Author's Note: This chapter takes place a few months after the last one. Warning! This contains spoilers for "Trust and Betrayal" or for the Remembrance arc of the manga.
Innocence-Chapter 4 Humanity
A young woman moved gracefully through the marketplace. Her calm pale face, bent slightly towards the ground, was framed by long, slightly curled bangs. She wore a silvery-gray kimono embroidered across the front with red cherry blossom flowers. To all who saw her, she seemed the serene embodiment of the traditional Japanese lady, a woman mysterious and quiet. Her face and movements held the sadly restrained elegance of a woman who has learned from training and experience never to show her heart. The aura of inaccessibility made her seem to almost glide above the ground rather than merely walk. Around her, the sweet scent of white plum flowers drifted in the air. But as the ocean may be as smooth as glass at the surface yet conceal powerful currents, so chaos raged beneath the woman's placid exterior.
"What am I doing?" Tomoe's mind raced, "I could be killed! What on earth have I gotten myself into?" She was grateful at least that Okami, her new employer, had assigned her to do the inn's shopping, allowing her to escape for a time to the illusionary safety of the marketplace. It had been two days since she had entered into this insane plan to find revenge, the second day she had awoken to find herself in the room of her beloved's killer. "Calm down, had he the desire to kill you he would have done so already, that night on the street. Instead he brought you home. Still, I cannot continue to avoid him like this. He will get suspicious, and I must fulfill my mission…for Akira...."
A flash of red hair under a straw hat caught Tomoe's eye through the crowd and she suddenly froze, dropping her packages. Standing partially behind a vegetable stall, she watched anxiously as the object of her fears drew nearer.
"At least I am safe for now, in this crowd." Tomoe tried to reassure herself, glancing around at the crowded street and at the noisy group of children playing tag close by.
Tomoe held her breath as he drew nearer and nearer.
"Himura-san!" A small cheerful voice chirped.
Kenshin turned and smiled slightly, looking down with gentle eyes. "Hello Koji-kun."
Tomoe was astonished as she watched the small boy attach himself to the Battousai's leg and smile up eagerly at him. A group of children Koji had been playing with gathered around him excitedly.
"Hello Kenkaku-san!"* A little girl chirped.
* Kenkaku-san=Mister Swordsman
Kenshin gently but firmly pushed their curious fingers away from his sword and smiled again slightly as he looked down at them.
"Is he your friend Koji-chan?" another boy asked.
"Yes." Koji answered proudly, straightening comically to the full extent of his small height as he faced his friends.
Kenshin only chuckled softly.
Tomoe gazed at the absurdity before her. "How was it that a man could have two personalities, and each so wholly different from one another?" When they had met a few nights ago and she had seen him kill the other assassin, he had been every bit the terrifying demon of her hate-filled nightmares. But increasingly she saw the man who played with children, who protected her from the lecherous desires of the other men, who did housework, and who blushed at the very thought of sharing the same room with her, even when he slept against the wall. Looking at the scene before her, Tomoe kept starting to smile and then catching herself. "He's a murderer, he killed Akira." Her thoughts reminded, but the incongruity she kept seeing made her feel strangely curious.
Koji tugged at the Battousai's gi, "Himura-san, I need to ask you something."
"Yes?" The man leaned down patiently to allow the child to whisper something in his ear.
"Oro?" Kenshin gasped in surprise as he heard the question. "You should ask your father to explain that Koji-kun."
Tomoe allowed herself a small smile at this. Whatever the boy had asked, it had caused Himura to go absolutely white. "What a pleasant sound!" Her thoughts added, rebelling against her conscience.
"But Dad won't tell me!" Koji complained, "He said I have to wait until I am older."
Himura sighed and muttered something under his breath. "I do not think it is wise then to go against your father's wishes, that I don't."
"But Himura-san!" Koji whined.
"Sorry Koji-kun." Kenshin replied firmly, "When you are older."
It was just then that Kenshin sensed a familiar presence watching him. He turned and saw Tomoe standing nearby. "Tomoe-dono." He bowed.
Tomoe's mild amusement abruptly disappeared. Alarmed, she hurriedly slipped on her usual mask of detachment and glided over to where they were standing.
"Good afternoon, Himura-san." She politely murmured.
The child smiled up at her, his head poking out from behind Himura. "Hi, I'm Koji. Are you Himura-san's girl?"
Kenshin turned abruptly to stare at Koji, stuck silent for a moment, pondering, "Why do people seem to repeatedly overestimate my connection with this woman?"
Unbeknownst to him, Tomoe was silently wondering precisely that same thing.
Seeing their surprised awkward stares, Koji twisted uncomfortably before asking, "Sorry. Was that something I'm not supposed to ask? Mom says I do that sometimes."
"It is fine Koji-chan. Do not worry yourself." Tomoe replied.
Kenshin nodded. Koji, sensing the sudden tension, smiled and ran back over to where the other children were playing.
"Would you like me to escort you back to the inn?" Kenshin asked.
Tomoe paused a moment before answering, "Yes. Thank you Himura-san."
Kenshin carefully picked up her packages from the ground and offered her his arm. Tomoe took it gingerly and they began walking down the street towards the inn.
Nearby, a flower vendor called.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A HUGE Thanks to ChiisaiLammy, the excellent writer who edited this for me. Read her fics!
Thanks also to my reviewers: Nicky9, Riddle-Master, Maria Cline, Shihali, Lucrecia LeVrai, the sacred night, Kenshin'sLuver5193, Wolfgirl13, TYDYE girl, and insanechildfanfic.
A short rant: Oddly, though I consider this to be the best fic I have written, it has the fewest reviews.
Happy cheer to go after the rant: I got the "Trust and Betrayal OVA!!!! *does happy dance* The reason I didn't update for so long was I wanted to watch it before writing Tomoe so I could get her character right. *Is hopelessly bewildered by Tomoe haters* Ice-queens don't forgive and fall in love with the person who killed their fiance...^_^
Innocence-Chapter 4 Humanity
A young woman moved gracefully through the marketplace. Her calm pale face, bent slightly towards the ground, was framed by long, slightly curled bangs. She wore a silvery-gray kimono embroidered across the front with red cherry blossom flowers. To all who saw her, she seemed the serene embodiment of the traditional Japanese lady, a woman mysterious and quiet. Her face and movements held the sadly restrained elegance of a woman who has learned from training and experience never to show her heart. The aura of inaccessibility made her seem to almost glide above the ground rather than merely walk. Around her, the sweet scent of white plum flowers drifted in the air. But as the ocean may be as smooth as glass at the surface yet conceal powerful currents, so chaos raged beneath the woman's placid exterior.
"What am I doing?" Tomoe's mind raced, "I could be killed! What on earth have I gotten myself into?" She was grateful at least that Okami, her new employer, had assigned her to do the inn's shopping, allowing her to escape for a time to the illusionary safety of the marketplace. It had been two days since she had entered into this insane plan to find revenge, the second day she had awoken to find herself in the room of her beloved's killer. "Calm down, had he the desire to kill you he would have done so already, that night on the street. Instead he brought you home. Still, I cannot continue to avoid him like this. He will get suspicious, and I must fulfill my mission…for Akira...."
A flash of red hair under a straw hat caught Tomoe's eye through the crowd and she suddenly froze, dropping her packages. Standing partially behind a vegetable stall, she watched anxiously as the object of her fears drew nearer.
"At least I am safe for now, in this crowd." Tomoe tried to reassure herself, glancing around at the crowded street and at the noisy group of children playing tag close by.
Tomoe held her breath as he drew nearer and nearer.
"Himura-san!" A small cheerful voice chirped.
Kenshin turned and smiled slightly, looking down with gentle eyes. "Hello Koji-kun."
Tomoe was astonished as she watched the small boy attach himself to the Battousai's leg and smile up eagerly at him. A group of children Koji had been playing with gathered around him excitedly.
"Hello Kenkaku-san!"* A little girl chirped.
* Kenkaku-san=Mister Swordsman
Kenshin gently but firmly pushed their curious fingers away from his sword and smiled again slightly as he looked down at them.
"Is he your friend Koji-chan?" another boy asked.
"Yes." Koji answered proudly, straightening comically to the full extent of his small height as he faced his friends.
Kenshin only chuckled softly.
Tomoe gazed at the absurdity before her. "How was it that a man could have two personalities, and each so wholly different from one another?" When they had met a few nights ago and she had seen him kill the other assassin, he had been every bit the terrifying demon of her hate-filled nightmares. But increasingly she saw the man who played with children, who protected her from the lecherous desires of the other men, who did housework, and who blushed at the very thought of sharing the same room with her, even when he slept against the wall. Looking at the scene before her, Tomoe kept starting to smile and then catching herself. "He's a murderer, he killed Akira." Her thoughts reminded, but the incongruity she kept seeing made her feel strangely curious.
Koji tugged at the Battousai's gi, "Himura-san, I need to ask you something."
"Yes?" The man leaned down patiently to allow the child to whisper something in his ear.
"Oro?" Kenshin gasped in surprise as he heard the question. "You should ask your father to explain that Koji-kun."
Tomoe allowed herself a small smile at this. Whatever the boy had asked, it had caused Himura to go absolutely white. "What a pleasant sound!" Her thoughts added, rebelling against her conscience.
"But Dad won't tell me!" Koji complained, "He said I have to wait until I am older."
Himura sighed and muttered something under his breath. "I do not think it is wise then to go against your father's wishes, that I don't."
"But Himura-san!" Koji whined.
"Sorry Koji-kun." Kenshin replied firmly, "When you are older."
It was just then that Kenshin sensed a familiar presence watching him. He turned and saw Tomoe standing nearby. "Tomoe-dono." He bowed.
Tomoe's mild amusement abruptly disappeared. Alarmed, she hurriedly slipped on her usual mask of detachment and glided over to where they were standing.
"Good afternoon, Himura-san." She politely murmured.
The child smiled up at her, his head poking out from behind Himura. "Hi, I'm Koji. Are you Himura-san's girl?"
Kenshin turned abruptly to stare at Koji, stuck silent for a moment, pondering, "Why do people seem to repeatedly overestimate my connection with this woman?"
Unbeknownst to him, Tomoe was silently wondering precisely that same thing.
Seeing their surprised awkward stares, Koji twisted uncomfortably before asking, "Sorry. Was that something I'm not supposed to ask? Mom says I do that sometimes."
"It is fine Koji-chan. Do not worry yourself." Tomoe replied.
Kenshin nodded. Koji, sensing the sudden tension, smiled and ran back over to where the other children were playing.
"Would you like me to escort you back to the inn?" Kenshin asked.
Tomoe paused a moment before answering, "Yes. Thank you Himura-san."
Kenshin carefully picked up her packages from the ground and offered her his arm. Tomoe took it gingerly and they began walking down the street towards the inn.
Nearby, a flower vendor called.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A HUGE Thanks to ChiisaiLammy, the excellent writer who edited this for me. Read her fics!
Thanks also to my reviewers: Nicky9, Riddle-Master, Maria Cline, Shihali, Lucrecia LeVrai, the sacred night, Kenshin'sLuver5193, Wolfgirl13, TYDYE girl, and insanechildfanfic.
A short rant: Oddly, though I consider this to be the best fic I have written, it has the fewest reviews.
Happy cheer to go after the rant: I got the "Trust and Betrayal OVA!!!! *does happy dance* The reason I didn't update for so long was I wanted to watch it before writing Tomoe so I could get her character right. *Is hopelessly bewildered by Tomoe haters* Ice-queens don't forgive and fall in love with the person who killed their fiance...^_^