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Standard Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin characters are the property of creator Nobohiro Watsuki, Shueisha, Shounen Jump, and Sony Entertainment.

Light of the Snow-Red Village
Part II - Light the Wick: The Early Years - Chapter 2

I do swear that I'll always be there.
I'd give anything and everything
And I will always care.
Through weakness and strength,
Happiness and sorrow,
For better or worse,
I will love you with every beat of my heart...
~*~

Everywhere he looked, there were bones. Piles upon piles, empty faces gazing up in anger, hands cleaned of flesh and muscle reaching out for help. He sat among them, a warrior whose dreams had been shattered. The air, tinged red like the dying sunset, smelled of thick, coppery blood. It hurt to breathe.

He remembered a time when his dreams had been protected from this, protected by the shroud of a hitokiri's failing sanity, and later, by the warmth of company as he lay within the arms of a beloved woman, catching glimpses of the dead only after she vanished from arm's reach.

Beaten now, heart and soul freed from the chains of madness, he could see them, feel them. The bones were freeing themselves as well. They shivered and rattled together, some with anger, some with hatred, others... with merely remorse, a desperate need for pity.

Why are you here, in our sanctuary?
Why are you here, in our grave?
Why are you here, who stole our lives and banished us to this hell?

'Because I am just as deserving as you are to be in this place.'
'Because I am free from the hitokiri's control, and must gaze upon what I have done.'
'There is no protection for me any longer.'

He stood, walking through the bones, the sheathed sword at his side. Reverse-blade, non-killing. The bones crunched beneath his feet, growing still as he approached each corpse. Behind him, they reached for him, crushed fingers unable to grasp his clothes.

'Because you stood in the path of the Ishin. You fought for the enemy.'
'Because I followed orders without question.'
'Because I thought I could change the world with my sword.'

Why do you carry the sword, manslayer?
It is too good for you.
Why can you still wield a sword, manslayer, when our hands are now too brittle to hold one?

'Because I have an answer to find.'
'A journey to finish.'
'Someone to protect.'
'Because... I survived.'

Hikari woke up with a strangled wail in her throat, fearful wetness behind her eyes. She looked around her, remembering the previous day, and their arrival at the inn, seeking shelter from the summer storms. The soothing touch of relief gently brushed across her heart as she caught sight of her father, lying nearby. She slid the blankets from her body and moved towards him, seeking comfort in his presence. He always comforted her when she had bad dreams... she felt safe in his embrace, warm under the watchful gaze of his smile. She could sleep when he was holding her, protecting her.

As she drew nearer, she noticed the dark tension across his face. He looked... upset. Scared.

The thought disturbed her. How could he protect her when he himself was frightened? How could she be comforted when he needed it just as badly?

Hikari knelt beside him to pull away his own blankets, then tapped the back of his hand gently, hoping to wake him. His eyes always opened at the slightest touch; sometimes, even before she had to get up, he was at her side, asking what was wrong.

He didn't move. Tossing his head to one side jerkily, his eyes only cinched tighter, mouth curving into an angry frown.

He blinked, sweeping his hand across his eyes to shield himself, then, when they had adjusted, he looked.

Tomoe stood before him, her clear, dark gaze warm and unaccusing. Letting her warmth touch him, give him strength, he moved towards her.

Hands seized at his hakama, fingers writhing in blind vengence as they fought for something tangible to carry in their cold, unfeeling grasp.

They touched him, held him back, as each footfall grew heavier than the one before.

He felt his feet stumble, his knees buckle, and he fell, the bones closing around him.

His own hand reached for the sky as they had only moments before, searching for freedom again.

Tomoe gazed down at him blankly, untouched and perfect, yet unwilling to save him. The bodies writhed in anger, pushing him deeper, deeper...

Hands grasped his waist, and he felt his fingers fall, empty, and his voice choked in protest as the sword was wrenched away -

Kenshin's eyes snapped open, breathless and shaken to the core. The dream was so common, he should have grown accustomed to the dark misery that haunted his sleep.

Suddenly aware of a body at his side - and painfully reminded of a time when he had been able to wake with the comfort of another beside him - he looked over, to find Hikari's dark, fearful eyes searching for that same comfort from him. He swallowed the uneasiness and pushed aside the fear; it could wait until later, when she was reassured.

"Ume-chan, what's wrong?" he hugged her gently, brushing away the tears forming at her eyes. "Did I wake you up?"

She sniffled, small fists grasping his gi. "Tousan... bad dream, I... you didn't wake up, tousan..."

Tomoe's gaze was one of accusation, now; a deep disapproval in the mysterious black pools. He felt a sharp pounding in his heart. The dream was different because he had not been there for her.

"Shh, shh, daijoubu," he murmured, rubbing her back. "Tell me about the dream, ume-chan. Maybe that will help."

He listened, holding her as she rambled about the dream, and let the warmth of her company work as a balm to his fears even as he soothed her own.

She had grown much in the two years since their departure from the farmhouse. Developing from the shy toddler into a cheerful, talkative child, she had remained a constant comfort in his life. Anything he did for her, he was rewarded tenfold, making every sacrifice, however small, worth the pain that possibly - and often, it seemed - followed.

Soon, her cries subsided, and she blinked tired eyes up at him, a soft violet appearing in their depths. The sight gave him a great relief. "There, ume-chan... you'll be alright, ne? There's nothing to be afraid of when I'm here."

He brushed a hand through her hair, gentle and comforting. "Now... I think you should get back to bed, Hikari. It's not yet time to get up, and tomorrow we will be moving on."

She jut out her lower lip sulkily, as if sleeping was the last thing she wanted. He almost chuckled at the wistful picture she made.

'... but you are incredibly cranky in the morning without sleep.' "Ume-chan..."

Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "Tousan, tell me a bedtime story!" she exclaimed. "To help me fall asleep!"

He thought for a moment. "I... I don't know any stories." 'Lies, oh lies... the stories I could tell you, love, would give you nightmares and take something from you that I would never dare to touch...'

Kenshin merely chuckled. "Easier said that done, ume-chan." he sighed. "Alright, I'll try."

"Yatta! Arigato, tousan." delight spread across her features, making it all worthwhile. After a long pause for thought, he began.

"Long ago, there was a leaf, living in a small forest. He was a wandering maple leaf, long fallen off his tree. Remind you of anyone?"

'Like us... like us...' "This leaf, though, was all alone. He was so lonely that he decided to become a performer to make people like him. So do you know what he began to play with?"

"Iie, tousan!" she objected rather strongly, moreso than he expected. "Ha-chan can't play with fire, he'll burn!"

"Exactly." Kenshin smiled again, beginning to enjoy himself. "The leaf - Ha-chan, did you say?" she nodded vigorously. "He had his share of close calls and mistakes, but as he got better, he became more and more daring. He tried stamping on the fires he made, dancing around them, fanning it to make it bigger, then lighting himself and rolling into a ball to put it out again. One old leaf, who always stayed under his tree, would shake his head and call out, 'You have attention now, but when the forest burns, no one will laugh at your fire.' Ha-chan didn't listen to him, and all the leaves on the trees, reckless and unknowing of what could happen to them, cheered him on and loved him, though none became his friends."

"Aa." his tone was slightly apologetic. "One day, he made a mistake, though. While rolling to put out the fire, he went right through the grass and set it on fire."

Kenshin nodded. "The fire spread through the grass and burned all the other trees, turning their beautiful colours to ashes. Ha-chan watched, horrified, because it was his fault the forest was being destroyed. He turned to the stars that night and, in fear and guilt for what he'd done, begged them to stop the fire. The stars, softened by his sadness, sent a long, rainy thunderstorm down, and the fire disappeared. The forest was destroyed, though, and Ha-chan wanted to help make it right again. Then, the stars shone a light from heaven down on him, and he realized he still carried a seed."

"So, Ha-chan planted the seed and cared for it, day after day, and before long it became a small tree. It sprouted leaves, and lost them, and the leaves hurried off to wander and plant other seeds. But Ha-chan loved the tree he had planted dearly, and stayed with it forever."

There was a long silence, as Hikari waited to see if it was the end. When she was sure he was finished, she gazed up at him with wide, violet eyes. "Tousan?"

"Do I?" he murmured, chuckling again. The short story, strange as it had been, left him feeling refreshed, cleansed. Or perhaps it had just been Hikari's presence, the changes from delight, to horror, to wonder in her expression as the fable was told.

He shook his head; it didn't matter. What mattered, was that he cared for her. "To bed, ume-chan."

She nodded, yawning, and gave him a hug before allowing him to tuck her in. "Oyasumi, tousan."

"Have a good sleep. I'll see you in the morning." he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, then stepped back as she curled into the blanket, eyes closing with a smile.

He slid the shoji and leaned against it slightly, tilting his head back in near-bliss. What a gift she was. Whenever he was with her, talking to her, listening to her speak, even watching her sleep, he felt warm and complete. As if, without her, he wasn't whole.

'Because she is part of me,' he thought with a small smile. 'And I, a part of her. How, I wonder, will I survive when she grows too old for me to hold on to her?'

'I will protect her... as long as she wants me to... and even then, I will watch over her.'

Moving away from the door, he headed towards the roof of the inn. He needed to think, tonight.

The dream - nightmare, vision, whatever it had been - had faded into distant memory... but was not completely forgotten.

Kenshin sighed wistfully, weaving a path through the town at an almost lazy pace. It had been several weeks since the night of the dream... several weeks since he had neglected to wake and properly attend to Hikari's fears. Insecurity crept into worn, long heartbroken soul; one more failure, added to the multitude of mistakes that had come before. How many times would he fail her?

'Oh, Tomoe... I try... I try so hard, but... somehow, something always goes wrong... I wish...'

A hand tugged at his, and he glanced down, meeting excited violet eyes. "What is it, Hikari?"

Kenshin followed her finger, catching sight of a display not far away, of a strange puppet show, a small ring of children crowded around the makeshift stage. "Aa. A new Western change. It's like a play, only there are small dolls acting." he could see her almost bursting with wonder. "Do you want to watch?"

He shouldn't have asked, really. Her eyes lit up even more, and she dragged him closer, sitting herself down in the group of children to watch the remainder of the performance. He, however, kept his eyes on her.

'Maybe... maybe it's alright to fail, sometimes... so long as she is not hurt, I...'

Her laughter rang out, and the shadows across his face vanished, almost involuntarily.

However... as the performance ended, and the children moved away into the crowds, hand in hand with their parents... he could see something in her eyes that did not echo the joy he had felt, watching her. He moved towards her, hand dangling at his side in a silent invitation for her to take it, but she wasn't paying attention, and instead focused on the departure of the other families.

Hikari gazed at them as the child pointed, laughed, and cheerfully left with her parents.

She didn't speak, instead taking hold of his hand. He frowned, unsure of how to break the silence. Tugging gently, he led her away, returning to the inn they had chosen for the night.

Kenshin slid the shoji closed behind him, lighting the lamp in the corner. Assured that they would not be bothered, he turned to Hikari, who was silently getting dressed for bed, her eyes clouded.

"Ume-chan? Daijoubu?" Kenshin knelt beside her as she finished, lifting her chin to meet her gaze. The familiar violet in her eyes had faded yet again, a clear sign that she was unhappy.

She trembled at his touch and pulled away, kneeling beside her futon. He stayed where he was, patient, waiting until she was ready to speak. Finally, she found her voice. "Tousan?"

Hikari fiddled with her yukata nervously, eyes woeful. "Ano... where's my kaasan?"

Kenshin froze, his face pained as he watched her. Her hair, high-cut bangs, small strands falling at the sides of her round, maturing face, tied lowly at the back... her eyes, black and bottomless, glowing softly in the moonlight, filled with questions, always questions... 'Oh, love... she lives in you...' Aloud, he called to her, holding out his arms. "Come here, Hikari. I'll show you." Walking back to him, she nestled herself into his embrace, her eyes eternally trusting, like only a child can. Turning his eyes to the window, he pointed at the night sky. "Do you see the stars, ume-chan? Your kaasan is there."

"Well..." he gave her a weak smile. "All right." 'She has a right to know... not the whole truth, but... something, at least. Something to smile for.' "Long ago, before you were born, your mother had a very good friend, who wanted happiness."

"My fiancé was the second son of a similar family, a childhood friend."
"At the time, I loved him very much. When he chose me, I was very happy."
"I never told him how happy I was."
"He died, in a far-off place I didn't know."
"The happiness I should have had died with him..."

"Though I bear you no grudge, for the sake of the new era, your deaths are imperative."
"I... no... I... don't want to die. I was... finally going... to marry her. I've always... loved her..."
"May you find happiness in the next world..."

"... I helped him, and he climbed all the way up to the stars. That's when I met your mother."

"I came out of gratitude for what you did back there."
"It has been raining blood in these tragic times... but... you... remarkably made it rain... a rain of blood..."

"Although the ones who reach the sky are happy, those they leave behind are alone... and often, very sad. Your mother... she was sad, because she missed her friend."

"... maybe it really was my fault. If only I had cried and tried to stop him..."
"... if I hadn't found something... someone to hate, I would have gone mad..."

"Then, one day, she said to me... 'I'm sorry, but I want to see him again...' She knew I had helped him, so... she wanted me to help her as well." his eyes turned to the sky once again, slightly misted. "Sometimes I see them... dancing on the stars... smiling happily..."

"Oh, ume-chan." he stroked her cheek gently, smiling at her words. "Of course; of course she did. She loved you very much." 'So much...'

"Then why didn't she come back?" her eyes were wide, sorrowing... innocent, so innocent...

"It's my fault... I didn't tell her... I didn't tell her that once you reach the stars, they keep you forever..."
Hikari sniffled. "But wouldn't that make her sad? If she loved us?"

His smile faded a little. "I hope not. The stars make you happy, remember? I don't want your kaasan to be sad. She should be happy... she deserves to be happy, and so do you."

"Tousan..." she hugged him tightly, a small tear trickling down her cheek. "What about you? Aren't you happy? I want us to be happy..."

Kenshin brushed his hand through her hair, comforting her tears away. "Hikari... as long as you are with me, I will be happy. I promise."

Hikari pulled away again, eyes flashing with hope. His own eyes widened, as they were not black any longer, but filled with a bright, enduring amethyst again. "Tousan... can *we* go to the stars?"

"Oro?" he blurted out the word without thought, and it made her giggle; his heart ached at the sound.

"Tousan!" she finally stifled her laughter. "The stars, I want to go see the stars! I want to see my kaasan!"
Kenshin couldn't help but smile again. "You will, ume-chan. Someday, you'll see her. But... not for a long time, I hope."

"Why?" she jumped up, twirling around with her arms outstretched. "If we went to the stars, we could always be happy! We'd never leave, so we could be together forever! And you and kaasan wouldn't be sad, because you could see me every single day!" she stopped her movement when she heard his soft chuckle. "Tousan? Isn't that good? Then you would never be sad! Never, ever!"

He shook his head, wiping his eyes, warm and violet above a wide, sincere smile. "The world has so much, ume-chan. We will go through many hardships, but that's part of life. It doesn't mean that we should give up so easily."

"Give up? Why, if we just want to be happy?" her soft query, full of uncertainty, almost made him laugh again.

'Oh... oh, love... what a child... innocent, questioning, so... so trusting...'

"Remember, once you go to the stars, you can't come back. We're not on this world forever... someday, when we're old, we'll climb to the stars and see all those who have gone before. So until then, we have to do all we can to help the people around us. That's what I'm doing. Until I... until I go to see your kaasan, I'm going to wander the world and protect everyone I meet." he ruffled her hair affectionately. "Do you understand?"

"Hai..." she snuggled closer to him, small arms encircling his waist, face curled into his slender chest. "When I dance on the stars, will you watch me?"

"Always." he gazed up at the stars, watching them flicker and shine brightly with the moon. "She'll always watch you."

"For you, ume-chan." he ran his fingers through her silken hair tenderly. "Your kaasan will smile for you, always."