Past and Future by Hitokiri-san

Disclaimers: It would be better for all of us that I don't own RK. Otherwise, minna-sama would be grieved for the remnant of their lives seeing Kenshin (obviously suffering) with some indescribably ugly girl nicknamed Hitokiri-san. And this Hitokiri-san would drown in a sea of complaint letters saying this manga isn't suitable for any person under 80. (for the appearance of a disturbing monster every chapter which is actually the main female character Hitokiri-san)

A/U: Hi again minna! I've decided to make this chapter a tad shorter...about 3500 words...so that I could update faster and won't be torn limb by limb by violence reviewers (including xxx, xxx AND xxx and more xxx) *Authoress transformed into a chibi punchbag. A lot of people are lining up for their hit* Oro! Anyway, a special thanks to RINOA-HEARTILLY19- sama and liemtenshi-sama for adding me to their favourite authors list (not to mention the previous B-chan-sama and Jovian Angel-sama) please read the special column under the story, left for my lovely reviewers! Sorry I know I promised Bakumatsu at this chapter, but my brain bullied me to write a flashback and I don't have the length for it...gomen! =^. -=

*AWARE! I've got a really really amazing pic from koe760, please take a look at it in

(http :// hk.geocities.com / hitorkiri _ battousai _ ishinshishi / ShowLetter . jpg)

Please eliminate all the spaces in that URL, sorry I have to separate it because it won't appear onscreen otherwise.

Ch8 Prologue to A time we both hated

"So..." the rurouni looked down on the sleeping tanuki girl, absent- mindedly stroking a stray strand of her raven hair. There was something close to sadness in his eyes. "So. That's it. That's why sessha found you unconscious on the street that day."

Battousai nodded silently, forehead touching his knees as he sat against the wall. Seeing the rurouni suffer pained him. Although they did not see each other as brothers there was something closer between them - almost like twins but still closer - that kept them closely connected, mentally and emotionally. When the rurouni felt sad, the hitokiri shared his pain. When the hitokiri was at risk, the rurouni felt uneasy. After all, they were the same person at slightly different stages, and completely different times.

Saitou was on the other side of the room, listening without a comment. For once he wasn't smoking. Maybe the seriousness of all this had caught his full attention, both Kenshins mused. Or more likely, he had run out of cigarettes.

Saitou shifted on his cushion, leaning his chin on one hand.

So his prediction was true. Deep in his heart he knew one day it would happen, one day this "Kentai boy" had to either disappear or be eliminated. One could not and should not mess with supernatural powers - that is, anything that could not be Gatotsu-ed wasn't to be messed with.

Silence.

More silence.

The hitokiri fixed his gaze on the rurouni's face, then averting it before their eyes could meet. " Are you angry with me? I...I hid it from you. Because of me, Kaoru-dono was shocked though not injured. It was all my fault."

"Iie." The rurouni's amused chuckle surprised the boy so much that he actually jumped a tad bit, a strange little noise caught at his throat. Seeing this, the rurouni only chuckled louder. "Know what? I think you sound like myself." It was the first time Kenshin found his own trademark self-denial mirrored in the boy; it seemed that his transformation into a rurouni wasn't that much of a coincidence after all.

Battousai only stared at him with clueless lavender eyes, looking as much like a lost child as possible. Not bothering to elaborate his point, Kenshin reached out to pat his shoulder, a concerned glow in his rich violet orbs. "How hurt are you, anyway?"

"I...uh...I am alright actually." As if that statement pulled a trigger, a spasm of pain decided to tear through his body at the current moment. Battousai hardly winced. Being a hardened hitokiri and a loving "nii-chan" of the rurouni he would not show the pain on his face.

// Besides, that would be something more than a laughing matter to the psychotic Miburo. // he thought darkly. Right. Another sufficient reason, then.

Battousai wondered at how long lasting the effects of those invisible hits were; an hour had passed and the wounds - undetectable to the naked eyes - were still hurting like no tomorrow. Battousai couldn't see the point of applying medicine or bandages on to the "wounds". First, he could not see them; second, they weren't bleeding so bandages would be for nothing. Subconsciously he glared briefly at a spot where Zenei's willpower had struck, wishing it would hurt less.

"It still hurts, ne?" Battousai jumped again at the soft-spoken words as though scorched. Too often he or the rurouni would forget that they could read each other's mind. Shaking his head, the hitokiri nodded - truthfully. "It will go away soon - I hope." He fingered the torn hole on his gi, peering into the unscathed skin inside. It didn't look hurt, not even remotely reddened or something. Battousai scowled, not daring to poke it. Reliving the blood-freezing scene that afternoon the boy shuddered.

*~*

It was quite a while after that sentimental little scene on the street, and Battousai was striding along the crowds at the fastest speed he could get without dumping Kaoru behind. Kaoru was following him closely while having trouble at it because of her restrictive kimono. She wished wistfully that she had her training outfit on; it would save both of them so much trouble.

"Why are you hurrying so much, Kentai-san? You said we wouldn't be in trouble as long as we take the main streets..." Kaoru asked, cheeks flushed as she trotted alongside the hitokiri boy.

"Don't ask me why," Battousai interrupted, eyeing each corner suspiciously, "it's just a feeling. A feeling that danger is pressing."

"Oh."

"Wait." The Ishin warrior said suddenly, eyes slitted in concentration as he stared at the street ahead. Kaoru followed his gaze; there was no one, or nothing in particular that looked remotely close to threatening. She glanced at him; he seemed fairly confused himself.

"What is it?"

The redhead raised a hand to stop her question, still looking in the same direction. "I told you. A swordsman's feeling." Dragging her by the wrist, he turned left at the crossroad instead of walking straight ahead - which was the fastest way there was - sometimes senses are more reliable than sight.

They walked on in tense silence, Kaoru keeping close to the now positively jogging hitokiri. The suspense was more than unbearable. The tanuki girl wished there was only a few streets left, but the assassin knew better. There was about twenty more minutes until they got there.

Anything can happen in twenty minutes.

"Matte," Kaoru said abruptly, pressing a hand to her temple. Battousai glanced back at her, nonplussed.

"I want to go that way," she told him, pointing to a desolated back alley in front. The manslayer frowned. What exactly was she thinking? All this time he was trying to avoid deserted roads...and the girl told him to go *that* way? He opened his mouth to voice a "no", but all of a sudden his mind told him it wasn't really a bad idea after all. // A hitokiri, like a mouse, has to stay in the dark...//

His common sense didn't agree. Damn, where did that thought come from? It absolutely made no logical sense at all. He opened his mouth again for a "no"...this time the message in his mind got stronger. Not even knowing what he was doing he heeded it, entering the alley with a dazed mind.

Deeper and deeper into the alley they went, without an idea of where they were going. Somehow the hitokiri had ceased to think about going to the warehouse anymore; the only thought left in his head was to keep walking. Just keep walking, don't think about unnecessary things...it was like falling into a curse, each and every part of his brain completely blank.

The hell it was.

"Wait, WAIT! This isn't the way I want to go!" The hitokiri sounded out loud, falling out of his trance. Spinning sideward he shook Kaoru vigorously; there was an empty look in her eyes, deprived of her usual liveliness and strong will. Battousai felt the hair standing up on his neck.

"We gotta get out of here! I think something's getting at our mind. This- has-something-to-do-with..."

"Zenei Makimoto, you're right." Zenei emerged from the dark, looking neither angry nor happy. "A strong will you must have, to break through my control, Himura. Actually, I've always found your mind more difficult to read than most people. That's why we've let you escape so many times. But now...the game is over. We don't trust you anymore. We're going to take the time turner by force."

Battousai found himself cornered. There was no way to back out now like he did last time. "At least let the girl go."

"No. You've tried it your way, now I'll do it *my* way. The girl isn't going anywhere. We will erase her memory as Kamiya Kaoru."

The hitokiri moved in front of Kaoru, snarling briefly.

// I'm not giving up now after all this trouble we have to go through. // But then again, saying it was easy. Doing it was another thing. If Zenei could control his mind, he could as well make him talk. Battousai flinched mentally at this.

The Hiten samurai glanced upwards; there was no way he could make it to the roof without being attacked. Hell, even with his trademark godlike speed those men could still shoot him down without problem.

"You aren't going to try the roof aren't you?" Zenei inquired serenely, catching his glance.

"Yes, I was."

"I would recommend staying still before we injure you really badly. Anyway, the next time you wake up you'll be back in the Ishinshishi headquarters and you won't remember anything that happens here." Zenei stated.

Zenei raised a hand, directing it at Battousai. Knowing what would happen Battousai backed away, shielding Kaoru behind him. His shoulder brushed against the side of the alley. There was no escape...

*~*

Takatsuki Yokima was making her way down her favourite alleyway, an umbrella in one hand and a basket full of groceries dangling in another. At the turn she heard someone talking.

" ...remember anything that happens here..." she looked over. There was a great gang of people surrounding what seems like a young redheaded boy and his sister. The boy was backing away in fear, but still trying to shield his older sister behind him. What a brave boy.

He tilted his body a little bit, and Yokima saw the daishou bound to the boy's obi. Suddenly old feelings welled up inside her. Yokima's son had been a samurai of Aizu clan; he had been lost to her in a battle along with his sister and the next time she got news of him, her boy was already slaughtered by the Hitokiri Battousai and her daughter was nowhere to be found.

// Red hair...but it can't be. This boy's so young. I can't start taking everyone as Hitokiri Battousai now... // she thought to herself. It didn't matter; how shameful it was for a total of twenty men to rob a child and a young girl! Her boy would have angered at that. If she were a samurai like him, she would slash them all down...but she wasn't and the one and only thing she could do was...

"ROBBERY! THERE'S A GANG OF ROBBERS IN HERE! QUICK, COME OVER!"

At this point a couple of men around poked their heads into the alley.

"Robbers?"

"Where?"

"We'll flatten them."

"Someone tell the police."

It was really a pleasant surprise for Zenei and his men. All craned their necks towards the entrance of the alley, Battousai momentarily forgotten. Zenei muttered a swearword so interesting that probably Kaoru hadn't even heard of it in her whole seventeen years of life.

"Quick, stun the boy first, then we'll go." Zenei said aloud to his men, who replied with a loud "hai!". All of them twirled around instantly, searching for the boy.

But Battousai was way smarter than just standing there and watch. Taking advantage of their temporary distraction, he leapt up to the roof, dragging Kaoru along with him. He noted that her eyes were still quite unfocused, but there was no time for that now.

However, Zenei was smarter than he originally bargained for, and though Kaoru wasn't heavy at all she had slowed him down.

As a result, the men caught him in mid-leap. Giving a deafening yell all fired at the hitokiri at once. Invisible shots or no Battousai knew he couldn't dodge them in the air, and better yet a few would hit Kaoru - on purpose or by mistake he didn't know.

With an almighty tug he had Kaoru on the roof first, but that also meant *he* would slow down and receive the majority of the shots. He didn't care. Battousai had sworn to himself to guarantee the safety of the girl and he would never break a promise, even to himself.

It was an unexpected feeling. It was as if white-hot iron was pressed onto his skin - past his veins and burning into his organs. The boy screamed in pain; a thud under him told him that he had landed on the fragile rooftop of some building but he didn't care; the pain was blinding him, directions and positions was now futile. He felt something close around his wrist but still didn't care - he just wanted this pain to end, the whole time traveling ordeal seemed so faraway and irrelevant now with the pain he was dealing with.

It went on and on, the torturous sensation of pain; Battousai didn't even know if he was conscious or not. But then after god-knows-how-long his vision cleared, bit by bit, and he realized all the time he'd been awake.

The Ishinshishi hitokiri looked up, not knowing what he should expect to see. He raised his head - the first thing he saw was the sleeve of a kimono. The next thing he know, he was *running* even in his pain.

The hitokiri's blurry vision came clear all of a sudden with that previous thought, and saw himself being dragged along by a running.Kaoru-san?

"K-Kaoru-san..."

Kaoru turned back at him, not bothering to stop. Her eyes seemed a bit watery but determined as well.

"Kentai-san I am sorry, I know you shouldn't be running in this state....but I'm afraid that....."

"I understand that fully, n-no need to apologize. You know where you're going?" Battousai asked, trying vainly to keep his voice level.

"That's the problem, but I can't ask you." Kaoru informed him worriedly. The redheaded boy almost smiled.

"S-slow down a moment, I-I'll see where we are....Argh!" he cried out as Kaoru stopped abrupt without a warning and he bumped right into her.

The whole street swerved around to look at the duo.

"Ouch, sorry," the kendo instructor muttered. The redhead blinked, not answering. He was surprised at how near they were to the warehouse that was the base of the Vanguard Of Justice.

He pointed weakly to somewhere at his right. "That way."

He led her through the labyrinth of crisscrossing streets that made up Kyoto. Within minutes the roof of the warehouse came into sight behind a number of houses.

"Not much people around here, but we'll have to risk it." Battousai said suddenly, feeling something again.

"RUN!"

For once Battousai lead the girl through some potentially dangerous roads, their sandals tearing up dirt as they ran past. The tanuki girl shrieked as the wall near her was blasted into a cloud of dust.

"Silence!" Battousai snapped through gritted teeth as footsteps rang from behind, eerily close. Motioning her to run along, he turned back to where the fallen wall was. With a smooth sweep of his leg he had all the dust flying into the air. Perfect for escape.

Catching up with Kaoru again he skidded over a crossroad and into the light of a widen street.

"Look what we have here." Battousai said with relief, seeing the girl's shaken expression.

About two streets ahead two men were exiting from a ran-down warehouse. Their heights contrasted greatly, frank to say, and both carried their swords so naturally that the blades seemed a part of them. Dark hair with a few stray strands, and...

"Rurouni..." with the last of his strength Battousai ran to the familiar redhead, now seemed so welcoming after a morning of battles.

*~*

Yokima-san's mouth hung open as the boy flew over the wall and out of sight. He was good, after all. Maybe she was being a meddlesome fool - the boy might want to have a little fun with those filthy robbers. She watched as the townsfolk chased the "robbers" in question out of the alley, itching to land a blow on their pea-brained heads with her umbrella. But they were long gone; she sighed ruefully, feeling a sense of motherly liking for the redheaded boy.

//That kid ...he's such a fantastic samurai - maybe my son would like to be friends with him Maybe I'll introduce the boy to him when I visit his grave next time...yes, to my boy Gentatsu. //

She walked back to her home, a smile lingering on her lips. It always comforted her that his son died valiantly, that he died serving his ideals. Yokima hoped that Toki was all right - she *knew* her daughter would be a beauty someday.

So the woman left silently, not knowing that fate had yet made a mockery out of her cost.

*~*

"Kenshin?" the rurouni's voice registered in Battousai's mind all of a sudden.

It was the third time he jumped.

"Huh, what?" Battousai focused his gaze.

"You thinking about something?" Kenshin inquired, softly as though in fear of scaring him.

"Hmmm." Battousai said evasively. Kenshin sighed. " I hope everything will be alright at the end. What shall we do now?"

Saitou's eyes were closed as he crossed his arms. "Depends on you." He said shortly, bringing all of them back to the current problem - should Battousai return to the Bakumatsu?

Kenshin realized both of them were staring at *him* in unison. Very obviously, the decision laid with him.

Logic told him it would be best he send Battousai back. He certainly didn't like the idea of risking the whole world for his own sake. Yes, he and Battousai was one person after all, a minor part compared to the whole world. He knew Battousai would understand, though it would definitely be painful for the boy. He had no right to destroy the whole world because of some stupid decisions he made.

The boy must go back to the Bakumatsu.

He just *knew* he would regret it.

The rurouni turned to Battousai, his expression telling the boy everything. At least that would save him the words, Kenshin thought bitterly.

"I understand." The boy said timidly, falling into the habit of dipping his head so that his overgrown bangs would cover his downcast face. The rurouni knew this habit only too well. "I don't deserve all these, I'm a hitokiri." There was almost a bite of vehemence in his sad tone.

Again, the former hitokiri saw something that linked Battousai to him. Self- depreciation. It used to drive everyone around him nuts. And resulted in everyone hitting him in their unique ways.

Not good. He was already regretting about the decision.

"Sessha..."

"Don't apologize. I gave the decision to you. Willingly. It was no fault of yours." the hitokiri managed a smile, only it looked distressing under the shade of his hair. //But why.why Kami-sama has to play with me like this? // He found tears welling up in his eyes, and shook it away. For a moment he was glad that his bangs provided him the privacy he needed. But Kenshin noticed his shoulders trembling a bit. Again he sighed, knowing words would be of no use by now.

"Wait." Kenshin said to no one in particular.

"What?" Battousai said, more to conceal his depress than actually interested in what he had to say.

"Wait," the rurouni repeated blankly. "It's sometime about two weeks since you're here. *Why* didn't this time zone disappear all this time? It should have.long ago. I don't understand how it works."

"Neither do I." Assured that his eyes didn't look reddened or anything, he looked up from his unruly strands. Half-lit by the faint glow emitted from the candle his older counterpart looked almost slightly translucent, propped up against the wall with his sakabatou leaning on his shoulder. His friend, his mentor, even those couldn't properly describe their relationship...

Matte. The sakabatou didn't look *remotely* translucent.

Which meant, it couldn't be a trick of the light.

Battousai rubbed his eyes hard, and cast them on the rurouni again.

// Dammit, why can I see the blasted wall behind him? //

Kenshin batted an eyelid, baffled. Battousai was staring at him with a mix of daze and horror. What the.

"SAITOU!" the hitokiri yelled, louder than he intended. "Can you see..." he merely pointed at Kenshin, the words choking in his throat.

Saitou looked up from his thoughts as if he had all the time in the world. Man, it wasn't really like him to be so absorbed in musing as to be oblivious to anything else.

"Battousai!" the Miburo's normally tiny eyes widened to their fullest extent, and he actually managed to look shocked. "You...!"

Kenshin return the stares in complete confusion. The rarity of Saitou *looking shocked* was not lost on him. //Something must have happened to me..... // He put a hand before his face. He could clearly see Battousai's horrified expression *through his hand*...

Battousai calmed himself as he scrambled up to reach the rurouni. What the hell was that? Kenshin seemed.dare he say it, Kenshin seemed to be disappearing into thin air. But...why....

Then fact hit him hard on the face. // Time. Time overwritten, world disappearing, and the rurouni will go first because you are the trigger for the whole enormous change.... //

"Damn! Zenei's threat wasn't empty. Time is doing its twisted turn...." the hitokiri said, fear carefully banked away from his mind. He needed only calmness now. He needed to stop this happening at all cost...

"I'll get Zenei, he can get the time right again!"

"No need for that, I'm already here." Came a voice behind the shouji. As usual, he'd just materialized out of nowhere. Battousai fancied he saw a flicker of triumph crossing the men's silvery orbs.

"I told you that, didn't it? You didn't believe me."

*~*~*~*

A/U: That transparent idea actually came from the movie Spirited Away, though at first I didn't realize it. And I actually goofed at an idea and had to think for a half-hour before I could get it right, because it's logically incorrect. Demo, I promise. Great time next chapter. Really, don't harm me! *dodges flying everything* By the way, can anyone tell me what a muse is? And I'm currently running out if ideas for disclaimers.

Koe 760 -kun: Oro!! (that is a word that has caused mom some grief, though she doesn't know what it really means coz I doubt if she can even remember the name Rurouni Kenshin) You're not replying again! Must-have-something-to- do-with-ruddy-email! *weeps hysterically* Yare yare, I'd better write everything here. More convenient this way. I found a really cute Shisengumi pic online and I'll be sending it over in a min...just till I sort out the reviews...
Really, your wallscroll looks real hot! I would like one on my way as well...but I think mom'd be skinning me. What I have now is two really innocent calendars, one featuring cutie cats and the other dogs. If you don't mind sending the wallscroll over...*cracks knuckles threateningly*
My bro is on camp, so I have the computer to myself today. I checked out your favourite stories list and found some really interesting ones that I haven't read ( though I saw Past and Future on it as well, yooooohoooooooooooo) the one called A Rurouni's Guide to Idiocy...I laughed my head off at it. Talk to you later, don't forget to send me an email coz I'm (again!!) running low on ideas. Actually I have no idea what would happen after they land in the Bakumatsu, so I hafta get a idea-booster! (And somehow I managed to patch Gentatsu's mom in as well, first I was thinking she got a husband died in war and then no, a son's better.....then I accidentally wrote Aizu clan, coz that's the only clan I know besides Choshu and Shisengumi...then...EEKKKK, Aizu clan?!? Why don't she be Gentatsu's mom? It freaks me out, really ^^

Boomerang-chan-kun-: Time to drop the formalities for once, coz I'm feeling murderous!! Thanks to you, I've lost my eyeballs! *eyeballs roasting in the sun* Now I can't write, hahahahahah! I'll never update! (Aw, haven't I just updated it? I goofed! How uncool that was!) Now, what happens is Battousai messed the whole thing up since the beginning. Oro! And I checked out your poem as well. It's freaky-deaky interesting! I suggest you work on more of them. Thanks for putting me on your favs!!! You know what your reward is for that? *Hitokiri-sam approaches from the dark with an eyeless face. B-chan-kun, again, backs away in fear.* PICK THAT BLASTED EYEBALLS UP FOR ME! *smirks*

Liemtenshi-kun: *tension marks rolling off my head after reading your review* I ain't called Miss Hitokiri for nothing!! *bunch of katanas appearing in hand* You think I would end this by just throwing things? Prepare to die! *starts throwing random katanas around until the wall is full of them. Liemtanshi-kun is standing at the side, blinking innocently.* Well then! I'm tired. I'll continue that later. Sorry for Katsura not appearing in this chapter! I'll make him appear somewhere, then. He's bound to appear someday! And Kenshin + Battousai will be weird as YOU! *katanas filling my hands again*

Sapphire-eyes-kun: my train of thoughts on the story is really freaking me out now! Sometimes the ideas are illogical, so to say, but most of the time I can't spot the problem, heh!

ChocolateEclar-kun: Please enjoy your chocolate eclar while reading the story, de gozaru! I'm getting slow again...

Are-en-sa.ew, I mean -kun: Coz I remember you! Even if you don't review every time I know you'll be around. So I'm leaving messages for the reviewers throughout the story! I sound like Misao-chan? *tongue pokes out* But sama can also mean Lady! Oro! I don't like tomatoes! I've already had them for dinner and I hate them. Don't be rash! Drop your tomatoes and surrender!

Lilfrozenfire-kun: Wah! You're turning 15! Congratulations! So we're practically the same age, eh? I'll be Grade 10 next month too! School depressed me when I come to think of it.

LitoGrrlStephanie-kun: it wont happen I promise. However, the other way around....*smirks* evil am I? Poor Kaoru.

Dork-in-training-sama: in case you're reading, thanks for that! Please stop by when you have time!

BabyKaoru-sama-kun: (BabyKaoru-sama-sama would be weird...) At all cost? How about you bribr me, I write it? *Hitokiri-san got smacked into the ground* Baby-Kaoru-sama: those who want to taste dust are welcome to ask me for money!

Insert catchy name here-kun: Thanks for the compliments! What are plotholes, by the way? I'll be updating regularly!

Califpinay3001-kun: I wonder what your name means? It look so interesting and it takes much of me to type it right...thanks for the review! ^o^

Sajin-Zero-kun: Hi, it's you! It am so surprised when you came to my review board! ^^

The Sacred Night-kun: Yeah, his name is Tasuka Yashiro. Actually I like the flashback also, the most out of my crappy story *blush* I came up with the fire scene coz I myself is very very afraid of fire...and putting one of my fears (full list includes snakes, spiders, cockroaches, and fire) might be an interesting idea. I myself got a bit confused by time, and then made a mistake of Kenshin wanting to say... Kenshin: It doesn't make sense. If I decide to send you back you should have memory of this whole thing now. But you don't. That means I shouldn't send you back. Battousai: That's coz Zenei erased my memory, ahou! Of course Battousai never said the above....but some time later I thought of it and had to delete an entire column...

Akima-Miota-kun: Welcome to seventh aka the crappiest chapter ever! I hope you've enjoyed it anyway.