Warning: Contain spoilers for Samurai X Trust and Betrayal. I don't own Samurai X or Rurouni Kenshin.

Chapter 8

(Kenshin)

Another year. I was not as happy as I had been the year before however. I was disgusted with myself. I had done what Katsura-san had told me to do, but unfortunately this had me become a shadow hitokiri for the Ishin Shishi. My life became simply getting assignments and killing, fading into a steady routine that I grew to hate. I never got any chances to stretch my wings, and I knew that they were growing weak from disuse. I longed for a day to go into the mountains, a day off where I would have nothing to do so I could fly again. I missed the open sky and the feeling of the wind rushing through my hair and feathers.

I opened my eyes, looking around from my position near the window of my room. The futon was in the corner, still folded as it always was. I never used it, the habit of sleeping upright with my katana by my side had asserted itself too steadily. I sighed, standing and picking up my wakazachi and pushing it along with my katana through my belt. I opened the door and went out, going down to see if breakfast was being served. Sure enough when I walked into the room there were many of the Ishin men sitting there eating and talking. As soon as I walked into the room, however, silence fell like a blanket. I scowled. People were always afraid of me because I was 'The Great Battousai,' a name I had earned because of my battoujutsu skills. I was the most feared man in the Ishin, which did not help my mood lately.

I sat and accepted my food with a quiet 'arigatou' to the woman that gave it to me and began to eat. Everyone close to me took longer to start eating again, and I growled in annoyance. With a flinch most of them hurriedly picked up their food and hastily began to eat again and I put them to the back of my mind, thoroughly ignoring them.

I finished rather quickly and left without much notice, and as I walked away I could feel the ki of the men there becoming more relaxed. I repressed another growl. They didn't even try to be relaxed around me; they just sat there like I was going to slaughter the lot of them on the spot. By the time I reached Katsura-san's room I was furious, working myself into a smoldering fury.

Katsura-san opened the door just as I passed, a slightly amused look on his face. "Kenshin, you seem awfully…" he paused, searching for a word as I stopped beside him. "Uncomfortable."

I restrained a snort. That was the understatement of the era. I sighed, collecting myself so I could speak levelly to my leader. "Katsura-san, I have a request of you." He nodded slightly, giving me permission to speak again. "I would like a day and night off, to try and collect my thoughts." I murmured, looking away slightly.

Katsura-san observed me quietly, and I sat there waiting for his assessment. Finally he nodded, giving me permission. "Very well Kenshin. I will give you the rest of the day as well as tonight. You seem tense lately; maybe you should let yourself relax a bit. I can't have you getting upset."

I bowed to him with a soft 'arigatou' and turned away, walking from the building. I headed fairly quickly to the mountains not far from Kyoto, into Otsu. By the time I reached it the sun had reached past noon point, and I was looking forward to a day of flying and relaxing. Once I was sure I was far from prying eyes and ears I released the illusion on my wings, stretching them thankfully.

I had shed my gi, leaving my chest bare to the sun. I put my katana with my clothes, and on a second thought left the wakazachi as well. I knew I could handle myself easily with my magic if anything happened. With that I flung myself into the air, twirling and pushing myself higher. Once up there I glided, just closing my eyes and letting the wind play with my hair.

I let out a sigh of happiness and flapped harder, picking up speed and twirling and performing acrobatics as I flew quickly through the air. I couldn't help myself, I let out a cry of happiness and I dived, the wind streaming past me with an intensity I couldn't remember well.

After a few hours of simply flying around lazily my muscles had begun to ache and I landed back at my starting point, pushing my katana and wakazachi through my belt and picking up my gi. I didn't want to hide my wings yet, it felt lovely to have them out. I walked back towards Kyoto, this time in no hurry. I still had the night off ahead of me, even though it was already growing dark. I walked slowly, wrapping my wings around my shoulders as the wind became a little colder than it had been. I was getting close to Kyoto and with some sadness I whistled, hiding my wings and pulling on my gi.

I slipped back into the roll of the hitokiri as I entered the streets of Kyoto, but I felt much better than I had in a long time. I felt as though a weight had been lifted from my shoulders, and I couldn't help but smile inwardly. Outside I retained the mask of the hitokiri. I ignored the rain that had begun to fall, slightly enjoying the cool water as it streamed down my face.

Just as I got close to the place I supposed I could call my home for the time I felt the ki of someone I had never seen the like of before. Just as I sensed him a sword flew from the darkness, nearly flying through my shoulder but missing as I turned my shoulders. 'Shinsengumi?' I thought, studying the man in front of me. He was clothed all in black, a cloth over his mouth and nose, and he held another sword with a chain on the end of the hilt. 'No, you're a hired assassin like me.'

I sighed inwardly, I had hoped not to have to kill tonight, but I couldn't always get what I wanted. I readied myself, waiting for him to make the first move. He suddenly lunged for me, sword flying outward, before I could get a good shot in at him the chain had been looped around my chest and torso, effectively pinning my arms to my side. I fought as they began to tighten, squeezing the air from my lungs and putting insane pressure on my ribcage. My eyes suddenly widened and I had to hold in a cry of pain. A couple ribs had been snapped.

At that point the man leaped down from the roof he had landed on. I met him in midair, flipping the very sword he had tried to kill me with earlier and ending his own life by dragging the blade down the center of his face and all the way through him. Blood spattered me and the ground around me. I felt the warmth of it slide down my cheek as the cross-shaped scar began to bleed. It did that when I killed, I had never quite understood it. I looked on it as my father telling me what he thought of my current position in the world. I fell to one knee in the mud, gasping slightly for air. My broken ribs were giving me hell, and I painfully dragged air into my lungs. I suddenly stopped. There was someone in front of me. I raised my head to see a woman standing there, blood dripping from her clothes and umbrella.

I was shocked. Where had this woman come from? I inhaled sharply as she spoke, and pain thundered through my torso. "You. You made the bloody rain fall," she murmured, not loudly, but enough that I could easily hear it. I couldn't hold back a gasp, and pain roared through me, black creeping into the edges of my vision.

The woman raised a hand in my fading vision, reaching for me. "You're bleeding…" I blinked, trying to fight back the wave of unconsciousness that threatened to consume me. "Let me help you."

She had come close to me without my noticing, and I had to keep from flinching when I noticed her beside me. She grabbed my hand and looped my arm around her neck, and this time I did flinch when she touched me. She ignored it, putting her other arm around my chest. Unknowingly she squeezed my ribs, and I went under a wave of black without my consent.

HM: Much different. There is no Kiyosato (did I spell that right? O.o) But there is a Tomoe, and she's gonna help Kenshin cause he's hurt! I'm changing it a lot… Hope you like, please review!

PS: ARGH! I'm sorry about the chapter confusion, but I fixed it!