AN: Long time no see! I'm a depressed little girl, bent on attacking my world….(poem I wrote a long time ago) Anyhoo, time for a new chapter, don't you think? It may be a little short, So here you have it. R-E-V-I-E-W!!!!
Warning: This chapter involves a slight bit of atheism. Please do not flame me, as I am not trying to sway your religious beliefs. This is just more characterization for Kaoru.
"Kenshin, we're back!" Soujiro shouted as he took Misao's coat. He had convinced her to come back to his dorm even though her dress was ripped; insisting she could borrow clothes from him.
"Dinner's ready if you want any." Kenshin shouted back. Aoshi trudged into the dining area.
"What's got you so bummed out, Aoshi?" Soujiro smiled.
"Shishio paid me $50 to play with his daughter."
"SHISHIO HAS A DAUGHTER? How did they….you know…."
"They adopted her." Aoshi cleared up the confusion and nasty images.
"…oh." Kenshin and Soujiro breathed sighs of relief.
"Hey, I'm gonna call Kaoru and tell her I'm over here so she doesn't worry." Misao announced, whipping out her cell phone. She dialed a number, and waited several moments. Frowning, she left a message.
"That's funny…she's never out past this time. Maybe she left a message for me…" Kenshin watched Misao anxiously as she fiddled with her cell phone for a minute.
"Holy shit…" Misao hissed.
"What?" asked Kenshin.
"Ah, that silly girl has called ten times, but no messages. I'll call her cell phone this time and see where she is." Misao waited impatiently, tapping her finger on the table. Aoshi and Soujiro casually continued eating dinner while Kenshin watched Misao with rapt attention.
"Finally! Kaoru where are-" Misao stopped short, her irritated scowl dropped. "I see…no, no that's all right. How is she? Is that so? Can she have any visitors tonight? All right. Thank you. No, no, it's okay. Thank you. Yes. Goodbye." Misao hung up, shaking.
"That wasn't Kaoru….the people at the hospital have had a hold on her cell phone…" Misao's voice wavered.
"The hospital?" Kenshin cried, worriedly.
"Kaoru was hit by a car."
***
Father!
Father!
Father!
Father into your hands I commend my spirit, Father into your hands…why have you forsaken me? In your heart forsaken me, in your thoughts forsaken me, in your thoughts forsaken me…trust in my self righteous suicide…
I…cry…when angels deserve to die…
"Kaoru…."
Kaoru turned around, blinded by light. Blonde haired, blue eyes angels laughed and slowly fluttered around in a dream-like state. The girls called her again, inviting her to join them. Kaoru hesitated, something was wrong with this picture. The last thing she remembered was being hit by a car, and now she was dreaming about angels.
"Kaoru, why don't you believe in God, if you believed in God you could come dance and sing with us…" The angel girls whispered, twirling around and round, giggling and sighing.
"God isn't real." Kaoru stated simply. "And why am I talking to angels that are in my dream?"
"Because we are reeeaaaaaal…" They sang.
"No you're not." Kaoru peered closer. The angels were becoming jerkier in their movements and the light was fading into darkness. Something caught her eye on one of the angels. A sting? As Kaoru watched, she realized the angels were marionettes. Little dancing puppets. She laughed to herself, watching their strings jerk them around in a crazy dance. Looking up, she saw the master puppeteer. It was Aoshi
"Kaoru, you're damned to hell." He spoke.
"There is no hell. I'm atheist. Aoshi, what are you doing up there?"
"I'm God, you bitch! No one defies me, I do what I want. HELLLLLL!"
"To hell! To hell! To hell!" The puppet angels sang. A black hole opened under Kaoru and she screamed as she fell for what seemed to be an eternity. Darkness enveloped her. This was hell? Were was the fire, the brimstone, the boiling sulfur pools?
"Kaoruuuu…." A voice echoed.
"Kenshin? Is that you?"
"That is my mortal name, yes. Here I am known as….SATAN!" A war whoop echoed and red lights turned on, revealing a stage, a stereo system; gold, red and orange ribbons and banners. Kenshin hit the "play" button.
"Let's PAR-TAY!" He yelled. The sound of heavy metal flooded the caverns, bringing out all the punks and Goths to dance and scream. Kenshin stood up on the stage, waving to his subjects.
"Come on Kaoru, dance! You're the Queen of Hades now, all mine and no one else's. Let me show you off to our underworld!" He took Kaoru's arms, whirling her around in a circle. He kissed her over and over again. Though his lips were clean, a black stain remained where he had placed them on her skin.
"Dirty, dirty girl, you've sinned…" Kenshin murmured.
"I'm NOT sinning! I'm atheist! There is no heaven or hell or God or Satan!"
Swing music erupted from the stereo. Instantly Kenshin's dark clothes turned into a tuxedo and he flashed her a smile.
"What kind of a dream IS this?" Kaoru screamed over the music as Kenshin twirled her around. "I want to wake up!"
"Keep dancing, baby, you'll wake up in time. My mortal self is leaning over you right now, very concerned." Kenshin grinned.
"My subconscious is really screwed up. Who ever though Aoshi would be god?" Kaoru muttered, giving in and performing the complicated moves that went along with the swing music.
"KENSHIN!" A voice came from up above.
"Tomoe baby! Long time no see!" Kenshin continued whirling around madly with Kaoru. "Get back up to heaven, angel, Aoshi won't be pleased you came down here. He never approved of our love affair when we were still alive, you know."
"You bastard! You promised yourself to me and no one else!" Tomoe shouted angrily from her cloud.
"Shut it, angel-girl. I've got a Queen of Hades now, the beautiful Kaoru!" And with that, Kenshin flicked his hand, causing the ceiling to close up and block out Tomoe's screams.
"That's it….no more coke before going unconscious." Kaoru sighed.
***
"How long has she been here?" Misao asked the nurse.
"About 5 hours. The man that hit her is out in the waiting room, he simply feels awful. You were the only person in the address book of her cell phone, and he wouldn't stop calling you." The nurse replied sympathetically.
"So that's why there were 10 notices on my caller ID." Misao concluded. I shouldn't have turned the ring off during the reception….I would have been here sooner…" Misao trailed off into tears.
"You didn't know Misao, it's okay. We're here now." Soujiro murmured, glancing over the bruised Kaoru. Her head was wrapped in a few bandages and her arm was in a cast. Her X-ray results would come in soon to check for broken ribs. They had yet to find out if there was any internal bleeding.
Kenshin stood in the corner, watching her. The only movement Kaoru made was the slight rise and fall of her chest as she breathed.
"Kenshin, we're going to go out and talk to the man and maybe get something to eat or drink. Want to come?" Misao asked.
"Nah, I'll stay here….somebody's got to watch over her." Kenshin smiled, and Misao returned the gesture as she exited the room holding Soujiro's hand.
"Kaoru….wake up soon. Please, you're a great girl and I don't want anything to happen to you…"
Kenshin smiled when Kaoru's fingers slightly curled and relaxed. He took her hand in his in hopes to feel the blessed movement of life again.
Warning: This chapter involves a slight bit of atheism. Please do not flame me, as I am not trying to sway your religious beliefs. This is just more characterization for Kaoru.
"Kenshin, we're back!" Soujiro shouted as he took Misao's coat. He had convinced her to come back to his dorm even though her dress was ripped; insisting she could borrow clothes from him.
"Dinner's ready if you want any." Kenshin shouted back. Aoshi trudged into the dining area.
"What's got you so bummed out, Aoshi?" Soujiro smiled.
"Shishio paid me $50 to play with his daughter."
"SHISHIO HAS A DAUGHTER? How did they….you know…."
"They adopted her." Aoshi cleared up the confusion and nasty images.
"…oh." Kenshin and Soujiro breathed sighs of relief.
"Hey, I'm gonna call Kaoru and tell her I'm over here so she doesn't worry." Misao announced, whipping out her cell phone. She dialed a number, and waited several moments. Frowning, she left a message.
"That's funny…she's never out past this time. Maybe she left a message for me…" Kenshin watched Misao anxiously as she fiddled with her cell phone for a minute.
"Holy shit…" Misao hissed.
"What?" asked Kenshin.
"Ah, that silly girl has called ten times, but no messages. I'll call her cell phone this time and see where she is." Misao waited impatiently, tapping her finger on the table. Aoshi and Soujiro casually continued eating dinner while Kenshin watched Misao with rapt attention.
"Finally! Kaoru where are-" Misao stopped short, her irritated scowl dropped. "I see…no, no that's all right. How is she? Is that so? Can she have any visitors tonight? All right. Thank you. No, no, it's okay. Thank you. Yes. Goodbye." Misao hung up, shaking.
"That wasn't Kaoru….the people at the hospital have had a hold on her cell phone…" Misao's voice wavered.
"The hospital?" Kenshin cried, worriedly.
"Kaoru was hit by a car."
***
Father!
Father!
Father!
Father into your hands I commend my spirit, Father into your hands…why have you forsaken me? In your heart forsaken me, in your thoughts forsaken me, in your thoughts forsaken me…trust in my self righteous suicide…
I…cry…when angels deserve to die…
"Kaoru…."
Kaoru turned around, blinded by light. Blonde haired, blue eyes angels laughed and slowly fluttered around in a dream-like state. The girls called her again, inviting her to join them. Kaoru hesitated, something was wrong with this picture. The last thing she remembered was being hit by a car, and now she was dreaming about angels.
"Kaoru, why don't you believe in God, if you believed in God you could come dance and sing with us…" The angel girls whispered, twirling around and round, giggling and sighing.
"God isn't real." Kaoru stated simply. "And why am I talking to angels that are in my dream?"
"Because we are reeeaaaaaal…" They sang.
"No you're not." Kaoru peered closer. The angels were becoming jerkier in their movements and the light was fading into darkness. Something caught her eye on one of the angels. A sting? As Kaoru watched, she realized the angels were marionettes. Little dancing puppets. She laughed to herself, watching their strings jerk them around in a crazy dance. Looking up, she saw the master puppeteer. It was Aoshi
"Kaoru, you're damned to hell." He spoke.
"There is no hell. I'm atheist. Aoshi, what are you doing up there?"
"I'm God, you bitch! No one defies me, I do what I want. HELLLLLL!"
"To hell! To hell! To hell!" The puppet angels sang. A black hole opened under Kaoru and she screamed as she fell for what seemed to be an eternity. Darkness enveloped her. This was hell? Were was the fire, the brimstone, the boiling sulfur pools?
"Kaoruuuu…." A voice echoed.
"Kenshin? Is that you?"
"That is my mortal name, yes. Here I am known as….SATAN!" A war whoop echoed and red lights turned on, revealing a stage, a stereo system; gold, red and orange ribbons and banners. Kenshin hit the "play" button.
"Let's PAR-TAY!" He yelled. The sound of heavy metal flooded the caverns, bringing out all the punks and Goths to dance and scream. Kenshin stood up on the stage, waving to his subjects.
"Come on Kaoru, dance! You're the Queen of Hades now, all mine and no one else's. Let me show you off to our underworld!" He took Kaoru's arms, whirling her around in a circle. He kissed her over and over again. Though his lips were clean, a black stain remained where he had placed them on her skin.
"Dirty, dirty girl, you've sinned…" Kenshin murmured.
"I'm NOT sinning! I'm atheist! There is no heaven or hell or God or Satan!"
Swing music erupted from the stereo. Instantly Kenshin's dark clothes turned into a tuxedo and he flashed her a smile.
"What kind of a dream IS this?" Kaoru screamed over the music as Kenshin twirled her around. "I want to wake up!"
"Keep dancing, baby, you'll wake up in time. My mortal self is leaning over you right now, very concerned." Kenshin grinned.
"My subconscious is really screwed up. Who ever though Aoshi would be god?" Kaoru muttered, giving in and performing the complicated moves that went along with the swing music.
"KENSHIN!" A voice came from up above.
"Tomoe baby! Long time no see!" Kenshin continued whirling around madly with Kaoru. "Get back up to heaven, angel, Aoshi won't be pleased you came down here. He never approved of our love affair when we were still alive, you know."
"You bastard! You promised yourself to me and no one else!" Tomoe shouted angrily from her cloud.
"Shut it, angel-girl. I've got a Queen of Hades now, the beautiful Kaoru!" And with that, Kenshin flicked his hand, causing the ceiling to close up and block out Tomoe's screams.
"That's it….no more coke before going unconscious." Kaoru sighed.
***
"How long has she been here?" Misao asked the nurse.
"About 5 hours. The man that hit her is out in the waiting room, he simply feels awful. You were the only person in the address book of her cell phone, and he wouldn't stop calling you." The nurse replied sympathetically.
"So that's why there were 10 notices on my caller ID." Misao concluded. I shouldn't have turned the ring off during the reception….I would have been here sooner…" Misao trailed off into tears.
"You didn't know Misao, it's okay. We're here now." Soujiro murmured, glancing over the bruised Kaoru. Her head was wrapped in a few bandages and her arm was in a cast. Her X-ray results would come in soon to check for broken ribs. They had yet to find out if there was any internal bleeding.
Kenshin stood in the corner, watching her. The only movement Kaoru made was the slight rise and fall of her chest as she breathed.
"Kenshin, we're going to go out and talk to the man and maybe get something to eat or drink. Want to come?" Misao asked.
"Nah, I'll stay here….somebody's got to watch over her." Kenshin smiled, and Misao returned the gesture as she exited the room holding Soujiro's hand.
"Kaoru….wake up soon. Please, you're a great girl and I don't want anything to happen to you…"
Kenshin smiled when Kaoru's fingers slightly curled and relaxed. He took her hand in his in hopes to feel the blessed movement of life again.