Should do a Disclaimer again: No chapter of the Kyoto No More Anthology is affiliated with Nobuhiro Watsuki or the Rurouni Kenshin franchise. Please, this is merely fanwork. *sighh* I got into this fandom too late...
Chapter 7
One more ghost.
He ambled out, the air crisp between his breaths. Hiko Seijuro sauntered along a weedy path, flattening the grass as he went. The early morning was still; the first of the sun's rays yet to grace the earth. There was a peace here, a silence that he marvelled at. Making him almost forget the war raging beyond the horizon. Making it easier to forget one more soul screaming in the upheaval.
So he hurried on, sake jug filled to the brim at his side. The thicket of wood before him hardly thinned out before the clearing, and the field of graves bloomed into view as abruptly as a candle going out. Amongst the dust, arrays of weeds had wedged themselves between the stone markers, and moss eroded them from the top. A light layer of undergrowth covered the three largest stones, lined up neatly a way away from the others. Hiko Seijuro edged forward, careful not to step where the dead rested. The men he murdered. And he approached the stones tentatively, with a certain nervousness, wondering how best to spare the dead their feelings.
Hiko sighed, and bobbed down to pluck the weeds off the graves. And then he clapped his hands together, shutting his eyes and mumbling aloud. "Miss Akane, Miss Kasumi, and Miss Sakura. You may recall I am Hiko Seijuro the XIII…Kenshin…or Shinta's master."
He paused, tasting the words in his mouth before he spit them out. With a smile, he added, "Kenshin has become quite a swordsman. Intuitive, resourceful, calculating and courageous. Though he's also stupid, idealistic… stubbornly naiive and, and…" He looked up, weary before the three stones. "and he's stronger, and more talented than anything. He's grown into an admirable boy."
He paused again, making sure he looked the ghosts in their eyes. "Forgive me. Forgive my idiocy. I let the baka go. The baka-deshi's gone to fight in the war. The Bakumatsu. He'd grown too righteous, too convicted. He'd never have listened to me. So I told him to go. Heh. And spite me or not— he's gone." His palms were sweaty now, and he lowered his knees into the dirt. "I'm sorry. But I taught him, raised him the best I could. Kami, let it be enough. Please, watch over him. He's too…good, for his own good." Hiko hesitated a little, before bobbing up. One hand curled under his long, white coat, and he produced the jug of sake.
"Miss Akane, Miss Kasumi, and Miss Sakura." He hoped they had reached Nirvana. The jug of sake dampened the undergrowth. "…Just know. He'd be back. He will. He'll survive the war, no matter what condition he's in. He'll come to see you here, one day." Hiko smiled sadly. And he overstepped the field of graves as the sun fell on the three stones.
Years passed.
He came sauntering back up the weedy path, its greenery now overgrown. The morning was new, and the embers of the horizon lit up the skies with a fire. Beautiful. Hiko was momentarily blinded by the light, eyes reflecting the brilliance of the dawn. And as ready as he was to meet the abruptness of the clearing, his face lit up with surprise. Against the red sky, thirty crosses loomed out. A scrawl of crooked shadows were cast across the barren grounds. Who? But he knew who. The boy who dug graves became a man who bought death. He came back. Hiko walked between the marked mounds, eyes falling on the three lined-up stones. Now, they were accompanied by three crosses.
The cross in the centre was adorned with a lavender scarf, and he caught the faint scent of white plum. It hung there, almost enveloped by the bloody sky. This belonged to a lady. She was important to you, Kenshin. His thoughts soured. But now she's one more death to pay tribute to. A light wind tousled his bangs, and he stared down for a long time, looking at nothing and nowhere. Hiko shut his eyes.
The baka-deshi finally understands. How much of a baka he really is.
The wind made dust settle on his feet.
He returned to see you, Miss Akane, Miss Kasumi, Miss Sakura, didn't I say? I'm right. Heh. Why do I always have to be right? He'd warned Kenshin, and now he was back from the war—changed into the exact thing his master tried so hard to protect him from. Hiko arched his neck, looking to the skies to watch the heavens burn.
'Tell me your name.'
'Shinta.'
'A child's name; too soft for a swordsman. From this day forth, you are Kenshin.'
Notes
Alternate/ deleted line: 'He'd warned Kenshin, and now he came back from the war no longer able to play soldier with a wooden sword, dreaming of saving the world.'
Alternate/working titles: 'Morning Stroll of regrets' and 'The lavender scarf'
The last part of this one was ripped straight out of last heart-breaking 2 mins of the Trust and Betrayal OVA. You can see it here: wwwdotyoutubedotcom/watch?v=VjjloyaOxEc (starts at 4:55 mark.)
:_: Ah, I love writing pain. Hiko loved Kenshin a lot, Ok. I'm going to write a piece about how exactly he found out about Tomoe. Soon-ish. (But I'll publish it as a separate one shot...)
Update: Oki, the full story is up- it's called 'Rain, rain, go away; Battousai is back again.'
Reviews are greatly appreciated, I would love to hear your thoughts about anything!
-earl