'Author's Notes', by Laura (that's moi)
i've shoved this here because i only just found out you're not allowed to post up the authors notes as a seperate chapter, which makes this a VERY long-looking chapter, when it's actually one of the smaller ones - i've never been good at dividing up my stories...
Ahh, well... this fic I've done isn't exactly an original one, and it has been done a few times before – by that I mean the retelling of how the Hitokiri Battousai came to be. You could almost say that my story is just a retelling of the OVA and manga all mushed together, with a few half-original scenes. But, because of the observations of several of my friends when I show them some of RK (mainly the fact that he looks like a girl at first glance), I decided to go off on a tangent and turned Himura Kenshin into Himura Kenko. And to relieve myself of trying to write a yuri-esque relationship (), Tomoe turned into Tomo, and several other characters changed in some slight way as well as some being made up and added...
Uh, anything else to say before I stick up some chapters... oh, later on I'll post up a link to my friend's website, where drawings of the characters will be. Some of them will be copies from the manga from when I was figuring out how they looked, but there will be some original ones up too. Uh... translations will be at the end of the chapter, as well as numbered notes. Also, the first few chapters are a bit too much like the ova scenes... eh heh... sorry about that. But I like them so much, and all of what Hiko says is so philosophical and cool... oh, and that reminds me, the rating is PG-13 for a few reasons. The language isn't too bad (yet), but there is violence of course, Himura being an assassin and all, and there are adult themes and things that are suggested that aren't very nice. I'm not sure if it's obvious to begin with, but it's hinted at several times before it comes out completely – if it does at all, I haven't decided yet.
Oh! And a BIG thank you to Conspirator! Much of this story is inspired by her fic 'Descent Into Darkness', and I wouldn't have been able to do this story properly without her cooperation. I'll be sticking up more thanks to her in chapters where she really helped out...
Right-o... guess that's it... I think...
maybe...
yeah...
ooroo...
(that's my little joke, being Australian and all – it's a version of 'hooroo', meaning goodbye. Although I know of only two or three people who actually use it, and they're all over 45... hmm...)
feels eyes glaring at her ...
ok, so it was a horrible pun, I apologise. I'll go punish myself now by eating spaghetti through my noise by Icchan-san's request...
oh, last thing – the fact that Himura's name is Megumi before Hiko changes it has nothing to do with the TV series – I only used it because I couldn't find a girl's name that was similar enough to Shinta, and also because of it's meaning... eh, you'll see what I mean later. And also you might get confused when Himura is referred to by characters (who don't know who she is) as 'he' and 'it', now you've been pre-warned, so don't come complaining to me about it...
Disclaimer - I do not own RK, if I did, Tomoe would've never died, so Kenshin would never have been heartbroken! ... But then of course, the story of RK as we know it would cease to exist - Kaoru would have no dojo, Yahiko would be a pick-pocket, Sano would be... well, Sano (and don't we love him ), Megumi would probably be dead (and not with Sano), and I can't be bothered writing the rest down... so, let's be glad I don't own RK... I have one of those plush keyrings, though! My own little chibi ken-san!
ok... read on if you dare... mwahaha... erh... yeah...
(and before I forget, italics are character's thoughts when they're separate from a paragraph and have more of a profound meaning, but are in 'inverted commas' when it's more of a colloquial style... ok, that didn't make much sense... oh, I'm sure you guys can figure it out somehow... )
ok, i'll shut up now. enjoy... maybe... it's not that good...
runs and hides under a bush
Shishou to Deshi wo Au – Master and Pupil Meet
They are afflicted, the times and the mind of man.
A lone man sat by a stream sipping from his cup of sake, staring at the full moon. His white cape was illuminated by its glow, while his black hair gleamed like the stream he sat before. Sighing, he picked up the bottle and stood, looking down the path on which he started.
So much so, the moon peers down on a diseased world.
A cart's wheels turned as they went down a road, part of a congregation of people. A young child wearing a pair of hakama walked behind it, holding a spinning toy. She was tired, but was not going to let the older girls know. Yet she couldn't suppress a yawn. The girl in the red kimono, Sakura, looked down at her and smiled. Seeing her, the child smirked back, her violet eyes gleaming behind the red hair that covered them.
There is no cure for the disease. The world is headed for destruction day by day.
In the field the road followed, a katana rusted with blood was turned over, catching the gleam of the moon.
Even if a person of incredible strength were to arise, they would not be able to stop the inevitable.
The man walked down the path, shaded by trees, moonlight streaming through the branches. His sheathed katana knocked against the bottle of sake he carried with his long strides, his white cape billowing behind him gently as if carried by a summer breeze.
They would be able to do nothing.
Screams and chaos filled the air. Feet ran, pounding the road as they bolted away, or chased their victims. A man was cut down from shoulder to hip, another's head was driven through with a spear. An old woman was skewered and thrown to the side of the road, the blood seeping through the folds of her obi sash as quickly as the life that seeped away from her. Her last breath fled like the shadows of her travelling companions over her.
The moon's light was cut off by clouds as they shielded the sky from the sight.
Blood was splattered everywhere – over the broken cart, over the dead bodies, over the terrified girls. The last standing man tried to hold the bandits at bay – delusively. His body fell away, revealing the child. She was standing, panting, struggling to hold up a dropped sword. Her fingers clasped desperately at the hilt, but her eyes did not show fear. The dogs were amused at the sight.
As the child launched forward, a pair of trembling hands grasped at her body and pulled her back, causing her to lose grip of the heavy weapon. The hands belonged to Sakura, and held her close as she and the other girls crouched in fear. The dogs came closer.
One of the girls rushed forward. "Please, spare the child, I beg you!" In an instant she was cut down.
"Akane!" Sakura's voice was ragged. "Please, Megumi, don't look." She couldn't help but look – the gap in the older girl's arms was like a frame that enclosed the scene in front of them. Megumi's eyes saw movement, and watched as Kasumi gets up, ready to beg. She was given no time to – her eyes widened as the blood sprayed from her so easily, splattering across Sakura's back. She didn't see Kasumi fall, as Sakura lurched forward more, pushing her down onto her back.
"Megumi! Megumi!" She looked up to the older girl's face. There was so much fear there. "You must listen to me. You are just a child. You have not chosen your life, as we have been able to. You cannot die now. You must live!" Megumi blinked – her tears were dropping into her eyes. It stung. "Live a full life the way you want to – for the sake of those who died here tonight--"
She stared as one of the dogs pulled Sakura up by her hair. Her tears spilled through the air, her hand reaching out hopelessly to the child. "Megumi, please live..." She was held up high, and the man holding her pulled back his sword. It slid through her neck too easily. Sakura slowly closed her fingers around the blade, her glistening eyes searched for the child's.
"Live... Megumi... live... for me..."
The callous fingers let go of her midnight hair, and she slipped to the ground, her eyes now dull. Megumi stared at the lifeless bodies now in front of her. She didn't protect them. Now they were dead.
The dog sniggered as he steps closer to the hakama-clad child. He wasn't moving – he must be in shock. It won't be an easy life on his own, so he should probably put him out of his misery. He raised his sword for the last kill. He started to thrust, but a cry behind him made him hesitate. He turned his head in time to see three of his pack fly from one stroke of another's sword.
"Who the hell are you!"
A man with a white cape walked forward slowly. "Knowing my name is pointless, as you won't be alive long enough to remember it."
The dog frowned. He was the only one left. But that was of no matter – he had to avenge his fallen comrades. He ran forward, yelling. In a split second, five simultaneous strokes sliced through his body.
The clouds decided to let the sky view the scene again. The moon illuminated the man's cloak, his bloody sword, the fallen girls, and the child on her hands and knees. The man raised his sword, and ran a cloth over the now red blade.
"I don't know why I happed by this place... I suppose it was fate." He sheathed his sword, and looked down at the child. "Be glad I did – I took care of your revenge. However, bearing a grudge against these men will not bring your loved ones back. Let your survival be their memorial, and revel in the fact that you are alive. Go to the nearby village – surely they will be able to help you."
The man turned to leave, his cloak billowing out again. But he paused, and looked back. The child had not moved at all. He sighed silently, and moved on.
It no longer surprises me, just as death no longer terrifies man. The smell of blood is as common as the smell of white plums. So he created slavery and savagery which surpass the horror of death. It can only be fought with more bloodshed, and the cycle never ends.
He glanced up at the moon. The clouds licked at its edges.
Yes, it happens every day. In the past, and in the future.
The bloody sky reached over the fields, the sun peering over the trees. The man was walking again, along the same path.
The sake shop vendor said that not even a cat has past through the village recently, let alone a boy. No doubt he probably despaired over the cruelty of the world and killed himself. My sword is guided by the teachings of Hiten-Mitsurugi. Yet when all is said and done, a sword is a tool of destruction, not salvation. Many times, I cannot use it to save even one person's life. Not one living soul, as it would seem to be this time.
The trees started to thin out. He was almost at the bloody scene.
It is enough that I bury the victims' corpses, I suppose. That is the only way I can maintain what humanity I have left.
He walked out into the blinding sun, but he did not shield his eyes as they widened.
The scene of slaughter that was the night before was now filled with crosses, marking freshly dug graves. The child stood in the middle of them all, before three stones. Slowly, the man walked forward. "I notice you've made grave for the bandits as well as your family."
The child's high voice filled the empty air, causing his eyebrows to lift in surprise. "They were slave traders, not my family. I was sold to them after my parents died of cholera. But last night they stopped being traders or bandits, they were all just dead bodies..."
The man looked at the child, regarding her differently. The night before he had just assumed that she was a boy, since she wore hakama. But for a girl to do this... He followed her line of sight, and noticed the stones again. "What are these stones for?"
"Kasumi-san, Akane-san, and Sakura-san. I only knew them for a few days, but they protected me as if I was their own. I wanted to protect them, but I'm just a little girl. But because of that, they're gone. They died protecting me. They said, 'Please, spare the child'." She lowered her head, clenching her dirty hands. The man's face grew thoughtful. "I wanted their graves to be beautiful, so I wanted good stones. All I could find were these ugly rocks, but it's the best I can do. I wish I could have found flowers. They all deserve flowers..."
The sound of a cork being pulled out caused the child's head to rise up. The man poured his sake over the three gravestones. "It is unfortunate to enter Nirvana without having tasted good sake. This is my tribute to them."
She looked up at him. It's the first time she's actually seen him properly. He was very tall, with long black hair tied back loosely. The white cape covered his broad shoulders, and concealed the rest of his no doubt muscle-bound body. "Thank you... ano..."
"My name is Hiko Seijurou. I am an intermittent swordsman." Hiko looked down at the girl. There were tear steaks through the dirt on her face. "Listen, my child – you were unable to save the lives of the women who took care of you. Although you are a girl, you still felt the need to protect them. Now your inner self is laden with their memories. Your small hands can attest to the weight of their lifeless bodies, but you will soon learn that that their memories are heavier. However, by carrying them, you will become stronger. This new strength will be your defense; it will give you the strength to support yourself, and will aid you in the protection of that which is truly important – innocent lives. But this can only happen if you are properly trained." The child frowned slightly in puzzlement as the man Hiko kneeled down to look her in the eye. "What is your name, child?"
He smirked in amusement at her answer. "Megumi – meaning blessing, charity, mercy... That name is too ironic for a swordsman. From now on, your name will be Kenko."
Kenko gazed into the man's dark eyes. "Ken... ko..."
The wind blew through the trees, playing with their hair. Hers red like the blood staining the ground, his black like the crows that flew above. He smiled.
"I've found a pupil. Consider yourself... fortunate..."
Notes:
Ah...well, this chapter... is strange. I hardly ever write in this style, so I have no idea why I did this chapter like this. Probably because this opening scene in the OVA is so artistic, and I felt that is should be written in this way. But there's no way that I can write in this style the whole time. I've written in this style before, some of it was ok, but ... gargh... in future chapters, there will be some flashbacks which are in this style tense (not all, but probably in the next chapter), but... not whole chapters. It can get pretty dodgy...
Also, I'm sorry that this chapter doesn't have much original content. It's not until I get further into the story that more of my ideas come into play...
And before I forget, I'd like to give another HUGE thank you to Conspirator, whose fanfic 'Descent into Darkness' was inspiration for parts of this story. I'd also like to thank her for being patient with me when I'd ask her various things about her story so that mine wouldn't seem too much like it, and hopefully it's turned out that way... I'll stick up yet even more 'thank you's when one or two certain scenes come up...
Translations:
Hakama – the pants that men wear that look like a skirt. They're really good to wear when sword-fighting, so you would've often see samurai wearing them.
Katana – the long sword out of the two that samurai wear.
-san – a honorific suffix used when speaking to or about someone to show respect. You never use it when speaking about yourself.
Ano – um, uh...
if you're gonna review, please be gentle, i'm very delicate from all the study i do and sleep i don't...