CHAPTER 2- CONFRONTATION
Yahiko was sitting on the dojo porch, his shinai lying limp in his hands. He just couldn't find the strength, the will to practice. Tears continued to fall down his cheeks. "Kaoru.and Jiani."
He'd always put up a front, acting like nothing in the world could bother him, that he was always strong and brave. But now that this had happened, it was tearing him apart. He began sobbing. "I'm sorry.I couldn't do a thing."
"Maybe not then, but now you can!"
Misao stood over him, hands on her hips and scowling. "Quit sitting there and crying like a baby! We've got to get revenge on those bastards!"
"Huh?"
"Don't be stupid! Come on! We have to go find Himura!"
Yahiko thought for a moment. Then, his sadness was replaced by a deep frown. "Yeah, let's make them all pay!"
Aoshi and Megumi emerged from the dojo just as the two children scurried past, burning with determination. Megumi sighed. "Are you sure we should let them do this?"
"Let them do as they wish." Aoshi replied tersely. "Now, there is something about this whole mess that doesn't add up."
.........
Sanosuke found Kenshin thanks to some of his friends. The rurouni was in Rakuminmura, a settlement for those who had failed to prosper in the new Meiji Era.
He was sitting up against one of the roughly built huts, head hanging low, his sword wrapped in a heavy chain. He seemed to pay no attention to Sanosuke, who ran up to him.
"Come on, Kenshin! Get up!" Sanosuke ordered. "We're going to make Enishi pay for this! We'll kill him for Jou-chan and Jiani!"
Kenshin didn't budge.
Scowling, Sanosuke picked him up by the front of his torn gi and hoisted him to his feet. "Answer me! Kenshin!"
"I'm.so.tired." the rurouni murmured, his eyes glassy and lifeless.
That did it; Sanosuke socked him hard in the face, anger surging through him. "You bastard! You're just gonna sit here and do nothing??? Don't their deaths mean anything to you?? Anything at all???" He threw Kenshin to the ground before falling to his knees himself.
The anger melted away for a moment, replaced by a terrific sadness. "I loved her." he muttered. "I loved Jiani so much." His teary brown eyes snapped up towards Kenshin's. "I promised I'd protect her! I vowed to keep her safe! And now.now."
Kenshin still didn't budge.
Disgustedly, Sanosuke finally picked himself up and turned away. "I will not just cower in the shadows like you, Kenshin! I'll get revenge all on my own if I have to!!"
With that, he was gone.
The other residents of Rakuminmura approached Kenshin, who picked himself up and settled back into a sitting position. "He didn't hurt you, did he?" one asked.
Kenshin said nothing.
"Well don't worry. We all look out for each other here, so no one else will come to bother you again."
As he left, Sanosuke ran into Yahiko and Misao, who were fast approaching. Yahiko gasped. "Sanosuke!"
But the former gangster held up his hand, stopping them. "Forget it. He's broken."
Misao frowned. "Well, did you try talking to him or anything?? Come on! We have to talk to him!"
"You're wasting your time." Sanosuke muttered. "He may be alive, but he's also dead." He walked past them. "And you can't talk to the dead and expect them to listen."
Yahiko watched him go. Even Sanosuke seemed to be giving up on him!
Misao, however, wasn't fazed. "Come on! Before it really is too late!"
..........
Back at the Oguni clinic, Aoshi presented a book to Megumi.
She peered inside. "It's Tomoe's diary!" But she sighed and closed it right back up. "But what's the point now? It's too late."
"We'll have to decide if it is too late at another time." Aoshi declared. "For now, tell me everything you can about all this."
Yahiko was sitting on the dojo porch, his shinai lying limp in his hands. He just couldn't find the strength, the will to practice. Tears continued to fall down his cheeks. "Kaoru.and Jiani."
He'd always put up a front, acting like nothing in the world could bother him, that he was always strong and brave. But now that this had happened, it was tearing him apart. He began sobbing. "I'm sorry.I couldn't do a thing."
"Maybe not then, but now you can!"
Misao stood over him, hands on her hips and scowling. "Quit sitting there and crying like a baby! We've got to get revenge on those bastards!"
"Huh?"
"Don't be stupid! Come on! We have to go find Himura!"
Yahiko thought for a moment. Then, his sadness was replaced by a deep frown. "Yeah, let's make them all pay!"
Aoshi and Megumi emerged from the dojo just as the two children scurried past, burning with determination. Megumi sighed. "Are you sure we should let them do this?"
"Let them do as they wish." Aoshi replied tersely. "Now, there is something about this whole mess that doesn't add up."
.........
Sanosuke found Kenshin thanks to some of his friends. The rurouni was in Rakuminmura, a settlement for those who had failed to prosper in the new Meiji Era.
He was sitting up against one of the roughly built huts, head hanging low, his sword wrapped in a heavy chain. He seemed to pay no attention to Sanosuke, who ran up to him.
"Come on, Kenshin! Get up!" Sanosuke ordered. "We're going to make Enishi pay for this! We'll kill him for Jou-chan and Jiani!"
Kenshin didn't budge.
Scowling, Sanosuke picked him up by the front of his torn gi and hoisted him to his feet. "Answer me! Kenshin!"
"I'm.so.tired." the rurouni murmured, his eyes glassy and lifeless.
That did it; Sanosuke socked him hard in the face, anger surging through him. "You bastard! You're just gonna sit here and do nothing??? Don't their deaths mean anything to you?? Anything at all???" He threw Kenshin to the ground before falling to his knees himself.
The anger melted away for a moment, replaced by a terrific sadness. "I loved her." he muttered. "I loved Jiani so much." His teary brown eyes snapped up towards Kenshin's. "I promised I'd protect her! I vowed to keep her safe! And now.now."
Kenshin still didn't budge.
Disgustedly, Sanosuke finally picked himself up and turned away. "I will not just cower in the shadows like you, Kenshin! I'll get revenge all on my own if I have to!!"
With that, he was gone.
The other residents of Rakuminmura approached Kenshin, who picked himself up and settled back into a sitting position. "He didn't hurt you, did he?" one asked.
Kenshin said nothing.
"Well don't worry. We all look out for each other here, so no one else will come to bother you again."
As he left, Sanosuke ran into Yahiko and Misao, who were fast approaching. Yahiko gasped. "Sanosuke!"
But the former gangster held up his hand, stopping them. "Forget it. He's broken."
Misao frowned. "Well, did you try talking to him or anything?? Come on! We have to talk to him!"
"You're wasting your time." Sanosuke muttered. "He may be alive, but he's also dead." He walked past them. "And you can't talk to the dead and expect them to listen."
Yahiko watched him go. Even Sanosuke seemed to be giving up on him!
Misao, however, wasn't fazed. "Come on! Before it really is too late!"
..........
Back at the Oguni clinic, Aoshi presented a book to Megumi.
She peered inside. "It's Tomoe's diary!" But she sighed and closed it right back up. "But what's the point now? It's too late."
"We'll have to decide if it is too late at another time." Aoshi declared. "For now, tell me everything you can about all this."