Title: Under the Moon
Author: Gia
E-Mail: divinechild18(at)h o t m a i l . c o m
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: None. Actually, one or two implications, but that's really nothing.
Time: AU. After the burning of Shishio. But before Kenshin is known as the Battousai.
Summary:Soujiro and Kenshin meet when they are young. Days before the tragedy of Soujiro's only family, a boy by the name of Kenshin comes into town. Effeminate visage, friendly face, Soujiro has found himself a friend in the cruel world.
Disclaimer: I own not a thing.
Author's Note: Believe it or not, but this fanfic is a result of a dream I had. The entire fanfic, chapter by chapter, played out in anime form in my head. Can you believe it! I don't know why I'm suddenly writing all these anime fics, as opposed to updating my HP fanfics, but I'm going with the flow. I haven't discontinued anything, so don't worry!!
A little change. I know Kenshin's older than Soujiro, by how many years, I've no clue. So, to make this story easier for me, I'm going to make him just two years older. Soujiro's 8, and Kenshin's 10! Of course, Kenshin was never one for height, so he's the same height as Soujiro. Haha..
"It's time you learn how to take care of yourself. Leaving you out in the mountains won't be the best place; I need you to at least be near a town." Hiko stared down at the red head. "You will have to find your way back in three weeks, or I will come looking for you. Don't disappoint me, baka deshi. A master of the Hiten Mitsurugi should not only be able to master the sword, but take care of himself."
"Hai shishou." Kenshin chirped.
Hiko's lips curved upward slightly. "You have packed your necessities already?"
"Hai!" He chirped again.
"And quit that!" Hiko demanded.
Kenshin blanched, and in a surprisingly monotone voice, "Hai shishou."
Hiko blinked at the sudden change of personality. He'd never understand his baka deshi. "Come on then, I will drop you off there, and you will have three weeks to get back. It should only take you a few days to reach here, so don't immediately come back. More importantly, do you have your katana with you?"
"Hai."
"Good. We can go."
"You good for nothing freeloader! Get up! I want those in the west shed by tonight!"
Seta Soujiro looked up from the ground. A smile was pasted onto his face as he stared helplessly up at his uncle. "What the heck are you smiling for?"
Soujiro put his hands on the ground, hearing the blood rushing through his ears. "You aren't stepping one foot inside this house until you get the job done!"
Slowly, Soujiro stood and walked away. He needed first to go to the rice shed, where they kept the barrels. The worst part, it was a long walk from that shed to the west shed. And carrying those barrels didn't exactly make his job easier. The moon's light shone down on the pitiful sight of a small boy carrying a large barrel of rice back and forth. Soujiro couldn't help but fall down heavily, when the weight and exhaustion overpowered him. He lay on the ground for awhile, staring up into the starry sky, just letting his body rest for a few precious moments. 'This will take all night..' he thought despairingly.
Breathing deeply for a moment, his ears caught the sound of the creaking of wooden wheels. The neighing of horses soon followed, mingled with the sound of voices. Pulling himself up, Soujiro's curiosity got the best of him. Abandoning his job for a moment, he ran through the small space of the two sheds, to peek around. The moonlight silhouetted two figures, one quite tall, and the other one, quite small. The shine of the moonlight caught a flash of red, before the height of the taller figure shaded the smaller one. Soujiro held his breath, as he tilted his head to hear what they were talking about.
"--careful. Remember to practice, and don't forget your manners, baka deshi."
"Hai! I won't shishou."
There was a big sigh. "Why don't I believe that? Just be careful. And remember, three weeks."
"Hai!"
The tall man jumped onto the cart with such ease that it seemed his bulk did not impair his agility at all. A slight pull of the straps prompted the horse to move. Once the cart was out of sight, Soujiro could get a clearer look at the small figure. Long red hair was pulled into a ponytail, and the glint of a sword at her side was evident. However, if Soujiro didn't know any better, he'd say they were about the same height. So why would a girl be carrying a sword? She couldn't be more than eight, and Soujiro himself was eight.
In the girl's hand, there was a brown box, crisscrossed with strings so that she could keep hold of it. Soujiro assumed that it was her belongings. Curious, but not wanting to alert her of his presence, Soujiro remained in his spot.
Kenshin watched as the cart rode away, and only then, did he allow himself to yawn. He didn't want to show his shishou that he was sleep already. He could stay up late, it wouldn't faze him one bit. He yawned again. Clutching his package together, Kenshin looked around. There was a small town to his left, and a very large house to his right. Well, it was large height-wise, it was large width-wise. There was obviously a main house, and smaller ones around it. The stone wall that encompassed it only covered three sides. The one side left bare was open to the road, in which Kenshin now stood.
He scratched the back of his head in confusion. His shishou had given him money, but there wouldn't be enough to stay at an inn. He was supposed to learn to live on his own, but surely his shishou didn't mean he had to live out in the open for three weeks! Laughing nervously, Kenshin turned around and caught sight of a boy who was staring at him.
Both of their eyes' widened at the same time.
Any other person, Soujiro would have turned and ran away. In spite of this, there was something about this girl that intrigued him. Apart from the fact that she carried a sword, her unusual hair color, her eyes were the most mysterious. Purple, violet, amethyst, Soujiro couldn't pick what color to describe it. Who was this girl?
She walked towards him, staring at him just as curiously. When they were about a foot apart she stopped. She tilted her head, and smiled. Soujiro found himself smiling back. She opened her mouth--
Grr…
Sweatdrop.
The strange girl put her arm behind her head, an action of embarrassment that seemed habitual for her. Soujiro laughed, and the silence disappeared. "I'm Soujiro. Seta Soujiro. I'm assuming your hungry?" Soujiro asked the last bit with a smile. This girl was funny.
Kenshin sneezed before he flushed with embarrassment. "My name is Kenshin. Himura Kenshin. And.. I am hungry, but I think my shishou would've wanted me to get food on my own.."
"Shishou? You mean that tall man? Why'd he leave you here in the first place?"
"Long story." Kenshin muttered.
"I'm sure he won't mind if I bring you food. He won't know!"
"..You're right. One time wouldn't hurt, and then I promise I'll my own food the next time."
Soujiro smiled again, "Follow me."
There were sounds of laughter in the west shed. The barrel that Soujiro had carried was still on the ground, forgotten. The laughter faded into the night.
Kenshin yawned, which caused Soujiro to do the same. Grinning at each other, Kenshin stood and stretched. "You should go to sleep, it'll be getting late."
Soujiro looked at him. "What about you?"
"I'll be fine. I'm used to staying u-u-up..late." Kenshin had yawned near the end of the sentence, contradiction his previous statement. Kenshin smiled sheepishly. "I guess I should go to sleep to."
"You can stay here!" Soujiro suddenly proclaimed. "It isn't the best place, but you'll be safe from the cold and other things."
Kenshin must've looked very reluctant at this because Soujiro assured him that it was okay. Thanking him, Kenshin turned to his brown box, opening it and pulling out another male kimono. Without further ado, he started taking off his clothes.
Soujiro gasped, face blushing, and he immediately turned around.
Kenshin looked over his shoulder curiously. "What's wrong?"
"I--I uh.. Don't want to make you think I'm peeking."
Kenshin laughed. "Why would it matter? We're both boys."
"I know but--- BOYS!?" Soujiro blinked and spun around to face Kenshin.
Kenshin let out an 'Oro!' when Soujiro came over towards him. "I-I thought.. And.. The hair.. I.."
Kenshin blinked, and laughed awkwardly. "I understand Soujiro. I used to get that very much. My shishou even mentioned it too." Kenshin made a face.
Soujiro's face heated up, he felt so embarrassed! He has mistaken his first friend for a girl! Seeing this, Kenshin immediately assured him that he wasn't offended at all. "Maa, don't worry about it. We can still be friends, ne Soujiro-kun?"
Soujiro smiled back gratefully. "Hai, we can, Kenshin."
That night, Soujiro never bothered heading back to the main house to sleep, and decided to stay with Kenshin in the shed. Unfortunately, through all the recent events, Soujiro's task was forgotten.
And the consequences wouldn't be light.
'The strong live. The weak die. It's the only truth in this world' These grim thoughts rang through the head of one Makoto Shishio. He had been on the run for God knows how long. His body was consumed with the pain from his burns, but he kept on walking. Killing the police who had the fortune of coming across Shishio's path.
The flames that burnt his skin weren't the only thing that blazed strongly in Shishio's mind. The flames of revenge licked at his heart, turning it blacker than it had been before. He would come back, stronger than before. And he would let the fire consume them, as it had tried to consume him.
'The strong live. The weak die. And the name Makoto Shishio will be feared.'
A/N: This was just supposed to be a one-shot, of those two meeting for a day, and yeah.. It was also supposed to be PWP.. But I don't know.. It feels like I could continue this, you know? Well, if I ever do continue, you'll know when I update. Hah. Not very promising, I know, but it's all I can give right now. Tell me what you think in a review! XD