Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, that I do not. I wish I did own
him, indeed I do. Perhaps I should call my lawyers and have them fight the
other lawyers in a sumo battle and whoever wins can keep Rurouni Kenshin.
That would be fun to watch! However, I do own Takuro, Waotaka, Koji, and
anyone else you don't know. The plot is from my own disturbed mind,
AN: This is my first fic for Rurouni Kenshin, and I doubt its any good, so no flames please. Another warning, I am a really bad updater. *Dodges angry mob* I know! But I will do my best. Writing is an art form to me and it takes time. But if I get a lot of reviews, I'll update faster... I promise...
One more thing before I start this fic, I have only seen the English Dub version of RuronKen, and I can't make it as authentic as some other fics in here. *Runs from yet another angry mob* Hang on! I will add some Japanese phrases and words, however I doubt they are the correct ones... and I will put in the occasional oro's here and there. Happy?
(AN: I don't know a whole lot of the history back then, and I doubt Japan traded with America at the time, but it would have to do for my story to work out. K? Now on with the story!! Finally!)
American Orphan: Who Is Koji Really? By Soul Flyer ~~~~ Chapter 1: Takuro's Duty: To Protect At All Costs
The water was slightly choppy that day out at sea, and the tiny trading boat was in for a rough voyage. Soon, the skies darkened and a storm began to toss the boat around in the water. Captain Waotaka was shouting orders to the crew, keeping close eye on the cargo. The crew members aboard were working hard to keep the boat orderly and making sure none of the valuable trades they had made in America went overboard.
The trading between America and Japan was a new thing, and not very many people were happy with it. It was mostly because the items Americans considered normal and regulation were forbidden in Tokyo. However, several groups in the Underworld were very interested in the items America imported, and traded frequently, hiring trade boats to do it for them.
"Tie down the cargo, Takuro-chan!" a crewmember yelled. The captain noticed that Takura wasn't where he usually was in situations. He must not have heard the command, so Captain Waotaka shouted out with his deep voice, "Takuro-chan! Get up here and tie down that cargo.
A young teenage boy came from up under the deck and immediately went to the new cargo and began tying it down. This time, Takuro had heard the command. He wasn't wearing a shirt, just a pair of loose pants. His hair and eyes were brown and there was a black headband on his forehead. He was slightly muscular for someone his size, but his strength had saved voyages more than once. Takuro was Captain Waotaka's pride of the ship, and he was proud of him.
Just as he finished tying down the cargo, the boat tilted and Takuro was sent rolling over the deck, grunting as his funny bone hit solid wood. He hit his head on the side of the ship and almost passed out as his entire body was consumed by pain.
The captain saw Takuro tumble over the deck and ran to his rescue. Turning to another crewmember he said, "Keep her steady!" The sailor nodded and took control of the wheel, struggling to keep her from tilting a whole lot. Before Waotaka could reach the boy, the ship lurched again and this time Takuro was thrown overboard. Waotaka could hear the cry, "Man overboard!" A sailor came up to him and said, "Leave him, he's good as dead in those waters."
Waotaka shook his head in a determined sort of way. "I have never lost a man to the sea in all my years of sailing, and I'm not about to start!" Then, he found a rope and tied it to his waist and using a cord in his pocket he tied back the sleeves of his gi. He gave the other end of the rope to a sailor and said, "Tie this down, quickly!" Once the rope was secure, Captain Waotaka said a silent prayer to the Gods, and then Dived into the water and swam franticly towards Takuro, who was about to go under the water.
To Waotaka, it seemed as if he had been swimming for hours, but he refused to give up. He couldn't lose Takuro! He would not allow it! After an eternity, Waotaka found Takuro, but it didn't look good. "PULL!!!!!!" he shouted, once he had a firm grip on Takuro. "PULL! PULL!" Up on deck, the entire crew heard him. They all grabbed a section of the rope connected to the captain and pulled with all their might. Finally, the captain and teen were on deck safely.
Waotaka was on his feet in an instant, despite his exhaustion. He lifted the teen into an upright sitting position. Takuro coughed out sea water and opened his eyes, much to everyone's delight. "Are you alright?" he asked, concerned for the boy's safety. Takuro had become a son to him almost, and helped ease the ach in his heart for the loss of his own family in the war. Both Takuro and Waotaka lost a loved one, and they bonded, helping each other with the heart ache.
Takuro stood up suddenly, as if he hadn't fallen overboard unconchise at all. That was something Waotaka admired about him, always on his feet no matter what. He would probably get back up even if he lost both his feet.
"I'm fine, Senchou Waotaka'" Takuro assured the captain. "However, there's something you need to see!" The boat tilted again, but Waotaka and Takuro held onto the side of the boat.
"That will have to wait, Takuro-chan," the captain shouted. But for now we need to get out of this storm!"
Takuro remained silent for a moment. Was it alright if the matter waited? He had been holding it off for most of the voyage, and he didn't know how much longer it could wait. He decided he had no choice to begin with, so it would have to wait.
"It will have to wait, Takuro-chan," Waotaka said again. "Understand?"
Takuro nodded. "Ossu!" he said.
They continued to fight the storm for almost an hour, and luckily it was without any other incident or disaster. The worst was several minor injuries sustained by several crew members. None of the cargo had gone overboard, thanks to Takuro, who also suffered several bruises and cuts. The captain, Waotaka, was unharmed by the storms wrath. They were only a few miles from shore now, and it would take a mere 40 minutes to reach home.
"Dayu," ordered Waotaka, "get first-aid supplies from below, and be quick." Dayu nodded and with an "Ossu!" he went below deck.
Waotaka approached Takuro, who was sitting propped up against the ship's wall with his hands behind his head, and sat next to him. Takuro didn't seem to notice him. He was preoccupied with several worries. Waotaka noticed this, which was another thing that puzzled him. What was going on with Takuro?
"What's wrong, Takuro-chan?" he asked. "Its not like you to space out like that. Your usually very alert. Mind telling me what's going on?"
Takuro jumped at the captain's deep voice. "Huh? Oh." He shook his head, clearing thoughts. "I was just thinking about something."
"About what?" the captain asked.
"Something like, why are we trading illegal items? I thought you were a man of honor. Not some common crook."
A light clicked on in Waotaka's mind. "Oh, I see," he said thoughtfully. "That's what's bothering you. I wouldn't have gone on this trip if I knew what we were trading in the first place." He laughed. "I just follow orders of whoever hires me and I transport their cargo and trade for items they specify. If they don't want me to know what the cargo is, then I won't. That help?"
Takuro smiled. "Yeah, I guess so," he said. Waotaka smiled. The boy was indeed special. Takuro was someone who wasn't found of American trading, but he enjoyed the company of Waotaka, and Waotaka looked after him. They had become family almost. Takuro accompanied Waotaka on every voyage since the day they met. However, Takuro's father wasn't happy about it.
Suddenly, Dayu popped out from under the ship's deck with a worried look on his face. "Senchou Waotaka! There's an emergency! Come see! Quickly!"
Waotaka's face became stern, and as he gripped the sword hilt at his side he asked, "What is it Dayu?" Dayu only said, "Come see for yourself!" Waotaka stood up. "Alright then. Lets go see this emergency."
Takuro suddenly remembered something. "Senchou, wait!" he called, but Waotaka didn't hear him. Takuro jumped up and followed the two men below the deck. In the dark, Dayu pointed to a bundle on the floor tucked away near the first-aid equipment. Whatever it was, Dayu had covered it with a blanket. When Waotaka bent over to see what it was, Takuro tugged on his arm.
"Wait," he said quickly. "I can explain, almost."
Takuro didn't even wait for Waotaka's reply. The brown-haired teen bent down and pulled away the coarse blanket, revealing a 10 year old girl with auburn hair. She didn't look like any Japanese person Waotaka saw. The captain said nothing, only stood strait up, staring at the child. He noticed her head had been wrapped up in a poor manner, obviously done by an inexpericance person.
"Okay then," the captain said slowly. "Explain, Takuro-chan. You said you could." Turning to Dayu, he said, "Dayu, tend to those who need help." Dayu nodded and collected the first-aid kit and went above deck to tend to the crew's injuries.
Takuro sighed, and tried his best to place all his thoughts in order. He closed his eyes, and began to tell the captain what he knew, the best way he could.
"While we were still in America, that's when all of this started, obviously. I don't know how, but it did. I was on my way back to the ship with supplies, when I saw two men chasing a woman. This girl was with her. The two almost ran into me, and the men were getting closer. It was easy to see what their intentions were."
"And the intentions were?" Waotaka asked. Takuro almost choked on his next words. "They wanted to kill the girl and her mother. I don't know the reasons." He faltered, afraid to go on. "Go on, Takuro," the captain urged. Takuro looked at Waotaka in shock. He had never called Takuro by his actual name; it was always Takuro-chan. Takuro realized that the captain was regarding him as a man now, no longer a child.
"Ossu," Takuro said and continued with his story.
"The mother looked at me and recognized me from our ship. I saw her the day we docked, and she smiled at me, waving. She saw us unload at the dock that morning. I think she was with the trader. 'Her father is dead,' she told me, indicating her daughter. 'Take care of her, please!' Before I could decline, the two men stabbed her in the back with a knife. The poor woman died in my arms. I had no way to stop them.
"They took the little girl from my side and hit her on the head which knocked her out. They began to carry her away, but they didn't get far. I tackled the bastards and beat the shit out of them." Waotaka nodded. It was like Takuro to pull something like that. A year before, Takuro noticed some men beating a woman for some stupid reason only a drunk person could think of. Takuro challenged them and the men needed a doctor's care to recover. "Before I could beat them any further, I remembered the girl. I bandaged her head and brought her to our ship. She slept for a large portion of our voyage, waking up at times, but I took care of her the best I could."
"Is that all?" Waotaka asked.
"Yes," Takuro replied.
The captain thought about this for a moment, and then he said, "I suppose you've been sneaking her food, right?" Takuro nodded. "I've been giving her some of my rations." "That would explain why you haven't been as attentive as you usually are," Waotaka said thoughtfully. After a few more moments of uneasy silence, Waotaka asked, "What's her name?"
Takuro knelt beside the girl and said quietly, "As far as I know, she has no name. She has not told me. However, that bump on her head may be serious, and I don't think anyone on this ship can help her. We need to get a doctor now! I tried to tell you about her sooner, but you were always busy. She needs medical attention as quickly as possible."
Waotaka nodded. "I know a doctor in Tokyo that is very good. We'll take her to him. But she cannot stay in Japan, that's for sure."
"Where else can she go?!" Takuro yelled. "If we take her back to America, those men are sure to find her and kill her! I won't let that happen! Not while there is breath in my body!" Waotaka jumped in shock. This was yet another oddity for Takuro's behavior. Takuro never yelled, let alone to Waotaka. Perhaps his lack of food was telling on him.
*Takuro-chan* the captain thought to himself. *You are indeed brave.* "She cannot stay in Japan without papers, Takuro. What do you want me to do with her?" He saw that Takuro had tears streaming down his face. This was serious then, Takuro was serious about this little American girl.
"This girl's mother put all of her trust in me to protect and take care of her daughter. All of her final trust into a complete stranger! I have a responsibility now! To make sure this girl survives in the world just like her mother wanted. I'll forge papers for her if I have to; even give her a new name! BUT SHE WILL SURVIVE!!! I don't care if its illegal even!" Waotaka shook his head slowly. "Takuro, it's just not possible..." he said quietly.
The girl began to stir, and she woke up groaning. "Tacky?" she mumbled softly. "Why are you so loud? My headache makes my ears hurt." Takuro's attitude changed in a millisecond, from angry and yelling, to kind and gentle. It was scary almost to Waotaka.
"I'm sorry, little one," Takuro said softly. The captain noticed that Takuro's voice was much different that it usually was. "I'll try to be a little more quiet from now on." The little girl smiled, mumbled something along the lines of "Thank you," and fell back to sleep.
Something dawned on Waotaka. He knew English and understood every word the two youngsters had spoken, it was important for his job. He also knew several other languages, but how did Takuro know English? Did someone teach him?
"How do you know English?" Waotaka asked. In almost a whisper, Takuro replied, "My mom taught me." Waotaka winced. He knew he had hit a bad spot. Takuro's mother was slaughtered in the Meiji Revolution by samurai.
Before Waotaka could say anything else, Dayu came back down and said, "Senchou, we are about to dock. What are your instructions about the, um...?" Waotaka shook his head. "Don't say a word about her, Dayu. She needs to be kept secret." Dayu nodded, and soon he went about getting the boat docked efficiently.
Waotaka studied the girl for a moment. *She's small, perhaps...*
"Takuro," he said suddenly. "She's small enough to be hid in your arms while we travel to Tokyo. We'll take her to that doctor I told you about, and we'll see about, well, making her a citizen." Takuro's eyes lit up. "I knew you'd understand," he said. Then he laughed and said, "We'll have to teach her Japanese then." Waotaka nodded.
Takuro gingerly covered the tiny child up and scooped her up in his arms. Then they were up on deck and on their way to Tokyo to see a doctor named Dr. Gensi.
I hoped you all liked that. Please review, tell me if it was good or did it suck? I must know! I know Kenshin isn't in the story yet, but he will be, don't worry. I need a minimum of five positive reviews to continue the story, cause I want an audience for once. So review! Catch you all later! Soul Flyer
AN: This is my first fic for Rurouni Kenshin, and I doubt its any good, so no flames please. Another warning, I am a really bad updater. *Dodges angry mob* I know! But I will do my best. Writing is an art form to me and it takes time. But if I get a lot of reviews, I'll update faster... I promise...
One more thing before I start this fic, I have only seen the English Dub version of RuronKen, and I can't make it as authentic as some other fics in here. *Runs from yet another angry mob* Hang on! I will add some Japanese phrases and words, however I doubt they are the correct ones... and I will put in the occasional oro's here and there. Happy?
(AN: I don't know a whole lot of the history back then, and I doubt Japan traded with America at the time, but it would have to do for my story to work out. K? Now on with the story!! Finally!)
American Orphan: Who Is Koji Really? By Soul Flyer ~~~~ Chapter 1: Takuro's Duty: To Protect At All Costs
The water was slightly choppy that day out at sea, and the tiny trading boat was in for a rough voyage. Soon, the skies darkened and a storm began to toss the boat around in the water. Captain Waotaka was shouting orders to the crew, keeping close eye on the cargo. The crew members aboard were working hard to keep the boat orderly and making sure none of the valuable trades they had made in America went overboard.
The trading between America and Japan was a new thing, and not very many people were happy with it. It was mostly because the items Americans considered normal and regulation were forbidden in Tokyo. However, several groups in the Underworld were very interested in the items America imported, and traded frequently, hiring trade boats to do it for them.
"Tie down the cargo, Takuro-chan!" a crewmember yelled. The captain noticed that Takura wasn't where he usually was in situations. He must not have heard the command, so Captain Waotaka shouted out with his deep voice, "Takuro-chan! Get up here and tie down that cargo.
A young teenage boy came from up under the deck and immediately went to the new cargo and began tying it down. This time, Takuro had heard the command. He wasn't wearing a shirt, just a pair of loose pants. His hair and eyes were brown and there was a black headband on his forehead. He was slightly muscular for someone his size, but his strength had saved voyages more than once. Takuro was Captain Waotaka's pride of the ship, and he was proud of him.
Just as he finished tying down the cargo, the boat tilted and Takuro was sent rolling over the deck, grunting as his funny bone hit solid wood. He hit his head on the side of the ship and almost passed out as his entire body was consumed by pain.
The captain saw Takuro tumble over the deck and ran to his rescue. Turning to another crewmember he said, "Keep her steady!" The sailor nodded and took control of the wheel, struggling to keep her from tilting a whole lot. Before Waotaka could reach the boy, the ship lurched again and this time Takuro was thrown overboard. Waotaka could hear the cry, "Man overboard!" A sailor came up to him and said, "Leave him, he's good as dead in those waters."
Waotaka shook his head in a determined sort of way. "I have never lost a man to the sea in all my years of sailing, and I'm not about to start!" Then, he found a rope and tied it to his waist and using a cord in his pocket he tied back the sleeves of his gi. He gave the other end of the rope to a sailor and said, "Tie this down, quickly!" Once the rope was secure, Captain Waotaka said a silent prayer to the Gods, and then Dived into the water and swam franticly towards Takuro, who was about to go under the water.
To Waotaka, it seemed as if he had been swimming for hours, but he refused to give up. He couldn't lose Takuro! He would not allow it! After an eternity, Waotaka found Takuro, but it didn't look good. "PULL!!!!!!" he shouted, once he had a firm grip on Takuro. "PULL! PULL!" Up on deck, the entire crew heard him. They all grabbed a section of the rope connected to the captain and pulled with all their might. Finally, the captain and teen were on deck safely.
Waotaka was on his feet in an instant, despite his exhaustion. He lifted the teen into an upright sitting position. Takuro coughed out sea water and opened his eyes, much to everyone's delight. "Are you alright?" he asked, concerned for the boy's safety. Takuro had become a son to him almost, and helped ease the ach in his heart for the loss of his own family in the war. Both Takuro and Waotaka lost a loved one, and they bonded, helping each other with the heart ache.
Takuro stood up suddenly, as if he hadn't fallen overboard unconchise at all. That was something Waotaka admired about him, always on his feet no matter what. He would probably get back up even if he lost both his feet.
"I'm fine, Senchou Waotaka'" Takuro assured the captain. "However, there's something you need to see!" The boat tilted again, but Waotaka and Takuro held onto the side of the boat.
"That will have to wait, Takuro-chan," the captain shouted. But for now we need to get out of this storm!"
Takuro remained silent for a moment. Was it alright if the matter waited? He had been holding it off for most of the voyage, and he didn't know how much longer it could wait. He decided he had no choice to begin with, so it would have to wait.
"It will have to wait, Takuro-chan," Waotaka said again. "Understand?"
Takuro nodded. "Ossu!" he said.
They continued to fight the storm for almost an hour, and luckily it was without any other incident or disaster. The worst was several minor injuries sustained by several crew members. None of the cargo had gone overboard, thanks to Takuro, who also suffered several bruises and cuts. The captain, Waotaka, was unharmed by the storms wrath. They were only a few miles from shore now, and it would take a mere 40 minutes to reach home.
"Dayu," ordered Waotaka, "get first-aid supplies from below, and be quick." Dayu nodded and with an "Ossu!" he went below deck.
Waotaka approached Takuro, who was sitting propped up against the ship's wall with his hands behind his head, and sat next to him. Takuro didn't seem to notice him. He was preoccupied with several worries. Waotaka noticed this, which was another thing that puzzled him. What was going on with Takuro?
"What's wrong, Takuro-chan?" he asked. "Its not like you to space out like that. Your usually very alert. Mind telling me what's going on?"
Takuro jumped at the captain's deep voice. "Huh? Oh." He shook his head, clearing thoughts. "I was just thinking about something."
"About what?" the captain asked.
"Something like, why are we trading illegal items? I thought you were a man of honor. Not some common crook."
A light clicked on in Waotaka's mind. "Oh, I see," he said thoughtfully. "That's what's bothering you. I wouldn't have gone on this trip if I knew what we were trading in the first place." He laughed. "I just follow orders of whoever hires me and I transport their cargo and trade for items they specify. If they don't want me to know what the cargo is, then I won't. That help?"
Takuro smiled. "Yeah, I guess so," he said. Waotaka smiled. The boy was indeed special. Takuro was someone who wasn't found of American trading, but he enjoyed the company of Waotaka, and Waotaka looked after him. They had become family almost. Takuro accompanied Waotaka on every voyage since the day they met. However, Takuro's father wasn't happy about it.
Suddenly, Dayu popped out from under the ship's deck with a worried look on his face. "Senchou Waotaka! There's an emergency! Come see! Quickly!"
Waotaka's face became stern, and as he gripped the sword hilt at his side he asked, "What is it Dayu?" Dayu only said, "Come see for yourself!" Waotaka stood up. "Alright then. Lets go see this emergency."
Takuro suddenly remembered something. "Senchou, wait!" he called, but Waotaka didn't hear him. Takuro jumped up and followed the two men below the deck. In the dark, Dayu pointed to a bundle on the floor tucked away near the first-aid equipment. Whatever it was, Dayu had covered it with a blanket. When Waotaka bent over to see what it was, Takuro tugged on his arm.
"Wait," he said quickly. "I can explain, almost."
Takuro didn't even wait for Waotaka's reply. The brown-haired teen bent down and pulled away the coarse blanket, revealing a 10 year old girl with auburn hair. She didn't look like any Japanese person Waotaka saw. The captain said nothing, only stood strait up, staring at the child. He noticed her head had been wrapped up in a poor manner, obviously done by an inexpericance person.
"Okay then," the captain said slowly. "Explain, Takuro-chan. You said you could." Turning to Dayu, he said, "Dayu, tend to those who need help." Dayu nodded and collected the first-aid kit and went above deck to tend to the crew's injuries.
Takuro sighed, and tried his best to place all his thoughts in order. He closed his eyes, and began to tell the captain what he knew, the best way he could.
"While we were still in America, that's when all of this started, obviously. I don't know how, but it did. I was on my way back to the ship with supplies, when I saw two men chasing a woman. This girl was with her. The two almost ran into me, and the men were getting closer. It was easy to see what their intentions were."
"And the intentions were?" Waotaka asked. Takuro almost choked on his next words. "They wanted to kill the girl and her mother. I don't know the reasons." He faltered, afraid to go on. "Go on, Takuro," the captain urged. Takuro looked at Waotaka in shock. He had never called Takuro by his actual name; it was always Takuro-chan. Takuro realized that the captain was regarding him as a man now, no longer a child.
"Ossu," Takuro said and continued with his story.
"The mother looked at me and recognized me from our ship. I saw her the day we docked, and she smiled at me, waving. She saw us unload at the dock that morning. I think she was with the trader. 'Her father is dead,' she told me, indicating her daughter. 'Take care of her, please!' Before I could decline, the two men stabbed her in the back with a knife. The poor woman died in my arms. I had no way to stop them.
"They took the little girl from my side and hit her on the head which knocked her out. They began to carry her away, but they didn't get far. I tackled the bastards and beat the shit out of them." Waotaka nodded. It was like Takuro to pull something like that. A year before, Takuro noticed some men beating a woman for some stupid reason only a drunk person could think of. Takuro challenged them and the men needed a doctor's care to recover. "Before I could beat them any further, I remembered the girl. I bandaged her head and brought her to our ship. She slept for a large portion of our voyage, waking up at times, but I took care of her the best I could."
"Is that all?" Waotaka asked.
"Yes," Takuro replied.
The captain thought about this for a moment, and then he said, "I suppose you've been sneaking her food, right?" Takuro nodded. "I've been giving her some of my rations." "That would explain why you haven't been as attentive as you usually are," Waotaka said thoughtfully. After a few more moments of uneasy silence, Waotaka asked, "What's her name?"
Takuro knelt beside the girl and said quietly, "As far as I know, she has no name. She has not told me. However, that bump on her head may be serious, and I don't think anyone on this ship can help her. We need to get a doctor now! I tried to tell you about her sooner, but you were always busy. She needs medical attention as quickly as possible."
Waotaka nodded. "I know a doctor in Tokyo that is very good. We'll take her to him. But she cannot stay in Japan, that's for sure."
"Where else can she go?!" Takuro yelled. "If we take her back to America, those men are sure to find her and kill her! I won't let that happen! Not while there is breath in my body!" Waotaka jumped in shock. This was yet another oddity for Takuro's behavior. Takuro never yelled, let alone to Waotaka. Perhaps his lack of food was telling on him.
*Takuro-chan* the captain thought to himself. *You are indeed brave.* "She cannot stay in Japan without papers, Takuro. What do you want me to do with her?" He saw that Takuro had tears streaming down his face. This was serious then, Takuro was serious about this little American girl.
"This girl's mother put all of her trust in me to protect and take care of her daughter. All of her final trust into a complete stranger! I have a responsibility now! To make sure this girl survives in the world just like her mother wanted. I'll forge papers for her if I have to; even give her a new name! BUT SHE WILL SURVIVE!!! I don't care if its illegal even!" Waotaka shook his head slowly. "Takuro, it's just not possible..." he said quietly.
The girl began to stir, and she woke up groaning. "Tacky?" she mumbled softly. "Why are you so loud? My headache makes my ears hurt." Takuro's attitude changed in a millisecond, from angry and yelling, to kind and gentle. It was scary almost to Waotaka.
"I'm sorry, little one," Takuro said softly. The captain noticed that Takuro's voice was much different that it usually was. "I'll try to be a little more quiet from now on." The little girl smiled, mumbled something along the lines of "Thank you," and fell back to sleep.
Something dawned on Waotaka. He knew English and understood every word the two youngsters had spoken, it was important for his job. He also knew several other languages, but how did Takuro know English? Did someone teach him?
"How do you know English?" Waotaka asked. In almost a whisper, Takuro replied, "My mom taught me." Waotaka winced. He knew he had hit a bad spot. Takuro's mother was slaughtered in the Meiji Revolution by samurai.
Before Waotaka could say anything else, Dayu came back down and said, "Senchou, we are about to dock. What are your instructions about the, um...?" Waotaka shook his head. "Don't say a word about her, Dayu. She needs to be kept secret." Dayu nodded, and soon he went about getting the boat docked efficiently.
Waotaka studied the girl for a moment. *She's small, perhaps...*
"Takuro," he said suddenly. "She's small enough to be hid in your arms while we travel to Tokyo. We'll take her to that doctor I told you about, and we'll see about, well, making her a citizen." Takuro's eyes lit up. "I knew you'd understand," he said. Then he laughed and said, "We'll have to teach her Japanese then." Waotaka nodded.
Takuro gingerly covered the tiny child up and scooped her up in his arms. Then they were up on deck and on their way to Tokyo to see a doctor named Dr. Gensi.
I hoped you all liked that. Please review, tell me if it was good or did it suck? I must know! I know Kenshin isn't in the story yet, but he will be, don't worry. I need a minimum of five positive reviews to continue the story, cause I want an audience for once. So review! Catch you all later! Soul Flyer