Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ The Mountain Stories... ❯ I Believe That We Were... ( Chapter 3 )

I Believe That We Were...

a mountain interlude

Kenshin lay sprawled on his back.

The sun was warm as it beat down on the riverbank. He smiled into it, hoping against hope that it would add a darker hue to his pale skin. It was a hope that he knew was wasted.

"May I sit with you?"

He opened his eyes. A small boy, about his own age was standing above him.

"...I guess..."

The little boy sat.

His dark brown hair spilled about his shoulders, cut neat and even. It was clean, and smelled of flowers. His simple gi and yukata were made of a high quality silk. It was obvious that this child was of the noble samurai class.

The child said nothing as he studied Kenshin's worn and stitched yukata, and his faded gi. "I like the colour." He said finally, smiling at him.

Kenshin flushed. The little boy was trying very hard to erase the obvious difference in their wealth.

"My father is nearby. He is looking for an old samurai master that is supposed to live in these hills. He says he would like for him to aid him in defending his holdings from the rebels."

Kenshin nodded, knowing that the master the child's father sought was not old at all, and that even if the man should find him, Hiko would not be willing to speak with him.

Hiko had no love for the privileged shogunate.

"Are you training to become a samurai?" The boy inquired politely.

Kenshin nodded. "You?"

"Yes. ...I have been in the dojo for nearly three years now."

"I have been with my master for four."

"Ah. ...I study the Tennen Rishin Style. You?"

"...Kenjitsu."

"Is that so?" The boy's face darkened slightly, as if he sensed the lie. "Would you like to fight?"

"...We have no swords."

"We can use sticks!"

~+~

"Hyyyyagggh!!!!"

Kenshin sprang forward, letting go of his imaginary sheath.

The other boy sprang up, somersaulting over his head, to land gracefully behind him.

He had barely enough time to spin, and deflect the blow.

The boy smiled. "Kenjitsu does not normally begin with a quick-draw attack."

Kenshin smirked, and flipped to the side.

The boy cried out, and rolled, stopping his 'blade'.

"You are very skilled." He observed.

"As are you."

They battled on. Finally, The brunette slid forward, tagging Kenshin's left shoulder in the beginnings of a very deadly move.

"Hyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh!"

Kenshin launched himself at the sun, and spiraled back down in a deadly swoop.

~+~

"RYUU-TSUI SEN!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Okita threw himself backwards, and caught the edge of the Battousai's blade.

Frowning, the redhead sprang back.

No one had ever blocked his Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu before. He was mildly annoyed.

"RYUU-KAN-SHEN!!!!!!!!!!"

He cried.

Again, Okita managed a desperate parry. Then, as Battousai faltered in shock, he sprang forward, and managed to strike the redhead in the left shoulder, beginning his famed Sandanzuki.

Then, to his utter surprise, the Battousai parried the strike.

He fell back, and circled to other boy.

It was impossible! There was no way to stop Sandanzuki! Unless, the victim had seen it before... He bit his lip. He had parried two of the Battousai's most deadly attacks...

And suddenly, he knew.

~+~

"Souji!!!"

The little boy frowned, and half-turned.

Kenshin pressed his advantage, and crashed into him.

The brunette managed to stay the blow, but the force of the impact shattered both of their 'swords'.

A large samurai dressed in greater finery than that of the boy appeared through the trees.

"Souji-kun?"

"Yes, Father?"

"Where have you been?"

"I was playing, with this boy..."

"What boy?"

Souji looked around. The small clearing was empty. On the ground beside him lay the shattered stick that the other boy had wielded, but no other sign of him remained.

"...He is gone now."

"I see. It seems these mountains hide their own fair share of secrets..."

"Father, did you find the master you sought?" Little Souji asked, trotting after his father, as the man turned back towards the horses.

"No. It seems the master of the Hiten Mitsurugi Style values his privacy much more than I had anticipated."

"Hiten Mitsurugi..." Souji breathed, sparing one final glance at the clearing.

~+~

"Okita!!"

Okita half-turned, in the direction of the other man's voice.

Saitou froze when he saw the Battousai.

The red head lunged, and Okita's eyes grew wide with shock. They connected in a reverberating clash.

Okita slid backwards a few feet, but managed to lock the blades between them.

Then, both fighters sprang back.

"Another time." Okita rasped.

Battousai nodded, and melted into the shadows..

"Okita?!" Saitou asked, not comprehending.

"Relax, Saitou... I believe that we may have been... Only playing."

With a sigh, Okita turned back to wear the Battousai had stood. The only sign that he had been there was a discarded sword cloth, and a tiny line of blood. The other boy's face has been bleeding when they had fought.

A single cough racked his thin frame. Okita sheathed his blade, using the movement to disguise his tremor.

Then, he turned to Saitou, and beamed. "Well, let us return to headquarters. I am sure that there is much to do.."

When he coughed again, he gagged a little, tasting a now familiar copper tang inside his mouth.

OWARI

Begun 10/21/02, completed 10/22/02 5:27 p.m.

I had this insane idea for absolutely no reason...

For the record, Okita was born Okita Soujirou, and lived in the Shirakawa district. As a young teen, he changed his name to either Soushi or Souji --- the records differ. He began his schooling in the Tennen Rishin dojo at age 8. Was a renowned Kenjitsu master at age 12, mastered Tennen Rishin at age 15.

He was best known for perfecting the Sandanzuki, a move that begins by stabbing first the left shoulder, then the right, and finishes by gouging out the opponent's throat.

Kenshin of course, uses Hiten Mitsurugi, but I bet you already knew that.

However, there has been some debate regarding Battousai's fighting tactics. Some claim the Kenshin never used Hiten Mitsurugi while being the Battousai. I would like to point out how blatantly false that is. The form of Battoujitsu that Kenshin so enjoys is actually the first standard of Hiten Mitsurugi. Also, in the movie SamuraiX: The Motion Picture, Battousai uses Ryuu Tsui Sen to kill Gentatsu. If I'm not mistaken, he uses Ryuu Shou Sen on Okita in SamuraiX: Betrayal. Aside from all of this, Kenshin's god-speed is also a proponent of the Style. So, there you have it. Kenshin did use Hiten Mitsurugi during the Bakumatsu. Sorry to rant, but it's a misconception that irritates me.

"...I wrote a Kenshin story that makes no sense, and can't really have happened."

"How so?"

"Well, it could have happened, *kind* *of*, but only if you... you know... go with it."

"I see..."

"It could too have happened!!"

"I believe you!"

"Okay. But it... It could fit in the Kenshin timeline, but only if you let it."

-Conversation between Manda and Christopher, via cell phone, 10/21/02