AN: Hello Again. I haven't had the will to write much, my friend was in the hospital under suicide watch b/c she's been cutting herself for 2 years. Please understand that I am very tired and depressed right now...
I absolutely LOVE hearing from you guys, it was my goal to reach at least 100 reviews (but I'd be thrilled to have more!) An Author here named Chiki has over 3000! SO jealous! Grrrr….but go check out her story anyway, it's called WHEN THE WORLD REVOLVES AROUND YOU. It's awesome.
Sanosuke jolted himself awake. He breathed deeply, taking in his surroundings. He was home for once, and his older sister was snoring on the cot at the other side of the room. With both his parents dead, his sister had taken full custody of him once she had hit 18, and was working night shifts to pay for the apartment. She looked like a dead cat, sprawled out in a position of feline characteristics, her light brown hair spilling over the cot edge. He tried to remember the last time he talked to her. Nothing came to the surface.
Had it really been that long, while they had been living together the whole time?
Sanosuke was surprised to finally remember they hadn't talked in at least a month, because he was always at Kenshin's or asleep before she came home. And she was always gone when he came home from school, and she never woke up when he was getting ready to leave.
"Adzuma?" He asked softly. No response. Sanosuke sighed, he knew better than to try to wake her up when she had just gotten to sleep. He curled up back onto the couch, pulled the blanket over him, and tried to take after his sister for once.
***
Soujiro winced. He had been using his hands so much, they were aching for rest. But he needed his hands! He hardly realized how much he needed them to go through a normal day. Grab the cereal, pour the milk. Later in the day he'd have to use thousands of doorknobs to get into buildings and classrooms and whatnot. Soujiro supposed he should drop one of his classes that was taxing his hands so much. There was drawing, classical guitar, cello, writing, and then there were the essays that came along with the quarter exams. Soujiro flopped back into a chair. Whoever thought hands were so useful?
The phone started to ring. Soujiro wimpered, not wanting to pick it up. He, Aoshi, and Kenshin had not been able to afford an answering machine, and the caller was persistent. Soujiro trudged over to the phone and gingerly picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Soujiro! It's Misao. I was wondering if you would like to come with me to see how Kaoru's doing."
"Sure…is she awake yet?"
"No," Misao's voice fell, "Not yet."
"Come over to the dorm and I'll be ready."
"Okay then." Misao hung up without saying goodbye. It unnerved Soujiro for a bit, then he went into the bathroom.
He checked the closet for some sort of cologne or something; he hadn't taken a shower last night. Soujiro grabbed Kenshin's old make-up bag that he hardly used anymore. Kaoru's doing? Soujiro smiled to think so. Someone needed to put that boy in his place.
"Hmm….eyeshadow, eyeliner, some paste crap…no cologne. Eh, he's probably gay for all I know." Soujiro shuddered. Kenshin was most definitely not gay. If he had any suspicions it would be Aoshi just because it was funny to think about it.
Something fell out of the make-up bag, and Soujiro bent over to pick it up. It was a tube of lipstick, not the black, but a light red. He had never seen Kenshin wear it before, but it looked really old, and had never been opened. It reminded him of something Misao might wear. Misao's lips…
For the first time since it happened, Soujiro remembered their kiss the night she won her music award. The memory seemed to hit him in the gut like a wrecking ball, and Soujiro fell back from the power of it. Did Misao remember it at all? They hadn't spoken of it since, and Soujiro couldn't get over the fact that he had actually FORGOTTEN about it. Desire for Misao washed over him like and overwhelming tidal wave. The door bell rang, and Soujiro panicked.
"If I open it….what will I do? I can't not go with her, Kaoru's my friend…Misao's my friend. But I want to kiss her again. I want…I want Misao…Misao…" Soujiro went pale as he shook on the bathroom floor. Slowly, he crawled out and stood in the hallways, ready to walk down the hall, and open the door calmly, with a smile.
***
"Can I go home yet?" Kaoru asked the Kenshin-Satan.
"Of course not." He replied, drinking from a skull-carved goblet.
"That's disgusting." Kaoru grimaced.
"What, the skulls? This is your dream, it can be whatever you want it to be." Kenshin smiled. Kaoru's mouth widened in an evil grin.
"EEP!" Kenshin-Satan screeched as the goblet turned into a white bunny and landed in his lap. "That's not funny!"
Kaoru glared at him, and Kenshin's frown turned back into a smile.
"Sorry my dear, you can't change me. Just some of the objects around you. I am a fixed character.
"Okay." Kaoru closed her eyes. Kenshin-Satan watched in horror as sparrows took the place of the few crows and bats, the red and silver banners changed into the colors of the sunset, cobwebs cleared, and the party food changing to healthier substances. Suddenly, Aoshi walked in with a funny looking Sanosuke. He was wearing a business suit, glasses, and a pencil behind his ear.
"I like what you've done with the place, Kaoru. I always said Kenshin needed a woman's touch." Aoshi smirked. Sanosuke nodded fervently.
"And who is this?" Kenshin-Satan asked, gesturing Sano.
"He's an intern in heaven. He's going to take over my job when I retire. You need an intern soon right?"
"Hell no. I'm immortal, as are you, but I love my job. I have no intention of giving it up in the near future. If I do hand away my position, it'll be to the little tykes." Kenshin grinned, putting an arm around Kaoru.
"There is no way I'm having Satan's children." Kaoru growled.
"And you're not taking Tomoe from us." Aoshi glowered. Sanosuke quickly wrote down notes. His pen flew back and forth on the memo page.
"I WANT TO WAKE UP!!!!" Kaoru screamed. Everyone turned to look at her in shock. One by one, everything began to disappear. Heaven, hell, the party, the cave, birds and banners. Kaoru was suddenly frightened, had she said something wrong?
"Kaoru, we just wanted to have some fun." Kenshin said sadly. He took her hand and kissed it. Aoshi hung his head, and began to walk away, Sanosuke passed right through Kaoru's body as if he was a ghost, and Kenshin turned as well.
"Wait…don't leave. Do I get to wake up now?"
"Not yet. But you don't want our company….I'm leaving."
"Don't!" Kaoru cried.
"I have to, Kaoru. Now…now things are going to get worse. If it drives you insane, you're never going to wake up. Just keep control. Don't save him, and you will wake."
"Kenshin, what are you talking about?"
But he was gone…
Kaoru knelt to the gray, grassy field and wept. It was just then she heard the cry of a boy, no older than 4.
"Mommy!"
***
"Aoshi, I like you. You're my best friend."
Aoshi suppressed a groan. He couldn't believe Shishio's 6 year old daughter was telling him this. But it was kind of cute…
"You're my best friend too." He said, giving her a rare shadow of a smile. Shina climbed up into his lap and lay her head against his chest, swinging her legs lazily over Aoshi's knee. He hated to admit it, but this little girl WAS the closest thing to a friend he had. He liked being around her; she was young, open minded, and simple. She was free-spirited, and did not have anything wrong with her life, whereas Aoshi's was too complicated for words.
"Let's play ring around the rosie." Shina announced.
"Again?" He sighed.
"Yes." Shina nodded, hopping off his lap.
Aoshi had to much slowly for Shina as they spun around in a circle. Of course, the circle was only two steps for Aoshi, just a mere turn on his heel, whereas Shina had to walk around about 7 steps.
So simple, young, innocent.
What would she grow up to be, to do? Aoshi was already approaching his senior year at Eldewater, and he didn't know what he wanted to do with his life. Would Shine one day be a rebellious daughter who hated her parents? Would she start doing drugs or cutting? Or would she remain happy as she was now, perhaps become an involved student and role model?
{Only time can tell} Aoshi thought.
***
Kenshin paced the hospital room again. Kaoru, the nurses said, had been showing signs of waking soon. She was moving more in her sleep, and her lips would form occasional words.
"Don't…cry…" the labored breaths came from Kaoru. Kenshin whirled around, only to face disappointment. She was still not awake. What could she possibly be thinking about?
***
"Don't…cry…" Kaoru whispered to the little boy. He had red hair tied back in a pony tail, dirt smudged on his face, and tears coming out of his purple eyes. Kaoru realized this was a 3 year old version of Kenshin, wailing in the tall meadow grass.
"Mommy!" He screamed again. Kaoru's dream only got worse as it went along. Baby Kenshin wailed and screamed, as the earth began to crumble and crack beneath him. Aoshi looked down from heaven.
"The Fall of Kenshin…" His voice murmured lowly like thunder. Rain began pouring down as the earth continued cracking. Kaoru watched in horror.
"…The Birth of Satan…" God-Aoshi waved his hand, and a ring of fire exploded around the little Kenshin, who only screamed and beat at the ground more. Chunks of earth began to fall in, down towards the caverns deep in the ground.
"Kenshin!" Kaoru ran towards the little one, extending her hand. Aoshi turned away, unable to look.
"Kenshin, hold on!"
{Now…now things are going to get worse}
She tripped on a root.
{If it drives you insane, you're never going to wake up. Just keep control.}
She extended her hand to the little Kenshin, who was beginning to slip into the caverns
{Don't save him, and you will wake.}
Remembering those last words, Kaoru drew her hand back, letting the child fall into the caverns. She caught her breath, in shock, and sat on the ground. She was keeping control, she wanted to wake up.
"You may go now, Kaoru."
***
Kenshin looked up. Kaoru's heart monitor was rapidly blipping, getting faster and faster. Was she having a heart attack? Quickly he stood, ready to call the nurses, when Kaoru opened her eyes. They stared at each other a moment, in shock. Then, Kaoru screamed.
She screamed and sobbed for the little Kenshin she had seen in her dream, falling into the hell she didn't believe in. His face, his tears, futile efforts to stay alive.
"Oh, Kenshin…it was so bad, so bad…" She wept into his shoulder. Kenshin, still in shock, moved his stiff arms around her in an embrace.
"It's okay…you're awake now."
I absolutely LOVE hearing from you guys, it was my goal to reach at least 100 reviews (but I'd be thrilled to have more!) An Author here named Chiki has over 3000! SO jealous! Grrrr….but go check out her story anyway, it's called WHEN THE WORLD REVOLVES AROUND YOU. It's awesome.
Sanosuke jolted himself awake. He breathed deeply, taking in his surroundings. He was home for once, and his older sister was snoring on the cot at the other side of the room. With both his parents dead, his sister had taken full custody of him once she had hit 18, and was working night shifts to pay for the apartment. She looked like a dead cat, sprawled out in a position of feline characteristics, her light brown hair spilling over the cot edge. He tried to remember the last time he talked to her. Nothing came to the surface.
Had it really been that long, while they had been living together the whole time?
Sanosuke was surprised to finally remember they hadn't talked in at least a month, because he was always at Kenshin's or asleep before she came home. And she was always gone when he came home from school, and she never woke up when he was getting ready to leave.
"Adzuma?" He asked softly. No response. Sanosuke sighed, he knew better than to try to wake her up when she had just gotten to sleep. He curled up back onto the couch, pulled the blanket over him, and tried to take after his sister for once.
***
Soujiro winced. He had been using his hands so much, they were aching for rest. But he needed his hands! He hardly realized how much he needed them to go through a normal day. Grab the cereal, pour the milk. Later in the day he'd have to use thousands of doorknobs to get into buildings and classrooms and whatnot. Soujiro supposed he should drop one of his classes that was taxing his hands so much. There was drawing, classical guitar, cello, writing, and then there were the essays that came along with the quarter exams. Soujiro flopped back into a chair. Whoever thought hands were so useful?
The phone started to ring. Soujiro wimpered, not wanting to pick it up. He, Aoshi, and Kenshin had not been able to afford an answering machine, and the caller was persistent. Soujiro trudged over to the phone and gingerly picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Soujiro! It's Misao. I was wondering if you would like to come with me to see how Kaoru's doing."
"Sure…is she awake yet?"
"No," Misao's voice fell, "Not yet."
"Come over to the dorm and I'll be ready."
"Okay then." Misao hung up without saying goodbye. It unnerved Soujiro for a bit, then he went into the bathroom.
He checked the closet for some sort of cologne or something; he hadn't taken a shower last night. Soujiro grabbed Kenshin's old make-up bag that he hardly used anymore. Kaoru's doing? Soujiro smiled to think so. Someone needed to put that boy in his place.
"Hmm….eyeshadow, eyeliner, some paste crap…no cologne. Eh, he's probably gay for all I know." Soujiro shuddered. Kenshin was most definitely not gay. If he had any suspicions it would be Aoshi just because it was funny to think about it.
Something fell out of the make-up bag, and Soujiro bent over to pick it up. It was a tube of lipstick, not the black, but a light red. He had never seen Kenshin wear it before, but it looked really old, and had never been opened. It reminded him of something Misao might wear. Misao's lips…
For the first time since it happened, Soujiro remembered their kiss the night she won her music award. The memory seemed to hit him in the gut like a wrecking ball, and Soujiro fell back from the power of it. Did Misao remember it at all? They hadn't spoken of it since, and Soujiro couldn't get over the fact that he had actually FORGOTTEN about it. Desire for Misao washed over him like and overwhelming tidal wave. The door bell rang, and Soujiro panicked.
"If I open it….what will I do? I can't not go with her, Kaoru's my friend…Misao's my friend. But I want to kiss her again. I want…I want Misao…Misao…" Soujiro went pale as he shook on the bathroom floor. Slowly, he crawled out and stood in the hallways, ready to walk down the hall, and open the door calmly, with a smile.
***
"Can I go home yet?" Kaoru asked the Kenshin-Satan.
"Of course not." He replied, drinking from a skull-carved goblet.
"That's disgusting." Kaoru grimaced.
"What, the skulls? This is your dream, it can be whatever you want it to be." Kenshin smiled. Kaoru's mouth widened in an evil grin.
"EEP!" Kenshin-Satan screeched as the goblet turned into a white bunny and landed in his lap. "That's not funny!"
Kaoru glared at him, and Kenshin's frown turned back into a smile.
"Sorry my dear, you can't change me. Just some of the objects around you. I am a fixed character.
"Okay." Kaoru closed her eyes. Kenshin-Satan watched in horror as sparrows took the place of the few crows and bats, the red and silver banners changed into the colors of the sunset, cobwebs cleared, and the party food changing to healthier substances. Suddenly, Aoshi walked in with a funny looking Sanosuke. He was wearing a business suit, glasses, and a pencil behind his ear.
"I like what you've done with the place, Kaoru. I always said Kenshin needed a woman's touch." Aoshi smirked. Sanosuke nodded fervently.
"And who is this?" Kenshin-Satan asked, gesturing Sano.
"He's an intern in heaven. He's going to take over my job when I retire. You need an intern soon right?"
"Hell no. I'm immortal, as are you, but I love my job. I have no intention of giving it up in the near future. If I do hand away my position, it'll be to the little tykes." Kenshin grinned, putting an arm around Kaoru.
"There is no way I'm having Satan's children." Kaoru growled.
"And you're not taking Tomoe from us." Aoshi glowered. Sanosuke quickly wrote down notes. His pen flew back and forth on the memo page.
"I WANT TO WAKE UP!!!!" Kaoru screamed. Everyone turned to look at her in shock. One by one, everything began to disappear. Heaven, hell, the party, the cave, birds and banners. Kaoru was suddenly frightened, had she said something wrong?
"Kaoru, we just wanted to have some fun." Kenshin said sadly. He took her hand and kissed it. Aoshi hung his head, and began to walk away, Sanosuke passed right through Kaoru's body as if he was a ghost, and Kenshin turned as well.
"Wait…don't leave. Do I get to wake up now?"
"Not yet. But you don't want our company….I'm leaving."
"Don't!" Kaoru cried.
"I have to, Kaoru. Now…now things are going to get worse. If it drives you insane, you're never going to wake up. Just keep control. Don't save him, and you will wake."
"Kenshin, what are you talking about?"
But he was gone…
Kaoru knelt to the gray, grassy field and wept. It was just then she heard the cry of a boy, no older than 4.
"Mommy!"
***
"Aoshi, I like you. You're my best friend."
Aoshi suppressed a groan. He couldn't believe Shishio's 6 year old daughter was telling him this. But it was kind of cute…
"You're my best friend too." He said, giving her a rare shadow of a smile. Shina climbed up into his lap and lay her head against his chest, swinging her legs lazily over Aoshi's knee. He hated to admit it, but this little girl WAS the closest thing to a friend he had. He liked being around her; she was young, open minded, and simple. She was free-spirited, and did not have anything wrong with her life, whereas Aoshi's was too complicated for words.
"Let's play ring around the rosie." Shina announced.
"Again?" He sighed.
"Yes." Shina nodded, hopping off his lap.
Aoshi had to much slowly for Shina as they spun around in a circle. Of course, the circle was only two steps for Aoshi, just a mere turn on his heel, whereas Shina had to walk around about 7 steps.
So simple, young, innocent.
What would she grow up to be, to do? Aoshi was already approaching his senior year at Eldewater, and he didn't know what he wanted to do with his life. Would Shine one day be a rebellious daughter who hated her parents? Would she start doing drugs or cutting? Or would she remain happy as she was now, perhaps become an involved student and role model?
{Only time can tell} Aoshi thought.
***
Kenshin paced the hospital room again. Kaoru, the nurses said, had been showing signs of waking soon. She was moving more in her sleep, and her lips would form occasional words.
"Don't…cry…" the labored breaths came from Kaoru. Kenshin whirled around, only to face disappointment. She was still not awake. What could she possibly be thinking about?
***
"Don't…cry…" Kaoru whispered to the little boy. He had red hair tied back in a pony tail, dirt smudged on his face, and tears coming out of his purple eyes. Kaoru realized this was a 3 year old version of Kenshin, wailing in the tall meadow grass.
"Mommy!" He screamed again. Kaoru's dream only got worse as it went along. Baby Kenshin wailed and screamed, as the earth began to crumble and crack beneath him. Aoshi looked down from heaven.
"The Fall of Kenshin…" His voice murmured lowly like thunder. Rain began pouring down as the earth continued cracking. Kaoru watched in horror.
"…The Birth of Satan…" God-Aoshi waved his hand, and a ring of fire exploded around the little Kenshin, who only screamed and beat at the ground more. Chunks of earth began to fall in, down towards the caverns deep in the ground.
"Kenshin!" Kaoru ran towards the little one, extending her hand. Aoshi turned away, unable to look.
"Kenshin, hold on!"
{Now…now things are going to get worse}
She tripped on a root.
{If it drives you insane, you're never going to wake up. Just keep control.}
She extended her hand to the little Kenshin, who was beginning to slip into the caverns
{Don't save him, and you will wake.}
Remembering those last words, Kaoru drew her hand back, letting the child fall into the caverns. She caught her breath, in shock, and sat on the ground. She was keeping control, she wanted to wake up.
"You may go now, Kaoru."
***
Kenshin looked up. Kaoru's heart monitor was rapidly blipping, getting faster and faster. Was she having a heart attack? Quickly he stood, ready to call the nurses, when Kaoru opened her eyes. They stared at each other a moment, in shock. Then, Kaoru screamed.
She screamed and sobbed for the little Kenshin she had seen in her dream, falling into the hell she didn't believe in. His face, his tears, futile efforts to stay alive.
"Oh, Kenshin…it was so bad, so bad…" She wept into his shoulder. Kenshin, still in shock, moved his stiff arms around her in an embrace.
"It's okay…you're awake now."