Old Swords
by oronoda
Note: Here's chapter 2. And I own nothing!
Seta Sachiko did not like being left in the dark. Most 12 year olds start to realize that there is more to the world than what they have been exposed to. And she thought she was old enough to know what was going on than being pushed into another room while her parents went into the other and spoke in hushened whispers.
Luckily for her, the walls were made out of paper. And she wasn't being obediant like she should have.
Placing a strand of her silky black hair behind her ear, she sat rather close to the wall so she could pick up what they were talking about. Her light brown eyes were focused on the young red-haired man in the futon in front of him. He was still unconcious and there was a bandage around his head. Sachiko had placed that there herself. She had to help her okaa around the house because Okaa was slipping in the last stages of her pregnancy.
While Sachiko's eyes were busy on the stranger, her ears were focusing on the conversation in the next room. Her parents had told her to keep an eye on Kenji. They didn't exactly say she shouldn't listen in. Well, jokes on them.
"So, let me get this straight," Yuu whispered to her husband in the other room. "You think that he could be the son of the man who you last fought?"
"Hai," Soujiro answered simply, sounding oddly cheerful as a giggle slipped through his mouth. Sachiko had never heard such a tone from his father. True, he had always had a somewhat sunny disposition. However, that giggle sounded...so empty.
"Almost certain of it..." Soujiro continued.
There was a brief pause before Yuu finally spoke up, "Are you sure you are going to be alright? Sachiko and I can take care of him until he's on his feet..."
"No, I shouldn't be afraid of my past..." Soujiro concluded. "That's what got me into trouble last time..."
Sachiko didn't know about her father's past. She there was something more. She was a keen child to pick up the fact that there had to be more to her father's tired but kind face.
"If that's what you believe, but if you start to slip away, I'll smack you to reason..." Yuu sounded worried, but the last bit was said with a touch of affection.
"Don't worry, dear," Soujiro answered sounding almost...panicked?, "Just don't tell Sachiko-chan."
"I know, dear..." Yuu answered dryly, "We had this talk over 12 years ago..."
It was at this moment, Kenji had begun to stir in his bed. His eyes fluttered open and tried to focus in on the area around him, "Where...am I?" he muttered outloud even though he didn't see anyone around.
Sachiko immediately slid over to his side on her knees, "Okaa! Otou! He's awake!" She turned back to Kenji, "You are on the Seta farm. Otou found you unconcious in the woods and brought you here. You have quite a nasty bump on your head."
"Oh..." Kenji answered foggily before he suddenly bolted up, "The sword! I have to get the sword! Itee..." He winced as his hand came to rub his bump.
"You should lay back down," Yuu replied kindly as she waddled into the room followed shortly by Soujiro. "That is a horrible bump on your head." Like her daughter, her hair, no matter how tightly she tied it back, a few strands always managed to escape.
The former Tenken hung close to the door. Even the way he moved was so similar to the Battousai. Soujiro couldn't help but have a flashing hullcination of the Cross-shaped mark on the young man's cheek followed by the room being drenched in blood. Yuu and Sachiko had slash marks across their chests. Maybe he should have taken Yuu's advice. No. He couldn't back off.
As things got back to normal, Yuu was already glancing at him with a look of concern on her face. He had gotten that odd look on his face again. Soujiro dismissed her simply with a flick of his hand. Getting a better view of Kenji, the boy looked quite bewildered which was quite understandable.
"Um...I appreciate what you have done, but I really need to go..." Kenji replies off-handedly and rather coldly as well. As he tried to get to his feet, he winced and fell back down. He must have twisted his ankle when he fell as well.
"Oh...it seems you have hurt your ankle as well. Sachiko, would you mind taking care of that?" Yuu took control of the situation. Then again, that was her personality. Sachiko obeyed and left the area for a few moments.
Kenji was looking quite annoyed, "Seriously, I'll be okay..."
"It seemed you couldn't stand up to me. How can you chase after someone if your foot is bent out of shape?" Soujiro asked with vague innocence and a bit of dryness.
"Really, it is no trouble," Yuu smiles a little. "We had to chase a few bandits off this property before. We think its just a track they use to get to Kyoto. Maybe you can explain what happened?"
She held her hand out for Soujiro who helped her gingerly to the floor. Soujiro soon joined her. Kenji crossed his arms and humphed a little. At least his arms were okay. Sighing, he complied, "I was on the train to Kyoto when a couple of men stole my sword and jumped off the train with it. I followed."
"A sword? This day in age?" Yuu asked curiously.
It was at this moment Sachiko had returned with a bowl of water and a cloth. Gently, she laid the cloth on what looked to be a swelling part of his ankle. Kenji winced. Great, a headache and an ankle ache! He continued crankily, "Yes, its an heirloom. It belonged to my father. Frankly, I don't know what they wanted it. It was a reverse-blade."
Soujiro could feel his heart begin to beat faster. Flash. The scene of the final battle and a familiar pain on his chest. His hand came up to rub it absently accompanied by a vague wince. However, he forced these images away, "A reverse-blade? I knew someone who fought with one. Himura Battousai...or Himura Kenshin. Perhaps, you know him too?"
Kenji's eyes grew wide and flared with intense hatred, "Hai...I know him. He's my father."
----
That's it for chapter 2. Chapter 3 to come soon!
by oronoda
Note: Here's chapter 2. And I own nothing!
Seta Sachiko did not like being left in the dark. Most 12 year olds start to realize that there is more to the world than what they have been exposed to. And she thought she was old enough to know what was going on than being pushed into another room while her parents went into the other and spoke in hushened whispers.
Luckily for her, the walls were made out of paper. And she wasn't being obediant like she should have.
Placing a strand of her silky black hair behind her ear, she sat rather close to the wall so she could pick up what they were talking about. Her light brown eyes were focused on the young red-haired man in the futon in front of him. He was still unconcious and there was a bandage around his head. Sachiko had placed that there herself. She had to help her okaa around the house because Okaa was slipping in the last stages of her pregnancy.
While Sachiko's eyes were busy on the stranger, her ears were focusing on the conversation in the next room. Her parents had told her to keep an eye on Kenji. They didn't exactly say she shouldn't listen in. Well, jokes on them.
"So, let me get this straight," Yuu whispered to her husband in the other room. "You think that he could be the son of the man who you last fought?"
"Hai," Soujiro answered simply, sounding oddly cheerful as a giggle slipped through his mouth. Sachiko had never heard such a tone from his father. True, he had always had a somewhat sunny disposition. However, that giggle sounded...so empty.
"Almost certain of it..." Soujiro continued.
There was a brief pause before Yuu finally spoke up, "Are you sure you are going to be alright? Sachiko and I can take care of him until he's on his feet..."
"No, I shouldn't be afraid of my past..." Soujiro concluded. "That's what got me into trouble last time..."
Sachiko didn't know about her father's past. She there was something more. She was a keen child to pick up the fact that there had to be more to her father's tired but kind face.
"If that's what you believe, but if you start to slip away, I'll smack you to reason..." Yuu sounded worried, but the last bit was said with a touch of affection.
"Don't worry, dear," Soujiro answered sounding almost...panicked?, "Just don't tell Sachiko-chan."
"I know, dear..." Yuu answered dryly, "We had this talk over 12 years ago..."
It was at this moment, Kenji had begun to stir in his bed. His eyes fluttered open and tried to focus in on the area around him, "Where...am I?" he muttered outloud even though he didn't see anyone around.
Sachiko immediately slid over to his side on her knees, "Okaa! Otou! He's awake!" She turned back to Kenji, "You are on the Seta farm. Otou found you unconcious in the woods and brought you here. You have quite a nasty bump on your head."
"Oh..." Kenji answered foggily before he suddenly bolted up, "The sword! I have to get the sword! Itee..." He winced as his hand came to rub his bump.
"You should lay back down," Yuu replied kindly as she waddled into the room followed shortly by Soujiro. "That is a horrible bump on your head." Like her daughter, her hair, no matter how tightly she tied it back, a few strands always managed to escape.
The former Tenken hung close to the door. Even the way he moved was so similar to the Battousai. Soujiro couldn't help but have a flashing hullcination of the Cross-shaped mark on the young man's cheek followed by the room being drenched in blood. Yuu and Sachiko had slash marks across their chests. Maybe he should have taken Yuu's advice. No. He couldn't back off.
As things got back to normal, Yuu was already glancing at him with a look of concern on her face. He had gotten that odd look on his face again. Soujiro dismissed her simply with a flick of his hand. Getting a better view of Kenji, the boy looked quite bewildered which was quite understandable.
"Um...I appreciate what you have done, but I really need to go..." Kenji replies off-handedly and rather coldly as well. As he tried to get to his feet, he winced and fell back down. He must have twisted his ankle when he fell as well.
"Oh...it seems you have hurt your ankle as well. Sachiko, would you mind taking care of that?" Yuu took control of the situation. Then again, that was her personality. Sachiko obeyed and left the area for a few moments.
Kenji was looking quite annoyed, "Seriously, I'll be okay..."
"It seemed you couldn't stand up to me. How can you chase after someone if your foot is bent out of shape?" Soujiro asked with vague innocence and a bit of dryness.
"Really, it is no trouble," Yuu smiles a little. "We had to chase a few bandits off this property before. We think its just a track they use to get to Kyoto. Maybe you can explain what happened?"
She held her hand out for Soujiro who helped her gingerly to the floor. Soujiro soon joined her. Kenji crossed his arms and humphed a little. At least his arms were okay. Sighing, he complied, "I was on the train to Kyoto when a couple of men stole my sword and jumped off the train with it. I followed."
"A sword? This day in age?" Yuu asked curiously.
It was at this moment Sachiko had returned with a bowl of water and a cloth. Gently, she laid the cloth on what looked to be a swelling part of his ankle. Kenji winced. Great, a headache and an ankle ache! He continued crankily, "Yes, its an heirloom. It belonged to my father. Frankly, I don't know what they wanted it. It was a reverse-blade."
Soujiro could feel his heart begin to beat faster. Flash. The scene of the final battle and a familiar pain on his chest. His hand came up to rub it absently accompanied by a vague wince. However, he forced these images away, "A reverse-blade? I knew someone who fought with one. Himura Battousai...or Himura Kenshin. Perhaps, you know him too?"
Kenji's eyes grew wide and flared with intense hatred, "Hai...I know him. He's my father."
----
That's it for chapter 2. Chapter 3 to come soon!