A/N: A bit more depressing than I had planned. Please enjoy nonetheless.
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.
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~05~
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"What!? You can't be leaving!"
Kenshin lowered his eyes. Misao stared at him in shock.
Were those bags under is blue eyes? He didn't sleep at all, did he? He must be worried about something...
"I'm sorry, Misao. I've stayed too long, that I have. Thank you for your hospitality."
Then he turned and walked out of the building, his left hand resting on the hilt of his reverse-blade sword. Misao's eyes followed him as he disappeared in the morning mist.
"Kenshin... stay safe... if not for me... for Kaoru..."
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Kaoru took in a deep breath of sea air. She leaned over the rail to look down at the white-tipped waves rushing past the side of the ferry. Sure, she'd been on one before, but she loved the free sensation that the boat gave her. She straightened and grinned, her long, dark hair flowing behind her.
"Hey, Kaoru."
Kaoru turned to see Yahiko behind her, his practice sword at the ready.
"You want to spar to pass the time?"
Kaoru grinned and grabbed her sword, which had been leaning against the railing beside her. She held it up, smirking.
"Let's see how well you fare, Little Yahiko."
Yahiko's expression went from confidence to anger in the blink of an eye. He jumped off of the balls of his feet toward Kaoru, sword raised.
"Don't call me LITTLE!!"
Kaoru blocked his attack with her own sword.
"Careful. Don't let anger slow you down."
She pushed on her sword and Yahiko flew backwards and onto his backside. Kaoru stepped into the center of the deck, smirking. Yahiko got to his feet and brought his sword up in front of him, glaring.
"I'll have to remember that."
There was an instant that the two locked eyes. And they grinned at each other. Then they leapt at each other. The spar had started. And they were having fun. Both of them excited about their journey. And seeing Kenshin...
Kenshin...
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Misao was so angry she could have broken the door down. She thought about kicking it open. She decided against it. She'd get in trouble. Instead, she slammed it open.
"What the hell did you say to him, Aoshi!?"
Aoshi calmly looked up from his mat at Misao. He said nothing, as if he didn't know what she meant, but there was a twinkle in his eye.
"You know damn well what I mean, Aoshi! What the hell did you tell Kenshin!?"
Misao was glaring, her fists clenched in front of her, grinding her teeth. Aoshi sat up slowly and smirked.
"He ran away, didn't he?"
"What the hell did you tell him!?"
"I told him... that people don't change."
Misao stopped, eyes growing wide in realization. She dropped her arms to her sides and stared.
"... He... can't be... Kenshin..."
She turned and ran out of the room, her long braid flying behind her. Aoshi started to laugh. Eventually it turned to coughing. When he recovered, he took a deep breath and smirked.
"Hitokiri Battousai... the dawn awaits your return..."
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Kenshin was walking through the busy streets of Kyoto, his left hand still resting on the hilt of his sword. He was ignoring the happy families that he passed, ignoring the calls of salespeople trying to catch his attention. His brain was a jumble of right and wrong, of good and bad.
The thing is, he didn't know the difference anymore.
Suddenly he froze. Then he bent over and held his head. He straightened, still clutching at his red hair.
"No... please, stop...!"
His voice sounded restrained, like he was trying to hold back from screaming. He dropped to his knees and touched his forehead to the ground. The world around him seemed to disappear. Finally, he yelled out in pain.
Then he stopped. Time seemed to be frozen.
Kenshin's hands dropped to the ground and he was breathing heavily, so that his shoulders moved up and down. Finally he looked up.
And the slits that were his eyes were amber.
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Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.
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*
*
~05~
*
*
*
"What!? You can't be leaving!"
Kenshin lowered his eyes. Misao stared at him in shock.
Were those bags under is blue eyes? He didn't sleep at all, did he? He must be worried about something...
"I'm sorry, Misao. I've stayed too long, that I have. Thank you for your hospitality."
Then he turned and walked out of the building, his left hand resting on the hilt of his reverse-blade sword. Misao's eyes followed him as he disappeared in the morning mist.
"Kenshin... stay safe... if not for me... for Kaoru..."
*
~
*
Kaoru took in a deep breath of sea air. She leaned over the rail to look down at the white-tipped waves rushing past the side of the ferry. Sure, she'd been on one before, but she loved the free sensation that the boat gave her. She straightened and grinned, her long, dark hair flowing behind her.
"Hey, Kaoru."
Kaoru turned to see Yahiko behind her, his practice sword at the ready.
"You want to spar to pass the time?"
Kaoru grinned and grabbed her sword, which had been leaning against the railing beside her. She held it up, smirking.
"Let's see how well you fare, Little Yahiko."
Yahiko's expression went from confidence to anger in the blink of an eye. He jumped off of the balls of his feet toward Kaoru, sword raised.
"Don't call me LITTLE!!"
Kaoru blocked his attack with her own sword.
"Careful. Don't let anger slow you down."
She pushed on her sword and Yahiko flew backwards and onto his backside. Kaoru stepped into the center of the deck, smirking. Yahiko got to his feet and brought his sword up in front of him, glaring.
"I'll have to remember that."
There was an instant that the two locked eyes. And they grinned at each other. Then they leapt at each other. The spar had started. And they were having fun. Both of them excited about their journey. And seeing Kenshin...
Kenshin...
*
~
*
Misao was so angry she could have broken the door down. She thought about kicking it open. She decided against it. She'd get in trouble. Instead, she slammed it open.
"What the hell did you say to him, Aoshi!?"
Aoshi calmly looked up from his mat at Misao. He said nothing, as if he didn't know what she meant, but there was a twinkle in his eye.
"You know damn well what I mean, Aoshi! What the hell did you tell Kenshin!?"
Misao was glaring, her fists clenched in front of her, grinding her teeth. Aoshi sat up slowly and smirked.
"He ran away, didn't he?"
"What the hell did you tell him!?"
"I told him... that people don't change."
Misao stopped, eyes growing wide in realization. She dropped her arms to her sides and stared.
"... He... can't be... Kenshin..."
She turned and ran out of the room, her long braid flying behind her. Aoshi started to laugh. Eventually it turned to coughing. When he recovered, he took a deep breath and smirked.
"Hitokiri Battousai... the dawn awaits your return..."
*
~
*
Kenshin was walking through the busy streets of Kyoto, his left hand still resting on the hilt of his sword. He was ignoring the happy families that he passed, ignoring the calls of salespeople trying to catch his attention. His brain was a jumble of right and wrong, of good and bad.
The thing is, he didn't know the difference anymore.
Suddenly he froze. Then he bent over and held his head. He straightened, still clutching at his red hair.
"No... please, stop...!"
His voice sounded restrained, like he was trying to hold back from screaming. He dropped to his knees and touched his forehead to the ground. The world around him seemed to disappear. Finally, he yelled out in pain.
Then he stopped. Time seemed to be frozen.
Kenshin's hands dropped to the ground and he was breathing heavily, so that his shoulders moved up and down. Finally he looked up.
And the slits that were his eyes were amber.
*
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*