The Stars in The Night Sky by Broken Angel
They came from two different worlds.
He was an ex-assassin, Shadow Hitokiri, the successor of the legendary Battousai, only ten times more evil and heartless. He had been burnt alive by the government as a result of his knowing too much. He was hungry for power and revenge. He was trying to take over Japan with his philosophy: " Survival of the fittest."
She was the most popular geisha in Japan at her time. High-ranking officials used to come all the way to her brothel for just a look at her. She lived a life of champagne and parties, of heavy makeup and beautiful kimonos, of adoring men and envious women. She didn't feel ashamed by the scornful stares of the jealous women, who whispered about her being a "bad" woman, a slut, to put it bluntly. She tossed her head proudly and stalked off with that air of dignity always around her. She was who she was, and she was proud of it.
But she had been let down by the Meiji government, and he had a deep, rooted hatred toward them. It was fate, she remembered thinking to herself years later, as she watched her lover, her heart thanking Kami-sama that she had him with her. The two different worlds had bonded and Heaven had opened up and sent down her savior.
He came in the form of a grotesque man completely covered with white bandages. His skin was black and charred, and he was a terrible sight. Not exactly a typical guardian angel. Like an Egyptian mummy, she thought numbly in her state of dazed horror when he had requested her. But looks were only skin deep, as the saying went. She was repulsed by his burnt body at first, but later, his ugliness seemed to disappear when she fell in love with his charm, his respect for women, his unexpected gentleness with her, his brilliance, his decisiveness, his drive and passion to pursue his greatest ambition…oh, she could just go on and on and on about him, and never get tired. She loved him with all her heart and soul, accepted him completely, stood by him no matter what, her dear Shishio-sama.
At the end of his stay, he had turned to her with those fiery eyes she had grown to love and had asked her to leave with him. He offered her silk dresses and jewels, offered her a life of luxury, if she went along with him. Overwhelmed by the offer, tears had pricked her eyes and she said: " I don't care for money. I'll go to the other end of the world with you if that's the last thing I'll do."
He had smiled, and she knew from the very depths of her heart that she would never, ever regret her choice.
And she didn't, even when people had looked at her with disgust, had shunned her for being the lover of the "crazed madman", the " monster", the "savage", the "beast". She didn't care when they whispered behind her back about her loving him only for the jewels and silk dresses, the luxuries she showered her with. She just tossed her head proudly and stalked off - what the headstrong, unyielding young woman had been doing all her life, and what she would keep doing for the rest of it. What did it matter what the others thought of her, when she had Shishio-sama by her side? He had brought light into her life, had brought the sparkle into her eyes, and she wasn't about to be ashamed of her boundless yet growing love for him.
She understood his pain, understood the internal fire raging in him, eating into his senses, making his life a pure torture. She sobbed silently at night in the privacy of her bedroom; when the night threw her black shawl over the Earth, only did the seemingly strong, unwavering, determined woman allow herself the pleasure of tears –her slim shoulders shaking uncontrollably, they rolled down her pale cheeks in two steady streams, gushing down like an angry river – and angry was she, at herself. Why couldn't she free Shishio-sama of his pain? How useless she was, only to be able to stand aside helplessly, her heart feeling like it was being clawed at as she watched his internal struggle! He never let on to her about the agony he was feeling, but she knew, she couldn't do a thing about it. It was during those miserable nights that she had gazed up toward the countless stars twinkling in an endless sky of coal-black – the stars, she realized, were just like her glowing, countless love for Shishio ; the only thing that glowed bright in this dark, dreary life full of deceit and betrayal and death and pain – and had made a vow that she would do whatever she could to protect Shishio.
* * *
When the sword, glinting silver in the sunlight, pierced through Yumi, she strangely felt no pain – just a strange, glowing joy and a feeling of peace settling over her like a warm, snug blanket a mother set over her child on a cold winter's night.
She caught sight of her reflection in the sword – I'm crying, she realized with a start. But at this moment, as she fell back against Shishio's chest and as he lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes, one last time, she knew the tears weren't like those tears of sorrow she had shed all alone in the deep of the night. No, they were tears of joy. Shishio-sama would survive this battle, this crazed, power-hungry, ambitious man that had captured her heart. He would achieve his dream. He would be happy, at last. Her life? It was only a small price to pay if it made him happy.
" I'm so happy.
All along…I was always so jealous of the others.
They could fight for Shishio-sama…
They could help him achieve his dream…
But all I could do was give him momentary pleasure,
all I could do was stay by the sidelines.
But now it's different…
I actually could help out in achieving your goal…
in your most important fight, too…"
She wanted to protect him, to take away his pain, to make his dream come through. And that was what she had done, she thought as she slumped back against Shishio's chest, the life in her starting to evaporate like mist. Her breath came in short, quick gasps as she raised one slender, delicate white hand to his cheek - a last gesture of her endless, boundless love for him, and only him – and whispered her dying words:
" You have to win, Shishio-sama… I will take the journey to hell first…"
Her hand fell limply to the ground, and her eyes fluttered shut, never to be opened again. But her love was still there. It would always be there, in life and in death, for an eternity – and longer.
" But I'll be waiting for you, Shishio-sama. Always."
And with those words, whispered with a rapidly fading voice, but the light of love in her eyes still shining brightly, Yumi Komagata – the woman who had chosen love over life, the woman who had devoted her one heart, mind and soul to a man that no one loved, the woman who had finally found true happiness in death – left the Earth forever.
" Always…Shishio-sama…Always…"
Author's note: * Broken Angel wails inconsolably * Oh, what have I done? What have I done? Poor Yumi-san… she really * sob * loved him * hiccup *…* takes a deep breath * Okay. Okay. I have calmed down. Now I shall talk in a respectable condition. See that box down there? Yeah, write something. This is my first non-poetry fic, so I shall need lots of your kind encouraging words. Umm…of course, I'd prefer it if you didn't flame me but * shrugs * I'll still accept your flames anyway…
Disclaimer: The sun rises in this East, Kenshin always wins in battle, Shishio never goes SD, and Rurouni Kneshin belongs to the noble Nobuhiro-sama.
Dedication: To everyone who values love more than their own life … is there anyone in this world like that? Or is it just in movies?