Aya shifted restlessly at the booth. She blew a stray hair from her eyes and sighed. So far, nothing. And she was so bored she could cry. The others had gone off to get some food, leaving her to hold the fort. How long was it going to take for Rui to get some yakionigiri for her? She was hot. She was hungry. And she wanted needed something to happen. Anything. She sighed wistfully. She knew Yuuki-chan felt the same. She could see the frustration was building in her eyes. And no one wanted to get in Yuukiko's way when she was feeling frustrated. That is so Kaoru. Some things stay the same.

Aya tried to alleviate boredom by looking at the crowds of people milling around. Their high school had a lot of alumni and it was a yearly tradition to go to this fair. A pair of pre-teens caught her attention. They looked like middle school kids. They were holding hands and whispering to each other quietly. Kawaii, Aya thought. They must be couple! They looked no more than 12 or 13. She sat up straighter as they turned toward the booth and began to approach it. They probably were going to ask for a love fortune or something. She shuffled the tarot cards she was holding expertly.

"Etto," the young boy came spoke first. He was still holding the girl's hand more than a little protectively. "We were wondering if you could tell our fortunes." The girl didn't speak. Her dark eyes were watchful, deep. She looked as if she was measuring her surroundings carefully. She met Aya's eyes and didn't look away. Aya felt a jolt. She had seen those eyes before. Where?

"This is the History Club's booth?" she asked quietly. She reached over to thumb some of the books and artifacts (mostly from the dojo) they had brought with them.

"Yes. You want your fortune read, right?" Aya asked, but they were ignoring her. The boy pulled the girl closer to him. She frowned up athim, but let him lead. The boy smiled and whispered something to her that made her eyes dance. They didn't answer her question and didn't seem to plan to anytime soon. Then why did ya come over and say that you wanted me to do your fortunes? She wanted to say something, but decided against it. She studied them surreptitiously.

The boy was taller than the girl. His dark hair was the color of a mink. Deep brown-black. He was slim like a reed and was at that awkward, ready to grow at any second, stage, but he was very...pretty. That was the only word that came to mind when she looked at him. The pair looked like they belonged together. Their body language was screaming familiarity. The way he was standing with the girl looked as if he was ready to protect her from anything that got too close. Cute, Aya thought. A little chauvinistic..., but cute.

The girl was petite. Her black hair fell down her back in a rich, dark curtain. Her eyes were intelligent as she flipped through books and looked at the swords and stuff from different periods they had brought in. Aya could see that she was going to be beautiful when she grew up. The girl carried herself as if everything she needed was contained within her. How could a little girl be so diliberate, controlled?

"The late Tokugawa period," she commented, lifting up a sword. Aya hurried over and took it from her. She didn't think children should touch things like that. And Kakushin's grandfather would probably kill them if it got damaged. The girl sniffed and fingered an aging shinai instead. "That's what you are concentrating on, right? That's why you are all dressed in Tokugawa period costume?" The kimono Aya was wearing didn't have to be considered 'period.' It was just a kimono. You couldn't really tell unless you studied the cut of the sleeves. It was a late Tokugawa, early Meiji style. But how would a young girl know that? Recognizing styles took a lot of practice and study.

"Actually, we were going for more of an early Meiji feel." Something flashed in her dark eyes for a second. The girl hid her expression so quickly that Aya wasn't sure if she really saw it.

"Really? There was such a culture clash during that period. The West coming in and Japan grabbing anything Western and trying to assimilate it all at once...."

"At least it's not Heian," the boy commented softly. "You know, women had to shave off their eyebrows and paint them in with ink..." He traced the girls eyebrows gently. She smiled softly up at him.

Okay, enough is enough. I'm not here to listen to a history lesson. Aya narrowed her eyes as she watched the pair looking at their booth. They had to know something. Aya followed her instincts, reaching out to grab the girls hand, concentrating.

The girl tried to throw her off with surprising strength. Aya held on and felt the tingling sensation that she was looking for. "Dammit! Let go, busu!" the girl growled. "That feels weird as hell!"

Busu?! There was only one person she remembered who would say....

"Ya-Yahiko?" This delicate doll? "Y-You're YAHIKO?"

"Yeah," she said sullenly. "Got a problem with it?"

*****

"We got to get back to the booth, Yuukiko."

"I know, I know. I just wanted to take a break. So far, we've gotten nothing. Zip. Nada." She stopped to tighten her ribbon. The kimono was a bit heavy to wear at the beginning of summer, but an occasional cooling breeze alleviated most of the discomfort. She took out her fan and made use of it. Okay, not most of the discomfort....

"Have I told you that you looked wonderful?" he asked, giving in and planting a kiss on her lips. Distraction. She just needed a little distraction. It was getting to all of them. But Yuukiko felt it the most because she was the most sensitive to the currents of emotion. Precenient or otherwise.

"Hmm hmm. Stop trying to change the subject. You're not going to distract me so easily!"

"Just making sure I told you. I wouldn't want to be one of those boyfriends who take their girlfriends for granted." As if he could. She had never been so happy as when she was with him. He looked great, too. He opted for the more formal attire than Kenshin would usually wear. The layers looked more authentic.

"Yeah, well, I think you're trying to get my mind off our 'mission.' It's not working. Try something else." Yuukiko sighed. Kakushin touched her face, lifting her eyes up to meet his. He looked as if he could read her mind. Maybe he could, he knew her so well.

"Something's going to happen. If not today, Yuukiko, then soon. Don't worry."

"It's just that... I was hoping for more progress today." More than half the day had passed without any information coming in. It was really getting to her. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to go terribly wrong. Kakushin frowned and opened his mouth to reply.

"Watch out!" a husky voice exclaimed. Yuukiko felt Kakushin grab hold of her before they toppled towards the ground.

"Oro~"

"Kakushin!"

"Geez! I'm so sorry!" A pretty college student was standing over her, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she glared at the man with her.

"Are you okay? Keiko-chan, you should be more careful!" The young man admonished with a grin. "You can't just run into people like that! Very bad manners."

"Me?!? You're the jerk who was dragging me half-way across the yard. You made me knock into-" She finally turned to face the fallen couple. She fell silent as she looked at Yuukiko. Her eyes suddenly filled with tears.

"Keiko?" Yuunosuke moved towards the couple on the ground and gasped with recognition.

"Oh...God... Jou-chan?" His voice was horse with surprise. Sanosuke. It was Sanosuke. "You're really here. Ke-Kenshin?"

"Oro~ Yuukiko, I can't breath."

"Kakushin!" She quickly scrambled off him. She felt the young man grab her arms and pull her upright. Yuukiko's head was spinning. The pair in front of her.... It was no mistake. Megumi and Sanosuke.

Keiko wiped the tears from her eyes. She was so happy. Kaoru. Kaoru was alive. And Kenshin. They had found each other. And he was oro-ing. She was sure she heard an 'oro.' Gods.

"Kaoru. Oh, Kaoru..." She hugged the girl to her.

*****

Aya studied the fairy-like girl before her, shaking her head. She looked as delicate as glass. But she still talked like Yahiko...chan. Same ready to take the world on attitude.

"I am really a girl, I just have memories of being a boy, okay!" She looked like she was ready to fight over that fact. The boy, Akira, put his hand on her arm to calm her. For some reason, it worked.

"Well, you see.... Nozomi and I found each other really early on. Ummm. We were in elementary school. Nozomi-chan got into a fight with a bully, of course."

"And Akira was trying to stop the fight and resolve the situation. It would have been better to just let me fight and finish it." Akira tapped Nozomi on her nose and smiled down at her.

"You would have gotten in trouble. Anyway, we've been best friends for so long. When we started to have these dreams, we...we just knew...."

"Then, Akira, you're..."

"I was...am Tsubame. Yoroshiku," he bowed politely.

*****

"We better get back to the booth," Kakushin said, looking around at the thinning crowds. "Aya and Rui are probably wondering what happened to us."

"So Misao and Aoshi are here, too. What about that bastard Saitoh? Man, he was a cold son of a-" Keiko elbowed him in the stomach before he could finish. He glared at his girlfriend, rubbing at his sore ribs. "Well, he was. Don't lie and tell me you didn't think so, too. You guys dressed up and did all of this stuff to try to find the rest of the gang?" Yuunosuke asked, scratching his head. Kakushin shook his head. Sano's personality really came through in this life.

"It was a good idea," Keiko laughed. "You two look so... I felt like crying when I saw your face, Yuukiko. It's uncanny. You look so much like her."

"You did cry," Yuunosuke reminded her. She stuck her tongue out at him. "Heh, women are so emotional."

"Yuunosuke, you're such a punk," she shot back.

"Whatever, babe. You like it." He leaned over and kissed her. Yuukiko and Kakushin looked at each other and began to laugh.

"What?"

"Nothing! It's just that you guys are so cute!" Yuukiko replied between giggles.

"We always act like this."

"I remember," she laughed.

Keiko stopped and looked at the other couple and smiled. "I'm so glad that you found each other."

"There you guys are!" Aya yelled from the booth. Beside her Rui was talking to a pair of kids. "Get your butts over here! It's important!"

They made their way to the booth. Yuukiko couldn't help staring at the kids at the booth. They had to still be in middle school. But that wasn't what was making her stare. It was the fact that the girl's eyes were so.... Yuukiko ran over to the booth to make sure she wasn't going crazy.

"Yahiko." She pulled the girl close to her and began to cry.

"Ya-Yahiko?" Kakushin blinked and then smiled. He could see that the girl in Yuukiko's arms was trying with all her might not to cry, too, but failing at it. It was all Yahiko.

"Hajimemashite. I'm Yamamoto Akira. And she's Kamiya Nozomi," the boy said politely.

"Kamiya No...zomi?"

"Yeah, funny how reincarnations turn out, huh?" Aya spoke from behind them. She looked liked so excited. Her eyes were glowing. "Yahiko and Tsubame."

"Well," Kakushin started, "we have some people to introduce to you guys, too."

"Seta Yuunosuke and Niitsu Keiko. The souls formally known as Sagara Sanosuke and Takani Megumi."

"Is that everyone?" Nozumi asked from Yuukiko's arms.

"Kenshin and Kaoru. Sano and Megumi. Aoshi and Misao. Yahiko and Tsubame. Is that everyone?" Kakushin shook his head. "I don't know. But.... I think we need to sit down and try to figure out why we're here."

"Well, let's see, if all of us are here, then...."

"Who else could have come back, too?"

"Yeah.... Who else?" Yuukiko shivered and knew that none of them would like the answer to that question. Whatever the answer was.