********************************************************* What Times May Come Chapter 1: Beginnings, Part 1 ~ Kenshin By Tatsuko (Tatsuko@xoommail.com) 5/20/1999 ********************************************************* Disclaimer: All Rurouni Kenshin Characters belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki-sensei (all hail). All other characters belong to me. Please just ask before posting somewhere. ^_^ < > = Thought * * = Emphasis // // = Flashback A list of Japanese terms follows the fic. ***** Setting: Kamiya Doujou, Tokyo Sept. 1878 (Meiji 11) Kenshin was up long before dawn. He had always been an early riser, and a light sleeper, but these days sleep was becoming a less and less frequent visitor. After a few vain attempts to get himself to rest, he finally gave up on the idea and got up from his futon. He found his old off-white hakama and faded red tanzen in the dark and got dressed. His already well-worn clothes had been torn and ruined in his fight with Shishio, but afterwards, when he'd recovered enough to get out of bed, he'd found them miraculously sewn up almost as good as before. Kaoru had told him that she'd worked on them at his bedside, while she was waiting for him to regain consciousness... Kenshin had caught a glimpse of sadness in her eyes when she said that, but it was replaced only moments later by a mock-stern look and a half-teasing jest. //"Mou... Kenshin no baka! Just try and stay out of trouble from now on, ne? I don't want to have to patch these up *again,* you hear?"// Flashing a little smile, she'd turned and walked away, muttering something about "get new clothes" and "can't live in them forever." Kenshin's eyes softened at the memory, and he couldn't help but smile a little. Just a little. But the same memory brought with it a tinge of sadness, a reminder... Kenshin shook his head at the thought, and focused himself on the mundane rituals of rearranging his his long red hair into its usual low ponytail, and then neatly folding his futon. That done, he soundlessly made his way across the room, automatically grabbing his sakabatou on the way out. He hadn't been going anywhere in particular, but moments later, he found himself standing in front of Kaoru's room. Exactly why his feet had taken him there, he could only guess. Perhaps it was because he'd been thinking about her. Or maybe his protective instincts were in overdrive since Kyoto... Whatever the reason, now that he was there, he couldn't think of anywhere else he'd rather be. Of its own will, his hand reached for the door. He slid it open ever so slightly, just enough to allow him to see inside. His gaze darkened a little as it fell on the slim form outlined in the dim moonlight. Kaoru was nestled in her futon, her raven-colored hair spread luxuriously around her, her chest rising and falling in the slow rythm of sleep. Reassured for the moment, Kenshin forced himself to slide the door quietly back into place. But he still didn't want to leave, so he moved to one side and slouched down on the floor there. His head tilted down wearily, covering his eyes in a curtain of red. The sakabatou rested comfortably on his left shoulder, his left hand draped casually over the saya. It was if he was expecting attack, even while seeming to rest. Kenshin stayed like that for the rest of the night, listening to the soft patter of rain on the doujou roof. Alone, staring into the dark, he couldn't help but turn in on himself, searching, contemplating... His body was still, but his mind was spinning, going over everything that had happened since the day he'd met Kaoru. Warm violet clashed with fierce amber in his steady gaze as he recalled happy times mixed with much more serious and dangerous ones. The latter were usually caused by him and his past, and yet they repeatedly put Kaoru at risk as well. Before long, Kenshin was tossing a million different "what if" scenerios around in his head. He closed his eyes against the thought. Then a tiny voice in the back of his mind whispered another "what if": A soft sigh from the room behind him thankfully interrupted his dark thoughts. He gladly pushed them back for the time being, in favor of lighter, more everyday concerns. Orange-red sunlight was filtering through the thin paper walls. But, he remembered, they had eaten the last of the food last night for dinner. Which meant an early trip to the market. Minutes later, Kenshin grabbed the tofu bucket and headed out. Kenshin never minded doing little chores like this. It was the least he could do to help around the doujou. It never took long; today he was on his way back to the doujou in shorter time than expected. And besides, after such a long night, a nice walk was just what he needed. The familiar movement usually helped him clear his thoughts and ease his mind. Usually. That is, as long as he wasn't being followed. He could sense a strong ken ki. Kenshin frowned a little. He was almost home, which meant this guy might have been tailing him for a while. Then a thought hit him. He stopped and put down the bucket and groceries. "Alright. That's enough. Come out." Kenshin's voice was low, cold, but with a hint of weariness and resignation. Nothing. No response. "I know you've been following me. Show yourself or leave me be." Louder this time, angrier. His hand instinctively hovered near his sakabatou. Still nothing. But the ken ki was still there. And it was getting stronger, preparing. Then... "Keeenshiiin!" Kenshin's eyes widened in horror as he saw Kaoru come running towards him, right into danger... "Kaoru-dono! Stay back!" The attack came from out of nowhere. If it could even be called an attack. There were no enemies rushing at him, no swords, nothing *physical* he could defend against. That made it all the more dangerous, and all the more impossible for him to be prepared for what happened next. One moment, he could see everything clearly, and the next moment, it was all gone...the ground, the trees, Kaoru... In an instant, Kenshin's vision was filled with nothing but bright light surrounding him, and the world seemed to vanish in a brilliant flash of white. tsuzuku... (To be continued...) ***** Japanese notes: futon: A soft, thick blanket that is laid on the floor and used as a bed. It's usually folded up and put away in the morning hakama: The cool pants Kenshin wears (Too bad I only get to wear them at practice, they're really comfy) tanzen: Kenshin's top. I've debated with a few people about what exactly Kenshin's top is, and this is what we came up with from a pretty reliable source. Apparently tanzen were pretty easy to find during the Meiji, but just try and find one now... -_-;; mou: expression of overall frustration or annoyance. If you have to put an English expression to it, it's similar to "Geez" or "Gawd" or "For goodness sakes." Typically used mostly by females. Kenshin no baka: Ah, do I really have to explain this one? Well, just in case, it means "Kenshin, you idiot!" (But it's kinda teasing, not really serious) ne: Depends on context and placement in the sentence. It can mean "OK?", "alright?", or "right?" (at the end of a sentence), or even "Say" or "Hey" (at the beginning of a sentence) saya: Sword sheath/scabbard shishou: Master ("teacher/instructor"). What Kenshin calls Hiko ken ki: The "fighting spirit" or "aura" that is given off by someone in a fight (or who wants to fight). Kenshin can sense it. All of the names in this fic will have some sort of significance; I'll reveal them at the right time, as the fic progresses... ^_^ Coming up in Chapter 2: Lightning strikes twice