realized that Tomoe had taught me that I could be a better person than I had been before. I gave myself a purpose and I live my life for her. Since she died I've always been so serious and never stopped to have any fun."

Misao was silent. Aoshi stopped in front of her apartment house. Misao closed her eyes and lifted her chin. He could see her lips moving in the dark. By concentrating he could make out faint words. "I won't cry, I won't cry, I won't cry," she was repeating.

Misao suddenly found herself wrapped in warm arms, Aoshi's jacket under her cheek. "Don't cry," he said in a hoarse voice, "if you do, so will I." Misao gulped down her tears and nodded.

"Now, tell me what you know," she demanded, pushing herself out of Aoshi's arms.

He resettled himself in his seat. Misao looked at his striking profile, his expression hidden in the gloom.

"I know who and what I was before 1878. I was the leader of the Oniwabanshuu. I was assigned the role of 'Okashira' in 1868. There was a war and most of the Oniwabanshuu disapeared into the chaos after the Restoration. I refused all government possitions to stay with the people I cared about. In 1878, after we left you and the other Oniwabanshuu in Kyoto, we ended up in Tokyo as bodyguards of drug lord. Then... a woman... opium... red hair... guns and blood..." Aoshi's forehead creased, then he shook himself.

"It becomes clouded. I remember red hair, blood, guns, opium and a woman with long hair. The rest is all pain. I lost my way, then I see red hair again... more pain." He unconsciencely lifted a hand and lay it across his heart. His head dropped.

"Then... Enishi..." His voice tightened and the hand over his heart clentched in anger. "Blood... dolls... a diary... madness and revenge... tears..." He turned his head and looked at Misao, his face still hidden in shadow. "Then finally, peace. But somebody needed our help, so I went with you. You were killed. Two weeks later I died, too." He shrugged and fell silent.

"You're a liar," Misao stated bluntly, so trace of accusation in her voice.

Aoshi looked up quickly. "It's happening to you, too?" he said eagerly.

"What? What's happening to me?"

"Your skills, they're coming back. Nobody's ever seen through a lie of mine, but you did just like seeing the face in the mirror. It's got to be our ninja skills."

Misao thought, then nodded. "I don't want to loose these old abilities just because it's the twenty-first century. Let's train so we won't ever forget!"

"I think we're doing the best we can right now," Aoshi replied. "I'll keep practicing kendo and you keep dancing. You were a hand-to-hand fist-fighter, I think." Misao nodded.

"I had knives, too," she added.

"And I fought with a sword." Misao shook her head, making a clicking noise with her tongue. She held up two fingers. "Huh? Oh! Two swords!" Misao nodded, a smug smile touching her lips. "Of course... the alley-vision."

"Look, Aoshi-sama, I've got to go. I'll see you tomorrow. Just, don't provoke Enishi, okay?" She stepped out of the car and shut the door. Aoshi sank back against the seat with a gush of breath.

'Things are going too fast,' he thought, starting the car again. 'This can only end in tragedy. I just hope it's not for me.'

END CHAPTER SIX

NEXT CHAPTER: How backwards can you get!? Enishi thinks the girl of his dreams is Misao, so where does that leave Aoshi? With Misao puzzeling through her dreams and visions of a red-haired man the two boys are left to duke it out. But somebody is starting to suspect something.