Kenshin Himura, ex-hitokiri, the once feared Battosai, was washing laundry.
And enjoying it.
Theres nothing wrong with enjoying a feminine chore, he told himself quietly.
"Kenshin, are you coming? Kenji wants to go to the square! Hurry up! Theres supposed to be an American story teller there too!"
kenshin smiled to himself. He had a feeling that his three year old son was actually asleep in his young wifes arms, and that Kaoru was the only one that wanted to go see the story teller. My wife is so childish, he thought. "coming, Kaoru!" this time laughing in spite of himself, Kenshin made his way around the dojo to see his wife holding a sleeping Kenji and tapping her foot impaciantly standing in front of the gate.
"There you are! Now lets go!" his young wife grabbed him by the wrist, and dragged him out the gate. That's my girl, Kenshin thought. So full of life, and not to mention anger…
he winced as he rememberd that she had broken her bokken the other day over his head. He was actually afraid she had given him a concussion.
Kaoru released his wrist as Kenji awoke, gurgling and laughing while tugging at his mother's hair. "Kenji, don't do that to mommy's hair, youll make her look ugly for daddy!" Kaoru smiled as she attempted to pry the tiny fingers from the wisps that fell from her ponytail. A sharp bang, like a firework, caught Kensshin's attention. Involuntarily, his hand flicked to his sakabattou, before the laughter of children was heard. "oh, it must be the story teller! Ooh, I cant wait! Megumi tells me he's quite good at keeping the children entertained." Kaoru was giddy now, and briefly Kenshin thought she reminded him more of their son then she should.
"Gather 'round, everyone! Be the first to hear my new story of the Woman of Kyoto!!"
the story Teller's voice boomed over the crowed as he released another firework into the night sky. The children around him stared and giggled in awe.
"story, story, story!" Kenji was thrilled, nothing entertained him quite like a story, and his parents knew that. Hurridly, the family of three ran to the edge of the crowd. The Story Teller had a circus cart with him, the back of which was opend up with three actresses in elaborate costumes waited to perform. "good evening, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls!" the Story Teller had a thick accent, Kenshin noted, but at least he could understand what he was saying.
"If you all would be so kind as to give my lovely assistaces a moment to change into more accomadating attire for this particular story, we will begin shortly! Please, step behind the red line so these fine ladies may have a stage."
The crows stepped back as the Story Teller requested.
Several minuets later, the doors to the cart opend, and a single woman stepped out in a simple white kimono and purple butterfly obi, and sat gracefully with her head bowed on a mat that one of the other women had layed out.
"and now, I present to you for the first time, the Woman of Kyoto!" the Story Teller was beaming enthusiastically, and for the first time Kenshin noticed that the man was probably even younger than Kaoru.
The crowd cheered.
"I warn you all, this story may be frighting to young children, as it is all completely true…" the Story Teller smirked, and slinked off to the side of the cart.
Another woman whom Kenshin had not noticed was sitting on top of the cart began to speak, and vaugly Kenshin wondered why she was telling the story and not the young man." Once, long ago, in the time of the bakumatsu,there was a beautiful woman, whose skin was as white as snow, hair as dark as the finest Chinese ink, and lips as red as the blood that rained in Kyoto…" Kenshin shifted uncomfortably at the familiar description and phrase of his deceased first wife. The woman atop the cart was laying on her stomach and flinging her legs in the air lazily. The woman on the mat did not move.
"Every where the young maiden went, she left the haunting emptiness of her presence along with the scent of plum, and white sakura…"
Kenshin was getting nervous. Kaoru and Kenji were completely engrossed in the story, as was the rest of the crowd.
"she was a true beauty, indeed, but a widowed beauty. Her husband was killed in war, by one of the most feared hitokiri of all…"
Kenshin glanced at his wife, who seemed to contemplating something, and then down to his son, who was smiling energetically.
"soon, the fair maiden stumbled upon the very man who had killed her beloved, though she did not know it at the time…"
the woman on the mat stood up, and opened an elegant umbrella that she had kept tucked under her knees, and began to pace slowly across the stage, looking like a lost child.
As the woman came to the end of the stage, the Story Teller emerged in front of her, garbed in what closely resembled Kenshin's former hitokiri garb. Story Teller stood very closely to the woman, their chests touching, Story Teller towerd over her, and stared intimidatingly into her eyes.
The woman atop the cart spoke again.
"however, the fair maiden had not expected to fall in love with the man whose hands had soaked in her husband's blood…"
the Hitokiri suddenly grasped the womans hands to his chest, causing her to drop the umbrella, and began gently caressing her face.
Kenshin flushed out of anger and distress. He wanted to grab his family and return to the warm and comforting halls of the dojo, and the look on Kaoru's face suggested that she wished to do the same.
His feet would not move.
Kenji had escaped his mothers arms and was now clinging to the leg of his father.
"daddy, shes so pretty!" his son whisperd loudly to him.
The woman on the cart was smiling wickedly.
"the maiden had a younger brother who detested the hitokiri, and wanted revenge for his sister's happieness…"
a small figure clad in a simple pair of hakama and gi came from the other side of the stage, and the cuddling pair opposite him ignored him.
The woman atop the cart dropped a small round pellet down at the boys feet, that exploded into a cloud of blue smoke.
The crowd cheered.
When the smoke cleared, the boy was gone.
Kenshin swallowed. This story was becoming all too familiar.
He glanced back at his wife. Kaoru seemed to have forgotton whatever was bothering her (the familiarity of the story, Kenshin guessed), probably she was too far engrossed in the story. Kenshin followed her eyes and felt a pang of jealousy when he found she was staring at the Story Teller (or Hitokiri as Kenshin now referred to him as).
The cart woman continued narrorating.
"the maiden's brother began working with thugs, and another hitokiri to eliminate his sisters new lover… and plotted to ruin their brief happiness."
The Hitokiri pushed the woman away from him, but gently grabbed her chin, and kissed her lightly on the lips.
"until we meet again, my love…" he whispered, and slinked back behind the cart.
The cart woman was laughing evily as she continued the story.
"little did the young lovers know that their next meeting would be their last…"
she flung down a much larger pellet down, and it exploded into a larger cloud of purple that enveloped the entire stage.
When the smoke cleared, the woman was gone, replaced by a large burly man and the small boy.
"you know what to do. Make sure I never see his face again." The boy smirked.
"you sure are bossy for a kid! But as long as I get that sister of yours, I don't really care."
Kenshin immidiatly knew who the other man was. He had sliced through not only him, but his wife in the same blow.
Kenshin was so lost in his thoughts he hadn't relized that the story was already on its last act.
He watched silently as the Story Teller guised as a Hitokiri swung down the fake sword, and Kenshin shut his eyes and coverd his son's as he heard the woman cry out in false agony.
Then, it was all over. The crowd was going absolutely wiled.
The entire cast was lined up, holding hands and smiling as they bowed.
When all the other actors and actresses had climbed back into the cart, Story Teller stood alone before the crowd.
"all you weary travelers, beware! For there is a woman haunting the streets of Kyoto, waitng for her trechorus love to return!"
he smirked.
"there is a woman walking the streets of Kyoto…"
and as Story Teller made to climb in the cart, he made eye contact with Kenshin, and mouthed, "beware!"
he threw down antoher smoke pellet, only this time when the fog was cleared, the cart, along with the actors, had disappeared.
Pocky: well, good, bad? Should it be blown to bits by Deidara-sama and never be seen again?
I tried to make it as interesting as possible, because iv seen many a story like this that was just…utter failure. I mean they were HORRIBLE.
See the pretty button? Press the pretty button..
Press it, and you get to have a Gerard Way plushie!!!!! (I