Another Chance…
Archangel and Female hitokiri Battousai
(R)- Angst, violence, romance, lemon {Greek, Christian and Japanese culture in one}
Syn: an angel grants kaoru the possibility to go ten days into the pass to undo the people who made Kenshin scars. Can she do it without going crazy from the sadness and hurt in her heart?
Kaoru awoke to the sweet and melodic sound of the chirping of the birds outside. The sun's rays were leaking through the roof of the old dilapidated hut in which she had been helping Kiyasoto to mend his wounds. A new day had risen to meet her feet. It was somewhat awkward to Kaoru that she lived a day without dying in hurt from Battousai's cold surface. A man as him was sin in scars and punctuated in bruises which none but his conscience could see. For such eyes that saw wounds grew damp at times and broke…and cried.
Kaoru wished his scars could fade, but she was no God, and God himself allowed men like Battousai to taste his wrath…but even God was compassionate and knew the hearts of men. A patient master of time. Kaoru watched over to her side and saw Kiyasoto lying comfortably on the rugged floor. Watching as he breathed in and out, and in again. A smile itched her face, a smile that cave light for another day. She was so elated. She had saved the man's life. Already, she noted to herself, part of her mission had been completed successfully. "Now", she thought, "Kenshin never has to marry Tomoe and be so emotionally distressed as he is in my time because of her death!" She smiled as she picked herself from off the floor and walked outside, being careful to lock the door behind her so that Kiyasoto would be safe. Yet when she thought of Tomoe, she wondered, is she right to do this? To break Tomoe from Kenshin. The man Kaoru had desperately fought for all her days, cried each night to have…was there anything right in this world that didn't feel so wrong?
Kaoru felt the world exhale on her slowly. She sighed to herself. Wrapped in such coils of confusion she looked at the bright morning that blinked and settled in her eyes. The world grew on wings and the brightest heaven for once was Earth. Leaves from the Japanese Maple trees fell toward her in a twirls and strange circles. The burgundy leaves reminded her of tarnish red hair that became aged. Would someday Kenshin's hair look this colour? She caught a leaf in her hand just watching the veins on the leaf. She didn't know what to think of her Kenshin home. She wondered though what was becoming of him? Was he missing her or as usual was she missing him?
'Tomoe'
Kaoru was certain she didn't want to think of Tomoe. She respected Tomoe correct, but down inside it hurt when Kaoru knew of Kenshin's former lover, the lover Battousai, Shinta and the rurouni loved dearly. It was something she could never take from him. That one perfect image of the most flawless Japanese woman. In a way Kaoru thought that opposites matched…but when she looked at Battousai, didn't that say she matched him? Kaoru was really frustrated now…
The world changes a colour everyday, a different sunrise begins and a different sunset dies. The night is never the same no matter how many times we look at the darkness, it is something only God and the few gifted ones can see...
Outside the door she watched down at her blood-drenched clothes. "I gotta get out of these clothes fast" she thought. Walking across the street she approached the barrel filled with water. She dipped her hands in and washed her hands thoroughly, watching as the water turned from clear to the crimson equivalent of blood. She sighed and turned around only to see a stranger watching her closely. The man grabbed her by her wrist and started to ask her some interrogative questions. "And what do we have here?" came a voice full of sardonic mock.
Kaoru scowled, "none of your business"
"Aye and she's feisty too…" the man pulled her by the chin looking into her sapphire eyes…
"Battousai wasn't giving it to you hmm honey?" he licked his lips…
"How dare you insult me so low?" Kaoru was angered deeply. She snapped at him and walked away furiously. Iizuka gave a smug look looking as the woman walked away into the distance. He could tell she was not the ordinary Japanese woman. From her zesty reply he might deduce she was from some local farmers- or poor shogun family. He smirk, 'a witty little girl like her could be a good remedy for that kid…' he thought whilst walking into the distance himself.
Kaoru walked hotly back to the Ishin shishi. The nerve of that guy, was he crazed perhaps out of his mind? She really didn't know. Scowling at the mere thought she frowned when she entered the headquarters. Slowly trailing back to her small room she lay down. 'Oh I need to get some sleep, or some sorta medication that reduces depression or mere-pain.' She held her head trying to reckon what it was.
The bed was cool and the room was tidy, everything she needed was here. Turning to the side she looked around, it reminded her of her room except for that one picture she took of the Kenshin-gumi. Already she started missing the group---but then her thoughts trail and her care suppressed, why should she care? I mean all her life she'd been caring and every time she did something bad happened and most instances might.
What room was there in her for caring when everything she did care for left her side? People she thought she loved only left her pain for so long--- she was only trapped inside the hollow of herself. The words she spoke were like nothingness to a ghost we may find in the dark. If so her words had lost its life…what was the reason to live? She thought for a long while just trailing in and out of reveries and memories, the most powerful of all images. They were basically burnt images on the memory walls, never to fade or never to be tarnished unlike dreams. Their life is always like running blood in our veins. Picking herself up from the sulk and dismay that embraced her she thought… 'I can't help caring…it is something buried in my nature. It is my mentality as a female and as my father's child'
Thinking about the old woman the night before---- she thought about what she said. Even she who donated to blood of mankind so coyly, lived with some sorta happiness and merit from it all. Rising to her feet she said to herself "I need to do something around here---uh to pull my weight"
Kaoru walked out her room trying to find the old lady. As she looked around Kaoru bounced up to a tall man who wore friendly features.
"I'm sorry sir…"
"It's quite alright little miss, and whom might you be?" he asked, the man's eyes piercing into her own. The brown eyes and hair really said the unspoken.
"My name is Kamiya Kaoru…" she said quietly…
"Such a pretty name… well on your way now…good day" he bowed lightly leaving her to be.
She smiled. Not knowing that was Kenshin's boss. Outside the sun was shining mercilessly on everything. Kaoru frowned. In the distance Kaoru saw the old woman tending to her garden. Another smile broke her solace-empathic face. The face of a dying beauty. Approaching the woman silently she stopped at a close distance, her form providing a shadow and a shade for the old woman. The woman looked up at the same weary-sad blue eyes.
"Excuse me," she said,
"I know last night I was not in the best of moods. Forgive me again. I do not wish to burden you, so please, if there is anything I can do around the headquarters so that I may repay you for your kindness---then please tell me. I am bare of money---and my services is all I can provide you" The old woman smiled.
Dusting off her kimono she stood to the young woman. She held the young woman's hand, "my dear…you sound so ruined. Your words no matter what kind of deliverance you try to give, there is a fondness of sadness that breathes with it…" she said quietly. Kaoru looked at the flowers she had been planting…
"I do not understand"
"Then do not hurt your mind too"
Kaoru nodded.
Accepting the young woman's offer because truth be told she really did need an extra pair of hands, she asked Kaoru to fetch her some water and some items from the shop down the road.
Kaoru raced down the road, hurrying to do her part so that she could return to check on Kiyasoto that afternoon. Already the sun was high in the sky giving the day bright light and Kyoto a new yellow. After purchasing the necessary items, she went further down the road until she arrived at a river. There, she filled her bucket with water, just admiring nature as it was. So coy, so untamed and yet so downright beautiful. Her father once described her as nature for the wildness and the untamed beauty it rivaled in the world. When Kaoru heard her father told her that she scowled. She found nature was simply ugly, only bush and green vegetation, but now looking at it more carefully, nature truly was a green goddess of her own. Proceeding home she hummed a sad tune to herself, was it self-pity or was it just something unconscious she liked to do?
On her way, she became surprised. Whom else could be standing before her but Battousai himself. She froze in her tracks watching him in his eyes. Battousai watched back intently and then Kaoru spoke up. "Hi," she began, "how are you, Kenshin?" Battousai got angry. "Don't call me that in public!" he snorted at her. "My name is Battousai, Hitokiri Battousai… get use to it!" he exclaimed.
"Would you like to be known that all your life, or is something you just say to scare me?" she rivaled his words.
Battousai smirked within, this girl really didn't like herself. From the beginning he met her he could tell she wasn't normal. And it really irked and irritated the hell out of him.
"Do you want something to eat?" Kaoru asked subtly…her voice soft and volume gentle
Battousai turned his head away, she was egging him on slowly and she would have a blow she'd never forget, he was most certain about it.
Kaoru's face grew sour and sad. Her eyes were lost on his form as he disappeared into the trail toward the town. Starting to walk again she thought of more important things to take care of. Running back to the establishment to make up for the time she wasted chatting with Battousai she felt the evening draw closer.
"I'm back!" she shouted.
"Welcome back Kaoru-chan, got everything I asked for?" the old woman asked whilst wiping a bowl.
"Hai"
"Excellent, you can afternoon off my dear"
"Are you certain?"
"Most positively…you go along now." She smiled.
"Arigatou" Kaoru bowed.
Kaoru took up some of the important things needed before she left for Kiyosato that afternoon. She took a sheet, some water, some rations and so forth, just the basics for a wounded man. Watching through her window she saw the evening slowly dying. Kaoru irked in worry.
'I have to hurry.' Picking up the contents she left for her small journey, closer she came whilst evening died quicker. Finally reaching the hut she sighed out in relief.
Inside Kiyasoto lay on the ground of the abandoned hut. Kaoru opened the door and let herself in quietly so as not to wake him. The door creaked as it opened and Kiyasoto slowly got up.
"Miss??"
"Oh I'm sorry I waked you" she chew on her bottom lip…
"It's quite alright. I wanted to tell you something" he whispered…
"Oh?"
"Thank you," he said. "I know how much you have done to help me and I can't thank you enough"
Kaoru urged him to not worry about it and then offered him something to eat. Kiyasoto agreed greedily since he had not eaten anything since lunch the previous day. After his meal, Kiyasoto asked Kaoru, "You said you knew my Tomoe… what is it that you know about her?"
Kaoru replied, "All I do know is she was a very fond woman who has the coy will to take a heart of a man and bring it to peace"
Kiyosato never knew what Kaoru meant, but the look in her eyes were so peaceful he dare not ask her what it meant.
"Please… would you describe the love of your life to me?" she continued. Kiyasoto acknowledged since he took any chance to tell the tale of his beloved Tomoe.
"She's the sweetest girl you'd probably meet in your life. She's quite modest I say, with her plums and blues and whites. Her face is framed on either side with her beautiful long hair, and her favourite perfume is the summers white plum" he smiled remembering Tomoe
"She's kind, gentle, beautiful and in a way… you remind me of her" Kaoru was shocked at that statement. "Me…similar to Tomoe-san?!…ha-ha-ha, very funny!" she thought.
As the time wasted the darkness enveloped the light. Night was officially here. Kaoru looked out at the sky, it was dark. The old woman would have her scolded for this. Yes she said to take the afternoon off but not the night too. Kaoru proceeded to leave since the skies threaten to rain. Saying her farewells to the man, she locked the hut and proceeded back home.
Across town a young man was walking home in the sudden shower of the rain. His entire form was soaked from the rain. His dull-fiery locks were wet and clung to his face innocently. It was like they invited you to say he was a lost little boy while on the contrary he was the devil's spawn disguise in the cloak of innocence. He kept walking until he noticed something was jittering in his surrounding. The ki alteration was up and he suddenly knew, he was not alone.
……………A woman in a drunk state of mind took her umbrella walking out into the rainy streets from the bar she'd been in.
Bursting from the shadow a ninja perched high on a roof looking down at the young Battousai. Sending his kunai toward Battousai, the boy went from defensive to offensive and then back to defensive. The ninja was skilled but not good enough to defeat the famed slasher.
……………Closer and closer she approached…Then out of the darkness a shackle-blade (what's the name of that thingee?) was flung at Battousai's throat, the ninja pulled strenuously but the Battousai was not coming down without a fight. Kenshin pulled the chain causing the ninja to fling a dart at him, Battousai slashed it.
……………And closer she came…Leaping from the roof the ninja approached quicker and quicker to the young slayer with a blade fisted tight in his hands. Battousai dodged the blade and then lunged his blade through and through the ninja.
Alas she had finally stopped. Battousai panted heavily, his lungs burning for air. Blood fell as rain drenching his hair, his face and most of his body.
Seeing white plums in the water perched so sadly he slowly averted his eyes upward until he met her. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen, she was marveled and flawless with indescribable beauty. Her clothes, her face and her umbrella were bathed in blood. She wore a sad expression for him.
"Even a child can cause the rain to bleed" she whispered
Battousai dropped his sword. His eyes in shock. Had she just said that? The man who was suppose to be fending for everyone's tomorrow had gotten reprimanded so badly? Tomoe feeling weak and light-headed began falling to the floor after witnessing such a horrific act. Battousai ran to her. The rain fell on them and the beginning of a new chapter was written. Battousai felt himself beaten in the rain…
'You…' he thought looking at the woman in his arms…
'What do you mean a child can cause the rain to bleed?' He did not know…like so many countless times.
Archangel's Notes: This was interesting. Finished it in an hour. That's very weird but I know what caused it… FHB, my dearest, is a great inspiration!
FHB's Notes: Okay people Archangel may have written it in an hour but it was "me" yes me who filled in the gaps. From his 2 pages it went to 7. See how much I love you people. Okay I'll shut up. Well the draft for this chapter is mainly Archangel's work, and we give him a big round of applause. Yay!! Good work koishii!!
Review plz…