Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin and the characters thereof are the exclusive property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, Shueisha, Shonen Jump, Viz, Sony Studios, ADV, Media Blasters and Fuji TV. I am merely borrowing for entertainment purposes and am not profiting.
May, 1894
Tokyo
Kenshin was heading into town to buy some tofu and rice, the yoke slung over his shoulder. He headed down the path away from the dojo toward the bridge that spanned the river separating their neighborhood from Downtown Tokyo. As he rounded the corner, he saw someone walking toward him from the distance. As the man came more into view, Kenshin's violet eyes widened in disbelief.
If Kenshin didn't know any better, he could swear that the man walking toward him was his twin, or at least older brother. Like he, this man was very short and demure in stature, with long red hair and large violet eyes. As they neared each other, Kenshin's noticed that every inch of the man's bare skin save his face and hands was covered in bandages. His hair slamped lifelessly off his head instead of bouncing with life as Kenshin's own did, almost completely obscuring his face from view. What did show of his face was pale and haggard. Although the same color as Kenshin's, the other's eyes were dull, lifeless and sunken in.
"Excuse me," Kenshin called out.
His lookalike passed him without even looking at him. Dropping the yoke, Kenshin turned and started following him. The groceries could wait. As Kenshin walked behind his mysterious twin, he noticed that the man was heading in the direction of the dojo.
'What the hell is going on here?' he thought.
As he followed, he saw a woman emerge from behind the small copse of cherry trees that blocked the dojo from view. Kenshin's heart stopped dead in his chest. It was Kaoru, except like his double, she was sickly with her skin bandaged and her face sporting the same haggard and drawn appearance as his doppelganger's.
Kenshin saw them speed up the tiniest bit upon catching sight of each other, though neither could move very quickly because of their illness.
So focused was he on the strange scene before him, Kenshin never noticed someone come up behind him until he felt a hand on his shoulder. Startled, he spun around to face Kaoru, whose blue eyes were huge with a mix of curiosity and fear. Obviously she'd seen her double.
Kenshin and Kaoru turned their attention to the ghostly tableau that was playing out before them, neither of them certain what to say or do. The doppelganger couple continued to shuffle along, trying desperately to get to each other. A couple of times, one or the other would stumble as if losing energy, but always they kept pressing, as if seeing each other were all that mattered in the world. When they finally reached each other, they embraced as if they had been separated for years and wouldn't let go, as if afraid they would be parted again. Kenshin's twin collapsed into Kaoru's twin's lap.
The ghostly Kenshin looked up at the ghostly Kaoru, his eyes shining with happiness even though he was obviously in pain and dying. He reached up and caressed the side of her face just as his strength gave out and his hand fell. The ghostly Kaoru moved the hair away from his left cheek, revealing smooth skin where the cruciform scar should have been.
Kaoru's doppelganger removed her dark haori and laid it over her Kenshin's body. She then slumped over him, weeping silently. Not long after, they both faded from view.
Kenshin and Kaoru stood as if riveted to the ground and never took their eyes off their ghostly twins. After the other couple disappeared, they looked wordlessly into each other's eyes. For the rest of their days, they never spoke of what they had seen, even to each other.
Owari