Chapter 3. Reasons
Shadows danced against the walls as an unseen soft breeze blew in through the tiny gaps in the walls and roof of the shed. The flame of the candle flickered several times, but never went out.
Silence settled between the two of them for a long time as they sat across one another, their gazes unwavering as they stared at each other.
"Prove it." Kenshin repeated his challenge a while back, but now it sounded more like a plea.
When Taro spoke, it was in a loud voice. "I think you are not the only one who needs convincing."
"I beg your pardon?" Kenshin asked, wondering what he is talking about.
Taro went on. "I know you are out there. Why don't you join us?"
Kenshin turned as the door was pushed open, revealing Sanosuke.
"Sano?" he uttered in confusion.
Sanosuke gave a wry smile. "I heard noises," he said as he also came in, closing the door behind him. "Besides," he added, throwing a wary look in the healer's direction, "I do not trust this guy. No offense," he added as an afterthought.
Taro nodded, smiling slightly. "None taken."
"Now," Sanosuke said, dropping down beside Kenshin, "tell us we are not wasting our time here."
Taro directed his gaze at Kenshin. "I do not think Kenshin would be here if he thought he is wasting his time. Am I right, Battousai?"
Sanosuke started at the name Taro called Kenshin. "Hey!" he exclaimed in astonishment. "How did you - "
"I know a lot more about Mr. Himura than you thought possible, Mr. Sagara."
Kenshin decided to go straight to the point.
"You said you came to heal me," he said. "What made you think I needed healing?"
"Don't you?"
"Stop speaking in riddles," he said, keeping his calm.
"I was not aware I was speaking in riddles."
Kenshin tried another tack. "You said earlier today that you were sent here to heal someone. Who sent you?"
Taro's gaze was straight when he spoke the name.
"Seijurou Hiko."
Kenshin's forehead creased in confusion. "Seiju Hiko?"
"Your Master?" Sanosuke asked, glancing at Kenshin. Seeing his friend is as confused as he was, he turned to look at the healer. "How do you know Seiju Hiko?"
"He happens to be my mentor." He hastened to explain when he saw the confusion in Kenshin deepening. "Not in fighting, of course. I could not wield a sword if my life depended on it. But Seiju Hiko taught me more than I could ever learn from others. That is also how I know of you. You are probably Seiju's best – and worst – student ever. But he loved you nonetheless. He sends his regards to everyone, especially to you."
Kenshin nodded, then asked, "Why did you lie to us when you first arrived?"
"I don't remember lying about anything," Taro said.
"You feigned ignorance, Taro. You pretended you knew nothing about me."
Slowly he nodded. "Oh, that." He grinned. "Would you have let me in had I told you right off the bat that I was sent here by Seiju Hiko to heal you?" He shook his head when Kenshin could not respond to this. "I guessed as much."
"Why did he send you all the way here to find me?"
"Because I had a vision."
"A vision?"
"Yes, Mr. Sagara," Taro said tolerantly, "a vision. And I told him about it."
"What vision?"
"A vision about you."
"Great," Sanosuke remarked. "You're not only a healer. You're also a visionary. What are you gonna tell us next? You're the Emperor of Japan?"
"I would not go that far," Taro said, latching on to Sanosuke's witticism with the mildest of intolerance.
"I want to know about your vision," Kenshin said, seemingly oblivious to the verbal sparring of the two men. "What does it have to do with me?"
Taro pulled his gaze away from Sanosuke and fixed his attention on Kenshin.
"It mainly concerns you, Kenshin."
Sanosuke is getting impatient. "Stop with these merry-go-round and just tell us what it is that you really want from Kenshin!"
Before Taro could reply to Sanosuke's outburst, Kenshin spoke.
"I do not want to take up much of your time, Sano. You don't have to stay if you don't want to."
Sanosuke took a deep breath. "Alright. I'm sorry."
After giving Sanosuke a disdainful glance, Taro turned to Kenshin.
"How are the dreams, Kenshin?" he asked.
Kenshin decided to be honest about it. "They get worse every time."
"And tonight? How was it?"
"The same thing. Only this time, the images are clearer."
"What did you see?"
Kenshin remembered the dream. "The same thing. Only this time, I found I was in an alley, and the figures were sharper. Even the voices could be heard clearly."
Taro was silent for a long while. "Did it mean anything to you?"
Kenshin slowly shook his head.
Sanosuke spoke up. "How did you know about Kenshin's dreams?"
"Because I saw them, too."
"You saw them? How?"
Taro shrugged. "I don't know. I just do."
"Let me tell you, Taro. I do not believe in magic."
"Neither do I," Taro said. "But I know what I saw. And I also know they would happen. Do you really think Seijurou Hiko would send me to find you if he did not trust my visions?"
"Wait a second," Sanosuke interrupted. "How can we even be sure that Seijurou Hiko really sent you, or that he really knows you enough to take you into his confidence and tell you about Kenshin?"
Taro sighed and said, "Seiju told me he asked Kenshin to take the mantle and be the 15th Master of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu, but Kenshin refused. Does anyone else know about that, Kenshin?" he asked.
Kenshin shook his head.
"And you had a name before Seiju gave you the name Kenshin Himura. Your name was Shinta. Am I right?"
"Fine, you made your point, you do know Seijurou Hiko." Sanosuke shook his head. "But how do we know we can fully trust you?"
"You don't," was Taro's flat reply.
This was not reassuring for Sanosuke, who shook his head in disbelief.
"Don't worry, Sano," Kenshin said softly. "The Master would not have sent him if he could not be trusted."
"Oh, Kenshin, sometimes you could be so naïve!"
Kenshin ignored Sanosuke's statement.
"How can you help me?" Kenshin asked Taro directly.
"I could show you my vision," Taro said. "I could help you fully see your dreams. But I could do no more than that."
"You can't tell me what the dreams mean?"
Taro shook his head slowly. "It is up to you to figure out the meaning. I am only here to guide you."
"And how do you propose to go about this?" Sanosuke inquired, his interest suddenly piqued.
"Have you ever tried 'hypnosis'?"
"Hypno-what?" Sanosuke repeated.
"I've heard of that method before," Kenshin said, "but I have never tried it."
"Are you willing to do it?"
"Will it be painful?" Sanosuke asked, suddenly nervous.
"It depends on what one would see." Taro turned to Kenshin. "Are you up to it?"
Kenshin needed only a few seconds to reach a decision. Once more feeling a slow burn on his cheek, he said,
"Let's do it."
++++++++++++++++++
Hi, penguin27! Nice to see you here again! Btw, I know the sakabatou is a reverse-blade sword, but I kinda used the word sakaba, y'know, just to inject a sense of familiarity since Kenshin practically lives with it...have I written anything that would make you think it was not? ( and the foreword, I know it is usually dispensed with by most writers nowadays, but it was just my way of putting in a disclaimer, instead of disclaiming every beginning of a chapter. I hope you forgive that. And it is also my way of having an advance apology for any errors..hehe! thanks for reviewing, guys! It helped a lot!
Shadows danced against the walls as an unseen soft breeze blew in through the tiny gaps in the walls and roof of the shed. The flame of the candle flickered several times, but never went out.
Silence settled between the two of them for a long time as they sat across one another, their gazes unwavering as they stared at each other.
"Prove it." Kenshin repeated his challenge a while back, but now it sounded more like a plea.
When Taro spoke, it was in a loud voice. "I think you are not the only one who needs convincing."
"I beg your pardon?" Kenshin asked, wondering what he is talking about.
Taro went on. "I know you are out there. Why don't you join us?"
Kenshin turned as the door was pushed open, revealing Sanosuke.
"Sano?" he uttered in confusion.
Sanosuke gave a wry smile. "I heard noises," he said as he also came in, closing the door behind him. "Besides," he added, throwing a wary look in the healer's direction, "I do not trust this guy. No offense," he added as an afterthought.
Taro nodded, smiling slightly. "None taken."
"Now," Sanosuke said, dropping down beside Kenshin, "tell us we are not wasting our time here."
Taro directed his gaze at Kenshin. "I do not think Kenshin would be here if he thought he is wasting his time. Am I right, Battousai?"
Sanosuke started at the name Taro called Kenshin. "Hey!" he exclaimed in astonishment. "How did you - "
"I know a lot more about Mr. Himura than you thought possible, Mr. Sagara."
Kenshin decided to go straight to the point.
"You said you came to heal me," he said. "What made you think I needed healing?"
"Don't you?"
"Stop speaking in riddles," he said, keeping his calm.
"I was not aware I was speaking in riddles."
Kenshin tried another tack. "You said earlier today that you were sent here to heal someone. Who sent you?"
Taro's gaze was straight when he spoke the name.
"Seijurou Hiko."
Kenshin's forehead creased in confusion. "Seiju Hiko?"
"Your Master?" Sanosuke asked, glancing at Kenshin. Seeing his friend is as confused as he was, he turned to look at the healer. "How do you know Seiju Hiko?"
"He happens to be my mentor." He hastened to explain when he saw the confusion in Kenshin deepening. "Not in fighting, of course. I could not wield a sword if my life depended on it. But Seiju Hiko taught me more than I could ever learn from others. That is also how I know of you. You are probably Seiju's best – and worst – student ever. But he loved you nonetheless. He sends his regards to everyone, especially to you."
Kenshin nodded, then asked, "Why did you lie to us when you first arrived?"
"I don't remember lying about anything," Taro said.
"You feigned ignorance, Taro. You pretended you knew nothing about me."
Slowly he nodded. "Oh, that." He grinned. "Would you have let me in had I told you right off the bat that I was sent here by Seiju Hiko to heal you?" He shook his head when Kenshin could not respond to this. "I guessed as much."
"Why did he send you all the way here to find me?"
"Because I had a vision."
"A vision?"
"Yes, Mr. Sagara," Taro said tolerantly, "a vision. And I told him about it."
"What vision?"
"A vision about you."
"Great," Sanosuke remarked. "You're not only a healer. You're also a visionary. What are you gonna tell us next? You're the Emperor of Japan?"
"I would not go that far," Taro said, latching on to Sanosuke's witticism with the mildest of intolerance.
"I want to know about your vision," Kenshin said, seemingly oblivious to the verbal sparring of the two men. "What does it have to do with me?"
Taro pulled his gaze away from Sanosuke and fixed his attention on Kenshin.
"It mainly concerns you, Kenshin."
Sanosuke is getting impatient. "Stop with these merry-go-round and just tell us what it is that you really want from Kenshin!"
Before Taro could reply to Sanosuke's outburst, Kenshin spoke.
"I do not want to take up much of your time, Sano. You don't have to stay if you don't want to."
Sanosuke took a deep breath. "Alright. I'm sorry."
After giving Sanosuke a disdainful glance, Taro turned to Kenshin.
"How are the dreams, Kenshin?" he asked.
Kenshin decided to be honest about it. "They get worse every time."
"And tonight? How was it?"
"The same thing. Only this time, the images are clearer."
"What did you see?"
Kenshin remembered the dream. "The same thing. Only this time, I found I was in an alley, and the figures were sharper. Even the voices could be heard clearly."
Taro was silent for a long while. "Did it mean anything to you?"
Kenshin slowly shook his head.
Sanosuke spoke up. "How did you know about Kenshin's dreams?"
"Because I saw them, too."
"You saw them? How?"
Taro shrugged. "I don't know. I just do."
"Let me tell you, Taro. I do not believe in magic."
"Neither do I," Taro said. "But I know what I saw. And I also know they would happen. Do you really think Seijurou Hiko would send me to find you if he did not trust my visions?"
"Wait a second," Sanosuke interrupted. "How can we even be sure that Seijurou Hiko really sent you, or that he really knows you enough to take you into his confidence and tell you about Kenshin?"
Taro sighed and said, "Seiju told me he asked Kenshin to take the mantle and be the 15th Master of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu, but Kenshin refused. Does anyone else know about that, Kenshin?" he asked.
Kenshin shook his head.
"And you had a name before Seiju gave you the name Kenshin Himura. Your name was Shinta. Am I right?"
"Fine, you made your point, you do know Seijurou Hiko." Sanosuke shook his head. "But how do we know we can fully trust you?"
"You don't," was Taro's flat reply.
This was not reassuring for Sanosuke, who shook his head in disbelief.
"Don't worry, Sano," Kenshin said softly. "The Master would not have sent him if he could not be trusted."
"Oh, Kenshin, sometimes you could be so naïve!"
Kenshin ignored Sanosuke's statement.
"How can you help me?" Kenshin asked Taro directly.
"I could show you my vision," Taro said. "I could help you fully see your dreams. But I could do no more than that."
"You can't tell me what the dreams mean?"
Taro shook his head slowly. "It is up to you to figure out the meaning. I am only here to guide you."
"And how do you propose to go about this?" Sanosuke inquired, his interest suddenly piqued.
"Have you ever tried 'hypnosis'?"
"Hypno-what?" Sanosuke repeated.
"I've heard of that method before," Kenshin said, "but I have never tried it."
"Are you willing to do it?"
"Will it be painful?" Sanosuke asked, suddenly nervous.
"It depends on what one would see." Taro turned to Kenshin. "Are you up to it?"
Kenshin needed only a few seconds to reach a decision. Once more feeling a slow burn on his cheek, he said,
"Let's do it."
++++++++++++++++++
Hi, penguin27! Nice to see you here again! Btw, I know the sakabatou is a reverse-blade sword, but I kinda used the word sakaba, y'know, just to inject a sense of familiarity since Kenshin practically lives with it...have I written anything that would make you think it was not? ( and the foreword, I know it is usually dispensed with by most writers nowadays, but it was just my way of putting in a disclaimer, instead of disclaiming every beginning of a chapter. I hope you forgive that. And it is also my way of having an advance apology for any errors..hehe! thanks for reviewing, guys! It helped a lot!