Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Hi Soshite Ame ❯ Risshun ( Chapter 4 )

Part 4

Risshun (Coming Of Spring)


Not long after New Years, around the middle of January, the Sakura Ryokan was rebuilt and ready for business again. Anji and the work-crew had even built in several new rooms for both guests and employees.

"Monk Anji, you and the crew have done absolute wonders!," Lieko exclaimed on the night they were celebrating the re-opening.

The former osha smiled, lowering his eyes modestly. "Thank you, Lieko. I'm only sorry the other members of the prison-gang couldn't be as fortunate."

Everyone nodded understandingly. The rest of the work-gang had already been sent back to the prison in Hokkaido. It was only natural for Anji to feel badly for them.

The mistress of the ryokan took a sip of her ocha before speaking . "Well, now that the inn's got some new rooms, perhaps you boys might like rooms of your own instead of having to share the storage shed, hmm?."

Anji and Soujiro looked at each other... then they looked at Kita... "Yes please, Miss Kita. That is very kind of you," the hakaizou answered with a nod…

But Soujiro just shook his head with a sad smile. "No thank you, Kita. I won't be here for very much longer, and I don't want to take up the space that should be a paying customer's... I'm sorry, I cannot accept..."

The girl sighed and looked at the closed shoji for a moment, with a somber expression... then she turned back to her friend… "That's alright, Jiro. I understand..."

Anji, Lieko and Taro all looked at each other. As much as they all wanted to plead with Soujiro to accept the room, and stay on at the ryokan, they knew by now that bringing it up would only cause another argument and make everyone uneasy…


(February, 1880)

It was a clear, late winter night… The snow had already started to melt with the approaching of spring... The full moon shone its silver light through the closed shoji of the storage shed, illuminating the soft face of the peacefully sleeping boy…

It was then that he stirred, feeling a burning hot aura, and breathed in the suffocating scent of smoke…

Two figures soon appeared beside the sleeping Soujiro... a man wrapped in bandages, and a beautiful woman with her hair in a loose bun, and a kimono that revealed her soft white shoulders... They were surrounded by flames…

"Look, Lord Shishio," the woman whispered. "There he is."

The bandaged man nodded slowly. "Yes, amazing he can sleep so soundly after deserting us like that."

"Well, personally, I think it was all for the best. He wasn't up to life as an assassin." She gently put a hand on her lover's shoulder.

"You are probably right, Yumi. He was not suited for that life..." Then Shishio's burnt lips formed a smile... "Which is why we are here right now."

Yumi Komagata sighed and took his bandaged arm. "But look at him, Darling. He's so happy here, happier then he ever was. Let's just forget the whole thing?."

"Yumi, my dear." He touched her face. "You know how important the kuni tori(62) against the god of Hell is. We need Soujiro now, more then ever. Besides, was he not like a little brother to you?. Don't you want him back too?."

She sighed again, shaking her head. How did he know?. How did he know how much she cared about that kid?. Certainly, she had tried her best not to show it while she was alive. "Why is it I can never say no to you?."

"Because you know I am always right." He kissed her. "And because you understand me more then anyone."

Yes, Yumi had always understood him better then anyone, and he had always understood her better then anyone, even better then the boy... The sides of Shishio's mouth twisted upwards at the memory of his farewell gifts… the wakizashi(63) and the secret of Himura's Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki(64)… Soujiro was like a samurai without his lord now… and everyone knew what must happen then(65)…

The bandaged, flaming figure then knelt down over the sleeping boy, repeating the words he had personally ground into him for ten years… "In the end only the fittest survive in this world. If you're strong you live. If you're weak you die."

Almost instantly upon hearing these words, Soujiro frowned, and began stirring uncomfortably in his sleep…


Lightning flashed… The rain poured down as though it would never stop… The clouds rumbled above… Clutching the bloody wakizashi in his small hands, the little boy stared down at the lifeless bodies of the people he had just killed... his family... but what else could he have done, just stand there and smile, as usual, like he was only being hit?… Yet, he hadn't wanted to do it… Getting cut with a sword must really have hurt… It must have hurt far more then even being beaten… He lowered his head as he felt the tears well up in his eyes and run down his face, while the falling rain slowly washed away the blood…

"Are you crying?."

Forcing his smile, Soujiro slowly lifted his head to meet Shishio's gaze, knowing full well that the rain would hide his tears… "No, Sir," he lied…

The bandaged man seemed pleased by his answer. "Would you like to come with me?."

"Sure." The boy trotted after the man to catch up. "Say, Mister Shishio?..."

"Yeah?."

"Do you think... I could get stronger?..."

"Indeed, Soujiro, you can become stronger, second only to me… After all, in the end only the fittest survive in this world. If you're strong you live. If you're weak..."

"You die…" Soujiro finished softly…

**********

For some reason Kita was unable to sleep that night… though she wasn't sure why… It was an empty, hollow feeling…

She turned over in her futon and buried her face in her pillow, hoping to be able to get at least some sleep tonight. Her head was turned from the shoji, so she could not have seen the dark, gray clouds, slowly beginning to form in the clear sky, covering the moon and stars…

It was just as she was getting ready to close her eyes for good that she heard soft footsteps going past her room... they were accompanied by an equally soft voice, muttering words she couldn't quite catch…

Immediately, Kita got to her feet, put on her slippers, threw her robe over her nemaki and went to her door... Her eyes widened in disbelief when she saw Soujiro heading down the hall, towards the kitchen... He had never been up at this hour before, and, as far as she knew, wasn't prone to sleep-walking... What was going on?…

She followed Soujiro to the kitchen… Her eyes widened as she saw him draw a large kitchen knife from the cupboard…

With the knife in his hand, the boy made his way outside… Walking softly behind, Kita followed him to the inn's courtyard…

Suddenly, Soujiro knelt down on the ground, clasping the handle of the knife with both hands… As she drew closer, Kita could just make out what he was whispering to himself…

"In the end, only the fittest survive in this world..." he said, as though in a trance… He then raised the knife… "If you're strong you live..."

"Ay ya!." The girl gasped in horror as she realized that he was preparing to drive it through his own heart!.

"If you're weak..."

"Jiro!," Kita cried, rushing forward. "Stop!."

"You die!," he finished as he brought the knife down, and a flash of lightning appeared in the darkening sky…

"Nooo!!!," the girl screamed... and before she even realized what she was doing, she had thrust her arm in front of the knife…

Her cry of pain as the weapon slashed her arm, and her violent struggle to wrench the bloody thing from his hands was enough to bring him out of his suicidal delirium…

"Kita!," Soujiro gasped as she took the knife from him.

It was all she could do to keep from wringing his neck right then and there!. "I knew you weren't all there from the beginning, but now I think you're completely out of your mind!," she barked at him, tossing the knife away. "What the hell were you trying to do?!."

The boy glanced around in confusion, as though he wasn't even sure how he had gotten there... "I… I don't… know…"

"You don't know?." Kita's eyes narrowed in concern…

Soujiro shook his head slowly. "All I can remember was hearing Mister Shishio's voice… and… Well... I guess it was just another nightmare, and..." It was then that he noticed the gash on Kita's left arm. "Oh no!."

The girl wiped the blood off with the edge of her sleeve and pressed it against her wound. "Don't worry about it", she assured him. "It's just a cut".

"But I caused it!," the wanderer protested. "Here, let me help." He quickly tore a piece of his sleeve away and tied it over her gash as a temporary bandage. "Kita, I'm so sorry... I… I can't believe I did this..." He then took off one of his long tekkou hand-guards and did it up over her bandage to hold it in place.

"Jiro, it's all right, for Heaven's sake!. It's only a small gash, it'll heal, and I know you didn't mean it."

Not listening to Kita's words of reassurance, Soujiro reached out to touch the bandage. How could he?. How could he do this?. He had hurt her. He had hurt probably the best friend he had ever had. First his father, his family, then Shishio and Yumi, and now Kita!. Was everyone who ever came into contact with him fated to be harmed or killed in one way or another?. Instantly, the boy drew his hand away from Kita's bandaged arm. "I… I can't stay here another minute. I have to go… right now..."

"What?!. Jiro, no!. It was just an accident!." She tried to take his hands in hers, but he pulled away, shaking his head vigorously.

"No!. You don't understand!. I'm the accident!. I've been an accident from the very start!!." He quickly scrambled to his feet. "You're all in danger if I stay here any longer!."

After getting up herself, she stared at him, eyes widening in shock. "What… what are you saying?..."

Soujiro stared back at her, his own eyes brimming with tears… Finally, he shook his head again… "Sayonara,(66) Miss Kita," he whispered... and with that, he turned and ran out of the courtyard and into the thick, wooded area away from the ryokan…

As he ran, he could hear Kita's anguished cries behind him, pleading with him to stop, to come back… but he shut his mind to them… He had almost killed himself, and her in the process!. How could he possibly stay, knowing that next time he just might succeed?… He was a monster, an insane monster… and no amount of wandering could change that…

Soujiro kept running through the woods until he could no longer hear her voice calling after him… Suddenly, in his blind rush, he tripped and landed on the ground… Instead of getting up, he stayed there, pounding the ground with his fists and his head, as the words of all those whom he had known ran through his mind…

"You stupid brat!."

"If you're strong you live, if you're weak you die. No matter how good you get at hiding behind a smile you can't escape from this one truth."

"I can't believe that you'd do such a horrible thing after all we've done to raise you!."

"You little pig!. I've had it up to here with you!!."

"You may be an old pro at waving a sword around, but when it comes to the real world you're nothing but a baby in underpants!."

"It's still not to late for you. Don't you think you can start over, despite what happened?."

"Maybe the best thing, for you, is to get away from all this, kiddo."

"...you still have that same smile… but your eyes no longer seem as empty..."

"After all, we each have to stop running at some point..."

"Agghh!!. Stop!," the boy screamed, tearing at his hair. "Stop it!. Stop it, please!." He continued screaming, tearing at his hair, his arms, and pounding his head on the ground. Finally, exhausted, both physically and mentally, he brought himself to his knees and buried his face in his hands, sobbing uncontrollably as the tears released themselves and flowed freely down his face…

It was then that the familiar scent of smoke and burnt flesh drifted to his nostrils… He felt the intense heat of a fire nearby… Soujiro did not have to turn and look to know who was standing there... and for some reason, he wondered why he wasn't even surprised...

"Are you crying?," came a voice he knew only to well…

The sky was dark and clouded, the thunder rolled above, but there was no rain yet… The boy didn't care though… No point in lying this time… Let him see his tears now... Unsmiling, Soujiro Seta turned to face Shishio Makoto… "Yes."

**********

"I can't believe it!." Lieko shook her head. "Why... why would he try to kill himself, then just run off like that?... It… It doesn't make sense at all!."

Kita propped her elbows on the kotatsu and buried her face in her hands. "I… I don't know..." It was a lie, of course. Oh, she knew. She knew exactly why he'd done what he did... but she mustn't let Lieko and Taro find out…

"So, why didn't you go after him?," the little boy demanded. "He promised he wouldn't leave until spring!. He promised!."

At this, the girl banged her hand down on the kotatsu in frustration. "I already tried to convince him not to go, but he wouldn't listen!," she snapped. "What more do you want?!."

Surprised and hurt, Taro stared back at her, wide eyed... "I'm sorry, Kita..." he whispered…

The mistress of the ryokan shook her head with a sigh. What was getting into her?. "Come here, Taro." And with that she took him onto her lap, hugging him and tousling his hair as she always did.

The child hugged her back and rested his head on her shoulder, as he remembered doing when his grandparents had been alive. "What's going to happen to him?."

"Who knows," Lieko answered sadly, sitting on the zabuton beside them.

"Besides, we can't go after him now," Kita added, blinking back the tears that threatened to form in her eyes. He wouldn't come back anyway."

"And how do you know that?." Anji's familiar voice came from the kitchen doorway...

Kita raised her head to meet the former osha's gaze. "I know because if he'd wanted to come back, he wouldn't have run off like that."

Anji frowned thoughtfully. "And when he ran, did you go after him, Miss Kita?."

"No," she answered. "No, I didn't."

"Why is that?."

Kita ran her fingers through her hair uncomfortably. "You know I would never try to force a decision on him, Mister Anji."

"I understand," he nodded. "But maybe that's just what he was waiting for, even though he doesn't understand it himself. Not to have decisions forced on him, but for someone to care enough about him to want to go after him... and bring him back home."

Home... Could Anji be right?... Did Soujiro truly see this place as his home, but was just to frightened and ashamed to realize it?... "You really think so?," she asked, tucking a stray tendril of black hair behind her ear.

Anji took a sip of his ocha. "Yes," he answered softly. "And I think you are the only one who can do that, Miss Kita..."

The girl shifted her gaze to look out the shoji… Outside was almost pitch black, and the sound of thunder blended with increasing wind… There would be a storm tonight…

**********

The flaming entity stared coolly down at his former prodigy. "I'm disappointed in you, Soujiro. Did you really think that after ten years you could just turn and run away without so much as a by-your-leave?."

"No," the boy answered quietly. "I knew it would be only a matter of time..." He then looked Shishio steadily in the eyes. "It was you, wasn't it?. You started that fire and gave me those nightmares..."

His former master nodded. "Of course. Whom else did you expect?. I may be dead, boy, but I am not gone."

"So, you've come back from the dead to finish my punishment for abandoning the Juppon Gatana then?..."

At this, Shishio laughed. "I swear, you've spent far to much time with Himura then is healthy. It's true that I've come back from Hell, but the fire was no punishment, and I am not here to punish you now either."

The boy's eyes widened. "But… if you're not here to punish me... then what?..."

"I mean to do you a great honor, boy."

An honor?. Soujiro's eyes widened. What was Shishio talking about?.

"I may have failed to conquer Japan, as fate seems to have sided with Himura, but I can assure you that my plans will succeed in the afterlife. If I am to spend eternity in Hell, then I will accept nothing less then being it's ruler and God!." He then eyed Soujiro with a smile. "And you, little prodigy, are going to help me."

"What?!." The young wanderer stepped back in surprise. Help Shishio take over Hell, of all things!. And how was he supposed to do that?. "You sure don't waste time, do you?."

"No, I don't. You should know that by now, Soujiro. And just in case you are wondering, yes, the fire was supposed to bring you to me, but, unfortunately, it didn't work... so I came to take you personally."

The boy suddenly felt very faint... His hands grew cold and started to shake... He turned his head to look away from his former mentor…

But Shishio took Soujiro's chin between his two fingers and raised his head up so he was forced to meet his fiery red gaze… The boy winced… His hands were burning hot to the touch, even more then before…

"Just think, Soujiro, you will be my right hand again. Helping me conquer the God of Hell is more then adequate penance for your desertion, and display of weakness, back in Kyoto."

It was all Soujiro could do to keep his normally strong legs from giving way underneath him... For ten years he'd done all sorts of dirty work for Shishio. He didn't want to go back to that, especially not in Hell. "Mister Shishio," he whispered. "Please… I... I can't..."

"Oh, can't you?," the fiery entity released him. "Really, it's not like you ever had anything to live for here besides the Juppon Gatana."

"But I do now!," the boy protested. "I have friends here!. Kita and the others... they..."

"If you mean that girl who runs the inn, I can solve that problem for you right now," Shishio interrupted. "You cut her with the knife, didn't you?."

Soujiro froze… He stared back, wide eyed, at his former master…

"You don't have to answer, I know it's true. I saw it," the fiery apparition confirmed with a nod. "Once again she interfered with my plans to take you back, but it won't happen again." He then fixed his burning red eyes on his prodigy's clear dark blue ones. "She forgave you for your past actions because she believed you were no longer a threat or a danger, Soujiro, but what will she think now, after what you did to her?. Will she welcome you back with open arms?."

"I... I don't know..." the boy answered truthfully… but his heart sank... There was no way Kita would forgive him for what he'd done, or ever want him around…

Shishio nodded, a satisfied look on his face. "You must accept your destiny, my little prodigy. I first thought mine was to overthrow the pathetic Meiji government and build a stronger, more powerful empire, but now I understand that my destiny is something far greater then even that."

"But as the ruler of Hell?!." Soujiro clenched his fists and his mouth set in a firm line. He would rather work for the blasted Meiji government then go there!.

"Hell, Earth, what is the difference, Soujiro?. I was shot in the head and burned every inch of my body, shouting for death, that was Hell. Yumi was denounced as an outcast in society and that was Hell. Anji's only family was murdered in front of his eyes, that was Hell, and you, you were beaten, overworked and starved, all the while hiding your pain behind a false smile, and that was Hell too. Face it, boy, you might be known as the Heaven Sword, but Hell's all you have left, perhaps it's all you've ever had."

"No!," the wanderer cried, sinking to his knees and covering his hears with his hands. "No!. Stop it!. Please!." Tears once again filed his eyes and streamed down his cheeks. "It wasn't my fault!. It wasn't!. I was only eight years old!."

Shishio looked down at him with a grim smile. "You think age matters in the afterlife?. A sadistic killer is a sadistic killer." He then reached down, extending his burnt, bandaged hand to Soujiro… "But I can almost guarantee you, little prodigy, whatever pain, whatever suffering, whatever torture you may go through in the next world, it pales in comparison to what you have gone through, and are going through, in this one."

The boy looked back the way he had come... the way that led back to the inn... No, he couldn't go back... He was only a burden and a danger to Kita and the others... If he continued wandering, he'd still turn out to be a burden and a danger to everyone he met… He looked back at his old mentor's outstretched hand… Maybe this was the answer after all... The illegitimate son of a prostitute, as well as a murderer and a spy, maybe he had been destined for Hell from the start... Maybe Shishio was right... Shishio had always been right…

Forcing a smile, even though his tears still flowed and his heart was sinking even deeper, Soujiro reached out to take Shishio's burnt, bandaged hand…

**********

Her heart pounding faster and her breathing growing heavier, Kita hurried along the familiar worn path through the back-woods... She was certain this was the direction Soujiro had been heading… What could she have been thinking by just letting him run off like that?. After that awful nightmare, which had almost caused him to indivertibly kill himself, who knew what her friend must be going through right now?... She only prayed that he wouldn't let his guilt and fear drive him into doing anything rash…

"...maybe that's just what he was waiting for, even though he doesn't understand it himself. Not to have decisions forced on him, but for someone to care enough about him to want to go after him... and bring him back home..." Anji's words played themselves over and over again in her mind… "...you are the only one who can do that, Miss Kita..."

She roughly wiped away her tears to clear her vision… What was wrong with her?... Ever since that smiling young man had entered her life she had found herself thinking about and remembering things she did not want to think about or remember... and ever since he had revealed himself as the criminal and rebel the government was searching for, she'd felt as though her own soul was staring back at her whenever she looked into those clear, haunted blue eyes…

It was then that a bright light through the trees in the distance caught her attention… and, as she drew nearer, she could make out the yellow, orange and red flames of a large fire... Kita's eyes widened in shock and she brought a hand to her mouth to stifle a gasp as she realized the fire was in the shape of a man… Her heart nearly stopped as she recognized the younger man whom he was helping to his feet…

"Soujiro..." she whispered... Still hidden in the trees, she remained, frozen in place... What was going on?...

Kita watched as Soujiro drew closer to the fiery entity… "I'm ready, Mister Shishio. You can take me now," the boy said, eerily calm…

"That's good," the flaming apparition answered, nodding it's bandaged head. "You will enjoy working under me again. Now, let's make this as quick as possible. Yumi, Houji and Usai are all waiting for us."

The young wanderer smiled. "I'm looking forward to seeing them all again. Especially Miss Yumi."

From her hiding place, Kita drew a rugged breath... Shishio... That was the name of Soujiro's old mentor... But... wasn't he supposed to be dead?... Suddenly, a shiver ran through her body as she realized the highly improbable, but nevertheless possible, answer…

Shishio raised his hand, and at once a fire shot out from his palm… It soon cleared to reveal a shining knife, which looked as though it had been made of only flames alone... The knife in his left hand, the flaming entity motioned Soujiro closer... "It is time, little prodigy."

Kita watched in horror as Shishio took the boy by the hair and tilted his head back… Almost as if in slow motion, the fiery apparition drew the knife closer to his smooth, white throat…

"Jiro!," the girl screamed, tearing out of the brush. "Nooo!!!." She knew she wasn't close enough this time to come between her friend and the knife, but for Heaven's sakes she had to do something!.

The sound of her screams startled Shishio into releasing his victim and dropping the knife… Soujiro immediately spun around to face her…

"Kita?." He stared at her, eyes widening…

Resisting the urge to punch his face in, she seized Soujiro by the shoulders. "You idiot!. You damned, stupid jerk!." The girl shook him vigorously. "I can't leave you alone for five minutes!."

"Kita, Kita, please!." The boy gently brushed her hands off his shoulders. "This time you shouldn't have stopped me!."

At this, she stared at him as though he had gone completely mad. "What?!," she gasped.

"Mister Shishio is going to take me back with him," Soujiro continued softly.

Shishio moved next to the young wanderer. "That's right," he added. "We have much use for my prodigy where he is going. You'd best leave, girl. This doesn't concern you."

"The hell it doesn't!," Kita snapped. Anything that concerned her friends concerned her too!. Although, she wasn't exactly sure why the flaming entity in front of her suddenly started laughing.

"Kita, no!," Soujiro shook his head with a sad smile. "It's better this way. I've caused you enough trouble. Besides… there's nothing for me in this life anyway..."

The girl felt her hands turn cold... In this life?... "Jiro, is that what Shishio told you?."

"He... He didn't have to..." Soujiro lowered his gaze from hers…

"To true, to true." The fiery apparition placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. Kita winced in pity, knowing his touch probably burned terribly. "I once thought I could gain control of this country and shape it into a power where one's strength and resilience, not birth, rank or social position, determined their fate." Shishio's eyes seemed to grow redder as he spoke. "Unfortunately, fate decided to favor another, and I was reminded once again that this is a world that will never side with those who are different. A bastard son of a whore, despite his potential, has no chance here, only in the afterlife."

"He's no bastard, Makoto!," Kita snarled, clenching her hands in rage. "You are!." She then turned back to a wide-eyed Soujiro. "Jiro, you can't go with him!. Please!."

To her dismay, she could see her friend's eyes cloud over, as if he was going into a trance... "But I have to..." he protested weakly. "I have nothing else..."

"No!," the girl snapped, taking his hands in hers. "That's not true!. What about Anji, and Lieko and Taro… and me?..." She determinedly fought back her tears... "Jiro, listen to me!. He's lying, and you know it!."

He started breathing heavily… "But... but if he's wrong... then somebody should have protected me… Back then... nobody wanted to protect me... Nobody ever will..."

"That's another lie!. Remember how I hid you from those cops?. How you saved me during the fire?. Haven't we always protected each other?. Won't we always?." Kita demanded.

The flaming entity tightened his grip on Soujiro's shoulder. "She's as foolish and weak as that idiot, Himura!. Don't listen to her, boy!. Remember who took you on when you had nowhere else to go?. Who kept you, fed you, dressed you?. Who taught you how to survive in this world?. If you're strong you live!. If you're weak you die!."

"If you're strong you live..." the wanderer repeated, almost mechanically, letting go of Kita's hands... "If you're weak you die..."

"You're wrong!," the girl answered in determination, though she was beginning to lose hope. "The strong protect the weak!. That's what makes us strong!."

Soujiro stared at her a moment... then, to her great relief, the mist in his widened eyes slowly began to clear... The clouds began to roll louder overhead… "Us?…" he whispered…

"Yes," she breathed. "Us!. Noone can be strong on their own." Kita then extended her hand towards him again. "Come on, let's go back to the inn."

Slowly, the boy reached out to take her hand…

"No, Soujiro!." Shishio pulled him back. "You are not betraying me again!."

To Kita's surprise, Soujiro shook his former master's hand off his shoulder and turned to face him. "Mister Shishio, please try to understand. I've given you ten years of my life already!. I've done everything you ever asked me to do!."

"Except for this one time... Why is that, little prodigy?. Why did you just turn around and desert me, like a weak coward, back in Kyoto?."

"Why do you think?!," the boy snapped in frustration. "Living as some kind of programmed killing machine, with no emotions or will of it's own. I couldn't do it anymore!. I just couldn't!."

The fiery apparition glared down at him, eyes red with fury. "I found you. I created you. I can do as I like with you!."

"No you can't!," Kita answered defiantly, moving to stand beside Soujiro. "Jiro has a right to be his own person, not just what you want him to be!."

"I wanted him to be my right hand!," Shishio growled back. "I wanted him to be strong!."

At this, Soujiro narrowed his eyes at his former mentor. "No you didn't," he said in a soft, dangerously controlled voice. "You wanted me to be a fiend from Hell… like you!." As he spoke, a flash of lightning streaked across the blackened sky… The clouds opened up, and the rain began pouring down... At last, the once emotionless warrior had found his swordsman's spirit... his ki(67)…

As the freezing, late winter shower came down, Shishio studied his young prodigy with a mixture of contempt and confusion... This was not the empty boy, with the empty smile, he had taken in and trained as his right hand… This was not the child who had idolized him and taken his orders without question... This was a grown man, with a spirit, and a mind, of his own, who was more then willing to fight for them... His newly discovered ki proved it…

Makoto's burning hands clenched in anger as he recognized the expression on Soujiro's face... The determination in his eyes… It was the same look the Battousai had given him during the battle at Mount Hiei(68)...

"Those people who you claim are nothing more then food for the strong, they managed to survive the hard times and finally have peace now after all the chaos!. No one should be forced to live a life that has no other meaning then to be sacrificed. That was true then and it's true now!."

Shishio could almost swear he heard Himura's words to him being re-spoken through Soujiro's eyes…

"If you're strong you live, if you're weak you die. That's what you taught him!. You have no concept of how much that phrase you claim is the law of nature caused that young man to suffer, do you?. Are you saying that even Soujiro, despite all his loyalty, was only food in your eyes?."

"Yes, of course he was. The fact that he lost to you proves that he was among the weak. Therefore, following the laws of nature, he became a source of nourishment for me. Not only did he weaken you physically, he was also good enough to leave me the truth behind the Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki as a parting gift."

"A parting gift, was it?. I'm relieved to hear that. That young man you describe as being weak, and nothing more then nourishment for you, will find some true answers of his own one day now that he's parted ways with you. He'll be able to learn these answers on his own, by finding his own path, and he'll figure out that we can't determine right from wrong by who wins or looses!."

"I'm sorry, Mister Shishio," the young wanderer said, his tone quieter, slowly shaking his head. "This isn't like it was eleven years ago. This time, I have a reason to stay. I'm not going with you". The flaming entity's mouth tightened in rage as Soujiro clasped the girl's hand warmly. "Kita, thank you." And with that they both turned and started to walk away…

"Soujiro!. You dare disobey an order from me?." Shishio's voice followed them.

The boy smiled calmly. "I walked away from you once, Mister Shishio," he answered, without even looking back. "I can do it again!."

Soujiro and Kita continued walking down the path that led back to the Sakura Ryokan, and farther away from Shishio Makoto… Suddenly, in an instant, they were surrounded on all sides by a wall of flames… The two spun back around in shock…

"What do you think you're doing?!," the boy demanded as the flames seemed to draw closer and closer to him and Kita.

Makoto smiled wickedly. "You've proved that your weakness can never be rectified, little prodigy. and you know what happens to the weak." He then gave a cruel laugh. "I'll be taking you to Hell either way, Soujiro."

The boy and girl looked desperately around for a way to escape their burning cage... but the flaming walls were to high…

"Shishio!," Soujiro cried. "Shishio!. If I'm such a cowardly weakling, why bother taking me back with you now?!."

"Because, my little prodigy," the fiery apparition answered as he walked through the prison of flames. "You of all people should know that the punishment for betraying the Juppon Gatana is death. You had the opportunity to become the right hand, and heir, to the future God of Hell, but now you'll just have to settle for an eternity of suffering and torture there instead!."

The fire encircling the three of them continued to burn, growing hotter and hotter... and the freezing rain continued to pour down relentlessly, determined to put it out… but the battle between the two elements remained even, with neither about to give in or die down…

The would-be ruler of Hell raised his gloved arms and at once the flames started closing in on the two children in front of him. "You should thank me, boy. I'm sending you home, where your family is waiting. They're very much looking forward to seeing you again!."

"Ay ya!. I'll bet they are," Kita muttered under her breath. For a brief moment, she wondered if her former master and Soujiro's family were together there. waiting to punish them both once they arrived.

"They were never my family!," the boy shouted back. Tears rimmed his eyes and streamed down his face, mixing with the falling rain, yet his hands were clenched in anger and resolve. "You know I can't help where they ended up after they died!." Why had they done it?, he had asked himself all these years... Why had they been so cruel?... Why did they try to kill him?... He had always tried not to be a burden, had never wanted anything but to love them, and for them to love him in return... but instead of a home, family and love, all he'd received was bruises, cuts... and, in the end, a bloody wakizashi…

It was then that the flaming walls drew slowly backwards away from the captives… The rain's pounding grew steadily stronger…

"It makes no difference, Soujiro. You are still the one who killed them."

Kita glared back at the flaming entity. "Yes, after you made him do it!."

"Oh, I didn't make him do it, girl," Shishio laughed heartily. "They did!. Isn't that right, little prodigy?."

Soujiro narrowed his eyes at his former master... For the first time in his life, he felt an undeniable hatred for him... "You threatened me!. You forced me to hide you!. If it weren't for you, I would not have their blood on my hands!."

"If it weren't for me, boy, you would still be their slave!. You would still be being beaten for their pleasure and smiling all the way through it!. Is that what you wanted for the rest of your life?."

The young wanderer's mouth became a firm, tight line… No, that wasn't what he wanted… But life as a criminal and a murderer wasn't what he wanted either…

The fire started to grow larger and hotter then ever before as Shishio approached his former prodigy… "Face it, there is no way you can avoid this, Soujiro." He then put his burning hand under the boy's chin and lifted his head up so their eyes met. "Why don't you and the girl come along quietly, for old times sake?."

Kita bit her lip and Soujiro's eyes widened in horror... So he was planning to take her too!.

"Shishio!," he pulled away. "Alright, you win. I'll go with you, but please, just leave Kita alone!. She isn't the one who betrayed you!."

"And why should I settle for killing one bird with a stone when I could have two?," the would-be God of Hell asked.

"Don't show your ignorance!," the boy snapped. "Everything those reward posters say about me is true, yes. I'm a murderer, a criminal, a dangerous rebel!. I deserve to go to Hell!. But Kita has no sins to be punished for!. There is no blood on her hands!. Even if you did kill her along with me, she would only be sent to Heaven instead!."

Neither of them noticed the girl's face turning pale... nor how her eyes lowered in shame and uneasiness… She knew that wasn't entirely true... Contrary to what Jiro had just said, she probably would end up in Hell for what she had done to Lord Shuang... but Jiro did not know this. and if Hell was the price to pay for saving Lady Shuang and the children, it was worth it…

Shishio narrowed his bright red eyes at Soujiro. "You're serious now?. You'd come willingly if I spare her?."

The boy smiled. "You misunderstand," he repeated the words Himura had once said to him. "You see, I've been serious the whole time."

As he spoke, there came another flash of lightning…

"Jiro!. No!. Don't!," Kita pleaded.

Ignoring her, the flaming entity seemed to be considering it... Finally, he smiled thinly. "You may have a point, little prodigy. Very well then. I was always more lenient with those who were ready to accept their punishments." He raised his gloved hand, which immediately turned into a burning inferno… "I'll see you in Hell, Soujiro!."

Kita already had a good idea of what was about to happen... and she knew she couldn't let it!. "Nooo!!!," she screamed, rushing forward... To anyone watching, it would have seemed like slow motion… The girl leapt at Soujiro, somehow managing to throw both him and herself out of the way of the fiery blast…

They landed, half-stunned, on the cold ground…

Though the heat and smoke of the increasing fire surrounding them made Soujiro feel sicker by the minute, he quickly scrambled to his feet and spun around... "Kita!," he cried.

She was on her hands and knees behind him. "Harumasa," she growled. "You pull another stunt like that and I swear I'll kill you myself!."

In spite of the situation, the boy had to smile at that. "Here, are you alright?. You shouldn't have done that."

"Now is that all the faith you have in your best employer?," she muttered back as he moved to help her up. She was about to get to her feet when a powerful, burning sensation stung her left leg. She let out a cry of pain as she stumbled back on her hands and knees.

Soujiro's eyes widened when he saw the singed lower part of her skirt, and the awful burn on her lower calf. "Kita!. Your leg!." He knelt beside her.

"It's alright," the girl hissed, clenching her teeth in pain. "I… I think I can still walk on it..."

Shishio, who had been watching the scene in both disgust and amusement, laughed again. "That girl is making an even bigger weakling out of you then Himura did!." This time, he raised both of his gloved hands towards them. "Very well then. Since she refuses to let you go, I'll just have to take her too after all, no matter where she ends up in the afterlife." As he spoke, he prepared to aim another flaming blast at them…

Soujiro immediately got to his feet and stood in front of Kita. "You won't touch her!." He narrowed his eyes dangerously, his face hardening in rage at the broken agreement.

"Touch her?. Heav... er... Hell forbid!," Makoto smirked. "I wouldn't dream of it!. I have Yumi!." He opened his hands and released a tornado of flames towards them. Who needed the Homura Dama,(69) the Kagu Tsuchi(70) or even the Guren Kaina(71) when one was a fire demon?.

"Please," Soujiro thought to himself as the inferno drew closer. "Please, if I never do anything else in my whole life, let me do this." Still shielding Kita, he closed his eyes in pure concentration…
Shishio's burning eyes widened in astonishment as a shining blue aura radiated from the boy... The rain, Soujiro's rain, poured down and eliminated the advancing flames before they could harm him and the only person whom he had ever willingly protected…

The fiery apparition clenched his teeth in anger and disbelief. "I do not believe this!. When did you start feeling any emotions besides happiness, boy?. When did you acquire a ki?."

"When you weren't looking, I suppose," came the cool reply…

For a moment, master and pupil both stared at each other, as if trying to read each other's thoughts… Neither a blink, flinch, or change of expression passed... Finally, Shishio shook his head vigorously.

"No!. Your change of philosophies is just as pathetic and insignificant as the Battousai's!." He came closer towards them. "You should have let yourself remain empty, Soujiro. Now, with a ki, you are easily read in battle!. You are weaker now then ever before!."

The boy turned away… His gaze met that of Kita's as he helped her to her feet… "I think you're wrong about that, Shishio." He then turned back to face his former mentor, tapping one foot, then the other, on the ground... "Very wrong!."

Makoto's face hardened in rage... He soon began to burn with an even greater intensity then before... Soujiro wondered if he might even spontaneously combust a second time…

"I don't give a damn who's right or wrong!," Shishio finally cried, raising his fist in the air. "Every one of you cowardly, weak traitors will pay dearly in the afterlife for abandoning the Juppon Gatana, starting with you and that girl, little prodigy!." He sent out another blast of his fire ki at them, but this time Soujiro and Kita were expecting it. They dodged out of the way practically before he even took aim.

Kita let out another hiss of pain from her burned leg, and Soujiro winced from the smarting of the bruises and scrapes he'd received.

"Give up, boy!. The times may have chosen Himura over me, but he was still wrong, and everything he and that girl of yours taught you is wrong too!. You know you can't run forever!." The flaming entity once again repeated his motto. "In the end, only the fittest survive in this world!."

"I wasn't wrong to do what I did!," Soujiro shouted back. "The one who's wrong is… is you!. If you're strong you live. If you're weak you die?. If you really believed that, then why did you let me live that night we first met?. If what you're saying truly is correct, then why did you spare a small, thin, ragged child, to weak and helpless to do anything but smile as you made ready to kill him?."

"I'm beginning to wish I had killed you that night, little prodigy!."

The boy closed his eyes for a moment, a sad, faint smile on his face. "Well, at least that way I could have died without any shame, or blood on my hands... and my heart wouldn't have been poisoned for ten years," he said softly.

"Poison?. You want to know what poison is?!," Shishio scoffed. "I'll tell you!. It's an eight year old boy, whose pleasant smile hides a soul full of cowardice and treachery!." He raised a gloved hand, and at once a flaming sword, one that didn't need to be scraped along the scabbard to be ignited, appeared… "And now, I am going to correct a mistake I made twelve years ago!."

Kita did not even have time to cry out before Soujiro, in a movement so fast it seemed to pass in one blink, had ran to the flaming entity and caught his hand before he could bring the sword down on them… Almost the moment mentor and student's hands touched, a strange light, the light of their clashing kis, began to appear around them... The girl's eyes widened in both terror and amazement…

The raging flames and the pouring rain continued to do battle around them…

"You stole my life!," Soujiro cried as he struggled to keep a hold of his former master's sword-hand. "I won't let you do it again!. And I won't let you take Kita!."

Though he was trying with all his strength to bring his sword down against his one-time prodigy's grip, Makoto had to laugh. "Life?. Hah!. What life, boy?. You never had a life aside from the Juppon Gatana and I!."

The young wanderer gritted his teeth in determination. "I do now!."

They continued to struggle as the light from their clashing auras grew brighter and brighter… First, all that surrounded them were flaming colors of red and orange... then they began to die down, being replaced by cooler shades of blue and white... Finally, the two kis merged together in an enormous explosion that shook the earth and released a blinding flash of light… With a gasp, Kita threw herself down on the ground and covered her head and face with her arms…

There was the sound of crashing thunder and lightning... She could feel the heat of the flames subside and the rain continued to pour down relentlessly... The girl kept her arms over her face and head as the storm's pounding gradually lessened into a gentle shower… For the next few moments all was quiet except for the soft, but insistent, pitter patter of the rain all around her…

Praying that the worst was finally over, Kita slowly raised her head… In the place of the flaming cage that had kept her and Soujiro from escaping, there was only the sweet scent of the forest after a rainstorm, and a soft, misty fog that was slowly beginning to lift... But there was no sign of Soujiro or Shishio... What had just happened?…

Brushing her wet, dripping hair from her flushed face, the girl slowly rose to her feet, trying to ignore the burning pain in her leg and the stinging of the cut on her arm… "Jiro!," she called into the fog. "Jiro, where are you?." There was no answer… Kita took a breath and bit her lip in fear and concern…

The farther she walked into the mist, the more it seemed to be lifting… Finally, the girl glimpsed a still form on the ground ahead of her... "No!," she cried. She hurried to him as fast as the pain in her leg would allow and sank to her hands and knees beside him… His eyes were closed and his face deathly pale, despite the horrible burns and wounds on his body…

Tears began to well up in Kita's eyes and stream down her face as she cradled Soujiro's head in her lap… but she smiled through them once she saw that he was breathing regularly... Gently, she brushed a few stray bangs away from his face and stroked his hair… "Ay ya!. My poor poor shaiming," she whispered. "Don't worry... You're going to be alright..."

As if in response, the boy's eyes flickered briefly... He stirred in her arms... then, Kita's eyes grew wide with horror as he coughed up a disturbing amount of blood(72)…

"Jiro, no!," the girl cried, lifting his upper body up slightly to ease his coughing. "No!. You can't die!. Please!."

The boy coughed again, and Kita gently wiped the blood from his mouth with the end of her sleeve…

She would have to either leave him here and go for help, or try her best to carry him as far as the ryokan… but she did not want to leave him here all alone, and she knew she would risk making his injuries worse if she tried to carry or pull him... Determined not to show any further tears, Kita closed her eyes and bit her lip in frustration as she tried to think of what to do…

"Miss Kita, are you there?!." Suddenly, as if someone up there had been watching over her and the wounded boy, a comfortingly familiar voice sounded nearby. "Miss Kita?!. Soujiro?!. Soujiro, where are you?!."

"Mister Anji!," the girl cried in relief. "We're over here!. This way!." Thank the gods he had decided to come out and search for them!.

The next minute the lights of two lanterns appeared in the distance... As they drew closer, Kita recognized the forms of Anji and Lieko…

The instant they saw Soujiro, Anji's eyes widened and Lieko's hand flew to her mouth in shock. "Oh no!. Kita, Is he?..."

"No," she assured them. "He's still alive... barely."

"We need to get him to a hospital then," Lieko said, kneeling by them in concern.

The hakaizou studied Soujiro's pale face and shook his head. "No, it could be to late by then." He gently took the boy from Kita, lifting his limp, feather light form into his own well muscled arms. "I used to treat wounded soldiers at the old temple. We have to get him back to the inn quickly."

Both Lieko and Kita nodded in agreement, and soon the three of them were hurrying back through the woods to the ryokan, Anji still carrying Soujiro.

"Here, lean on me," Lieko said kindly, noticing the girl's injured lower leg.

Kita nodded. "Thank you," she answered gratefully, and put her arm around her friend's shoulder for support.

As she walked, or rather limped, alongside Anji, Kita, with Lieko's help, awkwardly took off her jacket and tucked it over the unconscious boy for warmth. "Don't worry, Jiro," she whispered to him. "Everything's going to be fine now. We're going back home."


It was dark and misty all around... He found himself walking down a hideous pathway of skulls and bones... What had happened?... Where was he?... He stopped and looked around in confusion…

Suddenly, a figure appeared from the fog and started to approach him... As the figure drew nearer, his eyes grew wide with both surprise and recognition…

"Hello, kid," Yumi Komagata smiled sadly…

Soujiro nearly collapsed to his knees. "Miss… Miss Yumi?..." What was she doing here?. Had she not died on Mount Hiei with Shishio?.

As if reading his thoughts, the formor oiiran nodded. "Yes, that's right. I've been here ever since Lord Shishio ran his sword through me."

The boy's expression then turned from astonishment to anger. So that was how it had happened!. "But why, Miss Yumi?. How could he do that to you?."

"To get to Himura, of course," Yumi answered, as if it were obvious. Then she reached out and touched his shoulder reassuringly. "Anyway, you don't need to be so upset, Soujiro. I was happy to have been useful in battle for a change."

"No!." Soujiro shook his head vigorously. "I don't care if it was to get at Mister Himura!. It was still wrong!." He then raised his head to meet the former Night Witch's gaze. "I would never have done that to you."

She gave him her sad smile again. "I know you wouldn't have, kiddo."

For the next few moments they were silent, as if everything important they had left to say to each other had already been said that day at Mount Hiei...


"The Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki can't be done without taking that step with your left foot. So that means if he keeps his attention on Mister Himura's left foot and not his eyes or his arms, he can tell when the Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki will be used, no matter what the situation."

"Now that we know, we should turn back."

"Wait just a minute... Actually, I have another favor to ask you."

"What is this?..."

"It's the wakizashi that Mister Shishio gave me a long time ago. For the past ten years it's been an important treasure I've held on to... Miss Yumi, will you please return this to Mister Shishio for me?."

"So, Soujiro, does this mean that you're?..."

"Back then, what saved me from the brink of death was this wakizashi and Mister Shishio. That will always remain true. But, despite that, I really do believe that I need to look for the real truth on my own, just as Mister Himura said... So that's why... I'm going to move on now... This is where we part."

"I see... Maybe the best thing, for you, is to get away from all this, kiddo."

"Then I'll let you be on your way. Take care of Mister Shishio."

"What's that?. It doesn't matter weather I take care of him or not. Lord Shishio's invincible."

"That's… not what I meant..."

"I understand... Well then, take care of yourself."

"Farewell… Mister... Shishio..."


Soujiro sighed. "Where is Mister Shishio now, Miss Yumi?."

The former oiiran brushed her bangs away from her eyes. "Oh, he's here with me. What's a king of Hell without his queen, right?."

Hell?. "Then I'm…"

"No," Yumi shook her head slowly. "No, you're not. You're just on the borderline right now, but you'll be alright… Even when it really is your time you'll be alright..." Her voice trailed off sadly. "Lord Shishio can't get near you now..."

Despite this fortunate news, the boy couldn't help staring back at Yumi Of The Night with a mixture of sadness and compassion... "Miss Yumi, you were always kind to me... and…"

"No, I was jealous of you, kid," she cut him off. "You were Lord Shishio's best warrior, and alI I could do was stand back and watch. I guess I thought, if I made friends with you, a bit of your skills might rub off on me. Silly, I know."

Soujiro had to smile at this. "You were never silly, Miss Yumi, and you were never evil either. There was no blood on your hands as there were on mine. You should never have been sent here."

"You're wrong, Soujiro. I've had to do some pretty awful things in my life, maybe not killing, but still just as wrong... at least by the afterlife's standards..." She then reached out and gently touched his face. "Besides, I wanted to be sent here so I could welcome Lord Shishio."

The young man bitterly turned his face away. "But how can you still love him, Miss Yumi?!. How can you love your own murderer?."

He soon felt her hand on his face again, and his head slowly being turned so that he was looking the Night Witch in the eyes again…

"You'll understand when you realize that you love someone yourself, kiddo," she answered with another sad smile. "Now, it's time to go back. Everyone's waiting for you..."


Soujiro's eyes slowly flickered open as the sensation of dull pain greeted him... A low, soft moan escaped his lips... His chest, arms and neck were cut and burned, but, fortunately, the gashes had already been cleaned, treated and bandaged…

"Welcome back, Shaiming," came a voice that made him smile... He turned his head slightly to see Kita, Anji, Lieko and Taro at his bedside…

"Whe… Where am I?..." the boy asked weakly. He was still not fully awake yet.

Kita knelt down by the futon. "We brought you back to my room. You were messed up pretty badly." Then a wary look appeared in her eyes. "You shouldn't have run off into the forest at night like that... It can be very dangerous..."

Soujiro caught the warning in her tone, and he nodded. He knew it was best not to tell Anji, Lieko or Taro about what had happened. "I'm very sorry, Kita. You were right. I should have never tried to run away. You were hurt because of me." He saw his wrist guard, covering the gash in her arm, and her burned ankle and lower leg, which was now treated and bandaged.

Despite her concern, Kita had to smile as she folded back part of Soujiro's nemaki and applied the ointment Anji had just made to the burns on his chest. "Ay ya!. Here you are, burnt and shredded like meat, bed-ridden for at least another week, and you're worried about my little scratches?."

At this, Anji chuckled softly and Lieko and Taro grinned. Soujiro and Kita couldn't help but laugh too... After all that had happened with Shishio, it felt good to laugh together again…

"Thank you, Kita." The boy smiled.

She shook her head as she bandaged his burns. "Mister Anji's the one you want to thank. He carried you back home and treated you."

"We thought we might lose you," the former destroyer added seriously. "Thank Buddha you have a strong will to live."

At this, young Taro spoke up. "You're not going to go away like that again, are you, Jiro?. You're going to stay with us 'till spring, like you promised, right?."

Soujiro chuckled softly as he gazed at the boy with fondness. He had never had a little brother before, and Taro had somehow become the closest thing to that. "Of course, Otouto,(73) a promise is a promise after all."

Taro beamed at the nickname, then his eyes brightened as he came up with an idea. "And you'll come back to the ryokan every winter, won't you, Niisan?.(74) It'll be to cold to wander much then!."

At this proposition, everyone, Soujiro, Kita, Anji and Lieko, all looked at each other…

"Well, this inn does belong to Miss Kita," Anji said, patting the boy warmly on the shoulder. "Maybe we should leave the decision between her and Soujiro."

"I agree," Lieko added before either Soujiro or Kita could answer. "Maybe we should leave you two alone for a few minutes."

"Well. I guess we could talk about it… that is, if Jiro wants to…" the girl's voice trailed off…

The young wanderer answered with a shy smile. "Yes, I'd like that… if it's alright with you…"

Upon seeing the two of them blush, Anji and Lieko gave each other knowing looks, and the former osha took Taro's hand. "Come on, Soujiro needs to rest, and he and Miss Kita have some things to discuss."

"Alright!." The young boy cheerfully complied. "See you later, Kita!. Take care, Nissan!." And with that, he followed Lieko and Anji out of the room…

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say they were up to something," Soujiro smiled. He started to laugh warmly, but was soon taken over by a series of coughs.

Kita put her hands on his shoulders to steady him. "Easy, easy," she soothed, but she was relieved to see there was no more blood as there was earlier.

Soon, his coughing had stopped. "Thank you, Kita," he smiled.

She tenderly brushed a stray tendril of hair away from his eyes. "You're welcome, it was just a cough anyway."

"No, no... I don't just mean for that... I mean for everything... You've done so much for me... so much I'll never be able to repay you for…" He then took her hands in his… "I have to hold on to my decision to wander for eight more years once spring comes... but I would be honored to spend winters here... that is, if you would have me…"

Kita closed her eyes for a moment. How could she tell him?. How could she tell him that she would have him here with her forever if he wasn't so stubborn about being a wanderer for the next eight years of his life?. "No, Jiro," she said softly. "I'd be the honored one... but there's something you should know first I think..."

"Really?." The boy's eyes widened and he tilted his head. "What's that?."

Kita sighed. "You were right that night at the fire. You said I was a hypocrite... The day the police came to the inn. I was furious when I learned that you hadn't been telling me the truth about who you were... but I've never been completely honest with you either..."

To her surprise, she saw a flash of recognition and understanding in his eyes… He slowly sat up in bed and took her hands again... "Kita," he asked seriously. "What happened?."

Her gaze searched his. "Would you believe you aren't the only assasin in this room right now?."

"What are you talking about?..." His eyes widened in shock…

She sighed again… "I didn't just change my name to fit into Japanese society better... I had to change it because there might be a huge reward, even here, for the arrest of the killer of Lord Chen Shuang..."

Soujiro tilted his head in confusion. "Chen Shuang?. Who was he?."

"My former master back in China... but he was more then that," Kita answered. "He had mafia connections from Beijing to Shanghai… Only I didn't realize it until I accidentally stumbled on some of his hidden papers while cleaning… I was a low class servant, yes, but the mistress had already taught me how to read and speak both Chinese and Japanese…"

The boy frowned... This was all to reminiscent of the Juppon Gatana's dealings with that incestuous, deranged mafia boss, Enishi Yukishiro and his gang in Shanghai(75)… Could he and this Chen Shuang have known each other?…

"Lord Shuang somehow found out about this," the girl continued. "I tried to deny any knowledge of what I'd read, but he could see right through me, even when drunk..." Here, her voice trailed off shakily… "He… He attacked me... and came at me with a knife… saying that he'd have to kill me…"

Soujiro's face went pale…

"His wife and children heard the commotion upstairs… Lady Lien Shuang managed to stop him from stabbing me, but she only brought more trouble on herself… He threw himself at her and tried to strangle her... The poor children were terrified... so was I... but, fortunately, in the struggle, my master had dropped the knife on the floor... Lady Shuang and her children had always been so kind to me… and I couldn't let the master kill them…" Kita closed her eyes and shook her head wearily... She knew she didn't have to explain any further… "It's a strange feeling… being frightened and enraged all at once…"

"Yes," the young wanderer agreed, nodding slowly... He knew that feeling all to well...

Kita turned her face away from Soujiro's gaze, so that he wouldn't see the tears welling up in her eyes… "My mistress was grateful that I had saved her and her children's lives, so she told the authorities it had been one of her husbands rivals that had murdered him... After that, she herself paid my way to Japan so I would be safe from both the police and Lord Shuang's associates… You already know the rest..." She closed her eyes again and let a single tear trickle down her cheek… After hearing this, Jiro would probably be angry with her... And why shouldn't he be?. She had slapped him, called him a bastard, and had even threatened to turn him over to the police once she found out who he really was and what he had done, yet, she herself had kept the ghosts of her own past from him for so long, and she was just as guilty as he was...

Kita then felt a soft finger on her chin, gently turning her head so that she was looking Soujiro in the eyes again…

The boy smiled softly as he brought his hand to her cheek... "Now I know why you protected me from the police that day, Aiko,"(76) he said as he gently brushed the tear from her cheek…

Relieved, the mistress of the ryokan couldn't help but smile back… She brought her own hands to where his rested on her cheek… They remained that way for several moments…

Outside, though the shoji, the rain slowly began to die down… bright rays of sunlight pushed their way through the dark clouds… At last, the storm was over…

**********

Time went by happily and peacefully after that stormy night… Anji, Lieko and Taro insisted on handling the larger responsibilities of the inn, so Soujiro and Kita passed most of their time together, talking, resting and healing from their wounds…

In order to thank Anji for all he had done, saving Soujiro and Kita from the fire, treating their injuries after the encounter with Shishio, helping to rebuild the ryokan and get it back on it's feet, as well as for his friendship, Lieko herself bought a special butsudan and placed it in the hakaizou's room to hold his memorial tablet... It was gracefully carved on the outside and beautifully painted on the inside... After they placed the Ihai in the cabinet, the doors still opened, they added tiny scented candles and early spring flowers…

"After all, they were my friends, as well as your family," the young woman said as she lovingly ran her fingers across the names on the memorial tablet. "I think it's about time their souls had a happy resting place after all these years, don't you?."

Anji smiled softly as he arranged the tiny flowers around the Ihai… "I think they would be greatly honored by that, Lieko..." He closed his eyes and let a tear slide down his cheek... He had long since cleaned the blood off the tablet… No longer would his children cry from being drenched in it…

"It's okay, Monk Anji."

"It's alright, Monk."

"You're the one who taught us back then, weren't you."

"You taught us that no matter what happens to us, out of sorrow and hatred, Buddha will forgive us."

"You taught that to us."

He recalled the holy vision he'd seen when he'd been landed unconscious during his battle with Sagara… or at least it had felt like a holy vision to him…

"We are a family, and we'll always be with you, no matter what... We'll be with you forever..."

"Always by your side..."

"Together..."

"Forever..."

"Right, Monk Anji?..."

"Monk Anji?. Monk Anji?." Lieko's voice brought him back to the present. "Are you alright?."

The former osha, turned to her and nodded slowly… "Yes, of course, Lieko..."

Concerned, the young woman put a hand on his large shoulder. "Then why are you crying, Monk?."

"They are only tears of happiness," Anji explained assuringly... then he blinked in surprise when he realized that it was the truth… For the first time in eleven years he felt as though his heart might somehow be saved…

"I'm glad," she answered. "Tsubaki and the others would have wanted us to be happy. I'm sure they'll always be watching over us."

"Yes, I'm sure of it too, Lieko..." A bittersweet smile shone through the tears on his face… How had he come to deserve such kindness?... After everything that had happened… After everything he had done… how had he come to deserve this feeling of fulfillment and happiness he'd had ever since he'd been reunited with Lieko, and invited to stay here with her and the others at the ryokan?…

Lieko carefully lit the incense candles in the cabinet, then the pretty young woman turned and smiled back at Anji. "I know you've been lonely and sad these past eleven years, I was too when my parents died after we were kicked out of the village, but I'll always be here, Monk Anji, so will Kita and Taro and Soujiro. And with the spirits of our friends watching over us, there's no reason for us to feel alone or unhappy ever again!."

Touched, the hakaizou reached out and gently stroked Lieko's hair in a fatherly manner. "Thank you." His eyes shone with renewed faith as he repeated the same words he'd spoken to Tsubaki long ago. "We're a family, and I believe there's nothing we can't do if we combine our strengths."

Beaming, Lieko tenderly brushed the last of his tears from his eyes. "So do I, Monk Anji, so do I!."

**********

All to soon, spring officially arrived... The peaceful, contented atmosphere at the Sakura Ryokan changed to one of sadness as Soujiro prepared to take up his wandering once again… There were tears and a kiss on the cheek from Lieko and a strong hug and warm smile from Anji, along with a prayer for his safety in his wanderings. Taro, of course, grew unhappy and almost sullen as the day of Soujiro's departure drew nearer, but the young wanderer managed to cheer his otouto up by sitting him on his lap and promising that nissan would be back again very soon, and would have lots of exciting stories to tell him, all about his adventures roaming throughout Japan…

"So, you'll be heading out tomorrow," Kita said sadly as the two of them relaxed on the ryokan's engawa steps, the eve before his departure... It was already past Hana Matsuri(77) and they were admiring the blooming cherry blossom trees for which the inn was named…

Soujiro slowly sipped his ocha. "Yes, I leave town at first light." He wondered, what it had been like for Himura. How had he felt, leaving his loved ones in Tokyo in order to stop Shishio in Kyoto?. But, he supposed, the circumstances were different. Himura never really had a choice but to leave for Kyoto, not if he wanted to stop Shishio from taking control of the country.

The girl looked down at the warm cup in her hands without taking a sip. "I wish you could stay," she said quietly. "Eight years is a long time."

"I know, Kita, but this is something I have to see through. You know that. Besides," he smiled warmly. "Didn't I promise you I would come back every winter?. I never break my promises."

Kita closed her eyes and breathed in the warm steam from her cup... then she turned and smiled back at him. "I know how important this is to you, Jiro… I might even do the same thing in your position..."

"Well… there is something I wish you would do for me, Aiko..."

"And what is that, Shaiming?."

Soujiro paused a moment, letting the warmth of his cup spread to his hands... Then his eyes became serious. "I plan on visiting the town I used to live in when I was younger. It holds allot of bad memories… lots of ghosts for me... but I feel I need to see it again... Will you come with me?..." He didn't know what he would do if she said no… This was one step of his journey he didn't want to take alone…

Kita reached across and gently touched his face with her free hand... "Jiro," she said assuringly. "Of course I will."

**********

(Kamakura City. May, 1880)

The movements of the train as it slowly began coming to a stop woke Soujiro in his seat. He opened his eyes to see Kita's dark head resting against his shoulder.

The boy smiled and softly kissed the top of her head. "Time to wake up, Aiko."

She stirred and smiled, her eyes still closed. "Are we there yet?."

"Yes," he lightly stroked her hair once. "We'll be pulling into the station in a few minutes."

Yawning, Kita sat back up and brushed her bangs away from her face. "Is this town very far from Kamakura?."

"No," Soujiro answered. "It's just on the outskirts. Less then an hours walk from the city."

"Ahhh," the girl nodded as the train approached the station.

It was at that moment a group of guards entered the car... Though he kept his calm, unconcerned expression, Soujiro felt himself stiffen... Instinctively, he and Kita clasped each others hands… Fortunately, it was only the routine checking of tickets.

At ease again, Soujiro and Kita gathered what few things they had taken with them from Fujisawa and departed off the train along with the other passengers, both Western and Asian.

"I've got to stop being so tense whenever something like that happens or I'll give myself away one day," the boy joked later, once he was absolutely sure they were out of earshot.

Kita gave him a rueful smile. "Well, it never hurts to be a little overcautious. There's still a price on your head, and people looking for you. What if it had been that Saitoh Hajime, or Fujita Gouru, or whatever his name is, that inspected the train?."

Soujiro had to chuckle as he adjusted his traveling pack. "No, he wants the Battousai, not the Tenken. Besides, Mister Anji tells me he's still positioned in Hokkaido."

"This Battousai, or Himura," Kita looked at him curiously. "He was the one who told you to become a wanderer, like he was?."

"No," Soujiro shook his head, his eyes turning serious. "No, he didn't tell me to do anything but live." He then smiled at Kita. "So that's what I've been doing, living, and for the first time in my life too."

The girl tilted her head thoughtfully. "Strange, how a one-time imperialist assassin could have told you that, even if he is supposed to be some sort of legendary hero."

"Hey, I was an assassin too, Kita, and for the better part of my life. Perhaps Mister Himura saw something of himself in me."

"You can compare yourself to him?."

The boy shrugged. "Why not?. The Battousai and the Tenken had very much in common, I think."

"Really?," Kita looked at him intently as they walked. "I hear that even though the Battousai wanted nothing more to do with fighting or killing, he still wandered throughout the country with an illegal sword."

"Yes," Soujiro answered. "But it was a sakabatou, reversed blade. He only ever used it to protect the people of Japan."

"As much as I agree with that sentiment, it sounds a little patronizing," she argued. "Besides, the reverse side also has a reverse side.(78) When the Tenken took to wandering, did he also carry a sword, or any kind of weapon at all?."

Soujro was silent for a moment. Then he shook his head slowly. "No, I suppose not," he admitted.

"Exactly," Kita nodded. "That's why I feel the Tenken is the worthier wanderer of the two."

The boy brushed his bangs back from his forehead and gave her a soft smile. "No, Aiko. The Tenken died two years ago in the battle with Himura. Now there is only Soujiro."

She smiled back and took his hand as they continued on the way out of the city... "And I wouldn't have it any other way, Shaiming."

**********

The town seemed smaller then he remembered, although he supposed it was because he had grown bigger these past twelve years... He wondered if anyone here would recognize him after so long, or knew of what he had become from the wanted posters… However, nobody seemed to notice either of the two travelers… Still, he and Kita did their best to blend in inconspicuously with the small crowds of people going about their daily lives… Finally, they reached the first place Soujiro wanted to see…

The old house had long since been abandoned and was already showing signs of decay… Soujiro wanted to go inside, but Kita protested, saying that such an old place looked in danger of collapsing… The boy had to smile at the irony, this home had been in danger of collapsing since the day his father died, and his mother had left him with his so-called 'family', but, never the less, he gave in to Kita, knowing she had other reasons for not wanting him to go inside…

"This is where it happened," Soujiro whispered, standing in front of the old rice shed. "They were coming after me, and I hid under here."

Kita watched as the boy slowly knelt down and peered under the shed in an almost cautious manner... as if he might find himself still there, still clutching the wakizashi in fear…

The young wanderer then got to his feet. "I remember... even before that night… I would sometimes hide out here when my stepfather and the older boys got really mad..."

They both remained there for another few moments... Kita had to put her arms around herself and shudder at the thought of an innocent, terrified little boy being attacked by the people who should have loved and protected him... "I don't know how you found it in you to come back to this place," she said honestly. "I never could have myself."

"Yes, I almost changed my mind and decided not to come," Soujiro admitted. "Part of me wanted to never see this place again... but... another part of me felt like I couldn't move on with my new life until I at least gave this one some sort of closure..."

Kita nodded and sighed sadly... "How could they have been so terrible to you, Jiro?..."

"Because I was illegitimate, I suppose, and not really family, according to them." The boy's eyes clouded with sadness…

"That's no excuse. It was still wrong," she argued mildly, with a shake of her head. "My parents may have sold me to put food in their own stomachs, but I don't remember them ever yelling or raising a hand to me or my brothers and sisters."

Soujiro tilted his head thoughtfully. "Then you were luckier then me. They were never cruel to you?."

"Not really," the girl answered. "But, I remember, they always seemed tired... very tired…" her voice trailed off quietly. Although she would never completely forgive them for it, she could almost understand why her near destitute, work-worn parents had sold her and most of her siblings... Kita then sighed and took Soujiro's arm, leading him away from the place that held so many terrible memories for him… "Come on, Shaiming. I think there's one more place you wanted to see."

**********

The graveyard at the edge of town was not as frightening or dismal a place as he remembered... As a child, he used to walk by there on the way from his errands, alone, even at night, and he would always keep to the far side of the road, the smile never leaving his face, terrified that the ghosts there might catch him and do far worse things to him then his family already did…

But today there was warmth and sunshine, the cherry blossoms were in full bloom and the gentle spring wind blew the petals about the headstones… and, unlike those other times, he was not alone…

Kita held his hand as they entered the small cemetery… "Do you know where it is?."

"I think I can find it," Soujiro nodded… Once, when he'd been seven, he'd followed his two half brothers here and watched as they paid their respects to their late father... Of course, once they'd caught him watching them, they'd punched him and shoved him down, telling him he had no right to be there because he was a bastard, and not their late father's legal son anyway… The boy took a breath... even though it had been so long, he was sure he could find the place…

Soujiro and Kita walked past the rows of memorial stones, up a small mound and across to a small grove of cherry trees… There they saw a row of headstones... As they drew closer, Soujiro could just make out the name on the nearest one…

Kazuo Seta…

The boy felt his legs give way and went down on his knees as Kita watched on... He had never gotten a chance to know his real father... What could he have been like?... He thought of the only two father figures he had ever known… but surely Kazuo Seta had been nothing like his stepfather or Shishio.... Kaiya Harumasa would never have fallen in love with him if he was...

Soujiro's gaze left his father's headstone and traveled across the other graves... He read the names of his family members, the people he had killed with his own hands, one by one... The young wanderer closed his eyes, remembering what he had come here to do... but how did one pray?... He himself had never prayed, or had even been taught how... He tried to picture Anji, sitting in his quiet room, his bandaged hands pressed together and facing towards the Ihai… Then the faces of his family appeared before his eyes… Glaring and angry, hating him for what he was and what he had done... He shut his eyes tighter, trying to hold back his tears... If only there was a way he could take it all back, but nothing could do that, even if he had come to pay his respects to their graves… It was then that the scent of the cherry blossoms, carried by the wind, drifted by him... He heard the gentle voice of Himura... "The true answer is something you find out yourself, by how you live your life from this day forward, that it is..." He saw Anji's kindly smile… "You know, it really isn't such a bad thing to cry…" and he felt Kita's warm, strong hand in his... "Does it really matter whose fault it was, Shaiming?. It happened, it's over, and there's nothing we can do now but make a fresh start..."

Kita... Soujiro released his tears, letting them flow freely down his cheeks... He remembered how she had reached out her hand to help him up the first time they had met… How she had comforted him after his nightmare... The night they watched the fireworks at Katase Beach... The fire they had barely managed to survive... Helping to repair the inn... Listening to the Tsuri-Gane together on O'misoka… How they had protected each other from the police and Shishio... Laughing together, teasing each other or just relaxing on the engawa steps, or in the kitchen, with their ocha and danga… The boy opened his eyes and smiled through his tears. No matter what had happened in the past, the time he'd spent with Kita, Anji, Lieko and Taro at the ryokan had been worth it. Even if the ghosts of his family and Shishio would never forgive him, he had already forgiven himself... and he had forgiven them...

Still smiling, the boy took a handful of fallen sakura petals and released them into the breeze... He watched as the wind scattered the petals about the memorial stones... "Yurusu..." he whispered... "I forgive you..."

He soon felt Kita's hand on his shoulder… "Jiro, are you alright?."

The boy turned to her and smiled. "I think so... To tell you the truth, I didn't know weather I could do this or not… I probably wouldn't have been able to, if not for you, Kita."

The girl smiled back... then her face became serious. "Do… Do you mind if I ask you something?..."

"By all means," Soujiro answered, getting to his feet.

They both started towards the exit from the cemetery... "Have you… Have you really... forgiven them?."

The young wanderer paused a moment... So, she had heard him… "Yes, I believe I have... In fact, I think I forgave them that same night... I… I cried for them, you know," he added softly…

"Well, I can't understand why," Kita answered in all honesty.

Soujiro was surprised at this. "Can't you?. Didn't you forgive your master?. You must have," he continued. "You wouldn't have been able to create such a fine new life here otherwise."

The girl bit her lip and studied the western-style shoes on her feet as she walked... "I... I don't know..." she admitted... but she looked as though she was considering the question...

They left the cemetery and made their way down towards Sagami Bay... The early afternoon sun shone down, making the calm waters sparkle…

"Oh," Kita suddenly said as she fished for something hidden up her sleeve. "I think this belongs to you, Shaiming." She withdrew an object that looked familiar... The tekkou he had used to bind her wound that night…

Soujiro smiled and shook his head. "Keep it until I come back, a talisman against any further injury."

Smiling back, she concealed the tekkou beneath her sleeve again. "Alright, but you'd better make good on your word, and come back next winter, Harumasa, or I'll come after you and drag you back by your ear!."

"You would to!," the boy chuckled softly. "But don't worry, we'll spend Shogatsu together, and listen to the Tsuri-Gane, again, I promise."

A small passenger boat was docking nearby... Already people were getting ready to board it…

Kita then turned and grasped Soujiro's hand... "If you're ever in trouble, or if you need anything, anything at all, just send word to me, or come back to the ryokan, alright?."

The wanderer stopped and looked at her for a moment… Then, he put his arms around her in a warm embrace. "I'll always come back to the ryokan," he whispered. "Besides, Aiko, I have family there."

"And you always will, Shaiming," she whispered back, resting her head against his heart. "You always will."

Soujiro leaned his cheek against her hair with a sigh… "Kita..." he thought, closing his eyes… "You know I would stay with you forever, but… I want to have more to give you then I do now... Please, just let me finish what I started… Let me grow up a little more..."

They remained that way for several moments... holding each other as if they could not bear to let go…

Finally, Kita released herself from the embrace and lifted her face to meet his eyes… "And what should I do, Jiro, if I ever need you?."

He smiled warmly. "You know what to do, Kita. Just go north. Follow the north star and you'll find me." He then kissed her cheek and held her at arms length… "Dewa mata...". "See you later..."

In response, she reached out and touched his own cheek lovingly, relieved he had not said "Sayonara" or "Goodbye". Out of all the words in the Japanese language, that was the only one she truly hated. "You'd better go, or you'll miss your boat," she answered.

Soujiro nodded, picked up his light traveling pack and headed towards the crowed that was beginning to gather as the boat arrived at the docks…

A tear ran down Kita's cheek as she watched him board with the other passengers... but she smiled as she fingered the wrist-guard he had left her…

"…we'll spend Shogatsu together, and listen to the Tsuri-Gane, again, I promise..."

For once, winter could never arrive soon enough…

Moments later, everyone at the docks had boarded and the boat was starting it's journey north from Kamakura… Kita clutched the wrist-guard to her heart with both hands… "Itte rassyai..." she whispered... "Go, but come back soon..."

She remained there on the beach, watching until the boat had disappeared far into the distance…


Owari (The End)


And now she turns
This way she moves in the logic of all my dreams
This fire burns
I realize that nothing's as it seems

I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sands
I wake in pain
I dream of love as time runs through my hands

I dream of rain
I lift my gaze to empty skies above
I close my eyes
This rare perfume is the sweet intoxication of her love...

("Desert Rose", performed by Sting)


E Mail the author at karenjade@shaw.ca


"Rurouni Kenshin" is a copyrite of Watsuki Nobuhiro and the many companies associated with the manga and anime, while Kita Hoshi, Lieko Takara and Taro Machiko are my own creations.

(62) Translated, meaning "Robbery of the country", Shishio's plans for war against the Meiji government, and now Hell.

(63) A type of long dagger that is usually located on one's belt, usually as accompaniment to a longer sword (and that's why its literal translation would be "side stand")

(64) "Heaven's Soaring Dragon Flash", The Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki is the most powerful technique of the Hiten Mitsurugi School. Normally, when using battoujutsu, one places the right leg in front of the left leg, however, as noted by Soujiro, at the last moment before the attack, Kenshin put his left leg in front of his right leg before drawing his sword. This technique is most likely the one flawless technique of the Hiten Mitsurugi School. If by any chance the initial blow is blocked, the air is displaced by the power and impact of the first, blocked blow, shattering the air around the opponent around the opponent and drawing the opponent in. The second blow uses the pent up force from the first to accelerate the blow, thus hitting them with a more powerful hit the second time around.

(65) That is, seppuku, ritual suicide.

(66) "Goodbye."

(67) Well, as Kenshin's ki is the wind and leaves and Shishio's is, of course, fire, I figured the rain would be perfect for Soujiro's newly discovered ki!.

(68) A mountain on the North Eastern end of Kyoto. In modern day terms, it stands on the boundary between Kyoto and Shiga prefectures. It has been known over the years to be one of the places where ghosts are commonly seen.

(69) The secret sword technique which revolves around, yup, fire! Oil and human body fat (yuck!) are on Shishio's sword and gloves that act as a catalysts to start fires to hurt his opponents with. Burn, baby, burn!.

(70) Shishio scrapes the full length of the sword along the scabbard and causes a tornado of flame around the sword, engulfing his enemies.

(71) Gunpowder is hidden in Shishio's glove and explodes if fire is put near it.

(72) A subtle reference to Soujiro's character model, Okita Souji, who died of Tuberculosis at the young age of twenty four or twenty five. In the beginning, I was considering having Soujiro himself die of that same disease, but seeing as at least four or five other characters die of Tuberculosis within the span of the TV series and OAVs, I changed my mind, deciding that would be to cliché. Interestingly enough, Watsuki Nobuhiro himself mentioned contemplating killing off Soujiro in the manga, but decided against it, claiming that would have been to much of an easy way out for the character.

(73) "Little brother."

(74) "Big brother."

(75) It's mentioned in the manga that Shishio purchased much of the Juppon Gatana's machinery, including the battle ship, Rengoku/Purgatory, from Enishi, though I'm not sure if the Ten Swords actually traveled to Shanghai to make the deals, so just bare with me, 'kay?.

(76) "Little love" or "Beloved".

(77) Various flower festivals are held at Shinto shrines during the month of April. Excursions and picnics for enjoying flowers, particularly cherry blossoms are also common. In some places flower viewing parties are held on traditionally fixed dates. This is one of the most popular events during spring. The subject of flower viewing has long held an important place in literature, dance and the fine arts. Ikebana (flower arrangement) is also a popular part of Japanese culture and is still practiced by many people today.

(78) Another well known Japanese proverb.