No real spoilers, but 28 and 29 take place at the same time at the near-end of the series, and 30 has hints of what the resolution to the series' love triangle is.

Spinning on the Edge
For the 30 ANGSTS challenge
By DarkenedSakura
Themes #26-30 (you're dirty and you're sweet)

26. Under your skin (surreal reality)

Being as young as he was, everything prickled him, made him notice, made him care, but nothing ever really got to him in that deep way. Nothing affected him so much, and nothing was supposed to.

And then, things slowly started to change.

The fighting pervaded his senses, and he grew used to the feeling of having cold steel under his fingers. While he hardened, death got under his skin and became a part of him.

There was only one more thing that got to him at a level that deep.

But while she pervaded his senses as well, he could never get under her skin the way she got under his.

27. Line between Love and Hate (Dying just for you)

He loved her, he was sure of it. Loved her enough that it hurt. Was too aware of every little beautiful thing about her, from her smile to her eyes to her countenance to everything in between. Was too aware of every little painful thing that she did, her promises and sacrifices and tears.

Loved her so much he hated it, hated knowing that no matter what happened and what he did that she could never be in his league. Knowing that was what happened and that he still had the same feelings for her and yet he still couldn't develop any resentment towards her, towards the situation.

He hated that.

She blurred the line between love and hate. And yet, she defined it more strongly at the same time. He still couldn't decide which was worse.

He definitely hated that.

28. Tensai or Baka? (cause of nature)

When she had walked by them a few minutes ago, Kambei and Katsushirou had been talking in low tones. She smiled, especially when she thought about the older one of the two. The teacher with the student. The experienced veteran with the rookie. The genius and the…well, the more inexperienced one. Yes, Kambei-sama was the genius for sure.

Later, it was that night, the one where teacher and student stood opposite each other for the last time. But no longer was it the same relationship as before, nor with the same people involved. There was a new air about the younger samurai, something she only sensed from the others before now. The sharpness of his senses, the way he seemed to see everything and see through them all at the same time, the way his aura felt.

When she looked at him, a little voice in the back of her mind said, "Is he still that rookie now? Who is the idiot now?"

Tensai and baka, indeed.

It didn't take a genius to figure that out.

29. Fire; Water; Earth; Metal; Wood (one last dinner)

The blade seemed to cut the very night itself as he wielded it. He had been sharpening his blade earlier in the day and now he was practicing with it. She could hear the whistling of the metal through the air as she stood outside the doorway before going up to him.

"The meal is ready," she said.

"Aa…thank you, Kirara-dono," he said, before he turned back to his sword.

--l--

Though he had gingerly brushed himself off, he still tracked in snow upon the wooden floor, snow that melted as he passed over the threshold and sat down with the others. She had already dished out the rice by then.

Dinner was a somber affair that night. While Kirara slowly picked at her food, she couldn't help but think that something was…different, tonight. And the glances from Katsushirou to Kambei to Shichiroji and back and forth again only enforced that thought. She fiddled with her pendant behind the table, observing the patterns of water through it.

"Excuse me," Katsushirou said as he nodded and rose from the table.

The water seemed to flow in several directions at once.

Kirara looked at the pendant again, and understood.

--l--

After he had gathered together everything of his that was worth taking, he moved slowly towards his destination. He meandered along the forest paths draped in sheets of white and up the mountain trails whose disturbed rock and rubble still remained on the sides, before getting around to the hill.

He bowed in solemn silence. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Entombed within the earth until the end of their eternity, earning their positions there for the work that they did.

He remained in respectful silence until the soft footsteps he had been waiting for came.

She had merely hoped she wouldn't be too late.

"So this is goodbye, isn't it?" they could see in each other's eyes, though it was never said, never needed to be said.

And after all was said and done and he turned and walked back down the hill and out of sight for the very last time, one word lingered in his wake, burned into her thoughts with his flame. One word of farewell.

"Sayounara."

30. Angsts (seeing you and the other)

Almost from the very moment that she saw him first, she knew, and had the grace to blush because of it. Even if it was hopeless, she would keep trying, trying to catch his eye, trying to make him see that it wasn't the younger one she cared for, it was him.

And she thought that Katsushirou liked her greatly, had an inkling of it. No…she knew. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew, and hid that knowledge away so she could continue to deny it. So she could continue to deny the fact that yes, she knew she would eventually break his heart and no, she didn't know why she continued to reject him inwardly.

When events came to a head, there was no consolation for her. She shattered Katsushirou's hopes, while he outright rejected her. Shattered everything she had built up, destroyed her illusions, unjustified what she had done to get where she was now. And while they both grew or moved on, she was left behind. Again, as usual.

She was strong. She could take it, get over it, grow and move on from it. And in the end, perhaps it would give her release and set her back on the path with the younger one. When and where they took the different forks in the road, she didn't know. But everything she could've wanted had really been there all along, with him, with that second path. Wasn't that what so many people had said to her? Why hadn't she listened?

Maybe it wasn't too late. Nothing was ever too late.

Perhaps there was a chance for hope.

--l--

Perhaps it was too late.

--l--

Vocab: tensai is genius, and baka is idiot. Sayounara, with that extra 'u', is less of 'goodbye' and more of 'farewell, we'll never see each other again'.

Honestly? Even though I finished all of these themes at least months ago, I completely lost interest. S7 isn't one of my main fandoms, I think my angst themes are cheesy and geh, and yeah. Lack of responses doesn't really help much either. But, then I got reminded of it and I really do want to complete my claim officially, so here it is. I like 29, definitely...if people see the double theme work, I'll be happy, haha.

Technically, with this, my claim is complete and I'm done. However, as I'm as masochistic and as much of a completionist as they come, I'm doing the five bonus themes. Those will be up soon, I think. I hope.

But I think my (super awesome) beta hit it on the head for me, the problem I've been having with these themes. They're all the same. Wah, angst about the same situation in merely different words. And I really should've realized that this would be a problem later, but…well, I didn't, and whoops. It won't happen with the last five.

So yeah…reviews are appreciated, critiques as well, etc. (Sorry, I'm brain dead and stressed though school is over and I have nothing witty to say.)