I was resolved to write a Tomoe x Kenshin story in honor of Misaoshiru's birthday.
And this is what I came up with.
It wasn't my original idea, but I think I like the way it turned out.
Woohoo, I'm a philosopher! -dances-
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of the characters or the plot. I just write about them to make me and other people happy. C:
Garden
Tomoe gazed at the garden, the tips of vegetables just barely poking out of the earth. A faint smile tugged at her lips as she bent down to touch the soil. It crumbled between her fingers, moist and thick.
It hadn't always been this full of life and promise.
When she and Kenshin had moved into the little house, the garden had been a tangle of weeds and coarse, unyielding clay. But Kenshin hadn't despaired; instead he had wordlessly turned his attention to the plot and attempted to turn it into a true garden. Slowly, day by day, he dug out the weeds with a trowel until the ground was bare, no corruption visible to his searching eyes.
Once the area was cleared, he'd made several trips to the forest to gather pine needles and decaying leaves, which he mulched into the thick, unforgiving ground. Beads of perspiration had dotted his brow as he had attempted to turn the dead, useless plot into something capable of bearing life.
Finally, the garden had been ready to be planted. He'd taken seeds and tubers and had carefully dug holes in the soil, burying the promises of the future deep beneath the earth.
Day after day he'd watered the plot of land beside the house, occasionally adding manure and compost. He'd carefully tended the garden, never allowing weeds take root or the ground to become dry.
And at last, here were the fruits of his labor, spreading their leaves towards the sun as they grew tall and strong and capable of bearing their own fruits.
A tentative hand on her shoulder brought her from her meditations, and she leaned into her husband's touch.
"What are you thinking about, Tomoe?"
She smiled slightly, her eyes roaming over the valleys and hills of the garden plot.
"This war you fight in...it's like your garden," she said softly, placing a hand over Kenshin's on her shoulder.
"It started out as chaos, but you were sent in to weed out the corruption. The era resists the change, though... it doesn't want to be aired out and broken up. But still, your clan continues to fight, so that Japan will be able to foster life in its depths."
The couple was silent for a moment, contemplating the garden and the war.
"I only hope I will live to see the benefits of the madness, as I have been able to see the fruits of the garden," Kenshin whispered, his eyes seeing past the plants into the depths of his memory.
Tomoe smiled again, turning around and placing a hand on the hitokiri's scarred cheek.
"You will, Kenshin. You will."
Together, they walked back towards their house, ready to endure the madness for the sake of the garden, the people of Japan.
--
Glossary:
Hitokiri: Manslayer, assassin
Good heavens, I only used one Japanese term. O:
Anyway, happy birthday Megan:D