Disclaimer: Don't own Samurai Deeper Kyo, cos if I did, Kyo and Yuya would be married by now. Hoho.

Note: Spoilers scattered throughout the whole short piece. No way to avoid them.

Moment in Time
written by: da*mouse ®

Used To Be

I always knew what I wanted. Ever since that fateful battle of Sekigahara four years ago, ever since Kyo disappeared…I have been living for one purpose and that purpose alone.

To bring back Onime No Kyo, no matter what the cost was. I never believed that he was dead. Many said that Mibu Kyoshiro killed him, Kyoshiro emerged the victor in that battle, but I never believed it. He was Onime No Kyo, and he wouldn't just…die. Not like that.

Being part of the twelve Juunyishinshous was part of my plan to search for and recover Kyo's body. Relentlessly I followed every single link…until that meeting with Yuya-san that brought me to Kyo. Kyo, trapped in Kyoshiro's body.

"Kyo…it has been a while." My tone was cool, but I was hiding my euphoria. He didn't have to know how glad I was to see him, how ecstatic I was that my instincts were right.

But Kyo…seemingly had changed. I could not see, but I could sense. I could sense the change in Kyo although I didn't know what it was. Nevertheless, I still pursued my hunt for his body. I believed that was the only way I could bring back Kyo, bring back the real Kyo that I respected and feared at the same time.

I wanted Kyo back, I craved for those days when it was the just the five of us, even though Akari was an irritating and weird character. Only with them I could feel my own sense of fulfillment and belonging.

Then I found Kyo's body. It was the final step…final step to my plan.

But there was something that I had to know. Something that I had suspected and wished desperately not to be true.

I went to Kyo, and told him that I had his body with me. If he wanted it, he would have to come with me. And then…I told him that Yuya-san was…dead.

His rage was so immense that it was enough to overthrow Kyoshiro's soul and regained control of that body. Those eyes flashed at me with red-hot anger…and something else that I could not, or perhaps would not, decipher. Still, the word lingered in my mind, in my own disappointment.

Grief.

"Akira…you are a liar."

And at the moment I saw. And I understood. I confirmed my own suspicions.

Kyo was no longer Onime No Kyo.

Onime No Kyo would never show one shred of emotion for anyone, let alone a woman.

But I still believed…I still believed that I could bring him back. No matter what, I still could…and I had to. I refused to see this new Kyo, this Kyo with…feelings. It was not right. Because I wanted, no, I needed for things to be the way they used to be. Kyo and the Shiseiten, to walk the grounds of Japan, and ruling it like we used to.

Just the five of us.

But now, standing at one with Bontenmaru and seeing Kyo once again putting his life on the line because of her…of Yuya-san…I couldn't help wondering…

Whether was it possible…to have things the way they used to be.

-Finis-

da*mouse ®
posted March 29th 2004

I had wanted this to an Akira-centered fic, but guess what, it turned out to be something along the lines of Kyo/Yuya again. Argh…I am so hung up on them, it's pathetic.

Now raking my brain for a Hotaru-centered piece. Hopefully it won't turned out to be as "centered" as this one.

Thanks to reviewers and reviews are much appreciated! ^_^