Nicky Townsend (battousai@licensedtokill.com)
Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin belongs to Watsuki
Nobuhiro. The song "A New Life" belongs to the two
brilliant minds that make up the Pet Shop Boys.
This story is also based loosely on "Careful Destiny",
a Ranma fanfic by Todd Hill, who is also my very good
friend ^_^
Note: This takes place after the lemon side to chapter
12 that I just CAN'T seem to finish. Anyone who wants to help
me with it is welcome to do so...Anyway, just assume that
they did their thing okay?
Hiko, this story arc is for you!
~*~*~
A New Life:
Volume 2
Chapter 1
~*~*~
"Did you get what you want?
Do you know what it is?
Do you care?"
"I don't know you want, but I can't give it anymore."
The Pet Shop Boys
~*~*~
"Your majesty, why am I here again?" Nicky stood
once again in the Heavenly Throne room. The ambiguously
sexed Being that ran Things eyed Nicky in a way that
worried her to no end.
It leaned forward in a way that was almost menacing, one
delicate white hand supporting It's chin, elbow resting lightly
on crossed knees. "I want another progress report, of course.
If you'd report regularly on your own, I wouldn't have to snatch
you away like that." The gleam in It's eyes only increased with
every word.
Nicky snapped the heels of her high black boots together,
and saluted smartly. "Yes, your Majesty!" She was not entirely
able to keep the sarcasm out of her tone, and before the Being
could say anything, she proceeded with her report.
"They've made up, your Majesty. Kaori also knows now who
Kevin really is, or more accurately, who he was. Everything is
fine." Nicky secretly wished that it were possible to lie to It. She
knew that It couldn't exactly read her thoughts, but once her
thoughts were spoken, It always knew if they were true or not.
Nicky shook her head sadly; she had a feeling she knew what
was coming.
As she had expected, a gleeful smile twisted the Being's
face. "Goodie! Now the fun can begin in earnest!" It seemed to
almost bounce in place on It's throne.
Nicky clenched her jaw, and muttered just loud enough to
be heard, "Fun, my ass."
The Being looked at her sharply, but ignored her comment.
"This will be your real test. If you can get them through what's
coming up, you are free for reincarnation."
Arching an eyebrow, "And what's coming up, if you don't
mind my asking?" Nicky asked dryly.
"I certainly do mind!" The Being snapped back at her. It sat
back on It's throne and seemed to puff Itself up for a moment,
before It leaned forward, It's eyes gleaming brightly. "But I'm in
a good mood right now, so I'll give you a hint. Some of Kenshin's
'old friends' will be showing up soon."
Nicky's eyes widened, cold washing over her body in
strengthening waves. "...Which 'old friends'?"
Once again, the Being sat back, this time a smirk twisting
it's deceptively lovely androgynous face. "That's for me to know,
and for you to find out. But really, I'm not so mean that I'd just
throw him to the wolves without any help at all...And you'll recognize
your help when you see it. He hasn't changed one bit, and he's
just as hard to miss as he ever was..." The Being shook It's head.
"Anyway, that's all. You may go now."
Nicky saluted again, purposely over-exaggerating the gesture,
and let herself dematerialize once more.
~*~*~
"I feel so extraordinary,
Something's got a hold on me,
I get this feeling I'm in motion,
A sudden sense of liberty"
--New Order
~*~*~
Kevin sat up in bed, as the morning sunlight filtered in
shafts though his blinds. Dust motes swirled in the bits of
light so that it appeared to sparkle. He stretched contentedly,
his hands fisting in the air, and his back arched. A soft,
contented smile graced his hansome face.
It was real. All of it. Everything that had happened... A
small shiver arched through Kevin's slender body. It also
remembered very well what had happened. It remembered the
feel of Kaori's soft skin, the silky texture of her hair, and most of
all, and the wonderful erotic noises she had made when he
touched her. He pulled in a deep lung full of air and let it out as a
great contented sigh.
But he could only linger in his bed for so long. Although it
still smelled like Kaori, the special scent of Jasmine, and that
-other- scent that was all hers, he had to part with it. He had to
get ready for school so he could see the real thing.
He smiled another contented smile, and went about his
morning as usual. Although, now all the colors seemed to be
a little brighter then before, and everything in life seemed
peaceful for once.
~*~*~
Kaori leaned comfortably against the plaster wall that lined
the yards of their high school. Only several feet away, students
swept through the open gate. Some of the students who knew
Kaori stopped briefly to look, and could only wonder at her blissful
expression. Shaking their heads, they continued on through the
gate.
But Kaori didn't notice any of her fellow students as they
swiftly passed her by. Her eyelids had drifted shut, and she had
become lost in wonderful memories of the day before. It was true.
All of it was true! She'd never been so happy in her life. She felt
so different inside...as if someone had lit a fire inside her, where
previously, all had been dark and cold. And the thing that surprised
her the most, is she hadn't realized -how- cold it had been without
him.
Somehow sensing that the warmth that was Kevin was
approaching her, she opened her eyes again, and greeted him
with a smile. "Good morning. And how are you today?" Kaori asked
teasingly.
He nodded, and offered a lopsided grin. "I've never been
better."
Kaori arched an eyebrow at that, and replied, "I'll bet." Reaching
for his hand, she twined her fingers with his affectionately. "Let's get
to class, okay? I have a feeling today will be an interesting day!"
~*~*~
As they turned the last corner and down the hall that led to
their class room, a man stood outside the class greeting the
students. He was a large man, easily over six and a half feet tall.
Long black hair fell over the man's extremely broad shoulders in a
ponytail, and over his white linen jacket. At that moment, he turned
his head to look in their direction. The tall man smilled at them, his
white teeth flashing.
Kevin gasped suddenly, his body gone stiff. Very slowly, he
turned around and walked back in the direction they had come from,
and around the corner, out of sight. Kaori stood befuddled where he
had left her. Shaking her head, she quickly went after him, to find
him kneeling on the floor, his face a ghastly shade of white.
Alarmed at his pallor, Kaori kneeled next to him. "Kevin...what's
wrong? Are you sick?"
Kevin drew a shaky breath, before speaking. "Did you recognize
him?" he asked hesitantly, peering up at her threw a fringe of flame
colored bangs.
Even more confused then before, "Should I have?" Her eyebrows
knit together in worry.
"That...that was...that was Shishou..."
"Shishou...your master? You mean -HIKO-? You're kidding,
right?" Kaori shook her head slowly, making her disbelief plain.
Kevin nodded, his expression unreadable. "That's gotta be him."
"Actually, yes, that is your master." Kaori and Kevin both looked
up abruptly to find Nicky standing behind them. As they both turned
to face her, she took a step forward.
"NICKY-SAN? Where did you come from? How do you know...?"
Kaori's confusion and disbelief only continued to grow.
Nicky only smirked and shrugged her shoulders. "Kevin didn't
tell you the whole story, it seems. The Creator sent him directly
here from his past life. Since he didn't have the luxury of growing
up in this time, he needed someone to guide him, and that
someone is me."
Kaori blinked a few times before stammering, "Your saying...
you work for God?"
"That is a gross oversimplification, but it works, I suppose.
Anyway, I'm sure you'll be caught up in everything too, so you might
as well listen to what I have to say. Kevin; I just made another
progress report. It's at it again." Nicky spoke her last sentence softly,
and shook her head, sadness evident in her posture.
"At it again?" Kevin repeated slowly, as if letting the words
roll around in his head. "You mean the cosmic dog has found it's
favorite chew toy again?" Bitterness dripped off his words as he
spoke.
"That attitude doesn't suit you at all, you know." Nicky pointed
out, before continuing. "However, I do have some good news. The
Creator said that It wasn't going to throw you to the proverbial wolves
without any help. I expect that your help is standing in front of your
classroom door as we speak."
"On the downside-" Worry had slowly crept into Nicky's
expression as she spoke, her eyebrows knit together. "- I have a
feeling, that if the Creator feels that you need help, that last time
is going to seem like child's play."
"What do you mean, 'LAST TIME'? 'CHEW TOY'?? -WHAT-
is going on here?" Kaori demanded, her voice harsh. She looked
back and forth between Kevin and Nicky, waiting for an explaination.
Nicky sighed deeply, shaking her spiky blonde head.
"Unfortunately, the Creator is not the benevolent being that most
religions make It out to be. From what was explained to me, it
seems that there is not one Creator; there is one for every planet in
the Universe that has life. Some of them are better then others. The
one that Earth has happens to dislike this planet, and it's inhabitants.
It picks 'favorites' and plays with them. Kevin, and to some extent,
you and myself as well, are 'favorites'. Our Being doesn't even go to
the Mellinium Meetings, because It doesn't care."
Kaori's face went as white as a sheet. "That's awful...But what
happened 'last time'?"
Nicky laughed bitterly. "Remember your fight? And Sam? First
of all, not only was Sam someone from Kevin's past, but also
Kenshin's past as well. I'm amazed you didn't recoginze him-- Kaoru."
Kevin eyes widened. "So that -was- him!"
"Sanosuke? Yes, that was him. Strange how things turn out
sometimes isn't it? Anyway, the Creator engineered that whole
thing, just to see how you two would respond."
"I'm still confused." Kaori spoke up. "I see how we are being
played with, but you...?"
"Oh believe me, I've got it much worse. It's just I've been doing
it so long, that it doesn't really matter anymore. You see, as I
explained to Kevin not too long ago, being a Heavenly Guide is not
a reward. It's a penance served for commiting a sin."
Momentarily taken aback, Kaori could only stammer out "What
in the world did you do?"
"That's a long story, and one I don't feel like telling." A bit of
coldness had sneaked into Nicky's voice. Quickly changing the
subject, Nicky looked at her wristwatch. "Class is going to start
any minute. We'd better get to our seats."
~*~*~
From around the corner and one corridor down, a girl, perhaps
Kaori's senior by a year, listened with rapt attention.
Her hair was a medium brown, and she wore it in a bun. Her
lips were rouged in an odd shade of dark green, and just to left of
her lower lip was a small black beauty mark. Her eyes were
remarkable because they glittered with shrewd intelligence. Even
now, this girl; no, young woman; was planning her next move.
Very shortly, Shiro-sama would be getting his parole. Everything
needed to be ready by then, and her research finished. She'd
thought herself done, but then that boy showed up, and changed
Kaori overnight. Where before she had been withdrawn almost of the
point of being antisocial, now she had emerged with the beauty of a
butterfly leaving its' cacoon. The change had been subtle before today;
now she veritably glowed.
It was that boy...Kevin Hannah. The foreigner. What was so
special about him that he could perform such a miracle? That girl
didn't deserve to be happy. After all, her happiness had been stolen
from her, why should Kaori deserve anything? Anger momentarily
marred the young woman's beautiful face.
But everything would work out. She would make -sure- it did.
~*~*~
Questions? Comments? Thoughts, ideas, ANYTHING?? PLEASE??