Ambiguity
Chapter 18: An End and a Beginning
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Author: Jun-I
Pairing: Kanbei x female Kyuzo
Notes:
- The previous chapter had been reworked on 10/20/06. I added more of Kanbei's thoughts and reactions at Q's death. So do re-read it if you have read the old version.
Warnings: See Chapter
Disclaimers: See Chapter 1
It seemed an eternity before he came to her. He saw the fair-haired samurai waiting on the other side when he crossed the river. She looked the way he had remembered her, but somewhat different. Ageless. Neither young nor old. Shimada wanted to embrace her, but he stopped himself. Kyuuzou probably did not want to be held. All she wanted was a duel to decide which of them was the victor.
"You're late," she said with a degree of cool annoyance when he came ashore.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting," the white-clad samurai bowed apologetically. "I will be happy to have our match whenever you should desire."
She acknowledged his words with a slight bow. It was then Kanbei noticed that there was someone standing behind the blonde, someone smaller than her. The tall man approached Kyuuzou's side and looked down at her companion – a young soul. The boy with gold-dark hair looked curiously at Kanbei with reddish brown eyes. Kanbei stared in shock. The stranger had golden brown skin darker than Kyuuzou's but lighter than Kanbei's; there was no denying he had the old warrior's handsomeness and Kyuuzou's slender grace.
The old ronin turned to the woman and asked almost angrily, "Why did you not tell me? I would never have let you go into battle."
"I didn't think that you would have cared, or that you'd even want to know." She rolled her ruby eyes. "As for going into battle, I was pregnant, not invalid."
"I would have wanted to know," Kanbei said to her in a gentler voice. "I would have wanted our child to live."
But Kyuuzou had not wanted that. She did not tell him what she thought though. Instead, the red samurai responded in a neutral voice. "If I had not come to save you from Tessai, could you have saved Kanna?"
Kanbei knew that she was probably right. But still he insisted, "You should have told me! I had the right to know."
"Would that have changed anything?" Kyuuzou replied quietly, "My life and his in exchange for all the lives in Kanna. You would have made that choice too."
He knew she was right. It was just as well he did not know of the child, for letting them both die would have been the most painful decision he would have to make. But there was no point discussing the past further when there were more important things in the present. The young soul standing before them was looking silently from one samurai to the other.
"What is his name?" He asked the fair-haired woman while eyeing the boy with wonder.
"I did not name him. I was waiting for you because I did not want to do all the work." Kyuuzou replied in a detached manner.
Shimada looked at both of them, a little surprised.
"I was waiting for you to show up so I can leave him with you and go my own way." Kyuuzou addressed Kanbei coolly. "After all, you were the one who made the first move that night in Kanna. But I think, our young friend here might decide he wants nothing to do with either of us and find his own way."
Then she added a little more kindly as she looked down at her young companion, "Still, he's starting to grow on me a little."
Kanbei tried to take Kyuuzou's hand, but the scarlet warrior folded her arms defensively. "I still want our duel," Kyuuzou continued, "Only it is rather pointless now. I can't kill you since you're already dead." She was still frowning, but a smile was pulling at the corner of her lips.
"Well, since we both dead," the dark warrior smiled back as he held her gaze. "We have an eternity to decide the winner with as many duels as we wish."
She laughed. This was something Kanbei had never seen while they were in the world of the living, not even during the one night they shared in Kanna Forest. He laughed with her and took the hand of the gold-dark boy. Perhaps this life would be different from the last.
The End
Acknowledgements: Thanks to Vespera for the feedback on Kyuuzou's character and the chapter structure. They were most helpful for improving the story.