Chapter 11: Pale Moons and Dull Blues- Pt 1 Pale Moons

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"Daijoubu ka?"

"Iie."

"What's the matter?"

"Things haven't exactly gone according to plan."

"I think that things never do go according to plan."

"But koishii, plans are the only way for me to actually help."

"I know. In this case, you are as useful as a fan in a duel. Planning is just foolish optimism."

"I thought you actually supported what I did!"

Demure giggling "Baka, You have to learn your own limits. You plan and leave the rest of it to Himura."

"I guess her stubbornness comes from her mother's side."


"...just as I swung down... she.." She noted that he finally paused in his telling. As the tale had worn on, she noticed his eyes slowly sliding behind blood red bangs. His shoulders seem to slump ever so slowly as with the words. The story seemed to get even more tedious for Kenshin to tell as the night wore on.

"...jumped in the way." Just as Kaoru completed his sentence his eyes snapped up. They had turned back into the sorrowful amber she remembered from the Akabeko.

"How do you know?"

She averted her eyes toward the full moon. "It's exactly what I would have done."

She felt calloused fingers grasp at her own.

"Kaoru, promise me that you will never jump into harm's way just for me. Promise me?" His eyes seemed to have lose their amber glow as they slowly faded to purple. He looked at her pleadingly.

Her gaze remained upward. "I will never promise such a thing."

"Kaoru..."

"You can't be the only one to do everything. You can't just think that I'm the only one who needs to be protected. I love you. I will always do my best to try and protect your life. Even if it means losing my own."

" I don't want you to die like Tomoe."

"Tomoe protected you for a reason, Kenshin. She thought you still had some purpose in life."

He inched closer and closer until he was right next to her. His breathing tickling her ear.

"She told me to live. Whatever that means..." his voice was but a whisper which sent shivers down her spine.

"She wanted you to be happy. I want you to be happy."

"Why would anybody want me to be happy? The only thing I deserve is pain and the nightmares not happiness."

She scooted away and slapped his arm. "Kenshin no baka! That's exactly why we want you to be happy! Most people have a superiority complex and you have to be the one oddball with an inferiority complex! You put yourself down. Fate has been cruel to you. We just want you to find some joy in life before it is over."

"Demo, I don't deserve it..."

"Never say that! Kenshin you deserve every single bit of happiness you have and more! It isn't your fault. Your not a bad person. You need to understand that."

Kenshin's was desperate to get the conversation away from this. He looked up at the starry sky and glowing moon and changed the subject.

"You know the moon is full tonight."

"I know. It reminds me of you."

"Nani?"Kuso... she's persistant...Then again, so was Tomoe.

"You're just like the moon," she turned her vacant blue stare his way, "you only show your entire face sometimes. Other times you only let a little bit of you shine through. You once told me to quit hiding behind my mask. You told me it fooled no one."

"Aa..." damnit... she's gonna use my advice against me...

"You should listen to your own advice. You seemed almost complete. While you were fighting with Saitoh I saw the killer in you, while you were playing with Ayame and Suzume you seemed happy and carefree. You need to let go and let yourself be one instead of having to choose between the killer or child."

"I can never let the hitokiri out. I will become bloodthirsty and cruel. I will never let him out in front of you ever again. I promise."

"Kenshin no baka! Battousai is a part of you whether you like it or not! He's not that bad anyway. You didn't kill Saitoh and you did have the chance."

"The only reason I didn't kill him was because you were standing there."

"You aren't a bad person! You didn't kill Okita! Why do you keep thinking you're evil?"

"What have I done to not seem like the demon the rumors say I am?" he countered. Kenshin stood up and walked to the bedroom before she could say anything else to confuse him. "Oyasumi-nasai, Kaoru."


Kaoru sighed as she heard the shoji snap closed behind her. Why does Kenshin have to always be so stubborn? She looked back at the white moon above. He needs to show his own personality instead of the 2 masks he seems to wear without fail... How long did he wear his mask so that it became a part of himself?... How long do you wear a disguise so that it actually feels like a part of you?

Shaking her head slightly, she cleared her own muddled thoughts out of her head and walked into their bedroom.

She looked at the futon still lying rolled up in the corner. She glanced about the room only to find Kenshin sleeping ever so lightly in the corner with his sword propped against his shoulder ready for use.

She looked for a cloak or anything she could find to cover him. On top his trunk lay a stained pale blue shawl that seemed fitting. Grabbing the material she went over to drape the material across his shoulders. He looks so peaceful... She decided to sit and watch for a little while. Before she knew it she fell asleep, her head on his shoulder and the shawl casting warmth about the two sleeping figures...


Author's Note: Sorry about the short chappy. I'm sick and the lack of reviews for my last chappy were kinda disheartening. I'll try to keep the updates as regular as possible but, they will slow down if I get very few reviews.

Disclaimer: I do not own RK. It and and all it's characters belong to Watsuki-san!

Read This!

I'm going to start a new story when this one is over! I want people to vote on which one so I'm going to put up. Please vote by either sending me an e-mail or putting your vote in a review. Here are the 4 choices:

Kei: Thrown into the future, Kenshin finds himself in the country he worked so hard to build. Kaoru an agent of Chronos has a job to do: Send Himura the Battousai back to the past. But, what she finds is a man fighting for his life between 2 rival gangs on the streets of Tokyo. KK traditional pairings.Alt-Universe

Fragile: Thought to be Immortal. Known to be a Monster. Said to be the Devil. The Battousai is all but fragile. One girl proves to him otherwise. Songfic BK traditional pairings

It's not me, It's you: Kenshin Himura is the most wanted guy in school. The only problem is he can't seem to hold onto any girl longer than 2 weeks. They always throw themselves at him, then they break it with him. Leaving him the most confused boy in the universe. Their favorite break up line: It's not me, It's you. Songfic KK traditional pairings Alt-Universe

The Hackley School: The Hackley School is known all around the country for its excellence in both academics and athletics. Kenshin is a shy new senior. Kaoru a hotheaded junior. Together they discover the mystery behind the schools haunted history.KK traditional pairings Alt-Universe (Hackley is a real place people!)

Voting Ends when this Fic ends! Please Vote!

The Votes So Far are...

Kei: 4 votes

Fragile: 3 votes

It's Not me, It's you: 1 vote

The Hackley School: 3 votes

Japanese to English Glossary:

gi- japanese samurai shirt

hakama- samurai pants with the folds in them

arigato gozaimus- thank you for everything

sayonara-good bye

ja ne- see you

san- mr. ms. mrs.

chan-little...

sama- lord

Okashira- leader

Atashi wa - I am...

shoji-rice paper door

zori- flat wooden slippers worn by Kaoru in the Anime

kami-sama - Lord God

Obi - sash that ties the Kimono closed usually highly decorative

tabi - split toe socks

bokken -wooden sword

de gozaru - that it is ( something that makes the sentence said polite)

oro - can't explain it so I'm not even going to try

itai - ouch

gomen nasai - I'm sorry

hai - yes

Aa - yes (informal)

Iie - no

ano - a kind of stammering...

sen - cents are to dollars what sen is to yen

itachi -weasel

kurasa-raven

kunai - throwing knives

kuso - something like damn

baka -stupid

hentai - pervert

ki - aura of a person or thing

ahou- idiot

daijoubu- Are u okay/ I am okay.

hime- princess

nana-seven

dono- old fashioned ending even more honorific than -san

tori-atama- birdhead

kitsune- fox

megitsune-twist between mugumi and kitsune used by Sano

kei-criminal punishment (I was wrong but... I'm still keeping the title.)

koishii-term of endearment male to female

kawaii-cute

sessha-literally "this unworthy one"

oneesan-sister

Aku,soku,zan -sin swiftly slay

tenken-heaven's sword

demo-but

saya-sheath

sake-rice wine

Hyaku-hurry up

neko-cat

Reviewer Responses:

dragonwarriorkeltyr-thanx for the help on the Japanese! Goodness knows I need it... I need a beta but, that would slow things down even more! Glad u like the story!

Iridescent Twilight- Glad u like the story! It's kinda funny how many people read fanfics so late at night!Lol!

crazianimegirl- He wouldn't have seemed so peaceful if I had put the last 2 chappys together like I was supposed to...

Special thanx goes out to all of those who have put me on their Author Alert and Favorites Lists! Domo Arigato! Now review once in a while!

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