Disclaimer: I don't own rurouni kenshin. though it's every rk fan's dream too. But anyway. The song On My Own is from the les
Miserables show.
Part One: Raining...
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The night fell upon a young woman, walking in the streets of Kyoto. She wrapped herself in a long black coat,
over her shoulder a small pack could be seen. The woman was dressed not as a normal woman did, but in
a ninja suit. Her long braid flew behind her with the wind. The woman's eyes were red and her cheeks pink.
This was Makimachi Misao walking dejectingly down the horrible, lonesome, cold streets. Her hope scattered,
dreams shattered, and heart broken. The wind picked up and Misao took cover in a treetop nearby. Very slowly
and softly she started singing a song.
And now I'm all alone again
Nowhere to turn, no one to go to
Without a home, without a friend,
Without a face to say hello to.
And now the night is near
Now I can make believe he's here.
Sometimes I walk alone at night
When everybody else is sleeping
I think of him and then I'm happy
With the company I'm keeping
The city goes to bed
And I can live inside my head.
She choked up a little when she had to say 'him/he'. What had happened to her to make her so cold and so distant?
She recalled the events of 2 nights ago.
Flashback
"Aoshi-sama!" Misao brought a tray of tea up to the shrine in which Aoshi prayed in everyday. Her voice radiated her
joyfulness. She climbed towards the shrine, and came to the main prayer room, in which she saw Aoshi facing the wall
with his back to her, meditating. "Aoshi-sama, I brought tea" She said it once more, and he finally turned around and
sat down across from her.
He spoke nothing, and his silence hurt Misao every time. But she bared it, for she thought that one day, if she waited long
enough, Aoshi would come to her. Sometimes, very rarely though, she would think of just giving up and leaving, but
Aoshi would always prove it to her, every now and then, that he was still there. By coming down to the Aoyia, or striking
up a conversation with her.
Today, though, she had a strange feeling that her life would change forever. Misao started as usual by talking of the
Aoyia and how things are going. For some odd reason today, she spoke nothing. To busy in her thoughts, Misao finally
snapped out of her revere when she heard her beloved Aoshi-sama asking for her,
"Misao?"
"Yes?" She answered as normally as she could muster.
"Are you ok? You seem troubled and distracted today" He tried not to sound to greatly concerned, after all, he had
to maintain his 'cool' and 'icy' touch.
"Yea, I'm fine, just a little.....preoccupied in my thoughts" She spoke also trying not to be greatly troubled, but of course
Aoshi asked more.
"Care to share your thoughts?"
"Nah, I'll be fine. I better go, I need to finish up some work at the Aoyia.
And she left, as Aoshi watched her retreating figure. His mind clouded with thoughts and questions. He brushed them
aside and continued with his meditation.
back to present
Why she had left him, still puzzled her. But she thought it was for the best, after all he came to talk to her after.
She sang 2 verses as she heard the heavens open up and rain pour down.
On my own
Pretending he's beside me
All alone, I walk with him till morning
Without him
I feel his arms around me
And when I lose my way I close my eyes
And he has found me
In the rain the pavement shines like silver
All the lights are misty in the river
In the darkness, the trees are full of starlight
And all I see is him and me for ever and forever
But his talk to her, is what had caused this trip and why she was sitting in this tree, cold, hungry, and sad.
Later, in the night, that day she had visited Aoshi in the temple
Misao sat outside on a bench near the Aoyia. The wind was cold, and the air biting. She shivered slightly, partly
because of the coldness, and partly because she felt 'him' coming towards her. She grinned, 'funny' she thought
I have known Aoshi-sama for so long and still I blush in his presence.' The thoughts interrupted when she realized Aoshi
was now standing right next to her. She sighed, though, barely audible. She decided to break the silence,
"Won't you sit down Aoshi-sama?" She tilted her head to look into his eyes. Pleading him silently.
He wordlessly sat down. The coldness in him momentarily changed when he spoke to Misao,
"Why are you out here in the cold Misao?" his concern evident in his words.
"I'm thinking." Misao spoke softly.
"That is what you said earlier, and you said it wasn't a problem. Now tell me, what is on your mind?" Aoshi wanted to
know, but he was also afraid of what she might say.
In her mind she spoke,'You. Only you. That is all I have in my mind.' She wanted to know, right then and there,
if he loved her. Only the words just refused to come out of her mind. She spoke nothing and started fidgeting with her
hair braid. A strong just of wind blew and Misao's braid flew out in front of her. She suddenly felt colder and longed
for heat. She must have been shivering evidently, for Aoshi took he trench coat off and put it around her. Misao
stared in shock and wonderment at Aoshi. That one gesture helped her express her feelings.
She turned around and faced Aoshi. Aoshi looked at her wondering what she would do. But what she did shocked
him beyond words................she kissed him. Yes right on the lips. Her eyes were shut closed as she kissed him passionately.
Aoshi on the contrary was too shocked to move. Part of him wanted to kiss her back, and the other part said it was
wrong and would lead to hurt.
Misao figured out what the hell she just did, and pulled out of the kiss. A look of pure
shock all over her face. She wanted to kiss him, but she wasn't actually expecting herself to really kiss him. Struck by
shame and embarrassment, she shot her head down. Tears threatened to over flow from her eyes. Misao in her mind was
thinking,'Now I really have ruined my chances with him. He didn't kiss back you moron. He doesn't love you. You idiot'
While she was accepting the mental scold she was giving herself, Aoshi's eyes had returned to normal. His face portraying
no emotions what so ever. Then he sliced the silence with a knife,
"Why did you do that?" His tone sounded somewhat angry.
Misao was not able to come up with a sufficient answer. Aoshi had no clue what to do, so he did the first thing that came
to his mind: leave. Go to the temple. His figure rose from the bench, and Misao stiffened. He walked away with no more
words. Misao lifted her eyes up and a river of emotions was portrayed in her eyes. She let out a tear and spoke to the
ever silent night,"Sorry Aoshi-sama. Sorry."
Return to treetop
'Yes, that was my luck on that unfortunate night.' She thought.
She softly spoke 2 more verses of her sad song.
And I know it's only in my mind
That I'm talking to myself and not to him
And although I know that he is blind
Still I say, there's a way for us
I love him
But when the night is over
He is gone, the river's just a river
Without him the world around me changes
The trees are bare and everywhere
The streets are full of strangers
'What happened after that was that, time blurred by' Misao thought.
Back to the Tear-eyed Misao at the bench
'What have I done?' Misao stood up near the bench. She thought and finally she knew what to do.
She had to leave...
Leave all she has known behind. Put behind the feelings she feels for Aoshi. She walked quietly towards the Aoyia.
With her ninja abilities she got to her room and slowly proceed to pack a few of her items. It is for the best she thought.
Aoshi, without a doubt, would avoid her and not talk or make any contact with her. When she found her self done, she
wrote a small note explaining herself, for her absence. Of course she didn't mention the kiss. They'd probably send Aoshi after her
and he is one of the last people she wants to see right now.
As she swung her pack over her shoulder, she thought of her destination: no where. Misao couldn't go to the Kenshin-gumi.
The others would find her more easily. 'I don't want to be found. I shall live the life of a wander. Until I have found myself over
Aoshi-sama.' She set out on the crisp, cool evening. Not expecting to go anywhere, be followed, or to be missed.
Treetop
Yawn 'That was where my journey began and to story leading up to it.' She mused.
The last 2 verses, gave meaning to her journey.
I love him
But every day I'm learning
All my life I've only been pretending
Without me his world will go on turning
A world that's full of happiness
That I have never known!
I love him
I love him
I love him
But only on my own.
'Only I share the love' Misao thought. ' He doesn't love me, it's a pity I didn't see earlier.'
She saw that the rain wasn't going to stop and time soon. Busy in the clouds of memories, she didn't notice herself slip off into
a dream. The last thought in her mind was,'I am not to be missed. Specially by Aoshi'
Oh but she was wrong indeed..........
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You know that really turned out good for a 7-hour fic. hmmm.
Don't worry a sequel is in making. I hoped u like this. I am a big fan of A/M and K/K!!!
yes, misao will end up with Aoshi. i wouldn't have it any other way. heh.
The lyrics is from the Les Miserables song- On My Own. I was deeply impacted by this song, and instantly came up with an idea
for a fic. You really should try to get ahold of the song. It's beautiful.
- ja minna!