The Illusion of Normal

Part 10: Darkness Within Me

Kenshin was moved from the dojo to Koneko no Sume Ei, Ran had made sure that sharing his room was not a problem, he moved a twin bed in, he made sure that it was clean and easy to take care of. He had to make sure that his ancestor at least wore something that wasn't just his gi and hakama.

"This one doesn't like it here, it smells of blood," Kenshin complained a little, he had hated the fact that Weiss existed, but it was also the fact that the Kamiya Dojo was no longer a safe place for him either.

"This is the safest place for you, Kenshin-kun," Omi was quickly the only one who was able to at least make it impossible for him to leave because it was still evident that Omi was not reacting well to being a vampire.

Ran was worried still about maybe Kenshin being taken away from the house and from falling inward again. He had thought about how far Callesto had gotten pulling Kenshin out of himself, it was evident that it was scary for him.

Walking into the flower shop, he stopped at the door, he was waiting for a moment, that was when he saw Kenji and another vampire standing there. "What are you doing here?" he asked in shock.

"Where is my son!" the vampire standing with Kenji was growling. "We have fought too long to keep him safe, you had no right to take him from the house. He was protected there!"

Ran couldn't stand this anymore, he glared at the vampire. "You said he was protected? He was a prisoner in that house, Callesto-san pulled him out, Kaoru-san did the same when he was turned into a vampire, how dare you say anymore than that!"

There was a moment that Kenji got between him and the other vampire. "Ji-san, stop this!" He was staring. "To-san doesn't know the truth yet, you have to calm down."

There was pause, Kenshin was standing in the store, his eyes moving. "Sensei, Kenji? What is going on?" He was looking pale, almost as if something was utterly wrong, he was shaking his head and then without warning he fainted, he fell forward and the other vampire caught him.

"His powers are too dangerous," the other vampire carried him up to Ran's room and set him in the bed. "We have fought so hard to keep Kenshin safe from the truth, and his beliefs were to remain intact because I failed him."

The vampire, Hiko was standing dressed in a white suit and tie, he was shaking his head as if he was at fault for all this. He laid Kenshin down, he had never admitted before that Kenshin was his son, not even back hundred years ago. He kept things secret, he had made only one journey to Tokyo to visit his child and Kaoru, he made it evident that he could not speak well of himself or for the fact that he could not even speak of the situation that was now part of the problem.

Kenshin passing out was expected, Hiko carried him to his bed and set him down, he sat down next to the bed. He was looking down and then up as Ran was walking into the room. "You moved him here for what you considered protection for him, why?" Hiko asked.

"Because, I can't be at the Dojo, I'm worried that Eszette might come for him, so moving him here," Ran motioned a little to the door. "Also Omi insisted that he needs to be here too."

Hiko's eyes were down and he shook his head. "He had no business ever leaving the dojo, his powers are entirely too uncontrollable and…."

"Only to you," Ran glared. "You have never had to live with him, you have never had to realize how curious he can be."

Kenshin was moaning in his sleep, he woke and gazed up at them, his eyes were glazed over, his powers were entirely what they expected. He could sense every emotion in the given area, he could sense every hatred, every burning lust, and every dream that was present, he was shaking a little from these feelings rushing through his mind, he would roll onto his left side and hold his head, he was hiding under the covers as if terrified of the idea of sensing all these things.

"I sought long and hard to hide the truth from him," Hiko whispered, his eyes were down. "I knew from the time he was a child, I have tried to lie to him, to hide the truth from him. I buried the vampire in him to the point that he could pass easily as a human. Now this!"

For a moment, Kenshin came back to himself, his eyes returned to normal, he was shaking his head and looking as if he had tried not to hurt anyone, he was shivering a little. "Hid? You hid everything?"

"Kenshin, I did what I thought was best in your interest, this was what Kaoru-san and I thought were best," Hiko finally spoke quietly. "No matter how you looked at it, your powers were making almost unable to cope with the situation."

It was evidently not the answer Kenshin sought, he turned his head. "Then why am I drawn to Callesto-dono?"

"Because she is almost like Kaoru-san in most respects," Hiko gazed down, his eyes were not focusing very well. He was shaking his head and looking sadly at him. "When it came to her death, it was very much traumatic to you and almost made you close out Kenji and your own daughter."

Kenshin was pulling his knees up, his eyes down, he had no real memory of this, he shook his head and looked at Kenji with a blank look on his face. "I think we confused him, remember the vampire robbed him of a lot of his memories."

Hiko nodded and shook his head. "Those memories need to be given back, we found that vampire, but it appears that he has something that Kenshin wants."

Callesto woke from a dream, her eyes were still staring through the empty room that only had a bed, she was shaking her head. She had thought about all the times she used to hate being in a cell, she remembered all the experiments that were conducted.

She looked up and suddenly realized she was not alone in the room, standing near the back was a man, he had strange red eyes and dark hair. "Ah…my precious one's lover is awake," he smiled a little, his voice was not melodic, more monotone and bored. "Such a strange thing that a human be born with the same gift as his, isn't it?"

Confused she sat up. "You're a vampire?"

"Oh yes, yes, I am," he smiled almost evilly, his voice matching that evil look to him in some sense. He walked forward, his eyes narrowing. "That Kaoru woman always felt she had to protect him because he protected her, he had no idea that her death was on my hands. I stole from him that life that was sworn to love him, and the child she bore there too."

Callesto looked around and saw Nagi standing by the door, the boy's eyes were down, he was looking almost sick. "Nagi?"

"Oh…ne-san," Nagi used his usual voice, but something about him changed, something was very different, he was now looking like someone put an illusion around him that was fading away, instead of a innocent little boy, there was still a boy, but with dark red hair, purple eyes, sharp fangs, he looked almost looked like his father, but there was something else, something much different, the boy looked more like his mother.

Nagi looked frightened, like something would not sit well, he was waiting for the vampire to leave, so that the illusion could be put back, the vampire did leave after getting bored. "Nagi, clean up the mess!"

It was always like that, clean up the mess, Nagi glared at him. Yes, yes, I clean up the mess, I clean up all the crap you did to people, the boy's thoughts were almost like an assault on the other, then he grabbed his head, pain laced through him, the vampire turned and glared. "Don't you dare think those evil vile things, Nagi. What would your father say?"

Callesto felt sorry for Nagi, her eyes wide. "Why hurt him, he did nothing wrong?" she knelt by the boy, only to see the vampire laugh.

"Oh, he's to have ever punishment his father must have, ever moment of his life and his existence. This little beast is just a replacement, he has his father's face and eyes. I hide the truth from the world and give Nagi a different face, his father doesn't even know he exists," the vampire laughed a little walking away. "When I'm finished, I'll kill him right in front of his father, that's Nagi's saving grace, to be the last punishment to Kenshin."

Nagi's eyes were wide, for a moment, he was shaking, his lips trembled. "Then I will be with Tot-san again," he closed his eyes sobbing. "Callesto-san, please…understand, I do this so To-san can live without being…"

"It isn't existing," Callesto turned to see her brother walking in. "Nagi…I didn't know, how could I not see this?"

"Because it was all an illusion designed from the very start, all of it, Schwarz, Eszette, we're just a vampire's game," Nagi pulled his knees to his chin. "The vampire wants to punish the world for all the crimes it did to him and to the rest of his kind. He fell in love with how innocent To-san was, how he could not bear the idea that humanity could be so evil, yet he wanted to see all the good. A vampire who was taught and thought to be human, it was a joke in his eyes, a vampire born from a mortal and a vampire, that was To-san." The boy's eyes were down, the illusion faded away to show a boy with red hair, purple eyes, he looked very much like Kenshin, Callesto rushed forward. "Don't touch me, unless you want him to punish you too."

Bradley's eyes were on Nagi, he was looking rather worried. "Ms. Fujimiya…she must awaken to put an end to all this?"

Nagi shook his head, he turned his head. "No, she will awaken that's for sure, but the real person who must awaken is To-san. He must claim to understand everything before I truly die, I'm not supposed to exist, I am on no record of the Himura family, Himura Nagi never existed."

"Nagi, you exist, you have to," Callesto stammered, she stood up and walked toward him. "You have your father's face, you have his eyes and hair, you…"

"I look just like him, that's what drove the vampire mad, I don't even know his name because only To-san can remember that."

A nightmare woke Kenshin, he heard the sound of people talking down stairs, he walked to the basement to see Ken bandaging up someone, a woman. Her eyes were on his, he looked rather confused and then turned to see Ran was pulling out something from a closet, another first aide kit. "It was an ambush, some member of Schwarz, we call him Farfarello," the woman's voice was shaking, she looked up and saw Omi's eyes.

"Omi?" Kenshin walked up, he put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Calm down, if you let it out, it will only cause a problem."

Omi held his head up and whispered, "Ouka-san, she…"

"She died a terrible death, but don't let that affect how you are going to help others," Kenshin reminded him, he walked toward Ran who was applying some splints.

"Burman, I found the information you wanted," Yohji walked into the room holding a laptop and then pointing at something. "This information is from….wait, what? There is a party tomorrow night."

"We better just crash it," Ken coughed a little as he looked up seeing Kenshin walking up the stairs. "Kenshin?"

Ran's room had something he wanted, holding up the purple fabric, Kenshin held it to him, he only drew this if he had to, Sakabatou was an old blade, but kept in great value. He brought it up and looked up as Ran was standing at the door. "You're staying here…" he felt Ran's mental touch. "It's a trap."

"I don't care," Kenshin glared at him. "Callesto-dono is there, therefore this one must go to her."

There was a gust a bit of terrible feeling rushing through both, that was when Yohji said it. "You are saying you're not letting the bait do what he wants?"

"He's not bait, he's my…" Ran stammered, his eyes turning yellow. "You can't make me put him in harms way! I kept him safe all these years and…"

"Don't you think it's time, he knew the truth?" Yohji sighed, he looked down. "My ancestor was a criminal, hell, I knew the Sagara Sanosuke's stories were handed down from child to child throughout my childhood, do you think I don't know? Himura Kenshin is the hero of the Bakumatsu, he's the man who single handedly brought free education to children who wouldn't regularly have it back then, Kenshin secretly was the one who fought against Shishio and his men to keep from having another civil war." The glare was dark and almost angry. "The man my father taught me was someone I idolized, I had no idea he was a vampire, I had no care."

"This one is no idol, this one is nothing but a humble teacher in a schoolhouse for children who hardly had anything to eat, let alone clothing to wear. Orphans came to me, children who had nothing had something, because this one had nothing at one time," Kenshin whispered, his eyes closing. "This one…was…." He touched his face and touched the scar on his cheek. "This one was feared and hated, and yes, Sanosuke-san saw passed that, he truly was the greatest friend, I felt terrible the day he died, he sent his son to live with me, Tai-san was truly like my son, yes, he was. Even as I hid my fangs and hid what I was from him, he kept Kaoru-dono company, kept her happy, until…she…." Something caused him to stare up, he turned to look around. "Record, Ran, family record!"

"What?" Ran dug through a box, he brought out an old record and family registry, he saw something and then he turned his head. "Kenshin?"

Suddenly Kenshin touched a blank spot, something should have been there, but it was not, he looked at it, glared at it. "Oro?" He rubbed his fingers over the blank spot. "Something was here, something this one remembers now. He is very important, that child is, why is he not here?" He brought his hands up and then covered his eyes, then looked through his fingers, he pushed away years of hidden memory, that was when something appeared, something that Ran and Yohji were staring at. "Himura Nagi, the one who was stolen from me!"

Kenshin's fingers fumbled over the paper, he saw it fade again, like something was hiding it so much, an illusion that anyone staring at the paper could not see the third child of Himura Kenshin. "My son was stolen!"

Nagi opened his eyes, he looked around his room, he let his head rest on his right arm, he pulled his eyes closed, he felt someone reaching for him, something he yearned for since he was small. He remembered all the times he wanted to scream for the one person who was left alive for him. He sobbed and cried as he was hit and slapped, but soon he forgot how to cry, he just stared at the vampire, then used his powers to push and pull away, Telekentic vampires were almost as rare as Empathic. I'm just a weapon to use against To-san, that's all I am to him, Nagi sat up, he pulled on his school clothes, he pretended, he hated everything and everyone around him.

He suddenly stared at the picture of his father, the one thing he had, an image of his mother and father taken in 1883 in Yokohama. Kenshin was standing behind his wife, who was holding a small boy. Nagi stared at the picture for hours when he was a little boy, he remembered all the times he hated having the same face as his father. He wanted something else, he wanted to hide his red hair, to hide every part of his Himura heritage from the world. Nagi became Naoe Nagi, he became hated and hated everyone, he fabricated every lie he could think of to just hide everything.

"He's starting to remember what was stolen," the vampire walked in, he was happily playing the puppet master. "Isn't it grand my little toy? My weapon."

Nagi shrugged it off, his eyes closing as he pushed the illusion away to show what he truly looked like. He brought his hand up and held a stake in mid air with his mind, and then rammed into it the vampire's chest. "I'm not a puppet, I'm not your weapon. Just so you know, you let your guard down. I'm…Himura Nagi, son of the Hitokiri Battosai."

I might as well, call myself the Hitokiri Battosai reborn, but that would be a title only fitting for someone who is like To-san, no, I'm not that, Nagi smiled letting the vampire die in front of him. "I planned this all, let me do my dance!"