Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Prisoner of War ❯ The Gift ( Chapter 14 )

Bando-Eido no Megami-sama- Thank you so much!!

^_^ - I just picked the name Hiko because I couldn't think of any other make Japanese names.

INSOMNI-MANIAC- I wish I still lived at home sometimes maybe not too! I love you by the way. Thanks for being my most loyal reviewer!

BelleDayNight- Misao is 16 years old. She married Aoshi at 12 like Kaoru. A baby at 13, a baby at 15 and a baby on the way. This is the norm for the men and women in this city in this time period.

Nigihayami Haruko- That was beautiful. That's very much what I was going for.

Ms. Zeal- Kenshin is still chained. His ability to get up to get the water was supposed to show his marked improvement from earlier chapters when he couldn't.

Thank you so much for the questions! YAY! I love answering them. It gets my juices flowing. All right, for the last chapter symbolism wise, Nigihayami Haruko was almost right on. Please also note the way the weather is getting colder and colder. And Kaoru's "freedom" or "recklessness" was supposed to be represented by the way her hair was loose. Note how it was her hair that "blinded" her on her way home. Sorry, I just love putting in little things like this. Enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: I had a dream I owned Kenshin once. It was very naughty. One should take care not to call out a cartoon character's name in one's sleep, especially if one sleeps with one's boyfriend every night. Good thing Kenshin kind of rhymes with Justin.

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Kenshin stared unhappily at the gift Aoshi was holding out for him. It was a sword that had been completely concealed under Aoshi's large jacket. He was gripping it in the middle of the sheath at the end of a strait arm. He held it right in front of Kenshin's face. The red head's heart sped up as he examined the weapon without touching it. It was very new. The black leather of the scabbard still smelled of the tanner. But it was blank, devoid of designs. Every other sword he had ever owned rested in a place covered in pictures. Men meeting their deaths. Eyes that saw all. Angry gods with fiery swords. Images of the devastation the sword would be used for. But this sword slept a blank sheath. The only thing that decorated it was a string of white beads close to the hilt. They hung down and clattered together. Their whiteness emphasized in the sunlight from the window. The hilt itself was made of brass and there was a white bandage wrapped around it to protect the bearer's hand from the cold metal and ensure a better grip. Kenshin looked up from it to Aoshi's stoic face.

"Aoshi, I can't take this." Aoshi did not move the sword from its position at Kenshin's eye level.

"Yes, you can. And you will." Kenshin looked down at his chained hands.

"I can't." Aoshi wrapped his free hand around the white bandaged hilt and made the beads clack together. Kenshin watched as he slowly pulled the sword free. Its blade gleamed in the sunlight sending tiny particles of light dancing on the walls and the ceiling like little rejoicing rainbows. Aoshi held it in a traditional fighting position with the tip pointing heavenward. But it was no traditional fighting weapon. Kenshin's breath caught at the shear beauty of it. He examined each and every inch of the sword from his position on the bed.

"Aoshi." His voice was soft. He really didn't know what to say.

"I commissioned this to be forged especially for you. The smith thought that I was crazy when I demanded that it be reverse-bladed. Now you can fight without killing. I would be very offended if you didn't accept my gift." Kenshin did not respond. He just continued to stare. Never before had he seen a sword whose killing edge was on the opposite side. Every man struck with this sword would fall, but they would all rise again. His mind raced back to unhappy and unwanted memories. All of the men he had struck would never rise again. His swords had killed in so many ways. Through the stomach. Through the heart. Through the neck. Through the head. How much blood had been shed by his hands? How many lives had he taken to save his own? He looked upward at the shimmering lights from the sword.

"I know what plagues your thoughts, Kenshin. That's the reason I had this created. You don't have to kill again." Kenshin felt his eyes well up with tears. They did not fall though, only glistened in a way that reminded Misao of violets kissed by morning dew. His voice was choked as he spoke.

"Aoshi." He couldn't think of anything else to say. Aoshi quickly slid the sword back into its sheath. It came to rest with a click and a small clatter of the beads. He held it out again with a steady hand.

"I am laying my sword down. I know that you can't without sacrificing your life. Don't create anymore widows or orphans. Take the sword." Kenshin reached his shaky hands up and took it. The white beads clanged against his chains. He sighed at the familiar weight in his hands.

"Thank you." He was very quiet. He watched as Misao handed her tiny daughter and young son to her husband. He held them awkwardly. He seemed much better at holding the sword, but there was love in his eyes. The small children in his arms were the reason he would never draw a sword again. Them and his sweet young wife. She walked forward and gripped Kenshin's hands. With his help, she lifted the heavy metal irons to bring his hands to her swollen belly. He could feel the life inside her shifting uncomfortably under her soft kimono. Suddenly he was transfixed. He had never been in more awe than he was at Aoshi's young wife at that very moment. All the women he had known with the exception of his mother and Kaoru were cruel and angry. But Misao was not. She was happy and wonderful. She was like a wonderful goddess bringing life to the world. She stared down into his fascinated eyes.

"Thank you, Kenshin. I thank you for saving my husband's life." The slender fingers that had not removed themselves from their place on his hands squeezed lightly, and her unborn baby kicked his palm. His mouth parted a bit and the unshed tears still in his eyes threatened to fall.

"We thank you." She released his hands, and they slid into his lap. He instinctively clutched at the sword. Misao reclaimed her children to her protective arms. Both she and her husband turned and walked away. They said nothing and neither did he. There was no need for anything else.

A few hours after Aoshi and Misao left, Kenshin turned and looked out the window. The snow that had begun in the early morning was still falling and changing colors in the setting sun. His stomach was knotted. Kaoru still had not come to him. The door slid open again, and Megumi waltzed in with her head held high. She seemed amused at something.

"How are you today, Battousai?" Kenshin did not respond to her cheerful question. He just looked away toward the window.

"Lonely?" He gripped the sword in his grasp tighter. The beads clicked together.

"Where is Miss Kaoru?" His voice was even and threatening. Had it come from almost anyone else, she would have been frightened, but the brand on his face and the irons on his hands made her feel safe even in the presence of a man who had killed so many. Megumi smiled evilly at him. He had seen that smile before. Many women had looked at him like that. Many smiles spun through his head that he did not want to remember.

"She's not coming anymore, Battousai. Isn't that upsetting? Apparently she broke one of her husband's rules." Kenshin's eyes narrowed at her. She slapped his face.

"Get up, slave. Follow me." She nearly spat the words at him. Kenshin did as he was told. He was right behind her as she walked out the door into the dusk. The reverse-bladed sword lay on his bed without him, and his hands cried at the loss of its comforting presence.

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A/N: All right everyone, I have successfully outlined the rest of the story. There should be somewhere between 23 and 25 chapters depending upon whether I condense chapters from my outline or not. Chapter 18 might be a lemon unless it contains vital things like symbols and such. If it is, it will not be necessary to understand what's going on and will be posted separately on Mediaminer under the title "Prisoner of War - Lemon Chapter." Please review!