Chapter 31: One
The night had come, and Kenshin was perfectly calm…
"ORO! ORO, ORO, ORO, ORO, ORO, ORO, ORO, ORO, ORO, ORO, ORO, ORO!" Kenshin said frantically as he zoomed around the upstairs, trying to find everything while checking to make sure his tuxedo was right by adjusting his tie at least eleven times.
"SHADDUP!" Hiko shouted irritably.
Kenshin paused on the steps to look at his teacher over on the couch. "Oro?"
"Calm the hell down. You're giving me a headache."
"I… I'm sorry! I'm just… so nervous! I've never been on a date before!" He wringed his fingers in his hair and moaned.
Hiko rolled his eyes. "Don't worry about it. Just follow everyone else's lead, and you'll be fine."
"Recently my life hasn't been following everyone else's, you fail to see…" Kenshin mentioned blandly.
Hiko shook his head. "Just chill out. I'm stuck having to chaperon the damn thing, so I'll let you know when you're screwing up."
"Really?"
"Of course! Unless I forget."
"Oro…"
Hiko had all but dressed up for the event. Kenshin looked rather nice but compared to Hiko, he looked like first class on the Titanic.
Kenshin straightened his tie again, then pulled his hair tie a bit tighter as it was aggravating him so.
"Are we leaving?" Hiko asked tiredly as he headed to the door. He obviously preferred to stay home.
"Let's go to Kaoru's house," Kenshin sighed, still feeling his heart sinking like the mentioned Titanic. His thoughts rested on her laughing at him.
-
Kenshin knocked on Kaoru's door and waited, silent…
The door opened, and Kaoru stepped out, raven hair cascading down her back. She wore a blue-violet gown that hung to her ankles, high-heeled shoes, and an indigo ribbon tied in her hair. "Kenshin…" She whispered, amazed at how he had cleaned up. He was such a handsome boy, but looked a bit ridiculous in a tuxedo.
"Oro… um… hello…" He greeted nervously. "Shall we… um… go?"
"Yes," She smiled, making him blush. He took her hand and led her to the car.
"You look nice," Hiko told her as Kenshin opened the door to let her in.
"Thank you," She said. "You look the same."
"Thank you," He replied, grinning.
Kenshin shook his head and got in too. He had a bad feeling, and he figured it was just his stomach churning out of nervousness… but then again…
-
"Are you ready?" Kaoru asked excitedly as the car pulled up to the party. Kenshin gulped.
"Y… Yes…"
She was helped out of the car by Hiko since he had been the first to get out.
"Let's get in, get out, and get it over with," Hiko told them as if it was just a bothersome event that meant nothing to anyone.
"Oro," Kenshin said, closing his door.
They entered the gym for the party.
-
"Oro…" Kenshin said, watching his peers all dancing rather badly to songs he didn't know.
Kaoru smiled at him. "What's the matter, you nervous?" She asked.
"Well, not exactly…" Kenshin rubbed the back of his neck. Truly he was nervous, but it wasn't really about looking like an idiot in front of his peers. He felt as if he did that more often than not… but there was this horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach that he just couldn't seem to ignore… It wouldn't go away, and he had been tormented by it for more than just this day. In fact, he hardly slept the night before because his dreams were filled with swordfights and that red-headed samurai that looked awfully similar to him…
"Kenshin?"
"Oro?"
"I asked if you wanted some punch…" Kaoru said.
"Oh… um… no thanks… do you… want to dance?"
Kaoru's smile brightened. "Sure! But I'll warn you… I'm not very good…"
"Neither am I," Kenshin smiled. "I figure we can wing our way through at least one song though, right?"
"Yeah," She nodded.
-
After struggling through a few songs and getting his feet stepped on for the umpteenth time, Kenshin decided that was enough dancing and went to get something to drink for he and his date. "What a disaster," He mumbled to himself as he poured to glasses. "It'll be a miracle if Kaoru will like me after this…"
He noticed Sanosuke walk through the door with Megumi on his arm.
"Oro?" Kenshin mumbled, stunned.
"I told you we were late," Megumi grumbled at him.
Sano scratched his head and laughed. "My watch is broken!" He had merely put a coat on over his t-shirt and pants… So lacking in style as usual… Megumi on the other hand was in a red China-style dress and looking quite lovely, if not a big angry with her date.
Kenshin shook his head and smiled. He'd figured as much.
He'd already spotted Yahiko around somewhere with Tsubame, but he'd long since lost sight of him.
Kenshin went back to pouring the punch when a hand landed on his shoulder.
"Having fun yet?" A familiar alto voice whispered in his ear.
"Soujirou?" Kenshin gasped, turning… no one…
"Enjoying yourself?" Hiko approached behind him, grumbling. "I'm not."
"I just…" A twinge of pain entered his forehead. "I'm not feeling too well…"
"Then get away from me. I'm not going to get sick."
"Um… will you take that…" He grabbed his forehead. It was hurting worse and worse by the second. "Take that punch to Kaoru-dono? I… need to… go to the bathroom…"
Hiko stared at the red-head as he stumbled a bit across the dance floor and into the nearby bathroom, then shrugged, picking up the punch. "What's up with you, kid?"
-
As soon as Kenshin reached the bathroom, he locked the door behind him, then fell to the floor, gasping as sweat dripped off his person. There was this loud ringing in his ears, and the sounds of swords clashing echoed around him. Kenshin shouted out, unable to get off the floor. "What is this? I can't!" Death… destruction… heartbreak… repentance…
Kenshin collapsed to the floor completely, eyes shut tight.
Silence.
"Get up… they need you."
"O…oro?" Kenshin opened his eyes. White… and nobody. "Who's there?"
"Sessha."
"Who's… sessha?" Kenshin asked.
"You are."
"That doesn't make any sense…"
"They need you to save them… use the sword to protect."
"Your voice… that's my voice…"
"Exactly!"
"You're… not me though… you're the other me!… from the past… Himura Kenshin… Battousai… the rurouni…"
"Yes…"
"Oro… how confusing…"
Kenshin suddenly stood on a battlefield, sakabatou in hand. "Now," The other Kenshin said, "You must protect your loved ones with every bit of heart you have."
"They need me now," Kenshin said, feeling the hands of the other Kenshin on his shoulders. He couldn't see the other Kenshin, but there was a strange sense of comfort in him being there.
"Yes… now wake up and save them…"
"Save them… from what?"
"We don't have to be separate any longer. Sessha will be one with you now, so we can save them together. You are only Sessha's new form, but it's time you remembered what you stood for before… completely…"
Kenshin gasped, eyes flying open. He was on the floor of the bathroom, weak and sweaty… His joints ached.
Kenshin stumbled to his feet and walked to the mirror to wash his face. "Oro?" He asked, staring at his reflection as he removed his jacket. His face was bloody again, in that same cross-shaped scar. He sighed, frustrated with it happening again and began to wash it off… He paused. "Oro!" Where the blood had been wiped away, a scar remained, one permanently imbedded into his skin. "This… can't be… How incredibly…"
We don't have to be separate any longer. Sessha will be one with you now, so we can save them together. You are only Sessha's new form, but it's time you remembered what you stood for before… completely.
It was as if something within him clicked, and everything… made sense…
Screams of fear and peril came from the other room. Kenshin turned his head. "Sessha has to protect them now… with every bit of heart Sessha has."
The door flew open, and Kenshin exited before Sanosuke and Yahiko who had apparently headed off to find him.
"Kenshin!" They both exclaimed.
"Where the hell have you been! Don't you know what's happening?"
Kenshin's eyes narrowed at the sight before him.
A tall man… had Kaoru by the throat… Kenshin remembered him from a fight he'd had a long time ago.
"Put her down, Jin'e," Kenshin said sternly, catching the man's attention.
"So, Battousai lives again too…" Jin'e grinned maliciously.
"The Juppon Katana hired you to stop Sessha, did they not? Then you will fight Sessha and attempt to stop Sessha without harming these innocent people."
"Sessha?" Sano and Yahiko asked each other.
"Kenshin!" Kaoru exclaimed in relief, then kicked Jin'e in the stomach.
Jin'e released her, and she crumpled the floor.
"Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin exclaimed, running in front of her to protect her. His speed and grace were magnified to a much higher extent than before.
"Does… Kenshin seem different to you?" Yahiko asked.
"Not really…" Sano shrugged.
"That mark on his face!" Megumi exclaimed.
"Eh?" They both looked at her. "What mark?"
She smacked her forehead in embarrassment. They must have lacked the ability to pay attention to detail.
"The rurouni Kenshin's returned," Soujirou mumbled from his spot in the corner, his endless smile still playing on his lips. "How exciting."
(A/N: I'm not even gonna say it... I've said it for the past how many chapters. Yes... it took a long time, and I'm sorry. Yes, I did say it... I suppose you're all just rolling over in shock that I haven't abandoned this story. I like this story, really. It just gives me hell when I write it... ; Well, I tried to make it a little longer this time to make up for all the time that I missed out on... and I'll attempt to update again before fall break is over. Anyone who's still reading, thanks for sticking to my horrible schedule. I know how it is to wait forever for an update, and I know how nerve-wracking it is, so I'll try to stop going on hiatus for months at a time, but don't count on it...)