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I STILL NEED A BETA!
Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is not mine...
"And everything burns to ashes pt.2"
April, 1864
The sun was dying in the sky when the Shinsengumi had finally decided to intervene in the closing of the shrine. According to plan, the shogun declared that he had no knowledge of the ronin guard and had finally arranged for his task force to go and investigate.
That only made it even more obvious, Sishio thought with annoyance. After all, even Chosu's group was aware of the purge that would take place then. They had refused to participate, of course, aware of the risk involved in standing in front of the shogun's court; they were not yet ready for a face-to-face confrontation.
"Shishio kun, I thought you had accompanied Katsura dono," Izuka exclaimed from behind him, feigning surprise.
Shishio hated the man for the weakness that resided in his eyes. This man was a coward, he told himself.
"You know as well as I do that Katsura has another trap to set." -Izuka kept his smile. -"And if I were you" -Shishio warned, removing the safety lock of his katana in a clear threat -I would make sure not to show you in front of me."
The man lost his façade for a brief moment but immediately recovered.
"An apology, Makoto kun. I will not interfere again," he said and he left the room after that.
Shishio lowered his guard, looking again through the window of Katsura's office, the older one feared the leak of spies -with good reason- and now he was guarding the place.
"Honestly," he thought, "I'd rather be killing out there." He smiled.
Kenshin
For the past two days, Kenshin had been moving as if in a trance.
He could not believe the lucky path that was painted ahead of him. In every free time he had, his hands returned to search for that sheet of paper in the sleeves of his gi, and he reread the confession engraved on it.
He was happy.
Like never before.
He was elated.
"You look more of an idiot than you normally are," declared his teacher.
In other circumstances, the redhead might have jumped to refute the older man, but this time he was so happy that that insult had barely tickled him.
"That's fine," the redhead agreed, smiling.
Hiko raised an eyebrow; he needed only a second to completely analyze his student, and figure out what he was up to.
"You're going to run away." He declared, finally getting his disciple to lose his smile while his heart jumped in alarm when he found out he had been discovered. "With the girl from the sanctuary," Hiko concluded.
Kenshin remained frozen then feeling his teacher's gaze on the back of his neck, while he analyzed him.
"Have you thought this through, Kenshin?"
No. He hadn't. Although it didn't matter to him. Except for the fact that she would be free to choose, to choose him.
There were so many possibilities! And each and every one opened up ahead for him.
"I haven't stopped thinking," he admitted, finally turning towards his teacher to face him.
Hiko stifled a sneer.
"Dreaming would be more accurate," he pointed out, then crossed his arms, drawing himself up to his full height, looking at his apprentice as if on trial. "So? What's the plan?"
"Plan?" The confused young man blinked.
It wasn't that he was not aware that he should have a clear idea about how to carry out his escape with whom was his best friend -for the moment-, but rather that he did not envision their scape as some kind of mission; he intended to worry about one thing at a time. Although now, seeing the annoyed look of his teacher, he finally began to understand the error of his steps.
Hiko despaired.
"Will you participate in the fight and make her participate in it by asking her to share your destiny?" Questioned the older man, beginning to move towards his student; The young samurai reacted by moving away, aware of the threat. "Or do you plan to flee in a different direction?" he urged, and took the first attack stance after drawing his sword.
Kenshin's hands flew to the hilt of his katana in response, adopting a battou stance, aware of his master's intent. "Will you stay to complete your training? And what role will she have in all this?"
-What role, indeed?-, questioned his disciple, swallowing with difficulty and breaking out in a cold sweat. His stance changed to one of defense.
"I haven't thought that far into the future yet," he said, forcing himself to speak, because it suddenly weighed on him to admit that just as his teacher told him, he was being an idiot.
"Why not?" The man bellowed, raising his voice without shouting any more, getting the echo of it to reverberate on the edges of the mountain.
The massive power of his ki ended up scaring away the neighboring birds, which flew away from such energy.
Still Kenshin stood his ground.
"You know I won't let you stay if you decide to join the coming war," Hiko reminded him. "Your ability as it is is enough to tip the scales to whichever party you decide to join, and that in itself is a mistake. My teachings are not to become a slave to any political leader."
Hiko attacked.
Kenshin was barely able to return the blow, containing it. His master's speed surpassed him by far.
"And I get it!" He stated forcefully, almost desperate while he continued to contain the attack with difficulty. "I do not intend to demand more than what corresponds to me."
"Do you even know what corresponds to you?" the elder roared again, pressing hard enough to drive his student back a considerable distance with just a flick of his sword.
The redhead barely managed to stay on his feet after stumbling when receiving the full blow. He had barely recovered his position when Hiko was already on top of him with one of his favorite techniques. Kenshin protected himself with a spinning counterattack in time to avoid his opponent's direct hit, but the force created by the latter trapped him until he was immobilized. The older one took advantage of the opening and struck him in the base of the stomach with the hand that wasn't holding the sword, kicking at the base of his feet to make him fall right after.
The young student fell face down to the ground after rolling down it due to the force of the blow.
Hiko undid his posture, with the sword in front of him, he chose to look at his own reflection rather than the pathetic image his student offered him. He knew he was selfish, too; Kenshin running hand in hand with the shrine girl fit in with his teaching plans at the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu school. However, he had to be careful to mark the path for both of them or his baka deshii's sword would taint.
"I can see that you are happy for the open opportunity to run away with her," he admitted, not without some regret. "But what do you really have to offer?" he urged. "What can you give her that doesn't make her regret choosing you?"
Kenshin barely managed to shift on the ground after finally catching his breath, but he didn't have the strength to answer. He couldn't even be sure he had an answer, and he hated himself for it. Although the sword was still under his hand, it was clear that he had dropped it when he had fallen.
Pathetic.
He felt pathetic.
"If you don't have the answers, Kenshin…" Hiko sheathed his sword and looked at his apprentice one last time. "You don't deserve the offer," he sentenced.
The man turned back into the path that led to his hut, leaving behind a defeated Kenshin.
It would take a little longer for him to get up again.
How long had it been? The older one questioned. There were times when he saw himself in Kenshin, although he definitely hadn't been as idiot as this one, he assured himself. The presence of the girl from the sanctuary -Kaoru- had represented a promise that his student would end up fully accepting the precepts of his sword style.
Kaoru would represent that unattainable love, which would keep Kenshin's spirit pure and kind, completely free of any obligation. His student would have something -someone- to protect, and through her reciprocal affection -and her teachings regarding the value of life- he would develop the desire to live that was strictly necessary for a free sword; death was not an option.
He would continue wandering, seeking to alleviate with his sword the sorrows of the era, and would always return to the same point, to -at the right time- inherit the mantle of Seijuro Hiko.
But to run away...
He sighed in resignation. A part of him, which had grown much larger over time, wanted to give his student that happiness. After all, the style called for the student to be an orphan so he wouldn't have personal ties and focus on training, but it didn't say anything about taking a mate. For Hiko, there was a limit to what the man could refuse, and he knew that Kenshin was about to reach that limit, why not use it to his advantage instead? Like a motivation, perhaps? He would even accept the girl under his cloak if necessary.
But not like this, never like this.
"Find the answer, Kenshin," he said into the air, hoping that his foolish disciple would somehow hear and understand his words.
…
The sun had already begun its descent when Kenshin was finally resting face up on the ground, instead of a defeated warrior unable to get up as he savored the dirt that had entered his mouth as he fell. He had been annoyed at first by that confrontation, but as soon as he had turned to face the sky, said annoyance had vanished.
He felt somewhat lost. Drifting while the force of the river carried him downhill and he wondered if it was worth dropping in completely.
He understood of course what his master demanded of him. The samurai knew that he was still far from finishing his training, there were techniques that he would not reach until he reached a certain level of strength and dexterity but he also knew now -and after his months of wandering- that there was a limit to what could be learned in a battle against the same opponent. Soon, he would have to wander again, though perhaps for another purpose.
Then there was the revolution, that vocation to help constantly called him to take action on what was happening in Japan, although he was also aware that his teacher was correct in denying him to leave. It was against the precepts of the Hiten Mitsurugi school. Its power could not be at the service of others or it would stop being a free sword and become someone else's weapon.
And even so…
"If your heart beats the same as mine, Kenshin…"
Kaoru's face was pictured in his mind.
"Come for me on Kuchiyose night, meet me in the atrium, and I'll run with you."
Perhaps the answer was different, he told himself.
Perhaps the answer lay elsewhere, with someone else, with Kaoru dono.
Perhaps he could focus on his training and look to do something in the fight without getting directly involved. He didn't know about politics, of course, but Kaoru was the daughter of a daimyo and therefore knew how that type of interest moved. She could help him, she could teach him, guide him...
"Where would we go?"
"To the sea."
"Will it be as beautiful as in your stories?"
"Even more, because you will be there."
He then remembered that promise that during the festival had been a dream in the air, an illusion that at that moment he had wanted to cling to tooth and nail, marveling to discover that now it could come true. Kapru dono could be the sheath of his sword, the one that would take care of him from jumping into the fight with a hot head, from always analyzing before daring to intervene and seeking to respect above all the right to life.
"I know my sister would have chosen you"
Kaoru could go with him, as Kaoru's brother, Koishijiro, had told him. And if he ever had to get fully involved-because he wanted to, he confessed to himself-Kaoru dono could wait for him in Edo.
Later, when a new era opened up for Japan when the impediments of social classes no longer existed...
Kenshin smiled.
He had found his answer.
…
Hiko was about to finish preparing miso soup inside his hut when his disciple entered the room.
He had taken the time to wash and change his clothes, and he looked confident, the older man noted, his student's ki vibrating with strength and resolution, a soft and in tune song. He suppressed the desire to smile. Perhaps his student wasn't as stupid as he constantly led him to believe, he told himself. He then took the liberty of filling two plates and offering one to his companion, who took it with a bow of thanks, and they both sat down to eat facing each other.
The silence didn't break until the meal was over, and Hiko was filling his sake cup as usual.
"So?" He inquired after having drunk the concoction.
Kenshin smiled peacefully, looking at the empty cup in his hands and deciding if it would be a good idea to drink sake from that day on. Maybe it would be time to test his teacher's theory and find out if the sake would taste good or not...
He sighed, deciding that it was still too early.
"Since I was little, I have always followed the rhythm that life has imposed on me without complaining, not once, without asking for anything more than what was offered to me." -He said. His teacher looked at him attentively, waiting.
Hiko knew that for Kenshin it had been just like that. His nature was too kind, and he knew he was the only person his disciple fought openly with and, whether it was out of gratitude or resignation, the young samurai in front of him had allowed himself to be taught.
"Even with you, shishou," he confessed, looking at him at last, "I took up the sword because it offered me a chance to survive."
To survive, the man thought, but not to live. It wasn't time yet after all, but he was on his way to reach that destination.
"And now?" Hiko questioned.
His student's gaze sharpened.
"I do not wish to dishonor your teachings. I wish to fulfill my training, I find meaning and value in each of the precepts of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu style, and I wish to apply them."
"But?"
Kenshin looked kind of contrite.
"This is the first time I wish something for myself." The boy confessed with emotion, though still weak. "Of course I fear that I don't deserve it, but I still want it. I don't know if I'll regret it later. I have no way to deny it except my own oath. And she has chosen me."
The glow was back in his violet orbs. Hiko was able to sense the hope his apprentice clung to, to look into his fate and even guess how badly his heart would break.
"Even when I thought there was no way, she, Kaoru dono, has chosen me," he said as if he still couldn't believe it.
That memory dancing still in his mind.
'If your heart beats the same as mine, Kenshin…I'll run with you.'
The young samurai clenched his hands into fists in his lap.
"I want to run with her," he declared.
The older man looked closely at his student's profile, each of the nooks and crannies of his face and the vibrations of his ki, but there was no lie in his words.
"You forget something, Kenshin." His master told him. "I didn't teach you the use of the sword to make you miserable."
The young samurai released the air he had been holding, breathing in relief that his master had not rejected his wish despite what it might represent within his training.
A distraction.
"I know. That's why I also want to continue with my training until completion."
"Will she understand?" Inquired the dark-haired man, pouring himself another drink.
"She will." The redhead nodded confidently. "If it's Kaoru dono, I know she will. While I want to run with her, I don't want to tie her down, and she has other aspirations as well."
Kaoru had proven to be a free, independent spirit. She had confessed to him her desire to want to see the world, declaring that she was still in the process of deciding what she wanted to do with her life. Even if she had decided to discover it from his hand, the boy had no intention of imprisoning her but the opposite.
He wanted to see her fly high and free, free from the obligations of her previously imposed destiny.
Hiko crossed his arms.
"What are you asking me then?"
Kenshin inhaled sharply, this was the key moment, the point at which he would confess his selfish desire to keep Kaoru with him during his training, to be allowed to keep her with him...
"Shishou…" he began, leaning forward in a bow that almost touched the ground. "I humbly ask-"
"Himura-kun!"
They both stood up then, interrupting that conversation, sharpening their ears to better hear that frantic call.
"Himura-kun! Himura-kun!" yelled the voice closer.
Student and teacher shared a look before going out to meet whoever was looking for help then. Opening the door, the figure of the wandering priestess that Kenshin had rescued a couple of months ago greeted them both.
"Sasaki-san?" The minor recognized him.
The young woman threw herself into his arms.
"Himura-kun!"
Kenshin received her, holding her by the shoulders. The young woman looked exhausted, pale, almost to the point of giving the impression of being ill.
"Are you alright, Sasaki-san?"
"Help, we need help!" she blurted out clinging to her companion's clothes, "the shrine needs help, Himura kun, the ronin and Yumi sama."
"Calm down girl!" Hiko bellowed from behind them both, the force of his ki stopping the priestess's panic in its tracks, "speak one thing at a time," he said.
The girl trembled before calming down with a deep breath.
"The sanctuary is under siege…" she declared, both men looking at her in alarm. "Guji sama is nowhere to be found, and Momiji sama is dead," she sobbed, her voice cracking until she started to cry again. "They have even attacked the retirement home."
Kenshin's heart stopped beating for a second. Kaoru was in that retirement home, he remembered.
"We can't go down the mountain -the young woman continued- access to the sanctuary was closed by ronin under orders from the shogun... I went up on Kaede sama's orders to warn the others, but the sanctuary was already being attacked, so Yumi sama sent me to look for you, there is nowhere else to run." She sobbed.
If she dropped to the ground or if it had been Kenshin who had released her, the latter didn't care, his sword was once again tied to his waist and his steps quickly took him out of the hut.
"Kenshin!" His teacher stopped him by going after him.
The redhead barely stopped.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry shishou," he lamented, "but I have to go, whether you decide to accompany me or not."
"I know, idiot," Hiko replied to his student's surprise. "That doesn't mean you should jump into the flames without a plan or you'll just get burned."
Kenshin despaired.
"If we waste more time…!"
"If you speed up," he cut him off in a deep, strong voice, "you increase the risk of dying by your own fault." He declared, getting his disciple to stay still but irritated at the same time with his hands in fists and clenching his jaw. Hiko turned to the priestess. "Girl, tell us, where did you come from?"
Sasaki did as she was told, pointing out the shortcut Kaede revealed for her so she could shorten the rise time. But she hadn't finished giving the instructions when the young samurai had run back -this time along the given path- unable to contain himself any longer.
"Kenshin!" his teacher yelled.
But the student was unable to listen to him.
"Damn it," Hiko growled, deciding to go after his stupid student but not before first hearing from the priestess what exactly they were up against.
…
Kenshin ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He forced his body to rush forward at the heavenly speed of his own sword style. He had to get to her; he had to find her!
"Kaoru dono!"
Desperate as he was, feeling himself on the brink of an infinite precipice, he lost perspective of the whole world, and the focus of his vision was drawn to the midpoint in front of him, searching with the shadow of terror itself upon himself for the figure of whom he wished to take as a mate.
He did not see, therefore, the disaster found in his path. He did not register, as he should have, the lifeless bodies fallen all the way - first towards the retirement home and then towards the sanctuary -; unable to distinguish the damage done by humans and the damage done by the cats that now evaded him at the same time that they seemed to lead him.
He could only register the damage and death as a latent entity that taunted his face.
"Kaoru dono, Kaoru dono, please… don't die!"
He searched the retirement home, unable to find any trace of Kaoru or any of the chokkai, feeling equally grateful and desperate that he wasn't certain of either the life or death of his friends.
He headed back out, ready to run straight to the sanctuary now, after making sure that whoever he was looking for was not there. He returned along the path where he had found the groups of inert bodies, although the fact barely had a record in his memory. Then the earth roared under his feet under the force of an explosion.
"Ah! By kamisama…!"
At last, he looked at the tower of fire that burned like the gateway to hell itself.
For an instant, Kenshin was unable to move. It had been a long time since fear had dominated him in this way, and he felt like a child again before the scene of a tragedy that exceeded all of his expectations.
Dry bamboo leaves swirled to the earth under the force of the wind. It would rain soon, said a distant part of his mind-one still rational at the time- the air seemed to call to him and say his name constantly.
"Kenshin, Kenshin, Kenshin, Kenshin, Kenshin, Kenshin"
The samurai took a deep breath, forcing his numb body to respond to his mind's prompting. His right hand closed into a fist and climbed up to his face with difficulty, to which he delivered a strong blow.
Kenshin finally released the terror from his body, breathing hard as he forced himself to run back towards the shrine. The rain had already begun to fall, making the ground slippery; the young samurai took care of his steps, regretting that this slowed him down.
His heart was pounding heavier in his chest, and his vision was bathed in red as he walked down a path filled with death and destruction.
Why had he gone down to the retirement home first instead of going straight to the sanctuary? He didn't know for sure. Sasaki dono had told him it had been looted, clarifying that she herself had gone through it. Why had he felt the need to search there? To corroborate by himself? His teacher was right, he finally realized; he had jumped in with a hot head, on impulse, and had not considered what should be the most convenient thing to do. The chokkai knew how to defend themselves besides, Kaoru dono herself was special. What didn't assure him that she had seen the attack in advance?
'I'll run with you, Kenshin'
No. He blamed himself. Kaoru had renounced her destiny days ago.
He gritted his teeth, feeling suddenly guilty. He hadn't even sent her a reply...
He couldn't keep contemplating this because when he finally reached the sanctuary and saw for himself the siege of it...
Kenshin drew his sword. He took a deep breath and sought to feel his companion. It was not an easy task; there were too many energies in the air and yet, he would always be able to find her.
"There!" he said to himself as soon as he felt her.
When Kenshin opened his eyes, the violet had faded to a blue dark enough to be mistaken for black.
He wouldn't waste time getting involved in useless confrontations; those that would only delay him from reaching his partner. But the firearms exploded then, and he barely managed to dodge them, crouching on the ground, taking cover behind one of the many stone altars. He was still far from the main road; he had to go around the terrain to reach an access parallel to the Torii.
He should think about how to go up without taking too much damage. He was thinking about this when the force of a tremendous ki crushed him.
"I'll take care of it, Himura-kun."
Unable to turn back, Kenshin was able to recognize that voice.
"Guji sama…" he admitted horrified once he had seen him.
Without the traditional hat covering his head, his hair disheveled, and his clothes stained with blood, dirt, and tears, he certainly looked different. But it wasn't physical issues that had transformed the man whose smile had turned into that of a demon, showing all the teeth and him highlighting the insane glow in his now black orbs.
"I'll see to it that Momiji's wish is fulfilled," Momiji said, drawing out the words.
What was most disturbing about the man was the inert body of the priestess he had loved, supported by one of his arms. Her eyes, dull, and unfocused, gave her the appearance of a doll.
Kenshin felt a chill. This was another type of demon.
The Guji -Jineh- passed him by at a slow pace. His attackers spared him a look before deciding to shoot him. To Kenshin's horror, the ex-priest covered himself with Momiji's body, which he threw as soon as the bullets stopped as he leaped forward, ripping apart the bodies of his opponents.
For the first time, Kenshin stood still at the horror his eyes were seeing. The hand that held the sword trembled.
"If I were you, I would leave before I finish here," the now murderer told him; in his voice, there was a certain sadness and anguish that had not been there before or that perhaps Kenshin had not been able to notice before due to his surprise. Jineh advanced until he reached the last of the men alive, sword in hand "Himura kun, you have a little bird to rescue, don't you?"
The memory of his friend flashed back into his mind.
"Kaoru dono"
And it was enough to wake him up.
"Arigatou (thank you)" he said, even if the Guji kept his back to him.
"Just save her before it's too late."
Kenshin didn't wait, he had run off before the man have even finished speaking.
The rain had stopped.
…
"Kaoru dono!"
Kenshin was unable to know with certainty the severity of the damage he was causing in his wake. He was finally inside a war that this time he did not want to fight, but from which he would not back down until he found his partner.
"Kaoru dono!"
Answering attacks as he had been told he would at the beginning, but without engaging in a real fight beyond what was necessary to break through, Kenshin brandished his sword and attacked without caring if his attacks killed or not.
"Kaoru dono!"
He simply wanted to reach his mate.
And when he finally found her...
…
A monster inside of him was unleashed. It consume him until he himself became a demon.
…
"Kenshin"
Kaoru had accepted then that perhaps all her dreams and predictions had been wrong. That perhaps, she had hindered the paths that had been traced by the heaven itself. How else was she about to receive the death sentence?
She closed her eyes heavy with guilt and sadness, conjuring the image-the only one- that could give her peace then.
But then she felt her body lift as if floating, gliding through the air, with all-too-gentle hands holding her and the pounding of a heart she knew well enough.
"Are you alright, Kaoru dono?"
The young girl finally opened her eyes. She felt her heart rise to her mouth.
"Ken…shin" she whispered in disbelief.
Her friend, who looked extremely relieved to have been able to save her, smiled at her with the most infinite tenderness.
"Sorry I'm late," he told her.
Kaoru felt the tears run down her face again and immediately took refuge in her partner's chest.
"Oi, bastard," the ronin growled from behind them, the same one who had struck Karou and intended to kill her moments before, "with what right do you dare to interfere?"
A fiber, too sensitive, vibrated inside the young samurai.
"Kaoru dono, please, wait for me a moment -he asked-, it won't take long."
She looked up at him as he carefully lowered her to the ground.
"What are you going to do, Kenshin?"
With his eyes hidden behind the strands of his hair, Kaoru could only see his smile; one that promised pain and sorrow.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of it from here."
Kaoru watched him stand up and turn away, his left hand releasing the safety lock of his katana.
The ronin roared with laughter, as did the others.
"What does a child like you could-?"
…
Silence.
…
The katana pierced from the base of the jaw to exit at the top of the skull. For that moment in which the sword remained still, the life of that man continued to hang in Kenshin's hands.
"I got tired of the sound of your voice," he said, his eyes shining with liquid gold.
The next second, Kenshin released the weapon, blood spurted from the victim's head, and his body fell to the ground with a resounding thud.
"Ken…shin?" Kaoru could barely understand what her eyes were seeing.
Kenshin was a demon now.
"Aaah!" Shouts broke out around him.
The few servers that remained alive from the sanctuary did the same to take advantage of the distraction and free themselves, unleashing chaos.
"Damn!" growled the other ronin, allies of the fallen who had apparently been one of the leaders.
"Everyone against him!"
The Oni that was now Kenshin barely blinked at his enemies' attack. None had the skill and strength to face him, frightened as they were. Taking care to move the fight away from where his partner was, the yellow-eyed Oni forced his opponents to dance with him in the dragon's claws.
Not once did he falter, his katana connecting with the flesh of his falling enemies with chilling haste. Even when one of these managed to hurt him, they could not escape the promise of death that he offered them.
It wasn't the first time Kaoru had seen death before her eyes. Her same companions -hours ago- had had to face carrying out said company. But there was a marked difference between fighting to survive and fighting to kill.
It was too much, she told herself, reaching for her companion, unaware of the moment she had gotten to her feet.
One and another. A terrible technique and from the force it created, the last group of ronin fell to the ground. The balance had turned and now the priests and priestesses of the temple were the ones who subdued the attackers, thanks to the young redhead who had come to save them.
He didn't know how things were in the second compound, the one with the clergy quarters and beyond the holy shrine of Inari, but on the esplanade at least, Kenshin was the executioner. He was about to kill one more of the ones he had seen hurt Kaoru when he had just found her in the distance.
Sword raised, he nearly sliced the shivering man below him in two.
"Yametteee! (Stop)"
And Kaoru, his sweet Kaoru for the second time since he'd known her, had stopped him on the spot.
He had heard her voice before he felt her body crash into his behind him. Tightly holding the cloth of her gi as her body trembled.
"Why?" He questioned her, unable to understand his partner's mercy... "Why?! They deserve it! They killed everyone you loved. They deserve it!"
"Onegai (please)… -the apprentice sobbed, her face blurred with tears leaning against her companion's back -yamette…"
Kenshin's bile rose in his throat.
"Nande? (why)" he growled.
Kaoru trembled again, startled by the latent venom in the redhead's voice. She understood, the anger he felt… but…
"Even if you kill them all... -she whispered- even if you kill them all -she sobbed harder -none of my sisters will come back to life... -she cried. -Not even one..."
Still enraged, the emotion that she conveyed forced its way from his chest, and rose until it overflowed in angry tears. Tears of courage, because he understood, Kenshin understood…!
Resigned, he turned the katana in his hand, pointing it downward, and rammed it hard into the ground, furious. The ronin jumped in fright before crawling back, away from his attacker.
Kenshin breathed heavily through his mouth until he calmed down, and then turned around to receive Kaoru in his arms.
"Kaoru dono," he sobbed in relief, in anguish, in raging anger and fear, afraid that he would have almost lost her forever if he had come even a second later. "Kaoru dono!"
Meters away, another hidden member of the attacking group was raising a rifle in the direction of the young samurai who, just like the madman with spells, had ended up defeating them, at least he would finish this one off, he told himself.
"Don't even think about it," a voice spoke to his side, and the next moment the weapon fell to the ground, split into two pieces.
The man stared in horror at the man who loomed above him.
Hiko looked at him with a stern expression, enough for the man to end up face down on the ground, praying that he wouldn't kill him.
Although it had taken him longer than necessary, the dark-haired man had managed to tie up the loose ends that his stupid student had been leaving open in his wake. Between him and what he supposed had been the Guji - now without a doubt a man lost to madness - they had managed to free the captives, and capture the enemies that still stood.
And for those that his stupid apprentice had left dying in his wake, he had been unable to do more than end their suffering by giving the final blow that the minor had not bothered to give.
Now he could see him in the distance, as he clung to the apprentice as if his life depended on it. Hiko had seen enough to judge his apprentice for his actions.
He had failed with all the colors, he lamented, if anything saved him from having to finish him off himself, it was thanks to the little girl's intervention.
He sighed.
There wasn't much he could do now.
Yumi
Like the rest, Yumi had been surprised by the display of strength and skill that Himura Kenshin had shown that night.
By the time the Shinsengumi had finally reached the shrine grounds there wasn't much else to do except take away the prisoners and get people to dispose of the dead. The first building was almost completely destroyed, but thanks to its external structure, the people could rebuild it in short time if they managed to maintain the daimyo's monetary support. After all, it had become clear that the shogun had been behind the attack; it was easy to think of reprisals against those who stood in favor of what the revolutionary movement was beginning to represent.
But Yumi knew the truth behind that tragedy.
"Momiji," she thought.
"I hope you're at least happy," she said to herself.
It was already dawn. The darkness was slowly replaced, until it was painted in shades of purple. The rain had stopped hours ago, and the fire had burned out.
Yumi had spent those hours submerged in a kind of trance. Neither Kaede nor Momiji nor any of the arui miko had survived. Guji sama had disappeared again just when the situation had been contained; when the shinsengumi finally entered the shrine grounds. But even they knew—accepted—that the blow had come mostly from their own faction.
"At least they don't pretend to be innocent," thought Yumi, who now -being the one with the highest rank- had been left in charge without really wanting it.
Beside her, Hikari stood like a shadow, following her whenever her superior moved. The chestnut could understand how lost the little apprentice was after having lost so much in one day; that she had not even considered sending her to rest, she knew that loneliness now scared the youngest.
It was decided to bury the fallen priests as soon as the esplanade had been cleared. Lots of funeral pyres had begun to be hastily built as a result. The town people had been arriving little by little to support as they could in the said amendment. The young woman was grateful for this; fragmented as they were, she knew there would be no way to do it on their own.
Even the faction of aristocrats, including Katsura Kogoro, had shown up. A strange truce had settled after the tragedy that had occurred. The woman did not know whether to laugh or cry at this.
Once again, Yumi wondered what had been the point of getting so far. Had this been Momiji's true plan? And what for?
Her eyes then searched for who had been the reason at the beginning, the girl they had fervently tried to save from living the same fate as the three of them. Kaoru was still protected by Himura's arms, practically supported by him; she found refuge in the presence of the redhead. The young samurai's teacher was still in the sanctuary, Yumi knew it because she could feel his presence -although hidden- inside the enclosure. She was secretly grateful that he hadn't left yet. Of all those who carried swords then, he was the only one she could feel safe with.
The funeral pyres were then completed, and the bodies -after having been cleaned- were placed one by one for burial.
For the second time, the sanctuary was illuminated with the flames of the pyres although this time, the fire represented cleansing, purifying the smell of death and misery that had dominated hours before.
…
The building of rooms, together with the compound of the priestesses, was still standing and in good condition. After the burial of her fallen comrades, after noon, efforts had been directed at vacating rooms and making space to temporarily use certain areas for administrative and religious purposes in the main building, which was now in deteriorating condition.
Yumi had barely slept. By then she was in the dry garden of Kaoru's quarters. The latter, along with Himura and Hikari, kept her company, when Sato had come out into the room with a scoop in his hand.
"Yumi sama, Kaoru dono" he spoke to both of them; those present instantly gave him their attention. "The representative of the imperial Shinto wants to know if the ceremony will continue in two days."
Aphonia.
Despite having been the reason for so many previous preparations, despite being the party the city was preparing for, the Kuchiyose event had dissolved from everyone's minds after the attack on the shrine. Now it fell like a bucket of cold water to discover empty and imperfect.
Yumi sighed in resignation. Hadn't this been what they wanted? She questioned herself.
"There will be no Kuchiyose, I'm afraid," she declared solemnly.
Sato frowned sadly but nodded after that brief moment, ready to turn around and send the message back with the messenger, but Kaoru stood up then.
"No," she said forcefully.
"Kaoru dono" Yumi chided.
The black haired girl denied once more. Beside her, Kenshin had stood up with her; he looked worried, nervous. Yumi could understand why.
"If we stop now, they will have won..." Declared the youngest "...and the deaths of my brothers and sisters will have been in vain. I cannot allow that to happen!"
The feeling was mutual; everyone there understood what the blue-eyed apprentice was trying to explain, but to say that they had the same resolution as her was undoubtedly lying about it.
"You don't have to do this," the young woman pressed.
"On the contrary, I have to." Kaoru refuted cutting her. "Yumi sama, please. I need you to assert myself."
She needed a representative. If the Guji had not disappeared, he would have presented her to the clergy and delivered her to the gods. An apprentice could not enter the compound alone. Yumi knew, but it didn't make it any easier. Staring at her, arguing through glances with her apprentice, she fervently wished that her resolution was different. Her eyes traveled for an instant to the young samurai, who kept his gaze fixed on the ground, oblivious to his companion.
Her heart clenched. 'Even you can't contain her, can you?' she thought sadly. 'Kaede, Momiji…we were wrong, I'm afraid.'
She sighed again with an air of defeat.
"Very well Kaoru dono, I will represent you." She agreed. She then turned to Sato "Inform His Imperial Holiness that the Kuchiyose will take place as scheduled. And send letters to the companion sanctuaries; one of them will have to answer for us."
Sato nodded and left immediately.
Hikari, who had been staying with Yumi, approached Kaoru and Kenshin then, tears still shining in her eyes.
"Kaoru dono" She called her, Kaoru looked at her instantly. "Because of Kago, I can't abandon the clergy, but at the same time, I don't want to abandon my Chokkai state." She wouldn't do the kuchiyose with her, nor with the chokkai that was left -Sato- was what she wanted to say. "However, I can assist you if you allow me."
Yumi looked away, not wanting -like Kenshin- to hear that commitment.
"It would be an honor," Kaoru replied, turning to her partner afterward. "You understand, don't you, Kenshin?" she begged, anguished.
With a smile that did not reach the eyes of the young samurai, he nodded, because he could not pronounce the words.
Yumi was sure then that her heart wasn't the only one that broke at that moment.
…
The day continued until it gave way to the night. Yumi felt like years had passed instead of hours. The shinsengumi had withdrawn as had the townspeople after clearing the esplanade once the funeral pyres had been extinguished. Only Okita had sincerely apologized to her.
Now it was the Kiheitai's turn, she thought bitterly. Unlike the shogun's hosts, the aristocracy had seen fit to stay until the end of the day, obviously looking out for their interests. She herself had had to meet with the feudal lords to ensure she would not lose their support.
Now it was time to talk to the last one.
The most dangerous of all.
Kogoro Katsura.
"I wish we had arrived earlier," said the latter.
They were both in the room that had belonged to Momiji, and that would now belong to Yumi after taking her place as Kyoto's representative in the emperor's court.
"They had no way of knowing what it would be today," she excused. Because even if they had, they couldn't have helped without declaring opposition to the shogunate. And it was not time yet. "It is good to see that you have the decency not to deny your participation in this." She accused him, annoyance and guilt flashing in the eyes of the man across from her. "Will you keep trying to recruit Himura kun?"
"It seems like the right time," he said, half relieved and half worried to have such an undertaking.
"It is," she admitted. "But don't expect him to join just yet."
Or else you'll lose him, she wanted to say.
"I understand. -He answered. -What should I do then?"
Yumi sighed. She hadn't had time to consult her tables then, but she didn't need them. Not anymore, at least. To fuly continue on such a path was not pleasant at all, but quite necessary.
"Prepare an order." She said, referring to a murder. "A list with all the names of those who were behind this, make sure none of them have a chance to redeem themselves -because she also wanted revenge-. When you have them, make the offer to the boy, and mention Kaoru dono and what she lost here herself… In the meantime, make sure to gather those involved in one place. That way, you'll have a clean hit behind closed doors."
'That way, the blood on his hands won't just mark him as a murderer," she told herself desperately, 'That way, we can both excuse ourselves that this is an act of justice and not just revenge.'
Katsura nodded. After his previous encounter with the young samurai, he had understood the latter's motivations and that he could not be moved by the same motivations as the rest of Chosu's group, not taking into account the issue that he was basically just a child in comparison, which brought another problem to the table.
"What will become of the seer?"
Yumi felt a tightness in her chest.
"What else?" She lamented. "She will become a symbol. Just as Momiji wished," she declared with deep sadness.
…
By nightfall, Yumi finally -with the help of the remaining administrators- closed the doors of the sanctuary. This one would remain like this for a week, long enough for mourning, she agreed. Although aware that the internal wounds would take longer to heal if they ever.
The brunette had gone back to her rooms when Himura crossed her path, a prudent distance from the corridor that led to her companion's room. The young samurai had wanted to speak to her ever since the rescue, but the amount of work to cover had prevented such a meeting. The woman supposed that Kaoru must be sleeping then, perhaps in the company of Hikari, and that this separation between her apprentice and the young samurai in front of her was to be expected.
Kaoru would become the bride of the gods in less than a day, she reminded herself. Yumi then led her guest to her anteroom.
"Thank you for sending for me," Kenshin said, in a humble bow to his companion, once they had settled in the room.
Yumi nodded. The tea they shared was cold.
"I'm glad you saved her. But this is not a victory." She reminded him, even knowing how much that hurt him. "Kaoru dono is even more tied to the sanctuary than she was before choosing you."
The redhead's face contracted in a clear gesture of sadness and pain.
"…Perhaps it's for the best" he answered resignedly, unable to look his partner in the eye.
Yumi studied him for a moment. She still couldn't rest. For Katsura's plan to work, she too had to do her part.
It was decided then.
#Himura kun." She called him, he looked at her instantly. "I have one last selfish wish that I must ask you to fulfill."
Mutism.
The boy was able to feel the change in the environment, the precarious vibration of his partner's ki; the concern that danced in her brown eyes.
"Be the Kami that Kaoru dono needs," she declared.
It wasn't a request, it was more of a statement, almost an order; as if it reminded him of an old oath that he had to turn into a mantra.
It wasn't the first time she'd said those words to him either. And Kenshin understood.
When Yumi discovered such understanding in the younger's eyes, when she was sure that he understood that his role in the destiny of the young seer was just beginning, she finally shared what had to be done now.
"After what happened today, the Maekkai will be desperate to create a child of the gods. Don't let them get to her," she asked desperately.
To Kenshin it was as if a bucket of ice water had been dropped on top of him until it robbed him of all the heat.
A child of the gods-despite the name-had to come through a physical body, usually through some other priest. Something that he had previously discovered had happened to Kaede dono, although in her case it had not come to an end.
To even think of a scenario like that with Kaoru in the middle…
Terror and anger filled his heart then.
"Can I count on you?" Yumi asked.
Kenshin clenched his hands into fists, trembling with anger and determination. When he contained his emotions long enough, he looked at his companion and answered.
"When the time comes, I'll be ready."
A/N: And yes, you know which scene goes after this; the first Battousai appearance.