From: Chibi-Chiriko Konbanwa, minna, I'm s'posed to be off to bed by now -- but I'm just grabbing time to post this little oneshot here before I get yelled at again. A second batch of comments should be coming in the next few days or so-- pretty cool fanfics lately, and I have my eye set on reading a few of them at a more appropriate time. But for now, just a oneshot I shoulda done a long time ago. Oyasumi! ~Chibi-Chiriko-chan ================================ DISCLAIMERS: RK (c) Nobuhiro Watsuki and others. No (c) infringement intended -- I'm no ahou to even dare! IN THE GRASP OF DUSK by: Chibi-Chiriko ~To Jan Story, for giving me this idea a long time ago, and to Jessica, for understanding me~ For the sword outwears its sheath, And the soul wears out the breast, And the heart must pause to breathe -We'll Go No More, by Lord Byron The reddish gold light of twilight stole into the broken glass windows of the tavern as the man walked in. Taking no notice of the scents of the drunk, or those that glared menacingly at him as his loud footsteps jolted them out of their reverie, he signalled the waiter to come over. "Three sake jars, n' a bowl of sukiyaki," he said, his rough speech soothed with a gracious tone. "And make it quick, got it?" "Hai, hai." The waiter bowed, and hopped away like a jackrabbit to fill his order. The man rolled his eyes, then headed for the first table he saw, which was right next to the window and offered a nice view of the sunset. It was occupied by two burly, foul-smelling men who reeked of sake and cigars. He casually slid into the seat opposite them, and leaned across the table, his eyes reflecting the scarlet glow of the sky. He said nothing, his teeth unconsciously grinding into the fishbone in his mouth. "Hey, kid, whatcha think yer doin', takin' liberties, an' sittin' here with us?" one man snarled, forcing the young man to stare back at him. His teeth were black and his breath was such a stench that a grimace of disgust crossed the young man's tanned face. "Ye got no permission to be sittin' here, kid. Get out." The young man just blinked, and returned his gaze to the window. "Well, I don't see your name on this seat, *sir*," he said, somewhat sarcastically. " 'Sides, I like the view. So why doncha just calm down, okay?" The second man pounded his fist on the table, eliciting some gasps from the customers in the tables nearby. The young man noticed for a fleeting moment the slight twitch of the shoulder of a red-haired man at the table at the farthest end of the tavern. "Lissen. I'm kind, so I'm givin' ya five seconds to bust outta here. Five seconds through and you're still in your seat, I'll knock the livin' daylights outta ya, ya hear?" {My, so drunk} he thought in disgust, regarding both men with a critical stare. He wondered if they could actually get him in the condition they were in, and for a moment, he decided to face up to this challenge, but was suddenly aware of the onlookers all around him, and changed his mind. *Not* that he actually thought for one moment that he'd *lose*, of course, such a foolish, unbelievable and downright unacceptable thought to even dare to let into his proud young mind, but hey, he wanted his sake, didn't he? And he'd had enough of fighting for a week's worth. He just wasn't up to waste his strength and hard-earned abilities on two stubborn, arrogant drunkards. "Yare yare, all right, I'm goin'," he said with a bored yawn. "Next time, make sure to have your name printed on this stupid table if you value your privacy so much." And without a backward glance, he stood up, slipped out of his seat, and walked over to the table where the red-haired man sat. Behind him, he heard sighs of relief, and a small smile found itself on his lips. The young redhead did not move as he settled into the seat across him. It was as though he didn't even notice his presence, though instinct warned him of a powerful, and carefully guarded ki this man was emanating. He tilted his head in a curious angle as he studied the young man's face. Blank, dispassionate. Violet eyes stared emotionlessly at the setting sun outside. He was definitely much younger, and he didn't even seem strong enough to lift the table with those seemingly soft, feminine limbs. Long, smooth coppery tresses were tied up into a loose topknot, and there was a small bandage on his left cheek. A pink kimono and a white hakama clothed him, and the distinctive sheath of a sword hung at his small waist. His eyes narrowed. A swordsman indeed. This was certainly more interesting. And that would explain the ki that hummed so softly, and yet with a strong, steady beat of its own, so like the distant pounding of a heart. Now as for which side he'd been on during the very recent war... "Your drinks, sirs." The waiter set down a small tray on the table, with the three sake jars he had ordered, plus the sukiyaki, and a small extra jar of sake the red-haired man must have ordered. He nodded to the waiter, then dug his chopsticks into his sukiyaki. The redheaded swordsman across him turned slowly from his position, his movements so light and seemingly deliberate as though he were in a trance. Not meeting the man's gaze, he took the sake jar and poured it into the tiny cup, and brought it to his lips. They were like this for the first five minutes, when, in childish impatience, the man across the redhead slammed his fist on the table. "Man, you're so quiet!" he complained. The sun had already been totally erased from the sky, and the breeze of the night flew in through the tavern windows, ruffling his dark, unruly bangs. "*Say* something, would ya?" The redhead blinked, his violet eyes seeming to return to life at this outburst. "What would you like me to say?" he asked in a soft, slightly feminine voice. His face reflected utter surprise. The man was embarrassed. "Oh, I don't know!" he exclaimed, exasperated. "Just-- whatever you say when you dine with somebody! Or are you like this whenever you have dinner? Or is it just 'cause I'm a stranger to ya or somethin'? You're so aloof." A tiny smile played at the corners of his mouth. "I'm sorry," he offered sincerely. "I'm not just used-- to being with people and expecting to have to say something to them. I'm sorry my silence bothers you." He scrutinized the man's face more intently. Though his eyes were carefully averted, his expression was one of utter weariness. He also looked a little sad, somewhat lonely somehow. His hands slowly edged toward the sake jar, and he poured some more for himself. "Then maybe I could teach ya, huh?" he offered, running his hand through his dark crown. "So tell me, what's your name?" The young man stopped in mid-sip. He seemed to be weighing the question. "Ore-- ore wa rurouni, de gozaru yo," he whispered, stumbling over the 'ore' as he spoke. "Wanderer," the one who asked muttered. Something in his mind clicked. There was something about this young man that was so familiar, made him think he'd seen him before... but where, when, how? Something about the passive look on his face, the hair, and the mysterious bandage on his left cheek. He racked his brains, but all answers eluded him at the moment. He sighed. "You can call me Harada, I guess," he said. "Harada Sanosuke, that's me. I don't suppose you trust me enough to tell me who you are, but I don't think you want to kill me, like everyone else seems to." Shock, recognition, and a hint of pain darted across the young rurouni's features. "Harada... Sanosuke," he murmured, rubbing his fingers together. "Well. Pleased to meet you." "Yeah, well met," he agreed, taking a swig. "So I take it you're the reserved type of swordsman, eh?" That elicited a suspicious glance, and a guarded expression. "What is that supposed to mean, Harada-san?" he asked, his fist clenching and unclenching. His eyes showed no anger, though, only a question of how could he have possible known. Harada just grinned. "Nah, I spotted that sword on your waist a mile away," he said, in a somewhat arrogant tone. "Now, now, don't wet your pants!" he exclaimed, holding up his palms placatingly as the rurouni's face went pale. "It's not like I'm plannin' a' tell 'nyone. I'm just glad you're loosening up. I *hate* silent dinners, if you must know. So, care to tell me any stories 'bout your battles with that sword?" His violet gaze dropped, and he fingered the hilt of the sword, speaking in a quiet, subdued tone. "I haven't had any battles with this sword yet, and hopefully I'll never have to. It's brand new. A sakabatou, de gozaru yo." This surprised Harada. "Sakaba?" he muttered. "As in, a reverse blade? Now why in tarnation would you want a sword like that? You couldn't kill a fly with that thing!" "That's why." Momentary regret washed over his face, and was quickly replaced by the dispassionate mask. Harada made a face. "Oh, well, I don't suppose you can tell me anything. From the look of things, I don't suppose you want anything more than to be left alone at the moment. I'm all done, anyway, and I'm sorry to have bothered you, rurouni-kun. At any rate, I'd better go." He rose from his seat and lifted his fingers up in a wave. "Ja!" As he walked out of the tavern, he flicked a few coins in the waiter's direction. -- --- --- As Harada Sanosuke stumbled into the sudden, icy cold, a face suddenly came to his mind, halting him in his tracks. The face of a killer, a swordsman whose fang of a blade had bitten into fresh young veins, drawing out more blood than the seas could ever hold. His brown eyes widened as the face defined itself in his vision: cold, amber eyes warring with the passionate purple orbs, hair the color of a brilliant red sunset, with splashes of gold across its width, the tell-tale cross scar on his cheek, gashing the innocence from his youth forever. So like the face of the young man who'd claimed to be a wanderer in the tavern, whose eyes strayed purposefully from him, who quietly embraced the loneliness that engulfed him now. "Good God, the Hitokiri Battousai!" he whispered. A wind sang ominously in response, tugging at his earlobe as it swept past him. He'd just unwittingly walked into a tavern and plunked down into a seat opposite one of the most feared killers in the Bakumatsu, and the redhead had done nothing more than bat an eyelash. The absurdity of the whole thing grabbed at him, choking him, and a low, nervous chuckle escaped his lips. And yet, when he recalled the dying light in those violet eyes, the silent seclusion of that carefully guarded ki and the weariness on his face, the chuckle died down, and he actually gulped. He pulled his coat more tightly around him, shivering as he walked alone in the dark, deserted streets. Overhead, the sea of black night seemed to be stretching endlessly, gleaming with starry corals and booming with the distant echo of thunder. OWARI 1/23/00 Whoa. Pretty ominous, huh? I know it was weird, but I guess after the stuff I'd been reading lately, and after all my brooding and all, my writing for the day'd turn out to be something weird. I don't know whether Kenshin started using 'sessha' right when he began his journey, but since he used 'ore' as the Battousai, I suppose he still had to grow into the habit. And as for Harada Sanosuke's personality -- don't look at me that way, I never knew him! So I guess he'd have a Sano type of personality, tinged with your typical Shinsengumi pride. And you might be asking, "Okay, so what's the point of this whole fic?" I don't know -- I just meant it to be a oneshot, and it was definitely different from the original Harada Sanosuke story I was planning to do (I was thinkin' I'd put more drama into the original plot). I guess I decided to do something with a little more foreboding... I'm really not sure why! But I enjoyed doing Kenshin. I really prefer him as the Battousai; he appears dead but he's really very passionate in his desperate longing for a better, more peaceful world. I might be doing more Battousai stories should inspiration strikes. I always had a special place in my heart for our favorite young hitokiri. Anyway, ja for now, and take care! Send all C & C to tranquiltwilight@yahoo.com God bless! ^-^x P.S. This was somewhat inspired by Chapter 9 of "Of Love and Honor." ^^;; __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- Get great offers on top-notch products that match your interests! Sign up for eLerts at: Click Here ------------------------------------------------------------------------