Author's Note:

 Ei, sowie guys for making ya wait too long. 'Got too engrossed with PS2…hehe…I'm about to finish FFX, well…call me a shallow guy, but, yeah whatever. Anyway, let's just get to the point, okie? :)

Oh, and let me remind you. This fic is obviously on the point of view of Sano. Some scenes may seem empty; it's up to your imagination to fill it up. : ) nah, whatever….

Standard disclaimers apply

Midnight 1868, Moonlit 1878- hagaki ozuno

" Yasu?"

" Yeah?"

" I know you know something more of batou—no—Kenshin, right?"

The start of our conversation had this weird déjà vu feeling that bounced on my insides.  I was lying on the same spot, my back facing my old friend. Yasu was there, warming another bottle of sake for I reason I don't know, then when I asked the question, he almost dropped the bottle *again* and he fell silent. But this time, he didn't try to escape by sleeping. Besides, he's not drunk. There's no way he could sleep that easy unless he's intoxicated with his never-ending warm sake.

" Ya got embarrassed while ago, ya?"

My cheeks turned hot red. Yeah right, I got really embarrassed a while ago I just couldn't stand it anymore and ran. I looked like a dumb girl who ran away because some guy rejected me…

Huh.

I slapped my face from the thought and tried to push back that dumb weird butterfly on my stomach by grabbing the nearest object my eyes laid on: an old blanket which was rolled into a ball. I cuddled it tight near my chest while blushing furiously. I wanted to hit my head on that goddamned floor so that the thought of Kenshin not remembering me would fade…slowly. But heck, what a poor floor if I did that.

Damndamndamn….I couldn't forget that line "..your name doesn't ring a bell…". Oh yeah? Well tomorrow, or maybe some other day, I dunno, my name would be ringing a huge bell on your head, mister.

But something else wandered on my mind.

Kenshin said Yasu's name does sound familiar. Well, the name would only sound familiar if you heard it more than once [knowing how many names crossed battousai's past]. He [Kenshin], knew Yasu, but Yasu said he only met Battousai once. Something smelt fishy o Yasu's side of story. I mean, a killer won't ask for a normal man's name, and vice versa, and …argh, now I myself am baffled with what I am saying…

Unless…

" Ten years ago…"

Yasu's sudden words snapped me out of my talkative mind.

" The so-called false army Sekihoutai fell." He took out his long, pipe-like tobacco thing and started to smoke.

" Ah, a history lesson?"  I joked, despite that unusual seriousness on his voice. Well, Yasu always have this "accent" whenever he speaks, but when things are serious, he surprisingly talks straight like all people do.

" Some survived." He continued. " The rest, buried or had their remains in display as a warning to the people. The people feared, not only because of that warning, but also the threats of the government's strongest armors…the samurai…and one of them was the legendary Battousai, the mortal enemy of those who opposed the government, and on of the best examples is the survivors of the Sekihoutai." He looked at me, as if to check on something, but nothing was printed on my face, so he continued.

" Just after the horrible incident of the False-army's fall, Battousai had an unexpected encounter with a small survivor, and as he reckoned, an enemy."

Yasu paused again and this time, he smiled at me. I looked away, still clutching mercilessly at the blanket like my life depended on it. Obviously, it was me he was talking about.  I don't know why Yasu has to re-tell a story that plays over and over in my mind, but I didn't say a word. I just waited on Yasu's point

" Instead of following a killer's instinct, which is to be like a tornado and destroy everything in it's path, the legendary man felt that this little boy in front of him could help him someday in preventing people to destroy peace the restoration would bring. Worrying that blood-thristy killers that meander around may kill this boy, he placed the boy in a slight slumber and took him away from the forest of swords raining with tons of bullets."

" That's were you came in." I pointed at him, whereas he nodded. " He left me at your aid because he could trust someone like you, a normal—no—a killer like he was. The only thing that was different from the both of you is that you have a daughter, around my age, so he knew you could take care of me, and with your sword skills, he wouldn't really worry about protection."

Yasu laughed really hard.

" You got me there. Yeah, you're right. Well, Battousai and I work together on the same side until my wife died because of giving birth to my daughter. I had to give my full attention to the only family I had. Nine years later, boy was I surprised to see Himura at the footsteps of my door, carrying you. He just went:' Yasuharu, take care of this boy. Let him be strong.' and before I knew it, he disappeared onto the darkness of the night. Right after, I heard the police's whistle and some gunshots. Er, I ain't worry 'bout him, I knew he coulda handle a few cops and guns. But the next day, I found myself visiting him, an' to my surprise, he forgot all 'bout you! I later on knew that as he made his way through, a cop surprised him from behind and hit his head really hard. The cop, well, died after getting a good slash, and so did Battousai's memory of you."

I found myself speechless.

" Wha-what kind of joke is that?!"

" This ain't a joke, okay? I know it sounds really stupid, but that's the way it is. Himura doesn't remem'ber ya cause of that hit."

" Okay! Big deal! Just show yourself to him and he'll remember me. It's as easy—"

" If that worked, then ya wouldn't be embarrassed a while ago."

Okay. Calm down Sanosuke. I know this is super absurd…

" Why don't ya just cool down there. I've got a good idea."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

" Good idea, yeah right."

I walked on the streets of the town, or rather, I walked out to the town after my conversation with Yasu.

Why did I walk out? Simple. Yasu told  me to just leave nature to bring back Kenshin's memories of me. And my job? To guide nature. Ooookaaay… that is soooo absurd. I expected a more decent answer from a former samurai.

I'm an impatient person. I don't want to leave it on nature's hands and let it rot there. Yeah right. How long would it take? Another ten years? Whatever. I couldn't wait that long.

So, I decided that it's up to me to find a way.  What way? Visit a doctor and ask about this memory-stuff thing about the brain that Yasu explained and I couldn't understand.  Could you blame me? I'm made for fighting, not thinking.

Well, anyway, regarding the doctor, I won't be visiting just any doctor. I'd be visiting his daughter [with brains opposite his], which is also my childhood friend and playmate…

" Hiya, Megumi."

I walked inside the clinic and greeted my fox-like friend sitting on the corner, treating lots and lots of male patients. Huh, what have they seen on this girl to pretend that they are sick and stuff and use it as an excuse to see her?

Megumi flipped her long, black hair and had that I'm-busy-what-now look in her eyes.

" Sano, can't you see I'm busy?" She turned to her patient and started to put some ointment on his hand. The guy went all red and he was giggling like a maniac. I easily shoved that maniac away and sat at his place.

" Hey, line up, brudda! I was here first!!" I ignored the man I just shoved.

" Hey, kitsune, I need to talk to you."

" If it's about that bandage from last week, I already gave it to father so that you won't be bugging me everyday about it."

" No. It's not that."

" Yeah? What?" Now she sounded really irritated.

" Well, could ya explain me that memory stuff that when you bump your head or something, you lose some memory or something like that."

" What?" She looked really baffled and disturbed.

" Er---well…"

" If a person bumps his head onto something after a quick incident, that incident gets erased from the person's head and it takes an awful lot of time and some happenings to restore the memory back. So, if you could just scram, shoo, and whatever, just get out of my job."

" Geez, grumpy." I pinched her face teasingly. I do that every time she puffs her cheeks or she's in this 'not in the mood' thing.  " Well, if you're not grumpy, you're not the Megumi I know for ten years."

I saw her turn kinda pink. " Sano!"

" Okay, fine! Thanks, kitsune. See ya later!" I waved my hand before I jogged my way through the long queue of maniacs on her door.

I decided not to go home just yet. The sun's still high, the air is still cool, the day is fine, there are lots more of stuff to be done, lots of ass kicking, tooth-freeing, jaw locking fights to join in.

Nah.

Maybe I don't wanna go home because I know what Yasu's expression would be when I do. He'd laugh and laugh, saying "I told ya and ya didn't want to believe me! Ain't I smart?". Huh. He'd be worse than drunk.

Time? Patience? If luck isn't really turning it's back on me…. those are two things I'm bad at.

" Ah, Sanosuke-dono!"

Kenshin?

Uh-oh. How would I explain what happened a while ago? Argh, think, Sano…oh no… all I could think about was to run away again and leave him behind.

" Um, Sanosuke-dono, I'm really sorry with what happened a while ago. I'm really sorry I've offended you."

" Ah—okay—no big deal…" I stammered, averting my gaze to something else. " I-I need to go home now, see ya—"

" Wait!"

What now?!

" I…have a big problem. I think you could help me out…" ^.^x

…

The next minute, I found myself walking side by side with the legendary man, over the bridge, across the town, an on the fields carrying his big problem with me…

Two barrels of rice.

" So, this is your big problem, huh?" I said, carrying the barrels on my shoulders.

He just smiled. " The lady at the store had a sale, and I couldn't help myself, so I bought those barrels without considering the fact that I can't carry such heavy load with all the groceries with me. Good thing you showed up."

" No prob." I said comfortably, like I knew him for my whole life.

" You know, I had an idea to repay you. Maybe, if I could meet Yasuharu again, my memory of you would come back. That'll be great, right?"

I found a reason for a smile to cross my face. " Yeah, I think so too."

" You know…it's kin of embarrassing to say this myself, but…" he faced me and stopped in the middle of the bridge above the small lake. He smiled, well, he's always smiling, but aside from the other smiles he showed me, this one meant something else. Something I'm not sure of.

 The majestic sun served like extra glow to see his face more clearly, and amidst the afternoon color orange that seemed to envelope the whole sky and all of his features, his amethyst eyes contrasted perfectly and stood out among the other colors. The rays stroked that X scar on his cheek, and the reflection of the lake on his dress seemed like stars on a purple bed.

" I find myself stupid to forget someone like you."

Aww, shucks. I didn't know if I should smile or what. There was this overwhelming feeling, a feeling that kinda triggers sparks all over my body.

On the next second, I found myself smiling behind the barrels I'm carrying.

" Nah. I do much stupid things than that."

" Thank you, Sanosuke-dono. You're a very kind man."

" Hey, just call me Sano." 

" Well, Sano…" he started, adjusting to the new nickname I introduced to him. " I think you should meet my friends."

Friends? Yikes! That includes the raccoon!

" Yes, my friends."

Uh-oh.

^.^;

~*~*~*~*~*~

Author's note:

So, that was kinda short. Okie! Sorry for updating late! I'm gonna update faster….

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