In the heart of the enemy
Kazu felt that now would be the time for him to move forward. Rolling onto his hands and knees, he reached out and placed an arm around her shoulders. He did not bother to say anything. There was nothing he could possible tell her that would change this situation or the way she felt at the moment. He merely slipped his arms around her, enveloping both her and the corpse she clutched. She cried but a minute. There wasn't time for more grief than that. Enemy soldiers would be there soon.
Emmeline turned to Kazu, tears streaking down her face. "You have to do it."
Kazu wished he could pretend she was not talking to him, but there was no one else left. He stared at the corpse of her love and tried not to imagine hers intermingled with it. He begged her silently: anything but this. Make me shoot myself or cut off my arms first. For gods' sakes, Emm, it was because of what you gave me that I stopped being a killer. Don't make me do this, not now.
"Please."
Kazu reached back and took Yami from its sheath in an almost robotic motion. He had gone into autopilot, falling back on his years of training as he slid the blade through the air, positioned it across her neck, and swung it. It was over before he realized.
He should have taken the gun. The gods-damned gun. It was so much cleaner. Her blood spilled over his boots and he vomited. Two corpses, one slumped over the other, and for what? He could hear soldiers coming now. He had time for one last gesture. He hastily pulled off his haori and covered her. The soldiers were almost on top of him. He had to get out of here or there would be three corpses.
Her words came to him, as real as if they were still doing their lessons, sitting on the grassy hillside with the blue sky overhead.
“Focus,” said Emmeline. “Calm yourself. The path to nirvana takes centuries, but centuries can be had in a single instant if you focus hard enough.
He split open reality and fled.
Emmeline turned to Kazu, tears streaking down her face. "You have to do it."
Kazu wished he could pretend she was not talking to him, but there was no one else left. He stared at the corpse of her love and tried not to imagine hers intermingled with it. He begged her silently: anything but this. Make me shoot myself or cut off my arms first. For gods' sakes, Emm, it was because of what you gave me that I stopped being a killer. Don't make me do this, not now.
"Please."
Kazu reached back and took Yami from its sheath in an almost robotic motion. He had gone into autopilot, falling back on his years of training as he slid the blade through the air, positioned it across her neck, and swung it. It was over before he realized.
He should have taken the gun. The gods-damned gun. It was so much cleaner. Her blood spilled over his boots and he vomited. Two corpses, one slumped over the other, and for what? He could hear soldiers coming now. He had time for one last gesture. He hastily pulled off his haori and covered her. The soldiers were almost on top of him. He had to get out of here or there would be three corpses.
Her words came to him, as real as if they were still doing their lessons, sitting on the grassy hillside with the blue sky overhead.
“Focus,” said Emmeline. “Calm yourself. The path to nirvana takes centuries, but centuries can be had in a single instant if you focus hard enough.
He split open reality and fled.