Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ The beauty of life ❯ A greater peace never reached ( Chapter 10 )

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By: Solstice
Yahiko runs into some trouble with some men claiming to be experts at swordsmanship. Though Yahiko fights with determination,and defiance, a bokkun cannot match a sword.
He falls, admitting defeat, but Elena helps him out, warding off the men.

Back at The kamiya dojo, Elena faces truths about hoping for a greater peace when Kenshin finds her knowing that it was she who helped yahiko.

determined that Kenshin cannot escape his past, she decides to watch them and help them out

Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Fantasy / Drama / Action / Romance / Samurai | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 12.07.2006 | Updated On: 12.11.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.4K | Visits: 228 | Status: Work In Progress

The sun was high in the sky. After a week of rain, people were glad that the sun had come out. Men opened their shops and men walked merrily down the streets, browsing through the shops.
Elena decided to get some air, after staying in her inn for the week. She had gone to visit Hachiro more often over the week, talking casually and catching up from all they missed.
She skipped Hachiro's house, and went straight for the markets. She avoided the shops and the restaurants and headed straight down the road.
She stopped when she heard yells coming from behind her. She looked, and squinted to see that there was a large crowd of men blocking the streets. Women stood off to the side with worried expressions. Men ditched their shops to see what the commotion was.
Elena walked over casually, wondering if someone had gotten hurt. She budged through the crowd, slowly making her way to the centre.
In the ring, there were men standing in a semi circle around a boy who was on the ground, crying in pain. The boy looked up with defiant eyes. Elena wondered if she had seen him before.
“ Come off it boy. You know you can't win,” one of the men said.
“ The battle isn't even over!” The boy yelled, “ I could beat any of you any day. You guys are just cheaters that's all!”
The man's grin faded into anger. He shoved his foot into the boy's chest, making the boy cough in pain. Elena could see that he was bleeding in the forehead as well as his cheek.
But the boy persisted, reaching for his bokkun. He lunged forward, but fell as the man stood to the side.
“ What can you do, boy? With that stick, you couldn't even hurt us,” The man said.
The others laughed and pointed their fingers at the boy. They reached for their sticks and took out the sword that was sheathed inside.
“ Your stick, couldn't even match a real sword,” The man said.
The boy gulped nervously. He got to his knees, and shuddered, but held his fear. Still holding the defiance in his eyes.
“ Yeah, well, there are people who could beat you in one hit,” He countered.
The man cocked his head to the side, “ Yeah? And who's that?” he asked.
The boy grinned, “ Well anyone who holds a sword, of course. Even an amateur could beat you guys. But if you want someone with skill, then Kenshin could beat you in a single hit,” He said.
The men fumed with rage. The men reached for their swords and began hitting the boy with it.
The crowd muttered nervously and slowly began to walk away. Elena waited, watching the men intently.
The boy covered his stomach with his arms and ducked his head. He could feel the blood drip down his cheek. He began to feel dizzy and his sight was blurred.
The leader stepped forward, causing the other men to stop. He pointed his blade at the boy's throat and grinned.
“ I'll teach you to learn to keep your mouth shut, bitch,” He hissed.
He raised his sword and exhaled.
But as he lowered it with all his strength, there was a loud audible sound of two swords clashing with each other. The man frowned and looked down.
Elena stared back at him. She pushed him, using the force in her forearms, knocking him to the ground. He hit the ground heavily, dropping his sword.
“ Who the heck are you?” he demanded angrily.
Elena sheathed her sword.
“ It's not right to just pick on small boys like that,” she said.
“ Hey! I'm not a little boy!” The boy yelled.
Elena glared at him, “ Shut up boy,” she countered.
The man got to his feet, “ Get her men!” He cried.
The men drew their swords and advanced on Elena. She stood close to the boy and picked him up by the cuff of his shirt. She pushed him off to the side and ducked one of the men's first attacks and drew her sword catching the men off guard.
She took a step forward and slammed the edge of the katanas hilt into one of the men's shoulders. She turned as a man pulled her back and slammed her fist into his jaw. She used her sword to ward off the other men. She fell to her knees as a man pushed her. She kicked up her legs, nailing the men in the groin and got to her feet. She drew her second sword and pushed the men back into the crowd.
“ Is there anyone else to fight?” She declared.
The men looked warily at her. She looked at them with a flicker of defiance.
“ Is there anyone else?” She repeated.
The men turned away, admitting defeat. The crowd began to disperse and return to their shops.
Elena looked around for the boy. He was on the ground, his eyes shut. He had passed out as she fought off the men.
She crouched down next to him. She frowned. She slapped him across the cheek, in attempts to wake him.
The boy jumped up in pain and scrambled to his feet.
“ What the hell was that for?!” He cried.
Elena put her sword back in its sheath, “ I wasn't sure if you were alive or not,” She said simply.
The boy fumed, but her anger faded as the pain came surging through his head. He cringed and rubbed his head.
“ What's your name?” Elena asked.
“ Yahiko,” the boy replied.
Elena nodded. She picked him up, letting him rest upon her back.
“ I'll take you home,” She said.
Yahiko lowered his head, unable to protest. He passed out before he could even ask who she was.
Elena made it to the dojo a while later. She had noticed that the sun had begun to set.
She pushed open the large oak doors and grunted as Yahiko's weight began to weigh her down.
She shifted his weight and walked up to the door. She pushed it open, neglecting to knock.
She walked through the hall and found an empty room. She put Yahiko down on one of the futons and rolled her shoulders. She got up and looked around. She wondered if the people were home.
She grabbed a cushion and put it next to Yahiko. But she left to find cloths.
She came back, carrying a bucket of water with some cloth and bandages. She still hadn't seen anyone around the house.
She quickly tended to his wounds and put the dirty water aside. She would dump it later.
She took the time to wander around the house and look around for some people.
She found herself in the drill hall, where she guessed that students, who come here to learn and practice their skills at swordsmanship. She wondered if the lady was the one who taught people her swordsmanship to people.
She reached for a bokkun that was sitting on its end in the corner. She waved it around, testing its weight and its strength. It wasn't as heavy as her katana. She looked up at the wall where it read out the student's names and the master. As she guessed, the woman was the master. She was surprised to see Yahiko's name under the students. She turned her attention to the empty hall.
She wandered back to the room where she let Yahiko sleep. He was still asleep. She sighed, wondering if she should leave.
She wandered to the doorway, looking to see if there were any signs of the people.
It was considerably dark. She yawned and turned to leave, but stopped as she spotted figures appearing near the gate.
She shadowed herself behind the door and eyed the people coming in. She slipped away just as they approached the door.
What am I doing? Jeez.
She appeared in the backyard of the house. She could hear voices of the woman and the assassin coming from inside.
 
“ Strange, wonder where Yahiko disappeared off to,” Kaoru said looking at Kenshin worriedly.
Kenshin shrugged, “ This one also finds is strange. Sano, do you know where he went?” He asked.
Sano shrugged.
“ Last time I saw him was when we were walking down where the shops are,” He said.
Kaoru placed her hands on her hips, a look of frustration on her face.
“ He had better not have gone pit pocketing again,” She said.
Kenshin inched away as he could sense her rage boiling.
Suddenly, Kenshin moved straight into the hall and opened one of the closed doors. He paused and looked at Kaoru.
“ Kaoru-dono, come here,” He said.
Kaoru came and looked. Sano came up behind her and gawked at the sight.
Yahiko was spread out on the floor, the blanket tossed to the side. Kaoru crouched to look at the bandages on his head and his arm.
“ Somebody put this on him,” She said, lightly brushing her hand over his head.
Sano stood by her. Kenshin had left.
“ Yeah, maybe somebody took him here and helped him,” He said.
Kaoru looked at him strangely.
“ But who?” She asked.
Sano shrugged, “ Beats me,” He said.
 
Kenshin opened the doors to the backyard. He took a few steps out onto the porch, scanning the area. He had thought he's sensed a presence around the house and went to investigate. But he could not see anyone in the backyard. He moved to head back into the house when a low shuddering voice stopped him.
“ It was the least I could to, in repayment for sending Hachiro's message,” it said.
Kenshin looked to see Elena sitting; her back leaned against the pole that held the building up. She stared at the wind chime that chimed as a soft wind blew by. Kenshin's eyes remained locked on her.
In her eyes, it held sadness and a hint of despair. The eyes that he, himself once had when he was an assassin in the Choshu clan. He took a step forward. She looked at him, finally and smirked.
“ So you think that after all this time, you can go on living as if the past is gone from you, with reminders of your past as hitokiri haunting you everyday. So instead of running, you turn to atonement and the comfort of your friends. You think it works out that way, that the ones you love'll forgive you,” She said.
Kenshin listened intently, but smiled as he turned to her to reply.
“ But as long as I have my friends with me, at least I can get on with the day with a smile. I'm not trying to hide from my past. And I know I can't ever be forgiven, but to see Kaoru-dono smile, I think I can go on living like I am now,” He replied warmly.
Elena got to her feet and gave off a harsh laugh. She grew irritable, listening to his soft words.
She glared at him, her eyes burning with rage.
“ You, shut up. You think you're doing the world some good by preaching those `I don't kill' words.
People like you and me aren't even worthy of speaking of a better life. Our path was chosen from the very point we were born. You will remain as hitokiri battosai. You can't be anything else. So go on living like the worthless man you are. They will come for you and they will try to kill you, because the world only recognizes you as hitokiri battosai. Not Kenshin the peacekeeper,” She snapped angrily.
She caught her breath as she stared deep into his eyes. She turned away, a little embarrassed of her harsh words. Deep inside, she knew she was wrong to say it, that there truly was a better world, full of peace and happiness. She lowered her head, her anger slipping away from her grasp. She sank to her knees. She had taken it out on him, when it wasn't him that he was yelling at. It was herself. She cupped her hands to her face. She heard more footsteps and hushed voices. She recognized it as Kaoru and that man.
She raised her head when she felt hands upon her back, offering comfort and reassurance.
She looked at Kaoru, who smiled. Elena shrugged off her gentle hands and stood.
“ But that's not true, you know that,” Kaoru said.
Elena smiled secretly to herself. She turned to Kaoru, her smile gone.
“ And what do you know. You're life is pure. You haven't seen what I have seen. That happiness is gone from me. Even if there was a greater peace, I cannot have it. No Hitokiri can truly be at peace,” She said coldly.
Kaoru flinched at her cold words. She looked at Kenshin. He too was looking away.
“ Kenshin?” She said softly.
He turned to her and smiled warmly. He looked at Elena who looked at him with minor amusement. She stepped up onto the porch.
“ But maybe you can,” She said softly.
She stood by the doorway, looking at Kenshin, “ Keep living like you are now. See how long it takes before they really come. Until then, I'll be watching,” She said.
She disappeared into the next hall and appeared at the entrance. She ducked under the gate, pausing to see Hachiro walking slowly towards her.
He smiled when he saw her, but she did not stop. She kept going. Hachiro looked at her with deep concern, but Elena spoke, this time softer.
“ Take care of them,” she said.
Hachiro began to wonder what had happened, but decided it best not to ask. He gave a nod in reply and watched her turn off into a four way section.