Battle Flare

By: Shadow Chaser

Kenshin Himura - age 15 - known as the Hitokiri Battousai

Tomoe Yukishiro - age 18 - "sheath" of protection for Kenshin, asked by Katsura

This is just Kenshin's own reflection on what he's thinking during the battle; when the Ishinshishi are attacked during the meeting and killed. Also what happens after the battle before he and Tomoe go into hiding.

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Idzuka's warning had activated my senses, my deadly battle senses. I could smell blood in the air as I -no- Tomoe and I made our way through dark passages that was the maze of Kyoto. I had find Katsura, he should have known this would have happened. He should have warned me.

I walked quickly and softly as I could, using my natural ability to be stealthy…but Tomoe was a problem. Her white kimono was a beacon light to my death…but I couldn't leave her, could I? I shook my head slightly…no she was too kind, too pure to die in a place like this.

"Halt!" a sharp voice to my left alerted me and I stopped in the middle of a wide street.

Shit, I swore silently. There were more than five of them, six to be precise. The Shinsengumi…they found me.

"We are the Shinsengumi, surrender now or be killed!" one of them yelled to me. His face showed determination, but I could see fear behind those beady eyes of his. They feared me, they knew that I was the Hitokiri Battousai, but they were determined to capture me.

"Lay down your arms…or die," I ordered back at them. I didn't really care for if they dropped their weapons or not, but I didn't want any blood to be sprayed in front of Tomoe.

"We have been trained in the Gatotsu Zeroshiki style!" they yelled back.

"You're all dead!" I replied, my voice had hardened into nothing. I had to kill these guys, they wouldn't back off. I reached for my katana but suddenly a cool hand touched my sword arm and I glanced back to Tomoe who had a desperate look on her face. What was she doing? In a few moments, if I didn't draw out my sword, she would be dead, along with me.

"I am your sheath, destined to stand by your side during battle-"

"You'll die-"

"-by your side, for I have seen you killed, and I will-"

I cut her off by shrugging her off and drew my sword. I narrowly blocked the Shinsengumi's blade then pushed off of him, slitting his throat in the process. My eyes became the scopes for my targets, my battle senses keen to an attack. I slashed with the power of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu at my command, killing those that stood in my way, those that wanted to kill me. Blood flowed freely from the deadly slashes I made with my katana. The coppery smell of blood flowed around me, tainting me with its scent. Cutting through the soft flesh of a Shinsengumi, I dove upon the last soldier in the little group…and promptly dissected him through the chest and face, lacerating him. He let out a gurgle of his death rattle, spittles of blood flowing out of his mouth instead of words before falling to the ground, dead.

I turned and flicked my sword, discarding some of the blood. I was going to have to clean the blade later, but for now, I needed it. Looking up from my recent killing, I gave Tomoe a hard stare…and to my surprise I received one that was sympathetic and understanding, but there was a leveled edge to her gaze. I ignored her and disappeared down another street. I knew she was going to follow me, but I didn't really care…Katsura was my main goal for now. I needed to know what to do during this time.

* * *

My feet touched the ground lightly as I became more cautious…there were hordes of Shinsengumi troops running around, and I didn't need to risk a confrontation. Suddenly I stopped and peeked around a wall at a broad street where lamp's lights were glowing around. I saw at least ten Shinsengumi troops, examining a body of one of the Choshu clan's leaders. Then I saw him…he was the embodiment of evil that I had to eliminate. I didn't know what his name was, but I knew the long face, sunken cheekbones, and two strips of black bangs that hung down his face, giving him the appearance of a wolf.

A wolf looked for its prey…but…a dragon destroys the predator…

I reached for my katana, which was sheathed, but a light feathery touch fell upon my shoulder and I turned to see Tomoe, her face saddened and she shook her head a silent no. Escape, escape, her eyes were telling me, and I sucked in a quick breath at her silent statement. She was right, I couldn't confront all ten of them at once, not with the wolf, and its cub there. I released my hand from my katana and nodded curtly. We both looked on and waited until all the Shinsengumi were turned away from us before we ran as fast as our sandals allowed us to.

Suddenly I sensed their eyes upon us and I urged Tomoe to go faster, we disappeared from their view and I took her hand and led her through a maze of streets, just in case any of the Shinsengumi followed us. I glanced behind me and saw that none were there.

There was a creaking of a gate being opened and I spun around towards the sound, my right hand on the butt of my katana, my left on my sheath. I narrowed my eyes in preparation for an attack…when Katsura stepped out, a bit harried.

"Katsura," I greeted, relief in my voice, "you're alive."

"I am…but my dream is not," Katsura replied and for just a second, I thought he was going to commit seppuku. No, he's too smart to do that…only fools who have no meaning of life do that, I thought as I waited for further orders from Katsura. "We'll have to lay low for now…I've set up a house for you just outside of the city…you will live there as husband and wife."

I blinked a bit and sucked in a swift breath. His flat statement caught me off guard for a second…I was to live with Tomoe as husband and wife?

"They will be looking for a young man…not a happily married man," Katsura reasoned and I nodded once. "I will contact you in the future when this has died down," he replied then turned around and left us, hurrying down the empty street.

I watched him go; I didn't feel the least sorry for him, but I knew that if he died, and the Shinsengumi found me, I was going to be killed. I had accepted the fact that my life as an assassin was going to be short, but I wanted my sword to protect the people and bring in a new era. No, I wasn't going to die yet, not yet…I had to show them a new era.

I turned to face Tomoe who still had a blank look on her pale face. She looked more shocked than I had with the news Katsura gave us. I stopped next to her and faced her. "We'll do as he says," I said curtly, leaving out my own thought that trailed after. For now… I saw her nod and proceeded back up the street we came from, one of the many exits out of Kyoto.

The rebellion would be renewed later, but for now, I was going to rest my katana. For now, I was going to live in peace. I was going to lay in wait as the predator…watching…as the dragon watched the winds.

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This is actually my first Kenshin fic…so you can criticize it all you want. Hopefully, if I feel like it, I can write more on Kenshin (he's just so cool!). C-ya next time! Email me at shadow_chaser41@hotmail.com.