A Meiji Love Story
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A/N: This is a story Sessha created after listening to thousands of different songs :) This story is a little bit of a Meiji Era twist on the Romeo & Juliet tale. Though Ive never read Romeo & Juliet, I know some of its storyline...and besides, it only makes this story far more original if I dont know the Romeo & Juliet tale, ne? :)
Summary: Kaoru Kamiya is the daughter of a rich lord in Tokyo, Japan. Her father is willing to do anything in his power to make his beloved daughter happy...except allow for her to have a boyfriend. When a young man stumbles upon Kaoru in town, little does she know that this man will impact her life far more than she realizes. They meet on accident once more, and Kaoru is for certain that this man is going to be involved in her life. With their secret meetings, they begin to form a strong friendship. However, their relationship soon changes...taking turn for the worst. Will they reforge the bond they created, or will it be lost in a hopeless thrash of seas?
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. It is rightfully owned by the great Nobuhiro Watsuki, and I claim no rights to his works whatsoever.
Special thanks goes out to my friend at school who helped give me some much needed information on things I wouldnt know about and for providing me with ideas for this story :) Enjoy ^_^
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Chapter 1
A Destined Meet
"Kaoru, darling? It's time to get out of bed!" a feminine voice called.
"Be quiet Himiki!" ordered a masculine voice in reply. "Our daughter can sleep as much as she likes." A beautiful young woman sat across from her husband in the main room, a startled expression replacing her calm aura. She frowned, but nodded. "Yes dear," she murmured, bowing. "I'm sorry."
The man was well-built but lean, his face bare of any sort of facial hair besides his thin black eyebrows. He wore his long raven black hair in a high hanging topknot. His brown eyes were narrowed toward his wife. "Don't bother with apologizing," he sighed. He dug his chopsticks into the small bowl of rice and chewed on a single grain, still staring at Himiki with annoyance. He lowered his face to avoid eye contact with her.
"Kaoru definately has your horrid talent at cooking," he grumbled.
The corner of Himiki's eye twitched. "Oh, so you think you can do better?" she shot back. Then, a smirk spread over her lips and she folded her arms inferiorly across her chest. "Well, at least I know where she gets her anger issues from."
"Now you listen here, Himiki..."
As the two adults bickered about downstairs, upstairs, meanwhile, lied a young maiden, asleep in her bed. Her bluish-black hair splayed over her pillow while her hands clutched the ends of her blanket close to her nose. She was lost in a state of dream; a dream in which she did not intend to ever awaken from.
She sat in the center of a lucious green meadow, the sun shining so radiantly overhead it made everything seem so feathery and vibrant to her eyes. The world around her was so fragrant, so perfect.
"I never want to leave this place," she breathed, falling back into a garden of flowers. She shielded her eyes from the beaming rays and looked to the beautiful blue sky, a single white butterfly fluttering on by overhead. She sighed. 'Such a wonderful place to be...nothing could make this any better...'
"...maybe I wouldn't be so hot tempered if you knew how to cook better!"
"That's no excuse to be acting so rudely!"
"Mmph..." The girl's eyes fluttered open, met by the sun's soft touching rays. Her blue eyes sparkled brightly in the light. Disappointment masked her face when she realized she was no longer in her dreamland. So much for that dream...and to think it would've gotten better if I'd stayed asleep just a while longer...
She rose from her bed and plopped down on a soft white chair. Looking herself in the mirror, Kaoru noticed the faded purple beneath her eyes and the ragged hair-do she had. Well this won't do. She picked up her white brush with sapphires encrusted in the back and grew and meniacle smirk. Hair: prepare to meet your maker.
Kaoru brushed through her thin layered hair with ease, humming a soft tune to herself as she listened to the birds chatter about outside of her house. Once she pulled her hair back with her pink ribbon and dressed into a elegant purple kimono with a cherry blossom design, she smiled at herself before stepping downstairs to greet her arguing parents.
"Good morning, mother," Kaoru said with a cheerful smile. "Good morning, father."
The parents stopped in the middle of their agruement to look in Kaoru's direction. Their expressions changed from anger to a much calmer mood filled with warm smiles as they greeted right back.
"Why, good morning darling." Himiki smiled.
"Hello honey," said Kaoru's father with softness in his eyes. "It's good to see you this morning."
"Thank you." Kaoru dipped her head and took her place at the table. She saw the food lying in the center and turned to her mother nervously. "Um...mother, did you make breakfast?" she asked.
Himiki nodded.
"I think I outdid myself this time!" Himiki boasted, beaming.
"Feh. I beg to differ..." Himiki shot a glare in her husband's direction. He snorted, grumbling something under his breath.
Kaoru interveined and quickly changed the topic. "So father, where are Yahiko and Sano?" She figured her two brothers would be up and about the town -as they usually would be- but she wanted to keep her parents from biting eachothers necks off. He glanced at her and replied, "In town as usual." Then his eyes slitted in suspicion. "Why are you asking?"
"Heheh...no reason in particular. I was just curious is all."
He gazed at her for a moment longer before finally relaxing and continuing his meal without further question. Kaoru sighed in relief. That was too close, she thought.
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The Kamiya family took a horsedrawn carridge into town for the day. Kaoru sat in the back close to the passenger window to gaze out at the bustling shops and streets. For years, Kaoru had longed to wander around town by herself for a change. She was always told to stick with her brothers, no questions asked. And if her brothers weren't there to keep an eye on her, either her mother or father would.
She frowned.
When had her life become to overwhelmed? She already knew the answer to that: since the day she was born, of course.
She watched with longing the cute passing couples, arms looped through one anothers or hand-in-hand. Why won't father let me have a boyfriend? wondered Kaoru.
Her father, lord of the Castle Town in Tokyo, Japan, would do anything for her. Anything her heart desired, he would go out of his way and get it for her. The only problem was, he would never let her have a boyfriend. Just a simple romantic relationship with a kind young guy was all she wanted, but her father always refused to give her that.
"Your not old enough to understand the hardships of a relationship," he lectured her more than a thousand times. "And on top of which, your my precious little flower and I refuse for any man to break your delicate heart!"
Delicate heart.
Kaoru's father apparently didn't know her as well as he thought he did. She was far from being a delicate girl. Has he forgotten how he's taught me the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu? She remembered not once shedding a tear when a bokken was thrusted into her side or was bombarded against her shoulder. Kaoru had no clue as to where her father was getting all these dilusional ideas of herself being delicate as a flower or not mature enough to handle relationships from.
She watched as two familiar figures passed by her window before she recognized them and nearly bounced out of her seat. "Stop the carridge! Stop it now!"
It came to a slow stop. The horses neighed and spluttered in protest. Both her parents whirled around to face Kaoru. "What is the matter, dear?" asked her mother tenderly.
"I swear, if this is about taking a look at some passing guy..."
"Of course not!" Kaoru interrupted her father indignantly. She balled her hands into fists on her lap and muttered, "I saw Yahiko and Sano alittle ways back. That's why I asked to stop."
Her father flushed but cleared his throat immediatly. "Why didn't you say so in the first place, honey? Come along. Let's see if we cannot catch up with them."
I was trying to tell you. As usual, though, you never let me finish what I'm saying. Kaoru huffed and jumped out from the carridge. Her father and mother came out shortly after. Instantly, they were at her side. Kaoru mentally facepalmed herself.
"Let us be on our way!" Her father marched off, leaving her and Himiki behind. Himiki ushered her daughter forward. "Come along, darling!" she chirped. "Keep up with your father!"
I'd rather not, Kaoru wanted to say but kept her mouth shut. Her father was an utter embarrassment to her in every way. And her mother was far worse. Nonetheless, she had to love them, though at times she'd like to toss them down a well and leave.
They caught up with Sano and Yahiko at last, and Kaoru couldn't have felt any happier. Her tall, spikey haired older brother looked down at her and smiled. "Hey little missy," Sano said. "What's up?" Her younger brother, Yahiko, short with brown spiked hair, said, "Hey ugly sis, whatcha doin'?"
Before she had time to reply, her father stepped in her way and confronted Sano sternly. "Sanosuke Kamiya, how many times do I have to tell you not to wear that ridiculous outfit in public?" he fumed. Sano chuckled. "Dad, it's cool, alright? It's not like I'm causing a crime or nothin'. Besides, it was a gift from grandpa, remember?"
"I know who it was from! You don't need to remind me." A flash of sadness flickered in their fathers eyes during that exact moment, but vanished as quick as it had shown. "I don't want you to wear that in public. I mean, look at the kanji symbol on the back of it! You shouldn't be waltzing around town with an outfit like that on your back!"
Wait!
Kaoru gaped as an idea popped into her mind. This could be my chance to look around town by myself!
She glanced from her parents to her brothers and back again, double checking to be sure they wouldn't see her attempt to leave. When she felt certain they wouldn't notice her absence, Kaoru giggled mischiviously and slunk away as unseen as a ghost, then, ran off fast like a cheetah.
I did it! Her mind screamed in joy. She was far away enough that they looked like a speck of dust in the distance. Slowly, Kaoru came to a rest and panted, glad that she had stopped and at the same time overjoyed that she had finally done what she would only dream of doing.
Ha! I sure showed them! Kaoru straightened up and placed her hands on her hips triumphantly. Whose a delicate, immature flower now?
She twirled around slowly to take in all the different shops, houses and resturaunts she never took the time to notice before. Her eyes widened in amazement. Wow...so this is what I've been missing out on, huh? It looks really impressive for a town!
"Hey there little girl. You don't wanna stray to far from your family. Someone might just come in and swipe you up."
Kaoru jumped at the sudden sly voice that rose up behind her. She whirled around to see a lanky guy standing before her with black hair tied up in a topknot wearing a blue kimono with a matching hakama. He was peering down at her, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. Suddenly, two more men showed up from behind him, wearing the same get-up, one a semi-tall man with short brown hair and the other a broad muscled man with rough black hair.
She took a few steps back and swallowed hard. "W-who are you?" she stammered. Then, added with a scowl, "Leave me alone. I don't want to cause any trouble with you guys, so you better back off."
The tall man snickered.
"Playing hard to get, are we now?" he mused. He whipped out a silver gun and pointed it directly in her face between her eyes. Kaoru jumped with shock. He has a gun?
"Sadly for you, girly, I don't care much for women who play hard to get. You'll come with me and my pals here nice and easy..." He rested his index finger upon the trigger and it clicked. "...or if you refuse, were gonna have some complications arise. And we surely wouldn't want that, would we?"
Okay-maybe running off from my family wasn't such a great idea afterall. What do I do now? This creep has a fully loaded gun right in my face! While sorting out her options, the two men from behind Kaoru's tormentor appeared on either side of her and started to forcefully grab hold of her arms. "Ah!" she screamed.
The town's people stopped and gasped in horror at the sight they were witnessing. The man holding the rifle moved his arm in the crowd's way threateningly. They yelped and shrank back in fear. "One false move to help the woman," he growled. "And you'll all regret it."
"Not if I can help it."
Kaoru turned around to see a short red haired man making his way nonchalantly toward them, his violet eyes slitted, a sword at his side, and a cross shaped scar on his left cheek. The tormentor threw his head in the short man's direction, sneering. "You want some of this, shorty?"
The red head ignored the threat, replying calmly. "All I ask is if you would release the girl. If you don't, I will have no choice but to deal with you and your comrads here."
The man smirked. "You really think you can take us three down, shrimp?" He laughed. "How amusing! The brat thinks he can take us out!" He took a step forward, glaring at the red head. "Listen here, carrot-top," he hissed. "Unless you want your brains splattered across the street, you better stay out of our way."
The short man lowered his head. "I don't think you understood what I said earlier," he murmured. "Let the girl free and I promise not to cause you men any trouble. If you choose to refuse, then it has become my problem, and I'll have to see to it that you are taken care of."
"I'm sick of hearing your talk, kid. Do us all a favor and shut the hell up!"
The gun fired. Kaoru tightened her eyes shut, teeth clenched. The only sounds she heard were the gasping and shrieks of the people and the painful groans of a man thumping to the ground.
Owari
And so brings us to the conclusion of the first chapter. What are your thoughts on the story so far? Please be kind enough to let me know by reviewing :) It only takes but a minute of your time, and I'd greatly appreciate if you would. Thank you for reading! See you next chapter!
-MrFoshizzleProTheWanderor