Nothing Lasts Forever
Chapter 2
***
In Edo, a beautiful young woman in training clothes looked over a group of kids. She was training them in the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu style at her dojo. Six years prior, when a man claiming to be Hitokiri Battousai said he had been a student of the Kamiya style, parents pulled their children out of the school. A year later, when word got out that members of the Juupon Gatana were defeated by seventeen year old Kamiya Kaoru, assistant master, and eleven year old Myoujin Yahiko by the Kamiya Kasshin style, the sword that protects, the black cloud that had been over the school left. Now, five years later, her little dojo had sixteen students. She only wished that her favorite foul mouthed little twerp would write to her every once in a while, so she wouldn't worry about him.
Two years ago, he had left on his own adventure. At first he had sent letters back to her and everyone at the dojo frequently. But for the past year and a half, they had slowed to a stop. She wondered constantly if he was safe and if she should go looking for him. But she decided that he was old enough to take care of himself. Not that she would ever admit to it.
"Miss Kaoru," a ten year old boy called. "Are you okay?"
"I must have been day dreaming again," Kaoru said with a laugh. "That's it for today. You can clean up and go home now." Her students did as they were told, leaving her to her thoughts.
"Were you thinking about Yahiko again?" a red haired man asked walking up. He was holding a basket of neatly folded clothes with him.
"How'd you guess Kenshin?" Kaoru asked helping him with the clothes.
"I've noticed that you've been very worried about him. It's been almost a year since he's written to us."
"Aren't you worried?"
"Yahiko is very strong and has matured a lot since he first began swordsmanship. I'm very confident in his abilities. He had an excellent teacher you know." Kaoru blushed at the comment turning away.
"Have you heard about the trains?" she asked changing the subject. "They've stopped in Kyoto for some reason."
"I have Miss Kaoru," Kenshin said looking up. "And I have a bad feeling about it."
"What do you mean?"
"Just some strange things that I've noticed for the past few years. Not much, but enough for me to notice."
***
"Have you heard from the Watanabe Police Station yet?" an aged officer asked. His name was Saitou Hajime, and he was one of, if not the best officer in Japan. His black hair now sported several gray hairs, and his skin had several burn marks on it. Five years ago during a fight with Shishio Makoto, he had been caught in an explosion, but survived.
"Not yet sir," another officer in his mid twenties.
"Then I think my suspicions may have been right." He put his cigarette out and got up. "I want you to tell Akahito Makioka take an armed force of thirty men to Kyoto tonight."
"What?" the young officer asked. "Sir, don't you think it's a little drastic? It's only been a week since we've last had contact with them."
"Tokuda, have you noticed the changes in Edo?" Saitou asked walking to the window and looking out of it. "How the crime rate has dropped? How every man that hated the Meiji era has now disappeared with their swords? The trains have stopped in Kyoto along with all contact. When I say I want something done, trust my judgement and do it."
"Y-yes sir," Tokuda said backing away with a bow. "Sorry to question your judgement." Saitou's eyes had a gleam in them that signaled death to those who pissed him off today, and Tokuda didn't want to be on the receiving end of his wrath. Saitou watched as the young officer walked out the door and ran down the hallway. He sat back down, taking out another cigarette and lit it.
***
"Sanosuke, when are you going to pay your bills!" Tae said in good humor. She was standing outside the Akabeko with Sanosuke who had just walked out.
"How about when I get paid," he said with a smile and started walking off.
"And when will that be!" she called to he retreating form.
"As soon as I get a job!" he called back with a laugh.
"And that will be as good as never," Tae said to herself, laughing and walking back inside the restaurant. Sano walked down the street with his hands in his pockets, looking around. The fighter for hire had stayed at the dojo with Kaoru and Kenshin, occasionally wondering off. He rounded a corner to go into the back alleys where he new a place where he could gamble. He flipped a quarter in the air, the only money he had, catching it again. He hadn't gone one step before he was knocked down by a young man with black hair. The young man scrambled up mumbling a 'sorry,' and started running again. Sano stared at his form, when suddenly it turned around, wide eyed.
"Sano!" a familiar voice said.
"Yahiko!" he said with a smile that was slowly replaced with a frown. "What happened to you?"
"Come on, we need to find Kenshin," Yahiko said running for the dojo. Sanosuke stared a second before following after the boy. He had definitely grown, now carrying a Sakabatou that he had gotten somewhere. He was also much more mature seeming. Sano picked up the pace and followed him wondering what he had been doing the past two years.
People watched them running by, wondering what the big rush was. Also wondering why the young man was carrying a sword. Yahiko had been running for the past five days almost nonstop to get to Edo. He was beyond exhaustion, only his final destination in mind. He ran up to the dojo, sliding the doors open. He stopped, standing in front of the door, breathing heavily. In front of him stood a shocked Ayame, Suzume, Kaoru, and Kenshin.
"Finally," he breathed out smiling, and then collapsed.
***
What did you think? REVIEW and tell me. Was everything okay? No mistakes? REVIEW and tell me what you thought about it. Also sorry that it took so long. I had this weird notion that I had already put this chapter up...
Chapter 2
***
In Edo, a beautiful young woman in training clothes looked over a group of kids. She was training them in the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu style at her dojo. Six years prior, when a man claiming to be Hitokiri Battousai said he had been a student of the Kamiya style, parents pulled their children out of the school. A year later, when word got out that members of the Juupon Gatana were defeated by seventeen year old Kamiya Kaoru, assistant master, and eleven year old Myoujin Yahiko by the Kamiya Kasshin style, the sword that protects, the black cloud that had been over the school left. Now, five years later, her little dojo had sixteen students. She only wished that her favorite foul mouthed little twerp would write to her every once in a while, so she wouldn't worry about him.
Two years ago, he had left on his own adventure. At first he had sent letters back to her and everyone at the dojo frequently. But for the past year and a half, they had slowed to a stop. She wondered constantly if he was safe and if she should go looking for him. But she decided that he was old enough to take care of himself. Not that she would ever admit to it.
"Miss Kaoru," a ten year old boy called. "Are you okay?"
"I must have been day dreaming again," Kaoru said with a laugh. "That's it for today. You can clean up and go home now." Her students did as they were told, leaving her to her thoughts.
"Were you thinking about Yahiko again?" a red haired man asked walking up. He was holding a basket of neatly folded clothes with him.
"How'd you guess Kenshin?" Kaoru asked helping him with the clothes.
"I've noticed that you've been very worried about him. It's been almost a year since he's written to us."
"Aren't you worried?"
"Yahiko is very strong and has matured a lot since he first began swordsmanship. I'm very confident in his abilities. He had an excellent teacher you know." Kaoru blushed at the comment turning away.
"Have you heard about the trains?" she asked changing the subject. "They've stopped in Kyoto for some reason."
"I have Miss Kaoru," Kenshin said looking up. "And I have a bad feeling about it."
"What do you mean?"
"Just some strange things that I've noticed for the past few years. Not much, but enough for me to notice."
***
"Have you heard from the Watanabe Police Station yet?" an aged officer asked. His name was Saitou Hajime, and he was one of, if not the best officer in Japan. His black hair now sported several gray hairs, and his skin had several burn marks on it. Five years ago during a fight with Shishio Makoto, he had been caught in an explosion, but survived.
"Not yet sir," another officer in his mid twenties.
"Then I think my suspicions may have been right." He put his cigarette out and got up. "I want you to tell Akahito Makioka take an armed force of thirty men to Kyoto tonight."
"What?" the young officer asked. "Sir, don't you think it's a little drastic? It's only been a week since we've last had contact with them."
"Tokuda, have you noticed the changes in Edo?" Saitou asked walking to the window and looking out of it. "How the crime rate has dropped? How every man that hated the Meiji era has now disappeared with their swords? The trains have stopped in Kyoto along with all contact. When I say I want something done, trust my judgement and do it."
"Y-yes sir," Tokuda said backing away with a bow. "Sorry to question your judgement." Saitou's eyes had a gleam in them that signaled death to those who pissed him off today, and Tokuda didn't want to be on the receiving end of his wrath. Saitou watched as the young officer walked out the door and ran down the hallway. He sat back down, taking out another cigarette and lit it.
***
"Sanosuke, when are you going to pay your bills!" Tae said in good humor. She was standing outside the Akabeko with Sanosuke who had just walked out.
"How about when I get paid," he said with a smile and started walking off.
"And when will that be!" she called to he retreating form.
"As soon as I get a job!" he called back with a laugh.
"And that will be as good as never," Tae said to herself, laughing and walking back inside the restaurant. Sano walked down the street with his hands in his pockets, looking around. The fighter for hire had stayed at the dojo with Kaoru and Kenshin, occasionally wondering off. He rounded a corner to go into the back alleys where he new a place where he could gamble. He flipped a quarter in the air, the only money he had, catching it again. He hadn't gone one step before he was knocked down by a young man with black hair. The young man scrambled up mumbling a 'sorry,' and started running again. Sano stared at his form, when suddenly it turned around, wide eyed.
"Sano!" a familiar voice said.
"Yahiko!" he said with a smile that was slowly replaced with a frown. "What happened to you?"
"Come on, we need to find Kenshin," Yahiko said running for the dojo. Sanosuke stared a second before following after the boy. He had definitely grown, now carrying a Sakabatou that he had gotten somewhere. He was also much more mature seeming. Sano picked up the pace and followed him wondering what he had been doing the past two years.
People watched them running by, wondering what the big rush was. Also wondering why the young man was carrying a sword. Yahiko had been running for the past five days almost nonstop to get to Edo. He was beyond exhaustion, only his final destination in mind. He ran up to the dojo, sliding the doors open. He stopped, standing in front of the door, breathing heavily. In front of him stood a shocked Ayame, Suzume, Kaoru, and Kenshin.
"Finally," he breathed out smiling, and then collapsed.
***
What did you think? REVIEW and tell me. Was everything okay? No mistakes? REVIEW and tell me what you thought about it. Also sorry that it took so long. I had this weird notion that I had already put this chapter up...