Disclaimer: I don't own Ruroken. I don't own Jinchuu. I don't own much of anything...
"A Price for Freedom"
Prologue
It was an unusually warm day for this late in the year. The sun was just rising, turning the sky lovely shades of lavender, pink and red. Small breezes gently blew leaves from the trees. Everything was peaceful and calm. Himura Kenshin crouched outside, washing laundry. It was early to work, even for him, but his sleep had been limited last night.
Swish. Splash.
Swish. Splash.
Swish. Splash.
Cleaning laundry was one of his favorite chores. It was monotonous. It was boring. It didn't make him think. There were days that Himura Kenshin didn't want to think. He lifted his lavender eyes to the rising sun, as another breeze threatened to loosen some of his red hair from its tie.
It was so peaceful. So quiet. He risked pausing for a moment to experience it. It had been an unusually good year for him. Unexpected, that it was. With all that had happened, it had still been good. He'd found a place to call home. He'd found friends. He'd made amends with Hiko Seijuro. He'd made amends with himself.
"It could have been like this, you know, if you'd never picked up a sword. You'd have been happy with some lands and some seeds to plant."
The lavender eyes widened. If he hadn't known better, he'd have sworn that he'd actually heard her voice.
Swish. Splash.
Swish. Splash.
He went back to his cleaning with renewed vigor. He didn't have to think.
Swish. Splash.
Cleaning would focus his mind. Or unfocus it. He wasn't sure which he needed more at the moment.
Swish. Splash.
This was Kaoru-dono's dojo. She was asleep inside. This was her laundry. And his. And Yahiko's. He'd never washed her laundry.
Except for once... Once when she couldn't...
Blood. Her kimono and obi were slashed and covered in blood. But even over the sweet scent of blood, he'd been able to smell the sweeter scent of white plums. She lay inside cleaned, dressed in fresh clothes. Lying on her futon as though asleep. And for some reason that even he couldn't understand, Battousai was outside washing the blood out of her kimono and obi. Because nothing of her could smell like blood. She had always been white plums. He needed to hold onto that. It never occurred to him that he'd cleaned her blood out already. That it was the blood from his own untreated wounds that he smelled now...
His eyes blinked open. Why? Why were these thoughts coming now?
He looked into the laundry water. The man who blinked back at him was no Battousai. Wide lavender eyes. Loosely tied, shaggy red hair. A sakabatou.
What would she think if she saw him now? Is this what she wanted? Was he allowing her spirit to rest? Or was he as guilty as Aoshi had been? Was he condemning her to wander with him by refusing to let go?
For a moment he saw what he once was. Narrowed amber eyes. Smooth red hair, pulled into a neat topknot. Blood on his face. On his hands. Blood in the water from her.
He closed his eyes. Why? Why now? But he knew. It was around this time of year that she had died. Fifteen years ago, when he had killed her.
His reflection was the rurouni's once again when his eyes opened. Was he destroying her?
Something dripped into the water.
A single drop of blood.
Kenshin brought his hand to the scar on his cheek.
"Tomoe."
Author's Note: Okay... this was the first Ruroken fanfiction I ever attempted. And there is a story behind it. I had the entire story planned before I even began writing it. Like, "Out of Time," I have pages of notes for this one. A lot of planning went into it. But only two chapters are written so far. This is the reason: I started it before I was even fully done watching the Kyoto arc. I told myself I had to finish the series before I would attempt anything. So all I'd seen was the first season and almost all of Kyoto, the Director's cut of Trust and Betrayal, and a few of the manga. I really wanted to write a fic, but I needed a villain. One of my friends had watched the entire anime, and assured me that the villain I chose had never been used. So, I worked out my story.
I planned a revenge fic, featuring Tomoe's little brother, Enishi.
I'm sure now you see why I never posted this fic, nor have I continued it. Obviuosly, I was attempting to write Jinchuu. When I discovered it actually existed in the manga, I stopped, planning to at least read Jinchuu before I attempted to write this.
Well, I've read Jinchuu now, and tho I still feel like I'm stepping on toes, I'd like to try this again. I apologize if it is redundant and uncreative. But I tried. And I really don't want those old notes to go to waste.
Also, I don't know where the title came from. It sounds familiar, so I may have accidentally ripped someone off. If i did, please tell me, I will either change the title or properly credit the originator. Thank you. (Note: Title has been changed, as my very first reviewer pointed out the original title, "Freedom Isn't Free" was used. Thank you. All is better.)
And thanks for reading. Please review.
Dewa mata.
Sirius