Just Like You, a rurouni kenshin fanfic

Just Like You

Author's Notes: I don't own the song or the characters. The song's by Three Days Grace. I'm just borrowing things… Don't sue! I'm not worth it! ("..." --represents Kenshin...because he physically speaks to his darker half. '...'--represents the Battousai because he's not a physical being... he's in our little Rurouni's head!)

Summary: Kenshin battles his darker half to keep the Battousai from taking over permanently! Their battle is physical mental and verbal… Who will win?

Rating: PG-PG13 –Verbal violence?

"I could be mean, I could be angry
you know I could be just like you"

Kenshin sighed and shook his head. He'd been battling his inner demon for days on end and finally it had come down to a final draw—one he feared would determine his character forever.

You see, Kenshin had always fought with the Battousai inside him. But the Rurouni had always been able to suppress his urges in the past. But the battles had become more and more frequent since the battle with his successor—and Kenshin had grown more and more terrified that one day he would wake up as the Hitokiri Battousai, and would not be able to save his friends from the wrath his other side would wreak.

This is why, on the eve of summer, he found himself in the middle of a large field, far away from any human life, coercing his internal enemy to wage war to end this once and for all.

The insults had begun long ago. Since Kenshin first began his life as a wanderer. Now, the Hitokiri taunted him, called him names, and he dared return the jibes. And so, their war had begun as a physical test of strength, and had morphed into a contest of insults.

'I could be fake; I could be stupid
you know I could be just like you'

The Battousai only grinned at the snarl on his other half's face. He bared his teeth, red eyes glowing in his darkness. Too long he had been trapped in the mind of this pathetic embarrassing misfit; too long had he been forced to sit in silence while there were people to kill and pain to inflict and general havoc to wreak.

He knew his Wandering opponent was no coward, but he had his mind made up, he wanted out—he wanted free reign, and that was that.

"You thought you were standing beside me
you were only in my way
you're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you"

Kenshin gritted his teeth. He'd never before considered the inhumanity of his dark half. He'd never really thought about how cruel and inhuman the Battousai was. He knew that it was time to end the battle, so that he could return to his friends without any darkness hidden in his mind—without having to worry about letting his guard down, and hurting those he loved. Because he knew that the Battousai never would understand love.

The Battousai gritted his teeth back at Kenshin. His grip on his sword tightened. 'You think I'm in the way,' he spat, 'you are always in my way, Rurouni!' His eyes flashed in the darkness, and Kenshin clenched his own fists.

'You thought you were there to guide me
you were only in my way
you're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you
You thought you were there to guide me
you were only in my way
you're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you'

Kenshin shook his head hard. He knew that there was no converting the Battousai. He knew it like he knew it was impossible to tame a wild animal. The Battousai was pure evil. There was mention in their conversation of one joining the other's side—but Kenshin knew that neither could cross over completely. And he certainly was not planning on crossing over at all. He slanted his eyes at his opponent,

"I could be cold, I could be ruthless
you know I could be just like you"

His words were soft, threatening, but the Battousai knew they weren't true, and he told Kenshin so. He told him that Kenshin could never be as great a fighter as the Battousai, because he cared too much. That's why his master didn't want to give him the final moves for his art. Because he was going to use it for something that it was not intended for. The Battousai was furious at this—and it took the Battousai overcoming the Rurouni to learn the last techniques of the Hiten Mitsurugi style. The Battousai had never thought highly of Kenshin. Never. And he told him every chance he got.

'I could be weak, I could be senseless
you know I could be just like you'

Kenshin only looked back at the Battousai. "I am not weak or senseless, that I am not," he spoke calmly, "it takes true strength to protect those you love than it does to kill everyone in your path."

The Battousai was not listening to him, he was angry, he wanted to finish this—he wanted control, it was time he had control.

'You thought you were standing beside me
you were only in my way
you're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you'

The Battousai quoted Kenshin's own words back to him, mockingly. And Kenshin only smirked in reply. "I will stand in your way forever, Battousai," he said, "I will never let you hurt the innocent, or the people I love."

The Battousai grew angrier at Kenshin's words and yelled, 'It is this love that makes you weak! Why can't you see that! Do you not remember Tomoe!' It hurt even the Battousai to bring her name into their argument, but he knew it would hurt the Rurouni also.

"You thought you were there to guide me
you were only in my way
you're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you
You thought you were there to guide me
you were only in my way
you're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you"

Kenshin was angry as he spoke, he shook his head again. "You should not have brought Tomoe into this, that you should not," he said, and growled. He knew then, that it was time to take action—that he could no longer allow the Battousai to take control of him—that, if he did not act soon, it would be too late, and he would have no chance to defeat his mortal enemy. Brandishing his own reverse-blade sword, he cried out in anger and determination,

"On my own, cause I cant take living with you
I'm alone, So I wont turn out like you want me to"

The Battousai met the blow, and parried it, though just barely. He had not anticipated how strong the Rurouni had become. When they separated again, it was the Hitokiri who had taken the blow the hardest of all. Kenshin was breathing heavily—he was breathing fire—his own anger and hatred and resolve seething from every pore. The Battousai knew then, at that moment, he might actually me staring at his equal. Still, though, he let a growl slip from his lips, and roared forward,

'You thought you were standing beside me
you were only in my way
you're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you'

Kenshin scoffed as he dodged the blow, jumping over his opponents head. His only task, he understood, was to win—so that he could protect his adopted family from that day forward. But he also knew that just as he had his mind made up, the Battousai also had plans for a future that might exist without the presence of the Rurouni. It was do or die time, and Kenshin had to decide to be strong enough to overcome his own self. Madly dashing at the Battousai, who starred him down, he screamed,

"You thought you were there to guide me
you were only in my way
you're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you
You thought you were there to guide me
you were only in my way
you're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you"

It was this blow that the Battousai could not escape from. Kenshin, as himself and not the Hitokiri, had had more practice with his art, and had thus perfected every minute detail of every technique. The Battousai never really had a chance.

As the fading darkness crept from Kenshin's mind, he collapsed in the dirt and began to cry. It was now past dusk and the stars were beginning to become visible in the sky. He dropped his sword, which had only really cut through air, into the dirt beside him, and buried his hands in his hair. He cried for his victory, he cried for the Battousai's defeat. He cried for Tomoe, and for Kaoru, he cried for all of the lives his own hands had taken, and for all the lives his hands had saved. He was so involved with his crying that he did not hear the footsteps until they were almost beside him.

It was Kaoru. She'd seen the whole thing from a tree not far away—she had followed him from the dojo, wondering at his strange demeanor, and frightened that he might take up wandering again. When she saw him begin to fight with what seemed to be no one, she began to understand—he was fighting his inner self. Now, that the battle had finished, she had come—for better or worse—to see who had claimed the victory.

Without a word, Kenshin stood next to her, his purple eyes deep from his weeping. The smile on her face could not be hidden, and she embraced him in happiness. With no little surprise, he hugged her in return. Then, scooping up his reverse-blade, he slid it back into its holder, and offered her his arm, "let's go home, Miss Kaoru,"he said, smiling his Rurouni smile.

(I could be mean, I could be angry
you know I could be just like you)

19 February 2006