Fading Futures

A.N. Konnichiwa Minna! Welcome to my very 1st Fanfiction: Fading Futures. I was trying to get a mix of humour, angst and stuff, but it would be great if you could review and tell me what you think. If it's really bad, please don't be too mad, it is only my first Fanfiction, but that little support could help this Fanfiction virgin stop prating up too much. Arigato gozaimasu!

Now here's the part to make all you solicitor types happy. I don't own Rurouni Kenshin (damn!) or any of its characters (grrrrrrr). They belong to that lucky man Nobuhiro Watsuki and companies like Shogun jump etc, etc. I do, however own this story and any character that doesn't appear in the actual Manga or anime.

Oh yeah, there are also a few spoilers throughout, so watch out, okay?

Hope you enjoy!

Chapter One

The Assignment

"Shinya Himura!"

"Oro!"

Shinya Blushed furiously at the titters that swept across the classroom and ran his fingers through his unruly dark hair. Miyoshi-sensei - a short podgy old Teacher with a ruler straight moustache, balding head and an expression of someone who had just sucked on a sour lemon - sighed in exasperation and returned to his padded chair behind his large desk, all the time watching the boy over the rim of his thick, round glasses. Shinya felt himself, if it was at all possible, turn even redder than before as he realised with horror that he had just fallen asleep in front of the entire class.

"Well, now that Himura-kun has decided to join us," Miyoshi drawled in a monotone "I would like to inform you all about the assignment that has been set for you over the half term holidays."

There was a collective groan from the class. Shinya put his head into his hands and almost wept himself. Perfect, he thought miserably just bloody perfect. As if it wasn't bad enough that he had been feeling under the weather lately, put now they also had a project that they had to do during their rare moments of freedom? And a History project at that! Just like old Sour puss Miyoshi to suck all the fun out of the holidays like that, he thought bitterly as he rubbed his tired, violet-coloured eyes and looked dejectedly back at the old teacher once more.

"As you all know" Miyoshi continued, sill in the same Monotone, (and he wonders why I fell asleep! Shinya grumbled silently) as he stood up once more and wrote on the large black board with a podgy hand "Next term we will be beginning our study of one of the greatest turning points in history – The Meiji Restoration and the period of the Bakumatsu." He moved away from the board and pointed at the words now scrawled across it: 'famous figures of the Bakumatsu'. Miyoshi turned towards the darkly grumbling class again.

"Before we begin the in-depth study of the subject, you are to research the life of one famous figure of this time period."

Miyoshi reached into the set of draws behind him and pulled out a shabby looking tin decorated with faded sakura blossoms, neatly placing it on the desktop. "The names of some of these figures have been noted on slips of paper and will be chosen at random. The name of the person you draw will be the person you must research for your project."

His hawk-like eyes travelled around the class before coming to a disproving halt on Shinya, who resisted the urge to glare back. It wasn't his fault he had been feeling so tired of late. However, he didn't hold his eyes for long - not many could hold Shinya's gaze for long when he was annoyed – and pulled a bright blue register towards him. He stroked his ruler-straight moustache, cleared his throat and said "when I call out your name, you will come forward and take a name from the tin. Aikawa, Seiko"

A plain looking girl wearing plated pigtails and a rather bored expression on her face stood up and edged around the desks towards the front of the class, where she took out a folded piece of paper from Miyoshi's tin. As she made her way back to her seat, she unfolded the paper and glanced at it. Her face dropped even more.

"Asou, Tomoji"

A tall lanky boy with dark brown hair gelled up into spikes stood up and rolled his eyes at Shinya in a way that clearly stated: do you want to strangle him, or shall I? Shinya quickly suppressed a laugh and returned the look with a grin. His friend smirked back before sauntering up to the front and snatching a paper from the tin. Returning to his seat he unfolded it and pulled a look of disgust on his face.

A few more of Shinya's classmates were called forwards to receive a name from the tin. A few pulled faces similar to Tomoji's, while others glared at an oblivious Miyoshi or at the paper itself. Shinya was just observing a pretty girl named 'Harada, Yukie', with long, silky blue-black hair and beautiful emerald green eyes, who returned to her seat, grinned across to him and, with a wink, mouthed what a bore, before Shinya heard Miyoshi say in his usual drawl "Himura, Shinya".

With apprehension, Shinya rose from his own desk and walked around 'Hidaka, Toru', who was making his own way back to his seat, while stepping over someone's bag – he'd suffered enough embarrassment for one day without falling flat on his face in front of everyone as well. Not even glancing at the teacher, Shinya thrust his hand into the tin, clasped a folded paper in his hand and returned to his seat, remembering just in time to step over the bag in the ally. Miyoshi continued to call out the student's names as Shinya slipped back into his chair and looked at the paper now grasped in his fingers. As was Miyoshi's preference, the paper was of a good quality and lightly tinted blue, neatly trimmed and folded to perfection. Carefully he unfolded the flimsy sheet and glanced down at the words.

Hitokiri Battosai

Shinya stared at the words, his amethyst eyes wide. Even though they hadn't studied the Bakumatsu period in class yet, he had heard of this warrior before. Even now there were some tales told about him, passed down from generation to generation. Legends from the Bakumatsu…

According to the legends, if legends were to be believed, the Hitokiri Battosai had been one of the strongest warriors of all time. They said that he had been the reason for the Ishin Shishi victory and, with his bloodstained blade, had slashed open a new age before he vanished – but that was when most of the legends varied. Some said he was seven feet tall with eyes of fire. Some say he was immortal, born of the gods – an angel of death. Others said he used sorcery to defeat thousands upon thousands of men in only a few swings of his katana. However, the few things that each legend agreed on was that the Hitokiri Battosai had hair red as blood and his cheek was marked by a strange, cross shaped scar. Most of it, Shinya was sure, was exaggerated. Who are seven feet tall now, never mind back then 140 years ago? No one, however skilled, could be immortal, though ones of great skill were described to be. And no one had 'eyes of fire', though eyes when glaring with certain intensity could look as if they blazed. Of course, he did believe Battosai could have had red hair. Why not? Though there weren't many full-blooded Japanese around with red hair, Shinya knew that people in his family had been born with red hair, though it did tend to skip some generations – like him for instance.

Finally Miyoshi called out the last name on the register ('Yoshizawa, Rokuro') and pushed it to one side. Once again he addressed the now severally depressed class.

"This project will be marked on content, written and communication skills and will be presented to the class on the first lesson back from the Easter holidays. No Exceptions!" he glared pointedly at Tomoji, who grimaced.

Somewhere around the school the bell sounded, signalling the end of school and the whole class brightened up immensely. "I will see you all on the first day of term. Dismissed."

Thunder roared as the chairs moved back as one and everyone stood up, hastily exiting for their freedom. Everyone chatted pleasantly about the holidays as they exited the dull halls of the school into the sunlight of the grounds, spirits only slightly dampened by the upcoming prospect of the assignment.

Shinya stretched in the sun's warmth and caught up to his friends waiting for him by the school gates. Tomoji was standing arguing (as usual) with a quiet, sullen looking boy with straight black hair and cool, steel-grey eyes, named Keiichi Matsuo, while Yukie waved energetically at Shinya's approach, a large smile on her radiant face. Shinya grinned back and she hugged him. Tomoji and Keiichi stopped arguing immediately.

As they made their way through the gates, Tomoji bounded up to him and lent on his shoulder. "So, Shinya" he said with a glint in his eye "even though old sour puss's lessons are boring, you don't usually fall asleep in them. What ya been doing that you have to fall asleep in the day, huh?" he winked and nudged him suggestively. Shinya rolled his eyes. Trust Tomoji to think of something like that.

Shinya calmly disentangled himself from Tomoji's hold. "Funnily enough, Tomo, not everyone is like you" he said softly " I just… haven't been feeling all that well lately."

"Oooh, You're not sick, are you, Shin?" Yukie reached up and touched him on the forehead, comparing it with her own. "Hn, you're a little warm. Maybe you should get some extra sleep when you get home. See if you can get off kendo practice tonight."

Shinya snorted. "That's really unlikely" he pointed out. Shinya's grandfather, Kiyoshi Himura, was his kendo sensei and a very strict man, especially about the sword. Even if Shinya was dying he doubted his Grandpa would give him a day off.

"Oi, you can't get sick!" Tomoji wailed "Who will help me with this dumb project!"

Yukie glared at Tomoji and hit him hard on the shoulder – he was too tall for her to reach his head. "You jerk!" she shouted "sort out your priorities why don't you!"

"You'll have to do it yourself for once" Keiichi grunted. Yukie calmed down a little at Tomoji's horrified expression and giggled, linking Shinya's arm protectively.

"What? And break my record?" Tomoji faked disgust "you nuts?" they all laughed.

"You're hopeless" Shinya sighed in mock defeat, once he brought his laughter under control.

"Talking about projects, who did you get?" Yukie asked them "I got Kogoro Katsura. I think he was one of the leaders of the Ishin Shishi from Choshu"

"Who-where?"

"Cho-shu, renamed Yamaguchi after the revolution" Yukie said knowledgeably, more slowly for Tomoji's benefit. "Honestly, don't you read?" she sighed hopelessly when he merely shrugged.

"Well, you would know about that, your dad works at the museum."

"Err, Tomoji, I know that too" Shinya pointed out

"And I do" interjected Keiichi

Tomoji paused. "Yeah, well, Your family would know, Shin, it's very…traditional." Shinya merely shrugged at that, knowing it was the truth "and you just would" he growled at Keiichi who grinned wolfishly. "Anyway, I got someone called 'Hajime Saito'. Dunno who he is"

Everyone fell over anime style.

"You're an idiot, you know that" snapped Keiichi "everyone knows that he was captain of the 3rd Shinsengumi unit, one of the great Wolves of Mibu."

"Really!" Tomoji said brightly "and what else did he…"

"You're on your own!"

"So, who'd you get, Kei?" asked Shinya, intrigued.

"Toshimichi Okubo" Keiichi answered "I know he got assassinated in the 11th year of Meiji – should be interesting"

"To you maybe" Tomoji grumbled. Keiichi ignored him.

"And you?"

Shinya hesitated for a moment. What would they say once he told them he got the Legendary Hitokiri to research? Even those who knew almost nothing about history knew the legends of the Battosai. However, everyone was looking at him expectantly. With a deep breath he said in a voice barely above a whisper "Hitokiri Battosai"

It was almost as bad as he expected.

"Awww, why'd you have to get Battosai? The best one!" Tomoji pouted.

"It'll do you some good to find something out for yourself" Keiichi snapped "instead of getting us or someone else to do it for you!"

"Still, it would be even more interesting to figure out the mysteries behind someone like him than Katsura" Yukie said, squeezing his arm "lucky"

"Yeah" Shinya rubbed at his temples, feeling a headache coming on "guess that's what I am…" Kami; he wasn't feeling all that lucky just then.

After a few more minutes they came to a fork in the road. Keiichi and Tomoji waved goodbye to Shinya and Yukie and took the right fork back towards the city, while Shinya and Yukie took the left one. The houses became fewer and the greenery thickened between the traditional styled buildings. Birds twittered in the treetops and the lack of arguments and sound from the cars soothed Shinya's forming headache. They walked slowly, in no hurry to part each other's company or rush to their own chaotic home lives. However comfortable they were together, the moment didn't last and Yukie's house came into sight.

Yukie slowly unlinked arms with him and stared hard into his face. "You get some rest now and get better. It's your birthday soon and I don't want you to be ill on your birthday, got that? And maybe I'll visit you before then, just for the hell of it, and we can do our projects together, see if they sound okay, ne Shinya?"

"Sure!" he needed something about this project to look forward to. "See you later, then!"

"See you later, Shinya." She smiled and kissed him on the cheek before going into the house. Shinya grinned and set off for his own home.

To be continued…

A.N. So, how was my first chapter? Good, bad? Review and give me you opinions.

So, now you've met my main Character, Himura Shinya. Now before you say anything, this isn't a reincarnation fic or anything, but I had to find a way to get Shinya connected to the Kenshin Gumi, so the easiest thing to do was for him to have to study Battosai. Don't worry, this does have some purpose to the story. I'm sorry if any readers prefer fics that start with the RuroKen characters at the start, but I promise, they'll make their appearance soon.

Next time on 'Fading Futures'

Shinya starts on his project to find out about the Battosai, but discovers something astounding in the process. What is it? Find out on the next chapter of Fading Futures: 'Tales of the Battosai'

Mata Aimasho, Minna! See you next time…

Chosha Kurenai xXx