Hi Megan-chan! Hi Kristal! Hi Jessi-chan! ^_~x
Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, yadda yadda
yadda.
(Wish I did own it though. HEEHEE...)
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Chapter Two
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Abruptly the boy inhaled, sharp with pain, his attention now focused on his
torn abdomen.
"Kid, you need to lay down," the captain ordered him. "You're going to hurt yourself."
"Doesn't matter," the hitokiri murmured, staring at the ceiling. His face was bleak, desolate with whatever thoughts his mind concealed.
The captain looked unsure about what to do next. They had no supplies and
on top of that Battousai didn't seem to care in the least if he was dying.
The rain was coming down harder, and the drafty cave wasn't going to help
the boy's condition.
"Should we move him to the village?" Inoue asked him quietly, as they watched the hitokiri's mournful yellow eyes stare at nothing.
"I don't know," the captain murmured. "The boy doesn't seem to be able to take that yet. We'll wait a while, see how it goes."
"Who are you?" The captain looked at the hitokiri blankly. "Huh?"
"Who are you?" he said, a little more forceful. "You never answered my question."
The captain smiled. "We're a squad of the Aizu branch of Ishin Shishi. We were on our way to Kyoto when we found you."
Battousai remained silent at this. He lifted his gaze to the captain's face, then stared back at the stone. ".....when's my execution?"
"What?!" the captain said, startled.
"We all know Aizu works for The Shogunate. So when are you going to kill me?"
The captain was almost horrified by the impassiveness in the boy's voice. How could he just not care like that? How could he decide to just give up and die?!
"Now look here," he said angrily. "You may not like how life has been for you, but giving up on life at your age and simply killing off your beliefs is just too damn stupid for me to let you go through with it!!"
"It's stupidity that got me into this mess in the first place," Battousai muttered. "Why do you care?"
"Because I made the exact same mistake and I am not--" He stopped himself in mid-yell.
Battousai watched the captain's face curiously, his expression mildly surprised. "...What's your name?"
The captain looked at him blankly, then his face broke into a smile. "Haiyashii. Haiyashii Kenji."
The boy nodded, his expression thoughtful. Captain Haiyashii looked at the
boy sideways.
"What's yours?"
Battousai stared. "Hunh?"
"Your real name. It can't be Battousai."
The hitokiri hesitated. Then, "Himura. Himura Kenshin."
"Kenshin." Heart of sword. How appropriate. So he still won't tell me his name, he thought, sighing internally.
"Well, Himura, I think it's about time you stopped this nonsense with deathwishes. You've got a long way to go before you die, so try and enjoy life a little before giving up, huh?"
Himura's expression went dim, solemn and thoughtful. "...there was a
time..." When Tomoe was here, he thought desperately. Koishii...
"You were in love with her, weren't you?"
"...yes." Had he said it out loud?
"You really shouldn't blame yourself, boy. There was nothing you could've done."
"You don't understand," he said angrily, his face hidden by his hair. "And how could he?" Himura spat bitterly, speaking mostly to himself. "How could you? You're nothing but a worthless murderer, a fool in the game of the Bakumatsu. I've killed more people than I could ever save; why did I think I could make any sort of difference? You fool, you fool!"
Suddenly the train of thought from back at the teahouse emerged as he
tightly gripped his cloak.
You'resomeaninglesswhatdifferencewoulditmakeifyoudiedthepeoplewouldb
esomuchhappierallthelovedonesofthosepeoplewouldbesogratefulyourenotfi
ttoliveanymorethantheShogunatewhatjusticedidyouthinkyoucouldserveyour
enothingbutaFOOLAWORTHLESSFOOL--
The intensity of the hatred overwhelmed him, and he fell back onto the
makeshift bedding with a cry caught in his throat.
"Why...why...? Can't I..." The hitokiri gave a choked, angry sob, pounding the
stone.
Koishii. Why won't you let me come with you? I...don't want to stay here. I
can't.
He felt a hand rest on his head and stroke his hair, like a father might
touch his son if he were sleeping. The boy realized he'd been speaking
aloud.
His face tightened, and the tears began to fall. He struggled with them.
"It's okay to cry, kid. If you don't get it out of your system, you'll die. And I don't mean physically."
"I'm already dead," he murmured, tears flowing down his cheeks, dripping like rain onto the gi beneath his head.
The captain looked at him with a controlled expression.
The boy moaned, rolling onto his good side, and the darkness reached for
him.
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Hi everyone. Was this good enough?
Reiken-san, you're absolutely right. I didn't even think about that!
Of course, I haven't even seen the OVA yet, but me and my fanfic obsessed
self, I went ahead and read way, WAY too many fanfics about it. Plus, I
love RK, but I was only recently...say five, six months ago...introduced to
the series. I know about most of it and characters like Shishio-sama,
Misao and the like from all the fics I read.
Oh yes, and this story is set approximately four weeks, perhaps a month after Tomoe's death.
I believe what happened is Katsura-san had been informed of the incident,[by Kenshin, by somebody,(gimme a break, I'm reaching)], and the servants around him got ahold of the story. They spread it to their families, others overheard them talking...
If there are any more inconsistancies with plot or story, please tell me!
Thanks.
Doomo arigatou gozaimasu yo! ^_~x
Okay, now then. Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to write we go... `_`x;;