Subject: [KFFDisc] Mirai Rurouni Kenshin Episode 1 (redone) Date: Wed, 10 Mar 1999 21:49:59 -0600 From: "Mana-chan" Reply-To: kenshinfanfics@egroups.com To: Ok, I've decided to work on the dead Mirai Rurouni Kenshin again.. here's episode 1 with little patches and added stuff here and there.. I need some time off of Rising Sun... the fic is getting dry (in my opinion) and I need to do some refreshing by working on some of my other fics, so, well, here it is for those of you who haven't read it and for those of you who have read it, here is a revised version.. Mirai Rurouni Kenshin: The Series Episode 1: Encounter Kaoru groaned as a drop of rain fell from the sky and onto her clean, school uniform. "Just what I need- to get stuck out in the rain in the roughest part of the neighborhood…" The drop was quickly followed by others, and pretty soon, Kaoru was completely soaked. Aargh. Misato-san is going to kill me. I can just hear it- "Kaoru! What are you doing in dirty, wet clothes? Your hair! Your uniform! Ugh! Why couldn’t I have adopted a nice, mannerly girl instead of some wild tomboy?! First you go off and ask for martial arts lessons at the Kasshin School when you’re only five years old. FIVE! And a girl, too! Five-year old girls sit and study their katakana…then you go and ask me to buy you a sword to practice with..and now you come home with your clothes all dirty like you’ve been playing in the mud with rowdy boys!!!" Sighing, Kaoru, extracted a ribbon from her pocket and secured her soaking black hair into a tight, long ponytail. Quickly, she rushed to the nearest building and pounded on the door. A middle-aged man opened it a crack and growled, "What do you want?" "I was walking home from school and got caught in the rain…. Could I stay here at the…uh.." Kaoru blushed red from embarrassment as she realized she didn’t even know where she was. Quickly, she looked around for a sign, and found one, posted on the window above the door. "Could I stay here at the Akabeko until the rain stops?" The man glared at her and said nothing. Kaoru felt anger bubbling up inside of her. Very annoyed, she turned around and began walking away from the building, muttering under her breath, "Some people are just so inconsiderate and rude…" "Wait! Stop!"Kaoru turned aorund and saw a young, brown-haired woman push past the man and rush towards her. Panting, she reached up and pulled at Kaoru’s sleeve. "Sumimasen. Ignore him," she said, gesturing at the man still standing in the doorway, "He’s a crazy customer of ours that hangs around a lot. I’m Sekihara Tae, and the Akabeko is my family restaurant." Kaoru’s eyes widened. Somehow, the name "Sekihara Tae" and the "Akabeko" seemed familiar to her.. Scenes from past dreams began to flash before her eyes- a young, wild boy laughing and drinking sake, another young man with a large, muscular frame and the character of "evil" on the back of his robe eating salmon heartily, and another shadowy figure- reaching out for her, calling her name… "Sumimasen, Miss?" Kaoru shook her head, emptying it of the strange images and looked at Tae. "Oh! Sumimasen..I was just thinking that I’ve heard of the Akabeko before somewhere." Tae laughed, "Well, we are rather famous. The Akabeko has been passed down through the generations- ever since the Meiji Era, I hear…" "Oh.. well maybe a friend of mine told me about you…and it’s still raining…you don’t mind if I stay.." "Oh no problem. Feel free to stay. Would you like to order anything to eat while you’re here?" "Um..hai..some tea please. It’s only about 10 yen, right?" "Of course. Let’s go inside and get you dry. By the way…what’s your name?" "Kaoru…Kamiya Kaoru..des." "Oh..it’s a pretty name…" "Arigatou." Tae took Kaoru’s hand and rushed her into the warmth of the Akabeko. Quickly, she brought the girl into a back room and instructed her to sit on the bed. "Now let me see… You must have some dry clothes. A-ha! Here…" Tae reached into a closet and retrieved a white t-shirt and a pair of jeans for Kaoru."There. That should be good enough for now..they belonged to a…a brother of mine, so they might be a little big, but at least they’re dry. When you’re done, come back in the restaurant and I’ll give you you’re tea." Kaoru opened her mouth to speak, but Tae had already disappeared back into the restaurant, being the busy and efficient waitress she was. Sighing, Kaoru stripped off her wet school uniform and pulled on the dry clothes Tae had given to her. The shirt was too big, reaching all the way down to her knees, and its sleeves fell past her elbows. The jeans also were incredibly loose and baggy, but Kaoru didn’t mind because they fit very comfortably. After gathering up her wet clothes, she looked at her reflection in the small mirror off to the side of the room and chuckled softly. Who would’ve thought I’d end up here in a place like this dressed in boy’s clothes on a rainy day? Misato-san would have a fit…. Kaoru hugged her soggy uniform to her chest and walked back into the noisy restaurant. Several people sat in clusters at various tables, and Kaoru smiled at the sight of Tae hurrying about in her light blue apron, smiling and bowing at everyone. Kaoru noticed an empty table off to the side of the restaurant and seated herself there, knowing that Tae would see her sooner of later. As she waited for her new friend, she couldn’t help but overhear an interesting conversation held by two middle-aged men at the next table. "Did you hear? Some gang member using the name of Himura Battousai has been terrorizing this area. I hear he attacked Ms. Tamashi’s video store just two streets down." "Yes. I’ve heard the same, but why would he use THAT name.. it’s not a name any normal person would use considering the reputation of the Himura Battousai of the Meiji Era and what he did before he was killed...A good thing he was killed too." The man shuddered. "You mean, before he commited suicide…I don’t know, but be careful.. No one is safe anymore. Mr. And Mrs. Kuyo’s little boy was hurt badly in an attack several days ago. I hear that he was thrown into the street by the Battousai and almost crushed by a passing car. Thank goodness he has been taken out of the IC unit in the hospital..I was worrying.." Kaoru frowned slightly and clenched her fists under the table. The nerve of this Himura Battousai who actually had the indecency to harm small children. If the bastard ever crossed her she would show him a thing or two that might make him think before he hurt a child again. As a child, she'd been bullied by the other kids because she was an orphan. Hearing about other children being hurt or attacked always invoked anger in her heart. She smiled, because she knew she could probably defeat the Battousai, even if he was a man. All her life she had had the reputation of a tomboy, a female street fighter phenomenon, and a defender of the weak at her school. If any bully ever tried to pick on a smaller child, Kaoru would step in and give him a black eye. Now, as always, she felt a deep sorrow inside of her, as if Mr. Himura were hurting her and not Ryu Kuyo. Kaoru wondered about the name, "Battousai", though. It, like the Akabeko and Sekihara Tae, seemed familiar to her, and yet, unlike the warm feeling they gave her, "Battousai" invoked a sense of fear and sadness deep inside. Shrugging the unpleasant thoughts away, Kaoru looked up, and was surprised to see Tae smiling down at her. "Well hello, Kaoru-chan. Here is your tea… the Sekihara Mint Tea Special…enjoy!" "Arigatou, Tae… By the way, I want to ask you about this… Himura Battousai people are talking about." Tae stared at Kaoru for a moment and nodded slowly. "Hai…Himura Battousai..he’s been terrorizing us for weeks now. All the people living in this area live in fear of his name. People say he is tall and incredibly strong, and that he actually carries a sword with him wherever he goes" "A sword? …Nobody carries swords anymore..not in this day and age.…I suppose he would be easy to spot then? It isn’t everyday someone walks around with a katakana in his possession. Has anyone challenged this Himura Battousai yet?" Tae looked at Kaoru in horror. "Kaoru-chan!! I know what you're thinking. You are crazy!! What do you want to track him down for? You’re just a girl, Kaoru, and this man is skilled with the sword. Even the police can’t bring him down." "Tae,…That..wasn't my purpose entirely. I just wanted to see how much of a threat he is to us. I don't want any of my friends getting hurt, like you, or the kids at the orphanage down the street where I was raised. As for me being just a girl and not able to handle him, that is not true, Tae-chan... I was born with a fighting spirit…. I’ve taken classes, and all my senseis say I am a natural at kenjutsu….. I’m not crazy enough to carry around a sword in the twentieth century, but I’m sure my fists can do the job..if only to protect the people I care about." "But Kaoru… it’s not just the sword that makes Battousai noticable …one seldom sees the sword he carries until he attacks. It’s just the way he looks- a large frame, dark hair, cold eyes… you can’t help but notice him.. and he’s strong, Kaoru… he’s probably good with his fists too. Some say he is invincible." "Tae…no one is invincible….no one." Kaoru stood up then and paid Tae for the tea. "Arigatou… I thank you for your hospitality, but I gotta go now." Tae looked at Kaoru worriedly and nodded, "All right. I know I can’t change your mind, and I have no idea what's going on in that mind of yours, but be careful, okay?" Kaoru nodded and walked out of the Akabeko.The damp smell of rain hung loosely in the air, and Kaoru sniffed it in happily. She’d always loved the rain. The millions of water droplets always fascinated her as they cascaded down from the sky.. They invoked a certain feeling deep within her, kind of a mixture between joy and sorrow that stimulated every one of her senses and sent a sharp pain throughout her body. She thrived in pain. Her whole life was pain marked with short periods of happiness- mental pain at never being able to satisfy her "mother" and physical pain in the fights she participated in… Always, it was the same, and Kaoru had learned to love it, to anticipate the pain that came with an argument or a fight…. Happiness and peace were but a dream. Suddenly, a loud yell broke through her thoughts, and Kaoru looked up abruptly. A large, dark man stood menacingly over a little girl, who was backing away fearfully. The man chuckled maniacally and extracted something from deep within his coat. A sword! Kaoru’s eyes widened in surprise, and then darkened with anger as she realized this was the man bullying the town- Himura Battousai. The familiar anger of seeing a mere child bullied by someone so much greater in size exploded within Kaoru, and without waiting to see exactly how good Himura Battousai was at the sword, Kaoru pulled up her sleeves, and leaped at him, fists flying. Battousai saw her out of the corner of his eye and spun around, drawing his sword and striking out at the angry schoolgirl. Kaoru started at the sight of the blade flying for her shoulder and tried to break her flight and spin out of the way, but she spun the wrong way, straight into the direct path of the sword. Gasping in surprise, she shut her eyes tightly and waited fearfully for the greatest physical pain she knew she would ever experience in that lifetime. ******************* Kenshin left the Mitsurugi martial arts school whistling happily. The rain had stopped and today he was going to the Akabeko to eat. Everyone knew the Akabeko was the best restaurant in this part of town, and since Kenshin rarely had the time to drive down there to eat a good meal, today was a treat. He’d been let out early because of exemplary performance with the sakabatou, which he was trying to prove to the masters was better than the katana. He explained over and over to them that a sakabatou could defend the swordsman without killing the opponent, causing there to be no guilt afterwards in having murdered another human being. A sakabatou could be used to protect people, not hurt them. Up until today, the masters had branded him a stupid lout with warped ideas about kenjutsu even though it was obvious he was the best student in the school, posessing the ability to defeat every one of his teachers without any trouble.. Today, though, one of the head masters from Kyoto had come and praised his idea, saying that he supported it entirely. Partly as apology for past incidents and partly as a reward, he was allowed to leave the school early that day.Today he decided to walk to the Akabeko because it wasn’t far from the Mitsurugi school and because he had left his car at home, having the sudden need to do things differently for a change. The rain had left a sweet, fresh smell in the air, and a rainbow could be seen in the distance. Kenshin smiled to himself and wondered how anything could ever break this harmony. Almost as if the devil himself had heard Kenshin’s thought, a loud yell broke through the silence and Kenshin turned abruptly, immediately running off toward the source of the sound. Kenshin’s eyes narrowed as he realized the yell had come from Sekihara Street, which was where the Akabeko was located. Quickly, he sprinted over, but stopped abruptly at the sight of a girl in a too-big t-shirt and too-big jeans leap out at a large, muscular man dressed in a large trenchcoat. Kenshin gasped as the man suddenly brought out a sword and swung it at the girl. Immediately, Kenshin ran to the scene and grabbed the girl, pulling her out of the way right as the sword slashed across the empty space where she had been only a second before. The girl opened her eyes in surprise and stared as he carried her out of harms way, running back toward the Mitsurugi School and leaving the strange, dark man screaming angrily. "That was stupid- attacking someone before you knew exactly how strong he really was." The girl glared at Kenshin angrily. "Well what was I supposed to do? Let him kill that poor girl?" Kenshin shrugged and frowned, "Would you rather it have been you that was killed?"The girl shook herself free from Kenshin’s arms and fell with a thud onto the street. "You’re heartless! I knew that at least I could try to save her. I knew that I could fight, and even if he was better than me, I could keep him from hurting a little girl who had no way of defending herself. Even if I was killed, it wouldn’t have mattered because I would have died with the satisfaction of knowing I had died in honor, trying to save someone's life." :Kenshin nodded slowly and looked at the girl, his violet eyes intense, "Never say that…never say that your it wouldn't have mattered..because everything, big or small means something…. You’re safe now. You can go home, and next time don’t attack until you know the strength of your opponent." Kenshin turned to leave."Matte! Wait! "He stopped and looked back at the girl. "Arigatou….Mr….Mr…" "Himura...Himura Kenshin…It was nothing,… and you are?" "Kamiya Kaoru des…." "Then I wish you well, Kamiya Kaoru, and remember, everything matters, everything..."With these last words, Himura Kenshin walked away, his long red hair blowing softly in the wind, leaving Kaoru to wonder at his words… End of Episode 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ eGroups Spotlight: "Depression2" - A Support Group for people suffering from depression. http://offers.egroups.com/click/242/2 eGroup home: http://www.eGroups.com/list/kenshinfanfics Free Web-based e-mail groups by www.eGroups.com