DISCLAIMER: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. :

A/N: I just had the idea to write this so I had to get it down. This is the result. I hope you like it :

HE WAS A DEMON

He wiped the blood off his sword and tossed the rag onto the lifeless body in front of him. They had him travel all the way to Edo to kill this man; travel miles and miles for something that took him no more than a couple of seconds. They needed the best, they had said, and he was it. He was the best of the worst. The blade of his sword was heavy with the lives of hundreds of men, but each death added strength to his practiced swing, making the weight seem more and more meaningless.

He was a demon; there was no room for a conscience.

He had continued deeper into the forest and no longer knew where he was. The trees swayed lightly in the warm summer breeze and the sun was just beginning to give way to the moon. He needed to start to head back. He was only supposed to be in Edo for a couple of hours at the most.

Tired and hungry, he sighed and sat down against one of the tall trees.

He was a demon; there was no time for eating or sleeping.

Letting his head tilt back to feel the refreshing air comb through his red hair, he let his eyelids flutter shut. For a moment he allowed the serenity to take over, for a moment he was no longer a demon.

His eyes snapped open; he had heard a twig snap. He fingered the hilt of his sword, his eyes narrowing. The bush in front of him began to rustle; he waited, ready to pounce.

"Come out." He commanded in a voice that could stop even the bravest of men in their tracks.

A small hand poked itself through the leaves, and following that small hand was the body of a small girl. Her cerulean eyes met his amber ones. He watched as the girl's wide, scared gaze traveled over to his sword. She couldn't have been more than five years old. His eyes relaxed a bit and his fingers slowly released their grip on his weapon.

"You should not be in the forest alone this late in the evening." The girl's fear frozen face began to loosen into a sheepish smile.

"You're alone in the forest this late in the evening." She said walking over to sit next to him. His eyes followed her quizzically. "You're not from around here, are you?" He took a minute to watch the innocent expression on her face, unsure of whether he should respond.

"You shouldn't be so friendly with strange men."

He was a demon; there was no need for social pleasantries.

"I trust you." A smile hung between her two ears.

"You shouldn't." Her eye brows weaved together slowly, again staring down at his sword.

"Are you going to kill me?" He watched her pull her knees closer into her chest, tucking her chin into them.

"No." Their eyes met again.

"Then why shouldn't I trust you?"

"You shouldn't trust strangers." She began to fiddle with her small hands. Looking at the girl, his eyes softened and for another moment he was no longer a demon. "Won't your family be worried about you?" She crossed her arms over her chest in a huff.

"No. I'm mad at them, so I came here to hide away." He felt a small tug at the corner of his lips. She seemed like such a free spirited little girl, something he as a child never got to be. "Is your family going to be worried about you?"

"No, they won't."

"Why not?" Such genuine interest could only be found in such an innocent child.

"I don't have family." Her eyes widened from pure shock.

"Who loves you then?" He was a demon, he was alone.

"No one."

"Do you have a home?"

"No."

"Who takes care of you?" She was so naively troubled.

"I don't need taking care of."

"Of course you do! Everyone does!" Her eyes begged for something that could lighten up her sorrow for the lone man. Through his eyes she searched his soul. He looked away as quickly as he could manage.

He was a demon, he did not need sympathy.

"I could take care of you." She whispered. This time it was his turn for astonishment. He could do nothing but stare at the kind-hearted girl next to him. Her small face looked up at him with cheeks rosy from blush. "I can be your family. I'll love you." He knew it was just misguided, childish suggestion, but he felt a warm sensation in his chest that he had never felt before. Her warmth was filling up an emptiness he never even knew he had. "Would that be okay?" She seemed so embarrassed by her sincere offer that he couldn't find it in himself to turn her away.

"I would like that." The girl's blush deepened and she stared down at her hands. His eyes narrowed again; he heard footsteps. "Someone's coming."

"Aijou!" they heard a man yell, alarm clear in his voice.

"Otousan!" the little girl exclaimed. The swordsman stood up and dusted himself off.

"I should be getting back." He thought out loud, starting to walk away. The small girl already had a family.

"Wait!" The girl shouted after him. He turned back. "I'm going to take care of you now," she blushed again and looked down at her feet, "so if you ever wanna go home, remember you've got family waiting in Edo." He returned her genuine smile with one of his, equally authentic, before beginning his way out of the forest.

"Aijou!" the man yelled after the small girl. Her head jerked toward her screaming father for a moment before looking back over at the man walking away from her, his fast pace already putting him far out of earshot. Her stare was then immediately reverted back to her father.

"Otousan!" She screamed, running into his arms, tears starting to stream down her face.

"Kaoru," he whispered in her ear, "Don't go running off like that! You scared me!" She nuzzled her head into his neck and smiled.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

He looked back to see the small girl and her father embracing. He sighed. If only the girl knew who he really was, what he really did; if only she knew what he really was.

He was Himura Battousai.

He was a demon; there was no place in the world for him.

A/N: Yup so that's that. Thank you for reading. Please no flames?

Oh…. And just in case:

Otousan means father and Aijou means beloved daughter.