Disclaimer: I own nothing. Rurouni Kenshin belongs to Nobuhiro Watsuki and the poem used is titled Sonatina by Ruben Dario. The original text in Spanish can be found at http:// es. wikisource. org/ wiki/ Sonatina .
N/A: I decided that I didn't like the ending that much, so I wrote another one. Just ignore the last three lines of the story. Alas, I'm not sure about this ending either… let me know what you think.
Between the shadows and the soul
Alternative Ending & Epilogue
The princess is sad . . . from the princess slips
such sighs in her words from the strawberry lips.
Gone from them laughter and the warm light of day.
Pallid she is sat in her golden chair;
unsounded the keys of the harpsichord there,
and a flower, from a vase, has swooned away.
***
A half an hour later and many bandages and curse words after, Megumi opened the shoji to Kaoru's room.-"Ok, Tanuki. Let's make sure the makeup it's still up"- still reeling over the moronic antics of the Tori-atama, it took Megumi a moment to realize that Kaoru was not in the room. "Kaoru?"
"Here" the shoji to the veranda opens and closes and the bride is there. "I needed some air"
"You ruined your make-up" she notices the tear streaks running on her face "Come here. I'll fix it quickly. The ceremony is about to start"
"Aa, of course" she comes into the room and sits in front of the lady doctor
"Why were you crying anyways, Tanuki. This is supposed to be the happiest day of your life" Kohl, were did she put the kohl?
"You know me, Megumi-san. I get too something and I cry"
"Mmhh"
***
The peacocks in the garden parade their tails.
The duenna's chatter is incessant and stales.
The pirouetting jester is tricked out in red,
yet nothing she cares for and she does not smile
but follows a dragonfly that flits the while
as vague in the east as is her dream-lost head.
***
"Oh! What a pretty baby!" the lady with the parasol cooed to Kaoru's bundle. "Isn't he the prettiest baby you have ever seen Naoko?" by now the kendo instructor was used to this. Strangers seemed to have a strange fascination with Taro. She smiled proudly if with a touch of sadness.
"He certainly is. Look at those eyes! Just like his mother's" she smiled goofily to the kid.
"Naoko, you're getting blind in your old age. Her mother's eyes are blue, his are turquoise, woman"
"That's blue too"
"No, it's not"
In their argument neither noticed how the young mother stiffed.
***
Does a prince from China or Golconda approach,
does she think of one stepping from his silver coach,
bedazzled by her beauty in the sky's soft blues,
to court her with islands of fragrant roses,
shower bright diamonds as a sovereign disposes,
or proud owners of pearls do, out of Ormuz?
***
"So, alone once again, eh?" the voice was sarcastic and cold. Just like the first time she heard it.
"I'm not alone" she looked pointedly to the baby asleep in her arms and Taro playing on the yard.
"That won't last though. Kids grow and they leave" his eyes followed the movements of the child on the yard and then turned to her. "You have weak blood, you know"
"What do you mean?" she drank on his presence. Her hands itched to touch him so she fingered a red tendril on Kenji's head.
"Neither takes after you" the look in his eyes was unreadable.
Before she can respond to that, her oldest son approaches them with a cautious look on his eyes. "Kaa-san, who is this?" She brings him closer and starts to clean his cheek.
"I'm an old friend of your mother" he smiles at the suspicion he reads on the boy "I'm Hamada Takeshi" he takes a little ball out of his tunic and gives it to the dark haired boy "Here" Taro looks at her mom questionably and when she nods, he takes the ball.
"Arigatou, Hamada-san" he lingers a little but then the allure of playing with his new toy it's too much to resist.
"Hamada Takeshi?" she arches an eyebrow
"It sounded good" he shrugs
"I miss your hair white" she says because she doesn't know what else to say. They don't exactly cover these situations in kendo classes. And it's true; she misses him. "Although the black doesn't look bad"
"It doesn't call as much attention" he smiles a crooked smile that's like her own. Not really a smile, too sad for that, too brittle. "When you're living this close to the enemy it pays to be inconspicuous"
"That's new" she should be telling him away. Instead she scoots a little closer. Moth to flame, much. But he does the same.
"Sometimes you take what you can" his hand goes up to tuck a tendril of hair behind her ear. He lingers on her cheek. She places a kiss on his fingers. Right or wrong doesn't really matter anymore.
***
Ah, the poor princess, with that mouth of roses,
thinks of butterfly and swallow, but supposes
how easily with wings she would soar up under
the bright ladders brought down from the sunlit day.
With lillies she would meet the fresh songs of May,
and be one with the wind in the ocean's thunder.
***
It's snowing. Big fluffy flakes float down on the night sky. Some hover their way to the open door; they melt on her hand.
"Koishi, you'll freeze to death if you don't close that" a slim hand touches her shoulder, and red covers her vision when he walks in front of her.
"I just like the view, I guess" he smiles at her tenderly.
"I know that you are upset because I have to leave soon, but I will be back soon too" his hand on her shoulder is almost ephemeral; she can barely feel it. Lately, she feels like she is encased on plaster, dense and permanent.
"Are you happy, Kenshin? Do I make you happy?"
"Of course, Koishi." A kiss on her cheek. She can't tell if it's soft or not. "You make me really happy" She notices how his scar still marks his cheek. "I love you"
"I love you too" and she does. Everything would be so much easier if she didn't.
***
Listless in the palace spins the spinning wheel;
in the magical falcon and jester no appeal.
The swans are as one in the lake's azure swoon.
From west come the dahlias for the first in court,
from east the sad jasmines, south roses of thought,
from north the waterlillies, weeping from noon.
***
He touches her, and she falls apart. Her skin burns. His heart beats a fast tempo on her hand. Callused hands tear fabrics away in their hunger for soft silky skin. Wet mouths and harsh breaths clash and merge. All mingles in a cloud of lust and something deeper. His real name leaves her throat raw. Her name is a litany on his oh so sensual lips. And for a few stolen moments, they live.
***
Her blue eyes see nothing but sad misrule:
into gold she is set and beset by tulle.
Days are poured out as from a heavy flagon,
haughtily they watch now over palace floors;
silent with the halberds are a hundred Moors,
sleepless the greyhound, and a colossal dragon.
***
"Kaa-san," she looks up at him and smiles that sad smile of hers, "there is a letter from Megumi-san." She moves her shinai to her left hand to take the letter. "There is also another from Kenji restating how he will surpass the 'Legendary Battousai Himura' with his own version of the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu and win the right of owning the Sakabato"
"So the kid has goals, eh?"
"More like delusions" Taro didn't like tall, dark and crazy over there, but he liked his 'otousan' even less. At least Hamada was always here with Kaa-san. If it weren't for Kenji, he wouldn't even remember how Himura Kenshin looked like most of the time.
"Megumi-san says that she won't be able to make it here this summer, that maybe she'll come next year. Oh, and she sends her regards to you and Kenji" she continues to look at the short letter long after they know she is done reading it.
"Am I to assume that you would be staying for supper, Hamada-san?"
"If no one else is having the pleasure of your mother's cooking" his tone is as always sarcastic and amused.
"Mou, are you complaining about my cooking again?" she looks up from her letter, and a comical frown replaces the sadness in her eyes. It's because of this that Taro tolerates Hamada's intrusion in their lives. "I'll have you know that Tsubame-chan said that my misou soup was like nothing she ever tasted before, so there!" Hands on her hips, fire in her eyes, he could count on his hands the times he has seen his mother so alive, not acting, just being.
"And I'm sure she was being completely honest" he smirks at her indignation. "Kaoru, pet, cooking is just not one of your talents."
"Mou, fine. Then don't eat!" and with that she turns around and stomps her way to the kitchen, letter forgotten. The three of them knew very well that no one else was coming to dinner; no one ever come anymore. Mother didn't say so, but Taro knew how much that hurt her. Hamada picks up the letter and puts it in his pocket.
"Come on, kiddo. Courage and iron stomachs will see us through tonight" they follow her, both painfully aware of the similarity of their gait and the chasm born of things left unsaid.
***
Oh, to find freshness of the butterfly's veil:
(The princess is sad. The princess is pale.)
Be silent as ivory, rose-coloured and gold!
Where will he fly to, the prince she had!
The princess is pale. The princess is sad,
more brilliant than the dawn is, a hundred fold.
***
"Kenshin! You're back!" while there is honest joy at his return in her eyes, he can't help but notice the sadness in them too or the stiffness of her hug.
"Koishi, I missed you" even now, with her hand in his, he still misses her.
"That's what happens when you're away for so long, Ottousan" Taro nods at him. Turquoise eyes hard and mouth so grim he wonders if the kid would bite him.
"Taro!" his mother reprimands him with hands on her hip. Suddenly, she is seventeen again to Kenshin, screaming at Yahiko and smiling sweetly at him. He wants that again.
"It's the truth, Mother" Taro shrugs while Kaoru rolls her eyes. She doesn't notice the mar on his arm, and he is glad. One more day of illusions, that's all he wants, before, before the truth is given, or at least part of it.
"Maa, maa" he grabs both of them and takes to the kitchen. "So, what do you want for dinner? I'll cook, like in old times, ne Koishi?" so he cooks for them. It's a shame that Keiji is not there, but then again maybe it is better this way. His son hates him, and Taro does too. When they are done, he takes Kaoru to the river with the fireflies. It's only fitting, he guesses. He have been selfish long enough.
***
Be patient, my princess: the horse has wings,
for you he is coming, the fairy godmother sings.
With a sword in the belt he has a hawk above,
and a kiss to ignite you, to vanquish death:
never has he seen you, but joyous the breath
from the prince who awakes you: you will be his love.
***
"What are you thinking, pet?" they are both looking at the stars above. The wind is cool against their naked skin.
"How strange life is" her hand makes little circles on his chest. "How much I hurt people by not wanting to hurt them. How blessed and undeserving I feel right now"
He kisses her brown and looks at her eyes "Pet, you were dealt an impossible hand. A redeemed killer asking you to give him something to live for, a misfit group putting their happiness on your shoulders, and a not so redeemed crime lord asking you to save him and leaving everything you knew behind. You did the best you could."
"Enishi" His cheek is soft under her hands, and there is a certain peace in his eyes that used to be so hunted. Life has been so hard to her in some ways and far too good in others.
"Do I wish you would have run away with me that day? Hell yes. Then again if you had, we wouldn't have the pleasure of knowing that menace of Kenji. I like the kid, even if he looks like a shrunken shrimp." She rolls her eyes, and he smiles at her. "All that matters pet is that we are exactly where we are supposed to be. Who cares how we got here?"