Disclaimer: I don't own Ruroni Kenshin. (sniff) I wish I did, but alas, I'm only a fan who likes to write fics. I hope you like!! .
Violet Eyes, Ch 1
A middle aged man lies on a makeshift bed made up of rag-tag blankets, sacks, clothes, anything soft that can be found. An eight year old girl sits beside him, while a five yr. old boy plays outside.
The man coughs, and starts to speak. "Aiah, you know I will not be here much longer. I have a favor to ask of you."
The girl stirs slightly, as if acknowledging her father for the first time.
"When I am gone, I want you to take care of Shinta. Your mother will be following me soon, and you are the sole heir to the style our family has taught. Will you do this in my memory?"
The girl doesn't speak, but bows her head in agreement.
"Now go to your brother."
The girl gets up and leaves.
Soon after a woman walks in to sit where the girl once was.
"Did you talk?"
"Yes, my time in this world is done."
Later that night
A solemn supper is being eaten while the doctor takes one last look at the children's father.
"Aiah, wha's wrong wi' daddy?" the boy asks.
The girl stares sadly into her soup for a moment, then replies, "Daddy's sick Shinta, now eat your soup."
"Will he get better?"
Her eyes narrow with the sadness that's welling up within her.
"Maybe Shinta, maybe…"
The next morning
A door slams open, then shut as the children's mother bursts out of their father's room, crying for the doctor.
The girl stands by the dojo, silent. Soon after the boy comes up and tugs on her kimono.
"Aiah, why's momma crying?"
"Daddy's dead Shinta."
The boy is silent as it slowly dawns on him.
"B-but, Daddy can't die. You said he'd get better."
Tears well up in his eyes as starts to yell, "YOU SAID HE'D GET BETTER!!!! YOU SAID HE'D GET BETTER!!!!"
The boy starts pound on his sister, and woken as if from a trance, the girl collapses to her knees and pulls her brother into an embrace.
"Shh Shinta, he did get better. It's ok, I'll take care of you. Shh, don't cry."
His sobs quiet as he listens to her soothing voice.
"H-he did?"
"Yes, he doesn't feel the pain anymore…"
Soon she too is crying quietly, and they both comfort each other in the early morning light.
three years later
An eleven year old girl walked and sat down by her brother. There was silence, then she spoke.
"Mom's gone Shinta. All we can do now is bury her next to dad."
Her brother was silent in reply.
a little while later
The last shovel of dirt was thrown, and a last prayer was said for the parents of Aiah and Shinta. Friends of the family had returned to their homes a little earlier, but the two siblings stood silent, saying their last goodbyes.
"What do we do now Aiah?"
"I don't know Shinta, I don't know."
The slave trader stopped and looked at the empty dojo in silence. He had received word that there might be potential slaves within from a "friend" of the family.
Motioning for a few to follow, he rode forward in silence. Soon after, he gave the all clear to search.
Waking up to the sounds of plundering, Aiah got up and silently made her way to Shinta's room.
"Shinta, Shinta, wake up." She whispered hurriedly. "We have to go now, that we do."
"Why Aiah?"
"Because Shinta, now stay close and be quiet."
Aiah opened the door to the dojo and peered inside. Finding everything to her satisfaction, she pulled Shinta inside and closed the door.
Picking up a shinai that had once belonged to their father, she stood by the door to keep watch.
"Rest Shinta, tomorrow will be a new day."
Near dawn, a man opened the door to find a sleeping Shinta.
"Hey boss, come look what I found."
The slave trader rode over from where he had been taking inventory of the plunder his men had found. Looking in from his horse, he said the two words that Aiah dreaded the most.
"Take him."
Two of his lackeys stepped inside the dojo and were about to lay their hands on Shinta when they were driven back by a flurry of red hair and a shinai.
Shinta woke just then to find his sister standing over him, breathing slightly heavy.
Hearing him stir, Aiah told him gently, "Stay down Shinta."
"Lookie here boss, we got ourselves a feisty one." One of the lackeys laughed out as he stepped forward, only to get driven back again.
"You won't lay a finger on him, that you won't." she whispered .
The slave trader looked her up and down, and seeing the hatred in her violet eyes, he decided only one course of action could be taken.
"Kill her. Take the boy."
"With pleasure boss."
The men stepped forward, ready to strike.
Aiah tensed, then charged. Gradually, the men fell, knocked out by her blows. Soon it was only her and the slave trader.
Drawing a katana, he got off his horse and approached her slowly.
As she charged, he neatly disarmed her, slicing her sword arm in the process.
"You will pay for your rebellious nature."
He cut her again, this time on the leg.
"You're just a wretch; you'll never win against me."
Shinta watched in quiet horror as his sister was punished.
In one last attempt to save her brother, Aiah ran, picked up her shinai, and charged.
He disarmed her again, slashed her right cheek, and knocked a blow to her head with his hilt.
She stood for a second, then started to fall. Even as her eyes glazed over, there was only one name she could utter.
"Shinta…"
Tears fell as she hit the floor.
Sheathing his sword, the slave trader motioned three slaves forward.
"Take him."
As the three women picked him up, he finally seemed to come alive.
"Aiah? Aiah…get up…Aiah!!!!"
The last thing that Shinta saw before he blacked out was his sister. The only thing he had left, she laid on the dojo floor, blood pooling around her, violet eyes dead to the world.
" Shinta, Shinta where are you?" one of the young women called. It had been several months since Shinta's sister Aiah had fallen, but he still hadn't gotten over it. He was often very quiet, and would slip away when he could.
Soon now they would be leaving Kyoto to go down another trade route, where they would most likely be sold, never to see each other ever again.
Shinta smiled as one of his surrogate sisters called his name. Over the past couple of months they had become family to him, helping to heal the hurt inside that threatened to engulf him.
"Coming!!"
the next morning
" Shinta, Shinta wake up."
Shinta rolled over on his futon and opened his eyed.
"Mm, huh…wha?"
"Come with us. Bandits are attacking, we have to get you out of here."
A wail of death went up in the distance, followed by shouts and the clang of katanas.
Pulled along by the women, Shinta soon found himself in what seemed to be the middle of a battle. Two men stopped in the middle of their carnage and started after them.
"Hey, there's some!!!!"
"Get 'em!!!"
Immediately they tried to go back the way they came, but to no avail. Men were al around them now.
"I'm sorry Shinta. We couldn't save you." The women holding his hand whispered.
Making a circle around Shinta, they embraced him, shielding him from all the horrible things happening around them.
"Shinta, you have to live…"
The first man struck.
"Yes Shinta, live…"
Blows were flying now. The first woman dropped, then another.
"No matter what happens Shinta, you have to live…"
The last woman fell.
"Shinta…"
Lying in a pool of blood…
"Shinta…"
Violet eyes dead to the world…
"Shinta…"
"No…"
Seijuro Hiko looked on at the kid. He had never moved, not even during the battle. His head was bowed now, as if in grief.
'Oh well, his loss…'
the next morning
Hiko returned the next morning to find recently dug graves and a silent boy. Shortly after he walked over and stood by him.
"What's your name kid."
"Shinta." Came the quiet reply.
"Hmph. Shinta's no name for a swordsman. From now on, your name's Kenshin."
"Kenshin…"
"Come on, before I change my mind about taking an apprentice."
So Shinta came into the care of Seijuro Hiko, the thirteenth master of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu."
AN: Wow, it feels good to be back. This time I thought I'd take a stab at Kenshin's past. If I have anything wrong, I'm really really rrrrrrreeeeeeeeaaaaaaallllllllyyyyyyyy sorry!!!! I only know a little about Kenshin's past, with a lot of thinking stuff up. Well, I hope you like. Please review!!!! See ya next chapter!!! . destinysangil