Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin- not mine.
Notes: SPOILER WARNING! MAJOR SPOILERS FOR SEISSOUHEN (for those who don't know, that's the new Rurouni Kenshin OAV that JUST recently came out). If you don't want to be spoiled (second episode especially), don't read it. If you don't like angsty things, don't read it. (Don't watch the new OAV, for that matter, if you don't like angst.) With that said, if you're still here, enjoy!
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When I first heard about a red-headed recluse with
a scar on his face, my first thought was "That's impossible- there's no
way Kenshin would be all the way out here in the middle of China." But
I had a nagging feeling, and since I had nothing much better to do, I had
to find out for myself. After all, there's a chance Kenshin got himself
dragged into the war, but that's been over for some time now, and I know
he'd want to be back with Jou-chan as soon as he could. So without further
ado, I tracked down the recluse in question.
Nothing, and I mean it, NOTHING could have prepared
me for what I found. Crouched on some rocks by the beach, staring out into
space, was Kenshin. Or maybe, what could have been Kenshin. He wasn't even
aware of my presence until I called him. When I got a look at his face,
I was stunned stupid. While his cross-scar was more faded than I recall
it being, he'd aged terribly, he looked awful. I admit that I don't look
so great myself, but haircuts and a good shave are tough to come by on
the road. But Kenshin... He'd lost weight (and he'd already been scrawny
the last time I'd seen him years ago.), and was wearing almost as many
bandages as that Shishio freak. (Well, maybe not THAT many, but he was
virtually covered in the things from the neck down.) The most disconcerting
though, was that he hardly seemed to recognize me. Not too surprising at
first, given that the last time we'd seen each other, my hair was short
and I still had my favorite 'bad' shirt- I was still the loud-mouthed street
fighter, as opposed to the well-traveled wanderer that I am now. But even
after I told him who I was, he didn't seem to really recognize me, and
he wandered to a sparse little shack a little ways down the beach. Determined
to get to the bottom of this, I followed.
When I entered the shack, I immediately took stock
of how wretched an existence this was for Kenshin. Why hadn't he gone back
to Japan? Kenshin was staring out the window, when a fit of coughing hit
him and he collapsed. I caught him before he could hit the floor, stunned
stupid by how fragile he'd become. Still coughing, he pushed me away (and
only because I was still stunned.), and fell fully to the floor, insisting
that I go back. Like hell I'd just leave him to rot here.
"I'm going to find a doctor!" I bolted for the door
and flung it open. "Wait here, Kenshin!"
Yeah, like he could really go anywhere in his state.
I got on my horse and made tracks for the nearest
town I knew of. Of course, my only real experience with doctors was being
patched up by Megumi, or watching her patch up Kenshin or one of the others.
Megumi would try to help the patient, no matter how futile. Not all doctors
are that caring, as I would soon discover.
After I was pointed to the nearest doctor's house,
I pounded on the door. "Oi! Open up!"
After a moment, an old man answered the door. Few
things teach you a language like living in a place where everyone else
uses it. "What is it, young man?" He inquired.
"A friend of mine is sick." I explained. "But he's
too weak to be brought here- he needs help!"
The doctor peered at me and asked what the problem
was. As I described Kenshin's illness, the doctor looked increasingly uneasy.
When I finished, half begging the man to come back with me to tend to Kenshin,
he looked at me like I was crazy.
"There's nothing I can do for him." The doctor stated.
"What?!" I stared in surprise at the doctor. "Nothing?
You haven't even SEEN him! How can you just pass judgment like that?!"
"I've seen that illness before. There's no cure,
the most even the best doctor could do is slow its progress, and from what
you've said, your friend is in the advanced stage of it. There's nothing
I could do by seeing him, except maybe catch it myself." With that, the
doctor shut the door in my face. After a moment of seething in silence
at the man's lack of compassion, I mounted my horse again and began the
long trek back to Kenshin's cabin, cursing soundly in my native language,
and throwing in the curses I've heard in other languages, for good measure.
Which brings me to this point, sitting in front
of the fire I built for the both of us, and cooking some fish. Kenshin's
off in his own little world, sitting on his makeshift futon. I can barely
hear what he's mumbling to himself, but what little I've heard sounds like
he's going over my name and his, trying to place where he's heard them.
It didn't take me long to figure out that whatever had stranded Kenshin
here must have also muddled his memory as well.
"You don't have to try so hard." I tell him, bringing
him out of his reverie. "What's important now is getting your strength
back." I check the fish, and find it's done. "It's done, catch!" And I
toss the fish over to Kenshin.
Did I ever say what a baka I am? I completely forgot
his current condition, for just an instant. For just an instant, he was
Kenshin, the Battousai, again. The strongest swordsman in all of Japan,
with reflexes and power nobody could hope to match. I watch the fish arc
through the air toward Kenshin, watch him slowly raise a hand to reach
for it... and miss it completely. I get up and hand him another fish, wishing
that hadn't just happened. While I eat my own dinner, I think back to 'the
good old days'. The first time Kenshin and I fought, and he cut through
my zanbatou like it was nothing, and then knocked some sense into me. Then
again, when Katsu and I went to attack the government with his bombs. Again,
Kenshin knocked some sense into me. But to see how he's fallen now... he
can barely walk on his own, let alone wield a sword. It's depressing. I've
looked up to him for so long, he'd taken care of me in a way, and now he's
fallen so far, wasted away... I could barely think of him as our Kenshin.
Yeah. 'Our Kenshin'. Me, Jou-chan, Yahiko, Megumi... he's helped them as
well. Jou-chan has got to be worrying herself sick about him right now.
I get up and squat by Kenshin, who's occupied nibbling
at his food. "Is it good?" I inquire. He glances over at me and nods just
barely, a ghost of his old smile on his face. God, I can't take this. I
can't stand seeing him so helpless. Overcome with emotion, I hug him, and
the hell with whatever illness he's got. "You don't have to stay in this
country, and there's nothing you need to accomplish. I'll get you home
to Japan, back to Jou-chan's side!" Trying to keep from bawling like a
little brat right there, I hear him murmur Kaoru's name. Well, at least
his memory isn't completely muddled. I release him so he can finish his
dinner, and step outside to regain something resembling composure. How
long has he been stranded here like this? And how did he get here in the
first place? Of course, that starts a train of thought leading back to
everyone else. How has Jou-chan been holding up? And Yahiko? What about
the fox? Did she marry anybody? Or, by some miracle, will she still be
waiting for me? ... Like Kaoru's undoubtedly waiting for Kenshin.
Awhile later I go back inside and find Kenshin's
fallen asleep, so I get as comfortable as I can get on the floor and think
some more. About how I'm going to get Kenshin home to Kaoru. I'm sure we
can find a Japan-bound ship in Shanghai. I glance over at Kenshin and frown.
That body of his doesn't look like it will endure the journey well, if
at all. What should I do? He might die before we even get to Shanghai.
But then again, I can't just let him die here by himself. And even if he
dies before I can get him home, Jou-chan will want to give him a proper
funeral, I'm sure. I'll just have to take the chance, and hope for the
best.
The next day, he doesn't protest when I lift him
up onto my horse and mount up behind him. Yeah, I'm being exposed to whatever
the hell he's got, but at this point, I don't really care. It's a long,
silent ride, aside from Kenshin occasionally murmuring to himself. Not
trusting him to be able to survive roughing it, I stop us for the night
at a cabin that seems to have been abandoned. I tell Kenshin to stay there,
and head off into the woods armed with my spear. Yeah, I've got a spear
now. I still fight with my fists, but the spear's handy for catching dinner.
While prowling through the undergrowth, I hear a low growl, and look to
find a tiger not too far from me. I turn and stare the cat down.
"I don't have anything against you." I speak to
the cat, and it growls louder. "But I need you for a friend. Sorry." With
that, the tiger roars at me and lunges, and the fight's on. Fighting big
cats is different from fighting people, that much is for certain. It doesn't
take me long to dispatch the furball, though I've got a couple of gashes
that are probably gonna be messy for awhile. Taking the hide and some of
the meat, I head back for the cabin, ignoring the pain in my leg. Kenshin's
sleeping when I return, but I roust him, putting a grin on my face for
his sake. He looks confused by my injuries, but I hold up the food triumphantly.
"We have a delicacy meat for dinner tonight!" I explain, and light a fire
to cook it with. It's the least I can do for Kenshin. God only know how
many days the guy has left, and he won't have some bland fish for his last
meal if I can help it.
While the food is cooking, Kenshin watches me bandage
up my injuries with mild interest. I hear him start to murmur something
that sounds vaguely like "You didn't have to-"
"Baka." I glance over at him. "I didn't have to,
but I wanted to. So don't start feeling guilty about a couple of scratches
that I got in the process." I finish with the bandaging and check the roast,
trying to act like I usually do, mostly to hide my own fear and anxiety.
When some of the roast is done, I hand some to Kenshin (remembering to
actually hand it to him, rather than toss it this time), and get some for
myself. I still can't believe how frail he is now. The thought briefly
comes to me that he looks like a corpse who hasn't realized he's dead yet,
but I hastily stomp that thought out. He may be extremely sick, he may
not really remember much of anything, and he may not be all there mentally,
but he's still Kenshin. The same Kenshin that kicked my ass twice, saved
Jou-chan at least double as many times, rescued Yahiko and Megumi from
thugs, saved Japan from a madman, and I can only imagine what else. In
spite of how he seemed back then, he was, and has always been, a mortal
human. It was inevitable that he'd grow old and weak eventually.
After he's done eating, Kenshin dozes off, and I
do likewise to escape my thoughts.
A few days of hard riding later, I can see Shanghai
in the distance. And Kenshin's still alive and doesn't seem to have gotten
any worse than he was when I found him, but I'm no doctor. I grin slightly,
hoping that just maybe I'll actually be able to do it, to get Kenshin home
alive to Kaoru.
"Shanghai's right in front of us!" I declare, though
Kenshin barely seems to register it. "Don't fall off the horse, Kenshin."
I then joke weakly. The Kenshin I remember wouldn't have to worry about
falling off a horse, but the Kenshin sitting in front of me... well, I
wouldn't LET him fall, but if not for me, I doubt he'd be able to stay
on the horse. When we arrive at the harbor, I tie up the horse and help
Kenshin down. "You stay here, I'll go find a ship!" I take off running
for the boats, searching for one that's heading for Japan and willing to
take Kenshin. Luck seems to be with me, as I spot a familiar ship and track
down her captain. After some brief banter, the captain agrees to let Kenshin
hitch a ride to Japan on his cargo ship, free of charge. (It's not my fault
he owes me one for saving his ass in a brawl.) He tells me that he's setting
sail that night, and I head off to share the good news with Kenshin.
Not surprisingly, I find the redhead standing where
I left him. "Kenshin!" I shout, catching his attention. I sweep the poor
guy up in another hug. "Kenshin, a cargo ship to Yokohama is willing to
give you a ride. If you go back to Japan, if you meet Kaoru, your memory
will come back all at once." I don't doubt that at all, even to myself.
Those two were meant for each other, they made such a cute couple. I wonder
if Jou-chan's aged like Kenshin has. "I want to go back with you, but I
have things to do here." I look down at my friend again, trying to keep
my sadness from showing on my face. "Farewell."
Kenshin looks up at me, and I mean he LOOKS, not
that half-there gaze he'd been using since I found him, and stammers weakly.
"Sanosuke...th-thank you."
I lead him down to the boat, chattering all the
while about what I'd been up to, that he'd better say hi to Jou-chan and
the fox and everybody for me when he gets back, everything I wanted to
say before but hadn't had the chance to. I'm trying to keep happy that
Kenshin will get to go home and see Jou-chan, but I can't help feeling
a little sad. This is the last time I'll see him alive in this world. I
know it, deep down. I can't really bring myself to think it, that I'll
never see Kenshin again after this. It seems almost unreal, but...
It's night when the ship finally leaves port, with
Kenshin on it. I stand on the docks and watch it slide past. I'm the one
who should be thanking you. You changed me, and everyone. I'll carry my
whole life until the very end. Just like you. I turn to leave, since the
boat is rapidly shrinking into the distance. Good-bye, Kenshin.
I stop before I get to the end of the docks and
glance behind me where the ship had vanished into the night, finally letting
my tears fall. I really won't ever see Kenshin again.
"Sayonara, Kenshin." I whisper to the darkness.
---
Author's notes: Maybe I just get way too much into it, but it wasn't until I saw the second OAV that I realized just how emotionally attached I am to Rurouni Kenshin. I do sometimes get teary-eyed at a sad movie, but the way I felt after watching Seissouhen... I don't think I can adequately describe it. I was in tears. Sometimes, you see something, or read something, and even though it's not real, it becomes special to you, becomes a part of you emotionally. I guess that happened to me the very first time I watched a brash young woman armed with only a bokken confront a goofy redhead with a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek. There was no going back. I wasn't going to originally write this, but the scene where Sano tosses the fish to Kenshin and he misses it completely hit me right in the heart, and after reading "The Way Back" by dementedchris, I had to write it, I had to give voice to emotions I felt when I watched, hoping against all odds, that there would be a 'happily ever after' for Kenshin and Kaoru. Kenshin's "Sayonara... Kaoru" during the end credits just about killed me. Of all the stories I've written, this one, by far, has been the hardest and most emotional for me. I hope you enjoy it. Comments are appreciated, flames will be ignored.
