Hey ya'll.
I'm gonna skip the chit chat and let you continue to read the good stuff.
I won't even threaten you to rate&review. =)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The sun shone through Kaoru's window and filled the room with warmth. Misao and Kaoru were already awake and preparing for the day ahead with Hanya. A knock at the door signaled the start of a new day for the girls. They quickly threw their shoes on and rushed to the door. There Hanya greeted them and together they made their way to the kitchens to fill up on food. Cho and Yumi greeted them and prepared them a special meal. As they ate Hanya told them more stories about his days in the Oniwabanshu. The girls listened as he told them of his old leader who disappeared, after his fiancé was killed by a gang of street thugs.
Misao and Kaoru felt bad for the old Okashira and his lost love. But Hanya also told them the story of how the fiancé didn't actually die. Some other child was accidentally killed instead of her but the old Okashira didn't know that. So his now grown up fiancé wanders Kyoto in search of her old love. She one day hopes to be reunited with him so they can live happily. "Do you think she'll ever find him Hanya?" Misao asked with tears in her eyes. "I can only hope so." Hanya replied looking at Misao. Kaoru smiled and whipped a tear from her eye and said, "I hope they're reunited someday."
After breakfast, the group headed off to the training grounds where a surprise waited for them. "Hey there Missy!" a gruff voice shouted. Kaoru cried out in joy as she ran to embrace a tall stranger by the gate. "Sano!" Kaoru cried as her older brother embraced her back. "Hey, what about me?" another younger voice called. Kaoru turned to hug her younger brother Yahiko. "I'm so glad you're back!" Kaoru cried. "Here come the water works." Yahiko grumbled. Sano smiled as he spun Kaoru around like he used to do. Kaoru couldn't contain her tears as she embraced both of her brothers. Sano spotted Misao and motioned for her to join them.
Much obliged, Misao ran into Sano's arms and felt Yahiko and Kaoru embrace her. As the sibling all hugged Hanya chuckled. Kaoru and Misao hadn't seen Sano and Yahiko in three months. They were off on a job for their uncle and were on their way back when the girls were captured. It was a sweet reunion for all. Once Kaoru and Misao had dried their tears they all began to share stories of their adventures. Kaoru told the guys everything that had happened. She told them what she hadn't told their uncle because she knew Sano would see through her lies. Plus she knew she could never lie to her brothers, for they had never lied to her. Misao told the guys that they had lied to their uncle and begged them not to tell him the truth. After they swore they wouldn't Hanya had appeared and offered them a chance to train with the girls.
All morning they trained. It surprised Sano and Yahiko how much stronger and faster the girls had gotten. Sano actually ended up with a few bruised from Kaoru and Misao both. "I must be losing my touch!" Sano exclaimed as he narrowly dogged a kunai knife. "Never Sano, we're just getting better!" Misao exclaimed as Yahiko failed to incapacitate her. They trained for hours and hours until Yumi brought them some lunch. She as well, was glad to see the boys had returned and gave them extra miso soup. Yumi stayed to watch the training session for an hour or so then ventured back into the castle to prepare dinner. Once or twice a few others would come and join the training. Cho and Sojiro helped out for a few then Beshimi, Hyottoko, and Shikijo began to warm up with the group. Misao was glad when her old friends Beshimi, Hyottoko and Shikijo joined them. They had once worked with Hanya in the Oniwabanshu.
As the sun began to set Kaoru was struck with an idea. "How about we all head out to the Aoia and the Shirabeko to say 'hey' to everyone!" Sano and Yahiko were the first to agree. Then after some more convincing Misao agreed as well. "Sojiro would you please tell uncle Shishio where we're going?" Kaoru asked her childhood friend. "Sure, but stay here because I'd like to come too." He agreed. It only too Sojiro a few seconds to reach lord Shishio and tell him the plans. Shishio felt better about the girls leaving when Sojiro told him he'd be going along with half the Jupongatana. "Don't be back too late." Shishio said. Sojiro promised they'd be back soon and took off to escort the girls to the village.
Kaoru and Misao lead the group with the others not far behind. Their first stop was the Aoia to see Ochika and Omasu. The girls were overjoyed to see Kaoru and Misao safely home again. Ochika and Omasu smiled politely at the pervious Oniwabanshu members. Misao and Kaoru missed how Omasu slid Hanya a piece of paper. Sano glanced over to Hanya and saw Hanya slip the note to the other Oniwabanshu. Sano pretended to go get some air and felt the paper slip into his hand. While all the note passing was taking place Ochika was entertaining the girls with a story of her engagement to a boy named Hiro who worked at the Aoia with them. Sano came back in and whispered something in Yahiko's ear. Nodding in understanding, Yahiko tossed the note into the open fire in the back. Kaoru and Misao had no idea he had left.
Once goodbyes were exchanged, the gang headed down the street to the Shirabeko. As the girls chatted excitedly about Ochika's wedding in the summer, the guys in the back whispered quietly about Omasu's letter from an old friend. Kaoru and Misao ran ahead to the Shirabeko when they heard Tai's cries of joy. The three girls embraced and laughed as Tsubame came out to see what was going on. "You're back!" she cried and launched herself into the embraces of Misao and Kaoru. Yahiko felt a small blush creep onto his cheeks as young Tsubame glanced in his direction. "Yahiko!" she cried and ran to his side. She stopped short and smiled at him. Sano snickered but stopped when a young woman stepped out of the Shirabeko. "Megumi it's so good to see you." Kaoru said and embraced her good friend. "Same here, I was quite worried when I heard you had been taken." Megumi said hugging Misao. Sano smoothly approached the group of women. Megumi felt her face light up when she heard his voice.
"Well, hey there Megumi." He said. Megumi smiled as she faced Sano. "Hey there yourself roster head!" she laughed. Sano blushed and retaliated. "Look here fox lady…" but he stoped when Megumi threw her arms around him. "Took you long enough to get back!" she said. He smiled and embraced her back. "Hey now love birds, keep it PG please." Kaoru joked. Megumi and Sano blushed as they let go of each other. Kaoru laughed a her best friend and older brother. She knew they liked each other, but they had yet to make a move. Just like poor Tsubame and Yahiko. Kaoru looked around and felt her happiness dim. Misao met her sister's eyes and smiled in understanding. They both had yet to find someone to love, and after seeing her brothers reunite with their significant others, it made the girls feel left out. Hanya, noticing the girls' sudden, but subtle, chance in attitude, suggested they start heading back home.
"Well it was really nice seeing you both, but we must get going." Kaoru said hugging Megumi and Tsubame one more time. Goodbyes were shared and the group started back to the mansion. As they walked the guys in the back exchanged whispers and the girls continued to chat in the front, unaware of the conversation being held in the back. "When will we tell them?" Sano asked. Sojiro and the others looked at Hanya. "Not yet, when the timing is right, we shall tell them." he answered glancing towards the girls. Kaoru was about to turn and ask the guys what they were whispering about but a flash of red froze her in her tracks.
There, only a few feet away, a pair of golden eyes watched in awe as Kaoru froze. The Battosai waited for her to move, but she stayed still as Misao tried to pull her sister out of it. Kaoru didn't feel Misao's attempts to pull her out of her daze, all she could see were those golden eyes that pierced her soul. Kaoru waited for the Battosai to strike and kill her, but he too stood frozen peering into her sapphire eyes. It seemed like forever until one of them moved. The Battosai took a small step forward and Kaoru matched his with one of her own.
Misao finally glanced in the direction that her sister was staring at, but there was no one there. As soon as the Battosai saw Misao start to look in his direction, he vanished into the crowd. Kaoru let out a gasp of disappointment once he had disappeared, but then was brought back to earth when Misao's voice broke through the barriers surrounding Kaoru. "Kaoru, what are you looking at?" Misao asked concern dripping in her voice. Kaoru looked down at her sister and smiled, "Nothing, I thought I saw someone I recognized. That's all." Misao could see though her sisters lie, but stayed quiet as the guys caught up. "What's wrong, why did you stop all of the sudden?" Sano asked Kaoru. "No reason, let's get back home. I'm getting pretty hungry." She replied and began walking again.
Sano made a mental note to ask Kaoru what really happened, but he was hungry as well. As the group made their way back to Shishio's, Misao noticed Kaoru glance every direction as if she was looking for someone. Misao sighed and looked in the direction Kaoru had been looking and gasped at who she saw standing a few feet away. "Aoshi…"Misao whispered. Kaoru heard her whisper and turned to look just in time to see the Battosai and Shinomori looking at the girls. Kaoru felt a shiver crawl down her spine as she met the Battosai's eyes. The gold flickered and turned to a dark purple. Misao met Aoshi's cold blue eyes and swore they softened.
Kaoru grabbed Misao's hand and squeezed hard as the two assassins disappeared into the crowd once more. Their eyes met and the girls made a silent promise not to tell anyone whom they had seen. As the girls made their way down the streets, the two assassins watched them and said not a word. At last they knew who the girls were, and it pained them to realize that they might have to kill them, with their uncle Sishio. As the assassins and the girls parted ways, a group of skilled fighters, two concerned brothers, and one old man watched the interaction between the four and knew soon the time would come, to tell them the truth.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Dun, dun, dun!!!!!
Stay tuned for the next chapter of this amazing story "Twilight and Shadow"