Don't forget to me mail your comments and/or suggestions, or just anything you might want to say at darkfeather@edsamail.com.ph !!!

Domo arigatou gozai masu! *bows*

Enjoy!

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Disclaimer: "Rurouni Kenshin ~ Meiji Kenkaku Romantan" was created by Nobuhiro Watsuki, owned by him and some other related parties. The manga is not mine, the manga translations found in the story are not mine either, but this work belongs to me. :P

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EVENING THOUGHTS
by RavenMoon


Autumn; 1862

It was another evening of fall when the moon was full. Seijuuro Hiko lay on the futon, silent and unmoving, but undeniably awake.

He had been thinking about the young boy he had met in a little devastated village, whom he had taken in as his student. In his whole life, he had never thought that he would find a worthy person to whom he
could pass the knowledge of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu. He had thought that no man could be trusted to learn its deadly dance, and he was right, because the only person he found worthy enough was not a man, but a mere boy...

"You dug graves not just for your parents but for the bandits too?"

"They weren't my parents. They were slavers. My parents died last year of cholera. But even bandits and slavers are only bodies when they die . . . so I made them graves."

"These three stones?"

"Kasumi-dono, Akane-dono and Sakura-dono. They were taken from their families because of debts. I only met them the day before, but I was the only boy and we didn't have any parents. I thought even if it cost me my life, I had to protect them."

"But . . ."

"I looked for good stones for their graves but these were the only ones I could find. I looked for flowers too, but I couldn't find any . .
."

"Man or woman, it would be a shame to attain Buddhahood without knowing the taste of good sake. It's an offering from me. What's your name, boy?"

"Shinta . . ."

"That's no name for a swordsman. From now on, you're called Kenshin. I'll teach you all I know."

Hiko opened his eyes and focused them in the dark.

"It was not so long ago when I met this kid," he thought. "He's different from all the rascals that I've ever met. His violet gaze never betrays anything. But his eyes are not emotionless... Probably guarded, but not emotionless..."

He smirked to himself.

"Changing his name from 'Shinta' to 'Kenshin'...where do I get these silly, sappy ideas? But I hope that this kid will live up to the new name I gave him." He chuckled a bit. "Feh...what am I saying? I don't need to hope. With his quiet determination, I know he will. When he grows up, be he famous or not, Himura Kenshin will surely change the world..."

He heard a shuffling. Hiko turned to see the young boy kneeling by the side of his futon, his red hair a mess and his eyes revealing a small amount of uncertainty that the Master rarely saw.

"Shishou...?" Kenshin whispered.

"What is it, boy?" Hiko hissed at him. "It's already past midnight. We have training early tomorrow. Go back to sleep."

"But Shishou..."

"WHAT?!" Hiko said as he irritably sat up.

Kenshin lowered his head and in the darkness, Hiko saw his uncertainty slowly mix with apparent shame.

After what it seemed to be an eternity of hesitations, the boy finally spoke.

"Shishou...I wet my bed."

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