DISCLAIMER: I do not own nor will I ever own Rurouni Kenshin. I am making no profit from this and I will remove this if requested to do so for any legitimate reason.
WARNING: This story is rated R for violence, so if you do not like graphic depictions of people dying I suggest you find something else to read.
The Last Battle of the Bakumatsu
Chapter 10
He had been thinking about it all night and had come to the conclusion that it really wasn't a good idea. There was too much opportunity for embarrassment, especially if his dad got drunk. Then he might have to relive all those childhood memories he wished he could forget. Of course he would have to deal with his sister again as well. She hadn't been there when he was but he knew that she would be around. Then there was his brother that hadn't come to the dojo yet, which was something that he was worried about. With all these thoughts whirling around in his head, Sano tried to leave without being noticed for the second time.
"Trying to leave without me?" Megumi's voice cut through his thoughts and the silence of the dojo. Sano just stared at her as she sat on the porch with two bags sitting next to her. She was smiling back smugly and decided to speak since Sano seemed to be unable to.
"I figured that you might try and leave without me but as you can see I am ready to go," Megumi sat proudly as Sano regained his composure.
"You sure are going to a lot of trouble to spend time with me," Sano observed but Megumi's face portrayed no emotion as she stood up.
"I'm not doing this because of you. I am doing this for Yahiko, especially after Kenshin told me more about his injury than you did. Besides there appears that there is something about Shinsuu you would rather keep a secret and I would like to find out what." Megumi chuckled as Sano stood staunchly in front of his door.
"That's none of your business and to keep it that way, you are staying here," Sano wanted to yell but considering the time he kept his voice low.
"My main concern is Yahiko and I'm gong to make sure that he is fine. After all you said he couldn't make it to Tokyo so I assume it was a fairly bad injury." Megumi defiantly stated as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Yahiko wasn't that badly injured, he could have made it back to Tokyo if he had wanted to." Sano remarked only realising his mistake as Megumi stared back at him questioningly.
"So why didn't he come back if he could have?" Megumi asked, her curiosity obvious. As Sano remained silent Megumi started to approach him and was about to repeat her question when they were interrupted.
"I would prefer if Megumi-dono did go with you Sano, even if Yahiko wasn't hurt badly," Kenshin announced having just stepped outside to see what all the noise was about.
"And go now so that the rest of us can have some peace," grumbled Kaoru from somewhere behind Kenshin.
"Now that it is settled, I'm sure you won't mind taking one of my bags." Megumi took the leather bag that Sano had given her, leaving her larger bag behind for him. Sano looked to Kenshin, who was smiling apologetically at him, before he picked up Megumi's other bag and followed her out the gate. Kenshin watched them go until they were out of site and then went back inside to his wife.
"You don't have to look so proud of yourself," Sano muttered as they walked out of Tokyo.
"You're just upset because you got caught trying to sneak out," Megumi cut back not bothering to look back at Sano who was a couple of paces behind her.
"It would have been a lot easier for you to stay behind. It will probably take twice as long to get there and back with you tagging along. Not to mention now we'll have to stop at a town to rest rather than staying outdoors," Sano complained slowly closing the distance between them.
"You seem to be in a rush and for someone with the amount of money you have you appear to be loathe to spend it." Megumi turned slightly so she could see Sano's face but he was staring out to the brightening horizon.
"It's not going to last forever and I have more important things to spend it on," Sano's voice was unusually sombre.
"You know Sano you are starting to sound like a responsible adult. Next you'll be talking about getting a job," Megumi light-heartedly joked hoping to lift his mood.
"I haven't ruled anything out yet," Sano replied with a sly smile. Megumi watched him closely but he said nothing else and she couldn't quite discern what he meant by that comment. With Sano seemingly happy to remain silent, Megumi complied enjoying the early morning rather than her usual preparing for work routine.
The silence lasted most of the day with it only broken by sporadic conversation. When it did come, Megumi usually initiated the conversation and it mainly concerned what was happening around them. A picturesque scene that she wished to admire, complaining about Sano's pace or asking Sano if they could take a break. Sano only grunted when it was adequate and spoke in the least amount of words possible when he needed to talk. He had bigger things to deal with, like what he was going to tell Megumi.
He knew what his father was like, so he couldn't just let Megumi walk in there without some sort of warning. Also if his siblings knew who he was they would no doubt tell Megumi which brought the possibility of greater humiliation. He had come to the conclusion that he needed to tell her something but what and when was the new question. After lunch her conversation attempts had stopped and he had made no attempt of his own because he didn't know how to start.
The inn they had decided to stay at hadn't provided the opportunity either. They had made better time than Sano had anticipated but the inn they ended up in was a crowded one. There was only one room free and the old woman proprietor hadn't helped the situation by presuming them to be married. The idea itself wasn't the problem but explaining it in front of a packed inn was. Sano had to make sure that several of the leering men knew their place and not to mess with him or her.
The meal had been good and that was something Sano appreciated when he travelled. They had quickly adjourned to their room with the proprietor giving them a screen so that they could be separated. Through all of this they had been relatively silent. Sano took note that although Megumi was trying to hide it, she was tired from the days walk. Sano was quite happy to comply with Megumi's idea of an early night he just hoped she would be all right for an early start. They had made good time but they still needed another day of travel to make it there.
Sano looked out his open window and up at the clear sky. While he would eat at an inn if he had the money, he preferred to sleep outside when he had the chance. It was something he picked up from his childhood, both before and after he joined the Sekihoutai. When he had left home he had found that sleeping under the stars helped fuel his dreams. After the Sekihoutai he found that the same stars would help him forget what had happened. So now whenever he travelled it always felt more comfortable if he could see the stars.
"Sano, do you have the window open?" Megumi inquired through the screen. The night air was cool and neither of them could sleep with the noise coming from downstairs.
"Sorry Fox," Sano mumbled as he shut the window. He lay back down on his back with one arm acting as a cushion and the other resting on his chest. They were silent again but they both knew the other was still awake.
"So why Shinsuu?" Megumi asked after Sano heard her roll over in her futon.
"Still trying to figure that one out," Sano mused, for some reason finding amusement in her question.
"If you don't want to tell me, then don't tell me," Megumi sighed in defeat, rolling back away from Sano. Sano chewed on his lip as he considered what had just happened and what he should do.
"You ever find your family?" Sano finally asked and he heard Megumi shift slightly.
"What?" she answered, trying to confirm the question rather than not hearing it in the first place.
"Did you ever find your family? One of the reasons you went back to Aizu was to find your family. Since I got back we have only talk about what I've been doing but you haven't said anything about yourself." Megumi rolled onto her back and looked up at the ceiling. As the quiet continued Sano began to think he'd said the wrong thing.
"No one has ever asked me that, not even Ken-san. It was the one question I was sure someone would ask but no one ever did," Megumi's voice was soft and Sano almost couldn't hear it over the background noise.
"If you don't want to talk, just say so," Sano solemnly offered but he didn't get an immediate reply.
"No it's alright, it's just unexpected," Megumi's sniff told Sano she was probably crying but he couldn't be sure with the screen in the way. He waited, listening intently and staring at the screen, trying to decide whether or not he should move it.
"After about three months of working in Aizu I got a letter from a doctor requesting I go to meet him," Megumi's voice started shakily but became steady the more she spoke. "He had heard of a doctor Takani working in Aizu and mentioned in the letter that he had information on my family so I went as soon as I could. When I met him he took me to a graveyard and showed me the graves of my brothers and mother. He had found them only when my eldest brother was the last one alive and he had helped bury the others. My brother had lived with him for few years before he was killed," Megumi stopped momentarily to wipe away some tears.
"Apparently a few years after the fighting had stopped some men came to this doctors home. He didn't know if they were rebels or bandits but either way they took my brother hostage so that the doctor would treat them and not give them any trouble. However a police officer happened by and they fled with my brother as a hostage. Later they found my brother's body on a deserted road. They didn't try to kill him but had beaten him so that he wouldn't be able to run straight to the police. Since he didn't get immediate treatment and he was left without shelter in winter he died," tears overcame Megumi and she wept openly.
She was consumed by her own misery at that point. She didn't cry when she heard the story and since then she had never been asked to repeat it. She knew she would probably hate herself for showing this much emotional weakness to Sano but she couldn't hold the tears back. So lost was she that she failed to notice the screen being pushed aside. The first thing she did notice was a warm hand brushing the tears away as they pooled in her eyes. She tried to turn away but he held her there, just by maintaining his gently hold on her face.
Megumi stayed that way for a little while longer before she tried to roll over again. This time however she rolled towards Sano and looked at him for the first time through slightly blurred eyes. He was also on his side facing her. His face showed his concern but he was smiling in an attempt to reassure her. Megumi sadly smiled back and closed her eyes, letting the tears fall but knowing they had slowed because of Sano. As they stopped and Megumi's breathing evened out, Sano assumed she had fallen asleep and tried to remove his hand. To his surprise she held it there and reopened her eyes to look at him.
"Feeling better," Sano whispered and felt Megumi attempt to nod her reply.
"Much better, thank you Sanosuke," Megumi whispered back, both feeling that a loud noise would somehow ruin this moment.
"No need to thank me, I feel like I should be apologising," Megumi smiled feeling her spirits lift a little.
"You don't need to apologise but I think you owe me enough to answer my first question," Sano smiled back as Megumi's voice sounded a lot stronger.
"Actually that's why I asked you about your family," Sano replied, matching Megumi's voice. Megumi looked puzzled then her face showed she had made the connection.
"You are from Shinsuu," Megumi stated a little hesitantly and Sano nodded.
"Well I wasn't born a ten year old in the Sekihoutai," Sano responded and Megumi seemed to relax but she still looked confused.
"Why didn't you just tell me?" Megumi asked as she moved Sano's hand away from her face but didn't let go of it.
"It's kind of complicated but basically I'm not really part of the family," Megumi looked questioningly at him so he continued. "We were just a poor farming family and so when I heard that someone was fighting for equality I wanted to go and help, so I ran away. When the whole Enishi mess happened I just ended up there and I got hired for a fight. I didn't know till he showed up that I was hired to fight my own dad. Anyway after our fight he filled me in on what was happening." Sano stared down to where their hand lay entwined on the floor between them and smiled.
"Somehow we formed an understanding and he knew I wasn't going to stick around. So after I settled my dad's dispute I left. Of course I ended up having to leave Japan because of it but I don't regret a thing about it." Sano snickered as he remembered the look on Tani's face when he entered the room.
"I'm sure you don't but are you going to tell me about your family?" Megumi watched as Sano's face became serious again.
"My mother died two years before I went back. Apparently she had been weak ever since my brother was born," Megumi gripped Sano's hand a little tighter in support.
"I'm sorry to hear that," she whispered but Sano just nodded and then waited a moment before continuing.
"My father is pretty much like me I suppose. He drinks and fights too much but he works hard to provide for his family. Then there is my sister Uki and Outa my brother. Uki is only a few years younger than me and she used to adore me when we were kids. After I left she was devastated and cried a lot. It helped when my brother, Outa, was born but after our mother died she became over protective of him. She feared that he'd leave her just like I did," Sano's voice was contemplative.
"I can see how she feels," Megumi pondered out loud.
"I can as well but it wasn't helping him. When trouble was around she would force him to hide rather than defending her." Sano looked slightly disgusted by the thought making Megumi chuckle lightly.
"I can see how you wouldn't appreciate something like that," Megumi continued to laugh as Sano looked back indignantly.
"She coddled him way too much but at least when he needed to, he was going to fight. Then there was at least some hope for him and I told him that after Uki was married he should go to the dojo to get stronger." Sano sighed and wriggled about trying to find a more comfortable position.
"How do you know he hasn't been to the dojo already?" Megumi asked after he had stopped fidgeting.
"I already checked with Jou-chan and he hasn't been registered at the dojo so I figure he hasn't been there yet." Sano suddenly became interested in Megumi's hand and shifted his grip so his thumb could brush the back of her hand. Megumi was a little taken aback by the attention but started to enjoy it.
"So are you going to tell me your real name?" Megumi cooed soothingly hoping to get him to relinquish the information easily.
"Don't you like my name as it is?" even in the dark Megumi could tell he was pouting.
"It's fine I would just like to know what it was originally. You are Sagara Sanosuke now but you used to be Zanza and before that I assume you just used to be Sanosuke. I was just wondering what your name was to begin with. It's nothing that I can't find out when we get to Shinsuu," when Sano's thumb stopped its movement, Megumi knew that the last comment had hit the mark.
"Higashidani," Sano responded after a few moments of silence.
"Higashidani Sanosuke," Megumi pronounced as clearly as she could, wanting to hear his real name out loud.
"It doesn't sound as silly as Sagara," Sano whispered, more to himself than Megumi.
"I wouldn't say that," Megumi replied quietly but Sano heard her clearly. They both found it hard to say anything else but eventually Sano decided to act by releasing Megumi's hand.
"We should try and get some rest, it's going to be an early start and a long day tomorrow. Goodnight," Sano pulled the screen back to its original position.
"Goodnight Sano," Megumi reciprocated as she rolled onto her back. This time they found it easy to get to sleep and both of them felt like a weight had been lifted from their shoulders. Neither of them thought too deeply about what had happened between them or what it meant. They were both happy to fall asleep knowing that they knew something more about the other that none of their other friends would know.
Megumi could hear the early birds outside chirping as the sky began to lighten. She had slept longer than she normally would have if she was back in Tokyo and the extra hour or two was very refreshing for her. She had already changed back into her kimono and had just finished packing her things. Sano hadn't made a sound and Megumi though she had the advantage but when she moved the screen he had already neatly folded his futon and packed his belongings. She was about to leave the room to find him when the shoji slid open and he stepped in.
"Morning Fox, your breakfast," Sano was carrying a tray that steamed with soup and tea.
"You could have knocked, I might have been getting dressed when you barged in." Megumi attempted to shame him but he voice lacked its normal potency.
"That would have been fun but what would you have done if I did?" A combination of Sano's warm, brown eyes and a disarming smile made Megumi blush. She wasn't used to that Sano since he used to counteract her with his own insults rather than openly flirting with her.
"Rather cheerful this morning I see," Megumi had to endure Sano's victorious grin after she had failed to find an effective retort.
"I am and that is because I managed to get us a ride," Megumi perked up when she heard that. "I got talking with someone who owns a cart and is heading in our direction so we should get a ride at least part of the way."
"That sounds good but didn't they ask for something in return," Megumi inquired as she sipped her tea.
"No, I think she was just glad to have some company along for a change," Sano sipped on his own cup of tea casually, fully aware of Megumi staring at him.
"She?" Megumi asked as she studied Sano's calm manner.
"Yeah, she is a good woman, although she is old enough to be my grandmother so you don't have to worry about her stealing me away. You'd better hurry up as well, she isn't going to wait forever," Sano chuckled when he noticed that Megumi had looked relieved when he mention the other woman's age.
"I doubt I could pay someone to take you away," Megumi muttered as she finished her soup. Sano was making sure they had forgotten anything and picking up the bags when she spoke but her heard her clearly.
"You probably could but then what would you do without me," Sano replied as he walked out the door. Megumi smiled to herself as he left and the placed her tea back on the tray.
"What indeed," she whispered to herself as she walked out to return the tray to the kitchen and then to join Sano for the remainder of their journey.
Author's Note: Constructive criticism always welcome.