Chapter 1
Dreams Soujiro tossed in his sleep. Recently, his nights had been plagued with nightmares and good dreams alike. But all were about his past and some included Shishio. The young Tenken couldn't forget the man who had taken him in as a child and was as a father to him. Now was one of those times. In this dream, Soujiro sat across from Shishio in some kind of casual dining room.
"Good afternoon Mr. Shishio." Soujiro said, smiling enthusiastically.
Shishio nodded and took a sip from a wine glass sitting on the table between the two.
"Still following in my predecessor's footsteps are we?" Shishio accused calmly, not a hint of emotion in his voice.
Sadly, Soujiro nodded, forcing himself to smile.
"I see. And how is it? Hmm.the way of peace." And suddenly he started laughing.
"What's so funny about that? If Mr. Himura can-."
"You're.role-model Himura, you forget, has two personalities. Unlike you, he denied one the thrill of killing while he denied the other." and Shishio's eyes suddenly seemed a little less cold...and almost sad. "Denied the other.the pleasure of living in society."
"Tell me Master Shishio.do you regret your life? I'm sorry; you don't have to answer if you don't want to."
"No. I don't regret my life. But I do wish that Yumi would have had better. I do regret that. And I'm also a little upset you left without a goodbye to me. I suppose you were following Himura and hated me too much to talk with me." Shishio said.
"No. That's not it at all." Soujiro was angry and sad but all he could do was smile.
Smile and clench his fists under the table.
"Then tell me. What is it? What did I do to deserve desertion?" Shishio implored.
Soujiro turned his head to the side.
"You did nothing." he said flatly.
Suddenly, Shishio's eyes flared with anger.
"Nothing. Hmm.just like how I raised you, gave you good clothing and food.I assume that doesn't count for anything now does it?" he asked, getting up from the table, beginning to walk away.
"That's not what I meant.Lord Shishio please I wish I wouldn't have left! I didn't want you to die!" Soujiro said, tears forming in his eyes.
Shishio turned around at this and smiled.
"Good luck to you Soujiro Seta." And he was gone.
Soujiro snapped awake. He looked beside his bed and saw a sheathed sword. Tears welled up in his eyes and he started crying bitterly. A few months after he had left, he'd gone back to the ruins of The Palace of the Five Arches and had been able to locate the shards of the sword he'd returned to Shishio. One day, he would go back to Kyoto and make Shishio and Yumi a memorial and place this sword with it. But not until the public forgot about Shishio. And not until he could admit to himself that his teacher was dead. Though in the back of his mind he knew that Shishio was dead, he kept thinking that Shishio would be sending a messenger to him asking about his whereabouts and that of his sword. But it had been a year and such a messenger hadn't come. He needed to talk to someone about this. No. Not just anyone. He needed to talk to Kenshin.
Dreams Soujiro tossed in his sleep. Recently, his nights had been plagued with nightmares and good dreams alike. But all were about his past and some included Shishio. The young Tenken couldn't forget the man who had taken him in as a child and was as a father to him. Now was one of those times. In this dream, Soujiro sat across from Shishio in some kind of casual dining room.
"Good afternoon Mr. Shishio." Soujiro said, smiling enthusiastically.
Shishio nodded and took a sip from a wine glass sitting on the table between the two.
"Still following in my predecessor's footsteps are we?" Shishio accused calmly, not a hint of emotion in his voice.
Sadly, Soujiro nodded, forcing himself to smile.
"I see. And how is it? Hmm.the way of peace." And suddenly he started laughing.
"What's so funny about that? If Mr. Himura can-."
"You're.role-model Himura, you forget, has two personalities. Unlike you, he denied one the thrill of killing while he denied the other." and Shishio's eyes suddenly seemed a little less cold...and almost sad. "Denied the other.the pleasure of living in society."
"Tell me Master Shishio.do you regret your life? I'm sorry; you don't have to answer if you don't want to."
"No. I don't regret my life. But I do wish that Yumi would have had better. I do regret that. And I'm also a little upset you left without a goodbye to me. I suppose you were following Himura and hated me too much to talk with me." Shishio said.
"No. That's not it at all." Soujiro was angry and sad but all he could do was smile.
Smile and clench his fists under the table.
"Then tell me. What is it? What did I do to deserve desertion?" Shishio implored.
Soujiro turned his head to the side.
"You did nothing." he said flatly.
Suddenly, Shishio's eyes flared with anger.
"Nothing. Hmm.just like how I raised you, gave you good clothing and food.I assume that doesn't count for anything now does it?" he asked, getting up from the table, beginning to walk away.
"That's not what I meant.Lord Shishio please I wish I wouldn't have left! I didn't want you to die!" Soujiro said, tears forming in his eyes.
Shishio turned around at this and smiled.
"Good luck to you Soujiro Seta." And he was gone.
Soujiro snapped awake. He looked beside his bed and saw a sheathed sword. Tears welled up in his eyes and he started crying bitterly. A few months after he had left, he'd gone back to the ruins of The Palace of the Five Arches and had been able to locate the shards of the sword he'd returned to Shishio. One day, he would go back to Kyoto and make Shishio and Yumi a memorial and place this sword with it. But not until the public forgot about Shishio. And not until he could admit to himself that his teacher was dead. Though in the back of his mind he knew that Shishio was dead, he kept thinking that Shishio would be sending a messenger to him asking about his whereabouts and that of his sword. But it had been a year and such a messenger hadn't come. He needed to talk to someone about this. No. Not just anyone. He needed to talk to Kenshin.