AN: Hi, everyone! This is the NEW and EDITED version of Yakusoku! Like I said, I seem to have temporarily lost inspiration, and so that's the reason why I'm not updating the other fic, Before the War… Just a message to all my reviewers/readers who actually reviewed there, and in this particularly worthless fic of mine, I seem to have chopping off heads on the mind… By the way, Kaoru, as always, is, and always will be, in this fic, as she is in all my other planned fan fictions. Sorry, I'm such a chatterbox. Anyway, on with the story…
DISCLAIMER: As I've repeated in my last fic over and over again, I DO NOT OWN SAMURAI 7.
- - -
"Komachi!" Kaoru called, looking around the village, quite frustrated. "Great… where did that girl go?' She asked herself.
Kaoru had gone through the same routine of getting up early, getting ready, and being greeted by the kids of the village, who ready for playtime.
During one of their first games, Komachi, for some reason, had been looking towards the forest for quite a bit, now. Kaoru was bothered at first, but decided not to mind it. But after a few more minutes, when she was busy with Okara and the rest, Komachi had suddenly dashed off somewhere, and that's how Kaoru ended up there, looking for the little girl.
She was worried, now. Where had she gone? She hoped she hadn't gone far. But how will she tell Kirara? The other kids were getting impatient as well, and there was no way she was going to take them all with her.
If they all come with me, we might get into trouble and everybody would blame ME! ME! She thought in despair. Oh, must cry…
Still walking around, she scratched her head in frustration. Where in the world--! She thought, but stopped and remembered something. I'm committing suicide later, She thought bitterly.
The fact that Komachi's focus had been on the forest was enough to answer her question.
- - -
Komachi pushed all the leaves from the bushes off her face and looked around.
Where is he…? She thought, and finally, after some walking around, she found the man she was looking for, who turned out to be sitting by the river with his head, as usual, wandering off to some unknown world.
"Kyu-chan!" she called, and Kyuzo stood up and turned around to see who had called him oh-so energetically.
He was about to turn around and possibly slash that person, but as soon as he did, he looked around, confused, seeing no one was there.
He frowned. "What the…?"
"Down here!"
Kyuzo looked down to see Komachi looking up at him angrily, hands on her hips. "You're mean, Kyu-chan! You didn't even notice me!"
How could I have? Kyuzo thought, but sat back down and stared deeply into the river. Komachi stared at him, observing him for a minute, and plopped down on a respective place beside him.
Kyuzo couldn't figure out why the Water Maiden's little sister was there, but whatever the reason, he knew that little girl was curious, and what killed the cat? Curiosity.
Whatever, he thought. As long as she doesn't bother me, no one gets their heads chopped off…
- - -
Kaoru rested on a tree, exhausted. She felt like she's run around in circles, and Komachi was nowhere to be seen.
"Where could she be…?" she muttered as if there was no hope left, and then she sighed, deciding to dip her tired feet into the cold waters of the nearby river.
On her way there, she hummed to herself a little bit and thought of ways to try and catch up with Komachi.
Hmmmm… She thought. Maybe I can just wait for her in her house. Kirara's busy helping the samurai, and—Her shoulders slumped. Never mind…
Kaoru continued on thinking about the different strategies she could use to catch up with the energetic little girl, when suddenly, out of the blue, she heard rustling coming from the direction she was going to. She ran up and hid behind a bush. Peering out of the bush, she saw who was there and her eyes widened in total surprise.
"Komachi…? Kyuzo-sama…?"
Komachi, she thought. Please don't do anything that would make Kyuzo-sama want to chop your head off…
- - -
Kyuzo stayed as silent as ever, and all Komachi could do was watch him.
But, being one of the most talkative people in the group, she obviously couldn't take it anymore. "Nee, Kyu-chan is there something bothering you? You're always so silent…"
"… No…"
Komachi pouted slightly. "Aw, c'mon! Speak up a little bit, Kyu-chan!"
Kyuzo raised an eyebrow at her. "And why…?"
"It's just so lonely when there's someone who wouldn't talk is right beside you!" Komachi pointed out, skipping around her area before plopping back down on the grass beside him.
Kyuzo looked at Komachi, who was still waiting for a response, big red eyes wide with anticipation. That's it. He thought. I'm taking my anger out on the trees later.
Then silence.
It lasted for what seemed like hours, and Komachi, who was getting impatient, decided to say something.
"Well, now that it seems like you've gotten used to me, I guess that means that now you don't have to chop my head off!" She chirped, and Kyuzo stared at the girl as if she was crazy.
Heaving a VERY defeated sigh, Kyuzo decided to at least say just one word to her. Just to get her confused enough to shut up…
"Mirai…'
Komachi cocked her head to one side and raised an eyebrow, confused. Future…?
"How do you think," Kyuzo began slowly, eyes still on the river. "Would the future be like?"
Komachi stared longer and then gave a cheerful smile. "Simple! Don't you think we're living in it already?"
Kyuzo looked at Komachi in total astonishment in hearing the response, and then his eyes softened. After all, what did she know? She's just a child…he closed his eyes. How very naïve of her…
Komachi continued to stare at him, waiting for a response, as if to say "Weeeeeeell?" and Kyuzo kept on glancing at her stiffly every now and then, as if to say, "What're you looking at?"
But they both stayed silent.
Kyuzo would have never thought that being with Komachi was actually OK. He always thought of her as loud and annoying, but then again, that would have to be Kikuchiyo. There are times when he always wanted to be alone, and everybody seemed to be spoiling him because they gave him what he wanted: SOLACE. But now that he's alone with a cute, innocent little girl, it isn't so bad, right?
Komachi continued to stare at him and smiled for no reason. You can't blame her, she thought it was fun! It was almost like watching a still-life painting, in fact…
Then, through the seemingly never-ending silence, Komachi remembered something. "Oh, no! The others might be looking for me!"
Kyuzo looked at her as she turned around to leave, but then she rembered something, and turned to face him. "Nee, Kyu-chan…"
Kyuzo stood up and looked at Komachi.
She stared at him with her big, red eyes with a finger pressing against her mouth, as if thinking about what to say. Then she smiled at him. "If you have any problems, tell everyone, 'kay? There's always someone out there who wants to help you out! You just have to tell everyone!"--She held her pinky out--"Promise?"
Kyuzo looked at Komachi in astonishment. This was very unexpected. This little girl was proposing a promise…to him? Nobody would even dare to do that!
She's just a child…
He bent down on one knee…
She doesn't understand much at her age…
He felt his own hand stretch out to Komachi's…
But still…
… Then slowly, though hesitantly at first… he entwined his pinky with her's.
Komachi looked up at Kyuzo with a pleased smile on her face, laughing gleefully at the sight of Kyuzo agreeing to the promise.
And Kyuzo, still stunned, exhaled and relaxed, and although Komachi never noticed it…a very small smile crept across his face.
Children… You never know what to expect.
- - -
Meanwhile, behind the bush, Kaoru smiled, both surprised and happy at the same time. She had never seen anything like this before, especially with Kyuzo. Somehow, it was relaxing to see them both together like that… She would've never thought that Komachi would be brave enough to do that…
Kaoru smiled even more at the thought of it.
Only a child's innocence can melt the ice around that man's cold heart…
--Owari--
- - -
AN: This sucked BIG TIME… Once more, to all my 'Before the War' readers/reviewers: I might be a little slow in updating, since, as mentioned, I've run out of good ideas… I apologize… (Sees a few readers faint while others threaten to pellet with stones… sweatdrop...) Anyway, I ALSO apologize for the overuse of the commas in the authoresses note up there… And thank you to all those who have reviewed. (:)) I hope you would all still review for this edited version. Tell me if there's anything I need to fix, like the cuteness, long authoresses notes, Kyuzo, etc.
Oh, and by the way… for those of you who don't know, 'mirai', as mentioned, means 'future' and the title, 'yakusoku' means 'promise'… Remember that, now…