Thanks to my reviewers: Nao, Scarred Sword Heart, kokoronagomu, Rihannon, LimeGrass, Emi Violet, caseyedith, SeaSaltChocolate, Miztical-Dragon, and Crau-san. I am humbled by the kind words you leave me.
I wish I owned Rurouni Kenshin. We would see more of Hiko, who P'OWNs. Seriously.
Koan
–noun,plural-ans, -an. Zen.
a nonsensical or paradoxical question to a student for which an answer is demanded, the stress of meditation on the question often being illuminating.
Master and apprentice are enjoying one of the first truly warm days of spring. The sunshine is bright, with just the barest whisper of breeze, and a very few tiny white white butterflies have been spotted. The tiny redhead has lived with the swordsman for more than six months now, since the previous autumn when he was rescued from bandits.
He had been quiet and serious, dedicated to learning everything he could of the principles of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, swordsmanship, and the traditional samurai culture. Less than enthusiastic about the last, true, but dedicated. Nightmares had been a problem, at first, and malnutrition; Hiko had been gruffly brusque with the former and strict regarding the latter. No apprentice of his is going to look like a half-starved bird!
The child before him is unrecognizable.
Kenshin has filled out, young limbs lean with youthful muscle. Chasing squirrels has put a warm flush on his cheeks, and his eyes are sparkling with pleasure.
"Shishou! Look, there's a rainbow over the waterfall!"
Hiko mentally pats himself on the back. He's done a fine job.
"Rainbows, oh my ignorant deshi, mean you need to watch for snakes..."
In traditional Shinto mythology, rainbows are actually a bad omen; they are associated with serpents. Hiko seems more Shinto than Buddhist to me, (dunno why) and it seemed an appropriately dour way to rain on chibi!Kenshin's parade. Which Hiko loves to do.
Concrit is love!