Chapter Thirty-One: A Heart's Strength

With no pause between his words and his next course of action, Aoshi began his next attack.

"Kodachi Nito-Ryu…..Goko Juji!" Aoshi silently hissed, as he crossed his dual kodachi in front of him, and swept them towards Kenshin's neck; the rurouni just barely having enough time to read the move, and then knocking him flat onto his back with the Ryu Sho Sen! Yet Kenshin didn't stop there…..as Aoshi fell, he leaped into the air directly above the former Okashira; preparing to launch the Ryu Tsui Sen next…..only to have it blocked by Aoshi as he quickly got up again.

"Come on, my friend! You can do it!" Tetsunosuke silently cheered; remaining silent, since he knew that the elder rurouni needed to keep his attention solely on the Onmitsu before him, and knowing just from feeling Sanosuke's ki that the fight merchant was thinking along the same lines he was. And they both watched as Kenshin's blow finally landed, temporarily sending Aoshi to one knee, as blood flowed freely down his face from a cut just a little bit above the hairline. Yet they both could only feel a hint of alarm, when Kenshin landed, and both sides of his neck began to bleed, as well.

"Do you still…..think of them…..as 'empty words'?" Kenshin panted, as he put one hand up to one of the heavily-bleeding cuts, and then glared at Aoshi.

"It's still…..too early….to gloat." Aoshi gasped, then added, with a growl, "One width….of paper…..closer…..and your jugular…..would have been sliced open."

"The width of that paper is the gulf between you, Shinomori." Tetsunosuke murmured; getting a nod from Kenshin for an agreement to that.

"As Tetsu had said before…..while sessha had been training in the shadows between life and death….a strength far stronger than the will to die was found. 'Sometimes, the bravest act is to live'…..that is what sessha's master taught the both of us, then." Kenshin added, as he glanced at Tetsunosuke and they both exchanged glances; the elder rurouni knowing, now, that the former page of Hijikata Toshizo had also re-learned that strength then, as well.

"It took me ten years of searching…..to find my reason to continue living, after the Shogunate fell. Ten years of living with the memory of the horrors I had witnessed, and even committed, then….." Tetsunosuke said, his eyes taking on a haunted look, as he remembered the bloodshed, both within and outside of the Shinsengumi's ranks.

"Aa. And many crimes were committed by Hitokiri Battousai, that can never be totally forgiven. Thus has sessha lived the past decade, without regard for his own life. Yet, no matter what crimes may still haunt, or whatever punishments are waiting to be dealt, sessha will not give up on life." Kenshin added, as he started to step forward; his stance changing, ever-so-slightly as he did so, "You say you've thrown everything away…..but anyone can throw away the unwanted things…..nothing to it."

"Your swords have indeed become the strongest of all, but when it comes to 'heart', you're barely even casting a shadow." Tetsunosuke growled, now seeing where Kenshin was going with this, and as the same thing started becoming apparent in Aoshi's dead-seeming blue eyes…..Emotion was starting to emerge within them.

"What are you talking about?" Aoshi hissed; his own voice gaining a hint of an edge, as he made eye contact with both rurouni.

"Beshimi, Hyottoko, Shikijo, Hannya…..your four most trusted men, are dead. This need you have to offer them glory….Sessha understands that. But to speak those words when your soul is as weak as it is now…..then that desire has become only an excuse to run away from life! What you're doing isn't for them, anymore, it's against them! You're using them as a selfish excuse to kill!" Kenshin almost furiously shouted; his words seeming to strike the Okashira like physical blows, until the Onmitsu actually stood up and landed another blow of his own.

"How dare you!!" Aoshi raged, as the light of anger finally appeared in his eyes; in essence making him seem more alive than before, as he watched Kenshin reel back slightly from the force of the punch….but did not fall

"The question makes you angry…..Is it because it cuts so close?" Kenshin asked, after he'd spat some blood from his mouth, and again gazed strongly at the warrior before him. Tetsunosuke gritted his teeth and held himself back, when yet another punch struck his friend, this time knocking him to the floor.

"What do you know?!" Aoshi snarled, as he glared down on Kenshin like a bloodstained shinigami; his eyes almost glowing with fury as he did so.

"Think, Aoshi…..to offer those four their so-called 'glory'…..you have locked yourself away….But what are you running from?" Kenshin asked, in turn; receiving only a strong kick from the enraged man before him in response; continuing after he'd ended up hitting the nearest bookshelf almost full-force, "Is it because you might feel the weight of their deaths, if you don't?"

"That's something I also understand, Shinomori…..but running away will only get you but so far. Whatever you do in this heartless state, will only do more harm." Tetsunosuke said, as he came and stood beside Kenshin; keeping his eyes on Aoshi, as he helped Kenshin get back to his feet again.

"Move aside." Aoshi demanded; his eyes blazing, as he spat out those words…..and when Tetsunosuke refused to retreat again.

"Shinomori, you…..no, your weakness…..It blames them for your coldness….and it's turning them into evil spirits." Tetsunosuke growled, in response; bracing himself for the incoming blow, and blocking it with his bare hand….Feeling it keenly when the kodachi's blade sliced open his palm, and as his blood started dripping freely down his arm. He also heard it when Kenshin blocked the other kodachi in the same manner.

"Aoshi, did you know…..that Misao-dono has taken over the leadership of the Oniwabanshu? Has declared herself as their Okashira?" Kenshin asked, quietly; continuing when Aoshi didn't say anything in response, "After your battle with Okina, in order to protect both Kyoto and the Oniwabanshu, she took on the burden of leadership in your stead." It was a few moments before Aoshi said anything in response to those words, yet, when he did, his tone was almost gentle.

"Misao is….a strong girl. I'm not pleased that she's involved herself with the Oniwabanshu…..but I know she'll be a strong leader for them." Aoshi murmured, as warmth and sadness emerged very briefly in his seemingly frozen eyes.

"Then did you know that that 'strong girl' you'd just mentioned, shed tears when we promised to bring your sorry ass back?" Tetsunosuke growled; glaring up into Aoshi's shocked gaze, as he said that (and ignoring Kenshin's vaguely aghast look, at the way he'd phrased that comment), "It doesn't matter how 'strong' she seems to be, she's still only sixteen! And there's only one person who can dry her tears, Shinomori, and that's you! Don't run away from the truth any longer, and stop blaming those who had sacrificed themselves for you! Despite what you think, they don't want the so-called glory you offer!"

"What Tetsu is saying is the truth, Aoshi! Call back the courage you had lost, and find your soul again! It's time to restart the life that had stopped at Kanryu Mansion, and high time you woke up!" Kenshin almost shouted; knowing just from feeling the ki of the man before him, and beside him, that these were words that were hard to say, and equally as difficult to hear. For a few moments, time seemed to stand still within the library; all three warriors seeming frozen by those words alone, as their eyes remained locked on each other's.

"In many ways, I understand what Shinomori had been through….The loss of the Shinsengumi could have led me down this path, and yet…." Tetsunosuke thought, then mentally shook his head. He remembered too well what Okita's final request of him had been, ten years prior.

"Please live, my friend. Live out your life for us, and live it to the fullest!" Okita had whispered, painfully, as he had lain dying in the hospital from tuberculosis; his eyes almost shining with tears, as he'd said those words.

"What reason should I have to continue living, Okita-san? The Shogunate's gone, my brother's still missing, and I'm going to be hunted for the rest of my days! What hope do I have to even find a peaceful life for myself, after this?!" he remembered asking, and got a sad, knowing smile from the dying man in response.

"You'll find a reason to live, my friend. It may take…..a while….But you'll definitely find it. Have faith, and keep living." Okita had said, before finally closing his eyes, and passing away.

"And I may have found it, in this era….This age of Meiji….and it is something I want to protect, above all else!" Tetsunosuke thought, just barely having the time to brace himself before Aoshi broke free of the standstill, and sent both him and Kenshin flying backwards again; with Kenshin landing on top of the younger rurouni, when they finally came to a stop.

"Ow….." Tetsunosuke wheezed, before Kenshin quickly got off of him, and help him sit back up.

"Sessha did tell you to stay out of the fight, Tetsu." Kenshin murmured, once he was sure that he was all right.

"No need….to rub it in….But he packs a helluva wallop….." Tetsunosuke mumbled, as they both got up, and then looked at the Onmitsu again. Aoshi now had his back to them, and seemed to be sorting his thoughts.

"…..Aoshi….." Kenshin quietly said, as he gazed at the other man; tensing when he finally spoke again.

"Even if what you have both said is true…..How can I move on, unless we finish this battle?" Aoshi asked, calmly; his tone hinting that something had changed within the former Okashira…..

"Since when did sessha say that he objected to finishing it?" Kenshin replied, as a slight smile emerged on his bruised and bloodied features, and as Aoshi then turned and looked at the trio standing before him.

"Watch it, Kenshin….His eyes are different, this time." Sanosuke said, as he also seemed to sense the change in the other man. Aoshi's eyes now finally seemed alive; it no longer seemed as though they were looking at a walking dead man.

"Aa. They're his eyes. The eyes from long before Kanryu Mansion…..they belong to the man those four had sacrificed themselves for, that Okina-dono had respected, and Misao-dono had admired. That is the true Shinomori Aoshi!" Kenshin stated, as he stepped forward…..but not before giving Tetsunosuke a look that simply said it all.

"I get the point without you even sayin' anything…..Sheesh. I'll stay out of it." Tetsunosuke muttered, as he took an extra step back, for added measure…..Almost doing a double-take, when a very, very slight smirk briefly appeared on Aoshi's face, and then was gone again.

"Win or lose, I've no regrets." Aoshi said, quietly, as he took up a ready position in front of the elder rurouni.

"Agreed. It's our final match." Kenshin murmured in agreement, then silently added, as he assumed the battojutsu stance, "Bring all and leave nothing!"

"And let's hope that this is what it takes to finish this, once and for all!" Tetsunosuke silently thought, as he pushed his own nervousness aside, and focused on the two warriors before him; not even noticing that Okita's ghost had disappeared from his side, once again.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"So, which of those two do you think would win?" Soujiro asked, when he had returned to the meeting room; unaware that he was being followed by a restless spirit.

"Well, they are pretty equal." Shishio muttered, coolly, as he sat back and took a few thoughtful pulls on his pipe.

"A draw would be the best we could ask for, so long as they both die. It would be killing two birds with one stone." Houji said, sanguinely.

"I'd rather have Himura-san win. I, for one, want some closure for Shingetsu Village and the Rengoku." Soujiro added, cheerfully (even though he was getting an unreadable look from Houji for his comment), then asked, "But if Shinomori-san does win, what are you going to do then?"

"Hmm…..well, let's see….If that happens, then I'll defeat him, and become the 'strongest'. How does that sound?" Shishio asked, rhetorically, with a smirk, before lapsing into silence, and beginning the wait for word about the outcome of the battle.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

For several long moments, Kenshin and Aoshi stared at each other; the tension so thick, even a katana would have been too dull to cut it.

"Damn…..a perfect stand-off!" Tetsunosuke inwardly muttered, as he and Sanosuke waited for the final fight to begin.

"Whether it's Kenshin or Aoshi, this is it, the last match! Aoshi's using dual-kodachi, no mistake there, and the move he's gonna use, will be Kaiten Kenbu Rokuren….which means six super-fast strikes from either the left or the right." Sanosuke thought, as he tensely took in the situation.

"Six strikes in rapid succession…..a move that's similar in many ways to the Kuzu Ryu Sen….But can he pull it off? Will he be able to use the ougi?" Tetsunosuke tensely added, without even realizing it; watching as the ghosts of the dead Oniwabanshu gathered around their former leader, and felt it when the ki around Aoshi changed again, and his ice-blue gaze became even more determined than before…..yet still he did not move.

"This could take a while…." Beshimi muttered, as he took a seat on one of the bookshelves nearby.

"It's just the Okashira's style, though. He'd always preferred duels in the past….Of course, whenever he'd get his ass handed to him, he'd go off and sulk for a few days." Shikijo added, his comment getting a very slight twitch from Aoshi, to prove that he'd heard his words.

"Though I guess that didn't happen very often, considering how strong he is now, right?" Tetsunosuke questioned, seeming to surprise the other ghosts with the fact that he could see and hear them.

"You'd be right about that, Miburo." Hannya agreed, quietly; yet they all went silent again, when Sanosuke suddenly noticed something that they had missed before. Yumi, who had been suspiciously quiet for some time now, had somehow sneaked over to what appeared to be a Marconi set, and stood ready to relay a message; her eyes also glued to what was going on in front of her.

"Kenshin, watch out! The battle's being spied on for Shishio!! Don't use the ougi!" Sanosuke shouted, yet seemingly went unheard, as both warriors abruptly started moving. With a swiftness that Tetsunosuke had only seen in but a few individuals before, Aoshi flew towards Kenshin with both kodachi aimed for either side of the rurouni's neck.

"In the midst of a final battle, the 'paper's thickness' between life and death has to be determined, and the ougi must be unleashed…..That tiny window of time doesn't leave a whole hell of a lot of room for error….But….." Tetsunosuke mused, remembering what he had seen, when the ougi had been passed to Kenshin, and then watching with that same feeling of awe, as his friend again drew upon that strength to defeat Aoshi, "Despite the odds set against him, he'll somehow make the impossible, possible!"

"Ooh. He's gonna be feelin' that later…." Beshimi mumbled, as they all watched Aoshi hit the floor.

"No shit." Shikijo, Hannya, and Hyottoko agreed; seemingly glad that that move hadn't been used on them, when they had been alive.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"Shishio-sama! A telegram from Yumi!" Houji said, as he approached his master with the telegram in hand.

"What does it say, Houji?" Shishio asked, calmly.

"Himura has just shown his secret move! It seems that, just as Shinomori's strike was about to land, Himura unleashed his battojutsu! Here's her description! 'I….'" Houji began, yet stopped for a moment when he read the next words, and anger appeared in his eyes, "'….didn't see it." At this, he got laughter from Soujiro, and even a vaguely amused snicker from Shishio, as he furiously shredded the telegram (all the while growling 'I hate women!' under his breath, as he did so). And yet, all Okita's ghost could feel, at that moment, was relief.

"But she's wrong, all the same. It had landed first, even though Aoshi's strike had been released first. This makes it a 'god-speed battojutsu'." Shishio murmured, then silently added, "But there must be more to it, than that. A characteristic that adds even more power to the ougi…..something unique…."

"I just hope he doesn't find out what it is that makes the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu's ougi so powerful….Making this probably the first time I have ever hoped that the Battousai will survive through a battle." Okita silently mused, as he waited for more news, and watched the young man who could be his son closely…..

Author's Note!

I'm Baaaack! I know it's taken me long enough to get this chapter posted (and it may not be the best one, on record) but Writer's Block has been merciless, so far! Hopefully the next few chapters won't be as big of a pain in the butt as this one had been! Wish me luck, minna!

Gemini14