Hey, fanfiction fiends. Motokonobaka here with a ficlet series, inspired by Samuraiko's very own "Dancing With Snowflakes!" I know, I should be working on Ken No Ronin, but I just had to develop a few things further with this series. This is meant to be a companion series to "Ken No Ronin", so original characters and situations from that story will be referenced. Please read "Ken No Ronin" for clarification!
Rangiku Kotetsu from Ken No Ronin belongs to me. Everything else I do not own.
Sun on the Path
"Repent!"
When Hayashida Heihachi betrayed his platoon, he had only one thing in mind as he saw the carnage and smoke.
Guilt.
He was guilty, and he had killed by cowardly revealing his troops' plans to the other side.
So he ran. He hijacked a one-pilot fighter craft and soared into the sky. He was sick of it all. Honor be dammned. He never wanted to bring death again.
It wasn't long before the injured craft was spotted by an airborne platoon. Whether the platoon was on "his side" or "the other side", he didn't bother to find out. He took evasive action, prompting the aircraft fleet to open fire on him. They probably thought he was a spy.
I'm sick of this. I don't care anymore.
Hit! He was hit, and falling fast. Swearing, Heihachi wrestled with the landing gear, managing to land none too gently in a forest.
"Damn!" He kicked the door of the aircraft and got out. The sky was red, and he could smell smoke. Curious, he walked out of the clearing to investigate.
"Oh, kami…no…"
It was a village. Dead bodies lay every which way, piled up on top of one another. The buildings roared with fire, casting the smell of burning flesh into the air. Heihachi gagged and turned away, running from the horrifying sight.
"Come back…"
Heihachi froze. He had heard a faint voice coming from behind him…
"Come back…you…bastard…"
Heihachi turned. There on the ground was a twelve year old girl, clad in a villager's dress. She clutched a wooden sword in her hands, her golden, sun-blazing eyes wide with shock and pain.
Her back was completely slashed to the bone.
Heihachi staggered backwards, amazed that the girl was even alive. The girl raised a hand up, evidently not seeing what was in front of her.
"I'm…going to kill you…I'm going…to kill you…traitor…"
Heihachi gasped and scrambled backwards once more, heart pounding. The little girl shuddered once and fainted.
"Kyuzo…you…traitor…"
The mechanic forced himself to calm down, inching closer to the strange child.
She's not talking about me. But…I am…a traitor…
He bent down and listened. The child was still breathing.
She wants revenge against someone who betrayed her, huh?
Heihachi bit his lip. He went back to the aircraft and retrieved the medic's kit from the cockpit, and returned to the child.
"I want to get back at a traitor, too." He told the comatose girl. "I'll help you, that I will. You see, the traitor I want to kill is…"
He lifted up the child and started to clean her wounds.
"Myself."
