A/N:
Hi guys! I know this story isn't much, and I'm not that good a writer, but really, I hope it doesn't stink as much as my brother's dirty laundry, so please enjoy.
Sanosuke is one of my favorite characters, so it was so-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o hard for me to actually 'curse' him… *sniff*
NYMPHA FABELLA
Chapter Four: Ironic Surprises
Nothing could compare to that garden. Nowhere else could the grass ever be greener, the air more refreshing. Trees of all shapes and height, and flowers of every color, and any scent could be found everywhere, and the sun's rays seemed to dance gleefully at the lake's surface like little sparkling diamonds.
Two figures stood watching the view; one ultimately beautiful, and the other almost, just almost the opposite.
***@***
"So you have enchanted someone as well?" The fairer one asked, a smile on her lips. Trihania nodded at the question. "Hai…he was quite hard to deal with, believe me." She sighed, but grinned rather fondly.
"All I can say is, even though it was difficult, the roosterhead of a bastard deserved it--I'm quite proud of the outcome, naturally." Megumi smiled at her friend's reply. "Hai, hai. Any fairy would be proud of a work well done, ne, Trihania-san?"
Trihania's dull lips formed a small smile. "That itself is true, Megumi-san." She turned to the grace-filled beauty beside her. "But to find the truth of that statement one must first make an enchantment, or at least use a spell to help a human out of a crisis--and you, my friend, as I have heard, have not done so in such a long time?"
Megumi smiled a secretive smile. "Give me some more time. I think I've finally found my case; though it will take some more patience before I test that statement for myself." Trihania sighed, her gray eyes a bit disappointed. "Very well then, Megumi-san. It is seldom that the leader of fairies gives in to such time-biding, but as it is you, then I shall wait."
Megumi gave her friend a bow, as the older woman disappeared in rays and sparkles of green light. She smiled
mischievously. 'It shan't be long…but I must hasten if I plan to make them meet as soon as possible…'
***@***
Kaoru found herself descending the grand and glittering staircase that night. Her food had always been brought up to her 'room', but tonight she was forced to join him, at the gargantuan dining hall for supper.
Careful to make sure that he saw how she hardened her face at him as she neared the elegant table set in the middle of the room; she clenched her fists as she met his cool and cunning eyes. Enishi had already seated himself at one end of the table, chin resting on one hand as if he was bored.
"Did I take too long?" She snapped as he watched her take her seat on the other end. The food that had been set on the table was no different from what a simple family would have had for dinner, and surprisingly the chopsticks, the rice bowls--everything looked quite ordinary, nothing quite like the rest of the manor.
Enishi gave her one of his vague smiles, irritating her the more. "Iie, in fact I just arrived here myself." He kept his eyes at her while he started to eat. Kaoru didn't blink nor look at anything else but his face. She would not take a single bite in front of this man. It would be like biting into his orders, succumbing to his power.
"What did you want me in here for." It was anything but a question. Enishi looked up, and took a sip of tea. "Nani? And what is wrong with that? You are, after all, a part of this household now; as I wish you had realized?"
Kaoru scowled as deeply as she could. "Bakayaro! Like I wanted to be part of this in the first place! This place is nothing more than a good for nothing abode for corrupt men like you and your foul servants. All these riches belong to others; you are really nothing more than a thief, a murderer. Your soul is rotten! Rotten just like everything around here is!"
The man at the other end of the table stood up. There was a malevolent grin on his face, and flame seemed to burn in his eyes. He walked towards her, until he stood directly behind her chair.
"You will regret every word of what you have just said, Kamiya Kaoru." "What are you going to do, kill me? That will not matter at all, Enishi-sama, as I would rather die than stay in this place with the likes of you." She answered matter-of-factly.
Laughter, cold, proud and bloodcurdling escaped his lips, sending chills down her spine. "Kill you? Kill you?! Why would I want to do anything like that?" He asked incredulously, as if she had just cracked him a joke.
Kaoru gritted her teeth in confusion. "Wakaranai…" She said, confused. She swiftly stood up and turned to face him, and saw that he had already started to move away.
He only gave her one of his smiles. "There isn't much to understand. It's quite simple. Get up early tomorrow. I shall take you to the dojo--your former dojo…" Her eyes widened, and her heart beat nervously. "Why?" He let out another chilling laugh. "So you can watch as my men destroy it, of course. Tomorrow, we start ripping your dojo gates; next thing you know, the whole dojo proper will be burned to ashes--with my own spells, of course."
He walked away, and Kaoru felt the floor pull away from her. Her grip on the table's edge tightened.
***@***
"Damn…stop it." Sano mumbled in his sleep, and turned to his side. For some apparent reason his futon seemed harder than usual. "Damn crooked nosed woman…" He murmured , eyes still closed. Something landed on his chest.
Opening his eyes, a blinding yellow light somehow told him he was not indoors at the cheap housing where he always stayed. He looked down, and met a sharp beak, a pair of small, brown eyes, and several more birds landing on his torso.
Flabbergasted, he shot right up, making the birds fly away above him. Where in hell was he, anyway?! Cursing, he stood up; a sudden headache forcing him to lean on a nearby tree. Had that ugly woman all been a dream, or had he fallen asleep on the spot? Either way, it did not make any sense. He was in the streets last night and now he was in a--
"Forest?!!!" More curses and grunts escaped his lips. "I'll kill whoever did this. Sagara Sanosuke won't have himself thrown out into some unknown woods for no reason." Massaging a terribly pounding head, he walked around, seeing nothing but trees and other woodland animals. "At least I have money," he thought, opening the small money bag in one of his pockets.
Opening it, more not-so friendly words were heard from him, as he emptied its contents onto his palm, then onto the ground. Six or seven pebbles fell out, but not a single yen. "What the devil is going on here?!" He spat. Hadn't he won at dice for three straight nights? And how could he easily have been tricked? By that woman? Or perhaps other men?
"Kami-sama…" He whispered, slumping on a nearby tree. So what if he was drunk all night? If he had been attacked, and if they had taken his money, why didn't he fight back? He was one of the best hand-to-hand fighters he knew, even when under the influence of alcohol.
He looked at his clothes and gaped, jaw open. His clean fighter outfit was gone: Instead he wore tattered clothes, clothes that were seemingly old and gray. Sano opened his mouth to retaliate. A fist slammed onto a tree, the impact making it shake.
The birds perched on its branches flew away. They had met many angry humans, but none as violent or as angry as this one.
***@***
"Ohayou…" Yahiko greeted as he stretched and headed out of the cottage. Kenshin was by the stream, cooking some fish which he had caught earlier. Feeling his mouth water, Yahiko walked closer. Kenshin turned and smiled at his friend. "Ohayou, Yahiko-kun." He laughed as Yahiko tried to get one of the fish which he had only started to cook.
"Matte, matte! These aren't done yet. Why don't we both just sit here for a while? Shishou went out for a while, though he didn't tell sessha where he was headed. He'll be back when these are done, and we shall eat then." Yahiko nodded, taking a seat beside Kenshin on a boulder.
"Don't you find him scary?" He asked, as Kenshin continued to watch over the fish. "Oro? Who?" Yahiko rolled his eyes. "Master Hiko of course, bakayaro." Kenshin's purple eyes widened before he laughed. "Sessha used to for a while, de gozaru, demo not anymore." He looked up at the immaculate blue sky.
"Shishou means well; he just has a different way of showing it." He explained, as Yahiko listened attentively. "Sessha lived with him for a long time, and Shishou has been a good sensei." Yahiko looked curiously at the sword by Kenshin's side. "Do you mean to say he was the one who taught you how to fight?"
Kenshin let out what he thought was a weak smile, but not one that was forced. "Hai." Yahiko's eyes widened in awe. "Honto ka? So you really learned your sword skills from him?" Surprisingly Kenshin laughed. "Hai, hai, sessha did."
"You must've been really proud, huh?" Kenshin let out another one of his small smiles. "In a way, de gozaru, demo, it isn't as grand as it sounds." Yahiko almost exploded, as he stood up and shouted himself hoarse at the man beside him, who cowered and sweatdropped. "What the heck do you mean by that? You must've had a great time using whatever he taught you! My sister Kaoru won't even let me use a real sword!"
Kenshin sighed, smiling at the bristling boy beside him. "Eh…so your onee-san's name is Kaoru?" He asked, hoping Yahiko would forget about swordsmanship for the time being. Yahiko sighed too, and took his seat again beside the rurouni. "She's seventeen. She was the one who taught me kendo in the Kamiya Kasshiin style." He bit his lip before continuing.
"And I miss her." He muttered under his breath, but Kenshin had heard. He nodded. "Of course you do. We will find a way to set her free, ne?" Yahiko looked at him. "You mean it?" He looked at Kenshin's sword, then back again at the redhead. "With your sword and all? You're really sure?!"
Kenshin laughed at the over-excited boy practically jumping up and down, glad that the boy did not question Kenshin's reasons behind trying to help. He wouldn't know what to say then. "Hai, hai, demo, you will have to follow what sessha says if you want to save Kaoru-dono, okay?" Yahiko's eyes brightened, and he shot a fist through the air. "All right!!!"
The former hitokiri sighed, and glanced a bit, still smiling, at a large tree to their left where he could sense his master's ki as he stood there, watching.
A/N:
This is really difficult. Please don't burn me at the stake :) *LOL*
I guess I might put a fight scene in, but I'm no good at those so just…use your imagination as much as you can…?
*Hehe, sorry, I do have a life you know, plus other stories* (yes, Adonna and Spacegirl, I do have a life; and you'd better start getting an after life, Karadawn!!!)
Please review. Your constructive criticism will be given attention and a lot of thought, but please no destructive criticism; Good night, I hafta brush my teeth and go to Dreamland now ;) *Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…*