(Title only temporary until I think of something better. Any suggestions?)
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or the song "With you I'm born again"
Note: The story takes place right after the battle with Shishio then veers slightly from the anime.
This is based off of the sub version, which is much better than the dub(IMHO).
Other notes: Bold=Song lyrics
Italics= Dream sequence
Kenshin opened his eyes, a feat every bit the struggle as his battle with Shishio.Tired.. He was so tired... His vision blurred and his head spun. His fragmented mind struggled to orient itself.A familiar voice was speaking to him,but he couldn't understand what he was saying. Distantly he could feel his limp body being half carried, half dragged across the...countryside? Slowly some of his thoughts came together. He remembered the fight. The violence. The pain and sorrow as he desperately fought against both Shishio and himself. He remembered the deaths, always the inevitable deaths. Now it seemed that it was finally his turn. Perhaps it was a fair fate for someone who had done as much harm as him. Maybe then, finally he could put his tortured memories to rest? "We'll go back to Tokyo, Together." Her promise suddenly whispered in his mind like a caress. No! He wrestled with himself struggling to hold on a little longer. Despite it all, he felt his body weaken some more. No! I can't go right now, I must see her beautiful face one last time. Say goodbye. Sano, my friend take me to her. He tried to say, but he was too weak even to speak. Kaoru....
Come bring me your softness
Comfort me through all this madness
Woman, don't you know with you, I'm born again
"Kenshin!" His eyes opened again as she called him. She was there. Running. He could see her coming towards him,tears sparkling in her eyes.
"Kao...ru" his lips moved forming his most treasured of words. With his last strength he reached forward with his hand and tried to forced his head up, determined to look into her beautiful soulful eyes one last time. She looked relieved at his movement knowing that he was alive despite his sorry state. Her relief turned to worry a bare moment later as he suddenly started to pitch forward. The darkness in it suffocating completeness unmercifully rose up and swallowed him down. "Kenshin!!" She cried hugging her face close to his.
Come bring me your sweetness
Now there's you, there is no weakness
Lying safe within your arms, I'm born again
It was dark.
Rain poured down heavily from the sky. Kenshin stood alone soaked and shivering. In his right hand he held his sword. The sword grew heavier and heavier in his hand. Hesitantly, he looked down, the sword was dripping with crimson rivulets. It slid down the harsh metal to join a growing pool of muddy water. No not water. The ground was saturated with blood.He glanced up the sky too was raining blood. And that was not thunder he heard, but the horrible clang of metal and screams of the dying. There was chanting in the distance.
"Battousai"
"Man-slayer" came the harsh tones of the dead.
"No!" Kenshin pleaded backing away. "I'm not a hitokiri anymore." He dropped his Katana and ran.
He at last collapsed at the edge of a stream. The dead men had disappeared. He reached down, intending to wash the stains off his hands...and pulled back gasping. In the pool he saw his reflection. It was a horrid ugly decaying thing.
"A hitokiri will always be a hitokiri." Jinei's voice. " That is all we ever can be."
"Nooooo!" Kenshin screamed.
I was half not whole
Instep with none
Reaching through this world
In need of one
Kaoru sat cold and alone, watching Kenshin tossing and turning in pain. His horrible screams almost bringing her to tears. " Megumi..." She addressed the woman tending to Kenshin, her voice trembling. " Will he...will he make it?
The other woman turned to her sighing, with a look of defeat that Kaoru had rarely seen before. " He has been fevered for a week now and his wounds are very serious." She paused. " He is young and strong..."
"But will he live?" Kaoru interrupted. "Please tell me the truth."
Megumi sighed again. " The truth is... I've done all that medicine can do. It is up to Ken-san now." She put her medicines back in her box, pausing to look once again at Kenshin's face. " It is said that the unconscious can still hear our voices. I know that there is one voice that he would want to hear. The only one he said 'goodbye' to when he left Tokyo." She turned. " You Kaoru-san and only you may have the power to bring him back to us."
"Megumi..." Megumi gave her arm an encouraging squeeze before walking out the door leaving the two alone.
"Oh Kenshin, please come back to us. To Me. You promised that we would go to Tokyo together. You have to see that through or I'll never forgive you."
He began to shake with chills. Kaoru started to panic. He was already covered with 2 blankets. There were no more. "Oh please Kenshin don't do this to me." He moved around reaching.. Reaching for something. She took it , noticing he calmed down slightly. Making a decision, she pulled back the blankets and got in beside him, pressing her body to his hoping to transfer some of her life energy to his. She took him in her arms, careful not to touch his wounds. "Shh Kenshin. Its all right. I'm here now. I won't ever leave you." A single tear slipped off her face and splashed onto his. " I Love you."
Come show me your kindness
In your arms, I know I'll find this
Woman, don't you know with you, I'm born again
Lying safe with you, I'm born again
"I Love you" Kenshin glanced up startled, into Kaoru's face.
"How could you love someone as lowly and disgusting as this." He indicated the murky pool which housed his horrid reflection.
"That's not what I see." She knelt down extending a finger into the water. The resulting ripples washed the image away. She took his hands forcing him to face her, but he refused to look her in the eye. " Kenshin listen, you are beautiful to me."
"But my past..."
" I told you before, I don't care about that."
" I am the Battousai. The Hitokiri. You love the Rurouni a man of half-truths." Kenshin persisted.
"I know you." She said with certainty. "The man I love stands before me. Not the Battousai. Not the Rurouni. The man who is both-Himura Kenshin." Kenshin's eyes widened a feeling of love and acceptance washing his sullied core. Suddenly the rain stopped and the clouds melted away. His angel stood before him, her body awashed in light. She held out her hand. " Let's go back home, together." He took her hand, feeling perfectly content. He looked up into her warm eyes, seeing himself reflected there and it was beautiful.
Come give me your sweetness
Now there's you, there is no weakness
Lying safe within your arms, I'm born again
Woman don't you know with you, I'm born again
Sano slid back the shoji to Kenshin's room. He paused for a moment noticing the two lying together in the futon. "How is he?"
Megumi smiled as she packed up her supplies. " His fever's broke. It looks like he's going to be fine."
His worried eyes softened and a smile began to from on his lips. "Well done Jou-chan. Well done." He then offered his arm to Megumi. "What do you say we leave these two lovebirds alone and go out to celebrate."
"I suppose, I'm buying."she said as she rose and took it.
"Well, I don't have the money right now..."
"Figures"
"You should have some gratitude woman. I was out saving Japan..." The rest of the conversation fading out as the too amiably walked down the hall.
Kenshin stirred having been woken by the bantering. He opened his eyes staring at the ceiling for a moment watching the way that patterns of light danced on it. He felt the soft warmth of someone's breath beside him. He turned his head, his eyes immediately resting on the girl laying peacefully beside him. Her lips curved up in a welcoming smile. He smiled back as he reached up gently brushing a stray hair away from her eyes. His hand then lightly traced the curve of her face. Before his hand could fall away. Kaoru reached up and clasped it within her own. They lay that way for many moments before they eventually fell asleep dreaming of the new life that they would soon begin together.
THE END
(hides behind rocks to avoid flying fruit) Okay. Please review and tell me what you think about it.