And the conclusion. Of Kase anyway.
Notes : In Bushido, a samurai's sword is his soul. ( I got seriously reamed out by stepping over some bamboo practice ones during kendo and have not forgotten since. SO embarrassing….) Hence, Ken is able to feel Ran's sword, as the swordsman probably puts a lot of stock in that. It's the best explanation I could come up with for Ran being so possessive with the katana, and it makes the most sense. That would make it a personally sacred object for the guy. Not something you want other people handling and throwing around….:shudders:
Onwards!
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"The last night of the month, no moon:
Thousand-year-old cedars
Besieged by a storm."
Matsuo Basho
It was too bad, really, that Kase had come to the wrong assumption. Although that sort of slip-up was going to work in Ken's favor. The brunet forced his face into an expression of surprised pain and dropped dramatically to his knees, clutching at the warm, damp spot on his chest. Breathing heavily without hyperventilating proved to be slightly more difficult, and so Ken settled instead for making his breaths quieter and seemingly shallower. Forcing his heart and pulse to weaken and slow was much, much more difficult. In all his missions, Ken had never actually had to use that bit of training in quite this context. The context being of course, that he was dying.
Behind him, he heard Ran's sharp intake of breath and winced internally. Oh, shit, this wasn't going to be easy on Ran's emotions. Ken knew that Ran was as dependent, if not more, on Ken's company as Ken was on his. That horrible, horrible fear of being alone; again was too much to bear. But the brunet took consolation in the fact that Ran would not suffer for long.
He felt strong arms slide beneath his armpits and pull him back gently, pull him down to rest against the floor, and then Ran's face was above him, stoic, a quiet agony of acceptance for what the red-head thought was surely the end. Ken wondered if Ran might understand the desire behind seppuku now. Good thing he wasn't going to have to find out.
"Ran-kun, let me." Omi was beside him suddenly, blue eyes solemn and serious, brushing Ran's fingers away. The ronin's protest died on his lips as he saw Omi reach into his sleeves and begin pulling out medicines and antidotes.
"I'll leave it to you then, Omi." the ronin's voice was clear and unwavering as he stood, sword at ready, and angled himself menacingly at Kase. There was the hiss of wire tightening and the sound of Yohji's footsteps entering the room. Still, Kase seemed unperturbed. Ken really did wonder then when Kase had gone from wastrel son to insane maniac. Looking at those dark eyes, the rage had vanished into an enraptured madness as the man stared at the jyonin with an ecstasy that made Ken's stomach tighten into a knot.
Knowing that Kase was 'watching', Ken allowed a shudder of 'agony' to pass through his body, rolling his eyes upward and arching his head against the floor beneath him. Steeling himself briefly so as not to flinch, the brunet bit down hard on one side of his tongue. He allowed the blood to well briefly with satisfaction, and when the coppery taste seemed to fill his mouth, he coughed slightly, opening his lips and letting the red liquid spill over them.
"Ken-kun!" Beside him, Omi jerked in surprise, immediately moving to wipe the blood away with the corner of one perfect silk sleeve. Ran spared him a glance, eyes widening briefly in fear as he saw the blood. Ken tried to smile reassuringly as Omi pressed at the 'wound' in his chest, but was sure with the blood likely on his teeth the sight was probably more horrifying than reassuring. Ran turned away abruptly, and Ken could see him doing everything to pull himself together.
Shit. This was starting to be emotionally painful for the brunet; watching Ran suffer on his behalf was not something the ninja was enjoying. To say the least. The pressure on his chest stopped, and Ken turned slowly to look back at Omi, keeping his eyes slightly unfocused as he forced another shudder to pass through his body. Omi was smirking at him slyly. Oh. So Omi knew now too. Good. Playing along, the youth hid the expression from the others and sighed heavily, pulling Ken's gi closed more securely. He shook his head with slow finality and turned mournful blue eyes towards Ran and Yohji.
"It's no good. The poison is too-fast. I'll—I'll never catch it in time." Omi's eyes wavered, getting larger if that was possible, and Ken mentally felt his respect for the kid go up a notch. The boy knew how to use that delicate face and those baby blues. He chewed his lower lip in an expression of extreme guilt.
"Ran-kun I….I'm so sorry…."
Ken's light-hearted appraisal of Omi ended when he saw the color drain from the ronin's face. Shock-filled violet eyes fell into his own and Ken tried another smile, feeling the blood seep from the corner of his mouth again as he did so. The brunet coughed for effect, hating himself as Ran visibly flinched.
"S-Sorry, Ran. So sorry…." he rasped, beginning to get annoyed at the amount of blood welling up in his mouth. Apparently he'd bitten harder than necessary, and he was starting to make a mess. Omi pulled a cloth from his gi and wiped at Ken's chin with it delicately. Across the room, the brunet that Ran had called 'Kudo' had paled considerably, and tightened his hold on the wires he was gripping viciously. Kase's arm jerked, but he never moved his gaze from Ken's body. Ken wondered why Kudo was reacting so visibly. They hadn't met before, right?
Ran padded to his side softly and quickly, and knelt down, pulling Ken's head into his lap gently. Ken winced and forced his body to spasm, coughing again. The ronin frowned and drew in another breath sharply.
"Gomen, Ken." The red-head looked on the verge of tears, and the despair in his face was so great that Ken had to close his eyes. He forced his breathing to soften further, his heart rate slow and weaken to near-undetection. It was difficult, and took nearly all of his concentration at first, but when his senses finally sharpened again, Ran's low, tremulous voice was unmistakable.
"I. Will. Kill. You."
Kase laughed, a high, maniacal sound.
"Killing me won't bring him back! Look at him! Just look! He's already so far gone he can't even open his eyes anymore! Soon he'll be dead. And then my revenge will be nearly complete."
"You killed your own family? Your own clan? Why would you do something like that?" Ran's voice was quiet with cold fury, disgust. "Ken searched and prayed for you. He though you'd been tortured to death. He was ready to wreak revenge in your honor! How can you abuse that kind of loyalty!" The very concept sounded beyond Ran's comprehension, and a wavering note in the redhead's tone told Ken that there was a more personal link to Ran's accusation that went beyond Kase's betrayal. The ninja wondered what it was.
"Loyalty? Hah! What loyalty? I was disowned! Some loyalty!"
Ken remembered bitterly all of the times Kase had come back to the village drunk or in trouble over some woman or bar-fight. Or having gambled himself into debit. Again. He'd never exhibited interest in his training once. That he'd been disowned made sense to Ken now. What didn't make sense was the betrayal. Even disowned, Kase was still the Tomo's son, and thereby entitled to live well and be provided for by the village. He'd grown-up there, lovingly taken care of by everyone. How many times had Ken and the guys gotten Kase out of his scrapes without letting his father or mother find out about it?
Loyalty had blinded them all. Loyalty and pride; the pride of generations of serving the emperor had made them sloppy and blind to the truth. They had covered Kase's tracks because they hadn't wanted to believe in the disgrace; they hadn't wanted anyone else to believe it.
But it had cost them their lives. Somewhere along the way Kase had grown unbalanced. Perhaps if they'd confronted him….
It didn't matter anymore. Ken knew such hatred and rage it took him an effort not explode with it. Kase was going to die for this. He was going to suffer and go to hell for what he'd done. To betray your own kind was unforgivable.
"This is the loyalty I deserve. He's going to die for me. Just like the rest of them. Aren't you, Hidaka?" Kase's voice had moved closer, slicing through Ken's thoughts like a hot knife; the tone had become eerily… affectionate, and there was the simultaneous sound of Ran's, Omi's, and Kudo's weapons all tensing and pulling into some form of battle-ready or another. Ken could hear Kase's arm lurch back; the sound of cotton tearing slightly at a seam with a quiet 'shriek'.
"Touch him and die." Ran's threat was serious and deadly, and Ken couldn't help the shiver that coursed through his body at the icy tone. The sound of a sword slithering from its sheath informed the brunet that Ran had drawn his katana. Ken could feel the katana's presence somewhere above him and mentally cursed. How was he supposed to be up and moving to attack Kase with a blade right there?
"Oh? You're going to stop me…?" was the ex-ninja's silky reply. Deadly. Kase may not have been the best ninja, but he was also off-balanced which gave him advantage over everyone in the room. No one knew what to expect.
Everything that happened next seemed to happen at once. The air hung heavy with silence and Ken heard the light rustle of Kase reaching into his gi from somewhere above him while the sound of a snapping wire was heard. At the same time, that the man called Kudo let loose with a curse, Omi called out a "Ran-kun!" in warning.
The ruse was up, and Ken had no choice but to attack now and hope to land a hit or risk Ran getting seriously wounded. With a powerful thrust, the brunet sent his fist plowing heavily into Kase's gut, opening his eyes. He shot to his feet like lightening as the man staggered back, staring at him in open shock. Ken smiled bitterly, hand claws now out and ready for business. There were several surprised exclamations of his name, and he wondered briefly what he must look like. Growling, he turned his head slightly, eyes still on Kase, and spat a well of blood from his mouth.
"If I die for anyone, it won't be you." The jyonin hissed, teeth bared in a bloody grimace, and launched himself forward. Although the kill would not be as easy as he had originally intended, Kase's shock, coupled with the hand still entangled in remnants of Kudo's wire, was enough. Which was fine with Ken. He wanted Kase to suffer. The most painful death imaginable; reserved only for traitors.
The jyonin moved like a cobra, first left, then right, then back again, zig-zagging, almost as if drunk, and furthering the ex-ninja's confusion. Without hesitation, as there could be none, Ken shot forward with incredible speed and force; Kase's form a blur before his eyes, only the gut in front of him focused clearly.
The feeling of solid steel blades pushing into soft, sinewy flesh felt surprisingly good, and so very, very simple. So easy. Ken tightened his fist on his weapon grip and shoved Ryuuta's hand-claw up through Kase's stomach to his chest before wrenching it out with a vicious turn. He laughed; a high, strange sound, at the shock on Kase's face.
"Traitor. Do you know, if the clan were still alive, what kind of punishment would be reserved for someone like you?…." the words were a hiss more than anything else when they left Ken's mouth, and Kase's shocked face twisted into a grim smile. Ken dug the blades of both hands into the man's ribs abruptly. The smile was quickly replaced by a tide of blood falling down Kase's chin. Ken could feel his own blood leaking down his face from his gods-dammned bitten tongue.
"You're killing the Tomo's son….. the clan's last survivor….. and you're calling me the… traitor….."
Ken blanched at the accusation and shook his head rapidly.
"No. You're wrong. You're the traitor. You killed them all. And I promised them. I promised revenge. If I could, I'd string you up and take you apart; bit by tiny fucking bit…I would fucking make you eat your own damn intestines…" The blades dug deeper and Kase choked.
"You're going… to hell, you know…."
Ken's smile was bitterly satisfied. "After you." he spat viciously, ripping the blades out brutally. There was a sickening 'squelch' sound as the steel exited flesh and Kase slumped to the floor, gore trailing the wall behind him.
Ken stood above him, panting for a moment in the shocked stillness that seemed to hover in the air around him before crouching down to watch the fire die in the ex-ninja's eyes with a dark curiosity. Kase was suffering; he was sure of it. But the brunet didn't feel any better. It didn't make the pain of loss and suffering any less. It just made him feel hollow inside. Empty. What kind of a world was this? The enemy right inside his very own home? Trusted so blindly? So loyally? Kase's chin had fallen to his chest, but he gave Ken a dark, bloody grin.
"I won…. I won. ….Even…now…. you're going to die, you're going…. to suffer for all eternity…. All of you are….I'll be waiting for you….Hidaka…." and the fire died. Ken's own breath seemed to stop in his lungs as he watched Kase's body settled into death; muscles relaxing, lungs expelling the final breath of air.
"Sorry, you're going to be waiting a long time asshole." Ken spat.
And just like that, it was over. All the suffering, for this. The emptiness intensified, and Ken buried blood-soaked fingers into sweaty brown locks, squeezing his eyes shut and letting out a low moan. It was over, but it hadn't even started really, and Ken wondered what he was supposed to live for now, what purpose he was supposed to give to his life. Revenge was empty. A choked sob escaped his lips and then Ken was forcing himself into control. He was going to live. He wasn't dying, not physically anyways, and he could figure the rest out later.
His spine snapped to rigid attention and he pulled his hands from his hair, slowly rising to his feet. He had just unstraped the hand claws and was lovingly removing them when a pair of strong arms grabbed his shoulders, forcing him to turn around so quickly he fought a brief spell of dizziness, the blood that was still slowly leaking from his mouth spattering onto his gi-front. When his head cleared, Ken found himself looking into wide violet eyes. Tentative hands sought out his gi, shaking, searching for the location of the 'wound'. Dumbly, Ken watched as they shoved the rough navy-blue material aside, pulling out a blackened bamboo ink well. The amethyst gaze darkened with understanding as trembling fingers wiped at the soot-colored liquid marring the golden skin on Ken's chest. When they sought what they were looking for; Ken whole and in-tact, the ronin sighed heavily with relief. The silence in the room was deafening as Ran rearranged the brunet's clothing back into place carefully. Ken winced internally as the pain he had put Ran through suddenly converged upon him all at once.
He opened his mouth to apologize, but the ronin beat him to it.
A pale, firm fist came streaking across Ken's jaw so hard that he fell backwards, landing on top of Kase's still warm corpse, head snapping back to collide with the dead-man's skull painfully.
"Ran-kun!"
"Oi, Fujimiya! What the hell are you doing?"
Omi and Yohji both went unheeded by the redhead. An angry plum gaze settled on Ken's form, but Ran surprised him yet again, yanking him back up without a word and wrapping arms around him so fiercely that Ken wondered if he'd have any ribs left unbroken.
"Asshole." the ronin growled into his ear, although the slur lacked any real heat. Ken wanted to say 'it would have worked if you'd have put the damn blade away.', but he couldn't make himself do it. He deserved any punishment the man doled out.
"I'm sorry." was all he said. Ran held him tighter and Ken squeaked, the bamboo inkwell cracking apart and sending a tide of warm black ink down his stomach and into his pants. He squirmed in discomfort. Ran's soft chuckle vibrated against his chest warmly.
"Baka. I don't care. As long as you're alive." he murmured softly, anger gone. Ken narrowed his eyes and tried to pull away, although the hold Ran had on him did not lessen and he nearly collided his forehead with the redhead's shin.
"Hey! Then why the hell did you fucking punch me you jerk? That hurt!" as if to illustrate the point, Ken flexed his jaw carefully, and a fresh bit of blood leaked from between his lips. Ken turned his head and spat it out. "Damn." he muttered darkly.
"Why are you bleeding?" Ran's voice was carefully controlled.
"I bit my tongue so it looked more real. You know what poison can do to your insides? I figured he probably picked something nasty so I felt it might be prudent and convince him I was suffering." Ken felt himself crushed against Ran's chest again, the demolished bamboo still creaking slightly in protest. At this rate he was going to lose his dye too.
"You did a damn good job." the ronin's voice sounded slightly strange, as if he were talking in the back of this throat. Ken didn't say anything; he simply let the redhead hold him close for a moment.
"Well." a smooth voice interrupted the silence. The brunet felt Ran tense in annoyance.
"You two seemed to have gotten awfully close since I've been gone." Ran and Ken turned as one to face Kudo, Yohji, who was now lounging in the doorway with an air of boredom hovering about him.
"Yohji-kun!" Omi admonished him.
"Kudo." Ran growled, eyes narrowed. Ken frowned.
"Who the hell are you?" he asked carefully. Everyone in the room turned to look at him, and Yohji looked slightly offended.
"Why, Kenken…I'm your knight in shining armor, of course…I'm hurt you don't remember…." Ken's frown turned confused, and Ran's growl got deeper. Omi just shook his head.
"Yohji-kun, of course he doesn't remember you. He was only half conscious." Ken looked back and forth between the two before looking back up at Ran, who shrugged, releasing him just slightly to grimace at the black ink now marring his haori in distaste. Ken winced, fishing the remnants of bamboo out of his gi.
"Why…" he began slowly, tossing them onto the floor while Ran scowled disapprovingly.
"Ken, you've ruined the tatami." the redhead muttered in disgust. Ken ignored him, refraining on commenting on the blood adorning the room, and pinned his gaze on Yohji and Omi, who suddenly looked guilty.
"Why do I feel like I'm missing something here?" he asked suspiciously. Omi and Yohji both heaved a heavy sigh. Oh boy. That wasn't promising….
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Okay, back from DEG in Sendai (it was fantastic!), loads of work to do and more coming in, and so the updates may very well start slowing. Thanks for all those reviews, and as requested, I will keep up with the arch! Thanks again everyone! Again, I don't really have any betas, or any time, and so pardon me for inconsitencies….Please let me know if you feel the characters slipping, cause they feel kinda like that to me. Okay, I'm off…
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