Firelight flickered on the ground at Aoshi's feet. He sat cross-legged beside the fire, staring deep into the flames and trying not to think about what he was doing in the woods on the road between Kyoto and Tokyo.

He wasn't entirely sure why he was following her. Initially, he'd told himself that it was his duty to watch Misao- something he owed to his former master, to his sister's memory, and to the child he had known for so many years. But deep down, he knew these were excuses. Misao was old enough to take care of herself; she didn't need his protection.

That same part of him said that the reason he was following was because she had taken all her laughter with her when she left. Being a person of depth and darkness he usually avoided such bright people, but...

...there was something about Misao...her straight-forwardness, her determination, her easy laughter...there was something that drew him, as almost nothing else ever had. In truth, he was following because he couldn't imagine not doing so. Once he had wandered with his comrades, looking for work. Once he had searched for the Battousai, seeking a title and his own death. Both of those had been choices consciously made, with full awareness of the consequences.

Now, he followed because he was compelled. He chose not to think about that. Misao had left, and he was trailing her. The reasons were not important; only the chase itself mattered.

The whys of it he could consider afterwards, when he'd found her...

"Hey, that hurts!"

"That's because you keep- ngh!- fidgeting, Misao-chan! If you'd just hold still, I wouldn't pull your hair like that!"

Misao tried to keep from moving, but every so often she'd twitch involuntarily. "Really, Kaoru-san, I can't remember the last time anyone brushed my hair for me..."

"I wonder if you can remember the last time it was brushed at all," Kaoru responded wryly. "I've never seen such a mess of tangles. How long have you had it in this braid?"

"Ummm..." Misao thought for a moment, trying to remember and coming up blank.

"See? No wonder this is so difficult. Stop moving, Misao-chan! I'm almost finished."

"How did I get talked into this?"

Kaoru poked at the younger girls' shoulder and grinned, then began deftly pulling the now-untangled hair into an arrangement on top of Misao's head. "You lost that bet with Sanosuke, remember? Serves the two of you right for gambling in my dojo!"

"I can't believe that rooster won," Misao grumbles. "He never wins!" She was silent for a minute, distracted by the odd sensation of having her hair tied up. There was a pause, and then her hair fell back over her shoulders. A ribbon brushed against her neck as Kaoru pulled it back into a low ponytail, trying a different style. "I can't believe he'd make me do this for a forfeit, either!"

"It'll do you good to get out of your usual outfit for a day. It's indecent to show that much of your leg in public!"

"It's impossible to fight in a kimono!"

Kaoru bapped her on the head. "It's not impossible, just difficult; I've done it once or twice. Besides, you're here for a vacation, right? It won't hurt you to dress up just this once."

Misao sighed. "Hai, hai. But I'm keeping my sandles."

"Certainly not. The deal was that you dress like a proper Japanese girl for a day, and not like an onmitsu; that includes the shoes." Kaoru took a step back to admire her handiwork. She smiled and nodded to herself. "Good. Come; it's time to show off all my hard work. And then we can all go out for lunch!"

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Misao said petulantly. "I'll never live it down if everyone back at the Aoiya finds out. Did you drug my breakfast or something? Or loan Sano weighted dice? Admit it- you're enjoying this!"

Kaoru laughed, and led the younger girl through the door and onto the porch, where several people were waiting. At the sound of footsteps, they all turned to witness the results of Kaoru's handiwork. Sano and Yahiko's eyes went wide. Ayame-chan and Suzume-chan clapped their hands and cheered. Kenshin, being Kenshin, merely smiled.

Misao was dressed in a blue kimono, borrowed from Kaoru for the day. Her hair had been pulled away from her face and tied with a ribbon, but was left to fall lossely down her back. Freed of its braid, the dark strands reached past her knees. She was beautiful.

She was also blushing furiously. "I feel really silly, Kaoru."

"Don't be ridiculous, Misao," the older girl smiled, pushing Misao forward into the sunlight. "You look wonderful."

Misao grumbled something under her breath, and Kaoru laughed again.

Sanosuke- who had been holding his breath- let out a low whistle. "Geez, who would ever've figured that the weasel girl was a princess in disguise? Pretty impressive, Jou-chan. Why don't you ever look that good?"

Kaoru scowled and tried to hit him on the head. "Ooooh...Sano!!!"

Sanosuke dodged her easily, grinning, and appeared beside Misao. "So, pretty one," he said, gracing her with a wink. "Will you permit this humble gangster to escort you to lunch?"

"Humble, Sanosuke? You?" Misao laughed, but took the arm he offered. "That I could never believe."

"If you're good, why hide it?" Sano grinned.

"And I suppose that's why you have 'evil' written on the back of your shirt?" she retorted.

He laughed. "C'mon, pretty. If Jou-chan loans me money, I'll buy you lunch."

"Hey!!!" Kaoru protested from behind them, while everyone laughed.

Kenshin stood up, smiling beatifically. "Where shall we go?"

Kaoru Looked at him. "Where do we ever go?"

Ayame-chan and Suzume-chan jumped up and down, shouting. "Akabeko! Akabeko!"

"The Akabeko it is! Let's GO!"

Misao was all but dragged along with the crowd of screaming Akabeko fans, a little dazed. This isn't quite what I had in mind for a vacation... she thought, grinning. But it's fun!

Tokyo.

So like Kyoto, and still so different...just as busy and industrious, but there was a tension missing. All of Kyoto remembered the bloodshed that had taken place there ten years previous; the city still bore the scars of civil war. As did its people. Tokyo felt untouched by comparison.

Aoshi mused. It was strange to be back...his memories of Tokyo were bittersweet, at best. He and his companions had lived here for some time, working for Kanryu. Memories of them filled his head; he shook the images off with determination. This was not the time...he had mourned enough, and done enough damage by it.

At that moment he caught a glimpse of the woman whose dojo Himura stayed at; the distraction was welcome. Kamiya Kaoru...that was her name. She was standing just outside of the entrance to a restruant, talking with a woman who was ostensibly the owner and laughing. Aoshi blended into the shadows automatically, waiting and watching.

Sure enough, Kamiya was followed quickly by Himura, and he by the boy and two much younger girls. The gangster, Sagara, followed, chewing on a fish bone and talking to someone behind him.

Then Misao appeared, and Aoshi's eyes widened with surprise.

She was wearing a light-blue kimono with butterflies etched in silver and violet threads on the sides. He'd never seen her in a kimono before. But even more astonishing, her hair was loose from its customary, practical braid, and fell in shimmering waves to her knees. He'd never realized before how long it was. She looked beautiful, but completely unlike her normal self. Much, much older and more mature. It was unnerving.

Even more unnerving was the fact that she seemed entirely at ease, dressed like that- acting as though she were a normal girl, and not one of the Onmitsu Oniwabanshuu. As though she hadn't come to him at age four and ordered him to show her how to use a sword, and pestered him until he and Hannya had started training her in kenpo...

No, it was still there, after all. She walked with an unconscious grace, a silence. When she was still a child he'd spent months teaching her how to move quietly, for spying. And also, he'd hoped, so that she'd be able to sneak away from any conflicts, and not get in trouble. Small hope- where Misao didn't find trouble, she tended to make her own. But he'd trained her well; even now, in bright sunlight and among friends she trusted, that unconscious awareness of her surroundings remained. And every so often her hand would twitch, as though searching for a weapon that wasn't nearby. The ninja girl was still there, hiding under the silk and long hair.

All at once Aoshi was surprised by the turn his thoughts had taken. Wasn't this what he had wanted, what he had tried to encourage her to do? The life of an onmitsu was not easy. He had never wanted to teach her their ways to begin with, and had done so only because she had constantly pestered him. And perhaps because it had seemed a harmless thing to teach a feisty little kid the basics of how to be a ninja. He'd never dreamed she'd take it as seriously as she had...and she'd learned quickly, he had to admit. Like a fish taking to water.

But if he'd known, back then, that she'd take everything she learned and make it her life...that it'd become important enough to her that she would declare herself Okashira, and set out to earn the name and the loyalty of the rest of the Oniwabanshuu with a determination that put him to shame...that she'd be so unlike other girls her age...he would never have let it happen. Nor, he suspected, would Okina. They had both wanted her to grow up quietly.

Aoshi had fought on the opposite side of the Meiji government in the war, but had no biases against them. He had chosen not to give up his fighting lifestyle in the new age, instead taking the remains of the Oniwabanshuu, those who felt as he did, and searching for jobs as fighters. It was a poor substitute, perhaps, but they'd been content. Okina had stayed behind in Kyoto, claiming that he was too old for such things and wished to retire, but it hadn't lasted for long; the habit of training Oniwabanshuu was too strong in him. Before long he had taken in new members, and they had started working on a way to fit themselves into the new era of peace without losing their skills and values. It was something Aoshi would never have thought of or attempted, and he respected Okina all the more for it.

But they had both wanted Misao to grow up without ever being in danger. Her parents and grandfather had died during the revolution; she had seen enough trouble in her short life. Okina and Aoshi, as the Okashira's best friend and best student, had both felt they had a duty to raise the granddaughter of the former leader of the Oniwabanshuu well, and make sure she lived a long, contented life.

So how on earth had they created this spitfire? Even now she was teasing Sanosuke, goading him into having a match with her, claiming that she needed the practice and he needed a beating. She was so open, never hiding anything...laughter and sorrow, anger and confusion- whatever emotion she felt was easy to read in her face, in her entire being. It astonished him; his entire life, he'd been hiding his emotions, protecting them behind more walls than he could count. The idea of not holding anything back was completely foreign to him.

Watching Misao laugh, Aoshi wondered- not for the first time- if she had ever been afraid of anything.

Aoshi felt someone watching him, and his eyes flickered away from Misao to the person who now walked at the end of the party.

Himura Kenshin looked directly at him and smiled, then looked away. Aoshi was not surprised that he had been sighted. It was only a matter of time before Misao noticed herself. She would probably not be happy.

Aoshi listened, almost amused, as the mock-argument between Misao and Sanosuke gained in strength. He winced as she delivered a particularly strong ephitet, and wondered where on earth she had learned such language.

I should have been paying closer attention.

Uncomfortable thought. Uncomfortable situation. All at once, Aoshi was...bewildered.

What am I doing here?

It was too late to wonder that now; Misao was aware of him. She was frowning, her eyes darting glances in his direction as she looked for whoever it was that she sensed watching her.

Only a few minutes, now...

Misao fidgeted uncomfortably, certain that someone nearby was watching her, and closely. But try as she might, she couldn't pin down where the sensation was originating from. There was something familiar... something...

The pieces snapped into place, and she stopped. "Oi, weasel, you'll get behind!" Sano grinned over his shoulder at her and kept going. Slowly, Misao started walking again, now keeping pace with Kenshin, Ayame-chan, and Suzume-chan. Kenshin glanced over at her, obviously sensing the change in her emotions; inwardly she was fuming.

It must be him! It must be! How dare he? What in the hell does he think he's doing here? Did he follow me?

Her hyper-aware senses noticed Kenshin's eyes lock on something off to the side, and the odd half-smile he wore. Her own eyes narrowed as her suspicions were confirmed, and she tugged on his sleeve, refusing to look in the same direction he had and see for herself. "How long has he been there?"

He smiled sheepishly and answered, "Only a few minutes, Misao-dono."

She bit her lip, anger suddenly turning into a dicomfiting mixture of uncertainty and frustration. I came here to get away from him... "You could have said something."

"I knew you would notice him soon enough. And it doesn't feel as though he means any harm."

"What on earth are you two talking about?"

Kaoru had turned and was looking at them curiously. In answer, Misao stopped walking completely and faced the side of the street. At first glance, it was an empty, shadowed alley. But now that she knew what she was looking for..."Come on out, Aoshi-sama. I know you're there."

One of the shadows seperated itself from the wall and became the tall, silent man Misao had been trying (and failing) to keep herself from thinking about ever since she'd arrived. Everyone except for Kenshin looked amazed; Aoshi himself shrugged slightly. "Konnichiwa."

Misao could almost feel her eyes popping out her head. "Konnichiwa?!?" she repeated, astonished. "Aoshi-sama, what are you doing here?"

"I had something to attend to."

"Business?" Inwardly, she was shaking- partly with anger, partly confusion, mostly frustration. I just wanted to get away for a while...I wanted to not think about him!

"Among other things, yes."

He looked as unruffled as ever, as though it were perfectly natural that he would follow her from Kyoto to Tokyo without offering a reason. Damn him. "What other things?"

He inclined his head towards Kenshin. "I still owe Himura tea."

Kenshin laughed, easing the tension somewhat. "That's true. Are you staying in town?"

"Yes. I've made arrangements with an acquaintance of mine."

"How long will you be here?"

Aoshi shrugged. "A few days. Perhaps more."

Kaoru- to Misao's surprise- smiled brightly at him. "When you've finished your business, Shinomori-san, you must come by the dojo for dinner."

Misao was standing very still, trying not to show how her inner turmoil. For dinner? Aoshi-sama, here? Oh lord. I hate small talk. What do I say? Aaaaaaaaargh!

They continued talking, Kenshin and Kaoru and Aoshi, while Misao stood to the side trying desperately to keep her head from spinning. Yahiko was distracted by Ayame-chan and Suzume-chan, who were pointing at Aoshi and giggling madly. I don't even want to know what nickname they've come up for him... she thought absently.

And Sanosuke stood off to the side, uncharacteristically silent, watching.

"Misao."

Her thoughts were broken by the sound of Aoshi saying her name. "Yes?"

"Could I speak with you alone for a moment?"

She nodded helplessly, then looked over at Kaoru, almost for permission. Kaoru smiled and took her hand for a minute. "You can find your way back, right Misao-chan?"

"Uhn." Misao nodded, and smiled back.

"Good. Then come back soon; remember, you promised to help me cook dinner!"

Misao's smile grew. She had promised no such thing; that was Kaoru's way of cheering her up, letting her know that she'd be waiting if anything went wrong. Misao appreciated it, and she nodded.

And they all walked off, bantering amongst themselves. Sano looked over his shoulder at her and grinned, winking slightly; somehow, that cheered her more.

It's only Aoshi-sama. Why am I so panicked?

She turned and looked up at him, wondering what he had to say. As their eyes met, she felt a small shock run down her spine. Oh yeah... that's why.

Misao swallowed, all at once feeling very young. "Are you...um...angry with me? For leaving?"

He looked surprised. "No. Why should I be?"

"I couldn't think of any other reason for you being here."

"I told you; I have business here."

She was still suspicious. "What business?"

"Nothing serious. Okina had a message to send to an ex-member here; I offered to deliver it personally."

"Why? He could have just mailed it!" And kept my life much less complicated! If Jiya sent you here to watch over me, I'll kill him! "You didn't need to come yourself."

He cocked his head at her. "I still owe Himura tea."

Misao gave up. He's impossible. "So, um, what'd you want to talk to me about then?"

He was silent for a long time, and when he did speak, his words were a complete surprise. "The others..." he broke off, seeing her dumbfounded expression. "Hannya, Beshimi, Shikijou, Hyotoko...their graves are not far from the city. I thought...you might want to see them."

Misao felt her eyes fill with tears suddenly. I hadn't even thought of that... All her worries about Aoshi were suddenly forgotten, replaced by sudden grief for the friends they'd both lost. No- not friends, but family. "Y-yes...I would."

"Tomorrow morning, perhaps? It's about half a day's walk, and it's a bit late to get started today."

Numbly, she nodded.

"I'll stop by the dojo for you, then."

And with that, he left. Just left.

All she could do was go back to the dojo and wait.

sagasu: seeking
hai: Yes
konnichiwa: Good day. (actually, a dictionary tells me that this is a common misspelling of "konnichiha"...interesting, I've never seen it spelled that way before)
-sama: Denotes highest respect; used for a superior (whether someone in a position of authority, or someone in a higher social class). Or, in cheesy anime, what you call someone you're really in love with.

A note on Misao's hair: I used to have hair that went past my waist. (I cut over a foot of it off last December, and it's *still* pretty darn long) I also used to wear it in a braid a lot of the time; you'd be amazed how much of the length of it can be hidden by doing that. Several inches, at least. So it's my estimation that Misao's hair (which falls past her waist normally) would, if loose, end up at around her knees. Whee! I always meant to grow mine that long. Maybe someday I'll try again. (though it does get terribly inconvienent)

A note on Kaoru and Aoshi: I always got the impression (from both anime and manga) that Kaoru feels sorry for Aoshi...that she feels he's gone through a lot and tries to keep Yahiko and Sanosuke from ragging on him. *shrug* Just a thought.

And finally, a note on why Misao is being so snippy with Aoshi: she's had a solid year of being frustrated by him, and she doesn't like being surprised. (a prereader thought she was out of character, so I thought I'd explain)