Disclaimer: Ah, and now for the lovely legalities. I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or anything thereof (darn it), so now no one can sue me. *looks up from script* How was that?
AN: All right. Just to let everyone know, this is set during the Tsuioku Hen OAV. No, Kenshin has not gone back to being Battousai...he just won't, no matter how many times I ask him -_-;; Hope you like it! Enjoy!
"Forever Stained"
Blood. The crimson substance stained the ground and caked his katana. Fallen members of the Shinsengumi were all around him. He looked down. He was drenched in it. His hakama and gi were soaked.
He looked farther down still, at the dead that lay around him. Their mouths were still open. Their last screams still echoing through the air. Their empty, lifeless eyes staring at nothing.
He let his katana fall to the ground and looked at his hands. Like the rest of him, they were covered with blood.
Suddenly, he saw himself, in the distant future. Wanting to be happy, wanting to be free, but not able to be because his hands were stained with the blood of so many.
He began to tremble. He fell to his knees. No one would see him in the dark alleyway, in Kyoto, at midnight. Pride didn't matter here. Protocol didn't matter here. His obligation to be emotionless didn't matter...
Tears came. They fell from his eyes, which had turned from a cold chilling amber to a soft violet. The tears fell onto his hands, smearing the blood, making it a light red, almost orange.
"I can't do this anymore," he thought, "I just can't."
"You have to," said a voice inside him. "You must. There is a war to be won."
"After the war, then. When this is all over, I can leave. I can leave forever. I can leave all of this behind."
"When the war is over, huh? Are you sure that when the war is over, all of this will just go away? All of this death and destruction that you've caused will just disappear?"
"No, I'm...not."
And with that thought echoing in his mind, he stood, sheathed his katana, and walked away, melting back into the darkness that he felt so much a part of.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
AN: So, how'd I do? Review and let me know. ^_^ Constructive criticism is always appreciated, but please don't flame me if you didn't like it. Please? ^^;;
AN: All right. Just to let everyone know, this is set during the Tsuioku Hen OAV. No, Kenshin has not gone back to being Battousai...he just won't, no matter how many times I ask him -_-;; Hope you like it! Enjoy!
"Forever Stained"
Blood. The crimson substance stained the ground and caked his katana. Fallen members of the Shinsengumi were all around him. He looked down. He was drenched in it. His hakama and gi were soaked.
He looked farther down still, at the dead that lay around him. Their mouths were still open. Their last screams still echoing through the air. Their empty, lifeless eyes staring at nothing.
He let his katana fall to the ground and looked at his hands. Like the rest of him, they were covered with blood.
Suddenly, he saw himself, in the distant future. Wanting to be happy, wanting to be free, but not able to be because his hands were stained with the blood of so many.
He began to tremble. He fell to his knees. No one would see him in the dark alleyway, in Kyoto, at midnight. Pride didn't matter here. Protocol didn't matter here. His obligation to be emotionless didn't matter...
Tears came. They fell from his eyes, which had turned from a cold chilling amber to a soft violet. The tears fell onto his hands, smearing the blood, making it a light red, almost orange.
"I can't do this anymore," he thought, "I just can't."
"You have to," said a voice inside him. "You must. There is a war to be won."
"After the war, then. When this is all over, I can leave. I can leave forever. I can leave all of this behind."
"When the war is over, huh? Are you sure that when the war is over, all of this will just go away? All of this death and destruction that you've caused will just disappear?"
"No, I'm...not."
And with that thought echoing in his mind, he stood, sheathed his katana, and walked away, melting back into the darkness that he felt so much a part of.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
AN: So, how'd I do? Review and let me know. ^_^ Constructive criticism is always appreciated, but please don't flame me if you didn't like it. Please? ^^;;