Disclaimer- Unfortunately for me, Rurouni Kenshin and all of the characters/sequence of events that you recognize do not belong to me. If it did, then there would be more Sou-chan in the series. Apparently, that isn't true in this world so I'll go dwell in my own Fantasy Land.

Oh yeah, I do own Mieko though I kind of based her on San, from Mononoke Hime, although I'm not going to make Mieko hate human beings…

The song lyrics I'm using in this chapter (and possibly later chapters) are from Namida wa Shitteru (Tears Know), which is sang by Mayo Suzukaze, Kenshin's voice actress (Although this story focuses on Soujiro (Wow, that was a long sentence)).

AN-This is the first time I am actually trying to FINISH a story. With this being the first fanfic I'm going to post since I ran out of ideas for all the other stories I've managed to begin—but have not thought of a plot…yet. Actually, in the middle they somehow warp into some of my other obsessions like Cardcaptor Sakura or Lord of the Rings (They don't belong to me either!).

Lilac Fire Blossom

By Meii-chan

Chapter 1- Reawakening Spring

"Hiten Mitsuruugi Ryuu, Ama Kekeru Ryu no Hirameki!"

            The impact of Himura Kenshin's succession technique overpowered the Shun Ten Satsu. As a result, Seta Soujiro, the Heavenly Sword, went flying across the room, hitting the ground with a dull thud.

Kenshin stood up from the finishing stance of the ougi, feeling a little lightheaded, for he had truly walked the line between life and death. Sanosuke came up and asked if he was all right.

"Yes, I'm fine," he replied, "How's Soujiro?"

They both glanced across the room towards the fallen Tenken, who now resting on Yumi's lap. A strange sound caught Kenshin's attention, and he want to investigate, instinctively putting his hand over the hilt of his sakabatou. He slid the shoji door open and saw a figure in pink crying. He then released his hold on the sword.

She was wearing a very strange outfit—a light pink kimono, magenta hakama, and a yellow obi with an enormous bow. Her dark, shadowy hair was in a loose braid hanging halfway down her back.

"Daijoubu ka?" he asked her.

"Iie," she looked up and snapped, "you killed Soujiro-chan!

Kenshin felt a sweatdrop forming on the side of his head, "Demo, I used a Sakaba sword, he's not dead…"

"What's that? I never heard of it before. The sword you used certainly looked like a sword." The girl who was crying a second before was now staring at Kenshin with dusty pink eyes that resembled those of a puppy.

"Oro…the blade on a sakabatou is reversed, so he wasn't severed in half when I attacked him…" The rurouni displayed another "Oro face" as he watched the pink girl walk over to Soujiro and wave her hand in front of his face.

"Well, he looks dead." She finally concluded.

An irritated Sanosuke began to think that she was indeed very, VERY, dumb. To further prove his point, he decided to ask her a question, which turned out to be…

"Do you know what 'dead' means?"

"Of course," she struck a 'I-know-everything' look," It means not living. "The sound of people face-faulting could be heard throughout the room. "Oh, and you can stop calling me 'you.' My name is Himemori Mieko."

"Mieko-dono," Kenshin inquired, "What are you doing at Shishio Makoto's base?"

"Huh? Oh, that… I'm the replacement for Soujiro-chan in case he is caught by the government or something. Of course, he wasn't ever captured so I'm stuck here being bored… Whoops, I wasn't supposed to say that…"

"A killer that doesn't even know how to tell a dead person from a living person… That's something new." Sano mused to himself.

Soujiro chose that moment to gain consciousness.

"Oh, so you're not dead!" exclaimed Mieko, winning sweatdrops from Kenshin, Sano, and Yumi.

Soujiro chose to ignore Mieko's never-ending ramblings and said quietly, "To not kill, how could you have such a perfect counter? It's almost unfair."

Yumi gasped. "Unfair? Boy, you're…"

Soujiro continued, speaking in a tired voice, "When you've heaped lie upon lie, you have to break them down all at once. I was wrong, this battle gave me the answer. You won Himura-san, so you must be right. Right?"

"No, I wasn't," replied Kenshin, "If being strong and winning makes you right, it is Shishio who you should believe. If you could find the truth by fighting one or two times, then everyone's way of living would be right. The true answer comes not from fighting, but from living your life as you repent for your sins."

"Sort of like you?" Soujiro asked. Kenshin nodded slowly.

"Himura-san," Soujiro said with a smile on his face, "you're a harsh man. You're a much harder task-maker than Shishio-san was." Then he pointed towards a door on the opposite side of the room, "There is a corridor there that leads to Shishio-san's room, so you won't need Yumi to guide you anymore."

Kenshin nodded and with Sanosuke, left to find Shishio.

"Boy, are you alright now?" Yumi, along with Mieko, gazed anxiously at him. "I have to leave for the next fight."

"Hai, don't worry Yumi-san, there's a secret passage that will take you straight to Shishio-san. Hurry, and tell Shishio-san before they get there…the true power of the Ama Kekeru Ryu no Hirameki."

"Its…true power?"

 "Yes. On that final attack I saw what made the attack more powerful than mine."

"Which was…?"

"Usually, when one executed battoujutsu, they lead with the right leg. However, the Ama Kekeru Ryu no Hirameki is taken with a step with the left foot instead of the right. But stepping with that left foot, there is a chance of cutting your leg off. Of course, Himura-san wouldn't cut himself, so that last step is taken at the last fleeting second. To execute it correctly, you have to have a perfectly focused mind, because you are walking the line between life and death. Without that step, the Ama Kekeru Ryu no Hirameki would be impossible."

"So if I tell Shishio-sama that, then all he has to do is watch Himura's left foot and he would know when the attack is coming. Don't worry boy." Yumi stood up to leave.

"Oh, you will find a wakizashi over there Yumi-san. Shishio-san gave it to me ten years ago. I've treasured it for these ten years. Take it and the secret to Shishio-san."

"Boy…"

"Back then, it was Shishio-san's truth and the sword that saved me. That would always be true. But like Himura-san said, I have to find my own truth now." Soujiro's voice quivered. "That's why…I'll be…saying goodbye."

"Yes, that's best for you." replied Yumi, picking up the sheathed weapon, "Bye. Take care."

"And I'm coming with you!" Mieko suddenly hopped up from her seated position and exclaimed. She bounded to Soujiro and latched her arm to his, because it is possible to be mortally wounded by a reverse-blade sword.

Soujiro felt something well up in his eyes, which he didn't recognize at the time. They stung his eyes as he blinked a few times and then flowed out. He did not bother wiping them away; the entire world could see that he had emotions now.

"No, I'm not crying…it's just the rain…" His denial of the fact that he had been crying long ago created the Tenken, the merciless killer who killed whoever was weak. Kimi ga namida ni yureru toki, -When you did nothing but weep, Dousureba iin darou. -I was at a loss.

Mieko was just plain surprised. Never in her fourteen-year-long life had Soujiro shown any emotion. Of course, Soujiro was constantly off on one of Shishio's assassination trips, so she didn't see him that much, but still…

Soujiro stepped out of the room with Mieko, and then he stopped, feeling a different ki nearby—one that was not his, strong, and ominous. Out of the shadows of the hall came the wolf of Mibu—Saitou Hajime.

As golden eyes scanned the defeated Tenken, the mouth curved into a smirk, showing his bloodlust. And then, his eyes found something he did not expect: A determined-to-protect-whoever Mieko holding what appeared to be a rectangular shinai. Obviously the girl wasn't too clueless, as she could guess which people were dangerous and which were not.

Saitou knew that the pink girl with a stick would be no match for him, and neither would be the injured Tenken, but he had to find Shishio in time for the final battle. Then he walked past a confused Mieko and an equally baffled Soujiro.

"Huh? I thought you were going to attack us…" murmured Mieko in a small voice towards Saitou's back.

"It's Battousai's job to kill Soujiro in the end. I'm not finishing his job for him." Saitou turned around and smirked at Mieko, "Hana-onna."

Mieko sweatdropped. "Is that a compliment or an insult?" she wondered to herself and to Soujiro, she said "Soujiro-chan, let's get out of this place…"

A few minutes later they were outside on the slopes of Mount Hiei.

"Konnichiwa! Anji-san!" Mieko's face lit up as she saw a familiar face outside.

"Mieko-chan, I suppose Soujiro-kun was beaten?" the monk asked her.

"Um, yeah…Are you psychic?"

"No I'm not. Though I do know this: If somehow Himura-san and his group of friends don't succeed in defeating Shishio-sama, Shishio-sama will star his revenge by coming after you."

"Oh darn," Soujiro thought, "maybe I shouldn't of revealed the secret to Himura-san's succession technique…"

"Oh I see," said Mieko, " what about you?"

"I'm going to turn myself into the police to repent for all the people I've killed," Anji replied, "You might want to go to that forest to avoid Shishio-sama's revenge."

"Okay, have a nice time! No wait, that didn't come out right…"

Mieko's malapropism seemed to have an enlightening effect on everyone—Soujiro and Anji had to crack a smile at her selection of words.

"Ja ne, Anji-san!" She called while waving toward him. "Hurry up Soujiro-chan!"

Soujiro stared blankly at the clear sky, " Sayonara…Shishio-san…" he whispered.

Sora wo miagetamo- I look at the sky, Kokoro ga itai- and my heart was in pain.

            "Soujiro-chan!!!"

            "Hai! I'm coming!"  And he raced down the hill to join her.

~End chapter one~

AN-That's right! I actually plan on writing something after this (as soon as I get rid of writers/typers block). Next chapter-the fight with Shishio! (And I'll make Mieko fight too, so she doesn't seem too…boring (the best word I can think of at the moment))