-1Our World is Full of Despair and Loneliness

Chapter 1: Proposal

Disclaimer: I do not own Kenshin, Kaoru or any of the Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X characters. Wish I did, but don't. I will also try to keep the characters as close to their original personalities as I possibly can.

Bold Anger, Outrage, You get the idea.

Italics Thoughts, and monologues if you will.

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A young boy looked up at his older brother and smiled. The boy was only five-years-old with short dry blond hair and beautiful grey eyes, this was his first time traveling to a new place. He was so excited. His brother was almost identical to him, with the same grey eyes and short spiked dry bland blond hair. The older brother was probably in his early twenties and had a tall long look to him, he was not muscular but lean with a thin kind face. The older brother looked down at the young boy and gave a smile.

Besides the brothers was a smaller and older man walking with them. They all carried satchels, traveling satchels, and were walking along a small path with a wall on one side and a small creek on the other. Cherry blossom trees were lining the path they walked, making the younger brother skip and giggle as the light from the sun glitter through the flowers down to him. The young boy tried his best to step on the small sparkles of light on the ground, but succeeded in having them only find their way on his foot. He looked confused, then laughed and skipped back to his older brother's side.

"Big brother! When am I going to have my new sister you promised," the boy pouted. His older brother laughed.

"You will definitely be getting a sister soon, Zen-chan." Stated an older man walking with the boys. It was hard to tell that this man was the boys' father, he was nothing like them. Short and fat, walking slightly pigeon toed, he bore short black hair and dark brown eyes. His face was sharp and angered, slightly intimidating and his smile was not very inviting. "Your brother will be bringing her home with us."

"Yay!" exclaimed the small boy and he hopped a little as he walked with his small clothing satchel in his hands. "Will she be nice Hayao?"

Hayao chuckled a little and put his long hand on his younger brother's head ruffling his hair slightly. "I'm sure she will be, if she is anything like her father." Zen looked confused but then smiled and grabbed his brother's hand to hold it.

"Ahh, Hayao, nothing like a new day after a long rain, eh?" The older man looked up at his oldest son with a serious face.

"No, nothing like it Father, the air seems fresher." Hayao then took in a big whiff of air. "It smells of cherry blossoms."

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"Kaoru!" Shouted a young boy, his black hair raising towards the sky in thick black blades. His small hand grabbed the shoulder of the young woman. "Kaoru! You're freezing!"

Kaoru responded with a small shiver and a groan. She felt so warm, her entire body felt as though it was overheating, but at the same time, she wanted to be warmer. She opened her eyes partly, only to quickly close them again, the light hurt. She couldn't move her body, even slightly without her body and head hurting. "Kaoru!" The young boy exclaimed yet again. Kaoru winced at the loudness of his voice.

"Yahiko… I'm okay, I just have a headache…" Kaoru said softly, talking too loudly hurt her head. Yahiko brought his hand up from her shoulder to her forehead.

"Kaoru, you're burning up." He said this time, but not as loud as before. "I have to find Megumi-san, she will be able to help you." And with that, he walked over to a tall dark haired man with a red bandana who had been walking towards them. Obviously unknowing of this his eyes were wide with surprise at Kaoru's state. "Sano, please take Kaoru to her room until I find Megumi-san." Yahiko commanded simply.

Sanosuke nodded and looked down at Kaoru. The girl seemed to be hardly caring about the danger she put herself in last night by being out in the rain. He scowled at her, but walked over to her kneeling form and bent down next to her. He then twisted his head to look at Yahiko. "Where is Kenshin? I would have thought him to find her earlier."

Yahiko sighed and looked at Sanosuke. "He did, and he told me." The boy looked down. "Then he went to go find Megumi-san, but he hasn't returned, and Kaoru needs help now!"

"Hai." Sanosuke nodded and scooped Kaoru up in his large arms. "You go get the fox, I'll keep the Missie from getting too warm." And with that he took Kaoru straight into her room and set her down lightly on her futon. He looked back at Yahiko. "Warm or cold water for her head?"

Yahiko looked at Sano. "Cold, don't use warm no matter how much she asks for it. It won't help."

Sano nodded, got up and walked towards the kitchen. And with that, Yahiko jumped off the floor, slipped on his sandals and ran past the dojo and out the doors. He couldn't believe that he was actually trusting Sano with this, but at this time, he had no choice. Kaoru needed Megumi-san or Gensai-san, he thought Kenshin would have been back by now. It was not like Kenshin to take this lightly, as well as anything to do with Kaoru, no matter how bad she had been treating the poor samurai lately. The young boy ran quickly down the dirt path lined around the dojo to the downtown part of Tokyo, his sandals clipping along the ground. The smell of cherry blossoms lined the air, just like the night Kenshin left everyone for Kyoto. It was as if Ugly lost all interest in Kenshin, she didn't even look up at him when he told her the laundry was done, she would just merely nod. It kind of saddened Yahiko, he always thought after Enishi that Kenshin would have at least told Kaoru his feelings, but instead he did nothing.

Yahiko clenched his teeth, he didn't know who he was angry at, Ugly for treating Kenshin badly, or Kenshin for not having the courage to talk to her. In all actuality, he wanted them both to be happy, and it's very hard to wish for that when one wants something different than the other it seems now. However, Yahiko's train of thought was interrupted when he ran into a small boy's satchel flying in the air. With a thud, the tiny child's satchel fell out of his hands and onto the ground.

"Gomen! Gomen! I am just in a hurry, I am very sorry!" Yahiko said and he bowed deeply to the young boy and the two men with him. The young black haired boy then picked up the child's satchel and handed it back to the boy, bowing again.

The younger man smiled kindly and bowed back. "No worry, Zen-chan's luggage will be fine, it is only toys."

Yahiko gave a small smile back and stood straight, only to be hit over the head by a sharp hand.

Megumi stood behind the boy with her hand held to the side like a weapon. "You child. Shouldn't you be taking care of Kaoru, instead of bullying around young kids!"

Yahiko growled, twisted around and looked up at Megumi while massaging the back of his head. "Well, sorry, I thought Kenshin was taking a little too long while getting you!"

The short crimson haired man standing next to Megumi showed no signs of laughter in his voice. "Who did you leave with Kaoru-dono?"

"Sano. He seemed to have everything under control," Yahiko growled at Kenshin. "Why did you take so long?"

"Excuse me." The older man stated, looking at samurai. "Did you say Kaoru? As in Kamiya Kaoru?"

"Hai," Yahiko interrupted, "She is sick though, so if you are looking for lessons I would suggest waiting for a few days before coming back. Gomen."

"Oh no. We are not looking for lessons, we have some important news from her father." The older man said, with no sign of happiness in his voice or face.

Yahiko looked as shocked as Megumi and Kenshin both. "Isn't her father dead though?" Yahiko asked but before he got an answer Megumi interrupted.

"We can talk about this in the dojo, right now, I have to make sure Kaoru-chan is alright." She looked down at Yahiko then to Kenshin and to the three travelers. "Come, I'm sure you have had a long journey, and I'm sure Kaoru-chan would want to find out as much from her father as she can."

The older man nodded and bowed. "Thank you very much, we will pay you back for your hospitality as soon as we can."

Yahiko and Megumi bowed back, and Kenshin gave a long nod before him and Yahiko ran back to the dojo as the rest started walking swiftly towards the entrance.

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Sanosuke looked down at the young girl, placing her cold towel with a fresh one. She was silent when he did this, but her breathing was still heavy. She obviously still had a fever. He placed the old towel in the bucket of water and swirled it around. He couldn't believe she would do something so careless. Even with the way she had been acting lately around everyone, it was not like her to do things like this. She was usually so against anything doing with hurting one's self. Sano watched the water twinkle and ripple as the towel sloshed around in the water. She should have known that all the people in the dojo cared deeply for her. She did take all of them in, even though Sanosuke thought of himself as a mooch, he had always thought of the Kamiya dojo as his second home. He didn't like his small apartment, it was too lonely, too quiet. Here, even though sometimes he got annoyed, he was truly happy.

"Sano!" screamed Yahiko's voice. "How's Kaoru?" The boy slipped off his sandals quickly and ran to the room where the girl was laying, kneeling down on the other side of her futon. She was breathing heavier now than when he left. He looked up at Megumi when she entered the room, with Kenshin looking in from the foyer. She nudged Sano to the side and removed the towel from her forehead. Megumi placed the back of her hand on Kaoru's head, she then smiled. She looked up at Yahiko. "Her fever is only slight."

"But, she's breathing heavily." Yahiko stated and Sano nodded at Megumi.

"Yes, that is her body trying to warm itself up, but in all actuality she has a small fever." Megumi pulled out a tiny sack of powder. "She will get a cold if she does not take this, her body is also trying to fight off the bacteria, and this will help her body."

Kenshin smiled and turned around. Kaoru would be okay, he was happy as long as that was certain. And Megumi-san would not lie. He looked at the three people standing in the garden of the house.

"She will be okay, that she will." Kenshin stated at the older man, who bowed.

"That is good news." The older man said straightening his body, his eyes looking at Kenshin's as if challenging the samurai. "Are you… the man of this house?"

Kenshin waved his hands in front of his body, as to shield himself from the man's glare. "This one is but a friend to Kaoru-dono."

The man smiled slightly and nodded. "Gomen, I am being very rude. My name is Tokomo Gozuru."

Kenshin bowed and acknowledged. "Himura Kenshin."

"Ah, and this is my oldest son. Tokomo Hayao. And my youngest son, Tokomo Zen." Stated the older man with pride, looking to his oldest son, then to the young boy.

"And what do you all have to say about the Missie's father?" Stated Sanosuke, who was leaning on the wall next to Kaoru's room. His legs were crossed, supporting his tall frame.

"Oh, yes, well I believe that is a matter to be discussed with Kaoru-san." The older man snapped, looking coldly at Sano.

Sano stared back just as coldly, this old man was bothering him. "I think we have the right, especially with the Misse unconscious to hear what has brought you here."

Kenshin nodded. "I would have to agree with Sano, that I would."

"Fine, then maybe we should talk about this in private," Gozuru said, "Since this will effect all of you from now on."

Hayao looked down at his father. "Sir, do you think this wise, what if they do not agree to this?"

Gozuru smiled. "That is not for them to decide, Kaoru-san's father gave me this present and I intend to make the best of it, for you Hayao."

The young man nodded to his father. "Hai."

Kenshin started walking to the dojo, Sano right on his heels and the older man and son following. Zen stared into the small room where Megumi and Yahiko were keeping a close eye on Kaoru. He smiled and pointed at Kaoru, but then frowned when he realized she was not awaking to play with him.

"Yahikki-kun, why is big sister not awake?" Zen exclaimed, pointing at Yahiko who cringed at the butchering of his name.

"She is sick, little one." Megumi told the young child. "She will wake up soon enough."

Zen smiled and laughed, "Yay, big sister will play with Zen then?"

"Hai," said Megumi with a large kind smile on her face.

"Zen, why are you calling Kaoru "big sister"?" Yahiko asked the small boy.

"Because!" Zen said. "Big brother and Father said we would come here to pick up big sister."

Megumi gasped and looked at Yahiko. "But, that means…"

"What? Megumi-san?" Yahiko asked, still confused by the boy and Megumi.

"Big brother is going to marry big sister and I will have someone to be like mommy again," Zen said with a big goofy smile on his face. His grey eyes twinkled with delight.

Megumi looked horrified at Yahiko. "That means Kaoru-chan will have to marry that young man, Yahiko."

Yahiko looked down at Kaoru, who breathing had slowed down since the medicine and she was now sleeping peacefully with a small fever. "But, what about Kenshin? Can't he do anything? He does love her right?"

Megumi nodded, slightly pained by Yahiko's words. "Yes, but… even Dear Ken cannot stopped something that is arranged."

Zen laughed and pulled on Megumi's long hair. "Big sister make Zen happy again! Yay!"

Megumi looked down at Kaoru. "No matter what Dear Ken… or Kaoru-chan feel, in an arranged marriage…"

"Neither of them can choose."

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Yes, I have decided to make this a fic about Kaoru getting married to someone other than Kenshin. But will Kenshin be able to stop it? NOPE. Ha ha! I am so evil. How will dear Ken-san react to this news? Will he try to interfere? We all know that answer don't we? Or do we?

Lol, until next time, R&R please, no flames. Everything will turn out to everyone REAL benefit. Ha ha!

New chapter should be up by April 11th around midnight.