Samurai X: The scar

by: Ramoe Ayna

Prolog

In samurai X, Kenshin had already died. They had a son named Kenji, but I don't think it really mattered what happened next cause Kenshin was already dead. But Kenji must have had a child as well, what happened with that? So I thought I would make up a story myself, to just make that up. So yeah... I hope you all enjoy.

Story

Kenji and Chizuru had moved into the dojo to live there lives. Kenji wanted a child. When Umeko was born, Kenji never really talked about his parents. He did talk about Kaoru, a small amount but never once talked about Kenshin. Whenever Umeko asked about him, Kenji told her to leave. Chizuru always said that Kenji never really talked about his dad. This is where our story really starts.

On a warm morning, when Umeko opened her eyes, she looked at the ceiling and sighed. When she got up, something red dripped onto her blanket from her face. At first she thought it was her dreams playing a trick on her, so she ignored it. When she began to put on her clothes, she felt something drip from her face and more red covered her shirt. Umeko felt her face and put her hand down. There, embedded in her hand with blood, was a cross shape. Umeko screamed a loud and painful scream that coated the day in terror. Chizuru and Kenji ran into her room, and looked at her. Kenji grabbed a wash cloth and wiped the blood from her face, forcefully and hard.

"Father! Stop!" said Umeko. He was rubbing the skin on her face off.

"No child of mine with have this!" yelled Kenji and he pushed on her face harder.

"Kenji!" yelled Chizuru. She pulled on Kenji's arm for him to stop. "Stop it!"

"Why did you do this to yourself! Huh!" yelled Kenji into Umeko's ear.

"I didn't!" Umeko yelled back to her father.

Kenji calmed down and Umeko put a bandage on her face. When Kenji walked off to think, Chizuru and Umeko had some time to themselfs.

"Your father didn't mean to hurt you." said Chizuru, wiping the floors of the dojo.

"I will forgive him." said Umeko. "He just has to forgive himself."

Kenji came back around night time, and put Umeko in a room. He locked the door to his and Chizuru's. Kenji told her everything, he told Chizuru about Kenshin. Every detail, down to the scar. Chizuru gasped and told him that it must be his way of showing he will not be forgotten.

"No," said Kenji. "No child of mine will ever bare that scar." Kenji got up and slipped food under the door to Umeko's room. He talked through the door.

"You will stay in that room until I say so, I will slip food under your door." said Kenji. "This is your punishment."

"For what, Father?" asked Umeko, taking the food under her door.

"Him." said Kenji walking off.

"Kenji..." said Chizuru, trying to take his hand but he pushed her away. She ran to the door, and tried to open the lock but it wouldn't budge. "Your Father still has the key."

"I can forgive him." said Umeko sitting down with the soup looking out the window. "As long as he can forgive himself."

A day went by, and Umeko's pillow became bloody. Chizuru took it and washed it profusely, but the stain would not come out. Kenji held his own and kept Umeko inside the room. Chizuru told him, cursed him, and begged him to let Umeko out of the room. All Umeko said was: "I forgive Father, as long as he can forgive himself."

During the weeks that followed, Umeko had thought about many things. About what was the this wound she had gotten? Why was her father afraid of it? Why did this happen? Soon, she became indifferent, she banged on the door to get out with all her might. Kenji ignored her and left her in there. After a full month, Umeko fell into a state of which nothing could reach. When Chizuru tried talking to her through the door, Umeko acted as if no one was there.

In Umeko's room, there was a sword she hadn't seen before. She first saw it when she was laying down and watching out the window. Umeko picked it up and unsheathed it, the blade was on the wrong side. She looked at her face in the swords reflection. The cross on her face became a scar. It had stopped bleeding, and was looking at her. Umeko sheathed the sword and threw it across the room. She cried in her own arms and soon fell sleeping in her tears.

Umeko heard words, someone was saying something. She opened her eyes and reached her hand up to grab the air. A soft hand took hers and held it tight. Umeko looked over and saw a red haired man, holding her hand. He was wearing a red shirt and had lavender eyes.

"You are not Father," said Umeko. "He has blue eyes."

"My name is Shinta." said the man. "I am your grandfather." Umeko gasped in terror. She pulled her hand away and backed up into the wall. She felt her scar bleeding again, and wiped it on her sleeve.

"Father does not have a father!" yelled Umeko. "He only had a mother! Obaasan Kaoru!"

"She is so beautiful." said a woman behind her. A long black haired woman, came from behind her.

"Obaasan Kaoru." said Umeko. She held onto Kaoru's waist and hugged her. "Get this man away from me."

"You look just like him," said Kaoru, brushing hair out from Umeko's eyes. "The red hair, the lavender eyes. And now, the scar."

"Obaasan..." said Umeko in almost a whisper. Everything around her seemed to freeze, one small firefly came into the room and Umeko watched it. "Ojiisan..." Shinta looked up. "Tell me your tale. Please," tears came to her eyes. "Father never told me what happened to you. He barely spoke of you. Please tell me of your life."

Shinta spoke slowly and quietly telling of his life. He started when his name was Shinta, and ended when he died in Kaoru's arms. Umeko looked at the ground in tears and, when Shinta was finished, she looked up at him. Kaoru watched Umeko with kinda eyes, and smiled at her.

"Ojiisan..." said Umeko. She got up and hugged Shinta around the neck. "Your life has so much turmoil. I wish I could do something. I am sorry."

"Umeko." said Shinta. "It is your job to tell my story, tell the story Kenji has yet to say."

"Ojiisan." said Umeko. She backs away and kisses Shinta in the lips. "I love you."

"I love you too, Magomusume." said Shinta giving Umeko one big hug.

"Obaasan." said Umeko, giving Kaoru a kiss on the lips. "I love you."

"I love you as well, Magomusume." said Kaoru.

Suddenly, Umeko felt very heavy. She laid back down on her futon, while Shinta put the covers over her and kissed her forehead. He felt her cheek and rubbed it. Umeko could feel the scar on her face, and smiled. A world of warmth rushed around her, Umeko closed her eyes and Shinta disappeared.

"Bye, Ojiisan." Umeko whispered before she left.

Umeko opened her eyes, and there was food under her door. She heard somebody walk by. Umeko stood up and knocked on her door, the person froze and faced the door.

"I want to fight you father." said Umeko.

"If that is what you wish." said Kenji on the other side. He opened the door and looked at his daughter for the first time in two months. She had grown up a little. Her face still that of a child but, in her eyes a wisdom that could surpass the most intelligent man. Kenji looked at her and smiled. "It is good to hear you talk again."

"I will fight you with this." said Umeko holding up the reversed sword she had found in the room. Kenji's eyes widened as he remembered when Yahiko had given it to him.

"Fine then." said Kenji. He opened the door wider and Umeko stepped out of the room for the first time in two months. She breathed in the fresh air, not at all like the stale musty air in the room. Chizuru dropped the plate of food, and gasped. She ran over and hugged Umeko.

"I am so glad you are alright." she said.

"Let us go to the training area," said Kenji walking past her. "It will be bigger and easier to fight in."

"Kenji..." said Chizuru. Umeko clasped her hand.

"It will be alright mother." said Umeko. "That it will."

Chizuru watched as her daughter walked into the training area of the dojo. She followed inside. Kenji took out a regular Katana and held it in the ready position. Umeko had no training, no fights before this one, nothing. Yet she knew how to hold the sword in her hand, and in the right stance. Kenji was the first to attack, he ran right up to Umeko and tried to land a blow on her shoulder. Umeko blocked with speed of a god, and jabbed the end of the sword into Kenji's stomach. She brought the back of it up to knock his chin, and then took a blow at his liver.

Kenji fell to the ground, beaten, and bleeding. Chizuru ran over but, Kenji held his hand up. He looked up at Umeko.

"Is this revenge?" he asked. Umeko bent down and hugged him around his neck, the cheek with the scar closest to his face.

"I can forgive you father, if you can forgive yourself." said Umeko. Kenji's eyes widened, and he let go of his fake strength. Kenji wrapped his hands around his daughter for the first time in his life. Kenji cried, for the first time as well, on Umeko's shoulder.

"Father," said Umeko holding onto Kenji tightly. "Let me tell his tale. Let me tell Shinta's tale to the world, I am not ashamed. I bare this scar as a reminder to you but, you have other duties. I will tell of Kenshin's tale to the world."

"No," said Kenji. "I will not let you not be there like he was. I want you to be here, by my side and to never go away. Never leave." Umeko let go of Kenji and looked at him. Her lavender eyes sparkled and Kenji shook. It was like he was looking at his father, again.

"Father," said Umeko. "I will listen but know, I will tell whoever asks of Ojiisan's past. That I will."

Chizuru smiled and hugged both of them. In the year to follow, Kenji and Chizuru had more kids. A set of twins, both male. One day, when Kenshin and Shinta asked where Umeko got the scar on her face, she told them the two stories, Shinta's and her own. Whenever she would finish, she would look up in the sky at Shinta and Kaoru. She would smile and the scar would bleed just a little.