Subject: [KFFDISC] Prism chapter 8a Date: Sat, 07 Sep 2002 09:42:01 -0400 From: Jessica Entis Reply-To: kffdisc@nabiki.com To: kffdisc@nabiki.com Prism by Calger459 Chapter 8a Conventions: *…* is emphasis, //…// is thoughts *Calger-san hands Battousai some water and a Prosac* Here, I think you’ll be needing this; you go a bit nuts in this chapter. *Battousai glowers at authoress and wonders why she enjoys torturing him so* Because, you’re really sexy and cool when you’re angry. “Oh,” he says, and considers the Prosac with interest. “Okay.” Well, I amuse myself anyway. On with the fic! ^_^ Disclaimer: Sony, you ask me to explain myself one more time and I’ll sic not one but *three* Kenshins on you, so there! See, this is what happens when non-morning people have to get up at 6am for work every day. I’m sure you all feel my pain… ~*~ Kaoru and Kenshin left the Akabeko in quiet companionship, each lost in their own thoughts. In her mind Kaoru replayed the conversation in the restaurant over and over, trying to make sense of it. In particular she wondered about the insecurities Battousai had expressed concerning his health and fighting abilities. What exactly had he meant by those words? When Megumi had examined Kenshin after their return from Enishi’s island she had said that as long as he took it easy for a few months, he should heal well. However, she had added, all of his long years of fighting were starting to catch up to him, and in four or five years he would be unable to use Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu. //That’s pretty far in the future; he should still be able to fight now, especially since he’s had so much time to heal. Right? // Kaoru hated the idea of him fighting at all; he’d already been through so much in his life, not to mention the horrific chaos that had characterized the previous year. Thinking it over Karou marveled that so much could happen in a person’s life over the space of only six months. It was a testament to Kenshin’s strength of spirit that he was able to endure so much and still smile at the end of it all. The hard truth was though that Kenshin was the best fighter among them, and Yanagi had come for *him*. It was almost unthinkable that Kenshin would not have to fight to win this. //And besides, he said that he should be able to compensate for the lack of ki. So what’s he so worried about? // Kaoru glanced over at Kenshin. His expression was blank, his eyes unfocused, obviously lost in his own thoughts. Pressing gently on his arm she steered him back in the direction of the market. They still had groceries to shop for before they could return to the dojo. “Kenshin, did you think of anything else we needed at the market?” He blinked his eyes once and looked blankly at her. “What?” “Never mind.” Kaoru shook her head and led them over to a vegetable stand. While she examined the daikon radishes Kenshin let his gaze wander over the market. He couldn’t seem to get his mind to focus on any one train of thought; his thoughts were a chaotic swirl, and he could feel the accumulated stress of the past two days starting to get to him. Mostly he worried; before they’d left the Akabeko Kaoru had asked Tsubame to come over to the dojo that evening and to bring Megumi and Genzai-sensei with her. Kenshin had objected to more people knowing about the situation but Kaoru had insisted. “If you feel they are under threat, then they at least need to *know* that they are; if you keep them in the dark it will only lead to more problems.” He’d agreed only reluctantly, his secretive nature crying out in protest. Deep down though he knew she was right; it was better that their friends knew they were in danger than to go blindly forward, foolishly hoping that nothing bad would happen to them. //I must stop repeating past mistakes, for the good of everyone. // “That is a lovely kimono! Where did you get it?” “Oh thank you, it’s new, do you know where Hitomi-san’s clothing shop is? She has a wonderful selection.” Kenshin lifted his head on hearing the new voice, which was vaguely familiar. Looking over at his wife he took in the taller woman who had appeared at the stall, dressed in an old but still beautiful maroon kimono with green vine patterns trailing up the sleeves. He felt his eyes widen in shock and recognition. Her hair was different now, and the face was several years older, but nevertheless his excellent memory could never forget her. “Akari-dono?” The woman looked over at him and she stared for a full minute, obviously trying to put a name to his face. “How do you know my name? Wait…I’ve seen you before, with the red hair. I’m sorry, what was your name?” “Himura,” he heard himself whisper, suddenly feeling very strange. “Himura Kenshin.” Kaoru looked between them in confusion. “What? Kenshin, do you know her from somewhere?” Kenshin stared at the woman in front of him in disbelief. //Akari, from Hokkaido…it can’t be a coincidence that she’s here. She must be with Yanagi…// Suddenly, his mind’s eye produced an image of Yanagi standing next to her, an arrogant smirk on his face. Kenshin felt the heat rise in his body and his hand fisted at his left side, instinctively searching for his sword. “Where is he?” he hissed in a cold voice. “Kenshin?” Kaoru asked in alarm, watching the hitokiri’s mask rapidly overtake Kenshin’s previous look of surprise. The amber eyes were burning with sudden fury and Kaoru felt herself take an instinctive step back from the hostility he was exuding. “Kenshin!” Akari too backed away, one hand going to her chest. “H-Himura-san? Who do you mean? What’s wrong?” “You…” he snarled, taking a step toward her, his fists clenched tight. “If you’re here, so is he! Where is Yanagi?” “Yanagi?” she asked faintly. “I don’t know, he went to work this morning, I just came to the market to look around, why are you so angry? We haven’t seen you in years!” “Kenshin, who is she?” Kaoru asked anxiously, trying to put herself between him and Akari. “Calm down, she hasn’t done anything!” “Like hell!” he suddenly shouted, his eyes gleaming with an almost mad light. “Went to work where, doing what? Tell me where he is!” “Sir!” the shop owner barked, panic and anger mixed on his face. “Not in front of my store! If you keep assaulting this woman I will call on the police!” Kenshin couldn’t hear the man’s words over the roaring of blood in his ears. //Calm down! // He ordered himself desperately but he could feel his heart racing with anger, his vision going red. //Enemy! // His instincts screamed mindlessly. //Consort of the enemy! Catch her, question her, kill her, find Yanagi! // He fought against himself, against the building insanity in his mind. //What’s happening to me? Kaoru! // He tried to look for his wife, to focus on her voice, but everything was centered on Akari and he felt himself take another deliberate step toward her, his mind and body running separately, his voice rising to a scream. “He will pay for this, do you understand? *Now where is he*?” ~*~ Shinta tossed the paper ball around the yard, careful to avoid the area where Yahiko was busily running through his forms. The rurouni and Sano sat side by side on the porch watching the young samurai, chatting amiably. The afternoon was wearing on and the sun’s rays were slanted as they fell across the yard. Shinta watched his long shadow follow him in his run for the ball, the head tiny on the elongated body. It seemed to take forever to reach the ball, his short legs covering little ground as he ran. //I’m so small now. // He finally caught up with the toy, his chest heaving. He picked it up in his tiny hands, the short fingers barely able to grip to ball where before they would have wrapped completely around it. While this fact annoyed him slightly, most of him was thrilled at the opportunity to act like a little boy again, to play and laugh and enjoy life as he once had so many years ago, before cholera had claimed his family and plunged him into a world of death and despair. “Rurouni-san, I got it!” he yelled happily, running up to his adult self with the ball held high. “Aa, that you did.” The rurouni replied with a warm smile. Taking the ball from the boy he tossed it again, grinning as the child took off after it. “He likes to play,” Sano noted with amusement, leaning back against one of the roof posts. “He seems like a pretty happy kid.” “I was once,” Kenshin said softly. “A long time ago.” “What happened?” Sano asked with interest. It was a blunt question, but since the rurouni was being so talkative Sano decided to take the rare opportunity to satisfy some of his curiosity about the older swordsman. Kenshin shrugged and watched Shinta catch the ball again, this time giving it a firm kick into the air with his foot. The afternoon breeze caught the toy and carried it toward them, the wind pushing the ball under the porch. Shinta ran over and gleefully plunged after it, crawling out of sight on his hands and knees. “I lost my family,” the rurouni said, looking up into the sky. He didn’t know quite why he was being so open and unguarded today, but it felt good to finally talk about these things with someone other than his master, who wasn’t exactly the most sympathetic audience. “And before I met my master I was a slave. They came to my village to collect the survivors of the sickness. I was one of the only ones left.” “You were Shinta’s age?” Sano asked. //He really has been through hell in his life. // Sano wasn’t surprised something like that had happened to a child though; he’d seen much worse things, both before he’d left his father’s village and after he’d started traveling around after his taichou’s death. Kenshin was actually quite lucky to have been taken in by slavers, despite the treatment he must have received there. Slaves at least were marginally fed and slept with a roof over their heads; many others during that time weren’t so fortunate. “Younger, actually.” Kenshin said. “Shinta is the same age I began sword training. It’s strange, how Yanagi’s technique manifested itself. Why three of us, and why did we split the way we did?” “More importantly, how do you get back to normal?” Sano straightened up against the pole. “This whole thing is just *wrong* Kenshin. No one should have to be going through this, especially you.” Sano glanced over at his friend and was surprised by the rurouni’s gentle smile. “Thank you, Sano.” Sano blinked. “Uh…sure thing. For what?” The rurouni just smiled mysteriously in response and glanced down as Shinta scrambled out from beneath the porch, pushing the ball ahead of him. The child was reaching for it when he stiffened, his head snapping up alertly. The rurouni’s eyes widened at the boy’s odd behavior. “Shinta-kun?” Shinta got to his feet and stood perfectly still, only his head moving as he slowly swept his gaze around the yard. “Something’s happening.” The laughter had gone out of his voice and as he turned around Sano caught sight of his eyes. The former streetfighter felt a chill go up his spine at the sight of an adult’s seriousness staring out through the child’s large eyes. //Damn, that’s creepy. // “Something’s wrong, outside the dojo.” “What do you mean?” Kenshin asked quietly, meeting the boy’s gaze. Yahiko paused in his form and came over, noticing the change in conversation. “What’s going on, guys?” “Battousai-san,” Shinta said, his eyes wide and unfocused. “He’s very angry. Something’s happening to him.” “What?!” Sano leapt to his feet. “Where at?” The child shook his head. “I don’t know. Outside the dojo, not far from here.” He paused for a second, his eyebrows rising in an expression of puzzled surprise. “He’s so angry…” Sano looked over at Kenshin. “Do you think he found Yanagi?” Yahiko’s eyes widened. “We’d better get there, then! Battousai’ll kill him!” They were all surprised by the certainty in the boy’s voice. Kenshin frowned slightly as he looked at the young swordsman. //Is that what he really thinks of the hitokiri? I suppose I can’t blame him for seeing only the killer in Kenshin, what with the way that fool’s been behaving. I should have spoken to Yahiko about this before now. That was foolish of me; Yahiko and his feelings should have been a priority. Even so…// “I fear you may be right, Yahiko.” “What?” both Yahiko and Sano asked at the same time, identical looks of horror flashing across their faces. Apparently they hadn’t expected the rurouni to actually acknowledge Battousai’s very real threat. Shinta stamped his foot impatiently. “Rurouni-san, there’s no time! We have to go *now*!” Turning on his heel the child took off for the dojo gate, moving with amazing speed. The others followed at a run. ~*~ “Which way, Shinta?” Sano was amazed at how fast the tiny kid could go. After leaving the dojo the child had turned immediately in the direction of the market. While it wasn’t far away, the system of streets and alleys to get there was complicated and the many turns were slowing them down. Behind him he could hear Yahiko and Kenshin hurrying to keep up. Sano glanced over his shoulder at the rurouni, who was breathing very hard. //He doesn’t look so good; a few months ago he would have been way ahead of all of us. What’s wrong with him? // “This way!” Shinta shouted and Sano forced himself to look ahead. He yelled in shock when he found a wall looming in his path; jamming his feet into the dirt he had to slap the wall hard to keep from slamming into it. “Damn it!” “Come on, Sano!” Yahiko shouted as he zoomed past, the rurouni trailing behind him. The group picked up the pace as the sounds of the market grew louder. Shinta pulled further and further ahead, and as they reached the market he vanished from sight entirely. Sano started to let out a yell when he heard an anguished cry from behind him. Turning, he saw the rurouni collapsed against a wall, clutching one side of his chest, his face twisted in agony. Sano rushed to his side and had to grab onto Kenshin when he nearly fell. “Hey, what’s wrong with you? Kenshin!” “Can’t—run—Shinta—“ Kenshin gasped painfully. “I’ll come…in a minute…just go…” Sano shook his head. “No, whatever’s gone wrong I’m sure we’re going to need you to help fix it. Can you walk?” Kenshin nodded and the two moved slowly forward together, aware of the chaotic and alarmed sounds of the crowd ahead of them. ~*~ Kaoru felt herself on the verge of tears as she tried to hold Kenshin back from Akari. Her voice begging and insistent, she tried to reason with him but just as he had in his fights with Saitou and Jine, Battousai completely ignored her, his attention completely focused on the person he perceived as his enemy to the exclusion of all else. The look of absolute fright and confusion on Akari’s face had convinced Kaoru that she was telling the truth about Yanagi and that she had no idea Kenshin had been living in Tokyo. As far as Kaoru had been able to figure out from Kenshin’s ferocious questioning and Akari’s terrified responses, the woman was Yanagi’s girlfriend, or perhaps his wife. Kaoru couldn’t be sure, and Kenshin’s stubborn aggressiveness was starting to make her angry. “Kenshin, *stop it*! She doesn’t know anything!” Kaoru stood between the two with arms outspread, trying unsuccessfully to block Kenshin’s vision. The irate radish vendor was now threatening for the fourth time to summon the police. Kenshin’s murderous glare was the only thing that kept the man in his stall. Unfortunately though, they had managed to attract a small crowd, and Kaoru knew it was only a matter of time before the police showed up on their own. //Oh yes that’s all we need right now, to be arrested. What is *wrong* with him? // Never in her life had Karou imagined she would see her normally gentle and levelheaded Kenshin with such an enraged and *insane* look on his face, his amber eyes glowing like a demon’s. Effectively frozen in place by that same terrifying glare, most of Akari’s mind begged her to flee this madman, but a strange sense of curiosity kept her from making a serious effort to get out of the confrontation. His accusations, vague as they were, were starting to confirm the suspicions that had been building in her mind concerning Yanagi. What had he really been up to this past week, why had he been behaving so strangely, and what on earth had her husband done to make this man so angry? The last time she had seen Himura Kenshin was in Hokkaido, where he had been working at the same inn as Yanagi. Though she didn’t know all the details of their relationship, she knew that Himura had saved Yanagi from being burned alive in a fire. Akari herself had only spoken to him once, the day after the fire, when she’d arrived at the inn to find Himura kneeling beside Yanagi’s bandaged body, an unfathomable expression of sadness and regret in his strange gem-like eyes. Recalling the incident Akari realized that the man—boy really—before her bore little resemblance to the man in her memory. As she struggled to remember more of that time she recalled that his other features, aside from the hair and eyes, had been very distinctive. He’d had some sort of large scar on his face and he had definitely been older, at least Yanagi’s age at that time. This Himura was the wrong age and had no scars on his face at all; he seemed more like Himura’s younger brother than Himura himself. And his eyes…she definitely remembered that his eyes in Hokkaido had been violet, a very beautiful and rare shade of purplish blue, not amber like they were now. //I don’t understand this; how could he really be Himura? Nothing he says makes sense. // By the look of it, his companion was just as confused as Akari. The small dark-haired woman was desperately trying to calm him down, even going so far as to put herself between him and Akari, but she was having no success. Ignoring her protests Himura took another menacing step forward, and Akari felt anger pierce through the wall of fear in her mind. Boldly, she took a step closer to him, straightening to her full height, at least five inches greater than his. “That’s enough Himura-san! I told you, I don’t know where my husband is right now. What has he done to offend you? I thought you and he parted on good terms in Hokkaido.” The question seemed to fend off Battousai’s anger a little bit, the fire in his eyes dimming a fraction. “We did,” he spat, “But some time between then and now he seems to have changed his mind. You *must* tell me where he is!” “I will do no such thing until you calm yourself down and explain exactly what’s going on here. Or do you really want the police to come and arrest you for making a disturbance?” Akari fully expected that statement to quell his anger, but to her astonishment it only seemed to make it worse. //Has he no control over himself? // she thought as he bared his teeth at her in a vicious snarl. “I have no time for this, woman! What he has done to me is unforgivable and—“ he got no farther, because at that moment a rock came sailing through the crowd and struck him soundly in the back of the head. Battousai’s vision exploded with starry light and he let out an anguished cry of pain and shock. Temporarily blind, he fell to his knees. Grabbing the back of his head he felt wet stickiness in his hair and knew the well-aimed missile had drawn blood. For a brief moment, crouched in the dirt of the street, he felt his unreasoning anger subside and the small part of his mind that was still rational cried out in relief. In that precious instant he fought for control over himself. //You’re being irrational, // he explained patiently to the hitokiri raging in his soul. //If you calm down and gain her trust she just might take you where they’re staying in Tokyo; you can find Yanagi and finally put this mess straight. There’s nothing to be gained by this behavior; this is not the Bakumatsu, you can’t get your way with terror and rage and violence. // Just as he felt himself responding to his own calming words, another stray thought shot through his mind, distracting his calm reasoning. //Who was the bastard who threw the rock?! // “Kenshin-san!” Shinta appeared from the crowd and slid to a halt in front of the hitokiri, gasping for breath. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know what else to do!” “Sh-Shinta?” Kaoru’s eyes widened as she realized it was the boy who threw the rock. It was a small stone, but it had been thrown with enough force to easily bring Battousai to his knees. She looked at the child with new respect. //He really is Kenshin inside that little body. No one else could have done something like that. // Battousai lifted his head to glare at the boy, anger swirling in his narrowed eyes. “What the hell are you doing here, you could have hurt me!” Shinta closed his eyes and concentrated hard on Battousai, trying to figure out what was going on in the teenager’s mind. Battousai’s emotions felt like ripples in a pond to him, the waves pushing against him with surprising force, as if he were standing up to his chest in water. The surge of murderous rage that had called him from the dojo had lessened but was still there, threatening at any moment to overtake the shaky center of peace in Battousai’s mind. The child could sense the danger radiating from the hitokiri, and he feared for the people around them. Keeping his eyes closed, he took a few cautious steps forward. “I came to help you; your anger called me.” “What are you babbling about?” Kenshin shrank away from the eerily calm child, suddenly afraid for no reason he could understand. “Who is this woman?” Shinta asked calmly. Kaoru watched their interaction in stunned amazement, fascinated despite herself. She wanted to get out of the market as soon as possible, but time for her had slowed to a crawl, the world focusing around the two parts of her husband before her. Shinta’s presence was definitely having an effect on Battousai’s demeanor; he edged backwards from the boy as if afraid of being too close to him, his anger seeming to wither with the child’s approach. “She’s Akari-dono, don’t you remember?” Battousai whispered, a strange note in his voice. “So what?” Shinta countered calmly. His eyes were still closed as he reached out a steady hand to Battousai, his fingertips just brushing the teenager’s forehead. “She is not our enemy.” “She is his wife, she must have a part in this,” Kenshin insisted desperately, now looking very small and childlike himself. “He is responsible for what happened, if it weren’t for him I…I…” Kaoru almost couldn’t believe her own eyes when she saw tears of panic and fear shimmering faintly in Battousai’s wide eyes. “I wouldn’t be…” “I know you suffer,” Shinta said gently, “but you aren’t alone in this; let us help you.” Swallowing her own nervousness and confusion Karou knelt down beside Kenshin, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Are you all right now? Let’s go, please, before something else—“ “Himura-san.” Battousai stiffened at Akari’s voice. “Please, if this has something to do with my husband then I’d like to…” her voice trailed off at the sight of three people pushing their way through the crowd. One was a young dark-haired boy, who was trotting toward them with a worried expression on his face. Next to the boy, leaning on the arm of a very tall man dressed in white, was none other than Himura Kenshin, looking exactly as she remembered him, scars and all. He appeared to be in pain as he walked, obviously depending on the tall man for support. Some people in the crowd began to whisper in confusion at seeing three red-haired people in one place, all of whom looked alike, but the tall man silenced them with a glare. “Show’s over people, we’ve got things under control now, just get going. You heard me.” The crowd slowly dispersed and the three came over to their group. Akari suddenly felt faint with disbelief as she watched Himura kneel down beside the teenager on the ground, whispering something quietly to him. Suddenly, the boy gave an angry shout and leapt to his feet, turning a furious glare on Akari. “Damn it, she’s the key to this, I’m not letting her go now!” “Kenshin-san!” Whatever it was the rurouni had said it had effectively undone the fragile peace Shinta had managed to establish in the hitokiri’s mind, and he couldn’t hold back a cry of frustration and dismay. Battousai’s rage crashed against him with the fury of a storm and he knew that if the older boy decided to attack, there was nothing he or anyone else could do about it. “Rurouni-san!” Kenshin’s lips were set in a thin frown as he carefully observed the hitokiri. Battousai’s eyes were glazed and maddened, his temper clearly having consumed any sense of reason the boy had left. There was only one way the rurouni could think of to bring his younger self under control. Ignoring the painful stitch in his chest brought on by his breakneck run through the market, Kenshin brought up his fist and with the speed of a master swordsman he brought it down hard across the hitokiri’s temple, with just enough force to knock him out but not seriously harm him. There was a collective gasp from all assembled as the rurouni’s fist moved in a barely visible blur. Battousai jerked slightly at the blow, staggered and then collapsed into the rurouni’s arms, unconscious. “Kenshin,” Kaoru whispered, not sure which of the three she was addressing. The rurouni gently gathered the teenager into his arms and stood, cradling Battousai to his chest. “I’m sorry,” he whispered to the boy, staring at him with regret in his eyes. “There was no other way.” There was perfect silence in their small circle, everyone stunned beyond words by the sight. Akari’s voice seemed loud in the sphere of quiet, though she spoke in a whisper. “Himura-san, what has my husband done to you? What has he been *doing*?!” Her voice broke slightly and it took all her will to remain calm. This was just too bizarre, and she couldn’t shake off the distinct feeling that the three red-haired people before her were in fact the same man. The thought was insane, but she couldn’t banish it from her mind. The rurouni looked over at her, studying her face with a stoic calm that stood in stark contrast to Battousai’s fury. “Come with us, Akari-dono, and I will explain everything.” TBC…. A/N: Ahh I’m so evil, my profuse apologies for the cutoff but there’s so much going on plotwise in this section it just got too long and I had to split it. 8b is outlined but not written yet. Gomen nasai!! *bows low* Hmm it’s odd, this is the first time encountering a situation in my writing where I would find it necessary to make and “A” and “B” of a chapter; it just felt right somehow the way the plot was heading. In any event, I promise the hitokiri will go hunting for (and find) Yanagi and it will be really cool, I swear it! There will be chapters beyond 8, I’ve outlined the rest of the story and my estimated chapter count is 12 with an epilogue…but that could very well change -_-;; As for 8b, we’ll finally get to see Megumi, as well as assorted other people. For those who were wondering (because some have asked about this in their reviews) I currently have no plans to bring in the Kyoto group for this fic (i.e. Misao, Aoshi and company). They just don’t have place in my plotline; sorry guys, but this is a Tokyo-gumi fic for now, hope that doesn’t disappoint too many people. LOL well anyways, I’m trying to fit writing in as best I can around my work schedule, hopefully I’ll be able to keep up a fairly steady pace on chapters, look for one every 2 weeks or so (maybe 3 if I get really bogged down). I have so much still planned for this fic, I hope you enjoying reading it as much as I do writing it! See you for part 8b! Lexa: Actually, they *are* fascinated by RK. Last year I taught the sixth graders how to draw manga-style and I brought in my RK and Sailor Moon manga to show them. They really loved it! There were asking me all kinds of questions about Kenshin and why he has the scar and the story of RK, so I did my little part to spread the word of anime, and got some halfway decent manga drawings out of them to boot ^_^ *New picture!!* I made an underkimono and a yukata with a matching bag and I wore it with hakama (bought off Ebay) to this year’s Ohio Renaissance Festival. Take a look! The sword is a real katana (Chinese-made, but it’s a real blade) I bought at Renfest last year. Yeah so I was technically cross-dressing—so sue me :P Enjoy! http://www.flame.org/~calger/anime/hakamagi.jpg Subject: [KFFDISC] Prism chapter 8b Date: Sat, 14 Sep 2002 19:40:22 -0400 From: Jessica Entis Reply-To: kffdisc@nabiki.com To: RKFF Mailing list Prism by Calger459 Chapter 8b Conventions: *...* is emphasis, //...// is thoughts I can't tell you how much all your reviews mean to me; thank you so much for the support! I spent over half a year wanting to write this fic but I wasn't sure if anyone would read it...you all proved me wrong ^_^ Here it is, the second half of the plot! Disclaimer: *sigh* Rurouni Kenshin is the property of Sony and Nobuhiro Watsuki...and we all know Watsuki-sensei's a hopeless fanboy so he probably wouldn't care how much fanfiction is written about his characters, in fact he'd probably read it! *gets off soapbox* As for Sony, I'm not making any profit, K? ~*~ The party walked in silence back to the dojo. Sano tried once to carry Battousai for Kenshin, but the rurouni warned him off with a glare. It was clear that the rurouni, who so far had been very laid-back and gentle, was furious with his younger self, and no one dared pierce the wall of silence that surrounded the pair. Kaoru trailed behind her husband with her head bowed, her normally carefree face showing the strain of that afternoon's events. She stared at her sandals as she walked and honestly wondered where things were going to go from here. Behind them walked Akari, wife of their current enemy, and no one was sure how Kenshin intended to explain to her what her husband had done. //The others should be here soon as well...what are we going to tell *them*? This just keeps getting worse and worse. // Kaoru lifted her head and focused on Shinta, who was trotting beside the rurouni, trying his best to keep up. That was when she noticed it: a slight darkness on the back of his head. There was something matted in his hair, and as she looked closer she realized with shock that it was dried blood. //Blood? But he didn't get hit with anything... // The blood was in the same place Battousai had been struck with the rock. Eyes widening Kaoru looked at the rurouni's head and saw a little bit of blood there as well, in the same place. //What in the world? // "Sano." Kenshin waited for his friend to open the gate, then led the party inside. Without a word he carried Battousai to the couple's room, Sano opening doors for him as he went. Kaoru wondered why Sano was being so helpful for a change, but she could sense that something was different between him and the rurouni. They seemed to have a certain companionship they hadn't had that morning when she'd left. Curious, Kaoru wondered what they had discussed while she was gone. //Maybe I can ask Kenshin...later. // Shinta followed close behind his older self, his expression anxious. Inside the room the rurouni carefully lay Battousai on a futon, draping a blanket over him with surprising tenderness given his angry expression. The rurouni stood and studied the boy's sleeping face, which seemed deceptively young and innocent. "Let's go into the dining room," he said quietly to the group standing behind him. "Kaoru, would you make some tea, please?" "...Hai." ~*~ Akari sat on one side of the table, feeling very isolated from the group of strangers sitting across from her. They seemed like a united front of judges, ready to sentence her for a crime she didn't even know had been committed, and the evidence they had just finished presenting was nothing short of pure insanity. "Impossible," she whispered, staring into the rurouni's face. "That's impossible! You can't split people apart like that, there's no way! That boy in there-" she pointed in the direction of the bedrooms "-he must be your brother or something, and this child is probably your son! How can you sit there and tell me that you are all one in the same and that my Yanagi is responsible, it's nonsense!" Sano and Kaoru exchanged glances behind the rurouni's back. Her reaction was just as they expected, and they wondered how Kenshin was going to convince her otherwise. "Trust me Akari-dono," he said quietly, "two days ago I would have agreed with you completely. Ki is a mysterious thing, even to those who know how to sense and use it. However, never have I heard of it being used to physically separate someone's very soul. I'm not sure where Yanagi acquired such knowledge, but it is very dangerous and he must be stopped before he tries this on someone else. As you have seen, my other self is unstable and dangerous. I don't know what's going to become of him if Yanagi refuses to restore us to the way we were. I realize how this must sound to you, but I'm not sure what other proof I can offer besides my word that this is the truth." Akari looked at Kaoru, still skeptical. "And you believe this?" "We all do," Kaoru said with conviction, "because we saw it for ourselves, and we know our Kenshin. He has no family besides us, and he and I have no children of our own. Besides which, he is a terrible liar, you'd know it if he was making all this up." "Oro?" Sano chuckled. "She's got a point, Kenshin. You're pretty good at leaving stuff out when you want to hide something, but there's a reason you weren't a spy, ne?" Kenshin smiled slightly at that. "Aa, I suppose you're right." Akari met Shinta's gaze and was surprised by the child's very serious expression, so similar to the older Himura's. "What about you? What do you think of all this?" Shinta smiled. "It's been nice to be a child again, but I want to be back with Rurouni-san and Battousai-san. We belong together. I am not a whole person, you see; I'm just one part of Himura Kenshin's personality." Akari stared, stunned by the child's sophisticated speech. "Children...don't often lie about these things, do they?" "No," Shinta agreed, "they don't." He opened his mouth in a wide yawn. "I'm really tired now though." Akari smiled; the child, whatever his true age, was simply adorable. "Well you did save me from that other boy, didn't you? Go ahead and sleep." Shinta nodded with a smile and curled up on the floor next the rurouni. He was asleep almost immediately. "He's had a long day," the rurouni said, his tone affectionate. "We all have," Akari agreed. The table waited as she sat for a moment, obviously thinking. "My Yanagi did this," she whispered finally, still slightly unbelieving. "How is this possible, Himura-san? I don't really know much about the martial arts." He sighed. "I'm afraid that I can't really answer that, because I don't know myself. I'll just say that when I knew your husband in Hokkaido he was already fairly skilled with ki, though he was only able to manipulate his own. His strength has increased tremendously then; obviously he has kept his training secret from you, and in secret found a way to split another's ki into separate parts. Has he never given you a sign or reason to believe that anything unusual was going on, Akari-dono?" Akari debated with herself, trying to decide whether she should say anything or not. She was loyal to her husband, but if what Himura said was true, then Yanagi had done something truly terrible, even....evil. In that case, she had an obligation to put a stop to his behavior. //Sakura-san spoke so highly of Himura in Hokkaido, and he seems like a very honest person. My heart says to believe him...and there does seem to be something odd going on with Yanagi. I will trust Himura, for now. // "Yanagi," she began, "hasn't been quite himself lately. Actually, he's been behaving strangely for long time...over a year at least." Everyone in the room straightened up at her words. //Finally, the information we need! // Kaoru thought in relief. "We came here a week ago," Akari continued. "My husband works in business, mostly with gaijin merchants. It shouldn't be such taxing work for someone like him but lately he's been very tired and irritable when he comes back, and the things he says are just...strange." "Like what?" Kenshin asked. Akari opened her mouth to answer when there was a loud knocking at the gate. Yahiko jumped up and ran to open it. "Friends of ours," Kaoru answered both Kenshin and Akari's questioning looks. "We felt they needed to know what was going on." "Who decided that?" Kenshin asked, his tone slightly annoyed. "I did," Kaoru said firmly, challenging Kenshin with her glare. He frowned but didn't argue further. "Ken-san!" Megumi rushed into the room and immediately knelt by the rurouni's side. "Tsubame-chan said something had happened to you, are you all right?" "Well, I..." Akari blinked at the sudden appearance of the tall woman doctor and felt a bit overwhelmed as Yahiko reappeared, followed by an elderly man in a doctor's smock and a young girl dressed in a waitress's kimono. A bewildering flurry of greetings and introductions followed, with Kaoru trying to get the three newcomers settled with some tea while also trying to calm Megumi. "Well Tsubame-chan said there was an emergency..." "How could you have gotten hurt in the market, didn't you take care of your wounds like I told you to?" "Kaoru-san, Kenshin-san looks normal again, what's going on?" "Everyone, *enough*!" The room froze at Kenshin's firm command. Sano's eyes widened as everyone immediately stopped talking and sat without further comment, all attention now focused on the rurouni. Kenshin wore an air of authority about him that had impressed Sanosuke from the moment he'd first met the swordsman. He remembered always wondering how exactly it was that Kenshin didn't get more flack from his enemies about his small size and delicate features; it was only after seeing Kenshin in situation after situation that he finally figured out what it was. It was undeniable; there was just *something* about Kenshin that gave him incredible charisma. When he spoke, you listened. When he had something to say, the rest of the world stopped until he was finished. It never ceased to amaze him. Kenshin stood and moved aside so everyone could see Shinta lying curled up in the floor. Megumi let out a small sound of shock and put a hand to her mouth, mentally denying what her eyes told her. Tsubame and Genzai-sensei wore similar expressions. "A lot has happened everyone, and there isn't much time, so please listen carefully." ~*~ Battousai came to slowly. The first thing he was aware of was an intense throbbing across his entire head. He was well acquainted with blows to the head and he recognized the pain he was feeling; it could be nothing else, although he couldn't quite remember how he had gotten knocked out. He remembered being struck with Shinta's rock and the strange conversation afterward, but then his temper had finally flown completely out of control and he recalled nothing after that. //Where am I now? // Forcing his aching eyes to focus Kenshin recognized the familiar ceiling of the dojo and knew he was back home. There was a soft futon under him and a blanket draped across his body. While part of him wanted to get up and find out what had happened between the market and the dojo, the rest him wanted very much to stay right where he was; here in this room it was warm and safe and quiet, and the terrifying rage he'd experienced at the market was gone, leaving him drained and exhausted. He laid there for several long moments, staring blankly at the wall, almost afraid to breathe lest his brain decide to fall apart without his permission again. //I couldn't stop myself when I saw her, I couldn't control my words or my actions. What kind of monster am I? // He closed his eyes tightly and tried to stop his feeling of self-loathing, but the emotion was persistent, and depressingly familiar. //For so long I existed like this, hating myself and everything that I was, not even caring whether I lived or died. Kaoru and I were so happy, why did this have to happen? // He felt tears of frustration sting his eyes and his mind produced an image from his memory, of Yanagi reaching for his head, of his world tearing apart. //Bastard. That's what he is. It's his fault, all of it! // He remembered Kaoru's tear-streaked face in the market, scared and angry and upset, all because of him and what Yanagi had done to him. //I made her cry but that wouldn't have happened if he hadn't crossed every line of morality and decency that exists...// His thoughts starting to cycle angrily from Yanagi to himself and back to Yanagi again, Battousai slowly sat up and carefully felt the back of his head, wincing when his fingers found the wound where the rock had struck. //Even this is his fault, isn't it? Without the rurouni I'm lost, with no self-control. How dare he think he could just separate us on a whim? Goddamn bastard. // He became aware of voices drifting down the hallway, familiar voices: Kaoru, Sano, Yahiko, Megumi...and Akari. His eyes widened. //So she's here as well. Why? // Getting to his feet Battousai left the room and crept stealthily down the hallway, his body's pain and exhaustion fading as he slipped easily into the mindset of the shadow assassin: swift, silent, invisible, and above all, focused. "...Western quarter," Akari was saying, "the 'Emperor Hotel', that's what the gaijins call it. I don't know how long we're staying in Tokyo, but if the real reason he brought us here was because of you..." Battousai didn't need to hear anything else. He would go find Yanagi right now, without the squeamish peace-drunk rurouni slowing him down with his ridiculous non-killing morals. The mistake with Tomoe was extremely regrettable, and he understood the reasons behind the non-killing vow, but he wasn't as optimistic and naïve as the rurouni. //Enemies keep returning from the past because we have been too cowardly to deal with them effectively. I won't put Kaoru and the others in danger anymore; if that means I must eventually kill Yanagi to keep him from hurting anyone else, so be it. // Gliding back to his room Kenshin spotted the Sakabatou propped in an ornate sword stand, a New Year's gift from Kaoru. He hesitated only a moment before picking the sword up and tucking it through his belt. With the whisper-soft sound of a shoji door sliding open and shut, Battousai was gone, a shadow in the night. ~*~ The rurouni sat patiently as Megumi examined him, checking his chest and joints. She frowned slightly as she held out one wrist to check his pulse. "Well Ken-san, I'll tell you the good news first. First of all, you're not dying or anything; this 'separation' or whatever you underwent doesn't seem to have done lasting damage. You simply pulled a few muscles in your chest running today, that's all. However, while everyone else here seems to think you're immortal, you and I know differently. Your joints are already starting to fail you, and you've also gotten a bit out of shape since last year, which means your problems are going to get worse, not better." "You told me to rest," he protested indignantly, though he knew she was right. "For once I did what you told me to!" Megumi sighed and dropped his hand. "And I appreciate that, now if only Rooster-head here would do the same." "Hey!" Megumi sniffed. "Well it's the truth. The only reason you can even use that right hand of yours is because of my incomparable skills! Now, where is this other Ken-san at?" "In our bedroom," Kaoru said quietly. "And you say he's injured?" Kaoru nodded and stood. The two women walked down the dark hallway together, talking quietly. Sano watched them go before turning his attention to Tsubame and Genzai-sensei. "Well she's taking this in stride, how about you two?" "Kenshin-san," Tsubame whispered, "I'm so sorry this happened! I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen the other Kenshin-san today... it's such an awful thing." "It is Tsubame-chan, but I appreciate Himura-san telling us this." Genzai-sensei had seen much of the man who was formerly known as the Hitokiri Battousai since his arrival a year ago, and he had come to genuinely like the young man. Himura's first action had been to save his adopted daughter's life, and since then he had proven his worth in the old man's eyes again and again. The gentleness and love he showed toward his granddaughters Ayame and Suzame to him spoke far more about the true nature of Himura Kenshin than all the bloody tales of Battousai. "I know you will keep us safe no matter what happens Himura-san, and I will be on alert for this Yanagi fellow. I agree with Kaoru-chan; it is better to know and understand a threat than to exist in ignorance of danger." Kenshin nodded in agreement. He hadn't been surprised when Kaoru had told him Battousai had objected to telling everyone about the situation. Secrecy would have been his first reaction as well. His habits from the Bakumatsu, a time when a word to the wrong ear often led to betrayal and death, were hard to break, even all these years later. He looked up at Akari. "Akari-dono, now that you know this, what do you want to do? I cannot ask you to help us with Yanagi, but it would much easier if you did. He *must* be convinced to restore us, by force if necessary. My younger self is growing more agitated and irrational by the day, and there is little I can do to help him. We can't stay like this for much longer." "I understand...but I can't just go against my husband, not without talking to him first. Himura-san, I think I should go back and try to confront him. If I can get him to come here willingly..." "Kenshin!" Kaoru and Megumi came running into the room. "He's gone!" Those two words sent Kenshin's heart into his throat, icy panic shooting up his spine. "W-what?" "Shit!" Sano jumped up. "Dammit, I knew we shouldn't have left him alone in there!" "That idiot." Kenshin whispered, appalled at his own stupidity. "He went to find Yanagi on his own." There was horrified silence from everyone in the room; they all had a fairly good idea of what the rurouni had meant by that statement. "There's something else, Kenshin. He took the Sakabatou with him." ~*~ Yanagi read the note Akari had left on the bed for the hundredth time, looking angrily up at the clock. "I went to the market to look around, maybe this way I can help you with your research, I'll be back by 6:00, Akari" he read aloud. He checked the clock again, letting out a hiss of frustrated worry. "It's past eight, where the hell is she?" Yanagi stood and went to the window, staring out at the street lit dimly by gaslight. No sign of her. His chest tightened with genuine worry. //She shouldn't have gone out on her own like that. This city isn't safe at night...// Gritting his teeth, he left the room to check the street below for himself. ~*~ Sano sighed in frustration. Getting Kenshin to stay put in a situation like this was like trying to prevent a member of the Shinsengumi from killing an Ishin Shishi. He was seriously beginning to wonder if he was going to have to tie the rurouni up. "Look, I'll go get him, all right? Someone needs to be here for Jou-chan and to watch out for that Akari woman, besides you hurt yourself today." "I'm fine!" the rurouni insisted, clenching his fists at his sides in frustration. "Sano, let me deal with him!" "Look no offense, but every time you try to 'deal with him', things just get worse! It would be better if I went, is all I'm saying. I'm not going to try and fight him, I'm not that stupid, but someone needs to make sure he doesn't go and lop that fool's head off." "If Battousai needs to be stopped then I'm the one with the skills to do it, Sano." "Don't underestimate me. I've got skills too, buddy. Besides I can run faster." "Oh really." "I'm taller, longer legs equals bigger stride." Kaoru sighed and stepped in front of Kenshin, pushing down firmly on his shoulders. "Sit." "But..." "*Sit*. Sano, just go. Good luck." "Yes ma'am!" Kenshin glared at his wife, but made no move to follow Sano. "This is a mistake, Kaoru. Sano is strong, but Battousai is stronger." "Oh have a little faith, Ken-san!" Megumi snapped. "Trust in Sanosuke." That alone gave Kenshin pause. Megumi almost never called the former streetfighter by his real name; the significance wasn't lost on him. Reluctantly, he nodded. "All right." ~*~ Battousai sped through the night, the weight of the sword at his hip giving him a confidence he hadn't felt in three long days. He felt more stable and secure with the weapon at his side, his mind fully focused on his mission, his maddening temper temporarily banished. Was that why his body felt so strong now, despite everything that had happened? //Stability of the mind brings strength of the body. That's what Shishou always said. // Turning a corner easily at full speed, Kenshin reveled in his renewed power. Only hours after the separation from the others he'd noticed a significant increase in his strength and flexibility; he'd been able to leap several feet from the ground to the bathhouse roof and pull off a Tsumuji attack virtually without effort, just as he had been able to do in his hitokiri days. //The lack of ki is a problem, but physically this body seems to be stronger than the rurouni's. It's as if I really were sixteen again. // He changed from the streets to the roofs in a few easy leaps. In Kyoto this had been one of the most efficient means of travel, and he had been one of the few hitokiri skilled enough to use it. Up here he truly was invisible from those on the ground, a shadow racing along the spines of roofs and leaping between buildings in long, graceful arcs. This was one of the specialties of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu: strength of the legs and body gave the swordsman superior swiftness and grace, so he could move as easily as a flying dragon. Truthfully, Kenshin was almost afraid of how easily he was resuming old habits. Old instincts of sight and sound resurfaced as he approached the Western quarter of Tokyo, which lay a fair distance from the dojo. Pausing on a rooftop to catch his breath, Battousai surveyed the area with keen eyes. Just as in Bakumatsu, he was the hunter tracking his prey, and nothing escaped his notice. The crowds were sparse this time of night, most people having returned home before sundown. His quarry would be easy to spot if he happened to be outside. "The Emperor Hotel," he murmured to himself. Scanning the Western-style buildings before him he chose a route and began his search, constantly checking the streets below as he moved. ~*~ Sano ran faster that night than he had ever run before, taking every shortcut he knew to reach the Western quarter before Battousai found Yanagi. He couldn't shake off a bad feeling about all this, and he bent his head into the wind, forcing himself to run even faster. //Damn it, the guy's fast as a hare with wings and he has a good head start on me. // He wondered if he really would be too late, but Akari had given him precise directions to the hotel, which was more than Battousai had. No matter what though, Sano was determined to help his friend. If the hitokiri snapped and killed Yanagi, then not only would Kenshin's vow be broken but it was likely that Kenshin would trapped in three bodies forever. It had been a full three days now, and it was becoming obvious that all three parts of Kenshin were suffering. //The rurouni and Shinta seem to be okay when you look at them, but Kenshin keeps getting more depressed and Shinta's not smiling much anymore. What if they eventually fall apart like Battousai? // He pushed the unpleasant thought away and put on another burst of speed, thanking the gods for his height and light build. He could already see the gaslights of the Western quarter and knew he was almost there. //Kenshin, don't you dare do anything dumb! // ~*~ Yanagi paced anxiously outside the hotel entrance, disturbed by the eerie quiet of the street. The spring night was cold and he shivered inside his thin Western suit. Where was Akari? The thought of losing her now terrified him, and he frantically cast his senses about for her. His mind felt a presence nearby and he stopped in his pacing, looking up hopefully. A short figure had appeared at the end of the street, shrouded in darkness. His mouth went dry as he realized that it wasn't Akari, but someone equally familiar and far more terrifying. "No..." he whispered. The figure approached on silent feet, and the menacing aura that surrounded him caused Yanagi to step back a few paces. "So this is where you've been going to ground, Yanagi. Really, you should downgrade your tastes a bit, you were far too easy to find." Battousai stepped into the pool of light that surrounded the hotel doorway and Yanagi allowed himself a small gasp of surprise. He had been expecting to see a man his age, maybe with a hardened face to match the steely tones of that voice. He certainly hadn't expected Battousai to be so young and eerily beautiful, his eyes molten gold in the lamp's light. He was dressed in an expensive-looking gi of emerald green silk and hakama, which must have once been white but were now stained brown with street dust. Yanagi noted the sword at Himura's waist with apprehension, and wondered if Battousai could tell he was unarmed. //Of course he can, he's a hitokiri. I should have suspected he would find me like this. I have to be confident in front of him; I can't appear weak. Even so, there is a night guard inside. Himura can't do anything to me. // Yanagi squared his shoulders and glared down at Battousai from his slightly superior height. "What have you done with Akari?" Battousai cocked his head and studied Yanagi with predatory eyes. "Whatever do you mean by that?" "Don't screw around with me Himura, how else could you have found me? I thought you were a man of honor, I can't believe you would use her to get to me." Battousai actually laughed, a dry sound that made Yanagi's skin crawl. There was something very wrong with that laugh, and with the strange gleam in the hitokiri's eyes. "Are you a complete fool, or are you so full of yourself that you actually believe you're somehow in the right here? Don't preach to me about honor and morality when you've done far worse than any crime I ever committed as a hitokiri." Yangai bristled at being compared to a murderer like Battousai, but he refused to be distracted by insults. "Where is my wife?" Yanagi asked again, his voice a low growl. "Safe," Battousai replied simply. "She came to us through accident, actually. I'm not one for kidnapping, and if I know my other selves they've probably already filled her in on your little hobby. It's over Yanagi, you've had your fun so give up this game and restore us to the way we were." Kenshin faintly heard the sound of running feet coming from one of the side alleys, and out of the corner of his eye he saw a tall form stumble to a halt and lean heavily against a wall, out of breath. //Sano. Figures. // Battousai chose to ignore him for the moment, instead refocusing on Yanagi, who had a strangely bemused look on his face. Still trying to catch his breath, Sano looked up at the two figure standing in a pool of yellow light. He was genuinely surprised to see Battousai standing there calmly, speaking to Yanagi in fairly rational tones. He had honestly expected to come upon the hitokiri screaming and raving the way he had been at the market earlier in the day, or at least waving his sword about. He wasn't quite sure what to make of this strangely calm Kenshin, who spoke to his enemy with such quiet authority. A thin, wry smile appeared on Yanagi's face and he casually wrapped his arms behind his back. "Sorry, can't do that." Battousai's eyes narrowed to thin golden slits, his left hand tensing around the hilt of the sword. "I don't think you're understanding me, Yanagi. This is not a request. Do you have any idea of the kind of hell you've put me through? Enough is enough, you got to test your precious little technique, now do as I say." Yanagi actually snickered and grinned. "What makes you think I even know how to put you together? I have no idea." "What?" Battousai could feel anger starting to eat away at his icy shell of his rationality, like flame licking against a wall of ice. //Oh Gods, not again. // "Haven't a clue. You're only the second person I've used this on, Himura, and the other one didn't live long enough to ask me something like that. There is no counter-technique. Sorry to disappoint you. So you ended up splitting into three, right? I saw the little kid earlier, I'll have to meet the third one at some point." Kenshin balked at him. "What the hell is wrong with you? Is this still a game to you? I will not be the subject of some experiment, and I won't allow you to roam free where you can use this technique on someone else. You will answer for tearing my soul apart!" Yanagi threw his head back and laughed, and Sano's eyes widened as he realized the man was completely insane. Battousai was starting to look incensed, and Sano tensed, ready to rush in if the hitokiri attacked. "You won't hurt me Himura, you've got that silly non-killing vow of yours! Besides there's a guard right inside the door, if you try anything you-" Battousai moved so fast Sano saw only a blur of green and white. The hitokiri rushed Yanagi in complete silence, grabbing the front of the man's suit and pulling him out into the darkness of the street. The two men vanished from sight and for a heartbeat Sano stood frozen. He had boasted to the rurouni, but really the idea of taking on Battousai was terrifying. Kenshin had twice before beaten Sano easily, and both times the diminutive swordsman had been holding back. The hitokiri wouldn't be so merciful. // But I can't let Kenshin break his vow. It would destroy him, I know it. No matter what happens to me, I have to stop him! // Battousai flew to the far side of the street and flung the stunned Yanagi hard against the brick wall of another building, knocking the wind out of him. A sharp ringing of steel was the only warning Yanagi had before he felt a blade being pressed against his jugular, Battousai's golden eyes studying him with cool detachment. Behind the flatness of the hitokiri's gaze though, Yanagi could see a burning of amber fire, and knew he'd crossed the line. "You know Yanagi, it's funny thing about vows and rules and all that: they can be broken so easily. And what can't be broken can certainly be bent. Remember that I don't have to kill you to make you suffer." "Kenshin!" Shoving aside his own fear and throwing caution to the wind, Sano ran right up to Battousai and grabbed his shoulder, trying to wrench the sword away from Yanagi's neck. To his alarm, Battousai's body was like a statue, completely immovable. The hitokiri turned his head and Sano met the other's frightening gaze for only an instant before a vicious kick to his gut sent him flying back against the neighboring building. The young man couldn't even cry out as he felt his lunch trying to come back up his throat. Huddling against the wall with his hand to his mouth, he stared at Kenshin in mingled shock and fury. "I do not wish to hurt you, so stay out of this Sanosuke." Battousai slid his gaze calmly back to Yanagi, who was visibly shaking under his iron grip. "You underestimated me again Yanagi, how unfortunate for you." Yanagi stared into the assassin's eyes in horror. //I didn't release a hitokiri, I released a demon! // "You're mad," he whispered. Battousai lifted an ironic eyebrow. "You and I both share a kind of madness, Yanagi. The madness of the hitokiri and the madness of one who has no hesitation about using the lives of others for his own amusement are not all that dissimilar. Now come with me peacefully and let's put an end to this." "I don't have a counter-technique!" Yanagi hissed, starting to panic. He pushed hard against Kenshin's arms. "I can't help you!" "Then your usefulness has ended," the hitokiri said with deadly logic, tightening his grip on the hilt in preparation to strike. Sano forced himself to his feet. "Kenshin, NO!" Yanagi's fear suddenly gave way to a mad grin. "I don't give up that easily, hitokiri!" Yanagi screamed and Kenshin was suddenly hit with a tremendous blast of ki, which emanated from the other's body in waves so powerful the air actually shimmered with it. Battousai flew back with a cry, carried off his feet by the force of the blast, and landed hard on his back, knocking the wind out of him. Kenshin could hear the pounding of Yanagi's feet as the man fled into the night, and he cursed his stupidity. He had allowed himself to grow overconfident, and for a precious few moments he'd forgotten that Yanagi possessed a full range of ki techniques, offense included. "Dammit," he whispered, before painfully climbing to his feet. //I was so close! // Without the ability to read ki had had no way of tracking Yanagi now. He glanced over at Sano who was standing there glaring at him furiously. "Did you see which way he went?" "I'm not telling you anything, first you try to kill someone then you attack me! You think I trust you right now?" Kenshin stood and leveled an icy glare at Sano. "Is that why you followed me?" "Damn straight, I knew you would try something like this, and so did the rurouni! What the hell did you think you were doing acting on your own like that?" "I really don't see how it's your business how I deal with my enemies, Sanosuke. The rurouni will not act effectively against Yanagi, he cannot. He would rather Yanagi come to him willingly, and I knew that belief was foolish. I had no other choice." "Like hell you didn't!" Battousai sighed at the man's ignorance and re-sheathed the Sakabatou. He turned and began to walk back in the direction of the dojo. Sano felt something inside him snap. "Don't you walk away from me, dammit! Kenshin worked hard to keep that vow, and you almost broke it! Don't you care about anyone or anything besides yourself? You're nothing like the Kenshin I know, you arrogant asshole!" Battousai paused and looked back over his shoulder at Sano. The expression in his eyes was unreadable. "Don't presume to understand me, Sanosuke, when I do not even understand myself. Let's return to the dojo now." Kenshin turned and kept walking. Sano trailed a respectful distance behind, his thoughts and feelings confused. ~*~ Battousai slid open the shoji door that led to his and Kaoru's room and allowed bright moonlight to spill inside. He wasn't surprised to see the rurouni kneeling on the floor, waiting for him. The two Kenshins locked gazes for a moment, each trying to read the other. Breaking eye contact Battousai stepped inside, turning his back to the rurouni as he slid the door shut. "I want an explanation." There was a long silence. Battousai did not move from the shoji door. "I'm sorry," he said at last. "'I'm sorry'? That's all you have to say? Unacceptable. What you did was nothing short of insane; you may have destroyed any hope we had of getting out of this." "There was no hope from the beginning, Kenshin. He will not restore us willingly; he's made that quite clear. He's enjoying his little experiment, and he doesn't intend for it to end just yet." The rurouni gritted his teeth. "That doesn't change the fact that you ran off so recklessly, and with my sword!" "Our sword." "Did you intend to kill him?" Battousai kept his gaze firmly fixed on the door. "I don't know." "Then it's still *my* sword. I will not see the Sakabatou stained with blood because you can't control yourself. This madness must end." Battousai bristled at the rurouni's condescending tone. Whether Sano truly realized it or not, when it came to arrogance he and the rurouni were equally matched. The rurouni was just much better at hiding it. "The madness is only beginning, Rurouni. I'm still teetering on the edge of the abyss, and I have no control over when I fall in." He paused for a moment before driving the point home. "The fact is, you not longer have control over the madness of the hitokiri, do you? And neither do I." "So you will kill and blame it on madness? That's a poor excuse." Battousai turned from the door to face the rurouni, his expression hurt. "You always think the worst of me, don't you?" "You haven't given me much reason to believe otherwise." Battousai frowned slightly. "You call me mad and reckless, but I don't think you realize certain things about your own behavior. Did it ever occur to you that maybe this is exactly what Yanagi wants, for us to turn against each other? After all, it's already begun, hasn't it? It really bothers you that you no longer have direct control over me and what I do." "Don't be ridiculous, the only reason I'm angry is because of your foolish actions! You're putting us all in danger." "So what do you intend to do then?" Battousai asked, striding towards the rurouni. "Lock me away in the storage shed until we are both toothless old men, too decrepit and frail to harm anyone? Or maybe you think I'll just obey your every command on principle. Just how do you plan to muzzle me and make me behave?" He stopped short of the rurouni, who was looking very apprehensive. "What do you intend to do about me?" They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment, their wills battling. It was the rurouni who finally looked away. Battousai smiled without humor. "I thought as much. Don't act so high and mighty when you don't have the resolve to back it up, Rurouni. For the time being I am my own man, and I will make my own decisions in this matter. Besides, Yanagi is still alive; there is still a chance to resolve this. I haven't completely lost control yet, so have an ounce of trust and get the hell off my back." The rurouni looked back at him in shock. "Goodnight," Battousai said simply, walking over to the sword stand and replacing the Sakabatou respectfully. He then sat down against the wall to sleep. The rurouni laid down on his futon. He spoke into the uncomfortable silence. "Kaoru is down the hall with Megumi-dono and Akari-dono. Shinta is with Yahiko. Genzai-sensei and Tsubame-dono left." "Sanoske went home." Battousai whispered. The domestic exchange seemed strange and out of place, but to the two elder parts of Himura Kenshin, it was almost a mutual apology. Outside in the hall Kaoru stood in stunned silence, her hand pressed to her mouth. She had heard every word that had passed between them. //This can't be happening. Battousai's slowly going insane, by his own admission, and the rurouni can do nothing to stop it. Gods, what do we do now? // The frightening menace in Battousai's voice as he'd spoken to the rurouni had been terrible to hear. The reasons *why* Kenshin had tried so hard for so long to keep this part of himself hidden away from the rest of them were becoming clearer with each passing day. The hitokiri was ruthless and powerful, and served his own version of justice. Kaoru vividly remembered the prelude to Kenshin's battle with Saitou in the dojo, when Saitou had reminded Kenshin of the shared justice of the hitokiri and the Shinsengumi. //He was right all along, wasn't he? At the time I didn't want to believe him but...if Battousai feels that Yanagi should die, then he will kill him, without hesitation. // Kaoru heard a soft noise nearby and she turned to see Shinta standing behind her in his sleeping robe, his eyes luminous in the dark. She looked at him questioningly, wondering if he'd also heard the conversation, but the child just shook his head slowly, his expression sad and resigned, and turned to go back up the hallway. Kaoru followed him, her worry growing. TBC... A/N: Wow that was long! Yikes, there could almost have been a part C -_-;; Aren't you proud of me though, you only had to wait a week for this one, yay! Hmm, since when did this become a Sano/Kenshin fic anyway? Oh well that's okay, they're my two favorite RK characters, so I guess they're entitled ;) I want Yahiko to have a bigger role in this fic too, 'cause he's also one of my favorites, I'm going work him in some more. Lots more coming for this fic! We definitely haven't seen the last of Yanagi, and Battousai still has a lot of explaining to do...see you for part 9!