NOT MINE! *huff*
A little note before you read: You'll notice the change in Kaoru's father's name. I was reading my Kenshin manga a little while ago and I realized that his name was mentioned, so I went back and changed it. My bad, ^_^;;
None.
Previous chapter ::: Author's page ::: Post a review at FFnet ::: Main fan fic index ::: Next chapter

Kendo no Go
In the Language of Kendo:
A Fanfic in 100 Chapters


by Akai Kitsune

27: Kawa

 

~*~

Kaoru could remember standing on the bank of a river, as a young child, fishing with her father. She was laughing, splashing through the reeds and the mud with her kimono drawn up above her knees, her hair tied high to try to avoid making a mess of it - although it failed miserably. Koshijirou watched her, a broad smile on his face, in one of the rare moments he went without his stern facade.

Her mother had been dead for three months.

It had not been their first excursion to the river, but it would certainly not be their last. It eased the pain in her heart, knowing that love and enjoyment still existed in the world, that not all was lost, broken and dead. She knew, also, that her father was able to relax at the river, its waters a soothing balm to his suffering soul. She was a child, but she had always been fairly observant.

They never did catch much on the long afternoons of spring and summer, even when the fish were plentiful and hungry, but neither seemed to care very much. It was a welcome vacation from everyday life and the continuous knowledge that their family had once been bigger, that if sickness had not won another battle in the war it constantly waged against mankind, a family of three, not two, could have been laughing and teasing each other in the cool waters.


As she grew older, Kaoru liked to walk along the river by herself, standing on the dirt path and gazing out across the span of flowing water, her arms curled around her body to protect against the wind-chill. The river always seemed a little lonely, moving continually without respite, without mercy. It flowed whether the days were cold or hot, stormy or calm. She loved its consistency, yet at the same time, pitied its endless journey.

Sometimes she would give in to her initial, yet often childish temptation and pull her kimono up, tying it tightly or simply tucking it back in the hopes that it would not fall, and jog down to the bank again, wading into the flowing current and feeling the ripples tickle her bare legs. She would close her eyes and turn her face to the sky, the sun bright on her skin, and let heat and chills war for control over her body, meeting in the center of her heart and causing a delighted shiver to run up and down her spine. Her kimono, half-tied and tugged by the insistent currents, fell from its restraints and into the water, seeping through the material straight up to her knees.

Later, she would trudge home, dripping and sheepish, unable to avoid her father's gaze when she entered the gate and he was there, waiting for her, sometimes practicing alone or preparing to teach a class. He would turn to her, stare at her for a moment, and shake his head - just so - in a manner that would always send a blush of embarrassment to her cheeks, and set his students into friendly, half-hidden laughter. He never berated her for it, though, and mere moments after, she would be changed and joining the lesson without a word between them, leading the class with the skill she was known well for.


Kenji was just learning to crawl when Kenshin suggested they have an afternoon picnic by the riverside, inviting Yahiko, Tsubame, and Tae along if they wished. Tae politely declined, of course, claiming that the Akabeko would be busy that afternoon, but she was gracious enough to allow Tsubame and Yahiko a few hours off for the outing.

"Kenji would love it," he had assured her with a broad smile, keeping his eyes on the toddler as he scrambled on his hands and knees through the dirt of the yard, Yahiko on his heels coaxing him forward. "I think we just need a nice, relaxing day to ourselves, away from the dojo or any sort of chores. Does that sound good to you?"

Part of her wanted to object to his proposition, a million paranoid, motherly horror stories coming to mind.

"What if he trips and falls on a rock?"

"What if he falls in the water?"

"What if the current is too strong and he's carried off somewhere where we'll never find him again?"

"What if he drowns?"

These fears and many others were already half out of her mouth, when she suddenly realized why, perhaps, her father never took her to the river before her mother's death. It was a terrible thought, and it made her reconsider.

'Anything that could happen to Kenji will most certainly be prevented, either by Kenshin - who is always watching him, no matter what he is doing - Yahiko - who watches when he can, almost certainly as fierce and protective as Kenshin as times - or myself, who would likely have a heart attack if he stubbed his toe...'

'Silly fears, that is what these thoughts are. Kenshin is right; Kenji will love it, won't he...'

He did, of course, although he was reaching the age at which he smiled at everything; smiled simply for the sake of smiling. He giggled babyishly as Yahiko held a wriggling frog in front of him, staring disfavourably at its captors; he cheered with her as Kenshin pulled an exceptionally large fish from the rushing water; he laughed when Tsubame's shy comment of praise sent a blushing Yahiko and his own fish into the river. He fell asleep in her arms after they had eaten their prepared lunch, before he had even tasted the treats Tsubame had brought with her from Tae. He continued sleeping even when she passed him to her husband, and he carried the child home, as the softening bubbles of the water echoed Kenji's quiet snores, drawing him deeper into peace slumbers.

~*~

TGIF! I was able to get a lot more writing done, so expect the next chapter to come out pretty quickly!

Heh, another Kenshin/Kenji ending? These are irresistible. If I don't watch out, this story might actually make me like Kenji or something... ^_^

The original title of this chapter was "River", which is the definition of Kawa... go fig...

Yahiko's frog was inspired by April-san's welcoming gifts for newcomers to the Tales From The Meiji Era Forum; her own wriggly chocolate frogs, ^_~ This one is just for you!
Previous chapter ::: Author's page ::: Post a review at FFnet ::: Main fan fic index ::: Next chapter