I don't own RK characters, so please don't sue me. I do own the characters
I made up, of which only one is important anyhow.
History Behind the History
"Start reading chapter 13 tonight, we'll discuss the first part tomorrow," Mr. Higo added as the students collected their things to leave class for the day. Akitaka sighed and rolled his eyes- history was so boring, all dry dates and battles. He much preferred reading manga- now that could hold a person's attention.
When he finally got home that afternoon, Akitaka started to do his math homework, then grammar, anything to avoid the dreaded history assignment. He even took out the garbage to delay it a bit. Finally, everything else done, the reading became unavoidable. Akitaka opened the book and saw the words 'The Road to Revolution' in bold across the page. Well, so that's what this chapter was about: a war. Goody. For several pages, the book droned on about Shinsengumi and Ishin Shishi, what battle was fought on what day over what city, blah, blah, blah, until he turned the page and saw a picture of a rather strange looking man. It was a short person, about Akitaka's own age, actually. He had bright red hair and yellow eyes. Weird. There was a big 'x' marked on the guy's face- Akitaka guessed that the same person who wrote 'Sakura loves Akira' in the margins had put it there, but why would they put it just on his cheek like that, and not over the whole picture, if they were going to deface it? Vandals came up with the weirdest stuff sometimes. The caption under the picture said it depicted an Imperialist hero known only as 'hitokiri Battousai'- apparently his real name had been lost and forgotten by the descendants of his beneficiaries. The picture was a composite sketch from descriptions given later, so obviously the famous assassin hadn't stood still long enough for anyone to paint his picture. That made sense- war heroes were pretty busy guys, what with overthrowing the government and all. Apparently, this Battousai person was pretty important to the revolution. In the book, what must be every battle he'd ever won was listed- none were listed that he lost. This was surprisingly fascinating to Akitaka the history-hater. He couldn't believe so much could hinge on one person. He read on, hoping for more information on the nameless man, but to no profit. He even read the entire chapter, but the manslayer was not mentioned again. Disappointed, Akitaka closed his book and went downstairs to eat dinner.
The following day in class, there was a discussion, as promised. Akitaka remembered what he'd read the previous night and raised his hand.
"Yes, Akitaka?" Mr. Higo said, pointing to him.
"Could you tell us more about the hitokiri Battousai? There wasn't much in the book," Akitaka requested.
"That is because not much is known. For someone so important to history, he didn't leave much evidence about his life except the impression he made on other people- which was mainly fear, if you weren't Ishin. It's been debated whether or not he even existed, especially since the things he's said to have done seem impossible based on our knowledge of technology at the time," Mr. Higo explained.
"So he's just a myth?" Akitaka asked, utterly disappointed. The first time history gets interesting, it's not history at all, just a story.
"I didn't say that, I said it's been debated. I personally think he must've been real," Mr. Higo corrected.
"Why is that?"
"Well, quite simply, the revolution would not have happened without him. It would've amounted to a few skirmishes and some dead Imperialists without hitokiri Battousai. You wouldn't be sitting in this class room right now learning, you'd be off fighting a war somewhere. Thankfully, Battousai did it for you, and at about your age, too."
"But, sir, this man was just a cold-blooded killer! How could that be a good thing, no matter what the result?" A girl in the back piped up.
"You're right, it isn't, but war forces things like this on people, and he did what I'm sure he thought he had to do," Mr. Higo replied. "Also, remember he wasn't just a killer, he was a person. No one can be summed up in one label, and Battousai was no different. He had a personal life, a family, dreams... we just don't know the details of them, is all."
Akitaka's curiosity was really piqued, now. Just his luck it was about a subject on which virtually no information was at his disposal. Was this nameless hitokiri more than he seemed at first glance? Wasn't everybody? Didn't he deserve a second look?
* *
*
Alone in a tent on the outskirts of a noisy battlefield, Himura the Battousai sat on the floor. His arms were crossed and resting on his knees; his head rested on his arms. He just sat there hating everything going on around him. Being an assassin, not a soldier, he wasn't involved in the mass-battle going on now, but really he was a bigger part of the action than the men outside fighting currently were. How could he have ever gotten himself into this? He hadn't wanted it to be like this, had never expected it to be like this. Sure, when you become an assassin, you expect some killing, but this was... more... worse... more real... than he had ever thought it would be. He remembered when Shinta had buried the bodies of those who'd died around him, those who'd died trying to protect him along with those he'd needed protecting from. He'd shown respect for all the dead, not just those he'd known or loved. He barely knew Shinta anymore- now he was just the man-slaying assassin everybody wanted on their side. Apart from that, his name had been changed. Shinta no longer existed, only Kenshin. There was only Kenshin, who, far from showing respect to dead enemies, was now the reason they were dead. He mourned for them now, alone, after he'd been unable to keep from killing them. He had ensured that; he had come out and dealt with them himself. That nameless he was Kenshin's other self, the hitokiri everybody thought was his true personality. He came out when he had to- when the Ishin Shishi needed their dirty work done. Now Kenshin's hands were covered in blood from every time Battousai had allowed himself to be used as a weapon. He looked up, baring glistening violet eyes to the empty tent. No one else was allowed to see them; they had to turn a deep, honey amber when others were present, but they could show now that he was alone. This was his pathetic attempt to somehow atone for his wrongdoing- to sit here, alone, purple eyes brazenly visible, and mourn. He always did it, though it could never be enough. Nothing could.
History Behind the History
"Start reading chapter 13 tonight, we'll discuss the first part tomorrow," Mr. Higo added as the students collected their things to leave class for the day. Akitaka sighed and rolled his eyes- history was so boring, all dry dates and battles. He much preferred reading manga- now that could hold a person's attention.
When he finally got home that afternoon, Akitaka started to do his math homework, then grammar, anything to avoid the dreaded history assignment. He even took out the garbage to delay it a bit. Finally, everything else done, the reading became unavoidable. Akitaka opened the book and saw the words 'The Road to Revolution' in bold across the page. Well, so that's what this chapter was about: a war. Goody. For several pages, the book droned on about Shinsengumi and Ishin Shishi, what battle was fought on what day over what city, blah, blah, blah, until he turned the page and saw a picture of a rather strange looking man. It was a short person, about Akitaka's own age, actually. He had bright red hair and yellow eyes. Weird. There was a big 'x' marked on the guy's face- Akitaka guessed that the same person who wrote 'Sakura loves Akira' in the margins had put it there, but why would they put it just on his cheek like that, and not over the whole picture, if they were going to deface it? Vandals came up with the weirdest stuff sometimes. The caption under the picture said it depicted an Imperialist hero known only as 'hitokiri Battousai'- apparently his real name had been lost and forgotten by the descendants of his beneficiaries. The picture was a composite sketch from descriptions given later, so obviously the famous assassin hadn't stood still long enough for anyone to paint his picture. That made sense- war heroes were pretty busy guys, what with overthrowing the government and all. Apparently, this Battousai person was pretty important to the revolution. In the book, what must be every battle he'd ever won was listed- none were listed that he lost. This was surprisingly fascinating to Akitaka the history-hater. He couldn't believe so much could hinge on one person. He read on, hoping for more information on the nameless man, but to no profit. He even read the entire chapter, but the manslayer was not mentioned again. Disappointed, Akitaka closed his book and went downstairs to eat dinner.
The following day in class, there was a discussion, as promised. Akitaka remembered what he'd read the previous night and raised his hand.
"Yes, Akitaka?" Mr. Higo said, pointing to him.
"Could you tell us more about the hitokiri Battousai? There wasn't much in the book," Akitaka requested.
"That is because not much is known. For someone so important to history, he didn't leave much evidence about his life except the impression he made on other people- which was mainly fear, if you weren't Ishin. It's been debated whether or not he even existed, especially since the things he's said to have done seem impossible based on our knowledge of technology at the time," Mr. Higo explained.
"So he's just a myth?" Akitaka asked, utterly disappointed. The first time history gets interesting, it's not history at all, just a story.
"I didn't say that, I said it's been debated. I personally think he must've been real," Mr. Higo corrected.
"Why is that?"
"Well, quite simply, the revolution would not have happened without him. It would've amounted to a few skirmishes and some dead Imperialists without hitokiri Battousai. You wouldn't be sitting in this class room right now learning, you'd be off fighting a war somewhere. Thankfully, Battousai did it for you, and at about your age, too."
"But, sir, this man was just a cold-blooded killer! How could that be a good thing, no matter what the result?" A girl in the back piped up.
"You're right, it isn't, but war forces things like this on people, and he did what I'm sure he thought he had to do," Mr. Higo replied. "Also, remember he wasn't just a killer, he was a person. No one can be summed up in one label, and Battousai was no different. He had a personal life, a family, dreams... we just don't know the details of them, is all."
Akitaka's curiosity was really piqued, now. Just his luck it was about a subject on which virtually no information was at his disposal. Was this nameless hitokiri more than he seemed at first glance? Wasn't everybody? Didn't he deserve a second look?
* *
*
Alone in a tent on the outskirts of a noisy battlefield, Himura the Battousai sat on the floor. His arms were crossed and resting on his knees; his head rested on his arms. He just sat there hating everything going on around him. Being an assassin, not a soldier, he wasn't involved in the mass-battle going on now, but really he was a bigger part of the action than the men outside fighting currently were. How could he have ever gotten himself into this? He hadn't wanted it to be like this, had never expected it to be like this. Sure, when you become an assassin, you expect some killing, but this was... more... worse... more real... than he had ever thought it would be. He remembered when Shinta had buried the bodies of those who'd died around him, those who'd died trying to protect him along with those he'd needed protecting from. He'd shown respect for all the dead, not just those he'd known or loved. He barely knew Shinta anymore- now he was just the man-slaying assassin everybody wanted on their side. Apart from that, his name had been changed. Shinta no longer existed, only Kenshin. There was only Kenshin, who, far from showing respect to dead enemies, was now the reason they were dead. He mourned for them now, alone, after he'd been unable to keep from killing them. He had ensured that; he had come out and dealt with them himself. That nameless he was Kenshin's other self, the hitokiri everybody thought was his true personality. He came out when he had to- when the Ishin Shishi needed their dirty work done. Now Kenshin's hands were covered in blood from every time Battousai had allowed himself to be used as a weapon. He looked up, baring glistening violet eyes to the empty tent. No one else was allowed to see them; they had to turn a deep, honey amber when others were present, but they could show now that he was alone. This was his pathetic attempt to somehow atone for his wrongdoing- to sit here, alone, purple eyes brazenly visible, and mourn. He always did it, though it could never be enough. Nothing could.