"You've been busy." Kaoru said handing  Ryo a cup of tea.
    "Yea, I just hope we can find the others, or they can get out of there." Ryo replied
    "You mentioned a girl. Who was it?" Katie asked sipping her own tea.
    "A girl from that kingdom. That's all I know." Ryo stated.
    "Do you know when you'll have to leave. To go to the next dimension that is." Yahiko asked practicing.
    "No, I have no clue." Katie replied. Just as she put the cup back to her lips a strong wind started to whip around them. Blowing everything thing away that wasn't fastened down.  In the middle of the yard a swirling vortex opened and a bright white light emitted out of it.  "It looks like we have to leave now!" Katie yelled over the wind.
    "Yahiko! go get her swords and the yari!" Kenshin yelled. Yahiko ran into the house and brought the weapons back out.
    "Thank you Yahiko!" Katie yelled taking her swords as Ryo took the Yari.
    "Don't be strangers!! If you ever find your way back, drop by!" Kaoru yelled
    "We will!" Ryo yelled back, "Thanks for all the help!"
    "Katie!" Sano yelled walking up to her, "Whatever it is that is bothering you.. about that chinese guy... I hope you figure it out!"
    "What?!" Katie asked startled.
    "You'll be fine!!" Sano said lifting her chin to look into her eyes. They paused for a seconded and then he lowered his head and kissed her on the cheek. Katie just stood there in shock as did almost everyone else.
    "GO SANO!!" Yahiko yelled jumping up.
    "Katie! Let's go!" Ryo said grabbing her arm. Katie looked back at Sano and smiled at him for a second and then walked through the portal.  As soon as they were gone the portal disappeared and the wind stopped.

    "Sano, why did you do that?" Kenshin asked walking over to him.
    "Why not?" Sano replied and walked off.
    "Oro?" Kenshin looked after him as he left.
    "You probably are better off not knowing." Kaoru stated, "Well, everything's back to normal now.  Yahiko! You not doing it right!"
    "What do you mean?!" Yahiko yelled back, "This is how you showed me!! not that you any good or anything."
    "What's that supposed to mean?!" Kaoru screamed back.
    "Yep, everything is back to normal." Kenshin sighed as the two little girls tugged at his pants.
    "Play with us Kenshin Ni-chan!"
    "Yes play with us!!"
    "Okay, okay... "Kenshin said as he took the ball from them and started to kick it around a bit.

    As Ryo and Katie fell through the vortex they saw images  all around them.   They watched as the pictures went by.  The pictures were of different dimensions. Millions of dimensions. All around them, and they could fall into any one of them.  Katie watched as she saw people flying on weird looking wind gliders, a huge castle in the sky, a girl on a broom flying through the air.  Ryo saw dimensions where nothing magical ever happened. There were no hero's. One picture caught his eye. There was nothing special about it. There was a girl typing at a computer listening to a portable CT player.  Ryo took a double take when he saw the girls face. It looked just like Katie.  He looked closely at what she was typing and saw that everything that was happening was going on as she was typing it.  It was another dimension where what they were going through was decided by some person behind a computer. Ryo thought about this,
    'Could all this only be a story? Only the imagination of some girl in a world that has no mystical armor or special powers?' Ryo thought about it for a second and then shrugged it off. There were million of dimensions, anything is possible, but for this girl that looks just like Katie to be in control of what they did and said was too crazy.  Ryo watched as the picture vanished. Then all around them appeared pictures of their friends. They were still wondering around the castle looking for their armor orbs. Katie pointed out a rather large picture of Shin and a girl that were running through some sort of tunnel. Ryo explained to her that she was Tsuyu.  The pictures switched and changed and soon they disappeared and a white light engulfed them.
 

    Shin mad sure the way was clear as he ran out of the hidden doorway. Tsuyu pulled him to a halt.
    "Shin!" She hissed, "You can't just run out and try and find them! We have to be careful. We know he is looking for us. we have to make sure he doesn't spot us first!" Tsuyu explained
    "I'm sorry, I'm just worried about the others." Shin replied sighing.
    "Well, from what we saw, as long as that girl is able to defeats ___'s illusions she should be all right. But we still need to get out of here." Tsuyu stated.
    "I know, but where do we start looking?" Shin asked turning to her and looking at her eyes. He never noticed how pretty they were, in one light they were brown while in the next they were green.  His thought got interrupted as Tsuyu pulled him into yet another secret passage.
    "This will take us though most of the main sections of the castle. If they're not there, we can get out and look at the other places. Ok?" She asked walking a little ways down the passage.  Shin nodded and followed her.
 

    "Date! What is with you! Come on before we get caught!" Anubus hissed back at Seiji who had stopped in the middle of the hall.
    "Something is wrong... I can't feel Rekka anymore." Seiji stated, " And call me Seiji!"
    "Maybe Sanada escaped and didn't tell anyone." Anubus suggested. Seiji looked at him wide eyed.
    "He would never do anything like that!" Seiji replied catching up to Anubus.
    "Then let's find someone and figure it out." Anubus said heading down the hall they had just come from with Seiji reluctantly following.

    "Tamahome? Why do I have to go with you?" Tasuki asked as they walked out of the gates of the palace.
    "Cause I need help carrying some things." Tamahome stated, "Any ways, all you would of done was argue with Nuriko."
    "You called?" Nuriko sang as she popped up next to Tasuki.
    "What are you doing here?" Tasuki asked shaking the cross dresser off his arm.
    "I just wanted to get out of the palace, It gets boring being coped up in there all day." Nuriko explained.
    "Fine, just stop hanging on me will you?" Tasuki grunted as he took the lead.
    "What's his problem? NoDa!" Chichiri asked appearing next to Nuriko and Tamahome.
    "He's just bored. Nothing's happened in quite a while, and Miaka is back home for a while." Tamahome explained.
    "Maybe he should rejoin his friend up in the mountains if he's so bored?" Nuriko suggested as they walked into the main market of Konankoku.
    "You try suggesting that to him.. If Hotohori finds out he won't like it. No Da" Chichiri stated.
    "True, so Tama-chan, why are we in town today?" Nuriko asked handing on his arm.
    "TAMA JA NAI!!" Tamahome yelled shaking him off, "I'm here to make some money. Miaka left me some stuff from her world to try and sell."
    "The fields still aren't doing good? no da." Chichiri asked and Tamahome shook his head.
    "There hasn't been enough rain for the rice." Tamahome explained.
    "That's bad. " Nuriko stated looking up at the clear cloudless sky, " And it doesn't look like rain anytime soon either."  Tamahome hung his head in agreement. He then walked though the crowd and leaped up onto the steps of a nearby temple.
    "OI OI OI!!! Listen up!! I've got some items that belong to Susaku no Miko!!" Tamahome yelled as he started trying to sell the items left by Miaka.  Nuriko and Chichiri walked around the market to see what kind of stuff was for sell today.  They saw Tasuki a couple of times doing who knows what but other then that the day was uneventful.  It was nearing sundown and a lot of the stores were closing for the day when a voice cried out over what was left of the crowd.
    "THIEF!!!! THIEF!!!!" a rather heavy set merchant cried as he ran down the street chasing someone.  Chichiri and Nuriko turned the corner and bumped right into the person he was chasing.  The girl looked up at them for a split second.
    "KATIE!! OVER HERE!!" Someone from the other side of the street yelled.  The girl immediately jumped up and ran toward the boy that had called her.  As she left she yelled a hastily Gomen at both Chichiri, Nuriko, and the merchant she had stolen from.
    "What was that all about?" Tamahome asked walking up to the two with some money in his hands counting it.
    "I don't know." Nuriko answered. The merchant stopped next to them huffing and puffing.
    "Tha.. that.. girl... she stole two whole loaves of bread!" He cried  crashing to the ground in exertion. Tamahome looked at the money he held in his hands and took a few coins and handed them to the merchant.
    "Here, this should cover it." The merchant looked at him in shock as did Nuriko and Chichiri.
    "Why did you do that?" Nuriko asked as they walked back to the palace.
    "I don't know. I guess I felt sorry for them. I mean.. I know how they feel. I've had to steal a little in my life so my family would have some money for food." Tamahome stated as they walked back through the gate, "Where's Tasuki?"
    "He came back early. He was bored. No Da" Chichiri stated, "Why did you say he had to go with you any ways? No Da"
    "I just thought he needed to get out a little.  You know how much a grouch he's been." Tamahome stated.  A guard came up to them as they were headed to their rooms.
    "The Emperor wants to see you." The guard stated. The three nodded and followed him to where Hotohori was admiring his looks.
    "You wanted to see us?" Tamahome asked as they entered the room.
    "Ahh yes. I heard you  were out in the market all day. I wanted to ask you all something. Where's Tasuki?" Hotohori stated as he turned to face them.
    "We thought he was here, He told us he was coming back early." Nuriko stated.
    "I'm right here." Tasuki stated walking into the room.
    "Good, well, I've been trying to find a way so that none of my subjects have to sleep on the street.  So they have food and don't need to steal it." Hotohori explained, "I was just wondering how many thefts you saw while you were in the market place."
    "I didn't see any." Tasuki stated flatly.
    "Well,  just as we were leaving a girl was being chased by one of the merchants for stealing some bread. No Da!" Chichiri stated.
    "Yea, she ran right into each other.   It was very odd." Nuriko stated.
    "Oh? How so?" Hotohori asked, his interest peaked.
    "Well, her hair was a mess and so were her clothes, but her eyes were strange, as if she was hiding something. no da" Chichiri stated.
    "Hiding something?" Hotohori asked.
    "Yea, and then some boy across the street yelled at her her.. he yelled a name too.. what was it... Hmm.." Nuriko started.
    "I believe it was... Katie, was it not? No da" Chichiri said.
    "Yes, that was it." Nuriko exclaimed.
    "That is an odd name. Don't think I've heard it before.  Did the merchant catch her?"
    "No, I came and paid him what she stole." Tamahome spoke up.
    "You used the money you were saving for you family?" Hotohori asked shocked.
    "Yea, I guess I felt sorry for them." Tamahome replied.
    "Well, do you think you could find them again?" Hotohori asked thinking.
    "Why would you want to do that?" Tasuki asked from where he stood in the doorway.
    "Because I want to ask them some questions. I though If i knew why people where homeless I might be able to help them." Hotohori explained.
    "We'll go out tomorrow and look for them, but we can't say that we will find them." Nuriko stated.
    "I understand that. You may go about your business now. Thank you." Hotohori then stood up to retire to his own room for the night.