Standard Disclaimers Apply.
Chapter Thirteen
The play was staring soon. Everybody is nervous, panic-stricken and hyper. The backstage of the theater was in a major commotion. Everybody was jostling around, talking, rehearsing and making final adjustments. Just then, Misao flung the door open.
"Minna!!! Dr. Genzai!!! Professor Fujita!!! We have a big problem!!!" Misao panted.
"What is it Misao?" Dr. Genzai asked worriedly.
"It's… it's… it's…"
"Spit it out weasel!!!" Fujita smirked.
"It's Shishio! He can't perform for the second fight scene!!!" Misao said in one breath.
"Whhaaattt!??"
"Well, his girlfriend, Yumi, said that Shishio fell asleep on the sofa, with his cigarette on his finger. Go figure. He's at home now after getting his burns tended at the hospital. I don't think he can perform on stage… Unless, if you want a mummified assassin on stage," Misao said raising one eyebrow.
"I knew that Shishio was an ahou," Fujita sneered.
"That's alright, we'll just look for a replacement," Dr. Genzai said calmly.
"Who, then?" Misao asked.
"Aoshi Shinomori, come here."
"Aoshi-sama!???" Misao asked, creasing her eyebrows because of deep thinking. Something is not right… I feel it… No that's not it… it's too right. Aoshi wearing a white trench coat, fighting Himura. Misao shook her head in frustration. Stop it! I am not going to think like this anymore! This is crazy.
Aoshi approached Dr. Genzai and asked, "What is it sir."
"Makoto Shishio had an accident. The play is about to begin… since you are the stage manager, I assume you know his lines well," Dr. Genzai explained.
Aoshi remained as stoic as ever, yet he managed to nod. He walked towards the costumes. On the way there, he remember something so he turned around to ask, "Dr. Genzai?"
"Hmmm?"
"Can I use my twin kodachi instead? I wield it better than a katana."
"That'll be fine. Just don't forget to tell Kenshin so that you can coordinate your scene," Dr. Genzai replied before going to the technical staff.
Aoshi nodded and left.
By now, Misao's face is unreadable, Twin Kodachi…Oh no! Kaiten Kenbu Rurouken… I haven't actually seen them fight… but…fighting with Battousai Misao started to walk towards Aoshi and then stopped Noooo!!! This is crazy, I think I am on the verge of a nervous breakdown… breathe Misao, breathe. Yup, that's right. I'll just sit down and enjoy the show.
~~~~~
"Chikuso!!!" Sano grumbled as he made the last minute tests for the lighting and sounds.
"Ahou, what did you now?" Fujita smirked.
"I didn't do anything wrong!" Sano said defensively as he tried to push some more buttons, which caused the whole theater to black-out. "Kuso!!!"
Fujita shook his head and blew his cigarette smoke at Sano's face. He pushed a couple of buttons and clicked the main switch, "Ahou, you forgot to click this," He clicked another switch and the lights went back to normal.
"Hmph! I knew that!" Sano said, crossing his arms.
~~~~~
Meanwhile, Shiro, Okon and Omasu were assigned to welcome and usher the guests to their seats. They were wearing a blue onmitsu uniform designed by Megumi to set the milieu of the play. On the other hand, Toramaru was assigned to guard the door from gatecrashers. He wore a sumo uniform to flaunt his authority to those who dared.
Okon and Omasu stood in front of the door and bowed their heads, "Welcome everyone… the house is now open." They opened the doors to the theater simultaneously as the crowd walked in. They assisted the audience to their proper seating. After an hour or so, when everyone is already in, they posted the "FULL THEATER" sign. Omasu was about to close the door when she heard rushing footsteps towards them.
"Wait! Wait! Please don't close the door, yet," a woman in a sharp suit panted. The girl accompanying her also breathed heavily.
Omasu looked at them with a sad face and replied, "Sorry, but the theater is already full. The next showing will be tomorrow."
The young lady's face fell as she said, near to tears, "But we promised Kenshin that we'll watch him tonight! At his first live performance."
"Oh!" Okon exclaimed. "Well, I'm Okon, and this is Omasu. If you're friends of Kenshin, then maybe we can sneak you in the back stage. Eto…"
"Tae Seikihara," The older woman bowed.
"Tsubame Sanjou," The little girl accompanying her smiled.
"Well, then we have to be very discreet so that Prof. Fujita will not spot them," Shiro said from behind.
Seeing vacant seats in the fifth row, the three led Kenshin's visitors there instead.
"I hope this seat is okay for you," Omasu smiled.
"Thank you very much," Tae smiled graciously.
Tsubame was about to say something when someone caught her eye.
"Okon! Omasu! Shiro! Dr. Genzai is looking for you!" Yahiko yelled feigning authority.
The three nodded and went their way after waving goodbye to Tae and Tsubame.
Yahiko saw Tsubame and found himself dumbfounded at the girl who held his heart.
"Yahiko-chan!" Tsubame called out, blushing.
"Don't call me chan!!!" Yahiko suddenly burst out.
"So…sorry! Sorry, Yahiko-kun," Tsubame said, hiding her flushed face with a fan.
"Ano… sorry about that. Just arrived from Kyoto?" Yahiko asked pretending to be cool.
Tsubame nodded and asked, "So are you watching the play too?"
Yahiko grinned and nodded.
"Will you like to sit beside me?"
Yahiko was caught off-guard and blushed furiously. He looked straight into Tsubame's eyes as he sat beside her. He stammered, "Th.. thank you."
~~~~~
"Listen up everyone! There will be a slight change in the costumes!" Megumi announced as she dropped a large box. "Kenshin, Kaoru, here are your new costumes", she said as she handed both of them with separate paper bags. "Dr. Genzai told me to change the colors so that it would be more eye-catching to the audience. Now go and wear them so I can make the last-minute adjustments if necessary."
Kaoru and Kenshin nodded as they accepted the bags. They went straight to the dressing room to change. As usual, Kenshin was the one who finished first. He went out of the dressing room wearing a pink gi and white hakama. He placed his sakabattou on his left hip as he waited patiently for Kaoru.
Kaoru stepped outside wearing a yellow kimono with orange tints on the left shoulder that is printed with white flowers. It is matched with a green and purple striped obi tied in a red sash. Her hair was held up with a pink ribbon.
"Kenshin! Kenshin!" she called out.
"He is already at the stage. The play is about to start. Didn't you hear my announcement?" Professor Fujita sneered.
"Sorry, I was in the dressing room," Kaoru replied as she bowed her head down. She ran towards the stage to take her position. It was really dark on the stage but she knew the stage by heart already.
The lights remained closed as the narrator said, "The play Battousai no Kokoro is about to begin. Please turn your cellular phones and pagers on silent mode." After a few seconds, she said in a melodramatic voice, "More than a hundred years ago, a man, known as the Hitokiri Battousai, served as a major catalyst for the Meiji Era. By the end of the Bakumatsu, he disappeared. This play is about the life and love of Battousai after the war. Watch it with an open heart to be able to fully comprehend the emotions portrayed in this play."
The lights slowly opened and the two major characters slowly turned around. As they slowly took in the appearance of one another, their eyes widened at the sudden recognition. They continued to stare at each other with a stunned expression on their faces when a mysterious wind blew hard in their direction causing them to slightly shiver. They felt a deep rush enter their souls as they gradually felt themselves being transported to another time and place.
"Kaoru-dono?"
"Rurouni?"
Preview of Next Chapter:
Matrices of Memories
Author's Notes:
The play might be longer than I intended because aside from the play itself, I have to include the character's psyche… minna, I need your opinion again. Should I chop it into acts or should I squeeze it in one long chapter?
I didn't insert another chap because it will spoil the play for you.
For all my readers: I am currently constructing a webpage for my fanfictions. I need your help. Will you rate my each of my fics from one to five, one for Waff and five for ULTRA, glucose overdose? I want to put a Waff Rating for each fic and since you are my readers, I think that it would be better for you to rate them. ^_^ thank you! I appreciate it very much!
Thank you to all those who read this fic and special thanks for those who left a review! It really inspires me!!
Chris- ::blushes:: I still can't believe I wrote this. I'll send you my part later, ok?
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