Elvengirl: Wow...been a long time since I updated. Sorry everyone, but I got so busy right before the holidays that it made updating nigh on impossible.
Sain: She was really stressed out during that time as well.
Elvengirl: Well, now to catch you all up:
- Hope everyone had a nice holiday. I know I did. I went to Ottawa, Ontario to see my family there and had a great time. I saw The Chronicles of Narnia, sniffling and sobbing my way through the whole movie, and got alot of cool stuff for Christmas.
- I just finished watching Gundam Seed Destiny, and I do agree with the majority of the population, the ending sucks. If only I had my hands on that series...
- G-project recieved another update if you want to check out that. Please...I really want feedback on it.
Not much else to harp on, really. And for all those who asked me to read their fanfics, I'm getting to it. I'm still busy with work, school, and the upcoming exams, so I might not have to much time in the near future. Other stuff to take care of: This particular part of the manga always makes me tear up, so I hope that I conveyed the right emotion in my writing. The next two chapters after this are rather manga-oriented, as is this one. Once I start the actual arc, I'm going try branching out and mixing my own ideas in. Please enojoy
Lyn ripped off a page of the calendar and gasped. A week had passed. It was May fourteenth. The day that Okubo Pent would return to hear Karel's answer. Lyn glanced outside. Karel was doing the laundry, like usual. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
"Perfect," Karel smiled, snapping a white towel and grinning at his handywork.
"Hey!" Hector came up behind Karel, booting him into the well.
"Oro?" Karel came up, gasping for air.
"Today's the day! What are you doing with the laundry? Y'know, I'm still afraid that you'll listen to Pent, though you probably won't. Something stinks about this whole thing Karel, so don't do it. The whole government stinks, so don't expect the guy on top to smell like flowers."
"Hector, you really hate the Meijii government, don't you?" Karel sighed.
"Well duh," Hector replied, forcing Karel back into the well.
"But if Pent was corrupt, wouldn't Ephidel have slain him by now?"
"Y'mean that psycho cop? He's just a government dog," Guy shrugged.
"No...before the fight, Ephidel spoke of justice. No dog would dare use such word. he is still a Wolf of Mibu and his fangs glow with Aku, Soko, Zan. Meaning that he's not someone we'd want to be friends with."
"No way."
"You said it."
"No duh."
"Ah-choo...Excuse me," Ephidel sniffed, wiping his nose with a napkin.
"Fujita-kun...yuck," said the waitress with a grimace.
"They say we sneeze when someone speaks ill of us. That's good, for the Shinsengumi should be disliked in this era." Ephidel sipped his tea and glanced over at the calendar on the wall. May fourteenth.
"So," he smirked, "What's your move Sword Demon?"
"Alright then," Karel stood up. "The hanging's left to you, Guy," he slammed the bucket onto Guy's head, "This one is off to Pent-dono's mansion."
"Why?" Lyn asked, shocked, "Isn't he coming here?"
"Pent-dono's very busy. It'll be easier this way."
"Good morning, Karel-san," Limstella smiled, appearing at the door.
"If it isn't the vixen," Hector muttered, "What d'you want?"
"Is that anyway to speak to the woman who saved your life?" Limstella responded with a glare.
"Hey, I saved your life to, remember?"
"Men are supposed to save woman's lives. Not the opposite."
"Why are you here, Limstella?" Lyn sighed.
"Today's the day for Karel's answer, right? So I brought something to help you decide."
"Oro?" Karel blinked.
"A COLLAR?"
"Special move: Taming Karel-san. I also have this paralysis powder..."
"GET OUT!" Lyn yelled.
"Hey Karel, wanna bone?" Guy teased. Karel shook his head and removed the collar.
"Enough. This one's going."
"D'ya even know where you're going?" asked Hector.
"No, but I think I know how to intercept him, that I do."
"We'll go with you," Lyn said, almost pleaded.
"No. The conversation will be long and difficult." Karel turned and left by the back gate, not bothering to look back.
"Don't worry...he'll come back," said Guy, softly, "He wouldn't leave you here."
"Karel's not gonna assassinate anybody," said Hector.
"I wouldn't let him..." added Limstella.
"Maybe..." Lyn trailed off. If Pent's story was true, which was likely, Karel wouldn't be able to let Makoto Kishuna be, and if he didn't assassinate Kishuna, the Sword Demon would.
-Kiazaka-
The first character from each of the three families who lived here before the revolution - Kishu, Bisho, and I'I - forms the name of this slope. All powerful lords, their mansions ranked side-by-side. This area, past and present, is a prime location in Tokyo. The man who stands at the top of the Meijii Government. The chief of Internal Affairs, Okubo Pent. This day of May fourteenth, in the elventh year of Meijii, travels its slope in a carridge, with no way of knowing the fate that awaited him.
Pent sighed, leaning back in his seat. He was tired. Work was piling up in Internal Affairs and this meeting would be long. There was no doubt in his mind that he wouldn't reach Kamiya Dojo before dawn.
"Will Himura act? No, we must make him act," Pent convinced himself aloud, "For if we don't, this nation will be destroyed."
"There's not need to worry about the future if you're dead."
Pent recoiled at the sudden appearence of a boy. He stood in the door of the still moving carridge. Smiling innocently, he clamped his hand down over Pent's mouth.
"I've a message from Kishuna-san. He's honoured that you'd send the Sword Demon after him, but he fears that it will all be in vain. The nation will be mine, or so he says."
The carridge had finished the long climb to the top of Kioizaka and continued to thunder along the road to Kamiya dojo, completely unaware of the tradgedy that had just taken place. A group of samurai jumped into the road, stopping the carridge in its tracks. They killed the driver, then ran to the carridge door.
"Okubo Pent, prepare to die for the wrongs you've commited!" They yelled, opening the door. Okubo Pent's corpse fell out. The samurai stared in shock.
"Someone beat us to it. Now what?" asked one.
"We already sent notices to the newspapers," said another.
"So...there are no witnessess. We killed Okubo." The third stabbed the corpse of Pent. The others joined in.
"Pent died by our swords!"
May Fourteenth, the eleventh year of Meijii.
The "Kioizaka Incident." The man at the top of the Meijii heap, assassinated in broad daylight. This incident, which will remain in Japanese history forever...is claimed by a group of seven assassins, comprised mainly of Ishikawa prefecture samurai unhappy with the Meijii government.
By intercepting their plan ahead of time and using it to their advantage, Kishuna and his clan kept the world in the dark.
Karel stood with the throng of people, watching the police clear away Pent's now mangled corpse. He searched the policeman's faces, but Ephidel was not amoung them. So much the better. He glanced down at the ground, at the fallen body, at the blood. Pent was dead. Now what?
"If you wish to live...I wouldn't suggest going up against Kishuna-san," came a light voice from behind him. Karel turned around, but the speaker was gone. His ears rang...Makoto...Kishuna?
May Fourteenth, eleventh year of Meijii, Afternoon.
News of the "Kioizaka Incident" has travelled around Tokyo within the day...like a ripple in the water.
"These are the methods of Makoto Kishuna!" Erk yelled, pounding his fist on the desk. "Using spys, planting seeds of deciet! Chiseling away at the Meijii Government until we revolt." Erk sobbed, "Pent-sama..."
Karel sighed, glancing at Ephidel who leaned non-chalantly against the wall. Ephidel looked away.
"Excuse me," came a voice from the door. Everyone looked up. A middle-aged man with a grey moustache and hair, in a grey suit stood at the door.
"Yamayoshi-dono, prefectural governer of Fukushima...and the last person to exchange words with Pent-sama."
"We had just finished discussing our plans for Tokyo...I was visiting to say goodbye. While we talked, he mentioned his belief that it takes thirty years to build a nation. He said that the last ten years were years of "change' and that the next period would be those of "growth", and that it was the most important period. He expressed the hope that he could see those years, then leave the final years of "maintenence" to the next generation, and thosewho will lea us into a new republic. "So Japan will be reborn as a Nation state and the revolution will truly be complete." That was his final say on the matter. I never expected any of this to happen."
"A nation state, where people choose their own paths free of government control...a distant dream," Ephidel commented.
"But it was concievable with Pent-sama," Erk choked. Karel exhaled softly, as he thought about what he had just heard. Had he known? Had Okubo Pent known that today would be an important day for Japan?
"Erk-san was quite shaken..." Karel mused as he and Ephidel walked down the hall.
"He's not the only one," Ephidel replied, "The Three Greatest Revolutionaries are gone, and the government is in the hands of its drones. Now surely chaos will engulf Japan."
And Kishuna will not let this opportunity go...
Ephidel's grim words echoed through Karel's head as he gazed into the water off a bridge. Flyers announcing the death of Pent blew through the air. People talked in low conversation under the shouting of the newsboys.
"So...time has begun to flow once more..."
"I'll take Limstella home," said Hector, "Fancy an emergency on a night like this. Wouldn't want the vixen wandering around, now would we?"
"Thanks," muttered Limstella, less than pleased.
"Be careful," murmered Lyn. She wondered where Karel was. He was late. She watched the retreating figures of Hector and Limstella, yearning for Karel to come back and make her feel safe once again. Karel...where are you? Lyn turned to go inside, only to find Karel, standing behind her.
"Karel..." Lyn smiled, almost in tears. Karel smiled back, softly, calmly, sadly. Lyn's expression changed to confusion.
"Where's Guy?"
"In bed," Lyn replied. Karel nodded.
"Pent-dono was killed this morning."
"We heard."
"Kishuna's men are the real killers. This one is off to Kyoto."
Lyn froze. A chill wind blew, but it was ignored. It was as if time froze.
"Will you assassinate him then?" Lyn asked, finally.
"This one...does not know. If this one can remain the rurouni, then...it will be enough to talk, or defeat. But if the Sword Demon takes over, like with Ephidel, who can say. For there is not doubt that a hitokiri still lives within me."
"You can turn back!" Lyn protested, grabbing Karel's shoulders, "Karel is still Karel no matter how close the Sword Demon gets!"
"This is different," Karel gripped Lyn's hands, "When this one fought Linus, the Sword Demon arose to protect you. But with Ephidel, he arose only to fight him. Your voice...had no effect."
Time has begun to flow once more.
"When we first met, you didn't care about the Sword Demon, about my past. You understood everything."
If this one stays any longer...
"It was an amazing thing."
Each incident will involve Lyn and the others...
"But..."
And the Sword Demon will become closer each time.
"To the government, Kishuna, and the people of this country who hated the Sword Demon, there is only him."
Standing still is no longer permitted.
Karel embraced Lyn gently, passionatly. Lyn couldn't move. Karel sighed.
"Thank you..." he whispered, " and Syanora. This one is rurouni. Once again this one will drift."
Lyn's world shattered. She was frozen.
Karel released Lyn gently, backed up, turned around, started walked, and didn't look back.
"Karel..."
May Fourteenth, Eleventh year of Meijii.
On this day, Himura Karel, the Sword Demon, became a rurouni once more...and disappeared alone into the darkness.
...