Reflections Of Another
Oh wow. You reviewers have been wonderful! I'm glad you guys have enjoyed this story. I didn't really expect anyone to like it, since the Reflections story was based on Kenshin and Kaoru. Well, on the review replies:
Crewel: Ah, I wanted to try and show the birth to be more painful, but I guess it didn't really work out. I'm glad you liked the dialogue between Sano and Kenshin! I liked that part too! Haha. :D Thank you so much for reviewing!
Sky Fairy 77: Yeah, I made a small typo error. Oh well. :S Thank you anyway! You've been really supportive.
Shysie: And here's another chapter for you! Enjoy! Thank you so much for your review!
Kenshinfan2000: I have to thank you for giving me the ideas! But well, I can't really use your ideas on Kenshin and Kaoru since this story is focused on Megumi and Sano. Sorry! But your other ideas are fantastic and I'm sure to consider them.
Disclaimer: RK is not mine.
The night was cold and the winds blew strongly. Sanosuke was out gambling with friends and Yoshi was half-asleep. A soft sad voice was heard in the air. Yoshi opened his eyes wearily and focused on the tune. He remembered this somewhere before in his childhood. He got up quietly from his futon and followed the sound of the melody. He finally stood before his mother's half-open door and peeked in.
Megumi's hair was let down elegantly and she was in a grey yukata for sleeping. She was kneeling beside her drawer and caressing a photo frame. Yoshi saw tears rolling down his mother's face as she hummed that sad tune from her childhood to his. He couldn't understand what's wrong with his mother. She always seemed strict and strong in his presence and never letting her guard down or her emotions show.
"Mother… Father… You all have died early... Too early," Megumi murmured as she sobbed into the sleeve of her yukata.
Yoshi was appalled at this sight. He had never seen his mother cry so badly. He was afraid to approach her now, but he decided to anyway. Yoshi walked slowly towards Megumi and tapped her shoulder.
"O-Oka-san, why are you crying?"
Megumi turned back in surprise and quickly wiped away her tears and put the photo frame away as soon as she saw Yoshi's concerned face.
"I-It's nothing, dear. Don't worry about me! It's past your bedtime, go to sleep!" Megumi replied as she hastily grabbed Yoshi and dragged him out of the door.
Yoshi broke free of Megumi's grasp and blocked the doorway. His face was full of frustration and Megumi was shocked.
"What's wrong, Mother? Don't take me as a little kid anymore! I'm thirteen years old! Why don't you tell me anything?" Yoshi yelled loudly.
"H-Honey, I'm sorry, I just don't want you to be scarred,"
"What do you mean be scarred? Mother, I'm your son! Can't you even trust me with anything?"
Megumi's eyes started to water and soon tears rolled down her cheeks. She leaned forward to hug Yoshi and apologized.
"Gomen-ne, Yoshi-chan, I just want you to be happy,"
Yoshi, as any normal teenage boy would, shivered at the hugging of their mother.
"So would you tell me what's going on now?" Yoshi demanded.
Megumi smiled and caressed her son's smooth cheek. She then sat down on the porch together with Yoshi and talked seriously for the first time in their lives. They discussed everything from school to Sano… even to Kenshin and Kaoru.
"So, Mother, have you and Dad ever fought before?" Yoshi asked inquisitively.
Megumi laughed at the thought of several events that had happened to Sano and her. It certainly had been a long time…
"Why, yes of course! There was this time when…"
20 YEARS BACK. SANO: 19, MEGUMI: 22.
Sanosuke and Megumi's Dates.
Megumi and Sanosuke walked down the road to Kaoru's dojo where Megumi was temporarily staying at. The air was fresh and crisp as autumn. Megumi and Sano had just finished dinner at a nearby Ramen restaurant and it was one of the few recent dates that they have been having.
"So… Here we are," Megumi started as they stood in front of the dojo.
Sano blushed as his eyes met Megumi's and hastily turned his face away in fear of Megumi noticing.
"Well then, uh, goodnight," Sano said quickly.
Megumi was silent for a few seconds, and then finally turned her back disappointedly.
"G-Goodnight,"
Megumi started to walk into the dojo when Sano ran up to her and grabbed her shoulder.
"What's wrong, Megumi?" Sano asked.
Megumi turned around and sighed. It was already their fourth date and he's still afraid of making any move of giving her a hug, hold her hand, anything! She was frustrated.
"Don't you get it at all?"
"Get what?"
"Oh my God, I've had it with you!" Megumi screamed as she threw her hands into the air.
"What's wrong with you? You're acting all psycho and weird!" Sanosuke remarked angrily.
"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT ABOUT ME,"
"Well, it's true! You give me a weird attitude after I bid you goodnight politely and you just take it for granted!"
"Take what for granted, huh, Sano?" Megumi said sarcastically.
"Everything, like the dinner I bought you with my own hard-earned money, the flowers I gave you this morning, helping you carry your patients around, send messages, EVERYTHING!" Sano shouted.
Megumi stared at Sano unbelievably and tears started flowing down her cheeks. She couldn't believe he said that, how calculative he was. She couldn't believe what a fool she had been for believing all his talk.
"A-All these words that you say… when I simply just wanted you to hold my hand, or just even show a hint that you love me… Whatever… Forget about it…" Megumi muttered as she turned around to leave the scene.
"W-What- Wait, MEGUMI," Sano shouted as he grabbed Megumi once again.
"GET AWAY FROM ME YOU MORON!" Megumi screamed as her tears, like diamonds, dropped to the floor.
PIAK!
Sano grabbed his right cheek where Megumi had forcefully slapped him with. She ran away after giving him that slap while sobbing into the sleeve of her yukata. Sano was shocked and he turned back sadly to walk back to his home.
In the dojo…
"Megumi, what happened! I thought you were out with Sano, why are you crying!" Kaoru asked as she rushed to give Megumi a hug.
Megumi explained the whole story to Kaoru and broke down in Kaoru's arms. She couldn't believe how insensitive Sanosuke was.
"Oh my, but I guess you know that guys can't take hints," Kaoru said as she shot an icy glare towards Kenshin who was carrying dishes from the table to the kitchen.
"O-Oro," Kenshin uttered and quickly made his way to the kitchen.
Megumi nodded her head and smiled sadly as she wiped her tears away from her face.
"But still, he shouldn't have said those unkindly words to you, I'm going to find him and have a talk!"
"Oh please don't, Kaoru! I don't want anymore conflicts. I've had it with him. I don't know what to do anymore."
"No, Megumi, you go take a nice hot bath now and go to sleep. I know what to do!" Kaoru said as she pushed Megumi to the bath room.
When Megumi was in the bath, Kaoru made her way to find Kenshin who was humming softly as he washed the dishes.
"KENSHIN," Kaoru bellowed loudly, startling the red-haired samurai.
Kenshin turned around in shock to meet Kaoru's angry eyes.
"You better tell that ungrateful, insensitive friend of yours that Megumi is suffering under his insensitiveness. I mean, can't he even give her a hug? Give her some assurance that he loves her? He doesn't even hold her hand! And he even complains about the things he does for her. What kind of man is that? I swear to you if I met a guy like that I'll run after him with a chopper and..."
"-Y-you mean Sanosuke, Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin asked meekly.
"OF COURSE THAT'S WHO I MEAN! WHO ELSE IS AS INSENSITIVE AS HIM?" Kaoru yelled as she eyed Kenshin suspiciously.
"I will talk to him… That I will!" Kenshin said steadfastly.
"Good," Kaoru said as she exited the kitchen while Kenshin heaved a sigh of relief.
The Next Day…
Sanosuke stirred in his sleep as the sun shone directly through the window and onto his face. He rubbed his eyes and remembered what happened last night.
"Women… Won't ever know what they're thinking about…" Sano murmured as he punched a hole angrily into his floor.
"Oh damn! That's going to cost me,"
Sano grabbed his clothes and decided to head to the Akabeko for a 'free' breakfast. He didn't want to see Megumi at the Kamiya Dojo after that senseless argument last night. Sano walked through the buzzing street full of people shopping for groceries. The smell of the freshly made Onigiri and Sushi tempted him.
Sano stopped in front of a store selling bread and several other foods. He whiffed the air hungrily and decided to take one for a taste. He then felt a sword's hilt poking his side.
"You really shouldn't do that," A voice said.
"Damn you what right of yours is it to interfere… Oh hello Kenshin,"
Sano scratched his head nervously as he forced a laugh. Kenshin's face looks rather serious and his eyes were focused on Sano's.
"We need to talk immediately." Kenshin said as he pulled Sano forcefully to one side.
"What happened? Is there another threat to the government? Heh, you need my help don't you?" Sano said with a grin.
Kenshin shook his head gravely and looked up.
"It's about Megumi…"
"Oh man, what now?"
"You don't love her?"
"I do but… Wait, what are all these questions for?" Sanosuke questioned, frustrated.
"Megumi came home crying last night… And Kaoru's angry…" Kenshin stated as he thought of the horrors of Kaoru being angry.
"Oh so it's Missy that made you come talk to me, well, about Megumi- I don't know what she wants! She went crazy, psycho on me last night! I don't even know what's wrong with her!" Sano said flatly.
"What Kaoru told me was… Megumi wants this."
Kenshin hugged Sano tightly then held his hand a second later, sparking a dash of déjà vu in the future. People walking by stopped to stare and Kenshin quickly released Sano as Sano's face whirled in disgust.
"That's what Kaoru-dono said, don't blame me!"
Sanosuke thought for awhile and a few seconds later smacked his forehead with his palm a few times.
"How stupid have I been, Kenshin, you're my good friend, right?" Sano asked eagerly.
"Umm, yes, I suppose so, why?" Kenshin replied.
"Lend me some cash, I need it!"
Kenshin took out some coins and placed them on Sano's palm. Sano thanked Kenshin and ran towards a florist. Kenshin smiled and continued shopping for groceries.
"Well, Yoshi, I'm sure you know what happens next…" Megumi said with a soft smiled.
Yoshi nodded his head as he looked at his mother's forlorn face. She seemed to miss the old days. He hugged his mother, an action that was unseen by Megumi.
Megumi hugged her son back gently and stroked his hair.
"I'm glad you told me these, mother…" Yoshi said.
"Ah, what is this I see? Mother and Son love? And where do I come in now?" A voice said loudly.
Sanosuke appeared at the doorway and walked towards his wife and gave her a hug.
"Not telling Yoshi old stories, I hope?"
Megumi laughed and put a finger on his cheek.
"Oh you wouldn't know…"
Yoshi went to bed, followed by the older couple. It has been quite a few days for Megumi and she had never taken her past experiences for granted. However, there's always a new future ahead of her.
Well, that's the end of it! Sorry I took so long, exams came up! And yes, REVIEWS please! Thank you to everyone who has been supporting me through this story! You guys are truly awesome. Thank you!