Yay! It only took me a week to update this time! :D I am happy to present chapter 14 to my fabulous readers! I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: To put it into my friend's, Port-of-Seas', words: "I do not own the Rurouni Kenshin universe. It owns me!" :D

Rating: T for Teen which is subject to change soon. (Can't wait to get there!)

Chapter 14: The Spin Top

It was a cold, rainy night and Kenshin found himself alone in a corner of the same room where the child's family was killed. One small candle was lit next to him, allowing a meager circle of light around him. In the background, there were voices whispering something he couldn't comprehend but he paid them no heed. He was sitting down and enjoying playing with a small, wooden spin top with his right hand. This top was the child's only toy he owned and it was old-looking from overuse. He often sat in this room before bed time and played with this top while the rest of the family went in the next room for a time.

He shivered from the cold, holding the thin, wiry gi closer to his body with his left hand in a hopeless attempt to trap more warmth. The top spun in place until it fell to a stop. At this, he picked it up and spun it again but this time, he spun it harder. The top spun out of control and traveled across the room behind him until coming to a stop next to a cracked open door that led to another small room.

Kenshin turned around and, as a result, noticed the cracked door which brought in a thin line of light that crossed his sad face. His top was right next to the door; there was no way he could get it without being seen. He was never allowed in or near his parent's room when his siblings and parents went in there to whisper, leaving him alone with his top and, if they were fortunate enough, a candle. Each time they went in his father always told him to stay in the corner farthest away from the door and each time he obeyed. However, he never had his top go that far away from him and his family had just went into the other room. He tried with all of his might just to sit there and wait it out. They normally didn't take all that long anyway.

Unfortunately for him, they took longer than normal and the seven year old could only sit still so long. Finally, he decided to go get his top. Slowly, he got up and made his way toward the other side of the room. When he made it halfway, he flinched and sat down quickly as he heard his dad raise his voice.

"We have to be more careful! If they catch on to us, I cannot stress more what the consequences will be to all of us including Toshiro!"

"Soichiro! Shh! Toshiro will hear you!" His mom cried out in a distressed voice.

Kenshin decided his best bet would be to crawl closer once the voices went back to whispers. He quickly got to his top and grabbed it happily, a small triumphant smile on his face as he went to crawl back to his corner but then hesitated. He had never been this close to the door before and while he never was curious before, his curiosity was now peaked at the mention of his name. He took a deep breath and crawled to the small crack, peaking in.

He saw his sister, Tsubaki, and his brother, Hideki, sitting on the floor with worried faces while his mother and father stood over them. He could tell that his father was angry and his mother looked really sad. Hideki had an arm around his sister.

"Is there anything any of you have to add?"his father said choppily as he paced around the room. He asked each one in turn, sharply facing each one. "Hideki? Tsubaki? Maho?" All shook their heads no. He sighed, looking away towards the cracked door. "Very well then I will…Toshiro!?" he cried out in surprise and anger when he saw his child peeking in through the door just before he disappeared.

His mother followed his father's gaze as he disappeared from view, running back to his corner. He knew he was in trouble now! His heart raced as he waited for his parents to come. He heard his mom sorrowfully say, "I'll take care of him."With that, she slid the shoji door open and walked in. But, instead of her yelling at him as he expected, she walked quietly towards him and picked him up, giving him a kiss on the forehead.

"I'm sorry, Mommy. I know I was supposed to stay here but my spin top went over there," he blurted out as he looked up at her guiltily.

She sighed sadly, looking down at her son as her breathing hitched. "T…That's ok sweetheart. But p…promise you won't do that again, ok?"

He nodded his head on her shoulder before something wet hit his cheek. He looked up to see a single tear start traveling down her face and cried out. "Mommy! Don't cry! I promise I won't do it again!" He wiped her tear away with his tiny hand.

She smiled at him her best smile despite the couple of other tears traveling down her face and then hugged him close and said, "Good sweetie. I love you so much and I will always be in your heart."

He hugged her back and replied into her shoulder a muffled, "I wuv you too Mommy!"as her shoulders began to shake from silent sobs.

He held his mother tight and thought to himself that he was never going to do that again. He hated to see his mommy cry. After a few minutes of this, his father and siblings came in and his mother quickly balanced him on her hip and wiped her tears off with her other hand before turning around with a weak smile and said, "Well…how about some dinner before we all go to bed?"

There was a hesitant silence before everyone quietly found their places at the dinner table. He hesitated as he saw that his plate had more food than the others.

His mom smiled at him and encouraged him, "Go ahead Toshiro, eat."

Just when he was about to pick up his chopsticks, the shoji door slammed open and a man hurried inside crying out, "You've got to get out of here, Soichiro! He's coming for you! They've found us out! I just saw…"

Before he could finish his sentence, he cried out in pain and collapsed. Blood flew everywhere as he heard his mother and sister scream. His father jumped up and drew his sword crying out, "Run, Maho! Get the children out of here!"

But there was nowhere to run to. Kenshin frantically looked in every direction, but the only way out was through the assassin who he could not look at in his panic. His mother, brother, and sister threw him against the wall and stood in front of him, providing a protective barrier from not only the physical danger, but the sight of what was happening.

He heard the clangs of swords hitting each other and the pleas of his mother as he curled into a ball wishing he could be anywhere than here. Then he heard a groan and a thud as his mother cried out, "NOOOOOOO!"

"P…Please! Spare my children! My youngest is only seven-years-old, he doesn't have anything to do with this. P…Please! H…Have mercy! NO, HIDEAKI! DON'T!"

Kenshin looked up and was surprised to see an opening in the protective barrier. He could see his brother picking up his father's sword and attacking who Kenshin still could not see. "You…You killed my father! I am not going to let you kill the rest of my family."

Kenshin's eyes widened as he saw his brother charge and, hardly a second later, lay dead as more blood sprayed the house. Kenshin started sobbing and trembled in fear as he finally saw the sight of what was happening. "Mommy!" he cried out. "Mommy, I'm scared!"

His mother pushed his sister down towards him and spread her arms out in front of them, tears rolling down her face, "Please, y…you've done enough! My children don't deserve this…ple...AHHHHH!"

His sister pulled him into her, shielding his eyes from his mother's murder. He could feel her shaking as she held him tightly. "Please sir! P…Pl…at least…don't kill…my brother! Please!" She begged.

Kenshin felt a tear travel down his cheek and realized it wasn't his. He looked up into his sister's eyes and she whispered, "I love you so much, Toshiro! We shouldn't have…I am so…" Her eyes widened as she stiffened.

Kenshin sobbed in disbelief as he begged his sister, "N…No! Don't g…go sissy! Don't leave me Tsu…Tsubaki!"

His sister mouthed the words, "I'm sorry!" as her blood soaked him and she was yanked off him.

He just lost his entire family. He screamed and mustered the courage to look up at the assassin. He choked as he looked up and was met with long, blood-red hair and piercing, amber eyes. His blue gi was soaked with blood. He froze under that cold, deathly stare. "P…Please, sir! D…Don't!"

"You're not worth killing," the icy voice pierced him like a knife. He winced and watched the assassin walk away, a high ponytail swaying in the wind…

Kenshin shot up from his dream breathing hard and shaking before he laid back down dizzily, holding a hand to his forehead in complete disbelief and feeling sick. He was starting to remember!

END of Chapter 14

Well, that's that chapter! Sorry to leave you guys with that cliffhanger, I couldn't resist! Hehe!

Please review and let me know what you think! I'd appreciate it!

Until next chappie,

~KaoruKamiya307