WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!
WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.
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Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight
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Chapter 10: Quiet Departure
The day was off to a good start, with a bright sun and chirping birds and all
those things which made Meiji mornings like fairy-tales. There were no more
disturbances for the trio in the night, so they were considerably refreshed
and ready for more action when day came in the form of comfortable, golden rays
through the shack's only window.
Kenji blearily opened his eyes and stretched, yawning his fatique away at the same time. He had found a nice little corner to curl up against during the night and was surprised at how soundly he managed to sleep in foreign terrain. Glancing around quickly, he saw that Soujirou was already awake - although he remained lying down for some reason. He had his hands outstretched, and, with that ever-present smile on his face, was examining his palms like they had the most interesting things written on them.
"Where did Enishi go?" Kenji inquired of the first thing that came to his mind.
The sprawled wanderer remained unfazed, like he had known that the boy was awake all the time. "Yukishiro-san went to the nearby stream to clean the blood off his shawl," Soujirou informed the boy, his eyes still fixed on his palms. "He said he'll be getting some food as well."
Almost instinctively, Kenji turned to look at the blood on /his/ hakama, wincing at the deep red. Blood did not smell nice, and it made for a terrible decoration. "Did that sword go through an artery or something?" He morosely shook his head. "How you can still talk and smile today after being cut up so badly last night is a wonder to me."
Soujirou's smile did not waver. He did, however, stop looking at his palms and was now content to let his hands be. "I wish I could get up," he lamented, without any real purpose, "then I wouldn't feel like a cripple."
"You need help?" Kenji moved towards the older person, but was stopped when the latter shook his head and waved him away.
"I'm under strict orders not to get up until Yukishiro-san returns," he informed the nonplussed dojo runaway, who found himself unable to discern the clear /logic/ behind that sentence, "because otherwise, I'm not going to be eating anything for the whole day as punishment!" Soujirou laughed, but had to stop halfway when his injury got in his way.
Kenji shrugged slightly, deciding that he would not pursue the issue. "What's our agenda for today like?" He quipped, after a short silence had ensued.
"Oh, I'm not too sure," Soujirou's smile was back in full force, "but we'll have to get out of Tokyo soon. I think we'll be avoiding the main routes, though. If I'm not wrong, Yukishiro-san was thinking of taking a small detour through the Rakunin-mura." The smiley face turned his head to regard the smaller boy amiably. "We happen to know a few people there who might be of help."
The young boy's mind, however, was on anything but their way of passage. "So we'll be leaving Tokyo," his voice was trimmed with a hopeful edge, and he almost burst out grinning when Soujirou nodded. Quickly looking away, he contented himself with listening to the melodious orchestra of nature. So engrossed was he that he did not notice the aroma of fish being fried over fire until a small whiff of smoke strangulated his breathing. "What's that?" He found himself asking while looking at the door.
"Hm?" Soujirou was still lying on the floor, happily examining his fingernails. "Smells like fish over fire to me?"
Ignoring the wanderer for stating the obvious, Kenji lifted the single piece of tattered cloth which obscured the outside from inside and stepped onto the grass. There was smoke visible from where he stood on the left side of the hut, and he made his way there, realizing that at the same time, he was also following the smell of the food.
He turned the corner and was somehow not really surprised to see Enishi there, crouched over a small fire. His dark blue shawl was stretched over a tree branch nearby, dripping wet - but relatively clean from bloodstains. For a while Kenji pondered if he should ask where that stream was, so he could go down and get his hakama cleaned up as well, but thought the better of it. As far as he was concerned, this hakama was ruined - and a new one was the only solution he would accept for it.
Walking closer, he could smell the fried fish in their full glory. Enishi had three sticks propped up against the fire, which he was dully fanning with a large leaf. There was a makeshift basket made of strong leaves by his side, and in it laid more fish. His sword was stuck in the ground beside him, upright. If Enishi could sense Kenji's presence, he made no action to acknowledge it, until the boy came to his side and crouched down as well, forcing him to shift slightly away to make space for the newcomer.
Kenji eyed the basket carefully. "That's a lot of fish for three people." He remarked.
"They'll come in handy," was the other's bored response. Poking at a stick of fish with a small branch, he decided that it was ready and promptly uprooted it from the ground. He settled the thing over the large leaf he had been using to fan the fire just now and stared pensively at another stick of fish. A few moments passed before he uprooted that one as well and laid it on the same leaf. He nodded at Kenji. "Both of you can take this."
The boy hadn't notice how hungry he actually was, until he stared as the smoke rising up nicely from his prospective breakfast. "Don't mind if I do!" He almost chirped, taking the meal into his hands and bouncing off back into the shack.
Enishi's eyes drifted slowly from Kenji's receding figure, to the fire, to the extra fish in the basket.
He eyed them with an unreadable expression, as if he was trying to decide how best to make them come in handy.
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Before noon, the trio were already well departed from the snug shack which had
housed them for a night. They stayed as far removed as they could from the beaten
track which led to the shrine, choosing to weave through the thick foliage instead
until they chanced upon a small, unused back alley facing the small stream which
separated the forest from civilization. It was just as well, since they were
currently on a mission to avoid as much human contact as it was possible. There
was no telling when Saitou might show up and toss them all into a locked cell
with no key while mercilessly laughing away.
"Are you," Soujirou asked, as they trudged along the dirt path, "going to give those to the people in the village?" He was referring to the basket of fish Enishi had in his hands.
The man nodded.
"What's this Rakunin-mura place like?" Kenji was, once again, curious. He had lived in Tokyo all his life, but never had he once heard of anyone mentioning the place. "Is it even around here?"
"Aye, Himura-san, it sure is," Soujirou beamed brightly. He was well enough to walk on his own again, although they had to slow down half a pace so as not to aggravate the wanderer's injuries with over-exertion. "Like that shrine we went to, the Rakunin-mura is on the outskirts of Tokyo - one of the places whereby we can exit Tokyo without arousing too much attention."
"Hmm..." The young boy's eyes brightened up at the potential adventure of mucking around in a dark, forbidden corner of modern Tokyo. "It must be a really exciting place! Tell me more!"
At that, Enishi snorted. "Why do you bother asking? Take a look for yourself. We're here."
Kenji turned from looking expectantly at Soujirou to the sight before him.
To say he was stunned would be an understatement.
A long, moaning wind swept through the seemingly empty fields - caked with dried sand which peeled and cracked at the surface. There were huge piles of refuse lingering in tiny mountains sparsely around the area, and Kenji thought he saw a tumbleweed roll across at one point of time. Although it was nearly noon, the boy swore this place was clouded with a fog of doom and despondancy so dark, it almost seemed like it was dusk. He shot a quick glance at Soujirou, noticing with slight annoyance that his smile remained in place, and he did not seem any more surprise than Enishi was at the rubble.
Before Kenji could question any of them, however, Enishi took a step further. He breathed.
"I~~ brouuuuuuught~~ fiiiiiiish~~"
Immediately after Enishi's long drawl, Kenji decided that he was too surprised to really laugh. It wasn't like the Enishi he knew at all to be shouting something as ridiculous as that, to a ruined land where nobody dwelt. Soon after he decided he was going to start laughing, however, he noticed movement behind one of the pile of rubbish to the far left. He glanced over, and confirmed his instincts. There was someone there. Or at least, someone who peeped out with an eye visible. Recognition flashed through the single eyeball, and he soon revealed his entire form. It was a man in his mid-fourties or so, limping towards the entrance where the trio stood with a lopsided smile on his face.
"It's Enishi!" He shouted into the air. Soon after he did, an incessant mumbling arose from behind most of the rubbish. "He brought us food, guys! Come on!"
Without knowing what was really happening, the young Kenji found himself being inadvertably swept into a small crowd huddled over a campfire, at the very back of a few hills of rubbish. The few men there cheered happily when Enishi brandished his basket of fish, and all of it got dumped into the large cauldron boiling over the same fire they kept strong - even if it was midday.
"I haven't had meat in years!" One howled passionately. A few others hooted along with him in their strange little way.
"For that matter, I don't remember having eaten for days..." Another one stroked his chin thoughtfully. Those around him laughed.
"Then why are you still alive?" The one seated beside him jovially smacked him on the back. More laughter ensued.
"Ooh! There's a big bubble in the cauldron!"
"No kidding! Hey look, I can see the fish's eye in the bubble!"
"The sweet smell of meat~~~ !"
The friendly banter continued.
Kenji was in the midst of wondering if he was going mad when he distinctly heard a stick thump on the ground behind him. Turning around, he saw an old man with quaint, rounded glasses and a toothy grin smiling at him. In his hands he held a few rolled pieces of paper, and he flashed more rotten teeth than Kenji could count in that instance. "You both again!" He squeaked in a raspy voice. "And a new friend! Hello there!" The old man held a hand out to Kenji, who stared at it incredulously. "No?" He retrieved his hand quickly and replaced it over his staff. "What a cold young boy you got here!" He laughed.
At this point of time, Kenji decided he was scared.
"Old guy," Enishi, however, was nowhere as insane as the people here. In fact, he sounded rather somber, "we need your help."
"I know, I know," the old man took the few rolled pieces of paper from under his arm and handed them to Enishi, "I knew I would see you here when I saw those in the marketplace today."
The white-haired man unrolled the paper. It had, clearly printed on it, profile pictures of both Soujirou and Enishi, tacked with a small note at the bottom which read 'these two dangerous outlaws have been spotted in Tokyo /magnum opus/, any information /blah blah/ would be verily much appreciated /yadda yadda/ with a large reward /etcetera etcetera/, signed, police division chief - Fujita Gorou'. Kenji paused to reassemble his thoughts. "I thought you were working for the police?" He could not help but ask.
Enishi just stared at him.
"I think this is Saitou-san's way of keeping us on our toes," Soujirou interjected, still, Kenji noted, with that confounded smile on his face. "If he hadn't been doing this all these years, I'm afraid I would have forgotten how to even do a three-step Shukuchi by now!"
"'Shukuchi'?" Kenji found that word oddly familiar. Before his thoughts could progress further, however, Enishi spoke up again.
"So?" He was addressing the old, toothy man. "Are you going to help?"
"Impatient as usual, young people nowadays..." The old man shook his head. "... Yes, yes, of course. What's a large reward to social drop-outs like us, anyway?" He pat a spot on the ground and promptly sat down on it, joining his companions before the fire. "You will stay for lunch at least, won't you?" He smiled happily at the trio from where he sat.
While Enishi looked somewhat cross, Soujirou was the one who replied, "Of course, Oibore-san! I'll even help you stir the pot!"
Oibore cackled. "You're always the friendly one! Yes, yes, stir the pot! Stir it good! Stir it hot!" He chimed, handing a half beaten wooden stick to the blue-clad wanderer, who immediately set about doing what he had promised he would.
Kenji settled down and determined to stay as quiet as it was biologically possible. He wondered if insanity could be spread via air.
Enishi and the old Oibore, however, sat in stony silence. And for someone with a serious injury, Soujirou was proving himself more resilient than anybody gave him credit for. Stirring the huge cauldron was just a side-point. The boyish wanderer quickly began to lead the perpetually sugar-high crowd in an off-key song which included fishbones and bandannas. Kenji winced - initially at the tune and eventually at the lyrics. What he would give to have a little of whatever Soujirou was on.
He did, however, remain sane enough to overhear Enishi and Oibore, who sat in front of him, engage in a small, but meaningful conversation.
"What a lark that boy is!" Oibore was saying - obviously referring to Soujirou. "If only my son was half as happy!"
Enishi growled.
"I am sure that my daughter was happy," the old man continued seamlessly, "even until she breathed her last!"
A small metallic 'clink' told Kenji that Enishi had just tightened his grip on his sword. The silence between the duo dragged for a while more, and Kenji found himself being pulled in entirely. He was honestly, painfully interested in the conversation - for reasons he himself did not know.
"I only wanted her to smile for me..." It came as a shock to the boy, but he was sure Enishi had just whimpered. "... smile and tell me that I was doing the right thing..."
"You can't just live for one person," Oibore sounded surprisingly lucid, "that isn't what I would call a real life."
"I knew of no other way to live."
"It's not like you to have come this far if that was truly the case," Oibore's chuckle could be heard in his tone, "there is surely more purpose to your life than to waiting for a smile that might never be."
Another bout of sufferable silence encroached the air around them. For some reason, Kenji was sure the duo in front of him were staring at the very personification of happy, who was at the moment handing out rations of fish and soup to those gathered around him. Struck momentarily by how well Soujirou seemed to blend with anything and anybody thrown in his way, Kenji almost didn't hear the faint admission Enishi next made.
"Maybe you're right," the man slouched slightly, his proud form shrinking into that of a resigned warrior's, "maybe."
No other words passed between the old man and his younger companion.
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They had slight difficulty pulling Soujirou out from the throngs in the village
he had been engrossed in getting friendly with, but a good whack over the head
brought the trigger-happy wanderer to his senses. Oibore skipped about and promptly
brought them in, out and around several pile of refuse which looked like they
were carbon copies of each other. Kenji wondered how the old man remembered
his way around, because he had given up trying to remember the route after the
old man rounded the thirteenth pile of garbage. He now knew why his companions
had sought the help of this particular old gentleman.
"We've been moving the refuse around," as if on cue, Oibore spoke up in his happy, raspy voice, "like we always do when we have nothing to do, see? It's not that hard to remember which one goes where, too - you just have to remember the little marks like where the spiders build their nest and where the crows prefer to perch. Then there is the garbage which may look familiar on first glance but oh! If you stare at them long enough, you can eventually make out the difference!" He stopped to catch his breath and cackle.
After which, he continued with his mindless yapping.
Which was why Kenji was so entirely, physically, emotionally and mentally relieved when they stepped away from the towering piles of garbage and into an open path, which, although was beaten, appeared to be quite unused.
"Will you be all right, Oibore-san?" Soujirou asked, the moment Oibore made it such that he was about to hobble back.
"Yes, yes," the old man drawled in his happy-go-lucky tone again, "what will the police do with a deranged old man like myself? What can they do to us that the society hasn't already done?" He laughed again. "Be good boys, and stay out of trouble, aye!" He waved shakily, and without saying another word, returned the way he had come from.
Kenji drooped.
"I never," he shook his head while he was at it, "never, EVER want to go there again."
"Why not, Himura-san?" Soujirou cheerfully asked. "They are very nice people!"
"ARRGH!" The boy grabbed at his hair in sheer frustration.
It was at this point of time that Soujirou began to blink at the surroundings. "Ara..." A practiced smile returned to his face. "Are we taking this path, Yukishiro-san?"
"Does it look like there's another path around here we can take?" Enishi was glowering slightly.
"That's great!" Soujirou clasped his hands together. "Because if we are, then there's a grave around here we have to visit before setting off."
Both Kenji and Enishi stared blankly at him.
The Tenken thought for a while, then tilted his head slightly.
"Four graves, to be precise!"
... to be continued
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19/8/03
xd@tougenkyou.net
A/N
This chapter wasn't supposed to happen. And then it just happened. o_Ox;; Anyway,
more melodrama for at least one more chapter. Please bear with me! Then again,
this /is/ a drama fic, isn't it? Hmm...
Oh, and just one more thing - please feel free to point out my grammar / coherence / etc errors in your reviews!
Re: jbramx2
I thank you so much for your compliments! I actually don't really know how to
write Saitou, which is why I never really dwell on him in the fic. XD I hope
I did him justice. *_*x
Re: Shahrezad1
Poor Enishi. I think I've framed him up pretty well. XD Yep yep, Kyoto is where
the heart of the Shishio Makoto arc took place. And yes, Misao, Aoshi and the
Oniwabanshuu are all there. ^_~x
Re: Tanuki-dono
Goal-orientated? XD XD XD In the heat of inspiration the updates /will/ come
very rapidly. When it fans off I can take as long as half a year. *shudders
at the thought* *huggles Tanuki-dono* Thanks for your constant support all throughout
the fic. :D