Series: Rurouni Kenshin
Title: Summer Rain
Spoilers: None
Warnings: None
Notes: Summer Rain is actually the first non-MiSTing fanfic I've completed. (Not counting those well hidden Sailorearth 'fics!) I started Summer Rain after watching the whole O.A.V. while eating many, many marshmallows. I'm surprised that it was actually able to hold my interest the whole time I was writing! I want to thank a few people: Ophelia-sama for giving me the inspiration to finish this, Shannon-chan and Sarah-chan for being my proof-readers and SVAM
for keeping me well entertained. I'd especially like to thank Tomoe-chan from the Ruroken website "End of Summer" (which seems to be down) for getting me interested in the O.A.V. in the first place.
Summer Rain
Tomoe sat in front of her mirror and stared at her reflection, a small bottle of white plum perfume resting in her hand. She did not feel any particular attraction to the scent, but putting on a dab of it had become a habit of hers. In fact, she felt no attraction towards anything these days. Ever since the death of her betrothed she had locked away all her emotions. It's better this way, she thought to herself.
She stood up gently and put on her favorite purple shawl. It was almost time. She had to be there. She had spent the better part of the afternoon getting her makeup and outfit right. When she arrived, she had to look perfect. It was a necessity in the plan. When Iidzuka had come to her offering a way to revenge the act that had taken away her dearest, she had agreed immediately. After all, destroying an opponent from the inside, from his heart, was no different than attacking with a sword, was it? Almost as an afterthought, she tucked her dagger inside her robe and took her bamboo umbrella.
The sky was a bleary gray with large clouds that seemed to be on the verge of spilling heaven's tears onto the city of Kyoto. As she walked, she peered into a shop window to check the time on a new Portuguese grandfather clock. Seeing that she still had plenty of time, she stopped in a restaurant near the place where he was supposed to show up.
A young waitress approached her table. "Good evening, miss! My name is Mei and I'll be serving you tonight. Is there anything in particular that you'd like?"
"Just a bottle of sake," replied Tomoe disinterestedly. She wasn't planning on staying that long.
Mei bowed respectfully and returned shortly with the alcohol. She shuffled a little. "Um... if you don't mind me saying, miss, you look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders."
Tomoe smiled, but her eyes remained unemotional. "Yes, I suppose I do."
A sudden ruckus drew her attention. She noticed two very drunken men making their way over to her. "Hey there, baby!" said the leader of the two, a large man whose weight probably exceeded his IQ. His sidekick, a wiry man with a large mouth, stood by expectantly.
The skinny man draped his arms around her shoulders and smiled. "Would you care to share a toast with us, cutie?"
"We're in charge of the Aizu Ishin Shishi!" said the fat one, puffing out his chest. "We kill for lowlifes like you day and night! You gotta do it to say thank you for all the work we do for ya!"
Tomoe glowered at the samurai. Who were these idiots? Didn't they know that Aizu supported the current government while the Ishin Shishi were revolutionists? She searched desperately through her mind for a way to escape these two clowns.
"Aizu's with the shogunate, you idiots." They turned to see who was talking. A young man with a shock of red hair and a scar running down his cheek looked back at them. Dual swords hung at his waist, identifying him as a samurai. Tomoe recognized him immediately. From Iidzuka's description, this was the man who had killed her beloved Akira. That would mean that this child was an Ishin Shishi assassin. Did those rebels have to use kids to do their dirty work?
Her assailants backed off. "Never mind," said the fat one, "There's too much going on here anyway."
The skinny samurai glared at the boy. "Yeah, kid, you're lucky you got away with your life."
The red-haired boy stood up. Even at his young age he frightened the two much older fighters. "Actually, you guys are lucky to be getting away with your lives. If you had drawn your swords I would have killed you."
The two liars looked at him. "Wha—"
"A word of caution..." He glared at them, his violet eyes dangerously reflecting the light from outside. "There's yet to be an uprising here. There's no place for you hypocrites in Kyoto now. If you value your lives, go back to the countryside."
The two samurai looked at his frightening glare, turned tail and ran. The boy bowed respectfully to Tomoe. "Please excuse all the fuss." He picked up his two samurai swords and exited the restaurant.
Mei appeared again at Tomoe's table. "Isn't that young man great? He must be some kind of patriot," she gushed. "Anyway, would you care for anything else? Our restaurant has the most delicious ramen!"
Tomoe stood up, leaving a few coins to pay for her now empty bottle of sake. "No, thank you. I have somewhere I must be."
She hurried through the emptying streets. Night was falling rapidly, but Tomoe rushed on. To miss the moment to see him, insinuate herself into his life and then... Everything she had worked for and planned would be in vain.
A moistness awoke her from her thoughts. She looked up. The clouds had broken and heaven's tears were raining their empty pain down on the world. She opened her umbrella as a shield against their barrage. She hated the rain. Ever since that night...
The darkness settled on Kyoto as Tomoe finally reached the place to which Iidzuka had instructed her to go. The sound of flesh being ripped apart by a searing blade confirmed her suspicions. She had only to step around the corner of the shop, and everything would slip into place.
He was just as he had appeared in the restaurant. He stood staring at his latest victims, his bleeding sword clutched in his effeminate hand. At the sound of her footsteps, he spun around fiercely to see who his new assailant was.
"I came to thank you for what happened back there," Tomoe said, the alcohol making her woozy but brave. "I have heard it said that the heaven rains blood on tragic scenes, but—"
She raised her stark black eyes to meet his empty violet ones.
"You make it rain blood." Tomoe passed out and the world went dark.
***
She awoke covered on a futon in a strange house. Her clothes, still stained with the blood from last night, were untouched, indicating that no one had tried to undress her. She got up and made her way down a set of twisting stairs.
She appeared to be in a somewhat new boarding house. Women dressed in light purple kimonos rushed by her, delivering large trays of food to the occupants of various rooms. One older woman paused to examine Tomoe. "You're the one that Himura brought in, ne? I didn't know his tastes were so refined."
Tomoe started at her. "Tastes?"
"Well, he probably didn't bring you as a lover," the matron gushed on, "Himura's not usually that kind of man. Last night he said that you passed out in front of him, possibly from too much drinking. What a gentleman, to bring back a strange noble woman he didn't know, just because she passed out in front of him! Where ya from, honey? Do you have a name?"
"Tomoe Yukishiro." The assassin had saved her? Perhaps Iidzuka's plan would work after all. She noticed the heavy tray of food the old woman was carrying. "Would you like a hand with that?"
The old lady laughed and looked at Tomoe with happiness in her eyes. "Honey, if you want to help out, I'll give you a job here."
Taking her up on her offer, Tomoe spent most of the morning delivering food to the various boarders. From her journeys in and out of the rooms, she noticed that most of the boarders had the same build. Tall and muscular, they were covered with battle scars. All of them seemed to own two or three swords. Could this be the base of operations for the Ishin Shishi?
The red-haired boy—no, Himura, the woman had said—came out of his chamber as Tomoe went by. He stared at her for a second, the heavy blanket of sleep still covering his memories of the previous night. It slowly lifted, revealing the identity of the cool beauty in front of him. "What the heck are you doing?"
"Can't you tell by looking?" replied Tomoe, careful to balance the tea she was carrying.
It slowly dawned on Himura. "You're... helping around the kitchen?"
"Yes." She turned to look at him. Although the ruthless attitude had faded, his eyes still bore the same emptiness she had seen earlier. She wondered if he locked away his emotions just as she had.
He shuffled uncomfortably. "I'd like you to promise me something."
"What?" She looked him over. He looked away from her, perhaps trying to convince himself that she didn't exist.
"Swear you'll forget everything that happened last night, and then I'd like you to go quickly on your way."
She cocked her head as she regarded him. "Am I of annoyance to you here? Okami-san, the owner, seems to like me."
He paused for a few seconds, as if searching for a reason for her departure. "But... your family worries about you, right?"
"If I had a family to return to, then I wouldn't be a girl out all alone at night getting drunk."
"Oh." Himura's expression darkened. "I don't know what's going on with you, but those of us here are in no condition to care for you now."
Tomoe felt anger boiling inside, but her months of practice helped her suppress most of it. "Then how will you deal with me? Like the dark samurai I saw last night?"
He clutched his sword tighter. "Think whatever you like about me. However, I kill for a new era that will let everyone live peacefully. It's not like I kill regardless of who it is. I'm only rivaling the armed shogunate members. Even if the townspeople are indeed enemies, I will not kill those who are unarmed."
"So your definition of a bad person is someone who kills a good person who is without a sword? Then if I were to have a sword in my hand here, you'd..."
He turned away from her, his face and scar disappearing behind a long ponytail of red hair.
"Someday, when you find the answer, by all means please let me hear it," Tomoe said calmly to his back. Shifting her tray back to both of her hands, Tomoe left Himura's room to deliver the tea.
***
Time seemed to flow for Tomoe. Before she knew it, several days turned into several weeks. She was offered permanent residence in Himura's room, as many people viewed the two as lovers.
On this night he was sitting in a corner, retreating into himself. He was always like this the nights after he received black envelopes. Sometimes, he would spend hours washing his hands, muttering incomprehensible words. Other times, she wouldn't see him for two or three days, and just as suddenly he would reappear. Withdrawn as he was now, Tomoe wondered what the message inside was to cause him so much pain.
She looked down at her desk. She had tried writing in her journal, but no thoughts would come to her. She removed the two small items that she kept within her robe, Akira's knife and a small bottle. Knowing that she liked it, Himura had bought her a bottle of white plum perfume. Tomoe examined the two items that represented her increasingly conflicting emotions.
Himura shuddered. Tomoe looked over at him. He had fallen asleep by the window and the chilly autumn air blew over him. She removed her purple shawl. Surely he would need it more than she did. She went to him and bent down to drape it over his shoulders.
Instantly he sprung up, sword in hand, ready to destroy his enemy. His empty eyes flashed with rage and determination. Suddenly realizing who his opponent was, he pushed Tomoe to the floor so that his sword smashed into a wall instead of into her neck.
"What did you think you were doing?" he yelled, breaking his usually unemotional state.
Tomoe stood up, shaken by his attack. "I was only trying to warm you up. Please forgive me."
Himura picked up the discarded piece of fabric and looked at it sorrowfully. His breathing was heavy from the sudden burst of adrenaline. "...Forgive me... Although I brag about not killing civilians, I almost killed you, so now... Get out of here. If you don't then someday I'll really..."
Tomoe nodded, wrapping the shawl gently around his neck. "Every sword needs a sheath to suppress the madness of killing. If you want, I'll be yours," she replied, slipping again into her usual coldness.
He placed his callused hands on her gentle, plum-scented ones. "To answer the question you asked a while ago," he told her, having some difficulty sharing his feelings, "If you had a sword in your hand, would I kill you? The answer is no. I won't kill you. No matter what the circumstances, I won't kill you, ever. Not you. Ever."
Tomoe mentally recoiled. Iidzuka's plan was working.
The white plum perfume bottle felt cool inside her pocket.
***
Tomoe looked up from her journal and out the window. She was somewhat surprised at how fast she had become accustomed to this way of living. Between her housework, her duties as an attendant at the boarding house and taking care of Himura, the days had flown by. She was starting to question the entire plan. Akira had been dear to her, but Himura had an odd way of growing on people. It was her right, her duty in fact, to avenge her betrothed's death, and yet...
She hadn't noticed Kogoro enter, but Himura had. Shining and pure, Kogoro Katsura was the handsome, charismatic leader of the Ishin Shishi. Would he ever expect that Iidzuka, his brave second-in-command, was trying to destroy all that Kogoro had created?
Himura nodded respectfully to his commander. "Is there anything I can do for you?" asked the red-haired boy.
Kogoro sighed. "As you are probably aware, our last meeting was raided by the Shinsen Gumi, a national police force. Almost everyone who was in attendance is dead. We have reason to fear for your safety."
Himura looked away. "But how can I hide? I'm used to frontal attacks."
"I've prepared a house in the country for the two of you," replied Kogoro, running a hand through his hair. "You will pose as a married couple, selling rice for a living. The Shinsen Gumi will never know where to look."
Himura bowed. "As you request, sir."
Marriage? Tomoe was slightly taken aback. Would that mean sharing with this boy the life that she and Akira were meant to have? She looked away from the two men, her heart filled with anxiety.
***
As opposed to her time at the boarding house, the time in the country seemed to creep by. It seemed to Tomoe that day simply melted into day, making her unsure of how much time had passed. There had been a beautiful wedding, of course, officially making Himura her husband. Iidzuka had been by a few times, bringing Himura updates on the battles of the Ishin Shishi. Tomoe escaped to the rice fields during his visits, not wanting to see the silent smile that slipped onto Iidzuka's face, telling her that soon, soon, his plan would be fulfilled and she would have revenge. She feared that look. It made her conflicting desires surface in her mind.
She closed her journal and put on a small dab of white plum perfume. She had written enough for today. A sound at the door made her turn around. A large, muscular man smiled at her. "It is time," he told her simply. Leaving her journal and the bottle of perfume, she followed him up the mountain she lived by.
She walked behind him in the snow for quite some while. Her small hands clutched Akira's dagger tightly. It has to be done, she thought to herself. This will stop the fighting. This would avenge her betrothed. And yet... And yet...
The man led her to a cabin. "You can rest here." He took up residence across from her.
"I have been with him for months," reported Tomoe. "He is strong physically and mentally. He has no weaknesses that you can capitalize on."
The man smiled. "Ah, but there you are wrong. He has one weakness: you."
The truth finally hit Tomoe. Iidzuka's plan wasn't for her to report Himura's frailty. It was for her to become that which unsheathed him and exposed him to pain. She would be that which made him suffer.
The man smirked. "Right now he's probably down there, reading your diary. He'll realize that you betrayed him to us. And he'll probably still come here to rescue you. Men in love are idiots, ne?"
A small explosion rocked the mountainside. The large man smiled. "It has begun. Ready to watch your betrothed's killer die?"
"Is that your plan? To wear him out so that he is easily picked off? You must be a coward."
"Shut up." The man punched Tomoe across the face. She passed out from the heavy blow.
She awoke to the sounds of fighting. Himura had arrived, although he was bleeding profusely from his shoulder and his breath was ragged from fighting. Tomoe watched as the two men fought. For once, Himura's eyes were lit with emotion. The anger encased within scared Tomoe far more than the emptiness ever had. Himura, weakened as he was, was hardly a match for his much larger opponent. He tried vainly to parry his blows. The two were almost at a draw as each tried to get the upper hand.
Suddenly, she came to a realization. Akira died because she couldn't stop him, couldn't stop his violent behavior. She had risked everything she had to ensure that Himura, Akira's killer, would die, and yet she truly loved this redheaded boy. Letting her beloved die again was out of the question.
Tomoe watched Iidzuka's agent. He was much more energetic than Himura, allowing him to dodge all of the attacks. The Ishin Shishi assassin, however, was fading fast. She could see that the unknown man was preparing a final move to finish Himura off. She jumped between the two to stab Iidzuka's man with her dagger—
She slumped to the ground, bleeding. She had taken the opponent's life, but Himura had claimed hers. He watched, shocked as the colour began to fade from her face. "Tomoe..." he barely whispered, picking her up.
Raising her dagger, Tomoe slid it across Himura's face, completing his cross scar. He sobbed silently as she looked into his eyes. She smiled, for once revealing her true emotions. "It's better this way... So please don't cry..."
She heard him scream her name as she drifted off. The smell of summer rain surrounded her.
Title: Summer Rain
Spoilers: None
Warnings: None
Notes: Summer Rain is actually the first non-MiSTing fanfic I've completed. (Not counting those well hidden Sailorearth 'fics!) I started Summer Rain after watching the whole O.A.V. while eating many, many marshmallows. I'm surprised that it was actually able to hold my interest the whole time I was writing! I want to thank a few people: Ophelia-sama for giving me the inspiration to finish this, Shannon-chan and Sarah-chan for being my proof-readers and SVAM
for keeping me well entertained. I'd especially like to thank Tomoe-chan from the Ruroken website "End of Summer" (which seems to be down) for getting me interested in the O.A.V. in the first place.
Summer Rain
Tomoe sat in front of her mirror and stared at her reflection, a small bottle of white plum perfume resting in her hand. She did not feel any particular attraction to the scent, but putting on a dab of it had become a habit of hers. In fact, she felt no attraction towards anything these days. Ever since the death of her betrothed she had locked away all her emotions. It's better this way, she thought to herself.
She stood up gently and put on her favorite purple shawl. It was almost time. She had to be there. She had spent the better part of the afternoon getting her makeup and outfit right. When she arrived, she had to look perfect. It was a necessity in the plan. When Iidzuka had come to her offering a way to revenge the act that had taken away her dearest, she had agreed immediately. After all, destroying an opponent from the inside, from his heart, was no different than attacking with a sword, was it? Almost as an afterthought, she tucked her dagger inside her robe and took her bamboo umbrella.
The sky was a bleary gray with large clouds that seemed to be on the verge of spilling heaven's tears onto the city of Kyoto. As she walked, she peered into a shop window to check the time on a new Portuguese grandfather clock. Seeing that she still had plenty of time, she stopped in a restaurant near the place where he was supposed to show up.
A young waitress approached her table. "Good evening, miss! My name is Mei and I'll be serving you tonight. Is there anything in particular that you'd like?"
"Just a bottle of sake," replied Tomoe disinterestedly. She wasn't planning on staying that long.
Mei bowed respectfully and returned shortly with the alcohol. She shuffled a little. "Um... if you don't mind me saying, miss, you look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders."
Tomoe smiled, but her eyes remained unemotional. "Yes, I suppose I do."
A sudden ruckus drew her attention. She noticed two very drunken men making their way over to her. "Hey there, baby!" said the leader of the two, a large man whose weight probably exceeded his IQ. His sidekick, a wiry man with a large mouth, stood by expectantly.
The skinny man draped his arms around her shoulders and smiled. "Would you care to share a toast with us, cutie?"
"We're in charge of the Aizu Ishin Shishi!" said the fat one, puffing out his chest. "We kill for lowlifes like you day and night! You gotta do it to say thank you for all the work we do for ya!"
Tomoe glowered at the samurai. Who were these idiots? Didn't they know that Aizu supported the current government while the Ishin Shishi were revolutionists? She searched desperately through her mind for a way to escape these two clowns.
"Aizu's with the shogunate, you idiots." They turned to see who was talking. A young man with a shock of red hair and a scar running down his cheek looked back at them. Dual swords hung at his waist, identifying him as a samurai. Tomoe recognized him immediately. From Iidzuka's description, this was the man who had killed her beloved Akira. That would mean that this child was an Ishin Shishi assassin. Did those rebels have to use kids to do their dirty work?
Her assailants backed off. "Never mind," said the fat one, "There's too much going on here anyway."
The skinny samurai glared at the boy. "Yeah, kid, you're lucky you got away with your life."
The red-haired boy stood up. Even at his young age he frightened the two much older fighters. "Actually, you guys are lucky to be getting away with your lives. If you had drawn your swords I would have killed you."
The two liars looked at him. "Wha—"
"A word of caution..." He glared at them, his violet eyes dangerously reflecting the light from outside. "There's yet to be an uprising here. There's no place for you hypocrites in Kyoto now. If you value your lives, go back to the countryside."
The two samurai looked at his frightening glare, turned tail and ran. The boy bowed respectfully to Tomoe. "Please excuse all the fuss." He picked up his two samurai swords and exited the restaurant.
Mei appeared again at Tomoe's table. "Isn't that young man great? He must be some kind of patriot," she gushed. "Anyway, would you care for anything else? Our restaurant has the most delicious ramen!"
Tomoe stood up, leaving a few coins to pay for her now empty bottle of sake. "No, thank you. I have somewhere I must be."
She hurried through the emptying streets. Night was falling rapidly, but Tomoe rushed on. To miss the moment to see him, insinuate herself into his life and then... Everything she had worked for and planned would be in vain.
A moistness awoke her from her thoughts. She looked up. The clouds had broken and heaven's tears were raining their empty pain down on the world. She opened her umbrella as a shield against their barrage. She hated the rain. Ever since that night...
The darkness settled on Kyoto as Tomoe finally reached the place to which Iidzuka had instructed her to go. The sound of flesh being ripped apart by a searing blade confirmed her suspicions. She had only to step around the corner of the shop, and everything would slip into place.
He was just as he had appeared in the restaurant. He stood staring at his latest victims, his bleeding sword clutched in his effeminate hand. At the sound of her footsteps, he spun around fiercely to see who his new assailant was.
"I came to thank you for what happened back there," Tomoe said, the alcohol making her woozy but brave. "I have heard it said that the heaven rains blood on tragic scenes, but—"
She raised her stark black eyes to meet his empty violet ones.
"You make it rain blood." Tomoe passed out and the world went dark.
***
She awoke covered on a futon in a strange house. Her clothes, still stained with the blood from last night, were untouched, indicating that no one had tried to undress her. She got up and made her way down a set of twisting stairs.
She appeared to be in a somewhat new boarding house. Women dressed in light purple kimonos rushed by her, delivering large trays of food to the occupants of various rooms. One older woman paused to examine Tomoe. "You're the one that Himura brought in, ne? I didn't know his tastes were so refined."
Tomoe started at her. "Tastes?"
"Well, he probably didn't bring you as a lover," the matron gushed on, "Himura's not usually that kind of man. Last night he said that you passed out in front of him, possibly from too much drinking. What a gentleman, to bring back a strange noble woman he didn't know, just because she passed out in front of him! Where ya from, honey? Do you have a name?"
"Tomoe Yukishiro." The assassin had saved her? Perhaps Iidzuka's plan would work after all. She noticed the heavy tray of food the old woman was carrying. "Would you like a hand with that?"
The old lady laughed and looked at Tomoe with happiness in her eyes. "Honey, if you want to help out, I'll give you a job here."
Taking her up on her offer, Tomoe spent most of the morning delivering food to the various boarders. From her journeys in and out of the rooms, she noticed that most of the boarders had the same build. Tall and muscular, they were covered with battle scars. All of them seemed to own two or three swords. Could this be the base of operations for the Ishin Shishi?
The red-haired boy—no, Himura, the woman had said—came out of his chamber as Tomoe went by. He stared at her for a second, the heavy blanket of sleep still covering his memories of the previous night. It slowly lifted, revealing the identity of the cool beauty in front of him. "What the heck are you doing?"
"Can't you tell by looking?" replied Tomoe, careful to balance the tea she was carrying.
It slowly dawned on Himura. "You're... helping around the kitchen?"
"Yes." She turned to look at him. Although the ruthless attitude had faded, his eyes still bore the same emptiness she had seen earlier. She wondered if he locked away his emotions just as she had.
He shuffled uncomfortably. "I'd like you to promise me something."
"What?" She looked him over. He looked away from her, perhaps trying to convince himself that she didn't exist.
"Swear you'll forget everything that happened last night, and then I'd like you to go quickly on your way."
She cocked her head as she regarded him. "Am I of annoyance to you here? Okami-san, the owner, seems to like me."
He paused for a few seconds, as if searching for a reason for her departure. "But... your family worries about you, right?"
"If I had a family to return to, then I wouldn't be a girl out all alone at night getting drunk."
"Oh." Himura's expression darkened. "I don't know what's going on with you, but those of us here are in no condition to care for you now."
Tomoe felt anger boiling inside, but her months of practice helped her suppress most of it. "Then how will you deal with me? Like the dark samurai I saw last night?"
He clutched his sword tighter. "Think whatever you like about me. However, I kill for a new era that will let everyone live peacefully. It's not like I kill regardless of who it is. I'm only rivaling the armed shogunate members. Even if the townspeople are indeed enemies, I will not kill those who are unarmed."
"So your definition of a bad person is someone who kills a good person who is without a sword? Then if I were to have a sword in my hand here, you'd..."
He turned away from her, his face and scar disappearing behind a long ponytail of red hair.
"Someday, when you find the answer, by all means please let me hear it," Tomoe said calmly to his back. Shifting her tray back to both of her hands, Tomoe left Himura's room to deliver the tea.
***
Time seemed to flow for Tomoe. Before she knew it, several days turned into several weeks. She was offered permanent residence in Himura's room, as many people viewed the two as lovers.
On this night he was sitting in a corner, retreating into himself. He was always like this the nights after he received black envelopes. Sometimes, he would spend hours washing his hands, muttering incomprehensible words. Other times, she wouldn't see him for two or three days, and just as suddenly he would reappear. Withdrawn as he was now, Tomoe wondered what the message inside was to cause him so much pain.
She looked down at her desk. She had tried writing in her journal, but no thoughts would come to her. She removed the two small items that she kept within her robe, Akira's knife and a small bottle. Knowing that she liked it, Himura had bought her a bottle of white plum perfume. Tomoe examined the two items that represented her increasingly conflicting emotions.
Himura shuddered. Tomoe looked over at him. He had fallen asleep by the window and the chilly autumn air blew over him. She removed her purple shawl. Surely he would need it more than she did. She went to him and bent down to drape it over his shoulders.
Instantly he sprung up, sword in hand, ready to destroy his enemy. His empty eyes flashed with rage and determination. Suddenly realizing who his opponent was, he pushed Tomoe to the floor so that his sword smashed into a wall instead of into her neck.
"What did you think you were doing?" he yelled, breaking his usually unemotional state.
Tomoe stood up, shaken by his attack. "I was only trying to warm you up. Please forgive me."
Himura picked up the discarded piece of fabric and looked at it sorrowfully. His breathing was heavy from the sudden burst of adrenaline. "...Forgive me... Although I brag about not killing civilians, I almost killed you, so now... Get out of here. If you don't then someday I'll really..."
Tomoe nodded, wrapping the shawl gently around his neck. "Every sword needs a sheath to suppress the madness of killing. If you want, I'll be yours," she replied, slipping again into her usual coldness.
He placed his callused hands on her gentle, plum-scented ones. "To answer the question you asked a while ago," he told her, having some difficulty sharing his feelings, "If you had a sword in your hand, would I kill you? The answer is no. I won't kill you. No matter what the circumstances, I won't kill you, ever. Not you. Ever."
Tomoe mentally recoiled. Iidzuka's plan was working.
The white plum perfume bottle felt cool inside her pocket.
***
Tomoe looked up from her journal and out the window. She was somewhat surprised at how fast she had become accustomed to this way of living. Between her housework, her duties as an attendant at the boarding house and taking care of Himura, the days had flown by. She was starting to question the entire plan. Akira had been dear to her, but Himura had an odd way of growing on people. It was her right, her duty in fact, to avenge her betrothed's death, and yet...
She hadn't noticed Kogoro enter, but Himura had. Shining and pure, Kogoro Katsura was the handsome, charismatic leader of the Ishin Shishi. Would he ever expect that Iidzuka, his brave second-in-command, was trying to destroy all that Kogoro had created?
Himura nodded respectfully to his commander. "Is there anything I can do for you?" asked the red-haired boy.
Kogoro sighed. "As you are probably aware, our last meeting was raided by the Shinsen Gumi, a national police force. Almost everyone who was in attendance is dead. We have reason to fear for your safety."
Himura looked away. "But how can I hide? I'm used to frontal attacks."
"I've prepared a house in the country for the two of you," replied Kogoro, running a hand through his hair. "You will pose as a married couple, selling rice for a living. The Shinsen Gumi will never know where to look."
Himura bowed. "As you request, sir."
Marriage? Tomoe was slightly taken aback. Would that mean sharing with this boy the life that she and Akira were meant to have? She looked away from the two men, her heart filled with anxiety.
***
As opposed to her time at the boarding house, the time in the country seemed to creep by. It seemed to Tomoe that day simply melted into day, making her unsure of how much time had passed. There had been a beautiful wedding, of course, officially making Himura her husband. Iidzuka had been by a few times, bringing Himura updates on the battles of the Ishin Shishi. Tomoe escaped to the rice fields during his visits, not wanting to see the silent smile that slipped onto Iidzuka's face, telling her that soon, soon, his plan would be fulfilled and she would have revenge. She feared that look. It made her conflicting desires surface in her mind.
She closed her journal and put on a small dab of white plum perfume. She had written enough for today. A sound at the door made her turn around. A large, muscular man smiled at her. "It is time," he told her simply. Leaving her journal and the bottle of perfume, she followed him up the mountain she lived by.
She walked behind him in the snow for quite some while. Her small hands clutched Akira's dagger tightly. It has to be done, she thought to herself. This will stop the fighting. This would avenge her betrothed. And yet... And yet...
The man led her to a cabin. "You can rest here." He took up residence across from her.
"I have been with him for months," reported Tomoe. "He is strong physically and mentally. He has no weaknesses that you can capitalize on."
The man smiled. "Ah, but there you are wrong. He has one weakness: you."
The truth finally hit Tomoe. Iidzuka's plan wasn't for her to report Himura's frailty. It was for her to become that which unsheathed him and exposed him to pain. She would be that which made him suffer.
The man smirked. "Right now he's probably down there, reading your diary. He'll realize that you betrayed him to us. And he'll probably still come here to rescue you. Men in love are idiots, ne?"
A small explosion rocked the mountainside. The large man smiled. "It has begun. Ready to watch your betrothed's killer die?"
"Is that your plan? To wear him out so that he is easily picked off? You must be a coward."
"Shut up." The man punched Tomoe across the face. She passed out from the heavy blow.
She awoke to the sounds of fighting. Himura had arrived, although he was bleeding profusely from his shoulder and his breath was ragged from fighting. Tomoe watched as the two men fought. For once, Himura's eyes were lit with emotion. The anger encased within scared Tomoe far more than the emptiness ever had. Himura, weakened as he was, was hardly a match for his much larger opponent. He tried vainly to parry his blows. The two were almost at a draw as each tried to get the upper hand.
Suddenly, she came to a realization. Akira died because she couldn't stop him, couldn't stop his violent behavior. She had risked everything she had to ensure that Himura, Akira's killer, would die, and yet she truly loved this redheaded boy. Letting her beloved die again was out of the question.
Tomoe watched Iidzuka's agent. He was much more energetic than Himura, allowing him to dodge all of the attacks. The Ishin Shishi assassin, however, was fading fast. She could see that the unknown man was preparing a final move to finish Himura off. She jumped between the two to stab Iidzuka's man with her dagger—
She slumped to the ground, bleeding. She had taken the opponent's life, but Himura had claimed hers. He watched, shocked as the colour began to fade from her face. "Tomoe..." he barely whispered, picking her up.
Raising her dagger, Tomoe slid it across Himura's face, completing his cross scar. He sobbed silently as she looked into his eyes. She smiled, for once revealing her true emotions. "It's better this way... So please don't cry..."
She heard him scream her name as she drifted off. The smell of summer rain surrounded her.