Okay everybody I know you've all been waiting for this, and I'm sorry to have made you wait… Had problems with my computer… Now since you all have been waiting so long I'm just going to give it too you.

Read, Review, and get my editor to save me from these hippies.

Sano couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned in his bed. Hiraru had left the dojo three days ago. Sano had gone over to visit Kenshin and the little miss the morning she'd left, gone to visit and to laugh at Haru as he worked his ass off on the roof. When he'd arrived at the Dojo there had been no steady sound of work, which had been the first thing that had tipped him off that something had happened. He remembered the letter that Haru had left the rest of them perfectly. It had been amazingly short.

Kaoru, Kenshin, Yahiko, and Sanosuke

I have some business in a nearby town that couldn't wait. I'm sorry for not saying good bye, but I'll be back as soon as I can. I have someone coming to take care of Katsu, Kenshin will know him.

I'll see you all soon

Hiraru

Ever since then, Sano had spent his days wandering the town half expecting the energetic carpenter to bounce out of a shop, see him, and wave like the dork he was. Evenings, Sano spent with Kenshin at the Dojo, then he'd hit the nearest bar and get drunk. Finally he'd come back to his long house and pass out. Normally he was able to sleep like a log but something was keeping him up.

Finally pissed off at his bed, which couldn't decide if it wanted to be soft of lumpy, he pushed off the comforter and decided to go out for a walk. He threw open his door, head down, intending to storm up and down his street, but stopped at the sound of humming coming from just in front of him. In front of him was a young girl, maybe nine or ten, sitting on the edge of a porch, which he didn't remember having, humming to herself as she looked up at the sky.

Slowly Sano took in his surroundings. He was standing outside of a simple house, at the edge of an elegant garden, part of which was being used as a vegetable garden. There was little in it, but the earth had been turned recently and he could make out buds of flowers on other plants. It must have been early spring or late winter, but that had to be wrong because it was early fall. He turned back to the girl, "Who the hell are you? And where the hell am I?" His next thought was that she was lost, or that she'd been sleep walking. Why else would a girl that age be humming on a porch in the middle of the night, in a sleeping kimono no less?!

The girl had long hair, loose around her shoulders with short bangs on her forehead. She turned to look up at him, and smiled, "Look." She pointed with her child hand at the sky, "Isn't it pretty?"

Sano looked up, the moon was full, just above a mountain valley, "It's a full moon, big deal. Hey little girl are you lost?"

The girl shook her head, "You're wrong, it's a Robin Moon. The birds will be back tomorrow, and the little pink blossoms on that tree are already blooming. Spring is just around the corner. I'd say tomorrow will be the first day we're able to see a full blossom."

Sano felt much smaller as he walked over to her, and sat down. He was a kid again remembering his younger self from the cloths he wore. The younger Sano spoke, "Wow… Where'd you learn all that?"

The girl smiled, "Mama taught me."

"Where is her Ladyship?" Nine year old Sano asked.

"With Uncle Sagara," The girl shrugged, "They've been talking since you got here. Except for when… well you know."

His younger version blushed, "Listen I'm sorry about that… I didn't mean for you to fall out of the tree…"

The girl giggled, "Its okay. Grandpa says actions speak louder than words, but Daddy taught me that some times we do things we later regret. It is up to the better person to forgive. What did big brother and Uncle Sagara do to you, after I left?"

Sanosuke remembered now. This had been ten years ago, and the girl was the daughter of a lady who let the army stay on her lands for the night. Sano, Tsukioka, and the Lady's second son had gone to scout the area, meaning climb a nearby tree and see who could get to the top first. The girl came with them, Sano, and Tsukioka had told her to get lost and she'd refused to do that. She'd been right behind Sano and Tsukioka. Tsukioka had stepped on her hand, and Sano had used her head as a foot rest. She'd fallen right out of her tree, landing on her right side. Her brother had jumped down immediately, and her older brother had come running. It had all been an accident, but still the little girl had been badly hurt. Sano could see the bruises up and down her arm and shoulder. When she'd lifted her hand he'd noticed her right arm in a sling.

Sano shuttered, "Your brother hung us from our belts on a tree limb… And the Captain had us hold up buckets of water at shoulder height until dinner, while they both chewed us out."

The girl giggled again, covering her mouth with the un-slung hand, "Well… you did leave me with all these bruises." She moved her kimono and gave Sano a good view of the edge of a giant black, blue, and purple bruise.

Sano paled, "I'm really sorry… If I'd know you would fall, I'd never have…"

The girl smiled at him gently, "If you really want to apologize, come to my Priestess Ceremony."

Sano blinked at her, "Huh?"

"When I turn Twenty-one, I become a priestess," She grinned, "Momma's mom was a priestess, and Momma was a Shrine Maiden. Momma says she was the only child of her Momma and Daddy, so one of us is going to become the next protector of Grandmomma's shrine. I already told her, I'll become the next Priestess. She told me that if I train hard until I turn Twenty-one, there will be a big ceremony at Grandmomma's Shrine, and I'll be named the Shrine's Priestess. If you want to make me feel better about making me fall out of the tree, find me in… twelve years and be my Guardian."

Sano tilted his head to one side, "Guard-ian?"

"Don't you know?" Her voice was steadily getting louder, "Every Shrine needs a Guardian. There's another shrine in the north where the priests are the Guardians but there are hundreds of them. Their called warrior monks, I don't think I'm that strong… And besides, big brother is going to be living here learning to take care of Daddy's land, and Hisacho is going to become a soldier, and my baby brother is suppose to be a scholar, so I'll need any Guardian's I can get. You're going to be strong when you grow up, I can tell, so I want you to be my guardian. That means you can't die in this war or any others. You'll be my…" She paused thinking of the right word, "boyfriend."

At that moment a nearby screen door opened, and a beautiful woman stepped out on to the back porch, Captain Sagara right behind her. "Dear heart…" The woman cooed, "Do you have any clue what time it is? You should be in bed."

The Captain chuckled, "She's right Hira-chan, and that goes for you too Sanosuke. Both of you should be in bed."

The lady smiled, "Come Dearest, I'll tuck you both in." She offered her hands to both children.

The Captain picked up the girl, "I can tuck in Hira-chan." He told the lady, "You take care of Sano, he hasn't had much of woman's touch in the past few months."

The woman smiled and nodded, she offered her hand to Sano. He took it, and was led back into his room. The woman helped him get under his futon, and pulled the comforter up to his shoulders. "What were you and the captain talking about?" He asked, still not able to sleep.

"Grown up things," She answered smoothly, as she straightened his bedding, and fussed with his comforter. "You should relax so you can sleep."

"I can't sleep," Sano argued, "It's too quiet out here."

The lady smiled at him sweetly, "Too quiet out here, mmm?"

Sano nodded.

The woman chuckled softly, almost to the point of it being a giggle, "Well then, why don't I sing you the lullaby I sing my babies?" She kneeled next to the futon, and began to sing, as she stroked his head and cheeks, petting his hair. The singing was soft, gentle, and one he didn't recognize, but it was beautiful and in some way reminded him of his mother. With her stroking his head like his mother when he was sick, and her gentle singing he was quickly being lulled to sleep.

Sano rolled towards her, putting his head in her lap, "Who are you?…"

Sano yawned, the woman was going out of focus, "I'm someone very close to your Captain…"

Sanosuke jolted awake. He was in his long house, his shabby comforter barely covered his body. He blinked, remembering his dream, and that it was actually a memory, not just a dream. He sat up and scrubbed his face with his hands. It was early morning, earlier than he normally woke up. He pictured the little girl smiling at him, and was struck by a sudden and strong picture of Haru, giving that same smile to him. He yawned and shook his head, there was no way Haru and that little girl were the same. Haru was stronger, not afraid of heights, and a guy. The little girl had said she was going to be a priestess, she was quiet, gentle, and well… a girl.

Sano climbed out of bed and pulled on his pants. He scrounged around his rooms, pulling together something that resembled a sort of breakfast, and ignored his hangover as he quickly downed a cup of weak tea. Once he'd eaten, he grabbed his coat, put on his head band and went out to wander the city until the afternoon.

Okay there you are new chapter. I know it's not much but Twilight-kun worked really had to have it ready NOW. I personally think he deserves a lot of appreciation for that, because Gerry-sama didn't help at all (Meaning I didn't have time to wait for him to go over it).

Now if you want me to ever post again, I need reviews; that's what my hippie kidnappers are demanding. So…. REVIEW TO SAVE THE FANFICTION WRITER!!

(Glomps everyone) and just so you all know… I'VE MISSED EACH AND EVERYONE OF MY REVIEWERS!! (Starts to cry)