I don't own anything. Well, I guess I kinda have rights to Shinta, actually….but hell – who cares?
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BLADE OF THE PAST
Father and Son
***Flashback***
Kenshin watched her from the floor. She moved efficiently in the kitchen, just as she moved efficiently in everything she did. It was a natural side effect of their profession. The turnip in her hand hardly put up a fight as she diced it easily, using the same odd-bladed katana for chopping vegetables that she used for killing men.
"Didn't you want to learn how to cook this?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at him and still managing not to cut off any fingers.
"You can cook it," he said, a teasing grin forming on his lips as he stood up behind her. His hands rubbed up her back and moved to wrap around her waist.
She frowned at him. "What makes you think that I want to do it?"
"But you're such a good cook, Isa."
"Flattery will get you nowhere," she said, elbowing him lightly in the stomach. He refused to be deterred from his goal of holding her, however, no matter how she elbowed him.
She continued in silence for a while, not objecting to the big red-haired parasite that seemed to attach itself to her back. Kenshin watched as she cut vegetables, and he watched as her nimble fingers separated the edible food from under the blade of her katana nearly as quickly as she chopped.
"We'll have children someday," she said suddenly, making Kenshin blink a few times before he realized that she had even been speaking.
"Yes," he answered. It was far off in the future, and such a high dream that he doubted they would ever make it through the Revolution, much less achieve marriage and children. "And we'll marry after this is over," he added, uncharacteristically optimistic. It felt good to dream with her, even if they knew they could never obtain those plans.
Isabelle nodded, her hands going still and wrapping around his at her waist. "We'll name our son after you."
"Kenshin?"
"No. Shinta."
***End Flashback***
"How did you know his name, Kenshin?" Sano asked from behind him. He put a hand on Kenshin's shoulder, trying to call him back into the present.
Kenshin stared at the boy in front of him. The boy with her eyes and his hair who was obviously only half-Japanese.
Shinta stared back, his eyes growing wider. He slowly stood up, brushing Suzame off him. The look of shock was replaced by something else, and then it turned to anger. His eyes narrowed, his brows furrowed and the small mouth turned into a frown.
"Who the hell are you?" the boy asked, his fists clenched as he stared at Kenshin.
Kenshin managed to blink and blink again. "I can't believe…"
"Who the hell are you!? And how do you know my name!?"
Kenshin swallowed, taking a step backwards and running into Sano. His eyes never left the angry boy in front of him. His name really was Shinta. It had to be…but it couldn't. He'd killed her. Kenshin was sure of it. "I killed her," he whispered.
"YOU!?" Shinta launched himself over the table, hitting Kenshin in the face with a well-aimed punch. "You tried to kill my mother!" Angry tears streamed down Shinta's face and his hands shook at his sides.
Kenshin's hand drifted to his cheek, feeling the swelling begin. "But I killed her."
"You did it then?!" Shinta asked again, demanding an answer. "You raped and killed my mother!"
He blinked, suddenly called out of his trance. Kenshin's eyes narrowed. "I didn't rape anyone," he very nearly growled. He would never do such a thing to his Isa. How dare his own son accuse him of…Kenshin stopped and blinked again. His son?
His son took advantage of his pause and hit him in the face again.
Kenshin glared. "Stop that."
Sano stepped from around Kenshin, putting a hand on Shinta's arm to keep the boy from accosting Kenshin further. "Maybe we should sit down and talk about this," he suggested in such a tone of voice that he would accept no opposition.
Shinta simply glared, his eyes bloodshot and pain-filled as tears streamed down his face and his entire body nearly shook with rage. "Who are you?" he asked again, forcing the question through clenched teeth and sobs.
"Himura Kenshin," Kenshin replied. "And I used to be known as the hitokiri Battousai." There was no reason to hide his past now, no reason to hide his former self that he wished and hoped and dreamed never existed. Concrete evidence of his past was here, in front of him, crying and ready to beat him for some committing some fake crime against his mother. Isabelle. "And your mother is Isabelle," he added.
Shinta looked down at the floor, pride in his every move. "I don't know my mother's name. No one told me. And she tells no one."
"Why not?" Kenshin asked.
"Because of you, you bastard!" Shinta made to lunge at Kenshin again, but Sano's grip on his arm held firm. "You're the one who tried to kill her. You cut her throat!" Shinta's screams dissolved into sobs, and his knees gave out as he sank to the floor. Suzame crawled back over to him, rubbing her hands in circles on his back and whispering for him that everything would be all right.
Kenshin blinked.
***Another Flashback***
"Shinta! You have to!"
"No, I'm not going to kill you!" Tears were streaming down his face as they yelled at each other, barely heard over the din of the fight below and the storming thunder above.
"You're a better fighter than I, Kenshin. You should."
She'd used his name, the one that Master Hiko had given him. Things seemed calmer as she stood ready for his attack. The clashing of metal on the battlefield below the cliff drowned away to nothing. He saw nothing, heard nothing, knew of nothing but her.
Kenshin wouldn't have admitted it, but he wouldn't have had her killed any other way. He'd worried as she went out on missions, worried that some other Imperialist would be the one to end her life. And now that he was the one faced with the unavoidable option, he had to act. She was, after all, the enemy.
He sheathed his blade, spreading his feet wide to steady his stance. He pulled the blade from its sheath and lunged forward simultaneously, lightning lighting up the dark night for the tiny moment before his blade touched her flesh. Kenshin saw her smirk and lower her weapon, but it was too late for him to pull back. His momentum carried him forward, and his blade lodged halfway to the hilt through her neck…
***End Flashback***
Police whistles sounded in the streets outside the dojo, drawing Kenshin from his remembrance and catching everyone's attention. Kenshin could just tell that Isa was involved, somehow.
His eyes glanced around the room, taking in everyone. With a quick nod, he spun around and fled.
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Whew, I finally got them to confront each other. I know that Kenshin really runs away at the end of this, but the conflict between him and Shinta isn't over. Only delayed for a while. I know I built it up and built it up, so I hope the actually wasn't too disappointing. *rubs toe in dirt shyly* As always, let me know what you think.