Rurouni Kenshin Fanfic
Rurouni Kenshin &
Samurai X Original Japanese Version © N.Watsuki/Shueisha * Fuji-TV * SME Visual
Works Inc. * Sony Pictures Entertainment
All Fanfics created by Chiruken (me)
were written for the sole purpose of shared entertainment and not intended for
publication or sale.
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by Chiruken
Chapter 14
Arashi
Cold. Kenshin closed his eyes and let all thoughts
drift freely from his mind. All that
remained was the intense feeling of being cold. And wet. The rain poured
from the heavens, plastering his hair to his face and neck, soaking through the
thin layer of his clothing, chilling him to the bone. Yet that wasn’t the worst.
Not by far. The wind whipped the
rain, turning the droplets into millions of tiny projectiles, lashing against
his exposed skin with a vengeance, screaming through the riggings hoisting the
sails high above them, howling against the ropes held taught. And above that, the crashing of the waves
against the hull, the shouts of the men as they desperately fought to maintain
control of the ship as it rode through the cresting sea, sucked mercilessly
through the eye of the storm. The storm
that should not be there…the storm they should’ve been able to avoid.
Lightning
flashed across the sky, illuminating the scene of chaos with its eerie blue
white glow, followed closely by thunder loud enough to shake the decks beneath
his feet. Flashes of jagged lightning
lit up the night, casting its sporadic light on the decks and the men racing
frantically about. Kenshin felt his
knees give out as he slowly sank to the rain-slick boards of the ship’s deck,
covering his ears to block out the screaming wind and groaning ship, the desperate
shouts and the crashing of the waves accompanied by the booming thunder. Briefly closing his eyes to block out the
nightmarish sight of the deck tilting crazily under the onslaught of the
tempestuous storm raging around them, he wished yet again that he’d stayed
home.
A
crack of thunder, louder than the others, jolted Kenshin upright, eyes wide
with increasing apprehension. It was
then that he saw the wave rolling towards them. He shook his head sharply and caught sight of a young crewman
balanced precariously against the rail attempting to tie off his end of a
rope. Eyes moving back to the water
descending upon their ship, Kenshin knew the young man would be swept
overboard. Without another thought he
jumped up and dashed across the slippery deck, fighting to remain upright,
heading directly towards the rail and the crew member about to be swept
overboard by the wave that was just now breaking against the side of the ship,
rolling over the deck, pushing him backwards.
Fighting against the unstoppable force, Kenshin refused to be thrown
back. Instead, he threw himself
forward, hitting the hard, unforgiving rail with bone jarring force, knocking
the air from his lungs, and falling partway over himself as he lunged for the
younger man’s arm, hearing his cry of surprise and terror echoing through his
mind.
His
fingers curled around the sailor’s wrist and he pulled, using all of his
strength to pull him back on board, away from the icy fingers of certain death
within the swirling mass of black waves churning below them. Meeting the young man’s startled and
pleading gaze, he managed a tiny, nearly imperceptible, smile, silently
promising to not let him go. Gritting his
teeth against the pain threatening to engulf him, he gave one final heave, pulling
the crewman back over the rail, and felt his own balance give way as another
large wave crashed against the side of the bobbing ship, dragging him over in
the young sailor’s stead.
Closing
his eyes he gave over to the stronger elements. Kaoru…
No! I will not let you go! Kenshin was dimly aware of the near
desperation colouring the familiar voice echoing through his mind.
Shinigami…
He thought numbly as he felt himself floating in a world of cold agony. He was so tired. He just wanted rest…even if it meant eternal rest.
I
have waited too long for this…you are mine, Battousai! I will not give you up, not now, not ever!
As
consciousness left him, Kenshin was vaguely aware of a feeling of being
engulfed in warmth as the beings words crashed all around him, through
him. Shinigami… The thought
whispered through him, as he felt familiarity course through his mind. A long forgotten memory hovered just out of
reach.
Itoshigo…
Warm
and gentle arms held him with infinite love and tenderness. Gazing upwards into a blurred face in which
the only discernable features were the warm amber eyes looking down at him,
shining with love and sadness. A soft
voice murmured just out of range of his hearing, mellow, familiar,
soothing. It crooned to him, the pitch
a singsong lullaby as it eased him towards sleep.
Kenshin’s
eyes opened slowly, briefly, long enough to catch sight of amber eyes in a
blurred face. The same eyes as from the
distant, fragmented memory. His eyes
slid closed as he finally gave in to exhaustion, a small smile curving his lips
upwards. Shinigami… The being’s
name whispered through his mind. Hahaue…Mother…
Shinigami
faltered and stared down at the precious burden cradled protectively against
the elements raging around them. Amber
eyes softening ever so slightly, giving the impression of a smile, the creature
sighed. Yes, itoshigo…but you were
not meant to know…
***
Definitions:
Mamorigami: Guardian (Deity)
Arashi: storm