Chapter 10

The End of the Journey

(Kenji)

Long after my vision I kept replaying Tomoe-san's words in my mind, thinking of how I would tell Dad what I had seen. He was curious; I knew that because he asked me what had happened. He knew that something big had happened, but he wasn't quite sure.

Dad released me slowly, tears still flowing slowly down his cheeks, wetting my hand as I wiped them away gently. He smiled, touching my face with a hand. "How you've grown Kenji…" He suddenly chuckled slightly. "You look so much like me at this age…"

I smiled back at him. "Thanks Dad."

Dad put his other hand to my cheek, pulling my head forward and putting his forehead against mine. "I'm so proud of you Kenji…"

I wrapped my arms tightly around Dad's shoulders, hugging myself to his body. "I'm proud of you too Dad… You really were there for me, even though you were having troubles of your own."

Dad's arms tightened around me, and he chuckled lightly. "I tried Kenji. I never wanted you to be alone." I felt his lips against my hair. "I love you so much aisoku."

I smiled. "I love you too Dad."

Mom was wiping at her face with her kimono sleeve, smiling and laughing through her tears. "Well, I think I'll go make some tea, and let you two redheads have a talk."

I knew that Mom was letting us have our time together, knowing that Dad was confused on what had happened, and it was better that we both have that time together to be able to explain what both of us had experienced, and a bit more time to just get over the immense shock that we had just gone through. She would be back to hear the story later.

"Now Kenji, what happened? Why did you just pass out like that?" Dad murmured, sitting with his arm around my shoulders as we leaned against the wall.

"I was sitting in here with you, and then there was a voice. It was the person that you first made the deal with. I told it that I didn't understand why you were suffering so, and it said that it would show me." I answered, leaning my head to the side. "I felt dizzy, and then I woke up in Kyoto."

Dad's breath was sucked in, his chest stuttering beneath my shoulder. "Kyoto? Are you sure?"

I nodded. "Yea, that person told me. I saw you, Dad." I paused for a minute, and I could almost feel Dad's heart skip a beat. "I saw you kill a man."

"Oh no…" Dad's arms pulled me closer, and I felt my hair growing wet again as he sobbed against me. "Oh Kenji, I'm so sorry… I never wanted you to find out that way…. I was going to tell you…"

I shook my head, hugging him tightly. "It's alright Dad. I understand why you didn't want to tell me, I don't hate you for what you did. You were just fighting in a war; you did what you had too."

Dad nodded, stubbornly swiping at his tears and settling back against me. "And after that? What happened then?"

"Well, at first when I got there I was weaponless, but when the man said that he was going to kill me, but then the sakabatou appeared." I murmured, still pondering on how it had gotten there in the first place.

"'Appeared?' What do you mean by that?" Dad asked, confusion showing in his voice.

"I'm still not sure myself. It was just suddenly in my hand, the sheath at my side. I'm glad it was, it gave me the chance to fight back to that man. He…." I paused, remembering the shock of seeing my enemy for the first time. "He was someone I knew, surprisingly."

"Knew? You knew him?"

"Hai. Remember when I saw that scar on your shoulder?" I snaked my fingers in his gi, lightly touching where the scar resided. He nodded, curious. "It was him. Shishio Makoto."

Dad's eyes narrowed in fury. "Shishio…. I should have known that he would be involved in this somehow."

"He called you names, and it made me mad." I frowned, looking down. "I felt so angry, I just wanted to make him pay for what he was doing to you. I was fighting well for a minute, but then, I just… I don't know, but I was getting ready for a Ryu Tsui Sen…"

"A Ryu Tsui Sen? How did you learn that? Kenji…" Dad's voice changed to one of scolding and he frowned at me.

I grinned sheepishly. "Oh…yea… Um… I was meaning to tell you about that…"

He blinked. "So that's where you disappeared to right after your genpuku ceremony. Kaoru never did tell me where you went." He grinned. "I'm not angry with you, but I am a little upset that you didn't at least tell me. I would rather know that you were going there than find out later that you did so without my permission."

"I was afraid you'd say no…" I murmured, looking down.

Dad sighed. "Hai, I suppose I would have…" He shook himself lightly. "Please, continue Kenji."

"I tried to do a Ryu Tsui Sen, but he must have gotten up faster than I thought from my hitting him earlier. He stabbed me in the stomach, and I passed out…" I said quietly. "After that the first thing I remember is waking up to him pushing the tip of his sword through my arm."

"That must have been when you started bleeding…." Dad's voice sounded terrified, and I looked up into his closed eyes and tense face. "I was so afraid…. All I could feel was your blood, and it was all over my hands, I didn't know what to do, I didn't know what was going on…"

I touched his hand slightly, and then continued my story. "I managed to get a hold of the sakabatou, and stand, but I was having trouble standing, but all of the sudden he started insulting you again. And the sakabatou, and what it stands for…"

Dad growled lowly in his throat. "Shishio always did have a fondness for mocking me and my beliefs…"

"He attacked me again, but all of my strength suddenly started coming back. I didn't understand, but my wounds were healing, and I was getting stronger. I started to fight back again. I did a Ryu Tsui Sen again, and this time I hit him. I must have done so really hard, because he didn't get back up. I think that I broke his spine." I said thoughtfully, considering what Shishio had done.

"Really? Kami-sama Kenji, you had to have had a lot of force behind that attack. I've never done that before." Dad murmured. "Of course when I would have been aiming to break something I would never aim for the spine, nor put that much force behind it."

"I was so angry… I wanted to kill him, to make him pay for what he's done to you…" I whispered, looking down at my hands.

I felt Dad flinch. "You…. You didn't, did you Kenji?"

I shook my head slightly. "Iie. I was stopped before I did."

Dad blinked. "Stopped? By who?"

I smiled then. "By a woman that smelled like white plums."

I could see the recognition dawn on Dad's face, his eyes growing wide. "T-Tomoe…"

"She said that Kami-sama never wanted this to happen, that Shishio interfered. She said that you were supposed to have a normal life, and that I was supposed to be born healthy. And… She told me that I had your eyes for a moment… Amber eyes." I sighed, and then continued on quietly. "And she had a message for you Dad."

"A…A message?"

I nodded, leaning my head back against Dad's shoulder. "She said, and I quote, 'Tell him that I love him, and I meant to do what I did. I was given the choice to take it back, but I turned it down, because I knew that it was meant to be. If I hadn't died he wouldn't have had you.'"

Dad's head fell forward, his crimson hair falling to curtain his face. I blinked, watching as a single silver tear glided down the cheek closest to me.

"Dad?" I whispered.

He pulled in a shuddering breath, and then raised his head, wiping the tear from his cheek. "I'm okay Kenji. Arigatou, for telling me that. It… was something I think I've needed to hear for a long time."

"Who was Tomoe, Dad? She said that you would tell me when you decided it was right, but I was just wondering…" I trailed off uncertainly.

"She… was my wife, back in the war. She died sometime before it, and she made me realize what I was doing. She forced me to see the value of my own life, for I didn't care whether I lived or died anymore. That realization made me see the value of life in general. It was her influence that caused me to take up the sakabatou, along with my vow." Dad murmured quietly. He smiled at me then. "But let's not speak of this. All that matters now is that everything's going to be okay."

I nodded. "Hai, it will be." I stood, reaching down and offering him a hand.

He took it and stood, stretching his body. "I feel like new, everything seems to be healed." He grinned at me. "I feel like going on a run… or maybe even a spar."

I read his challenge in his voice, answering him with a grin. "Are you saying…"

He laughed slightly. "Let's see just what you learned from Shishou while you were with him learning my sword style. Come on Kenji."

As I followed him out of the room he put an arm around my shoulders. I grinned. "Dad?"

"Yes Kenji?"

"I love you."

He smiled, squeezing my shoulders tightly. "I love you too aisoku."

End! I hope you have all enjoyed this, and sorry for the delay!