Love Between Earth and Heaven
By Anime no Miko
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This is my first ... no, not my first fic =b ... but my first Aoshi / Misao fic. Hope it turns out to be as good as Noa's. (Noa, yours are simply great! *waves*) Yeah...it's alternative universe too!
Now Misao will have a sound reason to say: "Ah Aoshi-sama!!" hehehee...
Disclaimer: Anime no Miko does not own Rurouni Kenshin. *sighs* ... She wouldn't mind owning Aoshi though ... *daydreams of Aoshi in ...* ... not in the least. =^.^=
~ * ~ ~ * ~ ~ * ~ ~ * ~
Chapter 1: Not Dead Yet
.~*~. Tokyo National Hospital, Room 63A .~*~.
"Did you contact her family?" asked the man in a weary voice. He had done everything that was in his hands, everything humanly possible. He turned his face towards the nurse and from the look on her face, he suspected what the answer might be.
"Iie. We've been trying but nobody answers at the phone number we found in her purse. She doesn't even have a medical insurance hence her name doesn't appear in our database." the chubby nurse explained quickly as if wanting to be dismissed from the room. She had seen many deaths before and she hadn't flinch, but this ... this was different, and she hated it. In all the years she had been working as a nurse, she still hadn't got the likes, if we may, for patients in comma, let alone patients full of youth in coma. And that was the case of the young woman who laid motionless on the hospital bed after having underwent more than three hours of surgery in the emergency room, at the edge of death.
Dr. Genzai was going to say something but the nurse, being as effective as she was and having worked with him for years, read his mind and answered right away. "The National Medical Database has no register whatsoever of her either. Makimachi Misao's medical history is ... obscure." stating that, she excused herself and left the room hurridely, the tears forming on her eyes blurring her vision.
The old man felt sorry for Misao too. So full of youth, of life ... so full of future. "Ayame, Suzume ... " he said lovingly at the picture hanging on his keychain. Those little girls were his granddaughters, his treasures, and he loved them more than his life. He could imagine just too well how would Misao's family react, and his heart ached for that.
"Dr. Genzai?" a woman knocked on the door. That brought him out of trance.
"Come on in, Megumi." he said wiping a few tears away. "Nurse Masaki couldn't find any information in the databases, did you have better luck? Found anything?"
"Oh I did." she replied, holding a piece of paper on her right hand.
"I am afraid they aren't pleasant though." said Megumi, tossing back a lock of her ebony hair. The old doctor looked up in anticipation.
Flashback
.~*~. Tokyo Police Department, Room - Unknown .~*~.
"Saitou." the man spoke dryly on the speaker, phone on stand-by mode. A cigarrete was clutched between the fingers on his right hand, and his left hand was busied turning around documents resting neatly on the top of his ample desk.
"I need all information possible on the relatives of a patient." she said, always fast to the point.
"I have better things to do right now. I fear I won't be able to help you out this time, so--" He was really busy and besides this woman didn't even say 'please'. Saitou Hajime was definitely not famous for being a favors' Santa.
"This is not a request, Saitou. I'm not playing around, this is crucial. Send me a fax when you're done." she cut him off, anticipating what he was going to say.
Saitou laughed inwardly. This woman had the nerves to order him out. A woman above all! Oh, the ironies of life!
"What's it?" she asked impatiently when he didn't reply. "Sources not good enough to find the information?" she said taking care in stressing the 'not good enough' part. Ouch! Saitou's ego hurt. One point for the woman.
"Kitsune ..." he said, wolf's eyes narrowing. It was his turn to strike.
"Don't call me like that! Damn! You know I hate it!" Megumi yelled at him, storming out, pretty annoyed. Hit! One for Saitou. Tied. He let her cool down on the other side before proceeding.
"The name, baka." he smirked.
"Name?"
"I need a name to start the search, or did you think I learned to read minds or something during vacations, which by the way I don't have?"
"Argghh!!!" 1 fox lady, 2 for the Mibu.
"Well?? I don't have all day, fox lady." He could almost sense her upcoming outburst. 'Three, two ...' he counted in his mind. It never came.
She inhaled deeply. She wasn't going to let Saitou win another round on her expenses. "Misao Makimachi." Megumi managed to informed calmly.
"Good." he said and hang up the phone. 'She didn't fall for it. Kitsune indeed.'
~..~ 5 minutes later ~..~
Saitou 'hit' the return-key of his virtual keyboard projected on his table with his gloved finger. It took him more than he had expected to find information on the fox lady's patient, Makimachi Misao, and in those 3 minutes extra, his curiosity was aroused.
The document read: 'Makimachi Misao, age 19. Abandoned at five, she was sent to the Kyoto Charity Orphanage. At age 15, she succeeded in running away from the institution, which she colorfully referred to as 'Kyoto Infernal Jail for Children with Bitchy Parents ... '
Saitou raised an eyebrow in amusement. Drawing the trash can closer with a movement of his long legs, he dropped the contents of the ash tray into, numerous cigarette butts falling. Putting down the empty ash tray, he scrolled down and continue reading. "Let's take a look at her behavior in the orphanage."
' ... extremely hyperactive, she slept the last and woke up the first. Autodeclared a nonbeliever, she made the impossible to elude dominical mass, including faking death, starting an internal food protest movement, and getting the visiting priest drunk. She ran constantly into fights , often attacking her offenders with little knives stolen from the kitchen or who knows where. Never lost against less than five or five, twice her size. Misao refused to wear skirts or have her hair tied in a style other than her trademark ponytail, for which she was labeled a tomboy despite her natural beauty ... '
The image had been shrinked, for space purposes probably. Saitou cursed. Either the photographer forgot to turn on the flash of the camera or the baka who edited the pic had a serious contrast-definition problem, the image was darker than night. He couldn't see anything!Saitou was about to amplify the image when the telephone rang and someone knocked the door in synchronization much to his dismal. He sent the file by fax to Megumi and saved the information on a disk, just in case.
He picked up the phone telling Megumi to go check the fax machine, and hung the phone paying little attention to the small thanks coming from the other line.
"Come on in."
End of Flashback
Megumi had just finished giving a summary of Misao's troubled life to Dr. Genzai, and expected him to lament the girl's sad life. He didn't.
"It's better that way." he concluded, taking off his doctor's coat and handing Misao't medical board to Megumi, who took it dumbfounded at the doctor's statement.
"Nani?"
"Think of it. It would be sadder for both parts if she had a family. Being in coma is, as Nurse Masaki says, worse than being dead. It's an state of uncertainty. You're not dead, but neither alive." explained the doctor, leaving the room. "She's now in your hands, Dr. Takani."
.~*~. Heaven Knows Where .~*~.
Misao woke up feeling a little numb. "Ahh....My head hurts. Where am I?" She opened her eyes, cerulean orbs scanning the unfamiliar surroundings. She blinked. Smacked her head, blinked again. That didn't hurt. "Chikuso! Am I dead already or what?" She brought her right hand to her face and pecked her cheek hard. She sighed relieved. Her material body was still there so she couldn't possibly be dead. Wait! That didn't hurt either. "Don't panic, Misao. This is just a dream in which you've developed hurt-proof properties. That's all. To the count of three you'll wake up and it'll be all over." she said trying to sound covincing to her about-to-freak-out self. "One--"
"Two..."
"AAHHHH!!!!" Misao screamed jumping on her feet. "Who the hell are you??!!"
"Konnichiwa Misao-chan." said the voice too cheerily for Misao's taste, never quitting that smile. "Gomen, I scared you. I come in peace."
"Geez! Next time knock before." she pouted. "My heart almost jumped out my chest."
"I promise." he said bowing deeply and smiling the brightest smile Misao had seen a young man smile ever. She blushed unwantedly but who cared? He was blushing too, bright crimson! And for some unknown reasons, he was also trying to avert his eyes from her.
"Quit smiling, can you?" Misao faked annoyance but her mischievous smile exposed her intentions. She was going to wipe that smile from his handsome face, in her manner. Too bad the man dissapeared just in time. Dissapeared? "Huh?? Hey smiling-baka! Where are you? Come out right now!!!"
"Sshhhhh... Screaming and swearing are prohibited in this area. Follow me." a new person, a woman this time, spoke. "But first, put this on." she said handing the white drapery to Misao who stood there stunned. That woman had wings!
"Wi--Wings. You have wings!" she exclaimed in awe pointing to the woman's petite wings on her back.
"Ahh these? We all have them."
"Holy God I didn't believe in!! You're an angel!!" Misao exclaimed with double awe. The angel nodded. "Now put on the tunic, I can't take you to Master's in that state." she told Misao who was planning to tear off a feather of the angel's wing. "Ouuchhhh!!!" She did. "I'll tell Master about this, Misao!" the angel threathened Misao who was laughing heartily at her reaction.
"Gomen-nasai!! It was just a little feather... You know, as a souvenir." Misao said grinning innocently. The angel rolled her hazel eyes. "Put on the tunic now, and let me finish my work in peace. Please?" she said and Misao picked up the tunic laying on the floor.
"Wait. Why do I have to wear this? I'm clothed, and besides ... I don't like skirts!!!" Misao yelled and put her right hand inside the pocket of her black leather pants. Ooopss!! No pants! "WHAHHHHHH????!!! I'M NAKED!!"
After Misao's freak out subdued and she put on the infamous tunic, and the angel's hearing was restored, they arrived at Master's place.
"... so you're telling me I'm in coma in Earth, yet my soul and body are here?? How's that possible" Misao questioned the angel who pushed a big door open and motioned her to enter.
"I'm not authorized to answer any of your questions. Master will answer everything you want, so walk in. He's waiting."
"Master this, Master that....You've been brainwashed!! The aliens did it, didn't they?" The angel raised an eyebrow. "Let me correct that, ehehe... The demons did it, didn't they??!!" The angel sweat dropped, gave Misao a little pat on her back, muttered something that sounded like 'Pray God and the Devil make peace so that they can cure you', and left leaving Misao standing before the final door. A golden tablet with the inscriptions 'Shinomori Aoshi' was hanging on the richly worked wooden door. "Shinomori Aoshi" Misao repeated slowly tasting the words on her lips. She liked the name so what?
She knocked the door with confidence. Repeatedly. Harder. After thirty seconds, Misao's patience ran out. She seized the doorknob. Locked. Taking a hairpin from her head, she prepared to have it open. "See if they make it like in Earth."
But before she could try anything, the door swung open unexpectantly while Misao was almost leaning on it totally. 'It won't hurt' she reminded herself. 'It didn't hurt before, it shouldn't now.' She was going to fall facedown so she covered her face, but she never hit the floor. Strong arms held her up, and when Misao dared open her eyes, the only thing that escaped her lips was:
"Ah Aoshi-sama!"
~ ~ TBC ~ ~
~ * ~ ~ * ~ ~ * ~ ~ * ~
Can you guess who the smiling baka is? ^-^
Like it? Hate it? Leave me a review!!! ^_^ Reviews ARE reviews!!! lol@me ...'Til next chappie....Ja!
By Anime no Miko
-----//----//----//------
This is my first ... no, not my first fic =b ... but my first Aoshi / Misao fic. Hope it turns out to be as good as Noa's. (Noa, yours are simply great! *waves*) Yeah...it's alternative universe too!
Now Misao will have a sound reason to say: "Ah Aoshi-sama!!" hehehee...
Disclaimer: Anime no Miko does not own Rurouni Kenshin. *sighs* ... She wouldn't mind owning Aoshi though ... *daydreams of Aoshi in ...* ... not in the least. =^.^=
~ * ~ ~ * ~ ~ * ~ ~ * ~
Chapter 1: Not Dead Yet
.~*~. Tokyo National Hospital, Room 63A .~*~.
"Did you contact her family?" asked the man in a weary voice. He had done everything that was in his hands, everything humanly possible. He turned his face towards the nurse and from the look on her face, he suspected what the answer might be.
"Iie. We've been trying but nobody answers at the phone number we found in her purse. She doesn't even have a medical insurance hence her name doesn't appear in our database." the chubby nurse explained quickly as if wanting to be dismissed from the room. She had seen many deaths before and she hadn't flinch, but this ... this was different, and she hated it. In all the years she had been working as a nurse, she still hadn't got the likes, if we may, for patients in comma, let alone patients full of youth in coma. And that was the case of the young woman who laid motionless on the hospital bed after having underwent more than three hours of surgery in the emergency room, at the edge of death.
Dr. Genzai was going to say something but the nurse, being as effective as she was and having worked with him for years, read his mind and answered right away. "The National Medical Database has no register whatsoever of her either. Makimachi Misao's medical history is ... obscure." stating that, she excused herself and left the room hurridely, the tears forming on her eyes blurring her vision.
The old man felt sorry for Misao too. So full of youth, of life ... so full of future. "Ayame, Suzume ... " he said lovingly at the picture hanging on his keychain. Those little girls were his granddaughters, his treasures, and he loved them more than his life. He could imagine just too well how would Misao's family react, and his heart ached for that.
"Dr. Genzai?" a woman knocked on the door. That brought him out of trance.
"Come on in, Megumi." he said wiping a few tears away. "Nurse Masaki couldn't find any information in the databases, did you have better luck? Found anything?"
"Oh I did." she replied, holding a piece of paper on her right hand.
"I am afraid they aren't pleasant though." said Megumi, tossing back a lock of her ebony hair. The old doctor looked up in anticipation.
Flashback
.~*~. Tokyo Police Department, Room - Unknown .~*~.
"Saitou." the man spoke dryly on the speaker, phone on stand-by mode. A cigarrete was clutched between the fingers on his right hand, and his left hand was busied turning around documents resting neatly on the top of his ample desk.
"I need all information possible on the relatives of a patient." she said, always fast to the point.
"I have better things to do right now. I fear I won't be able to help you out this time, so--" He was really busy and besides this woman didn't even say 'please'. Saitou Hajime was definitely not famous for being a favors' Santa.
"This is not a request, Saitou. I'm not playing around, this is crucial. Send me a fax when you're done." she cut him off, anticipating what he was going to say.
Saitou laughed inwardly. This woman had the nerves to order him out. A woman above all! Oh, the ironies of life!
"What's it?" she asked impatiently when he didn't reply. "Sources not good enough to find the information?" she said taking care in stressing the 'not good enough' part. Ouch! Saitou's ego hurt. One point for the woman.
"Kitsune ..." he said, wolf's eyes narrowing. It was his turn to strike.
"Don't call me like that! Damn! You know I hate it!" Megumi yelled at him, storming out, pretty annoyed. Hit! One for Saitou. Tied. He let her cool down on the other side before proceeding.
"The name, baka." he smirked.
"Name?"
"I need a name to start the search, or did you think I learned to read minds or something during vacations, which by the way I don't have?"
"Argghh!!!" 1 fox lady, 2 for the Mibu.
"Well?? I don't have all day, fox lady." He could almost sense her upcoming outburst. 'Three, two ...' he counted in his mind. It never came.
She inhaled deeply. She wasn't going to let Saitou win another round on her expenses. "Misao Makimachi." Megumi managed to informed calmly.
"Good." he said and hang up the phone. 'She didn't fall for it. Kitsune indeed.'
~..~ 5 minutes later ~..~
Saitou 'hit' the return-key of his virtual keyboard projected on his table with his gloved finger. It took him more than he had expected to find information on the fox lady's patient, Makimachi Misao, and in those 3 minutes extra, his curiosity was aroused.
The document read: 'Makimachi Misao, age 19. Abandoned at five, she was sent to the Kyoto Charity Orphanage. At age 15, she succeeded in running away from the institution, which she colorfully referred to as 'Kyoto Infernal Jail for Children with Bitchy Parents ... '
Saitou raised an eyebrow in amusement. Drawing the trash can closer with a movement of his long legs, he dropped the contents of the ash tray into, numerous cigarette butts falling. Putting down the empty ash tray, he scrolled down and continue reading. "Let's take a look at her behavior in the orphanage."
' ... extremely hyperactive, she slept the last and woke up the first. Autodeclared a nonbeliever, she made the impossible to elude dominical mass, including faking death, starting an internal food protest movement, and getting the visiting priest drunk. She ran constantly into fights , often attacking her offenders with little knives stolen from the kitchen or who knows where. Never lost against less than five or five, twice her size. Misao refused to wear skirts or have her hair tied in a style other than her trademark ponytail, for which she was labeled a tomboy despite her natural beauty ... '
The image had been shrinked, for space purposes probably. Saitou cursed. Either the photographer forgot to turn on the flash of the camera or the baka who edited the pic had a serious contrast-definition problem, the image was darker than night. He couldn't see anything!Saitou was about to amplify the image when the telephone rang and someone knocked the door in synchronization much to his dismal. He sent the file by fax to Megumi and saved the information on a disk, just in case.
He picked up the phone telling Megumi to go check the fax machine, and hung the phone paying little attention to the small thanks coming from the other line.
"Come on in."
End of Flashback
Megumi had just finished giving a summary of Misao's troubled life to Dr. Genzai, and expected him to lament the girl's sad life. He didn't.
"It's better that way." he concluded, taking off his doctor's coat and handing Misao't medical board to Megumi, who took it dumbfounded at the doctor's statement.
"Nani?"
"Think of it. It would be sadder for both parts if she had a family. Being in coma is, as Nurse Masaki says, worse than being dead. It's an state of uncertainty. You're not dead, but neither alive." explained the doctor, leaving the room. "She's now in your hands, Dr. Takani."
.~*~. Heaven Knows Where .~*~.
Misao woke up feeling a little numb. "Ahh....My head hurts. Where am I?" She opened her eyes, cerulean orbs scanning the unfamiliar surroundings. She blinked. Smacked her head, blinked again. That didn't hurt. "Chikuso! Am I dead already or what?" She brought her right hand to her face and pecked her cheek hard. She sighed relieved. Her material body was still there so she couldn't possibly be dead. Wait! That didn't hurt either. "Don't panic, Misao. This is just a dream in which you've developed hurt-proof properties. That's all. To the count of three you'll wake up and it'll be all over." she said trying to sound covincing to her about-to-freak-out self. "One--"
"Two..."
"AAHHHH!!!!" Misao screamed jumping on her feet. "Who the hell are you??!!"
"Konnichiwa Misao-chan." said the voice too cheerily for Misao's taste, never quitting that smile. "Gomen, I scared you. I come in peace."
"Geez! Next time knock before." she pouted. "My heart almost jumped out my chest."
"I promise." he said bowing deeply and smiling the brightest smile Misao had seen a young man smile ever. She blushed unwantedly but who cared? He was blushing too, bright crimson! And for some unknown reasons, he was also trying to avert his eyes from her.
"Quit smiling, can you?" Misao faked annoyance but her mischievous smile exposed her intentions. She was going to wipe that smile from his handsome face, in her manner. Too bad the man dissapeared just in time. Dissapeared? "Huh?? Hey smiling-baka! Where are you? Come out right now!!!"
"Sshhhhh... Screaming and swearing are prohibited in this area. Follow me." a new person, a woman this time, spoke. "But first, put this on." she said handing the white drapery to Misao who stood there stunned. That woman had wings!
"Wi--Wings. You have wings!" she exclaimed in awe pointing to the woman's petite wings on her back.
"Ahh these? We all have them."
"Holy God I didn't believe in!! You're an angel!!" Misao exclaimed with double awe. The angel nodded. "Now put on the tunic, I can't take you to Master's in that state." she told Misao who was planning to tear off a feather of the angel's wing. "Ouuchhhh!!!" She did. "I'll tell Master about this, Misao!" the angel threathened Misao who was laughing heartily at her reaction.
"Gomen-nasai!! It was just a little feather... You know, as a souvenir." Misao said grinning innocently. The angel rolled her hazel eyes. "Put on the tunic now, and let me finish my work in peace. Please?" she said and Misao picked up the tunic laying on the floor.
"Wait. Why do I have to wear this? I'm clothed, and besides ... I don't like skirts!!!" Misao yelled and put her right hand inside the pocket of her black leather pants. Ooopss!! No pants! "WHAHHHHHH????!!! I'M NAKED!!"
After Misao's freak out subdued and she put on the infamous tunic, and the angel's hearing was restored, they arrived at Master's place.
"... so you're telling me I'm in coma in Earth, yet my soul and body are here?? How's that possible" Misao questioned the angel who pushed a big door open and motioned her to enter.
"I'm not authorized to answer any of your questions. Master will answer everything you want, so walk in. He's waiting."
"Master this, Master that....You've been brainwashed!! The aliens did it, didn't they?" The angel raised an eyebrow. "Let me correct that, ehehe... The demons did it, didn't they??!!" The angel sweat dropped, gave Misao a little pat on her back, muttered something that sounded like 'Pray God and the Devil make peace so that they can cure you', and left leaving Misao standing before the final door. A golden tablet with the inscriptions 'Shinomori Aoshi' was hanging on the richly worked wooden door. "Shinomori Aoshi" Misao repeated slowly tasting the words on her lips. She liked the name so what?
She knocked the door with confidence. Repeatedly. Harder. After thirty seconds, Misao's patience ran out. She seized the doorknob. Locked. Taking a hairpin from her head, she prepared to have it open. "See if they make it like in Earth."
But before she could try anything, the door swung open unexpectantly while Misao was almost leaning on it totally. 'It won't hurt' she reminded herself. 'It didn't hurt before, it shouldn't now.' She was going to fall facedown so she covered her face, but she never hit the floor. Strong arms held her up, and when Misao dared open her eyes, the only thing that escaped her lips was:
"Ah Aoshi-sama!"
~ ~ TBC ~ ~
~ * ~ ~ * ~ ~ * ~ ~ * ~
Can you guess who the smiling baka is? ^-^
Like it? Hate it? Leave me a review!!! ^_^ Reviews ARE reviews!!! lol@me ...'Til next chappie....Ja!