About: Twisted version of the final OVA
Dislaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin; some lucky Japanese guy, who is not me, does.
Warning: DISTURBING CONTENT

for souzo

And he stares blankly.

As I open up his chest and gut him slowly with the cleanest swipes.

His pinky-blue innards are everywhere, smeared across the dingy rice-walls and somehow a bit hit the ceiling.

I guess I'll have to clean a little more than I though.

I wanted to save him, really I did, but he was dying.

And he needed to die; now.

Being the friend that I am, killing him swiftly was a blessing.

Really.

When I bring his body back to Kaoru, she cries and screams: "Kenshin!" like she loved him with every ounce of her heart. She staggers into Yahiko and he catches her dutifully and doesn't let her faint in public, but I can see that he's about to be sick.

Little girl, you don't know love.

Love is festering yourself in hate of another being so undoubtedly innocent of the claims you're placing on his head but you'll put them there anyway because they killed him.

They killed him like I killed you and now you're dead and that disease won't ever get you because you're dead.

Dead like Souzo and dead like me.

I lay him for the crows to peck and the sun to burn, out on the steps of the dojo, and watch as the sky turns pale like the night they took him: snatched his head from his shoulders to place on a dirty pike and I said I'd kill him: the imperial pet, Battōsai, whose fault it was and is and will be forever.

So now all you'll ever do is stare.

And I can finally die in peace.

fin