From: "floribelle maximo" KONNICHIWA MINNA! IZ ME AGAIN. UHH, I WOULD JUST LIKE FOR SOMEBODY TO REACT ON THIS BEFORE I PUT IT ON MY SITE. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KNOW IF IT'S WORTH CONTINUING. ARIGATOU! -flori- ARASHI by flori-dono Disclaimer: This is a Rurouni Kenshin-inspired fan fiction. The author is not making any money out of this. The characters of Rurouni Kenshin belong to Watsuki Nobuhiro, Shounen Jump, and Sony and others that should be mentioned but were not. PROLOGUE "Okaasan?" Shinta, my three year old son tugged at the hem of my kimono. I bent down and scooped him up. It was already two o'clock and it was time for his nap. We were still at the station, waiting for our train to arrive. "Attention," the officer announced. "The two o'clock train to Yokohama will be delayed for another hour due to engine problems. We apologize to all the passengers for the slight inconvenience." I sighed and settled on one of the benches. I might as well sit down since my arms were starting to get numb due to my son's weight. I looked at the boy in my arms. He was already sleeping soundly. He must be tired from all the visits we had for the day. Yearly, my husband would take us to Tokyo to visit his relatives. It was only now that he was not able to come because he was abroad in Germany. Akira, my husband was a businessman. Shinta grew a little restless in his sleep. It was because of the heat, I supposed. I fanned him a bit as I crooned to him a song I made up. "He's such a cute baby," a girl, who has just sat down next to me, said. I looked up and saw a young woman of about nineteen or twenty. She was lovely. Her long black hair was tied up with a green ribbon and her eyes were pretty and framed with long eyelashes. She also had a beautiful heart, kind and innocent. I did not know her yet but I could tell. I could sense it in her. It radiated from her as bright as the sun. I smiled to myself as I realized that I envied her. I smiled at her. "His name is Shinta," I said. I saw the girl's eyes widened. The name reminded her of something or someone. That, I was sure of. It was a few seconds before she smiled again. She dabbed her handkerchief on her forehead. I offered my fan to her. "Oh no," she said and waved her hands in refusal. "I'm fine and your son would be restless again, and he's sleeping like an angel." I fanned the both of us instead. I glanced at her hands. There were calluses and marks on her palms. She was used to holding a shinai. I told her this and once again, I saw the surprise mirrored in her eyes. "How did you know?" She asked. I told her what I saw and observed. I asked her what style she was using and she answered, "Kamiya Kashin." I nodded. I have heard of that style before. "My father invented that style," she further explained. "By the way, I'm Kamiya Kaoru." "Hajimemashite. Watashiwa Makioka Arashi desu," I said. "Dozou yoroshiku, Kamiya-dono." She laughed upon hearing that. Her laughter sounded like the waters of a bubbling brook. I just rose my eyebrow at her questioningly. "Oh pardon me, Arashi-san," she said. "It's just that you speak so much like my husband." So, she was married already. I noticed how her voice softened and the way her eyes sparkled when she mentioned her husband. Her husband, whoever he was, was lucky because his wife loved him so much. She suddenly waved to somebody behind me. "Speaking of the devil, he's coming." Even before I turned my head, I could already sense him coming near. I froze. I knew the man, this woman's husband. I had met him before. His chi has changed a little but he was still the same. I turned my head and what I saw confirmed what I have sensed. Only one name flashed in my mind as the slight man with the red hair and violet eyes was walking towards our direction... Shinta. BOOK 1 PART 1 I hid in the shadows, my hand clutching at the wakizashi hidden beneath my cloak. I followed the three-man group with my eyes as they got out of the building. They were all drunk and laughing. I smiled grimly. It would be an easy assignment but an unexciting one. As they turned to a dark alley, I moved quickly after them. One of the men stopped and relieved himself while the two others continued walking. I hated to do this for it was a dishonorable act as a warrior to kill an unsuspecting victim, but I was not a warrior. I only kill, and I had to do it whether in an honorable way or not. I went behind him silently like the assassin that I was. I took my weapon and poised it at his back. I drove it down past his skin and flesh and felt it struck a bone . Blood spurted out from him and fell on my face. I covered his mouth so that his companions couldn't hear him cry out. I carefully dragged his body into the darkness and followed the other two. One of them looked back to call on their companion. He saw me and my blood-splattered clothes. "It is him, the cloaked assassin!" he shouted at the other and they both drew swords. I smiled grimly. At last, a fight! I clutched the katana at my side and waited. One took the initiative and ran, his katana pointing towards me. I deftly dodged and struck at him with my sword. The blade slashed at his chest and he fell down in a thud. He was dead. The last of the three circled behind me but he was not fast enough. I twisted and kicked the sword out of his hand. I then stabbed him in the stomach. His eyes bore into mine as he choked in his own blood. I drew my sword out of his body and straightened up. In one swift motion, I whipped my sword in the air, cleaning it of blood in the process. I surveyed the three bodies on the ground. They were members of the Ishin Sishi. "Why don't you fight me next?" a soft voice broke out the silence. I turned slightly and saw a young man standing a few feet behind me. At that moment, the moon came out behind the clouds. Its pale light seemed to fall only on him. My eyes rounded as it touched his slight form, his red hair, bound high on his head in a pony tail, and his violet eyes, making them glitter and almost amber. I sheathed my sword. "It would be my pleasure, Battousai!" I said. For a few seconds we just stood there, trying to assess each other. I could sense his chi and it was strong. But mine was too and I knew that he realized it. I could confidently say that we were equal. "Now," I said. I bent low with my sword raised and positioned in a horizontal thrust. It was the Gatotsu style which was also favored by the Shinsengumi. I saw him position himself, his right hand near the hilt of his sword. "He's going to start with the draw," I thought. As quick as a lightning flash, we lunged towards each other. I could feel the wind whipping at my face as I ran towards Battousai in the fastest speed I could manage, but he was faster. I felt the blade of his sword slashed through my cloak. In a second, we both landed with our backs facing each other. I felt the part of the cloak covering my face fell on the ground into two pieces,and the warmth of blood oozing slowly down from my forehead. It was just a scratch. "Well, if it isn't my lucky night," a raspy male voice broke into the silence. I turned around as Battousai did. I caught a glance at him and saw that he was not left unscathed. He had a tear on his gi where it was also slightly soaked with blood. But he was not my main concern. It was the man who was now standing a few meters from us. Behind him were other men similarly dressed as he was. It was the Shinsengumi. Saitoh Hajime sweeped his eyes over the two before him. "Now, I think I can see Battousai and yes, the Cloaked Assasin, who is after all a woman. Very impressive." I cursed silently. My hair was now unbound, Battousai having cut through the band which held it. It was bad enough that Battousai now knew her identity but having the Shinsengumi knew it as well... "Get them!" Saitoh yelled and the rest of the Shinsengumi attacked me and the Battousai. Four men were around me, their swords glinting like a circle of fire. "At least I'm getting the fight that I'd have always wanted," I thought. They were good but not good enough, and in just a short while I had disposed of them. I should have left but I could not resist looking at how Battousai was faring. He had almost killed all of his opponents except for two, one of them the man who had spoken earlier. While he was busy fending off Saitoh Hajime, I saw one of the wolves drew his sword and tried to slash at Battousai's back. I remembered of the boy I met when I was a child. In just a short time we were friends, but he left such an impression on me that it was seldom that thoughts about him left my mind. I forgot that Battousai was Battousai. I could only see the boy staring at me with his violet eyes. I didn't think. In a flash, I ran towards the attacking man and plunged my sword into his body but not before his own slashed at me. It hurt. I could feel that the wound was deep but I had the satisfaction of seeing the man dead. I gasped, then crumpled to the ground. Vaguely, I heard the sound of metal clashing against metal twice and a cry, then the sound a body falling down with a thud followed. I felt a pair of arms gathered my body and carried me up. I tried to open my eyes and found them staring faintly blurred at amber ones. "Shinta..." I said in a whisper. I saw the surprise in his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak but just then everything went black. --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- GRAB THE GATOR! 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