AN; Hello everyone! This is my first attempt at a Kabaneri fanfiction, and I'm not sure how popular this topic is because I've never actually looked it up here, but after seeing the anime, I have a really strong urge to write about my absolute favorite pairing that I saw from all of the episodes of the show! I really hope everyone enjoys this and I hope I enjoy it, too! Thank you so much! Please don't be shy to critique and review! I take criticism very well, I promise. Okay, here we go!

Ikoma groaned as he walked home from the train station. Working as a steam-smith was something he was good at, but, in all honesty, it wasn't his true passion. Or even close to something that could be considered a true passion. Working for the bushi, taking their orders and fixing their things whenever they wanted wasn't really something he stood for or appreciated. A long day finally passing for him, he let out a deep sigh.
His best friend, Takumi, walked beside him, hands in his pockets as the walked along to the edges of the city where their small house resided.
Ikoma's nagging exhausted made it difficult for him to make it back to his house, despite the drive to keep up the work he was doing at home- his true passion.
"So," Takumi said, looking over at the greenette with questioning eyes. "I'm guessing you ain't done for the day, are you?"

He shook his head, "No, there's much more I have to do."

"What are you even trying to do again?" He laughed at his friend, squinting his eyes.

"I'm trying to fix this. To study them." He said, his eyes locked on the ground.

Takumi let out a hardy laugh and punched his best friend in the arm, "Well you practically are a kabane at this rate! All you do is eat sleep and do this work. A real kabane if you ask me."

Ikoma rolled his eyes and looked around, making sure no one heard his friends stupid outburst. Something like that could get him killed if anyone heard it. People around here are just so afraid…

"But," Takumi continued, realizing that what he had just said probably wasn't the smartest thing he could have done. "How is that other side project going?"

Ikoma's eyes lit up, a smile stretching across his cheeks. Finally, thought Takumi.

"It's almost done." He looked down at the green gem in his right palm. "One last touch."

Takumi shook his head, "Somehow I doubt something like that could be successful."

Ikoma's eyes turned to his fat best friend, his eyebrows furrowing, "It has to."

Takumi waved him off with a small hand gesture, giving a small laugh. "Okay, okay. If you say so." He shrugged as they reached the end of their path together. A fork in the road.
"Well," Ikoma said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I'll see you tomorrow, I guess."

Takumi raised his hand to give his best buddy a wave, "Yeah! Tomorrow bright and early!" He gave a laugh, "If you can even get up that early!"
"Fatty!" Ikoma yelled out to him as Takumi took off running down the road.
He shook his head, trekking to his house, pulling back the curtain that acted as his door, and stepped inside.

There it was, sitting in the low glow of the torch hanging from the wall. His time machine.

He ran to it, stroking the metal that made up the lovely machine. His fingers fanned around the buttons and valves, smiling sadly at the idea of its use. He reached into his bag, pulling out the last piece that he managed to collect today. A container of oil that was the last remaining thing needed to get this in gear. As he poured it in carefully to his machine, he couldn't help but think about his beloved passed sister. Her smile, her innocence. He screwed the valve on shut after the oil was emptied out, his heart pounding thinking of the possibility of seeing his sister's bright and shiny smile alive once more. This his right hand in a tight fist, clenching the gem from the river, Ikoma turned the knobs and pressed to buttons of the machine he's spent so long trying to construct. With silent prayers, he turned a valve as steam began to hiss out of the machines pipes, filling the room.
A smile spread across his lips as his eyes became large. "YES!" He yelled, pumping his fists into the air. Though, his excitement was vivid, he needed to calm himself down and maintain his composer in order to ensure success with this...His sister's life was far more important than the pride he felt for getting this going.
Giving himself a calming exhale, Ikoma regained his composure and continued on. All that was left was...Just a few more steps and the machine could very well be functioning. Trying to contain his feelings, he clutched the gem in his hand and continued on. He turned a few more valves and a popped a few more knobs. The steam fussing out of the machine at a great pace. This was all according to his plan. This was perfect. Nothing is going wrong...at least yet! He couldn't help but hide that little smile.

He gave the last and final knob a turn and stood in the stop he had previously marked with a cloth on the ground. The spot that would take him back. Back to his sister. Back to stop everything. She could be here with him now if it weren't for him…

He closed his eyes, the steam swirling around him. He bit his lip, the heat of the steam causing his pores to drip. Ikoma's heart raced a mile a minute, not sure if it was fear, excitement, nervousness, or a mixture of both.

Was it...was it working? He didn't feel any different…

Nothing was changing? Was it?

Out of fear for his experiment failing, he kept his eyes shut tightly. Give it more time, he thought to himself. More time. Maybe it will work…

After what felt like ages passed, Ikoma finally let himself open his eyes.

"What?" He questioned, looking around the space he was in.
He didn't recognize it…

A dark space. Metal surrounding him. Bits of sunlight hitting the hay that laid under his feet. A...is that...is that a boiler?

His head tilted to the side. "This isn't right…" His breathing picked up the pace slightly, running to the boiler and crouching down. "I failed…" He laid his head down against the metal, a single tear streaming down his face. How could he have failed again? He let her die again. All he wanted to do was save her from this. But his stupid failed invention just brought him to this place. What was this place, anyways? That's right...he could still do it. He had to get back to the machine and fix a few things. Once he did that-

"I could still do it!" He quickly rose to his feet, taking a long look around this place he was in. A boiler. Metal. Hay. Where was he? It seemed so familiar...Like he saw this sort of thing everyday, what could it be?

Calming his heart rate down, the pounding in his ears subsided and he could hear it. A suddenly chugga chugga chugga. "A TRAIN!" He shouted the answer proudly to himself, holding a hand in the air.

So, a train? Why was he on a train? He had never been in the train before. His machine should have taken him somewhere in time. Somewhere he's been before. But he's never been here before.

Suddenly, before he could have time to connect the dots, a stirring noise came from the corner of this train car, behind several stacks of hay. Just as quickly as his heart had calmed down, it picked up pace again. Kabane? He thought to himself, backing up and grabbing a fire poker in his left hand, gripping it tightly behind his back. No way a kabane could kill him. He was so close. He had to get back to his machine. His sister…

The stirring continued picking up volume and speed until it ceased suddenly.
Ikoma held his breath, staying tight against the wall.

"I...Ikoma?" A small voice asked from behind the hay. "Ikoma is that you?"

He dropped the fireplace poker. That voice sounded really...familiar…

"Yes," He answered softly, unsure of this was the right move. "It's me…"

A silhouette sat up. The figure rubbed her eyes. "Ikoma, you idiot...I don't have to be up for another hour...what are you doing?"

That voice...was it...it couldn't be…
Without even thinking, his feet raced him to the girl behind the hay. The voice suddenly clicked. His sister. He didn't know how she was on this train, or why. But he knew that he was here with her now. Finally. It was like a dream.

The force pulled him toward her quickly until he was inches from her, dropping to his knees. His eyes were leaking on their own, a smile on his face. His hand reached out towards her to know that this was real.
His fingers were inches from that cheek when he realized...red eyes.
Red eyes?
His hand snatched back.

A very short haircut. A piece of hair sloppily put into a loop at the top of her head, a metal bead holding it in place. Those round cheeks...it looked like her at first glance, but those red eyes...It wasn't...it wasn't her, was it?

He withdrew his hand to his chest, noticing a small tremble in it.
"Ikoma." The girl, without warning, raised her hand and without hesitation, planted it in Ikoma's stomach.
It was like the train he was riding in had somehow hit him. The force of this little girl's punch was more than he could ever image. All thoughts left his mind as he fell over on the ground, a warm liquid spilling out of his mouth.

"Ikoma!" He heard her say. "Don't be such a baby, get up!"

Unable to speak, Ikoma couldn't answer her. "Who are you?" He wanted to say.

"IKOMA!" She repeated loudly, "IKOMA, IKOMA. Don't be such a wimp!"

Ikoma could hear another figure on the other side of the train car sit up, the rustling louder than this girl's had been.

"What are you fussing about?" A deep voice called from the corner.

Ikoma's eyes slid up to the girls, looking at her face another time. Those red eyes opened wide as she looked down at him, kicking him over with another bone crushing blow, rolling him over.
"Who are you!" She shouted at him, standing to her feet, putting her hands on her hips.

Ikoma tried to push out the answer, but it didn't work, just more red liquid spilled out.

"Answer me." She demanded, bending over, her hands still on her hips to look down at him.
"What is going on over there?" The deep voiced figure asked, standing up and walking towards them.
Oh no...Not two of them...he had no hope.

"WHO ARE YOU!?" She screeched at him, hovering her foot over his stomach.

In fear, he put his hands over her head, palms up, finally able to push out the answer wheezily, "I-I-Ikoma!" He huffed.

She hesitated, her head tilting, putting her foot down. "What did you say?"

"I...Ikoma…" He wailed, finally catching his breath.

There was a few seconds of pause before she leaned down and grabbed his right hand roughly, inspecting the green gem.

"D-don't touch that!" He shouted, snatching his hand away from her.

"You...should come here." She looked up at the figure that was now a foot or two away from the two of them.
The foreboding footsteps boomed towards him until he felt the figure crouch. He reached out for Ikoma's right hand, and grasped it. The touch was much more gentle and somehow softer than the girls. Like this person seemed to have more empathy for his situation.

Waiting in anticipation, Ikoma held his breath, for what felt like hours as the figure inspected his hand.
"This can't be…" He said, sliding to his butt, sitting beside the laying Ikoma.

"Is it true?" The girl asked, squatting beside him.
Ikoma lifted his head up, looking at the two of them sitting there. His heart raced a little as he allowed himself to explore the gentle stranger. His skin was deathly pale, his chest muscular and defined. Much more so than his. He felt a little embarrassed looking at it for as long as he did. Making his way up to his shoulders, he noticed an interesting contraption of leather and metal, attached to his right arm, a metal collar that seemed to be...bolted to him? What on earth…? Ikoma thought, sitting up more to get a better look at this built stranger's face.

That's when he saw it.
Green hair, cut short with a piece of long white hair in the front of his face. Glasses with one green lense, red eyes just like that girl. But something was familiar...oddly familiar to him…

"You're…" The handsome man spoke softly, looking down at him, still holding his hand. "You're me." He said, offering out the same green gem in his free hand.