"The future is not something to see, but something to create."
-Aya, Weiss Kreuz
"The end has not yet been written, and the title of the strongest has not yet been bestowed."
-Aoshi, Rurouni Kenshin
Chapter One: Attractive? In your dreams!
It was love at first sight…it had to be! There was no other description to the dreamy warmth she was feeling but…that guy leaning against the wall could only be described as absolutely gorgeous!
Papa sure knew how to invite friends over for parties! Well some friends anyways…those old perverted geezer associates of her dad's needed to take a hike! Those old farts are gonna die from their lecherous ways!
Kaoru just wished she had enough guts to tell it to their faces! If papa ever heard her voice those words…Kaoru wouldn't be able to sit on her rear correctly for at least a month after punishment! But back to the very nice looking guy friend!
Crushes are so…irritating! They made her feel giddy. And samurais do not feel giddy.
Sure Kaoru was only eleven, and that guy looked about twice her age but…age has no bounds right?!! He was the fitting description of tall dark and handsome, with muscles that bulged from that button up silk dress shirt that did nothing to hide his awesome physique and broad shoulders. His hair, dark and silkily glossy was short and stylish, with long midnight bangs shadowing over his eyes. Kaoru couldn't see his eyes but she was certain, they would be just as awesome as his appearance.
Nervously Kaoru stepped up to him and once again awe struck the young girl, his aura was powerful and intimidating. The mix was interestingly intriguing, Kaoru had met many warriors with awe-inspiring auras spiked with mystery and power but his was different for some reason. It commanded notice and therefore, Kaoru's notorious curiosity was once again perked.
"Hi!" Kaoru chirped, and her cheeks were so flushed Kaoru thought she would be mistaken for a cherry with a black blue pony-tail topping.
"Hn…" The mystery guy wouldn't look up, heck you could hardly call that 'grunt' as an acknowledgement! Kaoru frowned, waving a hand under his face. His head was down and looking at the ground as if it were more interesting than her!
"Helloooo…" She sang, craning her head and her upper body to try to parallel herself to Mr. Mystery Guy's face. Kaoru still received no answer, so she tried again, just using a different tactic.
"Hey mister…" Kaoru's eyes became wider, transforming into deep pleading pools of baby blue. This had to work on him! Nobody was resistant to her puppy dog eyes! "Aren't you going to say hi? You're looking really lonely and I know you've gotta want some company!"
***
"…" The gloomy young man turned his head, diverting his shadowed eyes to the corner of the large ballroom. This little girl was annoying him, but it wasn't unusual. What was it about him that made young little girls follow him and irritate him so? It wasn't right!
"Hn?! What th--"
"LISTEN TO ME!" This girl had an annoyingly screechy voice.
*Thud*
"Ooh…you have pretty eyes…" Kaoru sat happily on his chest, making sure her butt and legs pinned down his arms. What the heck was going on?! How come the little girls just wouldn't disappear!
"Oooh…you have gray eyes with pretty specks of green and blue. They are reaally nice, has anybody ever told you that?"
For some reason those words seemed so…familiar? Was it a flash of déjà vu?
"Kid…what do you think you're doing? Trying to hit one me? If you are…you'll have to come up with something more original. That pick up line's been used before…" He arched a dark eyebrow, his lips a pursed to a thin line. He could easily throw her off of him, but for some reason the voice inside his head was nagging at him not to.
Not to listen the voice that screamed, throw the little girl with big blue eyes and the long floppy ponytail into a box and ship her to far reaches of earth. For some reason…he felt that…
She wasn't going to leave him alone no matter how hard he tried to get rid of her.
It was there, the look of silent determination on the child's face. Telling him, 1-2-3-4! I'm not gonna stop until you throw me through a door! 0-2-4-6 I wont give up cus I've got tricks! This is the girl that annoys to no end, speaking and poking on and on my friend. She will never leave you alone….NEVER NEVER NEVER!!!---
"AH!"
Aoshi could tell this was a very persistent child…or a very spoiled one. But there was no big difference between the two now was there?
"So, what's your name?" The little brat asked while Aoshi picked himself up from the ground and lifted Kaoru up easily with him. He dusted off imaginary lint off his crisp clean clothes, the floors of this ballroom were very clean, Aoshi thought. He could tell by the lack of prominent dust splotches that would have surely stained his dark clothes. Very well kept. It seemed samurais kept their place orderly.
"Hello!~" Kaoru sang out, pouting cutely, "Aren't you going to tell me your name?"
Aoshi arched an elegant eyebrow, his eyes on the little girl who only reached a few inched above his bellybutton.
"Oh well," Kaoru started, "My name is Kaoru Kamiya! Nice to meet you!"
Aoshi frowned, "the feelings aren't mutual. Now I must go, bye." Brushing Kaoru off, he left the large ballroom.
"Oooh! That stubborn mule!" Kaoru fumed, clenching her fists. An idea struck her head, and she grinned deviously, " He mustn't have gotten far, I'll just have to get him back later!"
Happily, Kaoru skipped to the other side of the room to see her best friend Sano. Sano was always dependable.
****
"She seems to have already taken a liking to him."
"Of course, he's been that way with lots of young females. It's the personality I believe."
"What personality? The personality of a rock? I've met more vegetables with more character."
"…"
"Hehe, fine young lad though!"
"…*whack, whack*"
"Oh no! Is your head okay?!"
"…mmI-see-idiocy-runs-in-the-family."
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
"Oh, okay."
******
Okay maybe not entirely dependable…Sano would only help if he got something in return most of the times. And not to mention the fact he was forgetful a whole lot of the time…
"We've been friends since grade school and you still expect me to charge you to work for me?!!!" Kaoru screeched, her disbelief for her best friend's habits still ringing in her ears. "Sano you stupid chicken-head!"
"Hey! I resent that!" Sano was fifteen, four years older than Kaoru and towering over her petite four-foot-five bye almost a whole foot. He had chocolate brown hair styled in jutting spikes, piercing brown eyes, and a foolish grin that gave everything away. He was a prankster, a joker but definitely not a pushover (with a muscular build like that for a teen, who wouldn't be intimidated?) Heck, he was also a lazy bum, you could hardly get him to do a simple task like turning on the television while you got popcorn!
But Sanosuke Sagara was a good friend, loyal and fierce would best describe him. And Kaoru doubted she would ever regret becoming friends with him, if ever the question should appear. "I need some cash Jou-chan!"
Jou-chan, the cute nickname for her since they were little kids of five and nine. They had become friends during grade school, but before that they had been acquaintances because of their fathers. Sano's father and Kaoru's had a strong bond of trust, and it seemed to pass in the line of the next generation.
Kaoru pouted, "But I don't have any money, you know that!" Kaoru jutted her lower lip in an adoring pout, making her lip tremble ever so slightly, "Puh-lease Sano-baby?" it was always good to butter Sano up. Being such a close friend to the tall teenage prankster gave her the advantage of being able to get past his barriers. The barriers that separated his thoughts from others, excluding her (but they both had their moments) and Kaoru was able to get anything out of Sano. Sometimes Sano was a pushover, not that it was a bad thing! Kaoru thought.
Sano closed his eyes in mock resistance. Dammit! He hated it when she did this! How was the raccoon-eyed best friend of his able to become a submissive weakling?
Kaoru's wide innocent blue eyes began to water.
Dammit.
"AAHH! Fine dammit you win!" Sano gnashed out, furious at himself for having such a weak will.
"Yay!" The pony-tailed girl yipped, jumping up to hug Sano briefly, "thank you! I knew I could count on you!"
Sano hugged her back lightly and grumbled, "Of course, who else would submit to your whims other than your father?" Sano wanted to pout, but that would have made him look too much of a pansy.
And Sanosuke Sagara was no pansy!
"WaaaAaah I hate you and your puppy dog eyes!!"
"Heehee!!"
*****
"Aoshi-sama can't we leave this place and go for ice cream? Please?" A young girl with a long braid of dark hair pleaded as she tugged on Aoshi-sama's arm. She had large green eyes the color of a lush forest. She was now twelve, her birthday three and a half months ago.
Aoshi paused in his strides, his gray eyes glancing at the girl beside him with calm. "No Misao, we can't. I have my obligations to attend this party, I will not leave now. It would be seen as rude."
Misao pouted, but continued skipping on par with his strides. He had such longs legs, it took at least three skips to match one stride. How mathematical, Misao thought.
***
So they want to leave do they, she thought, "MaskedScreecher to ChoppedRoosterHead, MaskedScreecher to ChoppedRoosterHead, do you copy? Over."
"copy MaskedScreecher. Everything's in place, over."
"Marvelous."
If I wasn't trying so hard to be silent, she thought, I would be laughing maniacally right now…
MuwhahaAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA….
****
Something in down the hallway rustled.
"Misao." Aoshi stated, cutting off Misao's speech of the Oniwabanshuu's superiority compared to the party's clan.
"Yes, Aoshi-sama?"
"Did you hear something?" His gray eyes narrowed, taking on a dark emerald blue hue. Something was not right.
"Aaahh Aoshi-sama!!! Very angry wolves!!" Canine growls confirmed her exclamation, something was definitely not right.
"Misao run!" Aoshi ordered, making sure the young girl kept a very safe distance away from him just in case the wolves should attack him.
"Okay!" Misao ran down the hall, towards the ballroom, "Damn those samurai! I knew they were up to something!"
Misao didn't see the many banana peels spread innocently on the floor as she ran.
Too late.
"AAAAAH-EEEEKKKK!!"
Misao slipped, falling backwards and landing neatly on a board. She started rolling, rolling into the ballroom!
She was on a skateboard!!
"Oh no!" Misao shrieked, she definitely hated samurai now! "Damn Damn!"
Misao never heard the devious laughter ringing in the hallway before she was launched into the ballroom.
****
Why aren't they attacking? Aoshi thought. His eyes scanned from corner to corner trying to see if anybody was lurking in the shadows.
…soft padding of steps. So quiet, it was hardly detectable, making Aoshi silently admire that person's stealth.
"GRRrrr…" Suddenly the wolves disappeared, just vanished into thin air.
What was going on?
There was giggling. Or something closely resembling the low rumble of laughter.
Somebody was trying to play Aoshi Shinomori… and he didn't appreciate it one bit.
The was a spraying sound coming from all directions and suddenly, Aoshi found himself as wet as a swamp rat.
*****
She bowed elegantly. Bending slightly downwards mockingly, tauntingly with a small satisfied grin on her face. Her light blue eyes were calm and placid, betraying nothing. They resembled ice, cold and unmoving.
Nothing would be betrayed.
No one would find out…
That it was her fault. Everything was of her making, plotting…
"Little girl." His voice was silk. Silk over steel, expertly covering any malicious intentions.
She was still a little girl, petite and young. Soon to turn twelve later in the year, but still very youthful. His towering height, proving his superiority with the curve of his lips that took on the form of a smirk. Then a frown.
He knew something.
He had too.
Or was he that slow? Looks could be deceiving, and maybe the look of intelligence belied his inability to form a witty remark, a sarcastic statement.
Anything.
But his eyes told nothing. Like hers.
Frigid blue-gray sprinkled with green splashes, were the color of his eyes, like leaves blowing in the wind of an upcoming storm.
Was it wrong to think the enemy very very HOT?!
"…" Kaoru felt it was best to stay quiet and not voice the silly ramblings of her overactive imagination. Damn. Sometimes she was too much of a obsessive fan girl. Although…
Tall, dark and angry…hmm, nice ring to it.
Fitted him perfectly.
"It looks like you've grown a bit little girl. Although not enough. Pity." He utter quietly.
"Huh?" Kaoru blinked, did she know him somehow? Her eyes narrowed, "What are you talking about? Do I know you?"
Ah. Such innocence. Aoshi had thought such naivety was long lost, but he guessed not. His lips formed an amused smirk, "Should I feel flattered you don't remember me Little Girl?"
Little girl. Little girl…that rung a bell somewhere in the recesses of Kaoru's mind.
Kaoru gasped, tensing and narrowing her eyes dangerously. "You..." she seethed, teeth grinding mercilessly against each other and her eyes were glaring daggers, stabbing him invisibly.
Then the little girl uttered the last thing Aoshi never would have thought to come out of her scowling mouth.
"Prick."
*******************************
Eeeehhhhh that really had a sucky ending didn't it?? Hehe well with quarter exams coming up again I'm sorry I couldn't update sooner--for any of the fans that even like this -_!
I'm sorry really sorry that this isn't a really great chapter, I'm not very satisfied with it at all. But I didn't want you all to trample me for the long delay!
Well Ja!
---insane psychotic pyromaniac author signing out---
