Summary: Megumi may have certain emotional attachment for Kenshin. But for Kenshin's happiness, she would protect and support both Kenshin and Kaoru.
Author's notes: Set at the beginning of Enishi's Jinchuu as told from the point of view of Megumi Takani. Italicized text are Megumi's thoughts.
All were quiet as if an angel of some sort passed by. The waves gently rocked the boat. Everyone was quite tensed as they thought of docking at Enishi's island. Kenshin stared beyond the seas, probably contemplating on how he was going to face an enemy born out of his past mistakes as a hitokiri. He had awaken from his despair and decided finally to settle the past, face the consequence and rescue the person who was most important to him.
Megumi took a quick check of her medicine box which she placed near the boat's helm along with some other containers. She brought it here. She thought that if Kenshin's sakabatou can save lives, her skills as a doctor and her medicines can repair lives. It is the only way to help the man who showed her the way to redeem herself, the way to repair her broken self.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, savoring the salty smell of sea air, as she steadied herself in the rocking boat.
"Run fast, Kaoru. Go now!" Megumi shouted. They were running towards the back of the Kamiya dojo as fast as they could. But the young woman was stubborn, she started to turn back.
"I can't just leave Kenshin there." Kaoru said, huffing.
"Don't you understand? That Enishi is after you. This is his revenge against Ken-san. Trust that Ken-san will live. I'm sure this is what he needs you to do." Megumi said sternly.
Suddenly a thick white smoke started to rise and seemingly engulfing everything within their sight.
"Run, Kaoru!"
Everything got clouded so fast that all Megumi could see was white. White in the middle of this dark moonless turbulent night.
"Megumi, where are you?" She heard Kaoru called. Panicking, she kept waving her hands to feel her way through. She stumbled onto something on the ground and fell hard, face down. She heard a maniacal laugh somewhere on her left.
A man's voice boomed out. Megumi trembled at the mere thought. It was Enishi's!
"This is my earthly justice, Battousai!" The evil voice boomed.
"Kaoru!" Megumi shouted at the top of her lungs. "Ken-san, Sano….please help!"
Her sight still blocked by the thick white smoke. Her pulse rising, she put all her might to stand. It seemed minutes were hours to pick herself up. The smoke was clearing. Megumi heard footsteps running towards where she was. Sano's and Kenshin's. As the smoke cleared, they all saw…
Kaoru. Pinned against the wall, a blade pierced through her chest. Lifeless.
Megumi suddenly had a throbbing headache. It seemed that the world was spinning around so fast and yet she saw everything. And heard everything.
"What good is Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu?" Clang! Kenshin dropped his sakabatou.
"What good is Kenshin Himura?" He went down to his knees.
"Again, I failed to protect the one person who is most important to me…Kauro-dono." Kenshin's shoulders were shaking. Tears streaming down his eyes. "Kaoru!"
She and Sano could not stand the sight of a lifeless Kaoru, as much as the sight of hope giving up on Kenshin. Megumi could not fathom a strong, mighty swordsman breaking down.
She dashed across towards Kaoru's body. It hurt when her family died in the war in Aizu. It hurt more to see a friend die like this right before her eyes. But it was all much painful to see the lover of the friend, pained with such a loss. He had lost many precious lives and in return claimed numerous ones in his days as a hitokiri. His chance for a change of heart left him 10 years ago. His last chance was now doomed. "Why life is so foreboding for Ken-san?" she uttered to herself.
Megumi sensed her mixed feelings. She was also aching deep inside, how Kenshin dropped all his pretense and said those words as he sobbed. He chose her. This silly, stubborn young woman. But why wouldn't he? After all, Kaoru saved him from being a man-slayer once again and kept his vow. I was simply not as brave and feisty. I, too, was stained with my own mistakes.
Kaoru was the reason Kenshin lived through the Shishio ordeal.
She was also the reason why they were all here. She broke the barriers each of them built around themselves. She. Kenshin. Sano. Yahiko. Her genuine acceptance cracked their walls and they crumbled. They all ache for a home, a safe place where they could go as they were, without being questioned or doubted. They found that they could live in normality despite their past selves. Kaoru was the bond that kept this new-found family together.
"Kaoru, please." Megumi said. "Don't look at the light." She took Kaoru's hand and felt her pulse. There were none. "You are a strong person, don't give up this time."
She gathered her nerve, took Kaoru down and laid her on the floor. "I have saved lives at the edge of death, you jumped in too early." She checked her airway and started to put pressure around the wound, where the sword pierced through. "It's not working. You didn't wait for me…for us!" She remained knelt there. Tears trickled down her face. She felt so useless.
Kenshin stood up. Megumi was sure the color of his eyes changed. He took his sakabatou and ran. Away.
Everything went blurry as her own eyes swell with tears.
Megumi's resolve to live for a purpose began to falter over the following days after Kaoru was laid to rest. Her resolve was like that of Kenshin's. He was the source of her hope, but his was gone, too. Some town's folk found Kenshin in Rakuninmura. Sano, Yahiko and she immediately went. It was a place fitting to be called the gate of hell. It disheartened her to see Kenshin all withdrawn. His sakabatou chained. He was like a flickering candle about to extinguish, like the departing spirits of people who settled in that damned place.
"I'm tired." It was all Kenshin could mutter. Despite Sano's violent ways of convincing him to come back and avenge Kaoru. The brute gave him a hard punch but Kenshin was numb.
Megumi reached down to him. She realized he was covered with dirt. His wounds and bruises from the battle with Enishi was untended. His hair unkempt, covering his already swollen eyes from the grief.
"Don't die not trying, Ken-san." She told him. "Kaoru, wherever she is now would not want to see you like this." She reached for his soiled hand and held it. "She only wishes happiness for you." She looked at his eyes, but he just turned away.
I'm not good enough for this, Kaoru. You are his happiness, his future.
"Come on, Megumi." Yahiko said. "It's no use. I promise to do my best to protect people, in the place of Kenshin. I will become stronger. For you, for us, for him." He said with all determination. Turning to Kenshin, Yahiko said, "Find your path. We are with you still, Kenshin."
They all went back, and left the gates of hell. Hearts heavy, but still clinging onto hope.
Perhaps that is all he needed. He is tired. He needs to rest. He will soon find his answer.
Megumi's heart leaped with joy when Kenshin came back. She knew he would come back. She had good news to tell, but Yahiko, Misao and Aoshi pushed themselves to tell Kenshin that Kaoru was alive. They were deceived with a life-size, lifelike, Kaoru-like doll, a deception for an earthly justice.
She heaved a sigh. A good outbreath of relief, as she looked at this man whom she regarded so highly. The man who told her to become a doctor so she could save lives. It was good to see color came back to his pale face.
"I will treat you, Ken-san. I can heal physical wounds, but the wounds of the heart and spirit, you yourself can only mend with the will and hope within you." Megumi told him, as she put patches on his wounds and rub on her home-made salve on his bruises.
"Thank you, Megumi-dono. You never give up on me, that you do." He smiled back. The smile he used to give during their light and hearty moments as a family. A family which Kaoru has brought together.
We were broken, each of us. But good.
Megumi was a bit shaken when something exploded in the waters that got Misao all excited. She and Aoshi was looking out for the booby traps set under the waters. They managed to detonate all, for which Kenshin was grateful to the Oniwaban couple.
She checked her medicine box again to see if everything was intact after several explosions under water. A strong wind blew and she steadied herself again holding on to the railing. Kenshin threw a glance at her, checking if she was alright. She nodded, assuring him. Kenshin smiled back. It warmed her heart.
Somehow, the tapestry of life wove them together. Kenshin, Sano, Yahiko and herself. Aoshi and Misao. Even Constable Saito. They all had their own ways, their own convictions, but this time, they were all here with the same objective: to fight for justice, for belief, for the right way of life, for the future…for love.
I'm one of his trustworthy companions. I'll lend my strength to you, Ken-san.