Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Heavenly Lost ❯ The Smell of White Plums ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter II

The Smell of White Plums

Kaoru felt like her heart was crossed by a sword. Everything around her was moving fast so she closed her eyes trying to get herself together. A lone tear fell down her face.

"So I can cry"

She opened her eyes and met her father sad stare.

"Kenshin is… is in hell?"

Her father nodded and saw how her daughter collapsed to the ground. He caught her in time and putted his arms around her.

"Kaoru-chan…"

She lifted her head and stare at her father.

"Why?" She said in a soft voice "Why is he in hell? He atone for his sins on earth"

"Kaoru, it's just complicated" Said his father in a sweet voice.

Kaoru got up with anger on her face.

"That is all you know how to say? MY HUSBAND IS IN HELL! And you just sit there like is nothing important."

"Kaoru is just that…"

"Don't you realize that he is suffering while I'm here learning about bodies and Kimonos… that everything I wish can come true?" Kaoru's eyes sparkle with hope "So I wish… I wish that Kenshin would get out of hell and come here with me!"

She closed her eyes for a moment and opened them expecting to find him beside her. She looked around and waited for a few moments but he didn't appear. She lowered her eyes and stared at the floor.

"This isn't heaven… this can't be heaven… if Kenshin isn't here with me than this is just hell. How can I just stay here when I know he is suffering somewhere… Kenshin"

"That is not how things work here… Kaoru-chan… you can't wish the fate of another person's soul, that is just impossible"

Kaoru looked at her father. Her mother was sitting beside him but she didn't say a thing. She just looked at her daughter with a sad expression. Kaoru was confused. She looked around her as the pain in her heart increased every second. Just one word was going through her head over and over again. "Kenshin… Kenshin… Kenshin"

Then at the distance she saw a bright spot heading towards her. The brilliant light was coming nearer and she began to recognize a few aspects of it. It was a woman that was floating trough the sky. She had long black hair and dark eyes. She was wearing a white kimono and a lavender obi. Her hair was tight in a low pony tail and Kaoru thought she had the most distinguish smell. "White plums"

The woman landed on the yard in front of Kaoru and her parents. She approached them and stood before them. She looked at Kaoru for a few moments and then she looked at her parents.

"Would you mind if I talk to Kaoru-san alone?"

Kaoru's parents just nodded and smile at their daughter before disappearing in front of her eyes. Kaoru looked at the spot where her parents stood just a minute ago and then she tuned around to meet her eyes with the ones of the beautiful woman in front of her.

She didn't understand a single thing. Everything had been so weird since she appeared at the Dojo that somehow the encounter with a stranger didn't seem that odd. The woman with the dark eyes looked at Kaoru and then seated at the porch. Kaoru seated beside her and stared at her without saying a word. The other woman smiled softly and then spoke to Kaoru.

"I should introduce myself. My name is Tomoe"

Kaoru's eyes widened as she recognize the name. "Tomoe…Kenshin's wife"

She examined the woman in front of her. She was everything Kenshin told her she was. Elegant, polite and very beautiful.

"Himura Kaoru"

Tomoe smiled again at the sight of the blue eyed girl.

"I know how you are and that's why I'm here"

Kaoru stayed silent, she didn't know what to say.

"I know you just got here and I expected that maybe you wouldn't find out about Kenshin until later but…" Tomoe took a deep breath before continuing. "Now that you know I think we have a lot to talk about"

* * *

"When a soul leaves his earthly body it can go to three different places. Every case is examined individually and the fate of the person is decided. If the soul of the person its good it ascends to heaven and if his soul was corrupted and bad it goes to hell. A soul that goes to one of these places has to spend eternity there… Kenshin's soul is doomed to forever be in hell."

"But Kenshin's soul was good. He was paying for his sins" Kaoru said in a deeply sad voice.

"I know that but you have to understand that a Hitokiri can't come to heaven"

Kaoru lower her eyes when she noticed the sad tone in Tomoe's voice.

"I know he did terrible things when he was known as the Battousai, he even… he even killed you. But he didn't lived a day without feeling remorse and trying to pay for what he had done. He kept his vow and the promise he made to you. He lived until the end of his days protecting people and after the Bakumatsu ended he didn't kill again. Doesn't that count for something? You said every person soul was reviewed individually. Can't they see that this isn't the case of any Hitokiri? Kenshin is different!"

Tomoe knew all too well that what Kaoru was saying was the truth. Kenshin's soul was good but his actions were so terrible that he had to be doom. She had come to realize that he had to pay for his sins.

"I know he tried to repay for the sins he committed while he was in earth but that wasn't enough. No life time of regret can compensate for being once a Hitokiri."

"But did he have to go to hell? Just like any other soul that did wrong and didn't even regret it? Isn't there a place where he can finish paying for his sins so he can then come to heaven?"

"You are thinking of purgatory" Said Tomoe as Kaoru nodded. "Purgatory is one of the stages in ascending to heaven. When a soul goes to purgatory is already decided that it can go to heaven. Purgatory is just the path they have to walk before they can enter to heaven."

Kaoru looked at Tomoe silently as she tried to understand what was been said.

"If you remember what happened to you when you came here you will remember purgatory. That isn't a place with walls or ceilings, is like a blank space were your soul is cleaned before it can enter heaven. No soul, no matter how good, it's totally clean. Every soul that comes to heaven has passed through purgatory"

Kaoru felt her heart ache even more when she sense how another of her doors of hope was closed.

"Kenshin… What can I do to save you? How can I save your soul? How can I bring you back to me?"

Kaoru felt a soft hand been placed at her shoulder. She looked up to find Tomoe staring at her with a kind expression.

"What can I do?"

"I told you… A soul can go in three different directions. One is heaven, the second is hell, and the third is… reincarnation."

"What?" Kaoru asked as she saw in her mind a small window opening up to her.

"If your soul is good you have the chance to go back to earth and live another life there"

"But what about Kenshin?"

"As I said before, one life time isn't enough to atone for the Hitokiri's sins… but two may be"

Kaoru felt a ray of hope when she realized what Tomoe was trying to say to her. If Kenshin stayed in hell there was no salvation for his soul, but if he went back to earth he could finish paying for his sins and maybe after that life time he would be able to get to heaven and his soul would be safe.

"But how can I get him to be reincarnated?"

Tomoe was silent for a moment and she looked at the woman in front of her.

"She does look determine to do anything but she would be in grave danger if she decides to go look for him… Kenshin… I do want salvation for your soul. I loved you so much and what we had was very special but we never were destined to be together like you and her are. When I died I met Akira again and I remembered he was my true love and that my place was with him. Even though, I never stopped watching over you. I care for you too much and my heart was so happy for you when you met this girl because I knew she was what you needed. When you met with Einishi my hear was split in two between my friend and my brother, but you found your answer and she helped you once again. Now you are in hell and you need her help again. I know you may be mad because I will put her in such danger, but I care too much for both of you to let you suffer an eternity. She is the only one that can save you but she'll need your help."

"I don't know exactly. I never heard of anyone trying this before. But I do know that you do have to reach Kenshin's soul and to do that you have to go to hell."

"How do I do that?"

Tomoe took a deep breath. "I can tell you what I know about hell but those are only legends. No one knows exactly how hell is but the ones that are doomed there. I have to warn you about something. If you do that you'll risk more than you can imagine… you'll be risking your soul."

Kaoru didn't even moved and her heart was as determined as ever.

"Tomoe-san I know you are just thinking about me, but believe me, Kenshin is my soul and I will not seat here when he is suffering. I really don't care what I'll be risking if there is a chance I may save him"

Tomoe nodded and she confirmed her suspicions with Kaoru's words. "I knew she'll do it"

"It's known that a soul that is in heaven can choose its destiny. I've never heard of someone who do it but if you can choose your fate you can also choose to go to hell. Once you've entered the gates of hell all the gifts you obtain when you come to heaven are taken away. As I said, no one knows what will happen once you are in hell, if you walk through those doors you'll suffer the same fate of any souls that are there. It's rumored that if two souls love each other enough they'll be able to find each other. Even if you are in hell your soul will still be clean, so it's assumed that you will have the power to come back, and maybe, with a clean soul, Kenshin would be able to cross the gates of hell and be reborn."

Tomoe look at Kaoru with a serious expression.

"I really don't know if any of this will work. I don't know what will happen, this may be true but you may as well get locked in hell forever. Everything is possible."

Kaoru smiled and looked at Tomoe with sparkles in her eyes.

"I will choose an eternity in hell over heaven if it means that Kenshin will be by my side."

* * *

Author's Notes: About the Tomoe thing: I really think that Tomoe was a very important part of Kenshin's life but I also believe that Kaoru is his true love. I'm sorry if this offended any Tomoe's fans out there, but I'm a dying Kaoru+Kenshin fan and I won't hear otherwise.