Disclaimer- * Meii-chan is sitting at her computer trying to think of an interesting way to do her disclaimer. After two minutes, she gives up. * I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, so there.
I would also like to say that the lyrics are going to be shown in random order now, so don't be confused.
No, this is not a blanket scenario. I don't think this scene would be possible because I think that Aizu is somewhere in southern Japan…oh well!
cantthinkofaname- Yes, Misao seems a bit too paranoid…but it's what I happened to write to make Mieko seem less hyper.
" " = dialogue, and quotations, titles of newspaper articles, poems, songs, and short stories. (My English teacher is really getting to me. -_-;)
Italics – character thoughts
~~~~~~ - time lapse
Lilac Fire BlossomChapter 4-Curse of the Snow
Winter came. It froze the earth, bringing the arctic wind south. A few leaves remained attached to the trees, clinging to the threads of life. The dreary sky, hanging overhead for eternity, finally let loose thousands of flaky white crystals. It blanketed the ground, purifying the surroundings.
Strange how anyone would actually be outside. Soujiro sarcastically thought and kept silent, not learning any curses from Chou. Snow was fine, as far as he was concerned, but the cold was another matter.
Mieko, on the other hand, didn't care for the cold and loved the snow. She liked the way it fluttered and covered everything. On a regular occasion, her happy meter would have exploded and her joyfulness spread to others, but this was not a regular occasion. She was having a major migraine and was lagging behind Soujiro.
"Daijoubu ka? Mieko-san?"
"…I'm fine."
Soujiro eyed her suspiciously, and felt her forehead.
"No really! I'm FINE! I don't have frostbite or hypothermia or some other fatal disease related to the cold!"
"Of course you don't. You have a fever."
"No I don't!" Mieko paused, "It's just a headache, maybe I think too much."
"I'm sure. What do you have to think about all day?" Soujiro knew that she definitely was ailing, but he gave up trying to convince her of that.
"Ano…"
She does looks kind of cute with her face flushed like that… Soujiro blinked. Where did that thought come from? Ara…I must be turning into Chou…
~~~~~~~
After a few more hours, dusk fell, and Mieko's former determinedness wore off, causing her to become tired again. Around her, the snow danced: swirling, spiraling, drifting, descending… The next moment, she was falling towards the frozen ground, and she expected to greet the ground with a nice, satisfying 'thud,' but a pair of strong arms caught her.
"I told you so…" was Soujiro's comment.
It was a good thing this incident didn't happen two or three years ago, when Soujiro was still following Shishio's philosophy of "The strong survive and the weak perish." Soujiro would have probably left Mieko on her own, characterizing her as 'weak', and therefore just waiting to be killed. Then again, he probably wouldn't have, as she was the only one around the Juppongatana who was around his age, and didn't care for world domination quite as much as the others.
Soujiro picked Mieko up, since she'll pass out again if she started walking again. Besides, she happened to be a convenient heating source.
"Arigatou…" Mieko blushed, due to either embarrassment or her condition.
Snow steadily fell faster, and there was not one sign of civilization. In desperation of finding an inn, city, or house, Soujiro tapped his right foot, and entered the shukuchi. The outside world became a blur. In no time, a seemingly small farmhouse came into view.
He knocked on the ancient wood that served as a door. A young lady, no more that thirty, opened the door.
She wore a green yukata, and over it, a white tanzen. (1) She took one look at the two and scolded the strangers.
"What are you doing outside in this weather? Are you trying to catch your death?" The lady made her questions clearer by dragging both of them into the house.
"Ara…I'm a rurouni" Soujiro managed to say, "My friend here is sick, so can you help me?"
"Sure. Watakushi wa Taikada Sumire desu, (2) you?" Sumire was all of the sudden calm as she poured some tea.
"Boku wa Seta Soujiro desu. (3) This is Himemori Mieko. " He accepted the cup Sumire offered him.
Sumire led him down the corridor and into a spacious room. In the room was a futon, and she instructed Soujiro to lay Mieko down while going out to "fetch some things."
Sumire reentered with a bowl of water, a cloth, and even more tea (for she was a tea addict). She dipped the cloth in the water, and then placed it on Mieko's forehead.
"She really needs to see a doctor, but…"Sumire looked out the window.
"It's snowing." Soujiro finished for her. "I don't care, I can still go and find a doctor."
"Are you crazy, Seta-kun? The next town, Aizu, is miles away, and even if you do manage to get a doctor here, she might not be able to heal her. You might be able to get her here to me, but you're still a child!"
"'She?'"
"Yes, the local doctor is female. Her name is Takani Megumi–Hey! Get back here!" Sumire turned to find Soujiro gone from the house. She put her hand to her head and sighed. "What a sad, sad, idiot…"
~~~~~~
Takani Megumi was cleaning her instruments, organizing the various medicines on the shelves. She was ready to close her clinic early, as everyone was staying home due to the weather, which had changed to rain.
"Sumimasen (4), can you help me find Takani-sensei?"
Megumi sighed. A doctor's work is never done. "Hai, That's me." She said to the boy waiting at the door. "May I help you?"
"I know it's a lot to ask, but a friend of mine is really sick," Soujiro started, " and she's really far away, but you're the closest doctor I could find, so I was wondering…can you come with me?"
Megumi smiled. "Of course. It's a doctor's job to heal, isn't it? Now if you give me a minute…"
Megumi crisscrossed the room, gathering her medical supplies into a small bag. And so , they embarked on the journey back.
A strange feeling settled in Soujiro.
I hope it's not something serious or fatal. Come to think of it, it'll be too strange without Mieko around…
Enter the emotion: Anxiety.
~~~
Dareka wo mamoru koto
nante - Protecting Someone,
Kantan ni dekinai ne - Is not an easy thing to do, is it?
Kimi ni furuame mo – I can't stop the rain
Tomerarenai yo – From falling on you either.
~End Chapter Four~
Yup, It's a cliffhanger! (sort of. I just basically felt like starting another chapter after this point) Don't forget to reveiw. If you forget, I'l...actually I wouldn't really know who you are so...*sweatdrops*
(1) Quilted kimono
(2) I am Taikada Sumire
(3) I am Seta Soujiro
(4) Excuse me