Waters of Change : Interludes
By: Kesshi Mashin
A Rurouni Kenshin/Ranma Nibunnoichi fusion.
For entertainment purposes only. No infringement intended. Ranma 1/2 is owned by Takahashi Rumiko. Rurouni Kenshin is owned by Nobuhiro Watsuki.
Author's Note: This isn't canon Ranma or Kenshin, you really don't need any previous knowledge of either to read this fanfiction, though it is helpful. Some ideas were also taken from Samurai X, a prequel of sorts to Rurouni Kenshin.
* *: thoughts
Any C&C is welcome at: [email protected]
Reviews are appreciated. So is constructive criticism. Be sure to visit my ffn page!
http://www.fanfiction.ws/profile.php?userid=61420
You will also be able to find me at The Lost Library of Florestica! Come on by!
http://www.rakhal.com/florestica/kesshi/index.html
Portraits of the Past:
Vignette II - First Love
China
Spring
15 years ago...
... The night sky was overcast with a multitude of billowy clouds, bringing with them the promise of heavy showers. No light filtered through the dark mass; the city below the gathering of clouds was heavily shrouded in shadow and mist. A bolt of lightning briefly illuminated the area below, revealing a multitude of comdemned hovels, desolate marketplaces, and dozens of dismembered corpses lining the alleyways.
The dark streets were bathed in the blood of the Hitokiri Battousai's victims, a silent testament to the crimson haired assassin's grim skills. Kenshin stared down at his latest victim with barely any show of emotion, his stoic features enshrouded by blood-red locks of hair, which had come loose from it's typical ponytail during the brief scuffle. Almost without thought, the Battousai shed the blood from his steel blade with a mere flick of the wrist, sending flecks of crimson flying every which way, and resheathed his katana in one fluid motion with a grace that belied his years. This was the feared secret assassin of the Joketsuzoku, the only male to be revered by even the eldest of the Amazon matriachs, the most perfect warrior to ever-
Kenshin's attention was again drawn to the fine cut running across the length of his left cheek, a cut he had recieved from a near incompetent swordsman of no repute. He raised a hand up to his cheek, where he felt a thin trickle of blood begin to form. His calloused hand hovered above the wound for scant seconds, almost afraid to touch the thin laceration, before gingerly dabbing themselves against the warm fluid running down his face. *I'm bleeding...*
~~~~~ ~~~~~
15 years ago...
... Kenshin leaned heavily against the sides of the wash basin, staring down at his reflection as water continued to drip from his bangs. The cut had yet to end its bleeding; even now, it continued to trickle down the Battousai's face, dripping at a steady rate into the sink below. The ripples it created distorted the reflection below, an image of amber eyes framed by crimson tresses changing into something more sinister, more-
With a frustrated curse, the redhaired assassin knocked over the basin, spilling the now pink waters onto the wooden planks, the cracks between each strip of wood eagerly drinking in the tainted water. Sighing heavily, Kenshin slumped down against one of the walls and slid down onto the ground, running a shaky hand through his unbound hair in an attempt to calm himself. A nearby puddle caught the Battousai's eye, and he stared at the nearly unwavering reflection for a long time. He turned his face to one side, and continued to stare at the angry red line adorning his face. It still bled at an even pace, despite Kenshin's best efforts to staunch the bleeding. It was infuriating...
~~~~~ ~~~~~
15 years ago...
... a deluge of blood rained down onto Kenshin's head, the crimson precipitation quickly turning his dark blue hakama a sickening red shade. His opponent's sundered body landed with a dull thud a ways off, the nearly horizontal slash seperating his waist from his torso a gruesome sight, even for the likes of one such as the Battousai. However, Kenshin's attention was not captivated by the mangled corpse lying off to the side; rather, it was drawn towards the pale apparition standing across from him. The rain distorted her image slightly, but it was evident that her white kimono had been stained by flecks of blood from the quartering. Her hands and face, too, were covered with blood, giving the impression that she herself had been wounded.
Before he could decide whether or not to dispatch of the only witness, Kenshin was startled out of his reverie by the sound of wooden sandals clacking against cobblestone. It was with a keen eye that Kenshin noticed her slightly drunken weaving, and he quickly stepped forward to catch the intoxicated woman, who had stumbled over a loose stone on the pathway.
As she pressed against his blood-stained hakama, seemingly lucid eyes peered up into Kenshin's own eerily yellow ones, before shifting back down to stare at the generous amounts of red splattered upon the two of them. she began in a faintly drunken slur, you made the bloody rain fall...
Kenshin felt the woman succumb to the gentle call of sleep, and cradled her limp body in his arms for a few minutes more in the pouring rain, whilst he thought of what to do with her. Finally, the red-haired assassin reached down and carefully gathered up his sword while still holding the girl in one arm, and with only the slightest of effort, gathered her limp body up into his arms and proceeded towards the nearest inn, the slightest flickering of violet momentarily discoloring his amber colored eyes...
~~~~~ ~~~~~
Summer
15 years ago...
... Kenshin stared down at the small cup of sake sitting before him with the slightest of trepidation, right hand resting scant inches from the porcelain glass. It had tasted so bitter just weeks before, and the nights before that as well. Cologne had commented once on the bitterness of sake before sending Kenshin and Tomoe off to the mountains to lay low, but Kenshin merely dismissed it as nothing more than the inane ramblings of an elder. And yet, as Kenshin finally brought the sake to his lips and sipped of the warmed fluid, he couldn't help but curl the edges of his lips into what could pass for a smirk, at the very least; as amber eyes focused in on Tomoe's nervous features, one thought crossed the Battousai's mind before he began to partake of his supper. The sake didn't taste quite so bitter...
~~~~~ ~~~~~
Autumn
15 years ago...
... Sister, you can't be serious! Ryouga stared up at his older sister in sheer disbelief, and shook his head furiously. It can't be true! I won't believe it! The irate ten year old stared up into his sister's eyes, searching for even the faintest glimmer of the hate that was once there. He killed Kyosato! You can't seriously say that you love him!? Tomoe! Tomoe!
Tomoe stared down at her brother for the briefest of moments before encircling him in a loose embrace, sighing softly at Ryouga's stubborness. After a moment, she broke the embrace and lifted Ryouga's chin so that they were eye to eye. It is good to see you again, brother, but it is time for you to leave. She knelt down before her shocked brother and gave him a slight peck on the cheek before firmly turning him about in place. Go home, Ryo-chan...
~~~~~ ~~~~~
Winter
15 years ago...
... Tomoe. It had all been a lie. Kenshin felt his body begin to grow numb from the snow, but he paid it no heed; thoughts of their final moments together, Tomoe's journal, and the realization that he had destroyed her happiness... they all served to fuel the deep seeded depression which had arisen again that morning, with the coming of dawn. He couldn't keep his promise to Tomoe, because he had already broken it so long ago...
The red-haired assassin collapsed to his knees in exhaustion, both physical and mental, and stared down at the purple sash he had affixed onto the the pommel of his katana. For the longest time he settled for merely staring at the piece of cloth with far-off, distant eyes. It was only then that the Battousai truly noticed the fact that his scar had reopened, and was beginning to trail blood down the left side of his face. He reached up gingerly and touched the wound, pulling his fingers back to stare at the blood that had coated his digits. *It will continue to bleed until the soul which inflicted the wound is appeased.* The words echoed loudly within Kenshin's mind, and memories from the past year began flooding into his mind's eye, drowning him in a deluge of images: of a dying Kyosato... a drunken Tomoe, bathed in blood... his first taste of sake since their meeting... their first kiss... their first coupling... his promise to her...
*Tomoe.* With a renewed sense of vigor, Kenshin stood from his seat amidst the snow, grip tightening upon the pommel of his katana. Using his sword as a makeshift crutch, the Battousai continued his slow march up the path, one thought constantly running through Kenshin's mind with each step forward. *What little happiness you have left in this world, Tomoe, I will protect... with my life...*
~~~~~ ~~~~~
End Vignette III
Author's Note: For those Ranma readers who are hopelessly lost and confused... I really am sorry. This little short had almost no Ranma in it, and was nearly exclusively Kenshin-oriented. ^^;; If you really want to better understand what's going on, or wish to fill in the time gaps inbetween each scene, then I highly recommend that you stock-load your refridgerator with all the snacking essentials, go out and either a) purchase or b) rent the entire series (well, up to episode 65 or somethin...) and the OAVs (you can skip the movie), call in sick for the next two weeks, and watch it all surrounded by friends and other otaku freaks who can't get enough of that butter knife wielding domestic/bad-ass assassin who takes cool to a whole new level. Gotta sweat the oro. Well, enough rambling from me. Thanks for reading this far!
~ Kess
IMPORTANT! UPDATED AUTHOR'S NOTE: On the insistence of Larry F, webmaster/maintainer of the Lost Library of Florestica, which, on a side note, can be found at http://www.rakhal.com/florestica (shameless plug...)... what was I talking about again? Oh yeah. He suggested that I put dates, locations, and whatnot before flashbacks, to make it easier for the reader to identify that particular segment as a flashback. ^^;; I dunno why I didn't think of that before. So yeah, that's exactly what I did: I went back, and put basic, basic information before flashbacks. (country, season, years from present) Hope this helps to enhance your reading experience!
Oh, and thanks go out to that anonymous reviewer dubbed Skeptic; I'm still pretty new to the scene, and appreciate any C&C I get. Anywho, I hope to get out, if not another chapter, then a second interlude out within the month. Ja peoples!
~ Kess