Disclaimer: Haha, you peeps think it's funny for me to say that I don't own RuroKen, do you? Well, I don't, Happy? Anyways, R&R
Time
The mist seemed harmless, but the moment Kaoru stepped through it, she felt light-headed and dizzy.
' Guess I should have eaten my lunch' She thought, wincing as she imagined the cafetaria's soggy terriyakis, ' or maybe not.'
She muttered to herself,' But I wasn't that hungry then. Maybe it's the fog!' But then she shook her head and scolded herself, " It's only fog, Kaoru, not magic." and so went on walking through the thick, damp mist. She grew warry, though,as her vision blurred together, and as her head felt like it's spinning really fast on a merry-go-round. Kaoru stumpled on a tree root and fell flat on her face,
" Itai" She said, rubbing her forehead. That stupid tree! It must be the oak tree at the end of the block. The grumpy old man that livesright across fromthe tree had tried to cut it down, but was uncuscessful,and now it became the biggest tree in town!
Kaorustood up, finding her legs too weak to stand, stumbled down again.
' Ok, this have got to have something to do with the fog' Kaoru thought frantically. She spreaded out her armsand blindly searched for something she could hold on to. Her dainty, little fingers felt something hard and rough and felt like wood.
' The oak tree!' Kaoru told herself. Trying with all her might, she scrambled quickly to the hard, scratchy oak tree. She sat down with her back to it, felling it scratch her sensitive, milky-white skin. And her BeBe dress! She bought this for 100,000 yen! She muttered to herself angrily and swore a few times. After her anger faltered, though, she felt extremely sleepy. Kaoru fought hard to keep her eyes open, but they seemed to have lead attached to it. Giving up, Kaoru let her eyes close and fell into a deep sleep. The last thing she heard was a mighty 'SWISH' as though she was being carried to a very far, distant land...
" Itai!" Kaoru cried and slapped her hands on her head.
Kaoru had just woken up, but almost fainted right away because of the pounding pain her body was experiencing. She felt like she had been traveling for ten days and didn't move! She flopped back down on the cold, hard earth and took a deep breath thenforced her eyes to open. Aching and tired her body was, Kaorumanaged toclapped her hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming. She was speechless.
" What the! WHERE AM I!" She manged to blurt out. The sight in front of her was so shockingly bizzar that Kaoru tried to pinch herself.
Before her wasn't the grumpy old man's house, whose name was Mr. Tamakiya. It wasn't even the modern streets of Japan or anything, but a dirt-road where a few people who wore old Japanese farmer clothes, carrying farming tools, and talking in Japanese or saying hi to each other. It seemed like a village because of the few wooden, old looking houses. Kaoru also noticed the women and children who were cooking and playing.Nobody seemed to notice there was a girl who just appeared out of nowhere.
" I have to be dreaming! " Kaoru muttered. She pinched herself really hard just to make sure.
" Ah! " Kaoru cried out. So it wasn't a dream, and besides that, she now has another aching pain where she pinched herself. Life can be so unfair!
" People didn't wear those kind of clothes for, like, at least half a century ago, so where am I!" Kaoru frowned, rubbing her hand. Where ever she was, she was sure she wasn't anywhere near home. Kaoru looked a little farther from the farmers and saw many fields and other farmers working in them. The trees and bushes on each side of the dusty road were so peaceful looking. Somehow, even though shedidn't know where she was,she felt really safe and relaxed.Suddenly,Kaoru heard screaming and loud, thundering noices.Turning her head, Kaoru saw some carriages down the road, spreading dust everywhere. Some cops who were also wearing traditional cops clothes, whom also had katanas on each of their sides, were leading the huge carriages. They wererough looking men, and wherever they went, they made people to grovel to them. A fewof the farmerswere brave and refused to bow, tho' shaking madly, were beaten up by the cops so badly they fainted. Kaoru was confused, scared,and shocked, but she was a person of justice. Grunting and wincing with pain, she sat up right and stood up stiffly, walking straight at the cops. Several people gasped and tried to grab her back, but she shook them off, looking determined.
" Hey, ya cowards! Stop picking on those poor people! " Kaoru yelled, sapphire eyes flashing dangerously.
The cops, who were beating up on a man, seemed surprised and all of them took a step back. They regained their cruel and arrogant self again almost instantly, however. A cop who, obviously, was the leader smirked widely and said in a hard, scratchy voice:
" A brave one are you? " He smirked, his eyes scanning Kaoru, " Your clothes looks weird, but you sure are a pretty one."
' Weird looking clothes? Look at yourself!' Kaoru had the urge to say, but she didn't even get to say anything because a fat and annoyed-looking man stuck his head out of the first carriage.
" What's happening? Why did the troop stop, Makota? " The man asked, irritated.
" Oh, it's nothing, we're just taking care of a problem, Mr. Kaguro. " The cop said, smirking even wider, showing his ugly crooked, yellow teeth.
" We..well, you better hurry up and get to thecastle before..uh..dan...dangers come..." Mr. Kaguro said shakily, suddenly looking warry and scared. Makota ( the leader cop ) looked evenly anxious at Mr. Kaguro's statement.
" We will..uh..be done in just a few seconds" Makota answered hestitantly. His squinty, beady eyes danced around it's sockets nervously side-to-side as though he expected someone to jump out and attack him. He gulped and stood still, unable to do anything. Once Mr. Kaguro retreated his head back inside the carriage though, he stopped looking nervous and said to three men by his sides:
" Take the girl and put her in with the others. "
Kaoru realized what was happening to her, so she kicked and screamed as hard as she could. The men who were dragging her to the carriage, or trying to, were having a hard time. The farmers were angry, too.
" Let her go, you scum! "
" She didn't do anything!"
" You dirty pigs should be sacked! "
Makota didn't seem really happy. Fuming, he ordered his men todrive the people away. The cops nodded, cruel smiles on their faces. They brandished their swords. The next thing Kaoru knew, people were screaming and scrambling for safety as the cops swung their katanas madly at them. A few farmers were bleeding badly because the cops' katanas were out of control. Kaoru felt scared and guilty because she made all this happen.
' You couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you Kaoru? ' She thought, furious at herself.
" Stop! Please! I will do what ever you want! " Kaoru screamed over all the noises people were making. Her eyes were starting to burn. She didn't want anyone hurt, and here she was, causing all this chaos. Makota seemed sastified, though, and ordered the men to stop. The three men hurriedly carried her to one of the carriages. Compared to the others, this one was really shabby. It was covered in dust and cobwebs, and creaked as the people inside it moves. One of the cops grabbed the door's chipped handle, and flung it open. Dust and cobwebs followed it and Kaoru quickly closed her eyes, coughing with all the dust. The men "threw her inside and slammed the door shut so hard, Kaoru thought the poor, shabby carriage might collapse.
" Hello, nice to meet you! " Said a very familiar voice.
Kaoru couldn't believe her ears. She slowly turned around and cried out in surprise.
" Misao! Oh, you're here, too! Please explain what's happening! " Kaoru said urgently, her voice shaking slightly. She threw her arms around the bewildered looking girl.
" Um, do I know you? And how do you know my name? " Misao asked, looking confused.
" I'm Kaoru! Don't you reconize me? I'm your best friend! " Kaoru cried, shaking her 'friend's' shoulders.
" Kaoru? Best friend? I'm sorry, but I've never met you! " Misao answered, looking even more confused. ' Is she insane? '
" You're really nuts, maybe I can look you over. " Another voice said. She sounds familiar too...
" Megumi! " Kaoru gasped. She never even noticed her sitting there!
Megumi's cold, dark blue eyes stared at Kaoru. ' How did she know my name? '
Kaoru stared at her two friends. They didn't recognize her! Her smile faltered and for the first time, Kaoru noticed how weird the two dressed. Misao was wearing some kind of ninja clothes with a blue top and blue skorts that matches her bright, blue eyes. She saw the protective gloves on her friend's tied up hands, too. Kaoru's gaze moved slowly to Megumi. She was wearing a very cute kimono that's the color of roses. Her face is still very pretty, but her hair doesn't have the highlights and seemed silky, shiny, and much longer than earlier today. Some thinking started in Kaoru's head and PING, she understood it all.
" That's why, but it seems impossible, but it's gotta be the answer. " Kaoru murmered.
She looked warrily at Megumi and asked:
" What year and era is this? " Kaoru asked, her vice quavering slightly.
" My goodness! You are insane after all! This is the Bakumatsu, ofcourse! " Megumi said, her eyes wide of surprise.
" Oh God. "
Okay, so somehow, she got transported back to the past, and the Bakumatsu too! Great, right in the middle of all this chaos, just great. She shakily asked:
" Please tell me more about this."
' Well, her ways of talking doesn't seem crazy ' Megumiand Misao thought at the same time. Megumi answered:
" Okay, well, Kaguro is an important Shogun officer, and a rather bratty one at that." Megumi added, fox ears popping out of her head.
Kaoru and Misao sweatdropped, " Okay? "
" So naturally, the Ishin Shishi is trying to assasinate him " Megumi continued, " He is heading to a castle where it is heard to be guarded by the Shinsengumi, and all the officials tried to get there. They never got even close to the castle though, beause the Ishin Shishi's hitokiri killed them all. I heard that he's the strongest of all Imperialists, using his god-speed and a secret style none knew about. Besides the Battoujutsu.He's also, from what I heard, really sexy and handsome too! " Megumi sighed, eyes misted over as she imagined the handsome swordsman.
" Who is he really? Like his name? " Kaoru asked desperately. She hate it when people gives hints and and never answer the real question.
" What? You don't know! He's the Battousai, of course!" Misao cried out. She wanted to see the swordsman, too. She had know idea how powerful he really is either.
" Battousai, huh? " Kaoru said so low that the other two couldn't hear. She heard about him somewhere in History class. If she had paid attention, it would come to so much use now! She could still remember clearly about how she was doodling and got caught. The teacher sent her to the office and she missed the class. Misao, her real bestfriend, had told her that it was the greatest lesson ever, and how it was so cool and how the warriors were so strong, even Kaorucouldn't help butfeel jealous. Now, she doesn't have a friend with her, nor anyone she knows. She's all alone in this age, not knowing anything but that the Bakumatsu was really dangerous. Too dangerous.