DISCLAIMER: All characters, places and situations in this piece of fiction would not be in existence without the genius of Watsuki Nobuhiro. There is no money being made of this piece of imagination
TIMELINE: AU – Kyoto, 1868 (Post battle of Toba-Fushimi)
SPOILERS: None
SYNOPSIS: AU – After the battle of Toba-Fushimi Tomoe waits for the one she loves.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm sick of Uni work, I've had a bad run with chapter 3 of 'The Assassin' mostly because I read through it and I thought the first scene was irrelevant and then it all spiralled into this whole thing where I ended up just ripping it to pieces. It'll get done as soon as I'm over my frustration...
This piece is not one of my best work, it probably has a million grammatical errors because I haven't proof read it properly – maybe someone *cough* Pen *cough* - will pick something up and mention it to me otherwise... this began as an experiment in using the intimate register with Kenshin and Tomoe – then somehow it turned into something else, or more accurately – I added more stuff...
7/06/2010: I edited the story because the grammatical errors were really, really, REALLY annoying me.
Endings
I know you've been hurting.
But I've been waiting to be there for you
Everybody's Free - Rozalla
The celebrations started almost immediately when the news of the battles end had reached Kyoto. Tokugawa Yoshinobu had fled Osaka Castle for Edo.
For two days as the celebration continued, Tomoe waited anxiously from the balcony overlooking the inn's entrance hall, her eyes fixated on the doors, where more and more yellow clad emissaries than soldiers were returning, bearing the swords of those who had fallen in battle. One by one, they had delivered news of each soldier's fate, and day by day the sounds of sorrow began to drown the dying embers of cheer. It was as though everyone knew the truth of it all. The battle was over, but the war had only just begun.
The distinct sound of the inns door opening pulled Tomoe from her dark thoughts. An influx of emissaries entered the inn, turning the entrance hall into a sea of yellow. Tomoe stiffened as she noticed one of the older soldiers catch her eye, before directing an emissary up the stairs.
No...
Tomoe's heart shook like a ceramic cup teetering on the edge of a table, ready to break.
He will return. He promised. He...
A hand touched hers, breaking her watch, her cry of shock silenced.
Kenshin.
He stood before her, with an exhausted yet contented expression on his face. When she did not move, he brought a hand to her cheek, his thumb wiping away tears she had not known she was crying. His other hand came to rest gently on her swelling stomach. Trembling, she covered his hands with her own, gripping them as though she were afraid he would disappear. He brought her hands to his lips and gently pulled her towards one of the inn's private rooms.
One more stolen moment before the war began anew.
After the battle in the binding forest four years ago, one thing had been made clear - for others to know of the nature of Tomoe's connection to the Hitokiri Battosai was far too dangerous. No one had known this better than Katsura, who had seen to it that Kenshin's missions kept them from each other for months at a time, and forbidden them to keep letters or keepsakes on their person.
Forced to act like strangers when in another's presence and hide their caresses in the dark, Tomoe remained hidden from his closest comrades and enemies alike.
'Himura!'
Tomoe heard Kenshin swear quietly, before releasing her. She stepped into the shadows of the room. The emissary one of the older soldiers had directed towards her, strolled jovially towards them. Later, Tomoe would learn that his name was Takeshi and that Kenshin had saved him from a tower of falling boulders at the battle at Fushimi. Now, she simply saw him as a nuisance.
'Come join us Himura!' the boy said, his face pink and flushed from sake.
At Kenshin's decline, the boy had raised his jug of sake and began chanting his name over and over.
Battosai! Battosai! Battosai!
It wasn't long until the crowd had joined in and the boy had daringly wrapped an arm around a horrified Kenshin's shoulders to lead him into the crowd. Kenshin turned to her, shooting an apologetic look towards her before he had been swept away into the crowd. Tomoe wrapped her arms around her body, reminding herself that there would be other times.
When she had judged that Kenshin and the young emissary were far enough away, Tomoe stepped out of the room. She regretted it instantly when she saw Katsura Kogoro's form coming towards her. Katsura's regulation of their marriage, as though it were a thing of war, to be commanded and controlled was only one of the many reasons she had abhorred the man.
'I had heard from Himura, that you were expecting...' he said joining her at the balcony. 'He truly has much to celebrate.'
'Indeed' she replied politely placing a hand protectively over her stomach, her eyes followed Kenshin as he accepted a cup of sake from another boy, an emissary who looked to be about his age. 'You have finally won your revolution.'
'The revolution has many years to completion' Katsura amended, his eyes on the crowd. 'Rebuilding Japan into the world we have hoped for will not be an easy road, and we need as many good men as we can get'
The revolution...
Once again they were at an impasse. Tomoe feared once more that Katsura's control over Kenshin would tighten further, so that each insane request would be met with ever increasing acceptance. Tomoe's hands began to shake despite her efforts to keep them still, the memory of the night he had accepted his post to lead the frontlines at Toba still fresh in her mind.
Oh how she had railed against his decision! Yet no matter how she had cried and begged for him to stay, Kenshin had left their bed once more for Katsura's cause. An overwhelming sense of powerlessness and helplessness overcame her as a terrible realization gripped her heart. Katsura would never let Kenshin leave the Ishin. He would keep him trapped in this war with his honeyed words and promises of an era of peace that may never come.
'If you wish my husband to continue serving the Ishin' she said, ignoring the tremor in her voice 'you have only to command him.'
It was only then that Katsura looked at her, surprise apparent on his face.
'Your husband sought my permission to leave the Ishin once victory over the bakufu was secured.' He informed her, with a sardonic smile. 'He is no longer in my service.'
Tomoe's eyes widened, she had not expected Kenshin to have turned his back on the revolution, especially now that it only had just started. She looked back out into the crowd to see the young man encouraging him to drink more sake. For the first time since he had returned, she noticed that Kenshin was not carrying his daisho on his waist. He was unarmed.
The thought would not have disturbed her so much if the soldiers and emissaries who surrounded him were also not carrying weapons.
What was he thinking?
It was then that she realized that he had gotten into the ryokan through a secret entry point behind her. He had meant for them to disappear before anyone had seen them and now she wished they had. Silently, she cursed that loud mouthed emissary for exposing them. She turned back to Katsura.
'You regret your decision?'
'Not at all' he replied easily. 'There is nothing worse than keeping a subordinate against his will, especially one like your husband, and yet...' he paused, as though trying to find his next words 'I find it a shame that he will not partake in building and creating the new Japan he has helped win.'
Tomoe doubted very much that Katsura could understand Kenshin's desire to atone, to rebuild what he had helped tear to pieces.
She stifled the urge to frown and coaxed her face into an expression of interested curiosity.
'What are your proposing?'
Katsura smiled charmingly at her before slowly and deliberately, reaching into his haori. He pulled out a small white envelope and offered it to her. Tomoe accepted it warily and unfolded its contents, her eyes widening in astonishment at what had been written.
Katsura had offered Kenshin the rank of General. His yearly pay, could have fed an army of two hundred thousand men for a year - maybe two.
'He will not want to provide for you and your child.'
Tomoe's hand instinctively covered her stomach and her eyes sought Kenshin, watching as he finally managed to make his way to the base of the stairs, away from the rabble and back to her. There was no doubt in her mind that he loved her, and she knew with absolute certainty that if she asked him accept this post he would do so, without hesitation – especially if he believed it would make her happy. She knew that Katsura knew that too. She placed the paper back into the envelope.
'It is a generous offer' she said holding out the envelope to Katsura. 'I'm sure he will consider it carefully when you propose it to him'
'Not with your disapproval tempering his judgement' he said taking the envelope from her 'Are you sure this is what you want? You are giving up the opportunity to be a part of Japan's greatest revolution.'
'You're wrong' she said her eyes meeting Kenshin's as he ascended the staircase to return to her. 'I'm not giving up on anything.'