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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Aoshi studied the clearing with a slight frown. It was obvious that there had been a
building and from talking to the old timers in Otsu he was fairly certain of
what had happened. According to them,
one winter about thirteen years ago a devastating fire had wiped out this area
and the isolated home that stood here.
It was at that time that a young, but talented, apothecary and his wife
had disappeared without a trace. From
the description he’d been given, Aoshi knew that apothecary had been the Battousai. But the wife? He hadn’t realized the Battousai had been married. He must have been quite young, possibly
fifteen or sixteen years old. Aoshi was
grateful that Kaoru had been preoccupied and hadn’t heard about the Battousai’s
marriage. He didn’t deal well with
hysterical and emotionally distraught females.
“I wonder if this was where Kenshin
lived. Do you know, Aoshi? The villagers were more talkative towards
you than me.” Kaoru didn’t bother
trying to hide her irritation at that fact.
“It was because you aren’t from this
area and your dialect reflects this.”
Aoshi shrugged and stepped forward.
The information he’d received about the Battousai’s past was best kept
silent. Kaoru didn’t need to hear that
the man she loved had been married previously…unless it was that man in
question doing the telling. Aoshi felt
it wasn’t his place to take part in this particular drama.
Kaoru narrowed her eyes
suspiciously. Aoshi was hiding
something. She didn’t know how she
knew, but she did. Unfortunately, she
also knew him well enough to know that there was no way she’d get the
information out of him short of torture and even that probably wouldn’t
work. “So now what? There isn’t anything here except some
charred wood.” She kicked some for good
measure and grimaced when it disintegrated.
An object, previously hidden, caught her eye. “What’s this?” She bent
and gingerly lifted the object that had caught her attention. “A…spinning top?” Sure, it was somewhat charred, but its shape was
unmistakable. “It’s a miracle it
survived the fire intact.” With a sigh
she stood. “This can’t be the place,
Aoshi.”
“Why is that?” He frowned at the sky as he studied the
movement of the clouds. It didn’t look
good. They needed to find shelter soon.
Kaoru held her find out to him. “This is a child’s toy. Kenshin couldn’t have lived here.”
Aoshi took the top and froze. There was something odd about this simple
child’s toy. A resonance of sorts…a
very familiar resonance at that. He
stared at the ground blindly, searching his memory for the source of his
growing unease. He almost gave up when
it came to him. Blood…pain…anguish. Whoever owned this spinning top had suffered
a great deal. He placed the spinning
top in Kaoru’s hand. It disturbed him
to think of a child enduring such torment that it was transferred into the
wooden toy. “How…sad.” He murmured softly.
“What was that?” Kaoru decided to hold onto the toy and take
it home with her. Something drew her to
it, though she wasn’t sure why. Maybe
it was because she’d had one just like it as a child or maybe it was something
else. Whatever the reason she just
couldn’t bear to leave it behind.
“We should find shelter soon.” Aoshi bent and lifted a remarkably
well-preserved book from under another chunk of blackened wood. He’d look at it later. Right now he had to find a place to stay
dry. Very soon the rain promised by the
gathering clouds would be on them and then it would be too late to worry about
seeking shelter. “This way. There should be an old temple around here
somewhere.”
Kaoru sighed dejectedly. It was a wasted trip. She hadn’t discovered anything about Kenshin
and had sore feet from walking in circles all day as a reward for her
curiosity. She followed Aoshi in
silence, idly rubbing the soot from the smooth surface of the spinning top. It was amazing that it had survived the fire. Even more remarkable was that it still had
some of its paint. It seemed so sad,
though. She blinked back tears in
surprise. It was just an unknown
child’s toy. Why was she so affected by
it? It made no sense. “I wonder who lived there and what happened
to them.”
Aoshi slowed his steps and glanced
at his younger companion. Perhaps he
should tell her that it had been the Battousai’s home and be done with it. But still…it made no sense to him that
they’d find a child’s toy there. Unless…His
eyes widened and he quickly averted his gaze.
No, that couldn’t be it. There
was no mention of a child when the villagers spoke of the apothecary and his
wife. Of course, it would explain the
Battousai’s odd fixation with children.
Aoshi had never seen a man so enchanted with children as the Battousai
was. He shook his head sharply. It was inconceivable. Hitokiri Battousai…a father?
**To Be Continues…**
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Author’s Notes:
1.I took a few liberties with the actual timeline in the series/OAV’s
and added in a few what-ifs and maybes just for fun.
2.Again, Aoshi is very OOC…and Kaoru more naďve than usual.