Alas it's finaly here.....I knew I when I set out to rewrite my previous story "Return of the Wolf" I would have to make a new story. I'm expanding the timeline quiet a bit from the first one "Wolf and the Swordsman." This one will encompase those two stories plus more. This time I'm focusing much more on the Kenshin x Karou relationship, particularaly the details concerning the events before and after they get married and Karou gives birth to Kenji, and I am planning on writting this story so that in contains the growth of all the characters, and will continue right up untill the present. Since it will be long I'm breaking it into "sagas". I'm starting with the second saga which will deal (veary differently) with the events in "Return" The first saga will be about Kenshin and Karou's engagement and eventual wedding.....Please bear with me......bows I promise this one will be different and better....a lot deeper plot with things thought out, more fights (especaly kenshin fights)....plus more....
Another note....at the end of the jinchuu arc according to maigo-chan's wonderful translations Megumi says Kenshin has a "condition" caused by the rebounds of his swordstyle on his small body. Now she never says what it is but I believe it's early arthritis....I could be wrong....but based on that assumption I write this.....
Disclaimer:Theauthor does not own Rurouni Kenshin, but since many close to the author believe her to be the reincarnation of Himura Kenshin, she believes the rights will come in due time. Please do not sue.....The author is veary low in her bank acount (due to Christmas and overspending) and is trying to save up to by as many RK dvds as she can!
Legacy of the Sword-
Saga two- One Thing after Another
Chapter 1-The Beginning of the End
Year 16 of the Meiji (1883) Late Fall. Kamiya Dojo, downtown Tokyo.
"Anata," Karou called into the room.
She heard no response. She cursed herself.
She had been too busy that morning to be with him. The household chores, her little boy, her students, all of that took her away from him. He still was ill and she knew her absence did him no good. He had every right to ignore her.
But it still wasn't like him.
No, he hadn't really been himself for months now. It was that damned "condition" of his as Megumi called it. When she first heard about it she didn't want to believe it was there. Her husband was the best swordsman in Japan. The man she knew was strong, brave, and selflessly took the weight of everyone's problems on his shoulders.
But he was too small. His five feet of height and slender frame could not hold up to the demands of his sword-style. He never admitted his weaknesses and continuously pushed himself past limits that would kill normal people.
She crept slowly into the room with a simple bowl of miso soup.
He was lying in the middle of the room, nestled into the comforts of his futon. His back faced her and his long orange-red hair fanned out on the floor. She heard his soft shallow breaths.
She knelt down next to him and placed the bowl on the floor.
"Kenshin," she called in a sing-songy voice. "Kenshin-koishii lunch time."
"Karou?" came his weak voice. "Gomen, This one fell asleep. He didn't hear you enter."
"Weak" was never a word she would have used to describe him years ago. "Healthy" would have been the word she'd have used. Or maybe even "goofy" or "carefree." But also at the same time "sad" and "lonely." He puzzled her. A constant mystery waiting to be pieced together.
"It's alright anata. You have every right to be tired. You've been through so much already. But Megumi says that your condition has improved slightly and that you might even be able to get out of bed in a few days," she replied.
He looked at her giving her a tired smile. She traced the cross-shaped scar on his left cheek, and ran her hand over his forehead. It was warm but not as hot as the burning fever he had gone through months earlier.
She sighed.
The problems all surfaced a year ago.
She was in the kitchen preparing breakfast, astonished that Kenshin had not been up at the crack of dawn like he usually was to do chores and make breakfast for her.
It didn't matter though. He was sleeping. His face looked so peaceful in the morning sunlight that she didn't bother to wake him.
So instead she bustled about the kitchen making miso and rice for Kenshin and her fifteen-year-old apprentice Yahiko. Her baby, Kenji, was tied to her back in a sling to keep the little wanderer out of trouble. He played with her hair and she let him until he started tugging too hard.
She heard the soft sound of feet padding towards the kitchen. She knew it was Kenshin from the way that he walked but today she also could hear something else. He was limping.
Karou let him come up behind her. She heard Kenji giggle as he tickled the little boy.
"You should have stayed in bed anata, I would have brought you breakfast," she said.
"Oro?" came the reply.
That was his response to almost anything. She had come to love that cute little sound he made when he was surprised or confused. It was as much a part of him as his red hair, and cross shaped scar.
She turned and looked at him. He was still dressed in his sleeping yukata and his hair was a mess.
"You were still sleeping when I woke up so I thought I'd bring you breakfast," she said returning to the pot of miso.
"Gomen, this one slept late and he shouldn't have. He was going to do the laundry but he wants you to look at something, that he does," Kenshin replied.
"And what might that be?"
"This one's ankle hurts, that it does," he said walking over to her and leaning against the cooking surface.
Karou untied the bindings holding Kenji to her back and handed the boy to Kenshin. Kenji quickly found amusement in playing with his father's nose.
She knelt down on the floor and lifted the hem of his yukata, which, being her late father's, was much too large for him. Upon the first inspection she instantly found the problem.
His left ankle was swollen and red. She then noticed that his other ankle, and his knees were swollen as well. She could feel him tense when she touched the inflamed joints.
"What did you do now anata?" Karou scolded mockingly.
A muffled "Oro?" came out in response, as Kenji was still holding on to his nose.
"This one would appreciate it if Kenji-chan was to let go of Tou-chan's nose, that he would. Onegai?"
Kenji just giggled at his father's predicament.
"Kenji, Tou-chan's hurt, he doesn't need to be tortured any more," Karou said.
Kenji stopped what he was doing and pouted. Karou took him in her arms and placed him in a basket on the floor of the kitchen.
As she stood up she noticed Kenshin gripping the countertop. His knuckles were white.
"Anata, is everything all right?" Karou asked approaching him.
"Daijoubu," he replied head bowing so that his hair covered his eyes.
"You're very bad at lying koishii and you know that."
"Gomen nasai."
She reached up and brushed the hair out of his eyes. Her hand grazed his forehead, and it was burning hot to the touch.
All at once the color seemed to drain out of his face.
"Ken…."
His eyes fluttered closed and his grip loosened.
"….shin."
Her world seemed to fall as his limp body hit the floor, his head striking the hard stones of the hearth.
"KENSHIN!"
Down the hall Yahiko woke with a start at the sound of his sensei's hysterical yelling. He threw off his covers and ran towards the sound.
He found Karou sobbing uncontrollably over the unconscious form of her husband who had been a mentor to him in the five years they had known each other. Kenshin had past his beloved sword, the reverse-blade sakabatou- a symbol of his vow never to kill, onto him a few months earlier. The shock of seeing the man who he had looked up to as the strongest swordsman ever sprawled out and unresponsive was almost unbearable.
"Karou, what happened?" he asked.
"He, he, just passed out, he came in saying his ankle hurt, and he just…." She sobbed.
"It's alright. You stay right here and don't move him. I'll go get the doctor," Yahiko said standing up.
He left the house as quickly as possible, not even bothering to change out of his sleeping clothes. His head was racing.
"Please let him be alright," he said out loud as he ran down the streets of Tokyo.
He had never really believed in the gods or in Buddha in his life, but on that day he prayed that someone was listening to him. He didn't want anything to happen to the man who had saved not only his life but the entire country as well.
Japanese Glossery:
Anata/koishii: terms of enderment between married people....the equivelent of "honney" or "sweetie"
-chan: honorific meaning "little" so-and-so, often used to show affection.
Daijoubu: "I'm fine" or "I'm ok"
Gomen Nasai: I'm Sorry
Oro: Kenshin's choice exclamaintion....a form of the word "ara" which is the equivelent of "huh"
Tou-chan: Informal form of the word "Otou" or father with the translation of "daddy"
It's finaly done... a few people have been waiting for this patiently and I'm sorry but my lfie has been a mess.
I've been busy with school, dance, work and my artwork which has taken a priority over my life seeing as I'm trying to get into art school. My grades have slipped but that's nothing realy new. I've had a score of social problems mainly steming from my now ex-boyfriend. He was a great guy don't get me wrong but he turned out to be a major pain in the ass as most guys are. Also I had to swich my website to a different domain (link in profile) tons of work but I'm working on an RK site! My writting has suffered but I got the push to get this done and voila!
On the RK front I finaly got a hold of the Kenshin Kaden artbook which is gorgous. And I've scanned over 100 Jinchuu arc pictures for my website from it. I also aquired both Samurai X soundtracks (to the detriment of my checkbook) and both are beautiful. I cosplayed Kenshin on halloween and since then I've been finding red hair from my wig all over my room....I think I'm still finding them in my shower. My friend Katie-kun now believes I'm Kenshin's reincarnation (fuled by the fact I've picked up the habit of saying "oro" when I'm confused....aka most of the time) and is now running about calling me Battousai because of my lousy temper....(hey I've been sick since september and on top of that I'm Irish!)
Well anyway gotta run....Reviews please!
