Author notes:
Hi! Hmmmm....I thought I would try this story out and see where it goes. At
first it wasn't going to be made into a Rurouni Kenshin story, but it just
fell that way I guess. It's an Aoshi and Misao story. I enjoyed going
through it in my head, but it's hard to translate the utter madness in my
head to paper. But I hope you enjoy it.
I thought I would start each chapter with a poem, quotation, or verse that I like for kicks....
It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.
- from Invictus by William Ernest Henley
disclaimer: as much as I love Rurouni Kenshin, I do not in any way own it or any of the characters
This story is AU (alternate universe for those who don't know () and the characters may be OC or not, I don't really think to much about that when I write. Enjoy!
Chapter One A Fateful Day (....or The Daft Idiot Jumped Off His Horse)
Happy Birthday to me. I can't believe I am 18. I look around and have already accepted that I am alone in this world, my only companions the animals in the forest. Not that I am complaining, mind you. I would take this over my last residence. Yes, residence, not home. Living in an attic of an inn working twelve hours a day is not home. A home is somewhere a person is wanted, not used for labor. I have never had a home, at least I can't remember having one. I was dropped off at a church as a baby and have been passed around ever since. You might be pitying me right now, but don't. I didn't make living with me easy. The problem was when people adopted a girl, they wanted a girl. I wanted to be a boy and liked doing what boys did. So, I played in the streets and fought with swords and my fists. I learned what moves worked and what moves didn't. I always had a boy ready to fight me to prove that girls are weaker. I gradually became a good fight.
But now I am 18 and on my own for good. Though I have a rather small stature, I can hold my own in a fight due to my quickness and agility. I am fairly skilled with knives and my one possession is a specially made sword. A little shorter and a little lighter, it fits me like a glove. Overall, I am not the typical lady.
I have been living in the forest for a couple of weeks and is the closest thing I have come to having a home. I made my bed underneath a large bush. I got up and stretched. A slight smile played on my lips as I recall again it is my birthday. I didn't know it right then, but this is the day my world was turned upside down.
I decided to go to town and look around. I was close to the main road when I heard that sound of a horse on the road. I ran behind the nearest tree and watched as the finest horse I ever have seen stopped about 15 leagues away. The rider was hidden beneath a dark hooded cape. I'm not sure how he sensed me but all of a sudden he looked directly at me. A small chill ran down my spine.
I took off running. I knew the forest well and zig-zagged through the trees as I heard him catching up to me. I mean, who can seriously out run a horse. If he was riding a donkey, maybe; but it was inevitable that he would catch me. I was, however, not going to make it easy. I ducked and turned and went in circles until I made myself dizzy and exhausted. He rode up beside me and jumped of his horse and tackled me. I couldn't believe it! He actually jumped off his god damn horse. First of all, I didn't even try to pick pocket this guy. I thought he was just having a little fun chasing a boy (he couldn't possibly tell I was a girl with my cap, dirty face, and baggy clothes). I though he would eventually give up. But no, I found myself sprawled out on the ground, my mouth full of mud and more than a little dazed.
"Ha, you thought you could get away."
"ah-um, wh-what?" Does he not realize he just jumped off his stupid horse and landed on top of me?
"Come on, get up. You are going to go back and apologize to my sister."
In my complete confusion, I looked up and saw a man about a year or two older than me scowling down at me.
"Get the hell off me you moron and I might be able to stand."
He narrowed his eyes and pulled me up with him. He started to drag me where his horse was standing.
'Let go of me. I didn't do anything and have no idea what you are talking about."
"Sure. Let's go. Now"
I didn't have a chance to say anything as he tossed me up on the horse with him and took off. I think it was the most insane situation I had ever been in, though I found it amusing in my baffled state. I couldn't say anything on the ride due to my complete shock.
I started to regain my composure as we approached a small town at the front of a magnificent castle. To my amazement, we rode through the town and straight into the castle. It was at that moment when it hit me. It registered in my mind that I was being accused of something and have no idea what it is. Is it a hangable offense? I tried to jump off the horse but the man had my wrist in an iron grip that would probably leave bruises for a couple of days.
We stopped and he told, no ordered, a stable boy to take care of his horse. I had never been inside a castle or any respectable establishment for that matter. Servants stared as he dragged me up a flight of stairs all the while mumbling...."You though you could get away with it"...."make my sister cry"..."stupid boy"....
He threw open a door and we entered a bedroom where a startled girl about my age looked up startled.
"Here is the boy who stole your jewelry box." He shook my just in case the girl didn't know who he was talking about, the daft idiot.
"Aoshi," the girl sounded rather calm and mature for her age, "Tsubame just came up crying and confessed to taking it and making the whole scenario about it being stolen up. She just wanted to play with it and was going to return it later. She didn't know I kept mother's ring in it. But to the point, there really isn't a boy who stole it." She stared reprovingly at her brother.
"Oh."
That was all the daft idiot had to say after he jumped off his horse, tackled me, and then man-handled me to this room for no reason.
"Why don't you apologize to this young man and maybe you could offer him a job as a stable hand or something." She obviously deducted from my appearance that I wasn't too well off.
"Well, I guess we need another stable hand. And I wouldn't have chased you if you wouldn't have ran."
I couldn't believe that arrogant jerk. I probably should have just left and ended this whole situation and go back to the forest. But he just stood there and my eye began to twitch.
"First of all, that was the most pathetic attempt of an apology I have ever heard. You can shove it where the sun don't shine. Second, you jumped off you god damn horse and tackled me, you brute. You literally dragged me up the stairs and didn't once stop to ask me a thing. Finally, I'm not even a boy and refuse your offer of a job, you stupid -- arrogant -- domineering jerk."
I couldn't help myself. I kicked him in the shin and then flew off my cap revealing my long hair for a last dramatic effect.
"Wow, she told you off."
I liked this girl already and offered her a smile. Her brother, however, just stood there with his eyes narrowed in a deathly glare.
I thought I would start each chapter with a poem, quotation, or verse that I like for kicks....
It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.
- from Invictus by William Ernest Henley
disclaimer: as much as I love Rurouni Kenshin, I do not in any way own it or any of the characters
This story is AU (alternate universe for those who don't know () and the characters may be OC or not, I don't really think to much about that when I write. Enjoy!
Chapter One A Fateful Day (....or The Daft Idiot Jumped Off His Horse)
Happy Birthday to me. I can't believe I am 18. I look around and have already accepted that I am alone in this world, my only companions the animals in the forest. Not that I am complaining, mind you. I would take this over my last residence. Yes, residence, not home. Living in an attic of an inn working twelve hours a day is not home. A home is somewhere a person is wanted, not used for labor. I have never had a home, at least I can't remember having one. I was dropped off at a church as a baby and have been passed around ever since. You might be pitying me right now, but don't. I didn't make living with me easy. The problem was when people adopted a girl, they wanted a girl. I wanted to be a boy and liked doing what boys did. So, I played in the streets and fought with swords and my fists. I learned what moves worked and what moves didn't. I always had a boy ready to fight me to prove that girls are weaker. I gradually became a good fight.
But now I am 18 and on my own for good. Though I have a rather small stature, I can hold my own in a fight due to my quickness and agility. I am fairly skilled with knives and my one possession is a specially made sword. A little shorter and a little lighter, it fits me like a glove. Overall, I am not the typical lady.
I have been living in the forest for a couple of weeks and is the closest thing I have come to having a home. I made my bed underneath a large bush. I got up and stretched. A slight smile played on my lips as I recall again it is my birthday. I didn't know it right then, but this is the day my world was turned upside down.
I decided to go to town and look around. I was close to the main road when I heard that sound of a horse on the road. I ran behind the nearest tree and watched as the finest horse I ever have seen stopped about 15 leagues away. The rider was hidden beneath a dark hooded cape. I'm not sure how he sensed me but all of a sudden he looked directly at me. A small chill ran down my spine.
I took off running. I knew the forest well and zig-zagged through the trees as I heard him catching up to me. I mean, who can seriously out run a horse. If he was riding a donkey, maybe; but it was inevitable that he would catch me. I was, however, not going to make it easy. I ducked and turned and went in circles until I made myself dizzy and exhausted. He rode up beside me and jumped of his horse and tackled me. I couldn't believe it! He actually jumped off his god damn horse. First of all, I didn't even try to pick pocket this guy. I thought he was just having a little fun chasing a boy (he couldn't possibly tell I was a girl with my cap, dirty face, and baggy clothes). I though he would eventually give up. But no, I found myself sprawled out on the ground, my mouth full of mud and more than a little dazed.
"Ha, you thought you could get away."
"ah-um, wh-what?" Does he not realize he just jumped off his stupid horse and landed on top of me?
"Come on, get up. You are going to go back and apologize to my sister."
In my complete confusion, I looked up and saw a man about a year or two older than me scowling down at me.
"Get the hell off me you moron and I might be able to stand."
He narrowed his eyes and pulled me up with him. He started to drag me where his horse was standing.
'Let go of me. I didn't do anything and have no idea what you are talking about."
"Sure. Let's go. Now"
I didn't have a chance to say anything as he tossed me up on the horse with him and took off. I think it was the most insane situation I had ever been in, though I found it amusing in my baffled state. I couldn't say anything on the ride due to my complete shock.
I started to regain my composure as we approached a small town at the front of a magnificent castle. To my amazement, we rode through the town and straight into the castle. It was at that moment when it hit me. It registered in my mind that I was being accused of something and have no idea what it is. Is it a hangable offense? I tried to jump off the horse but the man had my wrist in an iron grip that would probably leave bruises for a couple of days.
We stopped and he told, no ordered, a stable boy to take care of his horse. I had never been inside a castle or any respectable establishment for that matter. Servants stared as he dragged me up a flight of stairs all the while mumbling...."You though you could get away with it"...."make my sister cry"..."stupid boy"....
He threw open a door and we entered a bedroom where a startled girl about my age looked up startled.
"Here is the boy who stole your jewelry box." He shook my just in case the girl didn't know who he was talking about, the daft idiot.
"Aoshi," the girl sounded rather calm and mature for her age, "Tsubame just came up crying and confessed to taking it and making the whole scenario about it being stolen up. She just wanted to play with it and was going to return it later. She didn't know I kept mother's ring in it. But to the point, there really isn't a boy who stole it." She stared reprovingly at her brother.
"Oh."
That was all the daft idiot had to say after he jumped off his horse, tackled me, and then man-handled me to this room for no reason.
"Why don't you apologize to this young man and maybe you could offer him a job as a stable hand or something." She obviously deducted from my appearance that I wasn't too well off.
"Well, I guess we need another stable hand. And I wouldn't have chased you if you wouldn't have ran."
I couldn't believe that arrogant jerk. I probably should have just left and ended this whole situation and go back to the forest. But he just stood there and my eye began to twitch.
"First of all, that was the most pathetic attempt of an apology I have ever heard. You can shove it where the sun don't shine. Second, you jumped off you god damn horse and tackled me, you brute. You literally dragged me up the stairs and didn't once stop to ask me a thing. Finally, I'm not even a boy and refuse your offer of a job, you stupid -- arrogant -- domineering jerk."
I couldn't help myself. I kicked him in the shin and then flew off my cap revealing my long hair for a last dramatic effect.
"Wow, she told you off."
I liked this girl already and offered her a smile. Her brother, however, just stood there with his eyes narrowed in a deathly glare.