moment. Kenshin lifted his foot off the blade and sheathed his sakabato. “Now.” he said, his hand still clamped over Yuushin’s. “If you would kindly sheath your blade I'd appreciate it. My sword is a ‘Sakabato’, meaning the blade is backwards and can’t harm people.” Kenshin explained. “I’d advise you keep yours sheathed until you have had proper training. We won’t harm you, I'll give you my word on that. Ms. Kaoru here owns this dojo. The Kamiya Kasshin style is used to not hurt people, but to protect them. That’s why Yahiko pulled out a wooden sword. I see you used your sword for self-defense, but don’t unsheathe a sword like this unless you want to actually cut someone.” Kenshin said, cautiously letting go of Yuushin’s small hand. Yuushin seemed to relax as she stood and brought her hand to the tip of her blade, grabbed the side and pulled it down slowly so it shrunk back to the size of a dagger. This puzzled Yahiko, Kaoru and Sanosuke. Yuushin looked confused, probably searching for the sheath. “Here, may I?” Kenshin smiled in a chuckle, holding out his hand. When Yuushin didn’t move for a moment, Kenshin grabbed her arm and reached into her sleeve, pulling out a sheath before tying it to the side of her ribbon belt. Yuushin was silent as she sheathed her weapon. Kaoru, Megumi and Yahiko sighed with relief. “Well” Megumi said. “Now that that’s over with, let me give you a sedative that’ll-” Megumi stopped walking towards the girl with a syringe in her hand when Yuushin backed up. Yuushin looked terrified at the sight of the short needle. “It’s alright. It’s only medicine, it’ll help you calm down a bit.” Megumi explained gently. Yuushin shook her head and backed up more until she hit the wall, trembling slightly. “Uh, Ms. Megumi. Not to be rude or anything but I think she’s afraid of the needle. Do you have any pills or anything she could take?” Sanosuke said. Megumi put the needle away and pulled out three small black seeds. “Here, there poppy seeds.” she said, holding them out to Yuushin. Still, she shook her head. Megumi sighed. “I have other patients I have to tend to, so please eat these.” she said. “I’ve got an idea” Kaoru said. “Since we have to go back to the hospital and Kenshin’s already bought groceries in, he and Yahiko could probably look after her.” she explained. “Alright, would you do that for me?” Megumi asked. “Well sure. I was planning on taking a bath before I started dinner but I'm sure Yahiko could watch her for a while.” Kenshin said. “I wouldn’t object to that.” Kaoru said. “Alright then. Shall we head back?” Megumi said as she handed Yahiko the poppy seeds and left with Kaoru and Sanosuke following. Sanosuke stopped when he was passing Kenshin and whispered something in his ear. Kenshin nodded and Sanosuke left, only to turn around a second later and go back to whisper something again, casting a glance at Yuushin. “No, i don’t think that will be necessary Sano. I think we can handle it if anything happens.” Kenshin replied. “Alright, later. Take care Yahiko.” Sanosuke said, then left. After a moment Kenshin took a deep breath and sighed. “Alright, I'm going to wash up. Yahiko, please treat Yuushin as a guest.” He smiled, then left for the bath. Yahiko sighed through his nose. “So. You’re Yuushin?” He said. Yuushin was silent, hanging her head down and staring at her feet. “What’s up?” Yahiko said, giving her a slight scowl. “Um...I’m… ...I’m sorry about that weapon I pointed at you.” she said. Yahiko could plainly hear the tone of sheer guilt in the girls voice. “...It’s fine. I forgive you…” Yahiko said. He then crossed his arms and closed his eyes. “After all, it’s not as if I couldn’t defend myself anyway-”. He stopped and opened one eye. Yuushin stood there, crying. What’s wrong with her? Yahiko thought. She must have really been through something. What was it that gave her those bruises? He questioned silently, walking over to her. Why does she wear a men’s kimono? That’s weird, she’s clearly a girl. He thought. “Hey, kid. You don’t have to worry about it. It’s just like Kenshin said: You did it for self-defense. It’s fine, so quit crying.” Yahiko told her. Eventually Yuushin did stop crying, and when she did Yahiko sat down against the wall and beckoned her to do the same. Yuushin obeyed silently. “So, do you know anything about how you got here?” Yahiko asked. Yuushin shook her head, then thought a bit. “No...I only know that whatever this thing is-” she pointed to her weapon. “A man gave it to me...He said I was supposed to find something...I didn’t hear what that thing is though…He said it had a connection with this weapon...He said my name. Or, what I think is supposed to be my name...He told me to find something...gave me this...said they were connected… ...then that's all I can remember.” Yuushin said, staring at her bent knees in deep thought. Her eyes were sad, her face nearly
expressionless as Yahiko saw she was remembering something fairly deep and most likely, private to her. Yahiko extended his arm and opened his hand, holding out the poppy seeds to her. Yuushin scooted away slightly and held her knees. “Why do you keep on wanting me to eat those?” She said in a glare “Oh, come on. It’s not like it’s poisonous or anything! It’s medicine, take it! Please.” Yahiko’s voice lightened at the word ‘please’. Yuushin looked at him for a long moment. Only then did Yahiko realize that the depth to her deep violet gaze was the same as Kenshin’s, on the occasion of remembering his past. His days as ‘Hitokiri Battousai, the Manslayer(Hitokiri Battousai "Sword-drawing Manslayer")’. Yahiko looked past all of this in pure frustration at this mysterious girls stubbornness. “Look. You can trust us you know. I wouldn’t tell you that for no reason. Don’t you see how they way Kenshin disarmed your weapon only proves he had no intention of hurting you. Neither do I but he even helped you sheath that thing. The least you could do is take the medicine Megumi tried to give you.” he said, gesturing to the seeds in his hand. After a moment's hesitation Yuushin cautiously took the seeds from Yahiko’s hand. “...Well go on.” Yahiko said and eventually the girl chewed the seeds. Yahiko leaned up against the wall and sighed, closing his eyes. The girl said nothing after this for quite some time. ______________________________________________________ “Should we inform the police? This isn’t something that could have possibly happened normally and there’s no telling how she got here!” Sanosuke’s words repeated themselves in Kenshin’s head as he turned on the water in the bath. We shouldn’t get the police involved kenshin thought as he tried to relax. Yuushin would probably run at the sight of them. That would only make things worse. he concluded, remembering when his Sakabato clashed with her weapon. That weapon of hers...The way it retracted. Whoever gave it to her was most likely very skilled, but judging by her attire it was probably a farmer or former slave-worker. However, only from years back would make sense. If that’s the case then that person must’ve had some knowledge of swordsmanship and was precautionary. The way she extended it, she must’ve remembered something...Her eyes...Her whole appearance… Why does she remind me of my own self? She can’t be related to me, there’s just no way. ______________________________________________________ A while later something dripped into the water. ..! blood?! When Kenshin got out hurriedly, dried off and looked in the mirror he skimmed his finger over his cheek. The second scar he had received over twelve years ago bled. Chapter 2: Connection Of Fire When Kenshin got out of the bath he returned to his room to check on Yuushin and Yahiko. He found them sitting against the wall with their eyes closed. The moment Kenshin walked in Yahiko opened his. “Took ya long enough. This girls already fallen asleep thanks to the seeds Megumi gave her!” he remarked. “Sorry about that Yahiko.” Kenshin smiled. “I guess I just wanted to unwind a bit.” he painfully lied, not showing his previous shock. Yahiko gave him a look that said he was suspicious of the older samurai hiding something. “Anyway.” Kenshin said. “I only came in here to check on you two. I’m going to start dinner so could you watch her a little while longer?” Kenshin asked, smiling. “Yeah I guess. Could you make it quick though Kenshin? She’s starting to get fidgety.” Yahiko said, pointing a thumb to a sleeping Yuushin. “Okay, okay. How about I make something light tonight. Soup sound good?” Kenshin asked. “Perfect.” Yahiko said simply, putting his hands on the back of his head. “Alright.” Kenshin said and headed for the kitchen with a last glance at Yuushin. ______________________________________________________ Kenshin tried to push the thought of his scar out of his mind and forced himself to hum a random tune as he added the ingredients for a homemade vegetable soup into the metal pot he was using. After a while his carefree humming was interrupted when his eyes fell on the window to the rain outside. By now the sky was dark with massive, blurred, slate-grey rain clouds that covered the entire sky. The rain pounded on the roof above him and made a fog outside. The storm is getting worse. I figure Ms. Kaoru, Ms. Megumi and Sano are headed home by now. I hope they're alright. He thought as he started warming up the food. While he was waiting he decided to make some hot tea, comfortably resuming his humming. Yahiko should be alright. The medicine Ms. Megumi gave Yuushin should have Yuushin resting for at least an hour or so. Kenshin thought just before Kaoru and Sanosuke walked in. “Welcome home Ms. Kaoru, Sanosuke.” Kenshin greeted warmly. “Hm? Sano, what happened? Are you alright?” he asked as Kaoru set her umbrella down. Sanosuke’s face was bleeding on his left cheek just under his eye. He
