Hey, I'm back! Well, this chapter is in Kenshin's POV, so enjoy all the
"oro's" I was able to sneak in! I just love saying that! Oro, oro, oro...
Umm, let's see...I might not get the next chapter in until a few weeks, but cross your fingers and pray for just one until the next update...I had a really bad virus and missed a lot of school, meaning I have a lot of homework to do. BUT I have some really good ideas and my rough draft started, so it's looking good!
Some reviews could really speed up the process though...hint hint!
Disclaimer: Hahahaha! I do own Kenshin and there's nothing you can do about it! (Pulls on Kenshin's leash) He's mine, all mine!
Kenshin: Oro...evil authoress!
Okay, for real. I don't own Kenshin; I'm just using him and his friends to help end my extreme boredom. BUT I WANT THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Without further ado, I give you...
JADE GREEN
Chapter Two- Kenshin
A gentle breeze swept through the courtyard as I hung up Kaoru's kimono on the clothesline to dry. After hanging up the last of the freshly washed laundry, I would be free to wander aimlessly around the dojo, like I normally do, and then listen to Kaoru-dono and Yahiko hurl insults at each other while training. Right now, they were both occupied with cleaning up the rest of the dojo; Kaoru was washing lunch dishes and Yahiko was scrubbing the deck. Hanging up my favorite magenta gi, I sighed.
"Oro...there must be more to life than laundry," I muttered to the wind. Picking up my now empty laundry basket, I headed inside. Perhaps I could think of something a little more interesting to do with my free time...even gambling with Sano sounded fun. Much to my dismay, Kaoru-dono greeted me with a long shopping list.
"Kenshin," she said, "can you run into town and pick up this stuff for dinner? We need the usual things; they're all on here." She paused. "Oh, and the courtyard needs a good sweeping. Thanks, Kenshin, you're so helpful." Kaoru ran off into the kitchen.
"Sounds like you're having a good time," mused a deep voice from behind me.
"Hello Sanosuke," I greeted halfheartedly. "What brings you here?"
The nineteen-year-old sat down on the porch beside me, absentmindedly chewing on a fish bone. "No real reason. I just lost a lot of my money, and I need a good, hot meal."
How very like Sano. He probably lost all of his money gambling, as he is never good without me to read the dice. Suddenly an idea popped into my head. Tossing my friend the broom that lay beside me, I said, "Well, as payment, you can sweep while I shop. Happy cleaning!" Walking out of the courtyard, I waved at Sano, a very confused look plastered on his face.
While I was able to get the rice, salt, soy sauce, and miso pretty quickly at the market, I had a bit of trouble with the local policemen. They kept stopping me, asking about my sakabatou. Honestly, you would think they would be used to this one carrying around a sword, as I saved their arses quite a few times, might I remind them. By the time I reached the Kamiya Kasshin dojo, the sky was painted with tints of red and gold. This one could have stared at it for hours, but Kaoru-dono interrupted my thoughts.
"Kenshin! There you are! You were gone so long I though you had "wandered off" again like you did when you...never mind. You're here, and I need to get dinner started," she said, grabbing the food from my hands. I involuntarily groaned. It looked like Sano wouldn't be getting the "good" hot meal tonight.
Dinner wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, and for Kaoru-dono, that's pretty good. But as I munched on my bland onigiri and burnt fish, I found myself dreaming about Megumi-san's fabulous ohagi. Oro...Megumi had partnered up with the local doctor and hardly had anytime to come over to cook for us. What this one would do for some real food...
Yahiko and Sano badgered Kaoru-dono throughout the entire meal.
"Aw, ya old hag! Can't you let Kenshin cook?
"You know, it's pretty bad when a guy can cook better than you. Even if it is a girly guy like Kenshin."
"Yahiko! Sanosuke! Not another word, or I'll make you eat my sword instead!"
"That wouldn't be so bad. It can't be worse than your cooking."
"Aii! Sano, get out!"
"Ow! Hey, I was just telling the truth."
"Yeah, hag!"
"Yahiko, you jerk!"
"Hey-ow!"
I sighed, turning away from the clamor. Oro...Suddenly I was aware of a young woman standing in front of the courtyard gate. Garbed in a short, pleated skirt and an American styled blouse with flowing sleeves, she drunkenly stumbled towards us, dragging her bag on the ground. She opened up the gate just as Kaoru-dono threw a frying pan at Sanosuke. Unfortunately for the girl, Sano ducked and the pan went flying into the side of her head. She crumpled on the spot, knocked unconscious.
None of us did anything at first. Then Kaoru slugged Sano. "Why the hell did you duck?"
Oro. Those two would be no help at all. I ran over to the girl, as to see if she suffered from any serious injuries and to apologize, but Megumi-san ran through the gate and kneeled down by her, taking a pulse. The doctor must have come by for a visit, and I was glad she did. I had no experience with frying pan injuries. When I approached Megumi, she began to mutter in a disdainful voice.
"That Kaoru," she tutted, "always throwing things at innocent passer-bys. It's a wonder this girl isn't suffering from a cracked skull! By the way, who is she?" I tried to explain, but Megumi was already pondering out loud. "You and that sweaty Kaoru girl are pretty much an item, and Yahiko's much to young for a woman like this, so..." She paused, and her made-up eyes grew wide. "She-she's not...Sano's, is she?"
Oro. Sometimes Megumi-san can be so ignorant. So I explained, "To tell you the truth, Megumi, we have no idea who she is. She just popped up and well, you saw what happened. Anyway, I believe a hello is in order." Megumi nodded.
"Mm-hmm, hello Kenshin. Listen, I'm going to run back to the clinic to grab some supplies. Get the rooster head to carry her inside the dojo." She turned to Kaoru, who had guiltily crept up beside us. "Kaoru, make sure she stays warm, and elevate her feet. Oh, and have some tea ready if she wakes up. I'll be back in a few minutes!" she called as she ran out of the courtyard, raven hair streaming behind her.
"Um, so...I guess I better carry her in, right?" asked Sano, looking down at the unconscious woman.
Snapping out of a daze, I said, "Yes, you do that. Yahiko, put her bag in the spare bedroom. I'll get some blankets, that I will." Sano put his hands under the girl's shivering frame and carried her towards the dojo. Yahiko picked up the black bag and ran into the dojo while Kaoru headed towards the kitchen to make tea. I too walked into the house. Suddenly things were getting a little interesting, that they were.
By the time I had got an armful of blankets, Kaoru had already brought the tea into the guest room. Sano and Yahiko sat besides the girl, waiting for Megumi-san to come. But they didn't have to wait too long, as she crept up beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Good. She's stopped shivering," she said, walking past me and opening up her medical bag. Taking the girl's pulse, she muttered to herself and rummaged through a large book. After a regulation check-up, Megumi smiled weakly and said, "She'll be fine. She'll just wake up with a heck of a headache, and possible memory loss. It's hard to tell how bad the damage is until she wakes up."
At that moment the girl stirred in her sleep. Her eyes opened briefly, and she moaned. "Where-where am I?" She struggled to sit up on the futon and she scanned the room, looking at us with great confusion. "Who are you?" she asked, tilting her head. "Why does my head hurt? Why am I in bed? Why..." But Sanosuke cut off her many questions.
"Hush, missy. You don't want to hurt your brain anymore. You have Kaoru here to thanks for your headache," he said, motioning to the adjacent master of the dojo. "To answer your questions, you're currently the guest of the Kamiya Kasshin dojo. I'm Sano, the redhead is Kenshin, you already know Kaoru, the midget is Yahiko, and the vixen is Megumi." Megumi whacked him on the head.
"Ow-cut it out fox! Anyway, Kaoru hit you on the head with a frying pan, so we brought you inside to fix it (your head) up a bit," he finished.
Great gods. Sano was so blunt. "I hope everything is to your liking," I said, smiling at the girl. "Would you mind telling us what you're name is?" "Of course. How rude of me," the girl said, wrapping a thin blanket around her shoulders. "My name is Alexandra-but I prefer being called Xan."
Xan...what a peculiar name! Maybe she was visiting from America...that would certainly explain her unusual dress and untraditional name. However, I don't think even those wild American women would dress like this, my eyes straying to Xan's short skirt. Kaoru-dono, being the outgoing woman that she is, brought up this topic.
"That's quite an unusual outfit you've got on," she observed. "Where did you get it?"
Xan looked confused. "What do you mean my outfit's unusual? It's just my standard school uniform." She paused, and said, "Not to be rude, but you are the ones wearing the weird clothes. I don't think anybody has used that style since the late 1800's in Japan."
Sanosuke glared at Xan warily. "Yeah...we wear these clothes because this IS Japan and it IS in the late 1800's-1879 to be precise." He turned to Megumi. "Do you think this is because of her concussion?"
"Ha- nice try. I'm not that stupid. It's 2004 and I'm in America, right?" Xan looked around, a confused grin stuck on her face. "Right?"
This situation was most perplexing, that it was. Xan did not seem to be lying; her face was that of one who never lied and her eyes did not give her away. But her story seemed too incredible, and Megumi-san DID say that her concussion could result in memory loss. Perhaps she THOUGHT she was telling the truth, and therefore wouldn't be technically lying...oro. This whole thing was making my head spin. How could I prove or disprove her explanation?
My eyes focused on her black bag. It was too fine to be from this time era, but who knows? She could be an extremely fine seamstress. At any rate, I gently tossed the bag to her. "Xan-dono, could you possibly prove your story? While I don't doubt your honesty, with your concussion it is somewhat hard to believe that you are from the future, and America," I explained as politely as I could.
"Umm...sure. How could I prove it?" she muttered as she rummaged through her bag, tossing out bits of papers and pencil stubs. "This sounds like one of those stupid proofs we had to do in Geometry...if you take a girl and toss her back in time, how can you use her school stuff to prove she's not crazy?"
Suddenly, Xan's eyes lit up. "Geometry! That's it!" she cried as she pulled out an enormous book. Flipping through it, she pointed to a tiny manuscript. "There! 'Copyright 2004, Chicago Mathematics, United States of America'!! See, I'm not lying!"
I couldn't believe it. The girl was telling the truth. Amidst the formulas for god-knows-what was the exact words we had never expected to find. But if Xan really was from 2004, how in all the seven hells did she end up here?
"Um...um...um...how...why...how did you get here?" asked Kaoru-dono, nervously playing with her hair. She didn't know how to treat such an odd situation, but then, none of us did.
"That's one question I can't answer, as I don't know it. I was sitting in a tree back at home, found a scroll, and ended up here. And there's another thing I don't understand. If this is really Japan, how can we understand each other? I sure as hell don't know Japanese. Do you speak English as well?" Xan questioned.
Yahiko piped up. He had dazed off a bit, but now was fully animated as he answered the girl's question. "No, we don't. I can speak a few words, but that's it."
Almost to herself, Xan said, "Then how did you read my geometry book?"
Obviously, there were things going on here that none of us could explain. This girl had somehow stumbled on a way to defy time and space, and then even the physics of the mind, as we understood each other perfectly without learning the opposite's language. But there was no use pondering the mystery of it. Xan was here, and she needed a place to stay. I offered our hospitalities, saying, "Well, until we find out the reasons behind these strange happenings, you are welcome to stay with us."
Xan started, "Oh no, I couldn't impose..." Kaoru, however, wouldn't hear of it.
"Nonsense. Everyone you see besides me is a 'stray' I've taken in. And you're not imposing on us if we ask you to stay, now are you?" she asked, smiling gently. Kaoru-dono handed Xan a cup of hot tea. "Have some tea. I'll go get you a shift to sleep in, and a kimono for tomorrow, as your clothes are ripped." She ran off into the other room.
That Kaoru. I've been living with her for a year and still she surprises me. The last time we took in a stray woman she started beating this one up...a lot. Oh well. This one was NOT complaining.
Xan took a long drink of her tea before speaking again. "What did she mean, you are all strays?" she asked.
"It's a long story. Quite a few stories in fact," answered Megumi. I jumped, as I had almost forgotten that Megumi-san was still here.
Laughing quietly, Xan said, "Well, it seems I've got a lot of time right now. I could use a good tale."
So Sano, Yahiko, Megumi, and I told our guest everything about how and when we 'strays' had met. How I met Kaoru-dono when she was intent on capturing my imposter. How Yahiko had picked my pocket and eventually ended up picking a home. How Sano, who is now one of my best friends, was originally hired to kill me. How Megumi was part of an illegal opium ring and almost took her life because of the shame. How all the policemen kept trying to arrest me because of my sword. How Kaoru-dono couldn't cook, and yet was a master at beating us men senseless. How she and Megumi used to bicker all the time. How Yahiko wanted to become a proper swordsman. How Sano was so bad at gambling, yet continued to toss the dice.
Kaoru-dono eventually came back and threw in her two cents. We laughed and cried throughout the entire story, for we had not reminisced upon the past since we had all met. And amidst our tears and laughter, Xan sat on the edge of her futon, listening intently to our every word.
When we finished our tale, Xan's voice took on a hint of envy. "For knowing each other for hardly a year, you're closer than any real family," she commented, eyes wet with unshed tears. She quickly banished these though, and laughed, tossing her head back with abandon. "You know, when I first saw you guys, I swore that Kaoru and Yahiko were siblings."
Yahiko and Kaoru-dono looked at each other with disgust. "EEW!" they both shrieked.
"Gross! You thought I was brother to that...that...that thing?!" cried Yahiko, horrified.
"Yeah, well I'd rather be a brother to me than a sister of you!" yelled Kaoru.
"Wait...that doesn't even make sense. How could you be a brother to yourself?" Sano asked, confused.
Oro...what crazy people I live with.
Thankfully, Megumi-san broke up the argument. "Well, before you guys kill each other with stupidity, I want to say goodnight," she said, looking out the window at the dark sky. "I've got to get back to the clinic. See ya!" Before leaving, she pecked me on the cheek. "Goodnight, Ken-san!" Fox ears popped out of her head as my cheeks turned bright red, matching my hair.
"ARGH! MEGUMI!" screamed Kaoru. She got up to kick Megumi out, but the "fox" had already left. "Evil woman," she muttered as she trudged back to the room.
"Well, I'm tired. Kaoru, I'm using the other guest room, okay?" yawned Sanosuke. "G'night Kenshin. Yahiko, I'll spar you again tomorrow. Kaoru, PLEASE make a decent breakfast."
Kaoru bopped him on the head. "Jerk," she sighed.
Sano walked into the hallway. "Oh...g'night...Xan."
Xan looked almost shocked. "Um...okay. Goodnight!" She yawned. "Um, well, I'm kind of tired too."
Kaoru-dono got up. "Oh, well of course you are! Being hit in the head and all...sorry. There's a shift you can sleep in, and a kimono for tomorrow. I'll wake you up in the morning and we can go into town to get you some more clothes," she smiled. Kaoru loved shopping for clothes, and our new guest gave her a perfect excuse. "Well, goodnight!"
Xan too smiled brightly. "Goodnight! Thank you so much, for everything!"
Yahiko and I also said goodnight and trudged out of the room with Kaoru.
As I removed my gi and rolled into bed, I thought of our strange guest Xan. She seemed strong; a blazing chi burned inside of her, but her attitude also held some sadness, as if she had gone through more traumatic experiences than just her unexpected arrival here. Oro...here I am, in my nice, warm futon, and all I can do is play psychiatrist, pondering the meaning of a smile. Wouldn't Sensei laugh at me now, washing dishes and helping poor strangers? Some assassin I make out to be...
I could hear Kaoru-dono snore in the next room. Laughing softly, I too fell into a deep sleep, dreaming of that strange book that Xan had brought. What was it again? Geometry...what a nightmare!
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Hmm...that little purple button looks really nice, doesn't it? PLEASE review, and I'll update ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!
Umm, let's see...I might not get the next chapter in until a few weeks, but cross your fingers and pray for just one until the next update...I had a really bad virus and missed a lot of school, meaning I have a lot of homework to do. BUT I have some really good ideas and my rough draft started, so it's looking good!
Some reviews could really speed up the process though...hint hint!
Disclaimer: Hahahaha! I do own Kenshin and there's nothing you can do about it! (Pulls on Kenshin's leash) He's mine, all mine!
Kenshin: Oro...evil authoress!
Okay, for real. I don't own Kenshin; I'm just using him and his friends to help end my extreme boredom. BUT I WANT THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Without further ado, I give you...
JADE GREEN
Chapter Two- Kenshin
A gentle breeze swept through the courtyard as I hung up Kaoru's kimono on the clothesline to dry. After hanging up the last of the freshly washed laundry, I would be free to wander aimlessly around the dojo, like I normally do, and then listen to Kaoru-dono and Yahiko hurl insults at each other while training. Right now, they were both occupied with cleaning up the rest of the dojo; Kaoru was washing lunch dishes and Yahiko was scrubbing the deck. Hanging up my favorite magenta gi, I sighed.
"Oro...there must be more to life than laundry," I muttered to the wind. Picking up my now empty laundry basket, I headed inside. Perhaps I could think of something a little more interesting to do with my free time...even gambling with Sano sounded fun. Much to my dismay, Kaoru-dono greeted me with a long shopping list.
"Kenshin," she said, "can you run into town and pick up this stuff for dinner? We need the usual things; they're all on here." She paused. "Oh, and the courtyard needs a good sweeping. Thanks, Kenshin, you're so helpful." Kaoru ran off into the kitchen.
"Sounds like you're having a good time," mused a deep voice from behind me.
"Hello Sanosuke," I greeted halfheartedly. "What brings you here?"
The nineteen-year-old sat down on the porch beside me, absentmindedly chewing on a fish bone. "No real reason. I just lost a lot of my money, and I need a good, hot meal."
How very like Sano. He probably lost all of his money gambling, as he is never good without me to read the dice. Suddenly an idea popped into my head. Tossing my friend the broom that lay beside me, I said, "Well, as payment, you can sweep while I shop. Happy cleaning!" Walking out of the courtyard, I waved at Sano, a very confused look plastered on his face.
While I was able to get the rice, salt, soy sauce, and miso pretty quickly at the market, I had a bit of trouble with the local policemen. They kept stopping me, asking about my sakabatou. Honestly, you would think they would be used to this one carrying around a sword, as I saved their arses quite a few times, might I remind them. By the time I reached the Kamiya Kasshin dojo, the sky was painted with tints of red and gold. This one could have stared at it for hours, but Kaoru-dono interrupted my thoughts.
"Kenshin! There you are! You were gone so long I though you had "wandered off" again like you did when you...never mind. You're here, and I need to get dinner started," she said, grabbing the food from my hands. I involuntarily groaned. It looked like Sano wouldn't be getting the "good" hot meal tonight.
Dinner wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, and for Kaoru-dono, that's pretty good. But as I munched on my bland onigiri and burnt fish, I found myself dreaming about Megumi-san's fabulous ohagi. Oro...Megumi had partnered up with the local doctor and hardly had anytime to come over to cook for us. What this one would do for some real food...
Yahiko and Sano badgered Kaoru-dono throughout the entire meal.
"Aw, ya old hag! Can't you let Kenshin cook?
"You know, it's pretty bad when a guy can cook better than you. Even if it is a girly guy like Kenshin."
"Yahiko! Sanosuke! Not another word, or I'll make you eat my sword instead!"
"That wouldn't be so bad. It can't be worse than your cooking."
"Aii! Sano, get out!"
"Ow! Hey, I was just telling the truth."
"Yeah, hag!"
"Yahiko, you jerk!"
"Hey-ow!"
I sighed, turning away from the clamor. Oro...Suddenly I was aware of a young woman standing in front of the courtyard gate. Garbed in a short, pleated skirt and an American styled blouse with flowing sleeves, she drunkenly stumbled towards us, dragging her bag on the ground. She opened up the gate just as Kaoru-dono threw a frying pan at Sanosuke. Unfortunately for the girl, Sano ducked and the pan went flying into the side of her head. She crumpled on the spot, knocked unconscious.
None of us did anything at first. Then Kaoru slugged Sano. "Why the hell did you duck?"
Oro. Those two would be no help at all. I ran over to the girl, as to see if she suffered from any serious injuries and to apologize, but Megumi-san ran through the gate and kneeled down by her, taking a pulse. The doctor must have come by for a visit, and I was glad she did. I had no experience with frying pan injuries. When I approached Megumi, she began to mutter in a disdainful voice.
"That Kaoru," she tutted, "always throwing things at innocent passer-bys. It's a wonder this girl isn't suffering from a cracked skull! By the way, who is she?" I tried to explain, but Megumi was already pondering out loud. "You and that sweaty Kaoru girl are pretty much an item, and Yahiko's much to young for a woman like this, so..." She paused, and her made-up eyes grew wide. "She-she's not...Sano's, is she?"
Oro. Sometimes Megumi-san can be so ignorant. So I explained, "To tell you the truth, Megumi, we have no idea who she is. She just popped up and well, you saw what happened. Anyway, I believe a hello is in order." Megumi nodded.
"Mm-hmm, hello Kenshin. Listen, I'm going to run back to the clinic to grab some supplies. Get the rooster head to carry her inside the dojo." She turned to Kaoru, who had guiltily crept up beside us. "Kaoru, make sure she stays warm, and elevate her feet. Oh, and have some tea ready if she wakes up. I'll be back in a few minutes!" she called as she ran out of the courtyard, raven hair streaming behind her.
"Um, so...I guess I better carry her in, right?" asked Sano, looking down at the unconscious woman.
Snapping out of a daze, I said, "Yes, you do that. Yahiko, put her bag in the spare bedroom. I'll get some blankets, that I will." Sano put his hands under the girl's shivering frame and carried her towards the dojo. Yahiko picked up the black bag and ran into the dojo while Kaoru headed towards the kitchen to make tea. I too walked into the house. Suddenly things were getting a little interesting, that they were.
By the time I had got an armful of blankets, Kaoru had already brought the tea into the guest room. Sano and Yahiko sat besides the girl, waiting for Megumi-san to come. But they didn't have to wait too long, as she crept up beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Good. She's stopped shivering," she said, walking past me and opening up her medical bag. Taking the girl's pulse, she muttered to herself and rummaged through a large book. After a regulation check-up, Megumi smiled weakly and said, "She'll be fine. She'll just wake up with a heck of a headache, and possible memory loss. It's hard to tell how bad the damage is until she wakes up."
At that moment the girl stirred in her sleep. Her eyes opened briefly, and she moaned. "Where-where am I?" She struggled to sit up on the futon and she scanned the room, looking at us with great confusion. "Who are you?" she asked, tilting her head. "Why does my head hurt? Why am I in bed? Why..." But Sanosuke cut off her many questions.
"Hush, missy. You don't want to hurt your brain anymore. You have Kaoru here to thanks for your headache," he said, motioning to the adjacent master of the dojo. "To answer your questions, you're currently the guest of the Kamiya Kasshin dojo. I'm Sano, the redhead is Kenshin, you already know Kaoru, the midget is Yahiko, and the vixen is Megumi." Megumi whacked him on the head.
"Ow-cut it out fox! Anyway, Kaoru hit you on the head with a frying pan, so we brought you inside to fix it (your head) up a bit," he finished.
Great gods. Sano was so blunt. "I hope everything is to your liking," I said, smiling at the girl. "Would you mind telling us what you're name is?" "Of course. How rude of me," the girl said, wrapping a thin blanket around her shoulders. "My name is Alexandra-but I prefer being called Xan."
Xan...what a peculiar name! Maybe she was visiting from America...that would certainly explain her unusual dress and untraditional name. However, I don't think even those wild American women would dress like this, my eyes straying to Xan's short skirt. Kaoru-dono, being the outgoing woman that she is, brought up this topic.
"That's quite an unusual outfit you've got on," she observed. "Where did you get it?"
Xan looked confused. "What do you mean my outfit's unusual? It's just my standard school uniform." She paused, and said, "Not to be rude, but you are the ones wearing the weird clothes. I don't think anybody has used that style since the late 1800's in Japan."
Sanosuke glared at Xan warily. "Yeah...we wear these clothes because this IS Japan and it IS in the late 1800's-1879 to be precise." He turned to Megumi. "Do you think this is because of her concussion?"
"Ha- nice try. I'm not that stupid. It's 2004 and I'm in America, right?" Xan looked around, a confused grin stuck on her face. "Right?"
This situation was most perplexing, that it was. Xan did not seem to be lying; her face was that of one who never lied and her eyes did not give her away. But her story seemed too incredible, and Megumi-san DID say that her concussion could result in memory loss. Perhaps she THOUGHT she was telling the truth, and therefore wouldn't be technically lying...oro. This whole thing was making my head spin. How could I prove or disprove her explanation?
My eyes focused on her black bag. It was too fine to be from this time era, but who knows? She could be an extremely fine seamstress. At any rate, I gently tossed the bag to her. "Xan-dono, could you possibly prove your story? While I don't doubt your honesty, with your concussion it is somewhat hard to believe that you are from the future, and America," I explained as politely as I could.
"Umm...sure. How could I prove it?" she muttered as she rummaged through her bag, tossing out bits of papers and pencil stubs. "This sounds like one of those stupid proofs we had to do in Geometry...if you take a girl and toss her back in time, how can you use her school stuff to prove she's not crazy?"
Suddenly, Xan's eyes lit up. "Geometry! That's it!" she cried as she pulled out an enormous book. Flipping through it, she pointed to a tiny manuscript. "There! 'Copyright 2004, Chicago Mathematics, United States of America'!! See, I'm not lying!"
I couldn't believe it. The girl was telling the truth. Amidst the formulas for god-knows-what was the exact words we had never expected to find. But if Xan really was from 2004, how in all the seven hells did she end up here?
"Um...um...um...how...why...how did you get here?" asked Kaoru-dono, nervously playing with her hair. She didn't know how to treat such an odd situation, but then, none of us did.
"That's one question I can't answer, as I don't know it. I was sitting in a tree back at home, found a scroll, and ended up here. And there's another thing I don't understand. If this is really Japan, how can we understand each other? I sure as hell don't know Japanese. Do you speak English as well?" Xan questioned.
Yahiko piped up. He had dazed off a bit, but now was fully animated as he answered the girl's question. "No, we don't. I can speak a few words, but that's it."
Almost to herself, Xan said, "Then how did you read my geometry book?"
Obviously, there were things going on here that none of us could explain. This girl had somehow stumbled on a way to defy time and space, and then even the physics of the mind, as we understood each other perfectly without learning the opposite's language. But there was no use pondering the mystery of it. Xan was here, and she needed a place to stay. I offered our hospitalities, saying, "Well, until we find out the reasons behind these strange happenings, you are welcome to stay with us."
Xan started, "Oh no, I couldn't impose..." Kaoru, however, wouldn't hear of it.
"Nonsense. Everyone you see besides me is a 'stray' I've taken in. And you're not imposing on us if we ask you to stay, now are you?" she asked, smiling gently. Kaoru-dono handed Xan a cup of hot tea. "Have some tea. I'll go get you a shift to sleep in, and a kimono for tomorrow, as your clothes are ripped." She ran off into the other room.
That Kaoru. I've been living with her for a year and still she surprises me. The last time we took in a stray woman she started beating this one up...a lot. Oh well. This one was NOT complaining.
Xan took a long drink of her tea before speaking again. "What did she mean, you are all strays?" she asked.
"It's a long story. Quite a few stories in fact," answered Megumi. I jumped, as I had almost forgotten that Megumi-san was still here.
Laughing quietly, Xan said, "Well, it seems I've got a lot of time right now. I could use a good tale."
So Sano, Yahiko, Megumi, and I told our guest everything about how and when we 'strays' had met. How I met Kaoru-dono when she was intent on capturing my imposter. How Yahiko had picked my pocket and eventually ended up picking a home. How Sano, who is now one of my best friends, was originally hired to kill me. How Megumi was part of an illegal opium ring and almost took her life because of the shame. How all the policemen kept trying to arrest me because of my sword. How Kaoru-dono couldn't cook, and yet was a master at beating us men senseless. How she and Megumi used to bicker all the time. How Yahiko wanted to become a proper swordsman. How Sano was so bad at gambling, yet continued to toss the dice.
Kaoru-dono eventually came back and threw in her two cents. We laughed and cried throughout the entire story, for we had not reminisced upon the past since we had all met. And amidst our tears and laughter, Xan sat on the edge of her futon, listening intently to our every word.
When we finished our tale, Xan's voice took on a hint of envy. "For knowing each other for hardly a year, you're closer than any real family," she commented, eyes wet with unshed tears. She quickly banished these though, and laughed, tossing her head back with abandon. "You know, when I first saw you guys, I swore that Kaoru and Yahiko were siblings."
Yahiko and Kaoru-dono looked at each other with disgust. "EEW!" they both shrieked.
"Gross! You thought I was brother to that...that...that thing?!" cried Yahiko, horrified.
"Yeah, well I'd rather be a brother to me than a sister of you!" yelled Kaoru.
"Wait...that doesn't even make sense. How could you be a brother to yourself?" Sano asked, confused.
Oro...what crazy people I live with.
Thankfully, Megumi-san broke up the argument. "Well, before you guys kill each other with stupidity, I want to say goodnight," she said, looking out the window at the dark sky. "I've got to get back to the clinic. See ya!" Before leaving, she pecked me on the cheek. "Goodnight, Ken-san!" Fox ears popped out of her head as my cheeks turned bright red, matching my hair.
"ARGH! MEGUMI!" screamed Kaoru. She got up to kick Megumi out, but the "fox" had already left. "Evil woman," she muttered as she trudged back to the room.
"Well, I'm tired. Kaoru, I'm using the other guest room, okay?" yawned Sanosuke. "G'night Kenshin. Yahiko, I'll spar you again tomorrow. Kaoru, PLEASE make a decent breakfast."
Kaoru bopped him on the head. "Jerk," she sighed.
Sano walked into the hallway. "Oh...g'night...Xan."
Xan looked almost shocked. "Um...okay. Goodnight!" She yawned. "Um, well, I'm kind of tired too."
Kaoru-dono got up. "Oh, well of course you are! Being hit in the head and all...sorry. There's a shift you can sleep in, and a kimono for tomorrow. I'll wake you up in the morning and we can go into town to get you some more clothes," she smiled. Kaoru loved shopping for clothes, and our new guest gave her a perfect excuse. "Well, goodnight!"
Xan too smiled brightly. "Goodnight! Thank you so much, for everything!"
Yahiko and I also said goodnight and trudged out of the room with Kaoru.
As I removed my gi and rolled into bed, I thought of our strange guest Xan. She seemed strong; a blazing chi burned inside of her, but her attitude also held some sadness, as if she had gone through more traumatic experiences than just her unexpected arrival here. Oro...here I am, in my nice, warm futon, and all I can do is play psychiatrist, pondering the meaning of a smile. Wouldn't Sensei laugh at me now, washing dishes and helping poor strangers? Some assassin I make out to be...
I could hear Kaoru-dono snore in the next room. Laughing softly, I too fell into a deep sleep, dreaming of that strange book that Xan had brought. What was it again? Geometry...what a nightmare!
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Hmm...that little purple button looks really nice, doesn't it? PLEASE review, and I'll update ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!