DISCLAIMER!: Don't own 'em, don't want to... please don't sue!

Title: Protecting your happiness: Chapter 1
Author: Akari (¨È¥[§Q)
Translation from Chinese into English by: bread@bread.freeservers.com

RK Manga spoiler 18 and above.

	Tomoe had been dead for nearly ten years, yet she had never gotten
reincarnated, not been sent to heaven neither to hell. She had never even
gone to the Gate of Judgement. She only did this because she could not bear
to leave the human world. And that man she so missed, so refused to leave,
that so loved her yet killed her with his own hands... her husband --
Himura Kenshin.
	In all these ten years, Tomoe's spirit had always been protecting
Kenshin. The beginning phases of her death, because of her weak powress,
she could only meet Kenshin in his dreams once in a while. But as time
progressed, Tomoe could finally, with some help from Kenshin's strong will,
increase her powers to be able to meet Kenshin in his dreams almost every
night.
	In actual fact, a fleshless spirit is very fallible. One wrong move
and one could because of some unstated law of physics be scattered into
pieces, never a chance at rebirth again. Yet Tomoe willingly gave up her
chance to reincarnate, satisfying herself with being a wandering soul as
long as she could see the one she loved. As long as she could talk with her
beloved in his dreams, she was already more than satisfied. Whenever she
was with Kenshin, she knew that everything she had done was worthed it, and
although her death had been but long, Kenshin's love had never once
discounted, but rather, mounted by the years.
	Everytime they met, Kenshin would glance at Tomoe with such caring
eyes. Everytime they met, he would grasp his beloved tender hands and tell
her everything from this to that, never once stopping. Tomoe too would
submissively listen to her husband, sometimes smiling in reply, sometimes
even offering replies. Very obviously, Tomoe had brightened up much before
her death, since she no longer hated this person who once snatched away her
happiness. What was left now was love for Kenshin. Facing a Tomoe with no
more icy barriers guarded around her, Kenshin's affection for Tomoe
unreservedly increased by the fold.
	"I'm sorry, Tomoe. Because of my error, you died wrongfully, and
now we can only meet in my dreams." Kenshin had never once stopped to blame
himself for the death of his wife due to his carelessness. Sometimes he
would still cry recollecting these painful memories! A killer was a person
too, after all. No matter how fierce and evil, one who had lost the person
most dearest, most close would naturally feel the heartbreak.
	"That's enough, my husband. It's already been so many years, you
don't have to keep taking up responsibility. It isn't your fault. I know
you didn't mean to kill me." Tomoe comforted him this way everytime Kenshin
started the 'it's all my fault' talk.
	"But I killed Kiyosato, destroyed your happiness... won't you at
least hate me a little for that?"
	"I did, in the very beginning. But when we got married, I found the
caring and warm part about you. I got to feel your sincerity and was slowly
drawn in by your love to find my new happiness. It is a sweeter one than
what Kiyosato had given me." Tomoe smoothly said. "To be able to be your
wife is my good fortune; and to be able to sacrifice for one's husband is
a wife's honour."
	"My wife..."
	Tomoe's candor was so refreshing that Kenshin could only be touched
by it. He lightly held Tomoe's face in his hands, lovingly looking into his
beloved wife's face. Tomoe's pale face blushed a bright red at being so
stared at by Kenshin, and the latter was completely enraptured...
	"I feel like I'm the most fortunate woman in the world right now."
Tomoe spoke from Kenshin's embrace.
	"I will protect your happiness, to let you forever be the happiest
person."
	And this night, the loving couple so sweetly passed the time which
belonged all to themselves.
	All these maintained until about a year ago, when something so
extraordinary happened that Kenshin no longer saw Tomoe in his dreams.

	That extraordinary thing happened on this one particular night...

	That night, Tomoe was taking her usual route into Kenshin's dream
village, but the moment she stepped into it, the winds started lashing out
and blew her away, rendering her unconscious.
	Not knowing how long she lay there, Tomoe finally came to. Giving a
brief check, she found no injuries on her body enough for worry. Curious
about what had happened, yet wishing to see her husband winning over her
curiousity, Tomoe abandoned this strange matter and hurried to find
Kenshin.
	"Kenshin? Kenshin?" Tomoe walked long and wide, but not once
catching Kenshin's shadow of a person. *Have I fell unconscious so long
that Kenshin had awakened from his dream already?"
	Just as Tomoe was feeling down for missing the chance to see her
beloved, she found a tunnel of light shining through from afar. Immediately
she started running towards the light, until when she was near, got shocked
to discover a massive building staring back at her. Using whatever courage
she had to walk into it, she briefly wondered... *Funny, since when did
Kenshin's dream environments changed into this? Why isn't it the usual
place where we meet?* The dreamer always decides on where he wants to dream
about. Because the time of living with Tomoe had had the strongest effects
on Kenshin, his environment had always been the little hut they lived
together in before her death.

	Walking on, Tomoe came to a huge door. After a moment's hesitation,
she decided to enter.

	The moment she opened the door, Tomoe was struck dumb. Here was a
well-renovated and luxurious looking mansion. Flowery marble tiles on the
floor, every room decorated with high-classed materials and such... with a
western flavour; even having a tiny fountain in the middle of the room. Now
that was modern equipment Tomoe had never seen before. Everything was so
new and interesting to Tomoe...
	Just as she wanted to continue 'admiring' such fresh works of human
hands, she heard a soothing sharp singing voice gently drifting into her
ears from behind the fountain. Thereafter, she followed the source of the
voice, rounding the fountain to come to see a really large bathtub behind
it. A little closer, and she saw the back of somebody with red-hair...
	So very sure that this was Kenshin, Tomoe happily called out,
"Kenshin?"

	The moment her words left her mouth, the person turned around to
look at Tomoe, then give a yelp. "GR-OSS! Peeping at other people
showering!" The person complained and brought both hands up in a protective
gesture, blushing furiously, tightly gritting teeth and giving out a
self-pitied call.
	"I'm sorry!" Tomoe immediately turned her back onto the person, her
own face growing redder at the moment. "But... but since we're both
females, surely there isn't any need for such an over-reaction?"
	"Who told you I'm a girl? I am a man from top to toe!"
	"M... Ma.. Man... ??" Tomoe did not hide her absolute shock.
Whichever angle she chose to look, he still looked like a girl...
	"What a rude person you are! Peeping at my shower, insulting me by
mistaking me for a girl... !" The person angrily stated.
	"I'm sorry! I didn't mean it... you just look too beautiful to not
be a girl..."
	"Heh! I know that. I'm not blowing my own trumpet, but whether in
Makai, Ningenkai or Reikai, nobody can win me, Kurama's matchless beauty."
Kurama dissolved into self-indulgence. "Forget it! I'll let you off this
time. Shoo!"

	And here was how Tomoe met the person who would change the course
of her life forever -- Youko Kurama, also known as Minamino Shuuichi...

To be continued

END TRANSLATION

20/9/98