Disclaimer: See my bio. I own Aki, and Luna-Sama owns Suzuka.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 1
Akiyama wondered why her mother was panic-stricken tonight. There were torches and voices outside, but there always?
Her father was the captain of the Sekihottai, and he always had his band with him. The group had always treated her and her mother as sisters. Her father even trained her in the art of the sword with the two smaller additions, Sanosuke, and Katsu.
Akiyama heard one of the voices say "Down with the Sekihottai!" That was why!
"Aki-Chan," whispered her mother. "Come here, haiyeku!"
The ten year-old quietly ran to her mother. She opened a trap door. "Don't say anything until everything is quiet," she warned her daughter. "Your father wanted you to have this," she added, handing her a red silk sash with a smile.
Underneath the floor, Akiyama heard a pounding at the door. Her mother went to answer.
"Hai?" she said, opening it. The blue-haired girl sent up a silent prayer.
She refused to hear the conversation, or anything but a loud gun shot and her mother's dying words. "Aishiteru." Barely above a whisper.
She couldn't believe it. Her mother. The one who taught her about herbs while her father taught her of the sword. She was even incapable of tears as blood trickled through the floor boards.
Suddenly, something sharp sliced her forehead. She felt her eyes roll back as the world went black.
When she woke again, she heard birds chirping. She sat up, holding her father's silk sash. All the members of the Sekihottai wore one of these. He had finally accepted her as one of the Sekihottai. But she had the straining feeling it was too late.
Her mother's body lay on the floor. She had to bury, but being a only a girl, she couldn't. so she improvised. She took a thick blanket and covered her with it. "Aishiteru," she said in response to her dying words.
Akiyama made her way outside. She stopped dead in her tracks.
Her father's glazed eyes stared back at her. The same silver eyes she had inherited. She hung her head, tied the sash around it, and put on her father's coat and sword. Being his only child, she was his heir. She probably looked ridiculous, but he would have wanted it.
Ten years later, Akiyama happened to stumble onto a stray imperialist left from the Revolution. Seeking to kill all connected to the Sekihottai.
The battle was long and hard, but with her chained scythe, there was one less imperialist in the world.
She had killed her enemy, but she had a few wounds herself, and needed medical treatment before she passed out. The fact that it was snowing like nobody's business didn't help!
Was that a.? It was! A building. As she got closer, she noticed a sign. A dojo!
She walked up to the door and knocked.
"Hai?" said a girl a lot shorter than her in a kimono. "Oh!" the girl gasped, noticing her wounds.
"Good evening, ma'am. Sorry to intrude," said Akiyama.
"Oh, no need to apologize," said the girl, helping her in.
"Kenshin! Sanosuke! I could use some help here!" Sanosuke? It couldn't be! Could it?
Two men rushed out, and helped her follow the girl. It was Sanosuke!
"I'm Kaoru Kamiya," said the girl. "The one on your left is Kenshin Himura, the other is Sanosuke Sagara." Sanosuke had taken on her father's name? Why was she not surprised?
"My name's." she had to stop to cough. "Akiyama.Sagara. Baka."
Sanosuke stopped, stopping Kenshin too. "Battle axe! Captain Sagara's daughter!"
Aki nodded. Sano looked behind her to see the symbol for bad on the back of her coat.
"I didn't recognize you in the coat."
"Excuses, excuses."
"Set Akiyama-San here," said Kaoru, indicating a futon.
Kenshin and Sano set her down.
"If I recall." she pondered. "You didn't have a last name."
"I took captain Sagara's last name, he was like a father to us. So it was only logical to take on your father's name, isn't it?"
"I'm out of herbs." said Kaoru, vexated.
"Use mine," said Aki, handing her a sack.
"I wouldn't trust her with herbs," said Sano. "She can't even cook."
Noticing the death glare on Kaoru's face, Kenshin grabbed Sano's arm and ran out.
A few minutes after Kaoru began to tend to Aki's wounds, a pale, young woman walked in and glared down on them.
"If you wanted me to take care of an injured wanderer, you could've asked!"
"I can take care of it myself, Megumi!" replied Kaoru. Megumi sat in front of her and gave her a smile.
"Hello, my name's Megumi," she said politely. "No answer from our mysterious stranger?"
"I'm supposed to be still," said Akiyama.
"Well at least what's your name?"
"Akiyama Sagara."
"Oh, the same as Sano's I see!" she said, giggling.
"Megumi, get out!" demanded Kaoru
"But we were in the middle of a conversation, ne, Aki-Sama?"
Aki didn't answer, this Megumi was just a bit too friendly for her taste.
Megumi crossed her arms, looked away and left.
"I wish you didn't have to see that," said Kaoru.
"Don't worry, I'm quite tolerant."
A few minutes right after Kaoru finally got all the bandages to just the right pressure and everything in the place, she decided to get to know Aki.
"How did you end up like this?"
"I ran into an imperialist who noticed the character on my back and challenged me to a fight."
"You didn't kill him, did you?"
"I had to, I only kill in self-defense, and even then only as a last resort. If I had just knocked him out, he would have hunted me down until either of us died."
"How could you tell?"
"For lack of a regular-sized pupil."
Kaoru shivered, she'd met a few of those before.
Aki suddenly got an odd look on her face. "What's poking me?"
Kaoru looked behind her. "Ayame! Suzume! Why are you bothering Aki-San?"
To young girls walked out from behind Aki. "She wouldn't play with us."
Aki smiled. "I'm not sure about playing, but I do like.tickle fests!" she finished, tickling them. The little girls erupted into laughter.
After a while, Ayame and Suzume left, giggling.
"I hope you can stay, I haven't seen them react that way to anyone like that but Kenshin," said Kaoru.
Aki's smile turned sad. "I do too."
She suddenly sat up. "What's poking me now?"
Kaoru looked behind her new friend again. "Yahiko! It's one thing to poke her, but with your bokuto?!"
A young man about twelve walked out and reluctantly bowed. "Gomen ne sai.what's your name? Sano said I had to find out on my own.and Kenshin wouldn't tell either." She told him.
Yahiko grinned from ear-to-ear. "Gomen ne sai.Sagara-San!" he finished, running out, bubbling with laughter.
"Is it a thing for the young people here to poke injured people?"
"Unfortunately," said Kenshin, walking in. "I think it is a thing for the young people here to poke injured people. Just ask Sano."
During dinner that night, everyone seemed to be bashing Kaoru's cooking.
"I don't believe you trusted her with herbs, the way she cooks, you should be dying from horrible disease by now," said Sano.
Well, she had told Kaoru what each herb did, but she saved Kaoru the humility.
"Yeah, Kaoru, I don't think you should be feeding this to sick people," added Yahiko.
Kaoru's face suddenly got a death glare.
"It tastes like you made it from sick people," chimed in Misao.
"Gee, what's your secret?" asked Megumi sarcastically.
Aoshi picked his up with his chopsticks, and set them back down again. "Any opinions, Sagara-San?"
"I'm just glad to get something hot to eat," answered Aki.
"You won't be in a minute," Sanosuke muttered in her ear.
After dinner, Kaoru wanted the guest's opinion. "What do you think Aki- San?"
Aki took a breath, looked at her half-eaten dinner. "May I cook dinner next time?"
"HAH!" shouted Yahiko. "I TOLD YOU IT WAS HORRIBLE! EVEN AKI DIDN'T LIKE IT!"
That was apparently the last straw for Kaoru, she got up and started chasing Yahiko and yelling threats to him. To which he responded with a laugh.
In the silence, Aoshi sat in deep thought. "Akiyama Sagara." he pondered. "That sounds slightly familiar."
"Yeah." added Kenshin.
"Like it should have a nickname at the end of it." continued Doctor Gensai.
"That it should," said Kenshin.
Megumi slammed her fists on the ground, silencing the room. "The Nightingale," she growled. "A good Samaritan to the poor, a mercenary for the rich. And a threat to the Meiji government."
"Hey," said Yahiko. "Kenshin's Battousai the Manslayer, the strongest of the Meiji's manslayers!"
"You listen to rumors I see, Megumi-San," said Aki. "I kill out of self- defense, and then only as a last ditch effort."
Suzume suddenly yawned and rested her head on Aki's arm. Aki picked her up as Kaoru picked up Ayame, and they sent them off to bed.
Aki woke suddenly, she had slept longer than she'd intended. She sat up slowly.
Kaoru was sleeping soundly. Yahiko was tossing and turning. Misao was making faces in her sleep. Megumi was mumbling inaudibly in her sleep. Good, they were all asleep.
She slowly and quietly gathered her things. She tiptoed to the living room, and opened the door. She hated to leave, but she was a wanderer, what if someone needed treating?
She put one foot out the door and stopped. "You weren't thinking of leaving were you?" asked Sano's voice behind her.
Aki sighed and roller her eyes. Why.? She was so close!
"But you can't leave!"
"I'm a wanderer, it's what I do."
"That's what Kenshin said and look where it landed him."
"I'm not Kenshin."
"But we're both of the Sekihottai, the Sekihottai stays together."
"You haven't changed a bit, have you? But you do have a point," she said, closing the door, and was about to go back to bed, when Ayame and Suzume ran up to them.
"Auntie Aki.!" they whined. "Uncle Sano.!"
"Sh.not so loud," said Aki in a whisper. "Everyone's asleep, what is it?"
"We had a bad dream." said Suzume.
"We need a tickle fest." added Ayame. They added two toothy grins to their pleas.
Aki and Sano glanced at each other and grinned themselves before starting a tickle fest that helped them all four go to sleep.
Kenshin decided to surprise everyone and get breakfast from the Akobeko family restaurant that day. He wanted to take Ayame and Suzume too. They might be bored. They weren't in any of the bedrooms, so he tried the living room. There they were, next to Aki and Sano. Now THAT was a family picture if he ever saw one.
He woke them up without waking Aki and Sano, and tiptoed out with the giggling girls in each arm.
Aki woke to someone shaking her shoulder slightly. "Aki-Chan." said Kaoru's voice, but it was too whiny to Kaoru. "Aki-Chan.!!" She slowly opened her eyes.
"Eh?" she asked. "Nani?"
"Kenshin's not here." said Kaoru, her eyes big and watery. "Neither are Ayame and Suzume.we have to find them!"
"They're probably out getting breakfast."
"How could we be sure?"
"Fine," she finally said, getting up. Who was that beside her? Sano?! How did that get there?! Oh. Now she remembered.
"Come on, Sanosuke, you're coming with us," she said, yanking him up.
"Doko?" he asked groggily.
"To find Kenshin."
"Doshite?"
"You're the closest to the door."
"Give me another good reason."
"Because 'we're both of the Sekihottai, the Sekihottai stays together.'"
"Another reason."
"Kaoru-San, tell him."
"Sano." she whined. "Kenshin's gone, and took Ayame and Suzume.what if he turned to Battousai and kidnapped them, or what if someone kidnapped them and he went to look for them.?
"Okay! Okay! I'll go!"
On their way to the restaurant, Kenshin and the little girls ran into Kenshin's long-lost cousin, Suzuka Takahashi.
Kenshin decided to treat her to breakfast and catch up, since they hadn't seen each other since they were about three.
"How've you been?" asked Kenshin.
"After dad went with the Imperial Army and never came back, mom contracted a disease and died, I took up ninjutsu the sword."
Kenshin blinked. "Oro" he said. "That's versatile."
"How've YOU been these past twenty-some-odd years?" she asked.
Kenshin was about to tell her, when he heard a familiar voice say," Oh, Ke- e-e-enshi-i-i-n.I-I-I-I..found you!" Kaoru threw her arms around his neck.
"Oro?" he asked. "I was lost?"
"Himura," growled Aki, standing next to her. "She dragged us out of bed to find you."
"Thanks for buying breakfast, Kenshin," said Sano, sitting next to him, Kaoru took the seat on his other side. Aki stepped over the table to the back. Suzuka looked very confused.
"Kenshin..Who are they?"
Kenshin explained who they were and how they had all come to live in the Kamiya dojo. However, this was a very long story and everyone but Suzuka almost fell sleep again.
Sano leaned over to whisper in Kenshin's ear. "I've got sort of.a bill here. You wouldn't mind taking care of that would you?" He hesitated, but eventually agreed, he had to work on his push-over problem.
"So, you're a ninja-samurai?" Aki asked Suzuka.
She nodded.
"Well, Kenshin," said Kaoru. "You've run into a group of creative people. You're cousin's a master of ninjutsu and the sword, Aki's made a farmer's tool into a weapon in addition to using a sword, and Sano.had a zan-batou."
Aki's eyes widened. She turned to Sano. "You have a zan-batou?"
"I have the pieces.Kenshin sliced it in half when we first met."
"Well, show me the pieces, then show me to the hottest forge in town!"
"You can fix it?!"
"Can a bird fly?"
"Alright!" said Sano, grabbing her arm, running out.
"Zan-batou?" asked Suzuka.
"That's another long story," said Kenshin.
"Are these all the people who live in the Kamiya dojo?"
"No," said Kenshin. "There are about five more, that there are."
"Aki's the most recent addition to our strange friends," said Kaoru.
After breakfast, they headed outside.
"You look like Uncle Ken!" observed Suzume.
"Yeah, but you have pretty blue eyes instead of purple!" added Ayame.
"That's cause we're cousins," said Suzuka.
"Hey, there's Sano, at the smithy's, and there's the smithy," pointed out Kenshin.
"Uncle Sano!" hollered Suzume, jumping into his arms. "Uncle Sano!" added Ayame.
"That's a first," said Sano, rather confused.
"Himura-San, maybe you could help," said the blacksmith to Kenshin. "He brought this woman here, and she's been in my shop all morning!"
"It's only been two hours," said Sano. "Besides, she paid for rent and materials."
"Well," said Kenshin. "If she's paid."
"But, Himura-San, I have-"
"Paying customers," said an angry voice behind them.
The owner of the voice was apparently the leader of the band standing behind him. All the band had their blades drawn.
"We want our blades sharpened, old man. And we don't mind using them on you and your friends to do it."
Kaoru quickly grabbed the two small girls and tried to make a break for it, but one of the members blocked their way.
Suddenly, when all hope seemed lost for Kaoru, Ayame, and Suzume, Aki's fist rammed into his jaw, knocking him on the ground, unconscious. Her other hand tossed Sano his zan-batou, now in one piece.
Aki got out her sword and scythe, letting Kaoru and her charges pass.
Suzuka fought back-to-back with Aki. Her opponents being swordsmen, she used her katana. Aki used her father's katana, and let her scythe chain out, just in case.
Kenshin used his reverse-blade sword as easily as he always did. Sano's zan- batou seemed lighter, faster, and stronger than before. Aki did more than just fix it! He silently rejoiced, then gave a gang member a gash in his arm. It was sharper too!
As the gang ran away, Suzuka noticed one of them, taking something from Kenshin. She pointed this out, also pointing to the felon.
Aki hurled her scythe snagging the back of his shirt. She yanked the chain, bringing him facedown in front of her. Suzuka got Kenshin's coin purse, and Aki let him go.
Sano had taken a sword in his leg, and was already leaning on Kenshin. Kenshin however, was about to fall over, trying to support him. Aki, being the tallest, other than Sano himself, took the other side.
Suzuka volunteered to carry the zan-batou. "That felt good," she said, with a grin spread across her face. "I haven't done that in a long time!"
On the way back to the dojo, Aki rolled her eyes. "I get to play doctor.again. Oh well, at least this time I know who I'm operating on."
"Operating?!" asked Sano.
"You've got a gash in your leg, you need stitches."
"Stitches?!"
"You won't feel anything, I know what I'm doing."
Suddenly, Misao, Aoshi, and Yahiko came running down the path.
"Kaoru came and told us you were in trouble," said Yahiko.
"Great timing, Kaoru." said Misao sarcastically.
"Kenshin, who're they?" asked Suzuka.
Kenshin, still trying to stay upright under Sano, went through introductions.again.
Aoshi rolled his eyes and took Kenshin's place, helping Sanosuke.
"Sano, I see you got your zan-batou back," said Yahiko
"Is that why you ran into the dojo for no reason and ran back out?" asked Misao.
"No, somebody moved the pieces," answered Sano.
"Who fixed it? I know it wasn't the smithy, he's been telling you he couldn't for a while now," said Aoshi.
"Aki," said Kenshin, Sano, and Suzuka.
"Good," Aoshi said. "I was beginning to think his fist would shatter the next time he hit someone."
Aki laughed for the first time in ten years.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 1
Akiyama wondered why her mother was panic-stricken tonight. There were torches and voices outside, but there always?
Her father was the captain of the Sekihottai, and he always had his band with him. The group had always treated her and her mother as sisters. Her father even trained her in the art of the sword with the two smaller additions, Sanosuke, and Katsu.
Akiyama heard one of the voices say "Down with the Sekihottai!" That was why!
"Aki-Chan," whispered her mother. "Come here, haiyeku!"
The ten year-old quietly ran to her mother. She opened a trap door. "Don't say anything until everything is quiet," she warned her daughter. "Your father wanted you to have this," she added, handing her a red silk sash with a smile.
Underneath the floor, Akiyama heard a pounding at the door. Her mother went to answer.
"Hai?" she said, opening it. The blue-haired girl sent up a silent prayer.
She refused to hear the conversation, or anything but a loud gun shot and her mother's dying words. "Aishiteru." Barely above a whisper.
She couldn't believe it. Her mother. The one who taught her about herbs while her father taught her of the sword. She was even incapable of tears as blood trickled through the floor boards.
Suddenly, something sharp sliced her forehead. She felt her eyes roll back as the world went black.
When she woke again, she heard birds chirping. She sat up, holding her father's silk sash. All the members of the Sekihottai wore one of these. He had finally accepted her as one of the Sekihottai. But she had the straining feeling it was too late.
Her mother's body lay on the floor. She had to bury, but being a only a girl, she couldn't. so she improvised. She took a thick blanket and covered her with it. "Aishiteru," she said in response to her dying words.
Akiyama made her way outside. She stopped dead in her tracks.
Her father's glazed eyes stared back at her. The same silver eyes she had inherited. She hung her head, tied the sash around it, and put on her father's coat and sword. Being his only child, she was his heir. She probably looked ridiculous, but he would have wanted it.
Ten years later, Akiyama happened to stumble onto a stray imperialist left from the Revolution. Seeking to kill all connected to the Sekihottai.
The battle was long and hard, but with her chained scythe, there was one less imperialist in the world.
She had killed her enemy, but she had a few wounds herself, and needed medical treatment before she passed out. The fact that it was snowing like nobody's business didn't help!
Was that a.? It was! A building. As she got closer, she noticed a sign. A dojo!
She walked up to the door and knocked.
"Hai?" said a girl a lot shorter than her in a kimono. "Oh!" the girl gasped, noticing her wounds.
"Good evening, ma'am. Sorry to intrude," said Akiyama.
"Oh, no need to apologize," said the girl, helping her in.
"Kenshin! Sanosuke! I could use some help here!" Sanosuke? It couldn't be! Could it?
Two men rushed out, and helped her follow the girl. It was Sanosuke!
"I'm Kaoru Kamiya," said the girl. "The one on your left is Kenshin Himura, the other is Sanosuke Sagara." Sanosuke had taken on her father's name? Why was she not surprised?
"My name's." she had to stop to cough. "Akiyama.Sagara. Baka."
Sanosuke stopped, stopping Kenshin too. "Battle axe! Captain Sagara's daughter!"
Aki nodded. Sano looked behind her to see the symbol for bad on the back of her coat.
"I didn't recognize you in the coat."
"Excuses, excuses."
"Set Akiyama-San here," said Kaoru, indicating a futon.
Kenshin and Sano set her down.
"If I recall." she pondered. "You didn't have a last name."
"I took captain Sagara's last name, he was like a father to us. So it was only logical to take on your father's name, isn't it?"
"I'm out of herbs." said Kaoru, vexated.
"Use mine," said Aki, handing her a sack.
"I wouldn't trust her with herbs," said Sano. "She can't even cook."
Noticing the death glare on Kaoru's face, Kenshin grabbed Sano's arm and ran out.
A few minutes after Kaoru began to tend to Aki's wounds, a pale, young woman walked in and glared down on them.
"If you wanted me to take care of an injured wanderer, you could've asked!"
"I can take care of it myself, Megumi!" replied Kaoru. Megumi sat in front of her and gave her a smile.
"Hello, my name's Megumi," she said politely. "No answer from our mysterious stranger?"
"I'm supposed to be still," said Akiyama.
"Well at least what's your name?"
"Akiyama Sagara."
"Oh, the same as Sano's I see!" she said, giggling.
"Megumi, get out!" demanded Kaoru
"But we were in the middle of a conversation, ne, Aki-Sama?"
Aki didn't answer, this Megumi was just a bit too friendly for her taste.
Megumi crossed her arms, looked away and left.
"I wish you didn't have to see that," said Kaoru.
"Don't worry, I'm quite tolerant."
A few minutes right after Kaoru finally got all the bandages to just the right pressure and everything in the place, she decided to get to know Aki.
"How did you end up like this?"
"I ran into an imperialist who noticed the character on my back and challenged me to a fight."
"You didn't kill him, did you?"
"I had to, I only kill in self-defense, and even then only as a last resort. If I had just knocked him out, he would have hunted me down until either of us died."
"How could you tell?"
"For lack of a regular-sized pupil."
Kaoru shivered, she'd met a few of those before.
Aki suddenly got an odd look on her face. "What's poking me?"
Kaoru looked behind her. "Ayame! Suzume! Why are you bothering Aki-San?"
To young girls walked out from behind Aki. "She wouldn't play with us."
Aki smiled. "I'm not sure about playing, but I do like.tickle fests!" she finished, tickling them. The little girls erupted into laughter.
After a while, Ayame and Suzume left, giggling.
"I hope you can stay, I haven't seen them react that way to anyone like that but Kenshin," said Kaoru.
Aki's smile turned sad. "I do too."
She suddenly sat up. "What's poking me now?"
Kaoru looked behind her new friend again. "Yahiko! It's one thing to poke her, but with your bokuto?!"
A young man about twelve walked out and reluctantly bowed. "Gomen ne sai.what's your name? Sano said I had to find out on my own.and Kenshin wouldn't tell either." She told him.
Yahiko grinned from ear-to-ear. "Gomen ne sai.Sagara-San!" he finished, running out, bubbling with laughter.
"Is it a thing for the young people here to poke injured people?"
"Unfortunately," said Kenshin, walking in. "I think it is a thing for the young people here to poke injured people. Just ask Sano."
During dinner that night, everyone seemed to be bashing Kaoru's cooking.
"I don't believe you trusted her with herbs, the way she cooks, you should be dying from horrible disease by now," said Sano.
Well, she had told Kaoru what each herb did, but she saved Kaoru the humility.
"Yeah, Kaoru, I don't think you should be feeding this to sick people," added Yahiko.
Kaoru's face suddenly got a death glare.
"It tastes like you made it from sick people," chimed in Misao.
"Gee, what's your secret?" asked Megumi sarcastically.
Aoshi picked his up with his chopsticks, and set them back down again. "Any opinions, Sagara-San?"
"I'm just glad to get something hot to eat," answered Aki.
"You won't be in a minute," Sanosuke muttered in her ear.
After dinner, Kaoru wanted the guest's opinion. "What do you think Aki- San?"
Aki took a breath, looked at her half-eaten dinner. "May I cook dinner next time?"
"HAH!" shouted Yahiko. "I TOLD YOU IT WAS HORRIBLE! EVEN AKI DIDN'T LIKE IT!"
That was apparently the last straw for Kaoru, she got up and started chasing Yahiko and yelling threats to him. To which he responded with a laugh.
In the silence, Aoshi sat in deep thought. "Akiyama Sagara." he pondered. "That sounds slightly familiar."
"Yeah." added Kenshin.
"Like it should have a nickname at the end of it." continued Doctor Gensai.
"That it should," said Kenshin.
Megumi slammed her fists on the ground, silencing the room. "The Nightingale," she growled. "A good Samaritan to the poor, a mercenary for the rich. And a threat to the Meiji government."
"Hey," said Yahiko. "Kenshin's Battousai the Manslayer, the strongest of the Meiji's manslayers!"
"You listen to rumors I see, Megumi-San," said Aki. "I kill out of self- defense, and then only as a last ditch effort."
Suzume suddenly yawned and rested her head on Aki's arm. Aki picked her up as Kaoru picked up Ayame, and they sent them off to bed.
Aki woke suddenly, she had slept longer than she'd intended. She sat up slowly.
Kaoru was sleeping soundly. Yahiko was tossing and turning. Misao was making faces in her sleep. Megumi was mumbling inaudibly in her sleep. Good, they were all asleep.
She slowly and quietly gathered her things. She tiptoed to the living room, and opened the door. She hated to leave, but she was a wanderer, what if someone needed treating?
She put one foot out the door and stopped. "You weren't thinking of leaving were you?" asked Sano's voice behind her.
Aki sighed and roller her eyes. Why.? She was so close!
"But you can't leave!"
"I'm a wanderer, it's what I do."
"That's what Kenshin said and look where it landed him."
"I'm not Kenshin."
"But we're both of the Sekihottai, the Sekihottai stays together."
"You haven't changed a bit, have you? But you do have a point," she said, closing the door, and was about to go back to bed, when Ayame and Suzume ran up to them.
"Auntie Aki.!" they whined. "Uncle Sano.!"
"Sh.not so loud," said Aki in a whisper. "Everyone's asleep, what is it?"
"We had a bad dream." said Suzume.
"We need a tickle fest." added Ayame. They added two toothy grins to their pleas.
Aki and Sano glanced at each other and grinned themselves before starting a tickle fest that helped them all four go to sleep.
Kenshin decided to surprise everyone and get breakfast from the Akobeko family restaurant that day. He wanted to take Ayame and Suzume too. They might be bored. They weren't in any of the bedrooms, so he tried the living room. There they were, next to Aki and Sano. Now THAT was a family picture if he ever saw one.
He woke them up without waking Aki and Sano, and tiptoed out with the giggling girls in each arm.
Aki woke to someone shaking her shoulder slightly. "Aki-Chan." said Kaoru's voice, but it was too whiny to Kaoru. "Aki-Chan.!!" She slowly opened her eyes.
"Eh?" she asked. "Nani?"
"Kenshin's not here." said Kaoru, her eyes big and watery. "Neither are Ayame and Suzume.we have to find them!"
"They're probably out getting breakfast."
"How could we be sure?"
"Fine," she finally said, getting up. Who was that beside her? Sano?! How did that get there?! Oh. Now she remembered.
"Come on, Sanosuke, you're coming with us," she said, yanking him up.
"Doko?" he asked groggily.
"To find Kenshin."
"Doshite?"
"You're the closest to the door."
"Give me another good reason."
"Because 'we're both of the Sekihottai, the Sekihottai stays together.'"
"Another reason."
"Kaoru-San, tell him."
"Sano." she whined. "Kenshin's gone, and took Ayame and Suzume.what if he turned to Battousai and kidnapped them, or what if someone kidnapped them and he went to look for them.?
"Okay! Okay! I'll go!"
On their way to the restaurant, Kenshin and the little girls ran into Kenshin's long-lost cousin, Suzuka Takahashi.
Kenshin decided to treat her to breakfast and catch up, since they hadn't seen each other since they were about three.
"How've you been?" asked Kenshin.
"After dad went with the Imperial Army and never came back, mom contracted a disease and died, I took up ninjutsu the sword."
Kenshin blinked. "Oro" he said. "That's versatile."
"How've YOU been these past twenty-some-odd years?" she asked.
Kenshin was about to tell her, when he heard a familiar voice say," Oh, Ke- e-e-enshi-i-i-n.I-I-I-I..found you!" Kaoru threw her arms around his neck.
"Oro?" he asked. "I was lost?"
"Himura," growled Aki, standing next to her. "She dragged us out of bed to find you."
"Thanks for buying breakfast, Kenshin," said Sano, sitting next to him, Kaoru took the seat on his other side. Aki stepped over the table to the back. Suzuka looked very confused.
"Kenshin..Who are they?"
Kenshin explained who they were and how they had all come to live in the Kamiya dojo. However, this was a very long story and everyone but Suzuka almost fell sleep again.
Sano leaned over to whisper in Kenshin's ear. "I've got sort of.a bill here. You wouldn't mind taking care of that would you?" He hesitated, but eventually agreed, he had to work on his push-over problem.
"So, you're a ninja-samurai?" Aki asked Suzuka.
She nodded.
"Well, Kenshin," said Kaoru. "You've run into a group of creative people. You're cousin's a master of ninjutsu and the sword, Aki's made a farmer's tool into a weapon in addition to using a sword, and Sano.had a zan-batou."
Aki's eyes widened. She turned to Sano. "You have a zan-batou?"
"I have the pieces.Kenshin sliced it in half when we first met."
"Well, show me the pieces, then show me to the hottest forge in town!"
"You can fix it?!"
"Can a bird fly?"
"Alright!" said Sano, grabbing her arm, running out.
"Zan-batou?" asked Suzuka.
"That's another long story," said Kenshin.
"Are these all the people who live in the Kamiya dojo?"
"No," said Kenshin. "There are about five more, that there are."
"Aki's the most recent addition to our strange friends," said Kaoru.
After breakfast, they headed outside.
"You look like Uncle Ken!" observed Suzume.
"Yeah, but you have pretty blue eyes instead of purple!" added Ayame.
"That's cause we're cousins," said Suzuka.
"Hey, there's Sano, at the smithy's, and there's the smithy," pointed out Kenshin.
"Uncle Sano!" hollered Suzume, jumping into his arms. "Uncle Sano!" added Ayame.
"That's a first," said Sano, rather confused.
"Himura-San, maybe you could help," said the blacksmith to Kenshin. "He brought this woman here, and she's been in my shop all morning!"
"It's only been two hours," said Sano. "Besides, she paid for rent and materials."
"Well," said Kenshin. "If she's paid."
"But, Himura-San, I have-"
"Paying customers," said an angry voice behind them.
The owner of the voice was apparently the leader of the band standing behind him. All the band had their blades drawn.
"We want our blades sharpened, old man. And we don't mind using them on you and your friends to do it."
Kaoru quickly grabbed the two small girls and tried to make a break for it, but one of the members blocked their way.
Suddenly, when all hope seemed lost for Kaoru, Ayame, and Suzume, Aki's fist rammed into his jaw, knocking him on the ground, unconscious. Her other hand tossed Sano his zan-batou, now in one piece.
Aki got out her sword and scythe, letting Kaoru and her charges pass.
Suzuka fought back-to-back with Aki. Her opponents being swordsmen, she used her katana. Aki used her father's katana, and let her scythe chain out, just in case.
Kenshin used his reverse-blade sword as easily as he always did. Sano's zan- batou seemed lighter, faster, and stronger than before. Aki did more than just fix it! He silently rejoiced, then gave a gang member a gash in his arm. It was sharper too!
As the gang ran away, Suzuka noticed one of them, taking something from Kenshin. She pointed this out, also pointing to the felon.
Aki hurled her scythe snagging the back of his shirt. She yanked the chain, bringing him facedown in front of her. Suzuka got Kenshin's coin purse, and Aki let him go.
Sano had taken a sword in his leg, and was already leaning on Kenshin. Kenshin however, was about to fall over, trying to support him. Aki, being the tallest, other than Sano himself, took the other side.
Suzuka volunteered to carry the zan-batou. "That felt good," she said, with a grin spread across her face. "I haven't done that in a long time!"
On the way back to the dojo, Aki rolled her eyes. "I get to play doctor.again. Oh well, at least this time I know who I'm operating on."
"Operating?!" asked Sano.
"You've got a gash in your leg, you need stitches."
"Stitches?!"
"You won't feel anything, I know what I'm doing."
Suddenly, Misao, Aoshi, and Yahiko came running down the path.
"Kaoru came and told us you were in trouble," said Yahiko.
"Great timing, Kaoru." said Misao sarcastically.
"Kenshin, who're they?" asked Suzuka.
Kenshin, still trying to stay upright under Sano, went through introductions.again.
Aoshi rolled his eyes and took Kenshin's place, helping Sanosuke.
"Sano, I see you got your zan-batou back," said Yahiko
"Is that why you ran into the dojo for no reason and ran back out?" asked Misao.
"No, somebody moved the pieces," answered Sano.
"Who fixed it? I know it wasn't the smithy, he's been telling you he couldn't for a while now," said Aoshi.
"Aki," said Kenshin, Sano, and Suzuka.
"Good," Aoshi said. "I was beginning to think his fist would shatter the next time he hit someone."
Aki laughed for the first time in ten years.