though I knew something like this might happen when we arrived, I just couldn't tell her no when she asked if we could pay a visit to Firefly House. Plus, I intended to find out from Shichiroji just where the hell Kanbei was. Even though the bullet wounds in my body had healed long ago, they ached each time he mentioned Kanbei. I still had a score to settle with him.

When the story was over and dessert was served Shichiroji's wife asked Amaya and I how we had met. She looked at me with an expression I had never had another living thing give me before. It was an expression of love. I hated to admit it, but for a short moment I actually couldn't breathe. She was getting good at this lying and pretending thing.

"It's nothing really, I actually just bumped into him in the city a few times and before we knew it we were married," she said laughing a little.

I watched as Shichiroji's wife looked at him with the same expression Amaya had given me. I stood and left the table so that I would be able to keep my emotions to myself, but as I was walking away I felt her eyes upon me. This could not be happening. Not now. Not ever. I was honestly afraid for the first time in my life. She might fall in love with me, and I wasn't sure if I was able to handle that. But if that did happen, I wasn't sure I would stop it.