A/N Hello! ^_^..well, after the wonderful success with my past two
stories, I thought I would give it another go with a different area. Now
this is the prologue, so there are no characters here yet. Just the start
of my character; the others will show up in the next chapter. I want to
dedicate this story to my best friend Shadow Girl..my she read this, and
like it, and get me to finish it..^_^ Oh, and one more thing...As most my
past reviewers and friends know..I can't spell and the peel check can't
catch everything.I just wanted to let you know. Now on to the story.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kenshin...*sigh*.
Kenshin and Karou have finally reveled their feelings for each other, but when Kenshin dedicates himself to helping a young woman, Karou gets confused and can't see that he only wants to help.
Devotion
By
Melissa aka Angle1 ^_^x
Prologue:
4 years before the fall of the Tokugawa Era.
Tanako crouched behind the shoji screen and stayed as silent as she could, as she watched her parents in the next room. The only visible part of her was her bright green eyes and her midnight hair. The young child had been awoken by the sound of men arguing and knew that gang members had come to visit with her father. Tanako had slipped out of her room and was now spying on her parents and the men. They where standing in the doorway, all wearing the same pale yellow gi. Tanako was only a young child but she could feel the massive amount of danger in the air, and she knew that she was being foolish for spying.
Yet despite the danger, Tanako gazed proudly at her father as he shielded her mother with his body, with one hand griping the hilt of his sword. " What is the meaning of this?" her father roared to the men, his eyes darting around the room to see every threat that was there. Tanako's mother smothered a gasp when she spotted the child peeking out behind the paper screen. Her mother prayed that she would not be seen.
" Now, now Washi; is this any way to great old friends." Came an all too familiar voice from outside. Tanako frowned when she saw Sasorie step into the house. The child never did like the tone of voice he used with her father, but she was always polite to him, just as her mother had taught her to be. Plus, the man had always been respectful with her.yet the young girl knew that the young man was not the type of person you turned you back to.
"Sasorie," her father scowled, the grip on his sword tightened." Why do you barge into my home so late in the evening, and so dishonorably?"
" Dishonorably?" Sasorie said as he motioned for his men to surround the couple. " I would believe that you, Washi, would know of dishonor better than I." He said with a smile and a evil light in his eyes.
Washi eyed the gang members and pulled his wife behind him." What do you mean by that?"
Sasorie brushed away a lock of his white hair that had fallen from his warrior's ponytail, {Hair tie whatever you want to call it} apparently bored with the situation already. " For a man who was once a Samurai to go back on his word, well. that is what I would call dishonor."
Washi turned abruptly to face Sasorie, " I have not gone back on my word. I promised that I would repay you, and I will." His gaze returned to the solemn looking gang members around them.
"Washi.you came to me almost six years ago, asking for a loan.and I happily gave the money to you, trusting that you would repay me. Yet you have not. You have made a reasonably nice life for yourself.your own home, you have a family.and a business that takes care of you. I would have thought that I would see at least a substantial amount of you dept paid off. "
" My wife was with child," Washi argued, his eyes dancing around the room to each of the gang members. " I could not be a samurai and raise a family. If I had died, my family would be left alone. I needed the money until I got another job, and now that I have one I can begin to repay you faster than I have before. I know payments have been slow, but I will repay you."
Sasorie walked within swords distance of Washi, causing his wife to whimper and grip the back of Washi's gi. " You see that is my problem. It has been much to long between payments, and waiting on you seems to cost me more than you owe. Anyway I'm tired of waiting." He paused and looked at Washi's cowering wife, his yellow eyes narrowing as a idea came to him. " I will release you of your dept.by killing your family as payment." At his cue the gang members surrounding them drew their swords. Washi swiftly unsheathed his, and faced the gang.
Tanako saw her mother glance her way, and saw that Sasorie noticed. Tanako turned away from the opening to keep from being seen, and prayed for the lives of her parents.
" Toshiki-kun!" Sasorie called, Tanako heard someone walk into the room, but the girl refused to look and give her self away. Suddenly the ring of swords filled the air and the sounds of a struggle. " WASHI!" her mother screamed and then all became silent, Tanako knew that she should run and hide, but the sudden sound of her father howling in agony bolted her to the floor.
Then, quite suddenly, the screen door slid open and Tanako fell back. Looking up she saw standing before her, a boy of eight, maybe nine. He stared silently at her with piercing ice blue eyes, and he had impossibly straight chocolate brown hair tied up in a warrior's ponytail, and was wearing the same pale yellow gi as the other gang members. The boy grabbed Tanako by her kimono, lifted her to her feet and dragged her into the room. She gasped when she walked past her mother; she was lying on the floor, her eyes wide and empty, a pool of blood was slowly growing around her.
She saw her father; he was backed into a corner, his long black hair freed from its tie and was draped wildly across his face. He panted for breath and was standing in a stance of attack. His eyes where almost red with anger and he glared out at them with a look that Tanako had never seen before. One gang member lay dead on the floor before him, the others where in a half circle around him .
Tanako was brought up to Sasorie, who had watched the whole thing with a smile on his face. " Thank you Toshiki-kun," he said. The boy let go of Tanako and took a step back, resting his hand on the hilt of his short sword. Sasorie looked down at the tiny girl and Tanako kept her eyes downcast, respectfully. " Tanako-chan, it's lovely to see you." He said smoothly reaching down for her.
" Sasorie.don't you touch my child." Washi growled from the corner, his voice deep and low and frightening to Tanako.
Sasorie ignored him, " Almost six years old aren't you?" he lifted Tanako's chin so she could look him in the eye. She nodded silently, her green eyes growing large in fright. "Growing up so fast, I remember the day you were born, you were a tiny little thing." He paused and looked over at the screen door she was hiding behind. " Have you been hiding behind that screen the whole time we've been here?" Tanako again silently nodded. "Wonderful, for a child of your age to be so silent and stealthy. Shame your mother gave you away, you were perfect, it was your mother's weakness that got you caught." He unsheathed a dagger from his belt, crouched down, and took hold of Tanako by the shoulder. " It would be a shame to waste a child with potential and a skill as great as yours." Sasorie turned to her father, another smile playing across his lips. " I'll tell you what Washi, I'll kill you instead, and your daughter will live. She will stay with the Onozawa gang, and be taught how to work for me."
" NO!" her father cried, taking a step forward, but was forced back by half a dozen sword points.
" You want her to die then?" Sasorie asked as he raised the dagger to Tanako's throat.
"NO!.no don't kill her.," Tanako watched in amazement as her former samurai father sheathed his sword and surrendered. ".Kill me instead.but you must swear to take care of her."
" You have my word." Sasorie said as he sheathed his dagger and gave the signal. Half a dozen gang members gladly attacked the samurai, sending his blood in all directions, and sealing the fate of his daughter. Tanako could do nothing but stare, her young mind seemed to not want to process what she was seeing. " Come Tanako-chan, the Onozawa gang, Toshiki-kun, and I, will teach you how to live a much more prosperous and longer life than your parents.
" Yes Sasorie-san" Tanako whispered. Toshiki led Tanako out of the house and into her new life, forgetting her family name and entering a new one.
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A/N...so what do you think?...So far so good?.well Please review and tell me all about it and I'll be updating very soon, for I know of a few of you who will come after me ^_- .
Disclaimer: I do not own Kenshin...*sigh*.
Kenshin and Karou have finally reveled their feelings for each other, but when Kenshin dedicates himself to helping a young woman, Karou gets confused and can't see that he only wants to help.
Devotion
By
Melissa aka Angle1 ^_^x
Prologue:
4 years before the fall of the Tokugawa Era.
Tanako crouched behind the shoji screen and stayed as silent as she could, as she watched her parents in the next room. The only visible part of her was her bright green eyes and her midnight hair. The young child had been awoken by the sound of men arguing and knew that gang members had come to visit with her father. Tanako had slipped out of her room and was now spying on her parents and the men. They where standing in the doorway, all wearing the same pale yellow gi. Tanako was only a young child but she could feel the massive amount of danger in the air, and she knew that she was being foolish for spying.
Yet despite the danger, Tanako gazed proudly at her father as he shielded her mother with his body, with one hand griping the hilt of his sword. " What is the meaning of this?" her father roared to the men, his eyes darting around the room to see every threat that was there. Tanako's mother smothered a gasp when she spotted the child peeking out behind the paper screen. Her mother prayed that she would not be seen.
" Now, now Washi; is this any way to great old friends." Came an all too familiar voice from outside. Tanako frowned when she saw Sasorie step into the house. The child never did like the tone of voice he used with her father, but she was always polite to him, just as her mother had taught her to be. Plus, the man had always been respectful with her.yet the young girl knew that the young man was not the type of person you turned you back to.
"Sasorie," her father scowled, the grip on his sword tightened." Why do you barge into my home so late in the evening, and so dishonorably?"
" Dishonorably?" Sasorie said as he motioned for his men to surround the couple. " I would believe that you, Washi, would know of dishonor better than I." He said with a smile and a evil light in his eyes.
Washi eyed the gang members and pulled his wife behind him." What do you mean by that?"
Sasorie brushed away a lock of his white hair that had fallen from his warrior's ponytail, {Hair tie whatever you want to call it} apparently bored with the situation already. " For a man who was once a Samurai to go back on his word, well. that is what I would call dishonor."
Washi turned abruptly to face Sasorie, " I have not gone back on my word. I promised that I would repay you, and I will." His gaze returned to the solemn looking gang members around them.
"Washi.you came to me almost six years ago, asking for a loan.and I happily gave the money to you, trusting that you would repay me. Yet you have not. You have made a reasonably nice life for yourself.your own home, you have a family.and a business that takes care of you. I would have thought that I would see at least a substantial amount of you dept paid off. "
" My wife was with child," Washi argued, his eyes dancing around the room to each of the gang members. " I could not be a samurai and raise a family. If I had died, my family would be left alone. I needed the money until I got another job, and now that I have one I can begin to repay you faster than I have before. I know payments have been slow, but I will repay you."
Sasorie walked within swords distance of Washi, causing his wife to whimper and grip the back of Washi's gi. " You see that is my problem. It has been much to long between payments, and waiting on you seems to cost me more than you owe. Anyway I'm tired of waiting." He paused and looked at Washi's cowering wife, his yellow eyes narrowing as a idea came to him. " I will release you of your dept.by killing your family as payment." At his cue the gang members surrounding them drew their swords. Washi swiftly unsheathed his, and faced the gang.
Tanako saw her mother glance her way, and saw that Sasorie noticed. Tanako turned away from the opening to keep from being seen, and prayed for the lives of her parents.
" Toshiki-kun!" Sasorie called, Tanako heard someone walk into the room, but the girl refused to look and give her self away. Suddenly the ring of swords filled the air and the sounds of a struggle. " WASHI!" her mother screamed and then all became silent, Tanako knew that she should run and hide, but the sudden sound of her father howling in agony bolted her to the floor.
Then, quite suddenly, the screen door slid open and Tanako fell back. Looking up she saw standing before her, a boy of eight, maybe nine. He stared silently at her with piercing ice blue eyes, and he had impossibly straight chocolate brown hair tied up in a warrior's ponytail, and was wearing the same pale yellow gi as the other gang members. The boy grabbed Tanako by her kimono, lifted her to her feet and dragged her into the room. She gasped when she walked past her mother; she was lying on the floor, her eyes wide and empty, a pool of blood was slowly growing around her.
She saw her father; he was backed into a corner, his long black hair freed from its tie and was draped wildly across his face. He panted for breath and was standing in a stance of attack. His eyes where almost red with anger and he glared out at them with a look that Tanako had never seen before. One gang member lay dead on the floor before him, the others where in a half circle around him .
Tanako was brought up to Sasorie, who had watched the whole thing with a smile on his face. " Thank you Toshiki-kun," he said. The boy let go of Tanako and took a step back, resting his hand on the hilt of his short sword. Sasorie looked down at the tiny girl and Tanako kept her eyes downcast, respectfully. " Tanako-chan, it's lovely to see you." He said smoothly reaching down for her.
" Sasorie.don't you touch my child." Washi growled from the corner, his voice deep and low and frightening to Tanako.
Sasorie ignored him, " Almost six years old aren't you?" he lifted Tanako's chin so she could look him in the eye. She nodded silently, her green eyes growing large in fright. "Growing up so fast, I remember the day you were born, you were a tiny little thing." He paused and looked over at the screen door she was hiding behind. " Have you been hiding behind that screen the whole time we've been here?" Tanako again silently nodded. "Wonderful, for a child of your age to be so silent and stealthy. Shame your mother gave you away, you were perfect, it was your mother's weakness that got you caught." He unsheathed a dagger from his belt, crouched down, and took hold of Tanako by the shoulder. " It would be a shame to waste a child with potential and a skill as great as yours." Sasorie turned to her father, another smile playing across his lips. " I'll tell you what Washi, I'll kill you instead, and your daughter will live. She will stay with the Onozawa gang, and be taught how to work for me."
" NO!" her father cried, taking a step forward, but was forced back by half a dozen sword points.
" You want her to die then?" Sasorie asked as he raised the dagger to Tanako's throat.
"NO!.no don't kill her.," Tanako watched in amazement as her former samurai father sheathed his sword and surrendered. ".Kill me instead.but you must swear to take care of her."
" You have my word." Sasorie said as he sheathed his dagger and gave the signal. Half a dozen gang members gladly attacked the samurai, sending his blood in all directions, and sealing the fate of his daughter. Tanako could do nothing but stare, her young mind seemed to not want to process what she was seeing. " Come Tanako-chan, the Onozawa gang, Toshiki-kun, and I, will teach you how to live a much more prosperous and longer life than your parents.
" Yes Sasorie-san" Tanako whispered. Toshiki led Tanako out of the house and into her new life, forgetting her family name and entering a new one.
************************************************************************
A/N...so what do you think?...So far so good?.well Please review and tell me all about it and I'll be updating very soon, for I know of a few of you who will come after me ^_- .