Rurouni Kenshii Part Two
She paused thinking a moment, the shook her head. “No.”
“Then what?”
She considered the stones before her a moment, then started to speak slowly and haltingly. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. Kasumi-san’s last words were for me to live… to choose a full life, and live it the way I want to…”
“What do you want to do?”
“I…want…to protect people, and to help them. I couldn’t do it before, I was too weak. I couldn’t help my family; I couldn’t protect the girls. But I want to be able to. I want to become strong, so no one else will ever feel this kind of pain. I want to be strong so that I can protect the people precious to me, my precious people…” She trailed off.
He paused for a moment, in thought, and then took out his Sake jug and uncapped it.
She looked at him startled. “What are you-”?
She was cut off as he started to pour the sake on the biggest stone in the middle, the liquid coursing down the sides and onto the other two stones, then down to the ground.
He answered her question; “No one should reach Nirvana without the taste of good sake on his lips. This is my tribute to them.”
“Thank you. Um…”
He recapped the jug and turned to her, looking into her eyes. “My name is Hiko Seijuro. I’m an intermittent swordsman.”
She lowered her eyes to the ground. A samurai…
“Listen, you were unable to protect the lives of the women who took care of you. Now your inner-self is laden with their memories. Your small hands can attest to the weight of their lifeless bodies. However, you will learn that their memories are heavier, and carrying them will make you stronger. This strength will be your defense, and aid you in the protection of that which is truly important, but this can only happen if you are properly trained. Tell me your name.”
She blinked. Why would a samurai want her name, and what was this about training? “Itoe.”
“Bless with love,” He snorted at the irony. “That name is too soft and sweet for a swordswoman.”
She hesitated, uncertain if she had heard right. A swordswoman? Her?
“From now on your name is Kenshii.”
She brought her eyes up once more, and repeated what he had said hesitantly, “Ken…Shii?”
“Ah.” He looked up at the sky. The girl had a lot of potential, but it would take a lot of hard work to bring it out. A sudden gust of wind blew, ruffling their hair, one as red as the sky above, the other as black as the raven’s who flew in it.
“I have found myself a pupil. Consider yourself…fortunate.”
And so it began.
“Then what?”
She considered the stones before her a moment, then started to speak slowly and haltingly. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. Kasumi-san’s last words were for me to live… to choose a full life, and live it the way I want to…”
“What do you want to do?”
“I…want…to protect people, and to help them. I couldn’t do it before, I was too weak. I couldn’t help my family; I couldn’t protect the girls. But I want to be able to. I want to become strong, so no one else will ever feel this kind of pain. I want to be strong so that I can protect the people precious to me, my precious people…” She trailed off.
He paused for a moment, in thought, and then took out his Sake jug and uncapped it.
She looked at him startled. “What are you-”?
She was cut off as he started to pour the sake on the biggest stone in the middle, the liquid coursing down the sides and onto the other two stones, then down to the ground.
He answered her question; “No one should reach Nirvana without the taste of good sake on his lips. This is my tribute to them.”
“Thank you. Um…”
He recapped the jug and turned to her, looking into her eyes. “My name is Hiko Seijuro. I’m an intermittent swordsman.”
She lowered her eyes to the ground. A samurai…
“Listen, you were unable to protect the lives of the women who took care of you. Now your inner-self is laden with their memories. Your small hands can attest to the weight of their lifeless bodies. However, you will learn that their memories are heavier, and carrying them will make you stronger. This strength will be your defense, and aid you in the protection of that which is truly important, but this can only happen if you are properly trained. Tell me your name.”
She blinked. Why would a samurai want her name, and what was this about training? “Itoe.”
“Bless with love,” He snorted at the irony. “That name is too soft and sweet for a swordswoman.”
She hesitated, uncertain if she had heard right. A swordswoman? Her?
“From now on your name is Kenshii.”
She brought her eyes up once more, and repeated what he had said hesitantly, “Ken…Shii?”
“Ah.” He looked up at the sky. The girl had a lot of potential, but it would take a lot of hard work to bring it out. A sudden gust of wind blew, ruffling their hair, one as red as the sky above, the other as black as the raven’s who flew in it.
“I have found myself a pupil. Consider yourself…fortunate.”
And so it began.