Nicky Townsend, March-October '99
battousai@licensedtokill.com
Battou1028@aol.com
Disclaimer: Obviously, I am not so brilliant as to
think up wonderful characters like those in Rurouni Kenshin.
That honor goes to Watsuki Nobuhiro alone. I also have no
musical talent, so also obviously, I didn't write the song
"A New Life". That goes entirely to the two brilliant minds
that make up the Pet Shop Boys. (All hail Neil Tennant!! All
hail Chris Lowe!!)
All lyrics are used with out permission and are the
God-given property of the people who wrote them, the bands
who preformed them, the music companies who recorded them,
and anyone else I may have forgotten.
Many thanks must go to Rissa, Hiko, Tae-san, Larry,
Kathy-san, Tatsuko-san, and Todd, just to name a few. Many
people helped make this what it is; whether they helped edit
it, or just kept emailing me to make sure I finished it! In
fact I must say that some people helped without ever knowing
it. ^_^ (Note: Nicky has died from Anne Rice Hero Worship,
and Pet Shop Boys Fangirl Sickness and gone to heaven)
A note for my readers: This is a revised edition of
the first 11 chapters. Technially, this contains what
originally was chapters 1-5, 6a and 6b, and 7-11. However do
to revisions in the chapter stucture, chapter 6a is simply
chapter 6, and chapter 6b is now chapter 7, making for a
total of 12 chapters. Also, there were some significant
rewrites to chapters 1-5; especially chapter 5.
Without further ado, welcome to the revised edition,
and I hope you all enjoy it, and I'd like to hear what you
thought!
~*~*~
A New Life: Volume One
A work of Rurouni Kenshin fanfiction
By Nicky Townsend
~*~*~
Chapter One
"Stars collect overhead,
They look down on the channel,
And our lives grown dead
Cars pass on through the night,
How do you get to Heaven,
If you never try?"
the Pet Shop Boys, A New Life
The market was already crowded when Kenshin arrived,
having risen early to get the daily shopping out of the way.
You'd never know how much tofu three people could eat until
you had to go and buy it everyday, he thought wryly to
himself as he maneuvered deftly through the throng of
people. He shook his head at how domestic his thoughts had
become of late, and continued on.
Domestic indeed, a very small, sarcastic part of his
mind shot back at him. He squelched the voice as instantly
as it appeared. He didn't need any of that now. Things had
slowed down considerably. They had all gotten so used to all
kinds of crisis popping up out of nowhere, that it had
become nearly impossible to relax one's guard.
Not that I -like- all that excitement, Kenshin added
to himself. It was just that the comparative silence that
had surrounded the dojo of late had given him the feeling
that this was the calm before the storm. He hurried on
through the market to the appropriate stalls, and quickly
purchased what he had come for. When he was alone now, he
tended to think too much. And besides, he had laundry
waiting for him.
He retraced his path, smiling at those that greeted.
The need to be home overwhelmed him, and he found himself
hastening his steps. He couldn't for the life of him figure
out what had made him so edgy.
"Sir?"
"Oro?" Kenshin spun around so quickly he almost
splashed the poor man with whey from the tofu bucket. He
looked the man over for a moment, wondering briefly how the
seemingly normal man had sneaked up on him so easily. He
seemed to be a normal peddler, if even a poorer one then
most.
The second of cold evaluation passed, and the usual
warm smile returned to light Kenshin's face as he greeted
the peddler. "Hello Sir. Is there something I can help you
with?"
The peddler tipped his hat and winked. "On the
contrary, Sir, you looked a bit under the weather, so I was
wondering if maybe I could help you?"
Kenshin blinked in confusion. Help me...? The thought
passed briefly through his brain, before being dismissed out
of hand. He bowed shallowly to the old man, and shook his
head. "I don't think so. I'm sorry, I must be going." He
turned to head through the gate.
"Ah lad, are you so sure? It couldn't hurt to just
look, could it?"
Something in the old man's voice made him hesitantly
turn around again. He's right, a small part of himself
added; it wouldn't hurt to just look. And if it would make
the old peddler feel like he had done something good, then
why not?
The peddler grinned, and took his pack off his back.
"I have a few very special things today!" He produced a
gaudy bronze mirror that looked ancient from his beat-up
brown pack. "This mirror is said to be able to show events
happening anywhere in the world! I have been told, however,
that it prefers to choose its' owner." The old man read the
barely hidden wince off Kenshin face and placed the mirror
back in his pack. After digging through the deeper recesses
of his bag, he pulled out a worn velvet case. After
carefully lifting the top off, he proudly displayed its
contents. "These earrings are said to give flawless skin to
whomever wears them!"
Kenshin arched an eyebrow at that, and stated dryly,
"What would I do with those?"
The old man sweatdropped. "Give them to a lady
friend?"
Kenshin coughed lightly, "But wouldn't that be a bit
insulting...?"
The sweatdrop grew. "I guess you're right...But it's
not as if you'd have to tell her that's what they were for!"
Pouting, he placed the top back on the box and stashed it
back where it had come from, and dug hurriedly through the
remaining contents of his pack.
"How about this?"
"No."
"Or this?"
"................"
"I see. Well I wasn't going to sell this, but..." He
pulled a large and archaic looking ring out of his pocket.
It had strange symbols intricately carved all over the band,
and in the center was a small hole, where a stone might be
set.
"But the stone is missing." Kenshin protested. The
ring was beautiful in an old antique sort of way, but if it
was missing it's stone, there was no point in buying it.
"It never had a stone. That's why I didn't want to
sell it. You see, this ring has a legend." The old man waved
the ring in Kenshin's face. "It's said before you go to
sleep, that if you prick your finger, and let a drop of
blood fall into the setting here," the old man indicating
the lack of stone, "and make a wish, that when you wake up,
your wish will come true."
Kenshin chuckled at that, and shook his head. "What
rubbish!"
The old peddler nodded, "Normally, I would agree with
you. But this ring has a different sort of feel to it. Here;
hold it for yourself, and see." He dropped the ring in
Kenshin's proffered palm.
The ring hit his skin, and he felt a jolt. Indeed, the
ring did have some sort of feeling to it. He turned it over
carefully in his hand. "How much do you want for it?"
The old man eyed him for a moment. "You look like you
could use a wish come true. Take it, and use it well. As far
as I know, you'll only get one." He shouldered his pack with
a grunt, and waved a quick good-bye, as he walked away and
turned the far corner, leading back into downtown.
Kenshin watched the old man disappear. The wind was
picking up, and whipping his hair around his face. The sky
had darkened dangerously during the short conversation he'd
had with the peddler. White arcs of lighting danced in the
distance, and the sudden boom of thunder startled Kenshin
out of his reverie. "Oro...? It looks like it's going to
rain." With that he hurried through gate to the safety of
Kaoru-dono's strudy old house, and back to people who had
become his family.
Later that night....
He'd been yawning all through dinner, and as soon as
he finished the dishes, he quietly excused himself. Now he
sat quietly on his futon, pondering the strange ring the
peddler had given him. He normally wasn't superstitious, and
he certainly didn't believe in magic, but there was just
something about this ring...
It was like it exuded a force of some sort. Almost
like it was calling him... "Well if it doesn't work, there's
no harm done, right?" He whispered to himself.
But what if it did work? What should he wish for?
Happiness? Wasn't that selfish of him? Shouldn't he wish for
all the internal conflicts of Japan to end?
He shook his head roughly. How was wanting happiness
for himself selfish? Hadn't he done his part, and then some?
He wanted to be able to live somewhere where his past
wouldn't hound him, someplace where he didn't -need- to
protect Kaoru-dono, where they could perhaps have a life
together...
He picked up his sakabatou from where it lay beside
his futon, and carefully removed it from its saya. He
pondered the sharp side for a second, before he sliced
shallowly into his thumb, and resheathed the blade. Taking
the ring in his other hand, he let a small drop of blood
fall into the setting, and placed it on the ring finger of
his right hand.
"I wish that there will be a more peaceful time and
place where Kaoru-dono and I can be together."
Waves of exhaustion rolled over Kenshin as he lay down
to sleep. I suppose I'll know in the morning...That thought
echoed dimly as his eyelids slid closed.
Sleep overtook Kenshin easily, as if sinking into the
welcome darkness of death itself. A peaceful smile played on
his handsome face, and he slipped into blissful
unconciousness.
~*~*~
Chapter 2
Note: Small warning...I've inserted myself into this
fic...You'll know me when you see me, because I'm
keeping my real name.
"Oi! Kenshin!!"
Someone was in his room. Pure reflex tore him from the
comfort of his futon, his hand making a swipe for his
sakabatou. He came up to his feet a mere second later, his
feet planted firmly in battou-jutsu stance, his sword hand
hovering over the hilt.
The intruder's eyebrow arched in question. "Well,
aren't we a morning person? And I'm not an intruder. I'm
your guide. So just sit back down and listen to me, okay?"
Kenshin grudgingly settled himself back down. This
person... He couldn't tell if was male or female, was short
in stature, and had close clipped white-blonde hair. It was
perched comfortably on a stool that had magically appeared
in the corner of his room.
"I'm here to inform you that your wish has been
granted." The being began. "God, IHVH*, Allah, Yahweh, or
Kami-sama, whatever you choose to call it, likes you. It's
been watching you for many lives, and Its decided that you
deserve a break for at least one lifetime."
"Now that I've informed you of this, I need to prepare
you for your next life. Yes, you've died, and have been
reborn. Deal with it. Your current awareness will be
channeled into your new body shortly. Kaoru never married,
instead throwing herself whole-heartedly into the dojo. Now,
since your wish focused on Kaoru and yourself being
together, she'll be in your next life as well. We've just
stepped up the pace a bit."
The being hopped off the stool and handed him a manila
folder. "The year is 1999. You're 17 years old. Your name is
now Kevin Hannah. For your sake, we've allowed you to look
the same, but we've removed your scar. And no, you can't
have it back, so don't ask. It's inappropriate for the era."
"In the folder is your birth certificate, ID, Social
Security card, and Passport. You were born in the United
States; Sacramento, California to be specific. Your father
is in the US. Air Force, and your family has just moved to
Japan. Your mother is a very accomplished psychologist. Your
older brother is an English major in college."
"After much debate we've decided to allow you to keep
all your memories of being Himura Kenshin. However, you're
going to have Kevin's memories to deal with, and you may
become confused. But never fear, after a while the blending
will feel normal."
The being placed it's palms on his temples, and
pressed lightly. "Get ready to awaken!" A flood, of memories
passed through his brain, he saw himself being born, falling
out of a tree when he was five and having to get stitches,
his first day in school, and later on, his first
relationship, the first time he smoked a cigarette... they
just kept coming and coming... finally he saw himself go to
bed the night before, his first night in Japan. He had to
start school in the morning. He had to wear a uniform. The
now huge part of him that had lived in California and spent
his evenings drinking coffee with his friends cringed at the
idea. The part of him that had been a peaceful rounin in the
Meiji era of Japan didn't think the idea was a bad one at
all.
"Hey! Kevin!"
"Yes?" He felt himself respond automatically.
The being nodded happily. "That's a good sign! What
year were you born?"
"1850...."
"No, the other time you were born!"
"1981?"
"Right! Much better. Try not to get the two mixed up
okay? There was a going to be a language problem, but God,
being God of course, foresaw it and fixed it already. We had
to mess with Kevin's memories a little, but here's the cover
story: You had a friend who was really in to anime, who
convinced you to take Japanese at school with him. Also,
I'll be going to school with you, so if you need help,
you'll be able to find me. My name is Nicky, by the way."
The being snapped it's fingers and took on a decidedly
female appearance, complete with school uniform. She looked
at the uniform in disgust. "I may have to wear this dumb
uniform but I'm not wearing loafers!" She exchanged her
brown loafers for a pair of calf-high black lace-up boots.
Flashing a V sign, she winked. "My trusty Doc
Marten's! I never leave Heaven without them! This is what
I'll look like. And now...." Nicky looked at her silver
wristwatch. "...Okay we still have some time. Do you have
any questions?"
Kevin started. Questions? What in the world should he
ask? He was now aware of things like automobiles, microwave
ovens, computers, department stores where you can buy almost
anything, and those machines that spit out money, called
ATMs. He was vaguely aware that once, back when he had lived
in California (he wasn't quite sure what that was yet) that
he had had his own car. Although the memory was slightly
fuzzy, he could still remember, or perhaps see was a better
word, how to drive it and even fix it if he needed to.
Was that how it was going to be? He -remembered- being
Kenshin. He had been Kenshin for 28 years. Kevin was someone
that he had never been, although he now had his memories,
his body (which looked exactly like his) and in fact his
whole life. He had literally been uprooted, and
unceremoniously dropped in some poor kid's body.
Nicky shook her head. "What you're thinking is only
partially true. You and Kevin have always shared a soul. So
in fact, you have always been with him. All people carry the
memories of their past lives with them, all I did was wake
your memories up inside Kevin, and allow you to continue as
if you never died. Did that make sense?"
"So your saying that every life I've ever lived is
still stored inside me somewhere; I just don't remember
them?" He couldn't help but allow a touch of skepticism to
enter his tone.
"That's right. Well, some people remember more then
others. Compared to most, you remember a great deal of your
past lives. There is a reason you were so good with your
sword. You've been accumulating the skills over many lives!"
He contemplated that revelation for a moment. "What
about Kaoru-dono?" He asked hesitantly after a moment,
unsure as to how everything would fit together.
"What about her? You'll see her soon. Her name
probably won't be Kaoru anymore, but most likely she'll look
almost the same. Once again, it's a different body with
different memories, but the vehicle is carrying the same
passenger. I'm sure you'll notice similarities between your
Kaoru, and who she is now."
"Okay listen closely, this is important! While most of
the world has become fairly liberal, Japan is one of the
main exceptions. They've gotten insane over the subject of
sex, and public displays of affection. While kissing your
girlfriend in public in America would be fairly natural,
you'd get a lot of dissaproving stares where you're going.
Not to mention that they tend to be walking stress cases.
They freak out about work and school very easily. Japan has
had the highest rate of teenage suicide for exactly that
reason for many years. Wakari de gozaru ka?"
"Hai de gozaru!"
"Dammit, I knew that you would say that! You gotta
stop that!"
"Yare, yare..."
"There! Anyway, you may find modern Japan to be a
royal pain, so I'm here to help you if you get yourself in
trouble. If you have questions, just call for me, and I'll
apprear. So, do you feel ready to jump into the fray?"
"I suppose I'm as ready as I'll ever be. "
"Alright sweetie, your mom is going to wake you up to
go to school. When you're all ready, I'll be waiting on your
doorstep to walk you. I can't have my charge getting lost on
his first day of school! See you in a few." Nicky waved a
quick goodbye, and her image fizzled out of sight.
~*~*~
"Kevin! Kevin! Can't you hear your alarm clock? Wake
up, or you'll be late for school! Kevin!"
That's right. Nicky said my name is Kevin now. It was
Kenshin, but now it's Kevin. He pried himself out of bed,
and looked at his mother, who was trying to shake him awake.
My reflexes are gone. Normally someone's presence
would have brought me instantly awake. But I have a mother
again... "Mom, I'm awake! I'll be up in a minute."
He certainly didn't sound like himself. He couldn't.
That would be weird. Talking like he used to, now. He still
had to sort out his memories properly. He had to see how
much of Kenshin was left. How much had the wish given, and
how much had it taken? He supposed he would find out soon
enough.
His mother had left the room, after placing his
uniform on his dresser. Such a drab looking thing. Black
with a high collar and brass buttons. At least it's cut
well, a foreign piece of his brain added. It had matching
black slacks, with no pleats in the front. Thank god, that
same section added again. To part of him, the whole thing
looked hopelessly foreign, the part that was used to a loose
fitting keikogi and hakama. Those pants looked unforgivingly
tight.
Scrubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he heaved himself
out of bed, and promptly fell on the floor. Western bed, his
brain supplied, not a futon. Bracing his forearms on the
floor he pushed himself up, and made his way to his dresser,
and dressed quickly. He ran his fingers through his hair,
which was thankfully the same color, and a similar length,
if not longer then before. He worked out the tangles that
had developed from sleeping, and then tied it back at the
nape of his neck. He needed to find a pair of socks. Check
your dresser drawers, that new little voice in his brain
supplied. After digging through a couple of them, he
produced a pair of white socks. Not the tabi he was used to,
but they would work.
The full-length mirror on his door showed him the new
him. He was taller then before, but only by perhaps two
inches. Most noticeably to him, and as Nicky had warned him,
the cross-shaped scar that had been on his left cheek since
he was fifteen years old was gone. He missed it for what it
had meant, but he was secretly glad to have his perfect
complexion back.
Since when have I been vain? He thought. It seemed a
lot of Kevin had mixed itself into him already. He gave
himself a quick look, before nodding firmly, and moving to
retrieve his shoes from the closet.
It seemed Kevin had had a thing for shoes. He seemed
to have something of every kind. The variety went from
shiny, platformed, and animal printed to very drab and
normal. He eyed one pair in particular; fuzzy leopard
printed creepers (he somehow knew that was what they were
called) with four-inch platforms, and swore they would never
leave the closet again.
"Kevin! Hurry up!" His mother called up the stairs.
"Coming!" He called back down. Quickly pulling on a
lone pair of beaten up running shoes, he grabbed what he
assumed was his new book bag (but it looked more like a
briefcase) and hurried down the stairs.
"I'm leaving!" he called as he ran out the door, and
promptly tripped over Nicky, who was, as she had promised,
sitting on his doorstep. He caught himself and actually
managed to land somewhat gracefully.
Maybe all my reflexes aren't gone after all. The
feeling of helplessness that had been steadily growing since
he had woken up abated slightly with that comforting
knowledge.
"Yo, asshole! You gonna apologize for getting me all
dirty before we've even left for school, or what?" Nicky
stood indignantly behind him, tapping her black booted foot
impatiently.
"Gomen, Nicky-dono" He tried to sound sincere, but
couldn't manage it properly. Nicky's posture and expression
were so comical, that it was all her could do not to laugh.
Nicky harumphed loudly. "Apology accepted. But if you
dono me again, I'm gonna hurl on your shoes, got it? People
will look at you REALLY weird if you use that term now. I'm
sure that if I puke on your shoes you'll learn quickly
enough."
Kevin blinked in surprise. He desperately hoped that
not all modern people were like Nicky. First of all, she was
loud. Too loud. And she was far too blunt. He did understand
what she was getting at though. Over-politeness would be
taken as rudeness in the wrong situation. That was always
the case, but it seemed more so now.
He followed Nicky all the way to school, simply
because he had no idea where he was, or even what the school
was called. He did however memorize everything on the way
there for future reference. Some old habits die hard.
All too soon, they were in front of a large building,
with an even larger gated yard. "Here we are, so let's get
this over with."
~*~*~
Something about today felt different. Kaori wasn't
sure why or what exactly it was that was different, if
anything was at all.
But it sure felt that way.
The kendo club was getting new uniforms, but that
wasn't a huge deal. It was cool that they had been able to
raise the money, but still. This was even a different sort
of different! It had nothing to do with the club. She did
notice that she felt nervous for some reason. And the closer
she got to school the more nervous she was. Was there a test
she had forgotten to study for? Perhaps a report due, that
had slipped her mind? She would be absolutely mortified if
it was either of the two.
When she finally reached the school gates and walked
through them, she felt a quick flash of something, not
nervousness this time, but anticipation. And then it was
gone, as quickly as it came. She found herself rearranging
her school uniform, and checking her hair. As usual, nothing
was out of place. The obvious red highlights in her long
glossy black hair glinted in the sunlight. Something had
told her not to wear it up today. It fell in a long fluid
sweep to her waist, and was slightly wavy. It was her pride
and joy.
Quickly she made her way to her classroom, and seated
herself in her assigned seat; it was the row closest to the
windows, and towards the back of the room. Most of the other
students were already there, some milling about, some
chatting with friends.
Immediately, one of the boys trotted up to her desk.
"Hey Captain, have the new uniforms come in yet?"
She smiled at him. He was one of the newer members of
the kendo club and hadn't even had a uniform yet. No wonder
he was excited.
"Yeah, they came yesterday! I'll be handing them out
at today's practice"
Several of the other boys in the room who were also
part of the club overheard, and ran to her desk. Soon she
had an animated throng chatting happily around her desk, not
only of new uniforms, but also of upcoming tournaments and
practices.
Kaori knew most of the girls in the school hated her.
Even now, the looks tossed her way could wither small
plants. She didn't care too terribly much about her clothes
(as long as they matched and were clean), and she certainly
didn't care about what they thought of her.
She heaved a sigh as the teacher came into the
classroom. The guys clustered around her desk scattered like
sheep being chased by a wolf.
The teacher waited for a few moments for the room to
quiet, and then held up one hand for attention.
"Class, we have two transfer students today. This is
Nicky Townsend-" A short girl with equally short and spiky
blonde hair and huge green eyes waved brightly to no one in
particular. "-and this is Kevin Hannah."
A slender boy of medium height with nearly waist
length red hair tied back in a low ponytail stepped forward
briefly as he was introduced. He smiled slightly as he
nodded, his soft purple eyes earnest.
Kaori felt her heart stop in her chest as the boy
stepped forward. This was a new feeling. Even in her most
important tournaments her heart didn't skip beats.
There were several oohs and aahs at the two new
people, mainly directed at them from their respective
opposite sexes. The two girls who sat behind her were
giggling madly.
The teacher harumphed loudly, before continuing.
"Kevin is from America, so I expect everyone to be willing
to help him out. Kaori-san, you were an excellent English
student as I recall; why don't you go with Kevin to the
library and begin tutoring him?"
She heard several female gasps of outrage, as she
gathered her things. Making her way out the classroom door
as quickly as possible, she stopped and waited patiently
for the new boy, Kevin, to follow.
This was going to be an interesting day all right.