Broken Pieces
by linay
Author’s
notes: Alright,
just for the record…I AM NOT ACTUALLY AN EVIL PERSON. Heehee…I got that a lot
in the reviews for the last chapter. Anyway, I’m sorry it’s so angsty but ya
know, in this little universe of Broken Pieces, I can’t see it any other way.
It’s not a very happy life they’re leading. But regardless, I think that this
final chapter, broken pieces, is not a SAD chapter. I mean, it has some
elements of sadness but I think the ending is very uplifting. I had this ending
planed out BEFORE the rest of the story. That being said, I am SURE that many
people will want a more…shall we say, fluffy ending. So maybe I will write an
alternate ending. Maybe. Please read on and give my ending a chance.
Oh yeah, as
for lyrics, or poetry…I made it up. (except for in chapter 22 when she sings)
Stuff in this chapter is stuff from all other chapters.
After you
read this, this is what you can expect from me: 1 – I will be revising the
whole story (no more swearing, editing out contradictions, etc.) and then you
can read it as a novel – without having to wait years for the next chapte! - 2
– Writing a sequel called “complete me”. Stand by for that one! Woohoo!
So, thank you
to everyone for encouraging me and leaving wonderful reviews. You have all been
extra patient and a great, great inspiration for me. I hope you enjoy this
final instalment – but remember! I’m not disappearing yet!
Disclaimer:
I
didn’t create Kenshin & Kaoru! Or Megumi, Aoshi, Katsura or Takasugi for
that matter. But I DID kinda screw them up for the purposes of my story.
Previous
Chapter:
Kaoru has
returned to Kenshin. In his enraged state, he is unwilling to believe that she
has come back of her own will. He accepts her, however. Katsura informs Kenshin
that he only as two more assassinations to complete before Choshu’s rise to
power. One of these is Genji, Kenshin’s former co-assassin. The second is …
Kaoru. The story is winding to a close.
Chapter
24: broken pieces
I should
not be the one to survive this.
My life is
but a fleeting excuse.
A passing
trend.
A disappearing abomination.
“Will you get
my sword for me?” He heard himself ask her, “There is only one more person left
for me to kill.”
She nodded
and went to retrieve his swords from across the room.
“Both of
them?” Her lilting question was innocent.
“No. One will
be enough.” Was that his voice speaking? He questioned himself. How had he
managed not to choke on the words?
She was
coming back toward him, his long sword cradled in her arms. One last murder, he
thought. But it was the one person in the whole world whom he wanted to
protect, the only person he had wished not to harm. He shut his eyes for a
moment but the name on the black card was burned into his memory.
Kaoru.
Vaguely he
recalled Genji’s last words. Who will be the one to do him in? Who will kill
the most dangerous assassin in Kyoto? Why, the assassin himself, of course. Had
Katsura known that Kenshin had planned take his own life in the event that he
would be forced to steal Kaoru’s from her? Had they orchestrated this plan just
for that purpose?
He could feel
her presence stopping before him. Opening his eyes, he could see her peering
inquisitively into his face.
“This is the
last one, right Kenshin?” She asked hopefully.
“Yes. It’s the
last one.” The words falling from his lips were toneless stones, dropping
treacherously into her hearing. He knew she trusted him. She lifted the sword
up to him. The damned thing rested so innocently in her open palms, mocking
him. You could not protect her with me, the sword seemed to sing to him,
You will kill her with me. How terrible to be so strong and yet so
unable to protect the one he loved. He took the sword by the sheath.
“Kenshin?”
He dragged
her to his chest, wrapping his strong (but not strong enough to save her) arms
around the young woman, burying his face into her damp hair. “I love you.” His
confession was barely a murmur but she heard it. He pulled her away from him
and held her at arm’s length. It was a confession he felt that he had made far,
far too late. But nothing he could say would make it all right. She would die
by his hand and he would spend eternity apologizing for it.
He blinked as
he realized she was also studying him. Her face had gone white.
“Your last
assignment,” she spoke cautiously, “It’s me, isn’t it?”
Her words
surprised him. He had not expected her to be so quick. But then, he smiled
ruefully, she was everything and everyone to him. He didn’t answer with words;
instead, he flung her harshly away from him. She tumbled to the floor, still
staring up at him. He knew that the unspeakable sorrow in her eyes mirrored his
own. But he pushed back his feelings, and unsheathed the long cruel blade,
casting the scabbard away. He took a step forward, the tip of the sword trailing
against the wood.
Kaoru looked
up at him, her tranquil blue eyes meeting his. A wistful smile graced her pale
face as he lifted the sword in preparation for a swift, decapitating strike.
“Kenshin,”
her voice was small, as if she were afraid of being cut off at any second, “Do
you remember?” She looked up to see his mind and muscles struggling against
each other. “This is how we met.” She smiled again. Breathing in deeply, she
rose to her feet, keeping her eyes level with his.
“Not quite.”
He spoke quietly, his words strangling him. “As I recall, we met when you threw
a chair at me.”
“I did do
that, didn’t I?” She grinned faintly. “But actually, we met a few seconds
before then, even. As I recall, you told me to prepare for my death and
then you tried to kill me.” As Kenshin winced, she chuckled quietly and then
added, “Why aren’t you telling me that now?”
“Kamiya
Kaoru,” Kenshin swallowed his suffering and spoke in a pained whisper, “Prepare
to meet your death.”
Kaoru
exhaled, her eyes closing against the river of tears that was building up. Her
lips trembled slightly and then she sniffed, opening her eyes and letting the
tears flow slowly down. She managed a final weak smile.
“I wasn’t
struggling then, was I?” She saw his muscles tense. “And I’m not now.”
A rush of
wind was the only warning she received. Despite herself, she closed her eyes
and cringed. But instead of burning steel cutting through the flesh of her
neck, she only felt the ice cold touch of metal against the side of her exposed
neck. Kaoru opened her eyes.
“Kenshin,”
she said chidingly, “That is the wrong side of the blade to be killing me
with.”
The cold
touch left her neck. “Indeed,” Kenshin replied, his eyes running down the
length of the blunt edge of his sword. He sighed. “If only our battles could be
fought with dull swords.”
“I would
think that dull swords would make it all the more painful,” Kaoru quipped
softly. She tilted her head to one side. “Are you going to kill me, or not?”
Kenshin
lifted her chin with the tip of his outstretched sword. “Do you want me to kill
you?”
“Now that,”
she said, “Is a very stupid question.”
He gave her
cheek a light slap with the flat of the blade. “Well, you’re not exactly
putting up a very good fight. Not like the last time I was sent to kill you,
anyway.”
Her voice was
sharp all of a sudden. “Kenshin, my dear, I’ve seen you kill.” Then her face
and tone softened. “I realize that any resistance on my part would be quite
ineffective.”
“How
strange,” he commented in a murmur, “That we’re so candidly discussing your
murder.” His voice cracked. “I don’t want to kill you. I would have
spent every day of the rest of my life with you.”
“Is that
impossible now?” He heard the hopefulness in her voice and was determined to
crush it before it infected him.
“No,” he didn’t
lower his sword as he spoke, “Not if tonight is the last night of both
of our lives.”
“Oh Kenshin.”
Kaoru shook her head vehemently. “That’s the last thing I want to hear.”
“What do you
want to hear?”
“Nothing that
you could say truthfully.”
If meaning
is lost,
We are
like aimless birds
Moving
from cage to cage
I will never be free.
He pressed
his lips together. “It won’t take a moment.” She nodded and he pulled back in
preparation for a lunge. With an earsplitting cry, he thrust forward,
struggling to aim for her heart. Sweat beaded on his brow as he completed the
movement.
“You missed.”
She spoke blandly. “This is beginning to rattle my nerves.”
Kenshin
stood, panting beside her, the sword resting on her shoulder. He pulled away,
sheathing his sword. “It’s quite a difficult thing to do, killing you.”
“I should
hope so!” Kaoru frowned and replied cheekily. “I’d be just a little peeved if
you did it too easily.”
“Well then
stop complaining, woman.”
“Look,” Kaoru
was returning to her caustic conversational ways, “I’d love to help you find an
easier way to kill me, but it’s not really in my best interests!”
“Do you think
it’s in mine?”
“Well, you’re
the one doing it, aren’t you?”
“I
don’t have a choice!”
“Ah yes, back
to the choice discussion. You know,” she remarked scathingly, “You blame
Katsura for far too much.”
“It’s my
duty. I have to do it.” He was glaring at her in anger. Anger was better
than sorrow.
“That’s
right. And you said it yourself, not even I can get in the way of your duty.”
She bit her lip before blurting out the next words tearfully. “So get it over
with already and stop making me hope for something that’s impossible!”
Pushing past
her, Kenshin stalked over to the opposite end of the room and ripped the short
sword from its stand. He strode briskly back to her and pushed the short sword
into her chest. “Defend yourself at least!” He shouted.
She looked at
him incredulously. “Against you?”
“Come on,” he
said, drawing out the long sword again, “I’m giving you a fighting chance.”
“My ass! You
just want to kill me without having to really look at me.” She planted a hand
on her hip. “And what if I don’t fight back?”
Kaoru yelped
suddenly as she found herself blocking Kenshin’s naked blade with the sheathed
short sword in her hands. She pushed him back, and aimed to strike his shoulder
with her sheathed sword. He deflected it easily and twisted to swing at her
midsection. Kaoru was able to predict his move and jumped back a few feet,
holding the sword up in front of her. Kenshin straightened.
“You won’t be
able to defend yourself if you keep it in its sheath.” Kenshin’s tone was flat.
At least she was fighting back. He would have been disappointed if his feigned
strike had actually cut her.
“Fine.” She
held the sword out and began to pull the blade from the scabbard. “I’ll show
you what my father taught me.” Kaoru swiftly tugged the blade free. Kaoru
narrowed her eyes and lifted the blade toward him, holding the sheath out
behind her.
With a cry,
she launched herself at him, swinging the sword and its sheath in a decidedly
deadly pattern. Kenshin blocked the flurry of attacks easily, stepping in and
out of her range with effortless grace. They flipped and turned, dancing around
the apartment to the clashing of steel. But while Kaoru’s cheat heaved with
exertion, Kenshin barely seemed to breathe as he eluded her.
“I won’t
forgive you if you toy with me!” His target yelled, her swings becoming wilder.
Be angry. He saw her eyes burn
as her temper flared – her wonderful, endearing temper. A smile almost worked
its way to his lips. Think only about fighting. He watched as she
commanded her body to twist and move in difficult ways. She had always been
determined. Forget about dying.
This was the
way to die – when one had no thoughts of death of all. Don’t wait for death.
I am
overtaken by sadness
Blood,
like rain, floods my mind.
The
solitude of our sufferings
Is the only friend we will ever know
Kenshin wove
in and out of her attacks as if it were as simple as breathing. She grew
increasingly frustrated by the second, willing her limbs to move faster and
strike harder. He praised her persistence silently and waited patiently for the
right moment – the moment where he could make the least painful strike. He
cursed himself, for the first time regretting his immeasurable strength and
skill. Watching her move, he knew that she was more skilled than most people
but she would never be as good as he was.
But was she
ever beautiful.
Then he saw
it; the moment where he could strike and she would die instantly. She wouldn’t
even know that she had lost; she was so engaged in the battle. His throat
caught as he stepped in, his arm tensed to deliver the fatal blow. Time slowed,
mocking him.
Kenshin had
always assumed you only saw your life flash before your eyes when you were
about to die. Now, he was seeing hers.
He remembered
the first time he had tried to kill her, the way she had leapt from the stairs
in a last-ditch effort to escape his blade. He remembered the sickening crunch
of bone as she collapsed. He remembered being curious but unfeeling. He
recalled the silky quality of her hair when he had pulled her head back and
threatened to run his sword through her throat. He heard her desperate cry.
Then, he had not felt anything either. He remembered her face, illuminated by
the firelight as she faced him in the dark, eliciting words from him as no one
had before. He had been cruel, he admitted to himself. He had always been
harsh. He regretted it.
In a split
second, the memories and feelings rushed through him as he gathered strength.
“My life
belongs to no one but me.” She had told him once. “It is dread, not fear. Do you
know the difference?” He had not, he remembered. “One day you will.” Today
was that day, he acknowledged.
Fear. He felt
it keenly now in his gut, burning painfully. He feared losing her.
Dread was a
slow ache in his chest. He did not want to hurt her.
And then, as
he forced his eyes open and his sword forward, time sped up. Even so, he still
caught it: the sudden breath she expelled, the loosening of her fingers on the
hilt of the sword, the closing of her eyes as she waited for him to kill her.
She had been waiting. He stopped suddenly, the tip of the blade millimeters
from her chest.
“You saw,” he
whispered.
She opened
her eyes. “If you had been fighting me seriously,” she said, “I would have been
dead a while ago. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that you were just
trying to get me worked up.”
“But then,
why go along with it?”
“It would
have been easier for both of us. Why didn’t you just kill me?”
He slumped to
his knees, the long sword clattering to the floor. “I can’t do it. I can’t kill
you.” He felt the sharp chill of steel pressed against his neck. Without
bothering to look up, he spoke. “That is the wrong side of the blade to be
killing me with, Kaoru.”
“How right
you are.” She didn’t lift the dull edge from his skin. “But I don’t believe
that swords are only meant for killing. I believe that swords can be used to
protect the ones you love.”
He wrenched
the short sword from her hand and pulled her down into a fierce embrace. “But
that’s impossible, you silly girl. Swords are made for killing.”
“Yours
couldn’t kill me,” she said gently into his chest.
“That sword,
dear girl,” he said evenly, although he was still crushing her to himself, “Has
killed countless men.”
“But not the
one you love,” she whispered earnestly, “Not the one you wanted to protect.”
“How can I
protect you? I’ve been ordered to kill you. And if I don’t do it, Katsura will
send someone else. What useless strength,” Kenshin said bitterly, “What was the
point of all this killing, if I can’t even protect the one I love?”
“For a better
Kyoto-”
“Don’t give
me that crap,” Kenshin began roughly.
“It was you
that spouted that crap in the first place,” Kaoru pointed out, pulling out of
his hold.
“Is it
selfish of me, then,” Kenshin asked, his amber eyes haunted, “to ask that you
continue to live when I have spared no other? Am I a hypocrite for wanting to
live with you?”
“It is a bit
selfish,” Kaoru answered, placing her fingertips against his cheeks, “But it
makes you human, more than anything else.”
“What should I
do?” He looked up into her face, his troubled eyes pleading.
“You are not
a machine.” Her fingers were tracing the outline of his face. “You choose.
Your life is in your hands alone.” She closed her eyes and planted a soft kiss
to his forehead.
Kaoru’s wrist
was suddenly caught his iron grip and he stood quickly, pulling her up with
him. Startled, she looked up into his face. His fierce expression both
frightened and excited her. A fire had been ignited in Kenshin’s warm, golden
eyes and the intensity in his gaze was exhilarating.
“I will
protect you,” he announced with quiet authority.
“But-”
“This is my
choice,” he interrupted, brushing his fingers over her lips, “I will protect
your happiness until the minute my life is taken from me.”
“Katsura-”
“He doesn’t
need me anymore. Everyone that needed to be killed is dead,” he paused, “Except
for you. And I will not let him touch you.”
“Kenshin-”
“Come,” he
cut her off, pulling her toward the bedroom, “We have to leave quickly. No
doubt Katsura has foreseen this possibility as well.”
“But where
will we go?” Kaoru asked as watched Kenshin stuffed a pack full of clothing.
“Into
hiding.” He slid a cloth bag over both his swords and pulled the drawstrings
shut.
“But where?”
“Kyoto is a
big city. I know of lots of places where we can hide out.” He pulled the bag’s
zipper shut and turned to look at her. “But they’re not exactly first class
places. Are you still willing to go with me?”
Kaoru nodded
determinedly. “I will go wherever you go.”
Kenshin
smiled.
“I wanted to
hear you say that,” he said, pulling her into a fond embrace. “Now,” he told
her, taking her hand and leading her to the bedroom window, “Do you remember
when I told you not to try escaping through the window unless you were
suicidal?”
“Yes.”
“That was a
lie.” With a grunt, he pushed the window up and leaned out the window.
Kaoru heard a
metallic click. She peered over his shoulder in time to see a rusted metal
grate fall away from the brick wall. Kenshin pulled back into the room and
slung the covered swords and the pack of clothes over his shoulder. “Ready?”
Kaoru nodded.
“Out
we go, then.” Kenshin took her small hand in his and gently led her out the
window and down the metal steps, which creaked and groaned under their combined
weight.
Kaoru
shivered as she forced her feet to move from step to step and commanded her
eyes not to look through the metal grating to the concrete far, far below. She
felt Kenshin’s fingers tighten around hers and sensed the urgency coursing
through him as he tugged her forward gently, urging her to hurry. Steeling
herself, she quickened her descent and was rewarded when Kenshin threw a
reassuring smile over his shoulder. She exhaled, marveling at Kenshin’s sudden
change. Just a moment ago, she had been crossing swords with a cold-blooded
killer. Now, said killer was leading her tenderly down a set of creaky stairs
to safety.
“Kenshin,”
she called quietly just as her feet finally met the pavement, “Are you sure?”
Without
warning, she found herself in a bone-crushing embrace. “I don’t want to lose
you.” His words were muffled by her hair. “Let me be selfish.”
Kaoru smiled.
“Just checking. Are we taking your car?”
“No.” Kenshin
pulled away. “I don’t know who or what is waiting for us in the parking lot.
We’re just going to walk away.”
“Walk away?
Where?”
Kenshin
smiled at her confused stare. “Down that alley.” He pointed. “Then a left at
the corner and straight to the love motel two blocks away. The one near the
river.” He began to walk.
“Isn’t that
really close to where we are now?” Kaoru asked, skipping to keep up with his
brisk pace.
“Exactly.
They would expect us to run far and we won’t.”
“Wouldn’t
they guess that we’re close because you didn’t take the car?”
“Katsura know
I wouldn’t risk taking the car. It has a GPS system – the vehicle can be
tracked. He would probably assume that we would take the train – somewhere
where we could get lost in the crowd. But we’ll do that later – after they’ve
searched all the train stations. For now, we’ll hide out quietly.”
Kaoru
shrugged. “Maybe he’ll just leave us alone. After all, he did like you – I
think.”
Kenshin
frowned and didn’t reply, knowing full well that it was only a matter of time
before Katsura caught up with them. And then, he knew, it would rain blood.
Living as
a stranger among others,
My mind traps me in a dance of distress
I dance to the music of misery
Misery will write my memories
“They’ve left
the apartment, sir.” Takasugi reported over his cellphone. “But they didn’t
take the car.”
“I didn’t
think he would.” Katsura stood in his office, facing the wall of windows. “What
did they take with them?”
“Nothing
much.” Takasugi’s voice was gruff and Katsura could hear him throwing things
around the empty apartment. “Just a few clothes, I think, and the swords, of
course. Nothing of real value.”
Katsura
smiled into the receiver. “You think I should just let them go, don’t you?”
“Not really
my business.”
“Speak your
mind, Shinsaku.”
Takasugi
pulled the phone away from his ear for a moment and swore loudly. “She’s just a
kid, Kogoro,” he said angrily into the phone.
“I suppose.”
“You suppose?
What the hell are you thinking?”
“You’re
right,” Katsura said dismissively, “It’s none of your business. But I know what
I’m doing.”
“You always
do, huh.” Takasugi sighed.
“It’s not
like you to become emotionally involved.”
“Aw, come on
now.” Takasugi chuckled bitterly, “If Mr. Cold Blooded Killer fell for her, why
wouldn’t I?”
“Indeed.”
“So, what’re
your orders?”
“Send a few
men to search the train stations.”
“You think
he’s running?”
“No,” Katsura
smiled, placing his fingertips on the cool glass of the window, “But I want him
to believe that I think he’s running.”
Kenshin stood
by the tall row of lockers, one hand holding the door to a locker open. From
behind the door, amber eyes observed the area. There were perhaps three of
Katsura’s spies in the train station. He nearly snorted. Could they be anymore
obvious? They stood out like sore thumbs, lounging by pillars and standing
still in the midst of the eternal bustling.
So, Katsura
had sent men to search the train stations. Kenshin reached up to pat the black
motorcycle helmet that concealed his distinctive red locks and closed the
locker. He stepped into the lobby of the train station, pulling down the visor
of his helmet. He smirked as he passed right in front of a spy, exiting the
station.
When he
stepped into the small motel room, helmet under his arm, he found Kaoru sitting
erect on the edge of their double bed, tensely awaiting his return. He shut the
door and grinned. She pursed her lips.
“Don’t smile
like that! I was worried.” She jumped to her feet, marching forward with a
finger ready to jab into his chest. “What makes you think you can just leave me
while I’m sleeping and not come back till noon!” She was trying very hard to
break his sternum with her index finger.
Kenshin burst
into pleased chuckles and dropped his helmet, taking her face in his hands and
planting a kiss on her forehead. Kaoru went still, completely frozen by his
uncharacteristic behaviour.
“You’re
laughing!” She exclaimed incredulously.
“I am,”
Kenshin replied, spinning her in his arms, “And I plan to do much more of it.”
“What
happened?” Kaoru asked breathlessly.
Kenshin
pulled her onto the bed. “Katsura sent men to scout the train stations.”
“You went
without-”
He pressed a
finger to her lips. “Of course I went without you. Now, they will probably give
up searching the train stations in a couple days. Then, we’ll take the train to
Tokyo. And,” He smiled widely, “From Tokyo, we’ll take a bus out of the city,
find a little town and start a new life.”
Kenshin
watched as Kaoru blinked at him, tears slowly filling her eyes. “A new life?”
He propped
himself up on one elbow and reached forward to brush a tear that had fallen
down her cheek. “A new life,” he repeated confidently, “Where no one knows who
Battousai is. Where no one has even heard of an ability to take memories. Where
we can just be normal people.”
“I’ve always
wanted to work in a library,” Kaoru said, smiling shyly, “All those books.”
“Whatever you
want.”
“What do you
want?” She asked.
“To put my
swords on a rack in a corner, and let them be useless decorations. To have lots
and lots of red-headed children and,” he grinned again, “To marry a young girl
named Kaoru and give her the ordinary life she always wanted.”
To his
delight, he watched as a happy smile spread over his beloved’s features,
washing away the sorrow of her years.
They left the
motel on a bright Sunday afternoon, carrying only a small backpack. Kenshin
held Kaoru by the elbow, guiding her through the back alleys that would lead
them to the train station. They were both silent, each treasuring the dream of
a new life.
Abruptly,
Kenshin stopped and his grip on Kaoru’s arm became painful.
“Kenshin,”
Kaoru whispered urgently, “What is it?”
Kenshin
looked at her, his gaze severe. “Stay here and wait,” he commanded her, “And do
not disobey me.” In the next second, he was gone from her presence. Kaoru
shivered. Then she heard sounds she knew too well. She clamped her hands over
her ears and shuddered.
In a few
minutes, Kenshin returned. Without a word, he took her by the hand and led her
around the corner. Kaoru didn’t need to look to know that the alley was painted
in blood. But she looked anyway.
Several
bodies littered the ground, steeping in warm blood. Sightless eyes peered at
her from the carnage. She cringed, vaguely registering that Kenshin was pulling
her forward.
“Don’t look,
Kaoru.” His sharp voice shook her from her reverie.
“How did they
know?”
Kenshin
didn’t look down but she could see his jaw tighten. “I don’t know.”
Suddenly, she
found herself being pushed against the wall. Kenshin’s familiar hand was fixed
firmly to her face, covering her eyes.
“Don’t open
your eyes, Kaoru,” she heard him say. And then he was gone.
Even when
I stand
I feel myself falling
I fall without ceasing
Into the spaces of sin
Even though
she heard the cries of the battle, she didn’t open her eyes. Instead, she
folded into herself, uselessly covering her ears against the sound of Kenshin
killing more men. When it was over, she let him pick her up and carry her away
from another blood-drenched back alley. He set her down when the bodies were
out of sight.
“I’m sorry.”
He said, taking her hand again.
“You
can’t help it.” Her voice was flat.
Before they
could continue walking, Kaoru found herself pressed against a wall again.
“Don’t look.” She heard him tell her.
This time,
Kaoru pushed the familiar hand away. “I will look!” She told him, staring him
in the eye and ignoring the shouts of the approaching men. “I will watch you.”
Kenshin
frowned at her and made as if to place his hand over her eyes.
“No!” Kaoru
grabbed his hand. “I will watch you.”
Yet here I
linger
Touched by kindred hands
Kenshin
stepped away, his eyes disbelieving. But, as the men were unbearably close, he
turned. With practiced precision, he crouched and tossed the thin material of
his trench coat away, revealing a pair of swords at his side. Kaoru watched as
the man she loved pulled the long sword from its sheath and sprang forward with
the grace of a deer. Although it took less than a minute, it seemed an eternity
to Kaoru. She watched as his blade, so swift it was merely a blurred arc of
silver, sliced the men to pieces before her very eyes. When it was done, she
saw a thin trail of someone else’s blood run down his temple. And in his amber
eyes, she saw the mix of regret and bloodlust.
Kindred in
thought, heart and duty
Kindred in death
But she went
to him anyway and they continued. When he let go of her wrist for the fourth
time and stepped forward into a crouch, his hand on the sword hilt, she knew.
“No.” Her
voice was strangled as she placed both of her small hands over his. He looked
up at her, his eyes measuring hers. “Please, no more.” She was pleading with
him. Kenshin’s frown deepened. For a moment, they were both statue still. Then,
he straightened and flipped his coat back over the swords.
“Thank you,”
she breathed gratefully.
Kenshin
didn’t smile. Instead, he wrapped an arm around her waist and took off at a
jog, pulling her along. They ducked from corner to corner, skirting alleys
where men were waiting to ambush them. In his mind, Kenshin cursed, knowing
that Katsura knew he could easily detect the others’ presence. It meant one
thing: he and Kaoru were being herded. And as they dashed into a dead end to
avoid another group of men, he knew their time was up.
“Himura, I
was wondering how long it would take.”
Instinctively,
Kenshin backed up, pushing a gasping Kaoru behind him. “Katsura-san,” the
assassin growled.
“You knew I
wouldn’t let you go that easily, didn’t you?” Behind Katsura, stood a
contingent of heavily armed men, their automatic weapons all trained on Kenshin
and Kaoru. Katsura lifted a hand and Kenshin heard another group close in
behind them, blocking escape. “Now, how will you get away?”
“I can kill
them easily.” Kenshin’s voice had become quiet and deadly.
“Yes, but
before you could, someone’s bullet would have ended that girl’s life.”
Kenshin sunk
into a battle ready position, his eyes fierce. Katsura seemed unfazed.
“You are a
monster, Himura. A monster I created.”
Another
figure emerged from the ranks of the soldiers. “I never should have permitted
you to leave.”
“Master,”
Kenshin demanded furiously, “What are you doing?”
“What is
necessary,” Hiko said, his booming voice hollow.
“You…” Words
evaded him in his fury and he prepared to launch into an attack.
“She didn’t
want you to kill those men and you complied with her wishes, did you not?”
Katsura’s question stopped Kenshin in his tracks.
“You planned
this,” Kenshin accused, although he had known it all along.
“I plan
everything.” Katsura stepped forward, his eyes moving from Kenshin to Kaoru.
“You didn’t kill her. She is your one unfinished assignment.”
“So?”
“So,” Katsura
replied calmly, “It proves that you are capable of being human, despite your
crimes. Had you killed her, we would have happily let you kill yourself.
However, you didn’t kill Kamiya. But still, you are a monster, unfit for the
new Kyoto.”
“We don’t
plan on staying in Kyoto,” Kaoru offered, her voice hopeful.
“Even so,”
Hiko said regretfully, “He’d be plagued by guilt, unable to be truly happy.
He’d never see the new Kyoto with eyes unclouded by regret.”
“I am happy,”
Kenshin snarled, “I did what I had to. I can forget it!”
“Do you
believe that?” Katsura addressed Kaoru, “Do you really think he will be able to
live a normal life without the sword?”
Kaoru
hesitated, her eyes dropping to the place at Kenshin’s hip where she knew the
instruments of death lay hidden. Kenshin turned to face her, his expression
wild and desperate.
“Don’t listen
to them.” He shook her by the shoulders. “We’ll live a normal, happy,
completely ordinary life with ten kids and a vegetable garden n the backyard!”
“Could we?”
Kaoru watched him shiver with anger. “Could you forget?”
“He could,”
Katsura interrupted, “If you would help him.”
Kenshin
whirled around to face his former mentor. “I refuse. I refuse to forget!” His
voice rose in pitch as he shouted.
“Kamiya,”
Katsura said, ignoring Kenshin, “Do you remember when you told me that even
people like Battousai were entitled to happiness and safety?”
“Yes,” she
replied slowly, “In the Sakura Tea House.”
“I want to
offer you the chance to give him happiness and safety without guilt.”
“Don’t listen
to him,” Kenshin warned, his voice wild, “I can’t have happiness without you.”
“But,” Kaoru
touched the cross-scar on his cheek, “Couldn’t you? If you didn’t know who I
was? If you didn’t remember me?”
“Kaoru,” His
grip on her tightened, “Not after all this. Please.”
“Kamiya.”
Again, Katsura interrupted. “I’m afraid you only have two choices. One: you
take his memory of the whole time he was working as an assassin for me – that
would unfortunately include you. Or, two: we kill him now, destroy him right in
front of your eyes.”
“How will you
kill him?”
“Simple,
really.”
Kaoru spun
around to see Hiko looming behind her. Before Kenshin could react, the only
other master of the god-like speed sword technique had pulled Kaoru away. “If
he moves,” a sword was placed against her neck, “I will kill you. If you don’t
choose to take away his memory, Katsura will kill him.”
“Quite a
dilemma, don’t you think?” Katsura asked, his voice deceptively pleasant. “Now
what is your choice?”
“An
ultimatum,” Kenshin snarled bitterly, “The tool of the weak and cowardly.” He
swore profusely, shaking with barely restrained fury.
“Yet even the
strongest fall to it.” Katsura said, looking steadily at his former assassin.
“Now, don’t move,” he warned as several men came forward and dragged Kenshin to
the ground forcefully, “Or you will watch Hiko slit Kamiya’s throat.”
“How could
you?” Kenshin accused his former master as he allowed himself to be restrained
by Katsura’s soldiers. “How could you?”
“It is the
only way to spare you.” Hiko spoke sadly, but didn’t remove the blade from
Kaoru’s neck.
“So, Kamiya,”
Katsura pressed, “Your choice.”
Daring to
reach another,
I fall
forward into fear
Though scarred and broken,
We cling to hope.
“Let me go,”
Kaoru said quietly to Hiko, who loosened his grip. She pulled free and stepped
forward. Kenshin watched her approach him, dread knotting in the base of his
stomach.
“Kenshin,”
she said, kneeling in front of him, her movements wooden.
Kenshin’s
breathing quickened as he began to understand her intentions. He pushed
backward, trying to back away from her. As the men struggled to hold him fast,
Kaoru crept forward until she was kneeling between his writhing knees.
“My Kenshin,”
she whispered tenderly, “I love you.”
“No,” he
protested desperately, limbs stilling as she wrapped her slender arms around
his torso, “Please, Kaoru, don’t.”
“Tell me that
you love me.” She leaned into him and cupped his face in her hands.
He shook his
head stubbornly. Kaoru smiled wistfully and drew his lips into a deep kiss.
When she pulled away, both their faces were stained with tears. “Please,” she
repeated, “Tell me that you love me.”
“I love you.”
He said it slowly and fearfully. “Please, just let them kill me.”
Fresh tears
trailed her face. “I love you too much for that,” she replied, nearly choking
on the words, “But thank you for everything.” As Kenshin began to shake his
head wildly, she lowered her face to his. “I needed to hear you say that one
more time.”
“No, I won’t
forget you. I refuse,” he snarled at her, trying frantically to push the fear
from his eyes and replace it with anger.
She smiled,
although sadly. “I wish that you could.” For what she knew was the last time,
she kissed him, tracing her fingers over his features. And then, as her heart
broke, she pressed her fingertips to his forehead and pulled away.
“Kaoru,”
he whispered, his voice drifting away from her brokenly. She tried so hard to
smile at him.
He struggled
to stay conscious, staring at her. She watched his eyes darken, watched herself
fade from his memory.
He wasn’t
dying, but the light in his eyes was fading. Kaoru clutched desperately at his
shirt as he gradually became a dead weight in her arms. Right before his eyes
drifted closed, a look of confusion passed over his face like a cloud. Kaoru
gently lowered him to the ground and pressed her face into his chest. Somehow
the simple act of breathing had become unbearably difficult.
“It’s done.”
At the sound
of that cool, rational voice, Kaoru sat up, swiping at her tears with the back
of her sleeve. Yes, it was done. But would he forgive her, if given the chance?
Not even the scholars who would rise in the new era would be able to pass
judgment on their actions. Their history, as well as their names, would
disappear.
What happened
after that, Kaoru could hardly remember. She dimly recalled fighting to hold on
to Kenshin’s limp form. But losing, of course. The last thing she remembered
was watching as Kenshin was carried away. Then, there was darkness for her too.
Hope, like
a fleeting wind,
Stirs our hearts as leaves
Kaoru woke up
in a familiar place. Although her cheeks burned from crying, she sat up with a
smile. She was covered in Kenshin’s blankets in Kenshin’s bed in Kenshin’s
bedroom.
Perhaps it
had been a dream.
But as the
morning wore on, she knew that she was alone. The locks had been changed on the
door and a new key rested on the dining table, saying that the apartment now
belonged to her. Katsura had signed the note in his precise handwriting. She
ran out into the hallway, only to be faced with normal neighbours. One elderly
woman had smiled at her kindly and taken her hand, expressing condolences at
the recent loss of her husband. At her baffled expression, the kindly neighbour
had clucked her tongue and explained that the owner of the apartment building
had told her all about the accident. Kaoru, completely at a loss, had allowed
herself to be ushered back into her new apartment for a cup of hot tea.
She had read
Katsura’s note again and again, searching for clues of Kenshin’s whereabouts.
There were none.
It would be
the last contact she would have with the illustrious leader of the Choshu
organization, now the ruling party in Kyoto.
Kaoru moved
through her life as if through a hazy dream. She left in the morning for work.
Somehow, she suddenly had a job in a library. She read books as if they were
food. The she returned to the apartment to eat and sleep, dreaming of a
red-headed man, dripping in blood.
One day, she
collapsed in front of his armchair and, dropping her head into the seat, sobbed
until she was weak and light-headed. And yet, he did not return that day. Nor
the next day. Even though she waited, he did not return the next month, either.
But the month
after that, an unmarked package arrived at her door. In it were Kenshin’s
swords and his bloodied clothing. Kaoru placed the swords on the rack above the
fireplace and stood back. Now, they were only decorations. She looked at them
for a long time, and didn’t even realize that she was crying.
We fall
toward the moment when
All our fears and dreams collide
Kaoru had
begun to take regular walks around the city, watching as new businesses sprang
up, no longer hampered by gangs and crime. It was on a bright Sunday afternoon
like any other that she found herself passing the schoolyard of her old high
school, Fugiya High. She stopped dead in her tracks and pinched herself to make
sure she wasn’t dreaming. There, sitting on a park bench facing the school and
away from her, was a figure so familiar that her heart ached.
A man, not in
black but in the blue uniform of a Kyoto policeman, sat folding a paper crane
on his knee. His hands worked slowly and carefully, but she could see the
strength in the way he sealed the creases in the heavy paper. His hair, though
knotted low, at the nape of his neck, was the colour of fire, shining like
molten gold in the sunshine. Without knowing it, Kaoru was moving forward, her
breath caught in her throat.
As she drew
closer, she heard the voice she loved saying, “There you go, Ayame. A crane!”
A child, whom
Kaoru hadn’t noticed before, laughed and took the paper crane from the striking
policeman, her face erupting in a dimpled smile.
“I want one
too, Ken-nii!”
“Ah!” The
policeman laughed, ruffling another child’s hair, “Next time, Suzume. Your
mother is waiting.”
The children
giggled and their laughter was like the bubbling of a busy creek. The policemen
laughed too, waving as the children ran to their waiting mother.
“Do you like
children?” Kaoru found herself speaking even though she felt as if her throat
were parched and dry.
“Ah!” The
policeman turned to face her, “That I do!”
At the sight
of his upturned face, Kaoru knees nearly gave out. “I’m glad to hear it.” She
took a step closer. “Do you come here often?” She asked, her breathing shallow
and apprehensive.
“I do.” He
smiled again and the scar marring his delicate features moved. “This place
feels familiar.”
“Why?” Kaoru
stepped closer, her heart beating an impossible rhythm against her ribs.
The
policeman’s gentle lavender eyes crinkled in thought. “I don’t know,” he said,
motioning that she should sit beside him on the bench, “But when I sit here, I
feel as if I am waiting for someone. Someone I knew before.”
Kaoru sat
beside him, her attention focused intently upon his face. “I’m Kaoru,” she said
carefully, leaning forward slightly, “What’s your name?”
“I’m
Kenshin.”
Kaoru felt a
wave of emotion wash over her and she blinked back tears. Her fingers curled
into the fabric of her skirt and she looked down at his hands, her eyes tracing
every line and scar.
“Have we
met?” The voice was quiet and thoughtful.
Kaoru looked
up to find the man studying her fixedly. “Not really.”
“You seem
familiar.” He squinted at her through the bright sunlight and chuckled merrily.
“Perhaps we met in a past life?”
“Yes.” Kaoru
blinked back the burning in her eyes. “Yes, a past life.” She smiled too.
He touched
her hand and she closed her eyes. The familiar rough calluses on the tips of
his fingers were more soothing than any healing salve.
Sift
through the oceans of tears
Rise from the ashes of sorrow
“You know,”
he said, running a fingertip across her hand, “I woke up in a hospital bed
about a month ago. Some politician told me that I had succeeded in my goal of
bettering Kyoto and that I would start my career as a policeman.” He paused. “I
remember coming to Kyoto - he told me that I had arrived more than ten years
ago as a boy – but I don’t remember any of those years.” His eyes darkened as
he continued. “The politician who was there when I awoke, I think his name was
Katsura, said that while I had been trying to help, I became the victim of a
terrible crime.” He turned to look at the young woman. Her blue eyes were
watching him intently as she listened. He smiled crookedly. “I’m sorry. I don’t
even know why I am telling you all of this. I just feel that I can trust you,
that perhaps I know you.” At this, he saw her expression suddenly jump in hope.
“Perhaps,” he said, smiling, “You can help me remember.”
Her lips
lifted slowly. “Your past memories?”
“Yes.”
Kenshin nodded enthusiastically.
To his
surprise, Kaoru leaned forward and pressed her fingers to his cheek, tracing
the lines of a scar he didn’t remember receiving. She smiled, her eyes filling
with tears that, for some reason, he ached to kiss away. “The past doesn’t
matter anymore,” she told him and he believed her, “We only have the future.”
“Are you sure
we don’t know each other?” Without even realizing it, he had cupped her face in
his hand.
“We don’t
yet.” Her smile brightened his world. “But we will.”
And please
help me collect
The broken pieces of my heart
End of
chapter 24. Fin.
LOOK FORWARD TO THE SEQUEL: Complete Me
TEASER COMING SOON!!
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AUTHOR’S NOTES:
THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR EVERYTHING!!!!!!