Oops, forgot a disclaimer in the last chapter. We didn't own RK then, don't own it now. Don't own Fushigi Yuugi or Les Mis either. Although we do own Sakura, Amaya, the adults, and Hojo.
Without further ado, on to chapter three!
"Thanks for coming! Arigato!" Sakura and Amaya called at the figures walking down the street, two tall with a smaller one skipping ahead.
"We'll be back!" Tamahome called back.
"Ja ne!" said Souzou, as Sano waved.
The girls headed back indoors, and were immediately met by their mother's twin grinning faces.
"What?" asked Amaya. "What's so amusing?"
"They said they'd be back," teased Mrs. Harrington. "And somehow I doubt it's for my tea."
"Shhhh!" Both girls blushed bright red, and quickly escaped to Amaya's room. Sliding the door shut behind them, they collapsed onto the rolled futon in fits of giggles.
"They'll be back!" squealed Amaya, while Sakura just shook with quiet laughter.
"He's so handsome," Sakura said dreamily once her giggling had subsided.
"Both!" Amaya agreed. Sakura laughed as Amaya absentmindedly stared down at her hand. "But Tamahome's cuter!" Amaya added.
"No, Souzou is!"
"Tamahome."
"Souzou."
"Tamahome!"
"Souzou!"
"Settle it sparring?"
Sakura grinned and nodded. The girls changed into gis and hakamas and headed over to the dojo, still arguing.
Sakura sighed. "The baka tea ceremony is too formal! We didn't get to talk to them much at all."
"I know," lamented Amaya. "I wanted to ask more about Sano."
"I wonder why they have those matching headbands," pondered Sakura.
"Who has matching headbands?" asked Hojo, sliding open the door as the girls arrived at the dojo.
"Sagara Souzou, Suzaku Tamahome, and Sanosuke," Amaya told him.
"Who?"
Excitedly, the two hyper teens filled him in on the events of the last day. When they explained about the red bands, Hojo looked thoughtful.
"Probably Sekihoutai," he said.
"Who're they?"
"You two really are clueless about the politics here, aren't you?" he said, shaking his head.
"I can't stand politics in any form," Amaya informed him.
"Women aren't usually told about those kinds of things," Sakura said. "The only things we know are things like the Shinsengumi patrolling, or the legendary Battousai, or laws that affect us- like not being able to carry a weapon openly."
"Anything else would upset delicate female minds," Amaya said, disgusted.
"Your parents let you get away with so much, I've just assumed that they told you about political happenings as well," Hojo shrugged.
"I can speak English and Japanese fluently, know a little Latin and Spanish, have read all the classic, know how to cook, garden, pour tea, sew, arrange flowers, and a dozen other near-useless things," Amaya said, "But I have no idea of the world around me besides what I remember of Ireland, our house, this dojo, and the market."
Hojo shook his head. "Pointless. One day, once the Shinsengumi are taken care of and the Bakufu is gone, perhaps women will be given some of the recognition they deserve in this country." Both girls stared. They'd never heard Hojo speak so passionately before.
"Don't let anyone else hear you say that," Sakura warned. When an awkward silence followed, Amaya spoke up.
"What part of the government are the Sekihoutai involved with?"
"The Sekihoutai are a political faction. They're also called the Red Report Army, after those headbands you spoke of."
"What kind of group? Like the Shinsengumi?" Amya asked, unwilling to connect the kind visitors with the cruel vigilantes.
"No!" said Hojo. The girls sighed with relief. "The Sekihoutai are a part, a small part, of the Inshin Shishi."
"So they want to restore the emperor?" asked Sakura.
"At least you know that much," Hojo muttered, looking relieved. "That's right. The Sekihoutai in particular want to even up the class system, and support freedom."
"Rebel freedom fighters," grinned Amaya mischievously.
"They'll put up with weapon-weilding women, I'll bet," said Sakura hopefully.
Hojo laughed at the two daydreaming faces. "Much as I hate to interrupt your romantic daydreams, aren't you here to practice?"
"Hai!" said Amaya.
"We've got an argument to settle," added Sakura.
A knock on the front door prompted a mad dash away from the garden and flower arranging.
"I got it!" Sakura reached the door first and stuck her tongue out at Amaya. IT had been over two weeks since Sano's appearance, and each was hoping the visitors would keep their promise and return. Opening the door, Sakura stopped and stared, looking confused.
"Um, nobody's here," she said, puzzled.
"Yah!" screamed two voices in unison. Both girls jumped back as Sano and another boy his age leaped into the doorway. Souzou and Tamahome appeared behind them, looking slightly sheepish.
"Their idea, we promise," said Tamahome. Before the gasping teens could reply, Sano piped up.
"Ha ha! I scared you again!"
"Yeah but we can chase you in these outfits," Sakura teased, faking a lunge for the child. The girls had been planning on going to the dojo soon, so they had already changed into practice clothes.
"Nyah," muttered Sano, sulking. At a glance from Souzou, he became comically formal.
"This is my friends Katsuhiro," he motioned to his companion. "Katsu, this is Sakura and Amaya. They're really nice," he said. Katsuhiro waved.
"I forgot how handsome he is," thought Amaya, staring at Tamahome.
"So, may we come in?" he asked, breaking the silence. Sakura blushed. She had been likewise staring at Souzou.
"Actually," spoke up Amaya, "We were just heading over to the dojo for a practice session. You're welcome to come along with us."
Both men looked surprised. "You go to a dojo?" asked Tamahome.
"What do you practice?" questioned Souzou at the same time.
"Come see," said Sakura with a wink.
"We're going to the dojo, mom!" Amaya yelled.
"Be back by dinner!" Mrs. Malat called back. The girls turned happily to their companions and led the way to the dojo.
"What part of Europe are you from?" Tamahome asked. Amaya was confused, until she realized that she had spoken to her mother in English.
"Oops, gomen nasai," she said. "We speak English at home."
"We're from Ireland," Sakura told him. "Our fathers were transferred here for business about ten years ago."
"Explains you're hair," said Souzou, playfully tugging a loose strand of Sakura's red locks. Amaya giggled inwardly as her friend blushed. Sakura was saved from having to make a coherent response by their arrival at the dojo.
"Hi girls!" Hojo said as they entered the building.
"Kobanwa, Hojo-san!' the girls said in unison. Hojo looked at the two men and two boys behind them.
"Ah, you must be the young men with matching headbands," he said, grinning at the two flushed teenagers. Amaya quickly introduced everyone.
"Well girls, want to use the katanas today?" he asked, glancing at Souzou and Tamahome. "I see your friends here have their own. Perhaps they would like to practice with you."
"Hai!" Sakura said happily. She looked up at Souzou. "Would you?"
"I'd love to," he smiled.
'Let's go get the katanas," Amaya grabbed Sakura's arm. They walked quickly to the weapons room and slid the door shut. Immediately, uncontrollable giggles set in.
"We get to practice with them!" Amaya sighed.
"I know!" Sakura squealed. "Kami-sama, they are handsome."
"Let's go, before they wonder what's taking us so long," Amaya decided, picking up the weapon she had used the last time. Sakura agreed, grabbing her katana. They opened the door and walked back to the practice room, where Souzou and Tamahome were deep in conversation with Hojo. On the other side of the floor, Sano and Katsu were busy attacking each other with wooden shinai and loud yells.
"What's so interesting?" Amaya asked playfully, taking stock of the men's grim faces. They jumped at her and Sakura's reappearance, smiling again.
"Nothing," said Souzou.
"We were talking about you," Tamahome joked.
"Wonder what I did to make you so serious," Amaya teased back. Tamahome smiled at her, and drew his own katana.
"Ready?"
Amaya tried not to blush. "You bet!"
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