Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ The Dead Never Stay Dead ❯ The Offer ( Chapter 5 )

Part Four- The Offer

Disclaimer: People, people, people when will you ever learn? Have you ever heard of any manga writers that publish their own fanfic for a local website? Well if you have, please inform me. I repeat yet again I do not under any pretense own Rurouni Kenshin.

Dare I hope

Dare I pray

Dare I believe that everything will go in my way

Will I be given a second chance

At love and romance

I have slain many and saved a few

Now the decision is all yours

The outcome up to you

But before you make your choice

Listen to that little inner voice

For this is not for me you see

But for my beloved dearie

I have left her there on Earth

And she is now missing me for all that I am worth

So please don't be judgmental and tough

But just try to be fair enough

"_" dialogue

'_' thoughts

~*~ scene/pov change/end story

They have finally arrived. It is one thing to say that you're going to meet the archangel and quite another thing to actually meeting him or her. Tomoe did not divulge any information to calm his fraying nerves so Kenshin really didn't really know what to expect, but when he was finally face to face with the angel the encounter wasn't anything like what he was anticipating.

He couldn't quite get a good look at the archangel at first due to the fact that he was shrouded in a type of blinding white light. It was as if he was looking directly into the sun. Kenshin shielded his eyes as he waited for the intense blaze to die down. When he was finally able to see he couldn't quite believe his eyes. The so- called archangel was just a little boy who looked slightly younger than Yahiko at least when he died.

"Hello call me Gabe," the angel introduced, "Gabriel is just too formal you know. You must be Himura Kenshin or shall I say Shinta as you were known earlier in life."

Kenshin looked down on the little angel flabbergasted, "Kenshin is just fine. I'm not trying to be rude or anything but are you the archangel I was sent to meet?"

Gabe quirked an eyebrow at the expression on Kenshin's face, "Yes, who else do you expect me to be?"

Kenshin's face reddened in embarrassment, "Wow this is awkward. I just um, expected you…"

"To be a little older, perhaps?" Gabe finished for him. Kenshin just nodded his head in agreement. "Don't feel embarrassed I get that a lot. I may look young to you, Himura-san but I assure you my knowledge goes unrivaled. Well, now that the pleasantries are out of the way let's get down to business." Gabe's manner turned serious and professional. "I was just reviewing the information about your death before you showed up." Kenshin just then noticed a folder with his name on it that was in the angel's possession. 'I'm not sure but I don't think that he had it on him when I arrived.' Gabe's voice brought him back to reality, " … has been labeled a special case. The truth of the matter is that you weren't even supposed to die. I understand that you saved Kaoru by taking her place, but the fact is that she would've been safe even if you haven't traded places with her." He clarified more after seeing the shock and confusion glance off of Kenshin's face, "Shuura and her bandits would've dumped Kaoru in a small raft a few miles from the ship," He explained.

Disbelief and astonishment flitted across Kenshin's eyes. "So are you saying that my death was a complete and utter waste of time?" he questioned.

"Well it depends on how you look at it." Was his unclear reply. "You didn't need to put yourself in danger and risk your life but on the other hand you finally admitted your love to Kaoru and wouldn't you want to die with her knowing that you had loved her for the longest rather that live and have her stay in the dark thinking that her feelings weren't returned?"

"I was fine just the way things were going." Kenshin answered even thought his heart and his entire being was saying otherwise.

"Lying is considered a sin here." Gabe smiled in dry amusement, "Denial just doesn't suit you, you know."

"Wait, are you saying that Kaoru loved me too?" Kenshin suddenly asked.

"Are you saying that you didn't know?" Gabe flung back at him. Kenshin's silence answered the question. "No offense but I really can't believe how slow you can sometimes be."

Kenshin decided to ignore that comment ecstatic that the woman he's been secretly pining over that past few months felt that same way. All of a sudden an idea popped into Kenshin's head and he hesitantly voiced it; fearful of how it will be met out. "Do you think that since my death wasn't really necessary I may be able to have a second chance?" he asked tentatively.

Gabe smiled sympathetic at Kenshin's feeling of awkward self-consciousness, "I don't see why not if you really want it that is."

Kenshin looked down at the small angel hope evident in his eyes, "I do, I really do." He declared a little too eagerly.

Gabe's next words quickly broke his bubble, "The downside of it is that you won't have your original body."

Kenshin wasn't sure he heard right, "What do you mean I won't have my original body?" He asked cautiously not sure he wanted to hear the answer.

"Transporting your soul to your original body would be a resurrection and I'm not accomplished enough to do that yet. If I transport you to a body that is devoid of another soul that would be labeled under a reincarnation and it's tremendously hard to reincarnate someone into a fully grown body after all I'm not God." He looked at Kenshin's blank look, "Inside joke, I don't expect you to get that."

A sweat drop formed on the side of Kenshin's head at the angel's weak attempt at humor. "If I can't have my original body and having a new body vacant of another soul is out of the question then what other options are there?" He questioned.

A genuine grin appeared on the archangel's face. "It's really quite simple. All I have to do is transfer your soul into a body that is already occupied with another soul."

"Excuse me?" Kenshin asked politely thinking he was either going deaf or Gabe finally lost it, "Am I hearing right?"

"If you heard about me transferring you to an already occupied body then you heard correctly." Gabe informed him amused at Kenshin's expression.

This angel never ceased to surprise him, "And how exactly do you expect to go about it and do you have any people available right now?" Kenshin challenged him.

The angel sighed before explaining, "The whole procedure is somewhat tedious. I have to see that your vessel's ki is fairly similar to yours, that their spirit energy wavelength is synchronize with yours at the time of joining, and that you have a tight bond with them. I just can't pick anyone off the streets you know. To put it plainly, you have to have known them for them to even be considered." He waited for it to all sink in before continuing. "I have at this moment three people who meet all these standards and you of course know them all personally: Sagara Sanosuke or Zanza, Seijurou Hiko, and Hajime Saitoh but known to the public as Fujita Goro."

Kenshin choked upon hearing the last name, "Sano I understand. Shishou I can comprehend to some extent but do you expect me to have a bond with Saitoh."

"Yes believe it or not Saitoh-san and you have a bond. It may not be a bond as pleasant as Sano or even Hiko's but it's a bond nevertheless. Why don't you sleep on it before you give me your decision? In two months time I should be ready for your choice and be prepared enough to go through with it."

Kenshin bowed his head respectively, "Thank you for providing me with this opportunity, I am much obliged to you."

Gabe stood on his tip toes to lift up Kenshin's chin. "Don't be; let's just say that this is my gift of thanks to you. After all the atonement you did for the last ten years the least I can do is give you a second chance at life." Gabe smiled up at Kenshin earning one from him in return, "It was a pleasure meeting you but unfortunately I have some business to attend to." With that being said he faded right before the astonished Rurouni's eyes and soon was gone.

Tomoe who was momentarily forgotten by Kenshin fluttered to his side, "Teleportation," she briefly answered his unasked question, "Only really talented angels can do that. Unfortunately I'm not skilled enough yet." She suddenly pulled earnestly on Kenshin's arm, "Come on, "she cajoled, "I'm hungry and I bet you're hungry too because you haven't eaten since you woke up. Lucky for us I know a good place within walking distance from here so follow me. "

Kenshin let himself be dragged by the celestial figure before him. His mind soon wandered away from thoughts of food. 'Don't worry Kaoru, I'll keep my promise. We're going to see each other sooner that any of us thought. But right now I hope you're keeping your promise to me about being happy. Even death cannot keep us apart Kaoru this is proof enough of that.'

~*~*~**~*~*~

A/N

I not too sure of the plot right now so suggestions are more than welcome. Till next time see ya. ^.^