Hey everyone! Thank you so much for reviewing. I've finally updated…so I won't keep you waiting. On with the fic! (oh, and btw, this is the second part…everyone's grown up! Yay! Ok. It's ten years later…if you couldn't tell ^^)
Disclaimer: I'm pretty sure I got this idea from something I've seen…can't remember it though. Ah well. I don't own it, whatever it was.
Part II: The Present
Chapter 1: Ten Years Later
How can you see into my eyes like open doors
Leading you down into my core
Where I've become so numb
Without a soul my spirit sleeping somewhere cold
Until you find it there and lead it back home
Now that I know what I'm without
You can't just leave me
Breathe into me and make me real
Bring me to life
Frozen inside without your touch without your love darling
Only you are the life among the dead
All this time I can't believe I couldn't see
Kept in the dark but you were there in front of me
I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems
Got to open my eyes to everything
Without a thought without a voice without a soul
Don't let me die here
There must be something moreBring me to life
I've been living a lie, there's nothing inside
- - - - - - - - - - - -
The light glinted off of half of a sword embedded in the floor.
"Are you all right, Kenshin?"
"How is Soujiro?"
Sano nodded over to the other side. Soujiro lay with his head on Miss Yumi's lap. One hand half grasped the end of his sword, the other was on his forehead.
"So it turned out that our rematch ended up the opposite of our match in Shingetsu Village. To think that someone could improve so much in such little time… while keeping his vow not to kill the whole while…it's a little unfair. But it's true, Miss Yumi." Soujiro said quietly.
"Kiddo…you're…"
He continued, "When you're trying to rebuild a brick building that was made the wrong way the first time…you have to tear the whole thing down before you begin…it can't be done any other way, because brick is too strong to change. So I was wrong, all of these years. But now I have my answer. Mr. Himura…you were the one that was right all along. I see that now." Soujiro slowly sat up.
Kenshin shook his head, panting slightly. "No. That's not it at all. Shishio's logic says that the winner of a battle, the strong, is always right. But if he were true then we could all go through one or two battles, and never be wrong. You have to find the true answer from how you live your life from now and onwards."
Soujiro stared at Kenshin for a moment, and smiled. "Like exactly how you did…all of these years."
Kenshin nodded silently. Soujiro sighed, and fell back on Miss Yumi's lap. "You're a demanding man, you know that, Mr. Himura? Really, you're not giving me a straight answer," he said with a small laugh, "Mr. Shishio was never this demanding."
Kenshin smiled. "Soujiro."
After a few moments Soujiro said, "You don't need Miss Yumi anymore. Mr. Shishio's room is just down the hall."
He nodded, and him and Sano turned to leave. Just before they left Kenshin said softly, "Did no one really care for you, Soujiro?"
Soujiro was silent on Miss Yumi's lap. A minute or so later she asked, "You okay, kiddo? I should be going to Lord Shishio now if I want to catch up."
He replied, "You don't have to hurry. Just behind that door is a secret passage to Mr. Shishio's room. It's the quickest way there. But before you go…I want to tell you the secret of the Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki so you can tell Mr. Shishio." He stood up.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Miss Yumi's eyes widened. "The truth behind the Battousai's final attack?"
"Yes, I saw it in an instant. It was--"
"His left foot?"
"Yes. Usually you're supposed to step with your right foot in the battou-jutsu, so you don't cut yourself. But Mr. Himura took a step with his left foot. He changed the timing with that step very slightly, so as not to lose momentum, and it added more acceleration and power to the attack, changing his godlike speed to beyond godlike speed. The Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki." Soujiro explained.
"Just one step?" She said disbelievingly.
"Mhmmm…but it's a very hard one to take. It's a step taken on the edge of life and death. You can't take it without hesitation, or it would never work. So if Mr. Shishio keeps his eye on Mr. Himura's foot, and not his arm or his eyes, then he'll know when the Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki will be used."
Miss Yumi stood up. "Then let's go and tell him!"
Soujiro shook his head. "No…there's one more favor I have to ask you." Soujiro walked to a cabinet by the wall. As he opened the drawer, his hands shook slightly. Soujiro took out what was inside.
"It's…"
"The wakizashi Mr. Shishio gave to me a long time ago. For the past ten years, it's been one of my greatest treasures. I would like you to return it to him for me." Soujiro leaned against the wall.
"Then…does this mean that…"
There was a small silence.
Soujiro continued softly, "Back then, what saved me from the brink of death was this wakizashi, and Mr. Shishio. That will always be true. But in spite of that, I really believe that now I have to go and find the true answers for myself, like Mr. Himura said. So that's why…" Soujiro's voice began to quiver slightly. "I'm going to move on now. This………is where we part."
Soujiro felt something that he hadn't for a long time. The threat of tears.
Miss Yumi looked at him for a moment, and then said, "I see. Maybe the best thing is for you to get away from all of this, kiddo."
Soujiro gave her a small smile. Then he turned away. "You'd better get going. Take care of Mr. Shishio."
"What's that?" Miss Yumi said, turning around, "It doesn't matter whether I take care of him or not. Lord Shishio's invincible."
Soujiro said, "That's not what I meant."
Miss Yumi smiled. "I understand. Take care of yourself, Soujiro." And with that she was gone, beyond the door.
With Miss Yumi gone, a single tear coursed down his cheek. Soujiro gazed off into space with an absent smile. He thought of that night, when he stood in the rain, smiling among his family's corpses.
"Are you…crying?"
"No sir."
But the truth was…
He had been crying.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
About a month or so later, Soujiro was sitting by a stream. He had left after the fight with Mr. Himura, and wandered around. But then he caught word…Lord Shishio was dead.
Soujiro wasn't sure why he wasn't crying. Shishio had been the closest thing to a father that he ever had. And Miss Yumi, too. He'd taught him his first truth, even if it had ended up being wrong.
He sighed and absently threw a rock into the stream's flowing waters. Soujiro was still smiling. He found that the answers weren't coming that easily. Soujiro wondered how Mr. Himura could have stood the long years it took him to discover his own truths. 'I don't think I can wait that long,' he thought, 'but then again, if all of my emotions come back at once…' Soujiro thought of his breakdown back during the fight with the battousai. 'Then maybe it's better if they take their time.'
Soujiro lay down for a bit with his eyes closed. Because he wasn't that used to other people besides Mr. Shishio and Miss Yumi, Soujiro decided to spend some time alone in the wild for a while. He wasn't sure how long that would take, but Soujiro didn't want to start throwing fits in the middle of the street. Of course, not all of his emotions could come back like that…still, Soujiro didn't want to have to deal with people at the moment.
There was something else on his mind. It had been bothering him since the fight. In particular, since his past came back. Soujiro remembered wearing his belt before…the incident…but he remembered wearing a piece of rope afterwards.
"Ah well…" Soujiro said out loud, "I guess it doesn't matter. Maybe I'll remember later."
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Five months later…"Are you ready now, Miss Yuroshima?"
"Pretty much."
"Excellent! Let's begin."
In the room, the two began to fight hard. The first was a man, about middle aged, with some gray hair sprinkled among his long black hair.
The latter was a young woman, looking about 18 or 19. Her long light brown hair was tied back in a loose ponytail and her violet eyes shined in excitement, even if she wasn't fighting as well as her opponent. Both were using bokkens.
Outside, some children dressed in training clothes were watching through slits between the doors excitedly. The two inside could hear them chatter but ignored it.
"Wow, Miss Yuroshima is really good!"
"Move over! I can't see them."
"Yeah, she's almost got Masoru-sensei beaten!"
"No way! A girl couldn't beat Masoru-sensei. He's way better than her!"
"Well yeah…but still, she's practically the best girl fighter in Kenotsu."
"That's because she's the ONLY girl fighter in Kenotsu."
The two continued to fight, blocking and attacking. The man looked at the crowd of kids and said in between doges, "Miss Yuroshima…I think…you're…running late."
She gasped and stopped, dropping her bokken. She wiped the sweat off of her forehead and said, "Damn! Gomen nosai, Masoru-san, I forgot. Arigato!" she called, opening the door.
He smiled pleasantly and called, "You better hurry or you'll be late again." Masoru chuckled.
"Oh my gosh!" she muttered, catching sight of the crowd of children. They poured inside and began greeting their teacher. Some of them bowed to her, which only made her more embarrassed. "Arigato, but I'm in a hurry!"
She ran outside and into the large building next door. The sign on top said 'The Katsuro Inn'. As she burst through the door someone yelled, "About time, Kadori! Naruhito and I have had to hold the fort while you were gone, and some of the customers at the restaurant wanted to speak to you!" A girl who was around seventeen stomped her foot, her green eyes flashing with annoyance.
Kadori sighed. "I'm sorry Misako, but I ran late with Masoru-san again. Who wants to see me?" she asked, running down a corridor with Misako alongside.
Misako tucked her shoulder length black hair behind her ear and said, "Two men. Something about your cookies, I think." She held up a cream colored kimono that matched her own for Kadori to change into. Kadori huffed into it while Misako tied her hair up in a higher ponytail.
"Did you use it, Misako?" she asked.
The other girl groaned. "Of course I did, Kadori. Otherwise I think you'd kill me." Misako took the worn looking ribbon of cloth from Kadori's former ponytail and retied it. "Okay, you're finished. There aren't any people at the front, so I'll take you to the men."
Kadori smoothed out her kimono. "Where's Naruhito?"
"He's in the kitchen. Said he was checking up but he's probably just eating." Misako rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out. Kadori knew better. Misako had had a crush on Naruhito since she could remember.
They speed walked to the restaurant portion of the inn, where two men were sitting at a table yelling, "Where's the owner of this inn? We need to speak to him!"
As Misako brought Kadori up they stopped yelling and said to her, "We said we wanted the owner! Not another g--" The two men paused as they looked at Kadori. "Well this isn't so bad," one of them said, grinning.
The other man said, "Get us another pretty girl and then can you get us the manager?"
Misako frowned. "Kadori is the manager!"
The first man laughed, "Yeah right, not that little girl."
Kadori gave a weak chuckle and said, "Well, I'm not really the owner, we're joint managers. But I am nineteen years old, for your information."
Misako retorted, "But you're going to get the whole inn once you're twenty-one! That's what it said in the will."
"Look," the first man said, "we just want to ask you about those cookies."
Kadori stiffened. "What do you want?"
"Could you tell us the recipe? And then maybe…come with me to dinner?" He smiled at her.
The second man said, "Hey! Don't go with him, go with me!"
As Kadori opened her mouth, Misako intervened and yelled, "One, Kadori's cookie recipe is not to be given out and Two, she wouldn't go to dinner with any of you!" Her eyes got all sparkly. "Kadori already has a special someone!"
Kadori groaned, "Misako! They're total strangers! Do you have to do this every time some guy--"
The two men chorused, confused, "What? Is she married or something?"
Kadori muttered, "I'm going to check on the rooms." She left, grumbling.
Misako clucked her tongue and thought, 'Poor thing. She's in such denial.' To the men she said, "Of course not! Someone has already stolen her heart, that's all." Misako crossed her arms and 'hmphed'.
"Who is it?"
Misako grinned. "Someone from her childhood…"
"Well that's very nice…can we just have the bill now?"
Misako frowned and muttered something about 'not appreciating love' as she left to go to the counter.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Kadori swept the floor in one of the rooms. 'Kadori already has a special someone…'
Misako peeked her head inside. "Hey Kadori…you okay?"
She nodded. "I'm fine. But do you have to do that every time some guy asks me to dinner?" Kadori frowned at her friend.
"Well…your story is just so kawaii!" Misako squealed.
Kadori groaned again. "Look, Misako…I don't………it's not that…I mean I'm not……we were only…" Kadori trailed off. She stopped sweeping and sat down on one of the beds. She absently fingered the edge of her sleeve.
When a certain young boy left around eight years ago, a little girl named Kadori Yuroshima asked her parents for fighting lessons. Her parents told her that lessons like that weren't for rich little girls, but she persisted until they gave in.
When Kadori was twelve, her mother died from a very bad case of pneumonia. And though she protested, her father moved them away to a different town called Kenotsu. Kadori continued to learn how to fight with swords, though she never used real blades. The man who owned the school she learned at was Masoru Takao.
Misako said to Kadori, "You've become practically the best girl fighter in Kenotsu. That's what Masoru-san said."
Kadori blushed. "But I'm practically the only one…"
Misako grinned and her eyes got all starry again. "It's all because of what he told you so long ago."
Kadori fell silent.
Kadori's father decided that she should get a job; too, so she signed up for a job at the inn/restaurant next door to the school she learned to fight in. It was called the Katsuro Inn, and it belonged to an old couple by the name of Katsuro.
Kadori met a young girl about her age working there whose name was Katsuro Misako, the granddaughter of the owners and they became fast friends. Another boy who worked there was Sato Naruhito, and the three of them became their own little group. As they grew, Misako's grandfather passed away and soon her grandmother would've passed away as well.
"Oh and Kadori," Misako said as they went downstairs to the lobby, "You really are going to inherit the inn, you know. You still haven't gotten used to the fact yet!"
"Are you sure you don't want it? Your grandmother said we could decide who could own it once we were of age. And the joint ownership is going well right now."
"You know that I'm not as level headed as you are. With all of the hassles I'd just die. And Naruhito says he won't mind as long as you don't fire him. He just has to do his cooking."
The two girls giggled.
When Kadori was sixteen, her father passed away as well, but she had enough money to buy a small house closer to the school where she trained and the inn. She made enough money for herself taking care of things at the Katsuro Inn.
"Hey Kadori," Misako said, "Are you sure you don't want to live here in the inn with us? You are going to own it."
"I'm pretty sure Misako. I just don't feel right living in an inn." Kadori smiled.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Soujiro stood on a hill, overlooking what seemed like a pretty busy village. He'd heard from other travelers that it was called Kenotsu.
He had decided to go back into society for a bit. Soujiro had actually felt a little lonely in the woods. And he was looking forward to sleeping in an actual bed and not having to catch and cook his own meals. Since Soujiro had been in the wild at first, he still had all of his money. Soujiro still wasn't sure about a lot of things, most of all about finding some answers. And that memory about the rope.
Soujiro gave a small sigh. He started down the hill towards Kenotsu.
@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@
As you can see, he doesn't remember anything about Kadori…but we'll see what happens in the next chapter. Will they meet up at last? Will Soujiro remember anything? Will Kadori ever get better at fighting? Why am I asking YOU this? I'm the one who knows the plot!
Thanks again to all of my reviewers! I love you guys! Please review ^^
Ja! silent H
