Nicky's A New Life- Part 1</a><br> <body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000" link='#7D68EE" vlink='#483D8B"> <center> <h1>Nicky's A New Life</h1> <h2>Part One</h2> </center> Disclaimer: Obviously, I am not so brilliant as to think up wonderful characters like those in Rurouni Kenshin. That honor goes to Wasuki Nobuhiro alone. I also have no musical talent, so also obviously, I didn't write the song, "A New Life" That goes entirely to the two brilliant minds that make up the Pet Shop Boys. Additional Thanks go to Todd Hill, who is my dear friend. His wonderful Ranma fanfic "Careful Destiny" is a large part of the inspiration for this story. <p> <center> A New Life, Part 1<p> "Stars collect over head <p> They look down on the channel <p> And our lives grown dead <p> Cars pass on through the night<p> How do you get to Heaven if you never try?"<p> </center> -The Pet Shop Boys, A New Life<p> Alternative (The B-Sides)<p> <hr> "You'd never know how much tofu three people could eat until you have to go and buy it everyday." Kenshin mused, on his way to the market. <p> The day was sunny, but there were dark clouds looming in the distance. It was a decent temperature, for the time of year, until the wind picked up, and when it did, it bit through his well worn gi with ease. All in all, it was a very mediocre day. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened for some time.<p> Not that I crave excitement, Kenshin added to himself quickly. He'd just gotten used to having more...activity. He kept getting the feeling that this was the calm before the storm. He hurried on through the market to the appropriate store, and quickly retrieved what he had come for. When he was alone now, he tended to think too much. And besides, he had laundry waiting for him. <p> He retraced his path, and soon enough, the gate to the dojo, the place he now called home, loomed in front of him. Loomed? Hardly. It was a very ordinary looking building. Nothing was out of place... <p> "Sir?" <p> "Oro?" Kenshin spun quickly around, nearly splashing the stranger with the whey from the tofu bucket. How did this man sneak up on me like that? Kenshin eyed the man for a split second, evaluating. He seemed to be a normal peddler, if even a poorer one then most. <p> The second passed, and politeness took hold with the ease of practice. "Hello Sir. Is there something I can help you with?" <p> The peddler tipped his hat and winked. "On the contrary, sir, you looked a bit under the weather, so I was wondering if maybe I could help you?"<p> Kenshin blinked in confusion. Help me...? The thought passed briefly through his brain, before being dismissed out of hand. He bowed shallowly to the old man, and shook his head. "I don't think so. I'm sorry, I must be going" He turned to head through the gate. <p> "Ah lad, are you so sure? It couldn't hurt to just look, could it?" Something in the old man's voice made him turn around again. He's right, a small part of himself added, it won't hurt to just look. <p> The peddler grinned, and took his pack off his back. "I have a few very special things today!" He produced a gaudy bronze mirror that looked ancient. "This mirror is said to be able to show events happening anywhere in the world! I have been told, however, that it likes to choose it owner" The old man eyed Kenshin's obvious, yet still polite, look of disgust. "I guess it doesn't like you." <p> He placed the mirror back in his pack and produced a worn velvet case. After carefully lifting the top off he proudly displayed its contents "These earrings are said to give flawless skin to who ever wears them!" <p> Kenshin arched an eyebrow at that, and stated dryly, "What would I do with those?" <p> The old man sweatdropped. "Give them to a lady friend?" <p> Kenshin coughed lightly, "But wouldn't that be a bit insulting...?" <p> The sweatdrop grew. "I guess you're right..." He placed the top back on the box and stashed it back where it had come from, and dug hurriedly through the remaining contents of his pack. <p> "How about this?" <p> "No." <p> "Or this?" <p> "................" <p> "I see. Well I wasn't going to sell this but..." He pulled a large and archaic looking ring out of his pocket. It had strange symbols intricately carved all over the band, and in the center, was a small hole, where a stone might be set. <p> "But the stone is missing." The ring was beautiful in an old antique sort of way, but if it was missing its stone, there was no point in buying it. <p> "It never had a stone. That's why I didn't want to sell it. You see, this ring has a legend." The old man waved the ring in Kenshin's face. "It's said before you go to sleep, that if you prick your finger, and let a drop of blood fall into the setting here" the old man indicating the lack of stone, "and make a wish, that when you wake up, your wish will come true." <p> "What rubbish!"<p> The old peddler nodded, "Normally, I would agree with you. But this ring has a different sort of feel to it. Here hold it for yourself, and see." He dropped the ring in Kenshin's proffered palm. <p> The ring hit his skin, and he felt a jolt. Indeed, the ring did have some sort of feeling to it. He turned it over carefully in his hand "How much do you want for it?" <p> The old man eyed him for a moment. "You look like you could use a wish or two come true. Take it, and use it well. As far as I know, you'll only get one." He shouldered his pack with a grunt, and waved a quick good-bye, as he walked away and turned the far corner, leading back into downtown. <p> Kenshin watched the old man disappear. The wind was picking up, and whipping his hair around his face. The sky had darkened dangerously during the short conversation he'd had with the peddler. "Oh my, it looks like it's going to rain." With that he hurried through gate, and back to his motley family. <p> Later that night.... <p> Having been mysteriously tired, he'd retired to his room early. He sat quietly on his futon, pondering the strange ring the peddler had given him. He normally wasn't superstitious, and he certainly didn't believe in magic, but there was just something about this ring... It was like it exuded a force of some sort. Almost like it was calling him. "Well if it doesn't work there's no harm done, right?" He whispered to himself. <p> But what if it did work? What should he wish for? Only a few minutes passed before he knew. He picked up his sakabatou from where it lay beside his futon, and carefully removed it from its saya. He pondered the sharp side for a second, before he sliced shallowly into his thumb, and resheathed the blade. Taking the ring in his other hand, he let a small drop of blood fall into the setting, and placed it on the ring finger of his right hand. <p> "I wish that there will be a more peaceful time and place where Kaoru-dono and I can be together." <p> Waves of exhaustion rolled over Kenshin as he lay down to sleep. I suppose I'll know in the morning...<p> <hr> <center> <br clear="all"> <img src="/bin/counter/fanfiction/nicky-newlife1.html?FF0000"> <br clear="all"> <a href="https://members.tripod.com/~Kainee/">Home</a><br> <a href="https://members.tripod.com/Kainee/rkindex.html">The Rurouni Kenshin Room</a><br> <a href="https://members.tripod.com/eshfemme/">Kainee's Rurouni Kenshin Fanfiction Gallery</a><br> <a href="index.html">The Fanfiction Room</a><br> </center>