Starless
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Disclaimer: No, I don't own any of the characters from Rurouni Kenshin, they all belong to Watsuki Nobuhiro-sama! So with that in mind, please don't sue me. I'm broke enough as it isand I still need money to buy anime and manga!!!
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A/N: I finally got the next chapter up! I would have got it up sooner butI've been suffering from writer's block. And then I got sick ^_^; Add that to the fact that I've been stressed with homework and have been otherwise very lazyand that's pretty much it ^_^.
Anyway, I'm sorry to say that this will not be Tomoe/Aoshi fic. Although I'm not going to reveal any of the pairings yet, Tomoe/Aoshi will most definitely not be one. Sorry! _
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Yubikiri, a pinky promise.
"Even if everyone else leaves youI never will. Issho nizutto issho ni."
"I'll always be here for you."
Those are the very words that I spoke to that small broken weasel-girl.
Who would've thought
that one day I would have to brake the promise that you cling to so dearly, Misao-chan?
So now that I'm gonewhat will you do?
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"Issho ni"
Mumbled Misao-chan, smiling happily in her sleep and making me feel just a little guiltier about what I was doing. It was late at night and the moonlight was shining through the window down upon her tiny form, making her look like an angel
Unconsciously, I reached my hand out to caress her cheek. Maybemaybe it would be all right to take Misao with me to America. She wanted to go, didn't she? I'm sure we could find her a school there and-
"Aoshi? Are you done saying goodbye to Misao yet? Hannya and the others are waitingor perhaps you need a little more time?"
Okina stood in the doorway, giving me a worried look, and glancing down, I realized what I was doing and quickly snatched my hand away, quite aware I was blushing. Coughing into my fist in a sad little attempt to hide it, I took a step away from Misao.
"No, I can leave now. Tell the others that I'll be down in a second."
Nodding, Okina disappeared from the doorway and I presently heard him walking down the stairs and taking one last regretful glance at Misao, I turned around to follow him.
That's right, there's no way I could take Misao with meit's impossible. No matter how much I might wish to take her with me, no matter how much she wanted to be near me, it would be a selfish thing to do.
"Aoshi-sama ga daisuki"
My foot froze in mid-step and I do believe my heart stopped beating for a second. I looked back over my shoulder and saw she was still sleeping as soundly as before, but for some reason this didn't make me feel any better.
"I'm going to hell for this"
But I suppose that's just as wellsomeone like me doesn't deserve an angel. And Misao-chan is most definitely an angel. I shouldn't destroy her future with my own selfishness.
"I'm sorryand goodbye, Misao-chan"
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"Aoshi-sama?"
Misao rubbed at her eyes sleepily as she trudged down the hallway in a zombie like manner. Every once in a while she'd bump into something, but Misao couldn't have cared less. All that mattered was where in the world was Aoshi-sama?
"Aoshi-sama?"
Pausing by the front door, she stood squinting out the window. It was early February and snow covered everything making it painful to look at so soon after waking up. But since it was a matter of finding Aoshi, she was willing to bear it. In fact, if it weren't so dang cold out there she would be outside searching for him right this minute.
"inaihe's not there."
She turned away from the window and leaned against the door while she rubbed at her eyes in vain.
*Aoshi-samawhere are you?*
"Kuso!!"
She punched the door in frustration. "If you were gonna go out why didn't you wake me up? I could've gone with you. Aoshi-sama wa baka!!"
Misao was so busy yelling at the door, she didn't notice that Okina had entered the room until he began chuckling at her.
"Heh heh, no, don't let me interrupt! It's rather interesting to watch you argue with the door."
"Ohit's only you, Jiya I thought you were Aoshi-sama for a second." She sighed in disappointment. "Hey, Jiya"
"Do you know where Aoshi-sama is?"
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Okina's POV
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Should I tell her now? She was staring at me with such a hopeful lookwhat would she do when she found out? More then anything, I don't want to see Misao-chan cry like she did back then. But as I looked up into her eyes I saw something that hadn't been there before.
I guess I would have had to tell her sooner or later, anyway. So sighing, I bent down and looked straight into her eyes so that she would know I wasn't joking.
"Jiya, where"
I cut her off with a shake of my head and she stared at me, her big aqua eyes wide with confusion.
"Misao-chanAoshi is gone. He left with Hannya and the others this morning."
I saw her eyes flash with shocked realization and thendenial.
"What do you mean?! Where did Aoshi and the others go? I don't understand!"
Misao was beginning to go hysterical and I could see tears starting to well up in her eyes. She knew as well as I did where they had gone but I explained again so that it might settle in better.
"To the airport. Their plane leaves for America at about 10:00" I paused to glance at my watch. "which is in 15 minutes."
She jerked away from me clumsily, stumbling into the door. She was hunched over against the door so I couldn't tell what she was thinking but I could see that her were fists shaking.
"Misao-chan" I reached out my hand to her, but she ran around me and I soon heard the sound of footsteps stomping up the stairs followed by the slamming of a door.
I gave her a couple of minutes and then followed slowly after her. Even if Aoshi did leave, it wouldn't do for her to sit around crying forever.
I reached my hand out to knock on the door but before I could touch it, the door swung open to reveal Misao-chan. She was all bundled up and in her hand she held a small stuffed suitcase. The look on her face at that moment, was pure determination.
"Misao."
I admit, I should have realized what she was planning and stopped her, but I was much too shocked to think properly or to do anything to stop her. She walked right passed me without looking back and said, "Goodbye Jiya, I'm leaving. Don't expect me backI'm going with Aoshi-sama." By the time I turned around, she was gone.
"Misao-chan, youyou don't even know how to get to the airport!"
I trailed off as I realized how pointless it was. She was already gone and even if she were still thereshe wouldn't have heard me.
*Oh Aoshi.*
I hadn't seen her like this since before the accidentno, even before the accident she would've been crying.
*She's become so strong.*
It's amazing how much she's grown since the accidenteven that she doesn't get teary when someone mentions it now is amazing. But you can't do something like that aloneat least not Misao-chan.
*So what will you do, Misao-chan?*
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Misao's POV
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Kuso
Kuso
Kuso!!
Why didn't you take me with you? I wouldn't have minded leaving Japan! As long as you're with me, I don't care where I am! If you're not there
*There's no reason to say tadaima.*
Aoshi-sama wa baka!
I don't careif you don't like me anymore or notI couldn't care less if you hated me! Butno matter whatI won't let you break your promise!! I'm going to come with you whether you like it or not! Just you wait in see!
"I just have to get to the airport before 10:00then he'll have to take me with him! Or else they'd miss the flight!"
*Right? If I get therehe will take me with him, right? He wouldn't leave me behindright?*
Misao, who had been running pell-mell in no particular direction, must have faltered in her step because the next thing she knew, she had tripped and fallen head first into the snow. The suitcase she had been carrying flew out of her hands and hit up against a tree, causing it's contents to spill upon the wintry ground.
"K-kuso! I don't have time for this! The plane leaves in-"
As if to answer, her watch's hourly chime went off and Misao was frozen with shock as she let what this meant sink in.
*Aoshi-samaI'm not the only onewho'd be lonely if we were separatedright? You would miss meright? I'm not alone nowright?*
Tears welled in her eyes as she slowly gathered her things together again.
*You promised that you'd never leave meyou promised that you'd always be hereso where are you?*
"Where are you?"
She reached for the last item and was surprised to see the paper crane Aoshi had made her one day while they had been doing origami.
"I didn't even know how to get to the airportwhat was I thinking?"
Hands trembling and vision blurred by tears, she picked it up and cradled the now soggy crane to her, as if it were the most precious thing in the world.
"What was Ithinking? I should've known it was impossible."
She slumped over next to her suitcase and sobbed.
"Aoshi-samayou liar!!"
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I couldn't see myself at that moment, but I'm pretty sure I must've been a sight. If anyone had been around, I'm sure I would've looked to them, like a soggy weasel crying in the snow. But no one was around. No one at all. And I really didn't care either way. I felt like the loneliest little girl in the whole world and I needed to get it out somehow.
After I was done crying, I got up and picked up my suitcase and began walking. I have no idea where I was going, but I had to go somewheresomewhere that wasn't back to that house where Aoshi no longer was.
So I walked and walked for who knows how long? And I'm pretty sure I started going around in circles after a whilebut I didn't care, it didn't matter. I got tired of walking at some point and decided to sit down. So I wandered into a park and sat down on a bench, unconscious and unaware of my surroundings.
After awhile of sitting in this state of mind, I become aware of the sound of running feet and laughter. Forgetting my empty state, I looked up curiously.
There was a young boy and a girl who looked about my age racing towards a tree that wasn't so far from where I was sitting.
"Ara! You beat me!"
Said the girl, pretending to be out of breath. She was rewarded for her acting efforts as the boy broke out into a big smile.
"Onee-chan's getting fat in her old age!"
Grinning mischievously, the girl pulled on one of his cheeks.
"I am? Then how come you're the one plumping up?"
The boy scowled at her for a second and then brightened up again suddenly.
"ne, ne! Onee-chan! Lets get some taiyaki!"
He pointed excitedly at a taiyaki booth to one side of the park. Seeing it, the girl smiled and nodded and they both headed towards it, the boy dragging her by the hand.
I couldn't help smiling as I watched the little boy drag his sister along excitedlyit reminded me of yesterday when me and Aoshi-sama had gone to the aquarium and I had pulled him all over looking for the penguin section
*Maybe when I get home, I can ask Aoshi-sama to buy me taiyaki!!*
I would've run back home and pulled him here if I hadn't remembered one very important detail
Aoshi-sama wouldn't be there when I got home. Not today, not tomorrowmaybe never again. I would never be able to drag Aoshi-sama to see the penguins againnot ever. We would never eat taiyaki together eithernot like those two were.
Suddenly I felt very sick. Watching these two siblingsreminded me too much of Aoshi-sama and me. Too muchtoo muchI had to get out of here before I started to cry again. I got up and started to walk away when I heard a voice behind me.
"AnoOnee-san?"
I whirled around to find myself facing the little boy and his sister. Surprised, all I could do was stare dumbly down at him, not really sure what they wanted.
"You looked kinda hungryyou want?"
I blinked, unsure of what he meant until I realized he was offering me some taiyaki. Did theythink I was homeless or something?
The thought was so funny I couldn't help but laugh and laugh and laugh. I'm really surprised they didn't take me for insane and run away right then and there. But no, they stood there, waiting for me to either accept it or refuse.
Still not quite in my senses, I took the taiyaki from him and took a long savory bitewhat can I say? I was really, really hungry. I had left before I had eaten breakfast and nowit looked like it was almost time for dinner. Jeez! How long had I been walking around for? How long was I sitting in that bench before they had gotten here? How longhave I been crying and moping around?
What would Aoshi-sama say if he say me like this? II'm terribly ashamed of myself. I thought I'd gotten stronger then thisI thought I'd least become strong enough not to bawl like a baby. Am I just so strong when Aoshi-sama is with me? Can't Itake care of myself?
The horrible feeling in my heart told me that I wasn't.
"Aoshi-sama"
I can just imagine how surprised those two must have been when I abruptly stopped laughing and eating and started crying.
"Come backI'm not ready to be alone"
Still clutching onto my taiyaki, I sagged slowly to the cold floor into a kind of sad little puddle.
"I don't wanna be alone again!"
I heard the girl kneel down next to me and presently felt her place her hand upon my head.
"Nepull yourself together."
If someone else besides her had said the same words, they might have sounded almost rude. But coming from her, they sounded like an encouragement. It was almost as comforting as Aoshi-sama's own voice.
"Did you lose someone important to you?"
Being too choked up in sobs at the moment, I just nodded my head.
"Did they die?"
I shook my head
"Thenyou can still see that someone someday, right?"
I looked down at the ground.
"Maybe butwhat if he never comes back?
I bit my lip.
"What ifhe doesn't want to come back"
She placed her hand underneath my chin and forced me to look up at her.
"I'm sure that's not true. I'm sure that he misses you just as much as you miss him."
I knew she hadn't met Aoshi-sama before and therefore, probably wouldn't really know butthe way she said itmade you believe her.
"And someday, if he hasn't come back yet, you can go to find him."
I blinked and looked up at her.
"Then neither of you will have to be lonely ever again, right?"
She was smiling down at me with such kind eyes. She looked only a little older then me and yetshe seemed so mature.
"A-arigato"
I don't know whether I was talking about the taiyaki, or the comfort she had just given memaybe both. I took another bite out of the taiyaki and found that it tasted very salty. When I made a face, she giggled at me.
"That's what happens when you try to eat taiyaki after cryingright Enishi?"
The boy who had been staring at me with a thoughtful look in his eyes, jumped at being addressed so suddenly.
"W-what's that supposed to mean? I never cry!"
He pouted and stuck his chin in the air trying to look defiant and mad, but it only lasted for a few seconds. His mouth twitched into a smile, and both him and his sister began to laugh. They seemed so happy, I found myself laughing as well, tears now forgotten.
"UmI don't think I got your names"
I said when we had finally stopped laughing.
"Hm? I'm Yukishiro Tomoe and this is my younger brother, Enishi."
She said, smiling at me. "And you are?"
"Makimachi Misao! Yoroshiku!"
I felt better nowa lot better now.
"YeahI will do that! I'll grow stronger and if Aoshi-sama hasn't come back by the time I've graduated, I'll find him myself!"
Tomoe smiled at me.
"ganbatte ne, Misao-san"
Yes, I will find you someday Aoshi-sama. And thenI can yell at you for breaking your promise. But for now
"Hey, how would you two like to eat dinner at the Aoiya! They serve the best meals in all of Kyoto"
Maybe staying with Jiya won't be so bad after all.
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Tsuzukeru
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A/N: Sorry for the long wait!! _
I made this chapter extra long to try and make up for it. ^^;;
Once again, I always love feedback. Even if it's to tell me that you hate my fic and you think I'm a horrible writer! _ So please review! ^^
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-furin