Rurouni Kenshin: The Price of Revenge
Prologue: The Battousai
===
Yami no Ryu: Heya all! This is my first Rurouni Kenshin fic, and I haven't seen the whole series yet, so go easy on me.
Kenshin: She doesn't want flamers, no she does not.
Kaoru: And since this is just a prologue, I won't be in it! *pouts*
YnR: Cheer up, Kaoru! You're in the next chapter.
Kaoru: YAY!
YnR: Now, on to this chapter.
"A civilization that would trade a little liberty for a little power deserves neither and will lose both." -Thomas Jefferson
===
"AAAAAAA--"
"Daddy, what's going on?"
She clutched at her father's leg.
"Nothing, sweetie," the man answered. But even his seven-year-old daughter knew he was lying. There was another agonized scream, abruptly cut off. The girl moved closer to her father, trying not to cry. There was a foul scent in the air; the scent of fear, of blood, of death.
"Daddy, I'm scared," the girl squeaked.
"Sh, ssh, Kita. Ssh," he whispered, rubbing her back comfortingly.
Another scream.
It was closer!
The wind howled in the treetops, and seemed to shout, "The Battousai comes! He comes! He comes!" But nothing could drown out another horrid, pain- filled scream that again ended rather quickly.
"It's not fair," the father whispered suddenly. "My daughter shouldn't be slaughtered because I made a mistake, because I was on the wrong side!" The father knew what he had to do, but was hesitant. Despite the danger she was in, his daughter gave him a strange sort of comfort. The comfort of knowing that someone else was there. But another scream--still closer!--made his mind for him. He bent down to the girl's level. For seven years, she was tall for her age, and her fire-orange eyes were sparkling with fear. "Kita, listen, and listen well."
"Daddy?"
"Go to Mommy's old room. Stay there and don't come out. Do not leave Mommy's old room until morning. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Daddy."
He smiled a sad smile down at her and gathered her into his arms. "Kitairu Tabano, I'll love you forever. You'll always be my Kita, remember that."
"I love you too, Daddy," she whispered.
But before he could send her off, a scream was heard right outside the door.
"Kuso! I tarried too long!" the father swore.
"Daddy?" the girl whispered, terrified. He picked her up a set her gently in a cupboard.
"Kita, stay here and don't make a sound! Do you understand me?"
"Y-y-y-yes, Daddy," she whispered. The father smiled again that sad smile and kissed his one and only daughter on her forehead.
"I'll always love you," he said, and closed the cupboard's door. But it didn't close all the way. Curiosity overrode fear and she peaked out. She would regret what she saw for the rest of her life. In the only patch of moonlight that illuminated the room, she saw a flash of red-orange hair, the sparkle of violet eyes, and a cross-shaped scar. Then the next thing she knew there was the flash of steel and her father slumped forward, headless. A few feet away, his head rolled to a stop.
She would have cried out, screamed, but her father had ordered her not to make a sound. So she didn't. But she couldn't take her eyes off of his corpse. What had been a living being just a few minutes ago was now a dead body, lifeless and unfeeling. Tears leaked out of her eyes, slowly at first, then faster and faster, until she was silently bawling.
When the first rays of light peeked over the horizon, she dared move. Slowly sliding the door open, she crept out, and looked at the body. Then at the head. She couldn't stand it any more. She ran out of the room. Once out, she collapsed, sobbing. When the sun was full over the horizon, she looked up.
"Daddy," she whispered; then, "DADDY!!!!!!!!!"
===
Kenshin: That was sad, that it was.
Kaoru: *sobbing* How horrible! That poor girl!
YnR: I like angst. I can't help it!
Kenshin: Please leave a review.
YnR: I like reviews, that I do. And if you flame, I'll send Kaoru after you. -.^ (Hey, it rhymes!)
Kaoru: *angry* I don't appreciate being used..
YnR: *nervously* Uh, okay. Then I'll send an angry Battousai after the flamers!
Kaoru: Good. *nods head in approval*
Kenshin: Why is it always me.?
Prologue: The Battousai
===
Yami no Ryu: Heya all! This is my first Rurouni Kenshin fic, and I haven't seen the whole series yet, so go easy on me.
Kenshin: She doesn't want flamers, no she does not.
Kaoru: And since this is just a prologue, I won't be in it! *pouts*
YnR: Cheer up, Kaoru! You're in the next chapter.
Kaoru: YAY!
YnR: Now, on to this chapter.
"A civilization that would trade a little liberty for a little power deserves neither and will lose both." -Thomas Jefferson
===
"AAAAAAA--"
"Daddy, what's going on?"
She clutched at her father's leg.
"Nothing, sweetie," the man answered. But even his seven-year-old daughter knew he was lying. There was another agonized scream, abruptly cut off. The girl moved closer to her father, trying not to cry. There was a foul scent in the air; the scent of fear, of blood, of death.
"Daddy, I'm scared," the girl squeaked.
"Sh, ssh, Kita. Ssh," he whispered, rubbing her back comfortingly.
Another scream.
It was closer!
The wind howled in the treetops, and seemed to shout, "The Battousai comes! He comes! He comes!" But nothing could drown out another horrid, pain- filled scream that again ended rather quickly.
"It's not fair," the father whispered suddenly. "My daughter shouldn't be slaughtered because I made a mistake, because I was on the wrong side!" The father knew what he had to do, but was hesitant. Despite the danger she was in, his daughter gave him a strange sort of comfort. The comfort of knowing that someone else was there. But another scream--still closer!--made his mind for him. He bent down to the girl's level. For seven years, she was tall for her age, and her fire-orange eyes were sparkling with fear. "Kita, listen, and listen well."
"Daddy?"
"Go to Mommy's old room. Stay there and don't come out. Do not leave Mommy's old room until morning. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Daddy."
He smiled a sad smile down at her and gathered her into his arms. "Kitairu Tabano, I'll love you forever. You'll always be my Kita, remember that."
"I love you too, Daddy," she whispered.
But before he could send her off, a scream was heard right outside the door.
"Kuso! I tarried too long!" the father swore.
"Daddy?" the girl whispered, terrified. He picked her up a set her gently in a cupboard.
"Kita, stay here and don't make a sound! Do you understand me?"
"Y-y-y-yes, Daddy," she whispered. The father smiled again that sad smile and kissed his one and only daughter on her forehead.
"I'll always love you," he said, and closed the cupboard's door. But it didn't close all the way. Curiosity overrode fear and she peaked out. She would regret what she saw for the rest of her life. In the only patch of moonlight that illuminated the room, she saw a flash of red-orange hair, the sparkle of violet eyes, and a cross-shaped scar. Then the next thing she knew there was the flash of steel and her father slumped forward, headless. A few feet away, his head rolled to a stop.
She would have cried out, screamed, but her father had ordered her not to make a sound. So she didn't. But she couldn't take her eyes off of his corpse. What had been a living being just a few minutes ago was now a dead body, lifeless and unfeeling. Tears leaked out of her eyes, slowly at first, then faster and faster, until she was silently bawling.
When the first rays of light peeked over the horizon, she dared move. Slowly sliding the door open, she crept out, and looked at the body. Then at the head. She couldn't stand it any more. She ran out of the room. Once out, she collapsed, sobbing. When the sun was full over the horizon, she looked up.
"Daddy," she whispered; then, "DADDY!!!!!!!!!"
===
Kenshin: That was sad, that it was.
Kaoru: *sobbing* How horrible! That poor girl!
YnR: I like angst. I can't help it!
Kenshin: Please leave a review.
YnR: I like reviews, that I do. And if you flame, I'll send Kaoru after you. -.^ (Hey, it rhymes!)
Kaoru: *angry* I don't appreciate being used..
YnR: *nervously* Uh, okay. Then I'll send an angry Battousai after the flamers!
Kaoru: Good. *nods head in approval*
Kenshin: Why is it always me.?
