Summary: Little Kaoru has always looked up to Kenshin, even when he left her. A few years later he returns a different person and the tables have turned. Can Kaoru brighten him up before he falls into depression?
Disclaimer: This unworthy one does not own Rurouni Kenshin. Same goes for Finding Nemo.
Kenshin: Oro? Why did you mention Finding Nemo?
B-chan: ^__^ you'll see, you'll see...
Kenshin: ?
Innocence
Chapter One: Simplicity
"Mou! Wait for me, Sou-chan!" called Kaoru after her brother. Her tiny feet pattered to catch up with him.
Though the sun glowed down without interruption, cool breezes still roamed endlessly about. Kaoru pulled closed the front of her gray uniform's jacket. A particularly icy breath nipped at her, and she wished she was wearing something else other than her thin white shirt and its partnered black skirt.
A few kilometers away, the boy who the plea had been sent to stopped to wave at her from the top of the hill he had rushed up to.
"Come on Kao-chan!" he urged, sapphire eyes twinkling with amusement.
Pouting, Kaoru dashed after him as his black hair disappeared from view.
Today had been both of the beginning of first grade for them. Six year old Kamiya Kaoru and Soujiro were fraternal twins; matching raven hair, bright lapis lazuli eyes, and beaming smiles. Soujiro had been born a minute and a half ahead of Kaoru, and he had also been ahead of her today in bolting out of the school.
Soujiro had grown restless, whilst Kaoru had not because of her hyper new friend by the name if Makimachi Misao. A pair of trilling birds popped out from the thick foliage of a nearby tree to have a dance of chase. Their cheerfulness reminded Kaoru of the pigtailed, emerald-eyed girl.
Finally at the summit of the hill cloaked in lush green, Kaoru gazed down. A lake lay at the bottom, a rippling mirror to reflect the cloudless powder blue sky.
"Pretty..." she whispered to herself, gaze sparkling at its magnificent beauty.
Soujiro stood at the water's edge, beckoning her to join him with a wave. Beaming, Kaoru hastily began her descent.
"Eeeee!" she squealed when her foot lodged momentarily in a ditch, causing her to go head over heels.
Kaoru tumbled the rest if the way down the knoll, a rolling blur of black, gray, and white.
She stopped luckily with her toes grazing the lapping water. Moaning, Kaoru rubbed at the back of her pounding head.
Next to her, Soujiro's smile had widened at the ends to prevent his chortles from slipping. He had always smiled; even when he was small and crawled they had been told by their parents. Kaoru glared at him angrily while dusting off her educating attire and fixing the indigo ribbon that kept her elbow length ponytail up.
All she received in return was Soujiro's grin only lengthening even more until it seemed that his large eyes had disappeared entirely from his face.
His face looked quite strange and Kaoru couldn't help but giggle at him. Clutching at her stomach, she continued to laugh uncontrollably.
Opening his eyes, Soujiro stared at her, blinking with confusion. A movement caught the young boy's attention and he lifted his gaze.
Floating adrift in the middle of the lake was a boat. It was a small one, the kind that you rowed around in with paddles. It could attain up to three people, but it seemed more for a pair or couple than anything.
Sitting in the middle of it was a red-haired young man a few years older than Soujiro. He waved at him, exotic amethyst eyes twinkling happily.
"Hi Kenshin!!!" Soujiro called to him, waving back. Kenshin smiled back and began to row towards them with graceful ease.
Kaoru's head lifted from her silly stupor and her whole form appeared to become iridescent. "Ken-nii?!" she exclaimed joyfully.
The twelve year old red haired boy was kind and sweet to her, like another older brother. He had always been a source of strength and inspiration to little Kaoru. Kenshin had meant a lot to her, and she had taken to calling him her 'Ken-nii' whilst her real brother just called him by Kenshin. Kaoru always thought he was cute with his long crimson hair he kept pulled back, amethyst eyes, and his occasional oro's.
Curiously, Kaoru watched him and his boat draw nearer. Pulling on Soujiro's black pants, she looked up at him inquiringly. "Sou-chan, what's that thing that Ken-nii is riding in the water?"
Scratching his forehead with a small finger, Soujiro's face contorted as he tried to think of what it was called. "Um...I think...I think it's called a butt."
Kaoru grinned with awe up at Soujiro. She knew he was so smart.
Soujiro continued to scratch his cranium. For some reason...that didn't sound entirely correct to him... Shaking his head, Soujiro sighed. Thinking too much was hurting his head.
Kenshin's face alit as he settled the boat next to Kaoru who was already ankle deep in the aquatic liquid. "Kaoru, you don't want to mess up your shoes or socks do you?" he mock reprimanded.
Blinking, Kaoru glanced down at her dampening shoes. "...Oops."
Chuckling at her cute innocence, Kenshin patted her head. No matter what, the little girl always brought his spirits up, though she was too naïve to realize it.
Soujiro patted the side of the petite vessel. "This is so cool, Kenshin. Where'd you get it?"
"I actually found it in the garage. It was a bit battered up, but I was able to fix it up and make it look better too."
Kenshin lived with a man named Hiko Seijuuro, his uncle who had adopted him when his parents passed away when he was still barely a toddler. Kenshin was the only from his family line, and he had kept the name of Himura with him as a memory to his passed away mother and father he knew very little of.
"You can do anything, can't you Ken-nii?" Kaoru piped up admiringly.
Kenshin smiled at her. "No, not everything my little Kaoru."
Kaoru stared at the craft. A few splinters stuck out here in there, a fresh coat of paint added to make it look friendlier to the eyes, but it still looked great in her opinion.
"Ken-nii, can me and Sou-chan ride your butt?" she asked excitedly.
"O—oro?!" Kenshin almost fell over, but did not since the boat would tip over.
He stared at Kaoru and saw she was not kidding, sincere excitement written all over her face.
A blush spread across his cheeks and nose. "Ano...I'm not so sure about that, Kaoru..."
Her face saddened a bit, but then brightened a bit with a tiny thread of hope. "Then can we at least touch your butt?"
"Orooo!" Kenshin's eyes seemed to pop out of his head. 'Does she even know what she is saying to me?'
Puzzled, Kaoru cocked her head to Soujiro. "Sou-chan, what is wrong with Ken-nii?"
Soujiro shrugged, just as perplexed as her.
"Um, you can ride my boat instead of my, ah..." Kenshin trailed off from his suggestion.
"What's a boat?" Kaoru asked, her dark eyebrows furrowing together.
Kenshin patted the stern to indicate that the boat was what he was in.
Kaoru whirled around. "Sou-chan! I thought you said that was a butt!"
Soujiro brushed it off, Kenshin laughing deeply at the two children's antics.
Once Kaoru was done, Kenshin let the eager twins clamber into the vessel and he let the ship drift around of its own will.
Smiling, he watched Soujiro and Kaoru, marveling at how the simplest things in life could please the younger generation.
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Notes: Heh, now do you see why I mentioned Finding Nemo in the disclaimer? ^^ The thing about calling a boat a butt is in the beginning with the chibi fish if you don't remember or haven't seen it. And to think...just that little thing inspired this fic... o_O
Things may seem light and easy right now, but wait until the story progresses a little...
Next Chapter: Little Kaoru tests her cooking skills on Ken-nii! XD
Please R&R!
