CHAPTER 16- BEGINNING OF AMENDS
Kenshin's friends broke out into huge smiles (save Aoshi and Saitoh).
"He did it! He won!"
"Kenshin!"
"All right Himura!"
"Ken-san."
Kaoru's eyes filled with tears. "Oh Kenshin."
Sanosuke and Jiani were cheering.
Suddenly, Kenshin stumbled and nearly went down, causing the celebration to stop. Jiani gasped. "Papa!"
He straightened. "No.I'm fine."
Enishi managed to stand up, battered and bloody. "Battousai."
P-POOM!!!
Just then, Kenshin faltered again, this time blood spurting out of his shoulder. He had been shot!!
"PAPA!!!" Jiani shouted
"Himura!!" Misao cried.
"It missed the vital points," Aoshi told her. "He's fine."
Everyone spun around to find Heishin standing there, two pistols in hand. "Thought you could make a fool out of me, huh? Now I'LL be the one getting my revenge!!!"
"No!" Kaoru raced in front of Kenshin and threw herself over top of him.
Enishi, with his blurring vision, saw not her, but Tomoe. She was shielding the one she loved, the one she had smiled for all along! He had to save her! "NOOO!!" He charged into Heishin and punched as hard as he could, sending him straight into a tree.
Kenshin looked up just as the furious young man bore down on the helpless coward, ready to deliver the deadly blow. "No!"
PAP!!! Jiani appeared in front of Enishi, catching his fist. She frowned at him. "Stop Uncle."
He struggled for her to free him. "Let me go! LET GO!!!"
"Jiani." Kenshin and Sanosuke muttered at practically the same time.
"LET GO NOW!!!"
She stood firm. "My father swore never to kill again and I too uphold that vow. I will not allow anyone to be killed before me."
Jiani stared deep into his panicked gaze, the gaze of a child helpless and frightened despite the deed his body was fixed on doing. "If you kill this man, then my mother, your sister, will never be able to smile for you."
At long last, Enishi took a step back. Kenshin rose to his feet. "You saved Miss Kaoru. Thank you."
"NO!" Enishi suddenly fell to his knees and pounded at the sand. "I ONLY WANTED TO---I ONLY WANTED TO SAVE---!!" Tears began to fall before he could finish.
Jiani exchanged brief glances with Sanosuke and Kenshin, then knelt down beside him. Warily at first, she placed a hand on his trembling shoulder. "Uncle, I'm sorry. But on this day, if you look once more, I'm certain you can begin to see the happiness radiating from your sister."
He kept crying.
Kenshin smiled and turned his attention to Kaoru. "Are you hurt?"
She shook her head and smiled. She knew at that moment that Tomoe was smiling for her too. 'Don't worry,' she said. 'I'll watch over him, Tomoe.'
And so, the police finally arrived and took a subdued Enishi into custody. The Kenshin-gumi watched as he was led past with thoughtful expressions.
Kaoru gasped. "Oh! Misao, do you have the diary?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, right!" Misao handed it over to her.
Kaoru looked over at Kenshin, eyes questioning. He nodded his approval.
"Wait!" Kaoru shouted to the police. Enishi turned his head towards her.
She came up to him and presented the old, worn diary. "Here, it's Tomoe's diary."
His eyes widened as he accepted with shackled hands. He then glanced up at Jiani, who was standing a little ways away. She looked a bit puzzled by this exchange.
He then peered back down at the diary.
That was the last they ever saw of Enishi.
Kenshin's friends broke out into huge smiles (save Aoshi and Saitoh).
"He did it! He won!"
"Kenshin!"
"All right Himura!"
"Ken-san."
Kaoru's eyes filled with tears. "Oh Kenshin."
Sanosuke and Jiani were cheering.
Suddenly, Kenshin stumbled and nearly went down, causing the celebration to stop. Jiani gasped. "Papa!"
He straightened. "No.I'm fine."
Enishi managed to stand up, battered and bloody. "Battousai."
P-POOM!!!
Just then, Kenshin faltered again, this time blood spurting out of his shoulder. He had been shot!!
"PAPA!!!" Jiani shouted
"Himura!!" Misao cried.
"It missed the vital points," Aoshi told her. "He's fine."
Everyone spun around to find Heishin standing there, two pistols in hand. "Thought you could make a fool out of me, huh? Now I'LL be the one getting my revenge!!!"
"No!" Kaoru raced in front of Kenshin and threw herself over top of him.
Enishi, with his blurring vision, saw not her, but Tomoe. She was shielding the one she loved, the one she had smiled for all along! He had to save her! "NOOO!!" He charged into Heishin and punched as hard as he could, sending him straight into a tree.
Kenshin looked up just as the furious young man bore down on the helpless coward, ready to deliver the deadly blow. "No!"
PAP!!! Jiani appeared in front of Enishi, catching his fist. She frowned at him. "Stop Uncle."
He struggled for her to free him. "Let me go! LET GO!!!"
"Jiani." Kenshin and Sanosuke muttered at practically the same time.
"LET GO NOW!!!"
She stood firm. "My father swore never to kill again and I too uphold that vow. I will not allow anyone to be killed before me."
Jiani stared deep into his panicked gaze, the gaze of a child helpless and frightened despite the deed his body was fixed on doing. "If you kill this man, then my mother, your sister, will never be able to smile for you."
At long last, Enishi took a step back. Kenshin rose to his feet. "You saved Miss Kaoru. Thank you."
"NO!" Enishi suddenly fell to his knees and pounded at the sand. "I ONLY WANTED TO---I ONLY WANTED TO SAVE---!!" Tears began to fall before he could finish.
Jiani exchanged brief glances with Sanosuke and Kenshin, then knelt down beside him. Warily at first, she placed a hand on his trembling shoulder. "Uncle, I'm sorry. But on this day, if you look once more, I'm certain you can begin to see the happiness radiating from your sister."
He kept crying.
Kenshin smiled and turned his attention to Kaoru. "Are you hurt?"
She shook her head and smiled. She knew at that moment that Tomoe was smiling for her too. 'Don't worry,' she said. 'I'll watch over him, Tomoe.'
And so, the police finally arrived and took a subdued Enishi into custody. The Kenshin-gumi watched as he was led past with thoughtful expressions.
Kaoru gasped. "Oh! Misao, do you have the diary?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, right!" Misao handed it over to her.
Kaoru looked over at Kenshin, eyes questioning. He nodded his approval.
"Wait!" Kaoru shouted to the police. Enishi turned his head towards her.
She came up to him and presented the old, worn diary. "Here, it's Tomoe's diary."
His eyes widened as he accepted with shackled hands. He then glanced up at Jiani, who was standing a little ways away. She looked a bit puzzled by this exchange.
He then peered back down at the diary.
That was the last they ever saw of Enishi.