Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. I'm simply an idiot who makes up wierd stories about it in her head.

Your Ripped Up Heart

Chapter One

It was unbelievebly peaceful at the Kamiya Dojo that day. Unbelievebly peaceful. The Kashi family couldn't believe how pieceful.

Mr. Kashi stared at the place. There was something... special about it. His wife stood to his right holding their one year old boy, Hoji. She looked it over with a critical eye. Meanwhile, his sixteen-year old daughter smiled happily while holding the hand of her five-year old little sister.

"Look, Shika," she whispered with excitement. "This building is over a hundred years old! Isn't that cool?"

Mrs. Kashi gave her husband a side-long look. "Koto, you said this place would be nice. It looks disgusting. What would happen during an earthquake? This dried up shack would collapse."

Mr. Kashi shook his head. "I don't think it would be a problem. I've heard Dojo's from the Bakumatsu were built pretty strong, although I can't be sure." He grinned at the sixteen-year old. "After all, I'm not the one obsessed with history."

Mika shook her head. "I'm not obsessed with history. I just think it's cool that we get to live in a place that has so much of it."

"So," her father said with an annoying smirk. "What did you dig up?"

"Well, I know this place was used a lot during the early years of the Meiji Restoration. And if I remember right, they practiced Kamiya Kashiin style of swordsmanship."

"Oh great," her step-mother complained in a dull tone. "So people have killed people here."

Mika felt her face go red. She bit her lip, staring at her feet.

Her mother had been killed when she was only seven years old, in a tragic car accident. She had then been sent to live with her fathers cousin while he "got his life back together" and so Mika could heal as well. However, when she finally turned ten, her father still didn't want her, and rumors that he was engaged began to surface.

She was finally sent back to her father when she was thirteen. She returned to find her father married and a two-year old little sister.

They lived in Yokohama for three years in an apartment. Mika had done her best to behave, but somehow she was always doing something wrong. While her step-mom was pregnant, it was ten thousand times worse. Then, after Hoji was born, her step-mom decided she wanted to move back to Tokyo.

And now that they had finally done what she had wanted, she just kept complaining. She was never satisfied.

"Well, Kani, if you don't like it, we can leave," her father said, sounding more then just a little disappointed. But he was always willing to give in to her, no matter what. This was something that made Mika sick.

Kani made a face. "We don't have the money to leave. You paid the money down. Now we're stuck here."

Mika was tired of listening. She picked up her bag and walked towards the dojo, never letting go of Shika's hand. The adults simply ignored her.

"Mika," Shika said. "Are there ghosts in this house?"

"No," Mika said plainly.

"Are there graves?"

Mika tilted her head. Graves? She supposed it was possible. Could she tell her little sister that? Probably not.

"I don't know."

They reached the door, and Mika opened it to find everything surprisingly... clean. They must have cleaned the place before selling it.

She stepped inside. Shika gripped her hand while chewing on her shirt. Mika stopped.

Something was... wrong.

"Mika, I'm scared," Shika whispered. Mika didn't reply. She was too. She felt... terrified. She had no idea why.

And then they heard it.

"Kaoru! You burnt it again!" it was coming from outside. As in the outside where she was only a moment ago.

"Then don't eat it," came the angry reply.

Shika looked up at Mika, tears in her eyes. "I want mommy," she whispered.

Mika turned to face the door. She gasped.

Standing in front of her, holding dirty dishes, was a red haired man.

"Ah..." his face was full of surprise at the sight of the strangely dressed people. "May I help you?"

Mika looked the man up and down. He was dressed in... samurai gear... and he had a scar shaped like an x on his left cheek. "What are you doing here?" she asked him.

The man simply laughed. "I live here, that I do. Are you lost?"

Then an idea hit Mika. "Oh my god. What year is it?"

Now the man was completely confused. "It is the eleventh year of the Meiji, that it is. Are you all right, ma'am?"

Shika was balling now.

"Oh, no," Mika whispered. "This is... this is impossibe!"