Endymion

By dee1600

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of its characters. This story was inspired by Hyde's song Shallow Sleep from his Roentgen album.

Chapter 5: The Moon Goddess

When Megumi fired that arrow straight towards that child, I was terrified. So I did thae one thing I could do to stop it: I let it take me instead. When the arrow hit me, I fell down with a thud. That girl immediately came to my side and broke the arrow. She pressed her face to mine and I could feel the wet tears on her face as she called out my name. Over and over. Her small hands came to my side and she pressed onto it to stop the profuse bleeding. But I knew it was too late. The arrow had pierced my vital organs and the poision was spreading. I was dying. I felt my eyes rolling upwards, my eyes becoming blurry just like that time before...

In a shallow sleep I dreamt I was seeing you
Just how I remembered
Brimming with tenderness
And somewhere in the calm
A feeling that nothing had ever changed
Your presence close beside me till I wake

When I came to, I was lying on the grass, alone. The sky was filled with stars but i couldn't enjoy it because I was in pain. I was bleeding badly from my fall. A fever was coming over me and despite the cool breeze, I felt hot and dizzy. Unexpectedly, gentle fingers pressed on my side. It seemed to melt the heat away and I felt myself feel much better. As I turned my head to look at the person who was healing me, I realized it was a goddess. Only a goddess would have silvery hair.

"You will not die, Aoshi."

There was a determination in her voice that made me look at my savior.

Her face had a dreamy quality to it, making her look mysterious and unreal. She had milky white skin and a stubborn mouth. But what set her apart from most girls I dated were her azure eyes, narrowed now in deep concentration as she tried to heal my wound.

"There, all done."

As she withdrew her hands from my side, I clasped onto them, drawing her body against mine. She flushed at the intimate position and I heartily laughed. She was truly a virgin, a beautiful one at that.

I whispered in her ear and I felt her shiver. "Virgin goddess, may I know your name?"

"Mi-misao." She stuttered.

"I'd like to know you better, Misao."

And that became the first of our nights together. Every night, she would come down by moonlight to this spot in the forest and I would take her in my arms.

I liked to tease her. Sometimes, I would purposely entangle myself with her to intensify her blush. I couldn't help myself. I liked teasing this girl, this goddess that felt wonderful in my arms. My fingers moved up and down her shoulders as I dipped my face into her hair, smelling their fragrance. I couldn't keep my hands off her. I wanted her.

And yet I couldn't have her. She was a goddess and I was a mortal. And more so, she was bethrothed to a god. And so on my 20th birthday, she asked what I wished for, promising that she would give it to me. And so I gave her my answer: I wanted to be immortal, to be like the gods so that I could stay by Misao's side forever.

Misao's lashes met, her brows furrowed.

"I am not sure I can give you what you want."

She was reluctant to say more. Did she not love me? There were times when I felt unsure of her feelings. Although she would let me hold her, she would never let me kiss her. My thoughts began to wander and I became supremely jealous of her fiancé. Were her kisses reserved for him? Was that why she wouldn't kiss me? I couldn't accept this and so I continued to force the issue. It became my insane obsession. I would punish her harshly, deliberately placing kisses on her face as she tried to twist he face away from mine. I would then let her go deliberately, revealing neither desire nor tenderness, growling at her that she didn't love me enough.

Then one night, she had asked me to stay with her and she would give me what I wanted. And so I stayed. She was wearing a white satin gown that made her look almost childlike. Her eyes sought mine, those brilliant blue eyes that had bewitched me that first time. Her head is laid on my lap, her tresses blanketing my knees to keep me warm. My heart flutters as she looks at me smiling secretly. I knew then that I could not let this night pass without touching those lips with mine. My heart beats with excitement as she places her left hand on my hair, kneading and caressing, ruffling it out of place. I take her right hand and pull it to my mouth, pausing to place a lingering kiss in her palm.Her face brightens with delight at my tenderness. It had been a long while since I have made her feel loved. My heart painfully thundding in my chest as I bend my head and dip slowly. I stare at her intently, scared that she would reject me at any moment. But instead I find the opposite. Her eyes are closed, her tantalizing mouth open in anticipation, waiting for that earth-shattering first kiss. I close my eyes and kiss her tentatively at first. When she responded, my kiss deepened and I angled my mouth to drink her all in. We kissed brazenly for some time, I don't know how long because time was forgotten in that moment when our tongues duelled and our lips locked in this fevered bliss. And then I felt it, this sensation that somehow I was draining her away. I hastily lifted my head and saw the pallor of her face. It had turned deathly white and she looked ill. My lover --- she was dying in my arms. And I was the killer.

"I hope you liked my present. "

I was crying now. It pained me to see her die. She however continued to stare at me in that affectionate way that told me she had no hard feelings, no regrets.

"I will love you forever, Aoshi."