Author's Note: Wow!! I haven't updated in so long!! I don't know . . .I kinda lost interest in this fic for a while . . .but I have returned with a new found interest and I hope that this fic will be a success!! Enjoy ^_^!!
Disclaimer: *sigh* I don't own Rurouni Kenshin -- must everyone constantly remind me??
Chapter 1: Getting Ready is Not Always Easy//Hmm why does it feel as if there was something warm next to me? Wait a minute . . .// Aoshi's eyes shot open as they slowly turned to the right and then they had to look down since, even while sitting down, Aoshi was still tall.
//Misao?! Why is she sleeping on me?\\ Aoshi then looked around the carriage almost habitually. //Oh, I see there was no space anywhere else. That makes sense.\\ All of a sudden a certain crackling was heard, before –
"This is your conductor speaking. This train will reach its destination in approximately fifty minutes. I will make another announcement when we are only ten minutes away from our destination."
//Fifty minutes? Well, there is no sense in waking Misao up. I'll give her until his next announcement. Finally, I have some peace and quiet to meditate . . .\\
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Stupid boxes, stupid Tae, stupid Kaoru . . ." Sanosuke mumbled rather loudly as he kept passing by an endless stream of houses, none of which ever ended up being the dojo.
"Why did 'I' have to be the one to buy all these boxes of food and what-not from Tae!! Sometimes I think Kaoru is far too bossy!! Making me carry all these things as if I were a mule. . ." After another ten minutes of walking and grumbling like this from the Akabeko, Sano thought he had finally reached the dojo.
"Wait – is that it?? It looks it. It's blue. It must be it because I'm not going anywhere else." Sano commented to . . .no one in particular as he continued to stride toward the dojo. No sooner had he entered it's premises, that Ayame and Suzume came running up to him – and then running around him while singing one of their childish songs.
"What the – Hey! Watch it, Ayame and Suzume!! I could drop all of our food and I'm sure you don't want me to do that!!" Sano said exasperatingly as he tried to shift his boxes one way or the other – out of Ayame and Suzume's reach.
"Ayame! Suzume! I think that Sano has his hands full, that he does!" Kenshin said as he ran toward the girls. And he was a sight. The once legendary and feared Battousai was now wearing an apron with pink flowers on it while he had his hair up in a very high ponytail, with a handkerchief on top of his hair.
Honestly, the sight made Sano laugh, or at least he would have if the boxes he was holding decided to try to behave instead of going in the opposite direction of Sano. Rather, the boxes were like a leaning tower of Piza – threatening to topple over if Kenshin hadn't succeeded in chasing the girls away from him.
"I have an idea, Ayame! Why don't we run away from Uncle Kenny!!"
"Yeah!" and with no more said the two girls ran straight out of the dojo, into the street, and away from Kenshin.
"Oh no!! Ayame, Suzume, no!! Come back!" Kenshin started to run after the girls.
"Hey, Kenshin!" Sano shouted over as he Kenshin rushed by him.
"Yes, Sanosuke?"
"Nice dress." Sanosuke pointed out as he burst out laughing – and it was only by a miracle that the boxes decided to stay put. Once Sanosuke stopped laughing he looked at Kenshin.
"I wouldn't be talking, Sagara." Sanosuke gulped after Kenshin's eerie words hit him full force.
"Oh, no!! Don't be turning Battousai on me Kenshin!!" A sudden realization struck Sanosuke. "Especially when you're in a dress!! I can see it now 'The Legendary Battousai is currently doing laundry in a DRESS!!" And with that Sanosuke continued to laugh. Kenshin gave him one last glare before giving up and running after Ayame and Suzume – before they both got run over by a horse carriage or Saitou on a really bad day, (Saitou wasn't particularly fond of children).
"Great, that was a good laugh. But now who can I find to help me with these boxes?" Sanosuke looked around the dojo. Or at least he "attempted" to look around. The boxes still obscured his view and he needed to lean to the side at an angle in order to see anything at all.
"Kaoru! Hey Kaoru!! I go the things you needed! Now how about giving me a hand with them?" Sano yelled over to Kaoru who was busy . . .chasing Yahiko around with a bokken at the moment.
"Sorry, Sano. I'd love to help but as you can see I'm a bit busy right now!!" Karou yelled as she swung with her bokken – missed and hit a defenseless pot of flowers, smashing it to bits.
"Grrr!! Yahiko, you will pay for that! I really liked that pot and those flowers!!" Kaoru said as she started to gain speed in order to get closer to Yahiko.
"Hey, YOU hit them, not ME!! You ugly girl!!" Yahiko retorted as he quickly laughed before gaining some speed himself.
"Great. That's just great. Do they expect me to do this all by myself?!" Sanosuke was about ready to give up and drop the burdening boxes when he saw the fox.
"Hey, Kitsune!! How about lending a hand!" Sanosuke shouted up to her. Megumi descended the stairs of the dojo.
"And why would I help you, Sanosuke?" Megumi asked in her cool, vixen-like manner.
"Because . . .everyone else won't and you're the only person left and I really can stand the weight of these boxes any longer. . .Please, Kitsune?" Megumi rolled her eyes.
"Alright, fine. But just this once."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
// Well, it seems that Kitsune doesn't hate me after all. . .\\ Sanosuke thought as he looked at Megumi. Megumi continued to put things in their proper order. Until she finally noticed Sanosuke's persistent glance toward her direction. Megumi narrowed her eyes.
"What are you looking at, baka" she asked, her eyes now becoming narrow slits.
"Che, nothing interesting that's for sure." Sanosuke retorted – attempting to sound unruffled. Megumi gave short laugh before continuing unpacking her things.
//Hmmm, now I know there is SOMETHING I was supposed to tell Kaoru . . .Oh, wait!\\ Sanosuke suddenly jumped from his sudden realization as he ran out of the kitchen door in order to find Kaoru . . .and the dress-wearing-battousai.
"I wonder what THAT was all about . . ." Megumi wondered aloud as she watched a rushed Sanosuke run out of the door with a new found speed. Megumi shrugged her shoulders.
"Oh, well. Doesn't concern me," with that said aloud, Megumi continued to unpack and rearrange the various amounts of food.
Sanosuke continued to run around the dojo in vain. There was no one in sight. Sanosuke was about ready to give up before he heard a big 'clunk'.
//'Bout time. I thought she'd never catch up to Yahiko. Better see where they're at.\\ Sanosuke then continued to run toward the direction of the 'clunk'. Sure enough, he found Kaoru looking proud as she stood over Yahiko, who seemed to be in an enormous daze as he lay on the ground with a bokken broken in two next to his head.
"Hey, Kaoru!" Sanosuke shouted over to happy woman.
"HA! I told you I would get him, didn't I? I'm pretty good with a bokken, don't you think?" Kaoru answered happily as she looked over at Sanosuke.
"Yeah . . .sure. Anyway, I came to tell you that while I was on my way back from the Akabeko, I stopped by the train station and they said that Aoshi and Misao's train would arrive in fifty minutes." Sanosuke then scratched his head.
"Come to think of it . . .it's more like forty minutes since it took me about ten to get from the Akabeko. No – wait." Sanosuke then used his right hand to count off his left hand's fingers. "It's more like thirty now because me and the Kitsune were unpacking all that food for at least that long. . ." Before Sanosuke knew it, Kaoru was right next to him, cluching his shirt and bringing it down to her level. He was met by two very blazing blue eyes.
"You WHAT?! Why didn't you tell me EARLIER!!" Kaoru screamed into his face.
"Hey – watch the ears, they're sensitive!! And you were too busy trying to kill Yahiko to pay attention to me!" Sanosuke whined in defiance.
"Well you should have MADE me listen!! Have you told Kenshin, yet?!" Kaoru continued to yell at him.
"Umm no . . ."
"Well go do and hurry up!! We all need to take baths so that we will look clean to both Aoshi and Misao and to not make them think that we're a bunch of pigs!!"
"Ummm ok . . .I'll go now. . ." Sanosuke said as he quickly un-clawed Kaoru's hand from his clothes, before jetting off to find Kenshin.
"Kenshin! Hey KENSHIN!!! Come on . . .I promise I won't make fun of your dress!!" Sanosuke answered before laughing out loud. As soon as he started to laugh he was hit with a very fast, very hard . . .bucket.
"HAHA – oww!!"
"Now who gets the last laugh." Kenshin asked Sanosuke as Sanosuke continued to rub his injured head.
"Hey, Kenshin. You've got thirty minutes to fix yourself up in order to not look like a girl before Aoshi and Misao get here." Sanosuke told the dumfounded Kenshin, with a grin.
"I WHAT?! SANO!!!"
"You better get going . . .you don't want anyone else to see your hair like THAT, now do you?" Sanosuke asked with a Cheshire cat-like grin.
"Good point." Kenshin said simply before heading off to get his clothes and bath supplies and head over to the river.
//After all, it is not like Miss Koaru would let me use the indoor bath, that it is not.. And it is unlikely that we would bathe together, that it isn't. Wait a minute – where did that come from?!\\ Kenshin quickly blushed and hurried to his room in order to get his things.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
". . .Soap, exfoliater, brush, toothbrush – yes it looks like I have everything!!" Kaoru announced enthusiastically . . .to herself. Kaoru took all of the things she had and put them in an enormous towel. She used the towel like a bag and dragged it on her shoulders to the bathhouse.
"Ugh, I hate heavy things . . ." Kaoru muttered to herself.
"Miss Kaoru!! Here, let me help you with that!" Kaoru turned around to see Kenshin, who was running up to her. // Wow, he looks nice. He probably bathed already. His hair and his clothes look very neat . . .\\
Once Kenshin caught up with her, he took the towel-bag from her and put it on his own shoulders before getting ready to head off to the bathhouse.
"Thanks, Kenshin! That was getting heavy!" Kaoru told him, relieved yet somehow . . . flustered? The two of them continued to head to the bathhouse in silence . . .just a bit awkward.
When they finally reached the bathhouse. Kaoru took the bag from Kenshin before remembering something and grinning.
"Thank you, Kenshin. But this time please do not run in when I'm having a bath."
Kenshin blushed an interesting shade of red – enough to match his hair . . .and kimono. He remembered that last time Kaoru was soaking her hair in the bathtub, he thought she was drowning and ran in.
"Don't worry, I won't run in, that I won't." Kenshin said before starting to head off.
"Oh, by the way, Sanosuke said that you have twenty minutes to bath and get dressed before Aoshi and Misao arrive."
"SAY WHAY?!" Kaoru screamed . . .a scream that could be heard for miles.
WOHOOOO!!! I finally finished the first chapter!! Go me!!! YEAH!!! A little hint for all of you authors out there, it is NOT a good idea to start multiple fics and then go brain-dead for a long time. I've got three fics to finish and I've already thought of two more!! All these ideas swimming in my head – I just hope I finish THIS fic before I go brain dead again!! ^_^
I've decided to include a list of all the Japanese words I will use or have used. Just in case some of them may not sound familiar to others.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Japanese Dicitonary:
Aa: yes (More of Aoshi's way of saying it)
Ahou: idiot; moron (Saitou's version of what he calls Sano as opposed to "baka")
Arigato: thank you
Arigatougouzaimasu: thank you very much (much more polite)
Baka: idiot; stupid
Bokken: the wooden sword that Kaoru uses to train
Gomen: I'm sorry.
Gomen nasai: I'm very sorry
Hai: yes
Iie: no
Kitsune: fox
Kunoichi: female ninja
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Thank you to all of my reviewers!!
