No news today - Sorry for no indents, my IE isn't working, which is why this is late. My apologies to everyone!
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-Ditox-chan

"My past has not been a beautiful one. I am not ready to share the entire story with you quite yet... but someday. I promise...

"I was born in a village far away from here. Beyond these innocent seas, over the rolling hills in the distance. I grew up in a town the sun never reached. My mother was sickly and frail while my father was a very built man, but even he had his problems... My mother did not like his 'problems' and tried to persuade him to stop his spiteful ways, but it was to no avail. He never stopped.

"I had no brothers or sisters. I was constantly alone. I argued with my heart that I did not need companions or parents – that I could fend on my own without difficulty. I wanted to escape the clutches of my lonely world.

"I had only one dream in life, and that was to ride a boat. I loved boats. I sat on the dock at dawn every day to watch the men in the boats leave, and at sunset I was there again, watching as they would return. I adored the gigantic, grand ships with broad sails and beautiful, polished wood... I longed to join their crew and leave the town forever, but I felt in my heart that I would be alone forever.

"It was one very rainy dawn when I was about to leave to watch the ships. I was thirteen. My mother stopped me. I was naturally caught off guard because she needed her rest and very rarely got up at such a ridiculous hour. She told me that I would catch cold if I went out that morning. I told her I would be fine, but she did not let go. We argued for a long time – me, yelling at the top of my lungs, and she, resting in her rocking chair, trying her hardest to bring up her frail and waned voice. I eventually got sick of it and declared that my life meant nothing to me, and left."

Kenshin paused a moment to look down at the glimmering water, his long red bangs hiding his violet eyes. Kaoru wanted to comfort him, but her heart told her that he just needed a moment to breathe. She remained quiet and nodded him on – but it was obvious that speaking this tale caused great sorrow in his chest. She caught a glimpse of his clamped teeth and hands slowly forming into fists.

"That morning, my mother died. My father later blamed me for her death because I caused her constant worry since I was rarely at home. I never wanted to be there because they were always arguing or scolding me. My father said that I was not worthy to be his son, and kicked me out. But it was he, for the entire thirteen years of my life, had never cared for my mother or myself because of his drinking problem.

"So I took to the seas. That night, when he said he would go to city hall to find foster parents, I secretly boarded a ship in the dead of night and slept there until dawn the next morning. I didn't know it yet, but the ships would cross the ocean, do some trading, and return. There were so many ships that some would leave everyday and some would come back everyday.

"I hid in their storage room for the amount of time it was sailing. I did suffer from hunger, but there was enough food in the storage to keep me alive for the time. When they reached the next town, I left the ship and boarded another. I repeated this action for a long time until I figured that I was far enough away from my home.

"I lived in a town called Kawabura for a long time. I lived on the streets until I was about fifteen, when I witnessed my first pirate invasion. They arrived very late at night, set fire to many of the houses and slew many. I tried to hide, but the captain spotted me and questioned me. 'What? You a street kid?'

"I nodded sheepishly.

"'This city's one of the most wealthy around. 'Ow did you become a poor boy?'

"I just glared at him and said nothing. I didn't trust him.

"'Feisty little one, ain'tcha?' He began to laugh and had his crew members drag me aboard. I didn't want to go – I was afraid. But the pirate captain taught me everything about ships and such. I never agreed with his spiteful ways, but I never had a choice. His crew soon commited mutiny, threw the captain overboard, and went wild. Apparently none of them wanted to be a pirate either.

"And so I inherited their ship. The captain had liked me, so he had taught me how to sail it. The crew did not like me, so they left the ship with me because they had no other use for it. So I kept it. I sailed it – alone, but I was happy. I was finally living my dream.

"I became a trader. I sailed everywhere and met new people. Some stayed with me, others left. People like Sanosuke and Yahiko were streetkids, so I asked them to sail with me because I knew what they were persevering. Others, like Misao, joined because they was tired of her homes.

"And that was how my crew formed. But the bigger my crew grew, the higher the ship's bounty rocketed. Parents would call authorities and claim that my ship was kidnapping children. We were accused of stealing and slaughter when it was never our fault. We had no choice but to flee, only to come to shore at places we'd never visited before. We were constantly followed by the authorities and we could not take the chance of being caught. They are not after my crew... they are after me.

"But I can't let them stop me. I heard of a legendary cove called Morika that lies in the 'only place the sun doesn't shine.' I have not figured out the puzzle yet... but we will find the treasure that lies within. It is rumored to be magical and can grant any wish the user may desire."

Kaoru nodded and smiled. "I just have a few more questions. How on earth did you... get wings? And a tail? It baffles me..."

Kenshin looked at her and smiled. His wings beat once and his tail curled around his ankle sheepishly as he shrugged and declared, "I do not know who my real parents are. The ones I spoke of had adopted me. Until I was eight, I lived in a research facility as their guinea pig. The scientists there believed that they could do anything. They wanted to defy the current science and do something greater – and thus, I became their subject. It was painful and cruel, but they..." Kenshin looked out at the water with a slightly sorrowful gaze, "...they implanted these wings on my back to make pretend that I might be an angel they recovered. At first they were not authentic, but when they looked too unreal, they studied more thoroughly and created these wings – that possess a real life. They grew along with me. My tail was just another experiment."

Kaoru shook her head and looked at the floor. "How horrible... I can't imagine how you could've grown up like this..."

"I was mocked and made fun of," he smiled. "But I learned that I could be better than them, mutation or not."

"You also never mentioned how you acquired Kenji, if you don't mind me asking, Kenshin." Kaoru folded her hands behind her back and blushed, looking out at the water. The smile disappeared from Kenshin's face and he shook his head.

"I'm sorry... But that much I cannot share with you quite yet. You've only been aboard a week. The time will come... someday."
M...mhm. Kaoru is, um.. very curious! ee;
Review please! 3
-Ditox-chan