From: [email protected] Date: Wed Jan 10, 2001 12:13pm Subject: [x-over] Meant to Be Hi Everyone I was intending to work on For the Sake of Hope but for some reason ended up writing this instead. It's a Rurouni Kenshin/Escaflowne Crossover, with more emphasis on RK than Esca really, so if you don't know anything about Kenshin or Kaoru then you might want to give this a miss. I'd be the first to admit that this fic is horrible insane and probably not very good, but here it is nevertheless. ******************* Meant to Be by Megitsune January 10, 2001 ******************* Tokyo, Japan � mid 1800's A couple sat side by side on the porch of a dojo, both engrossed by the numerous stars hovering above them in the night sky. The woman leaned her dark head on her companion's shoulder, and in response the red-haired man by her side slipped an arm around her waist to pull her even closer. Both remained silent for a long while, content to just remain in each other's presence. "Kenshin, we'll be together always, right?" whispered the woman to the man beside her. "I'll always be here for you Kaoru-dono," he murmured in response. "Promise?" "I promise." Ithaca, New York � 2001 A warm wind blew through the trees on the hill, the recent winter weather having given way to sunny afternoons and milder evenings. As evening approached, the Cornell University campus was unusually quiet except for the chirping of a few birds and the murmur of voices belonging to a handful of students walking by. On the top of the hill, a woman sat alone on a bench, her arms loosely wrapped around knees that were pulled up against her chest. Her long, dark hair was held back by a simple ponytail that fluttered in the breeze, and blue eyes stared at the coming sunset thoughtfully. The sun's rays were growing dim, the bright azure sky beginning to fade into a thousand shades of purple, pink, and gold. But it wasn't the scenery that occupied the woman's thoughts, but memories. Memories so old and fragile that they resembled ancient photographs, yellow with age and ready to crumble away with the slightest touch. "It's beautiful isn't it, Kaoru?" Startled, the woman looked up into the bright green eyes of the person hovering next to her. A small grin appeared on her lips and Kaoru scooted over on the bench to make room for her friend, who immediately accepted the silent invitation to sit. "So what are you doing, sneaking up on me like that, Hitomi?" Kanzaki Hitomi rolled her eyes, pushing a strand of sandy brown hair back from her face. "I was walking home when I noticed you sitting here by yourself. What are you doing moping around like that?" Kaoru sighed. "Maybe it's just homesickness, but for some reason I've been feeling a bit gloomy lately." "Homesickness?" Hitomi laughed sympathetically, leaning back against the bench to get more comfortable. "I doubt it. We've been students here for almost three years, and I've never heard you complain about missing Japan. Maybe you're just working yourself too hard." "Yeah. It's been a pretty tough semester." Kaoru's voice trailed off uncertainly, but she couldn't shake off the images that continued to haunt the back of her mind like a ghost that refused to be exorcised. "I think it's more than that, but I can't really explain it." "Maybe you should try talking about it, Kaoru. Keeping things inside won't do you any good, especially when it's making you miserable." Kaoru looked up at her friend, her deep blue eyes meeting Hitomi's green ones uncertainly. "Do you ever have strange dreams, Hitomi? Dreams so real that you sometimes have trouble separating them from reality?" Hitomi blinked, taken aback by the serious tone of voice coming from her usually cheerful friend. "What do you mean?" she asked. "Well, sometimes I remember things�things that seem unfamiliar but real at the same time. Sometimes I dream about them, but mostly I just have these memories and I have no idea where they came from or if they're even real." "Are you sure it's not just an overactive imagination?" Hitomi tried to inject a teasing note in her tone, but it somehow fell flat. She knew better than most people what it felt like to be plagued with visions. "I don't know, Hitomi. You don't think I'm losing my mind do you?" "No, I don't," replied Hitomi with such conviction that Kaoru had to smile. "What do you dream about?" asked Hitomi curiously, half expecting her friend to go off into description of another world beyond the earth filled with dragons, cat-people, and winged men. "It's all very vague, but they always center around one man. He has bright red hair, violet-colored eyes, and the silliest smile that I've ever seen. And then sometimes I see him with golden eyes and the fiercest expression on his face, and that scares me for some reason." Kaoru paused to make a face, wondering if she sounded like a lunatic. "I know it's probably just my imagination, but everything seems so real that I can't bring myself to just brush it off." Next to Kaoru, Hitomi looked a bit pensive, her eyes suddenly taking on a dazed look as she chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully. "And sometimes you feel that if you concentrated hard enough, you could understand it all, but in the end you're just as confused as you were when you started." "How did you know?" gasped Kaoru, turning to her friend with a wide- eyed stare. Hitomi grinned in reply. "Do you believe in destiny?" "I've never really thought about it before." "Someone once told me that we can't change destiny or try to second- guess fate. The only thing we can do is have faith in the ones we love and hope that everything works out in the end." Kaoru wrinkled her nose in confusion. "What does that have to do anything?" "Dreams, visions, memories�I think they all serve a purpose even when we don't understand them most of the time." Hitomi took a deep breath and hugged her windbreaker jacket closer to her. "Does that make any sense?" Her friend nodded slowly, allowing the words to sink in as she turned them over in her mind. "So I wouldn't worry about it," continued Hitomi with a smile. "I think we should get back home before it gets dark. Do you want to stop by Little Joe's for some dinner?" She glanced down at her watch, noting the time. "It's only six and if we leave now we can beat the crowd." "Sounds good," replied Kaoru as she brushed an invisible speck of dust off her jeans before standing up. "Let's get going. It'll probably be our last chance to have dinner together before we leave for break." "Are you going back home to Tokyo?" asked Hitomi. Kaoru nodded. "My plane leaves tomorrow at noon. How about you?" "I'll be staying here for a few more days to tie up some loose ends, but I should be back in about a week. I'll definitely call you as soon as I get home. And don't worry too much, Kaoru. Everything will work out fine, you'll see." Kaoru smiled at her friend, hoping with all her heart that Hitomi was right. -------------------------------- Kaoru groaned as she shoved her way through the crowded airport. Silently she cursed the thick fog that not only prevented her flight from landing at Narita in Tokyo, but had also left her stranded at Hiroshima until the weather improved. Spotting an empty seat near the terminal window, she gave a silent prayer of thanks and rushed forward, hoping to give her tired feet some well-needed rest. "I hate traveling during the holidays," she muttered, pushing her way past the numerous people around her. Sinking down into the seat in front of her, Kaoru dropped her book bag on the floor and released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Sighing in relief, she closed her eyes, leaning back in the stiff chair and trying her best to find a comfortable position. A gentle tap on the shoulder suddenly caught her attention, and Kaoru ground her teeth in annoyance. "What now?" she grumbled, giving up all attempts at politeness. Spinning around, she turned to glare at the person who had the audacity to intrude on her misery�and came face to face with a smiling man. Her eyes widened as she took in the familiar features, her mouth dropping open in shock. Wide lavender eyes stared back at her from behind unruly red bangs, and a grin was spread across his face. The only thing missing was the cross-scar on his cheek. Instead of the familiar red gi and white hakama she expected, he wore a pair of black slacks and a white collared shirt. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Kaoru had to blink a couple of times before she realized that he had asked her a question. "I'm sorry," she replied with a sheepish grin. "I didn't quite catch what you were saying." "Oh no, I apologize for interrupting you. I was just wondering if you had the time because I seem to have forgotten my watch today." He offered her another sheepish smile, and Kaoru found herself grinning in response. "It's about 4:00," she replied after a brief glance at her own wristwatch. "Thank you very much." He bowed politely and stood up, much to Kaoru's utter dismay. The man had walked straight out of her dreams and into her life, and the idiot was just going to leave? "Hey!" shouted Kaoru as she shot out of her seat and chased after him, causing the man to turn around in surprise. "Do I know you from somewhere? You seem familiar to me." He looked at her in confusion and his eyes widened as if he had just seen her for the very first time. "I don't think so, but now that you mention it, you do look familiar." Kaoru held out her hand. "I'm Sakoshita Kaoru." "Nice to meet you, Kaoru," he murmured, gripping her hand in his. "I'm Kenshin. Kirisawa Kenshin." //I'll always be here for you, Kaoru-dono.// //Promise?// //I promise.// -------------- The end. Okay, that was SO messed up. ^_^ I freely admit it. C&C are always greatly appreciated. Notes- 1. The scene for most of this fic is Ithaca, New York. I'm not one for sunsets but I've spent my share of study breaks staring at the sunset from the top of Libe Slope at Cornell. 2. Yes, Kanzaki Hitomi is from Escalfowne.