Act 2: Shenanigans in Shanghai
Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin- Still not mine.
"Sagara Sanosuke, I swear, when we finally track
you down..." Kaoru scowled as she and her also-dead husband overflew another
forest. Being dead didn't particularly make long-distance travel any easier-
it still took time, even if silly mortal concerns like food, water, and
shelter were a non-issue.
"Ano... I told you he was last in Shanghai..." Shinta
sweatdropped. "That's where he got me on a boat back to Japan. He couldn't
have gone too far, since that wasn't all that long ago."
"..." Kaoru grumbled and the two changed their flight
and headed for Shanghai.
"... And it might be easier to find him on the ground,
instead of from high in the air..." Shinta suggested.
The two ghosts had opted to track down Sano first,
since it was unlikely Kenji, Yahiko, or Megumi would be able to get word
to him about what had happened, and... ah... let him know. However, they
weren't having a whole lot of luck finding the ex-gangster. Though they'd
been able to test their new abilities on random villagers, and found out
some interesting things. For one, they could invade peoples dreams when
they slept, which made communication a little easier, if more than a bit
strange. Two, certain kinds of visual/vocal manifestations were achievable
with some effort. The pair had startled the heck out of more than one person
trying that out.
Once they arrived in Shanghai, they split up to
go question individual sleepers as to the whereabouts of the rooster.
After awhile, the two ghosts regrouped, none the
wiser as to Sano's whereabouts.
"After all that-" Kaoru flung her arms in the arm
in frustration. "-still nothing!"
Shinta sweatdropped and let his wife rant some more
when he felt a hand on his shoulder. That itself nearly startled him senseless,
given his current ethreal status.
"You're looking for Sanosuke?" A male voice behind
him inquired. Kaoru stopped mid-rant and stared, and Shinta turned to face
whomever had somehow spotted him.
"Hai..." The redhead paled when he saw whom had
approached him. Another ghost, clad in the Sekihoutai uniform.
"You're the friends he's been worried about, aren't
you?" The ghost inquired. "Himura Kenshin and... 'Jou-chan', right?"
"... You're..." Shinta frowned, trying to place
the name. "... the Sekihoutai captain he was with during the Bakumatsu?"
The ghost nodded. "Sagara Souzou. I've kept an eye
on Sanosuke ever since those days."
"Then... you know where he is, right?" Kaoru shoved
Shinta aside to address the Sekihoutai captain.
"Yes... why are you looking for him?" Souzou raised
an eyebrow.
"Well, nobody else is going to be able to find him
and tell him we're dead!" Kaoru exclaimed. "And I owe him a whack on the
head for not coming back WITH Shinta."
"Oro.... He couldn't just come back with me, Kaoru-"
Shinta began. "If you could lead us to Sanosuke, Sagara-dono, we'd be extremely
grateful."
The Sekihoutai captain regarded the couple before
him and nodded. "Just don't scare him too badly." He smiled and motioned
for the two to follow him.
Sano was to be found a short flight away on the
outskirts of Shanghai, presently sprawled all over his makeshift bed, snoring
loudly.
"... Kami-sama!" Kaoru exclaimed, taking in the
sight of the unshaven fighter. "Doesn't he know how to shave?"
"I don't think it's been one of his priorities since
he left Japan." Souzou noted with a smile. "I'll leave you three alone."
Smiling, he disappeared.
"... How come we can't do that-?" Kaoru raised an
eyebrow.
"Ano... He HAS been dead a lot longer than we have..."
Shinta sat down near Sano and focused his efforts on rousting the sleeping
rooster. Plunging the room temperature was hardly an effort, and focusing
some of that, Shinta slipped the ethreal equivilent of an ice cube down
Sano's shirt.
With a yelp, Sano shot upright and looked around,
wondering what the hell just touched him underneath his shirt, and was
so damn COLD.
Kaoru snickered at the reaction, and waited with
Shinta while the rooster head concluded there was nobody in the area.
"Damn... I feel like I'm being watched." Sano grumbled
as he flopped back down to go back to sleep.
"Maybe because you are?" Kaoru grinned, making sure
she was heard. She muffled a laugh as Sano shot upright again, looking
around, his tan face having gone a few shades lighter.
"Who's there?!" Sano demanded.
"Yare, yare... calm down, Sanosuke!" Shinta grinned.
"Ke-KENSHIN!?" Sano looked around, recognizing the
voice, but not believing it.
"Baka!" Kaoru focused her spiritual will and flung
a small rock at Sano. "He's Shinta now!"
"JOU-CHAN?!" Sano yelped as the rock hit him upside
the head.
"Oro... Kaoru-dono... you didn't need to hit him."
Shinta sweatdropped and glanced at the decidedly freaked out Sano.
"... Okay, somebody explain what's going on?" Sano
rubbed the sore spot on his head. "I think I drank too much."
"No, you're not hearing things, Sano. Kaoru-dono
and I are both here." Shinta began to explain.
"Then show yourself and stop hiding!" Sano demanded.
"What the hell is Jou-chan doing here? What are you doing here? I saw you
leave on that boat!"
"We're dead." Kaoru stated flatly. Sano went quite
a bit whiter at that comment.
Much to Sano's disbelief, two forms materialized
into view. Kaoru first, then Kenshin, looking like he'd never even been
sick. To his credit, Sano didn't faint dead away with shock like he thought
he would, but he was pretty sure he broke the sound barrier when his jaw
hit the floor.
"K-k-k" He stammered instead.
"It's okay, Sano." Kaoru grinned. "We're both fine."
"Kaoru-dono's right." Shinta added, since Sano didn't
seem like he was going to be adding much to the conversation. "I wanted
to thank you for getting me back to Japan in time."
Kaoru smiled and put an arm around Shinta's shoulders.
"If you hadn't found him, Sano, he wouldn't have been able to return to
me in time. We barely made it as it was."
"D-d-dead?" Sano obviously was not quite up to speed
with the entire conversation.
"Oh, and just so you know, Sano, Megumi's in Tokyo
right now, and she still hasn't found any man she wants..." Kaoru grinned
and disappeared. "Sayonara, Sano!"
Shinta smiled at the dumbstruck form of his friend.
"There aren't enough words to describe how grateful I am to you, Sanosuke.
Thank you so much. And Kaoru-dono's right. Megumi-dono still hasn't married..."
While Sano continued to stare, he also disappeared. "Don't worry about
us, either. We're quite happy together. Sayonara, Sanosuke!"
The two ghosts watched with amused grins as Sano
tried to comprehend what the hell just happened. Souzou rejoined them and
watched as the rooster looked around, trying to figure out what he'd witnessed.
"... 'Sayonara' my ass!" Sano shouted. "You're still
hanging around, I can feel it!"
His only answer was what sounded to be faint laughter.
But that might have only been the wind...
"Hmph." With a grunt, the rooster laid back down
and closed his eyes. "I definately drank too much."
Author's Notes: So now that Sano's been visited, what next? Suggestions are welcome, minna-san! I've got some great ideas for when they head to Kyoto, and possibly a return visit to Tokyo once the rest of the Kenshin-gumi has had time to grieve the 'loss' of their beloved rurouni and tanuki. Read and review, onegai!