* Disclaimer* All rights to the Rurouni Kenshin Characters are Watsuki-sama's, Jump Comics, etc.  All right to the character " Incarnations" Are property of Piers Anthony.  There are references made to his book " On a Pale Horse." But you do not need to have read the book to understand what is happening. =) This is only a little fanfic by a crazed Kenshin fan, I'm a poor college art student, and not even worth suing!  Enjoy!

Authors Note-
 Well, I came up with this fic when I still believed Kaoru was dead.  But I liked the idea of it so much that I decided to keep on writing it. (Even though it's been established that, yes… she IS alive)  Consider this a "what if this happened" fic.  Kind of like an alternative where Enishi does actually kill her.   I know, it sounds awful, but believe me; this ISN'T going to be depressing! I'm determined to make it happy!  And to appease all those Kenshin and Kaoru fans out there…well… >=)
 

? A little pre-fanfic know-how about "On a Pale Horse."

The incarnations mentioned in this fic are taken from " On a Pale Horse."  In Piers Anthony's book, he takes these aspects of life and creates people for them-- much like we imagine there being a "Father Time," and a "Mother Nature."  Here, I will be making references to human incarnations of " Death," "Fate," "Time," and "Nature." ( so far-- I don't know what other ones I shall bring in from his book yet.)
 

CHAPTER 6 - Megumi's Decision

 That evening, Yahiko lounged on the porch of the clinic and scratched his head.  Megumi had come back early without Sano, had run into her room and shut the door.  Later, after she'd emerged she was suddenly very quiet and withdrawn.  As if lost in thought.  He wondered if he should try and talk to her.
 " Naw-- why would she want to talk to a brat like me about her problems?" He muttered under his breath.  Then laughed slightly.  " Maybe they just had a lovers quarrel."
 Yahiko may be a kid, but he could still tell when two people, no matter how much they acted like they hated each other, really loved each other.
 His stomach growled and disrupted his thoughts.  He realized that he hadn't eaten anything since lunchtime and rose from his seat to find Megumi and bug some dinner.  He began to walk into the building but stopped in midstride, reconsidering bothering Megumi.
 " Well-- maybe Tsubame will give me something from the Akabeko…" He turned around and caught sight of Misao just entering into the courtyard.
 " OYY! Yahiko!"  Misao called to him and waved.  Yahiko ran down the steps and met her at the gate.
 " Where are you going to?" Misao asked.  Aoshi followed into the courtyard behind her and closed the gate.
 " Oh, I was just going to go grab something to eat at the Akabeko…"
 " Isn't Megumi coming with you?"
 Yahiko glanced back to the building nervously and then shook his head.  " I don't think so, something's bothering her…'
 " Himura?"
 " No, I think Sano is the one who can answer your question.  Well-- I'm off, you guys can come along if you want."  Yahiko opened the gate and began to walk out.
 Misao watched him go and then looked up at Aoshi.  He stood completely blankfaced.  She bit her lip and then set foot determined towards the clinic.
 
 Aoshi stayed behind in the courtyard, he looked around him as if slightly confused. The wind played with his hair.
 "Kaoru?" He muttered under his breath.

 Kaoru froze as she heard him mutter her name.  Was this man able to sense her?  How?  She was invisible!!  Could he feel her presence?  The wind rushed through her hair and he slowly turned to look in her direction.  He wasn't looking at her, but through her.  He could feel something.
 " Ohh- oh no what do I do?" Kaoru took a step back nervously and then spread wings and vanished.

****

 " Megumi-san!"  Misao knocked on the door.  A few moments passed before Megumi opened it.  Misao saw her puffy red eyes and the tear streaks still remaining on her cheeks.
 " Hai? What is it Misao-chan?"
 Misao stood silent for a moment, wondering how she was going to go about cheering Megumi up.  " Ummm-- I just came by to see how you were doing! Yahiko said that you seemed upset about something."
 " He did?" She feigned shock.  " Well-- I'm fine! Really… but I appreciate you coming to see me. Now-- if you'll excuse me, I do have paperwork--"
 Misao stuck her foot in the door as Megumi began to close it.  She looked at the tear-streaked face determined.
 " Don't tell me you're fine Megumi-san! I can see your eyes are puffy, you've been crying!"
 " I- wasn't crying!"
 " There are tear streaks all down your cheeks!"
 Megumi put a hand to her cheeks and then sighed.  " You win, please, come in Misao-chan…"
 Misao nodded and walked into the dimly lit room.
 " Would you like some tea?" Megumi sat on the mat; Misao sat across from her and shook her head.
 " No thanks, I just want to talk about you."
 " Talk about me?"  Megumi looked so tired. All her supervision of Kenshin must have cost her many hours sleep, and this latest ordeal with Sano was mentally exhausting for her to deal with.  " So--- what do you want to know?"
 " What happened?"
 Megumi bit her lip.  " I-- "  She felt the tears coming in a fresh flow.  " He-- Sano hates me!!!"
 " WHAT?!"
 Megumi held a handkerchief to her face and cried into it.  " I insulted him! I don't know why I did it-- Maybe it was because of all the stress, or my frustrations with Ken-san's health, or because I was tired-- but I hurt his feelings, badly… and-- now I think he hates me."
 " Sanosuke doesn't hate you! I'm sure of that!  He loves you doesn't he?"
 Megumi stopped and looked up at Misao.  Sano's words ran through her head.

  "Kenshin's no drinking, gambling, scummy guy that knows nothing about family life."
 
 She bit her lip.   " But-- he was so angry…I... it's all my fault!"
 " Well-- don't give up so easily Megumi-san!!"
 " I don’t even know myself what to think… I mean-- I think I love Ken-san… but then when something like this happens, Sano is the only person I think about!  I'm all mixed up."
 " You have to figure out who you love, and who you regard as a friend-- Megumi-san… that's all up to you." Misao gave her an encouraging smile and put a hand on her shoulder.  " All I can do is try and support you, in whatever decision you try to make.  But regardless, I think you should try and make up with Sanosuke.  I bet he's feeling bad about making you cry."
 " You-- think so?"
 " I'm sure of it! No guy likes to see the woman that they love cry-- go and find him and apologize! I bet he's on his way here right now to do the same."
 Misao's determined gaze was encouraging to Megumi.  She nodded slightly and then wiped the tears away with her handkerchief.
 " You're right Misao-chan… I mean-- I don't know if I love him or not… but I don't want him to be angry with me.  The best thing to do it to talk about it. Right?"
 " Right!"
 Megumi bit her lip and nodded determined.  " Ok, I'll do it!"

****

 The sounds of Megumi's wooden sandals leaving the building, followed by the soft padding of Misao's feet woke Kenshin from his sleep.  He opened his eyes and listened to the door slide open and then closed.  He looked around the dark room, hoping to see Kaoru again but she wasn't there.
 Had she been real?  He lay in bed thinking about it.  Running over his encounters with her numerous times.  He'd touched the fabric of her white kimono, smelled her fragrance, heard her voice, and saw her smiling face…  He prayed to god that it hadn't been only a dream.  He sat up carefully, wincing slightly at the pain and saw his clothes lying on a rack across the room.  His Sakaba, still chained together lay against the wall next to it.
 He had to find her… and make sure she was real.
 Kenshin took a deep breath and slid off of the bed, leaning on it for support.
 " Kaoru-dono…" he ground his teeth and took a step towards his folded Gi and Hakama, washed and neatly mended.  He stumbled on the next step but caught himself before he fell.
 Continuing in this fashion.  He reached the far side of the room and sat on an adjacent bed to dress.
 " Kaoru-dono… where are you?"

****

 Death sat in his easy chair in purgatory; he turned on the TV to see the latest news happenings.

 " God has proclaimed a national holiday for all Angels in honor of our famous Guardian Angel, Kamiya Kaoru who, after only a few hours initial training brought back the famous Himura Kenshin from the brink of death.  Himura Kenshin was known as the legendary Hitokiri Battousai who saved Japan from this world's current Devil… Shishio Makoto.  It's safe to say that Shishio belongs in Hell, and not on earth!"

 Death smiled to himself.  Not only was she the biggest topic of conversation in all the worlds, Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell, but he'd gotten himself a salary raise.  It was turning out great for everyone!
 His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.  Death turned off the TV.
 " Enter!"
 His butler poked his head inside.
 " Our very own Guardian Angel of Beauty and Compassion, Kamiya Kaoru-san is here to see you sir…"
 " Oh! Please show her in."
 The door opened wider and the butler bowed as she passed.  Kaoru walked into the large room, trying not to gape at the finery in which Death lived.
 " What brings you here Kaoru-san?"
 " Heh- what's up with this 'Guardian Angel of Beauty and Compassion thing?'" she inquired with a slight blush.  Death shrugged.
 " You're new title.  You've been promoted too-- I've been instructed to give you this."
 He pulled open a drawer in a table next to the armchair and took out a wooden box about 3 inches in height and 12 inches in both length and width.
 " What is it?" Kaoru accepted the box that he set in her hands.
 " Open it."
 " She opened the box to reveal a shining golden halo."
 " A halo?"
 " Like a metal of honor in heaven.  You don’t need to wear it all the time of course… it's awfully garish I think."
 Kaoru took the golden ring and set it on her head.  It hovered in the air a few inches from her hair.
 " How does it float like that?"
 " Oh--- don't ask me that's God's work." Death grinned at her.  " I must say though- it suits you very well."
 " Oh! Well thank you!"
 " By the way, was there a reason you came?"
 " Oh yeah!" Kaoru had almost forgotten.  " I-- it was so scary!  There's a man who saw me!"
 " You let someone see you other than Himura?"
 " No!  I was invisible to him, but I mean-- he could SENSE I was there!  He even said my name!"
 Death sat back in his chair deep in thought.  " Well-- Is he spiritual?"
 " Spiritual?"
 " Does he meditate a lot?"
 " How should I know!  He obviously knows me but I don't remember him at all."
 " Well, he must be if he was able to sense you.  Priests and people deeply in tune with the world and their inner soul can sometimes sense heavenly beings. "  He rose and walked to a file cabinet and drew out a thick file.
 " What's that?"
 " You're file."
 " Oh…"
 Death flipped through it.  " Do you know what his name was?"
 " Shinomori Aoshi-- I think…"
 " Shinomori-- Shino-- AH! Here it is." Death pulled out a document and skimmed it.  " Looks like he created a lot of trouble for Himura a while back…  Yes-- he's been deeply engrossed with Zen meditation for the past few months."  Death put the document back in her file and shut it, returning it to the cabinet.  " You don't need to worry Kaoru-san… He probably won't let on that he knows you're around.  No one would believe him unless you show yourself."
 " Heh-- I guess you're right, I've been worrying over nothing haven't I?"
 " That's ok, I'm glad you came to me for your questions. "

****

 Yahiko ran into Misao on his way back from the Akabeko.
 " Misao! Did you see Megumi at all?" Yahiko asked her concerned.  She grinned at him.
 " Things are being taken care of right now!!  Megumi's off looking for Sanosuke.  Aoshi-sama and I just grabbed something to eat and we were heading back to the Kamiya dojo… care to come along?"
 " Wait, you say that Megumi's gone?"
" Yeah.  Things will work out-- don't worry, you can trust me!"  She winked at him; very proud of herself for the way she'd cheered Megumi up.
" Wait-- if we're here, and Megumi's gone, Dr. Genzai is out of town… then, who's looking after Kenshin?"
 Misao froze, in all the hype of cheering up Megumi, she'd forgotten completely about Kenshin's fragile mental state.
 " Oh-- damn it…" was all she managed to say.
 Yahiko used some of Sano's more colorful vocabulary.  " @#%!#!!!!  You LEFT him ALONE?!"
 " I'M SORRY!"
 " If Battousai wakes up-- who knows what he'll try to do…" Aoshi's voice even took on a tinge of worry.
 Yahiko shook his head and bolted towards the clinic with Misao and Aoshi on his heels.

*****

 Yahiko was the first one to enter Kenshin's room.  He grappled in the dark until he came upon Kenshin's bed, it was empty.  He squinted in the darkness and then ran across the room to find his clothes and Sakaba were also missing.
" Kuso…"
Misao rushed in the door with Aoshi
 " Yahiko! Is Himura…" She trailed off as he walked past her into the lighted hallway, his head downcast and teeth clenched. " Yahiko…"
 Yahiko shot his gaze up at her, the two words that he muttered echoed in her mind.
" Kenshin's gone."