Battle Of The Bands!
Chapter 5- Kenshin's Past Revealed!
WARNING: Warning to all Kenshin & Tomoe fans, I'm changing the story a little bit, if you don't approve of this then please just ask someone what happens. Sorry if this offends any K&T fans, but this is just how the story came out. And also VERY SAD, SAD, SAD, and ANGSTY chapter! It starts out very depressing but it gets better (maybe, evil grin). Any ways, hope you enjoy it, have fun (or try to any ways).
"Kaoru?"
"Tell me what, Kenshin?"
Kenshin turned to Kenji for help but he shook his head, "Just tell her."
"But Kenji..."
There was a knock at the door and Kenji got up and answered it, a smile coming to his face when he saw who it was, "Chizuru, hey, what brings you here?"
"I wanted to come see how you were doing."
"Come in."
Kenji stepped aside and let her in and she waved at Kenshin, "Hey Kenshin."
"Hi Chizuru, how you been?"
"Good, am I interrupting anything?"
"Not at all, come on, Chizuru, I want to show you something in the back."
Kenji took her hand and led her off to the back, leaving Kenshin and Kaoru alone. Kaoru went up to Kenshin and sat beside him, her voice soft and gentle, "Kenshin... the past week you've been completely avoiding me. I know you don't want to tell me but I need to know, maybe I can help you."
"You can't help me, Kaoru, no one can, not with this."
"What is 'this?' What are you hiding from me?"
"If I tell you... you'll hate me."
"Kenshin," Kaoru reached over and placed her hand on top of his, "nothing you say will ever change how I feel about you. I want to know what's been bothering you, please Kenshin tell me."
"Kaoru..." Kenshin looked into her eyes and saw the pain there, pain that he'd caused by avoiding her. After a long pause he sighed and cleared his throat, "It's a long story."
"I have time."
Kenshin sighed again and turned to look at the ground, "It all started about sixteen years ago when I was nine. My parents died and Kenji and I were taken in by Hiko. He finished our swordsmanship training and taught us how to play instruments. When I was thirteen I was recruited by Katsura, the chief of police, to do... certain tasks for him that his officers couldn't."
"What did you do?"
"Honestly? I was... an assassin."
"An assassin? You... killed people for the police?"
"Yes, I killed for him for almost three years then after an accident I put down my sword and vowed to never kill again."
"What accident? Does it have to do with Enishi's sister?"
Kenshin sighed sadly and continued, "Yes, Enishi had an older sister named Tomoe, she and I had grown up together and she was my best friend. People always thought that we were a couple but she was more like an older sister to me. Enishi was a couple of years younger than me and we got along pretty well, I kind of considered him my second brother. But... one night when I was out on an assignment and my target was some type of ninja. He threw some type of powder in my eyes and I couldn't see. Tomoe had followed me and she told me when to attack and I did, I swung down and blood got in my eyes and washed out the powder... then I felt something fall in my arms but it wasn't my target... it was Tomoe."
"How'd you hit her?"
"The ninja had a dagger and was going to kill me... Tomoe stepped between us and grabbed the dagger and I went through them both. Tomoe gave her life to save me."
Kenshin paused and Kaoru was surprised to see tears going down Kenshin's face, she wanted to wipe them away but the look in Kenshin's eyes froze her in place as he tried to regain his control.
"W... What happened then?"
"All I could do was hold her and tell her she'd be ok, she knew I was lying but even so she smiled at me and asked me to forgive her for leaving me. She... she still had the dagger in her hand and she drug it across my face and gave me my cross."
Kenshin traced the horizontal scar on his left cheek and Kaoru felt tears well up in her eyes even as she asked, "How... how'd you get the other half?"
"I got it about a year after I became an assassin, I got it from Kiyosato, Tomoe's fiancé. He was an officer on the force, we were out on a mission together and he had a knife he'd taken away from our target. He was shot and as he fell the knife caught my face."
Kenshin traced the vertical scar on his cheek and Kaoru finally let the tears fall as she reached over and put her hand on Kenshin's, "Kenshin... I'm... I'm so sorry, I had no idea..."
"It's not your fault, I should've told you sooner but I was so afraid that you'd hate me or be afraid of me."
"Kenshin, I told you, nothing you say will ever change how I feel about you. You mean so much to me, nothing will change that. I'm sorry you feel so much guilt but what happened wasn't your fault, and you've changed so much since then."
"But deep down I'm still that same fifteen year old kid who murders people in the darkness, that's who I really am... the only difference now is that I don't carry a sword anymore and I don't kill."
"That's right you don't. You're a good man, Kenshin, you may think you're still a murderer but you're not," Kaoru grabbed Kenshin's hand and placed it on her cheek, leaning into it affectionately, "These hands that you say are stained with so much blood can bring nothing but death and sadness. But I can proof that wrong, you don't use your hands to kill anymore, instead you use them to play your guitar and bring people happiness with your music... just as you've brought me happiness."
"Kaoru..."
"Kenshin, no matter what you've done in the past it doesn't matter to me, it never has and it never will."
There was a pause between them and Kaoru looked up into Kenshin's eyes and saw confusion, guilt, and pain, but also a small glimmer of happiness as his gentle amber stared into her bright blue. Finally he smiled ever so slightly and moved his hand to run through her hair, "Kaoru... my sweet Kaoru... how can you even look at me after everything I've done? You say that my past doesn't matter but... it does to me. For the past ten years I've been playing music and trying to repent for what I've done but no matter how hard I try I can't... forgive myself... and I know that I'll never be forgiven."
"Kenshin, don't try to repent for things that aren't your fault. True, you did take lives in the past but you've more than made up for it these past ten years, you've made so many people happy with your music, what more could you ask for?"
"Kaoru... I want nothing more than to... see you smile and laugh, believe me, you're my world but..." Kenshin suddenly paused and looked away from her, staring at the floor again, "if I can... just be forgiven... I would spend... the rest of my life trying to make you happy and to make you smile but... there are times when I feel like I'm never supposed to be happy again."
"Kenshin, listen to me, if you think that being happy is a crime then it's all my fault," Kaoru reached over and gently made Kenshin look at her, keeping his eyes to hers with her hand on his scar, "don't carry all this pain by yourself, let me help you, I will carry the sin and not care what punishment awaits me. It doesn't matter to me if you're Battousai or an assassin, if that's who you are then I will accept you and be there for you. You're past doesn't matter, you're still Kenshin to me, and I don't care what danger awaits in the future I just... want to be with you."
Kenshin's eyes went wide for a moment then he flashed the brightest smile Kaoru had ever seen. He leaned over and hugged her tightly, his hands running through her hair, "Kaoru... you don't know what those words mean to me. I'm sorry... I truly am, I'll make it up to you, I swear I will."
"I know, but for now you stop worrying and get back to practice, the contest is tomorrow and I know you'll defeat Shishio and his group, all you have to do is believe in yourself just as I believe in you, and I'll be there cheering you on."
"Thank you, Kaoru."
Kaoru pulled away from him and moved to the door but just as she touched the handle she felt a hand grasp hers and pull her back, "Wait Kaoru."
"What is it?"
Kenshin smiled softly and leaned down, brushing his lips gently against hers in a loving kiss. He pulled away after a few moments and smiled lovingly at her, "Thank you."
"Anytime... oh and... can I tell you something?"
"Anything."
Kaoru flushed all of the sudden and leaned up, kissing him on his scar before she leaned up to his ear whispering, "I love you."
Without another word she turned and left, not noticing the shocked yet happy smile Kenshin had on his face. After the shock wore off he went to the back and tapped on Kenji's door, "Hey, let's get back to work."
He didn't hear an answer so he opened the door and couldn't help but laugh to himself at the sight he saw before him. On the bed was Kenji and Chizuru, his hands under her shirt and his missing as their lips were locked together. Kenshin slapped the door and yelled playfully, "Kenji Himura!"
They parted quickly and Kenji straightened out his hair, "Kenshin... hey man, what's up?"
"You obviously, what have I told you about taking advantage of a pretty young girl?"
Chizuru flushed and grabbed her purse, "I... better go, bye Kenshin."
She moved passed him and Kenji quickly put on his shirt and followed her, punching Kenshin as he went to walk her to the door. Kenji kissed her goodbye just as Aoshi and Sanosuke came in and got their instruments ready, "What'd you touch lover boy?" Aoshi asked playfully
"Shut up and lets play. You feel better Kenshin?"
"Better than I have in years, but we'll talk about that later, right now let's get ready to kick Shishio's ass."
"Yeah!" all the guys cheered as they continued their rehearsal, Kenshin playing without a flaw as he remembered Kaoru's parting words to him, "I love you."
A smile came to his lips as a plan formed in his mind, "Soon Kaoru, I will make you happy, I promise you."
There's chapter 5 yey! More to come I promise just be patient and sorry to all K&T fans, I didn't want to repeat the same old thing that everyone knows about. Anyhow, thanks for keeping up with me and let me know what you think. See ya later (if none of you don't find me and kill me before then, lol.)
