Chapter Three: Tomoe & Kenzaki
"Sano? As in THE Sanosuke? As in the lazy ignoramus who wont get off his butt to work?"
Kenshin merely nodded his head sadly.
"Why?" Kaoru asked, her attention was turned towards the corpse in her cemented pathway.
"Kaoru, do you know Sayo Amakusa?"
"Ummm...You mean Lady Magdalia?"
"Yes.."
"But isn't she---?"
"Yes she is...but..." Kenshin turned his head towards the corpse and motioned for her to look. Kaoru finally understood.
"I don't believe it...It's impossible..why...how...I mean...we saw her funeral!" Kaoru sputtered out as tears started rolling down her cheeks, which are now pinkish because of the evening breeze.
"I know...I'll fill you in on the details inside." Kenshin said as he pointed to the dojo.
"But...the body? You're just going to leave it here????"
"No...We're going to bury it...I mean...HER right here. I'm sure Sano would like that..."
"Yes..."
After a few minutes of listening, Yume peeked over Kaoru's kimono. She looked around her trying to make out her new surroundings. She finally set her eyes on Kenshin and tucked her head behind Kaoru's kimono once more.
"Kaoru-dono...who's that?"
"Oh...her...her name's Yume, Kenshin. She was being harassed by 2 brutes awhile ago and I just couldn't go on home without helping."
"Kenshin stared at her for a moment. Running his eyes on Yume's head down to her toes.
'Odd...she looks strangely familiar...' Kenshin thought.
"Um..Kenshin...do you know any other Himuras in this county?" Kaoru asked suddenly.
"Eh? Well...not that I know of...why?"
"Oh...nothing...nothing at all." Kaoru said trying to put her hands in front of her for defense. "Ah...Yume, dear...say hi to Kenshin...go on..."
"Hewo Kenshin..." She spoke with such a small and yet dignified voice, that it sounded almost melodious in Kenshin's ears.
"Hey there." He moved his eyes from Yume towards Kaoru. "Where'd you find her?"
".I found her on the street"
"What's she doing there?"
"She was being robbed, mind you"
"Who would want to rob a little girl?"
"Idiots maybe"
"Right."
A few hours past, and Sayo's "body" was now buried in Kaoru's backyard. (Freaky, I know. =P) Kaoru was filled in on the details, and you could even here her gasps and "Oh my God." at the right parts. Yume waited in the corner playing with one of the bamboo swords dangling from the wall, not understanding a thing that the 2 are talking about.
"So that's how it happened." Kenshin said as he sipped some of his tea.
"I see.that was very puzzling indeed. I mean.who would be stupid enough to leave a body on the roof anyway?"
"I have no idea. Anyway, we should get some rest. It's been a long day and I'm sure Yume wouldn't mind a few hours of sleep." Kenshin said as he smiled towards Yume's direction.
"I guess you're right." Kaoru then cleared the teacups and washed them before changing into her pajamas (sp?) and tucked Yume in. She was really quiet over the last couple of hours, that Kaoru couldn't help but think that she's not really that comfortable with certain strangers that she had just met a while ago. Yume was sound asleep when Kaoru went out of the room and went inside hers. Where's Yume's family? Does she still have a mother? Or a father? Or maybe she's living with stepparents.or was she being made to do all the chores of the house that's why she was in the middle of the road when I found her? These questions flooded Kaoru's mind, making a decent sleep impossible.
'No.No.Please.don't.my baby girl.oh god.please!' A woman screamed out of the darkness that filled her room. Her face was full of sweat, and she was exhaling sharply as if she was holding her breath for a long time. She was twisting and turning until she finally woke up with a start. She clutched her clammy face as she calmed herself down. She was having a nightmare. She got out of bed and trudged along her dimly lit corridor. It was lit by candle like torches that led the hallway like an entrance to a dungeon. She finally stopped in front of a room and slid open the door. She lit the candles in the room and a portrait of a person hung in the middle of the biggest candles.
"You have her, don't you?" She spoke in a hushed whisper, that if it wasn't for the silence that surrounded her, even she wouldn't here her own voice.
"You don't even know who she is!" She said, as she tightened her fists into balls until her knuckles became white.she was talking to the picture.
"YOUR OWN DAUGHTER!" She bellowed as tears began forming in her eyes.
"I'm still waiting.and you know I'll always be." After saying that, she felt faint and fell unconscious into the stone-cold floor.
The Next Day, Kaoru looked tired because of the obvious stress and from lack of sleep. She spent the whole night staring up at the ceiling wide- awake. She kept thinking about Yume, the way she predicted Kaoru's fate, or the way Lady Magdalia's Body looked when she came home from the town square. It was just too much.
"HEY KAORU!"
"Huh? What is it Yahiko?" Kaoru said yawning.
"Where's Sano?"
"Eh? What do you mean where's Sano?"
"I can't find him anywhere!"
"WHAT?!?!?! That dim bulb! ARG! Now where the heck did he go?"
"How should I know?"
"You're coming with me. We're going around town to search for him."
"Kaoru-dono. Am I going to do the laundry today?" Kenshin said as he poked his head out of the dojo.
"Kenshin, Sano's missing!" Kaoru said with obvious panic in her voice.
"Kaoru, Sano's a grown man! He can take care of himself!" Kenshin laughed.
"Sano never grew up. Now come on! Help us search for him!"
Suddenly, Yume came out of her room, rubbing her eyes. "I sense your friend Sano has gone berserk Kaoru-chan." Yume whispered.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"He's gone out to seek revenge."
"Of course! If I know Sano, he'd be looking for the guy who wrecked Sayo's body!" Kenshin and Kaoru said in unison.
"Tomoe.hey." A man said, running his hands through her hair. Tomoe stirred, but she didn't open her eyes.
"You had a nasty fall last night. What happened?" He asked, concerned. Tomoe simply shrugged. The man got up to leave, but as he was about to open the door, Tomoe spoke, "Kenzaki," Her voice was no louder than a whisper. "It's Kenshin.and Yume."
"Heh.I knew it was them you'd be thinking about."
"You know where Yume is, right?"
"I do. I saw her with a lady. I think the woman took Yume to her home."
"Yes.do you think she's safe?"
"I guess so. The place where she was taken was Kenshin's house."
"Oh.I see.then she'd be well taken care of then."
"You better believe it. Aren't you going to meet with Kenshin yet?"
"Not yet I suppose.I fear he's not ready for me yet."
"I see." After that, there was a moment of silence. Kenzaki stroked his brown hair and kissed Tomoe good-bye. He was smiling sweetly at her, before he turned to leave. He had an appointment with the town council that day and he had to be on time. He walked briskly towards the town square, thinking about the girl he saved yesterday. She was cute. He told himself, lost in his thoughts. I wonder if I'll ever see her again. He shrugged and ran his hand through his hair, his blue green eyes sparkling in the mid-day sun.
"Sano? As in THE Sanosuke? As in the lazy ignoramus who wont get off his butt to work?"
Kenshin merely nodded his head sadly.
"Why?" Kaoru asked, her attention was turned towards the corpse in her cemented pathway.
"Kaoru, do you know Sayo Amakusa?"
"Ummm...You mean Lady Magdalia?"
"Yes.."
"But isn't she---?"
"Yes she is...but..." Kenshin turned his head towards the corpse and motioned for her to look. Kaoru finally understood.
"I don't believe it...It's impossible..why...how...I mean...we saw her funeral!" Kaoru sputtered out as tears started rolling down her cheeks, which are now pinkish because of the evening breeze.
"I know...I'll fill you in on the details inside." Kenshin said as he pointed to the dojo.
"But...the body? You're just going to leave it here????"
"No...We're going to bury it...I mean...HER right here. I'm sure Sano would like that..."
"Yes..."
After a few minutes of listening, Yume peeked over Kaoru's kimono. She looked around her trying to make out her new surroundings. She finally set her eyes on Kenshin and tucked her head behind Kaoru's kimono once more.
"Kaoru-dono...who's that?"
"Oh...her...her name's Yume, Kenshin. She was being harassed by 2 brutes awhile ago and I just couldn't go on home without helping."
"Kenshin stared at her for a moment. Running his eyes on Yume's head down to her toes.
'Odd...she looks strangely familiar...' Kenshin thought.
"Um..Kenshin...do you know any other Himuras in this county?" Kaoru asked suddenly.
"Eh? Well...not that I know of...why?"
"Oh...nothing...nothing at all." Kaoru said trying to put her hands in front of her for defense. "Ah...Yume, dear...say hi to Kenshin...go on..."
"Hewo Kenshin..." She spoke with such a small and yet dignified voice, that it sounded almost melodious in Kenshin's ears.
"Hey there." He moved his eyes from Yume towards Kaoru. "Where'd you find her?"
".I found her on the street"
"What's she doing there?"
"She was being robbed, mind you"
"Who would want to rob a little girl?"
"Idiots maybe"
"Right."
A few hours past, and Sayo's "body" was now buried in Kaoru's backyard. (Freaky, I know. =P) Kaoru was filled in on the details, and you could even here her gasps and "Oh my God." at the right parts. Yume waited in the corner playing with one of the bamboo swords dangling from the wall, not understanding a thing that the 2 are talking about.
"So that's how it happened." Kenshin said as he sipped some of his tea.
"I see.that was very puzzling indeed. I mean.who would be stupid enough to leave a body on the roof anyway?"
"I have no idea. Anyway, we should get some rest. It's been a long day and I'm sure Yume wouldn't mind a few hours of sleep." Kenshin said as he smiled towards Yume's direction.
"I guess you're right." Kaoru then cleared the teacups and washed them before changing into her pajamas (sp?) and tucked Yume in. She was really quiet over the last couple of hours, that Kaoru couldn't help but think that she's not really that comfortable with certain strangers that she had just met a while ago. Yume was sound asleep when Kaoru went out of the room and went inside hers. Where's Yume's family? Does she still have a mother? Or a father? Or maybe she's living with stepparents.or was she being made to do all the chores of the house that's why she was in the middle of the road when I found her? These questions flooded Kaoru's mind, making a decent sleep impossible.
'No.No.Please.don't.my baby girl.oh god.please!' A woman screamed out of the darkness that filled her room. Her face was full of sweat, and she was exhaling sharply as if she was holding her breath for a long time. She was twisting and turning until she finally woke up with a start. She clutched her clammy face as she calmed herself down. She was having a nightmare. She got out of bed and trudged along her dimly lit corridor. It was lit by candle like torches that led the hallway like an entrance to a dungeon. She finally stopped in front of a room and slid open the door. She lit the candles in the room and a portrait of a person hung in the middle of the biggest candles.
"You have her, don't you?" She spoke in a hushed whisper, that if it wasn't for the silence that surrounded her, even she wouldn't here her own voice.
"You don't even know who she is!" She said, as she tightened her fists into balls until her knuckles became white.she was talking to the picture.
"YOUR OWN DAUGHTER!" She bellowed as tears began forming in her eyes.
"I'm still waiting.and you know I'll always be." After saying that, she felt faint and fell unconscious into the stone-cold floor.
The Next Day, Kaoru looked tired because of the obvious stress and from lack of sleep. She spent the whole night staring up at the ceiling wide- awake. She kept thinking about Yume, the way she predicted Kaoru's fate, or the way Lady Magdalia's Body looked when she came home from the town square. It was just too much.
"HEY KAORU!"
"Huh? What is it Yahiko?" Kaoru said yawning.
"Where's Sano?"
"Eh? What do you mean where's Sano?"
"I can't find him anywhere!"
"WHAT?!?!?! That dim bulb! ARG! Now where the heck did he go?"
"How should I know?"
"You're coming with me. We're going around town to search for him."
"Kaoru-dono. Am I going to do the laundry today?" Kenshin said as he poked his head out of the dojo.
"Kenshin, Sano's missing!" Kaoru said with obvious panic in her voice.
"Kaoru, Sano's a grown man! He can take care of himself!" Kenshin laughed.
"Sano never grew up. Now come on! Help us search for him!"
Suddenly, Yume came out of her room, rubbing her eyes. "I sense your friend Sano has gone berserk Kaoru-chan." Yume whispered.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"He's gone out to seek revenge."
"Of course! If I know Sano, he'd be looking for the guy who wrecked Sayo's body!" Kenshin and Kaoru said in unison.
"Tomoe.hey." A man said, running his hands through her hair. Tomoe stirred, but she didn't open her eyes.
"You had a nasty fall last night. What happened?" He asked, concerned. Tomoe simply shrugged. The man got up to leave, but as he was about to open the door, Tomoe spoke, "Kenzaki," Her voice was no louder than a whisper. "It's Kenshin.and Yume."
"Heh.I knew it was them you'd be thinking about."
"You know where Yume is, right?"
"I do. I saw her with a lady. I think the woman took Yume to her home."
"Yes.do you think she's safe?"
"I guess so. The place where she was taken was Kenshin's house."
"Oh.I see.then she'd be well taken care of then."
"You better believe it. Aren't you going to meet with Kenshin yet?"
"Not yet I suppose.I fear he's not ready for me yet."
"I see." After that, there was a moment of silence. Kenzaki stroked his brown hair and kissed Tomoe good-bye. He was smiling sweetly at her, before he turned to leave. He had an appointment with the town council that day and he had to be on time. He walked briskly towards the town square, thinking about the girl he saved yesterday. She was cute. He told himself, lost in his thoughts. I wonder if I'll ever see her again. He shrugged and ran his hand through his hair, his blue green eyes sparkling in the mid-day sun.