CHAPTER 13- VOW
The 9th night came and no one could sleep. Kaoru decided to do the laundry, hoping it would make her drowsy. Yahiko went outside to practice the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu Hawatari, Kaoru's best move. Megumi spent her time going through her medicine chest and reorganizing the content. Kenshin sat up in bed, staring at the sakabatou in his lap.
Jiani was the most restless of all. After tossing and turning furiously in bed, she got up, put on her hakama, tied her sword to her waist, and went out into the night air. Maybe a walk would ease her worries.
Tokyo seemed quieter than ever, as if life had ceased in anticipation of this battle. A nervous chill ran up and down the girl's spine, causing her to wrap her shawl tighter around her shoulders. Still, she put on a brave smile. "Rest easy, Tokyo. We'll protect you."
At long last, she came to a familiar sight: the sakura grove. Sighing, she walked up to one of the trees and placed her hand on the trunk. A gentle wind blew its petals down upon her. Reaching up, she caught one. 'They say catching the leaves or petals of a tree brings luck.' She said to herself. 'I hope that is so.'
"So, you couldn't sleep either, eh?"
It was Sanosuke!
Jiani peered over her shoulder as he came down the hill, clothes flapping in the wind. She smiled, happy to see him as usual. "Sano-kun,"
He winked before stopping and standing next to her. "What brings you here?" he asked.
She shrugged. "What brings YOU here?"
"Good point." Sanosuke smiled. "Oh well, I'm glad I have the chance to talk to you."
She noticed he was blushing, something he rarely did. Jiani wondered what it is he wanted to say.
He cleared his throat. "Well, basically, I wanted to tell you not to worry about tomorrow."
Jiani blinked.
He scratched the back of his head. "Because I'm going to protect you!"
Her heart raced. "Sano-kun."
"I mean, I'm sure you won't need it since you and your dad have been training like crazy to be ready, but I figure why not get an early start and make sure no one gets hold of you, eh?"
'An early start?' Jiani smiled. "That seems fair enough. Just do me a favor, okay?"
He grinned. "Sure, what's that?"
To his surprise, she wrapped her arms around his torso and hugged him. "Do me a favor, and survive while doing it."
Shyly at first, Sanosuke returned the embrace. It was amazing how well she fit into his arms, considering how much taller he was. And she smelled so good too.
"Sure Jiani," he replied. "It's a promise."
.........
The 10th day finally came. Enishi led his five comrades down the hall of the mansion and opened a door for them. Moving aside, he motioned for them to take a look. What they found astonished them.
"Wow." They whispered.
Enishi smirked. "Surprised are you? I told you I'd be upgrading the weapons. So help yourselves and make good use of them." He peered out the window. "And hurry! Our time for Earthly Justice has come!"
The 9th night came and no one could sleep. Kaoru decided to do the laundry, hoping it would make her drowsy. Yahiko went outside to practice the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu Hawatari, Kaoru's best move. Megumi spent her time going through her medicine chest and reorganizing the content. Kenshin sat up in bed, staring at the sakabatou in his lap.
Jiani was the most restless of all. After tossing and turning furiously in bed, she got up, put on her hakama, tied her sword to her waist, and went out into the night air. Maybe a walk would ease her worries.
Tokyo seemed quieter than ever, as if life had ceased in anticipation of this battle. A nervous chill ran up and down the girl's spine, causing her to wrap her shawl tighter around her shoulders. Still, she put on a brave smile. "Rest easy, Tokyo. We'll protect you."
At long last, she came to a familiar sight: the sakura grove. Sighing, she walked up to one of the trees and placed her hand on the trunk. A gentle wind blew its petals down upon her. Reaching up, she caught one. 'They say catching the leaves or petals of a tree brings luck.' She said to herself. 'I hope that is so.'
"So, you couldn't sleep either, eh?"
It was Sanosuke!
Jiani peered over her shoulder as he came down the hill, clothes flapping in the wind. She smiled, happy to see him as usual. "Sano-kun,"
He winked before stopping and standing next to her. "What brings you here?" he asked.
She shrugged. "What brings YOU here?"
"Good point." Sanosuke smiled. "Oh well, I'm glad I have the chance to talk to you."
She noticed he was blushing, something he rarely did. Jiani wondered what it is he wanted to say.
He cleared his throat. "Well, basically, I wanted to tell you not to worry about tomorrow."
Jiani blinked.
He scratched the back of his head. "Because I'm going to protect you!"
Her heart raced. "Sano-kun."
"I mean, I'm sure you won't need it since you and your dad have been training like crazy to be ready, but I figure why not get an early start and make sure no one gets hold of you, eh?"
'An early start?' Jiani smiled. "That seems fair enough. Just do me a favor, okay?"
He grinned. "Sure, what's that?"
To his surprise, she wrapped her arms around his torso and hugged him. "Do me a favor, and survive while doing it."
Shyly at first, Sanosuke returned the embrace. It was amazing how well she fit into his arms, considering how much taller he was. And she smelled so good too.
"Sure Jiani," he replied. "It's a promise."
.........
The 10th day finally came. Enishi led his five comrades down the hall of the mansion and opened a door for them. Moving aside, he motioned for them to take a look. What they found astonished them.
"Wow." They whispered.
Enishi smirked. "Surprised are you? I told you I'd be upgrading the weapons. So help yourselves and make good use of them." He peered out the window. "And hurry! Our time for Earthly Justice has come!"