Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Broken Souls ❯ Part 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer:
All rights and privileges to Rurouni Kenshin belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki, Shuiesha, Sony Music Entertainment, and associated parties. The characters of these series are used without permission for the purpose of entertainment only. This work of fiction is not meant for sale or profit. Original portion of the fiction included here is considered to be the sole property and copyrighted to the author.

Notes: It might content spoilers. As semi-dark or dark contents. Such as violence, death or profanity. You've been warned.

I´m sorry if I make spelling mistakes, I´m american but I've been living in Europe since I was little, so I can't remember very much, I´m practicing. Thank you. You can send me my spelling mistakes, that way I´ll be able to fix it. Thanks a lot.

That´s an AU fiction. I made some changes, such as real information from RK´S manga, Bakumatsu history or even real meaning of it, so if you find something unsuitable, that's the reason. If you have no acknowledge of RK´S series you really should get some information, so that way you can read this fiction without worries.

Thanks for reading and send me your comments.

Onto the fic.

Broken Souls
by Mandy

Part 1

( Bakumatsu - 1866 - Kyoto )

The Bakumatsu was a time of warriors, they needed to settle their wishes of a better land, of a better way, a modern way to live. And people needed freedom. They fought for the government, most of them, they truly believed in a new era, an era of equality. And warriors would fight for their beliefs, for their country, but some would only fight to feel the taste of blood. They were like wolves. Whether they were fighting for the government, whether they were fighting for their beliefs, they would still wish to taste blood. But there were still hope.

***

"Tell me, do you really believe that you are going to win this without a belief?" Asked a war superior, while walked around the room, looking straight to Kenshin, who was sat.

Kenshin raised his head to look at his superior. "I do have my beliefs, and you know that clearly." He said, narrowing his eyes. "That's why I've been fighting...All the way! So do not act like you have no acknowledge of this." He said, his voice husky. He let out a sigh of disbelief he could not believe that he was having that conversation. Out of nowhere. But so, he had his doubts as well, and felt free to show it. "And what about you, do you have any?" He asked, indifferently. And aware of his superior glare.

He had never meant to be so rebellious. He fights only because he wishes to save people, to protect them.

Kenshin´s superior gasped. "You do?" He asked, a little shocked. "Himura, I do have my beliefs, but these I have are true ones. I know I can go on with that, I know I can make them real. I fight for my beliefs." He said, stopping and looking directly to Kenshin, fury into his eyes.

Kenshin´s eyes narrowed dangerously. "I fight for my beliefs as well! Just as I had said before if I may recall you." He said, sarcastically. "And...What does make you think that your beliefs are superior, or even more realistic than mine?!" He said, his voice trembling with ferocity. "What?! Tell me?" He yelled. "We are in the same situation. We fight for living, we fight to defend our country of those who want to destroy it!" He said, trying to settle his nerve down. He took a deep breath. "I fight to protect those who are innocents in this war!" He said with conviction. "I won't discuss that topic with you anymore. You know very well about that, we already had that conversation." He said, ignoring the silence coming from his superior.

Silence took place, they could not hear nothing, except their heave breaths. They were warriors fighting for a better place. They were there to complete their duty, they wanted to save, not destroy.

Kenshin looked down, feeling uncomfortable. "Shall I say, that you might be so tense because of the new one that's coming?" He asked. He had no wish to argue anymore. He had to be reasonable. His master only wanted to protect him, or just wanted to make sure that Kenshin´s reason had remained the same.

Katsura looked to Kenshin. He knew the hitokiri would have sensed it, he is no fool. Then he nodded. "Quite." He said in a low voice, maybe even uncertain. "I just wished that this war would be over soon...I had no wish to keep it. But now I see that we cannot predict it. Perhaps I had been too arrogant to see it clearly. And just now, after so many deaths, I came to realize such thing. And I realized it just now." He stopped, deep in his thoughts. "Perhaps, if I had sensed that we would have not win this so easily...I would not have sent all those man to death." He said.

Kenshin had been quite, only listening to Katsura, listening as he opened himself, and showed him his reasons for being, and acting as he had lately.

Both had emerged into their thoughts. Obviously the war is unwanted for them all, they had not wished that. But, eventually, the war came, and they knew they had the obligation to fight for it. They had the desire to fight, and make a better era for all.

"I see your point." Kenshin began. "But I guess, after that war, we'll look back, and perhaps, we won't lament it so much. Because we'll come to comprehend that we had fought for a new era, a peaceful one. All the lives that had been taken will be worthy of all this war. And that´s going to happen when I see the results. Witch I optimistically wish to be good. Even if we cannot see dignity in killing people...Even without the right to do it so...Perhaps, we have no alternative. We're building a new era. As I said before, all deaths, I hope, they will be worthy of the new era." He stopped.

Was he right? He had no wish to spill out blood without a reason, he wanted to help, protect and build the dream. Even if that meant his own sacrifice and others as well.

Katsura was speechless, he knew Kenshin was correct. They are trying to build a new era, even if it means to kill. 'But at least...' Katsura thought. 'It's for a good reason...Isn't it?' He wondered. So he expected.

***

The atmosphere of the shelter they were had always been heavy. Especially, because of the war outside. But indeed, there were a war inside each one. But they needed to proceed with the killing. There's no happiness in take a life, for some of them at least.

"Are you positive of that Katsura?" Asked a man, hidden in the shadows of a room.

Katsura took a sip of his tea. "Yes I am." He said putting the tea down. "I´m sure. We need skilled warriors. We only have a few left. I had no aspiration to prolong that war, but that's something I cannot decide." He said. 'Unfortunately.' Was his only thought.

"I know you argued with Battousai a few minutes a go.... So I must ask you something." He stopped, taking his tea. "Is Battousai still with us?" Asked the man, from the corner, his voice stumpy.

Katsura dropped his head. "Of course he is. He would never leave this now. The war it's not over yet. He has a strong belief that he can build that new era. And he has no intent to kill by it's simple pleasure.." He stopped as he heard a man laughing. "But, fortunately, I believe, He'll accomplish that assignment, successfully."

The man in the corner gave a dim smile. "Do you really think that Katsura?" The man asked, his voice repartee.

"You know he's only a boy. He'll learn that life it's not that easy." He stooped. "And somehow, he'll learn that he alone cannot modify the world, as he had that pretension. He even sounds arrogant." He said careless. "And the most important..." He stopped right before his last words. "He´ll see for himself that life can be taken anytime, and someday he´ll see he cannot do anything to change it." He concluded.

Katsura lowered his eyes, looking straight to the filthy floor. He did not know what to really think. He had to consider the two sides of a coin. Akira looked away from the floor, thinking of these words. Were they true?

The silence was uncomfortable.

The man rose at his feet. "Where is this fighter coming from?" Asked the man, revealing himself into the light. Katsura looked up at his superior.

"He´s coming from Tokyo." He paused. "He will be arriving here tomorrow, Anaki." He said with, his face disguised.

Anaki nodded and took a sip of Katsura´s tea. "Good." He said, and looked straight to Katsura, who face was serious. "Then communicate me when he arrives brother. I´ll be waiting to meet him. I'm really interested. I've heard a lot about this one, maybe he´s a match to Battousai´s ability."

Katsura begun to walk towards the door. "Possibly." He said. "I´ll communicate you when he arrives." He said only, leaving the room.

Anaki looked through the window, the air was cold and he could sense that something was going to change. He looked up, amazed by the snow. "I can't wait for this...When he begins to kill, he never stops."

***

'It's so damn cold...' That was Kenshin´s thought, looking through the window, only to see the snow falling all over the place. It was a beautiful scene through. It seemed to clear all the war's dirtiness. He left out a gasp.

Kenshin heard some soft foots steps approaching him. He looked back, and saw Tomoe´s face.

She looked at him, her face showed no real emotion. He could not read her. Even if he wanted. "It's really cold. You should get more warm clothes." Tomoe whispered, sitting by Kenshin´s side. "Do you want me to get you?" She asked politely, lowering her head to look closely to him.

He looked at her and then looked back to the window. "No need Tomoe."

Both went into silence.

"Is that something unsettling you dear?" Tomoe asked, a little concerned. Kenshin wasn't the type of man, of worrying over something he would classify as rubbish , but, something was extremely wrong.

Kenshin gave her no answer. But she could feel his change. He was usually quite, always alert, as if someone was about to attack him. He had no peace, he only knew the suffering of war. But she knew, that he was acting strange, he was far more vigilant.

Just as she. If she may say. Loneliness inside, that's what she knew concerning life. She had once felt the happiness, but didn't know how to show it. And then she lost it by a sword stroke. How could a blade break such happiness? How could someone feel the right to do it so?

Kenshin let out a sight. Looked at Tomoe, who was still at his side, watching the snow. "I feel something is about to change Tomoe, and I don't know really what." He said, getting up.

Tomoe followed him with her eyes till the door. "And how is this feeling?" She quietly asked.

Kenshin took some time, perhaps he had no answer to her question.

"I can´t tell you what is it. Only because I don't know." He said, stopping in front of the door.

Tomoe lowered her eyes, and studied the dirty floor. "Then you´ll have to wait. But you shall not misunderstand your sense. Perhaps they are trying to tell you something." She told him softly. He knew she had truly meant it. He could sense things, better than anyone else.

Kenshin nodded. Maybe she was right. Maybe not.

***

Kaoru looked around the new city that she had just arrived. "Kyoto." She said, while she bent down to get her objects. She had been to Kyoto occasionally, but she could not have ever thought of fighting there. Particularly, in the Bakumatsu.

She tried to catch some good memories of the city. But she found none. "What should I expect of this city?" She asked herself, wandering if she was only going to fight.

She stooped; suddenly what she had just thought did not make any sense. "What the Am I thinking anyway? That's a war!" She told herself, rolling her eyes. 'Nonsense.... I must concentrate into this. I cannot fail.' She thought, her eyes shut for a while.

Kaoru opened her eyes and then bent down to get her bags again and pulled it onto her back, then began to walk.

'Where am I suppose to meet him anyway?' She thought, stopping and looking around, trying to recognize the place he had said he would be. 'Was it a restaurant he said he would be?' She wandered. 'Yes, I guess...'

Kaoru kept asking to every person if there was a restaurant near by. They all said the same name, The Aoi-ya.

"I guess this is it. " She said, quite glad. She had finally found it. "Oh, finally. I was beginning to think that I had been left behind."

But...No one had shown, and Kaoru´s mood was beginning to surface.

"Mou!" She cried. "I'm so tired." She sniffed as she thought of her long trip. She was exhausted. Her body ached, she only wanted to sleep. But instead, there she was, still waiting.

After some time, a man showed up. Kaoru glared at the man, standing right in front of her, with the most exasperating face. He should have showed his face a long time a go. She was not in the disposition to wait. He had no clue, of what he had just done.

The man approached Kaoru, gave her a little and somehow mocking smile.

"Are you feeling alright?" The man asked her, annoyed by her glare. Why was she glaring at him? Had he done something to upset her?

Kaoru looked at him, fury into her eyes. "Well, you see...I've been waiting here for someone...And I mean, for hours. I'm tired, my body is aching, I´m hungry....So, would you care to tell me, if there's something wrong to me, mister?" She asked him.

His puzzled look was getting into her nerves. 'Settle down Kaoru. I know you are tired, but bear this man. Don't be mad.' She thought, trying desesperatelly to settle her nerves down, but still, it seemed quite impossible. She was really mad.

The man furrowed his brow, and looked at her angry face. "Miss, I don´t know why you're so mad at me. I'm waiting for someone as well." He stopped. He looked at her with a baffled look

Kaoru looked at her sides, a bit ashamed of herself. "Oh, I´m sorry sir. I did not mean to yell at you...But I've been waiting for so long." Her words trailed off. "Tell me, who are you waiting for?" She asked him, a tiny smile into her face.

The men gave her a succinct smile. "I´m waiting for Kamiya-sama." He said gently.

Kaoru looked at him in surprise. Her eyes wide. "What?" She asked again.

The men looked at her concerned. It was obvious her shook, he felt uneasy. "Kamiya-sama. He´s coming from Tokyo to fight with the monarchists*." He said, his voice doubtful.

Kaoru gave him a wide smile. "Then, I must say that you've found your girl." She told him with a lovely voice.

He looked at her puzzled. "I´m sorry miss, but I´m waiting for a man. Mister Kamiya." He said, trying to go away. But, Kaoru caught his arm in time to stop him.

"I´m Kamiya. Kaoru Kamiya." She told him, laughing of his expression. "Don´t fear. I´m the one you're looking for. I´m coming from Tokyo. I'm the warrior your master have been waiting." She told him, her voice seemed distant.

He had noticed it. And somehow, he trusted her. But he could not help, but feel surprised. She was a girl after all. Does she know what´s waiting for her in that war?

(To be continued.)

* Is the word 'monarchists' correct? I had no time to verify it.

Notes 2 :

I hope you've enjoyed. I've been so busy lately, that I nearly thought that I would not have time to end that chapter. By now you all must have already realized that I´m not really good with english. But I'm trying, and I hope you all can help me with that.

Important: Be aware that the year ,maybe, it´s not correct. I had no time to verify it. As I had no time to check any spelling mistake in this fiction, so sorry.

I haven´t decided if that´s gonna be a dark, or semi-dark fiction. Okay, maybe none. Perhaps I´m gonna do a drama fiction. I don´t know really.

I hope that in the next chapter I´ll be seeing Kenshin and Kaoru together.(Not 'together', but I hope they'll be meeting quickly.).

Well, Thank you for reading, and I hope you send me your comments.

(mandypt@lycos.com)

Mandy