Chapter 19: Recollection
Kenshin stood, waiting for Aoshi and/or Saitou to rise, a bored look on his face. They both rose simultaneously.
"It's about time," Kenshin muttered, his eyes narrowing even more. His fear had vanished, now replaced with an anger that he could not quite understand. He didn't like that fact that he was being ambushed, two-against-one, and fighting for no reason at all. It was impossible for Hiko to plan this in that short amount of time, and now Kenshin had concluded that he had planned this long before he skipped class to sit in the library for awhile.
Kenshin wasn't sure if that was what angered him… It just didn't feel like that… but then it hit him like- a blade in the back.
Kenshin collapsed onto the mat, Aoshi glaring down at him. "Sleep, Himura," He muttered.
I'm not angry… for being tricked…He said to himself, staring at Saitou's feet a distance away, eye level with the mat. I am angry… because I'm not strong enough… I can't help… anyone… They're all… helping me… and I HATE THAT!
"YAAAAAAAH!" Kenshin rose up on his knees and let out a scream that chilled everyone. His ponytail-holder snapped, sending his red hair flying out along with the blood from his few wounds and the non-wound that bled upon his face.
Saitou smirked, but Aoshi looked none-to-happy about what was taking place.
Kenshin silenced and stood, head down, but the chill in the air remained.
"K-Kenshin?" Kaoru whispered.
"I'm not strong enough…" Kenshin whispered. He clutched his sakabatou tighter. "I'll never be… strong enough… with this sakabatou…"
Aoshi prepared his kodachi for an attack, his right eye twitching slightly.
"Everyone… who saves my life… must bloody their hands to be powerful…" He muttered, placing his thumb against the blade. "I've been saved by killers… and that pisses me off."
"What is he talking about, Hiko-san!" Sano yelled. "You've never killed anyone!"
Hiko glanced at Sano from over his shoulder. "Quiet, boy…"
"-but, Hiko-san-"
"Did I not tell you to be quiet?" He didn't raise his voice. He didn't have to. It was scary enough, possibly more frightening in that soft, deep whisper, emerging right from the edge of his throat.
Sano's legs were shaking. This energy… It's maddening…I'm seeing things again! AGH! He took hold of his head and sat back down.
"We've angered you, have we, Himura?" Saitou said with poise.
"No, Saitou…" Kenshin muttered. "Just you…"
He flipped the blade.
-
"I win. Give me your Oreos, Chou," Soujirou said gleefully, holding out his royal flush.
"Damn," Chou muttered, shoving his cookies in Soujirou's direction.
"That's the fifth game you've won in a row, Soujirou," Kamatari giggled. "I think I'll quit now."
"I guess I'm just talented. I mean, Chou cheated three out of five of those games, and he still lost."
"How did you-"
"My eyes have been trained well, my friend," Soujirou said, his voice as sly as his eyes.
"Rrrr…. Hmph," Chou crossed his arms and looked off in another direction.
Soujirou giggled and began helping himself to his newly won cookies (after all, they had no money to play with), when he paused.
"What now?" Chou growled. "My Oreos not good enough for you?"
"It's happening," He said, eyes lit with passion, a smile tugging at his lips. "Can you feel it?"
"Feel what?" Kamatari asked.
"Battousai's fighting spirit…" Soujirou said, his voice quivering with excitement. "I never got to feel it like this… It's so amazing… Wow…"
"Battousai's fighting spirit!" It seemed everyone spoke up at that point.
-
"Himura, you baka," Aoshi growled, a worried look upon his face. Damn…
"Really now, Aoshi…" Kenshin said, lifting up the blade to his face. "Shinomori… Aoshi… leader of the Oniwaban-shu…"
Misao gasped loudly. He knows… He remembers… but why doesn't he remember his vow not to kill!
"Hajime Saitou… Leader of the third squadron of the Shinsengumi…"
Saitou's eyes twitched slightly.
"-and then… there's me…" He lifted up his head. His bangs had left a great deal of shadow upon his face, but one thing was perfectly visible…
Bright, golden, gleaming eyes.
Everyone gasped.
"Bat…tou…sai…" Aoshi whispered.
Saitou grinned.
"You fool!" Misao yelled at Saitou.
Saitou looked over his shoulder, not at her, but at Hiko. "Do you remember yet, Seijirou?"
Hiko's eyes widened, and suddenly a strange wave of shadow seemed to wash over him. He suddenly wasn't seeing the original scene before him, but instead witnessing another sight as if he were a ghost, spying on the two in the scene.
A small boy dressed in gi and hakama stood, surrounded by wooden crosses. His red hair was pulled back at the nape of his neck and shone in the light of the setting sun. His amethyst eyes stared down upon the three rocks in front of him, and he spoke, but Hiko could not hear his words.
His sights focused to that of the other man, making him freeze and his mouth fall open. The man behind the boy stood tall, looming over the child in his white cape with a ridiculously large red collar. His long, raven-colored hair was pulled back at the nape of his neck, but some of it fell in front of his ears. His narrow, brown eyes were stern with emotions hidden so deep that it seemed that no one could penetrate them. He dressed also in gi and hakama (under the cape), and he wore large shoes and carried a sake bottle.
"That's… me!" Hiko cried, but his voice was a mere echo on the distant air.
"Shinta… That name is too soft for a warrior. From now on your name is Kenshin," The other Hiko said.
"Kenshin!" Hiko exclaimed. "That little twerp is Kenshin!"
"Ken…shin…" The little boy whispered.
"Wait… I… I feel like I've seen this before… Well, apparently I have… 'CAUSE THAT'S ME, DAMMIT!… Okay, I need to calm down… Maybe he's just a fan… Woah… Now that's a creepy thought… A fan of a teacher?… Nah, I don't think that's what is taking place… I mean, this is something I feel has happened to me before. The more I sit here, the more vivid it becomes… Wasn't I just in the gym? Kenshin had-just-"
Suddenly, the image before him was not that of the child and the man, but that of a adolescent, but not of one he would normally witness….for this boy was murdering. This boy was…
"Battousai," Hiko whispered, and suddenly, he was back in the gym.
"So, he does…" Saitou muttered, preparing his blade for Aku-Zoku-San.
Kenshin slipped his blade back into the sheath, preparing in his stance. "All together now, or one-on-one?"
"You must be stopped, Battousai, at any cost, and I will not hesitate to kill you," Aoshi said sternly.
"Eh! Hey, Aoshi-sama, that wasn't part of the plan!" Misao yelled.
"KENSHIN!" Kaoru cried.
"EVERYBODY'S PSYCHO!" Sano yelled.
"I, Myojin Yahiko, can't let this happen!" Yahiko whipped a shinai off of the wall.
"Don't be stupid!" Megumi grabbed the back of Yahiko's shirt, lifting him off the floor.
"Hey! L-let go' a me!" Yahiko struggled to free himself, failing miserably to bask in his own humiliation.
"Allow me to assist you," Saitou said. "If you live, tell me how painful my Aku-Zoku-San is."
"They say the weakest wolf barks the loudest, Saitou-san," Kenshin smirked.
"You follow the saying that ignorance is bliss, don't you?" Saitou grinned wolfishly back at him.
Hiko looked around. I gotta do something… but what? His eyes met with his newly repaired blade sitting neatly against the wall, as if by fate. Hmm…
Saitou and Aoshi prepared for their attack. Hiko rushed up and grabbed his blade.
The sound of blades clashed.
Kenshin looked up, and inches above his head, three blades met.
"You're getting in the way," Kenshin growled.
"Time to go to sleep, baka apprentice," Hiko said, bringing his sheath up and hitting Kenshin on the back of the neck with it.
"Ah!" He cried, his eyes fading to purple, and then to a lavender-gray as he fell to the floor.
Kaoru, Sano, Yahiko, and Megumi all stared at him.
"I think I'm losing my mind…" Kaoru whispered.
"AOSHI-SAMA!" Misao yelled, running to him. "Are you okay?"
"Fine," Aoshi said, void of emotion as usual.
"So you see," Saitou said, sheathing his blade. "My job has been done. See you later." He walked off.
"Yeah… I do…" Hiko whispered, picking up Kenshin. "I think…"