Rurouni
Kenshin Fanfic
Rurouni Kenshin & Samurai X Original
Japanese Version ©N. Watsuki/Shueisha * Fuji-TV * SME Visual Works Inc. * Sony
Pictures Entertainment
All Fanfics created by Chiruken (me) were written for the
sole purpose of shared entertainment and not intended for publication or sale.
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I take a deep,
calming breath and unclench my hands, pushing my annoyance away. I need to get some sleep. I can be reasonable in the morning after
getting some rest. I’ll apologize to
him tomorrow and we’ll get on with the day.
I yawn and close my eyes, willing myself to fall back to sleep.
I sit abruptly,
straining to hear what woke me up this time.
It seems I jut closed my eyes when I heard something again. I push the blankets off of me and reach for
my boken before standing. I’ll get to
the bottom of this one way or another.
Gripping the
weapon tightly I tiptoe to the shouji and slide it open quietly. I peek out through the opening, but I don’t
see anything. I step out and tiptoe to
Kenshin’s shouji. I listen intently,
but hear nothing. Scowling, I turn and
begin searching the doujou for signs of an intruder.
Ten minutes later
I’m standing in the middle of the yard scowling at the full moon. Nothing.
There was absolutely nothing out of place. So what woke me up?
“Kaoru-dono, is
everything all right?”
I scream and jump
at least two feet. Twisting as I come
down, I swing my bokken forcefully. It
connects with a sharp crack, sending painful vibrations up my arms. I stare with wide-eyed horror at my cracked
bokken. Slowly I look to what it
connected with, afraid it was Kenshin’s head.
“Oh!” I step back hastily. He’s holding his saya up and looks a little
annoyed. At least I know it wasn’t his
head I hit. Is his saya made of steel? It must be to have cracked the hardened wood
of my bokken.
The annoyance is
quickly replaced by concern in his expression.
“Kaoru-dono, are you all right?
I didn’t mean to frighten you. I
heard you moving about and was concerned.
I am sorry for frightening you, that I am.”
I place a hand
over my racing heart and draw in a fortifying breath before attempting to
answer. “That’s all right,
Kenshin. I’m fine, really.” I hold my bokken for closer inspection and
note his hasty step back. He’s watching
the bokken intently. I grimace. He probably thinks I’ll attack him
again. “It’s broken.” I sigh and lower it again. “It was my favorite, too.” I inspect his saya as discreetly as I’m
able.
He looks down and
shuffles his feet in obvious discomfort.
“I am sorry, Kaoru-dono, that I am.
I didn’t mean to…“
I wave a hand in
dismissal. “That’s all right. It was an accident.” I shrug and offer him a wry grin. “What is your saya made of anyway? It seemed too light to be steel.”
He shakes his
head. “It isn’t steel, exactly.” He holds it out for inspection. “It has steel imbedded for added support,
but it isn’t entirely made of steel, that it is not.”
I frown at the
saya he’s holding. “Then how did it
crack my bokken?”
“Um---it
didn’t.” I look away from his saya and
note his look of embarrassment. “It was
my sakabatou your bokken connected with, Kaoru-dono. I am sorry. I should not
have used the sakabatou to deflect your attack. I would not have broken your favorite bokken then.”
He can’t be
serious. He used his katana?! No one can be that fast---can they? He’d need the speed of the gods to draw and resheath
that quickly. Oh yes, I know he’s fast…I
saw him defeat Gohei’s thugs, after all…but my own attack was swift and by any
rights he should’ve only had time to raise his saya. To have drawn a katana, deflected my bokken, and resheathed in
the time it took me to turn…Is he even human?
I shiver in renewed and reinforced fear and step back quickly, putting
some much needed distance between myself and Battousai. “Th-that’s all right. It was an accident, right?” It comes out rather high-pitched. I swallow and force a smile to lips stiff
with fear. “Well, it’s late. I think I’ll go back to bed. To sleep.
I’m tired.”
I turn to flee,
but his quiet words freezes me to the spot.
“I would never hurt you, Kaoru-dono.
Please don’t be afraid.”
I look at him from
the corner of my eye and guilt stabs at me.
He looks so woeful and lost I instantly regret my uncharitable thoughts
and actions. I slowly turn to face him again. I can’t honestly deny that I’m afraid of
him, so instead I gesture to the engawa.
“Perhaps a warm cup of tea will help me sleep. Would you like some too?”
Maybe if I make an effort to get to know him better I won’t be afraid of
him anymore.
His expression
brightens instantly as he nods. “I can
prepare the tea if you’d like to get comfortable, that I can.” Before I can form a protest he’s hurrying
towards the kitchen.
**To Be Continued…**
***
Author’s Notes:
1.Okay dokey! Part 2 Up
fast, just as promised!
2.This takes place some time between when Kenshin first comes to
live at the Kamiya Doujou and when Yahiko enters the picture.
3.More to come! Please hang
in there!