What we do in the beginning

[katananokokoro]

Date: February 7th, 2060
Time: Early morning-mid afternoon
Place: Kenshin's safehouse, New Meiji Lower Districts
Characters: Kenshin, Megumi, Saitoh



The road went on. Snow crunched under his feet, chilling them. Icy fingers slid along his arms, trickled down the back of his neck. He couldn't stop walking. Weary. Bent. His sword leaving red trails on the snow, red petals in the air.

You did this

Aa

He tripped and nearly fell. The snow jabbed at his hand like needles. A mouthful clutched in his palm, pressed in his mouth to hide his breath, but it was hot. It was all hot and cold at the same time and he was looking...Searching... No... Following. Just ahead. There she was. The woman with the long black hair. He wanted to reach for her. Wanted to step away. His hands... they weren't meant to touch. They were only meant to kill. She turned slightly as if she had heard his step, paused and he could see a cell phone pressed to her ear.

"You can't stay out here," he told her. "It's dangerous."

"I have to. Hello? Hello?!" Her voice rose in desperation. "Is he hurt?" And then she pinned him with wide dark eyes. "I'm looking for Sa-chan."

No. No! The darkness snapped around them. Just the two of them. The snow.

"Sa-chan. I'm looking for Sa-chan!"

"No, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Sa-chan!"

Comments

[katananokokoro]

She was upset, of course she was. (Like that other time) But he couldn't stay here. He would only attract unwanted attention and she would only be hurt again. He couldn't allow that. He wished he could make her understand why this had to be. He opened his mouth to explain and then closed it, wondering if she would come to the realization on her own. Her strained breathing seemed to fill the room. (All you can do is break her heart)

Maybe she did understand then, or at least, was letting him go. No matter how much it had to hurt. But she wasn't alone and she wouldn't be. He knew she wouldn't. Somehow out there, she would find herself. (Or at least that's what you tell yourself, isn't it? Trying to justify everything, aren't you?Coward.)

Maybe he was, but he would not lure her enemies to her. He would not see her die again. He would not see her taken. He would not see her suffer. Not if he could somehow prevent it. Kenshin pulled on his hoody and smiled at her, as gently as he could.

"Aa, Springtime at the latest, but you can always call me, that you can. There will be other times to meet. This is not the last." He fixed his messenger bag across his shoulder, taking a brief glance to see if everything was in there, and then strapped Kitetsu to his back.

It didn't feel right, somehow, just walking out. (Too much like that other time. Like...that other time...) Kenshin took two quick steps forward and hugged her tightly.

"It will be all right," he murmured. "That it will."

And he let her go and turned, out the door and a hit in his arm let him run, let his feet fly. He hit the edge of the roof and jumped, between street and stars, bounding off the edge of one roof before scrambling up the side of another, as fast as he could, aware of Megumi getting further and further away.

Keep safe, Megumi-dono he thought, and jumped again, falling in a graceful arc until he hit the lower roof at a run.