Chapter 9
By Crystal
*We all know who this belongs to ^^;;*
Kaoru has already left a few hours ago and now, I am standing here, watching the dojo one last time. Then suddenly, a figure appeared and I heard Megumi-san beside me gasp. "Shinomori Aoshi..."
I felt his intense eyes on me and I did not flinch a single time, I was used to all those stares, "Who are you?" He asked, suspicious.
"Takagami Toshiko." I lied, "I'm Kaoru's friend. But Megumi-san told me she was not here at the moment."
"A visitor... At midnight?"
I nodded my head, "I don't see a problem with that, Shinomori-san."
The grip on his sword tightened, but he looked at Megumi-san now, "Where is Battousai? Answer me." He's looking for Kenshin...
"I... I..." He repeated his question again, "I don't know..." Megumi-san answered.
"If you don't tell me, I'll kill her." He said, pointing to me.
"Battousai's gone to Kyoto." I glanced at Saitoh-san who suddenly appeared.
That man frowned, "Who are you?"
"Fujita Goro. As you can see, just a policeman." Saitoh-san explained everything to him while Megumi-san and I stood there, unspeaking.
When that man left, Megumi-san was frowning, "What were you just talking to him for, you worthless cop! He's a dangerous man! All he thinks about is killing Ken-san!"
"If I hadn't been talking to him, that dangerous man would have killed you and Yukishiro. Dangerous, but one who became the Okashira of the Oniwabanshuu at the age of fifteen is certainly talented. I'm just wondering whether or not we can use him."
"As much as I like to chat with you, Saitoh-san... I must get going."
"You're leaving for Kyoto tomorrow, Yukishiro." He stated.
I nodded my head, "Sayonara, Megumi-san... See you in Kyoto, Saitoh-san... And please, don't call me 'Yukishiro'."
"Himura." I felt the urge to roll my eyes at the stupid cop.
* * * * *
I hugged Toshiko, "Take care." She nodded quietly, then I turned to Megumi-san who was watching us depart, "Please take care of her, Megumi-san."
"Of course." She said, a slight smile on her face, "Bring Ken-san back..."
"I will." I called to Kenji and Soujiro-kun, "Hayaku, Kenji, Soujiro-kun!"
I heard footsteps on the wooden floor, "Hai, Okaasan... Are we going to visit Toku and Hisashi-san? I miss them already! And there's Ojiisan..."
I smiled at the thought of visiting Hiko-san again, I missed that old man... Well... Not exactly old. "We are definitely visiting your Ojiisan... I think we will be able to visit Toku-kun and Hisashi-san after the whole mess. All right?"
He nodded happily, then I turned around at the sound of another pair of footsteps, "Gomen nasai, Tomoe-san. I'm late." Soujiro-kun apologized.
"It's all right. We should get going. We'll be taking the shortest road possible. About seven days."
May 19, 1879
It has been a day since Kenji, Soujiro-kun and I have walked restlessly for a day. Six days left until we will reach Kyoto. If we are lucky and if we hurry up, we can make it in five days. Hopefully, we will be able to get there as soon as possible, considering we will not have much time. I will see you later...
I looked at the sleeping figures of Kenji and Soujiro-kun, tucked away safely under their blankets, snoring quietly. Though I knew... If I made a sound a bit too loud for their taste, they would spring up and start drawing their swords, ready to fight in two seconds. It felt safe to be with the two children that wielded swords, but I felt useless... And it reminded me painfully of Kenshin when he was Battousai.
May 23, 1879
We have encountered a bunch of yakuzas, although the two of them took care of them quickly. The yakuzas were about to rob us of our provisions and money when Soujiro-kun took out his sword. They laughed, of course. Until Soujiro-kun disappeared from the face of the earth did they stop laughing. And a second later, the dozen of yakuzas laid face down, unconscious. Even Kenji was impressed. I, for one was absolutely staring at awe at the face of a young man that have learned so much things. I had asked him if Kenshin had taught him all that, and he had told me 'yes' and that he had begged Kenshin to teach him because he needed something to protect himself against. Although Kenshin did not teach him the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, he still taught him something... Maybe even better than the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu.
It was on May 25, 1879 that we arrived in Kyoto. Without wasting a single minute, we walked up the mountain and although we were exhausted, or rather, I was exhausted, I pushed myself onwards. I knew I was worrying Kenji, but I had no choice but to do that.
I was still walking up the mountain, sweat covering my forehead as I walked and walked, ignoring the aches in my legs, the exhaustion, the dehydration... When I was two miles away Hiko-san's house, I sighed in relief.
Kenji told me to walk slowly and got Soujiro-kun to stay with me while he ran ahead to get Hiko-san. Hiko-san appeared in less than a minutes, then he hauled me up and carried me all the way to his house, resting me on the bed and giving me warm water to drink. "You could've hurt yourself, Tomoe." I almost rolled my eyes, Hiko-san was like my father in a way, always giving me lectures. "What were you doing, pushing with all your might to get here anyways? You were never the one in a hurry... And what of this brat?" He said, pointing at Soujiro-kun.
Soujiro-kun frowned, a displeased look on his face. He was going to open his mouth to say something when I interrupted him, "Hiko-san... this is Kenshin's student, Seta Soujiro. He taught him how to fight, but he didn't teach him the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu."
I could almost see Hiko-san sigh in relief. "Boy." He said, addressing Soujiro-kun. Soujiro-kun looked at him while Kenji and I kept quiet. "What style do you use?"
"Shukuchi" He replied.
Hiko-san looked thoughtful for a second, "Show me how you do it after Tomoe gets rested. I might want to correct some mistakes my baka deshi taught you."
"Baka deshi...?"
I frowned at Hiko-san, "Seriously, Hiko-san... Even after eleven years, you still call Kenshin baka deshi."
"He's always been my baka deshi."
"Baka deshi...?" Soujiro-kun asked once again. "Is Hiko-san the Shisho of Himura-san?" I nodded, "Sou ka..."
I was about to sit up when I felt Hiko-san's hands push me down again, "Rest, Tomoe. And what of that baka deshi... Did you meet him again?"
"Aa... I met him in Tokyo and I was even surprised myself when it was my friend's house that he was living at."
He nodded again, "Rest now. I'll go teach Kenji some other stuff while I correct this boy's Shukuchi."
"Arigatou. Take care of Soujiro-kun, I promised Kenshin I would do that." I said, closing my eyes.
I heard Hiko-san snort, "Even after so many years, you still love him. I don't know what you see him in."
Then I replied, "Exactly what you see in him." Then darkness surrounded me and I was lulled to the peaceful sounds of sleep...
* * * * *
When I awoke, the sun was already up and I guessed it was another day. I found Kenji and Soujiro-kun asleep on the floor beside me, then faces clearly showing exhaustion. Hiko-san must've worked them out pretty much. It was then that Hiko-san came in, "There's a signal flare just outside. It has nothing to do with me anyways."
"Perhaps you should pay more attention to the outside world..."
"There's nothing more to care about."
I shrugged, "if you didn't care, you wouldn't have visited that grave ten years ago and I wouldn't have met you. And even if I did meet you and you didn't care, you wouldn't have taught Kenji Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu." He said no more and assumed I was right.
The day passed uneventfully and I cleaned the whole house up again. It was a lot more messier than it had been the last time I had left. Hiko-san was too lazy... But then again, there was me to clean up after him. I sighed quietly and remembered when I had cleaned up for Kenshin. It seemed like so long ago, yet I still remember it like it was yesterday.
It was at night when I had given Hiko-san his jar of sake. I remember him sitting down on a log in front of the fire, thinking about something. I looked up at the shining stars that were shining brightly and beautifully... As if they knew something I did not. As I went inside and got myself ready to sleep, I heard Hiko say something. "That's pretty low, attacking a mere potter out of nowhere." I opened the door a slight bit.
"Hiko Seijuro is no mere potter." I could never mistaken that voice... Neither could I forget that auburn hair.
"Who are you?" How could Hiko-san not remember...?
"It's been a long time, Shisho..."
"Well, now that you've had the gall to actually show your face here, what is it you want with me?" I could actually feel his inward smirk radiating from all the way he was standing... Hiko-san was an arrogant man, and he took pride in that, as far as I know.
"It seems that Niitsu Kakunoshin is a rising new name in the world of ceramics. Why pottery again?"
"I didn't really care, pottery, whatever. It was just the easiest way to make a living without having to deal with a lot of people." He's a hermit, that one is.
"That's easy for you to say."
"Well, you know. My genius shows in
whatever I do." Arrogant little...
I sighed, get to the point, Hiko-san! "You didn't answer my question. You came to tell me something that's hard for you to say." A slight pause, "I was your Shisho. I can read my baka deshi like a book." I have absolutely no comment on that.
"Then I'll say it straight out." I saw Kenshin kneel down, "The instruction of the Hiten Mitsurugi school that I left ten years ago. I ask it of you now!"
I could almost feel Hiko-san's disgusted look towards Kenshin, "Absolutely not. You were the one who left ten years ago." Hiko-san turned away and I think he saw me. How could he not? But the point being, I don't know how Kenshin could've missed me. "Why now after all this time?"
He was about to walk away when I saw my husband catch hold of his mantle. If Hiko-san did not say 'yes' right now, I would pound his head in and strangle him to death. My husband was kneeling on the floor, asking him for help! And he's still an arrogant bastard... "Please... I beg of you."
Hiko-san turned around back to face him, "Well, that's something. You look like you're at the end of your rope. All right. If you're asking, I'm listening. Although there's someone that's been dying to see you." A pause, "Come out."
Without missing I beat, I opened the door, showing myself to Kenshin. Utter shock was painted on his face as he uttered my name out, "Tomoe..."
* * * * *
Author's Notes: If you think that was a bit rushed, it might've been, though I could not think of anything else to write while they were travelling =\ Sou-chan, Kenji and Tomoe, I mean =\ One last thing, should I make this a Sou-chan/Misao or Sou-chan/Toshiko?
Blueraingurl – Yeah, the RK section is definitely lacking K/T fics. They had a special bond together, at least to me ^^ And I liked how she overlooked the fact that Kenshin killed her fiancé and began to love him. I mean, that's absolutely possible, which I why I like her better than Kaoru. For Kaoru, she just suddenly falls in love with Kenshin and begs him to stay... Well, not beg. But yeah. Don't take me wrong, I still like Kaoru, but I don't like K/K as must as I like K/T. Hope you write a K/T fic soon again!
CardMistress Sakura – Nope, not Misao/Aoshi. Aoshi's too mean to Misao =\ I think Soujiro would treat her a bit more nicer =\
Rook – I want that too ^^
XenoMark – Well, I didn't really want to leave Kaoru out totally, cause that would be really unfair to her. I do feel slightly sorry for her =\ Well, you'll just have to find out about the whole Shingetsu Village *grins*. I'm thinking of whether when to reveal who took Soujiro's place. But eh... Patience, yeah. I'm just annoyed with my writer's block on some fics. Argh!
ReAcH – Woohoo! Yeah, that was fast ^^ I like Tomoe cause she's kind of like me. My RK nutters friend likes K/T too, and she says I'm always like Tomoe... Cold to people that are mean and distant to me and nicer to people that are closer ^^ Anyways, Kenshin said goodbye to Tomoe on the bridge where Yahiko throws Kenshin's coin holder at him ^^ Hope you know where that is ^^ The fireflies place was overly used... And I didn't think fireflies matched Tomoe well. She's more like sakuras =\ But sakuras aren't blooming in May =\ So I just chose the bridge for no reason =\
