Kaoru sat in her chair, her knees resting against the edge of her vanity table. Her head was turned toward the window, where a soft breeze came in. Her left hand held a dazzling diamond ring on it. Her blue eyes saddened as the morning of her 16 birthday approached.

A faint smile appeared on her face as she remembered a time long past...

"Kaoru dear you need to stop messing up your nice dresses, they aren't meant for you to get all muddy." A dazzling young woman of 26 stated to her 5 year old daughter. Her long dark raven tresses were away from her face by a deep rich purple ribbon tied around her head in a makeshift headband. The dark tendrils fell over her shoulder as she bent down to her daughter's height.

A thumb in her mouth caused her speech to be hardly understood. "Iths not pear." The little girl mumbled.

"Kaoru dear take your thumb out of your mouth." The blue eyes of the woman met her daughters blue eyes. She grabbed her daughter's hand and gently pulled it free.

"I want to play outside, and Sano said I was a girl and couldn't. He made me mad so I tackled him and we fell into a mud puddle." Kaoru by now had her arms waving as she told the little story.

A light laugh came from her mother. "I know it's not fair, you area girl you are suppose to stay clean and look nice." Her mother laughed again at the pout her daughter gave her. "How about we get you some play clothes so you can stop ruining your dresses hmm?" A laugh was in her voice.

"YEAH!" Kaoru threw her hands up.

"Now go up and change into your green dress, your father has someone for you to meet." She stood up and watched her daughter climb the stairs as quickly as her little legs would let her.

"You dote on her quite a bit you know?" The woman twirled around at the unexpected voice, her hair flowing out behind her as she did so. Her blue eyes met deep brown ones. Her pale skin glowed as she smiled at the man.

"She's my only daughter and I want her to be happy. Knowing you you'll start teaching her swordsmanship when she turns 7." A lovely laugh bubbled from her throat as she approached her husband. His eyes had turned away from hers. "You'll spoil her just like I will and you know that, now who is it that is coming tonight?"

"Just some old friends." He replied with a smile on his face. He bent down slightly and kissed his wife.

"Mommy, Daddy!" Kaoru screeched from the top of the stairs. "Mou, you said you wouldn't do that in the open." Her features were scrunched in annoyance. Her parents laughed and then turned to her.

"Come down here, or we'll be late." Her father scolded.

"Okay," Kaoru called happily as she went down the stairs, holding on to the bars that held the railing up.

Kaoru was brought out of her musings when the clock struck 5. Kaoru looked to the window once more, her eyes saddening when she remembered after the party they went to that night when she was 5.

"Mommy, why were all the people dressed like that?" Kaoru tugged on her moms dress. Her mother smiled own at her and then scoped her into her arms.

"This was called a ball, Kaoru. You'll be around them from now on." Her mother smiled.

"Sano looked funny, mommy."

"Kaoru be nice," Her mother giggled.

"But he did." She pouted.

"Funny because you haven't seen him dress like that before. In parents eyes he was very handsome."

"Hansome?"

"Handsome, dear. It means he looked really nice."

"Sorta like me tonight?" Kaoru asked hugging her mom.

"Girls are called pretty."

"Yes you both look rather nice tonight."

Kaoru's mom swung around at the sound of the voice. "Kake don't do that you scared me half to death,"

"Mommy, you're crushing me." Kaoru whined.

"Sorry dear," Her mother bent down and set her down on the ground.

The small amount of light coming into then night sky brought Kaoru out of her musings once more. Her eyes looked over the crimson color. I t was always nice to watch the sun rise. Her eyes saddened once more. She turned her head back toward the mirror and smiled a rye smile. Tears filled her eyes as she remembered what happened later that night.

"Mommy, mommy!" Kaoru screamed as people ran around in a panic.

"Kaoru! Kaoru!" She heard her moms voice and ran toward it.

"Mommy!" She screamed with tears in her eyes as she raced for her mother.

"Kake!" She heard her mother scream. She looked to where her mother was looking and tried to run faster.

"Papa, momma what happened to him"! Kaoru called as she was almost to her mom.

"Kaoru!" Her mothers voice was odd, she'd never heard her voice like that before.

"Mommy?" She questioned as she stopped running. She looked up and saw a man with squinted eyes and a red blade standing in front of her. Her eyes widened and she tired to turn and run, but her legs wouldn't move. "MOMMY!" She saw the man lift the blade and she closed her eyes.

"The little heir should die," A cackle and then she found herself shoved to the ground with a heavy weight on top of her. She recognized the scent.

"Mommy?" She questioned. Her mother didn't answer and didn't move. She heard an anguish cry and then heard something hit the ground, then her mother was rolled off her.

"Saka!" She recognized her father's voice.

"Papa, what happened?" She looked up at her father. A small gasp left her as she felt wetness on her cheek. Her small blue eyes blinked up at her father, whose eyes were scrunched shut.

A sob came from him as his arms encircled his daughter. "Your..." His voice broke, as he clutched her tighter, "Mother is no longer here."

Kaoru tried to push her father away. He released her and watched as her eyes looked to her mothers form. "She's right here papa." He gasped as she crawled to her mothers form.

A small gasp left Kaoru's lips as she saw blood seeping around her mother's body. She bit her lip and crawled back to her father. "What's wrong with mommy, what's all the red stuff." Kaoru's eyes were wide as she looked to her mom.

"She's gone, he...r body remains but she'll never be able to hold you again." Kaoru's small wide, eyes looked up at her father.

Kaoru bit her lip to try and bid the tears to leave. 'I know she's gone but her memory will still live on. I didn't understand when I was young. Papa tried to tell me, but I didn't understand your body was there and I could touch it, you were still there. Your spirit had moved on...I've come to understand where you've gone and that you're always here. I still love you so dearly mother.'

Kaoru dropped her legs and looked to the window, slowly she stood and walked to the window. She placed her hands on the bottom of the window ledge and leaned her forehead against the glass. She watched as her hands went to the lock on the bottom of the window and she pushed the glass open. She looked out into the waking sky, then turned her head up and let a few silent tears fall down her face. 'A new day and a new life will begin soon.'

Ahh I'm not really sure if this makes much sense really...It's not a one shot by no means. It's definitely a really different beginning. Well I don't want to reveal any of the story but it will be a Kenshin Kaoru romance. If this makes no sense what so ever let me know and I will write the first chapter to it and replace this with that. This story will be in the past for a few chapters and then will go into the present.