Standing in the Rain

By: Rei Tamashii

Author's Notes: This takes place during the time when Aoshi and his gang were still in the work of that guy.I forgot his name so his name in this story is going to be Charles. And than by the fifth chapter it than takes place when Shoshi comes into the story. But I label it as one year later okay?

This story is about Aoshi and his daughter, Yana Akori. She falls in love with Sano, and for the note since I don't know how to spell Sano's real name, it's going to be Sano. And please review!

******

He peeked into the door through his mask to see a sleeping figure. The shadows hiding her figure and the moonlight streamed over the foot of the bed lightly.

After he closed the door Master came beside him. "Well, how is she?"

"She's fine, my lord. Yana is a strong girl."

"I know, Oumi." Aoshi told him as he brushed past him. "Get ready, and hide Migumi." ****

She woke up feeling uneasy. She looked towards the door and slowly crawled out of bed and walked towards to it. Yana stumbled a little, with the weight of her fever and her dizziness she was able to open it. The light poured in like a golden sheet and blinded her.

Once she had taken only a few steps out into the hall, a sneering voice appeared behind her.

"Your father thinks he is strong than me, well let's just see about that!" A hand muffled her scream and her bottom hit the hard wood.

Yana teeth pierced into his palm and he only held his hand firmer onto her lips. Her bare legs was dragged roughly upon the wood and the nails on the side were used to an advantage to pain her. It clawed at her and Yana muffled down a scream.

Finally using her heels of her feet to stop the pain she flung Charles over her head and got up quickly.

****

The battle had already begun. Swords clashing and warriors dodging. It was like a silent dance with its heat of metal against metal the music with the soft padded steps the steps to the music.

One of Aoshi's daggers flung away and that was when the doors on the other side burst open. A war gun was drawn out and Charles stood there with his hand on the trigger. His eyes blazing like a madman.

He had a bruise on his cheek, the color of black and blue. They spun in a alarm when bullets came at them.

Another door was flung open. A girl stood there. Her dark black hair falling down to her knees like waves on a waterfall. Slight curls gave her hair the beauty with her hair that gleamed purple in the light. Her eyes wide on her pale heart shaped face. Her eyes were the color of the inky blue sky.

Her heavy breaths weren't helping her fever and she fell down to her knees. When she looked up she saw her father glare at her.

She tried to catch her breath but it took longer than she expected and that was when the first gunshots were heard.

Yana snapped her attention to see (the red head dude, his name is going to be Bling) Bling shot. Her eyes went glassy. That was when she saw that everyone had died all expect her father and the people she didn't recognize around him.

Yana saw the sword on the floor and sprinted towards it. Bullets trampled onto the floor but missed her. She did a back flip in the air dodging more bullets and cut the trigger off.

"Go and get her. She's upstairs in the watchout tower."

Yana left to lead them to it.

"He'll pay." Aoshi muttered once his daughter left.

*****

Yana came down to an empty ballroom. "Daddy?" She whispered.

That's when someone tugged on her arm.

"Let's go!" The man with the scar on his cheek shouted and dragged her.

****

The birds chirped around her. The man who had pulled her away was Kenshin, the one that had the hair of a rooster was Sano, and the girl who owned the school was Kurio.

Her back was pressed against the rice papered door and her long hair puddle around her. She was still wearing the same outfit as last night. The night that changed her life forever.

The dark blue skirt ended at the thigh and the sleevless low V-neck dip clung to her chest, hiding nothing of her young teenage body. Her sword laid dully beside her and the ribbons tied onto her ankles and legs clung to her like a second skin.

She missed her father. Yana could hear Sano whisper things of her father.

"Did you hear? When the police came to arrest Charles, Aoshi and the dead bodies were never found!"

"Really? So what are we going to tell Miss Yana?" Kenshin asked.

"Who is she anyways?" Kurio asked.

"I don't know. All we know is that she has something to do with Aoshi."

"Hey Kenshin, do you know where Aoshi might've gone?" Hitomo asked.

"No, I don't. And I hope he never comes back."

Suddenly the door Yana had been leaning on swung open. However she stayed planted in her place.

Kenshin and Sano glanced at each other and urged her to come in. Once she did, Yana simply looked down at the herbal tea Kurio had poured for her.

"So tell us about yourself." Sano demanded of her.

"I'm the daughter of Aoshi."

"Gee, I never knew Aoshi had a daughter." Kenshin replaied.

"I was kept a secret since he eloped with my mother at the same time he was in charge in the only Waban gang. It was thought of a disgrace and my mother gave me up to my father, not caring about me since she didn't want me. So I was brought up in the shadows."

"And than what happened?"

"The war ended when I was only fifteen and than my father received a call from Charles seeking protection. I was pretty much very sick that time but we moved anyways. During the whole time my father was there, I was sick with a everlasting fever. I still was kept in the shadows, so deep into it that no one could even see me or know my name." Yana explained.

"So do you know where your father could be?" Kurio asked.

There was an awkward pause.

"No, I wasn't allowed to be out often." Yana answered. Suddenly pity were in the depths of their eyes and Yana took note of it. She may had never been around many people before but she was trained to seek emotions out in one's body and so much more of her arts.

******

He stood at the very large boulders and he glared at them. His clothing dirty from the digging and searching for the proper rocks.

"I cannot give you flowers on your grave. Not yet." Aoshi said. He had not thought of anything but revenge. "The flowers I will put on your grave would be the power."

He was about to turn and start on his quest when a familiar face popped into his mind.

A smile graced her face and her beautiful wide eyes closed. Her waterfall silk of hair gracefully pulled back from her face. Aoshi closed his eyes and grunted.

During the whole time she was sick, never once did he stay in the room with her for more than ten minutes. He had always stood by the door instead of sitting by her bedside. He had always seen the pain and sadness in her eyes, dull with life, but he had always ignored it.

Aoshi didn't get it. She was his daughter, he cared and loved her but why was it that whenever he saw her, he couldn't stand to be around her?

Because, he thought, she was a mistake. She was weak and you hated to be around weak people.

His fist clenched. Yana had always been strong and he didn't understand anything. Sure Yana was a mistake, she knew it as well as he did but she still lived her life as if she was meant to be in his life.

"I may have been a mistake but that shouldn't stop me from living my life as happily as I could." She had told him at one time.

That had been the one time they had spoken for a long time, laughing, playing..

Aoshi had kept her in the shadows because she was a disgrace. But really she wasn't. She was a strong person and beautiful as well. He wasn't ashamed of how she was raised or anything about her. He was ashamed of how the father he had been to her.

Not once had they spoken often, not once when she was young and cried in fear had he comforted her, not once had she had something large to share with him had he sat and listen.

She had been kept a deep dark secret, not having anyone by her side, always living in a cell like room like a bird trapped in a cage forever.

Every month Aoshi had always decided to meet her but he had always thought excuses to delay them and every time he did, he always knew that Yana had been excited to see him. That was until she turned fifteen.

She had stopped being happy, stopped crying, stopped hoping for company or anything, she had hardly ate and slept in the nights when she first turned fifteen. And that was when he had found out.

She was sick. And it was due to the coldness and stress and unhappiness she had been living with as a child. And it had been completely his fault. And she was to blame for all of it.

And when Aoshi had received the call from Charles, he had known what it could do to Yana but he moved either way but slower than he thought.

During the trip, Yana had fainted five times with the pressure and had to be carried. During the ship ride, her fever had gotten worse and worse by the day. And when they finally arrived to the mansion, Yana had been drained of all of her energy that she couldn't even open her eyes often.

She had been pain and Aoshi had always known it yet he chose to ignore it. And now she was ripped out of his life by his will! And strangely he found himself slightly missing her and almost wanting to forget her. He had wanted to be with her but he was now on a quest, no burden of his child was to bring him down.

Finally when he decided not to start his quest until tomorrow morning, he slept by the graves. But memories flashed before his eyes once he was transfixed into the dream.

To Be Continued.