Hi! Jinchuu arc material will be employed in this chapter, so you have
fair warning if this is spoiler material. Not much, though.
Kenshin is a name Hiko gave a little boy named Shinta, if anyone needs reminding. The -gumi never knew this original name. Only Kaoru gets to know, if you choose to believe Seisou Hen - which, quite frankly, I don't!!
There's something dreadfully wrong with either our computer, or with fanfiction.net. It refuses to recognize my documents stored in the MSWord web page format. So annoying. I had italics planned. I hope you understand the present formatting anyway.
.............
Himura Shinta!
"I'm no longer known by that name! My name is Himura Kenshin!"
Himura Shinta!
"A child's name, my shishou gave me another!"
Himura Shinta! You are a liar, Himura Shinta! Your whole life is a lie!
"NO! I am living as honestly as I can! Kaoru-dono knows my past, she even knows about Tomoe. I have nothing left to hide! Now leave me alone!"
Admit it, Himura Shinta! You are just a boy, trapped in a man's body. You are a boy, afraid to be hurt, afraid to be discovered, afraid to love, afraid to trust! You are a little boy, afraid to die!
"Stop....."
You grew up to be a powerful killer, because you were afraid to die yourself! You hide yourself behind ideals of peace and freedom for the country, but deep inside is the fear of death. You stopped being a killer, because it reminded you of a death you saw with your own eyes, a death you caused with your own hands, a death of someone you loved, a death that could very well happen to you. You locked yourself at one time deep inside yourself in a wretched place, because you thought you saw the death of your true love-and you knew that you were next.
"Stop, please..."
You do not want to be close to this woman, you refuse to be called by your real name, because you know, that one day, you will have to leave her alone in this world. Because you have to die.
"STOP!!"
..........
"STOP!!"
It was loud enough for Megumi and Kaoru in the other room to hear. "Misao- san, keep an eye on Kaoru-san. I'm going over there for a few minutes." Misao nodded understanding, and Megumi left the room.
"He's been tossing and turning for the last 30 minutes, foxy lady," Sanosuke explained as she arrived, with an anxious face. "Groaning sometimes, sometimes saying weird unconnected things. He was asleep and quiet for most of the last three hours, then he started to get fidgety. I've done everything you said, so I don't understand what's going on. Man, I wouldn't want to have a hangover like that..."
Kenshin lay restless in the futon, covered in sweat, twisting under the blanket. "It's not true," he currently mumbled. "It's not true..." His hair was damp from numerous cloths placed on his head, with water droplets spilled onto his flushed face. His breaths came in short and rapid intervals, which concerned Megumi. "I won't make Megumi-dono worry about me....again...." he mumbled, feeling her presence.
"You'll be alright, Ken-san....you'll be alright..." she wiped the sweat and water off his face, as she whispered to Aoshi, "Watch the time carefully, please. If nothing changes in an hour, call me back. We have to take drastic measures then."
...........
"I won't make Megumi-dono worry about me, again."
You are a coward, Shinta. You do not want ANYONE to worry about you. You want to believe that you are invincible, when you are not. You do not want them to know how weak you truly are. You refuse to admit that you need them, more, much more than you give them credit for. Especially Kaoru...
"Kaoru-dono, what about her?"
Why do you refuse to believe that someone could love you as you are? Without conditions, without reservation, without hesitation, without motives?
"I have a right to be suspicious! I have been deceived by people all my life!"
Has SHE deceived you?
"Yes!"
Intentionally?
"N-n-no."
And after that?
"Never."
You love her, trust her, adore her. You never think of what she was before you met her. Why do you refuse to believe that she does the same? Remember her words. She wanted the rurouni to stay. Not the Battousai. She did not care who you were, or who you had been. She cared about just you. Your strengths, your weaknesses, your past, your present, your future, your being, your self. You. All of you.
Just you.
"..........?"
Finally, you understand, Himura Shinta.
"Thank you.....wait, who are you?"
I am you.
...........
"How's jo-chan?" Sanosuke asked.
"Nothing exciting happening yet, rooster head," Megumi reported. "And Ken- san?"
Sanosuke directed her eyes to him. He was now sleeping peacefully, without a cloth on his head, breathing normally. Megumi did routine checks on his neck, chest and head. The fever had broken. She was satisfied and relieved. She was very inclined to have at least 40 winks now, while it was safe to do so. Midnight had just been announced by the bedroom clock. Yahiko was already snoring on the floor not far from Sanosuke, and Aoshi, given the graveyard shift, was leaned on the bedroom wall, head nodding.
However, she heard muffled sounds coming from Kenshin's lips, and she leaned closer to hear them better. "To-mo-e?"
..............
Kenshin...
"Tomoe...I've missed you, Tomoe....it's been a whole year since I've seen you...."
Kenshin....thank you for taking care of my brother....
"My pleasure, but Enishi doesn't need much caring for anymore. You smile for him now, as you smile for me."
It is only because you showed me to him again....but enough about my brother, my love. I came to talk about her.
"Her...Kaoru-dono? Well, I've been married to her for 10 months now, I've tried to be a good husband to her, I've supported her as best I can....."
Kenshin, answer me truthfully. How much do you love her?
"Love her? More than my life, more than the world, more than anything else- sumimasen, Tomoe, I should not be talking like this to you. I love you as well, with my everything....."
You love her more than me?
"Do not take this the wrong way, Tomoe, but,I had a longer time to be with her and to know her. What she is, what drives her, what makes her sad, what makes her happy. What makes her beautiful above other women, which is quite a different reason from what makes you beautiful to me. That being the case, I am sorry to admit, but I have grown to love her, more than...I wanted to love her..."
Do not be sorry, Kenshin.
"Nani?"
Do not hold yourself back for my sake. Twelve years have passed, Kenshin. I am at a better place, watching over you and my brother. I am no longer a living part of your life. Make her yours, completely. Enjoy your life with her. Be the light of her life, as you have once been to me. Make her yours.
"Are you sure?"
Yes. With all my heart. Now, it is time to part ways. She needs you.
"Tomoe, don't go yet...."
She needs you. Go to her.
..........
Kenshin lifted himself painfully from the futon, at the wee hours of the morning. He had a splitting headache, but he felt that he had to get up now. He took a quick look around. He was in their bedroom, prepared and ready to receive the coming baby. To his left Sanosuke was stretched out on the floor as he snored softly. At his feet Yahiko was snoring a little more loudly. To his right, he met the steady gaze of the okashira. He immediately regained the color lost on his face, as he blushed.
"A-Aoshi-dono, I sincerely apologize for yesterday afternoon...I was not myself then....Please forgive all my harsh words to you," he spoke as he held his pounding head.
Aoshi simply nodded.
The cold evening air suddenly breezed through the bedroom. Misao slid -and left-the door open. She leaped to Aoshi and gave him a bear hug. Then she noticed Kenshin sitting up from the futon. "Himura! Are you alright now?"
"Pretty much, yes, thank you, Misao-dono. I apologize for what I said...."
"Daijoubu, daijoubu, Himura. But you have to come with me right now!! Kaoru- san's starting!!"
"Starting? Starting what? At 4 o'clock in the morning?" the clueless and dizzy rurouni asked.
--Go to her--.
Misao leaped again out the door. "You're going to have a baby soon!"
"ORO?! Seriously? Right now? Ow, my head!"
"Well, Himura? Hurry up!"
--She needs you.--
Kenshin slowly stood up and walked behind her. Misao soon noticed the difficulty he was having. She quickly slid herself under his left arm and put an arm through his waist. "Arigatou, Misao-dono."
"Don't mention!"
"MISAO! WHERE ARE YOU?! We need you NOW!" Kaoru screamed from inside.
Kaoru was lying on a spare futon in the practice area, legs bent at the knees and spread apart. Megumi knelt at her feet. Both women were sweating profusely. The smell of blood was already present, but then all four had experienced enough of that, and were unfazed. "Megumi-dono, I am sorry for what I said...." Kenshin quickly apologized to the doctor. She quietly gave him a warm smile.
But Kaoru was stunned to see her husband virtually slung over Misao. "A-a- anata...ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND, KENSHIN?! Stay in bed! OWWW!"
Misao lowered him beside her.
"First of all, koishii..I must do something," he kneeled beside her - and kissed her with all the love he could muster. All of three minutes. Misao and Megumi were struck dumb.
"You're a tad crazier than your brother-in-law, do you know that, anata?!!" Kaoru commented afterward, blown away.
"I hope that takes some of the pain away, from right now and from my angry words yesterday afternoon," he explained with a smile. He positioned himself behind her, so she could lie on his knees and lean on his chest. He took up her left hand in both of his and kissed it tenderly.
"Let's do this....Kaoru."
.........
Midori's work is very-inspiring-to say the least! I wanna write like that, seriously! Egad, I'm horrible with descriptions. My brain has this way of skipping all but the most vital descriptions and going straight to the dialogue when I read stories. And I'm something of a playwright in our school, writing stuff for skits. Writing skits doesn't require much work for descriptions. That's why my material turns out this way, all talking with very few descriptions. ^_^
"White and Black" is already uploaded, the first chapter. That little matchup you guys have been clamoring for me to continue. ^_^ Start looking for it. It's probably on the second page of the story listing by now. I'll finish Nine Months first before going on with it, though. ^^
Firuze-san, you have to talk to my mom! She gets mad at me all the time for liking RK and anime too much at MY age, and I just turned 21!
Gomen, Chiki-san. I got the spelling of "bakayaro" wrong in the chap. ^^
Thanks to the rest of you as well!
Kenshin is a name Hiko gave a little boy named Shinta, if anyone needs reminding. The -gumi never knew this original name. Only Kaoru gets to know, if you choose to believe Seisou Hen - which, quite frankly, I don't!!
There's something dreadfully wrong with either our computer, or with fanfiction.net. It refuses to recognize my documents stored in the MSWord web page format. So annoying. I had italics planned. I hope you understand the present formatting anyway.
.............
Himura Shinta!
"I'm no longer known by that name! My name is Himura Kenshin!"
Himura Shinta!
"A child's name, my shishou gave me another!"
Himura Shinta! You are a liar, Himura Shinta! Your whole life is a lie!
"NO! I am living as honestly as I can! Kaoru-dono knows my past, she even knows about Tomoe. I have nothing left to hide! Now leave me alone!"
Admit it, Himura Shinta! You are just a boy, trapped in a man's body. You are a boy, afraid to be hurt, afraid to be discovered, afraid to love, afraid to trust! You are a little boy, afraid to die!
"Stop....."
You grew up to be a powerful killer, because you were afraid to die yourself! You hide yourself behind ideals of peace and freedom for the country, but deep inside is the fear of death. You stopped being a killer, because it reminded you of a death you saw with your own eyes, a death you caused with your own hands, a death of someone you loved, a death that could very well happen to you. You locked yourself at one time deep inside yourself in a wretched place, because you thought you saw the death of your true love-and you knew that you were next.
"Stop, please..."
You do not want to be close to this woman, you refuse to be called by your real name, because you know, that one day, you will have to leave her alone in this world. Because you have to die.
"STOP!!"
..........
"STOP!!"
It was loud enough for Megumi and Kaoru in the other room to hear. "Misao- san, keep an eye on Kaoru-san. I'm going over there for a few minutes." Misao nodded understanding, and Megumi left the room.
"He's been tossing and turning for the last 30 minutes, foxy lady," Sanosuke explained as she arrived, with an anxious face. "Groaning sometimes, sometimes saying weird unconnected things. He was asleep and quiet for most of the last three hours, then he started to get fidgety. I've done everything you said, so I don't understand what's going on. Man, I wouldn't want to have a hangover like that..."
Kenshin lay restless in the futon, covered in sweat, twisting under the blanket. "It's not true," he currently mumbled. "It's not true..." His hair was damp from numerous cloths placed on his head, with water droplets spilled onto his flushed face. His breaths came in short and rapid intervals, which concerned Megumi. "I won't make Megumi-dono worry about me....again...." he mumbled, feeling her presence.
"You'll be alright, Ken-san....you'll be alright..." she wiped the sweat and water off his face, as she whispered to Aoshi, "Watch the time carefully, please. If nothing changes in an hour, call me back. We have to take drastic measures then."
...........
"I won't make Megumi-dono worry about me, again."
You are a coward, Shinta. You do not want ANYONE to worry about you. You want to believe that you are invincible, when you are not. You do not want them to know how weak you truly are. You refuse to admit that you need them, more, much more than you give them credit for. Especially Kaoru...
"Kaoru-dono, what about her?"
Why do you refuse to believe that someone could love you as you are? Without conditions, without reservation, without hesitation, without motives?
"I have a right to be suspicious! I have been deceived by people all my life!"
Has SHE deceived you?
"Yes!"
Intentionally?
"N-n-no."
And after that?
"Never."
You love her, trust her, adore her. You never think of what she was before you met her. Why do you refuse to believe that she does the same? Remember her words. She wanted the rurouni to stay. Not the Battousai. She did not care who you were, or who you had been. She cared about just you. Your strengths, your weaknesses, your past, your present, your future, your being, your self. You. All of you.
Just you.
"..........?"
Finally, you understand, Himura Shinta.
"Thank you.....wait, who are you?"
I am you.
...........
"How's jo-chan?" Sanosuke asked.
"Nothing exciting happening yet, rooster head," Megumi reported. "And Ken- san?"
Sanosuke directed her eyes to him. He was now sleeping peacefully, without a cloth on his head, breathing normally. Megumi did routine checks on his neck, chest and head. The fever had broken. She was satisfied and relieved. She was very inclined to have at least 40 winks now, while it was safe to do so. Midnight had just been announced by the bedroom clock. Yahiko was already snoring on the floor not far from Sanosuke, and Aoshi, given the graveyard shift, was leaned on the bedroom wall, head nodding.
However, she heard muffled sounds coming from Kenshin's lips, and she leaned closer to hear them better. "To-mo-e?"
..............
Kenshin...
"Tomoe...I've missed you, Tomoe....it's been a whole year since I've seen you...."
Kenshin....thank you for taking care of my brother....
"My pleasure, but Enishi doesn't need much caring for anymore. You smile for him now, as you smile for me."
It is only because you showed me to him again....but enough about my brother, my love. I came to talk about her.
"Her...Kaoru-dono? Well, I've been married to her for 10 months now, I've tried to be a good husband to her, I've supported her as best I can....."
Kenshin, answer me truthfully. How much do you love her?
"Love her? More than my life, more than the world, more than anything else- sumimasen, Tomoe, I should not be talking like this to you. I love you as well, with my everything....."
You love her more than me?
"Do not take this the wrong way, Tomoe, but,I had a longer time to be with her and to know her. What she is, what drives her, what makes her sad, what makes her happy. What makes her beautiful above other women, which is quite a different reason from what makes you beautiful to me. That being the case, I am sorry to admit, but I have grown to love her, more than...I wanted to love her..."
Do not be sorry, Kenshin.
"Nani?"
Do not hold yourself back for my sake. Twelve years have passed, Kenshin. I am at a better place, watching over you and my brother. I am no longer a living part of your life. Make her yours, completely. Enjoy your life with her. Be the light of her life, as you have once been to me. Make her yours.
"Are you sure?"
Yes. With all my heart. Now, it is time to part ways. She needs you.
"Tomoe, don't go yet...."
She needs you. Go to her.
..........
Kenshin lifted himself painfully from the futon, at the wee hours of the morning. He had a splitting headache, but he felt that he had to get up now. He took a quick look around. He was in their bedroom, prepared and ready to receive the coming baby. To his left Sanosuke was stretched out on the floor as he snored softly. At his feet Yahiko was snoring a little more loudly. To his right, he met the steady gaze of the okashira. He immediately regained the color lost on his face, as he blushed.
"A-Aoshi-dono, I sincerely apologize for yesterday afternoon...I was not myself then....Please forgive all my harsh words to you," he spoke as he held his pounding head.
Aoshi simply nodded.
The cold evening air suddenly breezed through the bedroom. Misao slid -and left-the door open. She leaped to Aoshi and gave him a bear hug. Then she noticed Kenshin sitting up from the futon. "Himura! Are you alright now?"
"Pretty much, yes, thank you, Misao-dono. I apologize for what I said...."
"Daijoubu, daijoubu, Himura. But you have to come with me right now!! Kaoru- san's starting!!"
"Starting? Starting what? At 4 o'clock in the morning?" the clueless and dizzy rurouni asked.
--Go to her--.
Misao leaped again out the door. "You're going to have a baby soon!"
"ORO?! Seriously? Right now? Ow, my head!"
"Well, Himura? Hurry up!"
--She needs you.--
Kenshin slowly stood up and walked behind her. Misao soon noticed the difficulty he was having. She quickly slid herself under his left arm and put an arm through his waist. "Arigatou, Misao-dono."
"Don't mention!"
"MISAO! WHERE ARE YOU?! We need you NOW!" Kaoru screamed from inside.
Kaoru was lying on a spare futon in the practice area, legs bent at the knees and spread apart. Megumi knelt at her feet. Both women were sweating profusely. The smell of blood was already present, but then all four had experienced enough of that, and were unfazed. "Megumi-dono, I am sorry for what I said...." Kenshin quickly apologized to the doctor. She quietly gave him a warm smile.
But Kaoru was stunned to see her husband virtually slung over Misao. "A-a- anata...ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND, KENSHIN?! Stay in bed! OWWW!"
Misao lowered him beside her.
"First of all, koishii..I must do something," he kneeled beside her - and kissed her with all the love he could muster. All of three minutes. Misao and Megumi were struck dumb.
"You're a tad crazier than your brother-in-law, do you know that, anata?!!" Kaoru commented afterward, blown away.
"I hope that takes some of the pain away, from right now and from my angry words yesterday afternoon," he explained with a smile. He positioned himself behind her, so she could lie on his knees and lean on his chest. He took up her left hand in both of his and kissed it tenderly.
"Let's do this....Kaoru."
.........
Midori's work is very-inspiring-to say the least! I wanna write like that, seriously! Egad, I'm horrible with descriptions. My brain has this way of skipping all but the most vital descriptions and going straight to the dialogue when I read stories. And I'm something of a playwright in our school, writing stuff for skits. Writing skits doesn't require much work for descriptions. That's why my material turns out this way, all talking with very few descriptions. ^_^
"White and Black" is already uploaded, the first chapter. That little matchup you guys have been clamoring for me to continue. ^_^ Start looking for it. It's probably on the second page of the story listing by now. I'll finish Nine Months first before going on with it, though. ^^
Firuze-san, you have to talk to my mom! She gets mad at me all the time for liking RK and anime too much at MY age, and I just turned 21!
Gomen, Chiki-san. I got the spelling of "bakayaro" wrong in the chap. ^^
Thanks to the rest of you as well!