This takes place after the OVA.(Seisouhen... or however it's spelled.) It assumes that Kaoru lives on with her disease after Kenshin's death. K/K, and others. Mainly K/K.
by Suiren
I trace my fingers along where the lines of his scar used to be with a sad smile. I know exactly where it was--because I can see his face every time I close my eyes whether he's with me or not. It's a sad face. He was so burdened in life by his sins and his atonement. But now he looks peaceful and calm, my Shinta, with his eyes closed as if only resting. But I know he won't wake up. He's come back to me for the last time. In the back of my mind I know that Kenji, Yahiko, and Megumi are all looking for me. That there are funeral arrangements to be made. I know all of this, but I can wait. I am very ill.
But I am not dead yet. I am still here, and Shinta has gone on to what awaits us...without me. I wonder if Tomoe is there. I wonder...no. I will not think of that. Tomoe was his first wife and I his second--I can only hope that perhaps in me he found some salvation, some solace, some relief from his sadness. If he did, I will die a happy woman who has lived a full life.
Voices are coming at me from down the path and I tilt my head to see my son running towards me, followed by Yahiko and Megumi. I manage to smile despite this heaviness in my heart. Every time I look at Kenji I see Kenshin--yes, Kenshin, not Shinta, because Shinta was not a swordsman and Kenji is just now beginning to understand the value of what Yahiko and his father stand for. I am proud of both Yahiko and Kenji, for Yahiko is becoming everything we had hoped he would become--a strong young man who understands the values of the fighting style I have trained him in. And Kenji...he is just learning, but someday he will become his father too. All men become their fathers. So someday, he will become Shinta. And he will make a very pretty girl very happy someday. With as ill as I am now I doubt I live to see it, but Megumi is determined to extend my lonely life for as long as possible now. She doesn't understand that if I die I go to rest with Shinta. All of them kneel next to me and when Megumi announces what I already know -- Kenshin is dead -- she doesn't know his real name, Kenji stares at his father for just a moment, and then lifts him into his arms while Yahiko helps me up and we begin a trek back to the dojo.
--Later--
Megumi, Tsunbame, and Tae are taking care of the funeral arrangements. They are doing the work, I am giving the instructions, because Megumi fears that me doing something as difficult as this would make my condition worse. She doesn't understand. She sleeps in my room now, next to me, determined to not let me slip into what awaits me. We have decided on a simple burial for Shinta -- there will be no mention of the legendary Hitokiri, or of the Bakumatsu, and slowly Battousai will fade into history while his body fades to dust beneath the ground. We will bury him tomorrow. Even though my son and most of my friends are here, I am still alone.
~*~Kenshin...er...Shinta's POV~*~
I feel as if I have woken from a dream as I open my eyes to find myself staring up at cherry trees basking in the light of a beautiful Japanese sunset. It takes me a moment to remember that I am indeed back in Japan, that the last face I remember seeing is Kaoru's -- my beautiful wife, who has done so much for me...so much that I have never been able to find the words to thank her. I wonder where she's gone. And why I'm alone.
I stand up and to my amazement it doesn't hurt to do so, or wear me out. My pain is gone. Has seeing Kaoru done that much for me? I can't wait to see her again--surely she has gone back to the dojo to tell the others that I am back. I smile and ready myself to race down the path back to the dojo but there's a figure standing in my way.
It's awfully blurry, and blinking doesn't seem to make it any clearer. Whoever it is has darkish hair--and is dressed in white--and they're thin, almost frail looking. It turns towards me and I can faintly smell a very familiar scent -- and then it speaks, and the voice echoes around me so that it seems as if it's not even coming from the figure in front of me.
"Shinta...That is no longer a path which you should be walking..."
I don't know what it means. That path leads back to my wife, my son, my friends...my home...my own private heaven where perhaps I can finally find peace as Shinta and not as Battousai--or even Kenshin. For Kenshin lived by the sword too. It was just a different type of blade. The blade of atonement. And I've finally succeeded in casting that aside--because I realize that my salvation is in Kaoru. I step forward towards the figure, but it doesn't move, nor does it become any clearer.
"You do not belong here any more."
Like hell! A long trip in a weak body all the way from China and here's some crazy blurry thing telling me I don't belong. I want to see, no, I need to see Kaoru. So I start down the path anyway. The figure seems to sigh and takes it's place behind me, trodding along softly as I head down the path. I do my best to ignore it. After all, I'll be seeing Kaoru in a few minutes.