Hello again readers! Well, here's my first Rurouni Kenshin fic, and there's an OC in it! :O I personally never thought it would happen, but it has! Oh, and don't worry. She's not a Mary-Sue. In fact, as you will see in future chapters, I'm taking great pains to make sure she has lotsa flaws.

Disclaimer: I don't not own Rurouni Kenshin. Go whine to Watsuki!

"No...please..." whined the terrified voice of the merchant. Sweat trickled down his face, his breath coming in shallow gasps. He starred at the black shape above him, feeling the fury of the person's gaze boring into him. "Please! Spare my life!"

The person above him growled angrily, pushing the barrel of the gun further into his temple, making the man whine in fear.

"Pleading for you life??" spat the person in a feminine sounding voice. Along with the fury and revulsion that rang clear in the tone, the voice shook with a gaping sorrow.

"That's what she did, isn't it???" screamed the voice. The gun was pulled from the merchant's head momentarily, and relief rushed over him. However, it only lasted a moment, for the gun soon struck him squarely across the face. He screamed, feeling the bone of his nose snap, warm blood flowing down his face. The coppery tasting liquid hit his tongue, making him both terrified and desperately sick.

"She pleaded for her life didn't she??? She pleaded while you beat her and destroyed her body!!" The gun was soon pressed against the man's head again, even more roughly and painfully than before. The cold metal burned into his skin worse than the hottest iron.

"Who?" the merchant asked weakly, his voice sounding thin and forlorn. "Who is 'she'?"

There was a long moment of total silence where all he could hear was his assailant's erratic breathing. It was quite apparent that the merchant wasn't the only one who was afraid. Moonlight shone into the room via the window, but the girl did not stand within the light's reach. This made only her rough outline visible.

Not saying a word, the girl flipped back the hammer on the gun. The merchant paled; his throat was completely dry, and he couldn't find the strength to scream.

"She," said the girl, her voice still shaking, "was Erika."

At hearing the name, the merchant's eyes widened in realization. "Your know...?" He never finished his sentence however, because that's when the girl pulled the trigger.

The resulting bang echoed through not only the room, but also the entire house, which was quite large. The merchant's thick, lifeless body fell to the floor with a sickening, wet sounding thud. Blood had splashed onto the girl's hands, arms, and face, flecking her skin with small red specks.

Again, the room was silent except for the girl's heavy, irregular breaths. The gun was held limply in her hand, the barrel pointed at the wooden floor. She could not see the body of the man she had just murdered, but, lying in the block of light cast against the floor sat the merchant's hand, palm open, and unmoving. Beside it, a thin stream of blood was beginning to flow into view. The girl starred at it, and in her mind what she had just done became even more real than it had been before. It felt good.

"Ezakiya-san?" said an urgent voice from outside the door, bringing the girl with a jolt back from her thoughts. She spun to look at the door, almost loosing her balance. A fist wrapped against the wood, while a hand jiggled doorknob of the locked door.

"Ezakiya-san! Are you alright?" the voice said, fright obvious in the tone. Panicked, the girl was nearly dropped the gun, but instead tucked it quickly it her pocket.

She could hear a key sliding into the lock as she spun to the window. She pulled herself up on the window frame, and the key turned in the lock. She pushed off the frame, and the doorknob turned.

She hit the ground running, though she ended up stumbling more than running. And, as she flew down the street, putting every ounce of her strength into getting away, she heard a loud, terrified scream.

She threw herself into the space between two buildings, slamming herself against the wooden wall. The impact rattled her spine and caused her bite her tongue, but didn't pay either of them mind. She remained where she was as her breath slowed and her body stopped shaking. She slid to the ground and pulled herself into a ball, rocking back and forth slightly.

She wasn't sure how long she stayed there; she just knew it was long enough for the police to arrive. From her spot in the shadows, she watched policeman on foot and horseback run down the street toward the home of the dead merchant, shouting to each other in frantic bursts of speech. Not a one looked her way, and no one came searching for her.

For a few moments she was relieved; she had done it. She had killed the man who had so wronged her and had gotten away with it.

Yet, something was wrong, and she knew exactly what it was: He was still out there. The man who had plagued her nightmares for the past three years; the man who was the source of everything wrong in her life. He was still alive and free. And, since she didn't know what he looked like, she would never find him.

With that thought, the girl leaned her head against her knees and wept.

So...yeah. There's the prologue. Sorry if you don't understand it yet, and sorry I haven't put in any of the Kenshingumi yet. Don't worry, Kenshin's in the next chapter. You don't have to R&R this chap if you don't want to, because I know it doesn't have much to do with the Kenshingumi. Still, I'd love it if you did!

Oh, and P.S. Yes, her pocket is big enough to hold a gun.