Izou Hen: The Legacy Arc

Summary: In Meiji 26 (1891), the remaining Kenshingumi members reunite again. Now that Kenshin and Kaoru are gone, it's up to them the mission of protecting Japan. S+M, Y+T, A+M, and 15-year-old Kenji-kun, of course. After-Seisou Hen, OVA spoilers ahead!

Author's Notes: Thanks for your comment on 'who said what', Firefury-san! I reread it, and I must admit some parts were quite confusing, oops ^_^'' I tried to fix a few things up, hope it's better now. About the post-Seisou Hen epidemic, well... let's say, mine's different! ^_^'' Uck, that was a stupid comment. On with the fic.

Disclaimers: Rurouni Kenshin © 1997 by Nobuhiro Watsuki.

I - Kenshingumi, almost complete

- Are you sure you have everything on you, Megumi-san?

- I guess so. - the older woman said, then leaned closer to whisper something to the younger one. - What about our conversation? Are you sure I won't be needed around? - she asked, making her friend blush.

- Oh, don't worry about that, Megumi-san. Yahiko and I don't plan on having children by now, especially after the latest events. - the girl said, lowering her head.

- I understand. - Megumi sighed, her eyes to the tatami mats as well. - Anyway, Tsubame-chan, if anything happens, don't hesitate on sending me a word.

- I won't. Let me take you to the gates, please.

The dojo had been kept exactly how its late owners used to keep it. The furniture was at its usual spots. One of the rooms had been enlarged years before, to accommodate the couple's only child, but the work hadn't changed much of the original architecture of the building. The rest of the walls have been kept the same since the last earthquake of Tokyo. But for those who once lived and knew what it had been like to live there in the past - the past impregnated on such walls -, for those, all that lasted was a carcass. The dojo itself was long gone.

- Megumi-san. Please stay.

A tall, spiky-haired man in his mid-twenties looked at the woman, a mix of fear and apprehension in his eyes.

- We have already discussed that. - she said, her long fingers flipping through her thick, raven hair. - Haven't we?

- I know, but... it's too soon!

- I don't think so. Yahiko-chan. - Megumi said, stressing the suffix.

- You know I'm way too old to be addressed as "chan" now.

- But sometimes you still look, and act, like a child. - she glared at him, then gave him a small smile. - Maybe would you prefer that I called you "Myoujin-san"?

- Not that either - he chuckled. - Still, why don't you stay a bit longer? Toshio-san wouldn't mind being alone at the clinic a few more days. Besides... I'm still afraid of leaving Kenji all by himself at the dojo.

- My husband has a point, Megumi-san - Tsubame intervened. - Kenji-kun hasn't recovered very well yet. Remember, you were the first to notice the dark circles under his eyes and his glazed looks.

Megumi sighed heavily. Yes, it was true. The boy wasn't taking well the loss of his parents. But she could understand him. If she spent one more night at the dojo, she was certain that she would go insane. All that silence, in which she was immediately engulfed when she laid her head on her pillow and closed her eyes, it brought her memories, nightmares, tears. There was no way she was staying. A stronger woman like Kaoru would have beared with that... but not her. She had already suffered enough for the past months, unsuccessfully trying to save her friend's life, seeing her emaciating more and more each day - yet never losing the faith she had in her husband's return. "Would I have fought so hard for the one I love?" was the question the doctor asked herself while taking care of Kaoru, and which kept echoing into her mind every single night.

- Kenji-kun is going to be just fine without me. You don't have to worry about that. I have given you two enough trouble for the last months, now I must go back to Aizu. - she decided, turning to the gate.

- Y' ain't going anywhere, Fox Lady.

A large, grey wall was abruptly erected in front of her. Her eyes, figuring it was actually a person's torso, moved up slowly and slowly, until she found the face of the impertinent man who dared to not only contradict, but insult her. There, she saw an unshaven jaw, a large grin, and unmistakable chestnut eyes.

- Sagara Sanosuke! - she gasped, soon followed by the others.

- Stupid rooster-head!!!! You left Japan totally out of the blue without telling me anything, did't even send us a letter saying you are alive, completely disappeared for fifteen years and now that you finally come back you still think you can tell me what to do!!! - Megumi yelled, using her pouch to beat furiously the new visitor. - I'm sure you didn't even know what we were talking about before that!!!

- What, no "welcome back"? No "how are you"? Where are your manners? - he teased, expertly averting her strokes. He haven't stopped training his Futae no Kiwami during those fifteen years, so his fighting skills were highly above what the others expected. At least, they were enough to survive the lady doctor's attacks. - And what about Jou-chan and Kenshin, where--

- Sano - The grave tone on Yahiko's voice caught everyone's attention. - ... you... you are too late.

The older man stared blankly at him, his mind trying to register the information implied in the younger's voice. Not wanting to believe, he lightly shook his head and knitted his eyebrows.

- It's true, Sagara-san - said Tsubame, almost whispering, her voice tremulous. - Kenshin-san and Kaoru-san... they... passed away a couple of weeks ago.

- Kenshin... Jou-chan... dead?

The other three said nothing, their heads low.

- No!!! It-- it can't be! They, they were still so young! Why did them-- was it that disease? Kaoru had that too?

- How... how did you know about Kenshin's disease? - Megumi inquired.

- I... I met Kenshin in Mongolia. He was terrible. He didn't seem to understand anything I told him... it didn't make any sense. Shit, I knew I should have got into that fuckin' boat as well!... - Sano said, turning his back to the rest of the group and trying to hide his moist eyes with his hands. - Damn it!!! I swear I tried to save him, I swear!!!

- Sano... - Megumi's soft voice came from behind him. - I believe you. We know you have done all you could--

- But what was the point?!? No matter what I've done, he's gone now!!! All that ended up being useless!!!

- Don't say that!!! - Megumi yelled, then held his arm with all her strength, silently asking him to turn to her. He did, and in her eyes he saw anger glimmering under her tears.

- How can you say such thing?!? "Useless"?!? Do you think it was useless? That it was just a waste of time, is this it? Don't you think it would have made some difference if he'd died alone on a strange place, instead of dying here, in his wife's arms?!? For God's sake, Sano!!! If you can't see the difference between that, then why have you come back to Japan after all?!? I can't understand that!!!

Megumi was slightly out of breath in the end of her speech. Sanosuke seemed to be lost in thoughts. Yahiko was just speechless. So, being the only one still able to talk, Tsubame carefully approached the doctor.

- Please, Megumi-san, calm down...

- I'm better now, dear, thank you - the woman answered, still gazing intensively at Sano's eyes.

- You... you said he died in Jou-chan's arms.

- Yeah - Yahiko finally managed to say something. - We found their... bodies... embraced, under a cherry tree. They... they were smiling.

- See, Sano - spoke Megumi, her voice soft again. - They were happy. For at least their last moments, they found happiness on each other's arms. You gave them that happiness. - she got closer to him, a faint smile on her lips. - Do you understand now why I said it hasn't been useless?

Megumi's tender voice and words managed to calm the ex-gangster down. But the pain of losing two of his closest friends was too recent, too hard to bear. Without asking, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and cried, not worrying if the others would see his emotional outburst.

- I didn't want to lose them - he sobbed.

- None of us did - she whispered, caressing his back to comfort him, as if he was a young boy.

The four adults stood there, silent, and would have stayed like that all day if a questioning voice hadn't startled them.

- What's going on here? - a fifteen-year-old boy looked at the scene in front of him, his long, auburn locks of hair hiding his worried blue eyes. - Who is that?

Lifting his face, Sano looked at the boy from head to toe, and soon concluded with a small laugh.

- Kenshin's kid?

- Quite obvious, isn't it? - Yahiko chuckled.

- Hell, he looks just like him! Without the scar, of course, but even the swo--

- And you? Who are you and what are you doing here? - the teenager inquired, irritated that someone might be invading his house, without his permission.

- Kenji-kun, - Tsubame introduced them - this is an old friend of us, Sanosuke Sagara. Sagara-san, this is Kenji Himura, Kenshin-san and Kaoru-san's son.

- Oh, so you are the guy my par-- my mother used to tell me stories about. Welcome back.

- Hi, Kenji.

- I was already guessing who it was by the hairstyle and the red bandanna. But what happened to the famous character for "evil" they all told me about? - the boy asked, making all of them notice Sano wasn't wearing his usual jacket and trousers, but a light grey gi and a black hakama. He would actually pass as a common Japanese man, if not for his broad shoulders, his great height, the red headband, and of course his gravity-defying, rooster-like hair.

- Too worn off - Sano laughed. - You... look a lot like your father, Kenji-kun.

- So, Megumi-san, - Kenji commented matter-of-factly, to change the topic of the conversation - did you change your mind about going back?

- Actually, I was going to wait for a carriage, but then Sano arrived and--

- What, don't ya wanna hear about my trips? C'mon, I know you're crazy to know where I've been all those years. - Sano said, putting an arm around Megumi's shoulder, back to his usual good mood.

Author's Notes: I intend to write my first RuroKen saga. Intend.

This fiction happens right after the end of the OVAs (that's why it's called "Izou Hen" - Izou=Legacy). I haven't seen the first five OVAs, and the last one I've seen with my pals, which means I haven't paid attention to a thing. Then, sorry if it's not too accurate. I'm trying my best (that's what the Kenshingumi Mailing List is for). If something sounds TOO different from the original plot, e-mail me at fox_lady_2000@hotmail.com, and I might change it, or at least I'll tell you guys it was my purpose to make it different -_-''

Chapter II: Sano's back, and pouring his heart out to the foxy doctor. Inadequate to diabetics due to high levels of sweetness ^_^