Chapter 4: Rings of the Past
"Hey wake up to two!"
SPLASH!
"WOW!" Kaoru and Kenshin sat up instantly, sputtering. Cold water that could
have been from the Antartic Ocean was splashed onto them. Kaoru and Kenshin
looked up to see who had found the nerve to have woken them up in such a
matter. Their eyes widened. "HIKO?"
"Well hello idiots. Good to see you awake, breathing and able to finish washing
the dishes you left for me to do last night!" There he stood in all his glory.
His long black hair had been kept neatly in a low ponytail with the exception of
his rebellious bangs. He appeared the same as he did all those years ago when
they first left his care four years ago.
#15 years ago#
Kaoru's POV
"Momma, is daddy coming home today?" A child like, hope filled voice asked. The
child had eager eyes as blue as the night sky yet they seemed to hold a light
all there own. She was a very happy child that held lots of potential in the
arts of swordsmanship, though no one but her father had even begun to sense this
in her yet and he was a bit reluctant to teach his little girl how to act like a
boy. After all swordsmanship was an art for men, not women.
She had been playing with a long stick that she had found in the yard that
looked as long as a sword but was light enough for her to grasp. The child was
eager for her father to come home from his busyness trip so that he would teach
her how to use a sword. Ok well, he said that he would think about it, but
Kaoru's heart had held hope that it meant yes. He said that he felt that she
would be a great swords women one day but he wasn't sure that he should be
letting his little girl learn the art of swordsmen ship. Kaoru didn't really
understand why he might say no, after all if she kept up her dance lessens with
her sister Tomoe and continued to help out around the house, there shouldn't be
a problem.
"I don't know honey. His letter said that he would try to get home
today but I'm not sure. The girl's mother knelt before her daughter and
started to fix her draughts kimono. After patting out all the dust that
had accumulated on her kimono, she adjusted the kimono to fit more
securely around her tinny body. "Kaoru-Chan go ahead and go find your sister
Tomoe. I believe she went down to the rivers edge to go read. Tell
her that supper will be read in half an hour and to come home to get
ready and help set the table."
"Ok!" The little girl ran off out the big wooden gates of the dojo and onto the
dirt road. The family lived on the out skirts of town so the roads were never
terrible busy in fact, the road would be considered bloated if more then three
couples walked down its path at a time. Kaoru enjoyed the trip to the river and
could easily understand even at her age why her big sister so often walked to
the river. On the way there, there were trees that provided shade to whomever
wanted it, the flowers that decorated the dirt beaten path, and the atmosphere
that gave the walker a sense of comfort and peace where they could clear their
mind of all problems, if they had any, or just some time to enjoy life's simple
pleasures of the soft air.
Tomoe could always be found just down the road over by a small running stream
that glimmered and shinned with sparkling water filled with life. Near there was
a large cheery blossom tree that at this time was alive and in full bloom.
Sister always enjoyed reading and writing in her diary, which seemed to be her
nirvana. I was always the tomboy while sister seemed to be just like mom, always
acting like a lady. Sister said that it was ok to be a tomboy because it was who
I was. She never scolded me for getting dirty, beating up boys, or even when I
refused to wear a kimono, instead she would pat me on the head and say that we
are all different and so I should never loose my sense of pride or feel
patronized for who I was.
"Tomoe! TOMOE!" Kaoru yelled out in search for her sister. Normally Tomoe was
underneath the tree but today she seemed to not be there. "Tomoe!"
"What is it Koa-chan?"
Kaoru turned at the sound of her voice and felt the small gentle hand on top her
shoulder. Looking up she saw familiar brown eyes. "Sister!" Kaoru then hugged
her sister's legs tight.
"I'm glad to see you as well Kao-chan but we must start our walk home now so
that we may get prepared for dinner." She smiled warmly at Kaoru and took her
sister's hand in her free one as they began their voyage home.
Tomoe's POV
'Father has been gone now for three weeks. I wonder what is keeping him? Kaoru
grows more restless every day; she wishes to continue her sword training. It's
not like him to miss out on Kaoru's training for this long, even the small
amount of teaching that he gives her fills her with such pride and a sense of
belonging. Mother seems to be getting much more tired everyday as well, I think I
should start to stay home more and help with the house work now that father is
not here.'
Pushing open the old wooden gates to the house Kaoru ran in first yelling,
"We're ho-ome!"
"Welcome back Kao-chan I see you found Toa-chan. Dinner is on the table."
Mother smiled and started for the kitchen again.
Later that night
Thunder and lightning lighted the night sky with its bolts of white fearful
light. The rain pelted down heavily onto the roofs of the house and made an
eerie sound like that of hail pounding on the windows. The wind blew hard
around the house and made a loud whistling sound that echoed across the open
yard. Then there was a creaking noise at the foot of Tomoe bed that sent an
alarm of panic threw the heart. She sat up straight and looked around
frantically. It was only Kaoru.
Breathing in a sigh of relief that calmed her 'It was only Kaoru. There is no
need to be frightened. I should not have read that frightening book earlier.' At
a closer look at Kaoru she could see that her sister was crying. "What's the
matter Kao-Chan?" Tomoe asked as worry and sympathy rushed through her veins.
"I'm scared." Was the only thing that the crying girl could get out of her
little mouth. Taking a deep, rattling breath that made her hick-up she
continued, "The thunder is so loud and, and I think that it's going to hit us!"
At this she started to cry even more.
"Oh Kao-Chan it won't hit us and I know it's loud. Do you want to crawl into
bed with me? Would that make you feel better?" Tomoe already knew the answer
before the crying girl even solemnly nodded her head. She scooted over and
pulled back the covers to her bed and allowed the girl to enter. After a few
minutes when she felt that her little sister had calmed down and the crying had
become only soft dying hick-ups that lead to sleep she felt that it would be
alright to allow herself to go to sleep too. Just as she felt that she was
being dragged away back to her dreams she was awakened once again by an
extremely loud bang! This wasn't just the lightning this time; no she also
heard her front gate door hit the wall of the building. Looking down she saw
that her sister had been awoken too and had started to cry once again.
Tomoe was frightened and was unsure as to what to do so she just hugged Kaoru
close to her and told her it was alright that it was just a loud noise and that
it couldn't hurt her but on the inside she wasn't so certain of that. "Wait
right here ok Kao-Chan? I'm just going to look out side the window right quick."
Kaoru at first didn't want her sister to leave her but she to was curious as to
what that noise was so she aloud her to go without much complaint.
Looking outside her window she could clearly see the front yard and where the
gate had been opened. The yard was clear. 'It must have been the wind a very
strong gust of wind?' This thought didn't seem to put her mind at ease as much
as she had hoped. Then she decided to
Listen closely and see if she could here anything beyond the wild rain. She
strained and tried hard to hear anything, anything at all that suggested that
there might have been an intruder. Nothing. Only the rain and wind greeted her
ears. Then just as she was about to give up and go back to bed, she heard the
front door slide open and her mother's suppressed tone of voice. Worried for
her mother, Tomoe looked at Kaoru and pinned the girl down with her voice and
eyes when she saw that the girl was about to go running to the source of the
noises, "Kaoru stay here. Do not leave this room until I have returned. I'm
going to go get one of fathers practice swords and then I am going to go check
out that noise. Now promise me you will not leave this room."
Kaoru stared up defiantly and was going to protest but decided that it was in
her best interest to do as she was instructed when she saw her older sister
narrow her eyes further. So she nodded her head once and stayed put, at least
for now.
Seeing that Kaoru had agreed to stay put she left the room as silently as
possible and quietly raced down the hallway in the direction of the training
hall. It was on the opposite side of the house but if she ran into the room
where she heard her mother without something to defined herself with and there
was a thief that was armed then she would be in trouble. Tomoe had never used a
sword before, but she felt that something was better then nothing. Turning down
the hall was she opened the door to the outside as quietly as possible and ran
to the training hall where she opened the door there and ran inside. Looking
around she spotted a wooden sword hanging up in front of an alter. It was her
fathers practice sword. Grabbing it she made her was back to the front of the
house.
Kaoru's POV
Waiting until she felt her sister's ki was out hearing distance, she opened the
door and went back to her room to grab her training sword her father had let her
borrow. Her sister would take some time in getting back and by the time that she
did it could be to late. Kaoru's father was reluctant to letting her learn how
to wield a sword, but he had taught her a few moves and she had watched him
train his students before and could easily catch how the moves where executed.
She felt that she was her mother's best chance.
Sliding open her bedroom door she looked around and ran for the corner of the
room where she grabbed the wooden sword and ran out, forgetting to close the
door and sprinted down the hallway. Getting closer to the front room she could
more clearly hear her mother talking with whoever was in the room with her.
There was a candle lit and Kaoru could see a silhouette of her mother and some
man talking; and then she saw it there was a sword in his hand!
Opening the door just a crack she could see the man more clearly. He was tall
and had some
facial hair. He was wet all over and appeared to be breathing hard. It was heard
to tell his facial features but she could see that it was someone she knew.
Taking a better look at his body she could see that he was wounded. Someone had
pierced his shoulder. The man was staring at her mother intently, as if he was
trying to convey his love for her in an apologetic way. Who was this man? Then
as she had been studying his appearance her sister Tomoe entered into the room
using the other door. She opened the door and looked some what frightened and
nervous but she was holding a wooden sword. It was father's sword! Kaoru could
tell that she was studying the man in front of her then a look of recognition
set on her face. "FATHER!" 'Father?' Kaoru wondered and then she saw it too! It
was her father!
Kaoru saw her sister drop the sword carelessly to the floor and started to run
toward their father and Kaoru was about to do the same when she heard his voice
speak for the first time that night, "Stop!" Kaoru froze in place with her hand
still clearly on the door. She removed it and hid her ki as best she could. She
didn't want to get into trouble with her father if she was not supposed to be
there.
Tomoe looked confused, "But why? What happened to you? Who did this!" Tomoe was
getting frantic and her eyes started to fill with tears.
Grunting he collapsed to his knees and dropped his sword. Mother raced to help
him and ordered Tomoe to go get some water and fresh towels. Tomoe did as she
was told and left to retrieve what she was sent to get. When she was gone Kaoru
remained hidden and lessened to her mother speak, "Darling what is happening?"
Taking a pain filled breath he answered, "I should not have come back here but
you needed to know. Shishio is taking over the government. He has been killing
off government officials for over a year now and has finally decided to take his
plan into full force action. I have proof in these notes here that it has been
him that has been behind the killings along with the plans for his building the
biggest navel battle ship in the history of the world, honey he's planning on
world domination." Her mother's eyes were wide and shocked. He gave her a moment
to let it all sink in and then he continued, "He knows that I have his plans and
so he's trying to kill me too. And he will. He might even kill all of you too,
so that's why I wrote down some instructions for you and the children. You are
to take these and leave. Leave and do not look back! These are instructions to a
safe house. It belongs to a friend of mine from long ago. His name is Hiko.
Here! They will be back to finish the job soon, so hurry!"
"But father!" Tomoe came out from behind the door holding what her mother had asked her to get. It was apparent that she had been listening for a good
portion of the conversation.
"NO! Now go! Go get Kaoru and run from here!" Kaoru sensed that there was
somebody coming from the front of the house. It was obvious that he was quite
cocky from the way that he didn't even bother to try and hide his ki. Kaoru
looked at her father and could tell that he felt them too. "You must go now! He
is here! Take this and run!" He handed Tomoe the letter and she ran. Kaoru ran
back to the Tomoe's room too in hopes that she wouldn't be caught disobeying
her older sister but stopped when she saw that her mother was not budging.
Her mother didn't move in fact she seemed to be quite content on staying there
with her husband. "What are you doing! You need to leave now!"
"No. I will not." Her mother leveled a look that meant that she was serious.
"Please you must!"
"No. I wish to stay here with you to the end."
The door smashed open, "Aww how touching really." It was he. The man that had
come to kill her father. He was rapped in bandages from had to foot and had red
eyes. "Now how much have you told this beautiful women? I'd hate to have to
kill her too."
"I've heard everything." Kaoru heard her mother say before her father could tell
the man other wise.
"Oh well that's to bad isn't it?" The man raised his sword and was going to
bring it down on her fathers head when her father raised his sword and blocked
the down swing move. Their mother just quietly sat there, unmoved and watched
as her husband fought for both of their lives. The fight didn't last very long
after the third block the fourth one took his life. Kaoru watched in absolute
horror as her fathers head rolled on the floor towards the door she was behind.
She heard her mother scream in terror as she was witness to what had just
happened to her love. Then it was her turn. It was a quick blow to the heart
that ended her life. Kaoru felt the tears swell up in her eyes but was knocked
out of her stupor when she felt a hand on her arm. Kaoru frightened turned
quickly to look at the owner of the hand. It was Tomoe. The look was a sad but
determined one. She placed one figure on her lips that meant to stay quiet.
Kaoru took one last look at her parent's murderer and left with her sister's
gentle but urgent tug at her arm. Tomoe took a left down the hall instead of a
right which confused Kaoru because the right seemed to be were she thought that
they should go sense it led outside and the left led to their parents room.
True, that the right led through the side door then back to the front, but it
just didn't seem like it was a better bet to go to their parent's room. I mean
the bandaged guy might go there to look for them first! 'Wait them?' Kaoru
thought about it longer and realized why she thought this, she knew how to hide
her ki but Tomoe didn't so that guy could probable only sense one other person
in the house and that other person was with her. 'What should I do? I can't
teach big sister how to hide your ki in ten minutes; this takes days weeks or
even years to master. Granted, I only took two weeks but that's because I have a
warrior in me, dad said.'
They entered their parents room and Tomoe lifted up a mat off of the ground and
revealed to Kaoru that there was an opening underground. They then heard some
foot steps leading to the room. The steps were at a slow and comfortable pace
that frightened Kaoru terribly. Without what seemed like a second thought Tomoe
grabbed Kaoru and stuffed the instructions into her sleeping robe and then
shoved Kaoru into the whole. Tomoe looked down and smiled at Kaoru before she
closed up the whole with the mat. 'NO!' Kaoru's mind rang out! 'NOO!' Kaoru
stared up at where the opening used to be with wide tear glazed eyes. 'This
can't be happening! Why is big sister staying up there! That awful man is
still in that house and he is coming to that room! She is going to be killed!'
Then it came to her, her sister was staying there because she knew that the man
only knew about her and not Kaoru. Kaoru hit the floor in anger. 'Why? Why
has this happened to me! To us!' Angry tears fell to the dirt flooring and
Kaoru vowed to get revenge on this man one day. 'I have to live! I have to live
so that one day can take revenge on the man who killed my family!' With this in
mind Kaoru began to crawl down the dirt path way.
Tomoe's POV
She was scared. Scared of what was to come. She knew that it was the only way
to save her sister but she still was scared. What would happen to herself?
'Probably die.' And what of her dear sister? 'She will make it.' This voice was
clear and gave her some notion of comfort. At least she would make it. The
door slid open. Tomoe started to cry harder. Harder? 'When did I start to cry?
Stop. I must be brave. For father!'
"Well, well it seems that, that walking corpse did have a child. So tell me, is
there any more that I should know about?' He walked around her like a tiger
circling its prey, just waiting to see its back so that it could strike. 'You
know if you tell me the truth I'll let you live and you can come back with me."
He smiled a sadistically at her.
"No. There is only me. But even if there were others I would never sink so low as to selling them out for my own life!" Tomoe was sitting up straight and spoke confidently.
"Just kill me and be done with it so that I may see my family once again you
murderer!" Tomoe never spoke over a whisper. Never. Until now that is. She
glared up at him with murderous intent. She hated this man for stealing their
happiness here at home, for leaving Kaoru with no other family to look after
her, and for thinking that he could get her to sell out her sister for the mere
lie that she would be spared!
"Heh! As you wish!" With this, he brought down his sword at an angle so it cut
through her shoulder and down to her hip. Blood fell from everywhere. Her scream
could be heard echoing though out the house, the yard, and it rang in his ears.
"Aw what sweet music!" He laughed and then proceeded to check the rest of the
house, just in case the girl was lying.
Kaoru's POV
Even from as far away from the original hole she could still hear her sister's
screams running through her ears, begging for death. Going faster than before,
she reached the end of the tunnel. Opening it up she saw that she was in a
field of tall grass that was about four feet high. 'Perfect' Kaoru thought to
herself "Now if I keep low enough and keep my ki suppressed I should be able to
escape the village.' Taking a better look around, she saw that she was a good
half-mile from her home. 'Home.' It was no longer her home. From tonight on
she would be a different person. She would only return once she knew she had
killed that man and all of his followers. 'Killed?' Since when had she ever
wanted to kill? In fact wasn't it completely against her father's sword style
to kill? 'Well he never wanted his wife and oldest daughter killed either. Huh?'
crawling further to the wooded area she pulled out the instructions that her
father had left them.
'Ok well this path looks like it leads to a forest, check, ok next I have to
travel through the woods to a place called Kyoto, Kyoto? That's about a weeks
worth of walking!' Looking at the bottom of the envelope she saw that there were
a few gold coins. "Ok that takes care of the food problem but it seems that I
will be camping out in the woods." Putting the envelope back into her robe, she
continued through the woods when about ten minutes later, she heard a crackling
noise and a roaring burning sound from behind. She turned and looked on in anger
at what used to be her home. He had caught the house on fire! This trip would
be worth it one day. She just knew it. So looking at the house one last time,
she shed only one tear and that's all that she allowed herself before she set
off once again into the woods.
Six days later
The air was getting sharper with each day, which meant that it was getting close
to fall. The trees around Kaoru had even started to change the color of their
leaves from a softer green color to a sun yellow to a soon to be brown. The
pathway Kaoru was walking was a beaten one that seemed gray and uncaring. She
now only had one more day of traveling until she reached Kyoto. She had made it
past the half way point, well a little more then that, she was practically there
but this only made Kaoru feel slightly better. All these days on the road alone
gave her a lot to think about, such as, 'What is this man like? Does he have a
family or any kids? Is he going to help me or is he going to send me packing
the second he has seen me?' Questions like these were eating away at her mind
especially that last one would he help her or not?
Stopping for a moment to take a break she sat down on the cool earth and leaned
against a tree with her eyes closed in relaxation. She seemed to be at the foot
of a very large mountain. Her feet were killing her. All she had been wearing
on them when she'd had to leave was a pair of socks. The thought of walking the
rest of the way was a horrid thought all on its own but to have to have to do it
without shoes was an even more horrid idea. "I have to find a place that will
sell me some shoes." Kaoru said to herself out loud. Looking into the worn and
tattered envelope she looked at her money reserve. Father had left enough money
for food for three people and Kaoru's share was about half empty, but she could
use some of what would have been her mother's and sister's portion to buy some
shoes. They didn't need to be really nice ones, just something that wouldn't
make her feet have any more sores on them.
The break gave her some time to reflect on the past few days. The walk has been
a long one; in fact it was the longest she has ever taken. The only time that
she had traveled to Kyoto was when her family decided to take a vacation there
before it became such a dangerous place and she had only been about 3 years old.
Plus, they had taken the train and hadn't needed to walk. Well, that's what her
mother told her anyway. 'Oh well it doesn't matter. I have to get to Kyoto
soon, I really want to take a bath and just sleep in a bed at this point, hmm
sleep.' The thought of sleep reminded Kaoru of just how tired she was and she
yawned. Soon she had drifted off into the vast realms of dream world where she
still had her family.
Hiko's POV
Hiko sat under a tree in peaceful bliss sipping away at his sake enjoying the
sounds of his foolish red headed pupil's screams as he was being carried down
stream in wrapped up in a place mat for putting ink in his master's sake. "Aww,
what a pleasing sound." Hiko smiled to himself. The boy would drift all the way
down the river to the foot of the mountain while bobbing for air, as the waves
would take him up and down. He would have to walk all the way back up to the
house wet too! "Well that should teach the idiot a lesson."
Opening his eyes and inhaling a deep breath he thought to himself about his
going into town to see about getting some more sake and checking to see if any
new messages had been delivered to him. Getting up from his sitting position on
the ground he headed over to his house to retrieve a piece of paper and a pen to
write his baka deshi a note telling him that he was going into town. Signing it
he left the house and began his travel down the mountains edge.
He enjoyed living up in the mountains, away from the busy state of the cities
and the people. Here He could enjoy the simple life and the out doors without
the sounds of people scurrying around, and wars never really even affected him
since almost no one knew that the mountain was being dominated. It was a nice
place to train his baka deshi too. As he walked down the familiar path he began
to make a mental note of how many bottles he should buy while he was out. 'One?
Hmm well I think this is my last bottle so two?'
Kenshin's POV
Cough, cough, cough! "Damn him!" Kenshin was on his hands and knees coughing up
water. "Come on it was only a joke! What an ass!" Grumbling he sat on his knees
and looked at where the water had washed him up too. Taking in a good look
around, he noticed that he was at the foot of the mountain. "Oh, come on!" This
meant that it would take him all day to get back up to that forsaken house!
Sighing to himself he got to his feet. "Well I'll just have to get him back for
this." Inhaling the crisp new air, he tried to see if there was anyone around.
He didn't know why he would think that there would be there never was anyone
else around but for some strange reason, he felt like he should check. Closing
his eyes in concentration he searched the mountain. Then he felt it. It was
the ki of a strong warrier! "It must be master." He said out loud, but still
checked to see if he could feel anything else that could indicate something
else. Searching out that ki aura, he felt that it was feminine. 'A girl? Here?
And a warrier!' This confused Kenshin greatly so he went on a search for her to
see if he was wrong.
Kaoru's POV
Kaoru awoke when she felt that there was someone near her. Looking up, she
didn't see anything but she felt like there was something near by. Then it hit
her. She had her guard down! What if that bandage guy had found her! She had
left her guard down for about half an hour. Anyone could have sensed her by now!
Getting up from the ground she looked around and tried to pin-point how far the
suspected person was. 'Ok so it's a boy, and a strong one at that, but, where is
he?' After a few more moments she guessed that he was about 30 feet from her.
She wasn't so great that she could detect exactly where someone was, but she
could guess the direction and about how far away they were.
Looking around a bit more she decided to climb up into the tree and hide out
until whoever was coming her way had passed, or at least until she could see his
face. She was an expert tree climber in her opinion. She used to climb trees
all the time back at home. She loved the feeling of being up high and of hiding
out where others wouldn't bother you. Climbing up to a particularly high and
thickly covered branch, she sat there waiting.
She didn't have to wait long soon she saw some movement in the brush. Kaoru
Wasn't sure why, but she felt excited and nervous at the same time. She held
tightly to the wooden sword that she had brought with her. Looking closer she
could see a patch of red hair poking out. 'Oh so it's not the bandaged up man,
but maybe it's someone that works for him.'
As the boy stepped out into the clearing he appeared to be a young boy, maybe
just a little bit older then herself, with red hair and sharp blue eyes. He was
also wet all over and was wearing training clothes. He seemed to be looking
around, 'For me I bet! I shouldn't have let my guard down!' Looking closer
Kaoru realized that he wasn't carrying any weapons. 'Well what can he do
without any weapons?' Then she saw him reach down and pick up something. 'Oh
no!' feeling in her robe she found that there wasn't the envelope that her
father had given her. Jumping down behind the boy, he jumped with a start.
Kenshin's POV
Trying to get through the brush, Kenshin noticed that the source of ki he had
been tracking down had disappeared, 'Weird.'
Stepping out into a clearing he began to look around. He saw a patch of grass
flattened out slightly and an envelope near that spot. Looking puzzled, he
knelt down and gently scooped it up, running his already slightly calloused
hands to run along the folds and creases. "Now whom do you belong to?" He
pondered out loud to himself when just then he heard something land next to him.
Turning quickly around he was met by spectacular sparkling blue eyes, the bluest
He'd ever seen! After studying the eyes for about two seconds he could tell
clearly that they looked angry.
Stepping back he seized her up. 'So this is the girl.' She looked to be even
younger then he was!
"What are you talking about?" The blue-eyed girl answered. Her hand was on her
hip and her eyes were fixed in a glare. Her black hair looked oily and was
falling out of its pony-tail.
'She's cute when she's mad' was his first thought but the first thing he said
was, "I can't believe that I was even concerned." He began to walk off when a
wooded sword hit the back of his head. "What the--"
"Give me back my envelope!" The girl stood straight and had the wooden sword
pointed directly at him.
"Oww! He that really hurt! Fine here take it!" He threw it back at her and it
hit her head. Which, was why she immediately started to cry. "Hey! I didn't
throw it that hard! Come on! Stop crying you cry-baby!" Feeling bad for hitting
her in the head and making her cry, he started to walk over to her. "Hey come on
it was only paper!" He walked over to her side and began to try and comfort her
by rubbing her back lovingly.
"No it wasn't you idiot! My money is in there too!" She said around the tears.
"And you are just a mean jerk!" Then she did something that he never expected that
out of the crying blue-eyed girl; she punched him! And hard against the face!
"Ow! Why do you keep hurting me? I didn't do anything to you!" He was now on
his butt, rubbing his swelling face.
"Yes you did! You made me think that you were a bad guy from your ki and then
you took my envelope which you hit me with in the head and now you have the
nerve to say that you did nothing?" The tears were more of anger than of pain
he realized.
"Ok I'm sorry! I didn't know who was out here that had a warrier ki aside from
my master and myself so I thought that I would come check it out!" Now he was
getting a little bit annoyed at this dumb conversation.
"Without a weapon stupid?" She retorted back.
Looking down he noticed that he indeed had no sword to speak of, no knife, no
dagger, heck not even a rock, he had nothing! "Shut up! I left it at my
master's house otherwise I would have kicked your butt!" Sticking out his
tongue he began to stand up but instead just rested on his knees. Calming down,
he looked her over once again and noticed that her warrior ki was flaring at his
comment. Now there was no doubt that she was the one that he had felt earlier.
"So what are you doing out here anyway? Don't you know that it's dangerous out
here?"
Kaoru's POV
Looking down and to the side she remained silent in thought. 'I don't even know
who this boy is! Why should I tell him anything? Plus he's so mean he'd
probably just pick on me anyway!' "My mommy told me never to talk to strangers!"
Sticking her noise in the air she didn't even realize that the red headed boy
had fallen down at this comment.
"Well I don't see your mommy anywhere and I don't sense her anywhere either, so
just tell me your name please?"
Mentally sighing, Kaoru felt saddened at his comment "Your right she's gone."
Feeling sad again she almost started to cry again when she head his next
comment,
"Oh come on don't start to cry again cry-baby! She's around here some where.
Right?"
"I wasn't going too! And no she's not! She's dead ok!" Looking up she saw
that her vision was blurred, but not so much so that she didn't see the sad,
regretful look in the boy's eyes.
"I'm sorry." He really did feel bad, she could tell. He got up and walked over
to her. Pulling her into an embrace, he tried to calm the now sobbing girl.
Trying fervently to slow the on slot of tears by rocking the girl back and forth
in a repetitive motion. He also started to rub a hand up and down her back.
This went on for about twenty minutes before she calmed down enough for him to
get a few answers out of her, "So what's your name?"
"Kaoru." Whipping away the last of her tears, she pulled away from him and sat
in front of him, subconsciously holding onto his hand. "What's your name?" she
asked, sniffling.
"Kaoru's a pretty name. My name is Kenshin." He noticed that she was holding
onto his hand but he didn't mind so much. Her hands were pretty and soft.
"Where are you going Kaoru-dono?"
Feeling a little uncertain about the honorific he had added to her name she
began to fidget. 'I guess it would be ok to tell him where I'm going. He might
even know of a short cut.' "Well it's in the envelope. Here look." She opened
it and pulled out the instructions. Handing him the paper she waited patiently
until he was finished reading it.
"This can't be right." The look on his face confused Kaoru.
"What do you mean?" Scooting over beside him she peaked over his shoulder to
look at the instructions with him.
"Well you see, here is Kyoto right?" She nodded her head, "And here is the trail
that you're supposed to take right?" Other nod, "Well this shows that you will
have to hike up a mountain to reach a Hiko-san." Giving her a moment to think he
continued, "This is the mountain that you will have to hike and Hiko is my
bastard of a master."
Kaoru just sat there in shock and disbelief. Now what was she supposed to do?
It appeared that she would be stuck with this boy for a while if what he said
were true. Would that be so bad? At least there would be someone there that
was close to her age. 'But why would he speak so ill of his master?' Then she
felt him stand to his feet.
"Why do you have a map that leads to my master's house? Why are you even out
here?" He was staring down at here in a curious and non-trusting way, not really
a cold glare, just in a perplexed sense.
"I don't mean anyone any harm but if it is all the same I would much more prefer
talking at your master's home with him there present seeing as how this concerns
him." Kaoru began to look around and was trying to feel if there was anyone near
by. There was no one but she still didn't want to tell her story to someone she
had just met out here where anyone could hear. After a moment of consideration
she saw him nod his head and offer a hand in helping her to stand.
"There's an easier way to get to the house. I'll show you. Come on." Nodding
her head eagerly, she took his offered hand and began to follow him up the
mountain.
End chapter 4
Authors note: OK! The long awaited chapter 4! WOOOOOOT! Well it feels pretty good to be back on the horse again! I stopped writing for over a year for reasons that are personal but it's the least that I can do after you all have waited as long as you have. You see that boy that I said I was dating(not sure if I said that in this story or anther one) well it turns out that I was dating a complete ass hole but as my friends have said to be time and again I was wearing rose colored glasses meaning that I was trying to see him in the positive light instead of seeing things for what they were which was to say the least very ugly. I kept hoping that he would change and I would be happy with him again but it was never going to be like that again and I knew it deep inside somewhere. I was getting more and more depressed with each passing day. My muse per-say is love, happiness, and just being really up beat! So this was just making it harder and harder to write. Everything I wrote came out just horrible even my school papers were coming out like junk which made it an extremely hard year for me. I stopped dating for a few months when by fait I met the love of my life while I was at work. I've had a crush on him for 7 years but I never expected that he would feel the same. I met him at church when I was in the fourth grade and he's always been apart of my life in some way. We didn't see each other for a year and a half because we just kept missing each other you see we were at the same places at the same time we just didn't know it and now he and my brother are in a band together so I get to be with my brother and my boyfriend at the same time. He makes me very happy and makes me feel like I'm the most precious jewel in the whole world! I'm able to write again and I love it! I'm not sure when I will update again because who knows if I still have any readers but we will see.
If I do write again I would like to know what you the readers would like to see in the next chapter
This is a very special thanks to LateMarch for editing my chapter I hope that she will continue to for me in the future because she did a spectacular job on this chapter!
Thankyou to all that reviewed my last chapter! Please review for this one two! I worked hard for all of you so please tell me your opinions!
-Kimi-chan-