Disclaimer: Nothing of Rurouni Kenshin is mine. But I do own any original characters which are not in this first chapter. When they are though, I would hope you would ask before using them for anything. This includes anything off as well. Please, just give me the respect of asking first. I will always say yes.
A/N: My ladies, my lords, please. This is my first story that I really want to stay committed to. I ask you, if you like anything your read just review. I wish to continue, but I would like some response before I do so. Thus, I hope you enjoy, that I do.
"Dear me! Where could Sir Ken have gone? Did not I say he should return within the hour with my supplies? This young man's life is at stake!" Miss Megumi shouted out loud to what appeared to be the wall, "Doesn't anyone around here listen or rather care?"
"Well Meg-" Sanosuke began to say before Megumi leapt towards him.
Speaking in her 'matter of fact' tone, she rudely interrupted Sano, "You surely have a lot to say! Why aren't you helping him! Am I the only one who cares about the people in our town?" Huffing loudly, she kneeled back down next to her patient who was obviously out cold. The way those two had been going back and forth for the last hour, you would figure the poor man was wishing Megumi had not taken him in. Although, it seemed he was quite content, lying on the floor, snoring gently.
"Save it for a time when you don't have a dying patient," Sanosuke started, "I mean come on, the guy is poisoned and you are squabbling at me like I'm some five year old boy. Sheesh, can't a man get some quiet for once!"
She could tell from his tone of voice that he was joking, but every word he said still seemed to set her off more and more with each moment. "Just get-" Megumi's talking came to a dead halt when Kenshin pushed open the wooden door. There was a huge grin plastered on his pale face beneath those familiar amethyst eyes.
"Sir Ken! I am so happy to see you have found everything! I hope I didn't trouble you too terribly," Megumi gleamed.
Sanosuke scowled, "Happy now, Miss I-can't-be-away-from-Sir-Ken-for-ten-minutes," he mocked, gaining a glare paired with an equally hard slap to the cheek from Megumi.
Kenshin's eyes grew wide as he set down the supplies, interrupting the two, and sounding slightly frightened, "Now, now… you should not argue; that you should not, and it was no problem Miss Megumi, just as long as you can help Mr. Tagami."
Megumi jumped to her feet to hug Kenshin tightly. Kenshin looked confused as ever. "Miss Megumi, you have a patient on your floor," he stated, voice hinting to his being a bit uncomfortable.
"Oh! Right! Sir Ken, boil some water, and Sanosuke, would you mind leaving?" asked Megumi in an abnormally nice voice.
Eyes rolling as dust in the wind, Sanosuke retorted blatantly, "Did you really have to ask? I'm gonna head into town for some rice, Kenshin, you want to come?"
Legendary swordsman, feeling more inclined to leaving than usual, stood promptly. "One moment please Sano, can I just boil Megumi some water and then take my leave?" Receiving a nod rather than an answer from the former Sekihoutai member, Kenshin then noted Sanosuke sticking his tongue out at Tokyo's aspiring lady doctor.
He laughed inwardly to not divert Megumi's attention from her patient because it was critical that she helped him quickly. After boiling the water for her, Kenshin walked back to the dojo with Sanosuke. "Kenshin… I don't have any money again."
"Are you going to go ask Kaoru again?" Kenshin responded to Sano's statement.
Sanosuke gave a look to Kenshin that he had never quite seen before. He looked almost like a lost dog left out in the rain, aside from his muscular appearance. "We… well; I was… kind of hoping you would ask her for me."
Sighing, Kenshin spotted Miss Kaoru in the dojo, practicing with one of her newer students. It was not someone Kenshin recognized, and she was quite young. "Miss Kaoru! Sanosuke and I are going out to purchase some rice; that we are. Would you mind lending us some money?"
"Don't you see that I am busy trying to earn that money that you are asking for?" Kaoru growled angrily at Kenshin. The female that was practicing with Miss Kaoru held her wooden sword innocently between her hands. As the girl looked up toward the steel blue that glittered in Kaoru's eyes. Sanosuke caught a glimpse of the beautiful emerald her eyes held. Those forgiving eyes, he knew they were familiar, but why?
Kenshin obviously had not realized that Sanosuke was so caught up in the little apprentice's eyes because he already had thanked Kaoru for the money she had given him, and walked away with it. After speaking to himself for a full five minutes, he realized Sanosuke was entranced in something, and tapped his shoulder for his attention. "Sano… oh Sanosuke…" Kenshin's voice trailed off.
Snapping from his trance, Sanosuke jumped and turned toward Kenshin. "We should go into town now."
Confused as to why Sano was acting so weird, Kaoru looked toward Kenshin for an explanation, but all she received was a simple shoulder shrug. With a slightly worried huff, she turned back to her eager student. "Well, you are quite good at swordsmanship already. Shall we move on to something else?"
Green-eyed and fearful the apprentice looked to Kaoru, "My sister taught me some things, she will come back for me, I know she will." Kaoru's portals held an unfamiliar sadness, gazing down on the new member of the Kamiya Kasshin style.
"Yes…" Kaoru's vision met that of the foggy clouds peering down on earth, laughing at the pain humans felt. She hoped that what she would say was true, but hope was all that could be placed on the words. "You will see her shortly."
Browsing through the many shops selling goods that were authentic in Japanese cultures, Sanosuke scanned the seemingly growing crowd. Kenshin exhaled mildly so not to disturb the family walking just inches before him. Wiping a bit of sweat from his brow, Kenshin spoke, "It seems something important is going on in town today; that it is. I wonder what could be going on this time."
Small pieces of many conversations could easily be overheard, and being so close to everyone around did not help much. Kenshin bumped someone with the sheath of his reverse-blade sword on an accident. The woman promptly gave him a 'watch where you are going asshole' look through a fairly kind face. Her husband was not quite as kind. He swung at Kenshin with a clutched fist, and the swordsman narrowly dodged a punch to his upper jaw. "What is wrong with these people Kenshin? Other than irritability, I mean."
"I'm not sure, but I am guessing they are tourists, that I am." Kenshin had his lips contorted to a thin frown. The day was nowhere near meek weather. A golden sun glared at those who stood in her way, making the situation no more comfortable. Of course, it could not be much more miserable than it already was either, so the heat made little difference.
Kenshin caught a few sentences from random conversations as he walked by a moderately sized group of teenage boys from some nearby location. One kid sounded rather arrogant, and Kenshin did not quite like him from his words. "Those damn swordsmen! Don't they know that this is the Meiji era now! They act like they have been frozen and are still stuck in the era of the Revolution," the kid boasted, with a rather ignorant tone. He hadn't seen Kenshin with his Sakabatou at his side. This fact was probably better in the boy's case than for Kenshin.
Other boys in the group were talking about a mysterious girl who showed up in town. "Hey, do you know about that weird lady with the twin swords! I heard she's pretty crazy with those swords." Kenshin was overhearing almost every word, "Yeah! They have her held in a cage I guess, because she is too dangerous."
"They make her do shows for money, that's why all these people are here."
"Well duh, that is why we are here too."
"I'm personally here because I am told they hit her with whips if she screws up any of her swordsmanship stuff."
Sanosuke had heard enough from there. "HEY! You kids over there! You want to pick a fight?"
With a worried look, Kenshin tried desperately to drag Sanosuke away from the group of young boys. "SANO! What are you doing, you are going to get yourself in trouble; that you are. We must not fight young boys. I agree with this no more than you, but let us go find out what is really going on first," Kenshin heaved a deep sigh, wiping sweat from his brow once more.
As they continued walking, no longer on their quest to buy rice for the dojo, Kenshin Himura and Sanosuke Sagara could hear laughter coming from a newer, but humongous wooden building. Standing outside in what appeared to be a ticket booth stood a man shouting, "GET YOUR TICKETS! FOR THIS SHORT TIME ONLY, GET A CHANCE TO SEE THE DANCE OF THE TWIN SWORDS AND MUCH MUCH MORE! Five Yen a ticket! Five Yen! THIS WEEK ONLY!"
When the ticket seller saw Kenshin and Sano striding towards him he beamed. "Two tickets I would assume?" Then the man began to whisper to Sanosuke, "She is whipped when she does something wrong, and there are times when men in the stands can do with her what they like, if they are lucky enough that is. So, is it two for the next show then?"
Kenshin glared as he handed ten yen to the man who was selling tickets. After receiving them, both headed inside to take a seat fairly close. The only reason, mutual between them, that they were watching the show was to find out who this mysterious swordswoman was. They also figured that maybe they could save her from the men holding her captive, as was obvious.
Slowly, the curtain was drawn, and the crowd began cheering. The show was about to begin. Just then, Kenshin met the woman's gorgeous emerald eyes with small flecks of blue-grey amidst a sea of jade.
A/N: So, this is the very first chapter to my new story. Hopefully you enjoy it, please click on that little go button and review it if you do though. I am still developing my plot, so bare… I MEAN… bear with me :P I know this was probably a boring chapter. It's a filler, so that would explain that. Thanks for reading. And you're welcome Robert.