Under the Crystal Moon

By: Charmed Wolf

Yet, my disclaimer still stands…I don't own Rurouni Kenshin…

Main room, Aoi-ya.

"Omasu, I'm worried about our okashira," Okon said, Omasu saw the worried look on Okon's face knowing something was wrong. The two konoichi went to Aoshi's room and doctor was there looking at Aoshi's wound as Omasu's eye studied the doctor. "I saw that the wound stretched from the base of the neck to his side," the old doctor said, the old doctor was and old friend of Okina.

More bandages were brought to Aoshi's room, now even the doctor was very worried about Aoshi as much as the girls. "Well, did it paralyze him?" Okina asked, the doctor just shook his head. Aoshi was just lucky that a sword had missed his spine; it was that now he wasn't feeling well.

"No, the young man is lucky because that sword missed his spine," the doctor said, Aoshi was left in his room to rest, which was more what the doctor recommended for Aoshi.

Okon kept a blanket over Aoshi to keep him in bed; Misao picked some flowers for Aoshi's room.

"Oh, Misao-chan, they will brighten Aoshi-sama's room," Omasu said, and that Misao wanted to place the flowers in the room herself. Omasu still didn't want Misao to see how badly hurt Aoshi was, Okon helped Misao to place the flowers into Aoshi's room.

"I'll color Aoshi-sama a picture too," Misao said running off, both konoichi giggled as Misao ran to her room to color a picture for Aoshi.

Okina came to see how Aoshi was doing; of course, the young okashira was still sleeping. "Okon, I hope you are going to change the okashira's bandages," Okina said when he noticed that the bandages were getting red, Okon walked in to Aoshi's room to wake him up.

Aoshi woke up in time for Okon to change the bandages, the wound that Aoshi had was no longer red and inflamed. "Okon, where did those flowers com from?" Aoshi asked looking at the flowers that were by his window, and then he thought of Misao and the paper crane he made for her. Okon quickly put more antibacterial solution onto the wound to prevent more infections, as the bandage was placed on his wound, Aoshi just wanted to go back to sleep.

"Oh, Misao picked those for you," Okon said, she knew that Aoshi wanted to back to sleep. Somehow and someway, she got her okashira to get up to move around some.

Okina saw Aoshi up and noticed that pained look on the face; Omasu thought it was too soon to have Aoshi up walking around. "Omasu, do think it's too soon to let our okashira up?" Okina asked, Omasu just shook her head when she saw Aoshi's pained look. She gave Aoshi something to help him relax and to take the pain away.

"I want to lie down," Aoshi said through a pained voice, Okina carefully help Aoshi back to his room.

The doctor checked on Aoshi's wound to make sure there was no infection…Knowing that, Aoshi couldn't handle another infection. "The young man's wound actually looks better than the last time I saw it," the doctor said looking very pleased with Aoshi's recovery, Okon saw Misao coloring a picture for Aoshi again. Knowing that Misao really wanted Aoshi better, Okina let Misao go swimming with Aoshi for awhile. "The doctor said it would be beneficial to Aoshi's healing," Omasu said noticing that the wound were separate wounds across the back.

Misao was just happy that she got to swim with her Aoshi-sama; it felt good to swim since he hadn't swum in such a long time. "Okina, I hope the fight didn't turn out as a big disaster," Aoshi said with his eyes close, Okina gave Aoshi the full report of the fight…

So the fight wasn't a big disaster after all, Aoshi was certainly pleased with his group.

"Omasu, where do you want me to put the okashira's yukata?" Okon asked looking for a place to put the neatly folded yukata, Omasu was helping Okon to putting Aoshi's clothes away after the fact that Aoshi is completely healed.

It was that the fight wasn't over, not by a long shot, and Aoshi knew it.

"I take it our friends from Tokyo are coming," Okina said with Aoshi nodding, it made Aoshi wonder when the last time he saw Hannya. Shiro and Kuro were cleaning the rooms getting ready for the unexpected arrival of their friends, even little Misao was helping to get read to see Hannya…

"I'm going to go outside to meditate for awhile," Aoshi said with his usual quiet voice, 2 more days and Aoshi will turn 16 years old. It was making Okina worried about him so much; Omasu was getting very worried about Aoshi herself. It was the 21st of the 3rd month when Aoshi's parents died; Okina knew that it was very hard on Aoshi…and his little brother, Suki.

Flashback

Hiro and Katsuyumi had put their sons to bed for the night so they could train for that night, it was no ordinary night for Aoshi's parents. Something was amiss and there was someone following them, Hiro could sense it and Katsuyumi too…

"Nakamura Kenjuro! Show yourself!" Hiro yelled with anger, Katsuyumi had her shuriken at the ready in case Kenjuro decided to attack them. It was a smart decision that Katsuyumi had made, it made her husband to pull out his serrated weighted chain out from his sleeve. "Do you think I'd let you to train this night?" Kenjuro's voice sounded, Hiro's eyes just narrowed at the question.

Katsuyumi almost screamed when she saw her oldest son, Aoshi struggled to free himself from the younger Nakamura's grasp, and then it happen. "Oh I will let my son kill your son," Kenjuro smirked rather evilly, Hiro's eyes widen with surprise. Oh there was no way Hiro was going to let the Nakamura men kill his son, Katsuyumi flowed Hiro's exact idea because she did not want her son dead either, there was just one way to protect their so and it would cost them there lives.

"NAKAMURA, DON'T ASSUME THAT I WILL LET YOU KILL MY SON!" Hiro screamed with venom laced in his voice, Katsuyumi didn't want their son to be forced to watch them being killed in the least one bit. A sword went through Hiro and he fell dead, Katsuyumi managed to throw a shuriken at Kenjuro before being killed by him leaving Aoshi screaming so much.

End of flashback

That night before Aoshi's birthday, Aoshi sat on the roof of the Aoi-ya in the freezing rain until his little brother came to join him. "Suki, you should be in bed," Aoshi said looking at his brother; he didn't like his little brother being in this weather. Suki told Aoshi that he couldn't sleep being worried about his older brother; Aoshi knew that he was making everyone around him worried with this behavior. "Aoshi, you're my older brother," Suki said when some one came to get them in from the cold weather…before either of them caught a cold.

The next day…Aoshi's birthday.

Omasu knew it was now the day Aoshi dreaded so much, his own birthday.

Okina felt Aoshi's forehead and it felt hot, Okon had said that Aoshi was outside in the freezing rain for a long time. "Didn't he change his clothes?" A worried Okina asked, Okon only shook her head at Okina's question. A cold wet cloth was laid on Aoshi forehead to draw a fever down, Suki was more fortunate of not getting sick. "Me wanna help to care for Aoshi-sama," Misao said causing Omasu to giggle, Aoshi had a bad cold and little Misao wanted to help care for Aoshi.

But as quickly as the cold came, it left within a matter of hours. "Misao-chan, I'm fine now," Aoshi said folding another paper crane for Misao, and with that, Misao just ran off to play.

Aoshi knew something was amiss when he found an abandoned wolf on the doorstep of the Aoi-ya that evening; he brought that wolf inside to protect the poor animal. "Oh, let's get him some food," Okon said setting a bowl of raw steak down onto the floor for the wolf, Aoshi sat drinking his tea watching that wolf eat the steak that was in the bowl.

To the reviewers:

Lia: Thanks for reviewing my fic; it really means a lot when you review.

Sachiya: Always the reviewer, I like it when you review my fic. It just means so much.

Trinite: Thank you for the review, I really appreciate it so much. It means so much to see a review from you or anyone.

NonameJane: Thank you for the review, feel free to review again. Again, thank you for the review.

LuvHaru7: eats peanut-butter honey sandwich Yummy! Thanks for the encouragement and the review too, I will forever appreciate it.

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