CHAPTER 5- UNCONTROLLABLE PAIN
---Your own daughter---
The words seemed to seethe through one ear and out the other, especially for Kenshin.
CLACK! The sakabatou hit the floor, having dropped from a trembling hand. His teeth clenched uncontrollably as he looked up at his opponent once more. Soujiro could see the sheer terror and disbelief his purple eyes held.
"It can't be." Kenshin murmured. Then his voice grew. "You're LYING to me!!!"
Sanosuke stood frozen.
Soujiro scratched his chin. "Nope, sorry Mr. Himura. Shishio-san taught me never to tell a lie. I think it was your daughter anyway because not every girl has red hair and the ability to wield a sword."
"That's.not possible." Sanosuke muttered.
Kenshin slipped to his knees before Soujiro. His trembling intensified as grief took hold. Soujiro had killed Jiani?
"Jiani-chan."
Memories came flashing before his eyes.
........
"Papa! Papa!"
A young Kenshin lifted his tired gaze to find a tiny girl bounding out of the house, wearing a wide smile.
He grinned at the sight of Jiani, his little girl. "Jiani-chan,"
She ran up and gave him an enthusiastic hug around the legs.
"How was your day, Jiani-chan?" Kenshin asked, picking her up and carrying her back towards their home.
"Boring." She replied. "Please don't go away so long, Papa! I miss you!"
Kenshin sighed to himself. What would he do without her?
........
Kenshin squeezed his eyes shut. Tears dropped loudly on the wood floor. 'I never should have left her---I never should have left her--- he thought over and over. Three words escaped his mouth. "Jiani-chan---my daughter---
Yumi poked her head through the door to check and see what was going on. Why had the fighting stopped? And why was Kenshin kneeling on the ground and crying??
Sanosuke leaned heavily against the wall. Tears were building up in his own eyes and he didn't bother to wipe them away. "Jiani---no---
Saitoh stood silently.
Soujiro made a sad-like face. "Oy, sorry Mr. Himura. We just had a fight and she lost. She wasn't strong enough to survive that last attack."
Sanosuke's head snapped up and he whirled around. There was no looking past the raw fury in his eyes. "YOU BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS!!!!!!! He charged forward, but only to be intercepted by Saitoh!
Saitoh frowned at him. "Moron, this isn't your fight. Stay out of it."
Sanosuke struggled to get past him. "Let me go, Saitoh! Let me go!" But the man with the demon's face stood firm. Though by now it was obvious that he loved Jiani as well, it was still Kenshin's battle.
Finally, Soujiro crouched back into a stance. "Well, shall we finish this?"
Kenshin rose slowly. "Seta Soujiro."
"Yes?"
The rurouni's head snapped up, revealing fiery amber eyes and a furious snarl. "YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!" He leapt forward, turning his sword to the sharp side. Now he was fighting to kill.
Stunned by the speed of his movements, even Soujiro couldn't react. CRACK!!! He went flying across the room.
.........
In the last room, Shishio and Houji were receiving a telegraph from Yumi, who was watching the fight. Houji read it aloud. "Soujiro mentioned something about killing the Battousai's daughter and it has enraged him. It seems the Battousai has the upper hand."
Shishio puffed a little on his pipe. "So he has lost control of himself once more. The Battousai has truly become the Battousai."
He smirked. "This is what I've waited for."
........
Down the darkened corridors, a lone figure stumbled. Breath came in heavy gasps. A cracked katana hung at the waist. Long red hair draped over dark eyes. Blood was left in the wake.
This person could hear the fighting going on somewhere beyond the door and recognized the evil aura of Soujiro. But the other, much stronger aura was something almost foreign, almost unrecognizable.
"Father."
---Your own daughter---
The words seemed to seethe through one ear and out the other, especially for Kenshin.
CLACK! The sakabatou hit the floor, having dropped from a trembling hand. His teeth clenched uncontrollably as he looked up at his opponent once more. Soujiro could see the sheer terror and disbelief his purple eyes held.
"It can't be." Kenshin murmured. Then his voice grew. "You're LYING to me!!!"
Sanosuke stood frozen.
Soujiro scratched his chin. "Nope, sorry Mr. Himura. Shishio-san taught me never to tell a lie. I think it was your daughter anyway because not every girl has red hair and the ability to wield a sword."
"That's.not possible." Sanosuke muttered.
Kenshin slipped to his knees before Soujiro. His trembling intensified as grief took hold. Soujiro had killed Jiani?
"Jiani-chan."
Memories came flashing before his eyes.
........
"Papa! Papa!"
A young Kenshin lifted his tired gaze to find a tiny girl bounding out of the house, wearing a wide smile.
He grinned at the sight of Jiani, his little girl. "Jiani-chan,"
She ran up and gave him an enthusiastic hug around the legs.
"How was your day, Jiani-chan?" Kenshin asked, picking her up and carrying her back towards their home.
"Boring." She replied. "Please don't go away so long, Papa! I miss you!"
Kenshin sighed to himself. What would he do without her?
........
Kenshin squeezed his eyes shut. Tears dropped loudly on the wood floor. 'I never should have left her---I never should have left her--- he thought over and over. Three words escaped his mouth. "Jiani-chan---my daughter---
Yumi poked her head through the door to check and see what was going on. Why had the fighting stopped? And why was Kenshin kneeling on the ground and crying??
Sanosuke leaned heavily against the wall. Tears were building up in his own eyes and he didn't bother to wipe them away. "Jiani---no---
Saitoh stood silently.
Soujiro made a sad-like face. "Oy, sorry Mr. Himura. We just had a fight and she lost. She wasn't strong enough to survive that last attack."
Sanosuke's head snapped up and he whirled around. There was no looking past the raw fury in his eyes. "YOU BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS!!!!!!! He charged forward, but only to be intercepted by Saitoh!
Saitoh frowned at him. "Moron, this isn't your fight. Stay out of it."
Sanosuke struggled to get past him. "Let me go, Saitoh! Let me go!" But the man with the demon's face stood firm. Though by now it was obvious that he loved Jiani as well, it was still Kenshin's battle.
Finally, Soujiro crouched back into a stance. "Well, shall we finish this?"
Kenshin rose slowly. "Seta Soujiro."
"Yes?"
The rurouni's head snapped up, revealing fiery amber eyes and a furious snarl. "YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!" He leapt forward, turning his sword to the sharp side. Now he was fighting to kill.
Stunned by the speed of his movements, even Soujiro couldn't react. CRACK!!! He went flying across the room.
.........
In the last room, Shishio and Houji were receiving a telegraph from Yumi, who was watching the fight. Houji read it aloud. "Soujiro mentioned something about killing the Battousai's daughter and it has enraged him. It seems the Battousai has the upper hand."
Shishio puffed a little on his pipe. "So he has lost control of himself once more. The Battousai has truly become the Battousai."
He smirked. "This is what I've waited for."
........
Down the darkened corridors, a lone figure stumbled. Breath came in heavy gasps. A cracked katana hung at the waist. Long red hair draped over dark eyes. Blood was left in the wake.
This person could hear the fighting going on somewhere beyond the door and recognized the evil aura of Soujiro. But the other, much stronger aura was something almost foreign, almost unrecognizable.
"Father."