+To Never Know+
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. Princess Katsuni came from my
noggin, so I guess I own her. And the new characters appearing that you
don't normally see in RK are mine as well.
+To Never Know+
Chapter 5:
Frozen In Time: Secrets of the Past Revealed
+Last Time+
'"I would like to know if I truly am, born of peasants. My mother had told me that both of my birth parents were dead, and that the only son had wandered off somewhere. I am determined to find him. But, the government is of no help, for they claim that that man had died years ago."'
[Karou's POV]
It's another peaceful, beautiful day in Tokyo. I am here, looking out through my bedroom window, wondering and reflecting on things that have happened in my life. I was an orphan, who had soon inherited a dojo. I had taught as a teacher, until that impersonator came in, pretending to be the famed Hitokiri Battousai. That is when I met Kenshin, whom I am married to this very day. Now, I carry his child within me, and nothing could taint the joy that we are experiencing now.
I look out the window to see Katsuni walking out into the forest. Why would the former Princess of Nihon want to go to the forest for? If she was to head for the hot springs, she was indeed, going the wrong way. Although I know that Kenshin will not allow it, I decide to follow her, to see where she would go. Is she working for a new foe? If so, I'd need my bodoukai stick just in case.
I follow her through most of the trail, and I see that she knows the way well. She suddenly stops, and so does time. I fear that she might have known I was behind her. But no, instead, she walks somewhere into a clearing, where a hut stands and 2 children are seen playing. An elderly woman sits outside, watching them and smiles.
"Kaze, Katsumi, Okaasan has returned," the old woman calls out. Okaasan? Katsuni is the mother of these young ones? The children stop what they are doing and embrace Katsuni, who starts to whisper about how much she has missed them. She thanks the old woman, and pays her with food from last night's meal. No wonder why her plate was clean so quickly; she had saved the food for the old woman. I see the ancient one heading over my way. There is nowhere for me to go. I must face the consequence. I close my eyes, and wonder what will happen.
"My child! Why is it that you hide behind the trees? Isn't there anything that you seek around here?" I open my eyes to see the old woman staring at me, along with a look of horror from Katsuni. She bows her head, and heads into the house. "Please, Karou, come inside. You are carrying a child; it is not wise to stay out in the sun a little too long."
"So, you are a mother? Why didn't you bring the subject of your children up?" She sighs, and looks out the window. "I had lived a terrible life. The young boy you see, Kaze, is the younger of the two. He is the son of my deceased husband, who, I believe, you've already known." I think back, but whom?
"I was married to Houji, who, at one time, was the governor of the Okinawa Islands. Sanouske was hired to take me there . . ." I then realized something: what about the girl?
"How about Katsumi? I mean, is she not Konriyu's daughter?" I see her bow her head, and look out once more to the children playing outside.
"No, she isn't. She is not Konriyu's daughter. She's the only thing that keeps time standing still, she and her brother are the only sources of joy that I have. When that man was alive, I had gone through the worst pit of Hades imaginable." She clenches her fists, and small tears start to fall. "Houji used me as a source of entertainment and power. Every night, I was ordered around like a slave to sleep with all these men . . .and to ultimately destroy my dignity, I was ordered to sleep with Nihon's worst enemy imaginable." No, she couldn't have. That man . . .
"I was ordered one night to sleep with Makato Shishio, the Battousai of the Shadows, the successor of the Hitokiri Battousai. I was on the verge of death, but then, I remember the father of Katsumi, and smile. He is the reason why I am still alive today. He was the young man that had stolen my heart all those years ago."
"But who is he?" She looks at me with sad eyes, and smiles. "Do you not see the resemblance?" I look at Katsumi, and then it hits me like a rock: Sanouske. Her same brownish hair, the dark eyes of any fighter, and the same attitude, I must admit. I look back at Katsuni, with questions running through my mind.
"The last night spent together, was a wonderful one. But, he had left me without saying a word. Heartbroken, I immediately found comfort in Houji. Soon, I was found to be expecting. Everyone rejoiced, but I knew deep in my soul that this is not my husband's child. I knew from that moment, it was Sanouske's. For many years, I have tried to track him down. But, in the 2nd year of our marriage, the Goshen wars began. It was there where I had met the Hitokiri Battousai, face to face . . . anyhow, my husband and I left once more with young Katsumi, only a few of our belongings, and his son whom I was carrying, towards Kyoto. Once there, our marriage had suddenly changed. He soon found an alliance with Shishio, which also got me deeper into this Hades. I had attempted suicide once or twice, but I always look at the children, and I do not want Katsumi to go through what I was going through. Shishio was a sick bastard." She looks back out once more to see her children, and she sighs.
"When it was discovered that Shishio and my husband were dead, I made my way with my children towards Kobe, where my mother was staying. My father had since died, and so, I had come to collect my inheritance. But, she has grown old, and told me that I was not her daughter. She went on to tell me about her being a barren maiden, who had never experienced the pain of childbirth. So, in desperation of the truth, I went to Tochigi, where the woman had said was my birthplace. I couldn't find a thing, so I went to the next place: Saitama. There, I found of a woman, who was buried with her eyes opened, and her husband, who had died on a starless night a few months after. Their son, his whereabouts are unknown until this very day. They say that he left without saying a word, and they believed he died on his way to his unknown destination."
She starts to sob, and I try to comfort her. Then, she looks into my eyes. " I have no one, my brother, he might not be here on this earth. My only love, he doesn't know about the offspring that he has here, or does he return my feelings. So many things have changed . . ."
"But, if you could, would you tell Sano about Katsumi?" She stopped her sobbing right there, and looked at me. "No, because he would think lowly of me. I . . . will return to him tonight, and tell him about Katsumi. The ancient one can watch both of them once more tonight-"
"Bring them over, Katsuni. Let Sano see his daughter." She looked at me, and smiled her trademark sad smile.
Later that night, we all had dinner with Katsuni and her offspring. We were also joined by Yahiko and Tsubame, and, believe it or not, Megumi. It was obvious that she likes Sano, but Sano never returned her feelings. We were expecting Doctor Genkai, but he could not attend due to a previous engagement he had made. So, the night was filled with fun, noise, and ultimately, chaos.
+A.N.+
ORO!! She actually was married to that messed up corrupted disciple of Shishio? No way! If you don't remember who he was, Houji was the loyal mastermind of Shishio during the Kyoto Arc. *spoiler beyond this point * When Shishio ultimately is defeated in the final battle between him and Kenshin (Kenshin didn't KILL him, he just.. .well caught fire because his body temperature), Houji can't accept the fact that he lost. So, he tries to kill everyone by blowing the place up. *sighs * makes you kinda feel for the guy. . . NOT! LOL, trying to get you guys pumped up for the next chapter, which, I'm afraid, will turn this story to a R rated fic. Also, I just had to mention Megumi in this, I mean; I do have room for the little people. L8ers!
Since. Angelik-Nikole
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. Princess Katsuni came from my
noggin, so I guess I own her. And the new characters appearing that you
don't normally see in RK are mine as well.
+To Never Know+
Chapter 5:
Frozen In Time: Secrets of the Past Revealed
+Last Time+
'"I would like to know if I truly am, born of peasants. My mother had told me that both of my birth parents were dead, and that the only son had wandered off somewhere. I am determined to find him. But, the government is of no help, for they claim that that man had died years ago."'
[Karou's POV]
It's another peaceful, beautiful day in Tokyo. I am here, looking out through my bedroom window, wondering and reflecting on things that have happened in my life. I was an orphan, who had soon inherited a dojo. I had taught as a teacher, until that impersonator came in, pretending to be the famed Hitokiri Battousai. That is when I met Kenshin, whom I am married to this very day. Now, I carry his child within me, and nothing could taint the joy that we are experiencing now.
I look out the window to see Katsuni walking out into the forest. Why would the former Princess of Nihon want to go to the forest for? If she was to head for the hot springs, she was indeed, going the wrong way. Although I know that Kenshin will not allow it, I decide to follow her, to see where she would go. Is she working for a new foe? If so, I'd need my bodoukai stick just in case.
I follow her through most of the trail, and I see that she knows the way well. She suddenly stops, and so does time. I fear that she might have known I was behind her. But no, instead, she walks somewhere into a clearing, where a hut stands and 2 children are seen playing. An elderly woman sits outside, watching them and smiles.
"Kaze, Katsumi, Okaasan has returned," the old woman calls out. Okaasan? Katsuni is the mother of these young ones? The children stop what they are doing and embrace Katsuni, who starts to whisper about how much she has missed them. She thanks the old woman, and pays her with food from last night's meal. No wonder why her plate was clean so quickly; she had saved the food for the old woman. I see the ancient one heading over my way. There is nowhere for me to go. I must face the consequence. I close my eyes, and wonder what will happen.
"My child! Why is it that you hide behind the trees? Isn't there anything that you seek around here?" I open my eyes to see the old woman staring at me, along with a look of horror from Katsuni. She bows her head, and heads into the house. "Please, Karou, come inside. You are carrying a child; it is not wise to stay out in the sun a little too long."
"So, you are a mother? Why didn't you bring the subject of your children up?" She sighs, and looks out the window. "I had lived a terrible life. The young boy you see, Kaze, is the younger of the two. He is the son of my deceased husband, who, I believe, you've already known." I think back, but whom?
"I was married to Houji, who, at one time, was the governor of the Okinawa Islands. Sanouske was hired to take me there . . ." I then realized something: what about the girl?
"How about Katsumi? I mean, is she not Konriyu's daughter?" I see her bow her head, and look out once more to the children playing outside.
"No, she isn't. She is not Konriyu's daughter. She's the only thing that keeps time standing still, she and her brother are the only sources of joy that I have. When that man was alive, I had gone through the worst pit of Hades imaginable." She clenches her fists, and small tears start to fall. "Houji used me as a source of entertainment and power. Every night, I was ordered around like a slave to sleep with all these men . . .and to ultimately destroy my dignity, I was ordered to sleep with Nihon's worst enemy imaginable." No, she couldn't have. That man . . .
"I was ordered one night to sleep with Makato Shishio, the Battousai of the Shadows, the successor of the Hitokiri Battousai. I was on the verge of death, but then, I remember the father of Katsumi, and smile. He is the reason why I am still alive today. He was the young man that had stolen my heart all those years ago."
"But who is he?" She looks at me with sad eyes, and smiles. "Do you not see the resemblance?" I look at Katsumi, and then it hits me like a rock: Sanouske. Her same brownish hair, the dark eyes of any fighter, and the same attitude, I must admit. I look back at Katsuni, with questions running through my mind.
"The last night spent together, was a wonderful one. But, he had left me without saying a word. Heartbroken, I immediately found comfort in Houji. Soon, I was found to be expecting. Everyone rejoiced, but I knew deep in my soul that this is not my husband's child. I knew from that moment, it was Sanouske's. For many years, I have tried to track him down. But, in the 2nd year of our marriage, the Goshen wars began. It was there where I had met the Hitokiri Battousai, face to face . . . anyhow, my husband and I left once more with young Katsumi, only a few of our belongings, and his son whom I was carrying, towards Kyoto. Once there, our marriage had suddenly changed. He soon found an alliance with Shishio, which also got me deeper into this Hades. I had attempted suicide once or twice, but I always look at the children, and I do not want Katsumi to go through what I was going through. Shishio was a sick bastard." She looks back out once more to see her children, and she sighs.
"When it was discovered that Shishio and my husband were dead, I made my way with my children towards Kobe, where my mother was staying. My father had since died, and so, I had come to collect my inheritance. But, she has grown old, and told me that I was not her daughter. She went on to tell me about her being a barren maiden, who had never experienced the pain of childbirth. So, in desperation of the truth, I went to Tochigi, where the woman had said was my birthplace. I couldn't find a thing, so I went to the next place: Saitama. There, I found of a woman, who was buried with her eyes opened, and her husband, who had died on a starless night a few months after. Their son, his whereabouts are unknown until this very day. They say that he left without saying a word, and they believed he died on his way to his unknown destination."
She starts to sob, and I try to comfort her. Then, she looks into my eyes. " I have no one, my brother, he might not be here on this earth. My only love, he doesn't know about the offspring that he has here, or does he return my feelings. So many things have changed . . ."
"But, if you could, would you tell Sano about Katsumi?" She stopped her sobbing right there, and looked at me. "No, because he would think lowly of me. I . . . will return to him tonight, and tell him about Katsumi. The ancient one can watch both of them once more tonight-"
"Bring them over, Katsuni. Let Sano see his daughter." She looked at me, and smiled her trademark sad smile.
Later that night, we all had dinner with Katsuni and her offspring. We were also joined by Yahiko and Tsubame, and, believe it or not, Megumi. It was obvious that she likes Sano, but Sano never returned her feelings. We were expecting Doctor Genkai, but he could not attend due to a previous engagement he had made. So, the night was filled with fun, noise, and ultimately, chaos.
+A.N.+
ORO!! She actually was married to that messed up corrupted disciple of Shishio? No way! If you don't remember who he was, Houji was the loyal mastermind of Shishio during the Kyoto Arc. *spoiler beyond this point * When Shishio ultimately is defeated in the final battle between him and Kenshin (Kenshin didn't KILL him, he just.. .well caught fire because his body temperature), Houji can't accept the fact that he lost. So, he tries to kill everyone by blowing the place up. *sighs * makes you kinda feel for the guy. . . NOT! LOL, trying to get you guys pumped up for the next chapter, which, I'm afraid, will turn this story to a R rated fic. Also, I just had to mention Megumi in this, I mean; I do have room for the little people. L8ers!
Since. Angelik-Nikole