DISCLAIMER: Nobuhiro Watsuki-san a fait Rurouni Kenshin, pas moi! [NW made RK, not me!]

Dead or Alive

PROLOGUE

The sloshing of water inside the bucket could be heard as he made his way over to the cemetery. He stopped in front of the unmistakable tombstone. It had grown some dust since the last time he had visited. Kenshin began to polish the tombstone with the sleeve of his haori, letting the name read bright and clear. He traced his fingers over the characters that spelled out "Tomoe". He sighed. Why did you have to go? Why didn't I stop myself before I swung the sword that ended your life? The scene replayed itself in front of his mind's eye. The moment was so clear, so vivid. He knew that there was no way he could have stopped in time. She had jumped out so fast to try and save him. He clutched the tombstone in pain and anguish. Tomoe… why did you have to go?…

***

He was making his way onto the backroads of Kyoto. He was surrounded by wheat fields, and he couldn't tell where he was. Geez! Why did I let myself get lost like this? I guess I got distracted thinking about this morning…

His reminiscing of the visit to the grave had caused him to wander aimlessly to… wherever he was now. He stumbled on pieces of a broken wood structures that resembled cross shapes. He looked down at them, Those look familiar… Whatever, I have to find my way back to the inn before it gets too dark, Kaoru-dono and the others might get worried. THUMP! "Oro?!" Kenshin had tripped on a big gray stone. Where is my head today? How could I not have seen that rock? There are three of them and their up to my shin no less! Geez! He was about to turn and go back around the path, when he stopped. He whipped around and knelt down before the rocks. These stones were definitely familiar. As soon as his fingers grazed one of the rocks he knew there was no mistake. These were the tombstones of the three women who had saved his life as a young boy. Kasumi-san. Sakura-san. Akane-san. He closed his eyes and said a small prayer. When he opened his eyes, he was no longer kneeling before the stones. He found himself before three beautiful women.

It was them. They were seated side by side across from him in pure, white garments camouflaging themselves with the snowy white background. Kasumi was the first to speak. "Let us explain why are you here. Shinta, we have been watching over you since that day we had to leave you. We watched as you slayed all those people as the Hitokiri Battousai, and we watched as you have been trying to atone for all their lives."

Sakura continued, "We are also aware of all the pain you have been carrying all these years. With the loss of Tomoe, and with all the memories of your days as a hitokiri engraved in your heart. As people who love you and want the best for you we cannot bear to watch you suffer any longer."

His eyes shifted to Akane who was getting ready to speak. "We have been allowed to help you bear some of your suffering."

Kenshin was silent, all he could do was sit in awe at what was happening before him.

Sakura broke in, "What was one of the greatest losses you have experienced, Shinta?"

One thing? How could he only choose one? Before he could speak a sense of pain began to throb on this left cheek, he could feel the cross scar beating with this heart. He put his hand to the scar, feeling it thump with his pulse. The memories of that morning suddenly flooded his mind, and suddenly Kenshin had an answer. "Tomoe."

The three women looked at each other in a type of amusement, as they already knew that would be the answer. "Would you like us to help you with that particular loss?"

He nodded slowly, unsure what the outcome would be.

"We will arrange for you to go back to the time of Tomoe's death. You will be able to stop yourself before you make that last blow."

"But there is no way I could've stopped myself before it happened! She came too fast… too fast…", he trailed off remembering the horrible moment again.

"Don't worry, Shinta. There is always a way."

He looked up at Kasumi as she finished, and Akane began.

"After you see what life would have been like with Tomoe, we shall let you choose which life you feel has less suffering."

"Be wary though, Shinta, there is one trick to us helping you. You will not have any recollection of us telling you this or anything that happened after Tomoe's death in your current life. So while you live the life where Tomoe survives, you will not know that you had another life in which she died. And you will only be able to make a choice of which life to live if you are able to realize and remember your current life. This was an aspect that was added by a higher power to test the connection between your life now and the one you shall live…"

"Shinta, there had to be a backside, because the interaction of the dead and the living is very heavily frowned upon. But we felt we had to help you while we watched you suffer before Tomoe's grave."

Kenshin stood in bewilderment. They cared for him so deeply, yet they would toy with his life so carelessly? Of course he had always hated the feeling of pain and sorrow as he remembered his first love, but this? This was too much. How could he possible live a life without all the people he held so dear to him? He wouldn't have Sanosuke, Yahiko, and most importantly Kaoru. He was about to decline their offer, but Kasumi interjected with the only too familiar words before he could open his mouth.

"Shinta, you just think of living on. You couldn't choose your way of life like we did…"
Kenshin felt his eyes open wide as his eyes began to blur.

"… but now's your chance!"

He felt his body give way to a strange feeling as he gave one last thought… Kaoru-dono…

Everything went white.

~+~+~

Hi hi! Don't forget to read the other chapters! Enjoy! Thank you for reading, and feel free to review!

!Un sourire pour tout le monde! ß someone asked what that meant, it means: "!A smile for everyone!"

J