Finale: Redemption
It was a good thing Kenshin restrained Okina from hauling the sword straight to his head after learning about that incident at the inn. He came into his defense, and told for both party to calm down. Okina had his share of fault of orchestrating the whole thing, while Soujiro still struggling with his actions don't know much of the consequences, and Kenshin let him go. This time, he want to right what he made wrong. He owed Kenshin now twice, and like before, he had to fix this entirely on his own.
The day he reclaim his innocence and he lost it. That innocence is Misao, he can't explain the sudden surge of overwhelming emotion the first time he set his eyes on her, what devil's rage possessed him to walk through Okina's stronghold and do anything to have her, wanting someone to love him. But love isn't what you dictate to someone, he learned that in a week. Love is what he knew after now she was gone, that happened few hours ago. He looked at his sword, the nihontou. It was like a menace, he carries it and it quickly resume his twin identity with it. Murderer, cold blooded mercenary, henchman.. He threw it away by the ditch, the dried blood still stained on it.
"You fight, not to kill but to protect..mamorimasu, people like me, Soujiro." He recalls the moment at that night. He wished that moment lasted forever, she gave him a new sword. And she gave him her word.
"Sou-chan, I trusted you.."
Misao would not ran far away, he recall that day when he had to chase her and they fell both in a bed of wet moss, and it was there first kiss. First deep and passionate kiss. One thing that they are both similar with, is that they don't know the feeling of sensual touch and someone to hold you close and make love with. Stop it, stop thinking of that! It would give you a raging hard on! He hits himself at the head just thinking of that. He had to find Misao, he don't care what Kenshin says, that it would take a lot of time and blah. He had to prove he could do it better, that he had to come in terms of his past. He had to.
If he really loved her that much.
He picks up his nihontou, slacking it to his side, he went into the deep remote forest.
"Misao! Misao!" he called out, leaping from a branch to a tree and so forth with ease like he used to as a skilled henchman. He heard a rustling of leaves, and approaches it. Then realizing it's a trick to distract him. He looked over from behind, and a speeding kunai nearly zinged past his head, hadn't it been his swift counter. "Misao! Yameru!" he called out, and chased the figure who attacked him from the behind. She is even faster than before, and he can tell that she is really upset, for she wasn't even talking. She is busy throwing the tobi kunais at him without saying a word.
"Misao, stop it! Stop it now!!" he leaped off from her sight, and before she could land in sure footing to another fat branch, he made a crucial combo by leaping a near steep side of the bark and slicing the branch off with one clean cut. Misao gaped in disbelief as she falls backwards, several feet below the ground, and Soujiro caught her easily as a falling feather and made a grand finale by landing perfectly like a cat in a much fatter tree branch. "Don't be stubborn Misao, I had to explain." He said, trying to catch is breath, "Listen to me, please."
He received a stinging slap to his cheek that caught him off guard and dropped her down. She stood up, "WHY SHOULD I?", she barked. "You are a liar. I can't believed you ..you are that assassin! Why hadn't they finished you?!"
"Then why did I risk in coming back?" Soujiro commented, rubbing his reddened cheek. Misao is silent.
"They why did I risk in coming back, knowing they all will be after me. Knowing that because I risk to do this for you." He continued, "Misao, the moment I saw you, I know who you are,"
"You threatened Okina."
"I didn't. I did this entirely on my own." He sighed, "I had no desire for what is at my past, and I had no intention for your position or your clan. I came entirely for pure intentions."
"Intentions?"
"Misao, I wanted to learn how to love you."
Another slap. She had her reasons so.
"In that case, it's too late. I hoped I never learned to love again! What can I tell? I am deceived by a fugitive ronin into getting helpless into his arms?"
"Misao..please.."
"No.."
"Misao!" Soujiro called out loud, his patience is starting to break and grabbed her tightly on both arms. "You said you trusted me, why does my reputation would have to do with anything?" it's all in the past I wished I had forgotten.
"Then I'm sorry Seta Soujiro," She shrugged herself off, and turned away. "I should accepted you if you had just had told me.."
"It's never too late." He persisted, and slung his nihontou to block her path. Her dreams, the premonitions (start of chapter 4.) came on vividly. What would he do? Will he kill her, take advantage? The thought of hating him starts growing into her. He deceived her, of his identity, of his trust. And most of all, where it hurts, she gave him her all: her heart and soul. How could he do this, he could have told her. Maybe if he did, she will not be suffering emotionally now, or later.
"Go away!! Or I'm going to hurt you really bad!"
"By any means, no need for that. I'm already am. " He replied, not meaning the term literally. Yes it hurts, deep inside. He is afraid, to be rejected, to be branded with that hideous emotional scar, where his past follows him like a plague, destroying everything. If he could let Misao see pass through it, that he had changed. Changed not only because he wanted to, but for her, the fleeting moment of the first encounter. How long would they both suffer for his misdeed of not telling the truth?
"Misao, even if I told you.."
"no.."
"Would you still love me?"
Silence.
"..even be I'm the Seta Soujiro you dreaded for, would you still love me?"
"Just go away, leave me alone." She whispered, "leave me alone!" she added out loud, facing the other direction, hopping to another branch with her back turned on him. Soujiro didn't stop her this time, " Forgive me if I deceived you, but I don't want to see you hurt and I know that is wrong. Nothing I can do now." and with one long look, he tried to control the cracking in his voice, Misao could sense it. " But I won't stop waiting," he sighed, "even for a life time .. sayonara.." and the silent blowing of the wind, the gust of the breeze marked his leave.
The once warm looking sky slowly darkened by looming clouds and slowly covers the sunshine, and the blowing of the breeze escalated into a lonely winding howl indicating that a brief rain would be coming. The weather, it seems, are building up into what Soujiro is feeling from the inside. He destroyed himself, his past cannot be forgotten by others. He is judged by that dark spot of his being and the rattling confusion will maybe yet again drive him in a brink of madness.
He never felt so hurt before. The feeling of empathy, it seems, to have find comfort union to his self, a doppelganger.. a piece of one self reunited in him. That piece is the wonder of feeling of love and sacrifice, pain and pleasure. That piece, affects him like no other throughout the whole journey. When he laughed with Misao, when she encouraged him for a little fun and she laughs also, he feels pleasure. When she feels pain and sorrow for the loss, he also feels shares that pain. Whenever he got to dangerously close to her, he could feel their hearts beat as one. What have I done..it's too late for regrets though. If he just sticks with the pact and if he just heeded Okina's advice and warning.
"It's never too late, you're still young. You can correct the wrong and make it right." A familiar croaking voice spoke, making Soujiro nearly leap out from his skin. HE didn't sense that coming. He looked around.
It's the same old crickety woman. She is smiling her toothless smile, dressed in a different garb.
It's the same old woman he met at Edo, he then realized. The old woman teased him in finding "his destiny" at that very place! She is also the same old merchant's assistant who sold him the engagement rings. He is then starting to notice this is not all a coincidence, "W-who are you?" he spoke, "How do you get in here?" confused, he looked from his surroundings and no way an old woman could travel alone as such in a forest.
"That would be not of much importance, Soujiro."
"How do you know who I am? Hontoi, who are you?" he jumped back, his indigo eyes fluttered a little wide with shock, the old lady is really freaking him by now. " Everyone must have known you much after that kill.." the old woman seemingly narrate in almost accurate description the time he killed a certain politician which is a stone step to then Shi-shi-o's plan to take over Edo. It was so vivid, that it was as if she saw it all. He don't want to hear it, "They don't see or know that such face like that, it is you.." the old woman said, rubbing her chin giving him a look over, as if to indicate Soujiro is pretty good looking and very deceiving for what supposed to be a former dreaded assassin. She still hadn't answer his question yet and she's interrogating him. "..everyone has to come in terms of his past." She continued, "If you don't ..it would be a hindrance to anything, it would haunt you and destroy what is in store for the present and affects the future.."
The woman, it seems is not an ordinary being, she can see through his innermost thoughts and actions. Whatever or whoever she is, he does not feel intimidated anymore. The spirits must have sent her.
"Misao.." he whispered,
" A flower that blooms in diversity, is the most beautiful of them all.." she quotes, a Chinese saying. "You don't meet a woman like that everyday, Soujiro. You had to believe."
The old woman is right, Misao differs into the breed of women in Tokyo. She's headstrong, she does not limit herself to tradition and most of all, it seems she never gives up to a challenge. It seems fate had them threw both together, with similarities and diversities, the old woman has something to do with this as well.
And he gave him a light shove from behind, "go, there is always a second chance. Save her."
"save her?" and as if on cue, a bolt of lightning streaked across the velvet sky. He almost forgot that the weather is coming down, for he is to morose to notice. Then came loud claps of thunder, but the lightning itself hit a tree and caused a small fire across the forest, and it would start to spread as wild fire anytime soon. "Shimatta! She's in there!!" he looked back, the old woman disappeared as mysteriously as she appeared.
"It's starting to pour.." Kaoru said, finally placing the baby to sleep. It is totally a tiring day. The incident came tumbling down like a domino: first Misao came for assistance from an assassin, then she told them she's already married to her protector who looks almost rather her age: a young boy. Then she learned, that the young boy is Seta Soujiro and the same assassin to track down Misao. Then Okina is behind this plot, everything is starting to give her a headache. She listens as she joins in their conversation.
Well everyone looks subdued, Kenshin is doing his best negotiating the party. Okina took a few sips of Sake to calm his nerves. Yahiko and Sanosuke return to their normal color and somehow is at ease, but you can tell they feel a little uncomfortable. Aoshi has his wound bandaged good and fine, and has come into terms of Okina's plot of orchestrating the "pact".
"Not that I'm defending Soujiro," Kenshin says, " We might have some similarities, that's why I understand him pretty well. We are being biased here."
"What took you accomplish for 9 years, took him JUST a week!" Sanosuke exclaimed, " And the baka thinks he can do it, he just blows it off.."
"I'm impressed about his improvement.." Aoshi remarked, "he must have certain motivation, there seems no malice after that skimirish awhile ago."
"There is no malice at all." Kenshin continued, "You can see it at him, Okina will not come out of that marriage thing ..whatever you call it, if he knew malice is involved," Kenshin looked over Okina, who seems to passed out, he sweatdropped.
"IMPRESSED?" Sanosuke said outloud, "he managed to cram a relationship, a proposal and a marriage for ONE week!!", he added "not to mention..they had se.."
"Urusai! Stop that!" Kaoru said, and covered Sano's mouth by a piece of an odango.
Aoshi shook his head, "I leave up to them. We will just see what happens." And he looked outside as the weather worsens to a maddening fury. All of them are starting to worry, none of them had comeback yet.
"Of all the places.." Misao uttered, as she leaped back and noticed the burning flames are starting to spread by the forest. And she is like in the middle of them. "Kuso!! I had to move fast!" and she leaps and run alternately from ground to tree, avoiding burning branches falling, the crisp burning sound emanated from her surroundings are slowly trapping her, burning leaves get blown and looks like small licks of fire making everything look like hell. The smoke.. she tries to cover her face, except for her view which is starting to get clouded by the sting of tears, not now please.. I had to get out..
She trips to the ground, and she moves on. But not until she realized the lancing pain on her foot, she twisted her ankle. She ignored the pain, as she sustained her strength by the moment of adrenalin rush and surged forward even as she limped. The pain, it seems to burn more, and aggravate the injury. It seems like the scene in her nightmare is coming indeed true. Burning surroundings, trapped. Except that in her dreams, it was her comrades that were killed, killed by Soujiro. She should have heed the premonition of that dream. It seems today isn't her luck, she felt betrayed by the person she learned to love upon knowing he's one of the enemy.
Is that all she can see? An enemy?
It seems like that moment she fell back to the ground, all events struck and came rushing through her memory as if it's her last hours. Her leg is paralyzed, but she struggled to move to the ground, crawling the smoky and dark earth. The memories, of her friends. The people she knew, and then finally Soujiro.
"Misao, you said you trusted me….."
Yes, and you betrayed me in return..and you took advantage of it all.
"Why would my reputation will mean anything?…"
1 Because it's who you are…
"..knowing they're be after me, I'd risk it all because.. i wanted to learn to love you.."
2 Love me..?
"I know it's too late, I didn't tell you the truth because I don't want you to be hurt.."
Me, get hurt? I can take care of myself..
"Would you still love me?"
3 Love you? She does not know. She is confused, why should he dare ask? Yes, he did love him. Probably the first person she learned to love seriously. The first one who believed deep inside she is a woman, he who's feelings are serious. He might have been serious, she realized. If he is indeed is a cold calculating killer, he must have take advantage of her for the long period of time. He could have killed Okina's ninjas, when she got sick and unconscious, he could have left her there and die. And yet he didn't.
And at that she recalled, the numerous instances he could have killed someone who hinder them along the way, she tries to remember, when many moments they look into each others eyes, he tried to conceal the pain and how he avoids as much to use his sword. His aloof nature she can't always understand. He tried to tell her, but she wasn't bearing much attention. His eyes, his deep indigo eyes. They are full of glow whenever she caught him looking at her, but sadness that most often she saw…she don't really understand.
"I don't want any of this, Aoshi!" she recalled him screaming as Aoshi took the offense.
She believed that Soujiro is an aspiring protégé, his skills he uses are far better and faster than Himura's he could have finished Aoshi. But he dodged his blows, and leaves him no choice but to slash him at the back. But he didn't kill him. Maybe he doesn't want to. He doesn't want any of the senseless killing at all. Then why would Kenshin set him free that a year ago? So that he would change, find his destiny and search for the truth. And then they met.
Now she is beginning to understand. It must have been hard.
"Gomen nasai…" she whispered, very exasperated, she stops crawling at the hot barren ground. It's useless, the whole burning trees are starting to be reduced to fragile pieces and falling down, the smoke is enveloping the whole area and she's starting to choke, in few minutes any of the burning pillars would collapse on her and that would be the end of it. "I had forgiven you…"
Then came a very loud crackling sound from above, a big piece of the burning tree is coming down, ready to plunge on her demise, and she is waiting. Regreting she would have never let him leave. I can't do everything for myself, I'm not that strong..this is it…
"MISAO!!!!!!!!" came a long shout, it seems to come from her side. That distant voice, it has a familiar ring on it. In a split of a millisecond, before the burning piece of trunk plunged to her being, a swift shadow darts it's way like a wind and scoop her up flexibly and rolled her down to safety of the ground, right just in a nick of time. She managed to avoid it, but her savior wasn't. The burning trunk fell down at the lower half of his body, shielding it to collapse from her. It is a young man in blue.
"Soujiro!" she cried out loud, when the kick of recognition came in. Soujiro managed to hold her down, but the burning thing is still behind him, if he rolled out it would collapse to Misao. But if he stayed there long enough, it would kill them both. The surrounding s are quickly burning and falling down at the same time. His indigo eyes met up with hers, " I told you, you can trust on me.." he tried to smile, to say it's ok. But the more the burning trunks start to collapse, he let out a short snarl of pain as the tongue of fire whipped to his back. Misao is also injured, her ankle was twisted badly. She opened her mouth to try to say something, but nothing came out. What seems to happen is sort of a miracle, he came to save her. But now, they're trapped.
"Look," he breathed heavily, "I got a plan, as soon as I say go, you go..you had to try!"
"I can't leave you here!!"
"No," he shook his head, " I will try to block this contraption first, and before it falls in, I shall catch you and run.."
"I can't…"
" I will carry you, don't worry.."
4 Soujiro…
He take hold at his sword, glad it was with him. He holstered it properly, with a count of three, "GO!" and Misao leaped out, her leg it seems gonna give in if she stepped back at the ground. But Soujiro timed it perfectly, he quickly plunged the nihontou at the burning bark to hold into the ground albeit temporarily, quickly setting himself free and caught Misao before she falls back again.
"Merciful Buddha.." he whispers "help me, onegai…onegai.." and he mustered enough strength to run through the raging apocalypse of the burning inferno.
"Kenshin! The forest!!" Yahiko pointed out, "the lightning is starting to razed it down!"
"Oh no, I think Misao just ran through there!" Kaoru said, immediately Kenshin and the rest propped up, "we had to find out if they are safe, you kaoru..stay here.."
"What do you mean THEY?"
" I think Soujiro followed her as well…"
"Shimatta! Now we really need to go!
He ran through, the raze not knowing how could he keep long.. everything seems to blur. Like all of a sudden, everything is silent ..only the beating of his heart and the heaving of his breath echoed to the air, everything seems to move in slow motion. Everything seems to faze and mix like spilled colors of red, orange and brown. No, they are not going to die here. After all they been through, he is not gonna let anything happen. Misao passed out, due to lack of air..and he will.. if he will not move any faster…The prisms of white light seems to encase him…they are nearing there.
Then something strange happened, as if as he slowly exits to the forest the fire seems to slowly die down. Then he notices something a small figure of a little girl in jet black long hair, chinky eyes seems to pass beside him, a small girl? In a forest? That girl.. he is seeing no ghost, the same girl he saw as he was few meters away to Edo and thought it was just an illusion. And if his sight seems to be obstructed, the strange girl seems to glow and FLOAT. He seems to feel at ease with the weird occurrence, the young girl might be just a spirit, not just any ghost ..probably like the old woman who warned him awhile ago. He make a reach out to the light
"Soujiro, you do believe.." a small child voice rang "through" the strange girl. He does not have time to wonder, for the moment he reached the clearing, he passed out.
"Y-you are safe now," he mumbled, before collapsing down the ground.
Misao came into a brink of consiousness after she felt she was dropped and rolled down the ground. She made out hazily, which seems familiar figures running, crying out that she's alive and ok. It's Kenshin and he is with Sanosuke, Yahiko, Aoshi and Okina.
"Daijoubou, Kenshin! She made it out! Damn is she lucky.." Sano blurted out, there is another figure beside Misao and is lying unconscious at the ground. "Sano, she's lucky that he was able to get her out." He pointed, Kenshin was a little ahead of the rest so he get a clearer look. "Iya, you mean…"
"Soujiro!!" Misao realized at the unconscious being lying down near her, his clothes are tattered by the flame, and he is stained by soot. She shook him, turned him over., and it's no use. He is still unconscious, yet his face look like he is just asleep, an expression that he didn't disappoint her to the last. She tried to feel his breath, it is barely there.
"onegai…don't do this.." she felt tears stream down to her cheeks, dropping down beneath him, falling down to his face, she can't control them." It must be a terrible agony…trying to keep that secret," she whispered hoarsely, "damn, too think I had fallen for you.." she tried to crack a joke, but out came a broken sob. " The truth is, even if I don't know, you try to change.. and I.." she leaned closer, stroking the messed bangs of his face, she leaned over. "..forgiven you.."
She knelt over to gave him a soft kiss to those motionless lips, and she could hear shouts of disbelief coming from Sano who is few meters approaching, but she didn't mind them. The motionless body didn't feel any stiff and it seems very warm, so is his soft mouth. Its useless, to kiss, which it seems a dead youth in a verge of to do one righteous act to prove everyone wrong and cost his life. But suddenly, she felt the lips responded, responding to her soft kisses in return. She twitched in surprise, and pull back quickly, when she starts to feel, HIS arms starting to wound to her back. Indeed, very much alive.
"Sou-chan no baka!" the old Misao came back as Soujiro opened his eyes, and earned a slap to the head. It must be all a reverie, when he thought he was dead, hearing her voice begging him to come back and when he felt the moist tears dropping to his face, "N-Nani?"
No, I wasn't dreaming. Misao is there kneeling in front of him, her face wet with tears and instead of a cross expression, her face is full of joy, that she seems to break and cry again, and eagerly hugged him tight and close, which caught him by surprise. "It's alright, Misao" he hushed, and hugged her tight, cradling her in his arms, so glad that he could hold her again. The moment he wants to treasure forever, "..Like I said, kimi ga mamoru.. always.." he whispered softly, cupping his soot streaked palms to her small face bringing them to look at his indigo eyes, with his face very exhausted and shabby. The same hue of light blue seems to leap like flame in his eyes and Misao knew what it meant. The look of pain and blankness seems not to be there no more.
The group had approached finally, very obvious because of Sanosuke's escalating noise. "She kissed him! How could she have.." he mentioned, protesting but wildly. Yahiko seems to be render speechless while Aoshi and Okina had hard to tell expressions.
"Shut up, Sano." Kenshin remarked,
"WHAAT!!" Sano exclaimed, Kenshin rarely cursed back to him, but this time he did. So he shut his trap.
" I could see that it worked out," he motioned to the two, Misao quickly leaped back since she was obviously sitting over Soujiro for some time, the other gushed and try to stand, but Misao leaned over and support his arm around her shoulder as they both stood up. "Why did you do it? You even risked your own life, you could have died.. " Like mild scolding from a father figure, the red head hitokiri spoke. Soujiro noticed that the swordsman is smiling. Adding he nodded, "..people do crazy things, when they are in love.." and he extended a hand to the youth, helping him to stand up.
"Himura is right, he did change." Okina mentioned to Aoshi. Rubbing his own chin and stroking his beard as he watched from a distance, the red-head swordsman helping the exhausted youth up to his feet with Sanosuke's expression full of distaste for he can't protest about Soujiro's presence and Yahiko in turn seems to be impressed about the turn of events, but thinking it is not the time to ask questions. Aoshi noticed that, the forest fire, mysteriously ceased down as it suddenly begun, left nothing but a soft peaceful drizzle of light rain as its final exit and refreshing the scorched ground.
"But that didn't change the fact I had forgiven you for not telling the whole truth." The former leader of the Oniwabanshu spoke, only to be greeted by a low laugh. He looked over to Okina, as if not knowing if that reaction was meant as an insult. "I'm a very old man, and wisdom comes with age, and I had to use it somehow. I need someone to look over her for the rest of her life when my time will eventually come, Aoshi." As if reading Aoshi's look, who's even more puzzled and intrigued with the old man's reply. " You are her guardian, I respect that. But we are only there to raise her for what she become, we had to prepare for this certain moment."
He looked over the approaching figures, it seems the two can't take their eyes of each other. He never saw Misao full of overwhelming emotion, which is different when he left her those years ago. The cold calculating Soujiro, Himura had softened the youth's being and after a year of wandering he had came back, and its like seeing a different person. The youth, had lost all what makes him most feared and hated for. "We prepare her for this moment to let go, she can't be with us forever. I'm pretty sure this time, I made the right decision." Okina said, his voice sounding proud within his solemn expression, he stepped forward, walking past Aoshi. " They are young, full of energy and they had a lot in store for them in the future."
A year and a half later…
"It's the feast of the Tamabata, where the two lovers get engaged." Megumi remarked, she cooked a scrumptious feast and brought it all the way to Edo. Kaoru seems never to improve to her culinary capabilities and as usual, Kenshin brought and cooked the food for the celebration. "I can't believe it myself. It seems so fast."
"Can't believe she beated you out of it." Yahiko remarked, as he starts to snag a bowlful of rice. Megumi snatches the food bowl back, much to the young boy's dismay. "H-Hey!"
"I wonder where those two are," Kaoru remarked, letting her son out go out and play with the twins. "This is supposed to be the eve of their anniversary."
"Let them be alone for awhile, Kaoru." Kenshin said, "we are also like that when we first get married." He added with a smile that made Kaoru suddenly blush and broke to a nervous laugh. Sanosuke rolled up his eyes, and didn't want to ruin the mood and dove back to his food as Yahiko starts whining to trying get his food bowl back from Megumi. The twins, Tenshi and Shiro, are already a year old, and looks very much like their father in every way, with the trademark short-cropped hair and an infectious smile. They had this innocent cherubic expression in their faces as they picked at their red-head playmate like little daredevils, their eyes had slowly changed from the bluish indigo to a hue of luminous Celtic green. "If both of them had the same eye color, it would be hard to tell which is which." Sanosuke remarked. "They got Misao's eyes."
"Otousan!" Shiro, the spunkier of the two, instantly spot his father and ran outside into the welcoming arms of Seta Soujiro. He carried the young one to his shoulder, and he could see that the little Shiro got his mother's stubborn attitude as he start telling how Kenshin's son, Kenji, is picking on them when in fact it is the other way around. " Where is Misao? You two should be joining us." Kaoru said, ignoring the escalating noise between her son and Shiro, as Kenshin looked over them. "Besides, you are already a part of the family." Kenshin added, Soujiro scratched his head and nodded with a shy smile, for he knows he had been long accepted, finally a place to call home. His young son starts tugging him by the collar. " You know Misao, she had hard time dressing up for occasions." He replied, scooping Shiro up, this time to pry him off his playmate, letting his other son stroll to his side. It is hard to manage two kids, let alone little boys. " I'll call for her." And he strolls at the other side of the house.
"She never changed", Megumi looked up from her cooking, Misao is lucky to find a very paitent good-looking youth to be her husband, she was surprised to hear the whole story of Soujiro's true identity and the story of their romance sounded like a fairy tale, and she recalls almost a year ago, how she became almost muted with shock when this young looking boy begged for her to assist giving birth to his wife and Kenshin and Kaoru rushed to the boy's rescue. Only to learn, that it was Misao, and not only she gave birth to one but TWO. It must be karma that she teased her years ago that she got a body of a boy, and the least she expected it.
Misao is sitting by the porch near her room, still undecided for what to wear, and still on her robe. She has stop wearing her ninja get up ever since she became pregnant with the twins few weeks after the wedding, but still she had a hard time getting comfortable with the tight long traditional clothes. But her body matured even better, and Megumi could no longer teased her as a "flat-chest" or a twelve year old boy, and Soujiro seemed pleased by the change. Her braid is wrapped into a bun, to keep neat as she looked over her sons, that is too much to handle even if the oni's volunteer to take turns babysitting them for her. She spotted Soujiro walking towards her direction, carrying Shiro in one arm and tugging Tenshi with the other. Aoshi just came back from the temple, and the duo break away from their father's grasp to run to him. Aoshi and Soujiro talked for awhile, and the little kids wants to go with the tall sharp looking man. Aoshi smiled his rarest smile, he could see Misao at the little kids, urging him to play with them.
"Still unprepared?" Soujiro whispered at he sat beside Misao, Misao didn't reply for she was looking over by a distance. "Don't worry about the twins, their Uncle Aoshi will take care of them. It's time we go out and join the celebration." He stroked her head and pressed a small kiss to her forehead.
"Their celebration," Misao replied. " This is our celebration," she pointed out of the sky, beautiful fireworks rang to the air, spilling various colors to the sky and the wonderful carnival noises were made in entrance of the celebration. " It's the Tamabata." Soujiro said, as he leaned closer to her, " When I came back to this town, I didn't believe anything about it. That it is all a fairytale, that I can never be like those young happy lovers…"
"But then I came.. and we met" Misao added, then she sat up with a start. "It seems pretty magical isn't it? You came not minding the holiday's spirit and so was I, and then here we are. Living together with two stubborn children to keep Okina and Aoshi company!" Soujiro let out a soft laugh, its true that Okina himself want to have a great-grandson, but he didn't expect TWO to arrive at once. "It's like we're star-crossed, coming from each side to a past to be forgotten."
" True." Misao whispered, looking to her husband's face, she moved closer, enough to feel his breath. Soujiro turned, now their faces are inches apart, and the temptation is great to kiss that small face with such soulful eyes, that girl that changed his life forever. " Yet, at this very day a year ago, Soujiro, It is the night you make me feel a respected true woman." She neared over, he could feel a short soft brush of her lips to his. Now he guessed, what "celebration" Misao had meant. He wounded his arms slowly to her small back, darting a small kiss in return, "Arigato Gozaimasu, Misao. You don't know how much you meant to me. I knew I'l love you." The old woman, he recalled talking to Himura about that forest incident once, the old woman seems to mysteriously appear in places and with occasional intervals with the strange young girl that saved them at the forest. Kenshin puts it, that what he saw is a lucky charm spirit, bringing luck and prosperity time to time from people to people taking various forms. This time, as an old woman. The spirit is also related with the other spirits who bless people at the Tamabata festival. The spirit had, knew and spun the thread, their destiny, their fate.
Misao smiled as they slowly lean down the floor, closing the porch, making the others wonder if they would ever come out. She gently wrapped her arms to his slender shoulders as she pulled him near to hers, their bodies drawn together as slow escalating heat came between them. He brushed her hair and press small kisses to her lips to her neck, as her hand ran to the back of his short cropped hair, "hmmm.. did u remember how much we liked doing this before under the fireworks? " he whispered, looking up to her. " Yes," she replied with a smile, "it's the first thing that happened in our lives"
"I think Okina wouldn't mind if we gave him a couple of great- granddaughters, to level up having two great-grandsons." Soujiro grinned, as he took off the pin of Misao's bun, spilling forth her long cascading locks, "Shall we, ne?"
"Sou-chan, no baka.." Misao whispered, and held him close.
O~! THE END !~ O
WOHOOO!!!! We know what will happen (yes, I know what you are thinking). After this they lived happily ever after and blah, etc. Im glad this saga is done through..or is it? I'll make a shorter one next time I swear. By the way sorry for the erratums, this is my first RK fic and I wasn't paying attention to subtitles when watching the series O_O
-TO BE UP NEXT-
-start of prologue-
"You couldn't have her," Kenji remarked with an annoyance in his tone, "What makes you think she'll like you?"
"Boys, stop it. Its okay. There is nothing wrong, me and Shiro are only talking." Two young men, it seems are fighting over a young lady, an acquaintance in school. The one who initate the challenge has red hair, and looked very much like his father, a very renowned but humble man in Kyoto. The young man he is talking to, had short crop black hair, with a very amiable smile and has expressive green eyes. "Don't smile like that to me, Shiro. I'm a year older than you, you must know how to respect me."
"I'm not doing anything wrong Kenji, you are." The young man spoke, " I'm just talking to her, some arrogance you got. You could never be as honorable like your father."
A group of students gathered at the arguing duo, most of them young ladies, who seem all gushed to see two promising yet attractive young men arguing over a girl friend. "Don't ever talk about my father like that!" Kenji spat, "At least my father is no bastard like yours."
Shiro's smile faded, indicating danger and his emerald orbs took a paler morbid glow. "I respected his past, and I'm humble for it. You have no right to say that." Shiro drew his wooden sword, and hollers of the crowd escalated, "You dare to pick a fight with the wrong person."
"It's just about time we shall know who is the rightful man for Kirei." Kenji replied, they are indeed fighting over their friend but he triggered the fight by pointing out a personal matter. He drew his own weapon, this time, it is a real sword. The crowd fell into confusion of whispers and protests. "This isn't fair Kenji, what will your father say if he learned you used his Sakabatou without his permission?"
"All is fair in love and war."
In a distance, someone tries to break in the gathering crowd. The young man looks like Shiro's double, asking his classmates and the other's what is going on. "Tenshi, it is your twin brother and Kenji…"
"You leave me no choice, Kenji Himura." Shiro prepared to strike, Kenji quickly took the offense and the terrified crowd watches and squeals (most of them are young ladies), as Shiro finally lifted his Kendo stick and was to land a hard blow right to…
..Tenshi's head.
"S-Stop before somebody gets..hurt." Tenshi mumbled, his eyes spinning in circles as he turned SD having caught a blow which seems to be the start of a fatal confrontation between two rivals. "Tenshi!!" both of them screamed as he fell down the ground unconscious.
-end of prologue-
The saga continues, after 16 years from were the story left off. Shiro and Tenshi have grown to fine young men with the impressive skills they got from their heritage, the skill of their father that is the "heaven" sword and their mother's art of ninjistu from the Oniwabanshu clan. Almost their equal, is Kenshin's son: Kenji, a childhood friend who seems a little arrogant on his ways trying to be much like his father which strained their brotherhood. But when Kenji's younger sister is kidnapped by a syndicate, its up to them to set aside their differences and help retrieve her. But Tenshi is into surprise, he didn't know that Kenji does actually had a younger sister, who's name is Hotaru! But Shiro do recall meeting with her a couple times in their childhood days..which heated a rivalry between two brothers even more.
Enters the new generation, a must read for those who dutifully been fans of the Broken Nihontou fic!
(This might took awhile, since the Broken Nihontou is actually "finished" long time ago, while this one well..just a recent idea. Hai, but patience is a virtue..)
Broken Nihontou 2: Legacy of the Sword
Author: isn't it great ne? soujiro's children with Misao, kenshin's son…
Readers: where is soujiro and misao? The original cast?
Author: They had their short appearances time to time…
Readers: oh really…
Author: (*_* puppy dog eyes) – just read it ne…
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AUTHORS NOTE/CREDITS:
To my tomodachis out there who might have been happy now that I FINALLY finished and uploaded one of my fics, (conceptualized around late 2000, made around 2001..and uploading it now in 2002) and what waiting now on crossovers and yaoi/shonen ai ^^; (which explains why I had a hard time writing a normal fic!). And to my MListers from anime_sarasu-koto, cosplayersworld, sparkstudios who will at least get a glimpse on my work. Also I want to thank God_of_Cephiro of cosplayersworld for lending me the book "Midsummer Madness" which contains the tale of "Knight in Tarnished Armor" which became my sole basis and cheesy inspiration to "Broken Nihontou." Hi to Tsubasa and Oracle_Saturn, if you are reading this now, you guys might think I'm sick for too much cheesiness which seems not like me ^_^ V Well okay, I wrote out this one due to a frustration I cant type shonen ai stories in public O_O but this sure seems to be a good one for a first timer ^0^
Ira Furor Brevis est
-*~Ori_Oscuro™~*
It was a good thing Kenshin restrained Okina from hauling the sword straight to his head after learning about that incident at the inn. He came into his defense, and told for both party to calm down. Okina had his share of fault of orchestrating the whole thing, while Soujiro still struggling with his actions don't know much of the consequences, and Kenshin let him go. This time, he want to right what he made wrong. He owed Kenshin now twice, and like before, he had to fix this entirely on his own.
The day he reclaim his innocence and he lost it. That innocence is Misao, he can't explain the sudden surge of overwhelming emotion the first time he set his eyes on her, what devil's rage possessed him to walk through Okina's stronghold and do anything to have her, wanting someone to love him. But love isn't what you dictate to someone, he learned that in a week. Love is what he knew after now she was gone, that happened few hours ago. He looked at his sword, the nihontou. It was like a menace, he carries it and it quickly resume his twin identity with it. Murderer, cold blooded mercenary, henchman.. He threw it away by the ditch, the dried blood still stained on it.
"You fight, not to kill but to protect..mamorimasu, people like me, Soujiro." He recalls the moment at that night. He wished that moment lasted forever, she gave him a new sword. And she gave him her word.
"Sou-chan, I trusted you.."
Misao would not ran far away, he recall that day when he had to chase her and they fell both in a bed of wet moss, and it was there first kiss. First deep and passionate kiss. One thing that they are both similar with, is that they don't know the feeling of sensual touch and someone to hold you close and make love with. Stop it, stop thinking of that! It would give you a raging hard on! He hits himself at the head just thinking of that. He had to find Misao, he don't care what Kenshin says, that it would take a lot of time and blah. He had to prove he could do it better, that he had to come in terms of his past. He had to.
If he really loved her that much.
He picks up his nihontou, slacking it to his side, he went into the deep remote forest.
"Misao! Misao!" he called out, leaping from a branch to a tree and so forth with ease like he used to as a skilled henchman. He heard a rustling of leaves, and approaches it. Then realizing it's a trick to distract him. He looked over from behind, and a speeding kunai nearly zinged past his head, hadn't it been his swift counter. "Misao! Yameru!" he called out, and chased the figure who attacked him from the behind. She is even faster than before, and he can tell that she is really upset, for she wasn't even talking. She is busy throwing the tobi kunais at him without saying a word.
"Misao, stop it! Stop it now!!" he leaped off from her sight, and before she could land in sure footing to another fat branch, he made a crucial combo by leaping a near steep side of the bark and slicing the branch off with one clean cut. Misao gaped in disbelief as she falls backwards, several feet below the ground, and Soujiro caught her easily as a falling feather and made a grand finale by landing perfectly like a cat in a much fatter tree branch. "Don't be stubborn Misao, I had to explain." He said, trying to catch is breath, "Listen to me, please."
He received a stinging slap to his cheek that caught him off guard and dropped her down. She stood up, "WHY SHOULD I?", she barked. "You are a liar. I can't believed you ..you are that assassin! Why hadn't they finished you?!"
"Then why did I risk in coming back?" Soujiro commented, rubbing his reddened cheek. Misao is silent.
"They why did I risk in coming back, knowing they all will be after me. Knowing that because I risk to do this for you." He continued, "Misao, the moment I saw you, I know who you are,"
"You threatened Okina."
"I didn't. I did this entirely on my own." He sighed, "I had no desire for what is at my past, and I had no intention for your position or your clan. I came entirely for pure intentions."
"Intentions?"
"Misao, I wanted to learn how to love you."
Another slap. She had her reasons so.
"In that case, it's too late. I hoped I never learned to love again! What can I tell? I am deceived by a fugitive ronin into getting helpless into his arms?"
"Misao..please.."
"No.."
"Misao!" Soujiro called out loud, his patience is starting to break and grabbed her tightly on both arms. "You said you trusted me, why does my reputation would have to do with anything?" it's all in the past I wished I had forgotten.
"Then I'm sorry Seta Soujiro," She shrugged herself off, and turned away. "I should accepted you if you had just had told me.."
"It's never too late." He persisted, and slung his nihontou to block her path. Her dreams, the premonitions (start of chapter 4.) came on vividly. What would he do? Will he kill her, take advantage? The thought of hating him starts growing into her. He deceived her, of his identity, of his trust. And most of all, where it hurts, she gave him her all: her heart and soul. How could he do this, he could have told her. Maybe if he did, she will not be suffering emotionally now, or later.
"Go away!! Or I'm going to hurt you really bad!"
"By any means, no need for that. I'm already am. " He replied, not meaning the term literally. Yes it hurts, deep inside. He is afraid, to be rejected, to be branded with that hideous emotional scar, where his past follows him like a plague, destroying everything. If he could let Misao see pass through it, that he had changed. Changed not only because he wanted to, but for her, the fleeting moment of the first encounter. How long would they both suffer for his misdeed of not telling the truth?
"Misao, even if I told you.."
"no.."
"Would you still love me?"
Silence.
"..even be I'm the Seta Soujiro you dreaded for, would you still love me?"
"Just go away, leave me alone." She whispered, "leave me alone!" she added out loud, facing the other direction, hopping to another branch with her back turned on him. Soujiro didn't stop her this time, " Forgive me if I deceived you, but I don't want to see you hurt and I know that is wrong. Nothing I can do now." and with one long look, he tried to control the cracking in his voice, Misao could sense it. " But I won't stop waiting," he sighed, "even for a life time .. sayonara.." and the silent blowing of the wind, the gust of the breeze marked his leave.
The once warm looking sky slowly darkened by looming clouds and slowly covers the sunshine, and the blowing of the breeze escalated into a lonely winding howl indicating that a brief rain would be coming. The weather, it seems, are building up into what Soujiro is feeling from the inside. He destroyed himself, his past cannot be forgotten by others. He is judged by that dark spot of his being and the rattling confusion will maybe yet again drive him in a brink of madness.
He never felt so hurt before. The feeling of empathy, it seems, to have find comfort union to his self, a doppelganger.. a piece of one self reunited in him. That piece is the wonder of feeling of love and sacrifice, pain and pleasure. That piece, affects him like no other throughout the whole journey. When he laughed with Misao, when she encouraged him for a little fun and she laughs also, he feels pleasure. When she feels pain and sorrow for the loss, he also feels shares that pain. Whenever he got to dangerously close to her, he could feel their hearts beat as one. What have I done..it's too late for regrets though. If he just sticks with the pact and if he just heeded Okina's advice and warning.
"It's never too late, you're still young. You can correct the wrong and make it right." A familiar croaking voice spoke, making Soujiro nearly leap out from his skin. HE didn't sense that coming. He looked around.
It's the same old crickety woman. She is smiling her toothless smile, dressed in a different garb.
It's the same old woman he met at Edo, he then realized. The old woman teased him in finding "his destiny" at that very place! She is also the same old merchant's assistant who sold him the engagement rings. He is then starting to notice this is not all a coincidence, "W-who are you?" he spoke, "How do you get in here?" confused, he looked from his surroundings and no way an old woman could travel alone as such in a forest.
"That would be not of much importance, Soujiro."
"How do you know who I am? Hontoi, who are you?" he jumped back, his indigo eyes fluttered a little wide with shock, the old lady is really freaking him by now. " Everyone must have known you much after that kill.." the old woman seemingly narrate in almost accurate description the time he killed a certain politician which is a stone step to then Shi-shi-o's plan to take over Edo. It was so vivid, that it was as if she saw it all. He don't want to hear it, "They don't see or know that such face like that, it is you.." the old woman said, rubbing her chin giving him a look over, as if to indicate Soujiro is pretty good looking and very deceiving for what supposed to be a former dreaded assassin. She still hadn't answer his question yet and she's interrogating him. "..everyone has to come in terms of his past." She continued, "If you don't ..it would be a hindrance to anything, it would haunt you and destroy what is in store for the present and affects the future.."
The woman, it seems is not an ordinary being, she can see through his innermost thoughts and actions. Whatever or whoever she is, he does not feel intimidated anymore. The spirits must have sent her.
"Misao.." he whispered,
" A flower that blooms in diversity, is the most beautiful of them all.." she quotes, a Chinese saying. "You don't meet a woman like that everyday, Soujiro. You had to believe."
The old woman is right, Misao differs into the breed of women in Tokyo. She's headstrong, she does not limit herself to tradition and most of all, it seems she never gives up to a challenge. It seems fate had them threw both together, with similarities and diversities, the old woman has something to do with this as well.
And he gave him a light shove from behind, "go, there is always a second chance. Save her."
"save her?" and as if on cue, a bolt of lightning streaked across the velvet sky. He almost forgot that the weather is coming down, for he is to morose to notice. Then came loud claps of thunder, but the lightning itself hit a tree and caused a small fire across the forest, and it would start to spread as wild fire anytime soon. "Shimatta! She's in there!!" he looked back, the old woman disappeared as mysteriously as she appeared.
"It's starting to pour.." Kaoru said, finally placing the baby to sleep. It is totally a tiring day. The incident came tumbling down like a domino: first Misao came for assistance from an assassin, then she told them she's already married to her protector who looks almost rather her age: a young boy. Then she learned, that the young boy is Seta Soujiro and the same assassin to track down Misao. Then Okina is behind this plot, everything is starting to give her a headache. She listens as she joins in their conversation.
Well everyone looks subdued, Kenshin is doing his best negotiating the party. Okina took a few sips of Sake to calm his nerves. Yahiko and Sanosuke return to their normal color and somehow is at ease, but you can tell they feel a little uncomfortable. Aoshi has his wound bandaged good and fine, and has come into terms of Okina's plot of orchestrating the "pact".
"Not that I'm defending Soujiro," Kenshin says, " We might have some similarities, that's why I understand him pretty well. We are being biased here."
"What took you accomplish for 9 years, took him JUST a week!" Sanosuke exclaimed, " And the baka thinks he can do it, he just blows it off.."
"I'm impressed about his improvement.." Aoshi remarked, "he must have certain motivation, there seems no malice after that skimirish awhile ago."
"There is no malice at all." Kenshin continued, "You can see it at him, Okina will not come out of that marriage thing ..whatever you call it, if he knew malice is involved," Kenshin looked over Okina, who seems to passed out, he sweatdropped.
"IMPRESSED?" Sanosuke said outloud, "he managed to cram a relationship, a proposal and a marriage for ONE week!!", he added "not to mention..they had se.."
"Urusai! Stop that!" Kaoru said, and covered Sano's mouth by a piece of an odango.
Aoshi shook his head, "I leave up to them. We will just see what happens." And he looked outside as the weather worsens to a maddening fury. All of them are starting to worry, none of them had comeback yet.
"Of all the places.." Misao uttered, as she leaped back and noticed the burning flames are starting to spread by the forest. And she is like in the middle of them. "Kuso!! I had to move fast!" and she leaps and run alternately from ground to tree, avoiding burning branches falling, the crisp burning sound emanated from her surroundings are slowly trapping her, burning leaves get blown and looks like small licks of fire making everything look like hell. The smoke.. she tries to cover her face, except for her view which is starting to get clouded by the sting of tears, not now please.. I had to get out..
She trips to the ground, and she moves on. But not until she realized the lancing pain on her foot, she twisted her ankle. She ignored the pain, as she sustained her strength by the moment of adrenalin rush and surged forward even as she limped. The pain, it seems to burn more, and aggravate the injury. It seems like the scene in her nightmare is coming indeed true. Burning surroundings, trapped. Except that in her dreams, it was her comrades that were killed, killed by Soujiro. She should have heed the premonition of that dream. It seems today isn't her luck, she felt betrayed by the person she learned to love upon knowing he's one of the enemy.
Is that all she can see? An enemy?
It seems like that moment she fell back to the ground, all events struck and came rushing through her memory as if it's her last hours. Her leg is paralyzed, but she struggled to move to the ground, crawling the smoky and dark earth. The memories, of her friends. The people she knew, and then finally Soujiro.
"Misao, you said you trusted me….."
Yes, and you betrayed me in return..and you took advantage of it all.
"Why would my reputation will mean anything?…"
1 Because it's who you are…
"..knowing they're be after me, I'd risk it all because.. i wanted to learn to love you.."
2 Love me..?
"I know it's too late, I didn't tell you the truth because I don't want you to be hurt.."
Me, get hurt? I can take care of myself..
"Would you still love me?"
3 Love you? She does not know. She is confused, why should he dare ask? Yes, he did love him. Probably the first person she learned to love seriously. The first one who believed deep inside she is a woman, he who's feelings are serious. He might have been serious, she realized. If he is indeed is a cold calculating killer, he must have take advantage of her for the long period of time. He could have killed Okina's ninjas, when she got sick and unconscious, he could have left her there and die. And yet he didn't.
And at that she recalled, the numerous instances he could have killed someone who hinder them along the way, she tries to remember, when many moments they look into each others eyes, he tried to conceal the pain and how he avoids as much to use his sword. His aloof nature she can't always understand. He tried to tell her, but she wasn't bearing much attention. His eyes, his deep indigo eyes. They are full of glow whenever she caught him looking at her, but sadness that most often she saw…she don't really understand.
"I don't want any of this, Aoshi!" she recalled him screaming as Aoshi took the offense.
She believed that Soujiro is an aspiring protégé, his skills he uses are far better and faster than Himura's he could have finished Aoshi. But he dodged his blows, and leaves him no choice but to slash him at the back. But he didn't kill him. Maybe he doesn't want to. He doesn't want any of the senseless killing at all. Then why would Kenshin set him free that a year ago? So that he would change, find his destiny and search for the truth. And then they met.
Now she is beginning to understand. It must have been hard.
"Gomen nasai…" she whispered, very exasperated, she stops crawling at the hot barren ground. It's useless, the whole burning trees are starting to be reduced to fragile pieces and falling down, the smoke is enveloping the whole area and she's starting to choke, in few minutes any of the burning pillars would collapse on her and that would be the end of it. "I had forgiven you…"
Then came a very loud crackling sound from above, a big piece of the burning tree is coming down, ready to plunge on her demise, and she is waiting. Regreting she would have never let him leave. I can't do everything for myself, I'm not that strong..this is it…
"MISAO!!!!!!!!" came a long shout, it seems to come from her side. That distant voice, it has a familiar ring on it. In a split of a millisecond, before the burning piece of trunk plunged to her being, a swift shadow darts it's way like a wind and scoop her up flexibly and rolled her down to safety of the ground, right just in a nick of time. She managed to avoid it, but her savior wasn't. The burning trunk fell down at the lower half of his body, shielding it to collapse from her. It is a young man in blue.
"Soujiro!" she cried out loud, when the kick of recognition came in. Soujiro managed to hold her down, but the burning thing is still behind him, if he rolled out it would collapse to Misao. But if he stayed there long enough, it would kill them both. The surrounding s are quickly burning and falling down at the same time. His indigo eyes met up with hers, " I told you, you can trust on me.." he tried to smile, to say it's ok. But the more the burning trunks start to collapse, he let out a short snarl of pain as the tongue of fire whipped to his back. Misao is also injured, her ankle was twisted badly. She opened her mouth to try to say something, but nothing came out. What seems to happen is sort of a miracle, he came to save her. But now, they're trapped.
"Look," he breathed heavily, "I got a plan, as soon as I say go, you go..you had to try!"
"I can't leave you here!!"
"No," he shook his head, " I will try to block this contraption first, and before it falls in, I shall catch you and run.."
"I can't…"
" I will carry you, don't worry.."
4 Soujiro…
He take hold at his sword, glad it was with him. He holstered it properly, with a count of three, "GO!" and Misao leaped out, her leg it seems gonna give in if she stepped back at the ground. But Soujiro timed it perfectly, he quickly plunged the nihontou at the burning bark to hold into the ground albeit temporarily, quickly setting himself free and caught Misao before she falls back again.
"Merciful Buddha.." he whispers "help me, onegai…onegai.." and he mustered enough strength to run through the raging apocalypse of the burning inferno.
"Kenshin! The forest!!" Yahiko pointed out, "the lightning is starting to razed it down!"
"Oh no, I think Misao just ran through there!" Kaoru said, immediately Kenshin and the rest propped up, "we had to find out if they are safe, you kaoru..stay here.."
"What do you mean THEY?"
" I think Soujiro followed her as well…"
"Shimatta! Now we really need to go!
He ran through, the raze not knowing how could he keep long.. everything seems to blur. Like all of a sudden, everything is silent ..only the beating of his heart and the heaving of his breath echoed to the air, everything seems to move in slow motion. Everything seems to faze and mix like spilled colors of red, orange and brown. No, they are not going to die here. After all they been through, he is not gonna let anything happen. Misao passed out, due to lack of air..and he will.. if he will not move any faster…The prisms of white light seems to encase him…they are nearing there.
Then something strange happened, as if as he slowly exits to the forest the fire seems to slowly die down. Then he notices something a small figure of a little girl in jet black long hair, chinky eyes seems to pass beside him, a small girl? In a forest? That girl.. he is seeing no ghost, the same girl he saw as he was few meters away to Edo and thought it was just an illusion. And if his sight seems to be obstructed, the strange girl seems to glow and FLOAT. He seems to feel at ease with the weird occurrence, the young girl might be just a spirit, not just any ghost ..probably like the old woman who warned him awhile ago. He make a reach out to the light
"Soujiro, you do believe.." a small child voice rang "through" the strange girl. He does not have time to wonder, for the moment he reached the clearing, he passed out.
"Y-you are safe now," he mumbled, before collapsing down the ground.
Misao came into a brink of consiousness after she felt she was dropped and rolled down the ground. She made out hazily, which seems familiar figures running, crying out that she's alive and ok. It's Kenshin and he is with Sanosuke, Yahiko, Aoshi and Okina.
"Daijoubou, Kenshin! She made it out! Damn is she lucky.." Sano blurted out, there is another figure beside Misao and is lying unconscious at the ground. "Sano, she's lucky that he was able to get her out." He pointed, Kenshin was a little ahead of the rest so he get a clearer look. "Iya, you mean…"
"Soujiro!!" Misao realized at the unconscious being lying down near her, his clothes are tattered by the flame, and he is stained by soot. She shook him, turned him over., and it's no use. He is still unconscious, yet his face look like he is just asleep, an expression that he didn't disappoint her to the last. She tried to feel his breath, it is barely there.
"onegai…don't do this.." she felt tears stream down to her cheeks, dropping down beneath him, falling down to his face, she can't control them." It must be a terrible agony…trying to keep that secret," she whispered hoarsely, "damn, too think I had fallen for you.." she tried to crack a joke, but out came a broken sob. " The truth is, even if I don't know, you try to change.. and I.." she leaned closer, stroking the messed bangs of his face, she leaned over. "..forgiven you.."
She knelt over to gave him a soft kiss to those motionless lips, and she could hear shouts of disbelief coming from Sano who is few meters approaching, but she didn't mind them. The motionless body didn't feel any stiff and it seems very warm, so is his soft mouth. Its useless, to kiss, which it seems a dead youth in a verge of to do one righteous act to prove everyone wrong and cost his life. But suddenly, she felt the lips responded, responding to her soft kisses in return. She twitched in surprise, and pull back quickly, when she starts to feel, HIS arms starting to wound to her back. Indeed, very much alive.
"Sou-chan no baka!" the old Misao came back as Soujiro opened his eyes, and earned a slap to the head. It must be all a reverie, when he thought he was dead, hearing her voice begging him to come back and when he felt the moist tears dropping to his face, "N-Nani?"
No, I wasn't dreaming. Misao is there kneeling in front of him, her face wet with tears and instead of a cross expression, her face is full of joy, that she seems to break and cry again, and eagerly hugged him tight and close, which caught him by surprise. "It's alright, Misao" he hushed, and hugged her tight, cradling her in his arms, so glad that he could hold her again. The moment he wants to treasure forever, "..Like I said, kimi ga mamoru.. always.." he whispered softly, cupping his soot streaked palms to her small face bringing them to look at his indigo eyes, with his face very exhausted and shabby. The same hue of light blue seems to leap like flame in his eyes and Misao knew what it meant. The look of pain and blankness seems not to be there no more.
The group had approached finally, very obvious because of Sanosuke's escalating noise. "She kissed him! How could she have.." he mentioned, protesting but wildly. Yahiko seems to be render speechless while Aoshi and Okina had hard to tell expressions.
"Shut up, Sano." Kenshin remarked,
"WHAAT!!" Sano exclaimed, Kenshin rarely cursed back to him, but this time he did. So he shut his trap.
" I could see that it worked out," he motioned to the two, Misao quickly leaped back since she was obviously sitting over Soujiro for some time, the other gushed and try to stand, but Misao leaned over and support his arm around her shoulder as they both stood up. "Why did you do it? You even risked your own life, you could have died.. " Like mild scolding from a father figure, the red head hitokiri spoke. Soujiro noticed that the swordsman is smiling. Adding he nodded, "..people do crazy things, when they are in love.." and he extended a hand to the youth, helping him to stand up.
"Himura is right, he did change." Okina mentioned to Aoshi. Rubbing his own chin and stroking his beard as he watched from a distance, the red-head swordsman helping the exhausted youth up to his feet with Sanosuke's expression full of distaste for he can't protest about Soujiro's presence and Yahiko in turn seems to be impressed about the turn of events, but thinking it is not the time to ask questions. Aoshi noticed that, the forest fire, mysteriously ceased down as it suddenly begun, left nothing but a soft peaceful drizzle of light rain as its final exit and refreshing the scorched ground.
"But that didn't change the fact I had forgiven you for not telling the whole truth." The former leader of the Oniwabanshu spoke, only to be greeted by a low laugh. He looked over to Okina, as if not knowing if that reaction was meant as an insult. "I'm a very old man, and wisdom comes with age, and I had to use it somehow. I need someone to look over her for the rest of her life when my time will eventually come, Aoshi." As if reading Aoshi's look, who's even more puzzled and intrigued with the old man's reply. " You are her guardian, I respect that. But we are only there to raise her for what she become, we had to prepare for this certain moment."
He looked over the approaching figures, it seems the two can't take their eyes of each other. He never saw Misao full of overwhelming emotion, which is different when he left her those years ago. The cold calculating Soujiro, Himura had softened the youth's being and after a year of wandering he had came back, and its like seeing a different person. The youth, had lost all what makes him most feared and hated for. "We prepare her for this moment to let go, she can't be with us forever. I'm pretty sure this time, I made the right decision." Okina said, his voice sounding proud within his solemn expression, he stepped forward, walking past Aoshi. " They are young, full of energy and they had a lot in store for them in the future."
A year and a half later…
"It's the feast of the Tamabata, where the two lovers get engaged." Megumi remarked, she cooked a scrumptious feast and brought it all the way to Edo. Kaoru seems never to improve to her culinary capabilities and as usual, Kenshin brought and cooked the food for the celebration. "I can't believe it myself. It seems so fast."
"Can't believe she beated you out of it." Yahiko remarked, as he starts to snag a bowlful of rice. Megumi snatches the food bowl back, much to the young boy's dismay. "H-Hey!"
"I wonder where those two are," Kaoru remarked, letting her son out go out and play with the twins. "This is supposed to be the eve of their anniversary."
"Let them be alone for awhile, Kaoru." Kenshin said, "we are also like that when we first get married." He added with a smile that made Kaoru suddenly blush and broke to a nervous laugh. Sanosuke rolled up his eyes, and didn't want to ruin the mood and dove back to his food as Yahiko starts whining to trying get his food bowl back from Megumi. The twins, Tenshi and Shiro, are already a year old, and looks very much like their father in every way, with the trademark short-cropped hair and an infectious smile. They had this innocent cherubic expression in their faces as they picked at their red-head playmate like little daredevils, their eyes had slowly changed from the bluish indigo to a hue of luminous Celtic green. "If both of them had the same eye color, it would be hard to tell which is which." Sanosuke remarked. "They got Misao's eyes."
"Otousan!" Shiro, the spunkier of the two, instantly spot his father and ran outside into the welcoming arms of Seta Soujiro. He carried the young one to his shoulder, and he could see that the little Shiro got his mother's stubborn attitude as he start telling how Kenshin's son, Kenji, is picking on them when in fact it is the other way around. " Where is Misao? You two should be joining us." Kaoru said, ignoring the escalating noise between her son and Shiro, as Kenshin looked over them. "Besides, you are already a part of the family." Kenshin added, Soujiro scratched his head and nodded with a shy smile, for he knows he had been long accepted, finally a place to call home. His young son starts tugging him by the collar. " You know Misao, she had hard time dressing up for occasions." He replied, scooping Shiro up, this time to pry him off his playmate, letting his other son stroll to his side. It is hard to manage two kids, let alone little boys. " I'll call for her." And he strolls at the other side of the house.
"She never changed", Megumi looked up from her cooking, Misao is lucky to find a very paitent good-looking youth to be her husband, she was surprised to hear the whole story of Soujiro's true identity and the story of their romance sounded like a fairy tale, and she recalls almost a year ago, how she became almost muted with shock when this young looking boy begged for her to assist giving birth to his wife and Kenshin and Kaoru rushed to the boy's rescue. Only to learn, that it was Misao, and not only she gave birth to one but TWO. It must be karma that she teased her years ago that she got a body of a boy, and the least she expected it.
Misao is sitting by the porch near her room, still undecided for what to wear, and still on her robe. She has stop wearing her ninja get up ever since she became pregnant with the twins few weeks after the wedding, but still she had a hard time getting comfortable with the tight long traditional clothes. But her body matured even better, and Megumi could no longer teased her as a "flat-chest" or a twelve year old boy, and Soujiro seemed pleased by the change. Her braid is wrapped into a bun, to keep neat as she looked over her sons, that is too much to handle even if the oni's volunteer to take turns babysitting them for her. She spotted Soujiro walking towards her direction, carrying Shiro in one arm and tugging Tenshi with the other. Aoshi just came back from the temple, and the duo break away from their father's grasp to run to him. Aoshi and Soujiro talked for awhile, and the little kids wants to go with the tall sharp looking man. Aoshi smiled his rarest smile, he could see Misao at the little kids, urging him to play with them.
"Still unprepared?" Soujiro whispered at he sat beside Misao, Misao didn't reply for she was looking over by a distance. "Don't worry about the twins, their Uncle Aoshi will take care of them. It's time we go out and join the celebration." He stroked her head and pressed a small kiss to her forehead.
"Their celebration," Misao replied. " This is our celebration," she pointed out of the sky, beautiful fireworks rang to the air, spilling various colors to the sky and the wonderful carnival noises were made in entrance of the celebration. " It's the Tamabata." Soujiro said, as he leaned closer to her, " When I came back to this town, I didn't believe anything about it. That it is all a fairytale, that I can never be like those young happy lovers…"
"But then I came.. and we met" Misao added, then she sat up with a start. "It seems pretty magical isn't it? You came not minding the holiday's spirit and so was I, and then here we are. Living together with two stubborn children to keep Okina and Aoshi company!" Soujiro let out a soft laugh, its true that Okina himself want to have a great-grandson, but he didn't expect TWO to arrive at once. "It's like we're star-crossed, coming from each side to a past to be forgotten."
" True." Misao whispered, looking to her husband's face, she moved closer, enough to feel his breath. Soujiro turned, now their faces are inches apart, and the temptation is great to kiss that small face with such soulful eyes, that girl that changed his life forever. " Yet, at this very day a year ago, Soujiro, It is the night you make me feel a respected true woman." She neared over, he could feel a short soft brush of her lips to his. Now he guessed, what "celebration" Misao had meant. He wounded his arms slowly to her small back, darting a small kiss in return, "Arigato Gozaimasu, Misao. You don't know how much you meant to me. I knew I'l love you." The old woman, he recalled talking to Himura about that forest incident once, the old woman seems to mysteriously appear in places and with occasional intervals with the strange young girl that saved them at the forest. Kenshin puts it, that what he saw is a lucky charm spirit, bringing luck and prosperity time to time from people to people taking various forms. This time, as an old woman. The spirit is also related with the other spirits who bless people at the Tamabata festival. The spirit had, knew and spun the thread, their destiny, their fate.
Misao smiled as they slowly lean down the floor, closing the porch, making the others wonder if they would ever come out. She gently wrapped her arms to his slender shoulders as she pulled him near to hers, their bodies drawn together as slow escalating heat came between them. He brushed her hair and press small kisses to her lips to her neck, as her hand ran to the back of his short cropped hair, "hmmm.. did u remember how much we liked doing this before under the fireworks? " he whispered, looking up to her. " Yes," she replied with a smile, "it's the first thing that happened in our lives"
"I think Okina wouldn't mind if we gave him a couple of great- granddaughters, to level up having two great-grandsons." Soujiro grinned, as he took off the pin of Misao's bun, spilling forth her long cascading locks, "Shall we, ne?"
"Sou-chan, no baka.." Misao whispered, and held him close.
O~! THE END !~ O
WOHOOO!!!! We know what will happen (yes, I know what you are thinking). After this they lived happily ever after and blah, etc. Im glad this saga is done through..or is it? I'll make a shorter one next time I swear. By the way sorry for the erratums, this is my first RK fic and I wasn't paying attention to subtitles when watching the series O_O
-TO BE UP NEXT-
-start of prologue-
"You couldn't have her," Kenji remarked with an annoyance in his tone, "What makes you think she'll like you?"
"Boys, stop it. Its okay. There is nothing wrong, me and Shiro are only talking." Two young men, it seems are fighting over a young lady, an acquaintance in school. The one who initate the challenge has red hair, and looked very much like his father, a very renowned but humble man in Kyoto. The young man he is talking to, had short crop black hair, with a very amiable smile and has expressive green eyes. "Don't smile like that to me, Shiro. I'm a year older than you, you must know how to respect me."
"I'm not doing anything wrong Kenji, you are." The young man spoke, " I'm just talking to her, some arrogance you got. You could never be as honorable like your father."
A group of students gathered at the arguing duo, most of them young ladies, who seem all gushed to see two promising yet attractive young men arguing over a girl friend. "Don't ever talk about my father like that!" Kenji spat, "At least my father is no bastard like yours."
Shiro's smile faded, indicating danger and his emerald orbs took a paler morbid glow. "I respected his past, and I'm humble for it. You have no right to say that." Shiro drew his wooden sword, and hollers of the crowd escalated, "You dare to pick a fight with the wrong person."
"It's just about time we shall know who is the rightful man for Kirei." Kenji replied, they are indeed fighting over their friend but he triggered the fight by pointing out a personal matter. He drew his own weapon, this time, it is a real sword. The crowd fell into confusion of whispers and protests. "This isn't fair Kenji, what will your father say if he learned you used his Sakabatou without his permission?"
"All is fair in love and war."
In a distance, someone tries to break in the gathering crowd. The young man looks like Shiro's double, asking his classmates and the other's what is going on. "Tenshi, it is your twin brother and Kenji…"
"You leave me no choice, Kenji Himura." Shiro prepared to strike, Kenji quickly took the offense and the terrified crowd watches and squeals (most of them are young ladies), as Shiro finally lifted his Kendo stick and was to land a hard blow right to…
..Tenshi's head.
"S-Stop before somebody gets..hurt." Tenshi mumbled, his eyes spinning in circles as he turned SD having caught a blow which seems to be the start of a fatal confrontation between two rivals. "Tenshi!!" both of them screamed as he fell down the ground unconscious.
-end of prologue-
The saga continues, after 16 years from were the story left off. Shiro and Tenshi have grown to fine young men with the impressive skills they got from their heritage, the skill of their father that is the "heaven" sword and their mother's art of ninjistu from the Oniwabanshu clan. Almost their equal, is Kenshin's son: Kenji, a childhood friend who seems a little arrogant on his ways trying to be much like his father which strained their brotherhood. But when Kenji's younger sister is kidnapped by a syndicate, its up to them to set aside their differences and help retrieve her. But Tenshi is into surprise, he didn't know that Kenji does actually had a younger sister, who's name is Hotaru! But Shiro do recall meeting with her a couple times in their childhood days..which heated a rivalry between two brothers even more.
Enters the new generation, a must read for those who dutifully been fans of the Broken Nihontou fic!
(This might took awhile, since the Broken Nihontou is actually "finished" long time ago, while this one well..just a recent idea. Hai, but patience is a virtue..)
Broken Nihontou 2: Legacy of the Sword
Author: isn't it great ne? soujiro's children with Misao, kenshin's son…
Readers: where is soujiro and misao? The original cast?
Author: They had their short appearances time to time…
Readers: oh really…
Author: (*_* puppy dog eyes) – just read it ne…
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AUTHORS NOTE/CREDITS:
To my tomodachis out there who might have been happy now that I FINALLY finished and uploaded one of my fics, (conceptualized around late 2000, made around 2001..and uploading it now in 2002) and what waiting now on crossovers and yaoi/shonen ai ^^; (which explains why I had a hard time writing a normal fic!). And to my MListers from anime_sarasu-koto, cosplayersworld, sparkstudios who will at least get a glimpse on my work. Also I want to thank God_of_Cephiro of cosplayersworld for lending me the book "Midsummer Madness" which contains the tale of "Knight in Tarnished Armor" which became my sole basis and cheesy inspiration to "Broken Nihontou." Hi to Tsubasa and Oracle_Saturn, if you are reading this now, you guys might think I'm sick for too much cheesiness which seems not like me ^_^ V Well okay, I wrote out this one due to a frustration I cant type shonen ai stories in public O_O but this sure seems to be a good one for a first timer ^0^
Ira Furor Brevis est
-*~Ori_Oscuro™~*