A/N: *Takes in breath* Well'p, this is my first fic I've ever posted here, and probably one of my first that I plan on finishing. R&R, and tell me what you think.
Disclaimer: I'm sure you can figure I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. If I did, I doubt I'd be writing fanfiction. ^_^ So, um, if you sue me, I don't have much in the way of cash at the moment, but I think I might could pay you in erasers, pens, pencils, and maybe some make-up…*Hugs computer protectively* No way!
Chapter 1
Makimachi Misao stared at her bedroom walls. They were an odd bluish color, scarred with puncture marks from her kunai, and one dent on the left corner from Kaoru's bokken. It all looked rather grey and boring in the dark of the night, with the exception of a small picture frame hanging in the centre. A frame that held her only photo of Aoshi…
She almost giggled remembering the argument that one picture had started between her and her cousin.
"Oi! Kaoru! Could you find something to hang this up with? I'll be back in a second," Misao headed out the door, leaving a confused Kaoru to look around. Grabbing a tack, she was about to put it up when the weasel-like telepath came running back in.
"What are you doing!?!"
"What you said…"
"DON'T YOU PUT A TACK IN MY AOSHI-SAMA!"
Kaoru blinked before cracking up laughing, as the girl started blushing furiously. "Aoshi-
Sama?""Yes, raccoon-girl!"
"Hey!" Kaoru exclaimed, before suddenly calming down. "Misao, have you even talked to him? And where'd you get the picture from?"
"Of course I've talked to Aoshi-sama! I've known him since I was little; He isn't too much older than me, and he's my boss, since Jiya stepped down."
Kaoru's brows lifted a bit, but then her face broke into a smile.
"Speaking of the Aoiya, you should come with me sometime! We could probably get you a job,"
"That wouldn't be bad, but I still need to keep up the dojo. Since my parents died, it's been the only thing I've had left. I can't stay at your house all the time, even if we are related,"
It still would be interesting though to find out what the Oniwabanshuu actually
did. Misao talked non-stop about her job, but she hadn't ever mentioned what it was."Like Mom or Dad ever care. They never even notice me, and I'm their only daughter! That's why I spend so much time at the Aoiya."
Kaoru heard something that might have been self-pity in her cousin's voice. But it wasn't like she didn't deserve to have a little. Just because her parents were some of the wealthiest people in Japan didn't mean her life was any easier. It would be Kaoru's guess that they hadn't gotten through more than 'hello' in weeks. The Oniwaban were Misao's real family; she had known most of them as long as her parents anyway.
"You want to get started on our homework? We have plenty of calculus…" Though Kaoru was really a year older, Misao had managed to skip a grade several years ago and now they were both seniors.
"Sure,"
That had been in March. It was now the middle of May, and both of them had graduated.
Making sure she didn't wake Kaoru, Misao got up and took the picture of the wall for a moment. Looking at his face, she silently wondered if he would ever really love her. He was so cold…The only time she had ever seen him smile was when he was ten years old. And she hadn't ever seen him laugh. Still, she was determined to make him like her.
The red numbers on her digital alarm clock read 2:30 AM. Knowing she wouldn't get back to sleep just lying there, Misao decided to go get a drink. Kaoru always stayed over on the weekends, and she would know by now that her cousin would most likely be on the living room couch if anywhere else, and so Misao didn't worry about a thing as she gradually dozed off.
* * *
Kaoru had been drifting on and off from sleep, and judging from the headache she was starting to get, her half-awake mind figured a vision would come to her sometime soon. And it was right.
When she lost focus of everything around her and the walls started going black, she closed her eyes and clutched the bedcovers, wishing she could just go back to sleep. Then suddenly, she began to See. Images flared up in her head. As usual, they were very odd and seemed to have nothing to do with her. This time they were mostly of a redheaded man with a sword. In a moment though, there was someone else. It was a women, walking in the rain. She was beautiful, but there was something…tragic about her. She was holding an iris, she seemed hopeless.
Kaoru sensed these images were from the past. But as the vision changed, she knew what she saw now was not. Misao's house flashed in her head, then Misao herself. Several people followed, some friends, and others she was sure she never wanted to meet.
Strange enough, the man with the sword from the beginning didn't appear again until the end. And then only to be drowned by blood as his cold, amber eyes glared at something she couldn't see, and he readied his katana for a death blow. As his sword started to fall, Kaoru woke up.
She thanked every name that came to mind that she didn't scream and wake their whole house up as well. Go back to sleep, she told herself, knowing it wouldn't happen. She sighed. Blood had never, ever, been a good omen. Lucky Misao. The telepath never had to deal with any of this. Her gift was straight and simple; she could read thoughts and memories. And that was one heck of a lot more useful than broken fragments of the future.
And which one of them had forgotten to shut that stupid window?
* * *
A still figure was crouched by the wall. Making sure he stayed in the dark, he was starting to worry; this had been far too easy. He had noted quickly that this whole place lacked a security system, and that more than one window was open, including the one he needed to get in through.
Not making a sound, the assassin slowly crept in that direction, and finally pulled himself through the small opening. He was now standing a fairly large bedroom, the walls a bluish grey color.
Walking closer to the bed, he saw that everything matched the description Katsura had given him. The girl on the bed, Makimachi Misao he presumed, had long dark hair, and wasn't very big. She couldn't be older than nineteen. Well, he thought, at least she shouldn't be too much trouble. He pulled out his sword, and made up his mind how he was going to do this. He was not in a good mood, and he didn't feel like messing around with a screaming and crying child. He would just knock her out and drive her to headquarters, and hopefully his task would be finished. I am the greatest assassin in Japan. Why on earth am I stuck kidnapping a child? Whoever's brilliant idea this was deserves a slow and painful death.
Just as the Battousai readied the hilt of his sword and prepared to swing, the girl's eyes shot open. If not for all of his training, he would have groaned aloud right then.
"Uh, good morning to you too," she said sleepily as he blinked.
That was definitely not the response he had expected. But, he didn't give her time to say anything else as the hilt of his sword slammed onto her head, making everything around her fade into black. And from then on, Battousai had a nagging feeling that something wasn't right.
* * *
As soon as the Battousai had entered the house, Misao's telepathy was tingling. In only a few seconds, it had intensified so much that it jolted her out of her sleep.
"Okay, okay, I'm up," she muttered to herself. After focussing for a short time, she jumped up, realizing what was happening. Dang, I knew we should have closed that window. Who the heck is that anyway? Not wanting to alert anyone of her prescence, she decide to just try and scan the person's mind. When she did, it was all she could do not to scream.
