ZANZA!

Return of a legend:

Sanosuke tells of his past

by Treager-sama

Sanosuke stood silently, nothing but darkness surrounded him. His heart began to pound violently, for he anticipated what he knew would come. He turned and standing before him was dark figure shrouded in shadows. Draped in an ominous cloak, the figure stood motionless. Suddenly a scream that seemed to come from hell itself blared out, deafening, terrifying. Sano clapped his palms over his ears and fell to his knees. He howled in pain as the shriek grew in intensity till he feared his head would burst and just when he thought he could take no more... it stopped. He took his hands from his ears and placed them upon the ground and felt some kind of liquid, thick and warm to the touch. He opened his eyes to see a pool of blood coming from beneath the cloak of the figure standing above him. Sano clenched his bloody hands into fists and punched the floor hard and growled through clenched teeth.

"Gods, why won't you just leave me alone... WHY WONT YOU LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!?!"

The shadowy figure said nothing in return, did nothing... it just stood quietly bleeding. Sanosuke clutched the hem of the cloak and began to weep bitterly.

"Please... please just go away... leave me be..."

Nothing, nothing at all... like a statue the figure stood, buried deep within the confines of the blood soaked cloak. Sano stood up, and looked at his hands, coated in the sticky crimson liquid, growing angrier by the second. As if it had been there the entire time, the Zanbatou was in his bloodstained hands, he raised it up and with a wounded cry brought it down across the length of the cloaked figure. Instantly it collapsed as blood exploded everywhere, coating Sanosuke from head to toe.

"GO BACK TO HELL!!!!"

A whisper could be heard, carried by some chilling wind, but yet it emanated from the cloak lying on the ground. Sano bent forward and spat at the mass of bloody cloth lying there.

"What... what's that you say...?"

"...mm...orr...y..."

Sano drew closer and began to lift the cloth to see where the voice came from. He shrank back in fear from the hideous sight before him... within the folds of the cloak lay a severed head with maggots and worms crawling over the mottled gray flesh of a long dead corpse. The smell made Sanosuke's stomach turn and he wretched, emptying the contents of his stomach upon the ground beside him. He spat and looked back over at the cloak where the head lie uncovered. Working up all his courage, Sano stood back up and slowly approached it again. The face had mostly decayed, one lidless eye was staring at him intensely as the jaw began to move, the cold whisper came again...

"Imm... I'm s-sorry Sanooo..."

Sanosuke threw back his head screaming,

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! KYOSUKE!!!!!"

Black...

...

"AHHHHHH!!"

Kenshin, Kaoru, and Yahiko stood around Sanosuke exchanging worried glances as he suddenly flew awake with a scream, startling them all. Kenshin placed his hand on Sano's forehead which was dripping with a cold sweat.

"Sano... Sano, are you alright? We could hear your shouts and we all came and saw you lying here on the floor."

He looked around, slowly realizing where he was, who these people were, knowing he was now safe. He forced a smile and shivered slightly.

"Yeah, yeah Kenshin... I am fine."

Sensing everyone was worried about the fighter he grinned with a laugh.

"I'm okay, really! Just had a nightmare about Kaoru's cooking was all."

Yahiko laughed and nodded,

"You too huh? HAHA!"

Kaoru's fist came down on Yahiko's head loudly as she snarled.

"...And what exactly is wrong with my cooking Yahiko!?!?"

They dashed out to the kitchen where various loud yelling and banging of cookware could be heard flying about. Kenshin looked at his friend with concerned eyes and knealt down beside him knowing there was more on Sano's mind than Miss Kaoru's cooking. Sano looked into Kenshin's eyes and understood that he was deeply worried about him. A fist met Kenshin right in the jaw which sent him flying backward as Sanosuke laughed.

"Geeze give me some air will ya!?! B'sides, looks like your making breakfast Kenshin, because I'll be damned if my nightmare becomes a reality!"

Kenshin still filled with deep concern for his friend, watched as Sano stood up and walked toward the kitchen where Yahiko and Kaoru were still fighting.

"...Sano..."

...

TO BE CONITUNED IN CHAPTER 6!