A Turbulent Eye Between Two Hurricanes Part 1
by Serizawa Kamo

SEVERAL NOTES BEFORE WE BEGIN: ^_^

1) This is my first fanfic, so please have mercy with me! ^_^
2) I am a terrible writer in English, so please point out any weirdness you happen to come across!
3) This fanfic is set soon after the Kyoto arc and before the Revenge arc mayhem.
4) See note number 3 to understand there are some spoilers in this fanfic. People who's got allergy to spoilers, please go no further! ^_^
5) Hope these notes are a sufficient spoiler space... ^_^
6) As usual, comments & criticism are welcome.
7) This fanfic involves some actual history of Japan. Japanese history students, if you find any mistakes, please let me know!
8) And I intend to present here some actual kenjutsu styles. But I know nothing about them, so please don't flame me ! ^_^
9) All due credits to manga genius Watsuki Nobuhiro and Shuueisha. Rurouni Kenshin would not come to life without them.
10) Okay, enough notes ^_^

This fanfic begins with a rough translation of Act 150 (volume 18), as an introduction.


Part 1 (Act 150) - Epilogue Kyoto Arc Part Four



"An Afternoon in the Beginning of Summer"




(In a cemetery, water is splashed against a memorial stone)

Hiko: It's been ten years since you've come here last time...

(senko (incensus) and flowers lay beside the grave)

Hiko: What the hell happened to you, to come back here after  ten years?

(Kenshin prays quietly. Hiko falls silent.

Meanwhile, at the hideout of Shishio, destroyed after the battle)

Yahiko: When I was fighting that Battish guy from the Ten Swords, I was blinded by my emotions and I didn't know what was going on anymore. But after some time, I thought (clenching his fist) "I won!", "I am strong!" but...

(Flashback:
Ÿahiko: We were on the right side, weren't we?

Kenshin: Saying the winners are the guardians of justice is believing Shishio's philosophy. (...))

Yahiko: ... I was still imature. Obviously I don't deserve to be in this group...
 

(Sano kicks him)

Sano: Shut up.

(Yahiko stands, enraged)

Yahiko: Hey, it hurts, did you know that?!

Sano: Keep quiet a bit. I haven't come here to hear your babbling.

(they stand on a remaining of a bridge that leads to nowhere. Ruins everywhere)

Yahiko: ... is it here where the final battle took place...? (thinking)  So has he come here to see whether Saitou is alive or not...?!

Sano: .....  I can't think that guy can die. But neither I can think he could escape alive from here... in the end, he won and got away... or, using his logic, I would be the winner, since I stayed alive. Either way, this destruction reduced all that to ashes. Looks like I have to surpass him indeed.

Yahiko: Surpass? Are you talking about Saitou?

Sano: You got that right, boy. Surpass not only his "strength", but every aspect of his.

Yahiko (thinking): ... I got it. Sanosuke haven't come here to see whether Saitou is alive or not. He came here to put an end in the lost "match with Saitou". Sano didn't say a thing about Saitou this whole month, but it wasn't because he was worried about it, but because he was trying to find the "surpass" answer to the "winning" of the fight! (clenching his fist) Yes, I've got to surpass! If now I'm immature, I've got to surpass it and go ahead, instead of looking back! (starting to run) If I do so, I can surely get closer to such great men like Kenshin! (aloud) Hey, where are you going? Do you intend me to get lost in this maze?! (Sano smiles)

(In a sharbet store of Kyoto)

Megumi: ... we don't know what can happen next time... Ken-san isn't a fight lover, but if a fight like that happens again, no matter his physical conditions, he will undoubtedly go to the middle of the fight. And one day, he will...

(Megumi and Kaoru fall silent)

Megumi: So...

(a pause)

Kaoru: ....so...?

Megumi (thinking) It's time to put an end in these feelings... (aloud) So from now on, you are the person who have to work harder to ensure that Kenshin will always believe he will be alive after whatever fight he takes.

(Kaoru is surprised)

Megumi: In fact, we can do nothing about the time of death of a person. But the odds are better when you struggle to stay alive than not. Of course, Ken-san is a swordsman among the swordsmen, so he will not give up that easily. And above all, he is a gentle person, so he will not throw away his life for our sake. Nevertheless... the best person to bring him back from the gates of death is you, who was the only one Kenshin did say goodbye before leaving Tokyo. Listen well, if you show that behaviour again, this time I won't forgive you, also  for Ken-san's sake. (turning her back) That was all I wanted to talk.
All right?

Kaoru: Thank you, miss Megumi...

Megumi (with her back turned): No need for thanks. I'm doing this for Ken-san, not for you.
 

Kaoru (tears rolling down her face) I see... (thinking) Thank you, Megumi... and... I'm sorry...

(back to the graveyard)

Kenshin: After the era became Meiji, I went to almost every part of Japan as a wanderer. But I avoided Kyoto because there are many people who know me and that would cause unwanted fights.

Hiko: Just that?

(a pause)

Kenshin: Kyoto obliges me to remember me as Hitokiri Battousai and the person I killed with my hands, who sleep here. That's why I avoided Kyoto. But... (remembering the fight with Shishio) but... (remembering Kaoru's words: "Let's go back to Tokyo together") At last he smiles), I decided to lay flowers on this grave.
 

(after a moment, Hiko grins)

Hiko: If your business is over, then go back now to Tokyo. Even if you get involved with unwanted fights from now on, I will not lend any help. (he goes)

(Kenshin smiles. He turns back to the grave)

Kenshin: I'll come back here again next year...

(late evening in Kyoto. The bells are ringing ("Dashing through the snow, in a one horse open sleigh..." ^_^))

(Sano and Yahiko are going back to Aoiya. Yahiko is panting heavily, barely standing on his feet)

Sano: Ridiculous. You are that tired walking only this far.
(note: from Mount Hiei to the center of Kyoto, there are more than 15 kilometers ^_^)

(Sano notices somebody)

Sano: Hey, Jou-chan, it's a rare thing to see you with that fox woman.
Kaoru: !

A voice: Oro?

Kaoru: !

Kenshin: What are you four doing here?

Everybody: Kenshin! (Kenshin: Yes?)

Sano (sighing) Nothing that important. And you, where did you go that early in the morning?

Kenshin: Oro? Oh, as you can see, I went to visit a grave of an acquaintance of mine...

Kaoru: Kenshin, you just said "Oro"---

Kenshin: Oro?

Kaoru: Again! You just said "Oro" again!

(a moment of silence of Megumi, Sano and Yahiko )

Kenshin: Oro?

Everybody (general hooray): That's right! It's been a long time we last heard that! I think I haven't heard that for a year and a half!
Kenshin: Ororo?

Kaoru (thinking): Looks like... (Sano kicks Kenshin. Yahiko and Megumi plays around Kenshin ^_^) finally... finally.... (Kenshin is smiling) Kenshin got back.... (Kaoru smiles)

(back to Aoiya)

Okina (crying and babbling): I spent so much efforts into choosing the best places, so much efforts into nothing, nothing, nothing...
Misao (angry and crying): Why don't you go back now to Tokyo?
Kaoru (cutely desperate): I'm sorry, I'm sorry (I've forgotten it completely...)

Kenshin: Oro?


Coming next: The builders of a new era?
 

On to Chap 2