If Only to Save You
Chapter 1: Foreboding
Himura Kenshin opened his eyes expecting to find himself in his own room, but instead he found himself in a highly decorated room in the Emperor's palace. The paintings on the shoji doors and walls told him so. They were intricately painted with creatures that only lived in China, such as the great white tiger. He turned around and found that he was not alone in this room, rather he saw himself standing at the entranceway of the room. His other self stared across the room at another unseen being with intense amber eyes. Kenshin followed the gaze to find that it was a woman kneeling on the floor with her head bowed. It was then he realized he couldn't see her face. However, the many layers of kimono she wore, and the crown adorning her hair, told him that she had to be the empress or else the daughter of an emperor. What scared him about the scene was that his other self was covered in blood. That same dark red that covered the shoji doors behind him.
What in the blazes was going on?
"Do you think," The woman's voice pierced through the silence. That voice held a sorrow that Kenshin had never heard before. "Do you think this could have ended differently?" She finished her question and raised her head to the man that stood across the room. The ornaments from her crown dangled with her slight movement.
"I wish it could have." Was the reply from Kenshin's lethal form.
The woman took a deep breath before slowly standing up from her position. To Kenshin who was watching the scene, the movement seemed to take a great deal of effort. But finally she stood up straight and while Kenshin could not see her face, he knew she was smiling. That knowledge scared him. How could he know such a detail when he could not see her face?
"I am glad that I got to see you again," She moved her way closer to her assassin. Her stride across the room was graceful and confident. "My only wish is that you weren't burdened with this task." She stopped just in front of Kenshin as she finished speaking.
"What are doing?" Kenshin yelled at the woman. If the blood was any indication of what was about to happen, Kenshin could not fathom why the woman would put herself so close to danger.
"This isn't how it's supposed to end." Kenshin whispered to the woman. His voice was filled with regret that was emphasized through the gentle caress of his fingers on her cheek. "None of this," Kenshin choked on his words, "had anything to do with you."
"If I had not chosen to take this responsibility," She placed her hand over his. "Then another would have had to meet this fate." She kissed his palm. "No one deserves this."
"Neither do you!" He shouted at her, pulling away.
"This is my fate, Kenshin." She stepped back from him, her tears silently falling down her cheek. "Please..."
Both of them were silent, and that silence was killing Kenshin as he observed the scene. Why was he seeing this? What did this have to do with anything? Kenshin didn't want to believe he was about to witness himself killing someone. It wasn't possible! Especially if there was another way...
"Is this really the only way to save you?" Kenshin asked through his tears. The tears glistened in the remaining light that was in the room.
The woman's only answer was to close her eyes and bow her head to Kenshin. Reluctantly he raised his sword over his head. "Forgive me..."
"No!" Kenshin shouted, which caused his other self to stop abruptly and turn to the source of the sound. Soon everything faded away from his vision and soon he was left with original surroundings: the plain walls of his master's dojo. It was then that Kenshin remembered he had been training when he decided to meditate. Somehow the meditation had triggered something else entirely, instead of clearing his thoughts.
Kenshin wiped the cold sweat from his forehead as he started to rediscover himself. His heart was beating rapidly, as was his breathing. Everything about his mind was in turmoil, but when he finally managed to collect his thoughts, they all landed on one question: What had just happened?