xxX Heartless You XxxChapter 1

She only vaguely remembered the night when the tall man she knew as Sagara Sanosuke had come walking down the path to the Aoiya, supporting the bloody and near-dead Himura Kenshin. In the flurry of events that followed, she only recalled the worry that froze her already fragile heart.

The tall, shadowy man she had loved for so long did not come back. She went about in a daze, those few days, pouring tea for everybody and helping the others with bandages and meals.

When her red-haired friend was allowed to get out of bed, he sought her out. She remembered that she had been sitting in one of the tall trees behind the Aoiya, staring at the perfect blue sky.

The clouds and the sky…they're all so perfect. Here I sit, bound to earth, only able to watch those clouds floating freely. If only I could feel what they are feeling, not just this empty sunlight.

Her thoughts were crystal clear, sounding one at a time and never confusing her. There were not many things she thought about now. She felt as though she was floating in a bubble, apart from the world and from everybody else. The sounds of daily life were now muted to her, no more than a faint nuisance in her ears. Even the colors had all faded to a memory of what they once were. She drifted in this bubble, unmoving in the emptiness that surrounded her.

"Misao-dono?" A gentle voice called to her from what seemed like far away, "Misao-dono, are you alright?"

Misao pulled her gaze from the clouds and cast her gaze downwards. Kenshin's red hair made him easily recognizable, even from her distance. She fixed a smile on her face and waved cheerily to him. He raised a hand in acknowledgement and she proceeded to climb down the tree. Leaping from the lowest branches with a practiced ease, she approached him as casually as she could.

"What is it, Himura?" She inquired, after a small bow of greeting for her friend.

The short man took a deep breath, as if bracing himself for something. "I'm sorry, Misao-dono. We could not find him after the fight. He just…disappeared."

Misao's eyes widened. "Aoshi-sama….no, it can't be."

"I'm so sorry, "Kenshin said in a tone of voice that told her he meant it with all his heart. "I know I promised you I would bring him back, but…"

"No, don't apologize," Misao replied as firmly as she could manage. She lifted her chin and looked Kenshin in the eyes. He saw the gleam in her ocean-blue eyes that showed how she really felt.

"Misao-dono…" He began.

"No, Kenshin," She cut him off gently, her voice strong but he could hear something behind it. "It was not your fault. He is a different man now, and I can accept that. After he attacked Jiya, I made up my mind that I would consider him dead, since he had changed so much."

Her shoulders trembled, and Kenshin reached for her hand, squeezing it and offering comfort as best as he could.

"But when you said," she continued after a rather shaky breath, "when you said you would bring him back, I realized…how much I really…" Her eyes dropped and her shoulders shook again.

"…loved him." The girl finished in a broken voice. Kenshin opened his mouth to say something, but before any words came out, Misao threw herself at him with a sob. Sighing, he gently put his arms around her and patted her hair.

"I shouldn't trouble you like this," she said after a few minutes, pushing herself away from him.

Swiping the back of her hand across her eyes, she raised her face to the sky. A gust of wind blew past the two of them, tugging on Misao's braid and whipping Kenshin's long, loose hair about him.

"I am the Okashira now, and I will be strong." Misao's voice was strong again, firmly pushing the sadness away.

Kenshin gave her a sad little smile and nodded.

"Whenever you need to talk to me, I'll be here, alright?" He offered, "I'll do anything I can to help you if you need it."

Misao gave him her sweet little grin and thanked him. Kenshin hesitated, then bowed and left her to her thoughts.

The wind blew again, stronger now. A tear slid down the petite girl's face as the white clouds blew into shreds, and then seemed to drift out of existence.

A/N: My first fic. I was thinking about whether or not to write an AxM fic for a long time. I'm so proud of myself XD. Please, please, please review! I have most of the story written already, and if enough people review positively, I'll keep posting. P

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin storyline and characters belong to Watsuki-san. Standard disclaimers apply