Rurouni Kenshin/Fanfic Recs

Proof that the remaining 10% is worth dying for here:

These are recommendations made by Tropers for Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fics, all of which have to be signed to stay on the page. Feel free to add a fanfic of your own to the list, but remember to use the template found here.

Do warn when a fanfic may head into non-canon territory. Some people just don't like it, and as we all know, Shipping is Serious Business. You can also add to the current recommendations if you want. Refrain from posting Conversation in the Main Page though; that goes in the discussion page.

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Authors and Websites

Pretty much everything by Vathara

• Recommended by Shisuikami and Tannim
• Stories to note are the Blades of Blood series. She also has an excellent crossover with Star Wars. She's the queen of the mega-crossover, too. Something here for everyone.
• Seconded by Singollo_Lomien with particular emphasis on Shadows in Starlight, a Star Wars/Rurouni Kenshin fusion.

Fox in the Stars

• Recommended by: hille13
• Comment: This writer's Soujiro fanfiction is by far the best I have ever encountered. It is about the Tenken after the Kyoto-arc.

General Fics

Stories focused on the family and the friendly relationships of the cast. Plot-focused stories or light day-in-the-life stories. Pretty much anything that isn't focused on romance.

Swordsmen

• Recommended by sablin27
• Synopsis: A Rurouni Kenshin/Highlander crossover. It's a story about love, and loss, and moving on, with Kenshin as an Immortal. And you get one guess what Kenshin's opinion of The Game is!
• Comments: The story doesn't require knowledge of Highlander, but it is set at a point where all the Rurouni Kenshin characters except Kenshin are long dead, so all the story's characters are dead or original characters. That said, the story gives an interesting look at Kenshin through a stranger's eyes and contains plenty of action without drawn-out descriptions of fights.
  • There is a prequel, A Life Lived (a not-quite-complete account of Kenshin as an Immortal) and two sequels, Walk Not Alone (Thirteen years of no contact later, Kenshin wanders in whilst looking for a damsel in distress.) and A Rurouni Goes to College(An 160-year-old Immortal goes to college. You'd think he was old enough to know better.)
• Warnings: Violence level is about what you'd expect of Rurouni Kenshin. A couple of hetereo-normal relationships are seen, with the occurrence of smut implied.
  • The other stories in the series are equally or less violent, but some contain non-graphic abusive/non-consensual relationships and pedophilia. There is also some frank sexual discussion and a homosexual couple among the cast, in case anyone is bothered by those being considered acceptable.

The Cat That Danced With Death by DB Sommer

• Recommended by Selryam
• Synopsis: Set sometime in the future; Kenshin, living peacefully with his wife and kids, must face the one foe he cannot best: Death.

Out of Time and all its related fics by Sirius Fan 13

• Recommended by Tensa-chan
• Synopsis: "During a trip to Kyoto with his friends, Himura Kenshin winds up in deep water... thirteen years in the past. How will Kenshin deal with the Revolution again? And how will his friends deal with Battousai, who has traded places with him?"- author's blurb
• Comments: A good read, with an interesting concept.

Kyuushutsu by Terry-Mc Elrath

• Recommended by A Troper
• Synopsis: Katsura Kogorou, leader of the Choshu Clan, is captured and under a death sentence! Can Kenshin find and rescue him before he is executed? Set during the Bakumatsu, after Tomoe's death.

Against a Sea of Troubles by Hakubaikou

• Recommended by A Troper
• Synopsis: A red-haired, amber-eyed stranger washes up on shore in a small, seaside village.

Hajime and Tokio by Angrybee

• Recommended by Ultra Sonic 007
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: The story of the life, and love, which grew between an unlikely couple. Follows Saitou and Tokio from the Genji era through and past the Rurouni Kenshin tale.

The Choshu Chronicles by omasuoniwabanshi

• Recommended by Elenor
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: A realistic telling of the war after Tomoe's death.
• Comments: Like I said, a realistic telling. Deals with the war, people involved, old vs. new, Eastern vs. Western, just to name a few topics. Very good.

Light of the Snow Red Village by Akai Kitsune

• Recommended by Elenor
• Synopsis: What if Tomoe and Kenshin had a daughter? After Tomoe dies Kenshin takes to wandering with the light of his life.
• Comments: Currently incomplete. Mainly talking about life before the series beginning. Now we're in the actual series. Kenshin and his daughter are both lovable and realistic.

Puppet Master by Lady Rhiyana

• Recommended by Elenor
• Synopsis: Dabbles about the relationship between Katsura and Kenshin.
• Comments: Very interesting. I particularly liked three, seven, and ten.

Frozen Moonlight by JaneDrew

• Recommended by Zashiki-Warashi
• Synopsis: In high school, Kaoru Kamiya escaped from a demon. Five years later, she meets a man who looks awfully familiar...

Hard Times by Nagia

• Recommended by Shisuikami
• Synopsis: "She's got a scar where he cut her; she bled where he touched her; she left that town and never went back. But Misao can't stop thinking, "If I..." and she can't stop wondering if what he did stains her."
• Comments: This one's a hard read, but ultimately worth it. She uses a light touch to drive her point in deep. Warning for rape aftermath.

Heart of a Sword by Knight-Dawn

• Recommended by knightdawn
• Synopsis: "The early adventures of one Himura Kenji. He really causes his parents a lot of trouble, oro. But everyone loves him anyway! Fluff abound, as usual when concerning little Kenji. Leads in to Path of Swords." Kenshin and Kaoru pairing, of course, with a few moments here and there between them. Set when Kenji's 5-6, after the end of the manga.

Shipping Fics

Stories focused on the romantic relationships between the cast.

Keneko by Shirou Shinjin

• Recommended by Lady Nomad
• Pairings: Kenshin/Kaoru
• Synopsis: After Enishi's Jinchuu, Kenshin is scared of hurting Kaoru. He makes a wish, and unfortunately it gets granted... bit funny, bit WAF Fy, all silly.

Merciful Dreams and Merciful Dreams Side Stories by Peacebunnie

• Recommended by Selryam
• Pairings: Kenshin/Tomoe
• Synopsis: "Kenshin wakes with full knowledge of Kiyosato and Tomoe before he ever sees them. The future has changed. Welcome to the war." -from FF.net summary

Size Matters by The Alchemists Daughter

• Recommended by bluerockerdragongirl
• Pairings: Mainly Sanosuke/Megumi with some Kenshin/Kaoru
• Synopsis: "No longer a one-shot! Sano is a hooker, who gets picked up by the richest, and the coldest, customer of his career. But he doesn't turn her down, of course!" - FF.net Summary