Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ The beauty of life ❯ the truth ( Chapter 8 )

Kenshin stood inside by the door, looking out the window. It was close to dark. He could see that the sun had begun to set, turning the clouds bright pink and orange.
He had turned off most of the lights but kept only one candle on for people inside to see.
Sano came up to him, his hands crammed into his pockets.
" You sure you can do this on your own? She does know the hiten mitsurugi ryu technique same as yours," He said.
Kenshin nodded, " This one wants to find out where she learned it," He said.
" Ah, that's right. Only you and your teacher knows it, right?" Sano said remembering what Kenshin had told him long ago.
Kenshin nodded, " Where she learned it, this one doesn't know," He said quietly.
He watched the bushes carefully, looking for movement in the bushes. Sano watched too, looking closely at the gate.
" Maybe she found out," He said.
Kenshin shrugged, " Then she would be pretty smart. Well, lets wait a little while longer," He said.

Another hour had passed and nothing had happened. The people inside began to relax and wander around. Sano looked at Kenshin and sighed. But Kenshin would not move. He watched the bushes. It was harder to see since the sun had already disappeared. He began to wonder if she really intended to invade the government.
Sano took a seat in a chair by the door and crossed his leg over his right.
He saw the governor approaching Kenshin.
" She's not coming, we can relax," He said.
Kenshin did not move, " We should wait a little longer," He said.
Sano sighed," Come on Kenshin, It's been an hour. She would've been here by now, and no one has even seen her," He said.
" I don't think she is going to do it," The governor said.
Kenshin turned to face them, " We're playing into her trap. She wants us to believe that she's not coming. We've got to wait," He said.
He looked back out the window. The governor rubbed his forehead.
" I hardly believe so. Go get some rest Kenshin. You need it," he said.

" And indeed he does,"

Kenshin turned, Sano stood up, bewildered at the figure before him. The governor stumbled backwards, startled at the sound of the girls cold voice. Kenshin stood in front of the governor.
" Get out of here when you get the chance," He whispered.
Elena glared, " Not on my watch," She said.
Kenshin moved to attack, but found her behind him, the governor in her grasp. She moved to an open area and dropped the governor to the ground. She lifted her sword into the air and sucked in a deep breath of air.
" Damn imperialist!" She spat angrily.
The governor cowered fearfully as she started to strike. He covered his eyes and raised his hands.
The sounds of metal hitting each other rang out into the room and disappeared. The governor looked up.
Kenshin had blocked her swing and pushed her away. He beckoned for Sano to take the Governor away and sheathed his sword.
Elena cursed angrily. She backed away a few steps and shut her eyes.
No use getting angry Elena. Just calm down and focus. She thought to herself.
She opened her eyes and narrowed on Kenshin. She took out the elastic in her hair and began to pull her hair back in a higher ponytail and quickly wound the elastic around her hair to hold it in place. She flexed her fingers and took in a deep breath.
She arched her back and gripped the hilt of her katana. She beckoned for him to come. Kenshin stood, hesitating. He recognized that stance, as he had used it before to fight in previous battles.
He moved forward, readying his sword. He watched as she began to draw her sword as an attempt to get him in a single hit. He stopped midway and swung his sword instead, blocking her swing.
But she was quicker, leaping from her spot, over his head and behind him. She lunged, her sword aiming for his chest. Kenshin turned, just quick enough to block it. He stumbled backwards, fighting to catch his balance. He countered quickly, aiming for her right hand that gripped the sword.
She smirked as she could see a wide opening. He had faltered while she was able to recollect.
She grabbed her second katana that hung on her belt next to her other sheath, and drove it deep into the side of Kenshin's stomach. Kenshin staggered backwards, as he felt the cold metal pierce through his side. Elena pulled the sword out of his body and wiped it clean.
Sano ran down the stairs, having watched the whole thing. Kaoru followed behind him.
" Kenshin!" She cried.
Kenshin coughed, grasping his side. Sano stood in front of Kenshin, glaring at Elena.
" Who the hell are you? What do you want with the government?" Sano demanded angrily, lunging at her, raising his fists.
Elena ducked his blows and elbowed him in the stomach, winding him. Sano backed away, and countered with a kick. Elena grabbed his leg and swung him to the ground. She pointed her sword at his throat.
" Damn you," Sano hissed.
Elena kicked him and picked him up by the neck of his shirt. She looked at him carefully, examining his features.
" What I want with the government, is for them to give my parents back," she said in a low voice, " but of course no one can resurrect the dead. It's unheard of. I'm sure you've felt it. The sadness that weighs down a person’s heart, when someone closes to them is lost. The anger one can feel after. It's terrible."
Sano lowered his head. He knew what it was like.
" So is that it? You seek revenge for the loss of your parents?" Kaoru demanded angrily.
She marched towards her. Elena looked at her.
Kaoru pushed Elena knocking Sano out of her grip.
" Because of you now, Kenshin is hurt. He wanted to help you! Not hurt you!" Kaoru cried shrilly.
Elena looked at her. Kaoru raised her bokkun and exhaled.
" Just because the government killed your parents, that doesn't mean that you have to have a grudge against them forever. You don't have to exchange your life just to avenge your parents death, there's more to that. I don't think your parents would've wanted you to suffer or to kill," She said.
She lunged at Elena aiming her sword to hit her arm. She knew it wouldn’t do any damage, but it would hurt.
Elena lifted her arm and grabbed the bokkun and took it out of Kaoru’s hands. Kaoru caught off guard kept going and skidded to a halt behind her. She turned around to look at Elena.
Elena dropped the bokkun and looked up at the balcony where the governor watched fearfully. Her grip tightened on her katana. She looked at Kaoru and smirked.
“ What would you know? Someone who has not even seen war, or even killed someone shouldn’t talk as if you know everything. Someone who hasn’t seen the terrors of men and the savagery they feel when they fight, shouldn’t even be allowed to speak like that,” She said coldly.
She moved towards Kaoru, blade poised.
“ What would you know of my life? What would you know of death? Don’t think that your words will help me. It won’t,” She snapped.
Kaoru shivered at the harshness of her words. She felt herself being knocked to the floor by the Elena’s hands.
“ Don’t speak to me as if you know me!” She hissed.
Kaoru slowly recollected herself.
“ I don’t. I’m just trying to help, please. We want to help you, understand you maybe,” she squeaked.
“ Why? Nothing good will happen. Why should a stranger like you involve yourself with mine, with him?” Elena retorted, pointing at Kenshin, “ Lives like ours are not meant to be understood. What we do is not just because we want to. It’s what we’re forced to do. You think I like killing? You think it’s fun to always have to carry a sword by your side, always watching? For once I would like to just live. Live like you guys, without care.”
Kaoru got to her knees; her eyes were pleading and desperate. She looked to Kenshin who watched slowly, his eyes lowered.
“ But, you don’t have to be. You can stop. You don’t have to do what others tell you to do, or what you think is right. Do what you feel like doing,” Kaoru said.
Elena shook her head, her eyes wandering nervously.
“ And who can tell me? When my parents are dead. All I can feel now, is sadness. And because of the government, I can’t feel nothing but pain and anger towards them,” she said sadly.
“ But they didn’t know. It’s not their fault,” Kaoru said.
Elena glared at her with defiant eyes.
“ I watched them kill my parents. Not one of them had the feeling of guilt or remorse. They did not sympathize for my parents. They would’ve killed me if I hadn’t ran,” She snapped angrily, almost shouting.
“ It wasn’t sickness or grief. It was murder,” She added bitterly.
Kaoru lowered her head. She closed her eyes, grieving herself of the death of her family.
“ But, what you’re doing now.. Isn’t that murder?” She said quietly.
Elena gave out an empty audible laugh, “ You think I don’t know that? If there were any other way, I would do anything to stop killing, just like he would. But we can’t. We’re blind to what could’ve really been. We only see that the death of others to protect your own is the only way. Which is wrong. And when we’re done, we can never go back, turning to atonement to try and forgive ourselves for what we have done,” she said.
“ But it works, doesn’t it?” Kaoru said looking at Kenshin.
Elena shrugged, “ I’ve never tried. Atonement to me is something that is a temporary fix. What happens when you are forgiven? The people that I killed won’t come back to life; they will never see the sun, the beauty of life that I can see even now. Instead, my own sword murders them. Lives that could have bee, lives that could’ve been joyous and happy are destroyed. No, atonement cannot mend the sorrow that one feels, even after they are forgiven. So what then?
What do we do when atonement isn’t the answer? Death? Torture? I don’t know,” She said.
Kenshin stood up, gripping his side.
“ Maybe with others, it could help. Being forgiven, by the most unlikely people is something that this one wouldn’t expect, but it does. Even I still hold those feelings, but I try to move on, using atonement to maybe create a better world. By sacrificing my life, I try to give life, rather than take a life and suffer for it,” He said.
Elena lowered her head. She smiled, “ I do believe that there are people who will forgive you, even if the sin you created was too big to be forgiven. I really do. But to me, it’s something that I don’t deserve,” She said quietly.
She looked at Kenshin, almost kindly, “ You’re lucky. You have that world. You should enjoy it. But for me, it is impossible. I will die suffering. It’s what I should deserve,” she said.
She sheathed her sword and turned to the door, changing her mind.
Kenshin followed slowly.
“ It’s not something that anyone should deserve. You shouldn’t go blaming yourself for what you have done and say that you should suffer for it,” He said.
“ It’s what you believe too, isn’t it?” Elena said.
Kenshin lowered his head, but he lifted his head, revealing a warm, true smile.
“ But as long as I’ve got my friends with me, I feel that I can live my life even with the suffering, because these people have accepted it and they don’t blame me for it. So as long as I can create smiles and create more happiness among the world, I’m content,” He said.
Elena lowered her head and bowed, “ Then be content. Do what I cannot,” she said.
She waved her hand.
“ Next time though, we’ll have a proper match,” She said.
Kenshin nodded, “ Sure.”
Elena opened the door and walked down the gravel road casually, whistling to herself.