***Flashback Four*** Looking into each other's hearts...

A girl with blue eyes and long dark hair looks up from her sewing.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry but I didn't see you before. Are you looking for
Battousai?"

"Ha- Iie..." A girl in the shadows say softly, her voice sad.  Her eyes
glance over at the slumbering figure of a boy in his teens.
"I have the wrong room.  Gomen." Her voice grew strained as though it was
getting difficult to speak and she turned quickly to leave.

"Wait, um... what is your name?"

The girl turns around, her violet eyes sad as a small smile lifted her lips.

"Please, promise me one thing."

"Ha-hai?"

"Do not tell Battousai san or anyone of this meeting..."

"Huh? Dooshite?"

"Please..." Her voice said sadly.

"Of course, if you prefer it um..."

"Thank you..." She whispers as she turns to leave.

"What is your name?"

"My name is Sabishi, Tomoe san..."

"Ah Sabishi san! Help me with this mat please."

"Of course Kaoru san.  Here... okay it's in place."
Sabishi stood back and wiped her forehead.  Yahiko walked in with his shinai.

"Is it time for practice yet Kaoru?" He asked in an impatient tone.  Kaoru
steamed and Sabishi backed off with a sweatdrop on her head.

["Yahiko, maybe you shouldn't push it..." Sabishi said softly with a
sweatdrop over her head.]

"I mean, how can you keep-," Yahiko began but then yelled once in pain.

"Itte!!" Yahiko said as he rubbed the bump on his head.

"You know how long it took to arrange these mats and here you go
complaining!!!" Kaoru said as she began a round of scolding.  Sabishi sighed
as she tried to tune out of the screaming.  She rubbed at her temples and
frowned.  Kaoru and Yahiko noticed Sabishi's discomfort and stopped their
bickering for the moment.

"Sabishi, why don't you go rest.  You have been helping me for the past
hour." Kaoru said in a worried tone.  Sabishi smiled slightly at the dojo
owner and the one whom she thought Kenshin loved...

"Hai Kaoru, I'm going to retire to my room for a while."  She turned to
leave the room warily as Kaoru and Yahiko then continued their screaming.

Sabishi headed toward her room feeling strangely overheated.  She loosed her
kimono and went to the window, opening it wide.  She sighed as a cool wind
blew against her flushed face.

Why did she feel so tired?

"Yuori sama?"

"Yes, what is it?" Yuori's voice seemed irritated but his unknown speaker
paid no heed to his choice tone of voice.

"Are the plans of attack ready?"

Yuori sighed and rubbed at his temples as well and sat up straighter in his
chair, his past forgotten again for the moment.

"Let's not attack yet..."

Silence answered Yuori's orders.

"As you wish..."

The shadow was about to withdraw when Yuori spoke.

"Why is it that you care for Sabishi so much?"

There was a moment of silence.  Then there is the sound of soft laughter.

"What is so amusing?" Yuori said in a steady voice.

"You think I have feelings for the girl hitokiri?"

Yuori growled, answering the unwanted question with anger.

"Right now I only wonder about you."

"What?!?" Yuori said loudly.

The shadow walked from the darkness of the walls.

"Your sister is dead Yuori sama.  No amount of killing and suffering will
bring her back."

Yuori slammed his hand against his chair.

"She is not dead! She is still alive and waiting for me! Sabishi is waiting
for me right now!"
Yuori practically screamed.  His eyes narrowed in anger and flashed insanity.

"Just because she saved you and cared for you does not mean you know
everything!"

"Sabishi loves Battousai!"

"Get out now!"

There was silence and Yuori sank into his chair, weary emotionally.

"When will you come back sister?  I miss you... as does the rest of the
shadows as well..."
 

Kuanja slammed the door to the armor room.

"Cheez, can you hold on slamming those iron doors?  The echoing in this
place can deafen a person!" Kurayami said as he polished his shield.  Yuuri
walked out of an adjoining room, his long blue hair swaying slightly by the
wind.

"Another fight with Yuori sama?" Yuuri said in his soft voice.  He sat down
next to Kurayami, his cute face flashing a sweet smile to the shadow next to
him.  Kurayami smiled slightly back hesitantly.

"Hmph..." Kuanja answered as he leaned against the wall with crossed arms.

Yuuri sighed.

"You know Kuanja, Yuori won't hurt Sabishi in any way.  She is his older
sister."

"You know damn well she is not his sister Kurayami!"

Kurayami laughed, "As you should know she is not yours as well!"

"I never said she was!" Kuanja yelled.

"Quiet down!" Yuuri said as he shushed them.

Kuanja calmed down.

"I never said Sabishi was my sister."

"We know... I was just joking... we know your past." Kurayami said in a
quiet voice.

Kuanja growled and sat down with a thump on a wooden chair.  The room became
quiet.

"Now Kenshin, I think it is about time for you to tell me." Sano said in a
firm voice.

Kenshin stood against a tree, its firm support a small comfort.
"What is it you want to know?"  His voice was very quiet... too quiet...

"About Sabishi, who the hell is she and what does she have to do with your
past?  Is it obvious that she knows you as Battousai even those damned
Shadows.  Don't you think it's time to say something?"  Sano calmed himself,
realizing just in time that he had been close to shouting.

"Sano..." Kenshin began in his ambiguous voice.

"You know me as the rurouni, the swordsman who kills no longer, but as you
know this is only a cover for the other side of me, Hitokiri Battousai."
Kenshin smiles sadly, his voice dropping as he looked up.

"Everyone has memories which they desire, desire with their entire heart to
forget but the more they desire to forget this memory, the more it will stay
in their hearts..."  Kenshin's voice drops to a whisper as he retells his past.

"My master, I left at the age of 13 and joined the Ishinshishi.  After about
a year I gained the 'esteemed' name of being Battousai, a hollow name to me
for it seemed the killing and insanity of war would never end.  I was a
master swordsman yes, but still, I was then a young boy at heart... The
killing sometimes would bring a great guilt into my heart and I took my
master's habit of drinking to drown my guilt into..." Kenshin's voice seemed
to grow bitter as he continued.

"It was at my breaking point that hope came back to my life..."

Sano almost held his breath in anticipation.  Kenshin's eyes seem to glitter
in the night as he sighed, a sound that revealed the great weariness in the
rurouni.

"I had just finished drinking and decided to walk down the back alleys so as
not to bump into anyone.  A group of government officials which were against
us, collided into me then.  I fought them, feeling quite sorry for myself
and needed something to get my mind off of it, even if it was more ruthless
slaughtering... Rain fell heavily and after weeks of putting my body to the
limits it broke down.  I grew dizzy with fever and it took all my strength
just to stay on my feet.  I figured I would die but it was in this moment a
girl ran in front of me.  She was almost my height with a innocent face and
such a soft voice..." Kenshin's eyes seem to lighten as though the memories
were reliving themselves over.

"She saved me, killing them all with a deadly speed almost equal to god speed.
I did not know who she was until her hair loosened to show the highlights of
red, like the streaking of liquid blood through her hair..."  Kenshin drew
in a breath as his voice quavered for one moment.

"She was Sabishi..."

Kuanja ran a hand through his hair as he leaned against the back of the
chair, weary.  Kuroi walked in, with his usual smirk.

"Have you spoken to Yuori sama?" Kuanja asked with no hesitation.

"I have spoken to our leader.  He says to wait a little more.  It seems our
leader has a plan."

"Hmph, I hope his plans work for once."

Kuroi hissed in anger, "Don't you dare speak badly of Yuori sama!"

Kuanja smiled sadistically.

"You got a problem Kuroi?  If you don't want to hear to bad mouthing your
wonderful Yuori sama who is not quite right in the head, why don't you go
back and be the dog you are?!?"

Kuroi screamed in anger and flipped his blades around, slashing through the
air toward Kuanja's throat.
"HOW DARE YOU!?!!"

Kuanja casually flicked up his long sword and blocked the blow.

"Not bad Kuroi, if you practice a few more hundred years you might be able
to stand up against Sabishi for about ten seconds."

Kuroi growled and was about to strike again when he felt a restraining arm
on his shoulder.

"Let me go Ryuji!" Kuroi screamed.

"No, Yuori would not be happy if you were to waste strength quarreling among
your own comrades.  Here, this is your new assignment." Ryuji said while he
handed Kuroi a folded paper.  Kuroi took it with one last glare at Kuanja
and melted into the shadows.

"..."

"You know Kuanja, we will be going against Sabishi and Battousai later on
whether you want it or not..."

"You don't think I know?"

"Which explains why you are so upset, does it?  I don't think it is just
that is it?"

Kuanja pointedly ignored Ryuji, the oldest of the shadows.

"Kuroi is just a young boy still with mixed beliefs.  He is so confused he
follows those who show him the least bit care, even one as insane as Yuori.
You have to look over his flaws."

Kurayami still ignored the middle-aged man and stared out the iron windows.

"You don't understand." He said in a bitter voice.

Ryuji slammed his gloved hand against a wall.

"Kuso! You do not think I understand, that is the greatest understatement
all!  Do not think little of those around you, you will learn that soon enough."
Ryuji turned to leave.

"You know Kurayami, everyone has a part of their past they would wish to
forget.  The only way to actually forget it, is to first remember and accept
it... You of all people should know that!"

["Everyone has memories which desire to be forgotten but will always be
remembered...]

"But how?" Kuanja answered in a soft voice.  Ryuji sighed.

"Sabishi saved you?"  Sano said in disbelief.

Kenshin smiled slightly, "You do not seem convinced.  Didn't the fight
between Kuroi and her show you her strength. But that was why she was so
important to the Ishinshishi, she is often underestimated for she does not
look at all threatening."

"Wait a second, she was part of the Ishinshishi?" Sano said in a surprised
voice.

"Yes, she was one of the hitokiri."
 
"She was a killer?  But she seems so, well she seems so-"

"Harmless?  Yes I know, I underestimated her the first time I met her as
well.  She's not a helpless little girl though Sanosuke san.  She was once a
ruthless killer just as I was..."

Kenshin stopped to draw in a long breath.  He stayed silent for so long that
Sanosuke grew a bit worried.

"Kenshin?"

"I'm alright Sano san.  I'll continue."

"Sabishi took me to her home and bandaged up my injuries as well as caring
for my illness." Kenshin smiled slightly at this memory.

"She was a wonderful friend I soon found out, so warm and caring.  She was a
breath of fresh air in the putrid atmosphere of a hitokiri. It was a
refreshing change for me and the two weeks I stayed with her were the
happiest so far in my short life.  In the beginning I was contented to just
have a friend but as the second week came to an end, I realized I wanted her
more then a friend..."
Kenshin's voice faded slightly and Sano sighed.

"I did not want to leave her and return to the Ishinshishi but I knew I had
to plus I did not ever think she would return the feelings I had for her.
But on my last day with her, she revealed her secret to me."  Kenshin smiled
slightly and his eyes glittered like a star.

"She had been so depressed and I wondered why.  When I asked her what was
bothering her she had shied away from me.  I finally caught her and she
cried, each sob tearing into my heart while I begged her to forgive me and
tell me what I had done wrong."

"Did you do something to her?" Sano asked.

"Iie, I just assumed it was me that was wrong." Kenshin replied.

"Baka." Sano said simply.  Kenshin smiled.

"So what happened?"

"I held her in my arms, unwilling to ever release her and she finally
relented in struggling, realizing it was futile to try to escape.  It was
then when I asked her, what did she have hidden in her heart."

"Did she tell you?" Sano asked as he sat on a large rock. Kenshin closed his
eyes momentarily before opening them, eyes that glittered mischievously.

"She didn't say anything but, she kissed me."

"WHAT?!" Sano sputtered falling off his seat.

Kenshin chuckled at Sano's undignified position but his eyes remained sad.

"She just looked into my eyes and then suddenly pressed her lips gently
against mine.  It was then that I understood that she did not want us to
separate as well..."

"What did you do?" Sano asked.

Kenshin stared at the ex gangster, his lips lifted in an amused grin.
"Sano, what would you have done in my position?"

"I would of course have kissed her bac-" Sano's eyes widened as Kenshin
smiled gently.

Sano sputtered for a few moments before regaining his composure.

Kenshin continued his story.
"I did return to the Ishinshishi eventually, but not alone.  Sabishi came
with me and we stayed together.  Life had returned to me though and killing,
though it still bought me guilt did not eat away at my heart for she was
there with me every step, offering her support as I did for her as well."

"We were constantly together except when the black envelopes came to me,
giving me orders.  She even then would sometimes be with me or she would be
on her own mission.  I think I was happiest that year..."

"Year?" Sano thought quietly.

Kenshin's eyes flashed with anger.
"But it all changed because of one person... Yuori."