The Forgotten Era

Disclaimer: MysticChaos does not own Rurouni Kenshin.

MC (MysticChaos): Unfortunately, my friend who helps me write my stories (Kura) won't be participating in this fanfic. Instead, my muses will be here throughout this whole story!

Muse Mystic (MM): Yo.

Muse Chaos (Mc): HELLO!

Everyone: 0_o;;;

MC: She ate too much sugar-coated bagels right?

MM: *sarcasm* No, she's originally hyper.

MC: Well, technically she is.

MM: *mutter* Forget I even started….

Mc: SO! What's the story going to be?

MC: Well, first I'm doing a couple of prologues then the real story will begin!

MM: Won't the readers get bored by the time you're finished with the prologues?

MC: I'll just tell them to stay put and continue reading since the prologues are really important.

Mc: COW!

MC: ….That was… er… random….

MM: Don't worry. You'll get used to it.

MC: I guess-no-I HOPE so.

Mc: START THE STORY!

MC: Alright! Sheesh! A great writer like me needs time and patience!

MM: Riiiight….

Mc: But you have none of those qualities!

MC: DON'T TELL THE READERS THAT!

Mc: I already did!

MC: *twitch* Ahem. Well, read the story! As for you Muse Chaos…. *walks toward her with the Flaming Mallet of Doom*

Mc: Uh….I have to…er….chase squirrels! Yeah! Well, see ya! *runs away*

MC: COME BACK HERE!

MM: *watches Muse Chaos get tortured* This is fun. *takes out popcorn* You heard what MysticChaos said! Read the story! *laughs evilly as MysticChaos pulls off feathers from Muse Chaos's wings*

(Author's Note: I just remembered that I forgot to describe my two muses. Muse Chaos is the bright side of me and Muse Mystic is the dark side of me. Muse Chaos has white wings and blonde hair. Wears white and gold. Muse Mystic had dragon-like wings and has black hair. Wears black and silver.)

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Prologue 1: The Beginning

One day, a little girl of bright gold eyes, a pale, glowing skin, and black hair was born. She was born in a wealthy big-time merchant family and unlike most families at that time, she had a strict, but kind mother and father and had a big brother that always protected her and always played with her. She was very happy. Her name was Saeko.

"Father, father!" Saeko yelled running in the halls. As she turned around the corner, she bumped into her brother. "Slow down Saeko. What makes you run like that?" he asked as he picked Saeko off her feet. Saeko looked up at her brother. Her brother had a disability. He could not open his eyes fully and when he did, he looked very scary and scared off the other kids. He had long bangs in front of his eyes too, but beside all these abnormalities, he was very kind to her.

"Oniichan! Oniichan (brother)! Guess what?!" Saeko shouted energetically. Her brother shook his head and smiled. He had always thought that his little sister was a bit too active. Lifting her up on his shoulders, her brother asked, "What?"

"I learned a new word!" Saeko announced proudly.

A sweat drop formed on her brother's head.

"And…er…what is that new word, Saeko?" he asked.

"Stupid!"

"….Maybe….you shouldn't tell father about that."

"OK! But that's not the point! My friends and me-"

"My friends and I."

"My friends and I want to go to a little store that gives treats! We thought it was a good idea to visit that place! It has sugar bread, rice balls, though I admit mother's rice balls taste bett-"

BOOM!

Saeko's brother looked up in alarm and another sweat drop formed on his head. Saeko had hit her head on the ceiling (since her brother was carrying her around), but instead of crying, she was still talking with a lot of hyper-ness. Her brother shook his head again. 'Maybe it was a mistake to teach her our language too soon…' Saeko's brother thought.

Saeko was a genius that had learned to walk in a matter of 10 months without anyone teaching her and had learned to talk since she was 1 year old, but still, of course had a lot to learn. Obviously, when she did learn something, she'll talk non-stop until she tires herself.

BOOM!

Saeko hit her head again, and still talking. A new record.

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Saeko opened her eyes and yelled, "Ready or not, here I come!" As she walked cautiously around, she heard a few giggles in the bushes. "Got you!" Saeko shouted, moving the twigs away. Her friends screamed with laughter and ran away, Saeko following.

Suddenly, Saeko tripped over someone. Turning around, she saw a boy wince in pain. Curious, she tilted her head and looked at him. He had bluish-black hair, and deep blue eyes. Noticing that she caused the boy pain when she tripped over him, she helped the boy up and apologized. "I'm sorry that I tripped over you. I didn't see where I was going! Clumsy me." Saeko smiled. The boy nodded happily, picked up his rice bag that he was carrying and continued ahead in where he was going.

Saeko noticed that he had ragged clothes and the rice bag itself was larger than the boy. Curiosity go the better of her, and Saeko ran up to the boy again. "Excuse me for asking, but why are you carrying rice? Isn't it too heavy?" The boy stopped and looked at Saeko. He smiled, "Yes, it is, but I have no choice since my family made me do so."

"Aren't you upset by that?"

"If I am, then they will get angry and hit me. If I cry, they will be angrier then before. If I stay happy, they will stop beating me eventually at least."

Saeko's eyes grew wide.

"They hit you?!"

"Yes."

The boy was still smiling and Saeko just stared. With a bow, the boy walked off again. Knowing that she couldn't do much except talk, Saeko yelled after the boy, "My name is Saeko Hajime! What's yours?" The boy turned around again. This time with a shocked vision. It seemed like he was never asked by that question before. "Uh….Seta Soujiro!" he shouted back. Saeko smiled and simply waved.

The next time Saeko and Soujiro met again was when Saeko's friends went to a new store and bought treats to eat. Sitting on the stone steps, they were eating happily until Saeko saw a boy struggling along the crowd with a rice bag. Suddenly, Saeko felt guilty. Looking down at her treat, she said she had to go somewhere to her friends and chased after the boy.

"Seta!" Saeko shouted. Soujiro turned around, with his usual happy face. Catching up to him, Saeko took a rice cake out of her little pouch and handed it to Soujiro. Shaking his head, Soujiro smiled, "No! I don't need-" The Saeko frowned, Suddenly she stuffed the rice cake into his mouth. Soujiro chewed, swallowed, and stared with a shocked vision at Saeko. "For your information, don't your family starve you sometimes? At least have some food!" Saeko said smartly. Blinking, Soujiro smiled. Then he laughed. Now Saeko was confused. She impatiently said, "What's so funny? Huh? Huh? HUH?!"

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"Hot potato, two potato, three potato, and over…" one of the children said as he hit a ball three times before he threw it to the next person. "Four potato, five potato, six potato, and-ACK!" Saeko gasped as the ball hit her on the head, bounce off, and go somewhere. Her friends laughed at Saeko's shocked face. Then she smiled and went to get it.

Seeing the ball roll under a patio, she kneeled down to get it. Crawling inside, she got the ball, but she saw someone in front of her. "Seta! What are you doing down here?!" Saeko whispered, trying to sit up. She ended up knocking her head on the top of the patio. The boy looked up from his hunched position and flinched when Saeko touched his arm. Saeko held her hand back and tried to see Soujiro in the darkness. He had bruises on his forehead and hands. Scabs were forming at his cheeks. Her first taste of hatred (Saeko never hated before) for Soujiro's family flickered in her heart. Then a voice shouted, "What's taking you so long?" "In a minute!" Saeko yelled back. Then she turned to Soujiro and said in a soothing voice, "Seta, I'm going to take you to my house. We'll go right away." Saeko lent out a hand. Soujiro looked at Saeko and hesitantly grabbed her hand.

Saeko came back with the ball and said to her friends, "Sorry, but I'm going home now. So…um…see you tomorrow-" But she was interrupted when one of the boys jeered, "Why do you keep hanging around that low-life? Is he that pathetic to take on your pity?" The other children looked on. Saeko looked at Soujiro and felt the hatred flow into her heart again. Then she whirled around, golden eyes flaring like the sun. Suddenly, Saeko stepped forward and smacked the boy hard in the face. The boy tripped on the ground and looked up at the steaming Saeko. She shouted, "You should be ashamed of yourself! For all I know, YOU'RE the low-life! Fool!" Then she turned on her heel and stomped off with Soujiro smiling as always.

Saeko's mother looked up from her laundry and sighed, "Saeko! You've dirtied your kimono again! And it was new-" Saeko's mother stopped and saw Soujiro. "My lord. Saeko, bring him in."

Later, when Saeko's mother was attending to Soujiro's wounds, Saeko sat beside him and asked, "My gosh…I never saw you this beaten up. What happened?" As usual, Soujiro still had his happy face.

"Well, my big brother was testing his new sword and…er…decided to use it on me." Soujiro stared, but stopped when Saeko gasped and her mother looked up sharply. Soujiro quickly added, "I mean on the rice bag!" Saeko sighed and her mother went back to his bruises. Soujiro continued.

"Then my father thought I spilled the rice on the ground, so he kicked me out looking like this."

Saeko looked at her mother.

"You will rest here Soujiro."

He shook his head furiously and said, "No! I'll…it's impolite!"

Saeko's mother smiled and immediately Soujiro calmed down. Saeko grinned. Her mother always had the ability to change people's emotions so easily.

"Do not worry, dear. We have plenty of room and enough food for all. Then you can leave in the morning if you like." Saeko's mother softly said. Soujiro beamed.

Later, Saeko's mom peeped into her daughter's room and almost laughed. There they were. Sleeping side to side, holding hands (MC: shame on you if you have any sick thoughts for this!). They looked so adorable together…

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Saeko walked around the town, hearing gossip from random people. "Did you hear? A murderer named Shishio is killing police and innocent people is here!" said one person. Another whispered, "I heard that it is very dangerous to roam around the night since the murderer kills them at that time." The other person responded nervously, "Oh dear…I usually have shifts at the night." Saeko shivered. She did not like today's gossip. Wanting to shake that feeling off, Saeko put her mind toward something else. Like what her father had told her to do earlier.

(Mc: Italics mean flashback…I NEED CANDY! *chews on a candy cane*)

"Father? Did you call?" Saeko said quietly as she approached her father. "Yes. Now sit down my lovely Saeko." he said as he set his daughter on his lap. Saeko looked at her father. He was very handsome and her brother and her had inherited his eyes and hair from him. Their skin color was from their mother. Saeko's personality came from, well, they still don't know.

"Why won't you ask your friend's family if they are interested in joining my merchant business." Saeko's dad asked. Saeko, horrified, said, "What about oniichan? Can't he inherit the business?"

"No. He is too interested in swordsmanship and I cannot banish him from his heart's desire and you will have a hard time with the people who won't accept you if I gave the job to you."

"So….you're going to ask Seta's family?"

"Yes."

"But-but you can't! They're awful! They torture Seta and are stupid-"

"Saeko! Where did you learn that word?"

"Um…newspaper, but that's not the point-"

"Saeko. I have no choice. Do you know anyone else who has the stability and power to keep the merchant business?"

"No…"

"But do not worry. If they do not meet my standards, I will look for another person."

"Yes, father."

"Now, tell the Soujiro family that we will arrive soon."

"Yes, father."

Then Saeko jumped out of her father's lap and walked away, with low spirits.

'Hmph. That didn't help a lot.' Saeko thought as she walked toward Soujiro's house. Then as she got closer to her friend's house, she heard yelling and beatings. Nervous, she quickened her pace and peeped through the gate door.

Soujiro was flinching in pain as his drunken father was continuously beating him with a katana. The others were smirking at this "show." Blindly, Saeko ran in and covered Soujiro, receiving the painful katana's blow. Saeko held in her scream and whispered in Soujiro's ear, "Are you alright?" Seta looked up, still remarkably with a smile, nodded. Then Soujiro's father picked Saeko up by the collar. Below, Seta was begging to let her go, but the drunk man casually kicked him away. The man then looked closely at Saeko's face and by "accident" dropped her. "What do you want?" Seta's father burped. Saeko said proudly, without any tremor to her voice, "My father, the leader of a merchant company, wants to make a deal with you. He will be coming shortly. Till then," Saeko looked at the man's face in disgust, "Should prepare." Then she turned on her heel, glanced at Soujiro and left.

"It is very nice to meet you Mr. Hajime, sir." one of the butt-ugly brothers said politely. Saeko's mom bowed and Saeko herself just hid behind her mother, frantically looking around for Soujiro. Then horrid thoughts invaded her mind. 'No. He is NOT dead.' Saeko thought, shaking her head. Then she tagged along, beside her brother, into the Soujiro household.

The women of the Soujiro family left their men and the Hajime family alone, conversing. Saeko held tighter onto her brother as one of the men glared at her. Her brother glared back. "Well, what do you think of our business Mr. Hajime?" said the, now, sober father. Saeko's father nodded in approval. Then one of the brothers of the Soujiro family included, "We have a wide selection of rice to trade so it is good to extend our economy." Saeko's father nodded again. Saeko looked at her brother and whispered, "Oniichan….do you think father will actually approve of this?" Saeko's brother whispered back, "Don't worry. Father is still testing." Saeko nodded and looked on. Then the other brother of the Soujiro family took out a contract and smiled disgustingly. "This is the contract for binding our companies. Please sign if you approve." he said.

Saeko's father looked at the paper and smiled politely. Then he pushed the paper back to them. "I cannot agree. My wife seems like she does not approve of this agreement, my children seem to be show hatred and fear, and I do not accept anyone who is so eager to rush important events. No, I decline." The Soujiro family just stared for a second and then the father said desperately, "But they are just children and you how women are." Saeko saw her mother tighten her hands into a fist. This was not good. Saeko's mom hated being a second-rated person. Saeko wouldn't blame her.

Then Saeko saw her father set a hand on her mother's fist. They lessened their strain and Saeko's father began again. "I have never doubted my family's decision before. They have saved me from various mistakes that could have caused our very lives. I will not stop trusting them and I will not stop now. I am sorry, but I will have to look for someone else." Then the Soujiro women guided the Hajime family out. Saeko looked proudly at her father, but looked around frantically again for Seta (MC: I bet this is confusing. Um, well, Seta Soujiro is a complex name. Um, for those who know Soujiro in the Jupongatana, that's him. But, his first name is Seta while Soujiro is his last name. They just say his last name for formalities. That's all.). Her brother set a comforting hand on her head. "Don't worry," he said, "I saw a glimpse of him a few minutes ago and he seems to be fine." Saeko looked up at her brother and hugged him. She felt so lucky to have such a kind and wise family.

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Saeko was nervous. Her father had agreed to travel to another town so his business could expand and were leaving 2 days from now and Saeko hadn't seen any sign of Soujiro for weeks. Worried, Saeko ran behind movers, under desks that were lifted up, and out the gate door. "Saeko!" her brother yelled as he lifted a chair, but his father shook his head and silently said to let her be.

Saeko silently climbed up a tree (thanks to her brother teaching her how to do this), she looked over the wall that surrounded the Soujiro house. Waiting, Saeko suddenly saw Seta run inside a room in where the rice was kept. Saeko was confused. Climbing up another tree, she tried to look inside the room, but couldn't. Sighing in defeat, she climbed down and went home.

Saeko didn't try again the next day.

Soujiro lifted the rice bag again for the fifth time. Trying a shortcut, he went through a few alleys into a open road with tall houses on both sides of the road. Ahead of him, he saw people rushing back and forth at a rather large house and noticed they were coming out of Saeko's house. Wondering, he saw Saeko by a carriage, looking sad and tired. To cheer his friend up, he went to Saeko and said hello. Saeko looked up with surprise and lamely said hello too. "Who's moving?" Soujiro asked with a smile. Saeko quietly responded, "I am." Soujiro's smile faded a little. "All done!" a man's voice yelled. Then Saeko's brother passed by and shouted to her, "We have to go now, Saeko!"

Saeko patted Soujiro's head lightly and turned around heading to the carriage. Then she stopped and looked at Soujiro again. Running back, she hugged Seta. "I'm going to miss you so much Seta." Saeko whispered. Saeko felt something wet on her shoulder. Letting go of Soujiro, she saw that he was crying. "Seta….why are you crying?" Saeko asked softly. Soujiro sniffed, "I'll never see you again…that's why!" Saeko hugged Soujiro again. "Don't say that! Of course we'll see each other again! It's a very small world, Seta. Very small." (MM: Heh, of COURSE it is! They didn't even discover America was a whole new continent yet at that time! Load of morons….) Soujiro crying ceased a bit. Then Saeko ran to the carriage and stuck her head out the window. Saeko yelled, "Seta! Don't die okay? If you do, we won't be able to see each other again, okay? And when you die in a old age, then we'll be able to say goodbye! Okay, Seta? Don't die!" The carriage started to move. Soujiro shouted back, "I won't! I will live as long as I can okay!" Saeko nodded and went back into the carriage, feeling happy and sad. Sad knowing that she might not see her friend for years and happy knowing that Seta had promised to live. To live for her.

But, as evil as fate is, she will twist and turn Saeko's life into something that she will regret.

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MC: WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~!!! I'M ACTUALLY FINISHED WITH THE FIRST CHAPTER!

MM: More like the first story.

MC: HEY! I didn't write that much!

Mc: YES YOU DID~!!!!

MC: Ate too much sugar again?

MM: Yup.

MC: Thought so. Anyway, this chapter is only the beginning! There will be ANOTHER prologue! And it will soooooo much fun to write!

MM: Don't review. Please.

MC: WHAT?! Why are you saying that?!

MM: I don't want this story to continue. It's boring.

Mc: NOOOO~!!! IT'S THE BEST! ANED REVIEW LOTS!

MC: Thank you Muse Chaos. You could use my Flaming Mallet of Doom until the prologues end.

Mc: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY~!!! Who should I attack?

MM: *points to MysticChaos*

MC: HEY!

Mc: I know who to attack now!

Everyone: 0_0 *backs away*

Mc: Muse Mystic~! DIEEEEEEEEEE~!!!!

MM: Why always me?!

MC: HAHAHAHA~!!!!

MM: DAMN YOU!

MC: I love my Author Powers.

*Muse Chaos chases Muse Mystic*

MC: Well, that's the end of our chapter! See ya next time! KILL MUSE MYSTIC! MWAHAHAHAHA~!!!!

MM: HEY!