"Stupid bitch!!" the man yelled throwing the girl down to the floor causing her to break the dishes she was carrying.

She kept her head bowed as to not show her anger for being treated in such ways. She only reached over to the broken ceramic and glass dishes. "I'm sorry," she said in a timid voice. "I'll clean this up right away."

The man stepped down upon her hand causing the broken shards to pierce the tender flesh of her hand. Gritting her teeth she looked up to the abuser only one eye glaring up at him.

"What is this?!" he shouted slapping her across the face breaking her glasses on her tender flesh, "Don't get smart with me!!"

After she was cut and bruised more the man finally left after spitting on her head. The girl only sighed and told herself that it would only be a few more days then she could leave with that man she had helped back there. Picking up the pieces of the bloodied dishes she only smiled. "Heh, my family is really going to be mad at me…" she thought with a sigh, "They don't even know that I've been here for a week."

Muraki was walking down the hallway with some papers in his hands when the girl passed by him. He could smell the sent of blood upon that child. He immediately stopped and spoke up clearly.

"Erin," he said while looking over his shoulder.

The girl still dressed in her pink kimono turned with her head bowed. Muraki looked at her hand that was wrapped in a blood socked rag.

"That looks like a nasty cut you have there. Come by my room soon as you can, I'll take care of that for you," he smiled.

"Thank you Sensei," she bowed and continued on with her chores.

The albino raised a hand to his lips as he tried to figure out something. Yes that girl was something special, some kind of energy that he had never felt before. Maybe he could use her later on, and that boy she brought with her… they have similar energy, possibly even compatible. Continuing to his room he was sure he could think up a good use for those two.

"Little Erin what happened?" asked the owner of the inn. The woman took the broken dishes from the girl and raised the youth's face into full light. One of her eyes had a hearty bruise developing on the corner that spread back to her temple and down to her cheek. Her broken lip had already stopped bleeding but the swelling was just awful. The girl only blinked as the land lady shouted, "Misao-chan get some ice!"

"Yes Ma'am!" the worker ran to the freezer.

The land lady began to wipe at the girl's face with a clean cloth. "Now I know that you wish to pay for your room and board for that boy and you," she took the bloodied cloth and began to rinse it as Misao handed Erin an icepack. "But remember that this is 2002 and not the Meiji era, you can tell whoever hits you to back off, even fight back okay?"

"Yes, Ma'am," she pressed the icepack to the injured side of her face.

"Now I know you're probably thinking that it might bring me bad business but keep in mind that I don't want to do business with the nasty type."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"You're a good worker and if you had a green card then I would like to offer you a permanent job. Ah, here I am chattering away like some kind of nightingale. Go see that Dr. Muraki for some bandages. If he wants you to pay then just tell him I'll cover the bill."

Erin looked up at the woman, "But Ma'am."

Misao wiggled the tip of her dark braid in front of her smiling face, "Don't question her. Now get going."

"But my shift isn't over and I don't want to be further in debut."

The owner began to push Erin out of the room as Misao pulled at her arm.

"Hey we're all friends right?" Misao smiled, "I'll take over your shift."

The owner only chuckled, "You've only have one more day to work and you can get going. It'll be okay for you work for half of a day to make up right?"

"I guess so, but!" Erin was then, nearly flung out of the back room and into the hallway.

With a defeated sigh she went to Muraki's room. She knocked and waited for an answer before she came in. The doctor was already with his medicine chest. He raised a pale hand for her to take and lead her to a seat where he could examine her well.

"You're rather silent today," he said cleaning her hand with a cotton swab.

"… I feel something bad about to happen I guess…" she said slowly.

"Hn, if you are worrying about those men that started this don't worry," he smiled at her. He was rewarded with a look of childish innocence. She was obviously confused so he would only tell her a little more. "They are bound to get their just deserts."

"I guess," she blinked up at the ceiling as he wrapped her small hand.

He almost laughed, this girl was perfect. So innocent, so easily miss lead. But then she had a strong spirit, one stronger than he had ever seen before. This would call for delicacy, he had to be careful to where he stepped or something… undesirable may happen.

"Do you believe is shinigami?" he asked as he began to examine her face.

"Well of course," she said closing her wounded eye as he dabbed medicine on it.

He chuckled, "That's odd. You're American yet you believe in Japanese gods."

"I believe in a lot of things."

"So you do," he placed small bandages on places that need them with a grim smile. "So you do."

------

When Soujirou got a look of her he was tempted to frown but he hadn't frowned since he was five. She was smiling with bruises and cuts as she took his dirty clothing. It was late at night now and they were both dressed in yukatas (japanese pajama's or summer kimonos). "Do you need help?" he asked walking up to her.

"No I'm fine," she said in an unsteady voice.

"But I would like to help," he knelt down beside her.

"But I…"

He noticed that she was shaking slightly, there was something that was scaring her. Soujirou wanted to comfort her or at least reassure her in some way but he didn't know how. So he said the first thing that came to his head, "You know I don't even know your name."

"Erin," she said hugging the rumpled clothing to her chest. "My name is Erin."

He smiled, "Well my name is Seta Soujirou and I want to thank you for helping me."

She got up to her feet, "You're welcome," she said as she hurried out of the room.

He sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. He had known her for about a week now. She was a nice person but every time she came to their room with a cut or a bruise then she would be quiet and distant. Sure she called him her friend and he was starting to befriend her himself but she was puzzling.

Knowing her she would be back in less than an hour with the laundry done and ready to sleep. Strangely enough he found it rather bothersome to sleep with out her there. With a shrug of his shoulders and a smile on his lips he decided to get to sleep, or at least try to.

Leaning against the wall next to sliding door, Erin closed her eyes and smiled. Straitening herself out she decided that maybe she should let him help if he wanted to. There was no harm in it really and she would like to have someone to talk to while she worked. Turning around she stopped in her tracks as she looked at the man in front of her. His deep purple eyes gazed at her with a curiosity. They both blinked before smiling.

"Excuse me but could you possibly give me some information?" the man asked.

"What might that be?" she smiled pleasantly.

Even though he was compelled to ask who would beat someone like that he still stuck to his original question. "Do you know of any strange people that may have passed by here?" he asked.

"Strange?… No, maybe you would get more information from Muraki-sensei. He's been here longer than I, he's down stairs the first room to the right," she smiled before going back into the room that she had first came out of.

"Miss Erin?" Soujirou asked sitting up in his futon.

"Soujirou-san," she hurried over to him and knelt down. "Do you know if anyone is looking for you?"

"No, what is it? Something wrong?" he asked with a tinge of worry in his voice.

She smiled as she shook her head, "No, never mind. Hey, you want to help me?"

He blinked at her sudden change of mind before smiling and nodding. He wasn't tired anyway, besides the chore may help him sleep better. If he were to stay there with out doing something one more day then he would have gone crazy.

------

Hisoka waited outside with the spring wind whipping wildly around him. He could feel Muraki in there and Tsuzuki had insisted that he stayed outside. Looking up to the clouding sky his nostrils were filled with a strange electric sent. There was a big storm coming, and it might last for days. When he heard a girl's laugh he decided to see who it was, maybe it was the person that they were looking for. Rather stealthily he made his way to the back courtyard. There he saw a woman with several bandages talking to a young man. She was trying to do laundry but her hand seemed to be giving her a lot of pain.

"Hey, maybe I should do that," the youth told her.

"Nah, I'm fine," she retorted with a smile.

"No, you're not. You're already reopening your wound," he took her hand to see the spreading blood.

She wouldn't give in so he softly pushed her to the side and started to scrub the dirtied clothing in the sudsy laundry pail. The girl only looked at him then to her hand. The smile that she had on before became more truthful. Then she looked up to see Hisoka.

"Are? Excuse me but what are you doing up at this hour Sir?" she asked.

Hisoka gasped startled. Looking around he pointed to his face with a puzzled expression.

She nodded, "Yes I mean you."

The young man she was next to looked over at him as the girl stood up. Hisoka was at a loss for words. No one was suppose to see shinigami when they were invisible but these two could see him. So he decided that the jig was up so he just fully materialized. Stepping down from the rock that he once stood on he was greeted with two smiling faces. This made him feel a little strange. "Don't they know who I am?" he asked himself.

"Are you a traveler?" the boy asked.

Hisoka shook his head.

"A guest?"

He shook his head again.

"Oh well it doesn't matter who you are," the girl said. "Do you need a place to stay?"

"No," Hisoka blushed at the kindness. "I'm waiting for a friend."

The young man looked up at the girl, "The man that's looking for the stranger you were talking about?"

"Maybe," she blinked down at him. "Ne, Soujirou-san let me do the laundry. If you keep them soaking like that then the blood will stain."

"Erin-san," the boy smiled as he returned to his work. "I can do it. You just concentrate on healing those wounds."

She snorted a little before turning her attention back to Hisoka. She trotted up to him careful to keep her yukata from blowing open from the strong wind. Taking his hand she began to pull him over to her friend. "Come on," she ushered. "Get out of this cold wind before you catch a cold." He almost wanted to say that he was dead and that it didn't matter but the strange feel he was getting from her confused him to the point he didn't know what to say. She was different and the boy that she was with, he had a similar energy.

------

Muraki smiled as his fingers laced together. This was good, very good. He watched the small group from his window that was placed almost opposite of them. Needless to say they were what he wanted, then they saw the boy when no one else could. That was very interesting. A smile creased his lips as he felt the presence of his beloved shinigami. Turning around his smile turned smug as purple eyes glared at him.

"Ah, Tsuzuki-san," the doctor chortled. "How nice of you to visit me. I my room no less, have anything special in mind?"

"What are you up to?" Tsuzuki glowered not daring to take a step closer.

"Up to? Why I have no idea what you are talking about."

"I know you're trying to find him. You're not going to use him for a pawn!!"

"A pawn?" Muraki looked taken aback, "Why I never use people as pawns! I use them as valuable stones that maybe able to change the course of life. Just as your amethyst eyes had changed your life."

Tsuzuki's glared turned from fire to a cavern of ice.

"I suggest that you stick around for a few a while. It's about to get interesting," he's silver eyes narrowed in pleasure. Yes he was bathing in the enjoyment of messing with the shinigami. Lately he has wondered if his really was trying to achieve the perfect body or just mess with Tsuzuki. He figured either was good enough for him.

------

Hisoka still felt weird. He now followed the two down the hall wondering what was wrong. The two seemed to be so compatible and they were perfectly content just being in each other's presence. The girl known as Erin, she didn't give her last name, hurried to the side to let a party of three go by. Each man smelled of cheep booze and looked like they were the type to drool over their clothing and scratch themselves in public. They eyed her strangely as they passed by chuckling to themselves. Hisoka watched Soujirou step closer to the woman as if to show something. Protection? Ownership? Friendship? It was strange but Hisoka couldn't read them, they were so different from anyone else he had ever met.

"Are those the men?" Soujirou asked smiling but with a serious tone to his voice.

"Yes," she nodded as she took a hold of his sleeve.

Hisoka blinked, "Maybe they're betrothed… that could be a situation that could cause something like this," he thought.

When Tsuzuki showed up in hallway he felt a little relieved. But when the two asked if they had a place to stay for the night he began to panic again. They didn't have a place to stay for the night and it was really late. When Tsuzuki said that they didn't he wanted to pound the idiot right into Meifu. Didn't he realize that they were asking for them to stay for the night?! Being the shy one he really didn't want to impose and then there was the factor that Muraki was only down stairs! What would stop him from coming up into their room and slaughtering them all?!

"Then you'll stay in our room," Erin said with a smile.

"We have plenty of room and I'm sure the owner won't mind," Soujirou joined in.

Erin was about to say something else when she broke out in a soft cough. Soujirou patted her back as she waved off the worried glances that Hisoka and Tsuzuki were giving her.

"Sorry about that," she cleared her throat. "Don't worry, I'm not ill. Some times I just cough."

Hisoka may have been fooled and maybe even Tsuzuki but Soujirou couldn't repress the feeling that it was more than that. Never the less they all went to bed.

Soujirou woke to the sound of light coughing. He sat up and looked around to see Erin leaned up against the dresser with her hand covering her mouth. Coming up to her he noticed that she was dripping with sweat. Even though he wanted to say something he decided against it. The girl was still asleep, so he tucked his arm under her legs as the other supported her back. She was burning hot and needed to cool down. Taking her out to the small balcony he set her down and joined her. He wrapped a blanket around those fragile shoulders and smiled. "It looks like it's my turn to watch over you," he whispered to his newfound friend.

The pale moonlight caressed her cheek showing that awful bruise. His hand reached up and with delicate fingers he traced the blemish on that beautiful face. A few sakura petals drifted up to them and a single petal rested itself halfway on top of his finger and the other rested on her skin.

------

Kenshin looked around, the place was so big and so different. A car sped down the road startling him. He stumbled back into Tatsumi and Watari with big swirly eyes. "Oro?!" he exclaimed choking on the strange gas that the odd vehicle had left in it's wake.

"Himura-san," Tatsumi repressed a laugh. "That is an automobile also known as a car."

The redhead looked over his shoulder, "But what happened to chariots and horses?"

"They're still around, but to ride in a chariot is more for leisure than anything else."

"This new world is strange that it is. Tell me is Asato-kun working well in this environment?" Kenshin asked with big innocent eyes.

Watari was the one to answer since Tatsumi was dumb struck on how alike Kenshin was to Tsuzuki.

"He's doing fine," the scientist chimed as he slapped Kenshin on the back. "Now then! We need to find this other guy before something bad happens."

"But how can you be sure that I can identify him?"

The two shinigami looked at each other before Watari cleared his throat.

"Well," he began. "Remember when we asked you those questions about the people you know and what you were doing right when the time shift happened?"

"Yes."

"We think that you may have been thinking or have a strong connection to whoever else was brought through. Either that or your energies are compatible in some way."

"Compatible? But I thought only soul mates could have something like that compatible."

Watari watched the cross walk sign change and started to cross the street. "Well you see," he tried to think of a good way to explain it. "People that have like... hmm... AH! Similar fighting spirits are compatible."

"So you don't really need someone that is compatible, you just need someone that is similar."

Tatsumi sighed frustrated as Watari laughed with, "That's exactly what I'm saying!" It was amazing that the blond could call himself a genius. It was apparent to the secretary that the smarter that the scientist get they begin to lack in simple subjects. Like speech, and curtsey the things that were important in daily lives.

Kenshin stopped as a thought came to him. This brought the two men's attention to him.

"Similar fighting spirits..." he said.

"What?" the two shinigami looked at him.

"I think I know who may have come through! Soujirou Seta! He's the only one that I can think of that is similar to me that isn't dead. I'm sure it is him, that I am."

"We have a name to look into at least," Tatsumi adjusted his glasses.

To becontinued