A.N.: Yes folks, believe it or not, it is a challenge fic. See bottom for details. But read it first! ~.^ Song is "Last Exit to Eden", belongs to Amanda Marshall.

Last Road to Paradise

Four hundred miles talking to myself
Me and your memory end up here
I tell myself I'm gonna be alright
But it's still not clear

"Well, long as y'know what ye'r doin', sonny. Best of luck to yeh."

"Arigatou gozaimasu, Obaa-san." With a deep bow equal parts thanks and respect, the redhaired wanderer took his leave of the old woman. Idly balancing the recently gifted bag of nattô bean cakes in his hand, he reflected on the irony of her words. Despite evidence to the contrary, he hadn't the slightest clue what he was doing. He had no purpose, no destination. At least his previous 15-year pilgrimage had had a direction: the absolvance of his sins. Now . . . he had nothing.

A rueful smile touched Kenshin's lips, giving a brief, better-natured impression of the Battousai for a moment. He tucked the bag of nattô into his belt.

Wouldn't Kaoru love to hear that. This time he'd left her even more devastated than the time he left for Kyoto. She wouldn't show it, but he could see it in her eyes, in the way she avoided looking at him when she said goodbye. But she believed that he had a good reason for leaving. Maybe even believed that he would be coming back.

If only she knew.

He couldn't go back until he found out what had driven him from the Kamiya dojo in the first place. It wasn't even a conscious decision, just a persistant urge to get away. Not to wander, just to leave. Be anywhere but there.

Perhaps it was his sixth sense kicking in. He munched on an apple he'd summoned from the depths of his sleeves as he pondered the mystery that had been drawing him away from his love for the past six years. Perhaps his presence was putting his friends in danger, again. Or not. Switch thought tracks.

Maybe his friends had just gotten too irritating. He visibly winced at the thought, but he had to consider all options if he ever wanted to return home. As much as he loved them, Sano and Yahiko and Megumi and even Kaoru could be somewhat . . . overbearing, at times. He doubted it was Kaoru, he loved her with all his soul, they both knew that (right? He shoved away the possibility that she might not know; she had to*), and he cared for his friends dearly, but still . . .

Hm, try another. Wanderlust? Possibly, but he doubted it. Then again, he doubted all the other reasons he'd thought of so far, so that wasn't saying much. Kenshin frowned, stepped over a pothole without noticing it was there. A calling? Now that was just stupid. He'd never been much of a spiritual man; there was no reason for some random kami to call upon him for a higher purpose. He snorted at a mental picture of himself in servitude to some kitsune or other magical creature. Some of the samurai he'd fought with in his younger years had sworn by the beasts' ability to ensnare humans in their malicious games, but he had yet to see a fox that could do anything more than raid garbage heaps.

So then. What else? He wracked his brain for the better part of ten minutes. When it was obvious no other answer was forthcoming, he sighed and dropped his apple core, pausing to grind it under the heel of his sandal. Propping one hand on his sword hilt, he raised his face and stared at the horizon to his right. The sun was low in the sky, but hadn't quite begun to set. The clouds were tinged red where the massive rice fields met the sky. He sighed. The area wasn't even remotely familiar. Typical. At this rate he'd manage to 'lose' his way right back to Kaoru.

Kaoru. Kenshin closed his eyes and tilted his chin into the wind, feeling the warm breeze playing along his hair and cheeks, imagining it was her touch. He wondered, not for the first time, how she was faring. She would be 28 now, her birthday two weeks past. He missed her. He missed her so much it hurt. It frightened him sometimes, how attracted, how drawn he was by that woman. She was so special.

It made him wonder, sometimes. Every now and then it brushed his mind, the possibility that he might never go back. On one hand, from a purely selfish perspective, it wouldn't be that bad, considering. He'd spent his whole life doing things for others, didn't he deserve to do something for himself? Kaoru was wonderful, but she wasn't the be-all, end-all. There were other things to life than love.

But then, every time those thoughts passed through, he'd see her eyes in his head, remember how she looked at him when she smiled . . .

Kenshin shook his head to break from his reverie. Wherever his course would take him, he wouldn't ever be able to forget Kaoru. Maybe he'd see her again, maybe not. The latter made him balk, but it was a very real possibility, and perhaps in the end it would be best . . . After all, they had never actually said The Words. Maybe she didn't feel the same way.

Too many maybes. Too many possibilities. Kenshin turned his feet back to the direction he'd been travelling in. He had to keep walking until he found some answers.

Even so, he couldn't help wondering . . . if he was slowly passing up his one chance at paradise.

Dropping his eyes to the road, Kenshin walked away from the sunset.

~Owari~
(or is it?)

*A.N.: As much as I adore my dear Kenshin, the man can be appallingly dense at times, no? ~.~0

Argh, I can't write anything anymore and still like it. X-( *rants at my muses* Okay, details details. Yes, this is a challenge fic. Yes, it can also be read as a one-shot. Yes, I have left horribly obvious suggestions for endings in the story itself. Yes, you can use those ideas if you want. Yes, you can change the viewpoint from Kenshin to Kaoru or whoever else. Yes, you can change the genre to fantasy or angst or romance or alternate pairings or yaoi or anything else you want. Requirements ('cause you know all challenge fics have 'em)? Read on:

1. If you're accepting the challenge, you have to let me know in by review or e-mail, and I get the rights to put a link to your continuation on my website ( .ca/~ksavich ). Don't worry, I'll give you your credit if you give me mine. I only did the beginning. The ending is totally up to you. ^-^ Oh, and you can change the rating too, but let me know if you're doing anything R or NC-17. o.O0
2. Your continuation must quote lyrics from Amanda Marshall's album "Amanda Marshall". Yes, that's probably more complicated than I should make this, but I'm weird like that. I like having a running theme. >.O* It can be any song, any lyrics. You can make it a songfic, pop a few lines at the top, reword a line and put it in as actual dialogue in the fic, whatever. Up to you. Lyric listings are below for convenience (aren't I nice?). ^-^

Okay, go to it! Please? I'd love to see how different people would interpret Kenshin's "quest". And besides, if I don't get any continuation offers I'm going to be so disappointed I'm going to have to sic Yahiko-chan on you.

Yahiko: I'm not a CHAN! *gnaws on my head*

*points at the rabid kendo trainee* See? You're gonna get the same treatment if I don't get continuations. So get cracking. I know you can do it. Bai bai!

Amanda Marshall - Amanda Marshall ( amanda/lyrics/ )
01 Let It Rain
02 Birmingham
03 Fall From Grace
04 Dark Horse
05 Beautiful Goodbye
06 Sitting On Top of the World
07 Last Exit To Eden
08 Trust Me (This Is Love)
09 Let's Get Lost
10 Promises