Under the Crystal Moon

By Charmed Wolf

Disclaimer is that I don't own Rurouni Kenshin…

Shattered crystal.

Aoshi watched the wolf eat as he sat and drank his tea, there was a reason why this wolf came to him and he was going to find out why. "Aoshi, you know that we can't keep him here," Okina said looking at Aoshi; it bothered Aoshi that they couldn't keep the wolf with them.

Aoshi got up to sit the cup in the sink when the wolf started to follow him, Omasu and Okon were both amazed at what the wolf was doing.

"I think he thinks of me as another wolf," Aoshi said as he watched the wolf putting the bowl into the sink, Okina still said no…but Aoshi had an ace ready to play. Okon knew of Aoshi's birthmark of a wolf's paw, Omasu knew that Suki was never afraid of his brother for some reason. "Okina, I received a permit to keep a wolf," Aoshi said as he started to pet the wolf, Okina finally consented to letting Aoshi to having that wolf around the Aoi-ya.

Suki named the wolf Nika and it made Aoshi think, it was that he had gotten a motorcycle to get to school. "Aoshi-sama, can you fold me another crane, please?" Misao looking at Aoshi, with some paper, Aoshi went through the motions of folding the paper for Misao.

Okina new that Aoshi will have to be going sometime soon, that's when the crystal shatters like porcelain crashing to the floor…Aoshi knew he had to leave soon. "Here you go, Misao," Aoshi said handing the folded paper to Misao, she didn't see the sadden look on his face. Omasu shooed Misao to go to bed since it was become late, Aoshi knew his birthday was drawing a close and it was the most dreaded day in his life besides the anniversary of his parents' death the following March.

"There hadn't been any closure for Aoshi or for Suki," Okon said to a worrying Okina, which he just nodded at what Okon said. Omasu agreed with what Okon said, now the duty to end the rivalry landed squarely on the oldest shoulders, and Aoshi is the oldest of the Shinomori siblings…and that makes it Aoshi's responsibility to end the rivalry for both boys.

Meanwhile in Aoshi's room.

"Suki, you don't remember mother and father, do you?" Aoshi asked as he turned to face his brother with that question. Suki knew that he was only 2 years old when his parents were killed; it did bother him that Aoshi was older…what bothered Suki was the loss of memories of his parents. "No, Aoshi, I don't remember mother or father," Suki pointed out to his brother, Aoshi knew that bother his brother so much that it made him concerned.

Aoshi laid back in his futon thinking of a way to help Suki to remember their parents, it was aggravating to Aoshi and he just wanted to help his brother.

"Can we talk in the morning, Aoshi?" Suki asked before leaving the room, Aoshi just nodded letting his brother know that they could talk in the morning. Aoshi couldn't sleep with Suki on his mind; he wanted to ride his motorcycle that the Okashira had given him when he just turned 14 years old. 'I can barely remember my parents now,' Aoshi thought before finally drifting to sleep, he knew that it's going to 12 years since the death of both parents and he knew he was forced to watch them die…

No child had to be forced to watch their parents being killed, it was just wrong and it shouldn't have happened to him. "Suki, what's wrong?" Aoshi asked as he saw the tears in his brother's eyes, Suki just looked up at Aoshi holding the pieces of a ripped picture.

Aoshi saw the pieces of the picture and helped his brother to put the picture back together before their uncle caught them. "We should go before our uncle catches us, dear brother," Aoshi said helping his brother up, both boys went back to their rooms to escape their uncle. Suki was concerned for Aoshi with good reason; it was that Aoshi hoped to try out the motorcycle that he had gotten from the okashira just after turning 14 years old.

Flashback

Ryu was concerned that Aoshi's uncle would eventually kill the boys if something wasn't done; it would take a miracle to save Aoshi and Suki. "I'm very concerned with the boys, Okina," the old okashira said with a sigh, Okina knew what Makimachi Ryu was going to talk about. He was just as concerned with the boys as the okashira was; Ryu went to check on Aoshi, who was playing with Misao. "It's been past Aoshi's birthday," Okina told the okashira, and yet the okashira just nodded.

Of course, Ryu wanted to get Aoshi something for that day, but he wondered what peeled Aoshi's interests. "Okina, do you remember that time I took Aoshi and Suki to the motorcycle races?" The old okashira asked, Okina just nodded knowing where this was going.

Aoshi looked up at the okashira wondering why he was needed; it was that Aoshi expressed an interest in motorcycles. "I didn't know you had an interest motorcycles," the okashira said to Aoshi, now Aoshi knew why he was needed. Ryu took Aoshi to go look at motorcycles that afternoon, it gave Aoshi an escape from his uncle. "It was from the motorcycle races you took Suki and I to go see," Aoshi said with some clarity, the okashira just nodded at what Aoshi said.

It was going to rain that day and Aoshi never minded the rain, it was like that since he was just 4 years old as the old okashira observed. "Do you see a motorcycle you like?" The old okashira asked as Aoshi walked to a red and black motorcycle, it was the motorcycle that Aoshi wanted to have and his uncle said no. It was the okashira that was say yes letting Aoshi to get the motorcycle, and there was a helmet that went with the motorcycle that Aoshi was looking at.

End of flashback

"Aoshi, do remember that it has been icy," Okina said as he noticed Aoshi getting ready to go riding that day, Aoshi knew he should re member that it was very slick. He started up the motorcycle and drove off without the most important thing anyone should have when riding a motorcycle was the helmet, which obviously worried Okina a great deal. "Oh dear, this is not what I wanted," Okon and Omasu just looked at Okina; he just pointed to the black and red helmet on the counter.

Hours later and there was still sign of Aoshi, and the phone call that confirmed Okina's fears.

"Yes, this is him you are speaking to," on the other line was a doctor, Okina almost dropped the phone when the doctor told him that Aoshi was in a serious motorcycle accident. Okon noticed that Okina was upset over Aoshi's accident, so what Okina did was going to see how bad the accident was.

"Try not to tell Suki's uncle because it will only cause him to get very angry with Aoshi," both Omasu and Okon understood that and told Suki, and he was upset with Misao not know where Aoshi was at that time. Okina was at the hospital waiting for word on Aoshi's condition, it was just then there was an alarm…it was Aoshi's room. "Is there something wrong?" Indeed there was something wrong, the nurse that was assigned to Aoshi's care made a mistake, Okina finally got to see Aoshi that evening.

It was not a sight for Misao to see Aoshi like this, it making Okina upset to seeing Aoshi unconscious and not able to breathe. "Aoshi, you forgotten something that was important to you," and yes Okina was talking about the helmet, the amazing thing was that Aoshi had no significant head injury. One thing that Okina did was calling the Aoi-ya, he told the girls that Aoshi's condition was critical. "I'm going to come home for now," there was some weariness in Okina's voice…

A week later…

"Aoshi, I'm glad you finally woke up," Aoshi knew he wasn't in any trouble with Okina, now there was one problem…no feeling below the waist. Okon and Omasu came to see Aoshi to see if they could bring him home; the doctor said it would be alright for Aoshi to go home. "Misao was worried about you, Aoshi," Omasu smiled at Aoshi letting Misao in to see him, Aoshi had let Misao onto the bed with him. She really missed seeing Aoshi now, it made her upset to see that Aoshi not able to walk.

"Aoshi-sama, are you still going to lead the Oniwabanshu?" Aoshi couldn't resist that face that Misao had; he knew could still lead the Oniwabanshu. It's that he can't fight because of his paralysis; Aoshi wasn't ready to give up command of the Oniwabanshu just yet.

"I'm ready to go home now, Okina," Aoshi was carefully sat into his new wheelchair, which it matched the color of his eyes.

To the reviewers:

Sachiya: Thanks for your review; it brings so much encouragement in my writing. I really appreciate that you really enjoy my story; it just makes me feel pretty good.

Mimura no miko 19: AHHHHHHHHHHH! Don't pick on Aoshi, please…well, anyway, they had to remove the story for several reasons I don't know, and thanks for the review and I'm glad you got your computer repaired.

Please read and review the fic, people…I will remember the people who review this story.