A/N: First, I had this up before, but I found a big mistake, so I just fixed it. All right, everybody. Now this fic won't make much sense in the beginning. Kenshin won't act like himself. I know it's extreme even for him as Battousai. This is all pretty much a flashback, so hang in there, I promise it'll make more sense soon. Oh, this: " means talking, this: ' means thinking. I haven't figured out how to keep the italicized words when transferring the story to fanfiction. And BREAK means change scene. Hope ya'll like it, and don't forget to review, please.
Katana stared into the bright flames of the crackling fire. As she watched the flames dance, an evening wind pushed her long ink-black hair across her face. The almost suffocating weight in her chest grew heavy as she remembered that fateful night.
BREAK
"Mitsuko, Kiyoshi, you must hide here. Listen to me, you must hide and not make a sound!" ordered the firm, yet frightened voice.
"Daddy, what's going on? Daddy, I'm scared!" cried the young girl, bunches of her father's clothing clenched tightly in her small fists. Takeshi rubbed her hands in reassurance and pried them off his worn, stained clothes. Grabbing his sword, he closed the closet door, sealing his two precious children away.
"Daddy! Don't leave me!"
"I'll come back for both of you I promise," Takeshi whispered to the closet. Before she could speak another word, a slightly dirty hand was clasped over her mouth. Her older brother signaled for her to hush. Mitsuko buried her face into his chest, and he kissed the top of her head. Kiyoshi kept one hand on the old sword, the sweat from his palms mixing with the thin layer of grime covering the sword's sheath. Kiyoshi would protect his little sister even if he died. This was the last promise he made to his father.
Both children froze, as a cold voice was heard outside their small house.
"I'm going to kill you," said the calm voice. The voice belonged to a young man.
"Battousai. I will not die without of fight," Takeshi replied, unsheathing his sword.
"A challenge. At least you'll die with honor," Battousai said in a mock tone, taking a step forward and unsheathing his own sword. Takeshi stood, preparing to block the Battousai's blow. Without warning, Battousai leaped forward, but Takeshi dodged and went in for a counter-attack.
"Too slow," Battousai sneered jamming his sword into the father's gut. "Pathetic, weak fool." Takeshi let out a pained groan and fell to the ground, his word hitting the ground with a padded clang. Mitsuko felt sick. Though she couldn't see him, she could almost feel her father's pain as if she had been the one stabbed by the sword. Blood spurted from his wound, staining his clothes. Battousai lit a torch and let it drop before turning to leave.
That was it. Kiyoshi couldn't take it anymore. Battousai was as evil as a man could be. Suddenly Battousai stopped, and entered the old house.
"There are more," he said to himself. "Your swordsmen spirits are weak, but I know you're here," he called in an almost taunting tone, as he made his way to the closet. Kiyoshi threw open the closet door, willing to fight rather than cower away.
"If you really want to die, draw that sword of yours," Battousai said, not at all frightened by the young boy. Without even thinking, he unsheathed his sword and leaped, rage burning in his eyes. Battousai killed him in one swift blow, leaving the boy's body to drown in his dark, scarlet blood.
"Are you going to come out and fight, or shall I come to you?" he said, his amber eyes watching Mitsuko, like those of a black cat's under a full moon. Just then, a ceiling beam cracked and fell between Battousai and the closet, blocking his path.
"Fine. Burn. That seems to be your fate." Without a hint of guilt he left the house to burn...
Coughing in the thick, gray smoke, Mitsuko backed as far away from the flames as possible, watching her house slowly collapse from the fire. She only had one chance. Stripping as many clothes off as she dared, she leaped through the flames in one last desperate attempt. Whether by fate, or luck, she managed to escape with few burns. Mitsuko frantically searched for her brother's body, but found half of it eaten by the flames. Stricken with horror at the mere sight, Mitsuko flew through the front door, gasping for air.
Her father was lying face down in the dirt, his blood flowing freely from the wound that pierced his body.
"D-daddy? Daddy?!" she cried turning him over with great difficulty.
"Mitsuko...love...you..." he whispered between labored breaths. Trembling all over, Mitsuko tried to pick her father up, but was weakly stopped by her father's hand.
"Run...go..." Takeshi breathed. He closed his eyes, and Mitsuko felt his hand stiffen. Tears splattered silently over her father's body as she stood. Stumbling over her own feet, Mitsuko ran. She fled away from her burning home, and the screams of the innocent being killed. Into the dark outskirts. Into a night of loneliness and pain.
BREAK
Katana opened her eyes, her heart thumping wildly against her chest. Katsuro sat down beside her, legs crossed.
"Katana-san. It's the next town over. A place called Kamiya Dojo," he informed her. Katana didn't move a muscle.
'Tomorrow Battousai, you will die. And I'll be the one to seal that fate,' she vowed, not taking her eyes off the dancing flames...
A/N: First don't ask who Katsuro is, you'll find out Okay, Katana and Mitsuko are the same person, in case for some reason you didn't get that. Also I know Katana sounds odd as a name, at least to me, but it is a real Japanese name. So if you don't like it, what can I say? Sue me...Anyway, the story will pick up in the next chapter, which I might not have up for a few days, so sorry if you like the story, but it'll be up, unless somethin' happens. Tootles!
Katana stared into the bright flames of the crackling fire. As she watched the flames dance, an evening wind pushed her long ink-black hair across her face. The almost suffocating weight in her chest grew heavy as she remembered that fateful night.
BREAK
"Mitsuko, Kiyoshi, you must hide here. Listen to me, you must hide and not make a sound!" ordered the firm, yet frightened voice.
"Daddy, what's going on? Daddy, I'm scared!" cried the young girl, bunches of her father's clothing clenched tightly in her small fists. Takeshi rubbed her hands in reassurance and pried them off his worn, stained clothes. Grabbing his sword, he closed the closet door, sealing his two precious children away.
"Daddy! Don't leave me!"
"I'll come back for both of you I promise," Takeshi whispered to the closet. Before she could speak another word, a slightly dirty hand was clasped over her mouth. Her older brother signaled for her to hush. Mitsuko buried her face into his chest, and he kissed the top of her head. Kiyoshi kept one hand on the old sword, the sweat from his palms mixing with the thin layer of grime covering the sword's sheath. Kiyoshi would protect his little sister even if he died. This was the last promise he made to his father.
Both children froze, as a cold voice was heard outside their small house.
"I'm going to kill you," said the calm voice. The voice belonged to a young man.
"Battousai. I will not die without of fight," Takeshi replied, unsheathing his sword.
"A challenge. At least you'll die with honor," Battousai said in a mock tone, taking a step forward and unsheathing his own sword. Takeshi stood, preparing to block the Battousai's blow. Without warning, Battousai leaped forward, but Takeshi dodged and went in for a counter-attack.
"Too slow," Battousai sneered jamming his sword into the father's gut. "Pathetic, weak fool." Takeshi let out a pained groan and fell to the ground, his word hitting the ground with a padded clang. Mitsuko felt sick. Though she couldn't see him, she could almost feel her father's pain as if she had been the one stabbed by the sword. Blood spurted from his wound, staining his clothes. Battousai lit a torch and let it drop before turning to leave.
That was it. Kiyoshi couldn't take it anymore. Battousai was as evil as a man could be. Suddenly Battousai stopped, and entered the old house.
"There are more," he said to himself. "Your swordsmen spirits are weak, but I know you're here," he called in an almost taunting tone, as he made his way to the closet. Kiyoshi threw open the closet door, willing to fight rather than cower away.
"If you really want to die, draw that sword of yours," Battousai said, not at all frightened by the young boy. Without even thinking, he unsheathed his sword and leaped, rage burning in his eyes. Battousai killed him in one swift blow, leaving the boy's body to drown in his dark, scarlet blood.
"Are you going to come out and fight, or shall I come to you?" he said, his amber eyes watching Mitsuko, like those of a black cat's under a full moon. Just then, a ceiling beam cracked and fell between Battousai and the closet, blocking his path.
"Fine. Burn. That seems to be your fate." Without a hint of guilt he left the house to burn...
Coughing in the thick, gray smoke, Mitsuko backed as far away from the flames as possible, watching her house slowly collapse from the fire. She only had one chance. Stripping as many clothes off as she dared, she leaped through the flames in one last desperate attempt. Whether by fate, or luck, she managed to escape with few burns. Mitsuko frantically searched for her brother's body, but found half of it eaten by the flames. Stricken with horror at the mere sight, Mitsuko flew through the front door, gasping for air.
Her father was lying face down in the dirt, his blood flowing freely from the wound that pierced his body.
"D-daddy? Daddy?!" she cried turning him over with great difficulty.
"Mitsuko...love...you..." he whispered between labored breaths. Trembling all over, Mitsuko tried to pick her father up, but was weakly stopped by her father's hand.
"Run...go..." Takeshi breathed. He closed his eyes, and Mitsuko felt his hand stiffen. Tears splattered silently over her father's body as she stood. Stumbling over her own feet, Mitsuko ran. She fled away from her burning home, and the screams of the innocent being killed. Into the dark outskirts. Into a night of loneliness and pain.
BREAK
Katana opened her eyes, her heart thumping wildly against her chest. Katsuro sat down beside her, legs crossed.
"Katana-san. It's the next town over. A place called Kamiya Dojo," he informed her. Katana didn't move a muscle.
'Tomorrow Battousai, you will die. And I'll be the one to seal that fate,' she vowed, not taking her eyes off the dancing flames...
A/N: First don't ask who Katsuro is, you'll find out Okay, Katana and Mitsuko are the same person, in case for some reason you didn't get that. Also I know Katana sounds odd as a name, at least to me, but it is a real Japanese name. So if you don't like it, what can I say? Sue me...Anyway, the story will pick up in the next chapter, which I might not have up for a few days, so sorry if you like the story, but it'll be up, unless somethin' happens. Tootles!