Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Flight of the Wounded Dove ❯ Broken ( Chapter 1 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Shaeya Sedjet Namir 
Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Hentai / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 06.18.2007 | Updated On: 06.21.2007 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 634 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Hentai / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 06.18.2007 | Updated On: 06.21.2007 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 634 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I am in no way claiming to own any sort of right to Rurouni Kenshin! I just like to pretend that I am god and bend the characters to my will. Mwahahaha!!! Ahem. Kenshin and his friends actually belong to Noburhiro Watsuki.
Author’s Note: Hiya! I’m a newbie to Fanfiction.net, and this is my first RK fic. Please bear with me. It’s a lil’ sappy and kinda sad, but I think it is worth a read. Thanks!
Flight of the Wounded Dove
Chapter One:
Broken (Revised)
Kaoru watched her reflection in her mirror as she brushed her raven hair with long, smooth strokes. :Ugly. That’s what they call me: Her hand stilled its brushing and she touched her free hand to her face. :Is it true?: Tears began to well in her lovely sapphire eyes. :It must be. No man has ever expressed any romantic interest in me: She looked at her bokudo robes. :I dress like a man! I behave like a man! No wonder men are not interested in me! I might as well be a man myself:
She set the brush down on the low table in front of her and knelt on the cold floor. She pressed her palms into the cold, smooth, wooden surface and a sob escaped her delicate throat as images began to race through her mind; images of herself lashing out at Sanosuke; images of herself pummeling Yahiko with her bokken; images of herself punching Kenshin for accidentally walking in on her in the bath.
:It is no wonder…: Another sob escaped her raw throat. :I have to get away. I have to start over…: She thought desperately.
~*~
Kenshin heard Kaoru’s sobs as he rested in the corner of his room. He had only seen her cry when he was hurt or the time he left her for Kyoto. This wasn’t like those times. The sounds coming from her delicate throat were gut-wrenching. The tortured sounds struck a chord in Kenshin, and he rose from his soft futon to go check on her.
When he reached her room, the shoji was closed. He raised a battle-calloused hand and knocked gently on the wooden frame of the rice paper door.
“Who-is-it?” came the strangled, hiccoughed inquiry.
“May I come in, Kaoru-dono?”
She made another strangled little sound, “I would really rather not see anyone right now, Kenshin. Please just go away,” she pleaded.
Kenshin was becoming suspicious, “Are you alright, Kaoru-dono?”
Another sob was heard from behind the door, and Kenshin threw open the sliding shoji. He glared around the room fiercely before his gaze came to rest on Kaoru lying in the center of the room. She was nearly naked, and Kenshin started.
“Gomen! Gomen nasai, Kaoru-dono! Sessha did not realize you were not fully dressed!” He knew a beating was coming, and he braced himself for it.
Kaoru had seen his body tense as he braced himself for the onslaught of violence that would usually have accompanied him walking in on her in her half-dressed state. An invisible fist squeezed her heart, and she hid her face behind the curtain of her glossy raven hair.
When Kaoru did not initiate an attack, Kenshin looked up and looked around. Kaoru just lay on the cold floor on her side, her yukata loosely covering her. She was listless and looked defeated in some way. Her aura was gray, and it scared Kenshin.
“Kaoru-dono?” He peered around at her, but could not see anything because her hair was covering her face.
“Nani?” came the muffled reply, and Kenshin noted that her voice was as listless as her body.
“Did your cooking make you ill, Kaoru-dono?*” he asked with genuine concern, but was horrified when Kaoru curled further into herself, her body shaking with silent sobs. “Are you ill, Kaoru-dono? Should I fetch Megumi-san?”
She made no answer. The only sounds she made were pitiful whimpering noises. Kenshin was so disturbed by this that he did the only thing he could think of. He knelt beside her on the polished, hardwood floor. He noted, with distress, that the floor was ice cold as he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
“Kaoru-dono, you should sit up. You will catch cold.”
When she made no move, he gathered her into his arms and pulled her into a sitting position. He pulled her yukata firmly about her and tied the sash as she merely watched his hands with a detached interest.
“What’s—Kenshin!” Yahiko barked on his way past Kaoru’s room. “If you are going to do that, at least keep the door shut! No one wants to see that ugly cow naked!”
Kenshin felt Kaoru tense and heard her small intake of breath. The hurt expression that replaced the desolation in her eyes spoke volumes. He would deal with Yahiko later. At the moment, he was worried about Kaoru.
He bent his head near her ear, “Can I get you anything?” She made no response. “Kaoru, you must get up off this cold floor,” he insisted firmly. When she would not respond, he picked her up and carried her over to her futon and gently placed her on it. “I will get you some tea.” He stood and left the room more worried than ever.
Half-way down the hall, he caught up with Yahiko. “What you said about her in there was entirely uncalled for. You should think before you speak and be more civil to the woman who puts a roof over your head and food in your belly.”
“Oh, it didn’t bother her. I always say stuff like that.”
“It did bother her, Yahiko.”
“She didn’t say anything or throw anything.”
“She didn’t have to—I saw the expression in her eyes.”
“In all fairness, Kenshin,” Sanosuke piped up, “You are not the most considerate of her feelings. You insult her cooking, even when you are not meaning to be cruel about it, and you joke about her weight.”
Kenshin froze. He was remembering the look Kaoru’s face when he had asked if her cooking had made her ill. He winced. He had not been thinking that such a comment might hurt her feelings. He had been sincerely concerned about her health, seeing that her cooking had that effect on people. He, too, had contributed to her pain.
He thought about the look in her eyes as he made her a cup of tea. It pained him to know that he had helped to put such a desolate expression in the eyes that he had come to cherish.
When he took the tea to her room, she was sitting just as he had left her. She was staring into space and seeing nothing. She reminded him of a wounded bird, wasting away because it could not take flight.
“Kaoru-dono,” he murmured gently. She did not respond. He did not like this trend. “I brought you some tea,” he offered it to her in an outstretched hand, but she made no move to take it from him. He set the cup aside and knelt before her. He put his arms around her with one arm firmly across her back and the other cradling the back of her head. She still did not respond. She only sat passively, enduring his embrace.
Kenshin felt hollow. There had been a time when she would have welcomed comfort from him. But he had helped the others to wound her without even realizing it. He had hurt the most precious person in his life. He sat like that with his arms around her for long minutes before he finally released her. His attempts at comfort were futile. It would have been like Judas comforting the Christ.*
He rolled up to his feet and, with a heavy heart, moved toward the door. He paused in the doorway, watching her for a long moment before he spoke again, “Please drink your tea, Kaoru-dono. It will warm you.” He received no response, and paused only a moment before seeking the sanctuary of his own room.
To be continued…
*Kenshin is not blatantly insulting Kaoru’s cooking in this moment. His immediate concern is to make sure that she is alright. He doesn’t realize what he is implying about her cooking. We all know the Rurouni Kenshin. He is entirely clueless!
*At this point in time, the characters of the RK world probably would not know who Jesus Christ was. I just wanted to make it clear that this was my own comparison and not an opinion of Kenshin himselfJ
So…what did you think? It’s dark, I know, but I was in a dark mood when I was writing this chapter. This is what happens when you write fanfic while you are feeling totally alone, abandoned and misunderstood. *grin* I promise it will get lighter! There is much waffiness to come!
Author’s Note: Hiya! I’m a newbie to Fanfiction.net, and this is my first RK fic. Please bear with me. It’s a lil’ sappy and kinda sad, but I think it is worth a read. Thanks!
Flight of the Wounded Dove
Chapter One:
Broken (Revised)
Kaoru watched her reflection in her mirror as she brushed her raven hair with long, smooth strokes. :Ugly. That’s what they call me: Her hand stilled its brushing and she touched her free hand to her face. :Is it true?: Tears began to well in her lovely sapphire eyes. :It must be. No man has ever expressed any romantic interest in me: She looked at her bokudo robes. :I dress like a man! I behave like a man! No wonder men are not interested in me! I might as well be a man myself:
She set the brush down on the low table in front of her and knelt on the cold floor. She pressed her palms into the cold, smooth, wooden surface and a sob escaped her delicate throat as images began to race through her mind; images of herself lashing out at Sanosuke; images of herself pummeling Yahiko with her bokken; images of herself punching Kenshin for accidentally walking in on her in the bath.
:It is no wonder…: Another sob escaped her raw throat. :I have to get away. I have to start over…: She thought desperately.
~*~
Kenshin heard Kaoru’s sobs as he rested in the corner of his room. He had only seen her cry when he was hurt or the time he left her for Kyoto. This wasn’t like those times. The sounds coming from her delicate throat were gut-wrenching. The tortured sounds struck a chord in Kenshin, and he rose from his soft futon to go check on her.
When he reached her room, the shoji was closed. He raised a battle-calloused hand and knocked gently on the wooden frame of the rice paper door.
“Who-is-it?” came the strangled, hiccoughed inquiry.
“May I come in, Kaoru-dono?”
She made another strangled little sound, “I would really rather not see anyone right now, Kenshin. Please just go away,” she pleaded.
Kenshin was becoming suspicious, “Are you alright, Kaoru-dono?”
Another sob was heard from behind the door, and Kenshin threw open the sliding shoji. He glared around the room fiercely before his gaze came to rest on Kaoru lying in the center of the room. She was nearly naked, and Kenshin started.
“Gomen! Gomen nasai, Kaoru-dono! Sessha did not realize you were not fully dressed!” He knew a beating was coming, and he braced himself for it.
Kaoru had seen his body tense as he braced himself for the onslaught of violence that would usually have accompanied him walking in on her in her half-dressed state. An invisible fist squeezed her heart, and she hid her face behind the curtain of her glossy raven hair.
When Kaoru did not initiate an attack, Kenshin looked up and looked around. Kaoru just lay on the cold floor on her side, her yukata loosely covering her. She was listless and looked defeated in some way. Her aura was gray, and it scared Kenshin.
“Kaoru-dono?” He peered around at her, but could not see anything because her hair was covering her face.
“Nani?” came the muffled reply, and Kenshin noted that her voice was as listless as her body.
“Did your cooking make you ill, Kaoru-dono?*” he asked with genuine concern, but was horrified when Kaoru curled further into herself, her body shaking with silent sobs. “Are you ill, Kaoru-dono? Should I fetch Megumi-san?”
She made no answer. The only sounds she made were pitiful whimpering noises. Kenshin was so disturbed by this that he did the only thing he could think of. He knelt beside her on the polished, hardwood floor. He noted, with distress, that the floor was ice cold as he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
“Kaoru-dono, you should sit up. You will catch cold.”
When she made no move, he gathered her into his arms and pulled her into a sitting position. He pulled her yukata firmly about her and tied the sash as she merely watched his hands with a detached interest.
“What’s—Kenshin!” Yahiko barked on his way past Kaoru’s room. “If you are going to do that, at least keep the door shut! No one wants to see that ugly cow naked!”
Kenshin felt Kaoru tense and heard her small intake of breath. The hurt expression that replaced the desolation in her eyes spoke volumes. He would deal with Yahiko later. At the moment, he was worried about Kaoru.
He bent his head near her ear, “Can I get you anything?” She made no response. “Kaoru, you must get up off this cold floor,” he insisted firmly. When she would not respond, he picked her up and carried her over to her futon and gently placed her on it. “I will get you some tea.” He stood and left the room more worried than ever.
Half-way down the hall, he caught up with Yahiko. “What you said about her in there was entirely uncalled for. You should think before you speak and be more civil to the woman who puts a roof over your head and food in your belly.”
“Oh, it didn’t bother her. I always say stuff like that.”
“It did bother her, Yahiko.”
“She didn’t say anything or throw anything.”
“She didn’t have to—I saw the expression in her eyes.”
“In all fairness, Kenshin,” Sanosuke piped up, “You are not the most considerate of her feelings. You insult her cooking, even when you are not meaning to be cruel about it, and you joke about her weight.”
Kenshin froze. He was remembering the look Kaoru’s face when he had asked if her cooking had made her ill. He winced. He had not been thinking that such a comment might hurt her feelings. He had been sincerely concerned about her health, seeing that her cooking had that effect on people. He, too, had contributed to her pain.
He thought about the look in her eyes as he made her a cup of tea. It pained him to know that he had helped to put such a desolate expression in the eyes that he had come to cherish.
When he took the tea to her room, she was sitting just as he had left her. She was staring into space and seeing nothing. She reminded him of a wounded bird, wasting away because it could not take flight.
“Kaoru-dono,” he murmured gently. She did not respond. He did not like this trend. “I brought you some tea,” he offered it to her in an outstretched hand, but she made no move to take it from him. He set the cup aside and knelt before her. He put his arms around her with one arm firmly across her back and the other cradling the back of her head. She still did not respond. She only sat passively, enduring his embrace.
Kenshin felt hollow. There had been a time when she would have welcomed comfort from him. But he had helped the others to wound her without even realizing it. He had hurt the most precious person in his life. He sat like that with his arms around her for long minutes before he finally released her. His attempts at comfort were futile. It would have been like Judas comforting the Christ.*
He rolled up to his feet and, with a heavy heart, moved toward the door. He paused in the doorway, watching her for a long moment before he spoke again, “Please drink your tea, Kaoru-dono. It will warm you.” He received no response, and paused only a moment before seeking the sanctuary of his own room.
To be continued…
*Kenshin is not blatantly insulting Kaoru’s cooking in this moment. His immediate concern is to make sure that she is alright. He doesn’t realize what he is implying about her cooking. We all know the Rurouni Kenshin. He is entirely clueless!
*At this point in time, the characters of the RK world probably would not know who Jesus Christ was. I just wanted to make it clear that this was my own comparison and not an opinion of Kenshin himselfJ
So…what did you think? It’s dark, I know, but I was in a dark mood when I was writing this chapter. This is what happens when you write fanfic while you are feeling totally alone, abandoned and misunderstood. *grin* I promise it will get lighter! There is much waffiness to come!