Of Wine and Water By: P.P.V.V.

Disclaimer: The Standard Disclaim applies…


AN: Thanks again to everyone's amazing support for this story! I was so inspired, I took every break, every opportunity to sit down and write. Another familiar scene is about to unfold ahead.

Warning: Spoilers for Trust and Betrayal, the Manga and the animated series.


"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." – Edward Burke


Chapter 31

- Opposite Sides of the Spectrum -

The mood in the small cabin was somber. Hiko sat by the window, nursing his favorite drink as he brooded.

His pupil certainly knew how to press his buttons the wrong way, lately. What was most irritating was that his attitude worked its way under Hiko's skin. The arrogance was almost suffocating and a part of him knew that it was somewhat his fault. His constant flaunt of his own arrogance had probably rubbed off on the kid.

Honestly! How could the child – because that was what he was, barely a man…he'd only just started his teenage years! – believe himself to be the savior of mankind? It was almost laughable. Almost. There was no doubt that Kenshin was good at what he did. When he trained with the sword, it was as though he was one with it and the world around him did not exist. He'd become better at controlling his thoughts, at subduing his bright energy. He had, before Hiko's very eyes, grown up into the perfect killing machine.

Still, he was not mature enough to handle such a responsibility. If he let the child get away with the most foolish fantasy he'd ever concocted, he'd destroy himself and all the hard work Hiko had put into him.

The Master's dark thoughts were interrupted when he realized the constant thwack of a blade against wood outside, had stopped. Perhaps the kid had decided to blow off steam by taking a run.

Whatever.

Maybe the cold air would clear the stupid fool's head of the ridiculous ideas of war.

Hiko was betrayed into a jump when Kenshin slammed his way into the hut, his breath rising on a cloud of mist, eyes narrowed, his handsome face pink from the winter's wind. The kid had certainly picked up the stealth of a cat.

Huh.

"What do you want, brat?"

Kenshin stamped off some snow on his shoe and shrugged the warm coat he wore, off his shoulders. It came to rest as a rumpled mess on the floor, but he didn't seem to care.

"I hate you."

Hiko lowered his sake disk, letting no emotion cross his features. His heart, however, began to hammer painfully in his chest. Never had he thought that mere words would affect him so much, and he berated himself for it. "Good to know," he grunted. "That still won't make me change my mind."

Kenshin's hand gripped his weapon at his side and for a moment, Hiko thought the kid would actually attack. Instead, the boy said, "I hate how you strut about with all these…these principles that you refuse to use for the good of the people."

What a romanticist. Hiko calmly reminded him, "Those principles saved you one fateful night."

Kenshin glared at him and the Master actually felt a shiver run down his spine. When unleashed, that spirit was definitely terrifying. He couldn't help but feel impressed. Pride warred with the feeling of hurt inside him. "This isn't about me, Master."

Hiko launched himself to his feet, his impressive cloak billowing about him as he did. "It is!" He roared, unable to control his temper any longer. All the emotions he was feeling were throwing him off from his usual composed self. "You think that the whole world revolves around you, do you? You haven't learned anything, you idiot apprentice."

Kenshin's mouth tightened into a single line and Hiko gave him his own glare. "Go for a run, before I really get mad."

"I don't need a run," Kenshin argued.

"Kenshin."

The boy flinched at the tone in his Master's voice. It was the no-nonsense one he used when he would not stand to be disobeyed. The warning in it was clear, and long years of discipline that had been ingrained in him made Kenshin turn his heel and exit the cabin as commanded, coat forgotten in his haste.

Hiko swept after the boy, wanting to make sure that he would follow through with the order. He was beginning to develop a little headache between his eyes and he reached up to rub at the offending spot as if that would help make it dissipate.

Where had he gone wrong?

Kenshin turned to face him again, throwing him a baleful look. "If you would only - "

"- I cannot allow you to leave this mountain," Hiko said, plainly.

"Master!" Kenshin's tone turned imploring. "As we stand here and talk about principles, many people are suffering and dying every day from the uprisings. Isn't the Mitsurugi Ryu supposed to be used to protect people like them? Especially in times like these?"

And here Hiko had thought the boy had matured. He was still so naive. His disappointment in his apprentice grew. Feeling his anger stir up, he bit out, "You stupid pupil! Tell me, what will you do after you lend your sword to such a cause?" When Kenshin opened his mouth, Hiko cut him off from any retort the kid could make. "You'll be forced to join one side or another and you'll be used by whichever one you land on. I didn't teach you the Misurugi Ryu so that you can use it in that fashion." He forced himself to take a deep breath.

Lately, he and Kenshin had been having nothing but arguments over this.

How he had learned of the uprisings was no surprise. After all, Hiko made Kenshin go down the mountain to the city all the time for supplies and the like. Townspeople probably talked quite a lot, the annoying chits that they all were.

He'd thought that if he blew the whole situation off, Kenshin would forget about it. Evidently, it only seemed to fuel his desire to participate. Maybe it was time to remind him of the more important things. "You shouldn't be paying attention to anything that's going on around us. Just concentrate on your training!" He scolded.

Kenshin stepped forward, all too ready to make his point. "Before my eyes…there are people suffering! Countless numbers, distraught. I can't just turn my back on them! For me…I won't do it!"

The disbelief that colored the boy's tone struck a chord in the swordsmaster. He thought Hiko was being heartless. Of all the…! "The Mitsurugi Ryu is the most powerful of all techniques. It's the black ship of absolute power…"

"That's why we should use it now!" Kenshin insisted. "To protect the people from these times! That's the purpose, the principle of the Mitsurugi Ryu isn't-"

Temper flaring, Hiko could not help his shout. "-The art of swordsmanship is the art of learning murder! No pretty words can cover it up. That's the truth." His student couldn't bite back a gasp at the harshness of his words, but nevertheless, the Master doled them out. "You'll kill some people in order to protect others – murder some to save all. That's the principle of all sword technique." He paused, momentarily, hoping that maybe this time, Kenshin would finally understand.

Using the sword in the way he wanted to would only lead him to regrets. With a soul as pure as his, it would not only taint him, it would destroy him. It wasn't time yet to learn this most important principle. It should have been years more before Hiko would have to teach this lesson. It should have been the very last lesson he'd ever learn, but he was forced to teach some of it now. "As you know," he continued, "I have murdered many hundreds of evil men. But in the end, they were all human."

Hadn't he known this? In Hiko's mind's eye, he could clearly remember Kenshin's tiny body, scuffed, dirty and bloody from burying his slave masters, his friends and even his enemies. He closed his eyes against the image. "Those people were only trying to live their lives in the best way they knew how." He opened them to regard his student again, who still stood defiantly before him. "If you leave this mountain, the only thing that will await you is a life of murder from those who are trying to carve their own sense of justice on this world. If you go down to them, you'll allow the Mitsurugi Ryu to make you a mass murderer."

Once again, Kenshin's hand tightened over his still-sheathed weapon. His eyes shone with a bright determination.

And Hiko knew: he'd lost him already.

The very first lesson he'd ever taught to Kenshin was being flung back at him.

Hands are very important. They are a man's way of expressing himself. Be careful what you do with them.

Kenshin's next words confirmed it for him. "You may be right, but I want to rescue those who are suffering. With these hands… as many people…as many lives as I can…I will be their savior! I need to leave in order to do that."

Hiko stared at him, his heart sinking at the realization that no matter what he tried to say now, it would fall on deaf ears. No matter what he tried to do, he could not stop the boy – the child, his child – from leaving the mountain. To do so would only make Kenshin harbor a hate and a resentment against him. He'd never learn to his full capacity. And in the end, Kenshin would leave anyway to become the killer he so desired to be, for all the wrong reasons.

Not a savior.

Not a hero.

Didn't he understand that?

…No, he didn't.

Hiko thought he might be sick.

Disgusted at himself and at his student, he turned to leave. His headache had grown the point that his vision was blurring – no, of course he was not being blinded by tears…

Kenshin's hopeful voice called his attention. "Master?"

Does he want me to approve? Hiko thought, angrily. Well, I don't. I won't. I never will. "I'm tired of wasting my breath on someone as stupid as you," he barked, gruffly. "Go! Go wherever you want to go!" And he moved toward the cabin, wanting to get as far away from the boy before he could change his mind; before he could grab the boy and try to shake some sense into him.

He heard Kenshin's heartfelt thanks but it seemed to come from far away. There was only one thought pervading the Master's mind.

What…what have I done?


Word Count: 1, 726

Moving Forward…


AN: Wow, what a heavy chapter. It was more difficult to write than I thought it would be. Trying to justify both sides of the coin was hard because Hiko's mind was made up in that he didn't want his pupil to go to war.

I hope you forgive me for making that his biggest weakness. His refusal to even broach the topic was his downfall as a Master in this story and I hope it was believable. Hiko is human, after all. Your thoughts on this segment would be wonderful. If time allows it, another chapter will be up by next week. I hope to hear from you!

Thanks for reading,

-P.P.V.V.

Edited: August 26, 2016