Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Choice of Roads ❯ Kenshin Epilogue: Clover Leaf. No Exit. ( Epilogue )

Happy Holidays!

Author's Note: And I bet you were all wondering how I was going to make this a canon story :) This is not the last chapter- there is still one more chapter to go. And yes, this is a very short chapter.

Chapter Summary: Kenshin lives. Sort of.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. I don't own Inuyasha. I already know that I'm getting socks for Christmas. How Santa mixed up "hot red-headed bishounen" and "socks" is completely beyond me....

Warning: Rated R for language and adult situations.

-Kenshin Epilogue: Clover Leaf. No Exit.-

*When you paint yourself into a corner it helps if you enjoy watching paint dry.*

Kenshin finds himself becoming the caricature of the wandering warrior that he had laughed at with Kagome. This unworthy one never says a word out of turn, only removes his newly reversed blade if someone else is in danger. The part of him that is still logical knows that this is irrational, but he is a desperate man. He thinks that maybe if he is humble, maybe if he is continuously repentant, continuously doing good, maybe one of these roads will take him back. No killing at all, saving children, giving away his last piece of bread- anything at all to get back. He has once again become the little boy who will be very, very good if only his mama and papa will move again. Like the first time though, sometimes being very, very good is not enough.

Much later, when a wooden sword-wielding madwoman challenges him to fight, the black hair and fiery eyes give him a rush of vertigo. When his head finally clears, he finds himself up to his elbows in soap, scrubbing clothes. There is, he decides, a certain amount of irony in the decisions of the gods.

Kenshin loves Kaoru. He doesn't doubt this, just as he doesn't doubt that tomorrow the sun will rise and that yet another idiot from his past will challenge him. But it doesn't change the fact that every road he walks, he finds himself subconsciously hoping that this will be THE road that will bring him back to Her. He pretends obliviousness and unworthiness and whatever else it will take to avoid facing his own mind.

When he falsely believes that Kaoru is dead, something inside of him dies. He can no longer pretend to Kaoru that he doesn't love her. But when he goes to Tomoe's grave, tells Kaoru his story, it isn't really Tomoe that he is saying goodbye to. Tomoe has been a ghost in his mind for far longer than he actually loved her. Kagome was never a ghost. He knows that this is right, that he loves Kaoru,that Kagome wanted him to live and love. However, the act of giving up that last hope finally kills the last of the Battousai. Like Inuyasha many years before, Kenshin has made the decision to destroy his monster to gain a family.

Still later, when his son is born, Kenshin blurts "Kenji" without a second thought. Unfortunately, Kaoru seems to think that it is a good fit. Kenshin wonders how he is going to live every day facing that moment's folly. Lots of traveling seems to be a good answer.

Later, although not that much later, Kenshin has a moment of revelation. As he lies dying, he realizes that Kagome wasn't completely right. It is possible to love more than one person and it is possible for each love to be unique. However, in the final moments of Kenshin's life there is only one face that appears in his mind and only one name that passes his lips before his world ends.

And that is the true reason that Kenji hates his father.

Quick Author's Note: I know it's short, but I really wanted Kagome's viewpoint as a separate chapter. So once again- this isn't the end. I will have the last chapter up before Christmas, so trust me just a little bit longer....

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-Reviewer Responses-

Somnambulicious: You're a very generous woman- I mean you could have just offered to write the last two chapters yourself :) I'm hoping the lynch mob will hold off for one more chapter, because my crazy ovaries probably shouldn't have done two of these things in a row. Probably a little bit of overkill ;) Though you know, I figure this chapter gets right into the holiday spirit- maybe I should just end it here....

mysterylady_tx: Evil? Who me? BWA HA HA! Er.. yeah... This chapter's kind of evil too, but I promise that the last one will be up before Christmas. Glad you enjoyed it anyways and thanks for taking the time to review again!

baka_kitsune: Yeah- I did make the last chapter a little vague. I was actually trying to pull back into fairytale mode, 'cause both of the epilogues are going to be a little bit more distant. I'm sorry that it didn't work, but I'm glad that you enjoyed the story anyways. Thanks for reviewing!

DragonOfDarkness: You know, I think that you're the only person who picked up on the whole things-Kenshin-knew-as-a-Rurouni bit. I did think that it would be sweet for him to have picked up those things through his association with Kagome. I really do love Kaoru as a character and I'm sorry about the overall depression of this chapter. But... One of the things that sort of inspired this story and really struck me about the RK series (particularly in light of the last OVA) was Kenshin's chronic detachment from his family. Frankly I always thought that both Kaoru and Kenshin deserved better and I wondered what might have made him that way....

fox2390: I'm really glad that you enjoyed the story, but you're going to have to wait one more chapter to see what happens to Kagome. Don't worry- I'm not completely cruel ;) Thanks for taking the time to review!

VoidPhoenix: Well, there's still one more chapter to get through.... We'll see about that sequel :) Glad you enjoyed the story!

­-Updated 12-18-04-