Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin!
So now Keiko wanders...who will she encounter? Only the story knows...
Enjoy!
Keiko traveled through Japan, staying away from Tokyo and Kyoto, even though they were popular cities to go to. The tears didn't seem to stop, no matter how she tried to stifle them. Every night the tears came, but she couldn't do anything about them. The night reminded her of hearing that her brother was struck with a disease and was going to die.
As she was walking through a small village one day, eight years into her wanderings, she bumped into someone. She kept her head down and murmured, "Sorry."
The person she bumped into stopped and looked her way. "Himura-san, is that you?"
She blinked and turned. "Huh?"
A man about a year older than her with short black hair and gray eyes, wearing a blue gi, blue pants that went down and met knee-high white socks, and straw sandals that were tied around his ankles, so they wouldn't fall off were he to run, stood behind her. She noticed there was a sword on his belt and hand guards on his arms, as he smiled at her.
"You don't recognize me? It's me, Seta Sojiro. Don't you remember?"
She shook her head. He must think I'm Kenshin-nii…well, I guess I look just like him in this outfit. "I'm sorry, you must have me confused with—"
"Nope, I know you're Himura-san! No one else would have this sword."
He pointed to Winter Moon, which she'd changed from a wood sheath and handle, to a steel sheath and normal handgrip.
"Sojiro-san, I—" she began, but was cut off again.
"Don't worry, I've changed in the past thirteen years. I've found out the truth of what you told me for myself, and I feel much better about it. How about we go and talk for a while, Himura-san?"
He put an arm around her shoulders and led her to the nearest inn, where he paid for a room and led her inside. They sat on opposite sides of the room, Keiko nervous as nothing else. She was alone in the same room with a man she didn't even know. She put her hands on her knees, since she didn't have anywhere else to put them without looking feminine.
"So, Himura-san, what's happened since we last fought? It has been thirteen years, after all. Did you get married to the person most important to you?"
Keiko bit her lip, then said, "Sojiro-san, I…"
"You don't have to tell me. I can tell you did. If you have, then why are you wandering Japan?"
"Well, I don't know."
"You seem sad, Himura-san. Did something happen?"
"Yes."
"What?"
"My brother…is dying."
"You have a brother, Himura-san?"
"Yes, I do. You have me mistaken for my brother."
The man's eyes widened. "You're not Himura Kenshin?"
"No, I'm not. I'm Himura Keiko."
"I'm so sorry, Himura-chan. You look just like Himura-san. Except I was a little confused with the ribbon in your hair. Now I know that you're wearing that for a reason." He chuckled to himself at his own blindness and then stopped. "Did you say that Himura-san is dying?"
"Yes. I left Tokyo to wander because of that. I love my brother…I can't believe he's going to die."
Tears began to flow down her cheeks, even though her face wasn't as sorrowful as at first. She raised a hand to wipe them away, when Sojiro held out a handkerchief. "It might be a little dirty being in my sleeve for so long, but here."
She wiped her tears and they were instantly replaced. "I thought that I would be over it by now…but I guess my tears can't stop."
"I don't blame your tears, Himura-chan. If I'd lost any close friends of mine, let alone a close sibling, I'd be mourning for a long time, too."
"Whenever I cried, Kenshin-nii would comfort me in any way he could—" She gasped as Sojiro held her close, so her head rested against his shoulder.
"Himura-chan, did he hold you like this?"
"Yes…he did…"
"Then whenever you cry, I'll do the same. No one should mourn alone. No one should suffer, that's what I've learned these last thirteen years. I wanna help whoever I can with what I have and repent for the sins I've committed in the past."
"Thank you…"
Aww...such a touching scene. So, what did you think?
Please review!