Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ The beauty of life ❯ a look at the past ( Chapter 9 )

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" Elena! Elena!" Hachiro cried, pushing through the crowds of men wielding swords. His body guards had dispersed, taking on men that were advancing on Hachiro. Elena who was caught in the midst of a fight, turned her attention to him.
" No! Go back!" Elena cried.
Hachiro drew his sword and took down a man that blocked Elena from him. He stumbled as a larger man budged his shoulder, making him drop his sword. He looked up fearfully to see that the large man was brute and muscular. He turned to face Hachiro now, his sword held high in the air. Hachiro could see the chain that was linked to the sword swing violently as the man waved his sword. Hachiro looked frantically for his sword, but it had fallen far from his grip.
Elena saw this, and as she fought her way through the crowd she could feel the hands groping for her shoulder as the men behind her reached to grab her, intending to kill her. With one swing of her sword, the hands were off her and on the ground. She could hear the men cry out in pain as they lost their hands.
She approached the large man, grabbed the sword as it came down upon Hachiro and her. She grunted as she could feel his strength over power hers.
She turned to Hachiro who stared fightfully back at her.
" Go now! I can't hold him!" She cried.
Hachiro swallowed. He reached for his sword and went to hit the man in the side. Elena felt her force fall as the man forced his strength on her. She rolled to the side as the sword fell, cracking the ground. Elena looked to see Hachiro and his dword dug deep in the man's side.
But it did not do much as the large turned to face him and with one swing of his hand, Hachiro was on the ground.
"Idiot!" Elena cried.
She got to her feet as Hachiro felt himself being beaten by the hands of the large man. She took both her swords, and dug it both deep into his arm that held Hachiro.
The guards had begun to file in and help Hachiro and Elena. Their swords dug deep into the mans armour and came out covered in blood.
The large man had begun to fall.
Elena reached for Hachiro's arm and pulled him away from the battle. She led him towards a clearing and stopped to rest. Her face was contorted into exhaustion, her arms ached and she yearned to sleep. Hachiro coughed, spitting blood onto the springy grass. He straightened his back, and opened his mouth to speak.
But it was Elena who spoke.
" I'll take you to the road just down here. It'll take you to Otsu. You should be safe there, for a little while. I'll send men to pick you up after," She said hastily.
Hachiro shook his head.
" No, there is something I must do here first," He insisted.
Elena's ears defeaned from the sound of a bomb that went off near the docks, not to far away from her. She wiped her katana clean and put it back in its sheath.
" There's no time. The roads are filled with men. You won't survive!" She yelled over the sounds of the bombs.
But Hachiro persisted, " It's important to me! Please, I need you to take me there!" He said.
Elena rubbed her forehead in exhaustion. She looked through the trees, straining to spot out a path. She grabbed Hachiro by the arm and led him to the base of a large tree.
" I will take you there, but we must be quick. Where is it?" She asked.
" At the inn. In my room," Hachiro said.
Elena shut her eyes. She couldn't make the journey without keeping him safe. She was tired and her swings grew weaker as the night grew on. She looked at Hachiro. His young features brought out the fear in his expression. His dark eyes searching.
" After, I will take you as far as the forest. There will not be alot of men there, so you can make it back on your own. There I must leave you. I will tell you the way once we get there," She said.
Hachiro nodded, " Thank you," He said.
Elena moved to the edge of the grass. She turned to Hachiro," Come," She said.

Several times Elena had to stop to catch her breath. She let Hachiro take over for a moment as she collected her remaining strength. They were half way now and there and the number of men were increasing.
Hachiro turned to Elena who grabbed the sword from his hand and continued on. Swiftly, she took out the men blocking their path. Luckily, they were weak and they fell easily. She had begun to neglect finishing them off, knocking them down instead and running through.
The inn was in sight now. Elena cleared the streets and allowed Hachiro to follow.
She walked inside the inn first and beckoned for Hachiro to follow. The inn was deserted, furniture knocked over and broken.
Hachiro ran up the stairs, Elena close behind. He found his room and opened the cabinet by the window. He took out a small parcel wrapped in silk. He put it in his sleeve and they left the building.
As Elena said, she had led Hachiro to the edge of the forest, not far from the inn. It was clear. She led him into the entrance of the forest and stopped.
Hachiro looked at her hopefully.
" Come with me, I can ensure you safety and you will no longer have to fight," He said.
Elena smiled at the thought of being able to sleep and live in peace. To live in a small village where the men and women were kind, where she would be greeted as a normal person, and not an assassin with a murdering hand. She looked at the sky, but her face grew sad and loenly, the light in her eyes turning hard and cold.
" I cannot. Hachiro, you must go on your own, I cannot follow you here," She said.
" But," Hachiro began to protest.
Elena shook her head, " There are things I must do here. And I can't take you with me. I'll tell you where to go, but after that, I must leave you," She said ignoring him.
Hahciro looked at her sadly. He wanted for her to come with him to Otsu. He had fallen deeply in love with her. But his heart sank as she began to tell him the way.
" There is a narrow path just past this clearing. Take it and when you come to a fork in the road, take the left. It will lead to a hidden path way. It's narrow but you can manage. The moon will guide you through the forest. When you come out of the forest, run to the nearest village and rest there in daylight and continue on foot while it is still dark. But take the forest again. I fear the men have gone farther than I thought. Take all the narrow paths. Don't take the main path. Keep going until you reach a bigger village. There you can live peacefully. As I said, I'll send for a messenger to keep you updated. Now go," She said quickly.
Hachiro shook his head. He stared back at her frightfully, " I can't do this. What if I'm attacked?" he asked.
" Are you not the leader of your clan? You can fight. You do not need me to protect you," Elena snapped.
" But I do not have a sword, what shall I use? My fists?" Hachiro countered back.
Elena sighed, " Hachiro, I would follow you if I could, but I cannot. I have business here that binds me here," She said.
" Then let me come with you."
Elena shook her head, "No," She said angrily. She lowered her head and covered her eyes with her hand. She let out an sigh, full of sadness and exhaustion.
" You must leave. For your own sake. I will not have you here, risk your life just for my sake. You are a leader so you must live. People like me are not given those pleasures. But understand, that we are strong, you don't have to worry," She said more kindly.
She turned to a sound of men coming their way. They had not spotted her, but they were close now. She turned back to Hachiro.
" Go, and be safe," She said.
Hachiro nodded sadly. He turned to leave, but Elena stopped him. He turned. Elena handed him her katana.
" It will help you against the men you encounter. This forest is not alone and there are men that lurk in the shadows. Maybe even more. Use the sword as a last resort. Hide yourself well and you'll come out unharmed. When you get to the village, sell the sword for money and then find yourself a home," she said.
Hachiro took her sword almost guiltily. But something struck him as he took her katana. He looked at Elena, his eyes wide and glossy in fear.
" What will you do? You need this sword to protect yourself," he said.
Elena smiled, a smile Hachiro had not seen. She pushed the sword to his chest as he tried to hand it back to her.
" There are other ways to fight than using a sword. That sword was a mere tool that made it easier to kill," She said reassuringly, " I can always find another."
Hachiro nodded, " Okay," He stammered.
He turned, but paused, remembering the parcel in his sleeve. It was his turn to stop Elena as she walked towards the road. He took her hand and put the parcel in her hand.
" It was my mothers. Keep it well," He said.
Elena looked at the parcel in surpise. She nodded and watched him leave. She put it in her sleeve and ran through the crowd, knocking down the men with her hands and her short katana that still hung in her belt. She glanced back at the forest, but he had not followed. Part of her felt relieved, while the other weeped in dismay.

Hachiro sat in his chair, weeping bitterly as he thought of her parting. He had made it through the forest safely, doing as he told. He could remember the day where he had finally reached Otsu. He wiped his eyes and looked at the katana that stood unharmed in a cabinet. He hadn't sold her sword like she told him too. Instead he kept it, never using it. He sighed. As he stopped crying, he saw the door open slowly. He looked up, wondering who it was.
His heart skipped a beat as the figure came closer. The person had grown and its expression was hard and cold, but it was her. Her features couldn't be mistaken.
He stoof up, forcing himself to bottle up the joy he began to feel.
Elena stood before him now. Hachiro could see that her previous battles had scarred her deeply, both emotionally and physically. But she forced upon a smile on her face. The same smile she gave her when he left.
" You look well," She said quietly.
Hachiro stumbled over words as he opened his mouth to reply, "I have. How about you, Have you faired well?" He asked.
Elena took a seat in the leather chair across from him. She shurgged.
" I've gotten by," She said.
There was a moment of silence as Elena took the time to look around the room. She took in the elegant curtains that draped the windows, ridding the room of light. She took in the rich deep oak shelves full of books. The chandelier above her was decorated in crystals and silver. Even the chairs were lined with silver with a leather cushion dyed a velvety red. She looked at the carpet that was a deep red decorated with designs that were delicatly sewn in.
But her eyes fell upon a sword that lay on a stand in one of the glass cabinets. A hint of familiarity sparkled in her eyes.
" You haven't sold it, have you," She mused.
Hachiro shook his head proudly, " Never. I thought that if we met again, I could give it back to you," He said.
He got up, walking over towards the cabinet and took out the sword.
He handed it to Elena, who took it gingerly. She ran her hands over the sheath, taking in all the hits that it had taken. She took the sword out of its sheath and looked at the blade. It shown like the sun, reflecting the light off its bladed and hitting the walls behind her. The hilt was worn and tattered, but it remain intact. She swung it around as a test run and smiled.
" You can have it back, if you wish," Hachiro said.
Elena smiled, she handed it back to Hachiro. He took it with surprise.
" I gave it to you. It's yours now," She said.
" But this sword, it is a good sword. It's not like someone to ditch a sword such as this," Hachiro said.
Elena smirked, " It was a sword. Nothing more," She said. She bowed her head and began to take leave.
" I just wanted to see how you were doing," She said, " It relieves me to see that you are well."
Hachiro got up, surprised at her leaving.
" Hey!" He cried.
Elena turned. She stopped, just short of the door. Hachiro came running towards her. He pulled her into a full embrace. She frowned and moved to push away, but she stopped and let her arms hang.
" Hachiro," She started.
" I'm not going to let you leave. Not this time. Please, just stay here, for a while," Hachiro said.
Elena gently broke the hug and lowered her head.
" Things have changed. I'm glad to hear that you survived and i'm glad to see you," She said.
Hachiro's smiled faded, " But what?"
Elena looked at the ceiling, " I've grown. I've seen too many battles, and my goal has not yet been reached," She said sadly, " I'm tired, Hachiro. I want to live peacefully. Like as Kenshin has done."
She looked at Hachiro. He looked at her with mild confusion, " Then do it, forget your goal and live peacefully," He said.
Elena wandered around the room, looking at the books. She picked out books and flipped through them.
" Such a offer cannot be for me. If I could, I would take that offer and live like everyone. But it has not been granted to me," She said quietly.
" Revenge still hovers over me like a dark cloud over a city that awaits the rain. I know it won't go away until I finish what I've started, forbidding me from living peacefully."
Hachiro followed her, listening intently to her sad words. He did not speak. He did not know what to say. Elena did not turn back to look at her, but she continued on, circling the room.
" But I figure if I finish this, then maybe I can go on and live. That's why I was angry when Kenshin and his friends interrupted me," She said.
She turned to Hachiro, who looked afraid.
" Was it wrong to make them watch you?" He asked.
Elena shook her head, " No, you did what you wanted to do. It doesn't matter. But now, they're making it harder for me to complete my goal," she said.
She lifted her head, " But maybe they can help me," She said.
Hachiro smiled at her words, feeling hope for her.
" Even if they can't get rid of the weight in my heart. So, please don't worry about me," She said.
Hachiro nodded. Elena walked towards the door.
" I will visit as often as I can, but I must leave you again," She said sadly.
" I understand," Hachiro said.
Elena turned and stepped out into the hall and closed the door behind her. She reached the stairs and stopped, closing her eyes and leaned on the rail.
Deep in her heart, she began to doubt herself. She slowly began to fear for herself and for the others.