Chapter 5

By Crystal

Author's Notes: Yes, I changed a lot of Kenshin's past.

*Screw the disclaimers ^^;; Mina and Ryosuke belong to XenoMark*

Kenshin was holding on his katana, blood dripping down, drop by drop down it.  Making sounds he was used to hearing.  Sounds he had been hearing since he was perhaps five.  He sighed, remembering what Toshiko had said earlier on the phone.  Around two hours ago, actually.  Tomoe would not have wanted to see you like this.  Hiko-sama wouldn't either.  Of course, he knew Tomoe wouldn't be glad to see him like this!  She had given up her life so he could live, but he had also wanted to protect innocent people...  And the only way he knew how, was to kill.  He killed, in order to protect.  He jerked out of his thoughts as he felt a familiar hand touch his shoulder.

"Brother, are you okay?"  Mina asked, worried.  Her brother had been standing in front of the corpse for over five minutes, and she was getting very worried.  She received a nod, "Want to go home?"  Another nod, as she was about to drag Kenshin out on the streets, he melted into the shadows.  Not even a skilled swordsman, in this case, swordswoman could find him.  He hid so perfectly in the shadows like it was his mask, but if the shadow was his mask, then her dear brother wouldn't start smiling with that ugly freak everyday.  It made Mina's blood boil to actually think about that blue eyed Japanese she despised.

* * * * *

Kenshin laid on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, which he couldn't actually see really well.  It was dark in the room, the blinds shut, not letting a single bit of light in, the door shut, lights off.  He liked it like this, it made him feel at peace.  After all, the only thing he has known since he was a kid was darkness.  Come to think of it, the only thing he knows...  is darkness.  He's only seen darkness, in his world, there was no such thing as light...  Only one, but it was shattered very soon.  Shattered like a piece of glass hitting the ground.  His beloved Tomoe, and it seemed like he was seeing another light...  Kamiya Kaoru.  He didn't want to fall in love again, it was painful enough the first time and he didn't need anymore reminding how painful it felt.  But...  It seemed like he couldn't control who he loved.  Two years ago, he had thought it impossible to find someone to love again, then he found Mina.  After finding Mina, he thought it was impossible to find another love, but again, Kami-sama proved him wrong.  Kamiya Kaoru.

He closed his eyes tiredly.  He was sleepy, though there was no way in hell he would fall asleep this soon.  Even the god was against him, never letting him sleep before two o'clock arrived.  At least there was only thirty minutes left.  He closed his eyes again and wishing that he could sleep a night.  He had to do a project tomorrow!  He didn't want his friends to see him so untidy.  He stopped his thoughts.  His friends?  When had they become friends?  Today.  Right.  With that happy thought of finally having true friends, even though he knew he was lying to himself, he soon fell asleep with a smile plastered on his face...  But disappeared quickly.

"Shinta!  Mai!"

Shinta turned around from his sister, smiled and waved at the sight of his mother and father.  "Kaa-san!  Tou-san!"  He shouted, jumping up and down and finally running up to his father to hug him.

"Okaa-san, Otou-san."  Mai greeted her parents, smiling at the sight of her little brother with the whole family.  Red hair, violet eyes...  It was all there.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Onee-chan...  Otou-san...  Okaa-san..."  Eight year old Shinta broke down next to his family, each in their little crimson puddle.  The whole floor was covered in crimson liquid that smelt kind of metalic.  He was sitting down in the blood, in between all three person he had loved more than anything in the world and looked up at the people that killed them with hatred.  Clear hatred in his eyes.  The attackers backed off, seeing the amber glow in the child's eyes.  The child's eyes carried nothing what a child should have.  It had the glow of a killer.  The amber coloured eyes, like the fire burning in hell.

Just when they backed up against the wall and was going to run away, someone sliced them up.  A tall man wearing a white mantle and holding a sharp sword.  "I have killed them for your family.  The best gift for the dead is to forget.  Forget them and carry on with your life."

Then, Shinta said something no child would have said, nor would have understood, "How could you...  Just forget someone you hold so dearly to you?  HOW?!  If you really think you can do that, then you've never loved before!  Or you haven't had someone you loved killed in front of you."

The man with the white mantle's eyes widen and returned to normal again, "What's your name kid?"

"Shinta.  Himura Shinta."  Shinta replied quietly, not knowing what had caused his outburst.

"Shinta...  Doesn't quite fit a swordsman.  From now on, you will be called Kenshin.  Heart of Sword.  I will give you something you will never forget."  That very moment, Himura Shinta died...  Along with his family.  Himura Kenshin was born.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Shisho!  I want to protect a lot of people with my hands.  I want to protect people, with Mitsurugi Ryu."  Fifteen year old Kenshin said.

Hiko Seijuro snorted, "Baka deshi."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Tomoe..."  A sixteen year old Kenshin had tears leaking out of his eyes as a fourteen year old Toshiko watch her sister die in front of her.  Killed by the person she loved the most.  An accident, but still...

"Kenshin...  It's better this way...  I'm so sorry...  Sorry...  At least, I protected you.  I never wanted you killed after I learned who you were.  Never.  Trust me, Kenshin..."

Kenshin nodded his head sadly, "I know, Tomoe.  But...  Why did you get in the way?  I could have killed him..."

"This way...  You would know how it feels to be the family of those that you killed.  With my life, I showed you that.  Don't be sad...  Kenshin...  Don't be sad.  Everyone dies sometime.  It depends whether if it's earlier or later...  Don't be sad.  Please..."  Kenshin nodded his head again.  "Kenshin...  Promise me...  Take care of Toshiko and Enishi.  Onegai..."

Kenshin held back a sob, "I...  Promise you."

"Arigatou...  Kenshin."  Tomoe's last words.  Toshiko rushed towards Tomoe and broke down.  Kenshin slowly walked behind her hugged her from behind.

"Gomen nasai...  Toshiko."  Feeling her body shake, he held tighter.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"OKAA-SAN!!"  I scream caused sixteen year old Kenshin to look up and rush to where he heard the scream from.  As he reached the place, even he could not hide the shock of what he saw.  A woman with red hair lying on the floor, face down with a crimson puddle beneath her.  It made him think of his mother immediately, he wanted to go hug the corpse, but was reminded by a girl screaming again.

He looked over at where the scream was coming from.  There, a girl with the same red hair as him and with violet eyes.  Eyes he hasn't had for years.  The girl, her back against the wall, looking desperately for somewhere to get away from the man in front of her.  She was helpless and kept screaming words at the man.  The man reached out to touch her.  At the last second, "Get the hell away from her."  The man turned around to meet the person's voice, but was turned into cut up meat.  Kenshin looked down at the terrified girl.  "I'm sorry about your mother...  If only I had gotten here faster..."  Kenshin trailed off, not knowing what to say.

She looked up with those violet eyes of her, "It's okay...  It was my fault.  Mother said I shouldn't be too picky about my clients."

"Clients, you say?"  Kenshin asked, confused.  Then his eyes widened and looked at the girl.  No way in hell was he letting her stay.  "Come with me, I'll get you some food and new clothes, then you can decide whether to stay or leave."

"...Arigatou."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"This is Saitoh Hajime, Okita Soushi and Takagi Tokio."  Katsura introduced to the three of them while Kenshin stood up before them, and had his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her.

Mina bowed, then lifted up her head, giving them a smile, "My name is Mina."  Katsura nodded and the two red heads left.

As they closed the door, Kenshin faced Mina, "Mina..."  She looked at him, "From now on, you are my little sister, which means, you are Himura Mina."  Mina was so happy she was glowing with it.  Mina hugged Kenshin, and he thought that she was happy because she had finally gotten a family again.

Little did he know...  He was wrong.

Kenshin snapped his eyes opened, thinking that he would see dark sky outside, but closed his eyes in shock at the sun shining in his room.  Him, Himura Kenshin woke up everyday before seven, thanks to Hiko Seijuro, making him wake up every crack of the morning and run around and practice his sword skill.  Never had he thought he would over sleep again.  And until nine!  He walked to the washroom and looked himself in the mirror.  At least his eyes weren't bloodshot due to lack of sleep.  He walked to the living room and saw Mina already up and cooking breakfast.  He smiled, rarely did Mina cook breakfast, it was usually him.  He wasn't in the mood to go out and eat.

After finishing breakfast, he went to wash the dishes and watched television until the doorbell rang.  He opened the door and was greeted by...  Sanosuke dragged by Megumi and there was Aoshi, Misao, Kaoru, Soujiro and Toshiko.  He looked at Toshiko, her eyes bloodshot.  Of course she was worrying about her.  He gave her a big hug, "Gomen...  nasai."

Toshiko closed her eyes, "It's all right..."

XenoMark – Arigatou!

omochi – yeah, it did kinda seem Tomoe's death was for nothing...  I tried changing it a bit here, showing that Tomoe's death was not all useless.

(no name) – Thanks!