Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Blood Dawn ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )

Remember, I do not own any of the Kenshin-gumi.

Ravyn

Prologue

Myogin Yahiko had discovered a very important fact in his twelve years as a breathing human being. Fire normally was not a good thing to find yourself surrounded by.

"Busu!" Yahiko yelled, attempting to not let the panic that was thundering through his system to echo in his words.

"Yahiko." The words where faint, and a mere whisper. He turned, his expression moving to rapidly growing panic when he noticed the growing stain on her side. She stumbled forward about the same time the flames flared behind her.

"Busu, don't you dare give up." Yahiko informed her, his voice edging with panic again. The flames where building again, this time around both of them. They had to get out of there.

Kaoru chose that moment to fall to her knees, her breath coming in a labored manner, not just from the flames. Yahiko noticed, with that ever-growing sense of panic that the blood was still pouring from her fingertips.

"Kaoru," Yahiko used her real name with out even realizing it. Squaring his shoulders, he helped his sister/mother figure to a standing position and they stumbled, crawled out through a whole that Yahiko had conveniently kicked in he paper walls.

Once Yahiko got them clear of the burning Dojo, he helped Kaoru to lie down. Her eyes had gone glassy and he watched in horror as a small drop of blood trailed down her chin from her panting mouth.

"Kaoru?"

She turned her head and gave Yahiko that most loving look the boy ever remembered having. Even his late mother never showed him the amount of love and affection that Kaoru was displaying.

"Yahiko." The word was soft and spoken with deliberate determination, as if she was forcing herself to speak correctly and even then the words had a faint slur.

"Busu." Yahiko breathed his voice breaking. "You can't die. Kenshin won't forgive you."

A faint smile tugged at her bloodless lips. "Yahiko." Again, those deliberate pronunciations.

"I won't forgive you."

Her glassy eyes cleared for a moment. "Yahiko. Please."

Yahiko pulled in a deep breath. "Busu please. Do not go. Please." The last words where more begging than simply asking.

"I am sorry." The words where coming slower again. "Tell Kenshin."

Yahiko looked at her eyes and knew it was inevitable, in this time of war and death he had seen that look too many times. Yahiko sniffed and forced back his tears.

He would be strong for his Busu. He watched as her eyes lifted toward her family Dojo and pain filled them, a different type of pain from the echoes of what already filled her eyes.

A pain he knew that he could fix.

"I'll remember."

She turned and looked at him with eyes that where fading fast. "I promise. I will not forget what you taught me. I won't let your Fathers teaching be forgotten."

She smiled a small smile and closed her eyes. "Tell Kenshin."

Yahiko leaned close. "Tell him what?"

"I. for..."

"Kaoru? Busu?" Yahiko took another shuddering breath and closed his eyes. Tears began to trek down his face when he heard it.

"Poor little girl."

Yahiko slowly raised his head and saw a figure wrapped in wrappings. He was standing there, his face hidden, but his eyes they gleamed with quite a bit of malice, and was that glee?

"Tell Himura that this is a warning."

Yahiko bunched his hand into a fist. "A warning for what? Who are you?" Anger laced his words, but since Kaoru was in his lap, he was not able challenge the man in front of him.

"Tell him Makoto Shishio will not forget him. Tell him that I will haunt his footsteps and he will never know a moment of peace as long as I live."

Yahiko watched as Shishio left, leaving behind only ashes of the once happy Dojo where he had found a family.

In addition, families where meant to be avenged.

~*~

Kenshin watched the last of the smoke curl from the burnt Dojo and felt his mouth twist into something that could only be called a snarl.

"Kenshin."

It was Yahiko. The boy had barely spoken a handful of words since the fire. That had been three days ago, and in the process had learned some very interesting things about the 'family' he had found himself in.

Kenshin turned, and Yahiko froze slightly at what he saw.

Eyes the color of melted gold swirled around black pupils. Eyes that glittered with rage, hate, longing, and sadness so profound that Yahiko thought his soul would shatter under the full intensity of it.

He now knew why loving Kenshin frightened Kaoru.

He was pure emotion. Something no other living creature could dare hope to match.

"Kenshin. Kaoru wanted me to tell you something." Yahiko tried to keep his voice from breaking and failed miserably.

Kenshin lowered his eyes and the bangs that covered his face hiding all emotions.

"She said she forgives you."

Yahiko watched Kenshin's muscles bunch until he thought they would just go ahead and snap from the pressure.

Yahiko almost feared for his life at what he had to tell his friend next. Yahiko noticed Sano walk over and stand by Kenshin's side. "There was a man here."

Kenshin looked up then and Yahiko froze.

He never seen Hate is its purest form before.

"Who."

The voice was more a growl than the actual forming of words.

"He said his name was Makoto Shishio." Yahiko stumbled to a stop at the look that crossed both Sano's and Kenshin's face.

Rage.

"What else Yahiko." There was none of the softness he was used to in the man's tone.

"He said it was a warning. A warning and that he would never forget and he would always be in your shadows."

Yahiko sighed again as he remembered the note that he had been given just moments before. "I also received word from Aoshi that he attacked in Kyoto and that Misao is also dead." Yahiko blinked back more tears; it would not do for him to cry now, "She was the only one killed."

Yahiko felt his world go faint as he watched two needle sharp fangs slip from Kenshin's mouth.

Kami.

The noise that irrupted from Kenshin and Sano's throats where nothing short of growls and it sent chills down Yahiko's neck.

He had a slight and very nasty suspicion that Kenshin and Sano where not quite human.

At least not anymore.

Kenshin was in a full-blown Battousai rage. His eyes where so golden they were almost black. The sharp fangs that had fallen down where biting into his bottom lip and his hands where clenching so hard his knuckles where white.

Yahiko looked at Sano and he struggled not to turn and run.

Sano's eyes held an expression that could only be wild. His normally cheerful brown eyes had taken on a red cast and he was snarling.

Like a wolf.

Megumi took that moment to walk over and she stared at both of them like...well the same way Yahiko was. Both started to inch away from both.

Until Sano moved.

Megumi gave a rather startled shriek as she found herself wrapped in strong arms and a firm chest.

"Sano!" Megumi screeched. "Do you MIND?"

Sano just buried his head in her hair and breathed in deep. "He didn't get you."

Megumi looked blankly at him. "Sano..."

Yahiko looked away soon after Sano kissed Megumi. They are where some things he just did not want to see.

He looked at the man who he had come to consider as a father figure and walked over. Kaoru never feared Kenshin, and so he, her heir to the Kamiya Kasshin style of fighting, would not fear him either. It was one thing he was determined to learn. The courage Kaoru always showed.

In addition, he would learn it.

First, he had to get over the fact that his best friends had fangs and wolf eyes.

"Kenshin?" Yahiko questioned his tone soft and hesitant.

Kenshin looked up then, and Yahiko blinked. He had never seen Kenshin cry before.

"Yahiko." His tone was softer than earlier but still held some of the low rumble of anger in his tones. "There is much you wish to ask. We have the time."

Yahiko made a motion back towards Megumi and Sanosuke. "What about them."

Kenshin gave a pained smile. "Sano is just checking on his mate."

Yahiko blinked and took Kenshin by the arm and started walking to a place on the Dojo grounds that held the least amount of damage.

Some time later Yahiko stared at Kenshin.

"So you're telling me you're a Vampire, but you won't need to drink anyone's blood, unless you find Kaoru again so you can claim her as your mate, you won't die, and that you have gone from god-like speed to simply god speed. And that the reason that she is dead, and Misao, is because Shishio wanted to prove a point. And that if she was still alive you would have claimed her as your mate."

Kenshin gave a short dark laugh then.

"That sums it up rather nicely."

Yahiko nodded. "Change me then."

Kenshin froze. "What?"

Yahiko nodded his head. "I don't want to learn Hiten Mitsurgi Ryu; I know you can't teach it. I will learn the rest of the Kamiya Kasshin for Kaoru." Yahiko raised his eyes stubbornly. "You say that there is a chance of Kaoru being reborn."

Kenshin nodded slowly. It was the only reason he himself was still alive. "Yes. But it is very slim."

Yahiko nodded his head. "Someone will need to teach her families teachings and I will. I will be there when she needs me in the future, and I will be able to protect." Not like this time.

It was unspoken between them.

Kenshin still hesitated. "Are you sure Yahiko? I did not have much of a choice in this that I did not. I do not want you to do this because you feel you have type of debt. Kaoru-dono..." He trailed off then and then continued. "Kaoru-dono would never forgive either of us for something like that."

Yahiko squared his shoulders. "Kenshin please. I...do not want to live the rest of my life knowing I could have done something to repay her for her love and did not."

Kenshin nodded his head. He had thought all lost when Hiko had told him what he must become to complete his training, he had not thought Shishio's would attempt so a stupid stunt, and now he had lost Kaoru.

Yahiko had said it perfectly. Family was to be avenged.

First, he would find the patience of a Rurouni and wait until Yahiko grew strong enough to be changed. Then he would paint the walls of Tokyo red with Makoto Shishio's blood.

For once he stepped onto this path, the path of the Battousai would be the only road left for him.

His golden gaze focused on the setting sun. When it rose, again it would be red with the blood of Shishio and his followers.

Dawn would bleed.

And he would step into his place at Hiko's side as the Heir to a darkness no one could control, and he would wait for Kaoru and he would make her his.

For an eternity.