Author's note:
Hey guys, sorry I update late. Hehe…I'm again intoxicated with my own world of PS2….oh yeah…I'm gonna finish FFX-2 soon….hehehehehehehehehehe…. Just like Pringles. Once you POP you can't stop. :)
Anyway, enough crap again. Let's get on the stowie, shall we? We shall? Okay, here we go!
Standard disclaimers apply.
Midnight 1868, Moonlit 1878 – hagaki ozunoGuess what?
Kenshin said Yasu finally found his place backing his mind. For short, he remembered him. Boy, it sure seemed like Megumi and I were waiting for eternity back there. We thought they'd spend their whole life talking and talking and still nothing. Yasu had a big smile on his face and was very happy, but Kenshin was a bit happier to find an old pal.
Me?
It may sound totally weird, but I'm the happiest.
Oh, and by the way, Kenshin told me he hadn't remembered me yet despite that very long talk. Isn't that…
…isn't it wonderful…?
I heaved a heavy half-relieved -half-disappointed sigh.
Okay, so this is what happened. Yasu came out after the long talk with a big smile on his face, but that smile faded as soon as his eyes laid on me. He patted my back and shook his head, and Kenshin trailed behind him, and had that worried look on his face. Neh, I knew what that meant really. But I swore I felt my insides go all topsy turvey like I've ridden a ship on a stormy forty days and forty nights.
Kenshin spent another hour asking my forgiveness. His usual "I'm sorry…" or " I tried to…" lines had fed me enough. As I said before, I wish he would never remember who I am in his novel-like life. The reason? Well, haven't you read the chapter before this?! (Oops, wrong line)
Ugh, but heck! Megumi is soooo kind! Damn!
So, why'd I say that?
Well, you see, Megumi came in and destroyed my fun. How? She gave some kind of medicine or stuff to help Kenshin restore his memory quicker and clearer. Argh! Why did she do that for?! Grr……when things are going according to what I wanted them to…
Huff…finally it's time to bring Kenshin home…well…he was supposed to be home a while while ago. Ha, I bet that raccoon won't be so happy 'bout this one…
" So, did Yasu tell everything to you?" I asked him as we walked on the same road. It was almost dawn, and light started to fill the horizon.
" Yes." He replied. I swore I saw him hold back his smile, well, I kinda admit that our past is something to smile about, considering the many ironies that it brought along.
I didn't hold back my smile; in fact, I laughed out loud and slapped him hard on his back. " C'mon, I know you wanna smile! You shouldn't hold that back, you know!"
Kenshin started to giggle, and that giggle gradually turned into a faint laugh. "I'm sorry, but I really can't...stop…smiling…" he said in between soft chuckles.
" Why?" I pretended not to know.
" Yasuharu said you were such a kid back then, lost and wandering in the forest, and I had to save you because you were all alone. He said I was so kind to help an ordinary citizen like you, considering that I'm a killer."
Ordinary citizen? Yasu...don't tell me he…
" It's kind of embarrassing to say that myself, right?"
As soon as he said the last word, that is when I realized we were standing in front of the Kamiya dojo, all speechless, wearing those fragile smiles that could and would someday cease into grimaces of hatred brought along by our dark pasts.
A ray of light struck my face, so did a ray of hope through my heart. Yasu was better than I thought. He said half the truth again, but this time, for a good reason. He knew Kenshin and I were going well, and if he did tell what I really am, our friendship might be distorted like a rice cake that was stomped on by an elephant.
But something seemed weird…but I just couldn't get it. It was at the tip of my tongue and at the back of my head but…
I knew something was weird…
" So…" He slowly opened the door and took a step inside. " Good night."
"Uh…" I stopped him from closing the door fully. I felt the urge to say something, or ask him about something, but the words were stuck on my throat and they won't come out.
He just stared at me, and I stared back. I felt blood rushing up to my cheeks when I realized how stupid I looked in my reflection in his eyes.
" Uh…sorry…" The words fumbled out of my mouth carelessly. " You're…gonna be scolded again…all because I'm so selfish…and…"
To my surprise, Kenshin placed his right finger above my lips, and the other on his. He made that soft "shh" sound, assuring me that everything's all right, that he could handle that situation. Weird as it may seem, I trusted him with this, and showed it with a dim simper. With that, his finger left my lips, and he made sure my hands were out of the door's way before closing it.
The sun rose at the eastern part of the dojo, and the horizon glowed like a candle in the dark.
" Sano!"
" What?"
" It's ass kicking time! Are you up for it?"
I stood from my boring place and cracked my knuckles.
" Sure, Yahiko-boy!" I messed his hair like he was my little brother. He fought back and bit my head hard.
" Hey you two, that bad boy would go away if you won't stop bickering like that!" The raccoon scolded. Hehe, we're now getting along quite well, unlike the past months, where we were near to killing each other with knives and chopsticks over the dining table.
Believe it or not, I wake up early without the help of my trusty assistants: Mr. Bucket and Ms. Water. Instead, I wake up by myself, and excitement greeted me everyday. I do not engage myself with my motley crew of target-busting guys. Instead, I'm off to teach guys what is right with my new gang, Kenshin's gang. These people brought me back the pride I used to have. They build back my honor. I felt like a whole new man, a whole new Sanosuke. Yasu said he's beginning to like the new me. He even added that Captain Sagara would be so proud. I felt so good of myself. I felt like I'm the emperor of the world!
But there is only one person who refused to think that I am a better man, and it saddened me to know who it is.
Megumi…
She told me I was totally not myself. I may be a new Sano, but unlike her father's compliment, she said she liked the former me. I remembered she said that last night, and our conversation went a little like this…
" Sano, why are you like that? You…are starting to forget us…"
" Huh?"
" You may have that 'super hero-image-with pride' that you always want to have, but that image had swallowed the best of you…"
" Why?"
" Even though you may be a great man…never forget those who carried you to your throne."
Her words…sank deep into my brains…if ever I had one…
Well, I do have brains. And I'm not that insensitive not to understand what she meant.
I kinda admit I start to forget Yasu and Megumi these days. At first, I thought it was just okay going out with Kenshin's gang because it was even Yasu who pushed me into it. But since yesterday, when Megumi talked to me, I started to doubt my actions. I started to remember that I still have them, and I am, in a way, forgetting them. I started to feel like a bad guy, not a hero that I was supposed to be.
Never forget those who carried you to your throne…Did I have a throne? Since when did I have one?
In the first place, I never intend to have one.
" Nice try, big guy."
Huh?
Yahiko snapped me out of my very talkative mind.
" Whaddya mean?" I poked his face.
" You just let that guy run away from you, idiot!" He poked me back, harder.
" WHAT?!" I shouted in disbelief, scanning the whole area for the said guy I was supposed to beat. He was already far away, scampering for his life.
Yahiko burst into laughter, so did Kenshin and the raccoon.
" Ha! So much for your 'no-man-run' record!"
With that, I gave him the biggest lump ever yet.
Argh…if only I could tie my brain like my mouth, then this would've not happened! I'm so stupid! I guess I need one of those lumps in Yahiko's head for myself to wake me up.
" You seem preoccupied, Sano. Is something wrong?" Asked Kenshin, quickly changing his expression.
" Nah. " I lied, scratching my nape in frustration.
" He's not a good lier, is he?" the raccoon butted in.
Yahiko nudged me. " Heard that, lier?"
I raised my fist with an irritation mark on my head. " D'you want more of this???"
" Aw, come on Sano. You could tell us what's bothering you. We've been friends for nearly half a year now, have we?"
Half a year…that long already? But it seemed only yesterday when Yasu had that dramatic talk with Kenshin.
" I'm sorry guys, but I think I need to go home."
What a lame excuse , I thought. But I had no other excuse in my mind. I had to spill that sentence before I spill something else.I did not wait for them to say a word or react in any way. I ran away, like I always did when I'm troubled or so. I did not turn back, fearing that seeing that face…that expression-full face, would tempt me to go back. For some reason, I didn't want that to happen…
I ran until I felt I was a bit out of breath, and I found myself at the middle of the town, panting, but not heavily. Beads of sweat rolled on my chin, and I un-reluctantly wiped it with my sleeve. I looked around to make sure Kenshin and his gang did not follow me, and I was glad to find out they respected my privacy.
I sighed and stroked my hair upwards. Somehow, that run had bent down some of my strands and fell on my face. But this wasn't much of a problem that I couldn't handle. So, right after that stray lock of hair stood at its right position, I casually strode around town, greeting a few familiar faces along the way.
" Oh, my! How cruel!"
" Men these days, they simply don't know how to humble themselves and their power!"
Huh? What are those ladies mumbling about? And what are those people doing over there, crowding like ants on a feast of crumbs?
I decided to take a look at the fruit of all the commotion.
It was kind of hard to make my way through the pack of people, but I am determined to see what was happening. As soon as I was on the front line, I looked at the scene carefully.
Hmm…
It seems like a fight. But it sounded more like bullying. A weak old man was being battered by some cocky police officers, and if you could just see this…it was horrible. These police were raising their guns and other weapons on this poor man, which I later knew was innocent in every way. "It was just the police's way of showing off power", said a man beside me.
I knew I had to do something. I couldn't just stand there and watch this helpless man. Why, my job also revolves around these morons. Heh…ass-kicking time… The man I'm beating up a while ago may have ran, but not these ones.
" Hey, pal. Give it up already." Approached the mighty ME, tapping the mighty clears throat villain's shoulder.
" Whaddya want, chicken-head wimp?"
That's it.
A few minutes later, the cocky-but-nothing police guys went away, scampering and whimpering like poor lil sissies who lost their dolls. The only thing remaining to make them look like total slobs is for them to "boo hoo hoo" their way out of town.
Heroically, I helped the poor man to stand up, and everybody applauded. It was a great feeling to help people. It was something that couldn't be described by mere words.
" Thank you sir." Said the old man, bowing slightly. " If only many people were like you ten years ago, chaos wouldn't have happened."
"Nah, nothing really…" The stuff kinda got into my head, and I felt so flattered.
" Those young men kind of reminded me of the times when poor farmers were treated like dust by the government, not to mention their dogs, the hitokiri's…"
The Hitokiri…
I went home before dusk that day, and my mind was a big pile of mess.
The happening with that old man earlier had struck a large arrow on my head. And somehow, those angry feelings inside me that I didn't want to come out seemed to be triggered all of a sudden. My feelings, those that made me grit my teeth in irritation and made me fume hot like a bull. It was my feelings that were blocked by a cork after I met Kenshin again. My intention…my thirst for revenge…
All of a sudden I remembered the Sekihoutai, their deaths, and Captain Sagara's heroic intention to save me.
Then I started to doubt what Yasu said about Captain Sagara being proud…
…
ARGH!!!!
What am I going to do?!?
" Young lad, it seems you're starting to lose yourself…"
I turned around to find a huge guy donned in western clothes, clutching an umbrella. He was leaning against the frame of the door casually, but I didn't like the looks of it. He had those deep, dark evil eyes, and that annoying smile that I would gladly break along with his teeth.
" Gate-crashing, are you? Did you ever hear the word knock?" I said sarcastically.
" Oh, excuse me for my impudence, your highness." Mocked him. " But I was just concerned with that lust for vengeance you had in your eyes."
Who's this guy? " Hey, pick your words right, big guy."
" Thinking of a certain killer?"
That shocked me.
How'd he know what I was thinking?
I tried to hide my shock with a simple sardonic smile. " What of it?"
" Well, you see, I could be a big help to you."
He toyed with his umbrella and tossed it round and round. At some point, it looks like he's provoking me.
Hm…whatever the motive of this man is, I sure have this feeling that I'll regret it if I followed it…
Author's note:
There ya have it! Please review, guys! And wish me luck for my art Contest! Hope I get the first prize!
:) :) :)