Hello, minna-san! I hope you enjoy this story. It's an a/u, where two different worlds of rich and poor live on one island. A far cry from regular Kenshin fics, but give it a try, ne? And please review my very first kenshin fic! -Acadamosby Disclaimers: Standard. I don't own Kenshin or Once on this Island. I just borrowed the characters for a few pages.

** Denotes song lyrics **

Once on this Island Chapter 1: One small girl

**One small girl, in a tree torn from her mother, crying in fright. One small girl, tossed by sea and left to face the stormy night. One small girl, holding tight.**

A sigh of relief spread through out the poor fishing village when the sun appeared over the horizon, signaling that the terrible storm had finally ended. Many huts washed away, many peasants drowned in the angry waters. The ones who had made it through were faced with a terrible sight. Soggy wood strewn everywhere, bits and pieces of broken glass and fishing nets were blown every which way. Half of the huts had survived the storm, but the other half of them were completely destroyed. Yet the entire village had faced the challenge together, coming to the aid of those needing to be helped or rescued. People were clearing away debris, while others were gathering materials to construct new huts. The clinic was aiding to the injured, and the healthy were aiding the clinic. An entire community pulling together to repair the impoverished village. And among the hustle and bustle, an older pair of peasants, a man and his wife, were picking their way through the rubble, hand in hand, looking for people who had not received aid. Hideaki, a poor older man, who organized the fishing schedules for the village through his knowledge and experience, and his faithful wife Michiko, who stood by him unhindered through both the bad and the good. "Listen to the birds, Hideaki. The sun is smiling again. Last night, the wind almost blew our heads off!" She smiled at him, for they were lucky and their meager hut was spared. His kind eyes smiled back at her, matching the grin on her face. He opened his mouth to say something, but noticed his wife looking past his shoulder, into the tree. "Look! Up there!" She gestured quietly. Hideaki turned around, allowing his eyes to follow her finger at the tree, and to his amazement, in the branches, a terrified young girl sat, gripping onto the trunk with both arms. She wore peasant clothing, a child's simple brown top with a child's faded blue skirt. Her raven-colored hair was swept back into a ponytail, and a scruffy pair of sandals adorned her feet. She was observing all of this through bright blue eyes, which were scared, yet relieved, at the same time. "Are you okay?" Michiko asked, doing her best to keep her voice steady and calm, and kept perfect eye contact as she lifted her arms as an offer to help the poor child down. The little girl just nodded, still clutching the tree. Her husband came and helped her lift the kid out of the tree, returning her feet to solid ground. "I fear that she's an orphan," Hideaki said in hushed tones. Seeing the glint in his wife's eye, he shook his head. "But we are too old for children! We have no room and no food." But he didn't finish. The child had wrapped her arms around his neck, in a silent hug, and he found himself not wanting to let go of her. "Alright. She's coming home with us." He stood up, lifting the girl onto his back, and she clapped her hands as he gave her a shoulder ride all the way back to their little hut, while Michiko smiled happily besides him.

**One small girl, everyday constantly hungry, learning too quick. One small girl hard at play She makes them smile and scares them sick And they scolded and teased and held her, and mended the clothes she tore And the hut was crowded and food was scarce, yet somehow their lives held more. One small girl, to live for.** They had named her Kaoru. Her bright radiant smile that touched her eyes made her 'parents' smile. And for thirteen years, they loved her as she were their own. She learned quickly, and was often lost in daydreams or books while she helped her mother in the garden, or her father with chores around their modest hut. And at the age of eighteen, she made her parents proud. She had become a slender, beautiful girl, who could be outgoing and cheerful, or quiet and peaceful.

**One small girl, not so small, lost in those daydreams, day after day. Call her name, no don't call, her ears don't hear, she's far away. And I know that she's getting older, and I know that it's meant to be. Yet my arms can't hold her and keep her small, yet all that my heart can see Is one small girl, in a tree.**

Kaoru had gone to bed early that night. She had had a re-occurring dream, born from the tales that her parents told her of her childhood. She was spared from an angry flood, for some reason yet unknown. She remembered that she had been found in a tree that morning, but what had previously happened was foggy. Yet in her dream, she was a small child, lost and alone in a pounding rain, nowhere to hide from the terrible storm. But someone gently had grabbed her hand, leading her to the safety of a large tree; its branches thick and strong to minimize the wind and rain. "Wait!" She had cried, reaching out to her unfamiliar savior. With the blackness of night closing in, and the rain hazing her vision, all she could make out was a flash of beautiful violet eyes, an encouraging hand sweeping across flame-colored bangs, only to reveal the most puzzling cross- shaped scar on his left cheek. Kaoru sat up, gasping for breath. This haunting dream was getting to her. But in the middle of the night, with the smell of rain on the air, it had seemed to be playing itself right before her eyes. She wrapped a light jacket around her, stepping quietly out of her tiny room, tip-toeing out of the house after listening to the gentle snoring of her parents, ensuring that they were asleep. She wanted to go somewhere, anywhere, as long as it was out of her room. Something, she could feel it. Something was going to happen and soon.

TBC.

Alright, I know this chapter was a little slow, but the setting and characters had to be set. The next few chapters should be a little more interesting. Please be patient, and let me know if I've got a good start!

Acadamosby