A
Fanfic
by Teri Stearns
Cast: Kenshin, Hiko
Rating: G
Warnings: Fangirl Japanese. Other than a few other annoying clichés, that's about it.
Spoilers: None.
Categories: Humor, Angst, Prequel
Notes: It's sad that most of my preliminary education about Japan has been through anime. I owe a lot of my continuing education in the subject to Rurouni Kenshin, in particular, since it pretty much inspired me to learn more. This was a little tribute to my favorite anime--albeit, bad and dumb as it is. Uh, the fic, not the series.
Hiten
Mitsurugi Ryu was going to be the death of him.
Or
he was going to kill his Master learning it.
Rubbing
the sleep from his eyes, Kenshin hazily stared at the breath forming before his
lips in the chilly cabin. With a
little yawn, he rolled off the woven bamboo mat that was his bed and threw back
the covers, ignoring the insistent growl that rumbled in his stomach. He placed
his bare feet on the wooden floor tentatively to gauge the temperature, and
finally rose to dress himself in a clean hakama and his heaviest blue shirt.
Smoothing wild, red hair back from his face, he finished by tying it into
a ponytail that hung low at his neck.
He was alone in the cabin, nothing out of the ordinary. Rarely did he ever awake
in time to find his Master still sleeping, and lately he was all the more
grateful that he was no longer
being roused well before the rooster's crow to begin practice. With the more
demanding training techniques Hiko was insisting on him lately, Kenshin's
developing muscles seemed to constantly ache, and the spare moments he was
allowed to rest restored his energy. With
the days becoming longer, it didn’t seem as necessary to rise well before the
break of dawn, but Kenshin had to wonder if his Master had other intentions.
Perhaps
that man had a thread of compassion in him after all.
The boy languorously stretched his arms above his head, feeling his spine crack
satisfactorily. He'd spent more time in the river the day before, floundering
around like a fish than actually practicing any techniques. Every time his
Master suggested a new attack, he had Kenshin try it against him...only to brush
Kenshin easily aside with one, swift motion of his mastered defensive technique.
Hiko had nearly spent as much time
in the water as Kenshin, fishing his pupil out of the river as soon as he would
fall in…
Grabbing a fistful of Kenshin's collar and hoisting the boy high up in the air
out of the water for perhaps the tenth time that hour, Hiko had held his soaking
apprentice out in front of him and waited for the kicking and sputtering to
subside as Kenshin vigorously rubbed the water from his face.
"Perhaps next time I'll just leave you in there," Hiko mused. The
small smirk appearing on his mouth had only managed to further irritate
Kenshin's already foul mood. Though the harsh winter had finally subsided and
the Spring season was fast approaching, the snow melting from atop the mountain
caps flowing into the river wasn't altogether the warmest bathing environment.
Kenshin's teeth chattered as he attempted a contemptuous sneer directed toward
the older samurai, despite his most humiliating predicament.
"Well maybe if you didn't keep pushing me in there we would both be
a little happier and a lot less wet!"
"Not my fault you don't listen to me.
Maybe if you paid attention to the teachings of the Hiten Mitsurugi style
instead of trying to do things your way, you'd make some progress.
I’ve used the same defensive move against you four times in a row and
you still have not been able to properly attack me. If I intentionally told you
I was going to use it again for your next attack, I would wager all of the sake
in Japan that you would STILL end up in the river. Makes me wonder why I waste
my time with someone as ignorant as you.”
“You’re ten times bigger than I am!” Kenshin protested.
Hiko arrogantly shrugged one massive shoulder. “Again…not my fault.”
Baring his teeth, Kenshin let out a loud snarl, thrashing his feet around in the
air. Hiko grinned, obviously amused at this display of frustration. “You look
like a wet puppy,” he chuckled.
“PUT ME DOWN!!!”
With another shrug of indifference, Hiko had simply opened his hand and released
Kenshin’s collar, dropping him once again into the river, then turned his back
and laughed to himself as his student’s ear-shattering yell was instantly
swallowed by the crack of a splash. Training was much more amusing when
the river wasn’t frozen solid…although that had provided its share of
entertaining moments as well.
Allowing the insolent little red-haired sprat to struggle in the water for a
little longer than really necessary, he had finally unsheathed his own sword and
dipped it into the river, spearing Kenshin’s collar with the tip of the blade
and raising him up in the air once again. Kenshin spit out a mouthful of water
and angrily swiped the hair out of his eyes. He glared indignantly at the large
man before him, but held his tongue from further comments lest his Master
suddenly decide he was much too heavy to hold onto any longer or some other
convenient excuse that would find him back in the water.
Hiko’s smirk had never left as he held the boy’s violet gaze steadily with
his own. Finally Kenshin stilled,
but Hiko did not set him down just yet. “Now
then,” he’d said in an authoritative tone that belied his amused expression,
“are you through fooling around, or shall we turn this into a swimming
lesson?”
Defeated, Kenshin sighed quietly. “Yes…”
Satisfied he'd perhaps managed to instill a little much-needed humility into his
student for a change, Hiko slowly lowered Kenshin to the ground and took his
stance, waiting patiently as Kenshin prepared his own position opposite him.
Digging his toe into the ground for a little extra leverage, Kenshin eyed
his Master determinedly and waited. All
of the sake in Japan was a lot of sake. And
though Kenshin didn't much care for it, he delighted over the idea that Hiko
would be without his one favorite staple. It
wasn't likely to happen, but it was still an amusing thought.
For that, he decided he wouldn’t miss this time.
For his dignity, he could NOT miss.
“BEGIN!” Hiko roared.
Kenshin charged toward his opponent as fast as he could, clutching the hilt if
his sword firmly with both hands. Not too tight, he reminded himself at
the last minute and eased his grip a fraction. Fast approaching, Kenshin once
again recognized the Hiko's
defensive technique, and, true to his Master's word, it was the same defensive
move Hiko had used the previous four times. This time, however, Kenshin spotted
his advantage over the move and attacked. Kenshin leapt into the air, crying
out, "Ryu Tsui Sen!" as he brought his sword down from above.
Gritting his teeth as metal clashed against metal, Hiko successfully
blocked the attack, but Kenshin had parried at the last minute and managed to
wrench the sword from his Master’s grasp, sending it flying away from its
owner.
Continuing on his path, Kenshin jerked his head around just in time to see his
Master’s eyes widen with surprise from the defeat, and a triumphant grin
bloomed upon the boy’s lips. Without realizing where he was headed, Kenshin
had failed to stop his rush. By the time he remembered to stop himself,
Kenshin’s swift little feet had brought him right to the edge of the water,
and with an almost graceful arc that almost resembled a dying crane falling from
the sky, he dove head first once again right into the river.
After a moment of clumsily struggling through loose clothing and frigid water,
Kenshin managed to pull himself up on the bank and glance over at his Master.
Hands on his knees for support, Hiko shook with laughter until he was very
nearly out of breath and had to set himself down on a fallen log to recover.
Kenshin sneered at his Master’s patronization and wondered briefly if the only
reason Hiko ever took him in at all was for entertainment. “Kuso,” he
muttered under his breath and pulled himself out.
He stood on the bank and wringed out his clothes and hair while Hiko watched him
knowingly, snickering to himself. “Hey there, oshibori!” Hiko called out.
“Aren’t you missing something?”
“Oro?” Kenshin glanced around the area he stood, noticing at once that his
sword was missing from the scabbard at his side. Eyes widening with panic for
his misplaced weapon, he finally caught his Master’s gaze once again who gave
the slightest nod toward the river, barely able to control the grin threatening
to split his face in half.
Kenshin sighed. “Kuso,” he repeated sadly, walked to the edge of the water
and jumped in to retrieve the sword laying at the bottom of the river…
Seijuro Hiko, compassionate? Kenshin thought with a resentful snort.
Not for all the sake in Japan.
Just thinking about the previous day gave Kenshin a slight chill. Gathering his
blanket up from his sleeping mat, he pulled it around his shoulders and paced
over to the window to have a look outside.
Elbows planted on his thighs and ever-present sake jug sitting on the ground by
his feet, Seijuro Hiko sat in the morning sunlight, his back towards the front
of the cabin and white cloak fanned out dramatically behind him. He turned his
head a fraction and spotted Kenshin’s small silhouette in the window out of
the corner of his eye and motioned slightly with his head for Kenshin to join
him outside.
Kenshin dropped his blanket back on the sleeping mat and walked outdoors, the
rays of the morning sun warming his pale skin nicely, the temperature outside
conditionally better than inside the darkened cabin.
He padded softly over to Hiko, bare toes curling around the short, soft,
dew-soaked grass, and stood off to the side and behind his Master’s shoulder.
He watched as Hiko broke a piece of some kind of edible food off and popped it
in his mouth, thinking at first that it was the sun-dried beef Kenshin had
helped him prepare the week before, but then revising that thought when he
noticed it had a smoother texture.
“Your chattering last night kept me awake,” Hiko mumbled.
“I thought you might at least appreciate the warmth this morning.”
“Yes,” Kenshin softly voiced. “The sun feels nice.”
“Ready to go falling in the river again today?” Hiko grinned.
Kenshin answered with an emphatic, "No," without hesitation.
Hiko chuckled to himself and shook his head, long black hair veiling his eyes as
he bowed his head and inspected the morsel he held. Snapping of a small piece,
he held it out behind him to Kenshin. “Here,” he said. “Take it. You’ll
like it.”
Kenshin stared blankly at the offering. “What is it?” he asked.
“Chocolate. It’s sweet.”
Kenshin blinked and cocked his head, studying it more intently but still
cautious about accepting it. “’Cho-co-late,’” he slowly repeated the
foreign word, wrinkling his nose. “I’ve never seen it before.”
“You’re looking at it now,” Hiko answered dryly. “Take it.”
Further intrigued by how anything that particular color could taste
sweet, Kenshin’s eyebrows knitted together and he stared suspiciously at
Hiko’s outstretched hand. “What’s it taste like?”
“Do you want it or not?” grumbled his Master impatiently. Kenshin’s eyes
shot up to Hiko’s face recognizing the annoyance building behind the dark
eyes, and snatched the treat from his Master’s hand without further
hesitation. Taking a moment to inspect it from up close, he eventually decided
that if his Master could withstand the taste, he would most likely survive it as
well. He'd even began to tolerate the bitter taste of sake once in a while,
though he mostly still wondered how Hiko or anyone could be so fond of something
that tasted like kerosene.
“Hmm!” Kenshin’s eyebrows darted up into his scarlet bangs. This wasn't
like sake at all! Fascinated by the taste and texture of the treat, and finding
it quite likable indeed, Kenshin finished the piece without another sound.
“You know, you’re quite picky for former slave,” Hiko admonished. “I
think I’ve spoiled you too much.” Noticing the way Kenshin’s eyelids
flattened scornfully, Hiko seized the opportunity to provoke him further.
“Perhaps I should throw you in the river some more.”
“Humph.” Kenshin sat down hard on the very edge of the bench beside Hiko and
folded his hands tightly in his lap. Staring down at the grass in front of him
where Kenshin’s feet dangled inches off the ground, he brooded on that subject
for a moment or two. He was NOT going to go back in the river today if he had to
chain himself to the bench to prevent it. The alternative thought of falling
into the biting cold water brought another shiver up his spine.
“Oh, stop your pouting,” Hiko rebuked. “You may rest today. Here...” He
held out the remaining chocolate bar to Kenshin who looked rather stunned at the
offering, but took it before his Master changed his mind, which he was fond of
doing occasionally. Hiko chuckled. “Happy birthday,” he added wryly and then
poured a small amount of sake for himself into his cup and slowly sipped it. A
moment later, he realized that his small apprentice had attached his unwavering,
violet gaze right on his Master’s face. A full minute seemed to pass as
Kenshin stared up at him dumbfounded, and Hiko met his stare with a harsh one of
his own, wondering what in the world had come over his idiot disciple.
“What?” he finally demanded.
Kenshin blinked and shook his head as if he was shaking off a trance and humbly
diverted his eyes. “My apologies, Shishou,” whispered Kenshin. “What you
said...I...”
“Yes?” Hiko prodded impatiently.
“I don’t have a birthday,” Kenshin bluntly admitted. “I mean...I don’t
know when it is. I know how old I am, but...”
“Ridiculous!” Hiko scoffed, waving his hand dismissively. “Birthdays are
useless. When you get older you’ll wish you never had them at all.”
“Oh.” Kenshin’s gaze dropped and lowered to the chocolate bar. He took a
bite out of the candy again savoring the flavor and allowing it to melt on his
tongue, but despite his obvious enjoyment in the treat, he wasn’t very good at
hiding his disappointment.
The older samurai sipped his sake again, seemingly ignoring his pupil. Birthdays
were a silly child's celebration, and Hiko couldn’t care less if he ever had
another one again as long as he lived. Then again, he had to occasionally remind
himself that despite the boy's maturity, Kenshin was still a child. A
child that, save for a handful of laughs he’d managed to get away with at
Hiko’s expense, had very few happy childhood memories. Though he wasn’t
about to show one ounce of pity for the red-haired vagrant, he had to admit the
thought was somewhat depressing.
“Today is the first day of spring,” Hiko announced between sips, and then
fell silent.
“Oro?” inquired Kenshin when Hiko had seemingly decided that was enough to
explain his sudden declaration.
“You remind me of the first day of Spring,” he said without a trace of
smile, keeping his gaze trained in front of him. “At first, it seems rather
disappointing. Mornings are obscured by grey mist that weighs down like a
blanket of gloom, and the chill nips at you miserably. But, as the sun rises
slowly the mist fades and you being see the beginnings of the new season. Colors
begin to show. As time passes, the season strengthens.” He nodded and took a
moment to glance around their surroundings, noting to himself how green and
colorful the mountain looked as tiny flowers dotting the landscape seemed to
wake one by one from their long hibernation, as if popping their heads up
through the grass to take a cautious peek outside.
Kenshin broke his gaze from his Master, mulling over the last soliloquy with
relative confusion. He failed to see how the first day of Spring related to him
in any way. Perhaps his Master had already had too much sake this morning...
“Like you, Kenshin, Spring is impetuous and stubborn,” Hiko continued
gravely. “One day it refuses to show its potential, and the next it can’t
wait to bloom. But if we are patient, and pray the elements do not destroy the
very things they are trying to aid, eventually all will flourish." He
turned to Kenshin and looked upon him fully as if to punctuate his next
statement. "Be patient, Kenshin. Grow.
You too can flourish like the Spring.”
Kenshin blinked up at the tall man rising next to him. Pausing a moment, Hiko
stared down at his young pupil. “Happy Birthday, Kenshin. You didn’t have
one before, now you do.” He thumped him on the back forcefully, hard enough to
nearly cause Kenshin to choke, then began to walk back toward the cabin. When
Kenshin could breath normally again, he looked down at the grass, smiled warmly
to himself and took another bite of chocolate.
“Better hurry up and eat that!” Hiko called over his shoulder. “If it
melts, you’ll have to go wash in the river again!”
Kenshin sighed heavily. He could
tell it was going to be a very long season.
He couldn’t wait for the river to warm up enough so that his teeth
wouldn’t chatter when he fell in it and he hoped it would be soon.
Be patient, Kenshin. Grow...
He finished the chocolate bar and stretched out lazily on the wooden bench,
enjoying the warmth of the sun on his face. Tomorrow he would grow. Tomorrow he
would face new challenges his Master gave him, and tomorrow he would worry about
falling in the freezing water. But today was the first day of Spring--his
birthday--and for now at least, everything else could wait.