Hello again, guys! Happy new year!
I hope Kaoru Himura and Yen have already paid each other by this time. ^^ Chavi West-wind, "oro" doesn't particularly mean anything, it's like "huh?". JML, I actually prefer plain "white" over platinum. ^_^V To the rest of you, thanks for guessing!
There are several ways of taking this confrontation, and this is mine. Hope you like it. I happen to like the guy a little. You have to admit, he's one of the most gorgeous psychos ever created! ^^ Non-spoiler, as best as I can make it.
……………………………
The stranger appeared before the Kamiya dojo gate. Five pairs of eyes scrutinized him from head to foot. From the front porch, where they sat, they could not be certain it was he. Surely, he was the man that asked Yahiko and Tsubame for directions. Truly, he was the man Aoshi saw looking over the dojo. But as to his being who Kenshin said he was, only Aoshi was sure.
A pair of round dark glasses covered his narrow eyes, and a wide-brimmed brown hat covered his lofty head. He wore a white Chinese suit and pants, both made of rich silk, blowing in the slight spring breeze. He had a proud and handsome air, which could not be ignored.
The tall man looked behind him at the shorter redhaired man, as if asking permission. The redhead nodded to him with a smile. He stepped into the dojo. The five kept their eyes on his movements.
He walked toward the front porch and stopped in front of them.
"Good afternoon. We meet in better circumstances."
With a grand flourish, he took off his hat and revealed a whole head of snowy hair. He bowed in the American manner to the men and women, hat in hand. As he raised himself again, he lowered the glasses to the bridge of his nose.
Kunai, bokken, and fists were drawn. They finally recognized the tousled white hair of an enemy. The man only lowered his head and made a slight chuckle.
But the okashira and the pregnant woman raised a hand each, as the redhead anxiously ran toward them. "Lower your weapons," the okashira ordered.
"Sou desu," the woman agreed. "He is no longer our enemy." She faced the white haired man and smiled. "This afternoon, he is our guest."
"Tea, de gozaru ka?" the little man offered, already standing beside him.
"It will be an honor," he replied with a slow and polite bow of the head.
Yahiko, Sanosuke, and Misao still kept a watchful eye on Enishi. Thoughts of a setup, a treachery, another grand scheme, ran through their suspicious brains. If Aoshi was thinking the same thoughts, however, he did not show them to the guest, and contented himself with helping Kaoru serve tea. Even the baby was no trouble.
The two everyone was expecting to be the least civil, were the most hospitable. A little uneasy, but very gracious. They told him about the wedding and the past few months, as if they were chatting with a long-lost friend. They served him tea, as if the prime minister were their guest. They treated him like a brother, which was something the rest could not even consider.
Only by looking at each other's eyes, the couple understood.
The past is forgiven and forgotten.
"To what do we attribute the honor of this visit?" Kenshin asked cheerfully.
"Yeah, what brings you white-haired psycho back to our dojo?" Yahiko rephrased.
"YAHIKO!" Kaoru drove a fist through her student's head. "Show some manners!"
"And what's the package for?"
"Trying to bribe your way back, ne?"
"SANO! MISAO-CHAN! Are you out of your minds?!" Kaoru reprimanded them.
"If we are, he was first!" Sanosuke, Misao, and Yahiko chorused. Kenshin oro-ed, and Aoshi held his forehead.
"Seriously, Battousai------" the guest began.
"Kenshin, please, Enishi. Himura, at least."
"Seriously, Himura. What DO you find in these people?" He nonchalantly asked as he sipped his tea.
"Why you------" and once again kunai, bokken, and fists were drawn out.
"If you three don't plan to be civil, you could get out of here right now!" an irritated Kaoru concluded. The three calmed down and resorted to grumbling noiselessly. She then addressed Enishi, "You will forgive them, but you do understand-------"
"I don't plan to stay," he stopped her. "I did not even plan to create such a sensation in town…….Just visit my only living relation……in a way…….But since I do not know too many people in Tokyo, and I have been away for some time, I had to be sure of a few things."
"What things?" Aoshi asked.
"What happened to my brother-in-law since then," he replied easily and truthfully. "Where he lived and how, what circumstances he was in already." He turned toward Kenshin. "From what I've heard in town, life has been good to you, Himura."
"Maa-maa," Kenshin meekly commented. So-so.
"But how do you explain the rich baby clothes, and your spanky getup?" Sanosuke inquired as he gnawed on a fishbone.
Enishi shot a haughty look toward him. "Why, can't a man start a legitimate business in Japan?"
"And be rich enough in a year and a half to buy silk?" Kaoru added with wonder.
"Are you a member of the yakuza?" Misao asked bluntly.
"MISAO-DONO!"
The man in the Chinese silk stared at the ripples in his tea for what seemed like ages. The –gumi assumed several reasons for the silence. Maybe he was indeed a member of the Japanese mafia now. Maybe he was just organizing his thoughts. Maybe he was preparing a lie. Maybe he simply did not know what to say.
"I suppose I do owe you two an explanation," he looked only at the couple, and ignored the others. "Now, as long as these three unreasonable people promise to keep silence, I will tell you."
He lifted his proud head and stared at the ceiling. He then looked over the practice area, where the couple had served him tea. His eyes remained at one particular wall. There he had left the final devastating element of his revenge, only 2 years past. He laughed in triumph as he saw the anguish in Battousai's face, that day.
But that was a lifetime ago.
The wall, the rest of the practice area, the entire dojo, no longer showed any signs of the struggles made there. Quite understandably, the husband and wife wanted to forget the havoc he caused. So did he.
To do so, he had be true to them, once and for all.
"I stayed in Rakuninmura for a while, thought things out," he began. All six were astonished to know this, but kept quiet. "An old man kept telling me about not giving up on life, not giving up on ideals. He knocked enough sense into me, I suppose. That, and realizing that my sister did love you, as much or even more than she loved me."
Kenshin put an arm around his wife instinctively. Tomoe was Tomoe, but Kaoru was here, now, and he loved her with everything that was himself. He wanted to tell her that without disturbing the narration. Kaoru welcomed the gesture. Enishi let out a small, sad smile.
"I made my way back to Kyoto, to pay my respects to nee-san, to leave her diary there for safekeeping, to see where life and fate should take me next. I knew the police were still after me, so I decided to lay low. I took the Toukai way back to Kyoto, on foot. I did not have money, anyway, and I still wanted time to think."
"Isn't that where we met, Himura?" Misao asked.
Kenshin nodded with a knowing smile. He, too, had plenty of time to think on that road, about Kaoru, the others, the future, the past.
"So, about that crate?" Sanosuke prodded.
"Still the impatient one," he condescendingly cocked his round glasses at him. "Shortly, I will get to that.
"In Kyoto I was able to meet some old family friends. Most of them thought me dead, all of them did not know who I had become. One of them agreed to be my business partner. Metalworks. Iron and steel parts.I suppose you recall that I have experience in that area," he said with only a little awkwardness.
"We were lucky," he continued. "We could take advantage of the growth and development this ---despicable---government is fostering throughout the country. Our products are highly in demand. My partner supplies the finances and manpower, and I take charge of operations. We share the profits equally.
"Thus we get to your crate," he glanced again at Sanosuke, but kept his eyes on Kenshin and Kaoru. "No, I'm not part of the mafia," and he glared at Misao. "It does pay to be in good terms with those people, but I am not in direct contact and involvement with them. As it is, I still have a reputation in the underground that none of them dare contradict," he finished smugly.
"The business is being expanded into Tokyo, and hopefully to Japan's neighboring countries, that is the simple reason why I am here. In the city I have heard of the Himuras, how they have been faring. Someone told me that your wife was expecting a baby soon. I probably will not be here to see the child, so this is my present to him, as an uncle of sorts."
"Him?" Kenshin asked.
"Present?" Kaoru also asked.
"Uncle?! Are you two going to let this guy be your kid's uncle?!" Yahiko commented.
"Is there anyone else?" Kaoru landed another fist to his head.
"I do not care if I am accepted as such, or not," Enishi interrupted the erupting fight. "I do not ask for sympathy. I do not ask for pity. I do not even ask for forgiveness, although you have forgiven me. If you accept this, my token of gratitude, it will be enough. I know it is not enough to repay my debts to you, but I hope it is a start."
All six were startled at this speech. He was still a proud man, arrogant with his accomplishments, brilliantly aggressive with his plans. However, he was no longer a man bent on twisted justice, on revenge.
In his own way, he was seeking for atonement.
Kenshin gave him a long and deep bow. "Domo arigatou de gozaimashita."
"Our sincerest thanks," Kaoru added, bowing as low as her bulging abdomen allowed. "Your gift is accepted, with much gratitude."
"I don't BELIEVE these two!" Misao commented.
"Believe it," Aoshi replied.
"I return to my original question," Enishi gave a sly smirk. "What do you find in these obnoxious, annoying people, Himura?"
"NOW we'll get your hide--you pompous, exasperating, conceited, white-haired--" Sanosuke unleashed his fists.
"High and mighty, infuriating, arrogant---" Misao continued.
"PSYCHO!" Yahiko finished.
"You understand what I mean, Himura," Enishi concluded, with a flourish of a hand to the three.
Kenshin had to laugh aloud. Aoshi allowed himself a small grin. Kaoru giggled in spite of herself.
"What you say is true, Enishi----" Kenshin began.
"On whose side are you on?!" Misao demanded.
"……..but they are my friends, and they have proven themselves to be so," Kenshin continued. "Nobody is perfect in this world, Enishi, but we all live with our imperfections and mistakes, and we learn to love each other the way we are. The way, Kaoru and I have learned to forgive and to understand you."
"To each his own," the man in Chinese silk stood up and shrugged his patronizing shoulders. "I thank you all for a, shall we say, an interesting evening." He retrieved his brown hat and replaced it on his head. "A precaution I take against nosy cops and citizens," he explained as he tilted the hat. "I wish you well with the child."
"The same with your business," Aoshi spoke in behalf of the –gumi.
"When do we see you again?" Kenshin had to ask.
"Sometime when you have the house all to yourselves, and you no longer have those three annoyances," he looked back with a peculiar grin to the aforementioned three. "I will find a way to inform you." He faced the gate and walked away from the dojo, ever the smooth and confident presence.
And the white specter was gone, as quietly as he came.
Kaoru wrapped a loving arm around her husband's waist, as they watched the stars appear over the heavens from the front porch. God is in His heaven; Enishi is fine, despite everything the Kenshin-gumi fired at him; all is right in the world.
"Well, that went WELL-----AAAAACK!" Kaoru gripped her hurting stomach. Kenshin was all over her in consternation and in confusion. He plainly did not know what to do.
"OK, my territory," Misao took control. "Breathe in and out, slowly, in and out………."
"EASY FOR YOU TO SAY!!" Kaoru screamed at her.
"Better than nothing!" Misao returned. "Now breathe in and out, slowly."
"Listen to me carefully, all of you," Kaoru gave orders in between huffs and puffs. "These pains are getting closer, and that probably means something. Sano, telegram Megumi to get over here SOON! Misao, brush through that book of yours for all it's worth. Aoshi---um, Aoshi---do whatever it is you do, I don't know what that would be. Keep Misao under control—yeah, that's what you do. Yahiko, be on call whenever possible. And anata, you're in charge of the kitchen until further notice."
"Yoshi! Sugoi!" Yahiko cheered. "Decent food at last!"
"One of these days I just might kill you, Yahiko!" Kaoru cried out.
"Now let's plan this out seriously," she continued her battle plans. "Crib and baby clothes are taken care of. We still need bottles, and diapers, and a few more things. That, Misao and I will settle over the next week. For such an operation, we need you to withdraw money again, anata."
"Orooooo……."
"Next, Kenshin would have to take a few days off when the day comes, right? Maybe a few arrangements could be made for that?"
"Hai, de gozaru…….."
"Remind us to talk to Megumi when she gets here. It would be easier if she comes here than if we go to the Oguni clinic."
"Hai, de gozaru…….."
"Is that everything I can think of, so far?"
"Hai, de gozaru……."
"Stop that, anata!"
"Stop what, de gozaru ka, Kaoru-dono?"
"THAT! –dono, de gozaru, oro! Koishii, I told you, anata, koishii!! Enishi was right! You all are obnoxious and annoying!! ITAIII!!!"
"I refuse to be affected by all this," Aoshi murmured to himself, and resumed his meditation.
………………………………..
"Tiger and Tanuki" is another take on this thing, very well made. I recommend that you guys take a look at it, too, and make a newbie happy.
Blame Vandread Second Stage for this rendering of Eni-chan. I admired how the writers handled Bart Garsus and Hibiki Tokai. A guy might choose to change for the better, but the changes don't happen overnight. They happen gradually. Kenshin had ten years to become the person we know him to be.
Belated Happy Rizal Day, by the way. ^^ Did you know that the "white haired psycho wearing dark glasses" concept was not original to Nobuhiro Watsuki? Jose Rizal thought of it as well, in the 1880's, in the lead character Simoun in El Filibusterismo. But Simoun wasn't as cool as Enishi. ^^
This one took all of a Saturday to make. More than five hours. ^_^
Until next time!