Standard Disclaimer: No, I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, but I wish I did! But I wish I owned Gundam Wing more!
Chapter Two:
Enemy At the Front:
Return of Hageshisa Ken; The Violent Sword
A cold breeze flew around them as Kenshin began to have flashbacks. All his memories whirled and swirled so much he was surprised he hadn't fallen yet. His mind pulled at him wondering why. Why would his past friend go and betray him in such a way that she would actually help start another revolution. Wasn't the first one bad enough? Does she really want war? Or is her soul still lost back in the days where clouds of blood and fire mixed and filled the lungs of small children? Did she really want all that to start all over? What is going on?
"I do not understand… why are you doing this, Satsubaeko?" Kenshin spoke as if it hurt his heart knowing that his friend had betrayed him.
"Why? Why am I helping create a revolution? I'll tell you, because ten years ago when the Revolution ended, I felt empty. The only thing I knew was to fight. My heart and soul couldn't live without fighting," she paused and sheathed her sword. "War had become a natural thing for me. It killed all my family and friends and there's nothing I could have done. Revenge was through fighting. And I still feel like war is my only home.
"Then the leader of this group came to me two years after you became a wanderer, and asked me if I wanted to recreate the Revolution. There was nothing else that I would have wanted. I desired for war and for fighting. And I still do today." Satsubaeko finished.
"So, basically, what you're saying is, is that you're a blood thirsty animal who wants anything but peace. Is that it?" Saitou asked.
"Yes, that's all I am and all that I ever will be," said she. Kenshin stared in angry awe at her answer. He was enraged knowing that his old friend had betrayed him, and from what it looks like, all of Japan. Saitou took out his pocket watch and glared at it for a moment.
"Kenshin," Saitou started. Kenshin diverted his look from Satsubaeko to Saitou. "It's almost midnight."
"What?" Kenshin suppressed a shout.
"And you're not going anywhere until you fight me, Kenshin." Satsubaeko grinned and took out her sword. Unlike Kenshin, she still used a sword meant for killing. Kenshin was shocked yet not entirely amazed at her sword.
"You still continue to use a sword meant for murder and destruction. Why can't you decide to live a peaceful life?" Kenshin said unsheathing his reverse blade.
"Because, never have a I lived in peace, and never will I," said Satsubaeko.
"But why?" Kenshin shouted.
"Why? Why?" She paused and raised her sword, "because I am the Hageshisa Ken!" She shouted and ran towards him. The fight began between Kenshin and Satsubaeko, leaving Saitou to watch. His eyes moved towards the gate and realized that there would be more than one person guarding a gate.
"Saitou! Hurry up and get through the gate!" Kenshin shouted while dodging an attack that could have gone straight through his face.
"Shikojen! Come now!" Satsubaeko shouted as Saitou walked towards the gate. A man about Saitou's height jumped down from one of the stone pillars and landed in front of Saitou with his sword ready. He was scrawny to look at but not a scar on his entire body. His eyes were that of a great swordsman and he never smiled.
"I hope you're a decent fight. If not I will have to be disappointed with your leader." Saitou said smugly while unsheathing his Japanese sword.
"You won't have to worry about that." Shikojen responded monotone-like.
"Let's not waste any more time then," Saitou said and the two lunged at each other with their swords clashing.
~
Jump left; dodge right; strike at an angle; Kenshin and Satsubaeko repeated. They were both panting after fighting each other. Their strengths were almost exactly the same. Then suddenly, Satsubaeko stopped and sheathed her sword and looked at Kenshin.
"We won't get anywhere when fighting each other. We both trained under the same master. Shikojen, fall back." She commanded. Shikojen looked at her with bewilderment. "You heard me, fall back and go tell the master that his guests have arrived." She shouted. Shikojen stopped, sheathed his sword, bowed, and left into the building.
"Guests?" Saitou inquired.
"Our leader never expects any privacy, he can tell when he gets visitors and for what reason, most of the time. But I can tell for what reason you are here for. But I'll leave that for him to decide." She said and turned her back to them. "Follow me." She walked to the gates and unlocked them and pushed them open.
The palace was heavily guarded but seeing Kenshin and Saitou with Satsubaeko, they guessed that it was all taken care of.
~
The hallways were vacant of most palace belongings. No paintings, furniture, nothing but decorative wallpaper. They continued walking for a few minuets and then the clock struck midnight.
"Now that the Master knows that he has guests, he might postpone his plan. But then again, he always surprises me in the strangest ways." Satsubaeko seemed to be smiling as if she had something for their leader.
"Satsubaeko, we used to be good friends, why are we becoming enemies?" Kenshin asked with his head towards the ground and a shadow covered his eyes. Silence seemed to loom, the only sound was their footsteps echoing in the vacant hallway. Satsubaeko's smile disappeared and a shadow, also, covered her eyes.
"Here we are," she said opening large double doors into a slightly vacant room. There were furniture, but not many. They walked in and a man sat in one of the main pieces of furniture at the front of the room. She showed them into the middle of the room. She went over to the man and sat next to him.
"Well, well, what have we here?" The man asked coolly. He had black hair tied back and ruby red eyes, he was slim but powerful by his looks.
"These are your visitors, Master," Satsubaeko said leaning her head on the man's shoulder. He took his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. Kenshin hid his shock behind his emotionless mask. Saitou's eyes widened and then slimmed again.
"My visitors… hmmm… why hello," said he. Kenshin and Saitou stood in silence and spoke not a word. "Now, now, no need for hostility." The man said as if this were a normal visit of friends. "My name is…"
"Haku Yumagashi. You are responsible for one of the worst actions during the Revolution." Kenshin finished for him.
Haku laughed coolly and locked their gaze. "You have me all wrong. Yes I did cause a bad reaction during the Revolution, but that's not all I did."
"You're right, you also cost Japan several innocent lives. You killed mercilessly and cared not of whom you fought. Of all my days of fighting, never have I fought you." Kenshin said with his purple eyes slimming from past and present anger. Haku grinned at his accomplishment.
"Battousai that Manslayer and Hajime Saitou… welcome to my home," said Haku. Satsubaeko seemed to be using Haku as a pillow. She had her head on his shoulder and her arm across her chest with her hand on his opposite shoulder. Her index finger seemed to be tracing around his shoulder and going around his neck. Haku sat there letting her touch him as much as she truly wanted.
"Why are you planning another revolution?" Kenshin asked trying to ignore his past friend touching the enemy as if they were engaged or married.
"Because people like Satsu and me," said he while nudging his head on hers, "we thrive upon war. We can't live without it, unlike you, Battousai, you decided to become a wanderer and live a life of peace. And for those ten years, I spent my time gathering up anyone who needed war to live. And now I have an enlarged number of people that belong to my group." Haku said. Silence loomed among them and Kenshin's mind still raced.
"You haven't answered my question yet, Satsubaeko…" Kenshin said while looking at Satsubaeko. The look in his eyes suddenly hurt her heart. They were slim with anger, but she detected several hints of sorrow and concern. They stared at each other for a few quiet moments and then she tore her eyes away and buried her face into Haku's shoulder. She acted as if she couldn't bear to look at the man that she had once loved so long ago. She suppressed her tears and tried not to act any different.
Kenshin intensified his look and stared directly at her. Shivers flew down her back knowing that he hadn't torn away yet. Satsubaeko began shaking because her memories began to return. Haku turned his head toward her and whispered something. Her shaking stopped and she lifted her head. She pushed her memories away and looked back at Kenshin. Her silver eyes were filled with crimson regret, betrayal, fear, and… bloodthirsty madness.
She stood up and walked in front of Kenshin. They were a few feet apart and their eyes were locked. Kenshin remembered seeing something similar during the Revolution. When she turned into a monster worse than she is now, her eyes turn a fiery blue that could pierce even the strongest man's pride and confidence. That's how she was able to kill many people with one swift movement of her sword. She must be hiding her strength…she knows that she could easily kill me with her body like that and the way I vowed to never kill. She knows my own weaknesses. The only way that I could ever even come close to beating her without killing her is to find out her weakness. It looks like Haku is her only weakness, but what can I do now that we are going to fight each other again. With her eyes like this, she could easily kill me… what am I supposed to do? Kenshin's mind yelled at him. Saitou knew that Kenshin was troubled and decided to stay out of it. He could tell that Satsubaeko was like a sister to Kenshin. But why was he hesitating like this? His sword was a reverse blade, not a Japanese sword like his.
Satsubaeko drew out her sword and held it on her shoulder like Sanosuke and his Zanbatou. The sword rested on her shoulder lightly but with a force that the slightest movement from the opponent would cause a serious from her and not even land a scratch on her shoulder. Kenshin turned on his foot and faced her sideways with his hand just ever so slightly off his sword hilt. He would have to make the first move. Just like lightning his hand grabbed his sword hilt and drew it at angle. Satsubaeko moved her sword down and blocked his attack. Kenshin moved his sword up at an edge and made an attack at her shoulder. She took her other hand and put it on the flat part of her sword and put it in front of Kenshin's attack.
"And so the Hageshisa Ken returns…" Haku said watching as his most loyal servant fought to protect his name.
