A/N: Sorry about not updating in such a long time but I was at camp for
four weeks. I tried to add this chapter before I went explaining that I was
leaving but things got messed up. Sorry.
Megumi trudged to the top of the hill where the others already stood. They had been traveling for a couple days already and everyone seemed a bit exhausted, wanting to find a place to stay put in. Megumi sighed as she reached the top and stood next to Sanosuke and Kaoru. Kenshin stood on the other side of Kaoru and Yahiko, on the other side of Sanosuke. They ended up having to bring him along, after he had showed up at the dojo right before they were leaving.
Megumi's mouth dropped open in awe, along with the others, as she took in the sight. It was simply beautiful. Green stretched on as far as the eye could see. A little cabin stood at the edge of a forest and a little stream trickled in the background. The rising sun added to the affect, making the drops of dew sparkle and gleam. That sight made everyone believe they could stay here forever.
Yahiko laughed and ran towards the cabin.
"Come on."
Sanosuke looked over at Megumi, smiling. She smiled back at him as he grabbed her hand and started racing towards the cabin after Yahiko. Kenshin and Kaoru stood where they were, still looking ahead.
"It's wonderful, Kenshin," Kaoru said softly to him.
Kenshin smiled at her and held her hand. They walked slowly towards the cabin after the others. Butterflies and birds took flight as everyone excitedly made their way to what would be their new home.
"Kenshin," Kaoru said, halfway to the small house.
"Yes, Miss Kaoru."
"No one else knows about this place, right?"
Kenshin smiled at her.
"You have nothing to worry about, that you don't."
Kaoru smiled back at Kenshin.
"Alright."
She sighed and leaned against his arm as they continued to walk.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Yahiko, stay closer to the house," Kaoru called.
"Aw, come on Kaoru. Look at this place. How can I stay put at the cabin?"
It was around noon, everyone had taken a nap so they would be rested for their first day in their new home. It was warm out, but not too warm. Just right. Sanosuke, Kaoru and Kenshin sat on the porch, Megumi was cooking some lunch, and Yahiko was running around. Everything was perfect, or at least seemed that way.
"Lunch is served," Megumi called.
"Alright!"
Everyone ran inside to eat. The food tasted great, as always when Megumi cooked. The meal consisted of fish and rice balls. Not as much as everyone had wanted but just enough to fill them up. The fish had been caught in the nearby stream and the rice had been carried from Tokyo.
After lunch consisted of relaxing some more. The real work would start the next day. The cabin still needed a bit of fixing up and it would be good to create a garden to grow fruits and vegetables in.
That night, the stars shone extremely bright. Kaoru had lit some candles she had found and put them in the bedrooms. Everyone was sitting on the porch and enjoying the night view. Kenshin and Kaoru sat next to each other, holding hands. Megumi leaned against Sanosuke, who had his arms around her. Yahiko was dangling his feet off the porch and not paying any attention to anything but the night sky.
"I'll be right back," Kaoru told Kenshin, and got up and went inside the house.
A couple minutes later she came out with a camera and a stand.
"Whoa, missy, what are you going to do with that thing?" Sanosuke asked.
"Well, I wanted to capture this moment. It seems so perfect."
"No way. I'm not getting my soul sucked outta me. Forget it."
Kaoru sighed.
"Sanosuke, this won't suck out your soul. Remember the last time you got your picture taken? It didn't do anything."
"Hmph. Fine."
Kaoru set up the camera and dragged a cord with her to where Kenshin sat. She took a seat next to him, holding his hand. Sanosuke still had his arms around Megumi, who still leaned against him. Yahiko still sat in the middle, dangling his feet.
"Alright everyone, on the count of three. One, two, three."
There was a loud click and a flash went off, blinding them for a couple seconds.
"Hey, Kaoru, where did you find that thing anyway?" Yahiko asked, his vision slowly returning.
"Oh, I found it inside when I was looking for some candles."
After Kaoru put the camera back inside, everyone continued to enjoy the night for a little while longer. When it was time for bed, they went inside willingly. Kaoru and Megumi slept in one room, while the guys took another room. Everyone's head lay sleepily on the pillows, thinking either of the day they had had or the day that was to come with the rising sun.
Megumi trudged to the top of the hill where the others already stood. They had been traveling for a couple days already and everyone seemed a bit exhausted, wanting to find a place to stay put in. Megumi sighed as she reached the top and stood next to Sanosuke and Kaoru. Kenshin stood on the other side of Kaoru and Yahiko, on the other side of Sanosuke. They ended up having to bring him along, after he had showed up at the dojo right before they were leaving.
Megumi's mouth dropped open in awe, along with the others, as she took in the sight. It was simply beautiful. Green stretched on as far as the eye could see. A little cabin stood at the edge of a forest and a little stream trickled in the background. The rising sun added to the affect, making the drops of dew sparkle and gleam. That sight made everyone believe they could stay here forever.
Yahiko laughed and ran towards the cabin.
"Come on."
Sanosuke looked over at Megumi, smiling. She smiled back at him as he grabbed her hand and started racing towards the cabin after Yahiko. Kenshin and Kaoru stood where they were, still looking ahead.
"It's wonderful, Kenshin," Kaoru said softly to him.
Kenshin smiled at her and held her hand. They walked slowly towards the cabin after the others. Butterflies and birds took flight as everyone excitedly made their way to what would be their new home.
"Kenshin," Kaoru said, halfway to the small house.
"Yes, Miss Kaoru."
"No one else knows about this place, right?"
Kenshin smiled at her.
"You have nothing to worry about, that you don't."
Kaoru smiled back at Kenshin.
"Alright."
She sighed and leaned against his arm as they continued to walk.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Yahiko, stay closer to the house," Kaoru called.
"Aw, come on Kaoru. Look at this place. How can I stay put at the cabin?"
It was around noon, everyone had taken a nap so they would be rested for their first day in their new home. It was warm out, but not too warm. Just right. Sanosuke, Kaoru and Kenshin sat on the porch, Megumi was cooking some lunch, and Yahiko was running around. Everything was perfect, or at least seemed that way.
"Lunch is served," Megumi called.
"Alright!"
Everyone ran inside to eat. The food tasted great, as always when Megumi cooked. The meal consisted of fish and rice balls. Not as much as everyone had wanted but just enough to fill them up. The fish had been caught in the nearby stream and the rice had been carried from Tokyo.
After lunch consisted of relaxing some more. The real work would start the next day. The cabin still needed a bit of fixing up and it would be good to create a garden to grow fruits and vegetables in.
That night, the stars shone extremely bright. Kaoru had lit some candles she had found and put them in the bedrooms. Everyone was sitting on the porch and enjoying the night view. Kenshin and Kaoru sat next to each other, holding hands. Megumi leaned against Sanosuke, who had his arms around her. Yahiko was dangling his feet off the porch and not paying any attention to anything but the night sky.
"I'll be right back," Kaoru told Kenshin, and got up and went inside the house.
A couple minutes later she came out with a camera and a stand.
"Whoa, missy, what are you going to do with that thing?" Sanosuke asked.
"Well, I wanted to capture this moment. It seems so perfect."
"No way. I'm not getting my soul sucked outta me. Forget it."
Kaoru sighed.
"Sanosuke, this won't suck out your soul. Remember the last time you got your picture taken? It didn't do anything."
"Hmph. Fine."
Kaoru set up the camera and dragged a cord with her to where Kenshin sat. She took a seat next to him, holding his hand. Sanosuke still had his arms around Megumi, who still leaned against him. Yahiko still sat in the middle, dangling his feet.
"Alright everyone, on the count of three. One, two, three."
There was a loud click and a flash went off, blinding them for a couple seconds.
"Hey, Kaoru, where did you find that thing anyway?" Yahiko asked, his vision slowly returning.
"Oh, I found it inside when I was looking for some candles."
After Kaoru put the camera back inside, everyone continued to enjoy the night for a little while longer. When it was time for bed, they went inside willingly. Kaoru and Megumi slept in one room, while the guys took another room. Everyone's head lay sleepily on the pillows, thinking either of the day they had had or the day that was to come with the rising sun.