Nornal text the present (See chapter one)
Bold written articles: letters, newspaper clippings, etc.
Italic the stuff that happened leading up to the stuff in normal text.(flash back)
Bold/italic Setsunas past (flash back)
That night everyone was jumpy and alert to every sound around the house. Sanosuke insisted on sleeping outside of Setsunas doorway. Kaoru wasn't happy about the idea, since her room was right next to Setsunas. "If I trip over you're feet in the middle of the night trying to get to the toilet, I'm going to ring your rooster neck!" She stormed off to her room to go to bed. Setsuna giggled at the scene, poking her head out the sliding door.
"You know, you're going to be cold sleeping on the floor like that. Take this blanket to wrap up in atleast." She smiled warmly at him, then threw the blanket over his head, giggles at him then retreated to her futon. She snuggled in under the blanket, not bothering to put the candle out next to her. She stared at the ceiling, watching the flicker of the candle flame dance across it. Crickets chirped loudly from out side her window, lulling her to fall asleep. She passed into a light sleep. She was done running now.
He walked out of the shadows into dim moon light to check his pocket watch. The time was 3:05 AM. He closed the watch and placed it back into the pocket of his vest, then stepped into the street. He made a hand gesture waving a group of men out of various hiding places around the dojos walls. "I want to make this quick gentlemen. I have overstayed my time in Tokyo and wish to return to Kyoto this evening. Kyoshi, the door please." A black figure jumped the tall fence that lined the dojo and with a click, unlatched the heavy wooden door. The tall well dressed man walked through the door, Kyoshi following behind after closing the door. All the other men went back into hiding in various spots on the dojos grounds.
The man walked up to the dojo and without removing his shoes, entered the first door he could find. "SETSUNA! I know you're here. Come out peacefully and your comrades won't be hurt!" Sanosuke woke up instatnly, sitting up. He heard footsteps clicking through a part of the building, amking his heart race. He scrabled to his feet and through open Setsunas door, finding only an empty futon and a broken window. He turned around to see Kenshin standing in the door way. "She's gone and she's taken my sakabatou. I only hope that they will not find her before we do. Take Kaoru and Yahiko and hide someplace. I'm going to see if I can deal with them." He took off towards the footsteps as Sanosuke ran to the next room to wake Kaoru.
Setsuna came out of hiding from the branches of a cherry tree, landing without a sound. She grabbed the hilt of the sakabatou, thinking that she would be no match for anyone with a reverse blade sword. She listened for anything, looked all around her, then sprinted towards an alley. It wouldn't take long for them to realise that she had left the dojo hours ago, but then again that would have been her only way to get out of there without them seeing her. A kunai flew past her head, embedding itself into a wall. That's when she knew that she hadn't been fast enough to get to the river. She drew her sword, beckoning the black cloaked man to come at her. He jumped down from the roof of one of the buildings making up the alley, and drew a set of saiis. The last thing that he saw was the psychotic smile on her face.
Sanosuke ran out of the dojo towards the gate to the street. Yahiko rode on his shoulders with Kaoru running along side him. Strangely enough, there was no one jumpping out to ambush them, nor anyone even out in the streets. Sano disregarded the quiet and ran them towards his destination near the river. He knew that they could hide out in the small Buddhist shrine near there.
Kenshin ran down a corridor, turned a sharp corner, and was face to face to the man after Setsuna. "Sorry to bother the household at this ungodly hour of the night sir, but, I have some business to attend to with Setsuna-San."
"I'm sorry, but she isn't currently here, maybe I can be of some assistance to you," Kenshin said trying not to spit acid. "I'm sorry, but I only have bussiness with Setsuna-San. I really don't want to waste anymore of my time in Tokyo. Kyoshi will answer any questions you may have with his kunai." The well dressed man turned his back on Kenshin and started towards the front of the dojo to leave.
Kyoshi lunged at Kenshin with a dagger in his hand. He dogged his attack, retreating into the training room. He grabbed a boken off the sword rack and returned his attack swiftly, dealing a blow that knocked Kyoshi out cold. "Any business you have with Setsuna-Dono, is now my business," he stated belting the boken and running towards the man in the suit, hoping to stop him before he got to Setsuna.
He burst out of the dojo gate, finding only an empty street, no sign of anyone walking in either direction. Kenshin didn't know where to start searching, so he turned left, heading towards the river end of Tokyo.
The Man already knew where Setsuna was headed. He had been watching her for the past 24 hours before he met with his men. She had set up a boat by the river with some supplies to escape to another town. Of course this wouldn't work since he already had men out in the city making sure that if she did escape unnoticed by her friends, she wouldn't get too far from Tokyo. He checked his pocket watch again in the moonlight, then closed it, smiling. He was ahead of schedule. Now all he needed to do was wait for Setsuna to make a run to the boat that no longer existed.
Setsuna peeked around the corner of the alleyway, giving herself the all clear, she ran swiftly towards the river bank, staying in the shadows as best she could. Her eyes darted from roof to roof trying to keep alert in case of another assult. She could see the shine of the river from where she was, knowing that she was close to getting away from Tokyo.
She stopped at the last building before the road that runs in front of the river, looking all around, hiding in the buildings' darkness. It was too quiet, too still. He had to know that she was here, know that she set up the boat to escape. She felt him watching her for the past day, and even now his evil eyes gazed upon her. She stepped out into the moonlight, drawing her sakabatou. She cautiously walked down to the edge of the river, the cool damp grass soaking the bottom legs of her hakama.
"I know you're here Shintoku. Come out of hiding like a coward." She squinted and moved her gaze slowly around the surrounding area. Setsuna knew that he wasn't going to leave here unless one of them were dead. She heard distant running footsteps, but they were too late. A single shot rang out, letting go of the sick silence that had overtaken them.
Sanosuke ran out into the open in time to she blood fly from Setsunas body, then landing in the grass with a soft thud. Shintoku and his men emerged from the shadows almost if they were rendered invisible. Sanosuke knowing that there was nothing he could do for her if he got himself killed, ignored his anger towards the man leaving, ran to Setsunas side. He picked up her heavy wet, clutching her to his chest and sobbing. She opened her eyes slightly, a smile forming on her lips. "I'm so glad... you... found me... Sanosuke...san." Her breathing was labored, blood trickled from the side of her mouth. She closed her eyes and continued to speak to him, "I just... needed you to know... that I... love you..." Her labored breathing stopped. She didn't open her eyes again.
Sanosuke shook her hard, yelling in her face to wake up, but no sound or movement came from her. He looked up and it was if the man and his gang disapeared into the night. Sanosuke couldn't believe that just like that she had been shot in the heart and killed. Taken away from him forever.
In a daze, he picked up her body and started the walk to see Megumi at the clinic. The only thing going through his head was that he was stupid and didn't know that she was just knocked out, Megumi would help her. He picked his pace up to a run, running right past Kenshin, not even seeing his friend, nor hearing him calling out to him. His vision became funneled, seeing only the path directly in front of him, yet hearing nothing. He came to the clinic out of breath, tearing the door open.
"MEGUMI! MEGUMI!" He ran to the back of the clinic and put Setsuna on a examining table, then continued to call for Megumi, throwing open doors until he found her half asleep in one of the hallways. "She isn't waking up Megumi, you have to help her!" He grabbed the sleepy doctor by the arm and dragged her to the other end of the clinic. She shoved her in the door, like an eager child showing off something. Megumi grabbed her stethoscope, and searched for a heartbeat, finding nothing, she put them down and turned to Sanosuke with a sad look in her eyes. "I'm sorry Sanosuke-san... She's gone."
"No, that can't be true... She can't die... I never told her... I never got a chance to tell her how I loved her..." His eyes glazed over with disbelief, and slumped his body against the wall. "This just can't be true." Tears streamed down his face. Megumi crouched down next to him, hugging him tightly. There wasn't much that she could do for him. She stood back up and found a crisp white sheet in the linen closet, then covered Setsunas body with it.
Footsteps came from the front hall, "Megumi, Sano?" Kenshin had finally caught up with Sano and had entered the already open front door. Megumi glanced back at Sanosuke as she left the exam room to greet Kenshin. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this Ken-San, but, Setsuna has passed on. A single bullet wound to the chest. There was no chance of doing anything to save her even if I was standing right next to her." Kenshin nodded in response, then walked over to the exam room that Megumi had came from. Sano sat on the floor staring at the body on the table. A small patch of blood had already started to soak the linen covering her.
"Don't worry Sano, she's in a place now that is free of pain. I'm sure that her Husband is taking care of her again. I also know that there is probably nothing that I can say to you right now that is going to ease the pain you have. But just know that we're all here for you and we will try and help you out as best we can." Sano didn't reply or even acknowledge Kenshin. He left the room and closed the door behind him.
Kenshin approached Megumi with a grave look on his face, "I'm going to the shrine to bring a priest back here. I'll be back in an hour or so. I'll try to give Sano as much time as I can though." He left the clinic into the now still night air, half expecting to see a crowd of people outside or perhaps the police... no one stood in the street. Kenshin sighed, looking up at the moon. Another innocent person has been taken by evil in this world and he couldn't prevent it. That's when he remembered that he need to go back to the river and retrieve his sakabatou. The shrine was on the way, so he would circle back and stop at the shrine after getting his sword back.
Kenshin sat outside the shrine with Kaoru sitting on the steps with him. They gazed at the stars together in silence, waiting for the priests to return with Setsunas body. "I barely knew her, but, I know she didn't deserve to die like that," Kaoru said, tears filling the corners of her eyes. "She was so nice once I got to know her. I just wish I could have gotten to know her well enough to call her my friend."
"I know Kaoru-dono. She didn't have to be put through all of this, but, things happen all the time that you can't do anything about." He put his arm around her shoulders, hugging her tight. He heard the distant chimes of the priests staffs, getting up to get out of the way. They walked up the road in a solemn parade, carring a gurney with Setsunas body on it. Of all people following close behind was Soujiro. Sanosuke was no where in sight. Kenshin knew that all of this just must have been too much for him. Kaoru and Kenshin watched as they disappeared into the temple to start to prepare the body to be cremated.
"We should probably head home Kaoru-dono, there is nothing that we can do now." He tugged gently on Kaoru's sleeve, then headed home.
The priests put Setsunas body on the floor in front of the shrine in the main room. Soujiro handed the head priest a letter explaining what he had to do, it being signed by a monk from the monastery that he stopped at. He took out a stack of books and a bag of herbs then begain the ritual he hoped that he would never have to perform on anyone.
Sanosuke walked back to his rented room, slid open the door, tossed his coat on the floor and passed out into a very uneasy sleep. the nightmare of that night kept playing in his mind over and over again. He woke up in a cold sweat around 7:00pm the next evening, having no other way to deal with the tragedy that just happened. He rolled off the futon, grabbed his jacket, then walked down to the Akebeko. He needed to be someplace where there was some type of happiness. Perhaps that would get him into a better mood... get his mind off what happened. A starlit sky greeted him as he walked out into the street.
Sano sat alone at a table in the rear of the Akabeko sipping on sake in a world of his own. It was near closing and Tae was making sure that the customers were clearing out without giving the girls any problems. She hurried by Sano after the last customer left, took the curtain down from over the outside of the door and locked it. She slowly walked over to where Sano sat by himself lost deep in his own thoughts. She hesitated for a moment, said nothing, then wraped a comforting arm around his shoulders and gave him a squeeze. "Don't worry about the sake tonight Sano, it's on the house," she said giving him a warm smile. He stared ahead not even acknowledging that Tae had her arm around his shoulders or was even talking to him. She took her arm from around him and walked over to Tsubame, told her to bring Sano another bottle of sake, then continued to the back of the restaurant.
Tsubame lagged behind Tae, heading to the kitchen. She looked around, saw that the cooks already went home, then walked over to the area where the sake bottles were being warmed. She picked one out, put it on a tray then walked over to the tea counter and picked up some cookies. She smiled to herself thinking that he may be grateful for at least something sweet.
She returned to the main part of the restaurant, careful not to spill any sake or loose a cookie. She greeted Sano with a warm smile as she put the tray onto the table. "Here, let me clear this stuff up for you," she said taking the empty bottles from the table. He didn't react, just sat there staring sipping on his sake. Her smile didn't waver one bit as she turned to bring the bottle back to the kitchen area. Her face lost it's smile when she brought to bottles over the young man washing the last of the dishes. Sano hadn't moved from that spot since he walked into the Akabeko three hours ago.
She returned to Sanos table as he reached for the new bottle she had brought out to him, "Please, let me pour it for you," she said smiling warmly again. He looked up briefly to her face and nodded to her in response putting his left hand back into his lap. She poured him another cup as Tae came back from checking on everything in the back of the restaurant. She carried a bucket with rags and started to wipe down all the tables. A few other girls emerged from the back of the restaurant with brooms and cloths to wipe the floor down with.
Tsubame sat herself down across from Sano looking into his face that seemed to be covered with darkness so thick she couldn't see anything but. He looked up briefly when the sound of something breaking was heard from the back of the Akabeko. "Gomenasai Makoto," was heard faintly and everyone went back to cleaning and Sano was back into his dark shadows.
"Sano, please have one of the cookies I brought out for you. You should try and eat something," she said, her smile fading slightly. Tsubame looked at him with worry on her face then slipped from out of the booth so she could help clean. Sano just sat there staring, not seeing anything that was going on in front of him.
The girls chatted about things that went on during the day, nothing much, just how slow the day had been, or how much each girl had made for the day. Two of the older girls talked about walking home together. Tsubame helped with wiping down the floors and they were done ten minutes later.
Tae walked over to Sano, and though she hated to do it, had to ask him to leave so the girls could all go home.
"Eeeto...," she started, hesitating to have to do it. Sano looked up with glazed over eyes in response. "Sanosuke-san...We will be all leaving for the night and I have to escort Tsubame-chan home so...," she didn't finish what she was going to say because Sano got out from where he was sitting, put his hands in his pockets and started for the back of the Akabeko to leave out the backdoor. Tae followed him to the back with a worried look on her face and saw him out. She walked back to where the girls where putting the chairs up off the floor for the night and walked over to Tsubame. She bent over slightly and whispered into her ear, "Go to the dojo. Tell Kenshin he has left here." Tsubame nodded in response and followed Tae to the front door, where she unlocked it for the small girl to run to the dojo to tell Kenshin what was happening.
Kenshin paced around the room thinking to himself that Sano would be okay, he was with Tae right now. At least he knew where he was. Although that was true, he couldn't sleep. His night robe made a soft swishing sound as he paced around thinking that there should have been something that he could have done to prevent this from happening. He walked over to his futon, picked up his kimono and decided to go to the Akabeko to see how Sano was doing. He dressed as quick as he possibly could, and put his hair back into a low ponytail.
He walked out of the room and proceeded to walk out to the courtyard of the dojo when he heard faint knocking on the front gate. He found his zori sandals and ran to see who it was hoping that it wasn't bad news about Sano. There were only three people that knew what happened, he being one of them. Kaoru and Yahiko had gone on a small trip with Megumi and wouldn't be back until tomorrow. They had gone away to Kyoto to visit with Misao and to have a small outing to get some supplies for the medical clinic. Megumi insisted that Kyoto had this one special thing that she had to go there to get, so it turned into a short vacation for the three of them.
Kenshin hastily unlocked the door in the brightly shinning moonlight that hung all around him making things sluggish and odd with shadows. Tsubame stood before him holding no lantern and still wearing her Akabeko uniform. He knew it then, Sano had left there.
"Do you know where he was headed," Kenshin asked turning around to go back to his room for his sword, not giving a chance for Tsubame to speak.
"He didn't say one word Himura-san. He said hardly anything to Tae the entire time he was there."
He let his zori fall off in a untidy heap and made a dash for his quarters, scooped his sword up and put it into his hakama pants belt as he stepped back into his sandals. "Which direction did he go in?"
Tsubame thought for a moment trying to get her bearings, "Eeeto...I think he went West."
Kenshin thought for a moment about what was West of the Akabeko and decided he must of headed home. "Arigato Tsubame-chan. You have been a big help with this whole thing. Shittireishimasu." He half ran half jogged to the part of town where Sanos one room housing was located. He passed by a few drunks, none of them Sano. He came to his place and saw no light on inside, then proceeded inside to see if he was home or not.
Sano walked down the deserted street looking down at his feet with his hands in his pockets. He looked up into the night sky just as the silent tears started to blur his vision. He swore under his breath at himself and violently wiped the tears away.
A man watched the scene play out from a dark alleyway, contemplating to himself if getting himself beat by a man like that was worth the few yen he may win from the bloody fight. He slinked back into the darkness, deciding that a weaker looking person was more his type.
Sano walked on stumbling here and there from his own emotional unstability rather then too much to drink. He walked out onto one of the main roads that ran parallel to the river and made his way over to the soft inviting grass near the banks of it. He sat by the river watching the fireflies cast small bursts of light that bounced off the water like stars. He wouldn't let it bother him...but...it had gotten him worse off and unprepared for it in the end. Silent tears ran down his face again as he finally let his emotions go. They dripped off his chin like rain water. He didn't bother to wipe them away, that would just make it more obvious that he was crying.
Right about now, he thought, watching two fireflies blink through the air, blurred by his tears, Kenshin is probably at my place looking for me.
He stood up and walked further up stream. He didn't want him to find out where he was. He didn't need Kenshin around him right now. He didn't care how much he knew what he was going through. He needed this time to himself to contemplate what he was going to do. He knew it was all his fault anyway. All of the blame was on him and he just had to clear his head before it ate him alive. Her last words droned into him like a hot knife. He shook his head violently trying to get them out.
Kenshin yelled out, "Please excuse me, I'm coming in," then opened the sliding door to Sanos one room bachelor pad. He looked around in the little visibility there was, and saw that no one was there. He frowned and walked back out of the apartment, closed the door then sat down in front of it thinking where to look next.
Kenshin stood up from the dust covered ground and knocked the dirt from his kimono and hakama. He decided he needed to just patrol the parts of Tokyo that Sano often visited. He wondered if he may have gone to the cemetery on the outskirts of town, so that seemed to be the best place to start.
Clouds started to slowly cover the bright full moon dimming the only light that he had to go by. He looked up at the sky briefly, then turned his gaze back to the road ahead of himself. The sounds of crickets and cicada filled his ears as he walked down the deserted road. He pulled the pocket watch, which Kaoru gave him for his Birthday, out of his left kimono sleeve and checked the time. It was now 12:13 AM. He remembered what she had said to him as he opened the box, "Maybe now that you know what time of day it is you'll remember MY Birthday." He all about fell over after she said that. It wasn't his fault he couldn't remember dates.
A small smile crossed his face as his mind wandered from the pressing matter at hand to Kaoru now away in Kyoto. He shook the pleasant thoughts from his head and tried to get his focus back onto finding Sano. He walked out to the main road that ran parallel with the river and turned to the left, unknowingly in the opposite direction his friend had gonein.
Sanosuke walked far into the East end of town without realizing where he had wandered to. This was the end of Tokyo that the cemetery was located. Setsuna had been burried in the early morning by the priests at the temple. He was upset that they hadn't let anyone attend the ceremony, but, there was little that he could do now. Spotting some wild flowers growing on the side of the road, he decided to go visit her new grave site to pay his respects by himself.
Sano picked the flowers and entered the graveyard. Large headstones and name plaques lined the narrow walkway. He walked by a small shrine, a small candle flickered in the mirror within it. He walked to the back of the cemetery to find the new gravestone with Setsunas name on it. He placed the flowers on her grave, knelt, then begain to pray. All he could do now was hope that she was in a peaceful place. Some where that she could be happy without fear, without pain or suffering alongside her husband and child that passed before her.
"Why do you look amung the dead for the living, I should ask... but then again, if you knew that who you look for is still yet alive, you wouldn't be here praying before a false grave." Sanosuke looked over his shoulder to see a smiling Soujiro stadning there. "You see, there are certain things I learned in my years of wandering after Shishio-San died. I studied forbidden arts at a monistary and have been able to revive Setsuna from eternal sleep. The price she pays for that though, is immortality. I have performed the rites that allow her body to become one with 'blood worms'. They have sacrificed themselves so that she may live. So, you both have two choices. One choice is that she drinks a certain poison that kills the blood worms, but possibly at the cost of her life once more, or, that you also become immortal. Perhaps this question is best answered in her pressence. She's at the Buddhist shrine where she was taken the other night. Setsuna waits for you there."
Without hesitation, Sano ran out of the cemetery towards the Shrine. His lungs burned and his muscles fatigued for running the entire way there. He ran up the stairs, barely able to breathe, and burst through the door. Setsuna sat in the main room, dressed in a bright red robe with white butterflies emblazoned on it. Her hair was neatly tied in a bun, decorated with beautiful gold ornaments. She dropped her teacup, sending it crashing to the floor and breaking. She ran to Sanosuke and hugged him like this is the first time she had seen him in years. He returned the hug, almost crushing her ribs.
"I'm going to be okay...the blood worms have been flushed out of my body and nothing happened to me. We'll be able to be together now. Everyone things I'm dead... perhaps now I can live in peace."
"Setsuna, you don't have to worry about that, because I'll protect you now... no matter what. I'll make sure that we can live in peace here." Sanosuke looked deep into her eyes and smiled. It was over finally. There was finally happiness in Setsuna's eyes. Finally peace in her heart. No need to worry or run away from town to town...no reason to anymore.
"Let's get back to the dojo. I'm sure everyone will be happy to see that everything is going to be okay now." Setsuna smiled a big grin, taking Sanosuke by the hand and leading him out the door. They walked down the quiet dark streets together holding hands, laughing and smiling together.
Sanosuke approched the dojo door first, opening it to let Setsuna in first. "Okairinasai." Setsuna looked up at Sanosuke with a peacful smile, "Tadaima." She was finally home.
Okairinasai- Welcome Home/Welcome Back
Tadaima- I'm home/I'm back