Chapter 5, I hope this story is still even remotely entertaining.
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Chapter V: Tomodachi
Kyoto, May of 1864
Shiori packed up the last of her things in the bag hanging over her horse, all the while frowning at the new woman who was helping Kaoru secure Soujiro's things on the horse he would be using.
Her name was Yukishiro Tomoe, from what she had found out from Kaoru the night before. The young woman's fiancé was now dead and she had no place to go.
It sounded like a very plausible story. So much, in fact, that Shiori felt some sympathy for the young woman.
…But why did she still get the creeps when Tomoe was around and why did the woman's ki flail so...furiously most of the time?
It was reassuring to know Kenshin was a bit weary of her himself, though to a lesser extent then she was. Shiori shook her head in mild irritation at the red head who was trying to nonchalantly watch Kaoru who was lecturing Soujiro on wandering around unsupervised and to make sure one of her parent's was always with him.
Shiori inwardly snorted at the thought. Her real parents had died long ago, her dad from an illness before she was born and her mother from giving birth to her. Nozaki Houko, Tomiko's mother and the woman who had raised her, lived in Tomiko and Seiji's Edo mansion where the couple was waiting for their 1st child to be born.
They worried about her while she was away -- which was predictable -- and Seiji would have probably accompanied her to Kyoto to make sure she was safe and to see his brother was well and alive had it not been for the fact that Tomiko threatened to tie him to their dojo's support pillar and beat him senseless if he tried to leave and miss any part of the pregnancy.
Tomiko was incredibly scary when she wanted to be, more so when pregnant.
So she had come to Kyoto alone, explained the concerns of the worried relatives to Katsura and taken on this relatively simple job of making sure Kenshin didn't lose his sanity while doing the dirty job of a hitokiri; made sure he stayed alive so she could pester him into visiting his family back in Edo once the Bakumatsu no Duran ended.
So now she lived in the countryside near a lake where many children went to play -- thus giving her some company on and off -- waiting for letters from Katsura to come that would ask her to travel down to the city for awhile when Kenshin would seem like he was losing his handle on things; when she was needed to remind him of his purpose and ease his inner turmoil's, letting him see the painfully oblivious little girl who always called him 'Kenshin-san' despite his protests about the honorific.
Make sure Kenshin stayed sane, act like a naive little girl; it was a simple job, yet could she help it if she occasionally heard bits and pieces of enemy plans that people passing by would sometimes mention out of idiocy, thus getting her deeper into the Ishinshishi's business then she wanted to be?
"You're all set," Kaoru said, snapping Shiori from her inner musings. Soujiro was all ready sitting on his horse, smiling down with amused eyes as Shiori blinked out of her trance. Then suddenly, Shiori felt something akin to heat creep up her neck as she immediately looked away from him. Now what was happening?
"If you don't mind, could you deliver this for me?" Katsura said, handing Shiori a letter.
Glancing at the name on the front, she smiled sweetly while saying, "I'm sure Ikumatsu-san will be happy to receive this."
Katsura only smiled wider.
"Be safe and don't worry about me," Kaoru said as she helped Shiori get onto her horse. "Make sure Sou-chan stays out of trouble ne?"
Soujiro made a face, showing his offense but still smiling. "Hey!"
Grabbing the reigns, Shiori giggled, nodding once before turning her horse around and starting off for her home.
"Watch out for each other," she barely heard Kenshin say, his head turned away as Iizuka and Tomoe stared at him for a few minutes in surprise and confusion.
"Hai! Ja'mata ne Kenshin-san! Kaoru-san!" Shiori shouted before trotting away from the inn with Soujiro in tow.
* * * * *
The small group dwindled out after Soujiro and Shiori were out of sight, Kaoru sighing once before turning towards the hall that held the room Kenshin and her shared.
"They'll be fine. Stop worrying."
Kaoru looked up, finding her eyes unwillingly staring at Kenshin's retreating figure. Had he just said...? "Eh?"
"They'll be fine. Don't worry," he repeated as if he were stating some every day fact.
Kaoru inwardly fumed at his lack of concern, oblivious to the fact Tomoe and Katsura were there watching the little scene. "He's ten and she's only eight. Bandits and the like are a common thing along the Tokai-do trail leading towards Otsu. How can I not worry?! Aren't you worried about Shiori-chan in the least!?"
Kenshin turned to look at her from over his shoulder, eyes narrowed slightly. "Of course I worry but the girls' not stupid and neither is the boy so I don't see it necessary to worry over what could happen when the probability that it will is close to nothing." Then he turned and began walking again.
Kaoru glared at him, fist clenching. She was sorely tempted to run after him and smack him in the head but common sense stopped her from doing so. Instead she ran after him saying, "What if it DOES happen? There is still a possibility!"
"It won't."
"How do you know?"
"They're not stupid."
"Mou! That is not a reason!"
Katsura watched as they bickered --or she bickered with him while Kenshin merely regarded her as calmly as he did anyone else -- walking down the hallway like there was nothing weird going on. Katsura actually waited to see if the girls' impulse to smack Kenshin in the head would be followed through, but was slightly disappointed yet impressed when she gathered her willpower not to. He would have liked to see what Kenshin would have done had the spunky young girl actually hit him. "Sou ka..."
"Nani?" Tomoe asked, averting her gaze from glaring at Kenshin's back to staring curiously at Katsura.
He waved it off, retreating into the inn. "Nan demo nai."
Shrugging, Tomoe walked the opposite way towards the room she was staying in, glowering. That man was the one who stole her happiness -- killed her Kiyosato -- he deserved what was going to come to him. Kaoru wouldn't care, there would definitely be no love lost when the Battousai died. If Kaoru were in love with him Tomoe may have changed her plans -- for she didn't want her revenge to destroy her new friend's happiness like the Battousai had hers and become someone like him -- but the girl had said herself that she didn't like him, he was holding her captive.
Everything would be fine; she'd find his weakness, tell the Yaminobu and finally have Kiyosato's death avenged as planned. Nothing would go wrong.
A tiny little voice in Tomoe thought otherwise.
* * * * *
Lake Biwa, May of 1864
"Here we are," Shiori said, tugging at her horse's reigns and stopping it from running further once they came through the large forest to a secluded area. There was a large lake, the water shimmering like sapphires as far as the eye could see and a dirt road leading along side of it, the bank covered in lush green grass with the occasional tree. On the opposite side of the road was a small home, large enough to fit maybe two or three people.
Soujiro blinked, noting the absence of people. "How come there aren't any people here?"
"I'm the only one who lives here. The closest house is a little less then an hour walk from here," Shiori said as she finished tying the horses to a tree, unloading her things and dragging them into the home. Soujiro followed, very confused. "I lied, I don't live with my family. They're in Edo right now."
"Then why are you in Kyoto? Shouldn't you be with your family?" Soujiro asked, bringing supplies inside the quaint home.
"It's a long story..."
Soujiro set down the last package, sitting himself on a nearby pillow that was set down on the tatami mat floor. "We have plenty of time."
Coughing uncomfortably, Shiori set herself down on her own pillow, willing her muscles to relax from the long trip up the mountain as she glanced at him. "You sure you want to know? I'm not sure if I should even tell you."
Nodding, Soujiro cast her a disarmingly cute smile that made her lose focus for a moment. "Tell me. If you want, I won't tell anyone."
Sighing, Shiori nodded, rubbing her temples as she stared at the setting sun through the opened windows. The deep orange color of the sun bounced off her hair, making it shine a color similar to Kenshin's -- although it was a deep orange instead of blood red -- for a moment. "All right, I'll tell you."
Soujiro smiled, sitting there as she began to speak, listening attentively as the sun slowly disappeared from view, only to be replaced by the shimmering moon, the silver lights casting its glow on the small home and shimmering off the lake like diamonds.
* * * * *
Kyoto, May of 1864
Hair soaking wet from the rinse water he had poured over himself after his latest assassination, Kenshin sat in his trademark position in front of the window, sparing a glance at the girl who was all ready sleeping contently in the futon.
A very rare smirk flitted onto his lips as he attempted to curve away from his blood plagued thoughts and to a more interesting subject; Kaoru.
The girl had a strong will --which was a rare find -- and was very interesting to boot. She wasn't like any of the other inn girls' who would curl back in fright or jump at any advance one of his drunken associates might make. She would, instead -- much to his slight surprise -- explode in outrage. Her temper was quite impressive as well, as he had seen during dinner only a few hours ago.
The men had been more smashed then normal and Kaoru had been serving them. Being a young and attractive girl -- though he'd never admit that out loud since Iizuka would never let him hear the end of it -- she had received various lewd and suggestive comments. Kaoru had ignored them, trying to keep her calm disposition despite the anger that he had felt boiling in her.
When one of the men had become rather annoyed at her disinterest and became aggressive, an odd feeling to snap the man's neck and protect Kaoru had coursed through his veins. Why he had been so angered he didn't know, but before he could even stand she had all ready fixed the problem on her own.
As soon as the man had grabbed her arm she had stood with a defiant look in her eyes, calmly demanding he let go of her. The drunken man and the guys around him had simply laughed, the man pulling her roughly by her arm to bring her closer to him. It had taken all his willpower to not snap his katana out of its sheath and kill the drunken bastard, but Kenshin had been relieved, and not at all surprised, when the girl delivered a swift kick to the man's jewels.
He hadn't really expected her to do much damage since Kaoru was small -- smaller then him in fact which said a lot -- while the other man was tall and very well built. For the first time in his memory Kenshin had underestimated someone, for the girls' kick did a lot more damage. The man had let go of her instantly sputtering out curses by the ear full, holding onto his wounded jewels while glaring daggers at Kaoru who just glared back at him in defiance.
"Don't think I won't fight back if you try something!" she had declared -- more to the whole group then just the pained man -- before stomping out of the room in a huff. The crumpled man on the floor had given his buddies a look and they had moved to go after her, but that had been as much as Kenshin could stand.
It went without saying those 15 or so men were going to be out of action for a long while.
So when he had been walking down the halls to come to the silence -- or what he thought would be silence -- of his room, he had listened from the hall as Kaoru screamed to herself from the inside, the faint shadow of Kaoru throwing her hands up in disgust visible through the rice paper door as she continued her rants for a good hour or so, attracting many stares from sober men who would pass by. He would simply give them a look and they'd be out of there in a hurry.
When she had calmed down -- or seemingly so since she had stopped yelling profanities no woman should know -- he had walked in hoping to get some quiet time before his assignment, but had unfortunately ran into the same godforsaken predicament he had not too long ago.
She had been in the process of changing into her sleeping yukata, though he had seen MUCH more then just the top of her this time. Could anyone blame him for staring at her body the way he had? He was a man after all and when a man sees the things he had on a pretty girl like Kaoru they tended to gawk like he had for a moment.
Unfortunately, Kaoru regained her senses quicker then him and had grabbed anything she could find in the room to throw at him, doing so with amazing speed and accuracy while shouting the most vile curses her brain could think of, unknowingly adding a few new ones to Kenshin's own collection of curses.
Even he, the Hitokiri Battousai -- Choshu's invincible shadow assassin -- couldn't escape from the room without getting hit a few times in the head with the godforsaken books. He now regretted keeping those LARGE and HEAVY things in his room, for he now knew they could serve other purposes other then something to sleep against.
That had been hours ago. After he had ducked out of his room he had left to do his task, silently noting to himself he'd apologize when he returned. Unfortunately -- or fortunately, depending on what might have happened had she been awake -- she had been asleep when he returned only two hours ago and had been grumbling something in her sleep ever since while he stayed quiet in his own thoughts.
Gazing at her again, Kenshin allowed his tense muscles to relax as he looked at her sleeping form, his face still passive as he watched her snarl at something in her dream and mutter something inaudible before turning in the sheets. What was she dreaming about?
Curiosity perked, he kneeled near her and tried to listen but frowned when he still couldn't hear what she was mumbling. Scooting closer so that he was kneeling at the side of her futon, ear forward to try and hear, he tried to listen to her mumble something even lower then before.
::SMACK::
Now, he had seen that hand coming, but let it hit him anyway lest she wake up if he grabbed her arm.
Kenshin cursed inwardly, rubbing his dishonored head. The girl was even strong in her sleep!
It was then he heard what she had been mumbling.
"Kenshin...no baka"
Confusion and a sudden nervousness rushed through Kenshin as he scooted back to his spot near the window, though his startled eyes remained on Kaoru. She was dreaming about him? Why would she dream about him? Better yet, why was this sudden nervous feeling running through him at that fact?
"Baka..."
Kenshin let another smirk curve his lips. Even in her sleep she constantly called him baka.
Then an expression appeared on her face that confused him; a smile eerily similar to Soujiro's. It only widened as she mumbled, "Kenshin no baka...such a baka ahou..."
Once again, Kaoru managed to baffle Kenshin without knowing it. Now he really wanted to know what she was dreaming. Shifting so he could lean back against the re-piled books, he sighed. The girl was strange.
She was annoying, brash and tomboyish...
...but she was pretty, innocent -- in her own ways -- and kind all the same.
Who ever said he had frowned down on spirited women? It only added to their character and attracted him more.
When had he not liked a person for those same traits? He certainly wasn't going to start now.
Kenshin's once closed eyes snapped open at the last thought. He was starting to like the girl --that was fine, he could handle that -- but then he searched himself for an answer to a question that kept running through his mind now. In what way did he like her? He couldn't possibly like her more then a companion...a friend.
The concept of a friend was new to him itself since he never had friends in the first place. He had always been the lone wolf, the intelligent young boy who grew up faster then others to help in the fields or help around the house when housework became too much for his always ill mother and overworked sister. They had been secluded for the most part, kept away from people and the quarrels in everyday lives. Friends had never been made but Kenshin had never minded; his siblings had always tried to make up for that and it had kept him relatively happy.
He had -- now that he thought about it -- always longed to have a friend, always longed to feel normal. He had always wanted to be a normal boy who would plead and whine with his parents to let him go out and play with his friends, no matter how much he had denied it.
Could he have a friend in Kaoru?
His conscience answered with a vengeance, Do you deserve a friend?
Kenshin inwardly winced, absently staring at his hands. He didn't. He had willingly chosen to kill -- no matter how dirty the people he killed had been -- and purposely stained his hands with the blood he could all ready see staining his hands.
He could never -- would never -- let someone be tainted by him; especially if that someone were Kaoru.
He would treat her the same way he did now.
…But would his heart hurt like hell like it was now every time?
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All question will be answered in due time. If you haven't figured it out all ready, I due plan to stick Shiori with Soujiro. The kid is too darn cute to not find love in SOMEONE though I do have an idea of how I could add in Misao to spicen things up...though she wouldn't be with the cute little Tenken in the end.
Spoilers:
1. Yahiko & Tsubame may not appear in this...simply because I can never really find a place for them. That could always change though. I'm not sure as of now. Same for Sano & Megumi and Aoshi & Misao. I find for some reason it's hard for me to grasp their characters...
2. Mibu's wolf and Tokio will DEFINITELY appear in this. I have an interesting thing cooking up in my messed up mind that involves them. Also involves Tokio and Kaoru planning something, ::gasps in mock horror at the idea::, while Saitou and Kenshin...well, you know them and what always happens when their within eye range.
3. If you haven't guessed, the wacky Himura siblings I created will yet again make appearances with their sickeningly sweet kids and family, though that will be way later in this story.
4. Hiko-sama will most definitely make his grand appearance sometime in the future. I got some wild ideas for what he will do...pity the poor baka deshi, because he will enter hell. ::evil cackle::
5. Events that occur in the anime will occur in this story, only things about it may be twisted. Heck, the whole RK storyline is being twisted! Suggestions for some interesting scenes I could use for K&K are more then welcome as well. All suggestions are always considered. ^-^
6. The lemon thing...I'd do a lemon chapter if I weren't only 16. I have no idea of what sensations would go through either of their minds (though I could guess) so I will not even attempt it. If I did try it would be a disgrace to all lemons and I just couldn't have that. There will probably be some racy scenes though.
I'm so cruel aren't I? R&R!
P.S. Happy Early Birthday Hana-san! (Since I don't know when your birthday actually is...) If by some miracle you do get RK remember this poor unworthy author! ^-^