From: Joy Hi everybody!! after watching Madame Butterfly last night, my muse, Piggy started talking to me ;p so I toyed around with the idea of a Misao/Aoshi fic. Comments and such are much appreciated!! This is also way out of the RK timeline. I guess it's what you'd call an Alternate Fic. It's the only way to make this work... Please be nice ;) ------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer: The characters from RK do not belong to me, however, if they do not appear in RK, then they are mine! The poem was written by a friend of mine. *** Love knows sorrow Love knows pain, But love knows no reason And love knows no name. *** "Let The Reason Be Love" by: Joy Chapter 1 The air was cold, and the stars have slowly dissapeared from the sky, as the sun prepared to greet the land for a new day. The Aoiya, although closed, was already alive with activity. The Okashira's bride will arrive around noon, but there was so much to do. Everything has to be perfect for her arrival. While the servants are doing last minutes arrangements, two men from different generations sat in the privacy in a room known only to a few. Shinomori Aoshi read the latest reports from Tokyo, his mentor Okina sat before him, patiently waiting to be adressed. Aoshi placed the papers back in a small box and locked it. "What time will she arrive?" he asked, not looking at the older man. "She should be here before lunch" Okina replied. He cleared his throat, which caused Aoshi to look at him. "Are you sure that this is a wise decision Aoshi?" Aoshi merely raised his eyebrows in response. Okina sighed "This is no place for a young girl Aoshi, she does not belong here, let alone to be your wife!" "As I understood, this marriage will throw off any... scent to our occupation" "Then why not marry one of our own?" the older man asked, almost in exasperation. "Are you questioning my decisions Okina?" Aoshi asked smoothly. He stood up from his sitting position and walked towards the door. "We have talked about this before Okina, we will not discuss this matter any further. Understood?" Okina shook his head, and met Aoshi's eyes. "Hai" he replied as he stood up. "I understand" Aoshi opened the shoji and prepared to step out, but not before Okina asked him a question. "Do you even know the girl's name?" Aoshi seemed to tilt his head sideways upon hearing the question. Okina was somehow challenging him, eversince his decision to move to Kyoto before the Oniwabanshuu was discovered in Tokyo. He gazed at the older man's face, his own advisor, as was his father's. A smile so small formed in his lips that Okina missed it completely. "Machimaki. Misao Machimaki" ****** At that precise moment, Misao Machimaki sat inside a carriage. In a few hours, she will arrive in Kyoto, and marry a man she has never met. There was a whole new life waiting for her in Kyoto, a life without her friends, she was going to be all alone. She took deep breaths to prevent any tears from falling from her face. With her were two women, named Okon and Omasu who will tend to her, and prepare her for the ceremony. She will not even catch a glimpse of her future husband until the ceremony. The fates can be so cruel. Her family owed some very important people money. She learned that her uncle has sold her to a man in Kyoto, instead of becoming a geisha, and now she must come face to face with her... saviour? perhaps. Being married to one man, is probably better than serving dozens. To learn about her parent's death and their many debts in one day was too much for a young girl to bare. How she wished her parents were still alive, then she can ride her father's horse and be free of all this constraints. Now, at fifteen, she was about to become a wife. The passing scenery did nothing to ease Misao's heart. Thoughts about her husband to be raced through her head. 'Is he nice?', 'Will he like me? will I like him?', 'Will I...' She never had a chance to finish her thoughts when another question sprang into her mind. She looked at the two older women who were also on deep thought. She cleared her throat to get their attention. "Yes, Misao-san?" The one called Okon asked. Misao looked at the woman with confusion. "Why did you adress me as 'san?'" she asked, Okon and Omasu looked at eachother before Okon replied. "You are to become our mistress, 'chan' seemed hardly inappropriate" Misao simply bowed her head down "What is his name?" Omasu looked at the girl in suprise. "You do not know his name?" "I was told nothing of him, except that he lives in Kyoto." Okon and Omasu exchanged worried looks. The girl was about to get married to their Okashira, and is unkowingly involving herself with the Oniwabanshuu. They were under the impression that the girl was given even a small amount of information before comming out to Kyoto. "They told you... nothing?" Omasu asked softly. Misao raised her head and gazed at the two women before her. "Nothing" "Shinomori. Shinomori Aoshi" Okon replied. She saw Misao whisper the name as she looked out of the carriage. "Will... will you tell me about him?" Against her better judgement, Okon gave a small encouraging smile to the girl. "What do you wish to learn?" ~end~ Hmmm, anyone still there? so what d'ya all think?? Karou, Kenshin, and the rest will make an appearance later in the fic, if I make it that far! Once again, I welcome any comments... be gentle with me... please?!? Details about Misao being 'sold' will be revealed in the next chapters. Volting Out, Joy --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- The Best Place to Buy Movies - Reel.com Click Here ------------------------------------------------------------------------