Act 15: Continued Chibi Chaos in Kyoto- Part Three
Disclaimer: I don't own Kenshin, de gozaru yo! *flails* I only own Kumiko-chan, Haru-chan, and Fi-chan! And the idea for this crazy fic. But I'm not making any money off of it, so please don't sue! All you'd get is a few quarters and a stack of incomplete Gundam models and other assorted anime merchandise!
Author's notes: Mwa ha ha! The party is here! Fujifunmum (isn't that name a handful? @_@)- Well, AX had it's high points and low points. I'll probably write up a rant/account of the thing =p J.Liha- thanks! Let me tell you, I have a whole new level of respect for Kaoru after wearing that getup! And I cheated on the obi- it was sorta a pre-tied thing that just hooked to the back of the rest of the obi. How in the hell does Kaoru manage to TIE hers to look like that?! @_x LiquidCell- I'm glad you like the fic, and yes, Seissouhen is insanely depressing, especially to a diehard fan like me that gets all emotionally attached to the characters ^_^ Suiren- It's a good fic, I hope you update it again soon! Vesca- Well, she attempted to throw a kunai at him, at least. I imagine once she's a little older she'll be quite the hellion >=D
Kumiko sighed and leaned against the wall in her
bedroom. Because it was her birthday, Misao had only sentenced the girl
to staying in her room until the party got underway. Shinta and Kaoru had
excused themselves to see what was going on outside, leaving the Oniwabanshu
ghosts to keep the hyperactive little girl company.
Aoshi was presently on the receiving end of a scolding
from Misao for slacking in his duty to watch Kumiko and prevent things
like the kunai incident in the last chapter from happening. When Misao
was done, the little party could then commence.
Kumiko shot out of her room like a bullet from a
gun when Omasu said the girl could come out. The ghosts regrouped at the
table set up in the garden, exchanging concerned looks at each other about
the chaos that was inevitably going to commence when the little girl introduced
her 'invisible friends'.
"Wow..." Kumiko eyed the prepared food with stars
in her eyes. The women of the Aoiya had made all her favorites! Right down
to the bunny rice balls! "'Tousan! Look! 'Kaasan and everyone made my favorites!"
She ran up to Aoshi, cupping one of the rice bunnies carefully in her hands.
Aoshi regarded the gleeful look on the chibi's face,
wondering briefly to himself at how quickly she had forgotten having been
in trouble not even an hour prior. He sometimes found himself wishing he
could forget the past as easily.
Kumiko glanced off to Aoshi's left and held the
rice ball animal up to some unseen person. "Ne, Shinta-kun, isn't it adorable??"
Aoshi raised an eyebrow and pondered to himself
if this was just a phase the girl would outgrow. He glanced over at Misao,
who was similarly regarding their daughter with a curious expression.
Shinta sweatdropped, well aware of the odd looks
in his direction. "Hai, Kumiko-chan, it's very adorable, that it is." The
redhead smiled to himself- he had shown Misao how to make the rice ball
rabbits when he had been staying at the Aoiya prior to fighting Shishio.
Misao looked down at Kumiko. "Shinta-kun? Another
one of your friends?" She inquired of the happy chibi, who nodded.
"I made some new friends yesterday, 'kaasan!" Kumiko
beamed, indicating Shinta and Kaoru. "Shinta-kun, Kaoru-san, this is my
'kaasan!"
Misao went a few shades lighter upon recognition
of one of the two names. "... Kumiko-chan, did you just say 'Kaoru'?"
"Hai, 'kaasan!" Kumiko beamed, blissfully unaware
of the surprised looks on everyone else's faces.
Misao and Aoshi exchanged looks. Kumiko had told
Misao once about the other five 'invisible friends', but Misao had thought
it better if Aoshi didn't know that Kumiko claimed to see Hannya and the
others. She didn't discredit the notion, given that she still clearly recalled
seeing and hearing Hannya during the battle against Shishio's men, but
she felt it probably wouldn't help Aoshi's still-healing psyche. For all
she adored him, Aoshi was just too grounded in reality to easily give credit
to the supernatural.
Aoshi knew that Kaoru was the name of Himura's wife.
That just did not make sense- he had been informed that they were both
dead. Then again, his almost swearing he had seen not only the redhead
and his wife, but also the long-dead Oniwabanshu didn't make much sense
to him. Ghosts? Maybe, but it didn't to be a terribly logical explanation.
Before further awkward silence could commence, a
familiar voice startled the group, living and dead alike, from the previous
discussion.
"Tori-ko! Geez, I come all the way down here, and
it's dead quiet like somebody died! I thought there was supposed to be
a party?"
And with that line, Hiko stepped into the garden,
a wrapped package slung over one shoulder, stunning Shinta senseless.
"Sh-Shishou?!" Shinta gaped, mind not computing
this. Hiko, Mr. Arrogant Anti-Social himself, dropping by the Aoiya? Tori-ko?
What?
Omasu and Okon immediately went starry eyed as their
chosen idol of manliness strode over to the gathering.
"Surprised, Himura?" Okina grinned ear to ear at
the stunned redhead.
"Orororo..."
"I'll take that as a yes." The old man stroked his
beard thoughtfully. "Let's just say that Aoshi isn't the only guy Kumiko's
won the heart of."
While Shinta could only gape in slack-jawed shock,
Hiko strode over to the chibi, who was making an indignant face at the
big man.
"I HAVE a name, Hiko-san!" She insisted, though
her eyes were glued to the wrapped package.
"I know, but Tori-ko suits you." Hiko smirked down
at the little girl while Omasu and Okon were fawning over him in the background.
"Did you really come all the way here for my birthday?"
Kumiko put her hands on her hips and glared up at the big guy dubiously.
"Of course not!" Hiko raised an eyebrow at the little
girl. "I had to get more sake, and thought I'd drop by and annoy your okaasan."
"Oooh. Okay!" Kumiko beamed while Misao glared kunai
at Hiko.
While Shinta and Kaoru gawked at the exchange, Hiko
set his package on the table with Kumiko's presents, an eager chibi tailing
along after him.
"Misao and Aoshi brought Kumiko up the mountain
when she was four years old." Okina explained with a grin. "Misao insisted
on coming with Aoshi to pick up a flower vase she had commissioned, and
Kumiko insisted on going with her parents. I doubt your shishou will ever
admit it, but she's gotten him wrapped around her finger almost as bad
as Aoshi is."
"Orororo..." Shinta was still trying to compute
the new information.
"How... weird." Kaoru blinked. "Who would've thought
HE'D have a soft spot for little kids?"
Shinta refrained from commenting that it made a
little sense, being that the big guy HAD taken him in.
Hiko, meanwhile, thought he felt a familiar presence,
but wondered to himself what the hell his baka deshi's ghost would be doing
hanging around the area. He also had made the trip down from his mountain
home just to attend the little girl's birthday, not that anyone would actually
catch him admitting to it.
Kumiko, meanwhile, had found a couple of long sticks,
and had somehow managed to badger Aoshi it play-dueling with her. Well,
on one condition.
"This stick is too long." Aoshi pointed out, hoping
to avert the chibi's attention from play-fighting.
"Ooh." Kumiko nodded thoughtfully, regarding the
long piece of tree. "I know! I'll break it in half!"
Kumiko grunted and tried to bend the stick to break
it. The stick, however, didn't like the idea too much and refused to break
no matter how much force she tried to apply to it.
"... 'tousan! You try and break it!" Kumiko pouted
and held the offending object out to Aoshi, while Hiko watched with an
amused smirk.
Aoshi studied the stick for a moment and tried to
break it himself. He was moderately surprised when it refused to break.
True, the thing was a little under an inch in diameter, but a swordsman
of his strength ought to have been able to break it without much difficulty.
Well... granted, he had slacked off considerably in his practice ever since
becoming a father, but still. He frowned thoughtfully, debating using one
of his kodachi to break the damned thing.
No, she'd see the real swords and want to play
with those. Bad idea. He corrected to himself.
The score thus far: Aoshi: 0. Stick: 1
"'Tousan can't break it!" Kumiko fell over backwards
giggling at the perplexed look on Aoshi's face, before taking the stick
back and running over to Hiko, holding the offending piece of wood up to
him. "Hiko-san can break it though, right? Since he can 'beat down the
guy that beat down 'tousan'?"
Aoshi just shot a dark look at Hiko, since the thirteenth
master of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu was undoubtedly the source of Kumiko hearing
THAT particular idea. Hiko carefully accepted the stick with a smirk.
"Of course I can break it!"
Meanwhile, Kaoru felt her temper rising. "Somebody
really needs to deflate his ego."
"Maa, maa, Kaoru-dono, shishou's not that bad, that
he's not." Shinta recognized the signs and tried to pacify his wife.
"Go for it!" Okina beamed.
Well, so much for that.
Hiko held the ends of the stick in his hands, and
slammed it down across his leg, a tactic that normally worked well enough
on pieces of wood that needed breaking. (Hey, it worked the last time he
had to break some idiot's bokken, after all!). However, this stick was
apparently made of tougher stuff than most bokkens, as it remained stubbornly
in one piece.
Current score: Aoshi: 0. Hiko: 0. Stick: 2
Hiko covered a sharp intake of breath, because damnit,
that hurt! Had the stupid stick simply broken like it ought to have, he
wouldn't have just basically hit himself in the leg with a blunt object
and considerable force. It'd probably leave a bruise.
Kumiko watched with wide eyes. True, to her, her
daddy was the bestest strongest guy in the whole wide world, but Hiko-san
was a giant compared to her daddy, so he should be able to break things
her daddy couldn't.
"... Careful with that stick." Misao quirked an
eyebrow at the antics of the men. "Don't hurt yourselves."
"Maybe 'kaasan can break it!" Kumiko suggested.
"No, Kumiko, 'kaasan's not up to breaking sticks."
Misao rolled her eyes and munched on a rice ball, pondering upon the weird
quirks of the opposite sex.
"I know! I know!" Kumiko bounced up an down. "I
have an idea!"
"And that would be, Tori-ko?" Hiko raised an eyebrow
at the girl.
"Hiko-san holds the stick, and 'tousan attacks with
that kempo stuff!" Kumiko beamed, proud of her plan.
Aoshi shrugged. "It's worth a try."
"If that didn't break it," Hiko glared at the offending
stick that dared defy him, "I don't think your kempo is going to break
it." But he held the stick up for the attempt any way.
Aoshi took a stance, and attacked the stupid stick.
Score: Aoshi: 0. Hiko: 0. Stick: 3.
"Itai-!" Aoshi winced. "What's this stick made out
of?!" So the kempo didn't work, either.
Kumiko pouted at the two guys while nibbling at
a rice ball. ""Tousan and Hiko-san can't break my stick!"
While several amused ghosts watched, Hiko contemplated
the stick, found a large rock in the garden, and prepared his ultimate
attack against the stupid thing. His ego had been challenged, and he would
not let Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu be beaten by... a stick. A twig. A piece of
firewood!
"Oro..." Shinta sweatdropped as Kaoru peered at
the rock Hiko had chosen, a wicked little grin on her face. He was starting
to feel really bad for his shishou. There was nothing scarier than Kaoru
plotting something.
Hiko pinned the stick against the top of the rock
with one foot, and balanced carefully on the hunk of stone. If his sheer
strength couldn't break the stick, then certainly the combined weight of
himself and his mantle would snap the blasted thing!
Kaoru, meanwhile, stole around behind the precariously
balanced thirteenth master, and waited for her chance. Hiko shouted and
stomped his other foot down on the protruding end of the stick, and smirked
as he heard a resounding *SNAP!* and felt the wood give way. But then an
unseen force hit him hard in the back, throwing his already precarious
balance completely off and introducing him to gravity, and then the dirt,
his ankle slipping awkwardly on the remaining end of the stick he was standing
on.
Dead silence descended on the garden, aside from
Kaoru's triumphant smirk and evil little chuckle, Shinta's tiny shout of
'oro!', and Omasu and Okon immediately asking Hiko if he was all right.
"Hiko-sama! Did you hurt yourself?" The two women/devout
fangirls offered to help the humiliated man to his feet.
"No, I'm fine!" Hiko retorted in annoyance. There
was something not right with what just happened, almost like when his baka
deshi's ghost had shown up not too long ago and yanked his cloak.
"Kaoru-san!!" Kumiko ran over to the ghost who was
still standing behind the rock she'd pushed Hiko off of. "That wasn't very
nice! 'Kaasan says it's not nice to push people!" She scolded some unseen
entity.
"Kaoru?" Hiko was started from his annoyance (humiliation,
more like it. Not that he would admit to being embarrassed about slipping
like that.) by the chibi addressing someone or something by the name of
his baka deshi's wife.
"Hai!" Kumiko nodded. "Kaoru and Shinta are two
of my new friends!"
While the name "Shinta" had thrown virtually everyone
ELSE off, Hiko knew exactly what that meant.
Her invisible friends are ghosts? Hiko raised
an eyebrow from where he was sitting. A weird concept, but one that oddly
made sense.
"Baka deshi!" Hiko scowled in the direction he was
sure the redheaded ghost was. "Can't you keep your woman under control?!"
Well, that got a reaction out of everybody else.
Misao knew that Hiko often referred to Kenshin as his 'baka deshi', and
Aoshi had learned that fact from her.
"Oro!" Shinta oroed and glanced over at Kaoru and
the other ghosts. The gig was probably up.
"... I would assume the letter from the Kamiya dojo
informed you that he's dead. The letter we received said as much." Aoshi
pointed out.
"And my baka deshi's too stupid to go to heaven
after he's dead!" Hiko retorted, standing up.
And immediately falling back down as pain shot through
his ankle. He at least refrained from cursing in front of the chibi, but
the big guy was Not Happy. His unexpected fall must have twisted or sprained
his ankle.
Final score: Aoshi: 0. Hiko: 0. Stick: 4
"Hiko-sama-?" The fangirls stared as their idol
visibly refrained from using a choice selection of words.
"Are you all right-?" Misao peered over at the fallen
giant.
"... it's sprained." Hiko finally admitted. Omasu
and Okon exchanged wickedly happy glances.
"Oh no! You can't go all the way up the mountain
with a sprained ankle, Hiko-sama!"
"That's right, you'll just have to stay here until
it heals!"
Oh, those were two VERY happy fangirls.
Aoshi was a few sentences behind the conversation,
still stuck on Hiko's declaration that Himura's ghost was apparently hanging
around.
"Himura-san?" He finally managed to salvage his
voice. If the ex-hitokiri's spirit was hanging around, then...
"I knew it!" Misao declared happily, and indicating
in the process just where Kumiko got her energy from. "Then Hannya-kun
and the others are really hanging around, too! I swear I've seen them!"
"Hai!" Kumiko bounced up from her seat happily.
"Beshimi-kun promised to show me how to throw stuff better!" In her enthusiasm,
she grabbed a random item off the table (in this case, the rice ball she
had been nibbling on), and demonstrated just how much she had learned in
the art of throwing things, accidentally pegging Aoshi smack in the face
with the warm sticky rice.
"Oro..." Shinta sweatdropped at the sudden flurry
of activity, while Aoshi registered the rice sticking to his face after
a long moment.
"Okashira." Hannya made himself heard from behind
Aoshi, who was, and probably for the first time in his life, stunned stupid.
"Himura-san is not the only one 'too stupid to go to heaven'." The masked
ghost's statement was echoed moments later by the other members.
Aoshi, once renown for his impassive, cold mask,
found himself left utterly speechless, with tears in his eyes, that he
had refused to shed years ago, in the mistaken notion that it was a sign
of weakness. The significance of which was not lost on those gathered there.
"'Tousan! Can I open my presents now??" Kumiko's
voice burst in on Aoshi's thoughts.
Okay, so maybe it was lost on the chibi.
Author's notes: Damnit! I would have put this up on the 11th,
given that, being the one year anniversary of the attacks on the WTC and
Pentagon, a lot of people are going to be depressed, and I wanted to get
this done and posted not only to fight Seissouhen Depression Syndrome,
but to also give people at least a little something to smile about. But
ff.net shut down operations for the day in memory of the lives lost in
the attacks. Understandable, I suppose. But still. While there is grieving
to be done, lives to be remembered, we shouldn't allow ourselves to fall
into a pit of despair and wallow in it. It's important to remember, but
sometimes you need to forget, to heal.
I've got quite a bit of recommended reading and
other things, so here goes.
1) On the subject of 9/11, my sister and I last
year assembled a tributes page where people could send in rambles, poetry,
pictures, drawings, etc, getting their feelings out, whatever they might
have been. This site is still up and still open for business at http://rpstudios.ian-justman.com/tribute/tribute.html
(My poem, "A Thousand Voices" kicked it off, and several friends contributed
their own works afterward.)
2) I recently wrote a one-shot POV fic from Kenshin's
point of view, "Eyes of the Innocent". Kinda angsty, but it's not totally
dripping angst. According to my sister and beta-reader One, it is a little
angsty, but she didn't come away from it feeling angsty. I'd appreciate
it if you guys took a look at it ^^;
3) Ah! The recommended reading! I again sing the
praises of Unseen Watcher's "Ties of Loyalty". Go read it! I also highly
recommend, if you want to dive willingly back into post-Seissouhen angsty
stuff, Suiren's "What Dreams May Come", which, to my understanding, lifts
some of the plot from the movie of the same name. And she promises a happy
ending. If you're into kinda unusual AU type stuff, Talaco's "Walking on
Water" is a good read, it's certainly unique so far as the AU/reincarnation
genre goes.
4) Added 9-12-02- This is an outrage. Granted,
I may not write fanfiction rated NC-17, but I do occassionally enjoy a
good lemon. So here we have ff.net down for patriotic reasons and such,
and they spring this "We're removing NC-17 rated fics to pacify the whiny
parents who bitch and moan about their darlings reading stuff that's CLEARLY
labeled as such!" bullshit! Even if you're not into NC-17 rated fanfiction,
please go to http://www.petitiononline.com/KEEPNC17/petition.html and sign.
It's not so much about NC-17 fics, which are clearly labeled
(and you have to hit a button on a popup window to actually read one- you
don't 'accidentally' stumble onto something like that), this is about ff.net's
increasing censorship of fanfiction! And, no offense to people who submit
original works to the site, but why the hell are they focusing so much
more on original works? The site is called fanfiction.net, not fanandoriginalfiction.net.
Okay, ranting over for now. ^^;
And, to close my chapterly spiel! I owe Hiko's nickname for Kumiko (Tori-ko, or 'Little bird') to Jeanie-san! And the idea of spraining an ankle while breaking a stick... well, that basically happened to my sister's boyfriend. She tried to break a stick while they were out at the park, it wouldn't break, he tried to break it, he did basically what Hiko did. Only he didn't have any ghosts to blame for it. It was his own fault! Why Hiko? He's just that fun to pick on =p
If you want to be emailed about updates, lemme know in a review or something. Reviews, as always, are appreciated!
And, to steal a quote from Trigun fans:
Love and peace! ^_^ V