Between the Devil and the Deep
A Rurouni Kenshin Alternate Universe Fic
by Gemini
Rated PG-13 for now. (Mostly because of Hiko's parrot)
Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is owned by Nobuhiro Watsuki, Shonen Jump and a bunch of other people I can't recall and am too lazy to look up. But, the main point here is that I do not own it, nor am I making any money from this fic! (Ha!)
Chapter 1: Lost at sea
The young man was smiling even though no one could see him, perched as he was in the crow's nest high above the ship's deck. He didn't seem to mind being up there, despite the merciless pounding of the sun's rays on him. It was winter, but the sun made him sweat. He mopped the moisture off his brow with a dirty handkerchief and scanned the sea around them. It was calm and flat, the glassy surface reflecting the sun. He could see clear to the horizon all the way around him.
His watchful eyes picked up a small black smudge far ahead of them. He squinted, but was unable to make it out. His eyes still glued to the mysterious shape; his hand groped around behind him until it found the telescope that was lashed securely to the mast. He untied it and squinted through the slightly dirty lens. The smudge was revealed to be a small boat, most likely a lifeboat. There were people on it, although they didn't appear to be moving.
He dropped the scope and commenced clanging the bell that hung on the basket to alert whoever was on duty below.
"Oi! Shut the hell up, Smiley, before I come up there and shove that bell up your ass!" Sano, the Captain's second in command, had lost several dice games the night before and ended up hung over and stuck with the early morning watch, the dog watch. At first, he thought the clanging of the bell was just his head; it took him a few minutes to realize it was actually Soujiro. "What the hell are you ringing that thing for?" He yelled up at the other man.
"Looks like there's a lifeboat ahead!" Soujiro yelled down. "Three, maybe four passengers, I can't tell if they're alive!"
"Shit. What a way to fucking start my day." Sano muttered, running a hand through his hair. To Soujiro he yelled, "I'll go let the Captain know!"
"Better tell Doc, too!" Soujiro responded.
Sano waved him off and went below decks to the mess hall, where he hoped to find his captain.
A mixture of smells, some good, mostly bad, greeted him as he stepped into the narrow dining area. Hiko was serving up something that vaguely resembled porridge. Sano felt his gorge rise at the sight of the lumpy gray substance.
"What the fuck is that?" He asked the ill-tempered cook. The peg-legged man turned and gave Sano a horrible glare.
"What the hell does it look like, moron?" He asked, stumping back towards the galley.
"Vomit." Sano replied. His eyes widened and he ducked, barely managing to avoid the knife that had been aimed at his head.
"Then don't eat it!" Hiko bellowed as he slammed through the kitchen door. Sano could hear the man's parrot squawking rude words at him through the door.
"Sano, if you can't say anything nice, then don't speak." His Captain admonished as she poked uneasily at the porridge.
"Why is that freak show our cook? The only thing he can do is drink." Sano replied irritably, momentarily forgetting why he was down in the galley.
"Because I promised my father that I would keep him around." She replied, putting down her spoon. "Besides, how else do you think I can maintain this girlish figure?"
Sano rolled his eyes.
"What are you doing down here, anyway? Aren't you up a little early?" The captain asked with an arched eyebrow.
"I lost the dice game last night and ended up with the dog watch." He replied. "Which reminds me, Soujiro spotted a floater with some bodies."
"Alive?" She asked.
"Can't tell. Maybe."
"Go find Megumi and tell her to be ready to handle some survivors. They'll probably be dehydrated or half starved, and the sun might have made them a bit delirious." She rose from her seat, leaving her porridge untouched. "I'll go up top."
Sano nodded. "Will do, Captain." He said with a smart salute and a smirk.
She rolled her eyes. "For God's sake, Sano, you know perfectly well that when none of the crew's around, you can call me Kaoru!"
Sano grinned. "Sure thing, Captain."
Kenshin was trapped in a nightmare. He was drowning, but it seemed to be taking a very long time. Floating before him, he could see Yahiko, his blue tinged face slack in death. He had failed Tomoe, failed in the one task she had asked of him. He reached out a hand to the boy, hoping that perhaps his perception was wrong. His fingers brushed warm, dry flesh. Dry? He frowned, trying to make sense of this. Straining his eyes, he struggled to see before him, but the water was growing murkier, as though someone had thrown a bottle of ink into the ocean. Yahiko's body seemed to undergo a change. Suddenly, Kenshin was looking into the accusing eyes of his former fiancée.
"You couldn't even do this one thing for me, Kenshin?" She asked him angrily. Her black hair floated around her chalk white face like seaweed.
"Tomoe…I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…" He tried to explain, but his voice wouldn't cooperate. It was strange he could talk at all, wasn't he drowning? He reached out again, beseechingly. Suddenly, all the flesh dripped from her bones like wax from a melting candle. He was confronted with a horrible, leering skeleton.
"I'll take you to hell!" The skeleton screamed, grabbing his hand and pulling him down into the black depths.
He tried to yell, beg her to forgive him, but the air was gone from his lungs, he couldn't breathe.
"Hey, easy…easy." A low voice murmured. The bony hand that had been hauling him to hell suddenly was a soft, warm hand. Flesh and blood.
He opened his eyes and discovered that he wasn't drowning. He couldn't really see; everything in the room was blurry and indistinct. He tried to ask a question, but his tongue felt as though it was made of lead.
He swallowed, tried again, and failed. Something was pressed against his lips and he realized it was a cup. Sweet water, the best water he had ever tasted, poured into his mouth. He drank as though he was afraid he would never have water again.
The cup was removed. He cleared his throat and managed a few words. "Where is the boy?" He croaked.
"The boy? You mean Yahiko? He's fine." The voice answered.
Kenshin felt relief flow through him like the water had moments earlier. He felt light, almost giddy. "He's okay?" He slurred.
"Yes. He's in the galley, eating dinner. Do you want to see him?"
"Let him eat." Kenshin whispered hoarsely. He swallowed, exhausted by the effort it took to form words. "Where am I?"
"Aboard a ship. We found your life raft yesterday." The voice responded.
"What ship?" He managed. He rubbed his eyes, but his vision was still hazy. The person tending to him was no more than a collection of shadows. The effort of moving his hand nearly did him in. He was exhausted.
"The Kami Kaze." The voice responded.
Kenshin was slipping rapidly back into unconsciousness. The reply stuck in his mind. "Kami…" He murmured sleepily. Something told him that this was dangerous, that he should be worried. But his body paid no heed to his mind. He was simply too exhausted to care. In the back of his mind, though, he knew that when he woke up, there would be a problem.
Glossary of terms:
Galley: Place on a ship where meals are prepared.
Kami Kaze: Divine Wind. The name of Karou's ship. Kenshin's ship is called The Ryuu, meaning The Dragon
Author's Notes:
Yes, Hiko has a peg leg, and no, he can't cook. Watch out for his dreaded 'sake loaf'. As for his parrot, it's name is Umidori, which means sea bird.
Yes, Kaoru is a pirate captain! Go Kaoru! Kick ass! She does in the next chapter. She's quite...scary.
Soujiro, Chou, Kamatari and others are here. So's Aoshi and most probably the rest of the Oniwabanshuu. What about Misao? Heh. That comes later.
A Rurouni Kenshin Alternate Universe Fic
by Gemini
Rated PG-13 for now. (Mostly because of Hiko's parrot)
Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is owned by Nobuhiro Watsuki, Shonen Jump and a bunch of other people I can't recall and am too lazy to look up. But, the main point here is that I do not own it, nor am I making any money from this fic! (Ha!)
Chapter 1: Lost at sea
The young man was smiling even though no one could see him, perched as he was in the crow's nest high above the ship's deck. He didn't seem to mind being up there, despite the merciless pounding of the sun's rays on him. It was winter, but the sun made him sweat. He mopped the moisture off his brow with a dirty handkerchief and scanned the sea around them. It was calm and flat, the glassy surface reflecting the sun. He could see clear to the horizon all the way around him.
His watchful eyes picked up a small black smudge far ahead of them. He squinted, but was unable to make it out. His eyes still glued to the mysterious shape; his hand groped around behind him until it found the telescope that was lashed securely to the mast. He untied it and squinted through the slightly dirty lens. The smudge was revealed to be a small boat, most likely a lifeboat. There were people on it, although they didn't appear to be moving.
He dropped the scope and commenced clanging the bell that hung on the basket to alert whoever was on duty below.
"Oi! Shut the hell up, Smiley, before I come up there and shove that bell up your ass!" Sano, the Captain's second in command, had lost several dice games the night before and ended up hung over and stuck with the early morning watch, the dog watch. At first, he thought the clanging of the bell was just his head; it took him a few minutes to realize it was actually Soujiro. "What the hell are you ringing that thing for?" He yelled up at the other man.
"Looks like there's a lifeboat ahead!" Soujiro yelled down. "Three, maybe four passengers, I can't tell if they're alive!"
"Shit. What a way to fucking start my day." Sano muttered, running a hand through his hair. To Soujiro he yelled, "I'll go let the Captain know!"
"Better tell Doc, too!" Soujiro responded.
Sano waved him off and went below decks to the mess hall, where he hoped to find his captain.
A mixture of smells, some good, mostly bad, greeted him as he stepped into the narrow dining area. Hiko was serving up something that vaguely resembled porridge. Sano felt his gorge rise at the sight of the lumpy gray substance.
"What the fuck is that?" He asked the ill-tempered cook. The peg-legged man turned and gave Sano a horrible glare.
"What the hell does it look like, moron?" He asked, stumping back towards the galley.
"Vomit." Sano replied. His eyes widened and he ducked, barely managing to avoid the knife that had been aimed at his head.
"Then don't eat it!" Hiko bellowed as he slammed through the kitchen door. Sano could hear the man's parrot squawking rude words at him through the door.
"Sano, if you can't say anything nice, then don't speak." His Captain admonished as she poked uneasily at the porridge.
"Why is that freak show our cook? The only thing he can do is drink." Sano replied irritably, momentarily forgetting why he was down in the galley.
"Because I promised my father that I would keep him around." She replied, putting down her spoon. "Besides, how else do you think I can maintain this girlish figure?"
Sano rolled his eyes.
"What are you doing down here, anyway? Aren't you up a little early?" The captain asked with an arched eyebrow.
"I lost the dice game last night and ended up with the dog watch." He replied. "Which reminds me, Soujiro spotted a floater with some bodies."
"Alive?" She asked.
"Can't tell. Maybe."
"Go find Megumi and tell her to be ready to handle some survivors. They'll probably be dehydrated or half starved, and the sun might have made them a bit delirious." She rose from her seat, leaving her porridge untouched. "I'll go up top."
Sano nodded. "Will do, Captain." He said with a smart salute and a smirk.
She rolled her eyes. "For God's sake, Sano, you know perfectly well that when none of the crew's around, you can call me Kaoru!"
Sano grinned. "Sure thing, Captain."
Kenshin was trapped in a nightmare. He was drowning, but it seemed to be taking a very long time. Floating before him, he could see Yahiko, his blue tinged face slack in death. He had failed Tomoe, failed in the one task she had asked of him. He reached out a hand to the boy, hoping that perhaps his perception was wrong. His fingers brushed warm, dry flesh. Dry? He frowned, trying to make sense of this. Straining his eyes, he struggled to see before him, but the water was growing murkier, as though someone had thrown a bottle of ink into the ocean. Yahiko's body seemed to undergo a change. Suddenly, Kenshin was looking into the accusing eyes of his former fiancée.
"You couldn't even do this one thing for me, Kenshin?" She asked him angrily. Her black hair floated around her chalk white face like seaweed.
"Tomoe…I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…" He tried to explain, but his voice wouldn't cooperate. It was strange he could talk at all, wasn't he drowning? He reached out again, beseechingly. Suddenly, all the flesh dripped from her bones like wax from a melting candle. He was confronted with a horrible, leering skeleton.
"I'll take you to hell!" The skeleton screamed, grabbing his hand and pulling him down into the black depths.
He tried to yell, beg her to forgive him, but the air was gone from his lungs, he couldn't breathe.
"Hey, easy…easy." A low voice murmured. The bony hand that had been hauling him to hell suddenly was a soft, warm hand. Flesh and blood.
He opened his eyes and discovered that he wasn't drowning. He couldn't really see; everything in the room was blurry and indistinct. He tried to ask a question, but his tongue felt as though it was made of lead.
He swallowed, tried again, and failed. Something was pressed against his lips and he realized it was a cup. Sweet water, the best water he had ever tasted, poured into his mouth. He drank as though he was afraid he would never have water again.
The cup was removed. He cleared his throat and managed a few words. "Where is the boy?" He croaked.
"The boy? You mean Yahiko? He's fine." The voice answered.
Kenshin felt relief flow through him like the water had moments earlier. He felt light, almost giddy. "He's okay?" He slurred.
"Yes. He's in the galley, eating dinner. Do you want to see him?"
"Let him eat." Kenshin whispered hoarsely. He swallowed, exhausted by the effort it took to form words. "Where am I?"
"Aboard a ship. We found your life raft yesterday." The voice responded.
"What ship?" He managed. He rubbed his eyes, but his vision was still hazy. The person tending to him was no more than a collection of shadows. The effort of moving his hand nearly did him in. He was exhausted.
"The Kami Kaze." The voice responded.
Kenshin was slipping rapidly back into unconsciousness. The reply stuck in his mind. "Kami…" He murmured sleepily. Something told him that this was dangerous, that he should be worried. But his body paid no heed to his mind. He was simply too exhausted to care. In the back of his mind, though, he knew that when he woke up, there would be a problem.
Glossary of terms:
Galley: Place on a ship where meals are prepared.
Kami Kaze: Divine Wind. The name of Karou's ship. Kenshin's ship is called The Ryuu, meaning The Dragon
Author's Notes:
Yes, Hiko has a peg leg, and no, he can't cook. Watch out for his dreaded 'sake loaf'. As for his parrot, it's name is Umidori, which means sea bird.
Yes, Kaoru is a pirate captain! Go Kaoru! Kick ass! She does in the next chapter. She's quite...scary.
Soujiro, Chou, Kamatari and others are here. So's Aoshi and most probably the rest of the Oniwabanshuu. What about Misao? Heh. That comes later.