chapter | part twelve: history repeats itself?
[Back at the dojo, everyone seemed to be arguing from reasons of why Kenshin and his gang cannot be a part of this to where in this time could Hotaru could have run off to. Everyone that is except for Soujiro. He was sitting on the edge of the porch with his sword swishing back and forth upon the ground with a very depressed look upon his face. In his mind all he could see was "Tomoe-san" and the evil taking over her. Then those words of hers echoing and beginning to haunt him within his own head, "I don't need to kill in order to protect my loved ones," as well as the words of his own ringing in his head after her voice, "....let me be the one who protects you, Tomoe-san."]
Soujiro: [murmuring under his breath so that no one can hear] To protect without killing? It's an impossible thing to do.
[With that Soujiro takes one last look at the others who did not even seem to notice his presence because they were so deep into their own discussions, and he takes off away from the dojo.]
Usagi: [with tears in her eyes] Everyone! Please stop arguing, time is wasting. And, and if we don't hurry..... Hotaru.... I can't lose her here, now. There must be another in this time that has a reputable strength. Where? Who?
Saitoh: One of the strongest, but yet not the strongest.... who could it be.....
Sanosuke: Yeah who else could it be if it's not Kenshin, Aoshi, nor me...... Oh yeah, and I guess Saitoh as well?
[Saitoh just takes a deeper drag on his cigarette at the mention of this insult.]
Saitoh: Aho.
Mamoru: Well... Whoever it was must have had a lot of rage within him. Such a rage just doesn't disappear so easily. Who could have a rage so violent and for him to just let it go? Then for it to take on a form of its own and now has been feeding off of others? Growing. Chaos.
[As everyone was deep in thought of who this person could be, it was then noticed by Kaoru that one person was absent from the discussion.]
Kaoru: Huh? Where did Soujiro go?
Kenshin: Oro?
[Everyone finally realizes that they were one member short then they were when they reached back at the dojo.]
Misao: He was over there on the porch just a minute ago. I don't know where he ran off to though. Didn't think it mattered.
Michiru: You don't suppose that he has an idea of who it is that we're looking for do you?
Haruka: And that he went off after him thinking he can take this person on by himself?
Aoshi: Hmmm..... looks like he's written something in the sand upon the ground.....
Saitoh: A clue to where he might have gone perhaps?
[Kenshin walks over to the spot where Soujiro was sitting down upon and looked at the letters that were written there in the sand. Slowly he then takes it in and reads it at a small child's reading level would be.]
Kenshin: To - Mo - E......
[When Kenshin finally managed to put all the syllables together and realized what it read, his eyes widened in shock.]
Kenshin: How, Why.... would he write her name of all names?!?
Setsuna: Eh? Why would that name be of a bother to you? Looks like he just started to write down Hotaru's name. The poor guy.
Kenshin: Hotaru's name..........
[Kenshin's voice just trailed off with a look of pure shock and panic. Kaoru just looked on at Kenshin understanding everything.]
Usagi: ......yes, Tomoe is also her name.
[Aoshi and Saitoh looked at each other with those eyes of realization. Kenshin then thinks back to the depressed look upon Soujiro's face the entire time that he seemed to have had on his way back from the dojo after Hotaru's disappearance.]
Kenshin: History cannot repeat itself here. I will not allow it. Especially one that will leave him scarred for the rest of his life.
[At the mention of these words, Kenshin slowly lifts his hand up to his face and touches a faded cross scar upon his cheek.]
Haruka: You know don't you? Tell us, there is no time to lose.
Kenshin: You're right there is no time to lose.
[With that he grabs onto his sakabatou and takes off away from the dojo. The others that were there with him take off after him with the ones from the future right behind them.]
Footnotes:
Sorry, sorry for the huge delay in the continuation.
Real life got the better of me, but I'm ba-ack!
This story is starting to come to a close and I've figured it all out by now.
Have you? If yes... Shhhh.