It is midnight in Kyoto, but darker than any of night's shadows is the one who walks through the streets, two swords belted on his waist.
When the sun goes down here
and darkness falls
the blanket of winter
leaves no light at all
The aftertaste of sake is bitter in his mouth, but not as
bitter as the taste of blood. His heart is heavy within him,
and he does not know how to lift it. He is protecting the world
as best he knows how--why then such guilt? Why does night
follow him, why is winter always beckoning?
There is a sound, and someone blocks his path. He is used to
confrontation; the battle is over quickly and without thought,
all his motions automatic, his victory foretold. And his heart
that much heavier.
Someone lets out a cry; he looks up. A woman stands there, her
face as stoic and immobile as a porcelain mask.
"So you're the one who makes it rain."
He is struck dumb with amazement, and only barely manages to
catch her as she faints.
You search for shelter
to calm the storm
shaking with an instinct
just to stay warm
Months pass, and she stays with him. She asks no questions,
and he is too shy to ask any of her. She never berates him for
what he does, never shows anger or fear or disgust. And yet
the few times she does speak, her words reverberate inside him.
She walks in silence and watches him, and slowly he begins to
trust her. Slowly, the taste of blood vanishes from his mind,
replaced by the scent of white plum blossoms. Slowly, he begins
to want...the first time he has ever let himself want something
just for himself, for him to keep and protect and cherish.
One day he is asked to leave the city, to go into hiding. She
is told to accompany him and pretend to be his. He asks that
they try to make it something more than pretend. But she makes
no answer.
But I'd walk through the snow barefoot
If you'd open up your door
I'd walk through the snow barefoot
And so they leave the city's night behind.
You hear the howling
of dogs in wind
stirring up the secrets
that are frozen within
She works beside him in the fields, but does not sleep in the bed next to him at night. She is silent because she never knows what to say. She is impassive because each smile that escapes is a betrayal of her purpose, a reminder that she is no longer certain of what she is here to do. But once in a while she does smile, and once in a while she does think of things she wishes to say to him.
The ice will haunt you
and lay so deep
locking up inside you
the dreams that you keep
Her nights used to be filled with tears and memories of her
dead fiancee; now she thinks of harvest, and red hair glinting
in sunlight. She goes to meet the people who wish to destroy
her new beloved, and lies to them. But they still find a way
to use her, to bring him down.
She runs forward, putting herself between him and death. In
that instant, for the first time in months, she knows no
confusion. And she smiles unafraid.
But I'd walk through the snow barefoot
If you'd open up your door
I'd walk through the snow barefoot
He screams her name, feeling the knife-edge of grief rip
through him. But as always, she is silent.
As time passes, the wound begins to close, knit together by
ice and steel. Eventually, it stops hurting...but he does not
forget.
And it is always winter.
This wind through my soul blows cold...
It is years before he finds spring again; it hides deep in the eyes of a young girl. She has more courage and joy than anyone he has ever known. The longer he stays with her, the more he thaws, until he is awed by the depth of his feelings for her. He knows that he can deny her nothing...but he is afraid of what is melting inside him, afraid of the night that still chases him. All he can do is guard her and hope that she never knows winter.
But I'd walk through the snow barefoot
If you'd open up your door
I'd walk through the snow barefoot
She knows this; she knows. She sees the darkness in his eyes
and is unafraid, but hurts more every time he turns away from
her. He is sun and stars to her life, but can only circle around
her...never drawing closer, never quite leaving. She tries every
day to approach him, but the distance remains.
Still, she is patient. Winter is already past; once he realizes
that, she will teach him how to live in summer. It is only a
matter of time before he understands that she is the one
guarding him.
I'd walk through the snow barefoot
If you'd open up your door
I'd walk through the snow barefoot...
The characters of Rurouni Kenshin are the property of other people. The song "Barefoot" is by k.d. lang. Both are used without permission.
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