Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Rurouni Kenshin: Heart of a Warrior ❯ Part One ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

RUROUNI KENSHIN: HEART OF A WARRIOR BY USAKO HASHIBA

AUTHOR'S NOTES
Okay, this is my first Rurouni Kenshin story so be gentle with the flames if you must flame. Few things to note, this takes place several years after the main story arcs, in 1895. Another is that it features a non- cannon character. This might seem slightly AU but that's because I haven't seen the entire series. Bear with me.

DISCLAIMER
Rurouni Kenshin is copyright to Watsuki Nobuhiro, Sony Entertainment, Shueisha, Jump Comics and other associated groups. No harm is intended.

PART ONE
It was raining that day.
Rain and thunder poured down from the heavens as if sensing the dark mood that had come over Kamiya dojo that day. Sitting just outside of the dojo, heedless of the weather, was a fourteen-year-old girl. It was hard to tell if it was raindrops or tears streaming down her face through Himura Shin had every reason to cry. The teen looked to be the very picture of depression, having sat in the rain for several hours. Her kimono was soaked all the way through and bright red hair was plastered down to her head and back. The grieving teen ignored the cold seeping into her body, it was a little thing compared to the pain in her heart. Grief and guilt, those were just two of the many emotions flooding her heart and mind but they were the biggest. Unwilling, her mind took her back to the events of the past few days. That day had been bright and sunny, a cruel thing it seemed now. She and her mother, Kamiya Kaoru, had gone out to the grocery shopping today as Yahiko had begged Kenshin to watch him while he practice his sword form. The red-haired swordsman had finally relented so it was up to them to get the food. Shin couldn't shake the feeling they were being watched from the time they reached the market but couldn't see anyone. She had just convinced herself it was her over-active imagination when all her instincts screamed at her to move NOW. She had dove to the right, pushing her mother down with her and thus preventing them from losing their heads. The woman and girl were dismayed to find themselves surrounded by a group of threatening men and with no weapons to defend themselves with. Kaoru swore when she saw all of them had swords. The men looked ready to skewer them when they were ordered to stop by Kenshin, looking about as angry as Shin had ever seen him. The ronin drew his sword and fought the men through he was sorely outnumbered. During the fight that followed, one of them got under his defenses and struck Kaoru. The man's blade easily slide into her back, into the front. A painful and fatal wound. Kaoru's scream of pain seemed to fill the ronin with anger. His eyes turned to merciless gold before Shin's horrified eyes. Kenshin had charged at the murderer, changed. This wasn't her Papa, this was someone else. What Sanojii-san and Yahikojii-san had called her papa's dark side - Hitokiri Battousai. Shin watched with mute terror as Kenshin turned the sakabatou over and mercilessly killed several of the men. When the last man was still alive, Kenshin seemed to come back to himself, realizing what he was doing as if the rage blinding him was gone. The ronin dropped his bloodied blade in shock, his eyes returning to the warm pair that Shin was used to. The only odd thing about them now was the look of severe pain and guilt. It was Shin who had caught the movement behind him. Without thinking, she moved forward, grabbing one of the many swords littered on the ground. She rammed the katana into the men who was rising his sword to strike off Kenshin's head. Kenshin seemed to come out of the stupor when he saw Shin's look of horror at the dead man at her feet and the blood staining her hands. The red-haired ronin just held her to him as Yahiko, Sano, Megumi, and the police started to arrive. Shin shuddered as she remembered the look of fear on the man's face when she rammed the katana into his chest, staining her hands and clothes crimson. Fear soon fled with life and he stared up at from the ground with the fixed stare of the dead. Papa and the others knew what she had done but didn't say much about it. It was like they didn't know what to say. 'What could one say anyway? No amount of words will bring that man back or make his death all right. Even if he was attacking us, killing is wrong,' Shin yelled at herself mentally. To make matters worse, she wasn't the only one dealing with guilt. Kenshin had broken his vow, a vow never to use his sword to kill, to never kill ever again. He also blamed himself for Shin's actions. He had communicated this is a letter to them they found in his room the next morning. He had become the wanderer again. There was one change to Kenshin the Wanderer. He only carried a bokken, a weapon far less capable of killing. He left his real sword with Shin. A sword she had with her at the moment, clutched tightly in her right hand. Shin suddenly stiffen as she felt eyes on her, "What do you want?" A dark chuckle, "You inherited your father's gruffness I see. Not very becoming of a lovely young woman." Shin turned to face a police officer whom Papa and the others referred to as Saitoh with a dark look on her face. "Can I help you Hajime-san?" she asked, eyeing him warily. Sanojii-san and the others never seemed to fully trust the man and she acted accordingly. The man merely smirked, "I merely came to inform you that it was decided that you and your father acted in self-defense so there is no need to charge you with murder." "Domo Arigato for informing me," Shin replied politely. She knew that Saitoh Hajime was one to walk cautiously around for he was a dangerous opponent when challenged. "Anything else?" Shin asked after an awkward silence. "No," Saitoh said and walked away. Before he disappeared from sight he remarked, "Little girls shouldn't be in the woods alone. You should get yourself home." The teen glared at his retreating back but nevertheless headed for home.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Megumi, Yahiko, and Sano looked up at the dripping wet form of Shin as she re-entered the dojo. "Shin-chan! You'll catch your death of cold. Get out of those wet clothes," Megumi ordered, doctors instincts taking over. Shin flashed her eyes toward Sano and Yahiko before moving out of the room. Megumi followed, scolding the girl lightly. Shin only paid half an ear to it but did obediently remove her soaked kimono. Megumi tossed her the first dry thing she found which turned out to be one of Sano's spare jackets. She haphazardly tied around herself, leaving her wet hair loose. She still held Kenshin's sakabatou in her hand as she re-entered the main and sat by the fire. Seeing Shin's downcast and silent behavior, very uncharacteristic for the normally cheerful teenager, Sano felt his anger crest again. 'Damn you Kenshin. If you could see Shin right now . . . she needs you.' "I am going to look for Kenshin, starting first thing in the morning," Sano announced but that had been expected for the minute they discovered him missing. "Yahiko, I need you to stay here with Megumi and Shin, make sure nothing happens." "Hai." Shin felt the barest form of an idea strike her mind as Sano made his plans. She sat quietly for about an hour, warming herself near the fire, only half-listening to the conversation.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

It was dark and deep into the night when one of the outer doors of the dojo open and a figure creped out. A sliver of moonlight luminated the figure. It was Shin, dressed in old gi and hakama of her fathers that was too small for him. Even so the clothing was baggy and concealed most of her more feminine attributes. She had tied her long red hair into a low ponytail, held by a short cord. The sakabatou was tied securely to her waist. To most people, it would look remarkably like Kenshin expect for the fact that Shin was shorter, her hair longer, and her face unmarred by a scar. "Sayonara minna-san. Please don't be too angry," Shin whispered before stealing into the night.

To be continued . . . . .