From: Selene To: kff@egroups.com Subject: [kff] flori-dono's arashi 10 [revised] and epilogue Date: Monday, May 22, 2000 8:04 AM A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfiction by Flori-dono weebei17@hotmail.com http://www.aboveworld.com/arts_literature/floridono/ <-- that's where you can find the other parts of arashi! ARASHI by flori-dono Disclaimer: This is a Rurouni Kenshin-inspired fan fiction. The author is not making any money out of this. The characters of Rurouni Kenshin belong to Watsuki Nobuhiro, Shounen Jump, and Sony and others that should be mentioned but were not. S P O I L E R S! PART 10 "I want you to kill the Hitokiri Battousai..." The words kept on echoing in my mind like the mournful tolling of bells. Kill Shinta? Oh, how the gods must be enjoying my predicament. "Arashi?" "What's the plan?" I asked, still unsettled with a decision. The question, a sudden urge to mask the thunderous beating of my heart. "The Battousai will be lured up the mountains where an assassin of the bakufu awaits. Our real job is to weaken him, but if we kill him, then more money will be ours. And of course, wouldn't that be better?" "How will the Battousai be enticed to go there?" "I believe that his wife is a bakufu spy." Tomoe? "And I don't think we have to worry about that." I tried my best to look calm even if I was really taken unawares. "I see..." "So, will you do it?" "Hai," I said. What happened next was a blur. I remembered of some more prattle about what we were supposed to do but I was only half listening. My mind was far from tactics. "Arashi, this will be executed three days from now, so listen up. I know your thoughts are straying!" I blinked my eyes. His short reprimand suddenly snapped me out of my troubled thoughts. "What would I get for this?" I asked unexpectedly, surprising even myself. Kotake-sama was also taken aback. I heard Hiro laughed derisively. "Now who's not interested in money?" Kotake-sama ignored the malicious comment. Silence. "Your freedom," he said. I looked at him in the eye; I couldn't fathom the mien I saw in them. All I knew was that he understood me too well, and it made me feel uneasy. I almost couldn't hide anything from him. No matter how adept I had become in concealing my own emotions and intentions, he would always see through me. It was really unnerving. He smiled slightly, as if he could read my thoughts. "Three days?" I asked. "Yes," he answered, totally understanding my change of topic. "I hope you would be well enough by then. I want this to go smoothly. There would be no room for mistakes. Understand?" "Hai sensei," I murmured. "Now go," he said, dismissing me. "Hiro stay, I want to talk with you." I got up the room slowly but not before hearing Hiro say, "bitch". I stopped but resumed walking. Kill Battousai... I didn't know how I got out of the room without collapsing. I had to hold on to the post to keep me from falling to the ground. I didn't know what pushed me to agree to this insane plan, but I did. Could I kill Shinta? No, I could not. Not even if he would had offered me all his gold, I wouldn't. But I couldn't just back-out. This was my only chance of freedom. I wouldn't kill Shinta but I had to do something so they wouldn't question. Now, I must find a way to tell him of this. But how? I wasn't well enough to travel back, and I couldn't go out of the compound without any of the guards knowing. Security was as tight as that in the imperial palace. How? *** Two more days before the mission, I still hadn't thought of a plan. I placed more medicine on my wound. The herbs which Tomoe had given me were almost gone. Tomoe... How could she betray him? I had thought that she loved him. I could feel it in her, I had sensed it. Perhaps, Kotake-sama was wrong. No, I guess I was the one who was wrong. Poor Shinta, the person he loved the most was the one he should hate the most. I looked outside and I could see the other Shadows training for the mission. Even if they would train for a week, they wouldn't be a match for Shinta. I had fought him and had observed how he did battle. I gave my comrades twenty seconds at the most. Enough time before they get killed. I felt sorry for them in a way, because they were also pawns in this sordid game. Unfortunately there really were people who were weak enough to let themselves be victimized, and I was one of them. But not any longer... *** I was standing in the forest with a thick shower of snow falling on the ground. Before me was Shinta, kneeling on the forest floor. He was all bloodied and he had several wounds. He was weak. I came to him but he couldn't see me. I reached out to help him but my hand just passed through his body. I was calling out his name again and again but he just couldn't hear me. I yelled and I cried until I have no more voice nor tears to spend. All of a sudden, he fell down. He lay there and I knew that he had stopped breathing. And then, I felt myself being plummetted into a dark abyss. And then I woke up. *** They said dreams were prophetic, if so then what did my dream suggest? I had this weird feeling at the pit of my stomach. Something will happen and I did not know what. Kami-sama if you could hear me just this once, even if it would cost my freedom, please let Shinta live! *** This time, I didn't don my trademark cloak. I was dressed like everybody else, in our black ninja uniform. I was nervous, my hands actually shook as I knotted the strip of cloth I used to tie my hair. I unsheathed the katana and looked at it. It was the same sword Kotake-sama gave me years ago. And in those same years, I had made full use of it. Perhaps if the sword could talk, even it wouldn't be able to say how many people it had drawn blood from. "Ready?" the ninja beside me asked. "Ready..." I answered. Three hours before the mission. Whatever would happen after then would either make me or break me. It would all be up to me. *** "Arashi!" I turned around. "We'll be leaving soon," I answered. "I know," Hiro said. "But you won't be leaving with them." I slid my hand to my side where my scabbard was placed. It wasn't time for any jokes. Every minute counted, every precious minute of Shinta's life. "If you want a fight Hiro, I'll give it to you," I said silently. "But after this mission." I heard him snicker. "Oh really?" he said. "How can I be sure you'll execute this mission? Isn't the Battousai your friend?" I stilled. How did he... "Surprised eh?" I turned around slowly. "What do you mean?" I asked. Hiro took his time walking towards me. "Simple Arashi, just as I said, you can not kill the Battousai because he is your friend." "You're talking nonsense," I said and started to turn back but Hiro drew his sword and stopped me. "Don't lie now Arashi because I always had you followed. I never trusted you." I gritted my teeth. "I don't care if you trust me or not. Kotake-sama..." Hiro laughed. "Kotake-same? You think he trusted you? That's a laugh..." I swallowed hard. I didn't think I wanted to hear what was next. "Arashi," he continued. "For an assassin you're so na‹ve. He just uses you! So you think he will give you your freedom as soon as you finish this? Well, you're wrong. He has instructed me to kill you. He thinks you're a liability. He thinks that you know too much." "I don't believe you," I said in a surprisingly calm voice, even though deep inside I was scared, angry and bewildered. Did Kotake-sama really want me dead? "Believe me or not Arashi," he said. "I don't care either. I'm only here to kill you." I heard the horses move away. I turned around. They were leaving without me. Then I felt Hiro moved behind me. I swiftly drew my katana and blocked his thrust. "Pretty good," Hiro said. I saw the determination in his eyes. And I knew I had no choice but to fight him. The sooner I kill him, the sooner I would get to Shinta. I just hoped that there would be enough time left. Hiro was a very skilled swordman, and I doubted if our battle would end in just mere seconds. "Let's start," I said. Everything was silent. Even the wind which was howling incessantly suddenly quieted into a soft whisper. It felt like eternity. Both of us were waiting for the right opening. Each of us trying to read the other's mind. Shinta's bloodied image from my dream flashed before my eyes. My stomach lurched. Of course I could not waste valuable time . The clock was ticking and it was ticking fast. I had to do it. I looked at the hard glintin Hiro's eyes. I held my breath and started. I moved with no more sound than the falling of snow on the ground. I went around him and leaped, raising my katana above my head. But Hiro was also fast. He jumped backwards, my sword only slashing through his clothing. He tried to surprise me by lunging even before my sword was set down, but I twisted my arm and parred the blade with mine. He was strong and he used his strength to his full advantage. He tried to intimidate me as he pushed his sword to weaken my arms. I pulled back, making him lose his balance. He staggered forwards but only a little. As I moved away, he hit me with the back of his fist. The blow was hard and I fell to the ground. He thrusted the sword downward meaning to stab me but I rolled over and quickly scrambled to get up. Hiro was fast, he thrusted blindly and caught the front of my shirt. I felt the blade tore at it and at the top of the bandages beneath. The ice-coldness of the wind slice through my exposed flesh. I held what was left of my top together. I was breathing hard and the pain from the wound in my chest was unbearable. I could feel the wetness of the blood seep through the rest of the bandages. "Well what do we have here?" Hiro leered. "You are a woman after all!" "Shut up," I gasped. I performed my gatotsu and I hit him. But I was all ready very weak. I was bleeding profusely and I felt hot despite the cold. I was only able to wound him. That wasn't enough. "Bitch!" he snarled. He lunged at me. I again impeded his attempt to slice me. Only this time he was very fast, he punched me in my stomach. I vomited and fell down. "Die!" In a flash I instinctively got my sword and thrusted it upwards. I felt it contacted with flesh and I drove it up harder. Hiro screamed as his body was pierced by the sword. Blood spurted out and showered on me. I saw his face contort grutesquely with pain. He fell, his eyes were now level with mine. "Damn...you..." he said as his breath was taken away from him. He slumped forwards to me. I caught him and pushed him away. I slowly got up. I looked at his dead body in disgust. "I'm so sorry that you underestimated me, Hiro." Then I remembered. Shinta! Hurriedly, I got up, and round up Hiro's horse. Pain and loss of blood was taking toll on me, but I didn't give a damn about myself. As the horse galloped, I said the same phrase over and over in my head, "Please, let me not be too late..." *** I was too late. I got down from the horse and stumbled towards the clearing. I could hear metal clang against metal. I struggled closer. They were still many yards away from me. I slashed through the bush and saw them. Shinta was battling with a huge man. I could see that the fight was already going on for a while. Shinta was also very weak. So my conrades were also able to wound him. But he was a strong man, I knew he could do it. After a few more exchanges, I saw Shinta prepared for the kill. With inhuman swiftness, he leaped up with his sword raised above and then... Then suddenly, I saw Tomoe came out of the cabin, a small dagger in hand. I watched in terror as I saw her go between Shinta and his opponent. She meant to stab the huge guy but... but... "Nooooooooooooo!" I fell to the ground. *** I lay there in the middle of the forest, bleeding. I understood it all. My dream wasn't about Shinta. It was about me. I was dying and I wasn't even able to help Shinta. I wanted to laugh but I coughed instead. Tears flowed from my eyes, but I couldn't feel them slide down my cheeks anymore. I was too cold. "Gomen nasai Shinta," I whispered. "Gomen..." And then darkness claimed me. *** "Arashi..." "Tomoe?" "Yes, it is I." "But...you are dead. I saw him kill you. Then does that mean that I am also dead?" "No, it's not your time yet." "Why did you do it? Why did you betray him?" "I didn't, I loved him." "Wait... don't go...Tomoe!" *** "Arashi!" "Okaasan!I...I..." "Hush now, Arashi. Everything's gonna be all right..." "I missed you Okaasan, why did you leave me?" "I had to." "I love you Okaasan." "I love you to Arashi..." "Okaasan, no... don't leave me again! No!" *** "Daughter..." "It is you!" "I'm sorry." "No, it's my fault. I killed you!" "No, I killed myself. If it wasn't for me... you wouldn't..." "Otousan, why didn't you love me?" "I did Arashi... I did... in the end I realized it but then it was too late." "'Tousan, I loved you, didn't you know?" "I know... please, forgive me..." "I already did... and... forgive me too... I didn't mean to..." "I know Arashi, I know..." "Tousan, don't fade away now! Take me with you...!" "No Arashi, it is not your time yet..." "When is it? I want to die..." "No, that is not like you Arashi... fight... you were both my son and daughter, Arashi... fight!" "Otousan!" *** "Fate will be kinder next time, Arashi. Trust in it..." "Shinta..." *** "Arashi..." It was not a dream anymore. I looked up and saw Yuri-obaasan's face hovering over mine. "Yuri-obaasan..." "Shh, don't speak Arashi." "But..." "Sleep..." *** The next day I woke up again. Yuri-obaasan told me that a fellow ninja saw me unconsious and took me back immediately to base. "Where is Kotake-sama?" I asked. "He's dead." I was stunned. Yuri-obaasan couldn't look in my eyes as she helped me up. "He committed suicide." "But why?" "I don't know... but he left you this. We found it in his room." I took hold of the paper she had in her hand. I unfolded it with trembling fingers and started to read Arashi: I felt that I had cheated life enough so I chose to die. Ever since my wife and son were killed, I lost faith in life. I formed the Shadows to tempt fate and despite what I had done, I had no regrets. Arashi, I used you. And yes I had asked Hiro to kill you. But if you are reading this letter, then I was not mistaken. Arashi, you deserve to be free. I had promised you your freedom and I grant you that. Live your life well Arashi. Kotake-sama I folded the letter once again and put it in the pocket of my yukata. Tears blurred my vision. I looked up at Yuri-obaasan and said, "Thank you.. but I have to leave." *** I came back to the place where I saw Shinta last. But I saw no trace of him nor of Tomoe. Any evidence of battle had been removed, some covered with snow. I went back to the base disappointedly. There I said my farewell. "I'll be going now," I said to Yuro-obaasan who was crying freely. "Do you really have to go? Why don't you stay with us?" I shook my head with a smile. My life as a Shadow had ended. I had burned my uniform and I had burried Kotake-sama's sword with him. I wasn't the Cloaked Assassin anymore. I wasn't the slave-girl anymore. I was Arashi. And as Arashi, I needed to know some things about me. I wanted to go back where I came from. And even perhaps know where Shinta was. But I had a feeling I wouldn't. "You take care," she said as I walked off, with my meager possessions. I looked up the sky. It was dawn. The sun coming up behind the majestic mountains was like an omen to me. And I thought it was a good one. For once, I looked forward to what lay ahead of me. I smiled. And I never looked back. EPILOGUE "Kenshin!" the girl said as she got up to meet her husband. My own eyes met surprised violet ones. He gave me a slight nod of acknowledgement. I gave him the slightest of smiles in return. "Kenshin," I heard Kaoru say. "This is Makioka Arashi and her darling baby boy Shinta." "Hajimemashite, Kenshin-san," I murmured. "Hajimemashite, Arashi-dono," he replied. "Dozo yoroshiku." "Where's Kenji?" Kaoru asked him then she turned to me and said, "He's our three year-old son." Shinta laughed. I almost gasped out in surprise. Never had I heard them laugh like that before. So carefree and so real. "He's with Yahiko and Tsubame. I left them at the candy store." Kaoru excused herself, leaving me to talk with Shinta. I saw her glanced at her husband and gave him a look. Shinta's wife was perceptive. She knew that we have already met in some other time and place. I gave her full credits for that. We waited till she was out of sight. Shinta sat beside me. "So fate has brought us together once again, Arashi," he said. "I hope life has been good to you." "It has," I ranswered. "And I think it has been good also to you." "Yes," he said. "I've been lucky." "So am I." Silence. I couldn't speak. I felt as if there was a huge rock lodged in my throat. For more than ten years, I have wondered how Shinta was doing and now that I had the chance, I didn't know what to say. I wanted to tell him that I saw everything that happened. That I wanted to warn him. But what was the use of scrounging up the past, when we were already way into the present? I wanted to learn what happened. I wanted to ask him a lot of questions. Before I could open my mouth, his wife had returned with a drowsy three-year old boy, the exact duplicate of Shinta in her arms. Two youngsters, a boy and a girl, was also with her. Both of us stood up. "We're back," Kaoru announced. "This is little Kenji." The young boy yawned but nevertheless smiled. His otousan relieved his mother of his weight by taking him in his arms. I chuckled slightly. The scene reminded me of my husband Akira. I missed him terribly. Then Kaoru introduced the boy as Yahiko and the girl as Tsubame. They smiled at me and I smiled back in return. They all looked so happy together. I was right. There was no more use for bringing up what already happened. I heard the whistle behind me. Our train was finally there. I looked at the happy picture before me. I almost didn't want for us to leave. I wanted to stay and talk with Shinta. But as I had said before, Fate was tricky and had a weird sense of humor. Perhaps, we were meant to meet this way. I smiled. "Kenshin-san, Kaoru-chan our train has arrived. We must go." "It was nice meeting you. This is for little Shinta," she said giving me a bag which I suspected was filled with candies. "Thank you," I said. "And this is for you." I gave her my fan. She started to refuse but I insisted she take it. Surprisingly, she hugged me. I hugged her in return. Over her shoulders, we again met gazes. "See you again," I said with my eyes. "I'm happy for you." "Goodluck Arashi," he said with his. "All aboard!" the conductor from the train shouted. Kaoru released me. I then again thanked them and said my goodbyes to all of them. "Pass by at the Kamiya-dojo next time you visit," Kaoru offered. "I would love to see you again." "Hai," I said. I waved at them and got in the train. "I won't say sayonara," Kaoru teased from outside my window. "Then, ja!" I said. "Ja ne Arashi-san," Kenshin said. "Ja ne," I replied. The train began to move and I waved to them until they were mere specks. Tears were welling in my eyes. I could still remember what Shinta had said to me a long time ago. "Fate will be kinder next time..." And I thank Kami-sama that it had been to both of us. To me, and to Shinta. *OWARI* THANKS TO: 1. Ate Tin Mandigma for believing in me., 2. Jan Story, Tatsuko, and Jade-san (even if you couldn't remember it) for the comments that made me go on. 3. Lily-dono for the wonderful encouragements. 4. Ansu and the rest of the Aoshi's Harem: Sue, Jona, Noreen. Love you guys! 5. Yons for thinking that I can write. 6. The Thaddeans 99 for proving me with a life other than anime, which is still anime-oriented. 7. Dyosa for reading my fics. 8. Lyda and Jasmin for my friend since way back and has inspired me also. 9. Apple, Lyda's friend. 10. And to Noelle-chan! Mabuhay ka, ayos kang kumanta! 11. My bro Lex for suggesting that I write a relatively "action" fic. Although I think my action sequences suck. 12. My Mom for thinking I can write. 13. And to my Dad, ditto. NOTES: I know the action sequences aren't as hot as I promised they would be. Anyways, I've finished book one and the first part of book 2 will be coming up soon! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- GET WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE FREE! 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