The Snow Angel

By: Crimson Abyss

Prologue

I normally don't like switching point of view so, fast but, work with me because; I will only do this in this chapter.

(Kenshin's Point of view)

It's so cold and yet I continue onward. Snow lies thick on my weary shoulders. I can no longer feel my feet they have become, nothing more then a block of ice, a burden of which I must carry towards an unknown destination. My only goal is to return home to my Kaoru, my family, my home. That is the only thing I can remember that is clear is Kaoru's face, her dojo, and some blurry faces which I once called my makeshift family. Anything other then that and the road home, is like a thick blanket of fog which clouds my mind. She's like a beam of light shining through a pitch black room that is why I keep going, because of her face…

I blink repeatedly trying to clear my vision of the snow lightly sprinkled over my frozen lashes. The wind stings my pale skin as it howls through bare tree limbs, which lace eerily over the night sky. I let a small smile form on my lips, my glazed violet eyes landing on an abandoned cottage. Some of the boards that held it together had ether been weathered to the point of nearly falling off, but still do as a okay shelter for someone for a short period of time and shied them from the whipping wind.

Slowly, but painfully, I wrapped a frost bitten hand around the door frame peeking inside before continuing on into the shack shutting the thin shoji door. I looked around the cottage surprised to find that it was actually being used. A small fire was going in the fireplace an orange light admitted from it and flickered from time to time as it continued to burn the wood inside away. Not, but a few feet from the dancing fire lay an spread futon as if awaiting whoever was going to return home, but I no longer cared who this drafty shack awaited all I wanted was to sleep and not wake up till winter ended.

Taking my sakabattou from my belt and placing it along side the futon, I tossed the thick covers back and slowly sank down into the welcoming futon resting my head on a small pillow which had been laid out neatly along with the bed. Soon I found my eyes growing heavy due to warmth and exhaustion and let myself fade away to a better place.

(Sanosuke's Point of view)

I drew my arms up to my chest my bandaged right hand still hanging on to the fish I caught earlier, which were suspended in the air by a strings attached to several hooks. Their frozen over eyes seemed to look back at me with hate of fooling them into thinking they were receiving a free meal. Laughing a bit a slid open the door to my run down shack I called my home tossing my catch on the floor beside the door.

That's when I noticed the redhead bundled up in my futon in a deep sleep in front of the fire I had lit earlier. I gasped lightly at the sight, 'It couldn't be Kenshin. I heard he died in the war a couple of months ago……Besides if it was him he would have sensed me when I walked into the room, much less would he ever take advantage of a strangers house.'

I frowned looking at the redheads paled skin, deciding to wake the stranger. "Hey, buddy wake up that's my futon your on and my house your in," I spoke clearly nudging his head with the tip of my foot. It only resulted in a little flutter of the mans eyes, but no sign of waking. My face scrunched up in annoyance as I gave it another try, "Hey wake up you bum, quit mooching off me and go find shelter somewhere else!"

This time the mans violet eyes fluttered open glazed over with sleep and fever, he gave a small shutter as he lifted his head reviling the cross shaped scar on his left cheek. My jaw nearly dropped at the sight of the cross shaped scar. It really was Kenshin! Slowly he sat up in bed shaking his head slightly to rid of vertigo, before apologizing. "Sessha is very sorry, it was just at the time this place looked-"Kenshin was cut off abruptly before he could continue.

"Wait till Jou-chan hears your still alive Kenshin! She'll be so, happy. Yahiko and the others might even return to the dojo if they here of your return!" I shouted with glee at the sickly redhead.

"Sanosuke…?" Kenshin asked a bit of uncertainty intertwining with his voice.

"Yeah buddy, just lay back down, rest for a while. I'll be back with Jou-chan soon, just wait on me," I replied before dashing out the shoji door into the bitter could.

(Kenshin's Point of view)

I lay back down on the futon my crimson tassels spraying out across the bed in all driffrent kinds of directions. Slowly I rolled my head to the left swallowing in an attempt to choke down the hacking cough that nagged me to let it out. 'Jou-chan…wasn't it that man Sanosuke's nickname for Kaoru. I feel that Sanosuke was once part of my family.' My thoughts were cut short as the cough I had tried so hard to hold back tore itself from my lungs racking my entire frame. My lungs felt as if they were on fire and would bust at any given time. Slowly I rose to my feet my eye's searching the shack for some water to subside the coughs. Spotting a bucket half filled with water I put my hand to my mouth coughing into it as I stumbled over to the liquid wrapping my calloused hand around the dipper that had been left in it. Carefully I lifted it to my mouth coughing a few more times before taking a sip of water and placing the dipper back in, clearing my throat.

Slowly I cast my eyes across the dimly lit room barely making out some fish that had been tossed to the floor carelessly. Carefully, I made my way over to the lifeless fish, bending and grasping the string that ties the trio of floundered fish together I lift them into the air so, that they are suspended in front of my paled face. "It looks as if he was just about to make dinner when he found me in his house," I whispered to no one in particular sighing. "Why does Sessha always have to mess up peoples plans?"

I shifted my eyes to the dimming fire barely going in the small fireplace then to my sakabattou. Once again I sighed trying to shut off my pounding headache from my thoughts. 'I guess I can at least prepare the fish for him so, they will be ready to cook when Sanosuke returns with Kaoru.' A small smile graced my lips at the mere thought of her. I can still remember every thing about her. Everything…. I love her long silky hair framing her porcelain face as it plays in the wind, her long dark lashes which cast a shadow on her ebony cheeks. Those small pink lips pulled into a small smile fit for an angel. Her long delicate fingers fumbling with the sleeve of her pastel yellow kimono and how could I forget those big bright sapphire eyes of hers that light up the gloomiest of my days.

Still smiling I grabbed my sakabattou from the pinewood floor, sitting Indian style in front of the fireplace. Slowly I pulled the sakabattou from the sheath, the blade scraping along the inside as it slid out with a 'Ching!' My eyes flicked up and down the length of the blade observing every little nick in the metal. I knew that I once knew how to use this sword and that I had been quite skilled with a blade. I also knew if it could tell its life story it would tell a great story indeed. Just looking at the blade told you it had been through a lot of hardships, but despite the great usage there wasn't the stain of blood upon it blade. If not for the small nicks in the metal here and there I would believe this Sakabattou was new.

Flipping the blade over to the sharp side so, that it would penetrate the fishes scaly skin I began cutting the fish in half. I pondered the fact of why, if I had indeed been a swordsman, why would I want a reversed blade sword? It just didn't make sense, what possible advantage could come out of a Sakabattou? The only possible thing it could do is slow your attack down…and not kill… That was it that had to be the reason I would use something such as this, I didn't want to kill.

I quickly flipped one half of the fish over and cut off the head, I then began using the dull side of the sakabattou to pry up the fish's silvery scales almost mechanically. I sighed to myself as I felt a sneeze coming on; I twisted my nose up in irritation beckoning the annoying tickle in my nose to subside. But to no avail I drew my left arm up in front of my face sneezing into the crook of my sleeved arm. It seemed as if my body was trying to rebel against the generous offer I was trying to perform and get Sanosuke sick. Time passed slowly as I finally finished up the fish, standing I threw the unneeded remains into the fire wiping my hands off on my hamaka.

Tiredly, I propped myself up against the one of the four walls in the one room shack shutting my heavy violet eyes. I meekly wondered what time Sanosuke would be back with my beloved, but the thought was cast away as I sank into the deep abyss of sleep…a crimson abyss…

(Kaoru's POV)

I stared blankly at the, 'Bad' sign on Sanosuke's back as the wind whipped at my light blue kimono angrily. It was too hard to believe after three years of depression and sorrow I am told that my red headed love has returned, but I have my mind set on thinking it isn't him. Why would I believe it was him after I received that horrible letter in the mail confirming my beloved's death?

I sigh inwardly as we finally reach Sano's shack, opening the door the rooster head beckons me in a silly grin painted on his face as I slowly step inside looking about. There in the corner of Sanosuke's shack sits that thick headed Rurouni I love so much, his brilliant crimson hair casting shadows upon his sleeping face. "Kenshin…" I mutter my azure eyes filling up with tears as I place a hand to my mouth.

"See Jou-chan I told you it was our Kenshin," grinned Sano leaning in the door frame.

I turned looking at Sanosuke, who finally come the rest of the way in, sliding the shoji door closed and trapping the bitter cold outside. "Is it all right…? ...I mean can I wake him?" I heard myself stutter, looking nervously at Kenshins sleeping form.

"Heh, why are you asking me?" shrugged Sano frowning at the sight of the already skinned and gutted fish. "Does that guy ever stop doing chores?"

I smiled vaguely turning back to Kenshin, my eyes softening as I tiptoed over to him kneeling down. Slowly I stretched my arm out about to trace part of the X shaped scar when Kenshins eyes snapped open, his arm immediately lashing out for my wrist. My eyes widened, I was completely frozen by fear as he jerked me forward holding my wrist in his bone crushing grip, molten gold eyes burning into my sapphire ones…