Another Chance: Okashira
A fanfic set in the Rurouni Kenshin universe
standard disclaimers apply


Notes: Oneesan --"sister"
-neesan (suffix indicating sister relationship)
-niisan (suffix indicating brother relationship)


The falling rain was intolerable. Cold and persistent, it did not seem to ever decrease in its quantity or duration.

They had tried to wait out the rain in the shelter of the safehouse, but with more than a dozen persons in total now in their troupe – it was somewhat irritating and unpleasant to wait together in a small space.

And so they pressed forward despite the risk the rain and cold presented.

The Oniwaban were unaffected by the harsh conditions of their journey, or at least it seemed as such. However, Megumi felt the dampness acutely as well as the punishing effects of riding continuously for several days.

But she said nothing as they continued to ride, even well past when the dull grayness creeped into black. She dared not be the first and only to complain. Instead, she let her mind think about a hot bath, a warm dinner, and a smiling child in Kyoto and slowly, her eyes shut.


When she opened them, she found herself not on the horse but in a large, well-lit room. She stared up at the ceiling, wondering where she was now.

"Megumi-sensei!"

Megumi blinked slowly. The girl who sat a few feet away was Jiyu, the kitchen assistant at the Aoiya. She sat up confused. "Where am I?"

"Don't do that!" Jiyu struggled with the doctor to keep her still. "You must lie still. You passed out on the way to Kyoto."

She closed her eyes trying to remember what had happened. Had she fallen asleep on her horse? "I'm in Kyoto, then?"

"Yes," Jiyu calmed down once she saw the woman doctor would not try to stand. "You arrived yesterday with the others. Shinomori-san carried you in, and --"

"Shinomori-san?" Megumi echoed, a vague recollection of someone holding her and keeping her from falling. Had he carried her all the way to Kyoto?

"He's not here," Jiyu continued, misunderstanding Megumi's question. "The others are all in a meeting. But if you would like me to get him—"

Megumi recalled that Jiyu was among those at the Aoiya who had no ties to the Oniwaban. And likely, she was left here watching her as a result. "No, Jiyu. My waking is nothing important enough to interrupt a meeting." She thought of the Oniwaban who had ridden with them, and who had reportedly preceded them. "This is far too important to everyone--."

Jiyu stood up suddenly as a sneeze came from outside. With a quickness that surprised Megumi, she moved to the sliding door and pulled it open.

Caught off guard, a small figure tumbled inside.

And then started crying.

"Meg-chan!" Jiyu was more relieved than angry. "Just what are you doing out there? You've been told to stay away from the balcony!!"

The little girl sniffled. "I wanted to see auntie."

"And after Shinomori-san told you to let her rest too!" Jiyu sounded a bit exasperated. "He's not even back for more than a day, and you just had to disobey him didn't you? He's not going to be pleased--"

Megumi felt a pang of sympathy as her niece's lower lip began to tremble. "It's alright," Megumi raised her hand towards the little girl. "We won't tell him, will we, Meg-chan?"

Her niece's eyes widened in delight. "Auntie!"

Megumi found herself almost knocked over as the child fell into her lap.

Jiyu looked horrified, but Megumi – with the one thing she valued more than anything else in her life in her arms -- began to laugh and laugh. "Did you miss me that much?"

The girl had buried her head on her shoulder. "Yes."

"I'm so sorry," Megumi said as she felt wet tears on her kimono. She placed a firm hand on Meg's head. "I won't ever leave you again. So no more tears, my little one."

After the sobs subsided into gentle hiccups, Jiyu spoke up hesitantly. "Megumi-sensei. I'm under strict orders to make sure you rest. But the others won't be out for a while. I can take Meg-chan later—"

Megumi saw the child's eyes fill up again with tears. "It's alright," Megumi looked up at Jiyu. "Meg-chan will not bother me. Tell them I asked for her."

"Alright," Jiyu relented, but not before she shot one last parting look of warning at her niece. "Meg-chan needs a nap as well."

As Jiyu's footsteps faded outside, Megumi lay down and allowed her niece to crawl under the covers of the heavy blanket next to her. As the child began to entertain herself by playing with her long, unbound hair, Megumi watched the child and smiled.

Her niece looked up from the hair she had twisted around in her hand and grinned. "Auntie looks happy."

She answered truthfully. "I am."

"Meg is happy too." The child yawned and then closed her eyes. "Everyone's happy to see auntie and Aoshi-sama too. We waited and waited for you to come. Grandpa too."

"Grandpa?" Megumi suddenly felt her suspicions roused. "You mean Okina?"

"He said Grandpa." Meg opened her eyes and frowned at her. "But I don't know why."

"And you've been calling him that?"

"No, Horsie wouldn't let me."

"Horsie?" Megumi was even more confused.

"Roosterhead horsie," Meg nodded seriously

"Roosterhead horsie?" Megumi choked back a laugh. The two words together could only describe one person she knew. But then it meant that Sanosuke was here as well.

She wondered about that for a moment. There was nothing else in Kyoto for him. Except her.

"--Grandpa started to make him madder but Misao-neesan started to punch them both, but then Sou-niisan stopped her. But Cho-san said something and then Horsie got mad and then Oneesan got mad and Anij-sama came and-- "

"Meg-chan--" Megumi felt her headache returning.

Her niece wasn't exactly listening. "Noisy people. And they keep telling me what to do."

Megumi frowned.

She studied her niece's face which, too, held some frustration. "And you don't like the noise, do you?"

"No."

The poor girl had been raised virtually alone with only her father in a quiet place. Once the novelty of having many people around wore off, of course, the child might find a place like this at this time to be too much. "And you don't like people telling you what to do, do you?"

"No." Meg-chan yawned and stretched.

Megumi thought for a moment, as she stroked her niece's hair. "Little one, do you want to leave here?"

"We can't," the child answered simply.

"What do you mean, we can't?" Megumi frowned again.

Meg paused, confused and sleepy. "Grandpa said that to Horsie."

"Did he?" Megumi bit her lip and attempted to manage the indignation rising up inside her. She had in mind to go stomp into whatever meeting the Oniwaban had and drag Okina by his beard into the courtyard and give him a sound tongue-lashing.

But the sound of steady breathing stopped her.

Her little one had fallen asleep, ignorant of the adult world and the troubles that adults brought to it. She couldn't bring herself to bring that world crashing in around her.

Not yet.

~

Neither of them was old enough to know or recall much about the Oniwaban.

Sekihoutai and Juppongatana – Sanosuke and Cho each only had heard tales of the famed Edo Guard from those who remembered the days of the Revolution more clearly. They sat on the rooftop, watching the gathered crowd as they waited in eerie quiet for their leader to appear.

Soujiro and Anji had not joined them. Perhaps they were disinterested in the outcome or much too polite to interfere in a matter that wasn't their concern, but Sanosuke felt that he had to know the outcome of this meeting. Even if meant waiting for hours in disciplined silence along with the others.

From the moment Aoshi Shinomori had walked back into the Aoiya the previous day with his loyal men and women, Sano had instinctively known that something was about to happen. Perhaps it was the look in Aoshi Shinomori's eyes -- a look he had seen before, prior to Aoshi's last battle with Kenshin. The man had something clearly on his mind.

Once Shinomori had remanded Megumi Takani to the other women in the hotel, he had disappeared along with Okina and Misao to some undisclosed location.

The interlopers all knew then that something was to be decided.

All eyes were upon three persons as they filed in and moved towards the porch. It was evident taht something, indeed, had been settled.

Nenji Kashiwazaki – the old man known more commonly as Okina -- sat at one end, his face reflecting a sad resignation. He had always advocated for the quiet life. And clearly that was not going to be the position advocated today.

Misao Makimachi sat in the middle, her eyes focused on her hands in her lap.

And Aoshi Shinomori sat at the end, his eyes closed in thought.

They represented the past, present and future of the Oniwaban.

Sano wondered who would speak for the Oniwaban today.

When Aoshi Shinomori finally stood, Sanosuke nodded his head. It was as expected. The matter of who spoke now for the Oniwaban apparently resolved, Sanosuke stood quietly and took a step to move away from the courtyard.

"Hmph." Cho crossed his arms over his chest, less willing to move. However, at that slight noise nearly fifty pairs of eyes turned their attention to him, prepared to move on their leader's command to dispense with the trespassers. He gave an exaggerated sigh as he stood. "I guess it's time to go file my report. "

"There is no need." Aoshi held up a hand to quell any man or woman from moving preemptively against the two outsiders. "The Okashira has expressed her desire to allow these two to stay."

Both Cho and Sano stopped in their tracks and turned back, as startled as the others gathered by his words. It was not the precedent of allowing outsiders to observe the ongoings of a meeting that caused them to both gape at Aoshi Shinomori – but the words he uttered that indicated a shift in power.

Misao then stood up, followed slowly by Okina.

She cleared her throat somewhat nervously. "It is not my wish to undo what has been decided , but the last year has shown us here in the Aoiya that there is still a need for the Oniwaban. Not just to protect those we care for, but to protect our city and our country." She looked apologetically at Okina. "It is because of our failure as your family that you were attacked in the streets by common thugs." Then she looked at Aoshi, "And it was because we thought our enemies too straightforward that our home was attacked and those within it threatened."

Misao turned her attention back to her clan. "Traveling with my friends these past few months has shown me that even a band of few warriors can do so much to bring happiness to people. That happiness is something I wish to keep protecting."

She looked at both of the men who were flanking her, perhaps for courage, before continuing. "I formally claim the title of Okashira now -- to protect that happiness and to show Kyoto that we have not rejected our peaceful ways. I do not claim the title in order to demand your allegiance. The Oniwaban were formally disbanded according to the wishes of those before me. But for those of you who wish to also pursue the same vision of peace and protecting the happiness of others – I will be honored to receive your wisdom and support. I ask for your decision now regarding that vision. No matter whether you choose to continue with us as the Kyoto Oniwaban or not, you will always still be Oniwaban. We will always honor that tie."

As her speech concluded, the silence that followed was torturous.

It was clear to both Sanosuke and Cho that the clan was still in shock over the changes that had been wrought – not just in leadership, but in her inaugurating a formal Kyoto Oniwaban.

"Okashira--" Aoshi's voice broke the silence. With the quickness of a master swordsman, he unfurled his weapons and placed them at her feet. He bowed low before Misao. "I pledge to defend the leader's wishes, be it with these swords or with my own service to the Aoiya."

"As do I," Okina's bow followed. "I am but an old man who can not do much except to pledge to maintain your happiness and of our people."

Both men paused before bowing together yet again. "Okashira."

That final bow was enough to shake the clan out of its indecision. The murmurs that followed were not of confusion, but of "Leader." In unison, all present in the courtyard bowed together, low and respectfully. Their voices were triumphant, and full of optimism.

"To our leader!"

It was then that the Okashira did something unheard of in all the history of the Oniwaban.

The Okashira cried.

~~

As Sano and Cho both stepped down from the rooftop to allow the clan to continue their business, the young officer sighed.

"Bothered?" Sano found the broomhead's sudden contemplative expression a bit unnerving. "Or is it indigestion?"

Cho wasn't even aware of the other man's attempts to bait him. His attention had shifted for a moment to the adults who were sitting quietly in a patch of grass with Meg-chan trying to show her how to make noises with blades of grass. But his mind clearly was still on what they had witnessed. "Brave kid, that weasel-girl." He sighed. "I never thought she'd actually do it."

As Meg-chan came running over to him to claim her spot on his shoulders, he pondered the words. Had Cho known this might happen?

Cho glanced in the direction of the courtyard. "It looks like our time here is up." He looked over at the bench where Anji was sitting in quiet meditation. "Anji, you ready to head out?"

The man raised one eyebrow."Where is it I'm being transferred to now?"

Anji was answered with a grin. "Didn't think Kyoto was going to be the final stop huh? As it turns out, Kamatari and Henya are rumored to be in Osaka. Think we oughta have ourselves a reunion. With the Oniwaban reforming, imagine what they'll think when we start gathering."

"I'm still in your custody," Anji pointed out. "I have no choice but to follow."

"Ha!" Cho laughed. "So very true!" He turned his attention to Soujiro Seta, who sat under the tree, still twisting the grass in his fingers. "Hey kid? What about you?"

Sanosuke was surprised by the more sedate manner in which Cho addressed the younger man. It suddenly occurred to him then that there had been much more to the talk about the time the three had traveled together.

"With all of the Oniwaban back," Soujiro smiled quietly in response. "--I suppose my days of wandering are here again."

"Well said, well said!" Cho mustered up some enthusiasm. "Nothing wrong with wandering and kicking ass just like we used to. We'll just drag Anji along with us instead of Misao-- "

Anji sighed. "Must I remind you that—"

"Dammit monk, I know!" Cho seemed to pour his energy into picking a fight with the monk, even though all knew it was completely pointless. "You can just sit there and chant your mantras of protection."

"We should leave as soon as possible—" Soujiro spoke up suddenly. "We'll only be in the way here. Shinomori-san and Kashiwazaki-san have returned and the Aoiya is full."

Cho shivered. "Those onmitsu give me the creeps. I say we bail now while they're still meeting."

"--Without saying goodbye to Misao?" Sanosuke gave the man a dirty look. "After she's fought with you two? You know she'd never forgive you for doing that."

"Bah!" Cho rubbed his head. "Either way she'd punch me or knife me or whatever—she's a real piece of work, that kid. But yeah, for Soujiro's sake – so she doesn't sic the Oniwaban on him, I guess we can wait until morning."

Cho's attempt at being amusing fell flat. Sanosuke glanced at the youngest man in their company, who nodded absently. 'Poor kid.'

A sudden kick reminded Sanosuke that he had other matters to attend to.

"Horsie move," Meg-chan demanded imperiously from her seat on his shoulders. "Meg-chan hungry."

He winced. Apparently her time here at the Aoiya had toughened this kid quite a bit. He decided it best to move and ignoring the jeering from Cho, took off in the direction of the kitchens. He'd leave the matter of Soujiro up to Cho, who despite trying hard to appear insensitive was actually not quite the dolt he thought he was.

"I'm going to run into the door," Sanosuke was moving quickly, earning him wild laugher from the child as he jostled her up and down. "And we're both going to bump our heads." She nearly screamed as he appeared to be destined to collide with the door. But at the very last moment he stopped, earning him another kick.

"Meg-chan!" Jiyu looked outraged.

The other woman in the kitchen laughed.

"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree," Sanosuke muttered as he handed the little girl to Jiyu and regarded her companion.

"Technically, she isn't my daughter." Megumi gave him a sly smile. "So you can't pin her behavior on me."

"But she bears your name," Sanosuke pointed out as he rubbed his shoulder.

"True," Megumi admitted. "But if you're going to blame anyone for her violent tendencies, you ought to blame Misao. Jiyu tells me that she's been the one teaching my niece all sorts of interesting things."

"I'm not going to mess with that girl, especially now." Sanosuke shrugged.

"What do you mean?" Megumi looked him over, instinctively looking for injuries.

"Are they done meeting already?" Jiya interrupted, a bit nervously. "We won't have a meal ready for awhile yet."

"No," Sanosuke felt a bit odd. This wasn't exactly the kind of thing he wanted to discuss at the moment with Megumi.

Megumi's eyes narrowed slightly, very well aware that something was on his mind. "Just spit it out, Sano."

Well, there was no way around it. He didn't particularly want Megumi mad at him when he was simply serving as a messenger. "The Oniwaban have officially reformed."

One woman gasped, while the other looked away.

He continued on, wishing he could understand the reason for that strange look on Megumi's face. "Misao is now Okashira."

"Misao?!" Both women looked surprised. "But why?"

Sanosuke shrugged. "I don't really know. And I shouldn't be one to guess. I'm just an outsider."

"And the decision was unanimous, wasn't it?" Megumi had closed her eyes. "Both Okina and Aoshi agreed to it, didn't they?"

"They pledged their full support."

"I see," Megumi nodded without much enthusiasm. She then stood up suddenly. "Jiyu, will you watch Meg-chan for a few minutes. We'll need some herbs. I'll have to run out to find some."

"Megumi-sensei," Jiyu looked at her worriedly. "You're just barely up. You shouldn't be heading out now."

"I'll keep an eye on her," Sanosuke stood up as well. "I won't let her create any trouble or get into trouble either."

"Sano," Megumi started to protest.

"I insist," Sanosuke pulled her along firmly. Something clearly was bothering her.

As they finally made it out into the street, he let her arm go. "So what is it, Megitsune?"

She looked casually around as if trying to locate the supposed herbs she was looking for. "What is what?"

He was not so easily fooled. "Why are you so upset by the news about the Oniwaban?"

"--It just took me aback, that's all."

"If that's all, then you must think I'm really stupid. I've always been able to read you when you're hiding something, and now I know you're hiding something." He looked at her closely. "Is it Shinomori?"

"Why must it always be about him?" A trace of anger crept into her voice, drawing attention from the other people milling about the street.

"Hey," Sano answered softly as he pulled her off to the side. "I told you, I'm not an idiot here. To you and I, Shinomori is Oniwaban through and through. What impacts them is tied to him."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Megumi insisted, but wouldn't look him straight in the face. "Meg-chan was complaining about her environment. She said it was too noisy. And the things she's learned while at the Aoiya are not the sorts of things a Takani should know. Even if Shinomori offered to allow us to stay there, with the Oniwaban now active – it isn't good for her. So of course I'm upset. We can't stay any longer… I'm going to go back in there and take Meg-chan with me right away."

Sanosuke let out an explosive laugh. "Dammit woman, you are funny when you're stupid."

"I'm not being stupid!"

"Of course you are. What safer place is there for you and your niece than there? Tell me if I'm wrong."

She opened her mouth and then closed it in frustration.

"You know I'm right." He sighed and ran his fingers once through his hair. "I don't know why I'm even doing this Megumi. But at least when it comes to people I care about, I'm an idiot. I have no idea what's going between you and Shinomori. Okina says one thing one day, and then Misao makes him take it back after she receives word from the other Oniwaban saying something else. I'm not going to ask you for the details since it's clear to me that you don't even have this worked out for yourself."

"What did Okina say?" Megumi's voice had a distinct edge to it.

He shook his head. "You don't want to know. Instead, I think you ought to calm down and think about more important things. Saitou sent you here for a reason with Shinomori. So far, he's done a good job of keeping you out of trouble. Why don't you stop giving Saitou a headache and stay put until it's time to go?"

"You're not supposed to be saying something like that." Megumi frowned. "Aside from hating Saitou, you're no fan of Aoshi either. A little while ago I had to force you two to stop fighting."

"Yeah," Sano shoved his hands in his pockets. "And believe me, sometimes I would like to just shake that man to pieces – but I can't help but feeling that you're better off here."

"Sano—" Megumi looked confused. "It's not as simple as that. Aoshi thinks he's in love with me."

Sanosuke had to look away then, so that he wouldn't lose his resolve to say what he must. He told himself it didn't matter to him what Aoshi thought. In the end, what mattered most was Megumi. "Stay here at least another few weeks, Megumi. If you still want to leave, I'll come back take you wherever you want to go. I'll help you out, I promise."

"Come back?" Megumi caught his sleeve, forcing him to look back at her. "You're leaving?"

He attempted to shrug indifferently. "I guess I'm like the others. A wandering gangster who can't help himself. I have a mind to see what a Juppongatana reunion looks like. Outa and Yahiko will surely want to know all the details--"

Her face reflected such sorrow as she saw through his act. "You've never been just a gangster. And I would come with you now—"

"You can't just think about yourself anymore, fox-lady." Sanosuke sighed. "You have someone else to watch over now… so stop frowning at me."

"—Alright," she smiled bravely for him. "When Sanosuke Sagara gives advice to me, I'll do my best to take it."

"R-i-i-ght," Sanosuke gave her an amused look. "Now that I'm pretty much leaving you decide to start being nice to me."

"What? I'm always nice to you!" Megumi poked him. "When haven't I been nice to you?"

He rubbed his head, recalling her wicked skill with a medicine box, before taking her arm. "Don't ask. Let's go back before Meg-chan destroys the kitchen."

"But the herbs—"

As he dragged her back towards the Aoiya, he snorted. "I'm not an idiot, I knew you didn't need them in the first place. Let's go--"

Silently, he finished the thought in his head. '--Before I change my mind.'

~

Aoshi sat in the darkness of his office, ignoring the revelry downstairs.

Those in the Aoiya had turned out for a loud, raucous party to send off the Juppongatana and to celebrate Misao's ascension to the role of leader of the clan. Not particularly in the mood for Okina's singing, he had come here instead to reflect on the day, among other things.

Things had not gone as expected. In fact, had it gone as he had thought it would, the mood downstairs might not have been as cheerful. The reality was that had Misao not claimed the role of Okashira for herself, he would have been forced to assume it – if only out of the wishes of some of his clansmen.

And yet, he admitted to himself that he would not have been wholly reluctant to take that role. He had discovered that the life he had thought he should have left behind still held its allure, and its attraction.

But then what?

He did not have the same clarity of vision or ideal that Misao had. He had led the clan in the past – when there were clear objectives and enemies. But now ... after the immediate threats and enemies were dealt with, what then?

He realized today as he watched Misao that he no longer had the calling to be Okashira. She was the fulfillment of all that was untainted with respect to the Oniwaban. She carried no past -- while he still knew it resided within him, threatening to consume him as it had before.

This decision on part of Misao, although somewhat disturbing to Okina, relieved him.

He could now serve Misao loyally and with clear conscience, not only because it echoed a promise he had made long ago to return power to the rightful leader, but because he believed in her vision for the Oniwaban as wholly pure.

The creak of the floor outside interrupted his thoughts.

Aoshi looked up from his desk, somewhat surprised as the door slid open unannounced. As he regarded his visitor, he felt something wasn't quite right. "Sagara. Is there something wrong?"

Sagara frowned at him. "Yeah."

"Is it Megumi—"

"What else would it be about?" Sanosuke cut him off, annoyed. "She's actually been standing outside for the last hour, which you might have known if you hadn't locked yourself up here all evening."

Aoshi narrowed his eyes. "What is this about?"

Sanosuke leaned in threateningly. "If you haven't figured it out already, I have a bone to pick with you."


Author's notes: (revised after I saw the first few reviews)

The title says Okashira, but in reality, it's not really just about the Okashira is it? ^_^ Actually, this originally was going to focus on Okina creating trouble, but the weather here stinks. It's cold and rainy, and therefore it's cold and rainy in the fic, and terribly unfunny.

So part 49... Is this really the second to last chapter? Hmm. I was supposed to cover more ground, but I like ending it here. It's a little bit ambiguous. Technically, 49 is not the second to last part. In part 50, there is still some confusion and angst as a result of this chapter's events. The triangle will resolve, however! Part 51 will wrap up a few small things as a conclusion and include my notes on the story overall and possibly snippets of dialogue that got cast-out. Think of it as "extras" if you will.


CherieDee: Glad to see your update. As for Sanosuke, if you don't love him more than or as much as Aoshi after this section, then I am going to shake you silly.
mij: Sano's reaction is hinted at, but more importantly, his feelings here are clear too.
Eevee: Meg-chan is really trouble. A little bit destructive too. And she definitely protested when I tried to make her very sweet.
Leila Winters: I'm glad to see your review because it affirms what I hoped to do with this fic – and that was develop Aoshi's character in a way that is hopefully consistent with the RK-verse.
Heaven-Dragoon: I'm very honored!
Junyortrakr: I looked at your profile the other day and realized that you're a guy! Brave soul… wading in amongst all the fan-girls. *offers you a piece of candy*
StEAliAnA: THANKS! As someone who loves your fics, I can't help be but honored to think that you enjoy this work
Jieli: Noble, yes. Sometimes a bit too focused though.
Shimizu Hitomi: Big PMK fan here too… although as of the last few episodes I'm in love with the Hijikata/Ayumi pairing. Did you see her goodbye speech to Hijikata? Man… maybe I'm reading too much into things but one could think of all sorts of things there..
Shinomori no Kami Daiji: Hmm. Your question was very timely. There is one key thing which has to be resolved in some way -- and it's the big hundred pound gorilla known as the Oniwaban!
Mirune Keishiko: LOL. I can't go to 60! I just don't think the freaky warriors will allow it at this point. They're already trying to hijack this story , as you can tell. Every time I turn their back, they're congregating and planning reunions. Agh!
Kichi-chan/Cindy: *whistles vacantly* Romantic moment? I put one in here, but it's probably not the pairing you were hoping for.
Kenni: No Hiko. The man can not simply be bothered with cameos. :).