Mirrors of the past and the future

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Chapter 8: Meiji Era Tokyo Troubles

"Yahiko would you please stop that?!" Kaoru told Yahiko irritatedly.

The whole group had been touring the entire Tokyo proper and they were on their way to the akkabeko. Yahiko and Hiko-chan, (much to Yahiko's, (future one), chagrin to be nicknamed after Shinta's uncle and sensei, he agreed to it rather than be called gaki-chan the entire time.), on the other hand were busy pulling pranks on both Sano and Sano-chan.

Both Sano's growled deep in their throats as Yahiko dared to pull another prank on them. Hiko-chan, however, had quieted down due to the murderous look Yuki was throwing him. When Yahiko had given them no signs of stopping anytime soon, Kaoru whipped out her bokken and whacked Yahiko's head so hard that Sano had to drag the poor boy all the way to the restaurant.

Mi-chan smiled secretively as she eyed Yuki and Shinta closely. Something must've happened to those two since Shinta now had his arms wrapped securely around Yuki's waist. Meg-chan smiled along with Mi-chan as she also saw the way Shinta held the young prime minister. Along with Hiko-chan, she changed her nickname to Meg-chan from Megitsune.

"What are you smiling about?" Sano-chan whispered in her ear. He had been looking at Meg-chan for quite some time now and can't help noticing the smile which never left her lips.

Meg-chan blushed, then eyed Sano-chan who was walking beside her. "Take a look at those two." She whispered to him

Sano-chan looked at the direction of Shinta and Yuki. Chocolate brown eyes widened as he saw how Yuki and Shinta were walking together.

"It's about time if you asked me." He whispered to her.

She giggled. "I know. I wonder though… how long for Mi-chan and Shi-chan?"

Sano-chan eyed her and grinned at her as he caught what she meant. Aside from Shinta being pretty slow in the group. Shi-chan is even worse in that department.

"Mi-chan's practically throwing herself to him and still he doesn't notice." He commented.

Meg-chan laughed her trademark laugh which has been passed down to her.

Everyone looked at her until their attention was directed to another source when they heard someone scream.

Yuki and Kaoru ran immediately at the sound of the voice followed by the others. When the others arrived at the scene, Kaoru and Yuki were already beating the crap out of the thieves who tried too steal from the store of an old lady. They were content to watch Yuki and Kaoru work until something caught hiko-chan's eyes.

"Yuki! Watch out!!!!!!" Hiko-chan screamed but Yuki turned a split second too late. The thief behind Yuki had grabbed a thick wooden box and slammed it on her back, breaking the box into pieces.

"Yuki!!!" came the chorus of shouts as she tumbled down in a lifeless heap. Distracted with what happened with Yuki, Kaoru failed to notice as her opponent lifted his sword and slashed her at the back. Kaoru gasped as she collapsed on the ground her face contorted with the pain that she was feeling at that moment.

And with that… all hell broke loose.

Shinta jumped to save Yuki from another hit, his fist connecting with the thief's jaw almost breaking it. Sano-chan and the others then followed in suit thrashing the other half of the thieves. Meanwhile when Kenshin saw what happened to Kaoru, his eyes turned to amber and Battousai broke loose from the deepest part of his mind. Burning possessiveness and anger flashed in his eyes.

NOBODY HURTS HIS WOMAN AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!

Kenshin slashed every one of the remaining thieves and sheathed his sword back with a resounding click. Turning back to Kaoru, he rushed to her side feeling the cut at her back. Seeing the blood spilling from her back, Kenshin gritted his teeth as Megumi checked on her back while Meg-chan checked on Yuki.

Megumi sighed and lifted her head to look at Kenshin. "The wounds not too deep, but we need to get her to the clinic immediately before she loses blood." She told the former assassin who only nodded his head and carried the injured girl carefully and protectively in his arms.

As Kenshin stood up, Shinta on the other hand cradled Yuki in his arms as Meg-chan ordered him to bring her along with Kaoru to the clinic. Yahiko and the others looked apprehensively at the two former assassins who now looked for all of the world like someone who wanted to tear somebody apart with their bare hands.

Shinta sighed. Baka! Baka little tanuki! he thought as he carried the injured girl in his arms. She was definitely the mirror image of her ancestress, including the attitudes! His eyes glittered in rage. One hit was all it took for that creep to crumple to a lifeless heap. But even with that knowledge, the hate within him wanted to kill the bastard that hurt Yuki. He sighed yet again. Part of the blame was his to take. He should have stepped in and helped Yuki but he knew deep inside that she would just hate that… the girl had pride.

Kenshin laid Kaoru on the table the moment they entered the clinic. Genzai-sensei scurried about worriedly and hurriedly as he and Megumi patched Kaoru up to prevent her from losing too much blood. Meg-chan did the same with Yuki, wrapping her chest and waist with bandages. Kenshin heard with half an ear that the young girl had suffered two broken ribs as a result of their accident today. He looked at Shinta and saw amber eyes glittering with hatred and barely suppressed fury.

Yep. Looks like that our descendant inherited more than just looks from us. Battousai thought as he continued to look at Shinta.

"Ken-san?"

Kenshin turned to settle his amber gaze at Megumi who stepped back a bit when he looked at her… well… more like a glare to her point of view.

"Hai, Megumi-dono? Is Kaoru-dono alright?" he asked the female doctor

Megumi half smiled. "Hai. She'll be fine. But she needs to rest for more than a week to make sure that she doesn't pull the stitches."

Kenshin merely nodded and looked at the room Kaoru was in.

"Ken-san…"

Kenshin lowered his gaze to her, "Make sure that she doesn't get to make a lot of trouble and that she doesn't overexert herself. Do I make myself clear on that?" Megumi asked him.

Kenshin nodded and stepped into the room the moment Megumi moved aside. Megumi on the other hand looked at Shinta and asked him where Yuki was. Shinta looked at her and she gasped. The amber glare Shinta sent her was frighteningly similar to the one that Kenshin gave her a moment ago. She gulped a bit when Shinta answered her that Yuki was in the other room being tended to by Meg-chan.

Sanosuke, Yahiko, Sano-chan, Hiko-chan, Shi-chan and Mi-chan, all went together to the police to turn over the thieves before Shinta and Kenshin changed their minds and finished them off. Despite felling quite murderous themselves, they managed to get the thieves to the station in one piece all the while the people watched the group with wary and curious eyes.

Saitou looked at the group, his eyes quirking in question as he eyed the two identical looking rooster heads and two identical looking brats. Sano only growled in answer telling him to mind his own business. Saitou merely smirked and insulted them as usual making them even more furious than ever. The only person who doesn't seem affected by Saitou was Shi-chan. He merely looked at Saitou and ignored him all the while trying to hold down Mi-chan who wanted nothing more than to make him as her target practice.

When they arrived at the clinic, they saw Shinta sitting quietly on one side of the room while Kenshin was standing with his back to the wall… both had their eyes shut tight but there was no mistaking the distinct ki that surrounded them. Murderous ki, that is.

They all made adequate room for Shinta and Kenshin while they checked on the two tanuki's. Kaoru and Yuki were sleeping quietly. Megumi then ushered them out of their rooms to talk to them, Meg-chan followed soon after she checked on Yuki.

"Sano, Yahiko. You two better not give Kaoru any trouble for the next week if you don't want to incur the wrath of Kenshin, alright? And besides, that tanuki needs her rest… she's been too stressed out lately and she has been working non-stop. She needs the rest, that's why I'm going to recommend a three week recovery period for her, clear?!" Megumi told them

Sano and Yahiko merely nodded, afraid to disagree lest they were the ones to receive Kenshin's anger.

Meanwhile, Meg-chan told the others what they should do, "Alright, listen up! Yuki received a blow on her back as we all know, right? So, Yuki needs time to rest and to let those broken ribs of hers heal. She needs a few weeks to do that and I would advise you two… Sano-chan, Hiko-chan, to not do anything to piss off Yuki, ok? Besides, I doubt that you'll do that considering the way Shinta is right now." She told them

Sano-chan and Hiko-chan nodded. It was best not to anger both former assassins if they truly value their lives. Kenshin along with Shinta entered the room they were all occupying and looked at them. Megumi saw the two enter and said out loud,

"Alright, I think it's best if we moved Kaoru and Yuki back to the dojo so that they can rest more easily there."

Kenshin looked at her, "Do you think that that's wise to do, Megumi-dono?"

Megumi looked at him and nodded. "They'll be more comfortable there rather than here."

Kenshin nodded and went back inside to get Kaoru, Shinta did the same with Yuki. A few moments later, the two emerged carrying the girls with them.

"Alright then… let's go." Sano told all of them.

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Kenshin sat across Kaoru's futon and watched her as she slept. He berated himself for failing to protect her… she got hurt because of his lack of attention. He gritted his teeth. That will never happen again. Kenshin looked at the angel sleeping before him. The same angel that took him in, gave him a home and a family. The angel that taught his heart how to love once again. The very same angel that cure and healed his wounded and scarred soul.

But… being with her is not enough. He wanted to protect her, to hold her in his arms and make sure that she doesn't disappear from him. He wanted to be his. His and his alone.

Kenshin smirked in the darkness of her room. There was no turning back. The moment she wakes up. They were going to talk.

His only prayer to Kami was that she would accept his and love him the way he did.

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AN:

… revies?