Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin isn't mine, but that doesn't keep me and about a billion other people from trying! On with the fic!
Note: Katsumori will be called 'Katsu' or 'Katsumori' whereas Kogo Katsura will always be called 'Katsura' in order to avoid confusion in the following chapters. Thanks:)
Cold Hard Truth
A dark room welcomed her as she opened her weary eyes. Attempting to sit upright, she winced and bit back an oath. Slowly laying back down on the futon, her head racked her senses as punishment for trying to move too quickly.
Her head was wrapped in bandages, forcing her to wear her hair down. She hated it like that. The only time she ever had her hair down was when she bathed or for . . .
She colored at the thought. Katsumori knew so much about her, too much for the ordinary man, woman relationship. Yanagi was only seventeen, yet she and Katsu had been in a tedious but content relationship. A frown developed the more she thought after calming down.
Why hasn't he come for me? Is he doing this to taunt me? No, Katsu-kun wouldn't dare . . .
Faint knocking at the shogi door drew her attention away from her thoughts. Beckoning the visitor in after sensing a weak ki, one of the inn maids came in and closed the sliding panel after her.
She was a kind hearted girl of eighteen; she knew just what kind of situation Yanagi was in. She was a female captive in the hands of the enemy with a horde of less than moral men. The maid had been a great help and comfort to the younger woman after she had bandaged her head injury.
"Are you alright Yanagi-san?" her light voice carried decently well since the room was silent. The red headed girl nodded and smiled openly.
"Hai, how about you Minori-san?"
They conversed about the day and how foolish the revolution seemed at times. Minori had a young suitor who had just recently left the Ishin Shishi after his father had been killed in a skirmish with the Shogunate's wolves, the Shinsengumi. At least her love wouldn't fall to a blade like his father had.
The revolution was draining both sides and wild gambits were being taken by each force as the Ikeda-ya incident had proven two years ago.
A tap at the door stopped their chatting as Yanagi became silent and distant. Minori stood and walked to the shogi. Opening it, she was met with amber eyes like the lady she was speaking with. They seemed to glow in the shadowy lighting. Behind him stood one other figure, Kogo Katsura himself.
Minori swiftly opened the sliding paper door to let them in and then excused herself before leaving. Yanagi radiated cold cruelty, showing no signs of the young girl she was with Minori. Her eyes only stared at some distant spot on the opposite wall, refusing to even acknowledge the leader of Choshu, much less her own flesh and blood brother.
Katsura had positive intentions, but he had gone about them the wrong way in her opinion. Turning her brother into the killer of legends was not something she was afraid to loathe. Finally turning to face them when they wouldn't leave, she braced herself for another round of interrogations.
(Just outside of Ishin Shishi HQ)
It had been tedious and far too drawn out for his tastes, but he had managed to find the Ishin Shishi headquarters and determine Yanagi's location in the inn. He wasn't thrilled about her room. She was put in an inner chamber where no windows were provided. If he was found inside, it would be a blood bath getting out.
If I wait it may be too late, but if I just dash in there like an idiot and she's still injured, I'll end up having a struggle. I hate making decisions like this. Ah screw it! Let's raise hell!
He realized that he was about to do the stupidest thing in his life, but for the woman he had strangely come to care for; he found it was worth it.
Peering through an open window, only a single guard lay between him and the stair way leading to the middle floor where Yanagi was kept. Knocking on the window, he ducked down beneath the sill as the swordsman approached.
"Huh? I wonder what that wa . . ." the man never finished his question as a blade skewered the underside of his jaw and jutted out the top of his skull. Only a weak gasp escaped his lips as another sword found its destination in his neck in the same instant. Crimson liquid slid down both swords before the standing corpse was thrown from the window to the street ally below.
Heh, easier than expected. Katsu murmured to himself as he crept through the window and toward the staircase. Kami forgive me, but to save one soul, I'll have to send far more to you.
He was just about to reach the bottom of the steps when a sharp creak met his ears. Looking up the stairs he was about to climb, he saw a young woman at the summit. Her face was pale and she was quivering. One thought came to his mind.
Shimata . . .
She let loose a loud scream and ran back from the stairs. Katsu didn't worry about her now; she had already screwed up his rescue attempt. There wasn't a point in killing her if she was alone, but who ever was up there was getting ready to have a rude welcome in his blades; which were still stained in blood.
(In Yanagi's Room)
Upstairs, a piercing shriek met Yanagi's ears. Kenshin quickly drew his katana and threw open the door as Minori dashed past him and hid next to the injured swordswoman. The sound of steel against steel was heard after a despaired curse. She recognized the foreigner.
Katsumori!
He cursed his mistake. As he heard frantic footsteps coming his way he began a slash to kill any man with a sword but had seen red hair and hesitated. The red head didn't seem to care and lashed out, catching Katsu in his left side. Wounded, he bounded over his attacker and spun around, adding centrifugal force to his blow, but met steel instead of flesh.
Amber eyes and a cross shaped scar met his crimson ones. He mentally slapped himself for his oversight.
Of course Battosai was the one guarding her, she was his sister! The frustration changed to anger and he feinted backwards. Four feet now separated the two swordsmen, who just stared down one another, feral glowing eyes glaring at demonic crimson orbs. Six other eyes stared at the two combatants from the side room.
Several voices came from below and soon a group of swordsmen had joined the Battosai against the lone intruder. Katsura was rather shocked that anyone could have evaded Kenshin's sword stroke while not being Shinsengumi.
The hall was silent; the only sound that escaped was a wet, dripping sensation.
Yanagi looked at Katsu and tensed, blood was running down the now soaked hakama of her rescuer, staining the polished wood floors. It was a methodical, steady sound, like a heartbeat. His normally white socks and sandals were stained red with the blood that had begun to pool at his feet.
The cut had to be deep. Katsu had sweat on his brow from keeping his breathing controlled, calm, focused. She knew the strain he was under, he couldn't keep it up for long.
A harsh flash of ki instantly snuffed out the lights and several of the men behind the hitokiri fell in a shower of blood; soaking any who didn't fall to the mystery blade. Kenshin turned while keeping tabs on Katsu. The raven haired swordsman stood in his place, sweating even more than before and breathing becoming harder by the second.
Kenshin couldn't believe it. No one was behind them and yet every guard was dead. Each of the bodies missing arms, legs, heads. Those who weren't mutilated into human cutlets had been severed in two either from head to navel or side to side.
Only one or two had been severed into two pieces. The rest had been trisected or even more. A younger guard had been literally gutted; two large swathed cuts had made his guts to spill from his body, his body in a seiza sitting position once he fell dead.
The once white walls had been splatter painted red and decorated in gore. It looked like a butcher's shop; cuts of meat and guts scattered about the hallway and down the stairs.
Katsura paled at the horrid slaughter. Minori buried her face in the back of Yanagi while the girl looked on with a sad glance at her lover. He had unleashed his most brutal technique, and no one would ever know it had been him.
He had been moving, but not even her brother could have seen his movements. She hadn't seen him move either, but she knew it had been him. More blood covered the floor at his feet and he was struggling to stay conscious.
He was a master at balancing power with speed, but that didn't mean that he couldn't tire. His wounded state didn't help matters either. She grunted in pain as she stood. The dull throbbing in her head refused to leave her alone. Picking her daisho up from the floor she left the room and joined Katsu's side, ignored Minori's frenzied pleas.
Kenshin frowned when Yanagi joined Katsu. He didn't know the man, but the killing aura he gave off was too great, too much like Saito when he was lost in a duel. He was trouble and she was with him. He shook his head.
"Sister, stand away from him. He's too dangerous."
"Oh? I suppose you're not big brother!" her bitter words struck him harder than cannonball.
She was right, just how different were they? Both of them were killers and knew it. They reeked of blood and violence and showed little remorse in combat. Swords were their life, and by their hands they had slain countless dozens. It was the one truth all swordsmen shared whether they wanted to or not.
"That's enough. Kenshin, let them pass; we don't need a slaughter." Katsura had finally regained a little composure, but was still have a hard time comprehending just how his men had been butchered. The manslayer hesitated, but put away the katana.
Katsu leaned heavily on the young girl as the two made their exit. Just as they past the former shadow hitokiri, Yanagi and Katsu whispered something only he could here. As they left down the stairs with Minori following to spread Katsura's order to let them pass, a sword dropped to the floor, shortly followed by its owner.
Kenshin sat there, staring at his hands, his sword lay beside him, forgotten. Their words would echo in his mind for years to follow.
Soulless boy . . .
Lifeless pawn . . .
Heartless murderer . . . judge yourself before God before you judge others.
Katsu's words had struck close to his heart's thoughts, but Yanagi hadhinted at what he thought was known only to him; and it shook him to the core. They knew about that snowy day.
Wife slayer. . .
Whoo! That took some time. College has started up again and studying followed by work leaves little time to write. Let me know what you think! I'm going to get the next chapter in S.C.A.R.S. done before the next chapter in Dragons and Phoenix.
Next Chapter: Atonement and Forgiveness
There is always a light at the end of the tunnel, but it isn't always heaven . . . these were the words of my master . . . my lover.
Words in the diary of Kosho Yanagi