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Disclaimer All rights and privileges to Rurouni Kenshin belong to Nobuhiro
Watsuki, Shuiesha, Sony Music Entertainment, and associated parties. The
characters of this series are used without his permission for the purpose of
entertainment only. This work of fiction is not meant for sale or profit.

The title means "Future's Promise" in Japanese. . . . . This is my first
attempt at the art of fanfiction. Please be gentle. Comments are greatly
appreciated!!! The title means "Future's Promise" in Japanese. . . . .
All the characters that I create belong to me.
Names:
Yuukiko= Brave Child
Kakushin= Core/Heart
Warning: It is not all that happy to begin with!! ^_^
Yoko-chan (ardith@oocities.com)
http://www.oocities.org/Tokyo/1149/
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Mirai No Yakusoku: Part 5

This dream was different. Yuukiko knew that instinctively. She felt as if
she was not really a part of it, but a watcher in the wings. The dream
before.... She had died. No, she did not die. Kaoru died. She was Kaoru. She
was-

The vague dreams that had bothered her before suddenly sharpened into
concrete memories. The images, the feelings flooded her. She fell to her
knees, absorbing all of it, feeling the joy, the pain, the love. All of it
at once.

The tears came again. Before she had not understood. The dreams had been
hazy and far off, night after night. Every time she had awakened, she did
not have the whole picture because it faded before she could absorb more
than the wisps of what had happened to her..

But this time... It was as if she was awake, conscious of everything. The
dreams of the past solidified into her mind. She tried to steady her shaking
legs, rising to look around at where she was.

A dojo? The dojo. The Kamiya Dojo. Yuukiko felt the wood of the wall against
her finger tips. It was all real....

Voices?

Yuukiko turned to walk out of the practice room, towards the conversation.
Was she in the past? She looked down at herself and noticed that she was
dressed in a kimono of sky blue. She felt at her face and hair. Kaoru's
clothing? Was she Kaoru now?

"Hello?" she called out hesitantly.

The others did not look up at her. They continued to argue and tease one
another, speaking over each other without stopping. Yuukiko looked at each
of their faces, tears filling her eyes.

All of them were here. Yahiko, sitting with Tsubame. Tae nearby with a tray
of tea. Megumi, leaning on Sanosuke. Her smiling face lifted to his. And
Kenshin. Kenshin was there sitting and laughing at their jokes.

They all looked older than the last dream. Yahiko was much taller and so was
Tsubame. How much time had passed? Years? Yuukiko stosod off, watching them.
These people had been Kaoru's friends. These people had loved her. Yuukiko
remembered everything.

She was Kaoru.

Kenshin.

She looked at the man she had loved so long ago. Lifetimes ago. He smiled
slightly at what Yahiko was saying. Yuukiko stepped forward, her hand
automatically reaching out to him. Kenshin...

His face suddenly changed, the soft smile fading as his eyes grew sad for a
second. He seemed to stare off to the spot where she stood.

"Ja... I'm off for a walk," he told them with a quiet smile. "I'll be back."

"Sure, Kenshin," Yahiko replied, grabbing at the snacks that were left for
Kenshin and stuffing them in his mouth. "I'll watch these for you." Tsubame
playfully slapped at his hand as he reached for more.

"Thank you, Yahiko," he said with a slight smile as he walked outside.

Yuukiko followed him. No one could see her. Was she a ghost? Kaoru's ghost?
The answer to why she was dreaming was here. In this dream, she was not
Kaoru. No. Everything was becoming clear.

Kaoru and I have become one. Her memories have become my memories. I am her.
She is me. The past and the future are a circle. There is no beginning or
end. It is time for the promise to be fulfilled. The circle will be
closed....

Yuukiko followed behind him as Kenshin walked out of the dojo on to the dirt
road. He paused to buy some flowers from a street vender before continuing
on to a small cemetery. Daisies. Yuukiko loved daisies.

Kenshin stopped in front of a small marker. He put the flowers down, bending
down slowly.

"Kaoru. Hello. Time passes quickly, doesn't it?" he said in a hushed voice.
He smiled sadly. Yuukiko moved closer to him, needing to be closer to him.

"Kenshin." Yuukiko's whisper seemed to float away. He could not hear her
anyway.

"I hope I'm not bothering you. Sometimes I just need to come to talk. Later
on tonight, we are going to the Akabeko to celebrate Yahiko's birthday.
Kaoru, can you believe that he is already 16? I'm helping him practice a
bit, but he is teaching now. He is spending a lot of time with Tsubame.
Tsubame is also working hard at the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu. She's really good,
Kaoru. You would be so proud of both of them.

"Megumi and Sanosuke are happy together, too. They are expecting again. Can
you believe it? The way those two started, I thought they would kill each
other before admit they were in love.

"Kaoru..." His voice grew strained with emotion. "I miss you. As time goes,
the pain gets softer, but I still miss you. But we are all still together.
All of us. Loosing you still hurts, but it has made us all stronger. I miss
you so much sometimes... Sometimes I can feel you watching me. Maybe it is
just me. Maybe I need to think that. Maybe I need to think you are still
here with me."

"Kenshin. Our next lives will be happier. We will meet again." Yuukiko/Kaoru
whispered. Kenshin looked up suddenly, to where she stood.

"Kaoru?" He stepped towards her. His eyes filled with disbelief.

"Kenshin? You can see me?"

"Kaoru?" He looked so vulnerable. "Am I going crazy?"

"No. I just wanted to see you one more time. I wanted to see you so much,"
Yuukiko said truthfully. She wanted to see him again. She loved him. This
feeling, this need, was love. Something clicked in her heart. She recognized
that this soul was the mate to hers. Always. Forever.

She moved closer to him, feeling an ache in her heart. In the past, she had
died. She had lost this man and left him alone. She wanted to ease his pain.
She wanted to give him hope.

"Kenshin. I promise you that we will meet again. Not in this life, but we
WILL meet again. Our souls will find one another. Please. Try to be happy in
this life. I will wait for you in the next one. I promise you."

"Kaoru..."

"Be happy Kenshin. Please be happy."

"I am. I will be. Kaoru..." He moved that last foot towards her, grabbing
her and holding her close. She was solid. Real. She hugged him back,
savoring the feeling of him in her arms. "I love you..."

"I love you, too. Forever Kenshin." Her voice was becoming faint. She looked
at her hands. They were fading. This dream is ending, she thought. Sadness
crashed over her. It was time for her to leave him again. "Good-bye Kenshin.
Until the next time."

"Kaoru?" His voice broke saying her name. He stared at her as she began to
fade and flicker. Kaoru reappeared, dressed in strange clothing. A weird
sort of short kimono. Westen clothing? Her long hair fell around her face
and down her back. She was beautiful. She smiled softly at him.

"Be happy, Kenshin. For me," Kaoru said as she faded totally. Then she was
gone.

Kenshin thought he heard "I love you" as he walked back home, but it could
have been the wind. He smiled at that. They will be together.

Yoko: Tehe. Hope that was not too weird for you all! I thought it might be.
^_~ ::sigh:: Trans-time love is such a beautiful thing. I wonder if there's
a girl who could resist a vulnerable, sad Kenshin.... I bet there'd be a
line of 'em waiting to confort him.
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