Disclaimer: Neither Crystal nor XenoMark own Rurouni Kenshin, they're simply borrowing their characters for their own entertainment. XenoMark does however, own Shion, Mina, and any other characters never heard seen, or heard of, in the anime, manga, or movie.



XenoMark's Note: Welcome to "When Angels Lost Their Wings: The Crimson String Side Story." For those of you unfamiliar with my other fic, "Crimson String," don't worry, it's not really necessary to read that one to understand the events going on in this fic as there will be flashbacks in this fic. This fic also crosses over with "Crimson String Book II: A Rurouni's Path" as both stories exist on the same time line. If you wish to learn the entire story, you'll want to read that fic too. Aoshi, Misao, and the rest of the Oniwaban-shu will appear a bit later in this fic, so be patient. Other then that, let me warn you readers that this fic is Shoujo-Ai (sorry yuri fans, there won't be any lemon in this fic), but other than that, enjoy the story. Anyway, before we begin, I'd like to thank Crystal for helping me with this fic, thanks a bunch, Crystal



Crystal's Note: Anyways, I don't know what else to say, since XenoMark has said it all already ^^ And I thank you, XenoMark, for letting me work on this fic with you. Anyways, great readings



Prologue



(Shion's POV)



It's been a while since I've last come here. Tokyo, this was once a place I called home, but that was a long time ago. That was a time before chaos was commonplace in this country. The ignorant masses, just watching them live their lives as if the Revolution meant nothing to them, it just sickens me that they believe in the Meiji Government. You must be wondering why I think of the Meiji like this, it's because of what they did to me. I am the yurei who searches for death, Azumi Shion, an ex-hitokiri of the Ishin Shishi.

My life was not always with death, there was once a time when I was a normal person. I was the daughter of a samurai before the Revolution began, I lived in Edo with my parents and younger brother, Kintaro. I also had a loving fiancé named Keisuke, a son of the Suzuka family. We were very much in love, our wedding was to be in April of Western year 1864, however it never came to be. I was fourteen when it all began, Father was called to Kyoto to assist in the war going on over there. He never made it unfortunately, instead he was killed by a group of bandits on his trip to Kyoto. The other samurai families began to turn away from mine, seeing that we were weak because of my father's death. Keisuke was the only one that stayed with me, but even that didn't last for very long. One evening, Keisuke stayed over for the night, the same night the other samurai families decided to take action on mine. They burned my home and killed Keisuke, the Suzuka family had no qualms over killing their own son. My mother and brother went missing after. I wanted revenge for what the samurai did to my family, and there was only one organization that I thought could help me do so.

The Ishin Shishi, the ones who rebelled against the Tokugawa Shogunate, I thought they could help me. I arrived in Kyoto shortly after the disaster, joining the Satsuma Clan upon arrival. I became the Satsuma Clan's hitokiri within days, my skill with the naginata was unmatched. I had been trained in the Akai Chi Naginata Ryu for my entire life, a martial art that uses the very same God-like speed of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu.

The life of a hitokiri was dark one, I was always bathed in the darkness and in blood. The path to revenge was not an easy one, I would have to walk it alone at first, without Keisuke or my family. That loneliness would soon be lifted with the appearance of another, the one they called Himura Mina, the foster sister of Hitokiri Battousai. I felt conflicted at first about falling for another woman, I tried my best to combat those feelings by trying to push her away. The more I pushed, the more I pulled her toward me, there was always a part of me that wanted her. Eventually, I stopped pushing and began pulling even more, I wanted her to be mine. I offered her my feelings, but she could not return them; she said that her heart belonged to another, it belonged to the man that adopted her, Himura Kenshin, also known as Hitokiri Battousai. It broke my heart that could not have her, but as long as she was happy, I did not care; the two of us were already close friends, that's more than I could ever ask for.

Our friendship was soon tested in the final two years of the war. Mina was separated from her brother during a battle, she was then drafted into the Satsuma Clan. Her separation from her brother made her cold and bitter, she would try her best to push others away from her as I did. Regardless of how much she pushed, I would only be drawn closer, ignoring the abuse of her words. A true test of friendship came on January 5, Western year 1868, Mina was accused of treason and a sentence of death was to be carried out. I was the one to be that executioner, but I had failed my job. I couldn't bear to kill her, to be the one responsible for my love's death, so I spared her. I wonder if that was the best thing to do, because what happened after, was nothing more than a nightmare...





(Misanagi's POV)

It's been quite a while since I've been here... Once called Edo, now Tokyo. I wonder how everyone I once knew was doing... I wonder how my childhood friend was doing. At one time of my life, I had been a carefree child, not caring for anything... But that seemed like ages ago. It was ages ago.

I remember my first and only friend, Moko. She had short hair and blue eyes and I remembered spending hours and hours playing with her in the water, with dolls... And I trained with her sometimes, but I was always the better one. The unfortunate thing was, we were always different. I was trained to be a field ninja since I was very young, I was agile and she was not. She was trained as normal women would be. Normal wemon are trained to have their special skills known and then get a husband and breed and take care of kids. We had a lot of differences, but we stayed friends, until I turned twelve.

During my twelfth year, we no longer had anything similar between us. She was interested in being a lady and finding a husband when she got older, and I, I was interested in becoming a leader. A leader for the Sanada Ninjas. It seemed impossible for me at the time, but little did I know, I was wrong. Just two years later, I had become leader...

At the age of fourteen, I had become a leader... A leader for the Sanada Ninjas. It was a week after that I became the leader when I met Hitokiri Kensai... I despised that woman, and I still do. My encounter with Hitokiri Kensai was an absolute nightmare... I hate what she did that night.

It was on January 6, 1868 that I first met Shion. I remember finding her bloody and torn, I remember smelling the blood. I could remember exactly what I was doing that very day. And it was then I carried you back to our hideout, where you stayed there for a month, then left.

I remember the pain in my heart as you left, and I denied the fact that I was attracted to you. But now, I know... I was. I guess I was just denying the fact because I couldn't believe that I liked woman, but I was too afraid to tell you, I was afraid of rejection. How long has it been since I last met you, Shion? Days, months, years...? I can't remember any longer, nor do I want to remember. There's not much things I want to remember any longer. Everything seems to be painful for me, from the memory of the war, to the memory of you, Shion.

Life has been a nightmare for me, but it has always been a nightmare. Life is hard. Most say that whenever there's down, there's up. I, myself think that the statement is wrong. Whenever there's up, there's always down, but when there's down, there isn't always up. I've learned that a long time ago.

I still wonder, Shion, how long it will be till I will meet you again. Maybe soon? Maybe never? And how we will meet... Maybe on the streets one day when we become old ladies... Maybe you will come look for me? I don't know... But... I hope I will meet you soon, because I can't wait to see you again...