The Illusion of Normal

Part 12: The Truth and the Shadow

The Kamiya dojo was filled with the sound of people, students were walking off, Kenshin was watching from the house. He was watching the gate, as if expecting the answer to all the things to come through it.

The living room was full of artwork, Callesto was holding her paint set and put it on the table, she started to work on something. She turned her head, and smiled. "Six weeks, hasn't it been?"

"It has," Kenshin nodded at her, his eyes were moving over the piece. "This is?"

"Paris," she was painting from memory, things that were part of her old life, she accepted the fact that she never wanted to leave the dojo again. She was not afraid at all to really leave, but it was more the worry she had to protect him.

"They sent another letter," Kenshin set down a postcard and then blinked putting up yet another. "I wonder how many illusions, Ran and Mamoru are going to build?"

"Maybe a chance for you to go out into the world to see them," she laughed a little. "Ken came by, he brought some more roses to plant. He wants to make the entire back area of the Dojo a garden. A sort of memorial to Maya-chan, something special for her."

Kenshin nodded remembering the half blind woman who had visited a few times, Maya had died sadly from her illness. "You could have saved her, Kenshin," Callesto told him sadly.

"And what kind of life would a vampire life give her?" Kenshin sighed, he kissed the top of her head and smiled a little. "It would be an endless punishment for something she had no desire to be."

Sitting down again, Callesto was reading the letter. "They're in Okinawa, Aya-chan is in college to be a nurse, as she dreamed to be. I suppose Ran and Mamoru are just happy to be away from Weiss."

Kenshin laughed a little. "No, being away from Weiss isn't the answer, they will always be in it, no matter how far they run from the truth. Ken and Yohji accept their crimes and move on, while Ran and Mamoru cannot accept anything."

Kenshin was grabbing his jacket and turned. "I think it's time we went out."

Callesto gazed in shock at the very idea. "Today?"

"Yes, the library has an order of mine," he smiled putting his hand on her shoulder.

On this day, Kenshin was going to be doing more than just going to the library, he walked by Koneko no Sume Ei, he stopped just as he was about to leave. "Cousin!" Aya-chan walked out and smiled. "I knew you would come today, I have that order of flowers you made," she brought out some roses. "These should do it."

"Yes," Kenshin nodded and held them, he and Callesto smiled at her. "How is school?"

"Doing well," the girl smiled, her black hair and resemblance to Kaoru was still very much fading. "I was hoping to ask, do you think Ni-san will come home soon?"

"I don't know, he has a lot to work through," he nodded and looked around. "Time we left, we better get to the cemetery and then to the library."

Aya nodded and still smiled. "Ken and Yohji come to visit, as Ni-san's friends, they seem really pleasant."

As they walked down the street, Callesto could see something, Kenshin held his head a little. "I think you worked yourself up too much."

"We have to keep up the date, it's a promise I made," he walked ahead of her, he ignored his feelings and walked up to a tiny cemetery, he put some incense out, he lit them and then brought his hands up. He was standing praying a little, his lips did not move, but his thoughts were still showing. "Callesto-dono, this…"

"Is Kaoru's grave isn't it?" she touched it.

"Yes," he nodded, then brought her hands over the stone, he watched her close her eyes. "The day she died, I could not move, I lay in my futon, overcome with pain and sorrow, something I did not understand until now. Callesto-dono, I ask you never to give your life for mine, never to give me your blood willingly as she did." He turned and looked at her. "I know what I am, and I know that it is no curse that touched me that day, it was my awakening."

"Kenshin, there is so much we don't know," she walked with him, as he held her hands in his, accepting only a few European thoughts and actions into him. "Kenshin, we don't even know if Hiko escaped."

"He escaped, I would know if he died," Kenshin whispered, he looked ahead up to the library.

Ran looked on Kenshin and Callesto, he watched them from a distance, he wanted to stay away from them, then he realized a little late he could not just escape this. "Omi?" he walked into their apartment, he saw him holding a bottle of blood, he was reading a book.

"What's up?" Omi seemed a little distant.

"We're going back to the Dojo, no matter how far we think we can lie to ourselves, we can't stay away from Kenshin," he walked ahead. "I am tired of this."

"And what happens if Weiss finds out what we are?" Omi asked in shock.

"They know, they knew the moment I joined and protected Kenshin from the truth. We are going to have to worked toward getting away," he whispered and looked up. "Aside from that your human grandfather might be looking…."

Omi coughed and glared. "Takatori Mamoru is dead, and I'm not him, I refuse to hold that name or title. It is shameful to think I am connected to a family that hurt you!"

"Omi, you're also a cousin to my family," Ran walked into a bedroom and pulled out a duffle bag, he was going to pack up Omi's stuff if the boy wasn't going to work with it.

Six weeks was long enough for Ran to realize how long these things would last, he knew that is time to go home. He walked up to Omi who was arguing against it, he then was told it was time they stopped hiding from the truth.

"I know you see it," Ran walked with them. "We have to prepare for another war, and this is one we can't hide from."

Omi sighed, "How do you know?"

There was pause, and then the red haired leader of Weiss slowly whispered, "It is because Schwarz contacted me recently, and they are abandoning their position in Germany."