Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or the Little Mermaid!!

Author's Notes: I just got my computer back last night!!! Guess ya'll don have to wait that long. Luckily, none of my files were deleted, so I'm in the process of finishing the next chapter of Secrets In the Dark. My stories are now no longer on hiatus, so I'll be updating soon!! I also have a new fic in mind, so keep a look out for it!! Here's the next installment of Part of Your World, hopefully you all enjoy it!! As always, read, review, and enjoy!!

Chapter Two:

Part of Your World I

"I don't know how

But I know something's starting right now

Watch and you'll see

Some day I'll be

Part of your world"

Kaoru and Yahiko stood in front of a very angry merman. A merman with hair that was the color of raven feathers that shaded his alluring ice blue eyes. This merman was actually the king of the merpeople. (A/N's: Did you know if you keep saying 'merman', it starts to lose meaning and sound funky?) He was Aoshi, King of all merfolk, and he was very angry although his face was set in a stoic mask.

"What were you thinking, Kaoru-chan?" he inquired calmly, but his eyes told a different story.

"SHE WASN'T!!!" an enraged voice shouted. Kaoru flinched at the sound as a red crab crawled from behind her brother.

"I'm sorry, Okina," Kaoru apologized, "I just sort of...forgot."

Before Okina could begin his tirade, Aoshi cut in and coolly admonished his sister,

"As a result of your careless behavior," he began.

"Careless and reckless, might I add!!" Okina yelled, shaking a claw.

"The entire concert was..." Aoshi was interuppted by the furious crab.

"IT WAS RUINED!" cried out Okina, "Without you there to sing, it was completely destroyed! I am now the laughing stock of the kingdom! Now not a single crabette will even so much as look at me, no matter how much I use my masculine wiles!"

Yahiko, who didn't like the way he was lecturing Kaoru, broke in,

"Well, it's not her fault!"

Although Yahiko teased the princess, he was still her friend, and he was going to let some puny crab yell at her like that.

"Ah... Well, first, ahh, this shark chased us... Yeah... Yeah! And we tried to, but we couldn't , and grrrrrrrrr. And, and we, whoooaaaaaa, oh, and then we were safe. But then this seagull came, and it was this is this, and that is that, and..." he blabbered on, and Kaoru's face fell. Now the secret was out. Judging by the darkening color of Aoshi's eyes, she could tell that he was even more cross.

"Seagull?" Aoshi said dangerously, "You went up to the surface again, didn't you?"

"Nothing...happend," Kaoru twiddled her fingers, avoiding his gaze. Okina was now silenced by the angry aura Aoshi was emitting as was Yahiko.

"Kaoru, you know going to the surface is forbidden!" his eyes burned like blue fire.

"Aoshi, you don't understand!" her azure eyes fought back with its own raging embers.

"So tell me, what don't I understand?" Kaoru was flabbergasted. She had no idea what to say. There was no way she could put into words how she felt about the world above.

"I-," she started, "I want to be free of these restrictions!"

"You know very well that I'm just trying to protect you!" Aoshi answered, "I don't want my little sister to be captured by a fish eater!"

"I'm 18, Aoshi!" she yelled back, "I'm not a child anymore, why can't you see that?!"

With that, an angry princess turned and stormed out of the throne room, leaving Aoshi with his still emotionless facade, but saddened eyes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"So are you ready for the celebration tonight, Misao-san?" Soujiro asked with a bright smile. Misao picked at her breakfast with a bored look upon her face.

"It's just going to be another stuffy party," she pouted. Soujiro's eyes brightened.

"Does that mean you don't know?"

"Don't know what?" Misao questioned suspiciously.

"Your father changed it," his grin got even wider, "It's not going to be on a cruise!"

Misao's eyes glittered with excitment and enthusiasm,

"Really?" Soujiro nodded, increasing her joy. She promptly got up and began dancing around in glee while

he just watched in amusement. Misao bounced towards him with a splitting grin, and took his hands. Pretty soon, they were both dancing around the room like silly idiots. So of course they didn't notice the entrance of King Hiko and Prince Kenshin.

Hiko frowned as a look of displeasure crossed his face,

"What's going on here?" Soujiro and Misao abruptly stopped their goofy dancing, both having a tinge of crimson in their cheeks.

"Um... We were just practicing my dancing skills, Daddy," Misao batted her innocent eyes. Hiko tried to stay steadfast with his anger, but soon relented at seeing how puppy doggish his daughter was being.

"Then I'll pretend I didn't see that." was all he said as Hiko took his seat for his own breakfast. Kenshin did the same, rolling his eyes all along the way with thoughs of how his sister got it much easier than he ever did.

"So when are we going offshore for Kenshin's birthday?" questioned Misao, the innocent look still on her face.

"This afternoon." Hiko replied. Misao kept her excitement inside, so she wouldn't scare her father or brother more than she needed to. She loved to be at sea. The feeling of peace washed over her heart whenever she was near the powerful waves of the water.

'I guess that's why I love to read about the merfolk.' thought Misao.

"Great!" she cheered, eating her food happily. Kenshin smiled as he watched his little sister's exhuberence. He knew how in love she was with the sea. Even if Misao married, her passion for the waters would always come first, unless someone had the power to change it.

'I doubt it,' Kenshin thought in his head, 'No one on land has the power to exceed her love for the sea.'

And he was exactly right. No man on LAND could ever beat Misao's adoration for the ocean.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In the beautiful underwater palace, King Aoshi I sat on his throne, contemplating his arguement with his younger sister. Perhaps he was to hard on her, but he had every right to be worried about her. Kaoru could've been captured, and God knows what would happen next.

"Can you believe the nerve of her?" Okina muttered, "Just conveniently forgetting the concert, and going to the surface at that."

Aoshi, of course, stayed silent.

'What am I going to do with her?' ran though his mind.

"What are you going to do with her?" Okina ranted, "She needs guidance! Someone to teach her wrong from right!"

A light bulb lit above Aoshi's head. Without a flicker of emotion on his face, frosty indigo eyes followed Okina as he paced back and forth. Yes, a guardian was exactly what Kaoru needed. Someone who could make sure she stayed out of trouble.

"I bet she could stay out of trouble more if someone could just lead her in the right path!" the little crab continued his tirade for about ten more minuted with Aoshi staying as stoic as ever.

Then, to Okina's surprise, he heard,

"You're exactly right."

"Of course I- WHAT?!"

"I think you're right about Kaoru needing a guardian." Aoshi answered smoothly, not at all bothered by the outburst.

"I am?"

"And I think I know the perfect person."

"You do?"

"Since you've been so supportive on this issue, I've decided-..."

"Oh, no, no, no!" protested Okina, waving a red claw stubbornly, "I know where this is going and the answer is-..."

"You're going to be Kaoru's guardian, starting now." Aoshi cut him off, his tone commanding. Okina knew there was no way out of this one, and out he went, grumbling about rebellious mermaids.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kaoru sprawled across the sand in her secret hiding place, surverying her collection of human items. She had found this cave when she was thirteen, and has been collecting since then. It was her refuge, the place she went to when life was just o much for her. Yahiko and her had been there for a few hours now, and it was about nearing night time now.

Floating aimlessly around on his back, Yahiko felt bad for his friend. He knew her frustration, and also her affection for land which was odd for a mermaid. The elders always told horrible tales of the people on land, and how they treated their kind. Kaoru always scoffed at the stories, and was never intimidated by them. Yahiko, although he would never admit it, was a little fearful by the humans. The tales the elders told everyone at night were simple gruesome. Scaling fish, cutting them open, placing them in boiling water, and it got worse.

"Aw, just forget about Aoshi, busu." Yahiko offered comfort in his own boyish way.

"Even though he's king of the merpeople, five years older than me, and my brother," Kaoru griped, "doesn't mean he can treat me like a child. I'm 18!"

"He's just worried, I guess." he replied, irked that she had not retaliated at the old nickname.

"I don't see why he's so against me going up there," she sighed, "it's not like I'm going to get caught."

"You don't know that."

Kaoru didn't answer, and gazed upon her newly found fork. It wasn't fair. All she wanted to do was experience how it was to have legs, to was a land, to be a human girl. Maybe that was too much to ask, but it wasn't a completely bizarre wish. There other merfolk, mainly the mermaids, who had small dreams of what it would like to be a human woman. None said their wishes outloud, in fear of being ridiculed, but Kaoru told Yahiko. He was the only one who knew. If her brother every found out, Aoshi would certainly have her head.

She placed down the fork, and slowly swam around, examining her various items that were from the world above. A long time ago, these things quelled her desire to be human, but now, just the sight of them increased it. Kaoru wanted to know what it would be like to dance, to walk, to spin around with the sun shining upon her face.

"Yahiko," Kaoru whispered sadly.

"What, bu- Kaoru?" Yahiko responded, deciding to drop the name this time since she sounded so sorrowful.

"I wish I was, wait what's that?" Kaoru's gloom was forgotten as she saw a ship pass overhead.

"It looks like a ship." Yahiko said lazily.

"Let's go take a look!"

Before the merboy could even say anything, the princess was already exiting the cave and heading towards the surface. Unfortunately, Okina was conviently waiting outside, and was shocked to see Kaoru swimming swiftly up, forgetting all about the arugemnt she had with her brother earlier that day.

"Kaoru," he cried, "what are you doing?!"

Yahiko soon followed the young woman, and Okina grew even more frantic. If Aoshi found out that Kaoru went up to the surface again, Okina would be a dead crab. His mind was conflicted, go to the top and risk being caught by some net, or have Aoshi slowly kill him. Figuring that the latter would be more painful, he followed the two rogue teens.

Stopping mid-swim, another idea struck him. Why risk his hide when he can just tell Aoshi, and have him lecture them. After all, it was to late to give good guidance when she was already on her way, so might as well bring in the big guns. So with that, the little red crab raced back towards the kingdom to get the king of the merfolk.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Misao leaned over the edge of the ship, watching the water slap against the side of it. Delightedly, she felt the sweet ocean breeze kiss her cheek. Everyone was enjoying themselves, except for Kenshin, who was unhappy with the way Hiko kept pushing him towards all sorts of princesses that had been invited. A frown was on his usually cheerful face, and Misao decided to come to his rescue.

Swaying her hips over to Kenshin and an aggresive and flirty princess, Misao offered a bright beam and called,

"Kenshin, I still have to give you your gift!"

Kenshin looked extremely relieved to see his sister giving him an opening to get away, and said a curt goodbye to the princess. With Misao they returned to the edge, and watched the sea and its actions.

"Thanks, Misao, I really appreciate that." he sighed.

"Not a problem even though I already gave you your gift this morning," Misao winked. She had given her brother a brand new reverse edge sword, that had his name engraved in the hilt. The one he already had was old, although trusty, it was still becoming to aged.

The band played a snazzy tune, and to avoid dancing with any of the other princesses, he pulled Misao to dance. She tried to avoid it, but the pleading in Kenshin's eyes was to much. Hiko had demanded that he dance with a princess every moment he got so that he may marry, and have an heir to the throne. The king was constantly worried that Kenshin would have no heir, and his dynasty would end. When Soujiro reassured that there was always Princess Misao, Hiko dared any man to even so much lay a lecherous glance at her.

"It looks like a storm's coming." Misao looked up at the glittering stars that were soon being shrouded by heavy clouds. A flash of lightning appeared followed by a crash of thunder.

"That it does," Kenshin replied, his stare also set on the sky. Neither royals expected the kind of hellish night they would soon go through.

~*~*~*~

Author's Notes: Hmm, what's going to happen next? I made my own little twist, and there's more to come!! This is really fun to write! I know that Okina doesn't really fit the part of Sebastian, but everyone else I'm using for significant parts. I can't wait to get further into the plot!! I think all of you might really like it!! Well, that's it for now!

Now, to my darling reviwers:

Macy: Aoshi as Sebastian? o.O I knew his role from the beginning, but Sebastian was a little harder to cast. Aoshi's only five years older than Kaoru, so he's not THAT old. I hope you like it so far.

Faerie-chan: *hugs laptop* My baby's not dead! I was so happy when my dad gave me the box last night!! Thanks for being patient, and it turns out that you didn't have to wait that long.

Son Lila: Fight for that laptop, girlfriend!! I got mine back, and it's every bit worth it!!

Laurie Hall: Hmm...is Megumi the Sea Witch Ursula? *mysterious smile* Guess you'll find out in the next chapter!!

Haku no Miko: Whoo! Thanks for the review, Cecily!! Rock on, chika!!! Yup, Sano's the seagull. *pats seagull Sano* Hope ya like it!

Hanna-chan: I hope it gets even more interesting now.

Kanimura Kaoru: *huggles Kanimura* Thanks for your lovely review. I'm 14, and I still love The Little Mermaid!! I'm sorry I didn't make Kaoru sing 'Part of Your World', but in the beginning of every chapter is a piece of a song. I hope that's enough for you!

T. Anjel: Ohh, it's gonna get funnier!! You just wait, and see... The plans I have for Enishi!! *grins evilly*

Gina: I'll try to update sooner!!

CardMistress Sakura: Who cares if we're to old?! The movie kicks serious ass!! Thanks for being such a loyal reviewer, chick!!

Rekka's Angel: Well, it looks like I captured me a fan!! I love your boosting review!! It added to my author ego!!

Tesuka-chan: Whoo-hoo!! You reviewed me!! It will be a big mix of the Little Mermaid and my own twists. By the way, Aoshi better be your lead!! A/M FOREVER!!

Anonymous: Not trying to be a bitch or anything, but have you ever seen the Little Mermaid? Thanks for your encouraging words, but it's just a cute fic that I'm writing for everyone to enjoy. Some details aren't accurate, but you don't have to get technical. Next time, leave your name, it might boost some self respect since you left such a technical review though forgot to leave who you are.

May: Ooh, I got a Sou/Misao fan!! Maybe I can convert you to Aoshi/Misao? Heehee, just kidding. Don't worry, I'm not going to make Megumi COMPLETELY evil. I know what I'm going to do with her in the end. ^_~

Spell: Hmm...even though I updated POYW and not SITD, can I still have the chibi Draco & chibi Kane? Or maybe, I can one for updating this story, and the other when I update the other? *puppy eyes* Thanks for your review!! I haven't chatted to you lately, so I guess I'll catch ya later!

Kyaa-Kyaff: *squeals* I'm so flattered that you review my fic!! I worship your work!! Thanks so much for putting me on your fave list even though I only had one chapter. I'll try to update soon!! You rock!!

*hugs and kisses to all my reviewers*

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Fairy Dust

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