Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ A second chance for Soujiro ❯ Figuring things out for myself ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Soujiro ran to keep up with the Rurouni, down the hill and under the bridge. The rain started just before Kenshin came to save Soujiro and had been getting harder and harder since. Kenshin wiped his face off, and brushed off some excess water from his clothes.

"This bridge is pretty low to the ground, the rain won't get to us unless it gets really windy." Kenshin said. "I wish there was some dry wood, a fire would be nice." He added, smiling at his young companion. Soujiro looked out over the creek.

"Hai," he said absently. He turned back toward Kenshin. Kenshin was sitting with his back against one of the support posts for the bridge, looking out at the rain.

"Rurouni San," Soujiro started; Kenshin looked over at him. "Why didn't you kill them?" He asked.

"All I needed to do was protect you. I didn't need to kill anyone to do that." Kenshin answered.

"But, you're stronger, you could've killed them if you wanted, so why didn't you just kill them?

"Did you want them to die?" Kenshin asked quickly. Soujiro was a bit surprised by that response. "What difference does it make what I want"

"I don't know…" Soujiro responded looking down at the ground. "I really just wanted them to stop beating me. I never minded all the work too much. Actually I never thought of it ever being any other way until recently." He said, stepping over and sitting down beside Kenshin. "A few days ago, a man came in the night and was killing policemen. He said he'd let me live if I gave him food and a place to sleep. He told me that if you're strong, you live, but if you're weak you die. I would've died if you hadn't shown up. If you're stronger than they are, why didn't you kill them?"

"That doesn't answer my question." Kenshin said bluntly.

"eh?"

"Did you want them to see them die?" Kenshin looked at the confused boy. "Whatever Shishio told you is just his opinion. I don't like needless death; like I said before, all I needed to do, was protect you. If I can do that without killing, then I still win so to speak, and no one has to die, weak or strong." He finished.

"Oh," Soujiro said, still confused a little.

"I was Hitokiri just like Shishio, but unlike him, I never wanted to kill. I got involved because I knew my kenjutsu could be used to bring a new era into being, where people were not forced into servitude. My goal was for peace, but I had to take many lives before the war was through. I hope I can make up for the lives I've taken by protecting those Shishio would call weak." He paused glancing over at Soujiro, who looked even more confused.

"Don't think too much about why some people kill and some don't. You're still a child, who has his whole life ahead of him. You shouldn't have to think about these things now. Live your life and make up your own mind about what is right." He paused ad looked out over the calm water under the bridge. "You'll meet Shishio again someday. When you do, tell him what you've come up with." He finished with a smile. Soujiro seemed less confused now. Kenshin looked out from under the bridge. "It stopped raining, we can move on now." He said, standing up.

"Rurouni San?" Soujiro asked as Kenshin turned to walk out from under the bridge.

"Yes?" Kenshin replied, looking over his shoulder.

"Where are we going?" He asked; Kenshin paused before answering.

"A place where you'll be happy."



"Let her go." Soujiro said, holding his bokken out in front of him.

"She's unconscious." Kenshin replied.

"Then lay her down, and don't try anything Battousai." Kenshin set her down leaning her against the building. He stepped back away from her.

"I know what you're thinking, but I'm not the killer you're after." Kenshin said.

"Oh, then you're awful suspicious looking, standing there with four dead cops lying around holding my sister who just happens to be injured." Soujiro said, pointing at two lifeless bodies lying nearby. "And you just happen to be the only person around with a sword."

"Sakabatou." Kenshin said, holding his sheathed sword out in front of him.

"What?" Soujiro asked, keeping a confused look on his face.

"It's not a regular sword, take a look." He said.

"Lay it down." Soujiro said, mistrustfully. Kenshin laid his Sakabatou down in the street and stepped back away from it. Soujiro quickly knelt down and picked it up. He took a few steps back, and pulled the sword from its scabbard.

"What the…it's backward?" he said, angling the sword to look down the blade. "And it's in very good condition. I seem to remember something about a backward sword…but, Oh yeah, Some samurai was traveling around with a backward sword, helping people out. He called himself Rurouni or something like that." Soujiro said, sliding the sword back in its Saya. "So, you're that man eh?" he finished, extending the hilt of the Sakabatou back to its owner.

"I didn't know there were stories about me going around." Kenshin said, taking his sword back and sliding into its place by his side.

"I'm sorry for treating you like that, It's just I'm rather protective of…Kaoru, I forgot about her!" he said rushing over to her.

"It's just a scratch, but I think she passed out from exhaustion." Kenshin said. Soujiro picked her up and started down the street, then stopped and turned around.

"Are you coming?" He asked.



Kaoru slowly opened her eyes. "In…my bed." She thought, turning over on her side. She looked at the well lit wall, and the stream of sunlight shining across the floor. "It's daylight, it was daylight when I found the Battousai…" She sat up suddenly, looking around the room. "How did I get home?" She thought, turning her head to her left. A sharp pain in her right arm caught her attention. She lowered her sleeve to find her arm bandaged snugly. "I was trying to beat Battousai…" She remembered the red-haired Rurouni carrying her away from the Battousai's swing. The wonderful aroma of well prepared soup filled her nose. ::sniff, sniff:: "Is that soup I smell?"

Ayame and Suzume walked as fast as they could without dropping the armfuls of vegetables they were carrying. They stepped up to the big bowl Kenshin was sitting behind. They smiled at him. "Here." Ayame said, opening her arms directly over the bowl; Suzume followed her big sister's lead.

"No, no, Don't drop them…" Kenshin started, but stopped to wipe away the soup that had splashed up on his face.

"Ha, ha, I told you, you have to give them specific instructions." Soujiro said. The door to Kaoru's bedroom slid open. "Oh, Kaoru, you're awake, are you alright." Soujiro said, standing up and readying himself to catch her, or go fetch her anything.

"I'm fine Soujiro." She said, glancing briefly at him. She looked down at Kenshin. "You invited him here?" She asked Soujiro, not looking at him.

"Yes, he saved you, so I thought it was the least I could do." Soujiro answered. Kaoru didn't seem mad at all, She would've invited him too.

"You have very adorable sisters." Kenshin said. Ayame and Suzume ran up and hugged him.

"He's our new friend." Ayame said. "new friend." Suzume repeated.

"He's making breakfast." Soujiro said, smiling at his younger sisters.

"Hai," Ayame said holding a rice bunny up for Kaoru. She picked it up and took a small bite. She instantly got a look of shock on her face, and stared at the rice animal.

"This…tastes…"

"You…you don't like it?" Kenshin asked. Kaoru stared at the rice ball for a moment longer, then held up her index finger.

"You're cooking is a little better than mine." She said. Soujiro watched as Kenshin slowly fell over on his side, somewhere off in the distance he thought he heard a Zen temple bell ring.



Drops of rain and dew shimmer in the early morning sunlight. The birds sang, and bathed in the puddles left from a night of rain. Soujiro walked the winding road behind the Rurouni who saved him, thinking about the past days events. "If he hadn't come, I would've died…***"Whatever Shishio told you is just his opinion."***

"But Shishio San was right, I am weak, so If he hadn't come, I would've died."

***"All I needed to do was protect you. I didn't need to kill anyone to do that."***

"But the Rurouni was right too, he was stronger than them, but he didn't kill them, why? He said he was Hitokiri, but if he didn't want to kill, why would he become a killer? And then why would he not kill now. If he became Hitokiri, he must have thought like Shishio San, but he changed. He didn't like to be a killer, then… he must seem weak to Shishio. He's stronger than my family and me, but is he weaker than Shishio San?"

***"No, I'm a sick killer."***

"I don't think he's weaker than Shishio San, I think he's just as strong, but he's not a killer. So why did he become Hitokiri?"

***"I never wanted to kill. I got involved because I knew my kenjutsu could be used to bring a new era into being."***

"To bring a new era into being? He killed to better other's lives? But he couldn't stand killing those weaker than him, so now he makes up for it by protecting those who don't expect to be helped, who don't expect freedom; people like me. And letting anyone who fights him live to see another day."

***"Live your life and make up your own mind about what is right."***

"I think he's a good strong man."

"You're awful quiet back there." Kenshin said, looking back at his younger companion.

"I was just thinking." Soujiro responded.

"How about some breakfast?" Kenshin said, pointing to a small pond.

"It looks delicious." Soujiro said, staring at the fish cooking over the fire.

"I think this one's done." Kenshin said handing it to him. He took it quickly and started eating, despite the temperature. "He must really be hungry, he probably hasn't eaten since yesterday afternoon." Kenshin thought. He had noticed his own hunger before, and saw the pond. "My appetite hasn't been this strong in months." Kenshin thought, momentarily forgetting that he was really dead. He laughed in spite of himself.

"What, what's so funny?" Soujiro asked.

"You're eating so fast, you're going to get the hiccups." He came up with quickly. "I need to tell him." He thought looking over at Soujiro.

"There's a few things I need to talk to you about." He started, taking a fish from the fire.

"Alright." Soujiro replied, setting his food down. "What is it you want to talk about?"

"About me and you. I will die in about sixty years or so." He said, pausing to take a bite of fish.

"Um, ok."

"I know this because I've already lived my life, and died." Kenshin said, looking straight at Soujiro

"What?"

"I came back here to change your life. Last night was a key change in your life, and now, it will be different than it was before. I won't tell you how it was supposed to have been, but I want your new life to be better that the old one." He said, looking to see if he was understood. Soujiro looked on in astonishment.

"You mean…I was supposed to…die?" He said with a somewhat shocked look on his face.

"I never said that, whatever was supposed to happen to you last night, never happened, and now, you're life is going down a different path."

"So, you died, and came back to save me, why? I mean, why me?" Soujiro asked.

"That's something you may come to understand later. This brings me to the other thing I need to tell you about. Some time in the future, you might run into a man who looks like me except for a cross shaped scar on his left cheek. This is the Rurouni who is still living his life, My past self. When you meet him, he will not know you, He will not remember any of this, because he didn't live through this. Do you understand?" Kenshin looked over at Soujiro. The look on his face was that of extreme confusion.

"So there is another you walking around somewhere else right now?" He finally asked.

"Right, he's probably leaving Chiba now." Kenshin said.

"I think I understand, this other you, he's only lived part of his life, where you've lived all of yours?" He asked, looking up at Kenshin.

"Hai, so if you meet the other me, you shouldn't tell him about any of this, he doesn't need to know. Okay?"

"I guess, But why shouldn't I tell him?" Soujiro asked.

"His mind is still in turmoil from killing so many during the war. Most of his fight will be ahead of him, he doesn't need any more burden that necessary."

"Okay, can I still be his friend?" Soujiro asked.

"I think he would love to have a friend like you." Kenshin said, smiling

"Good, then when I meet the other you, I will be his friend." Soujiro said, picking his fish back up. "He's a very good strong man."


Kirkis' comments on this chapter~~> http://kirkis-elf.com/w_secsou/com_secsou02.html