Chapter Ten
Why he had sought her out, he didn't really know. Why would he want to talk the girl? /Because she uses Hiten Mitsurugi. Because I am supposed to be the only student. Because I'm only a few years older than her, which means she must have received training around the same time that I did but Seijuro is the only master. Because she seems to know a lot about my training and me.// The reasons flashed through Kenshin's mind as he left the outskirts of Kyoto for their meeting place. He couldn't exactly show his face in Kyoto with Hajime Saitou prowling the streets. /Saitou. They knew each other. They had probably been on the same side from the way he spoke to her. If she is, than this could be a trap. But then again, she had not acted as if she meant to hurt him when they had met in the streets that night.//
He neared the place where they had agreed to meet. She was already there, sitting on the ground, her back against a tree. Seeing him approaching she stood up, looking at him warily. They were standing across from each, neither readily taking the initiative.
"Who are you," Kenshin asked finally.
"My name is Aisu," her answer was mater-of-fact and showed no emotion whatsoever. "And you are Himura Kenshin." She hesitated. "Although, you're not at all like the Kenshin I remember." Her tone contained a hint of sadness.
"I cannot say that I know you. I have never even heard your name. So how is it that you know me but I am unaware as to who you are?"
"I was there when you received your training Seijuro Hiko. I wasn't supposed to be there at all. Seijuro told me to leave but I did not." /Why am I telling him anything at all? He changed.//
"I don't understand."
Aisu sighed and sat back down in her earlier spot gazing through the leaves that obscured the afternoon's sunlight. She was going to tell him everything after all. It was almost a relief. She would have someone to talk to about her life. She looked over hat Kenshin who had relaxed and sat down near her.
"Before I found Seijuro Hiko, I lived in one of the surrounding towns. My real family must have died soon after I was born because I never knew them. Anyway, I lived with another family and didn't like it very much. I got enough food I suppose but I never got a chance to eat it. I was always working from before dawn until after dark. There was no time to eat in the morning or at noon and in the evening I was so tired, half the time I couldn't stay awake long enough to eat. So, I ran away." Aisu paused. Her face was still as emotionless as it had been when Kenshin had come.
"I'm guessing you found Seijuro Hiko's place." She was surprised to hear him speak in a non-hostile tone.
"Yes," Aisu conceded. She continued, recounting how she had bet with Seijuro to get him to teach her, how he had managed to wriggle his way out when she won and how she had refused his denial and learned anyway. She told him about her training, how she had watched Seijuro train him and learned along with him.
"When you left, I did too. You said you wanted to help people. I was going to do the exact same thing, although," she hesitated, not wanting to provoke him, "my idea of helping people turned out drastically different from yours."
Silence followed her comment. Kenshin hadn't moved since she finished speaking but he did not seem like he had taken her observation as an insult. The more she thought about the more she wanted him to do something besides just sit there. He had committed so many crimes and seemed to not even care.
"Why did you become someone like." Aisu faltered but Kenshin seemed to get her point.
"I learned swordsmanship so that I could protect people, so that I could help them. That's what I'm doing. In order for there to be change, there must be revolution; every revolution contains some bloodshed."
"How can you call what you are doing protecting people."
Aisu's mask had finally cracked. Gone was the ice that had kept her face straight and emotionless.
"Seijuro was right when he said you should finish your training. Whoever you work for is using you and you are letting them."
Her voice was rising, filled with anger and disgust. Why had she ever thought she could find a companion who shared her experiences in this man? He was nothing. The wind started to pick up again. Aisu did not realize that cold but Kenshin seemed to have noted a change, crossing his arms with a slight shiver.
"When you left I thought your cause to be a noble one and I set out to do the same. I never dreamed you could become someone so disgusting." Aisu's voice was harsh and filled with anger.
"I did not receive official training in Hiten Mitsurugi but I know one thing. What you are doing is wrong. Work like yours goes against every one of its principles. I am sure Seijuro Hiko did not teach you Hiten Mitsurugi so that you could hire yourself to some government and do their dirty work."
Aisu had gotten to her feet. She was looking down at Kenshin who was still sitting there, looking up at her, face emotionless. Her eyes flashed at him, as she turned on her heel and left. One last gust swept over Kenshin before the winds died away again.
"Wait." Kenshin was on his feet and half running behind her. "You never gave me a chance to fully explain why. You're judging me before you know me."
"I have thought about it a lot. About what you did and how it might be justified." Aisu said in a considerable calmer tone. "But I have come to a conclusion and it is this. In my mind, your actions can never be justified." She paused, allowing Kenshin to catch up a little. "There is one more thing. When Seijuro refused the second time, I was determined to be exactly like you. If you said you would help people then I would as well. Now that I've seen what became of you, I can't believe I ever wanted to be like you."
With that, Aisu left. Kenshin did not follow her.
~~~~~~~~~~
/Should I go? Or should I just forget about him?// Through Saitou and her own deductions, Aisu had found out that there would be a fight tonight. An attempt to assassinate Himura Kenshin, no Battousai. He was no longer Himura Kenshin. /But what does that matter to me. He is no longer the person I knew him to be. He's no longer the person I admired. He's just a cold-blooded killer. He is the Battousai and as such he can defend himself.// Darkness was taking over, pushing the sun out of the sky. /And yet, maybe I should at least warn him. Maybe there is a reason that compelled him to do what he did.//
The cycle was endless. With the sun now completely gone, Aisu looked out over Kyoto towards where she knew Kenshin was. /I suppose I might owe him a little for watching his training all these years. I could warn him and be done with it.// It was now completely dark, only a few lights marked where Kyoto was. /If I don't do anything, would that make me just as cold blooded as him.// She paused to look again over Kyoto's lingering lights. /Yes, it would.//
Aisu rushed through the streets and alleys of Kyoto. Sounds of fighting reached her ears. They had already found him. There was a cry of pain, Kenshin's pain she grasped. Aisu rounded the corner. Kenshin was on one knee. Blood was running from a wound somewhere. A woman rushed out between him and his attacker. Tomoe. Aisu recognized her from Kenshin's description. It happened in but a split second. Kenshin had not realized what Tomoe was doing. With the same attack that vanquished his opponent, Tomoe fell as well. He caught her and took her in his arms. I was too late. Tears filled her eyes. Hoping no one had noticed her, Aisu left the scene.
/It's my fault// Aisu realized as she sat there, watching the rain with blank eyes. /I could have stopped this and I did not. I was too busy wondering if he deserved help.// Aisu looked into the sky letting the rain hit her face. /Everyone deserves to be helped. I should never have questioned that.// The tears mingled with the rain and slid down her face.
Why he had sought her out, he didn't really know. Why would he want to talk the girl? /Because she uses Hiten Mitsurugi. Because I am supposed to be the only student. Because I'm only a few years older than her, which means she must have received training around the same time that I did but Seijuro is the only master. Because she seems to know a lot about my training and me.// The reasons flashed through Kenshin's mind as he left the outskirts of Kyoto for their meeting place. He couldn't exactly show his face in Kyoto with Hajime Saitou prowling the streets. /Saitou. They knew each other. They had probably been on the same side from the way he spoke to her. If she is, than this could be a trap. But then again, she had not acted as if she meant to hurt him when they had met in the streets that night.//
He neared the place where they had agreed to meet. She was already there, sitting on the ground, her back against a tree. Seeing him approaching she stood up, looking at him warily. They were standing across from each, neither readily taking the initiative.
"Who are you," Kenshin asked finally.
"My name is Aisu," her answer was mater-of-fact and showed no emotion whatsoever. "And you are Himura Kenshin." She hesitated. "Although, you're not at all like the Kenshin I remember." Her tone contained a hint of sadness.
"I cannot say that I know you. I have never even heard your name. So how is it that you know me but I am unaware as to who you are?"
"I was there when you received your training Seijuro Hiko. I wasn't supposed to be there at all. Seijuro told me to leave but I did not." /Why am I telling him anything at all? He changed.//
"I don't understand."
Aisu sighed and sat back down in her earlier spot gazing through the leaves that obscured the afternoon's sunlight. She was going to tell him everything after all. It was almost a relief. She would have someone to talk to about her life. She looked over hat Kenshin who had relaxed and sat down near her.
"Before I found Seijuro Hiko, I lived in one of the surrounding towns. My real family must have died soon after I was born because I never knew them. Anyway, I lived with another family and didn't like it very much. I got enough food I suppose but I never got a chance to eat it. I was always working from before dawn until after dark. There was no time to eat in the morning or at noon and in the evening I was so tired, half the time I couldn't stay awake long enough to eat. So, I ran away." Aisu paused. Her face was still as emotionless as it had been when Kenshin had come.
"I'm guessing you found Seijuro Hiko's place." She was surprised to hear him speak in a non-hostile tone.
"Yes," Aisu conceded. She continued, recounting how she had bet with Seijuro to get him to teach her, how he had managed to wriggle his way out when she won and how she had refused his denial and learned anyway. She told him about her training, how she had watched Seijuro train him and learned along with him.
"When you left, I did too. You said you wanted to help people. I was going to do the exact same thing, although," she hesitated, not wanting to provoke him, "my idea of helping people turned out drastically different from yours."
Silence followed her comment. Kenshin hadn't moved since she finished speaking but he did not seem like he had taken her observation as an insult. The more she thought about the more she wanted him to do something besides just sit there. He had committed so many crimes and seemed to not even care.
"Why did you become someone like." Aisu faltered but Kenshin seemed to get her point.
"I learned swordsmanship so that I could protect people, so that I could help them. That's what I'm doing. In order for there to be change, there must be revolution; every revolution contains some bloodshed."
"How can you call what you are doing protecting people."
Aisu's mask had finally cracked. Gone was the ice that had kept her face straight and emotionless.
"Seijuro was right when he said you should finish your training. Whoever you work for is using you and you are letting them."
Her voice was rising, filled with anger and disgust. Why had she ever thought she could find a companion who shared her experiences in this man? He was nothing. The wind started to pick up again. Aisu did not realize that cold but Kenshin seemed to have noted a change, crossing his arms with a slight shiver.
"When you left I thought your cause to be a noble one and I set out to do the same. I never dreamed you could become someone so disgusting." Aisu's voice was harsh and filled with anger.
"I did not receive official training in Hiten Mitsurugi but I know one thing. What you are doing is wrong. Work like yours goes against every one of its principles. I am sure Seijuro Hiko did not teach you Hiten Mitsurugi so that you could hire yourself to some government and do their dirty work."
Aisu had gotten to her feet. She was looking down at Kenshin who was still sitting there, looking up at her, face emotionless. Her eyes flashed at him, as she turned on her heel and left. One last gust swept over Kenshin before the winds died away again.
"Wait." Kenshin was on his feet and half running behind her. "You never gave me a chance to fully explain why. You're judging me before you know me."
"I have thought about it a lot. About what you did and how it might be justified." Aisu said in a considerable calmer tone. "But I have come to a conclusion and it is this. In my mind, your actions can never be justified." She paused, allowing Kenshin to catch up a little. "There is one more thing. When Seijuro refused the second time, I was determined to be exactly like you. If you said you would help people then I would as well. Now that I've seen what became of you, I can't believe I ever wanted to be like you."
With that, Aisu left. Kenshin did not follow her.
~~~~~~~~~~
/Should I go? Or should I just forget about him?// Through Saitou and her own deductions, Aisu had found out that there would be a fight tonight. An attempt to assassinate Himura Kenshin, no Battousai. He was no longer Himura Kenshin. /But what does that matter to me. He is no longer the person I knew him to be. He's no longer the person I admired. He's just a cold-blooded killer. He is the Battousai and as such he can defend himself.// Darkness was taking over, pushing the sun out of the sky. /And yet, maybe I should at least warn him. Maybe there is a reason that compelled him to do what he did.//
The cycle was endless. With the sun now completely gone, Aisu looked out over Kyoto towards where she knew Kenshin was. /I suppose I might owe him a little for watching his training all these years. I could warn him and be done with it.// It was now completely dark, only a few lights marked where Kyoto was. /If I don't do anything, would that make me just as cold blooded as him.// She paused to look again over Kyoto's lingering lights. /Yes, it would.//
Aisu rushed through the streets and alleys of Kyoto. Sounds of fighting reached her ears. They had already found him. There was a cry of pain, Kenshin's pain she grasped. Aisu rounded the corner. Kenshin was on one knee. Blood was running from a wound somewhere. A woman rushed out between him and his attacker. Tomoe. Aisu recognized her from Kenshin's description. It happened in but a split second. Kenshin had not realized what Tomoe was doing. With the same attack that vanquished his opponent, Tomoe fell as well. He caught her and took her in his arms. I was too late. Tears filled her eyes. Hoping no one had noticed her, Aisu left the scene.
/It's my fault// Aisu realized as she sat there, watching the rain with blank eyes. /I could have stopped this and I did not. I was too busy wondering if he deserved help.// Aisu looked into the sky letting the rain hit her face. /Everyone deserves to be helped. I should never have questioned that.// The tears mingled with the rain and slid down her face.