Disclaimer: I do not own any right's to Rurouni Kenshin, any-and all- of those are property of Watsuki-san.

Couples: A&M

Rating: PG; K+

Title: Like a dance

Onegai: I am sorry this is poorly made but my keyboard keeps messing up, although I have to ask you PLEASE R&R! I would like to know what you think of this... so please remember to reveiw... ah... my brain is dead!

It's like a dance, the deadly battle of a fighter, the smoothness of the blade becoming a part of you as you pursue. It's beautiful, the stiffness of the sword makes you bend in movement so symbolic to a dance, so perfect.

I tried to forget it all, tried to forget my teachings, and just for a moment dance, let the cold blades teach me the moves only they knew. It was a mistake, and not my first one either. I remember the sound of metal hitting bone, such a delicate, awful sound. I remember the look in the eyes of my victems, so lost, so empty.

I can never become clean, never let all that I saw go, for I have danced the forbidden dance, I have murdered of own free-will, killed the innocence others have so tried to protect. I am but a liar, a viscous liar to the world. I can't go back, for the steps have already been taken. Nobody cares to see in my eyes the pain, because I hide it behind a painted mask.

It's a dance, the moves changing you as you sway, the life so close to death, the feeling of standing on a cliff, it breaks you as you stand there, your soul showing for the first time, and yet you can't turn back, because for but a moment you forgot, you forgot what life meant, what it was that made your heart beat. Life, so easily sustained, and yet so easily taken away.

We dance, the pain never becomeing unwelcome, the sadness never becoming un-needed. We drown oursleves in self-taunting, self pity. We watch through couded eyes, our judgement but an armstretch away, and yet we cannot reach out to it, we cannot call upon it to save us, 'cause we're already caught up. We're playing the role no other wanted, we're sleeping in misery while inside we're haunted.

There's no way to describe the pain in your eyes, the betrayal behind the mask no-one cared to crack. There was so much counting on one little lie, one little move from the dancer in the play. That's what our life has become, a play, and where the villians, though plentiful, we're scarce in spirit.

We are the killers, merdurers, and slayers. Those are the names we have been bestowed, the title's we so lothe. I hold in my smile, for I don't deserve to feel, the pain i've inflicted on so many tainted souls is nothing to smile over.

I look at you-so innocent, so peacful. I wonder, do you ever have nightmares, where all you thought was wrong, all you did for so long,brought you to your knees, where you finally pass from the insanity called life into death? I dream every night of just that, a story lost such as mine would it really change the world? I swore once I would protect, I would be a hero for all the peaple less fortunate in this world. That was vieghn though, it was too big a promise tofulfill,and I fell feeling myself a failure.

I lost everything in the end of a dance un-ending. I was lost in the life of a person who had killed, who had murdered out of pleasure. Am I not evil for such a thing? I have to believe I am. I fell so hard into the place I believed to be my role that I couldn't see the conseqeunces. Do you blame me? I do. I blame myself every moment I think, the darkness, sinking into my soul as I watch you smile, watch you grow, and learn.

You can only see me as I am, a man, a simple, lost, man. I pray every moment of my life that I wont see you take that same path, kill without the thought of self destrutction, and self denial. We become the burdened, for 'causeing so many.

My dear, please tell me it's over, that dance that I took part in. Tell me i'm not im-pure. Tell me you'll forgive me for all i've put you through.

Misao whiped her tears as she read the last sentence, her eyes hazed over as she looked at Aoshi, his face not showing any emotion. Surely he cannot feel all this, he cannot hurt so deep without cracking. She crashed into him, her tears wetting his shirt as she held it. It wasn't possible that he could hide within him so much. She hugged him, causing him to instinctively wrap his arms around her.

"Yes... all of it yes... I promise you I forgave you a long time ago... please forgive yourself though... I cannot stand to see you hurting so." She broke down in his arms, her sobbing the only sound in the hallway, he sighed, pulling her closer to him.

"Misao, it will take more than a lifetime to atone for my sins, you mustn't be so naive." She looked up and he cringed at the pained look on her face. She looked so sad, so lost. He didn't know what to do, so he kissed her.

He wasn't sure why he did it, it just sort of happened, he didn't really realize it until her lips parted, allowing him entrance to her mouth. He moaned and stepped back after a moment. "Misao, i'm sorry." Was all he said, but she shook her head, laughter filling the room as tears cascaded down her red cheeks.

"Your so kawai when you feel guilty... hmm... maybe I should cry more often." She said, but before she could get out another word he was crushing her lips beneath his once more, and that's when he realized, he could only free himself from the dance through her, his rock, the one still person in a world of dancers.

---screen fades to black---

Aha! yet another AM finisho! Yay! haha, R&R!