Disclaimer:
Ayame: *giggles and waves shyly* Hi..... I'm Ayame and I'm five years old...
Suzume: I'm Suzume and I'm five years old too!
Ayame: No you're not. You are only three!
Suzume: Oh... *holds up three fingers* I'm three! I'm three!
Ayame: But in this fic of IcyPanther's, were older! *grins*
Suzume: What are we supposed to be doing up here Ayame?
Ayame: I can't remember...
Yahiko: *dashes on stage* I know! We have to do the disclaimer!
Ayame: Thanks Yahiko!
Ayame and Suzume together: *reading off piece of paper* IcyPanther does not own any of the RK cast. But she does own Taiana who we are now meeting!
Yahiko: Hey! I was supposed to help!
Ayame: No you weren't! The paper only has me and my sister's name on it.
Yahiko: ....
Suzume: *waves* Bye Bye!
Ayame: Bye! *both girls walk off stage*
Yahiko: Che! I missed again!
Kaoru: *walks on* What was that first word Yahiko?
Yahiko: *gulps and runs away screaming with Kaoru chasing him with bokken raised*
'...' indicates thought
Kaoru's Wish
Chapter Six: Taiana
******************
For a while the whole Kenshin-Gumi waited around for Yahiko. Well, not exactly waited.
Sano got the job of pulling soba noodles off the walls. Kenji and Kaoru had to pick up all the soggy vegetables. Suzume and Ayame swept up all the burnt rice and threw it out. Kenshin got to remake lunch.
After everything was done except lunch (Ayame was now helping Kenshin) the rest of them just waited around.
"I'm going to go find Yahiko." Kaoru jumped to her feet and walked out the door to find him for their extremely late lunch, it was now two thirty.
She decided Yahiko would probably be somelace quiet. So the most natural place to check was the little pond she and Kenshin had installed the year before. It had real fish and moss with a large weeping willow draping over it.
And sure enough, she saw him sitting on a patch of grass near the pond, his knees drawn up to chest, his head buried in his arms. Upon approaching, Kaoru could hear muffled sobs, as Yahiko tried to stiffle them.
"Yahiko? Are you alright?" She asked softly.
He looked up, his little face tear stained. "Yes," he said quietly.
Kaoru came over and sa next to the trembling child and pulled him into a gentle hug. "Shhhhh honey, it's alright. Everything's alright."
She continued to rock him for several minutes, muttering comforting words and letting him cry.
"If you don't mind, could you tell me who Taiana is."
"Taina was you mean. She's dead now. But Taiana was my twin sister." (A/N- hey, when you're a twin you almost have to drag a twin in somewhere, ne?)
"You.... you had....a...... a twin sister?" stuttered Kaoru, not sure she'd heard him correctly. This would be the first twin she'd ever met. (A/N-not me! I know *counts* 15 sets beside me. Yikes! That's a lot!)
"Yes...." Yahiko turned his gaze to the pond and watched as a shiny blue fish darted past a lemon yellow one.
"Ano.... What happened to her?"
"It's a long story..."
"I have time."
'I guess lunch can wait... I want to hear about Taiana.'
"Okay... I guess...." And then Yahiko began....
*******************
*Flashback* (A/N- Yahiko's telling this to Kaoru, but I think it'd be cooler if you actually got to 'see' what happened...)
*******************
"Taiana! Come back! Mother said we weren't allowed to leave the house! TAIANA!"
The four year old spiky haired boy chased a girl with long black hair that was flying in the wind behind her down the road outside the house they had come from.
Anyone could easily tell they were related. With ebony colored hair and bronze skin they looked quite similiar. Both were the same height and very skinny. The only difference was the girl's eyes were a milky brown while the boy's were a deep brown with a hint of red.
The girl, Taiana, stopped running and turned to the boy who was right behind her. "Oh Yahiko," Taiana said in a whiny tone, "Don't you want to be outside as well?"
"Yes, but it's dangerous out here! We should go back inside. Besides, Mommy isn't feeling well." Yahiko had always been the more responsible twin. He enjoyed having fun, but he knew when enough was enough. And he always looked out for his twin, who was three minutes younger than him.
"You're right, like always Yahiko."
Yahiko smirked.
"Let's go back inside." She starightened her short and raggedy purple kimono and walked side by side with her brother back to the house.
Yahiko's clothes weren't in much better condition. His light blue gi was tearing in places and his dark brown hakama was fraying along the stitching. But that was the least of their probelms...
****************
Less than a month later, the children found themselves in a much more dangerous situation then just leaving the house.
They had taken to the streets of Tokyo because their mother was to sick to work and they could not afford to live in a house. The little family had moved into a secluded alley in hopes of a little privacy.
And that was when a tall man with brownish red hair had appeared in their lives. (A/N- Anyone know who it is? Anyone?)
Taiana and Yahiko had been scrounging the streets, looking for food.
"Hey Taiana! Over here! I think I found something..."
Taina went over to her brother and they were both sifitng through the trash when hands suddenly picked the two of them up by the back of their clothes.
"Let us go!" Yahiko tried to kick the man, but he just held them away from him.
"Is something wrong little ones?" Yahiko stopped squirming. This man didn't sound like a drunk. "Where are your parents? They shouldn't let you be wandering around like this.
Taiana spoke up. "Our father is dead and our mother is very sick."
Inwardly, Yahiko groaned. Mommy had told them so many times, DO NOT talk to strangers. And Taiana had just told them about their situation. No matter how nice someone may seem, never trust them.
"Well..... maybe I could help her."
"You could?" Taiana looked up at him hope filling her eyes.
"Of course, but you'll need to help me.."
"Okay!" Both children shouted. Yahiko knew he shouldn't trust this man, but he seemed okay and Mommy needed help...
The man smiled. He had been watching the two children all day. They were fast and appeared cunning and clever. Plus, they both seemed to care deeply for each other, and a bond like that could come in handy. They were exactly what they needed.
A few hours later, the Myojin family had been moved into the house they would be staying at. The building was called..... The Shuei Yakuza Syndicate.
*******************
Over the next few weeks, Taiana and Yahiko began to learn the art of pickpocketing. Not that they knew what it was. All they knew was they had to grab peoples purses with out getting caught, but so far they only practiced on other Yakuza members.
After a few days, Yahiko went to ask Gasuke, the man who had found him and his sister and brought them here, a question.
"Excuse me Gasuke-San," he said. The man looked up from his dice game.
"Whada ya want?"
"But isn't pickpocketing stealing?" He was met with a vicious backhand across his face that sent him tumbling backwards.
"You'll whatever I tell you to do Ya-hiko," Gasuke growled. (A/N- I wrote Yahiko's name like that b/c in the anime Gasuke pronounces it like two words. K?)
Yahiko nodded and scampered off, his hand touching his bruising cheek gently.
Both Yahiko and Taiana had noticed a change in Gasuke. At first, he would threaten them with words or say nasty things to them. But now he was hurting them.
"I wish we never came here Yahiko," said Taiana quietly, holding an icepack to her brother's cheek.
"Me too Taiana, me too....."
******************
A month later Gasuke approached the twins who were sitting on the floor in their little room playing a hand clapping game.
"I have sad news. Your mother is dead. I'm sorry" He didn't even sound sorry inYahiko's opinion.
Taiana immideately burst into loud sobs and turned to her brother for comfort. He pulled her into a hug and started to stroke her hair.
He blinked several times to hide his own tears. 'Gotta be strong. Strong for Taiana.'
"Unfortunately," said Gasuke, "Your mother costed us a lot of money for her medical needs, so we need you two to make it up. Both of you will start work tomorrow." And then Gasuke turned and walked out, leaving to devestated children in his wake.
Taiana pulled herself slightly out of Yahiko's embrace and looked up at him. "What are we going to do Yahiko?"
"Start work.... I guess...."
"I don't like those people. They're mean...."
"I know," he said comfortingly. "But we have to stay here and pay off Mother's debt. You wouldn't want to dishonor our family name, would you?"
She shook her head and buried her face in Yahiko's chest.
"Don't worry Taiana, we'll get through this. We have to...."
********************
Weeks later, Yahiko could tell Taiana wasn't doing well. It was all Gasuke's fault. He abused them daily for little things that should have done them no harm. They were both underfed and pushed beyon their limits.
Taiana had started to grow sick. Soon, she could not even rise from the thin blanket that she and Yahiko considered a bed. She barely ate and constantly just lay lifeless on the bed.
Gasuke noticed and decided to do something about it. He knew that if the girl did not get medicine, he would lose his tag team of pickpockets.
So he bought medicine, to the surprise of everyone, and gave it to the little girl. But it was to late, the sickness had taken over her body.
Yahiko looked down at his twin who was lying on their blanket breathing shallowly. She had an extremely high fever, giving her a dark flush across her cheeks. Yahiko himself had to take the medicine as a precaution against the illness.
"Taiana, it'll be okay. You have to hold on..." He choked on his words as tears filled his eyes and the realiazation hit him like a ton of falling bricks. His sister was dying.
Taina raised one of her hands and Yahiko gently slid his hand on top of hers and clasped it gently, holding it to his heart.
"Yahiko," she managed a faint smile. "You must stay alive. Do not dishonor our family name." A silver tear ran down her cheek, making a path until it dropped off. Her breathing grew harsher, yet softer at the same time. "I.....love you.....Yahiko...."
"I love you to Taiana," he cried as tears, for the first time since they had moved to the syndicate, fell from his eyes, streaming down his cheeks. "I love you too..." He felt her hand go limp in his, and knew she had moved on, to a better place.
Yahiko stayed by his sister's body the entire day, crying his heart out.
Crying for the father he never knew.
Crying for his mother who had sacrificed her life for his and Taiana's.
Crying for Taiana who was now gone.
Crying for himself, he was now all alone, without a person to comfort him .... no one at all.
**********************
The next day he was roughly shoved awake. "Let's go boy! No time for sleeping. There's work to be done."
Yahiko struggled to his feet and looked around for his sister, and then remembered.... she wasn't 'here' anymore. But where had the body gone?
"Where is my sister?" he asked, a note of panic in his voice. If they'd done anything to her...
"Some of my men threw her body in the river." Gasuke chuckled at the look of horror that came over the little boy's face. But nevertheless, Yahiko got up and headed downstairs.
And from that day on, every day was the same. Except Yahiko got Taiana's beatings as well as his own. He never saw a kind face again, or at least a face with kindness directed towards him.
Except the day that a red haired man had come to help, then everything had changed...
*End Flashback*
********************
"Oh Yahiko! I'm so sorry...."
"It's alright. I'm over it now...... I think....."
"Is that why you're so thin? Because he didn't feed you enough?"
"Hai."
"Don't worry sweetie. Let's go get you some food right now." With that she stood up with Yahiko on her hip and marched off to the kitchen.
*******************
Japanese Words Used:
Che - an all purpose Japanese cuss word. It can mean 'shit' or 'damn' among other things
Yakuza - a gang in Japan
Shuei Yakuza - the gang Yahiko belongs to
*******************
Author's Notes:
I started to cry when I was typing that.... *sniffles*
Have any of you ever read Portraits? It makes me cry every time...
Did I make the two twins realistic? Anyone else a twin? Poll: Do you get along with yours?
Me, I normally get along w/ mine, but we do have fights.....
Please review! Thanx!
Ja Na!
~IcyPanther
*******************
Reviewer's Comments:
~*~lishachan~*~ my pc doesn't always go slow... it just freezes a lot. *sigh* I hate it when it does that and I'm trying to upload something. I like to torture my little brother with make-up.... it's fun! MWAHAHAHA
~*~tocole~*~ I love little Yahiko too! I can't wait until you update... good chapters are always worth the wait! ^^ I hope you found out who everyone was!
~*~Brittanie Love~*~ Thank you!
~*~GryphonChild~*~ hehe The make-up of doom; I like that! ^^ That's funny how it's out of your nightmare... I used to be scared of eyeliner (still kinda am). I'm afraid I'm going to poke my eye out! O.o
*******************
Ayame: *giggles and waves shyly* Hi..... I'm Ayame and I'm five years old...
Suzume: I'm Suzume and I'm five years old too!
Ayame: No you're not. You are only three!
Suzume: Oh... *holds up three fingers* I'm three! I'm three!
Ayame: But in this fic of IcyPanther's, were older! *grins*
Suzume: What are we supposed to be doing up here Ayame?
Ayame: I can't remember...
Yahiko: *dashes on stage* I know! We have to do the disclaimer!
Ayame: Thanks Yahiko!
Ayame and Suzume together: *reading off piece of paper* IcyPanther does not own any of the RK cast. But she does own Taiana who we are now meeting!
Yahiko: Hey! I was supposed to help!
Ayame: No you weren't! The paper only has me and my sister's name on it.
Yahiko: ....
Suzume: *waves* Bye Bye!
Ayame: Bye! *both girls walk off stage*
Yahiko: Che! I missed again!
Kaoru: *walks on* What was that first word Yahiko?
Yahiko: *gulps and runs away screaming with Kaoru chasing him with bokken raised*
'...' indicates thought
Kaoru's Wish
Chapter Six: Taiana
******************
For a while the whole Kenshin-Gumi waited around for Yahiko. Well, not exactly waited.
Sano got the job of pulling soba noodles off the walls. Kenji and Kaoru had to pick up all the soggy vegetables. Suzume and Ayame swept up all the burnt rice and threw it out. Kenshin got to remake lunch.
After everything was done except lunch (Ayame was now helping Kenshin) the rest of them just waited around.
"I'm going to go find Yahiko." Kaoru jumped to her feet and walked out the door to find him for their extremely late lunch, it was now two thirty.
She decided Yahiko would probably be somelace quiet. So the most natural place to check was the little pond she and Kenshin had installed the year before. It had real fish and moss with a large weeping willow draping over it.
And sure enough, she saw him sitting on a patch of grass near the pond, his knees drawn up to chest, his head buried in his arms. Upon approaching, Kaoru could hear muffled sobs, as Yahiko tried to stiffle them.
"Yahiko? Are you alright?" She asked softly.
He looked up, his little face tear stained. "Yes," he said quietly.
Kaoru came over and sa next to the trembling child and pulled him into a gentle hug. "Shhhhh honey, it's alright. Everything's alright."
She continued to rock him for several minutes, muttering comforting words and letting him cry.
"If you don't mind, could you tell me who Taiana is."
"Taina was you mean. She's dead now. But Taiana was my twin sister." (A/N- hey, when you're a twin you almost have to drag a twin in somewhere, ne?)
"You.... you had....a...... a twin sister?" stuttered Kaoru, not sure she'd heard him correctly. This would be the first twin she'd ever met. (A/N-not me! I know *counts* 15 sets beside me. Yikes! That's a lot!)
"Yes...." Yahiko turned his gaze to the pond and watched as a shiny blue fish darted past a lemon yellow one.
"Ano.... What happened to her?"
"It's a long story..."
"I have time."
'I guess lunch can wait... I want to hear about Taiana.'
"Okay... I guess...." And then Yahiko began....
*******************
*Flashback* (A/N- Yahiko's telling this to Kaoru, but I think it'd be cooler if you actually got to 'see' what happened...)
*******************
"Taiana! Come back! Mother said we weren't allowed to leave the house! TAIANA!"
The four year old spiky haired boy chased a girl with long black hair that was flying in the wind behind her down the road outside the house they had come from.
Anyone could easily tell they were related. With ebony colored hair and bronze skin they looked quite similiar. Both were the same height and very skinny. The only difference was the girl's eyes were a milky brown while the boy's were a deep brown with a hint of red.
The girl, Taiana, stopped running and turned to the boy who was right behind her. "Oh Yahiko," Taiana said in a whiny tone, "Don't you want to be outside as well?"
"Yes, but it's dangerous out here! We should go back inside. Besides, Mommy isn't feeling well." Yahiko had always been the more responsible twin. He enjoyed having fun, but he knew when enough was enough. And he always looked out for his twin, who was three minutes younger than him.
"You're right, like always Yahiko."
Yahiko smirked.
"Let's go back inside." She starightened her short and raggedy purple kimono and walked side by side with her brother back to the house.
Yahiko's clothes weren't in much better condition. His light blue gi was tearing in places and his dark brown hakama was fraying along the stitching. But that was the least of their probelms...
****************
Less than a month later, the children found themselves in a much more dangerous situation then just leaving the house.
They had taken to the streets of Tokyo because their mother was to sick to work and they could not afford to live in a house. The little family had moved into a secluded alley in hopes of a little privacy.
And that was when a tall man with brownish red hair had appeared in their lives. (A/N- Anyone know who it is? Anyone?)
Taiana and Yahiko had been scrounging the streets, looking for food.
"Hey Taiana! Over here! I think I found something..."
Taina went over to her brother and they were both sifitng through the trash when hands suddenly picked the two of them up by the back of their clothes.
"Let us go!" Yahiko tried to kick the man, but he just held them away from him.
"Is something wrong little ones?" Yahiko stopped squirming. This man didn't sound like a drunk. "Where are your parents? They shouldn't let you be wandering around like this.
Taiana spoke up. "Our father is dead and our mother is very sick."
Inwardly, Yahiko groaned. Mommy had told them so many times, DO NOT talk to strangers. And Taiana had just told them about their situation. No matter how nice someone may seem, never trust them.
"Well..... maybe I could help her."
"You could?" Taiana looked up at him hope filling her eyes.
"Of course, but you'll need to help me.."
"Okay!" Both children shouted. Yahiko knew he shouldn't trust this man, but he seemed okay and Mommy needed help...
The man smiled. He had been watching the two children all day. They were fast and appeared cunning and clever. Plus, they both seemed to care deeply for each other, and a bond like that could come in handy. They were exactly what they needed.
A few hours later, the Myojin family had been moved into the house they would be staying at. The building was called..... The Shuei Yakuza Syndicate.
*******************
Over the next few weeks, Taiana and Yahiko began to learn the art of pickpocketing. Not that they knew what it was. All they knew was they had to grab peoples purses with out getting caught, but so far they only practiced on other Yakuza members.
After a few days, Yahiko went to ask Gasuke, the man who had found him and his sister and brought them here, a question.
"Excuse me Gasuke-San," he said. The man looked up from his dice game.
"Whada ya want?"
"But isn't pickpocketing stealing?" He was met with a vicious backhand across his face that sent him tumbling backwards.
"You'll whatever I tell you to do Ya-hiko," Gasuke growled. (A/N- I wrote Yahiko's name like that b/c in the anime Gasuke pronounces it like two words. K?)
Yahiko nodded and scampered off, his hand touching his bruising cheek gently.
Both Yahiko and Taiana had noticed a change in Gasuke. At first, he would threaten them with words or say nasty things to them. But now he was hurting them.
"I wish we never came here Yahiko," said Taiana quietly, holding an icepack to her brother's cheek.
"Me too Taiana, me too....."
******************
A month later Gasuke approached the twins who were sitting on the floor in their little room playing a hand clapping game.
"I have sad news. Your mother is dead. I'm sorry" He didn't even sound sorry inYahiko's opinion.
Taiana immideately burst into loud sobs and turned to her brother for comfort. He pulled her into a hug and started to stroke her hair.
He blinked several times to hide his own tears. 'Gotta be strong. Strong for Taiana.'
"Unfortunately," said Gasuke, "Your mother costed us a lot of money for her medical needs, so we need you two to make it up. Both of you will start work tomorrow." And then Gasuke turned and walked out, leaving to devestated children in his wake.
Taiana pulled herself slightly out of Yahiko's embrace and looked up at him. "What are we going to do Yahiko?"
"Start work.... I guess...."
"I don't like those people. They're mean...."
"I know," he said comfortingly. "But we have to stay here and pay off Mother's debt. You wouldn't want to dishonor our family name, would you?"
She shook her head and buried her face in Yahiko's chest.
"Don't worry Taiana, we'll get through this. We have to...."
********************
Weeks later, Yahiko could tell Taiana wasn't doing well. It was all Gasuke's fault. He abused them daily for little things that should have done them no harm. They were both underfed and pushed beyon their limits.
Taiana had started to grow sick. Soon, she could not even rise from the thin blanket that she and Yahiko considered a bed. She barely ate and constantly just lay lifeless on the bed.
Gasuke noticed and decided to do something about it. He knew that if the girl did not get medicine, he would lose his tag team of pickpockets.
So he bought medicine, to the surprise of everyone, and gave it to the little girl. But it was to late, the sickness had taken over her body.
Yahiko looked down at his twin who was lying on their blanket breathing shallowly. She had an extremely high fever, giving her a dark flush across her cheeks. Yahiko himself had to take the medicine as a precaution against the illness.
"Taiana, it'll be okay. You have to hold on..." He choked on his words as tears filled his eyes and the realiazation hit him like a ton of falling bricks. His sister was dying.
Taina raised one of her hands and Yahiko gently slid his hand on top of hers and clasped it gently, holding it to his heart.
"Yahiko," she managed a faint smile. "You must stay alive. Do not dishonor our family name." A silver tear ran down her cheek, making a path until it dropped off. Her breathing grew harsher, yet softer at the same time. "I.....love you.....Yahiko...."
"I love you to Taiana," he cried as tears, for the first time since they had moved to the syndicate, fell from his eyes, streaming down his cheeks. "I love you too..." He felt her hand go limp in his, and knew she had moved on, to a better place.
Yahiko stayed by his sister's body the entire day, crying his heart out.
Crying for the father he never knew.
Crying for his mother who had sacrificed her life for his and Taiana's.
Crying for Taiana who was now gone.
Crying for himself, he was now all alone, without a person to comfort him .... no one at all.
**********************
The next day he was roughly shoved awake. "Let's go boy! No time for sleeping. There's work to be done."
Yahiko struggled to his feet and looked around for his sister, and then remembered.... she wasn't 'here' anymore. But where had the body gone?
"Where is my sister?" he asked, a note of panic in his voice. If they'd done anything to her...
"Some of my men threw her body in the river." Gasuke chuckled at the look of horror that came over the little boy's face. But nevertheless, Yahiko got up and headed downstairs.
And from that day on, every day was the same. Except Yahiko got Taiana's beatings as well as his own. He never saw a kind face again, or at least a face with kindness directed towards him.
Except the day that a red haired man had come to help, then everything had changed...
*End Flashback*
********************
"Oh Yahiko! I'm so sorry...."
"It's alright. I'm over it now...... I think....."
"Is that why you're so thin? Because he didn't feed you enough?"
"Hai."
"Don't worry sweetie. Let's go get you some food right now." With that she stood up with Yahiko on her hip and marched off to the kitchen.
*******************
Japanese Words Used:
Che - an all purpose Japanese cuss word. It can mean 'shit' or 'damn' among other things
Yakuza - a gang in Japan
Shuei Yakuza - the gang Yahiko belongs to
*******************
Author's Notes:
I started to cry when I was typing that.... *sniffles*
Have any of you ever read Portraits? It makes me cry every time...
Did I make the two twins realistic? Anyone else a twin? Poll: Do you get along with yours?
Me, I normally get along w/ mine, but we do have fights.....
Please review! Thanx!
Ja Na!
~IcyPanther
*******************
Reviewer's Comments:
~*~lishachan~*~ my pc doesn't always go slow... it just freezes a lot. *sigh* I hate it when it does that and I'm trying to upload something. I like to torture my little brother with make-up.... it's fun! MWAHAHAHA
~*~tocole~*~ I love little Yahiko too! I can't wait until you update... good chapters are always worth the wait! ^^ I hope you found out who everyone was!
~*~Brittanie Love~*~ Thank you!
~*~GryphonChild~*~ hehe The make-up of doom; I like that! ^^ That's funny how it's out of your nightmare... I used to be scared of eyeliner (still kinda am). I'm afraid I'm going to poke my eye out! O.o
*******************