Darkness of the Mind
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Chapter 0: Memories of Sakura Petals in Spring
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The sun shone high overhead, shining down on the firey red hair of someone who once was known as a Rurouni, a mild tempered youthful looking man who helped a local kenjutsu instructor's dojo in order. He was once known as the Hitokiri Battousai, the most famed, dangerous assassin of the Bakamatsu.
Now, he was just Himura Kenshin.
All the skeletons in his closet had been erradicated and destroyed, in the light of the new era, and by the eyes of the woman he loved more than life. Kamiya Kaoru.
In the years following Enishii's Jinchuu, life had grown remarkably quiet. Quiet and peaceful.
There were no more people running to Kenshin's door begging him to protect some government official from some crazed hitokiri, no one commanding him to save Japan from his successor.
There was no more Battousai.
He breathed easier now than he had. Even on this afternoon, while he did laundry, he was calm, relaxed.
Few things marred this perfect afternoon.
Such things were the abscence of his best friend, Sagara Sanosuke, and the best doctor in all Japan, Takani Megumi. Sano was running around in Mongolia the last time he heard, and Megumi was in Aizu still.
It was down to three-
He heard childish laughter and smiled, lifting his face to the bright sun. Ah, he remembered, that number had grown recently, hadn't it. He stared up into the cloudless blue sky, smiling. After a moment, he flopped back, and let his mind drift back to the past. Before he'd admitted his love for Kaoru, before little Kenji was born...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The days following Enishii's Jinchuu went by in a blur. even now, years later, the vivid images were still somehow locked in Kenshin's mind. He'd been unconsious for three days from what Kaoru said, after the fight, which wasn't a big surprise. He'd been so determined to save Kaoru, he'd forgotten about himself. His body wouldn't be able to handle much more of that.
When he regained consciousness, he had learned that Megumi was returning to Aizu to open her own clinic. He'd kept silent about the silent torment in Sanosuke's eyes following her announcement. He could tell the ex-gangster was trying hard to act like he didn't care about the doctor, and it wouldn't do to injure his ego.
The week following Megumi's departure, Sano disappeared for a few days, until Katsu, his friend, came to their door and explained that the cops were after Sano, and he was bunking at Katsu's for a few nights.
That was when they learned Sano would be leaving the country.
A few nights later, he too was gone.
After that happened, things around the Kamiya dojo got really quiet for several weeks. Those weeks turned into months, and the months turned into years. Things were peaceful, and he was happy.
So happy, in fact, that one night, under the stars, and surrounded by cherry blossoms, he pulled Kaoru away from the rest of the festival and proposed to her. He'd never been so frightened of anything in his life, than he was of being rejected by her. All those fears vanished when she threw her arms around him and whispered her answer into his ear over and over.
They shared the first of many kisses to follow under those sakura trees.
Tae scolded them for getting married so quickly after being engaged for such a short time. They'd waited a total of a month, so as many people who could come would have time to get their.
Misao and the Oniwabanshuu, complete with Aoshi, came for the wedding, as did Megumi. Kenshin didn't mention it, but he saw two people he recognized that did not come forward after the ceremony.
His own, Shishou, Hiko Seijuro, and not far away from him was Seta Soujirou.
Hiko, however, did come for the reception. Soujirou did not.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Those years were tough for Megumi. It became evident to Kaoru and Kenshin that Megumi loved Sanosuke as much as he loved her. Each letter from the doctor they recieved asked if they'd heard from 'that no good Rooster Head', yet.
They decided it would be kinder to say no.
Sanosuke hadn't moved on, and his letters weren't much better than Megumi's. They certainly were more carefree, and generally shorter, and rather sloppily written, but Kenshin could see that he wrote Megumi's nicknames alot neater than the rest of what he decided to put down, as if he were putting alot more time into it.
Kenshin felt alot of pity towards them, even now, he couldn't help wishing things could have turned out differently for them. He could tell that Megumi was an emotional wreck. During her visits, he would wake at night and hear her crying at night, deep, heart-wrenching sobs.
Something told him that his rather speedy wedding to Kaoru didn't help matters much.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now, Yahiko was one of the few who was in the original 'Kenshingumi' as he'd termed it, who had barely changed. Well, barely if you can call gaining a foot, and having nearly every teenaged girl in Tokyo lusting after you 'barely changed'.
Yahiko had taken it upon himself to become the new defender of Tokyo when Kenshin had gotten married. In doing so, he'd gained massive amounts of popularity with the local girls, most of whom flushed awkwardly if he happened to give them a careless smirk that looked suspiciously like the trademark 'Zanza grin'.
However, Kenshin had realized long ago, that the other girl's didn't stand a chance. Yahiko was hopelessly devoted, and had been all these ten years. To none other than the little serving girl from the Akebeko, Tsubame.
It made Kenshin smile, watching Yahiko try to flirt while having no idea how to, or that he was doing so. He would offer to do stuff for her, and find reasons to touch her, and wouldn't realize why she would turn so red when he would do so.
Finally, Kenshin took Yahiko aside and explained the whole situation to the youth, trying to hide a wicked grin as he gave him 'the talk'. Yahiko was so red when he was released from the room, that he would have given a tomato a run for it's money.
Since then, he's been a lot more flirtacious with her, and didn't even seem to mind Kaoru's teasing him about it later. After a talk with Tsubame, you could call him 'Yahiko-chan' and he wouldn't even notice, nor would he loose the dopey grin on his face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A pair of warm arms tackled Kenshin, and both of them wound up falling into the warm laundry water. Kenshin game up spluttering, looking around, and finally down to where his son was attached to his neck.
"Tousan..." Kenji murmered affectionately, making his father turn to putty. The boy pressed his face into his father's shirt, smiling.
"Mou, Kenji!" Kenshin said, picking his son and himself from the wash water. "Now we're all wet, de gozaru!" He laughed, spinning his soaked, seven year old son around in the air, his face lit up with a delighted smile.
The boy was older than he had been when Yahiko had been allowed to become adjucant master. He'd been five at the time, and his hair had been dark brown. Now, it was turning a fine shade of dark auburn, and his big blue eyes, deffinately belonged to his mother.
Kenji laughed merrily, and threw his arms around his father. He'd just begun his kenjutsu training, with his mother. No doubt, however, that he would fight Yahiko in order to gain the right to become adjucant master, just as Yahiko had fought Kenshin.
He smiled, spinning the boy around again and pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Where's your mother?" He asked, smiling at the boy.
"She's in the dojo!" He smiled brightly, pointing.
"Why don't you go practice with her. I promise I'll be in there in a minute." He set his son down, ruffling his reddish hair.
Kenji beamed up at his father, then ran off towards the dojo.
Kenshin watched the boy go with a fond and gentle smile. That was the future of Japan. He was the Meiji era, wrapped in red hair and blue eyes. Kenshin lifted his eyes to the sky again, and watched as a sakura petal fell to the ground, at his feet. This was the Meiji era. This was the Era he'd killed to create.
This...
Was peace.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 0: Memories of Sakura Petals in Spring
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sun shone high overhead, shining down on the firey red hair of someone who once was known as a Rurouni, a mild tempered youthful looking man who helped a local kenjutsu instructor's dojo in order. He was once known as the Hitokiri Battousai, the most famed, dangerous assassin of the Bakamatsu.
Now, he was just Himura Kenshin.
All the skeletons in his closet had been erradicated and destroyed, in the light of the new era, and by the eyes of the woman he loved more than life. Kamiya Kaoru.
In the years following Enishii's Jinchuu, life had grown remarkably quiet. Quiet and peaceful.
There were no more people running to Kenshin's door begging him to protect some government official from some crazed hitokiri, no one commanding him to save Japan from his successor.
There was no more Battousai.
He breathed easier now than he had. Even on this afternoon, while he did laundry, he was calm, relaxed.
Few things marred this perfect afternoon.
Such things were the abscence of his best friend, Sagara Sanosuke, and the best doctor in all Japan, Takani Megumi. Sano was running around in Mongolia the last time he heard, and Megumi was in Aizu still.
It was down to three-
He heard childish laughter and smiled, lifting his face to the bright sun. Ah, he remembered, that number had grown recently, hadn't it. He stared up into the cloudless blue sky, smiling. After a moment, he flopped back, and let his mind drift back to the past. Before he'd admitted his love for Kaoru, before little Kenji was born...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The days following Enishii's Jinchuu went by in a blur. even now, years later, the vivid images were still somehow locked in Kenshin's mind. He'd been unconsious for three days from what Kaoru said, after the fight, which wasn't a big surprise. He'd been so determined to save Kaoru, he'd forgotten about himself. His body wouldn't be able to handle much more of that.
When he regained consciousness, he had learned that Megumi was returning to Aizu to open her own clinic. He'd kept silent about the silent torment in Sanosuke's eyes following her announcement. He could tell the ex-gangster was trying hard to act like he didn't care about the doctor, and it wouldn't do to injure his ego.
The week following Megumi's departure, Sano disappeared for a few days, until Katsu, his friend, came to their door and explained that the cops were after Sano, and he was bunking at Katsu's for a few nights.
That was when they learned Sano would be leaving the country.
A few nights later, he too was gone.
After that happened, things around the Kamiya dojo got really quiet for several weeks. Those weeks turned into months, and the months turned into years. Things were peaceful, and he was happy.
So happy, in fact, that one night, under the stars, and surrounded by cherry blossoms, he pulled Kaoru away from the rest of the festival and proposed to her. He'd never been so frightened of anything in his life, than he was of being rejected by her. All those fears vanished when she threw her arms around him and whispered her answer into his ear over and over.
They shared the first of many kisses to follow under those sakura trees.
Tae scolded them for getting married so quickly after being engaged for such a short time. They'd waited a total of a month, so as many people who could come would have time to get their.
Misao and the Oniwabanshuu, complete with Aoshi, came for the wedding, as did Megumi. Kenshin didn't mention it, but he saw two people he recognized that did not come forward after the ceremony.
His own, Shishou, Hiko Seijuro, and not far away from him was Seta Soujirou.
Hiko, however, did come for the reception. Soujirou did not.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Those years were tough for Megumi. It became evident to Kaoru and Kenshin that Megumi loved Sanosuke as much as he loved her. Each letter from the doctor they recieved asked if they'd heard from 'that no good Rooster Head', yet.
They decided it would be kinder to say no.
Sanosuke hadn't moved on, and his letters weren't much better than Megumi's. They certainly were more carefree, and generally shorter, and rather sloppily written, but Kenshin could see that he wrote Megumi's nicknames alot neater than the rest of what he decided to put down, as if he were putting alot more time into it.
Kenshin felt alot of pity towards them, even now, he couldn't help wishing things could have turned out differently for them. He could tell that Megumi was an emotional wreck. During her visits, he would wake at night and hear her crying at night, deep, heart-wrenching sobs.
Something told him that his rather speedy wedding to Kaoru didn't help matters much.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now, Yahiko was one of the few who was in the original 'Kenshingumi' as he'd termed it, who had barely changed. Well, barely if you can call gaining a foot, and having nearly every teenaged girl in Tokyo lusting after you 'barely changed'.
Yahiko had taken it upon himself to become the new defender of Tokyo when Kenshin had gotten married. In doing so, he'd gained massive amounts of popularity with the local girls, most of whom flushed awkwardly if he happened to give them a careless smirk that looked suspiciously like the trademark 'Zanza grin'.
However, Kenshin had realized long ago, that the other girl's didn't stand a chance. Yahiko was hopelessly devoted, and had been all these ten years. To none other than the little serving girl from the Akebeko, Tsubame.
It made Kenshin smile, watching Yahiko try to flirt while having no idea how to, or that he was doing so. He would offer to do stuff for her, and find reasons to touch her, and wouldn't realize why she would turn so red when he would do so.
Finally, Kenshin took Yahiko aside and explained the whole situation to the youth, trying to hide a wicked grin as he gave him 'the talk'. Yahiko was so red when he was released from the room, that he would have given a tomato a run for it's money.
Since then, he's been a lot more flirtacious with her, and didn't even seem to mind Kaoru's teasing him about it later. After a talk with Tsubame, you could call him 'Yahiko-chan' and he wouldn't even notice, nor would he loose the dopey grin on his face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A pair of warm arms tackled Kenshin, and both of them wound up falling into the warm laundry water. Kenshin game up spluttering, looking around, and finally down to where his son was attached to his neck.
"Tousan..." Kenji murmered affectionately, making his father turn to putty. The boy pressed his face into his father's shirt, smiling.
"Mou, Kenji!" Kenshin said, picking his son and himself from the wash water. "Now we're all wet, de gozaru!" He laughed, spinning his soaked, seven year old son around in the air, his face lit up with a delighted smile.
The boy was older than he had been when Yahiko had been allowed to become adjucant master. He'd been five at the time, and his hair had been dark brown. Now, it was turning a fine shade of dark auburn, and his big blue eyes, deffinately belonged to his mother.
Kenji laughed merrily, and threw his arms around his father. He'd just begun his kenjutsu training, with his mother. No doubt, however, that he would fight Yahiko in order to gain the right to become adjucant master, just as Yahiko had fought Kenshin.
He smiled, spinning the boy around again and pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Where's your mother?" He asked, smiling at the boy.
"She's in the dojo!" He smiled brightly, pointing.
"Why don't you go practice with her. I promise I'll be in there in a minute." He set his son down, ruffling his reddish hair.
Kenji beamed up at his father, then ran off towards the dojo.
Kenshin watched the boy go with a fond and gentle smile. That was the future of Japan. He was the Meiji era, wrapped in red hair and blue eyes. Kenshin lifted his eyes to the sky again, and watched as a sakura petal fell to the ground, at his feet. This was the Meiji era. This was the Era he'd killed to create.
This...
Was peace.