Lendra-chan – Hey folks! I'm really sorry for not updating in so long! Haha, although this technically isn't an updated…but that doesn't matter! What matters is that I'm here, right? Right?

:) RIGHT!

Ok, well, this story was created for a little class I'd like to call government. That is why you'll find some random words such as 'national security' and 'internationalism'. XD It was a word splash thing that was focused on foreign policy!

Anyway, as you can see, I basically made it a Kenshin Kaoru fic and I really liked the outcome of it. It's extremely short, but I'm sure you can all deal:); It's rather abstract as well…but new changes and such are good once in a while! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer – I don't own Kenshin at all...sadly enough, I wish I did.

Dust in the Wind

I stood and stared down into the dark abyss that the large canyon created with disdain as I snuffed and shook my head. Lifting my sour gaze away from the long fall, I stared out across the barren, flat land that held cracks and faults as deep as those on my soul. The shadowing over the land that seemed to grow even darker as the wind picked up its speed signaled the beginning of a storm.

My hands were twisted tightly into the folds of my denim jacket pockets, clenched firmly into fists as the dark, looming clouds slowly started to spread themselves over the slate sky; sparks of electricity starting to pulse through their ominous shades of black. My lips quirked up into a smirk of irony as I compared their unavoidable coming of disaster with the corruption of this nation created by the leaders of the land I myself and an uncountable amount of others lived and breathed upon. All of that was held in such vain. It made the blood that coursed through me boil brittle with disgust.

I lifted my Red, Converse covered foot to scuff up the dry sand beneath me, hurling a few rocks down to the depths below, hearing the echo of a solid rock scraping against the walls of the canyon. The echo of the rock seemed to give me a foreign feeling of comfort that eased my hot blood into a cooler pace. I snorted at the disappointment I felt when the sound of its echoes slowly grew softer and seemed to weave itself into the low, haunting whistle of the wind. Closing my glossy violet eyes, I took a deep, raspy breath, one that was meant to ease my rattled nerves. However, the skill of détente seemed to be lacking in my gene pool. As frustrating as it was, our broken nation of disillusioned democracy had a definite destiny that would achieve nothing but failure and the bitter taste of lost success.

I slowly let my eyes of mauve and lavender open to an atmosphere that seemed to be a shade darker than before; so dark that the dim head lights of my rusty red truck seemed to shine brightly against the shadowy contradiction. I looked behind myself, over my shoulder at the silent soul of another victim of false internationalism, who was comfortably situated in the passenger's side of my truck; nestled into the deceiving reassurance of the time eaten material of the seat. She stared back into my indigo eyes with her sapphire before she let her fingers wrap around the door handle and pull it open to her freedom. When the door creaked to an opening, she set her small feet, one after the other, down onto the grit and dirt below with hesitance; almost afraid that the solid ground would crumble from her scarcely afflicting weight, and falter into a free fall of negative space. Once she affirmed the safety of the ground's support, she gently shuffled her way over to me.

She wasn't one to be frightened. She never was. It was simply all instinct. We both were aware of the failure in our nation's national security with both our borders and our souls.

The arms race among the opposite sides of this conflict seemed to tidal wave and fold into itself, turning into this cold war amidst ourselves. No weapons were necessary any longer when one turns against his own self and morphs into the aggressors of their own personal nightmare. Once you start to feed upon your brother, you are no longer of value for any offense in any battle. To be considered so low of worth was no longer a problem in this society. Man would now trade their freedom for any power at all. Internationalism quickly dissolved away into rallies of demands for more power, more supremacy, more of anything and everything that could be obtained by some sort of exchange.

Happiness could never be found by means of exchange. It's what every person seeks but only few find. And the definition of happiness has slipped away from the minds of men and has deceived them into believing it is some sort of physical thing that can be acquired by some means. However, she and I, we knew better than to believe in such a storybook theory. We knew what happiness truly was and we knew that no amount of resource, nation resource or not, was going to get us our happiness. We knew…

Suddenly I was drawn away from my thoughts as she interlaced her soft hand into the tightness of my pocket and grasped my hand in hers. I sighed lightly, calming the raging disputes inside my mind. I glanced over at her and she simply stared back with those expressive eyes she always had. Though communication was continuously avoided, her eyes always managed to catch my own, and when they did, I felt as though everything could fix itself on its own; that we don't need to worry about anything but our own lives.

At a loud crack of thunder, we were both snapped from our world of ponder and were forced to make a decision quickly. I glanced back at the edge of the descending cliff and shook my head. We weren't idiotic or rash. If I let my foot slip over the edge of the abyss, I would simply find that half way down, I would realize that every single problem that picked at me and pressed myself to leap, were all solvable; each and every one of those questions…

No, that was not my answer. I took my hand from my pocket and squeezed her own that continued to intertwine with the warmth of my palm. I turned my glance away from the black plane and offered her the only thing I could supply her with, which turned out to be an undeserving smile. My jaded soul seemed to rustle like fields of golden wheat, caressed by a summer breeze as she smiled back at me; someone so lucky to be graced with someone as her, yet so unworthy of the greatness she could offer.

Oh, but I was a selfish boy, and humane at that. I wanted happiness as well and I couldn't find it within myself to give her up, knowing she was my happiness. No, I would be selfish and keep her along with everything she offered.

Turning away from the thunderstorm representing that of the nation's fate, I gently lead her back to my loyal truck. It seemed to take almost too long to finally settle down. My hands gripped the steering wheel with anticipation before I backed away from the edge of my soul's contemplated suicide and drove away. Away from any and every threat or struggle to mine or her life. Away from the corruption, I drove. And, leaving along with my inner divergence, I left my relationship with this nation; left to settle with the dirt that took a spin from my back tires. And finally, left to dissipate and dissolve away into the dust that would be swept away with the wind. That's all it was now. Simply dust in the wind…

...Just dust.

OWARI

Lendra-chan – Well kiddies, that was it. It really wasn't all that good, or long, but I liked how my assignment for IAG came out and I thought I'd share.

I'm guessing it could be added onto, but I'm not too sure.

Just gimme your opinion, Kay:)

Oh, and that little saying 'many people seek but few find' is from The Last Samurai.

Review!