Kitsune Hunt

Chapter 12 The Meeting

Kenshin's POV

I was in the darkroom again despicable. I had only just been relived by Ken'Ichi this morning and had laid down to rest for the coming night and as soon as I had closed my eyes I was in the never-ending dark room. How many times would I come here? Once alone with the Two-Faced-Man, the other with my fox half. But I guess it's my or Kenshin's first time being here.My soul, the tree had stood somewhere around here but it was gone. If this was the place that had housed my soul then why is it so empty?

"That is because yours is not here fox," said an all to an unfamiliar voice. I turned around and there he was the Two-Faced-Man.

"Don't you have anything better to do than torture me?"

"No, not really. And I wouldn't consider it torture I would consider it a helpful push forward," argued the Two-Faced-Man.

"And would that helpful push includes my entire life being flipped upside down, my friend suddenly turning out to be a monster and is now dead, and who knows what happened to my father the only family I had left".

"I can tell you what happened to him," said the Two-Faced-Man. He took out a cigarette from his sleeve and it lit instantly. "He's dead," he said taking a long drag.

"How? How did he die?"

"That I cannot say."

"And why is that?" I growled.

"It would ruin it. Anyways you should be more concerned about yourself boy. Your life is in the hands of other people, and you're sitting around like a lamb, ready for slaughter," the Two- Face-Man said crushing the cigarette in his hand. The tobacco inside splattered on the ground "That is why your soul does not show it's self to you because you have done nothing to prove that you aren't some mindless drone just going with the flow of life. Prove that you are alive, make your path".

"What do you mean to prove that I'm alive? I'm breathing, moving, and eating! so what does it mean to be alive?''

"That is simply surviving. To be alive means that you don't just do what needs to be done, but you rather go the extra mile as you did with that princess". He threw the remains of the cigarette into the air, and there they hung suspended in the air. They started to morph, spreading out to the size of a television and the scene from last night played out on the dark tobacco. "Though I should mention bad and good deeds, actions, attitudes, what have you all count to this".

"Count to what?"

"This!" he said gesturing behind me. I turned around and was almost instantly hit with a bright light.

When it died I was no longer in the darkroom but rather a place that was all too familiar. Home. The walls were still stained and chipped, and there was mildew on the couch. But how could I be here right now it was impossible, my tail was wagging in excitement. I was home gone from that realm of weird and mysterious creatures who thought I was just some monster worse than themselves. Gone the strange clothes, rude comments, and possibly getting killed just because of what I am, and I was now back home with my...

Dad! I started blasting around the house calling out his name at the top of my lungs but no answer came.

The door that Mr. Malcom had kicked down looked newer as if it had been recently repaired. And the shed was back in its proper place. It was if the entire affair hadn't happened. But there was still no one here.

But I was then proven wrong when I passed by my room, the door was closed but laughter could be heard on the inside.

"Hello, whos there?"