Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Come What May ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

Come What May--A Sailor Moon/Rurouni Kenshin Crossover Fanfiction

DISCLAIMER: Characters do not belong to me; they belong to Takeuchi Naoko-sama and Nobuhiro Watsuki-sama (Aren't those two just wonderful).

*I'm setting this story in the Sailor Moon anime continuity, one year after the Sailor Moon Sailor Stars Season. Usagi and the Inner Senshi are 17 year olds and Mamoru is 23 years old. For the Rurouni Kenshin part of the story, I am using the anime up till the "Kyoto arc" and then I switch to the manga for the "Revenge arc". As always, if you are not familiar with any of these animes, be prepared for some spoilage, light or otherwise.*

Chapter 4

By: Hime

Updates at himes_fanfiction-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

~*~*~*~

"Some love lasts a lifetime. True love lasts forever."

-Unknown

~*~*~*~

"Yo, Kitsune-onna." Shinnosuke held up his right hand, bleeding sluggishly at the knuckles. "Can you take a look at this?"

Hayashi Yanagi turned around to look at his hand. "It's ugly. Goodbye." As she turned away from him, he grabbed her arm and spun her to face him again. "You know what I mean." Shinnosuke growled.

A sigh. "This isn't a free clinic, you know. Doctor's have more important things to do then look after stupid roosters that wonder in." Yanagi said as she led Shinnosuke into an empty examination room.

"Well I'm not bothering a doctor now, am I." he said smugly, leaning against the padded examination table. Yanagi rolled her eyes and reached for some anti-bacterial swipes. She opened the packet and grabbed Shinnosuke's injured hand with a firm and almost painful grip. She looked at it under the fluorescent lights and began to swab it gently.

"Didn't Ryu-san ask you not to get into anymore fights?"

Shinnosuke's answer was smug. "He said not to get in trouble for fighting anymore. I left before the police came." He watched as Yanagi finished up wrapping his hand in gauze.

"Do you have any other wounds I should look at?" she asked disinterestedly.

"Are you kidding me? The guy was such a pansy." He snorted in disgust, either from her question or at the memory of his former opponent.

Yanagi tapped his right fist. "So what's this then?"

Shinnosuke turned his head away and mumbled something. Yanagi's fox ears popped up.

"Ohohoho! How did you hurt your hand?"

"I hiaal." He mumbled through clenched teeth.

"What? I couldn't quite hear that. You did what?"

"I hit a wall!" he shouted at her. The force of his shout caused Yanagi's hair to stream out behind her. "I was about to hit the little prick and he ducked."

Yanagi calmly smoothed down her hair that was ruffled by Shinnosuke's shout and gathered it into a low ponytail. After dealing with this fool, she would actually have to start her intern duties and help the doctor's with their round of patients. "Ah well, your stupidity; your fault." She turned away from him as he clenched his wounded fist and yelped from a stab of pain. Yanagi smirked freely. She opened the door and stepped out, almost flattened by a running Mamoru.

"Sorry! I'm late!" he called over his shoulder as he rushed to the lockers. Yanagi's sensitive nose could smell the scent of roses on him. 'A girl's scent.' Her face darkened a bit as she watched him run off. He was late because he was with his girlfriend. Shinnosuke sauntered out behind her. "What was that all about?"

"That was another intern. He's late." She said shortly. Yanagi shook her mood off and her fox ears popped up again. "He's twenty-three, like me; the residence genius. He's going to be such a successful doctor." She glanced up slyly at Shinnosuke from the corner of her eyes. To her surprise, instead of looking disgruntled as he normally did when she pointed out some other guy's attributes, he looked amused.

"What fox, you're going to quit throwing yourself at Ryu and go after that other guy instead?"

Yanagi's eyes narrowed and her fox ears disappeared as if it had never shown on top her head. "I have never thrown myself at Ryu-san, as you crudely put it." She reached up to toss her hair back over her shoulder but only encountered air. She had forgotten that she had pulled her long black hair into a simple ponytail to keep it out of her way as she worked. Not wanting to look foolish, she patted her hair as if to make sure nothing was out of place. "I just flirted with him a little."

Shinnosuke snorted. "You flirt with everyone. Everyone but me."

Yanagi whirled to look him in the eyes. Her mouth curved into a mocking smile but one could tell she was shaken, as her fox ears didn't make an appearance. "What, are you jealous?"

"No. Just making an observation." Shinnosuke's expression was guarded, his dark eyes serious.

"You're too young to flirt with. You're four years younger then me."

"And you're immature for your advanced age."

Yanagi gasped. "What the hell do you mean I'm immature for my age, you barbaric idiot!"

"If I'm such an idiot and you're so smart, you figure it out." He turned away from her and made for the exit. Yanagi stood alone in the bright hospital hallway and stared at the white kanji gleaming from the dark background of his black jacket. Yanagi shook her head, freeing herself from the strange panic that Shinnosuke was right. "He's just jealous," she said, reassuring herself, "its just jealousy." Unknowingly, her hands clenched together tightly enough to leave tiny half moon circles on her palm caused by her fingernails.

~*~*~*~

The pair walked through the park together, a tall statuesque woman who looked to be in her early twenties and a younger woman, a girl really with an unusual hairstyle. There was something haunting about the older woman, as if she wasn't really right there walking through the park. As if she was just passing through the world for a moment, passing the time.

They were silent as they made their way. Finally they stopped at a bench and the two sat down, twisting their bodies to face each other. The older woman opened her mouth to say something but the blonde beat her to it.

"I'll answer your questions after you answer mine."

Setsuna smiled without humor. "I knew you were going to say that."

"Don't."

"I'm sorry. Please, go ahead." Setsuna's voice was contrite. She made a vague gesture with her hand, encouraging Usagi to speak.

Usagi took a big breath and tried to organize her thoughts. She knew that she had said that she had been expecting Setsuna-chan but in reality things had happened to quickly and there had been no way for Usagi to expect anything. What to ask? There were so many things running through her mind. She chose at random. "Why weren't the others born along with me?"

"They weren't needed."

"Then why just me?"

"You were."

Usagi was beginning to get irritated by the short answers she was receiving. "What do you mean I was needed? I never became Sailor Moon or Princess Serenity then!"

"I never said Sailor Moon was needed. I said you were. You, Usagi, just you."

"I don't understand."

Setsuna's eyes became sympathetic. "No, I don't suppose you would. You are not just Sailor Moon or just Princess Serenity. You are a child of the fates. Wherever, whenever you are needed, you are born."

"I still don't understand." Usagi's eye's pleaded with Setsuna.

"Your soul is special. Whenever you are born, it's because something is about to happen, something extremely important."

"How can you know that? I've only been born three times!"

"You only remember three lives." Usagi didn't like the sound of that.

"As I was saying, you were born during the Meiji time period because you were needed there. Your purity, your ability to forgive and to love without reservation. It was needed then to save the fate of this country."

"But I didn't save this country! Kenshin did. I never did anything except get kidnapped." Usagi mumbled under her breath, with some annoyance.

Setsuna gave Usagi an almost maternal smile. "You saved this country by saving Kenshin."

"No, Kenshin always saved me." Usagi said stubbornly.

Setsuna's eyes turned hard, her voice cold. "Listen to me and don't argue. Your soul is like that of a stone tossed into a calm pond. You cause ripples onto the surface, changing that pond. You are a catalyst of change. Things transform for the better when you are around. If you weren't born back then, Himura Kenshin would have stayed a wanderer and died alone. No, he wouldn't have died alone. More then half of the entire population of Kyoto would have gone up in smoke. Others who would have fought in the war against Shishio Makoto would have died. And because of that war, this country would have been plunged into turmoil and become easy pickings for other countries. And as for those people you adopted, the ones that became your family back then, they all would have died long before their time." At Usagi's haunted expression, Setsuna's eyes became softer. "You saved many besides Kenshin. Even in this life, you've saved a lot of people."

"Like Naru-chan, Motoki-niichan, and my family?"

"Those too." At Usagi's confused expression, Setsuna just shook her head in slight exasperation. For someone who affected everyone she met, Usagi had no idea of the power she held to change the course of some else's life. "Never mind. Just know that you are important to this world." Usagi just nodded.

Usagi hesitantly asked another question. "Was I…supposed to fall in love with Kenshin?"

"I don't know. I watch what happens and I can view the outcomes. By watching the future unfold, I try to guide you all onto the path that will reap the best benefits. But I am never privy to the knowledge of how things are really supposed to be; that is fates power. More then likely, you were not to fall in love with him, as you already had your soul mate waiting for you." 'I have to believe that to be true.' Setsuna thought to herself.

"Then why did I?"

"Oh Usagi, for a child commanded by the fates, you have the uncanny ability to change yours and others so easily. If anything, I should be the one to ask you why you fell in love with him." 'Even though I already know.'

Usagi looked off into the darkness, her head tilted to the side as she thought. She finally said softly, "He needed so badly to be loved." A simple answer; one from the heart.

"Yes he did, didn't he?" At Usagi's surprised stare Setsuna let out a soft laugh. "You didn't think I wouldn't watch over my princess then, did you?"

"Then why didn't you try to stop me from loving him?"

Setsuna's expression grew sad and almost haunted and she turned to face the trees rather then to look into Usagi's eyes. "I did try. I am the one who put Yukishiro Tomoe in his path that night."

"Yukishiro Tomoe!" Usagi gasped out the name as she stared at Setsuna's profile. "But, she was after Kenshin to avenge her dead fiancé. And this happened way before Kenshin ever met Kaoru, met me. I…" Usagi trailed off, uncertain and very much confused.

"I am at every time. I know what's going to happen fifty years in the future even if I am at the moment watching the present. I knew one day Kamiya Kaoru would be born and I knew you were to meet Kenshin. I just wanted to make sure he was happily married so you two would not fall in love. But fate stopped me. Perhaps they were upset that I was interfering with their order, but in any case, because of my intervention, Yukishiro Tomoe died and Kenshin suffered a living death." Setsuna closed her eyes against her tears and when she opened them, her emotions were controlled once more. 'The guilt is hard to bear. But I can't let it stop me from making sure Crystal Tokyo rises.' They were both quiet for a moment, each reliving memories of a time more then a century before.

"So, before you manipulated events, Tomoe-san was not to die then?"

"Yes. Even if she and Kenshin didn't work out, she would have lived a long time more."

"But then how would Kenshin and I have met?"

Setsuna gave a short bitter laugh, "The fates would have found a way. They always do." 'They're the best at screwing us over, after all.'

Usagi was silent for a moment, either digesting Setsuna's bitter statement or just quiet at thought. She spoke up again, her hands clutched together tightly in her lap. "You chose Tomoe because you could view a happy marriage between the two of them, right?"

"Yes."

"In those futures that you saw, was…was Kenshin happier with her then he was with me? I mean, Kaoru?"

"Do you really need to know?" Setsuna looked at Usagi with a blank expression until Usagi looked away with embarrassment. Setsuna looked away also, out into the night. Fireflies were beginning to light, dancing through the dark, glowing like tiny constellations. She asked again, gently this time, "Do you really need to know?"

Usagi closed her eyes and thought back to what she could remember of her time with Kenshin. Her blue eyes opened and she smiled softly, "No, I guess not. They were happy together; we were happy together. That's all that mattered."

Setsuna closed her eyes also and remembered the life of Himura Kenshin and Kamiya Kaoru. 'That's all that mattered.' Setsuna shook her head, her long hair fanned out slightly in the night breeze. "Can I ask my questions now, Usagi-chan?"

"Oh, oh yes. Go right ahead."

"Now that you know about that past and you have meet Kenshin's modern incarnation, what are you going to do about it?"

"I'm going to be his friend."

"Just his friend?"

"Yes. I've already made my decision. In this lifetime, Mamo-chan's the one I love. No matter what past I had, I'm not living then, I'm living now."

For one of the few times in Setsuna's long lifetime, her face glowed openly with joy. "Oh, I'm so glad to hear you say that! I was so worried. But everything should be alright now and Chibi-Usa will be--." For some reason, Setsuna cut herself off and looked at Usagi who was looking back at her with a puzzled expression. 'Oh by the moon, no.' Setsuna shook her head slowly with a growing horror. 'Please, not that.' But it was too late; Usagi was opening her mouth to ask one more question

"Setsuna-chan? Who's Chibi-Usa?"

~*~*~*~

Glossary:

Kitsune-onna: Fox Lady

Niichan: Older brother. Motoki is not Usagi's older brother. He's that blonde guy who works at Crown arcade. It's a nickname of friendship/closeness.

Side Note's

"Those too.": If you've seen the Sailor Moon R movie you know what this line means. If you haven't seen it, go watch the original Japanese language/English subtitled version of it! It's the best of the three movies, in my humble opinion.

"More then half of the entire population of Kyoto would have gone up in smoke. Others who would have fought in the war against Shishio Makoto would have died. And because of that war, this country would have been plunged into turmoil and become easy pickings for other countries.": Seriously, if you haven't watched the entire Kyoto arc, you're not going too understand the reference. If you really are confused, email me and I'll try to explain what I'm talking about.

"And as for those people you adopted, the ones that became your family back then, they all would have died long before their time.": If Kaoru hadn't stopped Kenshin from leaving, the lives of Sanosuke, Yahiko, Megumi, and all the other Kenshin-gumi would have turned out quite differently, with more tragic endings. Well at least they did in my brain.

Yukishiro Tomoe: She was Kenshin's first wife, as told by the RK first OAV and in the revenge arc of the manga. She originally sought Kenshin out for revenge as he had killed her beloved fiancé. She ends up falling in love with him and dies while trying to save him. The way I saw it, her death was unnecessary and quite stupid. Now before all you Tomoe fans flame me, let me explain a bit. It was foolish of Tomoe to step between Kenshin's blade and his enemies, but I understand that perhaps for one of the few times in her life, she actually followed her heart and it told her to protect her loved one. Her ability to love this deeply is a redeeming feature for her, but it won't make me like her. Personally she isn't my favorite character of the series, as I prescribe more to what Tae-sama (Fabulous, FABULOUS author!) wrote in her Fanfiction, "Taken With the Notion". But those of you who like the icicle (sorry, couldn't help myself), I won't be Tomoe-bashing or anything like that.

"…and Kenshin suffered a living death.": After killing Tomoe by mistake, Kenshin goes off wandering through Japan, making a vow to never take the life of another human being as he feels so guilty to what he did and all the lives he's taken. He does this for 10 years before making his way through Tokyo, only to be attacked my a bokken-waving girl named Kamiya Kaoru. And so their story begins…

"Setsuna-chan? Who's Chibi-Usa?": Chibi-Usa is that pink-haired girl that shows up in the second season of Sailor Moon (Sailor Moon R). She's from the 30th century and was trying to get Usagi's silver crystal so she could take it back with her to the future to save her mother. What the Sailor Senshi and the audience find out is that Chibi-Usa is Usagi and Mamoru's future daughter. She shows up again in the rest of the seasons and in fact the SuperS season is mainly about her and Helios, the Pegasus. She goes back to the future in the beginning of the Sailor Stars season after helping to defeat Queen Nephelinia

Author's Notes:

You know, I'm not going to make an issue of me posting chapters within a week of each other. I'm just wasting my time typing those statements. If I post, I post. *shrug* On to the good news--I just got my physics midterm back and I got a C. I'm so happy! *does the happy dance* Hey, a C is good for me. I totally don't understand anything in that class. Ah well, it should get better as I start to pay attention in my lectures and stop writing instead.

If anyone thinks it's OOC of Setsuna to think, 'They're the best at screwing us over, after all.' my excuse is that she's alone for who knows how long and feels very bitter toward the fates. Who's she going to monitor her language for? Also, she's thinking that and who here hasn't ever thought something like that even if we usually don't say anything like that out loud?

Dundunda!!! Who would have expected Setsuna too be the one to set Tomoe and Kenshin up? And boy did Setsuna get a shock from Usagi. Who else here is happy to see the existence of the pink menace gone? *giggles* I hate that brat but I didn't take her out just because of that reason. There's more too it, but Chibi-Usa being gone is just a bonus. So what happens next time? I'm actually not sure about it yet. We'll all just have to wait and see what my weird little muse tells me to write. Until then, ja ne!

Hime

11/24/01

revised 4/17/02