Subject: [RKFF] Kristin Olson's Heavenly Action Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1998 22:12:36 -0500 From: RobinKloster To: rkfanfics@makelist.com kolson00@yahoo.com Yoho, minna! *waves* Remember me? Oh, and hello to all the new folks! I've been in absentia for a while. > ::looks around:: It's been kinda quiet, hasen't it? Doushite? Where is > everyone? ;_; Back at school, hard at work, crazy busy, bummed out by recent manga chapters, and (today at least) writing fics when I should be reading Jane Eyre. Oro ro! This is a little piece of madness I wrote, partially in response to manga acts 207-208, (contains vague spoilers)...and since after-death themes seem to be all the rage lately...*sweatdrop*...though this is a rather more irreverent than usual take on the subject. Well, anyway, maybe it'll help cheer somebody up. (And I'm toying with writing a lemon to go with it...) *^.^* Public comments/floggings are always appreciated. ^_^; -Kristin more stuff at: http://www.crosspaths.net/~kolson/fics/ -------------------------------------------------- Heavenly Action (With sincere thanks to Erasure for the title.) Kenshin woke to the strange sensation that he was floating. When he opened his eyes, he discovered that he was doing precisely that. Or, more precisely, the small white fluffy cloud upon which he sat was floating. Small white fluffy cloud? he thought, frowning. Something was clearly amiss. The last thing he remembered was...was... He shut his eyes again, tightly. Enishi, and smoke, and the fragrance of plum blossoms, and Kaoru-dono . . . Kaoru. He exhaled slowly. For some reason, the memories did not bring with them the horror and grief, self-hatred and despair that had brought him to his knees in the dojo. It was as if he were viewing them from a very great distance, or through impenetrable glass. Raising his head once more, he blinked and gazed about himself. He was in the dojo, floating a good distance above the shining wooden floor. At least, it certainly looked like Kamiya Dojo, though he paused to wonder precisely when the training hall had more than quadrupled in size. In fact, the place had become so vast that he could scarcely make out the hanging scroll on the wall at the other end. He leaned forward, peering, then flailed as the fluffy cloud shifted and nearly unseated him. "Oro!" he yelped. He clung in desperation as some mysterious force propelled the cloud forward, and it began to speed toward the opposite end of the hall. His eyes narrowed as he made out a figure--also apparently seated on a cloud, though one notably larger than his own--in the distance. Then his airborne transport lurched, pitching him face-first into airy white fluff. Before he could right himself, it jolted to a halt, and a loud, long-suffering sigh reached his ears. "Yare yare. All my expert training, and even now, you're still falling on your face." Kenshin shot upright as if jabbed with a cattle prod and stared at the person in front of him. Long, ponytailed black hair, wry eyes, bored expression, the endless white cloak with dramatic red trim--there was no mistake. "Shi-shishou?" he stammered. "What--what's going on? Where am I? What are you doing here?" He blinked rapidly. "Why are you, um, glowing like that?" An unusually luminous Hiko Seijourou eyed his student with exasperation. "You really are slow, aren't you? Yappari baka deshi da. You're dead." "D-dead?" "Yes, dead. Where did you think excessive blood loss and moping around with untreated wounds would get you? I must say, I'm disappointed to find you here. When I last saw you in Kyoto, I almost thought you were starting to pull yourself together." Hiko shook his head in disgust. "I suppose that would have been too much to expect." "Ja--if I'm dead--then this--" Kenshin stared around at the dojo, then back at his master. "And you--you--" "This is heaven, of course, or as close to it as you're likely to get." Hiko shrugged. "It's not a bad version, all things considered." Kenshin looked as though he had swallowed a frog while it was still kicking. "Shishou--you--you're God?" he blurted. "Only locally." Hiko smirked. His student's eyes bugged. "What, are you surprised? Well, I could have accepted a wider jurisdiction, but it just didn't seem worth the effort." He waved a hand lazily. "Besides, this way I still have time to pursue a few hobbies on the side, Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu being one of them." "But--there must be some mistake," Kenshin said, bowing his head. "If this is heaven, I'm in the wrong place. For all the crimes I've committed and the misery I've caused, I certainly belong in hell." "Since when do the souls of the deceased make judgements about their own fate, eh? Well, you always were impertinent. It's lucky for you I'm not in the mood to listen to your babble." "But Shishou--!" "No one's insisting that you stay here. In fact, unlike the average soul, you do have some choice in the matter. But you'll have to take that up with your personal angel. I've got more important matters to attend to." Hiko waved his hand once more, this time dismissively. "Try not to be as stupid as usual when you make your decision, all right?" Kenshin frowned in bewilderment. "Angel? What angel?" "The one that brought you here." Hiko tilted his head, and for the first time, Kenshin realized he was not alone on the fluffy white cloud. A being of whom he could discern little beyond white feathers, cream-colored skin, and shining dark hair lay prone beside him. "Ororo!" He could have sworn there'd been no one there an instant ago-- At that moment, the someone beside him stirred. Wings of pure white unfolded, arching high and graceful above him. Slender limbs moved, and the dark head lifted to reveal the sleepy blue eyes of Kamiya Kaoru, opening to gaze at him. When she saw who was beside her, she smiled. "Kenshin!" She sat up at once, then arched her back like a cat, stretching langorously. "Gomen ne," she sighed. "I guess I fell asleep." He stared, speechless. Other than the wings, she wore absolutely nothing. "That was hard work, getting you here," she continued. "You weigh more than I thought you would!" She leaned toward him, laughing in playful reproach. "Guess my cooking back on earth must have been getting better, after all." His lips parted, and he tried to say her name. It was Kaoru. It couldn't be Kaoru. And yet--he swallowed, his gaze trailing downward from her face--it certainly could not be anyone else but her... "Hiko-sama, is everything all right?" She had turned to face his master, her eyebrows lifted. Kenshin felt a powerful urge to fling himself in front of her, in a feeble attempt to preserve someone's modesty, though he was not sure exactly whose. Kaoru herself appeared to be entirely unconscious, or perhaps merely careless, of her vivid state of undress. "He seems a little dazed," she was saying, gesturing at Kenshin. "Oh, but he's usually like that, don't you agree? He'll get over it. I'll leave the details in your capable hands. Ja." With a final smirk, Hiko wrapped his cloak around him and vanished in a swirl of white. Kaoru turned toward him once again, smiling warmly. "Yokatta," she said softly. "Yokatta. You're really here." She reached out to him, laying warm fingers on his arm. It occurred to Kenshin to wonder how it was that he could feel her touch, since he was presently a displaced soul, and she, presumably, a spirit, with neither of them presently in possession of a body...then all such tedious details scattered from his mind as white wings closed around him, and he suddenly found an angel--his angel?--snuggling in his lap. "K-Kaoru..." he managed, "-dono..." "I'm sorry," she murmured against his neck. "I'm so sorry...I saw how you were hurting, and I wanted so much to come...I'm sorry it's had to be so hard for you." He felt wetness trickling down his chest, and realized she was crying. Slowly, despite the nagging fear that lightning might vaporize him for impiety at any moment, he lifted his arms and wrapped them around her. "Kaoru," he breathed. "Kaoru." His grip tightened, and for a time neither of them spoke at all. "You never mentioned you were an angel," he murmured at last. She giggled. "It's only part-time. And we're really not supposed to bring it up with clients." "Clients?" he echoed nervously. "You...you don't have more than one, do you?" "Of course not!" Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Mou. Taking care of someone as difficult as you is more than enough to keep me busy!" She softened her words by winding her arms around his neck and snuggling closer. Kenshin found his hands sliding of their own volition over curves that were positively, well, heavenly. Spirit or no, he thought, dizzied, she felt remarkably...substantial. Was letting oneself be seduced by an angel considered a sin? "Right now I'm only supposed to be a messenger, to tell you about the choices you have." He heard the smile in her voice. "But I also got special dispensation to give comfort if I deemed it necessary." "I really...have choices?" He drew back, gazing at her in surprise. "Mm. Because your circumstances are...somewhat extreme, your death is, at this point, not absolutely assured. Right now you're in a state of limbo, actually. You must decide whether to stay here, or return to the world of the living." Her blue eyes went somber. "Either way, I can't tell you fully what the result will be, although I can give you some idea." "If I stay here," he whispered, "will I be with you?" Wordlessly she nodded. "If I go back..." he trailed off, thinking of the emptiness, the loss, the dreadful ache of loneliness. She bit her lip, seeing pain glint in his violet eyes. "I can't say," she whispered. "All I can promise is that the hurt will not continue forever. And...there are people who will grieve if you abandon them." Kenshin bowed his head. It was not much consolation, knowing that the hurt would end. He had learned the taste of happiness, and begun to hope he might for once drink deep of it. But that was avarice, surely. To stay here would be the easy thing, the tempting thing, which of course made it the very thing he must not do. He sighed ruefully. Stories like these were so damned predictable. "Whatever you decide, I'll understand," she whispered to him. Her lips moved softly against his ear. "You don't have to choose right away. There's no time here, as long as I will it so. Take as long as you need." "Sessha..." he began, "sessha..." Then he broke off, eyes widening, as he realized he could suddenly feel more of her--much more of her--than he'd been able to a moment ago. She sighed contentedly and pressed against him, her bare skin sliding warmly against his. "Ano," he gurgled, "Kaoru-dono...what happened to my clothes?" She smothered a giggle against his neck. "Well," she murmured, "you're just a soul right now, so it's not like you really have clothes, anyway. You only seemed to be wearing them because you imagined that you were." She lifted her head and blinked up at him with wide, innocent eyes. "I just imagined that you weren't." If he were really just a soul, he thought, gritting his teeth, the sensations he was experiencing at the moment would be impossible. "Maybe...maybe you should imagine them back," he managed. Kaoru looked surprised. "Really? I will if you want, but I thought maybe you'd like this better. I mean, since this is how you imagined me." "I what?" Kenshin turned a shade of scarlet to match his hair. "You imagined me to look like this," she said. "That's why I appeared this way. I'm an angel, after all, so I can take lots of forms. A bird, a wind, a floating orb of light, things like that, or your more traditional white-robed halo-wearing winged being of ambiguous gender." She shrugged with a rustle of feathers, then smiled again and winked. "Or a cute girl in a kimono who owns a kenjutsu dojo." "You--you--you--" "I was a little surprised that you neglected to give me any clothing, but it's not like I'm complaining. And I like the wings." She stretched them upward, unfurling them to their full width with a pleased little smile. "The wings are a nice touch." Kenshin remained silent as the realization came to him that he was sitting, in heaven, on a small white fluffy cloud, naked, with an equally naked angel--who happened to be the person he treasured above all others--in his lap. Someone upstairs has a truly aggravating sense of humor, he thought. "Kaoru," he whispered. "Nani?" "I want to stay here, but...I'm going to go back. I think...I think I have to." She sighed a little, and the white wings drooped. "Well, I figured you would. It's probably best, considering that the manga hasn't ended yet." "Eh?" "Oops! Never mind. What I meant was, it's probably best, considering that you have unfinished business and stuff like that." She looked glum for a moment, then lifted her eyes to his, her expression sweet once again. "It'll be all right. I promise." "Really?" Soft wings enfolded him as she laid her forehead against his. "Really. I promise." Kenshin slowly exhaled, trying to quell his dread at the prospect of returning. "Didn't you say something about...special dispensation...?" he asked, in a very low voice. She tilted her head with just a hint of slyness. "To comfort, yes." Violet eyes met hers uncertainly. "What...what exactly does that mean?" She lifted her hand to touch his scarred cheek, then let it trail lightly, lovingly down his body. "Shall I show you?" she asked, her lips very close to his. For the first time since his death, Kenshin began to feel optimistic. "Onegai," he whispered, "de gozaru." The angel smiled. Her white wings beat once, and then the rest of the world vanished. * * * When Kenshin came to his senses again, he was surrounded by darkness. He sat up swiftly. "Kaoru?" he called, half out of instinct, then paused, startled at himself. Why had he called for Kaoru? She was not here. He knew that. She had told him goodbye, for a little while.... His brow creased, and he shook his head fiercely. A strange haze obscured his thoughts, making it difficult for him to perceive his surroundings. Where was this? He was seated on something hard which felt like a wooden bench, but the darkness would admit nothing to his eyes. At length he became aware of a gentle rocking motion. The bench, the wall next to him, even the floor all seemed to be quietly rattling to some unknown rhythm. He strained his ears, listening carefully. It was all somehow so very familiar... "Kenshin-san? Are you awake?" The tentative voice startled him, as did the small light which accompanied it. He turned toward the source of both, then blinked in astonishment when he recognized their owner. "Tsubame-dono?" The little Akabeko waitress beamed at him and lifted her lantern. "Hai," she answered. "Did you sleep well?" Except for the small pair of finch-like wings folded behind her, Tsubame appeared absolutely normal, even down to the striped kimono she wore for work. Kenshin's shoulders sagged in relief. "Thank goodness," he sighed. "You're not naked." Tsubame's eyes widened. "Ano," she stammered, "should I be?" "No! Not at all!" Kenshin waved his arms in alarm, then froze, his attention caught by a flash of white in his left hand. He paused, gazing downward, before lifting the single delicate feather to the light. For some reason his throat constricted, and his heart stumbled before returning to its normal pace. "It's from Kaoru-san, isn't it?" Tsubame asked, ducking her head shyly. "She has such pretty wings. Mine are still sort of brown." She craned her neck to make certain this was still the case, and sighed when she found that it was. Kenshin smiled with some bemusement. "You're an angel, too?" She nodded diffidently. "In training." "Oh. I see." Briefly Kenshin considered what this might mean for Yahiko, then discarded the thought. "Forgive me, Tsubame-dono, but...where are we?" "Somewhere between heaven and earth," she replied promptly, drawing a small notepad out of nowhere. She flipped a few pages and began to read. "Because of the circumstances of your near-death and subsequent decision to return, it is necessary for you to leave from heaven on a different route from that by which you came." "So, this is the scenic route?" he murmured. He glanced out the window, then realized to his astonishment that there was, in fact, a window to glance through. Suddenly the familiar rattling rhythm fell into place, and his mouth quirked in a smile. Beyond the glass lay endless starfields, patterns of light in darkness stretching to infinity. Ahead, at some distance, spun a brilliant spiral galaxy, luminous and breathtaking. Well, he thought, it was nothing like the ride to Yokohama. Tsubame blinked, glancing up from her notepad. "Um, I guess so." She glanced down again, searching for her place. "Exits are at the front and rear of each car. Please do not attempt to exit while the train is in motion, as the administration cannot be held responsible for souls lost en route. If I may be of assistance in any way, please do not hesitate to ask me. I am here to make your journey and transition from death back to life as comfortable as possible." With a deep breath, she shut the notebook and beamed up at Kenshin, only to find him frowning as he gazed out at the passing starfields. She took a step forward, concerned. "Kenshin-san? Is something wrong?" He was leaning forward as if with intense concentration. "Do you...do you hear that?" "Hear what?" "That...awful noise. It sounds sort of like singing." If he really strained, he could almost make out the words. "Kowareru hodo...aishitemo?" Tsubame covered her mouth with one hand. "Oh, she said, looking sheepish, "well, the heavenly choirs are on strike at the moment, so I think that some amateurs were hired as temporary replacements. Usually the music is much nicer." "Amateurs?" "I can't think of their names right now...it was two girls, though, I'm almost sure. They aren't professional, but they're very enthusiastic," she said. "Hmm." Kenshin winced, and glanced again out the window. His eyes lit with sudden consternation. "Tsubame-dono...that galaxy is getting awfully close." "Yes, we usually run right into it!" "What?" "It's really pretty," she assured him. "Lots of sparklies flying everywhere." "Sparklies?" Kenshin flinched as the stars began to whirl by, scarcely inches from the sides of the train. "Oro!" "Actually, I kind of like this song," Tsubame said, then began to hum, bobbing in time with the music. "Doredake kimi wo aishitara, kono omoi todoku no darou--" "But--but--what if one of them--hits us?" Kenshin stammered. "Oh, they never do that. It's not as if it's a real physical train, after all. Hanarereba hanareru hodo, itoshii hito da to kizuku--" One blazing fireball loomed perilously close, and Kenshin ducked, whimpering. "Motomereba motomeru hodo ni, setsunai kyori wo kanjiteru, my heart!" Tsubame giggled at his antics. "Really, Kenshin-san, what are you worried about? Right now you're still dead." "I'm well aware of that," he said. "It's been a rather exhausting experience." Tsubame giggled again, blushing pink. "I heard Kaoru-san asked for permission to take special care of you. I bet that was exhausting." "Tsu-Tsubame-dono!" "She even left you a feather. That's against the rules, you know." The angelic waitress clasped her hands together and sighed. "It's so romantic." Kenshin covered his face with his hands. "Remind me not to die again anytime soon," he said. "Don't worry, Kenshin-san! I'm sure things will turn out all right for you and Kaoru-san. Anyone can see you belong together." Tsubame sniffled. "Not even death can stand in the way of true love." "Excuse me, Tsubame-dono, but--are we there yet?" he asked desperately. "Um." She paused and produced a pocketwatch, apparently from the same alternate dimension in which she kept her notepad. "Not quite, but almost. I suppose I should knock you out again now." Kenshin did not bother to question the necessity of his unconsciousness. "Please," he murmured, "go right ahead." "Just a sec." The pocketwatch vanished from her hand, and a small, star-tipped silver wand appeared in its place. "Okay." She drew a deep breath. "I can even do this part from memory," she said proudly. "In order to facilitate the transition back to your physical body, you will be placed in a temporary state of unawareness. Upon your revival, you may experience some slight disorientation, in addition to once again facing the mental and physical stresses which originally caused your near-death. This disorientation will pass quickly, with no lasting ill effects. Thank you for traveling on the Celestial Express, and please enjoy the remainder of your life to the fullest." "Arigatou, Tsubame-dono," Kenshin said. "I appreciate it." She smiled as she lifted the starry wand. "See you back on earth," she said. "And please, try not to worry." Kenshin could have sworn that she winked at him. "After all, one of the foundations of entertainment is a happy ending." It was the last thing he heard before the silver wand waved him back into oblivion, the white feather still cradled in his hands. * * * * * ______________________________________________________________________ Subscribe, unsubscribe, opt for a daily digest, or start a new e-group at http://www.eGroups.com -- Free Web-based e-mail groups.