Chosen: The Early Years
By: Hitokiri Musei
Rated: T
Summary: Sequel to Chosen! Kenji's learned to deal with his powers, but what was Kenshin's young life like? What did he go through with this power during his years with Hiko, and the years that he spent as the famed Hitokiri Battousai?
Me no own Rurouni Kenshin, that belongs to the ever worshipable Watsuki-sama. But, I can borrow the redhead for a while! Kenshin and Hiko are bound to be a little OOC, but I'll try to keep it to a minimum. Enjoy!
Part 1: Shishou
Chapter 1
"Tell me your name."
"Shinta."
"A child's name. Too soft for a swordsman. As of today, you are Kenshin."
"Ken-shin…"
So our story begins…
(Tokugawa, 1858)
A tall man walked along, wearing a large cape that seemed to accent his well-muscled body. In one hand he held a sake jug, which was hanging from a cord connected to his wrist and looped in his fingers. His long black hair was held back with a leather cord, and his onyx eyes were distant.
Beside him walked a small boy, with stained gi and hakama on, tangled red hair hanging around his thin face. Two large violet eyes stared out from the curtain of the crimson bangs, watching the world around him curiously. He had one small hand clenched in the cloth of the man's cape, the other hanging at his side.
Hiko Seijuurou, the tall man that the boy was following, sighed, allowing the child to retain his hold. Hiko Seijuurou the thirteenth to be exact. He felt the fear radiating from the boy's ki, and he let him keep a hold on the large mantle that rested on his shoulders, knowing that it offered the tiny child some comfort.
The two had been walking for some time; Hiko was leading the boy he had dubbed Kenshin away from the graveyard that he had dug with his own small hands. Within a short time Hiko's cabin had come into sight, and Kenshin's large violet eyes focused on the building with wonder.
"This will be your new home Kenshin. Now come, let's get you cleaned up." Hiko announced, leading Kenshin towards the small bathhouse that was behind his cabin. (I don't if that's there… But I've always liked the idea that it is…)
Kenshin followed him silently, still not saying a word. Hiko filled the tub, heating the water while Kenshin watched quietly from the corner of the small building. Hiko brought the boy forward. "Can you get cleaned by yourself?"
Kenshin, his head still down, nodded silently and proceeded to pull off his small teal colored gi. Hiko left the child to bathe while he went into his cabin. He didn't have any clothes for the boy, so for now he would have to wear one of his yukata. It would be incredibly big on such a tiny boy, but until the other clothes were washed he would have to wear it. Hiko also got out one of the extra futons he had laying around the hut. Even though it was too big for Kenshin, he knew that it would allow room for growing.
After setting up the futon in the extra room, which he dubbed Kenshin's room, he headed back out to the bathhouse to check up on Kenshin. He found the boy sitting silently in the water, his eyes closed and leaning against the side. His red hair was wet, and it looked cleaner, and the dirt stains were gone from his body, so Hiko assumed that he had washed.
"Hey, wake up baka! You can't fall asleep in the bath!" he said loudly, startling the boy, causing Kenshin to sit up sharply and nearly slip down in the water. Hiko sighed and hooked his arms under the child's arms, pulling him out of the warm water and patting his body dry with a towel.
Kenshin just stared at the big man with huge eyes, silently letting him dry him off. Hiko slipped the overlarge yukata around him, and then straightened up with a huff. "Don't expect me to help you all the time."
Kenshin nodded, holding up the edge of the yukata and following his master out of the house and into the bigger cabin. There he found himself shown into a room where a large futon was laid out.
"You can sleep here; this will be your room. Why don't you get some sleep, we're going to start in the morning." Hiko said firmly, turning and shutting the door behind him.
Kenshin looked at the door for a moment, and then a small smile came to his little face as he lay down on the soft futon and snuggled into the blanket. 'Arigatou…Shishou.'
Hiko was awoken quite abruptly in the middle of the night by a small sound. Grumbling, he opened his eyes to see Kenshin standing in front of him, tears clouding his violet eyes and his cheeks stained pink.
Hiko blinked, sitting up in his futon. "What is it Kenshin?"
The boy sniffled and mumbled something unintelligible. Hiko sighed, knowing that this was going to be interesting. "You need to talk to me Kenshin. I can't help if you don't tell me."
Kenshin sniffled again. "I…I had a nightmare…"
Hiko put a hand over his eyes, sighing heavily again. "And what am I supposed to do about this?"
Hiko watched as a single tear slid down the boy's cheek. "I… I don't know…"
Reluctantly Hiko held out a hand. "Come here."
Kenshin crept closer silently, being careful not to trip over Hiko's mantle, which was on the floor not far from the man. Hiko put his hands on the boy's shoulders, looking directly into his face. "Swordsmen don't get scared from nightmares, do you hear me? They don't cry either. You need to be brave."
Kenshin nodded with a sniffle. "Okay Shishou."
"Now go back to bed baka deshi, I want to get some sleep."
Kenshin turned and left the room silently. Hiko sighed again, laying back down on his futon. 'What was I thinking when I took in this child? What have I gotten myself into Kami-sama?'
Time passed fairly slowly for Hiko, who found that raising a child was harder than he had expected. Kenshin tended to have nightmares often, and a lot of the time the boy was up late at night, and a few times he wandered into Hiko's room at night. He was quiet for the first while, only speaking when spoken to, quick to cry and cringe. But Hiko found Kenshin growing out of it the more time he spent with him.
About a year after Hiko had settled into a normal routine. Get up, eat breakfast, train, eat lunch, train some more, eat dinner, go to bed. Repeat. It was fairly simple, and Kenshin fell into it easily as well. The two began to get along…well, not well, but they got along. Hiko developed a soft spot for the little redhead, though he would never in a million years admit that. He looked on the boy as a son of sorts, and it seemed that Kenshin looked at him as a father.
It was only a little while after Kenshin's 10th birthday; at least, what Kenshin said was his birthday, that something happened. It was a normal day for both, get up, eat, so on. When they began training it was time for Kenshin to run through what little kata he knew so far, and then Hiko would begin helping him brush up/learn new ones.
It was during the learning part that something really caught Hiko's eye. Kenshin, he wasn't quite putting in the effort he usually did. Hiko had found that the tiny redhead was actually quite fierce when he wished to be, and he was a good student, despite his small size. He fought well, at least for the amount of training he had, added in with his age. Usually he threw his entire being into training. Kenshin had said when Hiko had picked him up that he had wanted some way to protect those he loved. Now that he was getting that way, he never stopped putting in the effort that Hiko admired in the boy.
But today, today was different. Kenshin seemed slower, more exhausted. He was pale, Hiko noticed as he came towards him after a pass at him. Hiko, despite being the big 'regal' man that he was, knelt down to Kenshin's level and fixed him with questioning onyx colored eyes. "Are you alright baka deshi?"
Kenshin, being Kenshin, blinked in surprise, but then smiled and nodded. "I'm fine Shishou. Why do you ask?"
Hiko shook his head, standing again. "No reason. Now come on, let's start again."
Kenshin nodded, getting into his ready position. Hiko returned to his original spot, but before he could begin, Kenshin swayed, his eyes fluttering for a second. He regained his balance in nearly a split second, but Hiko noticed anyway. Concern for his baka deshi flashed through the man's mind, and, disregarding all of his principles in more favor of making sure that something wasn't wrong with the boy, he moved towards Kenshin.
Before he reached the small redhead, however, the boy's eyes rolled into his head and he fell to his side in the dust, unconscious.
Hiko swore reflexively and ran forward, gathering the small figure into his arms and running into the cabin. He lay Kenshin down on his futon, feeling the boy's forehead worriedly. He blinked. There was no fever, and other than the fact that he was unconscious, there seemed to be nothing wrong with him. His breathing was normal, everything seemed fine.
Confused now, Hiko sat back on his haunches, watching the boy silently. Kenshin was quiet for only a moment more, and then his face scrunched in pain and he cried out, his body twisting on the futon.
Hiko stood, leaving the room and going to get some herbs that he kept in his cabin that were made especially for pain. Another cry from Kenshin's room made him hurry, and he wondered absently what could be plaguing his little baka deshi.
He ran back to the room, and normally stoic Hiko was shocked into dropping the items he was carrying by the sight that met his eyes.
A tiny crimson foal was curled up in the blankets, sleeping soundly.