At First Glance

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

Prologue

There are legends that stretch back as far as human history about soulmates and their deep, unbreakable bond. Of a love so deep and true that it surpasses all other bonds. It is said that to have a soulmate is to be blessed beyond all understanding. That no matter what trials they face in life, they will overcome and their bond will be unbroken, only strengthened by the obstacles that they've faced.

Still, to be blessed with a soul mate is an incredibly rare thing. Once, it was common for people to meet their soulmate and live a blessed life. But some scholars say that this most precious gift was not cherished, that despite the bond they were gifted, they ignored it or treated it like a weakness, something to despise. Some even used this gift to control their mate, making their lives total misery.

Other scholars debate that the reason that soul mates have disappeared is because humans have evolved past the need for them. With reason and logic advancing, humans no longer needed to be tied by their bodies' needs and responses. After all, it makes so much more sense to use your brain and logic to select the ideal partner to help carry your bloodline on. Now instead of relying on chemical responses like animals, man can use his higher reason to bring mankind to even greater heights than before.

But no matter what theory you believe, it cannot be denied that soulmates have dwindled more with each passing decade. Now soulmates have been relegated to the past, to the realm of stories and myths. Little children still hear stories of great soulmates from the past, but these are considered fairytales, meant only to entertain and inform children. In the past century, there have only been a score of soulmates and if this trend continued, the soul mate bond will have disappeared within the next two decades.

But what people often forget is that all legends have grains of truth in them. And often when things seem the most hopeless, the dark before the dawn, the peak of the storm, that's when the unexpected happens and legends live again. And when the dust settles, then oh what a glorious sunrise.

KxK

Koshijiro sighed and tried not to let his weariness show as he worked on settling his daughter in for the night. Since he'd lost his wife three months earlier, making it through the day had become incredibly hard. If it hadn't been for his seven year old daughter, Kaoru, he honestly couldn't say what he would've done in his grief. She had been subdued and lost since her mother had passed, clinging to him for comfort. Still, in the past couple of weeks, her lively spirit had started to resurface, both gladdening and saddening his heart.

Making sure that she was comfortable, he noted that she was still wide awake. Knowing that if he left right then, she'd be rejoining him shortly, protesting that she wasn't sleepy. Settling himself next to her futon, he conceded, "I'll tell you one story and then you have to go to sleep. Which one?"

Her eyes sparkled in anticipation, "The soul mate one, otou-san."

He sighed, "Are you sure? You've already heard that one so many times."

"Yes, otou. I want that one."

"All right." Gathering his thoughts, he started, "A long time ago, the kamis' saw that people were very lonely. They were saddened by this, because they wanted people to be happy. So they all sat down together and talked about they could make the people happy. They talked for a long, long time, but they couldn't figure out a way to keep people from being lonely."

"Why couldn't they figure out how to make people happy, otou-san?"

"I don't know why, maybe they had too many different ideas. Anyway, the youngest kami had been silent while the other kamis' talked, watching the people as they lived their lives. Finally, when the other kamis' stopped talking, he gathered up all of his courage and spoke." He changed his voice to a scared, young voice. "'While you were talking, I was watching the people down below. I saw that people were happy when they had someone to love, to be with them, for their whole lives. I believe that its love that makes people happy.' The other kamis' who had been about to yell at the youngest kami for not paying attention were surprised and looked to see if what he saw was true."

"And it was, he was right." Kaoru was so excited that she started to sit up. She quickly lay back down when her father gave her a warning look.

"Yes, they saw that the youngest kami was indeed right. Now they had to figure out how to help people figure out who to love so they could be happy. Again, all the kamis' but the youngest talked and talked. Finally, they noticed that he hadn't said anything and they asked him what he thought. Taking a deep breath, he said quietly, 'The humans say that the eyes are the windows to the soul. Let them look in each other's eyes and when they find the person that will make them most happy, let them be bound together so they'll never be lonely again.' All of the kamis' were very happy with this idea and immediately did as the youngest kami had suggested. And even today, people can find the person that makes them most happy. All they have to do is look in each other's eyes and they know that they'll never be lonely again."

Fighting back a yawn, Kaoru requested sleepily, "Tell me about you and okaa-san."

"When I was younger."

"Where you as young as me?"

He smiled at her attempts to extend bedtime, even though her eyes were drooping. "No, I was all grown up. But when I was younger, my master sent me on an errand to deliver a package to another dojo."

"But you didn't want to."

"No, I didn't. It was hot and the dojo was all the way across town. I wanted to go with my friends and swim in the river to cool off. But my master told me to do it, so I had to do it. So I took the package to the dojo across town, grumbling about how unfair it was. But when I entered the dojo….."

"You saw okaa-san!"

"She wasn't your okaa-san then. I never seen her before, but I thought that she was the prettiest girl that I've ever seen. I tripped and almost dropped the package, I was so surprised."

"And she thought it was funny."

"Yes, your okaa-san giggled at my clumsiness and I was so embarrassed. I looked at her, about to say something mean because she'd laughed at me when I met her eyes."

"Her blue eyes like mine."

"Yes. Her blue eyes met mine and suddenly I couldn't breathe. It was like I was suddenly home, like having hot tea on a cold day, or snuggling with your kitten." A sleepy hand reached out and gently petted the kitten that was sleeping on her pillow. "And I knew that I'd never be lonely again, just like in the story. So we got married and had a beautiful little girl that we named Kaoru."

She was almost asleep as she murmured, "That's me, I'm Kaoru."

"Yes. I love you, Kaoru. Good night."

Getting to his feet, he almost missed her reply, "Love you too, otou-san. Someday, I'm gonna find someone just like you found okaa-san and live happily ever after."

Before he could answer, she was fast asleep. Making his way slowly out of the room, he whispered brokenly, "If only we'd gotten to live happily ever after. Still, hopefully you'll find your soulmate one day, Kaoru. I just pray that you'll be happy."

A/N: So, I have a lot going on in my home life, so while I can't promise regular updates, I promise to update when I can. This story just wouldn't leave me alone and I had to write it. The idea of soul mates is something that fascinates me and I hope that you'll enjoy this story as much as I do. When I was looking for a definition of soul mates for this story, I found one at Urban Dictionary that just spoke to me, so I just have to share it: A person with whom you have an immediate connection the moment you meet - a connection so strong that you are drawn to them in a way you have never experienced before. As this connection develops over time, you experience a love so deep, strong and complex, that you begin to doubt that you have ever truly loved anyone prior. Your soulmate understands and connects with you in every way and on every level, which brings a sense of peace, calmness and happiness when you are around them. And when you are not around them, you are all that much more aware of the harshness of life, and how bonding with another person in this way is the most significant and satisfying thing you will experience in your lifetime. You are also all that much aware of the beauty in life, because you have been given a great gift and will always be thankful.

Reviews are appreciated.