Puppeteers
Note: Thanks to all of you who mentioned my CEE (Certifiably Evil Examinations) scores! You guys actually made more of a fuss than my family did... It was kinda depressing. But, the fuss you guys made was nice... Thank you! And... This chapter's not going to be fluffy... not really... but it's important... VERY important. Um... yeah...Bando-chan had a panic attack trying to get her disk to work... I lost the corrections on my personal narrative... and then I couldn't get the disk to work... and... I nearly started to cry... and then I found the computer I'm working on now... but the narrative is doomed, I think. ::coughs emphatically:: This is an announcement! This chapter will be the FINAL CHAPTER OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. ::grins:: Which, if you have been paying attention to my notes, you'll know was yesterday. ::dances happily:: After this chapter, the chapters will start to become longer again, and should be updated every other day. SHOULD. Also, the story will be finished in about two weeks from today... Wo0t! I'm also thinking about the 'successor' to this story... and I'm still in contemplation... I'll probably have a poll to see how many would like to see each story in another update.
Disclaimer: Did I do this last time? Um... Not mine!
(((((((((())))))))))
Chapter Ten- I Remember
I clenched my fist around the handle of the bucket, staring down at the small mound with the small stone at the head.
The sun shone brightly down on my hair, and as I moved I could see the brilliancy of its hue. I set the bucket down beside me, a small splash of yellow on the brown of the dirt.
"It's been a long time..." I murmured to the stone, kneeling down next to the bucket of flowers. "I don't think you can reply... but it seemed right... I never came here, because I was afraid of what I'd find." I sighed, pushing my bangs out of my eyes. "And I need to know... I wanted to know what to do."
The wind blew over me, and the flowers shifted in the bucket.
"I didn't forget you, I can't forget you, but I think I'm in love again... She's a wonderful woman, but I don't know what you would think of her. She's a kendo instructor, and bullheaded... But so kind... And forgiving..." I fell forward onto my hands, staring at the ground, teeth gritted.
"It's not right." I whispered. "She's getting married, and I want to keep her away from that. Master... he knew of you, and he told me... he told me to go on... But I can't... And I can't hate Hiro either. He's just a man. And I'm sure he loves her... and he can take care of her like I can't. And..." I closed my eyes. "And I shouldn't be in love with her..."
The winds swirled around me.
"You were always a forgiving woman. I loved you... then... I'm sure I would have stayed with you... we could have lived together... and it wouldn't matter if the radishes died, because we would have been together. I wouldn't have minded if you stayed up late writing in your diary... But I would have wanted you to come to bed sometime." I opened my eyes and stared at my hands.
"I loved you, Tomoe." The winds died and the flowers stopped moving. I heard the trees swaying in their tops. "But I'm in love with her, now that you haven't been here for so long." My thoughts strayed into the near future. "Saitou... I think you may remember him... he's coming to take me to the mountain tomorrow morning. Tomoe, I think I may die there. I don't want to... I want to be here, where I can at least see her. But if I die... please... come see me in Hell. I don't want to go... I want to know what I'm supposed to do now... I want to know how I'm supposed to move on past this. She's going to marry him... and I pushed her back to him... because I don't have the right to start problems... don't have the right to create a rift between them. She loves him..."
There was no sound, as though the entire world had stopped. The trees had stopped moving, and the winds didn't move.
"What can I do?" I asked softly to the silence that clouded my senses.
The wind touched my face softly, like the feel of silk brushing over my cheek. I looked up slowly to look at the marker, feeling the sound return to the world. The breeze carried the petal of a cherry blossom down to my hand. I blinked, staring at it, then back up to the stone. "But..." I started, before more and more petals fell around me.
I reached over and picked one up. "Then you mean... that..." I closed my eyes and nodded, standing up slowly. "If I live... If I make it... and if she will... if she would let it be... I will come back, Tomoe." I caught one of the falling blossoms. "And... I think I'll bring her with me." The flowers shifted again in the wind, and I nodded, turning away from the stone. "See you then."
I felt for my sword, and began to walk back through the streets of Kyoto. The sun was falling toward the horizon in the late afternoon sky. "I have one night to get this right..." I muttered as I walked toward the sun.
(((((((((())))))))))
Note: Whoo! Yep, if you can guess by this chapter, there will be fluff next chapter. Also, if you think back to chapter two, you'll remember that Kenshin said he should go back to see Tomoe, because she might have answers... so he did, and this is the beginning of the turning point in his approach toward his problem... Granted, there's still more to come, but at least he's not stuck on one of his problems, ne? ::jumping happily:: Anyways... I'm so glad you all took such excellent care of Hiro! ::pats his head kindly:: He hasn't been seen for five chapters now... I was supposed to include him again... um... a couple chapters ago... but I think I'll actually bring him back next chapter. ::hands out Hiro chibi dolls:: I think these should suffice for now... ::laughs evilly and helps Hiro out of the room, returning quickly:: Okay... these aren't just regular chibi dolls, like the ones I've been handing out... these... are voodoo dolls! ::grins proudly:: And... he's in his little bed... relaxing... for now, at least.
Note: Thanks to all of you who mentioned my CEE (Certifiably Evil Examinations) scores! You guys actually made more of a fuss than my family did... It was kinda depressing. But, the fuss you guys made was nice... Thank you! And... This chapter's not going to be fluffy... not really... but it's important... VERY important. Um... yeah...Bando-chan had a panic attack trying to get her disk to work... I lost the corrections on my personal narrative... and then I couldn't get the disk to work... and... I nearly started to cry... and then I found the computer I'm working on now... but the narrative is doomed, I think. ::coughs emphatically:: This is an announcement! This chapter will be the FINAL CHAPTER OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. ::grins:: Which, if you have been paying attention to my notes, you'll know was yesterday. ::dances happily:: After this chapter, the chapters will start to become longer again, and should be updated every other day. SHOULD. Also, the story will be finished in about two weeks from today... Wo0t! I'm also thinking about the 'successor' to this story... and I'm still in contemplation... I'll probably have a poll to see how many would like to see each story in another update.
Disclaimer: Did I do this last time? Um... Not mine!
(((((((((())))))))))
Chapter Ten- I Remember
I clenched my fist around the handle of the bucket, staring down at the small mound with the small stone at the head.
The sun shone brightly down on my hair, and as I moved I could see the brilliancy of its hue. I set the bucket down beside me, a small splash of yellow on the brown of the dirt.
"It's been a long time..." I murmured to the stone, kneeling down next to the bucket of flowers. "I don't think you can reply... but it seemed right... I never came here, because I was afraid of what I'd find." I sighed, pushing my bangs out of my eyes. "And I need to know... I wanted to know what to do."
The wind blew over me, and the flowers shifted in the bucket.
"I didn't forget you, I can't forget you, but I think I'm in love again... She's a wonderful woman, but I don't know what you would think of her. She's a kendo instructor, and bullheaded... But so kind... And forgiving..." I fell forward onto my hands, staring at the ground, teeth gritted.
"It's not right." I whispered. "She's getting married, and I want to keep her away from that. Master... he knew of you, and he told me... he told me to go on... But I can't... And I can't hate Hiro either. He's just a man. And I'm sure he loves her... and he can take care of her like I can't. And..." I closed my eyes. "And I shouldn't be in love with her..."
The winds swirled around me.
"You were always a forgiving woman. I loved you... then... I'm sure I would have stayed with you... we could have lived together... and it wouldn't matter if the radishes died, because we would have been together. I wouldn't have minded if you stayed up late writing in your diary... But I would have wanted you to come to bed sometime." I opened my eyes and stared at my hands.
"I loved you, Tomoe." The winds died and the flowers stopped moving. I heard the trees swaying in their tops. "But I'm in love with her, now that you haven't been here for so long." My thoughts strayed into the near future. "Saitou... I think you may remember him... he's coming to take me to the mountain tomorrow morning. Tomoe, I think I may die there. I don't want to... I want to be here, where I can at least see her. But if I die... please... come see me in Hell. I don't want to go... I want to know what I'm supposed to do now... I want to know how I'm supposed to move on past this. She's going to marry him... and I pushed her back to him... because I don't have the right to start problems... don't have the right to create a rift between them. She loves him..."
There was no sound, as though the entire world had stopped. The trees had stopped moving, and the winds didn't move.
"What can I do?" I asked softly to the silence that clouded my senses.
The wind touched my face softly, like the feel of silk brushing over my cheek. I looked up slowly to look at the marker, feeling the sound return to the world. The breeze carried the petal of a cherry blossom down to my hand. I blinked, staring at it, then back up to the stone. "But..." I started, before more and more petals fell around me.
I reached over and picked one up. "Then you mean... that..." I closed my eyes and nodded, standing up slowly. "If I live... If I make it... and if she will... if she would let it be... I will come back, Tomoe." I caught one of the falling blossoms. "And... I think I'll bring her with me." The flowers shifted again in the wind, and I nodded, turning away from the stone. "See you then."
I felt for my sword, and began to walk back through the streets of Kyoto. The sun was falling toward the horizon in the late afternoon sky. "I have one night to get this right..." I muttered as I walked toward the sun.
(((((((((())))))))))
Note: Whoo! Yep, if you can guess by this chapter, there will be fluff next chapter. Also, if you think back to chapter two, you'll remember that Kenshin said he should go back to see Tomoe, because she might have answers... so he did, and this is the beginning of the turning point in his approach toward his problem... Granted, there's still more to come, but at least he's not stuck on one of his problems, ne? ::jumping happily:: Anyways... I'm so glad you all took such excellent care of Hiro! ::pats his head kindly:: He hasn't been seen for five chapters now... I was supposed to include him again... um... a couple chapters ago... but I think I'll actually bring him back next chapter. ::hands out Hiro chibi dolls:: I think these should suffice for now... ::laughs evilly and helps Hiro out of the room, returning quickly:: Okay... these aren't just regular chibi dolls, like the ones I've been handing out... these... are voodoo dolls! ::grins proudly:: And... he's in his little bed... relaxing... for now, at least.