AUTHOR'S NOTES: I've written this for my wonderful imouto, Little-Wolf94. I hope you enjoy it. I think it's one of my favorite ideas that I've come up with, especially after my imouto helped me iron out some of the wrinkles. Please review and let me know what you think so far.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kenshin or anything about Kenshin except for the story that follows which is mine.

TIMELINE: The Meiji Revolution was 25 years ago, and the Shishio uprising was 19 years ago.

He ran as quickly as he could to the small cabin in the woods. It was a race against an invisible foe that he wasn't certain that he could win. Quickly dodging the obstacles in his path didn't even require any real thought. His mate and daughter were waiting for him, and he would do anything to get there in time. When his daughter had been born three days ago, he knew that likely, none of them would survive a week. The small crescent birthmark on the inside of her wrist pretty much guaranteed that; the mark that declared her as a moonchild—a gift to the world from the gods themselves.

When his daughter, Kaoru, was born three days ago, every demon would have felt the surge of power. And they would all be drawn to her. With the Shishio incident only a year past, he feared that there were those who would wish to experiment with some of the rumors of the moonchildren; more specifically, the rumor that the child's blood could raise someone from the dead on the night of the new moon.

When she had been born, he had taken both her and his mate to a small cabin that belonged to his friend, Genzai, in the woods. It would take longer for enemies to find them there. However, today, he knew that their time was up. He had to get to the cabin before the spy that had seen him.

The fear of her power drawing more demons to them had led him to seek out a seal for his daughter's powers. It would take an extremely strong one, and there was only one person that could make a ward strong enough to block her powers for the next twenty years, Takani Megumi. He should have known that there would be someone waiting for him there. But he had succeeded in getting the ward.

Finally, he saw the cabin in front of him. He had to seal his daughter's powers before it was too late. Rushing into the cabin, he saw Genzai holding his daughter while staring at his mate on the bed. She was dying and they both knew it.

"Takei," she whispered softly. Genzai looked up and stepped out of the way when he saw the demon in front of him.

"Hush Keiko, you need your strength," he said going straight to her side. The ward in his hands dropped to the floor with a small thud.

She gave him a sad smile and said, "You know that I won't last the night. Please, I wanted to see you before I joined the gods."

"I'm here," this time he couldn't keep the sorrow from his voice.

His mate was strong, but the birth and subsequent and hasty move had sucked the life out of his mate. "We won't survive what's coming."

"I know, but we will keep our daughter safe," at this, he looked to Genzai who had picked up the ward from where it had landed.

"Hide her at the Kamiya dojo in Edo."

"Why there?" her husband wanted to keep her talking. He could feel her fading from the world and he wanted every last moment he could get.

"Kamiya-san saved my life years ago. He will keep her safe."

"Don't leave me, Keiko," he said bowing his head and resting it against her hand.

She gave him a weak smile and whispered something that Genzai couldn't hear before releasing her last breath.

When Takei raised his head to look at her, tears poured down his cheeks. This was a sight that Genzai would never forget and would remember to share with the small being in his arms.

Wiping his face dry and standing, he turned to Genzai and the sleeping child in his arms. "Will you take her to Edo for me? I will stay here and close the trail behind you."

Genzai nodded and held out the small charm to Takei. "Seal it first."

Walking up to the two, Takei took the small charm and pushed it against the crescent on her wrist. Resting his forhead against his daughters, he whispered, "Stay safe my daughter. And may your life be full of happiness. This ward will protect you until you come of age." The seal faded into the mark, and then the crescent faded. "This will hide your powers and allow you to age as a human. Know always that you are the heart of your mother and the soul of your father. We will always be with you."

A half a candle mark later, Genzai was running through the forest towards Edo. They had wrapped her up so that he wouldn't have to worry about dropping her, but he still wrapped his arms around the small being whose life he held in front of him. He heard the explosion behind him, but didn't stop to look.

In order to save the child, they wanted the world to believe that she was dead. This was the for the best, but Genzai couldn't stem the sorrow at losing his closest friend.

"Don't worry, dear heart, I will keep you safe for him," he whispered to the child when he heard her whimper.

***Two Weeks Later***

The midnight moon rose high above his head. The crescent resembled the now hidden mark on the small child's wrist. After carefully watching his tail, he was sure that he wasn't being followed.

Heading to the edge of town, he found the dojo that he had been asked to leave her at. As he neared the gate, he could feel the waves of sorrow flowing from within. He didn't know what had happened, but the inhabitants were experiencing a great amount of grief. He hoped that this small child could bring them relief.

Laying her carefully in the small basket he had bought in the last village back, he carefully wrapped her up in the blankets and pinned the note to her the top blanket

Then, releasing a small amount of power, he blew the gates open with a great gust of wind. He knew that the noise would draw someone out from inside. Hiding in the trees on the other side of the road, he watched as a young man who radiated grief came to shut the gates and found the small basket. As the young man read the note, Genzai could see the shock in his eyes as he looked in the basket again.

Genzai watched the young man check for the missing guardian and then pick up the basket to take inside. As the gate was shut behind him, Genzai walked up and placed a ward on the gate. This ward would have to be renewed every year, but he would make sure of it. The small girl would be safe within these walls.

***7 hours before***

Koshijiro Kamiya and his father walked quietly back to the dojo. He was doing his best not to think of where they were coming from. His wife's and son's graves now accompanied his mother's outside of town. Yesterday, they had both began the traumatic event of the birth and neither had come out of it. Trying to hid his sorrow, he couldn't help but silently grieve.

He felt someone's hand on his shoulder and looked next to him to see his father's comforting expression. Nothing had to be said between the two men. Rather, the silence was more comforting than any words could be.

When they got back to the dojo, the neighbor brought over some food for them so that they wouldn't have to worry about cooking dinner. Neither man was very hungry, so the meal was preserved to be used in the morning.

In order to hide from his sorrow, Koshijiro spent the next few hours in the dojo practicing. Once he had worn himself out, he and his father sat silently on the porch. The early summer nights were still slightly cool which was a relief to the quickly heating days.

As the day wore at the two, they eventually both went inside. Neither had said a word to the other since they had returned, but shortly after they had entered the house, a great burst of wind blew the gates opens.

Both looked at the other in surprise. The lock on the gates was strong, and burst of wind that great must have been something abnormal. "I will see to the gate, Father."

Slow steps led the man to the gate where a small basket was sitting. A pile of blankets hid the contents of the basket, but a small note in neat hand writing was resting on top, held in place by a small sewing pin.

Kamiya-san,

Years ago, you saved my life. In return, I taught you the protector. I now ask that you take in my daughter, Kaoru, and keep her safe. As my last wish in this world, I want her to be cared for by your family.

Keiko

Shock was the first feeling he registered. Sure, he had heard of the beautiful woman his father had saved, but that was forty years ago. When a whimper came from the basket, he looked up from the note in his hands. Scanning the road in all directions, he hoped to spy the person who had left the basket, but nothing was visible.

Lifting the basket, he quickly went inside to talk to his father. There must have been more to the story his father had told than what had been revealed as of late.

***About 7 Years Later***

Kamiya Kaoru listened with rapt attention as her grandfather related the tale of the moon princess. She loved this story, though she had no idea why it was her favorite. When the girl left her parents, it always made her want to cry. As he finished the story, she sighed and then went off to play with the late spring butterflies in the garden.

"She always does seem to love that story," Koshijiro said as he walked up behind his father.

"You know that you're going to have to tell her eventually." Koshijiro sighed at his father's comment. They were becoming more frequent.

"She's still too young."

Grunting as he rose, Kenji Kamiya looked his son squarely in the eye, "You won't be around forever, and neither will I. You know as well as I do that there is something about her that is inhuman. If you don't tell her, she could potentially be in great danger once we are gone, or perhaps even before."

Seriously thinking of what his father said to him, he didn't notice as the older man walked around him and back into the house.

"Perhaps, you are right," he whispered to himself as he watched the little girl. He would teach her how to protect herself.

***Ten years later***

Kenshin sat at a small table in the back of the Aoiya restaurant. He had received a curious note that made him desire to seek out his old nemesis/friend, Aoshi Shinomori. The younger demon had taken over the spy networks when the previous leader had decided that he was too old to continue. Apparently Shinomori was very talented because he had been able to locate Kenshin despite Kenshin's desire to not be found.

His thoughts were interrupted as the center of those thoughts took the seat in front of him. "Himura-san," he nodded to the red-haired man.

"Shinomori-san," Kenshin responded in kind. "You said that you had information on Yumi's movements."

"Yes, for some reason, she has moved her operations to Edo."

"Edo?"

Aoshi nodded. "There has been a rumor that the child was not killed in the fire 18 years ago, but has been hidden near Edo."

Kenshin's eyes had widened. Of all the information he had expected to hear, this was not even on the list. The assumption was that the moonchild had been lost shortly after its birth. The loss to the demons had been grieved for a year. Now, there's a rumor that the child lived!

"How?" was the only word Kenshin could get out for his shock.

"The only possibility is that the powers were sealed."

"There's only one person who would be able to create a shield that strong." Aoshi nodded Kenshin's answer. There was no reason to name the mischievous fox demon's name, Takani Megumi. But she hadn't been seen for years, eighteen to be exact.

Kenshin's eyes narrowed in thought as he decided on the best course of action. But Aoshi had one more piece of news. "Also, there is someone in Edo claiming to be the Battousai and killing innocent people as well as anyone who tries to stop him. My information says that he is trying to ruin a small dojo in order to gain it for himself."

Kenshin's purple eyes widened slightly before returning to normal. "I guess I'm heading to Edo." Before his sentence was finished, the demon across from him had faded into mist and disappeared into the shadows.

***A week later***

Kenshin walked through the empty streets about half an hour after dusk. The stars over his head sparkled brightly as the full moon shone down. Suddenly, a voice rang out behind him. The pure fact that he hadn't felt this person as they approached, and even now they couldn't feel any of their aura, as if they didn't have one, startled him. A woman's voice rang out with the words, "STOP! Hitokiri Battousai!"

Kenshin leapt away from her initial charge, but the shock had made him miss the fact that where he intended to land was unstable. The board broke under his foot and he fell. "Oro."

End of chapter one.