Author's Note: This does contain some spoilage for those of you who
haven't played until at least where you talk with Konoko's uncle. I highly recommend not reading unless you've played that far, or don't
mind spoilers. Also, I changed the way the story goes in this section,
but it's my imagination and my right :P
Also, this is my first fanfic that I intend to post to FF.net. I wrote it because I was inspired by reading the fics of an excellent author,
"Leeman". He writes a lot of Tenchi Muyo and Inuyasha fanfiction,
and I recommend checking his works out. Well, anything you want to
say about this one, whether it be good, bad, or ugly, I'd like to hear,
so that I can improve.
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"Rurouni no Mirai"
by GohanKiSon
All was still. Even the pitter-patter of the rain was muted. The silence was overpowering. Mai stared deep into Muro's eyes, which reflected hers. After a few seconds of tension, he smiled.
"Your own blood, Mai?", he provoked.
Mai's finger hovered on the trigger of her 9mm, ready to end the cause of so much tragedy, sadness, and despair, yet something in her wouldn't allow it. All she could do was stare at him.
"I didn't think so", Muro laughed.
He turned to leave, and was surprised by the sudden sound of a click...and then a bang. The bullet hit him like a freight train, squarely in his leg. He collapsed and cursed violently. Another shot rang out, and he yelped in pain as his shoulder was cut open. He gripped his wounds tightly, and gritted his teeth as shot after shot wracked his body in non-vital areas. She was dragging out his death, making it all the more painful for him.
"Mai, you...", he started.
But he was cut off by another painful hit. With each bullet, Mai released the pain, anguish, fear, and horror which he had instilled in her. Finally, she reached the end of her clip. Muro was motionless, but he still clung to life by a thread. His eyes glazed over, and he lost his vision. In his blindness, he began to see everything. He saw the men, women, and even children he'd killed or had killed by his syndicate. He saw the oppression he'd caused, and the people he'd hurt. Lastly, he saw Mai. His heart was wracked by the realization of the pain he'd caused her, and remorse finally set in. He began to shiver as he lost blood and reason to live. He mustered all the strength he had left in him, and spoke his last words.
"I'm so sorry, Mai", he voiced with his last breath.
Muro finally stopped moving altogether, and his soul passed on. Mai bowed her head, and tears flowed from her eyes.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I don't regret killing you at all, brother. I regret that I ever had to", she spoke to herself.
The gun slipped from Mai's hand, and she breathed a heavy sigh. It wasn't over. Sadness and pain, that is. No, that would never truly end. But it was the end of Mai's share of sadness, for a very long while. There was still Griffin, whom she could never forgive for his crimes, but that would be for another time, far in the future. Mai grasped her necklace, the one remaining item that proved her identity, and removed it. She put it on Muro's neck, and then sat down. She was soaked through, but it didn't matter to her. She looked up into the gray clouds, and smiled for the first time in quite awhile.
"There is no Mai. Mai Hasegawa is dead", she thought aloud.
She needed a new name, for her new life. She would live the life of an outlaw, would be wanted dead by every corrupt government official, especially Griffin. She would rally the oppressed and initiate riots, and assassinate the evil which ran the government of the day. She ran through a list of names in her head, and finding nothing suitable, she frowned. Then an idea came to her. When she hadn't been training or on missions for TCTF, her favorite pastime was anime. A smile crept onto her face as she found the perfect name to fit her.
"Kaoru Kamiya", she announced.
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Author's Note: Yes, "Kaoru Kamiya" is referring to the Kaoru
from Rurouni Kenshin. That's why it's "Rurouni no Mirai", wandering
warrior of the future. Clever, ne? So, like I said, criticism,
blatant flames, or whatever is quite welcome. Domo arigatou gozaimasu,
minna!