Act 9: Trouble in Tokyo- Part Four
Disclaimer: Nobuhiro Watsuki-sensei owns Rurouni Kenshin. All I own is the Kaoru costume I'm making for Anime Expo this summer!
April 23 update: Reuploaded the chapter and fixed some typoes that had gotten through the first time around =p
Notes: WAI! WAI! Watsuki-sensei is going to be at AX this summer! *runs
around* This of course led to a frantic scramble to see if my sister (One
Amahira) and I could bump our RK cosplay up to this year instead of next,
which we'll be able to do! I fail to see how Kaoru can walk around in those
funny little sandals, much less how Kenshin can FIGHT in similar. I've
got my own pair now for my costume that I'm trying to break in before the
convention so my feet don't commit suicide on me like last year.
And this past weekend my sis and I made onigiri
(rice balls) for the first time ever! =D But One's came out looking nicer
than mine did -.-;; Would you believe how many "Kaoru-dono" and "raccoon
girl" jokes I have had to put with since? (It doesn't help any that I'm
going to be cosplaying as Kaoru at Anime Expo, and that One will be cosplaying
as Kenshin.)
Man, my opening and closing notes spiels are getting
longer and longer. Blarg. Anyways, let's see now... It has been brought
to my attention by a reviewer that the girl Kenji is seen with in the OAV
(whom I have dubbed Mieko) actually has a name listed in the end credits.
According to this reviewer (being that I cannot read kanji and the end
credits of our fansub were not translated), the girl's name is Chizuru.
That unfortunately doesn't help much. Is that her family name or her name?
Being that I am a lazy bum, and like the name Mieko better, I'm not going
to go back through the story and change it. The girl is never addressed
by name on screen, so despite the end credits, I feel that it's still up
to the fans as to who she is.
Okay, lengthy opening spiel out of the way, on to
the actual STORY! (gasp!)
Kenji walked into the dojo, immediately feeling something
was amiss.
"I'm home!" He announced, glancing around, wondering
what was making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. He quickly
learned.
"KENJI." Yahiko and Megumi both loomed over the
redhead from virtually nowhere. Kenji shrank back in surprise, wondering
what the heck he had done to deserve this.
"Oro-! Ano, Yahiko-kun, Megumi-san?" Kenji meeped,
not even noticing his use of his father's catch phrase.
The subject of the forthcoming interrogation, the
ghosts of Kenji's parents, observed the scene from well in the air, in
hopes that Kenji wouldn't look up and catch them there.
"Oro..." Shinta sweatdropped as Yahiko and Megumi
almost dragged a loudly protesting Kenji into the building.
"I suppose we should join them. I doubt those two
are going to leave Kenji alone until he tells them." Kaoru drifted down
through the ceiling, her redhead hubby following shortly thereafter.
"Megumi says she saw you talking to Kenshin! And
I KNOW I saw Kaoru!" Yahiko opened the interrogation.
"Ano, Yahiko-kun-" Kenji tried to interrupt, wondering
what the hell he was going to do now. He'd rather be facing down those
thugs from when he met Mieko than dealing with Megumi and Yahiko thoroughly
determined to get to the bottom of things.
"I know what I saw, Kenji." Megumi loomed over the
redhead, a foxy smile on her face. "And I heard you talking with Kenshin
before
I saw him. You know something, don't you? Why else ask if I believed in
ghosts?"
"Oro." Kenji oroed noncommittally. One of the things
his father's ghost had shared with him was the art of oro. The elder Himura
had practically sung the virtues of those two little syllables and Kenji
had rapidly learned for himself how useful that little word was.
"And that's another thing!" Yahiko flailed. "Until
recently, you haven't ever said 'oro'! But Kenshin was always saying it!"
Megumi nodded her agreement as Kenji sweatdropped.
"It was the one word Ken-san used most often. How odd that after all this
time, you never adopted it, and yet, in the past few days you seem to have
grown so fond of it!" The foxy doctor grinned, fairly certain she was onto
something.
Gee, thanks a lot, Otousan. "'Oro' can get you
out of any situation not involving swords." Kenji thought to himself,
looking between the two determined faces. Glancing around the room, he
spotted the two ghosts standing behind Yahiko and Megumi, watching the
scene with rather large sweatdrops. Kenji then noticed the room temperature
had dropped. He glanced at the ghosts with an inquisitive expression while
Megumi and Yahiko waited for a reply.
Kaoru grinned and mimed whacking Yahiko over the
head. Shinta just smiled and nodded.
Kenji grinned. The air always seemed to be colder
when the ghosts were around or up to anything- the storage shed had been
positively frigid after Kaoru had beaned Yahiko with the wash bucket. And
given the chill in the kitchen and the fact the two spirits appeared clearer
than normal, Kenji could only assume that if he pointed it out to his inquisitors,
he might be spared having to try and explain everything.
"Well? Why are you grinning?" Yahiko demanded, breaking
into the younger Himura's reverie.
"Ano... Yahiko-kun, Megumi-san, I guess I owe you
both an explanation." Kenji began slowly. His inquisitors, catching scent
of their success, leaned forward in anticipation of the mystery being resolved.
"You bet you owe us an explanation!" Yahiko nodded
enthusiastic agreement.
"It started the day I met Mieko-chan. I told you
about the gangsters, right?" Kenji looked between Yahiko and Megumi, who
nodded. "In spite of what you've told me, Yahiko-kun, there were really
too many of them for me to handle myself."
Yahiko and Megumi looked a little dumbfounded at
the unusual start to Kenji's explanation. All he had said before was that
he'd beaten up some thugs to protect Mieko.
"And?" Yahiko prompted.
"Well, I had more than a little help dealing with
them." Kenji stated simply. Megumi looked confused, and Yahiko frowned
in thought, trying to figure out what the redhead meant.
"What's that got to do with ghosts?" Yahiko finally
blurted out.
"It also has to do with how I learned Ryu Tsui Sen."
Kenji grinned, watching as Yahiko's eyes widened slightly. "Feeling yourself
go through the motions really gives you a feeling for how to do something,
Yahiko-kun. It's even more effective than simply being shown repeatedly."
The redhead grinned even wider as he took a jab at how Yahiko had picked
up on the same technique.
"What??" Yahiko was REALLY confused now. "You just
did it? Is that what you're saying?"
"Nope." Kenji responded. "I said I had some help."
"So who helped you?" Megumi inquired, not nearly
as interested in the details of swordplay.
"It couldn't have been Hiko!" Yahiko glared at Kenji
for speaking in riddles. "He has no reason to be in Tokyo!"
"It wasn't Hiko." Kenji confirmed that fact. Kaoru
had both hands clasped over her mouth to keep from laughing aloud, and
Shinta had a suitably goofy grin.
"It's like I asked Megumi-san." Kenji grinned, knowing
this interrogation had been turned around. "Do you believe in ghosts?"
"What are you say-" Yahiko started to demand before
he stopped short. "You mean Kenshin's GHOST helped you?!"
Megumi turned a few shades lighter. "And I did actually
see you talking to him in the dojo?"
Kenji didn't answer, but just grinned.
"And Kaoru really did throw the laundry bucket at
me?!" Yahiko demanded.
Kenji dipped his head just slightly, a signal to
his accomplices.
"It's rude to call a woman an ugly old hag, Yahiko-chan!"
Kaoru crowed, thwapping the swordsman across the back of the head. "And
I didn't have a bokken handy."
Yahiko pitched forward in surprise and nearly kissed
the floor.
"Maa, maa, Kaoru-dono, don't be too hard on him"
Another familiar voice declared from behind.
Megumi whirled around and came face-to-grinning-face
with Shinta. She turned a very nice shade of white and Kenji and Yahiko
both caught her when her legs ceased to function.
"Gomen for scaring you before, Megumi-dono." The
redheaded ghost grinned and put a hand behind his head. "It was an awkward
situation, that it was."
"K-KENSHIN!? KAORU?!" Yahiko's eyes widened to the
size of small dinner plates at the sight of the two apparitions. Megumi's
were similarly wide, while Kenji had a certain smug look in his eyes.
"Hai, Yahiko." Shinta nodded. "I helped Kenji deal
with the gangsters, and that's how he picked up Ryu Tsui Sen." The ghost
explained with a goofy rurouni grin
Kaoru meandered over to her rather pale faced student
and patted him on the shoulder. "I'm proud of you, Yahiko. You're even
keeping the dojo clean!"
Megumi finally found her voice. "Baka! You scared
us half to death!"
Yahiko didn't protest the claim, but nodded numb
agreement.
"So, are you and Tsubame expecting anything, Yahiko?"
Kaoru grinned wickedly. "When can we expect a wedding?"
Yahiko snapped somewhat back to normal. "N-none
of your business, busu!"
Kenji's eyes widened slightly at what Kaoru was
implying. "Then... those noises I heard at night..."
Megumi looked at Yahiko, who had begun to turn a
brilliant shade of red.
"It's nothing!" Yahiko blurted out.
Everyone else just exchanged looks that said 'Yeah,
right' loud and clear.
"Speaking of that..." Shinta looked over at Megumi.
"Sanosuke's still single. We'll probably go see him again sometime soon.
What should I tell him?"
It was Megumi's turn to flush red.
"Tell that baka rooster that he had better come
back and soon!" The foxy doctor finally exclaimed. "I'm not getting any
younger-!" She turned a brighter shade of red and covered her mouth, apparently
not intending for that last bit to slip out. All eyes turned to her, which
didn't help any.
Shinta nodded with a smile. "I'll make sure he knows
that, Megumi-dono."
"I didn't mean it like that!" Megumi squealed
in protest, but the two ghosts faded from view.
"Ne, we need to go for a little while, minna." Kaoru's
voice informed them.
"Kaoru-dono is right." Shinta's continued. "We still
have other people to see."
"But we'll be back!" Kaoru crowed gleefully. "I
look forward to your introducing us to Mieko-chan, Kenji!"
Kenji wasn't about to get away without a little
embarrassment, courtesy of his parents. After all, what else are parents
of teenagers for?
Before anyone could ask any further questions or
make any further comments, all trace of the two ghosts had disappeared.
Even the room temperature was back to normal.
Outside and high in the air, the two ghosts headed
off to their next destination.
"That was a little mean to say to Kenji, Kaoru."
Shinta noted.
"Hey, it was harmless!" Kaoru countered. "What was
mean was what you said to Megumi-san!"
"Oro!"
Author's notes: Whee! Another chapter completed! I'm not entirely sure
who's going to get pestered next- Sano in Shanghai or near there, or Aoshi
and Misao in Kyoto. Or maybe Enishi. Being pestered by the ghost of not
only his oneesan, but also her murderer and Kaoru... poor boy's gonna go
nuts. ^^; Well, 15 years have passed, so maybe he's settled down or something.
I still plead cluelessness as to what I'm going to do about Soujiro, but
again I may get inventive with the 15 year gap. But my ideas and plans
for Saitou are becoming clearer! Bwahahahahaha! Oh, and Ayce Shade, just
out of curiosity, what's the other fic helping cure your SDS? I'd love
to know! =D
And a quick note about the term 'Seissouhen Depression
Syndrome'- I didn't come up with it. Arashi's "The Kenshin-gumi Counseling
Service" first labeled the post-Seissouhen depression that, and I guess
the term SDS just sorta stuck for me =) *waves* Thanks for giving name
to that unfun depression that so many of us have been afflicted with, Arashi!
So far, only J.Liha-san has voiced interest in an
email notification list for the fic. At any rate, if you'd like to be informed
of updates, email me at xellos_san@hotmail.com with your email address
and lemme know you'd like to be notified. (Story ideas can also be sent
there! =p As I said, I'm all but clueless as to what I'm going to do about
Soujiro!) I swear on my love of Kenshin that I won't use anyone email addies
for anything beside update notices, and that I won't give anything out
to evil evil spammers!
And, as always, reviews are appreciated =) It makes
me feel like this is really worthwhile.
Oh yeah, haven't had any ghosties tonight. =p