Misao: Hello all! Makimachi Misao here! I guess I'm supposed to read you this piece of paper… 'Two households, both alike in dignity…' but that's SO boring! I'd much rather spend my time gazing lovingly at my Aoshi-sama than tell you all the ending of our story in language nobody understands… so I will! Aoshi-sama… where are you…?
Rhapsody: Misao? HEY! Well minna-san, it seems I've lost my chorus, so I suppose the only thing to do is to get on with the story…
"Kamatari-san..." a deceivingly upbeat voice began, "why must you dress so... loudly when we go out to the market?"
"Oh Sou-chan," a second happy voice replied, "you know how much I love color... would you deny me that?" here the man speaking leaned down and pinched his companion's cheek affectionatly. "What a dear you are—" he began, before he looked up and saw two people coming towards him, "oh, Sou-chan... it seems that we should be heading home now..."
"But, Kamatari-san, we haven't finished the mark—" Soujiro began, but he was cut off by an angry voice.
"Well, well, well, what have we here? A bunch of stupid sissy Himura's out for a stroll?" Yahiko called, before turning to his companion and continuing, "do you think your master is better than mine?"
Soujiro's usually placid was smoldering with rage as he turned to Kamatari. "Tell me I don't have to stand for this!" he cried, "tell me I can retaliate and they will feel the cold steel of my blade!"
Kamatari frowned, "talk of killing in the streets? Bad form, Sou-chan, bad form! Look though, here comes Aoshi-san….. let me handle this!" with that, the colorfully dressed man turned to the two Kamiya servants and grinned, "Why shouldn't our master be better than yours? At least our master knows when to put down the saké cup!" the two men laughed at the reactions of the other servants and backed up, showing Aoshi, the nephew of their aforementioned master.
The two Kamiya servants quieted, not relishing the idea of starting a fight with the skilled young man.
"What? You shrink before a Himura?Where is your backbone? Where is your pride?" Hajime Saito asked from his leaning position against a pole. "Never mind, don't answer that." he amended, flicking his cigarette towards Aoshi. "Do you expect me to stand aside and let your sniveling servants insult my uncle, and, by association, me?" he sneered,
"There is no reason for this brawl, Saito." Aoshi replied evenly, "and as such I see no reason to continue it. Let there be peace, at least for today."
Saito glared at Aoshi before spitting on the ground at his feet. "That is all the respect I have for you and your family. You deserve to be the mud upon which I walk! Draw and fight me!" the man cried, unsheathing his katana and initiating an attack.
Aoshi leapt aside smoothly as Saito rushed at him, "there is no need for violence," Aoshi insisted, "but if you're going to be like that..." Aoshi smirked and drew his twin kodachi, bringing them up swiftly to meet his foe's waiting katana.
Back and forth they fought, their blades ringing when contact was made. Yahiko stood on the sidelines, cheering his master on, until Kamatari got fed up with him and clonked him on the head with his sword, smiling grimly as the boy fell to the ground, unconscious.
"That should take care of the little boy!" Kamatari said cheerfully to Soujiro, "he was annoying me... cheering on Saitoh and whatnot!"
The fight went on, the two combatants seemingly never tiring as they battled for the honor of their families. Neither them, nor the servants watching avidly noticed the hoof-beats approaching, that is, until a soft, but stern voice cut through their metallic clangs.
"What do you think you are doing?" Ohkubo-sama asked fiercely, "this is the third time your stupid fights have disturbed our quiet streets! You kill, and you wound, and you insult, and for what? Because of what? This brawl has no beginning remembered by anyone here, but blood freely flows as a result!" Ohkubo shook his head, speaking again to drown out the protests of Aoshi and Saito. "No. The next time anyone, anyone at all, disturbs these streets with a fight, they shall be put to death!" the tall man turned away, muttering to himself. "Kami-sama! You'd think I was talking to children!" Saitoh and Aoshi glanced at each other as Aoshi pulled his kodachi up in case Saitoh attacked again. Ohkubo-sama whirled on the two of them in a heartbeat.
"What did I just say?" he growled, "no fighting, or you will die!" he glared at them for a while before finishing, "now be off with you! Back to your cursed families."
Saitoh turned his lip up at Aoshi and walked away with Yahiko stumbling behind him, rubbing his sore head. Kamatari and Soujiro smiled at their master, and went off to finish the marketing, and the townsfolk who had gathered to see the spectacle and hear Ohkubo-sama dispersed as though nothing had happened. Indeed, these fights between the Himura and Kamiya boys were quite commonplace, and many people were disappointed that the brawls had been forbidden.
Aoshi sighed and walked off towards the shore, where he knew his cousin, Kenshin, would be moping yet again. And sure enough, there he was, sitting by the waves staring at nothing with a mind full of everything.
"Hello" Aoshi said softly and sat down next to his cousin and friend. He didn't say anything more, and instead waited for Kenshin to speak to him, as was his way. Kenshin looked up briefly and spoke,
"What do you want?"
"To know what is the matter with you." Aoshi said, as though surprised that Kenshin would think he had any other purpose for being there.
"You wouldn't understand, that you wouldn't." Kenshin was being sullen, Aoshi could tell. He could also tell that Kenshin was dying to vent his feelings, so he pressed the matter.
"Perhaps I will, and perhaps I won't." Aoshi replied evenly, staring straight ahead. "You'll never know until you try me."
Kenshin sighed, "It's about Tomoe. I think I love her and she will barely look my way! She won't even give me a chance to prove myself worthy of her love; she just brushes me off and tells everyone she plans to marry Akira! Why Akira? Why not me?"
Aoshi sighed, "You think you love her?" he asked his cousin skeptically, "don't you know?"
Kenshin shrugged and walked towards the town square, beckoning his cousin to follow him. "I don't really know what—" suddenly he stopped, looking at the mess of carts and stalls that the market had become, thanks to Aoshi and Saitoh. "What happened? No, don't tell me. You fought him, didn't you? Saitoh?" Kenshin looked up at Aoshi; his normally peaceful violet eyes filled with anger and unshed tears. "I don't know what love is, that I most certainly don't" he said, finishing his statement from earlier, "and I don't think I'm going to find out surrounded by so much hate!"
Aoshi put his hand on Kenshin's shoulder comfortingly, but the younger boy pushed it away. "You love our family, yet Saitoh loves his. So you both hate and fight and kill as a result of that love. But it can't be true love if so much hate stems from it!" he threw his hands into the air and stalked off in the opposite direction, "it's all Tomoe! If only she would love me back so I can get a feel for what love is supposed to be!"
Aoshi laughed softly, his blue eyes shining, "is that all? Then I urge you to forget all about this troublesome Tomoe of yours and look at other women! It can't hurt, and it might even help! If she doesn't love you, then there's no point in pursuing her, now is there?"
"No. She is too fair and exquisite to be forgotten, that she is. Other women cannot hold a candle to her sparkling black eyes and mesmerizing scent. She smells of white plums, Aoshi! And her hair looks like liquid silk poured at midnight, that it most certainly does! No, cousin, there is no point in teaching me to forget her, for she will not be forgotten." With that, he turned and disappeared into the crowd, intent on having solitude.
"I'll have her be last in your mind soon enough," Aoshi murmured to his cousin's disappearing figure, "believe me, coz, I will." That said, he too turned and departed, away from the aquamarine eyes that followed him longingly.
Misao: Let me at him!! AOSHI-SAMA!! I LOVE YOU!!