but kenshin asked hiko to help his friends at the aoyia just before he left, when his training was complete and hiko was sufficiently recovered

i liked the alternatives... kind of like the movie: 'it's a wonderful life'

Wonderful. I also love the angst... Gotta have the angst.
This is so good that I nearly cried, and almost nothing makes me cry. You do such a good job with writing these darkish fics!

...I don't quite get this.

Whoa. You weren't kidding when you said it was angsty! But very possible, in the scheme of things. I always thought it was awful for Soujirou to have gone from one sort of terrible use and abuse to another, but how much worse would the consequences have been if Shishio had not given him that sword that night? A very interesting what if fic with believable characterizations - especially the appearance of Hiko! I miss that *seemingly* stone-hearted guy in a lot of fics. ^_^

:: blinks :: That confused me, a bit. Who was that guy at the end? Aoshi?