Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is not owned by me. The characters, however, have been kind enough to lend me their services for the time being...
Whoa... I finally finished chapter 12! I am so sorry for taking such a long time, I really am! The majority of the delay I will blame on my crappy job, for keeping me so mind-numbingly worn out all the time. Getting off at two in the morning just sucks. I want to quit so bad, but the people I work with and for are absolutely wonderful, so I think I'd feel pretty guilty... They actually threw me a birthday party last week... (sniffles) How sweet is that? Anyway... hopefully the next chapter won't take nearly as long, seeing as how quite a bit of it was already written out because it was originally intended to be part of this chapter. I wanted to have something to post by my birthday, but I ended up being a few days late... sorry! And then when I was finally ready to post, FFnet was having server problems and I couldn't log in! For two whole freaking days! Just figures... Well, at least it's posted now :)
Warnings: Hiko. A bit of angry swearing, drinking, and a major attack of sentimentality... ;P Hope you enjoy!
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Only the Beginning
Written by lolo popoki
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Chapter 12: Reminiscence and Reunion
Stalking through the streets of Kyoto, Hiko was still fuming. After all the years of dedicated service his deshi had given the Ishin Shishi... all the pain and heartache that boy had gone through...
Those fucking bastards! How dare they even consider such a thing...! Damned politics... Now I remember why I became a recluse in the first place...
The few people he came across, hastily scattered before the outraged sword-master. Even a couple of hot-headed samurai who were looking for a fight, took one look at the deadly expression on his face and fled, fervidly deciding that it just wasn't worth losing their lives over.
So completely lost in his fury, Hiko didn't notice any of it.
Dismally, Kenshin trailed along in his master's wake, lamenting his eternal rotten luck. Trying to approach Hiko when he was in this kind of mood would be a really bad idea.
Of course, self-pity isn't going to help my situation at all. I don't even have the right to feel sorry for myself! I was looking for atonement... and facing an extremely irate Hiko Seijuro would be nothing less than what I deserve really...
The ghost sighed and then shuddered slightly. That didn't mean he was looking forward to it though... Hiko was downright scary when he was angry.
He glanced up at his master, and watched as a drunk stumbling out of one of the bars lining the street barely missed being broadsided by the seething man.
Definitely scary... Makes me almost glad I'm not solid anymore...
Taking the ghost by surprise, Hiko paused briefly, then swiftly turned and disappeared through the door the drunk had just come out of. He came out a couple minutes later with a large jug under his arm.
Kenshin sighed again.
Yare yare... this is bound to be a very interesting night...
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By the time Hiko had reached the path at the base of the mountain, his fury had finally diminished somewhat, and melancholy had settled in once again to take its place. Trudging wearily through the forest, he suddenly hesitated for a moment and then changed direction, taking a different, but very familiar trail.
At last, he came across a clearing he had visited many times over the last five years. Illuminated by the soft moonlight, Hiko stared silently out at the makeshift graves, and recalled that fateful evening almost ten years ago when he had laid eyes on them for the first time... when a tiny slave-child's actions and words had piqued his interest, and awakened something long dormant within his soul...
Hope.
He closed his eyes, lost in memories of the past...
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Hiko had, long ago, lost faith in the human race. He had become disillusioned... cynical... despairing of all the suffering and bloodshed he witnessed everyday... sick to death of a power-hungry regime who would abuse their authority to lay waste to so many people's lives.
Once upon a time, the swordsman had been an idealist. He truly believed he could make a difference. He had tried so hard... tried to protect, tried to ease the suffering... but all for naught. For every life he managed to save, hundreds more died. For every criminal he brought to justice, others merely rose up to take their place.
He could see that Japan was headed for destruction. Even a man of his incredible strength could never hope to be able to prevent the inevitable.
So what was the point of even trying anymore, when all his efforts proved to be futile? Only a week ago, he had happened upon a scene of carnage. Bandits had been attacking a small caravan, slaughtering every person with it. He had killed the assailants, but had only been able to save a single child... and even that was now uncertain. A week had passed, and no one in the nearby village had seen any sign of the boy.
Walking through the woods, Hiko sighed unhappily as he speculated on the child's fate.
Suicide in despair? It certainly is common enough these days. Even when I wield my sword according to the teachings of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu... too many times, I cannot save anyone. I kill and kill, and still the villains, like maggots... spring from the corpse of a Japan decomposing. There will be more and more acts like this, and all I can do is bury the victims...
With a startled gasp, he suddenly froze as he came into sight of the clearing. Eyes wide, he stared out at a field of crude wooden crosses. And there, standing in the midst of it all with torn and bloodied hands, was the young child he had rescued, staring down at three large stones.
That boy... he did all this?
Hiko quietly approached the child. "You dug graves not just for your parents, but for the bandits too?" he asked wonderingly.
"They were slavers, not parents," the boy stated softly, still not looking up from the gravestones. "My parents died of cholera last year. But bandits or slavers, once they're dead, they're just bodies... so I made graves for them."
"And these three stones?"
"Kasumi-san, Akane-san, Sakura-san. They were taken from their families as payment for debts. I only knew them for a day, but I was the only boy here and we didn't have any parents. So I thought, even if it costs me my life, I'll have to protect them."
So young... and yet such strength of spirit... Could this boy be the one? The one worthy of carrying on the teachings of Hiten Mitsurugi?
"Even if it costs me my life, I'll have to protect them."
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'To protect'...
Looking back, it seemed that those words had always seemed to be associated with that boy...
"But so many are being killed as we speak! Doesn't Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu teach us to protect from suffering? When do we use our swords, if not now?"
"Kind and caring, he wanted nothing more than to protect, to help others. He had such a pure spirit."
"He was just an idealistic child who wanted only to protect people..."
As Shinta or Kenshin, that was one thing that never changed... Until they got hold of him... twisted his ideals, turning a naïve child into a tool for murder...
Hiko gazed out at the moonlit graveyard for a moment more, then turned away to begin his trek back to the cabin, his deshi's spirit following in thoughtful silence.
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Stepping through the doorway into the little hut, Hiko could feel the stifling emptiness surrounding him... smothering him... Carefully setting down the pack carrying his deshi's remains, he closed his eyes and tightened his grip on the now-empty sake jug. He had known that it would be difficult coming back here, but the hopeless desolation that suddenly overwhelmed him was almost like a living, malevolent being squeezing icy fingers around his heart. It hurt so much... almost too much...
Gone... gone... I have nothing left... Everything I had ever cared for... anyone I had ever loved... the last person left on this god-forsaken world that gave my life any meaning... just gone...
Anguished rage flooded through his mind, blinding him with its searing heat. An unbearable pressure built up within his chest, tightening his throat and making it hard to breathe. The swordsman suddenly let out an incoherent scream, and hurled the jug at the far wall where it exploded in a hail of broken pieces.
Still breathing hard from the outburst, Hiko's fury began to recede as he stared at the shattered fragments littering the floor. He leaned back against the wall behind him, and then slid down until he was sitting on the floor. His hand trembling slightly, the master swordsman reached up to cover his eyes.
"Damn it..." he whispered huskily. "How did everything go so wrong...? How...?"
After a long moment, Hiko sighed and lowered his arm to rest on his knee. Bleakly, he stared around the room until his gaze fell on the bundle still lying on the floor next to him. He reached out, carefully untying the knotted rope holding the package closed, and removed the wrapped urn from its confines. Pulling the heavy container into his lap, the swordsman gently stroked his fingers along the soft, white cloth. This was all that remained of his baka deshi. This urn filled with ash and bone... the myriad of bittersweet memories that would live on forever in his mind... These painful reminders of his student's former life, he would continue to cherish for as long as he lived.
A faint, wistful smile touched his face briefly as he remembered the morning after he had first taken Kenshin into his care. The evening before, he had not really gotten a good look at the boy's rather unique features. The sunset had bathed everything in an orange glow, and after it had grown dark, the forest had been illuminated by only the pale light of the moon. The morning light shining through the open window however, had revealed a truly remarkable sight.
Staring down at the tiny child serenely sleeping on his futon, the swordsman was fascinated by the shimmering blood-red hair... the delicate face relaxed in slumber. And when the boy had woken, Hiko found himself captivated by striking amethyst eyes... eyes so full of sorrow and pain that they had inspired such an overwhelmingly protective feeling in the embittered young man.
After so many years of numb apathy, the intensity of the feeling had been almost frightening.
Deeply shaken, he ended up pushing his feelings aside, unwilling to allow the child to get too close. But almost five years had been spent raising and training that child. Five years spent feeling useful again, feeling like he had finally found someone worth living – and eventually dying for. Hiko found himself depending more and more on his deshi's company. Kenshin had become his sole purpose in life.
And sometime during those five years, he came to realize that it was more than just that. Without even trying, Kenshin had somehow stolen his heart. Hiko had completely and hopelessly fallen in love. Not in any romantic sense of the word, but in the warm-hearted, tender, almost possessive sensation that envelopes any parent when setting eyes on their young. This was his child...his son.
And then Kenshin had left, leaving the swords-master feeling horribly empty inside. Angry and hurt, Hiko had felt abandoned... betrayed. But after five years to reflect on all the things that had led up to the boy's leaving, he had been forced to admit that he himself, may well have been to blame for his baka deshi's reckless decision.
Contrary to how he actually felt, his affection for his student had always manifested in an extremely sarcastic, offensive, and often-times almost cruel manner. 'Baka deshi'... his idiot apprentice... The swordsman had never really thought his student was stupid. Foolish, perhaps. Charmingly clueless and naïve about certain things, definitely. But he was far from stupid. In fact, Hiko had found the boy to be unusually sharp, dedicated, and quick to learn everything that his master had thrown at him.
Hiko had truly loved that child, had been so proud of his progress; but had the man ever said anything? No. He had always kept the boy at a distance. Could never permit himself to say the words that he had felt so deeply. Now, with Kenshin dead, it was far too late to ever tell him.
He gazed down at the urn resting between his hands, and wondered...
Could all this have been avoided?
If he had just tried a little harder... been able to speak those words, could he have prevented Kenshin from leaving in the first place? Hiko did have his reasons for treating the boy the way he had, but if he had known that this would be the end result... maybe he should have tried to be more of a father, instead of just a teacher... Maybe just once, he could have told Kenshin that he cared...
The swords-master tilted his head back to rest on the wall behind him, staring morosely at the ceiling. He could feel his despair returning.
Was... was this my fault?
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Kenshin regarded his master with concern. The swordsman's unpredictable mood swings were becoming somewhat alarming. After Hiko's sudden violence earlier, he seemed to have slipped into a state of depression. He was now just sitting motionlessly against the wall, his gaze unfocused, his expression brooding.
The ghost studied his master's face as the man leaned back to gaze up at the ceiling.
He looks so sad... I wish I knew what exactly was going through his mind right now...
As if in answer, Hiko glanced down at the urn in his lap and then turned away, raising one hand to rub his face tiredly. "Kenshin..." he whispered. "I'm sorry..."
Sorry?
Kenshin was confused. Why was his Shishou apologizing to him? What did Hiko have to be sorry for?
"Was it my fault you left? Did I drive you away? I know I was harsh in my teaching methods. I was insulting and sarcastic. At times I know you probably thought me to be a cold, heartless bastard... Was there anything at all I could have done to keep you from this path?" The swordsman bowed his head, his eyes clenched tightly shut. "Was your time here with me really so unpleasant, that you would choose suicide over coming back? Oh Kenshin...I'm so sorry..."
Kenshin couldn't bear to listen anymore. Hiko's heartbroken words had struck him like a physical blow. Was this what his master really thought? That he was, in some way, responsible for his apprentice's death?
Shishou...
The spirit felt horrible. To think, that his drunken mistake had caused this once proud and confident man to be reduced to such a state...
He had to put an end to this now.
The red-head silently knelt in front of the grief-stricken man and lightly touched his master's hand.
"Shishou, please...stop talking like that! None of this was your fault!"
The swords-master's head had jerked up at the feathery touch, and he was now staring in wide-eyed shock at the apparition in front of him. Hiko's heart skipped a beat, before slamming hard against his ribcage.
"K...Kenshin?"
"Hai, Shishou," Kenshin murmured gently. "It's me... I'm here..."
Hiko sat frozen in place, overwhelmed by a rapid-fire succession of intense emotion. Shock, relief, joy, confusion, pain, resentment, anger... The emotional overload was too much to handle. His mind blanked out... his reaction immediate, automatic, and honed from years of habit. Snatching up the sword lying next to him, Hiko let out an enraged battle cry and swung the sheathed blade at his deshi's head.
"You BAKA!"
Unable to dodge the blow, Kenshin's knee-jerk response was to clench his eyes tightly shut and brace himself for impact. Naturally, the sheath whistled harmlessly through the space that his head occupied, but old habits really do die hard... Kenshin's fear of his master's wrath had been such a deeply rooted reaction from his childhood, that he had completely forgotten that he was insubstantial now.
Opening his eyes cautiously, the ghost managed to catch a brief glimpse of the startled look on Hiko's face before it disappeared behind a disturbingly blank expression.
Without a word, Hiko rose from the floor, carefully set the urn he had still been holding on a table, and calmly walked outside.
Confused and more than a little worried, Kenshin followed.
"Shishou...?"
Pointedly ignoring the red-head, the swords-master walked over to a log in front of the hut and picked up the sake jug he'd left when Katsura had arrived. Satisfied to note that it was still mostly full, he uncorked it and knocked back almost half the contents in several large gulps. Feeling somewhat unsteady, he sat down heavily on the log.
"Shishou..."
Hiko twitched slightly at the sound of his deshi's voice, but still refused to look at him.
Oh dear gods... This isn't happening... Kenshin's dead! I saw his body burning! This is just a hallucination or something...
He took another drink and closed his eyes tightly.
Maybe if I just ignore it, it'll go away...
"Shishou, please!" Kenshin said forcefully, a hint of desperation creeping into his voice. He was well used to people shunning him, but he just couldn't bear having such a reaction from his own master... It just hurt too much. "Say something... yell at me if you wish... anything... but please, please don't ignore me!" He dropped down to his knees in front of the older man.
Somewhat disturbed by the pain in his student's voice, Hiko finally opened his eyes to meet the apparition's distraught gaze. Hallucination or not, he really didn't like seeing his apprentice suffer like this.
"But... but you're not real!" he said harshly. "You can't be! You're just some figment of my imagination..."
"No, Shishou..." the spirit whispered, relieved that Hiko had finally chosen to acknowledge him. "I swear that I'm not!"
"Then... then how...?" Hiko shook his head sharply. "How is this possible?"
"Do you believe in ghosts?" Kenshin asked quietly, keeping his gaze fixed on his master's face.
"Ghosts...?" The swords-master's eyes widened slightly. "You're a ghost?"
"Hai."
Hiko studied his apprentice for a long moment, before leaning forward slightly, a contemplative look on his face.
"A ghost, eh?" he mused aloud. "Well I suppose that's a bit better than thinking I had become delusional..."
He suddenly glared at his apprentice, baring his teeth in a vicious snarl. "Well then! At least maybe now, you can tell me exactly what the hell you were thinking when you decided to go and kill yourself!"
Kenshin flinched at the rage in his master's face. "I... I know I made a poor decision..."
"Poor decision?" Hiko stared at him incredulously. "Poor decision!" he said again, his voice growing even louder. He took another swig of sake from his jug and stood, towering over the nervous ghost.
"You put everybody through absolute hell, and all you can say is: 'I made a poor decision'! You inconsiderate little brat...!"
"Shishou..."
"Don't you 'Shishou' me, baka!" Hiko shouted angrily. "What the hell possessed you to think that killing yourself would ever seem like a good idea!"
"Anou..." Kenshin muttered, rubbing the back of his head self-consciously. "I, uh, was a bit drunk at the time..."
Hiko could only stare down at his deshi in disbelief as his anger faded somewhat. "Drunk," he stated finally, sitting back down. "You were drunk?" Closing his eyes, the swordsman suddenly heaved an exasperated sigh and massaged the bridge of his nose. "Kami-sama... how did I ever get stuck with such a baka deshi...?"
Hoping for a satisfyingly irate reaction from his student – and getting only silence in return – he glanced up to regard the now dejected looking spirit with some disappointment.
"What, no protest?" he questioned offhandedly. "I was expecting some kind of disagreement at least."
Kenshin miserably bowed his head. "How can I argue with something that's so obviously true?" he sighed. "You were right, and apparently always have been... I am an idiot..." He clenched his fists in his lap and kept his head down. "I'm a selfish, inconsiderate, brainless son of a bitch who ended up throwing everything away in a stupid moment of weakness, and I deserve every word of your anger."
Hiko blinked, rather taken aback by the apparent self-hatred in Kenshin's declaration, and sighed slightly in regret.
They were right... he really has changed. Only five years ago, he would have been insulted; he would have been arguing with me... I was so hoping...
He suddenly blanched, his eyes widening in shock.
Wait... "selfish, inconsiderate, brainless son of a bitch..."? Kuso!
Those were the exact words he had used back in Kenshin's room in Kyoto, after he had broken down into tears...! Hiko sat frozen, a mortified blush spreading across his face.
He saw! Oh gods... he saw all that!
It was Kenshin's turn to glance up at the silence that met his words. He did a startled double-take and stared, absolutely fascinated by the embarrassed color on his master's face. Hiko was blushing! But what had brought that on? The ghost mulled over what he had just said, but couldn't find anything that might have embarrassed the older man.
"Shishou, what's wrong...?"
"That was you..." Hiko whispered in horrified realization. "There... back in the room... you were there... watching me?" His face reddened further. "The whole time?"
Suddenly understanding, Kenshin began to fidget uneasily.
"Anou..."
"Oh gods!" Hiko hunched down and covered his face with one hand.
The corner of Kenshin's mouth twitched slightly, somewhat amused by his master's reaction. "Surely, it can't be as bad as all that..." he said lightly. "I thought it was rather sweet actually..."
"Oh just shut up," the swordsman grumbled irritably.
Smiling faintly, Kenshin obliged.
He remained silent for a long moment, recalling everything his master said back in Kyoto. Suddenly feeling uncertain, he broke the silence. "Did you really mean it?" he murmured hesitantly.
Still nursing his embarrassment, Hiko glanced up from his hand. "What on earth are you babbling about?" he scowled. "Mean what?"
Kenshin bowed his head. "Back in the room... you said that you would have taken me back... that I could have just come home..." Timidly, he looked up to meet Hiko's gaze. "Did you really mean it?"
Feeling uncomfortable, Hiko abruptly stood up and started back towards the cabin. "Baka..." he grumbled brusquely. "I thought I was alone, in a room with nothing but a corpse... what the hell do you think?"
Slightly encouraged, Kenshin spoke again. "Shishou?"
The man paused at the door. "What is it now?" he said tiredly.
"Does... does the offer still stand?"
Hiko blinked, and then turned around to face the still kneeling ghost. He stared at him for a moment, an odd expression on his face. "Kenshin..." he said slowly. "Are you asking permission to haunt me?"
Kenshin opened his mouth, and then snapped it closed with a startled expression. "I never really though of it like that," he murmured. "I guess I am, in a way..."
His master was quiet for a minute, thinking it over. "And what would you do if I said no?" he asked coolly, curious to see what his student's reaction would be.
Kenshin sagged slightly, a flicker of hurt crossing his face briefly before he quickly hid it behind his own indifferent mask. "Then I would leave," he murmured quietly. "I would not force my presence on you if you do not wish it..."
Hiko sighed. "You really are such a baka..." he muttered, shaking his head wryly. He turned and disappeared into the hut.
Saddened, the ghost stared at the empty doorway.
He... he didn't answer me...
He suddenly gave a start as he was struck by one significant detail...
But... he didn't exactly tell me 'no' either
With a small hopeful smile, the spirit stood up and followed his master inside.
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So, was this chapter everything you'd hoped? I wasn't satisfied with it, but then again, I'm never satisfied with anything I write. Thanks to SiriusFan13, who pointed out a couple of minor wording fixes, I'm feeling a lot better about it though. Hope you all liked it! Next chapter will probably be rather short, but definitely interesting to say the least. Ahh... the repercussions of drinking too much sake... ;)
Oh my! So many wonderful reviews... I'm so happy! Unfortunately, I think I'm going to have to stop responding to every review I get... I've always enjoyed trying to respond personally to each one, but this section is becoming way too long... It took me almost two days to find time to finish writing them all! Anyway, after this chapter I think I'll only have a general thank you and list your names, and only respond directly if there's something in particular I want to comment on, or if you ask a question... I'm sorry; I hope you all don't mind...
Reviewer Responses
Nekotsuki – Thanks again for the pointers on writer's block; I really appreciated it :) And I'm really glad you liked the chapter! Hopefully this one will meet with your approval as well!
Sailor-Earth13 – Well, here's the next chapter finally! Sorry again for taking so long... I hope you like it!
princess-oro – heh... yeah Hiko is pretty scary isn't he! Yes, I have seen Harry Potter... that poster you mentioned sounds rather amusing :) I'm not really sure how many chapters this story will end up being... I originally planned to end it a bit after the reunion, and start up a new story chronicling their adventures together, but I decided I'd rather just leave it all together as one fic.
xZig-zagx – I'm really glad you liked the chapter, and thanks for the good luck wishes on my job! I may hate the job itself, but at least I ended up with a great group of people to work with!
SiriusFan13 – I'm so glad you loved the chapter! And thanks again for reading this chapter before I posted it, and letting me know what should be fixed! I'm so relieved you didn't think it sucked :)
Swirly – So I almost made you cry for that chapter? Wow... that seems to happen a lot for this story; I think the majority of my reviewers have mentioned getting all teary during one chapter or another... Hopefully after the next chapter, humor will become more of the focus :)
BakaBokken – I'm so happy you're enjoying the fic so much! And thanks for being understanding about the potential delays in updating :) As you said, real life unfortunately always takes precedence over writing... So, when you have more people join KQEC, you'll send FFnet a petition? That's cool... how many people do you think it'll take?
crimsonsun-rk – You're absolutely right! Everyone goes on about how strong Kenshin is, but Hiko is the real master... :) Heh... every time I watch or read that part in the series where Aoshi wants to defeat Battousai and become the strongest, I always think "yeah right, if you want to become the strongest, you'd have to beat out Hiko first..." Hiko rocks!
Terry-McElrath – Thank you again for all your encouragement! I'm really glad you think my chapters are worth waiting for... it's really sweet of you to say! I feel the same way about your story... I look forward to your updates, but I'm always willing to wait as long as it takes :)
Crystal Snowflakes – I'm glad you're enjoying it! It is pretty funny to see Kenshin scared of Hiko as a ghost... He's only been dead a couple days; I'd imagine it takes a while to get used to the changes :)
Peacebunnie – Heh, yeah... Go Hiko! Thanks again for reviewing, and I really enjoyed your own stories as well! I look forward to seeing where you go with "Merciful Dreams"!
Mip the Demon Fox – Glad to see you're still liking the story! I hope Hiko's reaction was worth waiting for...
Streetwise Girl – Yeah, I always liked Okita too :) The Ishin Shishi... yeah they sure did betray a lot of trust. I've always hated politics... Heh... huggling Hiko... scary thought ;)
a.k.a. Arashi – Wow, you actually got goosebumps? I'm glad you think I'm doing such a good job at portraying Hiko :) Now that the two have been reunited, I hope I can pull off their interaction as well... And thanks again for offering to help me out if I need it :) I appreciate it!
Marlingrl – I'm so happy you like my characterization of Hiko! And I'm definitely flattered you think I'm a good writer... (blushes) I look forward to the next update for your own story as well! I think your version of Hiko is great too :) He's so wonderfully intimidating when he's pissed!
Katherat – I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting for so long... I hope their meeting was worth it!
no one's friend – Of course I'll forgive you! I don't mind if you didn't review before; I'm just thrilled you liked it so much!
kawaiimeeh – I'm so glad you like my story! I'm sorry for taking so long to update, but unfortunately trying to build my bank account back up has a much higher priority... (sigh)
Night-Owl123 – Glad you liked the chapter! Hope you like this one as well!
Shaolin 10 – I'm so sorry to hear about all the problems you're having... I hope things improve for you soon! And thanks for offering to help me out if I need it; I really appreciate it :) I already had "Black Dream" saved on my computer, and Terry was nice enough to email me the chapters of "Sword of Ice"... so I'm happy I'll at least be able to read those over again. I hope someday you'll be able to start working on your stories again; I've really missed seeing updates from you...
Anime#1Fan – I'm so sorry I took so long to update! I know you reviewed 3 times begging for chapter 12, so I hope this chapter was worth the long wait! If not, I'm so sorry! (sobs)
skenshingumi – I'm glad you really love this story, and that you don't think my writing is overly sentimental... Hopefully you'll still think so after this chapter! I thought it got too sappy myself... Thanks for wishing me luck on my job! I really need all the luck I can get...
omasuoniwabanshi – I am so glad you're still enjoying my story! I will try to get into a little more depth on what else may have caused Hiko to become the way he is... but I'm still a little fuzzy on the details myself :)
Battousai-dono or Annatar – I see you've changed your name a couple times since you reviewed :) Sorry the reunion was delayed for so long... I hope you liked it!
A lilmatchgirl – Yeah, Hiko is awesome when he's angry :) That scene with the politician was so fun to write!
Unseen Watcher – Okay, it wasn't really violent... :)
moeru himura – sorry about the urn... it does keep making an appearance, doesn't it? But it's necessary. I hope the reunion was worth the long wait! And thanks so much for wishing me good luck on my job! That was really nice of you :)
Freda Potter – I'm really happy you enjoy this story, even though you don't usually like AU fics :) I'm not a really big fan of most of them myself.
Miranda Crystal-Bearer – Thank you! I'm glad you like how I'm portraying Hiko... I'm so relieved that I seem to be doing a good job with his character. Yeah, I have a tendency to lapse into more modern speech patterns sometimes... I try to keep it to a minimum, but it slips out sometimes. And thanks also for reviewing "Frigid Waters"! I'm glad you liked it, as nerve-wracking as it was :) Heh... I know what you mean about winter... I hate being cold! That's why we moved to Florida :) Of course hurricanes are not fun either...
camillian – Sorry the chapter was so short, and that it took so long to update! I have a hard time writing long chapters for some reason, and work just keeps me so busy to write much anymore...
Crystal Renee – I'm glad you like the story! Yeah, Hiko is a tough character to write, but it's fun to try :) I'm glad I seem to be doing a good job with him!
Sessy-chan – I'm really glad you liked the humorous touches I added :) And you bringing up the idea of possession... I hadn't even considered that possibility... hmm... It's definitely something to think about :) Thanks! And I'm really sorry for not updating sooner! Please don't send Hannya after me! I'm trying my best, but real life unfortunately keeps getting in the way...
Thread-Spool – I sure do tend to drag things out, don't I? It's not really intentional. Glad you like the story though! Yes, more characters will end up making an appearance :)
Scented Candles – I'm so happy you're enjoying this story! That part with the paintings was so fun to write; I'm glad that you liked them :)
TattleTale – Well, you finally get your wish! Hiko and Kenshin interaction! Hopefully, it was worth the wait... And I'm really glad you don't think Hiko seems OOC... although after this chapter and the next, I hope you still think so...
sRoze – My goodness! Thank you so much! That is definitely the longest review I've ever gotten! I'm very glad you liked my efforts at being realistic, and the humor too. Kenshin's interaction with Tomoe was a little hard to write; I wasn't too thrilled with the way it came out myself. To answer some of your questions though... Tomoe'd been dead about four years by the time he killed himself. Kenshin's depressed state of mind... I never really gave much thought to anything specific that might have triggered it... Maybe I'll try to add that in the story somewhere. Well, thanks again for such a thorough review! I'm really happy you like the story so much!
Lady Battousai654 – I'm glad you love the story! I'm really flattered you think I'm an awesome writer... Well, Hiko can see Kenshin now :) It really would have been pretty awkward if he couldn't...
JMJV – Thanks for the review! Sorry the chapters are so short... I have a hard time making them longer for some reason.
Mukyuu Tenshi – Thank you! I'll try my best to keep up the good work!
Katie – I'm really glad you like the story! Heh... Kenshin's ghost bothering Saitou is something that will probably happen, so you'll get your wish eventually :)
sueb262 – I'm happy you like the story! And thanks again for listening to me about my father's death... It was really nice of you to be so supportive; I really appreciated it!
senbi – Thanks again for reviewing! I'm really happy that you've enjoyed the story so far! I thought it was really cute how you had Kenshin and Okita actually playing janken in your insanity fic :) I'm planning something for that particular painting sometime soon... I hope you'll like what I come up with! So the Chinese do that too with the bones? I didn't know that.
Zanza-Chan – Glad you liked the story! Even though it looks like you cried through most of it... sorry about that :) I've apparently made a lot of people cry with this... And yes, (hopefully) I will finish this fic eventually :) It might take a while though.
Author-chan – Oh my, thank you so much for reviewing! I'm thrilled that you like my story! Yes, I actually do plan to have Hiko forgive Katsura sometime. You really want to draw one of the paintings? I would be honored! I've always wondered what they would look like actually drawn out :)
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Glossary of terms:
yare yare – an interjection, commonly translated as "Oh well", "Good grief", "Oh brother", etc.
kuso - an expletive (bad word)