A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfiction
By: Megumi Mikage
Soujiro's Version
Chapter 1: Paranoia
In a small town somewhere between Shizuoka and Kamakura[1]…
The sun was shining brightly in the sky and the slight breeze bought little comfort to the summer heat. Warmth and noise radiated from the people who were smiling brightly and joyously for their new-found peace. A young man, barely twenty, is being regarded with friendliness from the townspeople, despite the fact that he carried a nihontou[2]. Why, you ask? It's because of the friendly smile that graced his handsome face. Women were looking at him with curiosity, if not for something else, from time to time while men were doing what they were supposed to do but both welcomed him to their humble town with either a smile or a greeting, followed by a slight or deep bow of their heads.
~:o:~
'I wonder who won the last battle?' was the thought that always flitted through my mind. I always admired Shishio-san, ever since he came into my life. He freed me from the abuse of my family and I always stayed faithful to him but I won't lie, especially to myself. I know Shishio has the advantage from skills and my last helpful tip but I think it is Himura who won. His way of fighting held a reason, a promise that he needed abide to. He also has a resolve that just won't quit. I saw this… ALL of this… when I fought with him. He really is a wonderful opponent. I understand the feeling of those who fought with him before myself. Me, myself, wanted another match but I need to find my own reason first. The reason to why I swing my sword. That's why I haven't gone straight to Himura-san's current lodgings, which I knew was the home and dojo of the woman he so wanted to protect.
I'm still smiling that smile. Old habits die hard. Especially ones that has been with you ever since you were a child. Despite having gone on this journey to find myself, I think I haven't changed. I'm still the cold-hearted murderer that I was before. Nothing wavers my heart. I've almost wandered half of Japan on foot but I haven't found someone or something that I can hold as precious to me. No matter, though. All I need is patience and perseverance. I, myself, have only been wandering for about only three months when it took Himura-san ten years to find his most precious one.
"O- ohayou." Another woman said, smiling shyly, and bowed. I have been getting these kind of greeting from women ever since I left the confines of Shishio-san's headquarters. I stopped and smiled back at her in greeting before turning left, towards the inn where an old man I met just some miles outside town told me. I don't pay for my lodgings. I work for the inn for as long as I'm staying in town, that's always what happens. I stopped ditching inn-keepers, especially elderly ones, ever since I started having this annoying voice inside my head, reprimanding me for every single billing that I ran from. At some time before, I wondered how to make that annoying voice shut up. So I started doing other things to pay my bills, like pick-pocketing or something, but the annoying voice just grew louder and louder and more annoying each day. At one inn, the inn-keeper needed help, so I helped him serving the customers in exchange for my lodgings. When I did that, the voice just stopped.
That's when I found out that I had a conscience.
Ironic, isn't it?
Anyways, it is a pleasant day today. Better not waste it on reminiscing about olden times although I have this strange feeling that something's going to happen to me today. Call it a hitokiri's intuition or just being paranoid, but I really do think that something's going to happen today. Something big. I wonder what it is…
BAM!
I was jerked away from my thoughts when someone bumped into me. Hard. Good thing I have quick reflexes, or else the woman who bumped into me will have her derriere[3] on the dusty ground and her green silk kimono will be ruined. She straightened and brushed off some invisible dust of her kimono while regaining composure. "Thank you for your help." She said, slightly bending her head. She tried to seem calm but I know for a fact that she's nervous. Her fingers are playing with one another. "You're welcome[4]." I smiled at her, as usual. "Why are you running anyways?" I asked. I knew women loves to have someone to talk to whenever they're distressed about something. She looked up. "No, it's nothing. Thank you for asking anyways." That reply was not what I was expecting. I have to admit, I am a curious fellow. Though in the past, I understand why Shishio-san doesn't tell us some things.
"…visiting?" I blinked. How long was I thinking? "Ummm… I didn't get what you said earlier. Can you repeat?" The woman sighed and smiled. Her pinkish lips curved upwards and amusement sparkling from clear, silvery-grey eyes. How weird. It's my first time meeting someone with those kind of eyes. Her neat, light-colored tresses pined up in a pink ribbon. She must've noticed my amazement because she suddenly said, "My mother is English." English? Isn't that a language? I asked her that then she laughed. It sounded nice. Kind of like the sound of tinkling chimes. "No… well, yes. English is a kind of language but English is also what most people call people from England. England is a country in Europe, if you do not know." Oh. So that's what she meant by English. "You should have said that your mother was a gaikoku jin[5]."
She was about to reply when I, and all the other people on that street, heard someone bellow, "It's her! Catch her!" I saw her eyes widen and she quickly excused herself and ran past me. The cops followed her tracks a few minutes after that. My curiosity piqued all the more and I decided to follow them, and with my very fast speed, I disappeared without a trace.
~~~~~To be continued
[1] I don't know if there's ANY small town between Kamakura and Shizuoka nor do I know if Kamakura and Shizuoka were called Kamakura and Shizuoka back then. The only map I have of Japan is the one in Barron's Japanese Phrase Book (-_-;) and the only source of information I have is the actual RK series and Brittanica Encyclopædia software. If there is any mistakes, well, GOMEN!!!!! And notify me of that of course. (And if you could, please tell me a small town in Japan that's not too far and not too near Kyoto and maybe, just maybe, near Tokyo as well and can you also correct whatever mistake I made? THANKS!)
[2] Nihontou is the name of Soujiro's sword.
[3] Derriere is also another word for butt or ass or bottom. I don't think words such as 'Ass' or 'Butt' were used those days and I really don't think that people referred it as 'bottom' during those days. I think it was a little later, when Japan had more communication with the other countries. Actually, I think they still don't use 'bottom' or 'butt' but I think some already uses 'Ass'. Oh well. *shrugs*
[4] In Japanese, 'You're welcome' is translated into 'Iie, do itashimashite' or 'Do itashimashite' but I think 'You're welcome' suits this scene better.
[5] Gaikoku jin means Foreigner and if you don't know what a foreigner is, that means you're stupid and if you really are that stupid, just look at the definition.
Foreigner- (n.) a person belonging to or owing allegiance to a foreign country. (Taken from: Merriam-Webster Dictionary)
And some other Japanese terms I used in this chapter are: (This is only for those who doesn't know a thing about Japanese)
Ohayou, which means 'Good Morning', is used as 'Ohayou Gozaimasu' whenever being polite.
Hitokiri means 'Slasher', as so well-put by my subtitled RK VHS. Kenshin was once a hitokiri when he was still Battousai and, obviously, Soujiro was, or
is still, a hitokiri too.
-san is a suffix you add to a name whenever you don't know him/her well or just plainly want to be polite or just want to call him/her that for the kicks. It's
English equivalent is Mister (Mr.) or Miss (Ms.) or Missus (Mrs.).
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