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By Nadya Neklioudova
August 27, 1997
Updated August 11, 1998
The cold pale light of the full moon, ignoring the rustling and whispering trees, shone onto the yard of the Kamiya Dojo. Two solitary shadows were cast onto the ground by the two figures standing in silence at the midst of the autumn night. The breeze tugged at the tree branches, and a shower of rusty leaves blew past Kenshin's deep purple eyes, shining with a slight hint of yellow in the moonlight. He glanced at them momentarily, lowering his gaze from Kaoru's terrified face, tear
tracks running down her cheek.What he just told her... She couldn't even begin to believe. The wanderer that she had met, the Kenshin that had protected her and that she had fallen in love with, it all shattered, like the silence of the night, with the words that he had just said. He must leave her forever... She could not believe it. She followed his unseeing gaze past the treetops to the cold midnight moon that glowed with a yellow light, a shadow of the same pale light returned by Kenshin's eyes.
It's over, Kenshin thought in silence. It all is. His life at this welcoming home, his love for Kaoru, it's all over. It has to be this way. Otherwise she would die. Sano, Megumi and Yahiko already had. And there was nothing he could do… Not now, not ever. He did not want that to happen to Kaoru... As much as it hurt him, he had to leave. Forever. And never see either this city, nor his friends, nor Kaoru… A lone tear slid down his face, glittering in the moonlight, falling to the ground, shattering… like all his dreams.
Kaoru stared blankly at the moon. Why? Why? She thought, shining tears overflowing from her blue eyes. She stiffened for a moment as she felt strong arms gently wrap around her, her lips meeting the lips of her lover in this last kiss goodbye. She closed her eyes for a long moment, knowing that soon, it all would end... forever...
She finally opened her eyes to see Kenshin's figure slowly walking away, away from her. No, she thought, no, she could not take this. She could not live, knowing that she will never see him again... never... never... No. She looked at him, his shadow slowly walking farther, farther away from her own. Not thinking, she reached into the folds of her clothes, slowly pulled out a small knife, and looked at it with determination.
A dark cloud passed over the moon.
"Kenshin..." Kenshin stiffened as he heard his name whispered behind him. He turned his head, and his eyes grew wide with horror as he saw Kaoru's body lying on the ground, apparently lifeless. He ran back to kneel beside her, tilted her head up, to see her loving, beautiful, but sad, teary eyes look up at him. She smiled weakly, and showed him the knife, her blood dripping off the edge of the glimmering blade onto the ground. "Kenshin... I don't want to live without you..I can't... I love you...forever... ......" Kaoru whispered, then her eyes closed.
"KAORU-DONO! No..." Kenshin's scream pierced the night air. A few startled birds in the trees took off and flew away, rustling the leaves again. Kenshin's eyes followed their flight, their wings covering the stars momentarily, as the moon's reflection created eerie yellow shadows in Kenshin's teary violet eyes.
Now he had no more reason to leave. Or live. All the ones he loved and cared for were dead, nothing could bring them back... He couldn't stand this. He promised himself that he would protect them with his life. He couldn't help the others when they were killed... he tried to protect at least Kaoru by leaving, but...
"What have I done?!?" Kenshin whispered to the moon. It didn't answer...it never does.
The shine gone from his crying eyes, Kenshin took the knife out of Kaoru's still hand, and held back a breath of pain as he felt the metal pierce his chest. The knife fell to the ground, dripping with both of their blood. Wrapping his arms around her lifeless body, he whispered "Kaoru... I love you too..."
As the moonlight again shone onto the night earth, a flight of rusty autumn leaves blew by the two unmoving figures on the moonlit ground, holding each other in a final embrace.
Two spirits, holding each other's hand, slowly floated up toward the silent moon.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: *Sniffle* Okay, I know this is depressing… Don't even ask
why I wrote this... I don't know...*sob*