MadiSano: Well, here's the latest chapter! I had no idea so many people would like this story. Maybe because of the SM? Probably! I warn you, though. Things are going to get a little weird from this point onward...by the next chapter, the 'sky falling' plot will come fully into action. I'm hoping, anyways...

Disclaimer: I.M.A.D.O.R.K...WHAT DO YOU MEAN, I'M A DORK?ISAID NOTHINGABOUT BEING A DORK! I.M.A.D.O.R.K simply stands for, 'I Miserably, Absolutely, Don't Own Rurouni Kenshin.' Geez, people...

CHICKEN LITTLE (continued)

She then took off after the amok fish in the jar, leaving Sanosuke in the mud.

"KITSUNE! W-WAIT!"

Sanosuke stood in the rain, slack-jawed as he watched the muddy doctor flee from his sight. She's gone…

Feeling his vision waver, Sanosuke turned around to stumble his way back to the not-so-far clinic.

Megumi raced frantically down the street, chasing after her stray fish in a jar. She was slowly gaining on Sir Kin. Megumi's shoes pounded fanatically against the road in an almost simultaneous fashion.

"Rrrgh!" Megumi snarled, as she tried to defeat the nagging feeling in the back of her mind that she should've stayed with Sanosuke. He'll be fine by himself! The clinic wasn't that far away from where I last saw him. Sanosuke should at least make it through the front door.

Megumi was less than five feet from her lost fish. Sir Kin was rotating in circles inside the swirling waters of the jar, his mouth open in a silent scream. "Hang in there!" Megumi cried. "I'm coming!"

"Mmmrraaaah!" Megumi cried, taking a leap to seize the jar. She missed by inches; Sir Kin's jar hit a rock and went flying through the air. "NOOOOOO!"

And then, quite suddenly, was crushed to the ground by a blinking octagon fallen from the sky.

Megumi stood there silently, staring at the octagon at her feet. The evil, fish-killing piece of the sky. After a moment, Megumi sank to her knees, and gently pulled the octagon from the earth, careful not to cut herself on the shards of the jar.

Being a doctor, Megumi was used to gross sights. But the spectacle of a goldfish that had been recently squished to death by a falling piece of sky was something Megumi wasn't ready for.

Which was because, there was no fish.

"Where did my fish go…?" Megumi mumbled forlornly. "Sir Kin…"

And then she noticed something. There was a tiny, orange spot on the road where the jar had been crushed. Staring at it, Megumi perceived that it was completely round, and rather fuzzy-looking.

Reaching out to touch it, Megumi screamed when the little spot leaped into the air, and with a popping noise, became a furry little creature with three eyes.

"Ohhh…K-Kami-sama," Megumi gasped, eying the strange little thing.

The orange blob squeaked, sprouting four legs and beginning to waddle around excitedly. Megumi froze like ice (by the way, it was still raining) as the fuzzy jumped on her arm and crawled up near her shoulder.

Amid the frightening experience, Megumi found herself quietly wishing that she had gone back with Sanosuke to the clinic. At least, then I would be safe—WHAT AM I THINKING?

Megumi started in rage, causing the little fuzzy to squeal and jump upon her head. Megumi tilted her head upwards slightly, and the orange fuzz scrabbled near to her forehead. She stared at it, and it stared at her.

Then it giggled.

It was such a shrill, cute little noise that Megumi found herself chuckling. Daring to pick up the small fuzzy from her face, Megumi let it sit in her palm, shielding the fuzz from the rain with her other hand.

Shivering in the rain, Megumi got to her feet and made a dash to return for the clinic.

She completely forgot about Sir Kin.

Megumi walked into the Oguni Clinic, setting the orange fluff down on a sickbay bed. Telling it to stay there, Megumi walked down the hall to Sanosuke's room. Right before entering, Megumi noticed just how muddy she was.

Her kimono (MadiSano: I'm not sure what the shirt she wears is called, so I'll just call her clothes a kimono to keep life easy.) was drenched, and her whole front was darkened with mud. Some of the sludge had slipped off, due to the rain, but Megumi looked at total mess.

Blushing slightly, Megumi withdrew her hand from the door and went to take a bath, and change. A while later, Megumi returned to Sanosuke's door, letting herself in.

The man she had dubbed Rooster lay silently on his futon, sprawled out on his futon in an unusual position of rest. Sanosuke lay on his stomach, his face covered up by his arms, fast asleep. His head was where his feet should be, and his feet near the pillow. With disgust, Megumi saw that he hadn't even bothered to take his muddy shoes off.

Oh, wait… Megumi realized. I injected him with tranquilizer. That's it… Looking at the open window, Megumi observed the mud dripping from the sill. He came through the window. That's how he got in without falling asleep, first.

Sighing, Megumi took a cloth, and began cleaning up the mud from the walls and floor. There's no use in complaining, she reminded herself. You brought it on yourself, and whining won't make the mud go away.

Suddenly, there was a soft squeak from beside her.

Megumi looked to find the small orange fluff peering up at her. Smiling fondly at the curious creature, Megumi allowed it to crawl onto her arm and to her shoulder, where it monitored her progress of scouring the mud.

Just as Megumi finished cleaning the sludge, there was a low groan from the mud-sodden fighter on his mud-soiled futon.

The fluffy animal jumped and squealed as Megumi stood and put the dirty washcloth in the basket where she kept unclean clothes. The lady doctor then turned to watch Sanosuke as he groggily opened his eyes.

"Aw, Geez…" coughing, Sanosuke shifted tiredly.

Clearing her throat, Megumi spoke up. "You owe me a new futon, mister. The one you're lying on is saturated with mud so slick I doubt it'd be clean even if I soaked it for an entire week."

"Shut up, woman," came his bitter reply, as Sanosuke irritably rubbed his face, causing a dark smudge to appear under his nose and onto his cheek. He glowered furiously when Megumi started to laugh, but Sanosuke jumped visibly when he heard the squeaking chuckle of the fuzzy.

"Wha—what was that?" Sanosuke growled, sitting up and furiously looking about for the source of the noise. Upon spotting the fuzzy orange thing sitting on Megumi's shoulder, the fighter leapt to his feet and yelled, "M-Megumi! D-Don't move—there's an alien on ya! Stay still, an' I'll kill it!"

Immediately ceasing her laughter, Megumi turned sideways protectively. "You will most certainly not!" she cried. "This is my replacement for Sir Kin, whom you KILLED! I don't need you to go and kill my new pet!"

"Megumi," Sanosuke said seriously, though he didn't look so serious since he had a mustache of mud. "You don't keep aliens as pets. Next thing you know, you'll name it. And then you'll grow attached to it. And then, right when you seriously believe that it's a harmless, cute ball of fluff—it jumps at you and tears out your jugular."

The fuzzy gave an innocent squeak, as if asking, "Who? Me?"

Frowning, Megumi said, "I don't believe you. Snuggles-san wouldn't hurt me…he made me laugh."

SNUGGLES-SAN? Was the first thing that jammed its way into Sanosuke's brains. The second was, That little lint ball made Megumi laugh when I can't even her to flipping SMILE? A pang of irritation pounded in Sanosuke's veins, but he hid it with a sneer.

"Kitsune," Sanosuke began again, hoping to get Megumi to listen to him. "Keeping an alien as a pet is like me marrying Jou-Chan. It doesn't work."

As he had intended, Sanosuke's usage of a creepy simile caught Megumi's attention. What? Megumi thought, secretly alarmed. Why would that even cross Sano's mind? What's more, why's he saying it to me? What would Sir Ken say if he heard that? If…A thought entered Megumi's mind. If I could get Kaoru to spend more time with Sanosuke, then Sir Ken would be all by himself…

A creepy smile worked its way across Megumi's lips. A bead of sweat rolled down Sanosuke's cheek, carving a clean line through his smudge of mud. Kami-sama. What is she thinking?

Snuggles-san gave a nervous little peep.

"Tell you what," Megumi said, smirking. "Go and use the bath before the mud hardens, and put your clothes in this—" she handed him the laundry basket, "—by then, I'll have a new futon for you. There's some extra clothes in the hallway closet that you can borrow. Got it?"

Before Sanosuke could even reply, Megumi dashed out of the room. Snuggles-san cried out shrilly, hanging onto her shoulder urgently.

Sanosuke stood silently for a moment. I wonder what she was so excited about…

A little while later, at the Oguni Clinic...

Megumi's hands had smudges of ink on the fingers. Amid her excitement, she had written too fast while writing down one of the props for her plan. Her writing had been smaller and less neat than it usually was—as Megumi had intended, it looked nothing like hers. Unmistakably, like a man's.

Megumi paused, reading her note mentally.

To the one who makes my day with but a smile…

I watch you each day with pride of your strength and beauty…your precision and amazing skill of what you do each day. What I'd do to just hold your hand and whisper to your ear, but I know your secrecy…meet me behind the Akabeko tomorrow at dusk.

Your secret admirer, ne?

Smirking, Megumi folded up the note and set it on the table. I know it's rather flowery to be Sanosuke's, she thought, but it's not like Kaoru will guess right off who it is.

Looking up at Snuggles-san, who was observing her false love note, Megumi said, "That'll have to do."

Snuggles-san merely squeaked, crawling onto her shoulder once more.

Then standing, Megumi grabbed a spare futon, and went off with a towel to replace Sanosuke's muddy one. When the task was done, she replaced the blankets and such, humming happily to herself.

Sanosuke stood apprehensively on the other side of his door, watching Megumi as she zipped around the room, wiping off the last of the mud.

Why is she so happy? Sanosuke wondered, pulling away from the cracked door and walking down the hallway.

He was wearing a navy gi and sable pants, Sanosuke's replaced chest wraps peeked out slightly from his shirt. The attire was almost nothing like his usual jacket and short pants, but Sanosuke silenced his discomfort.

Sanosuke made his way into the main room curiously, seeing that the light was on. What was Fox doing in here so late? he queried, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Looking casually down onto her desk, Sanosuke's attention was immediately seized by a lone piece of paper, folded up like it wasn't to be read by random eyes. Curiosity spiked his interest, and, being the nosy little Rooster he was, Sanosuke picked the note up to read.

Eyes growing wider and wider as his chocolate orbs flew over the words, Sanosuke felt his hair stand on end. (This was complicated, since Sanosuke's hair always stood on end.)

Slamming the note onto the table, Sanosuke twitched with worry mixed with anger. Someone's ogling my Fox! he realized, despite himself. Who the h—when I get my hands around his neck, I'll—!

Thus, his thoughts continued with very unpleasant notions that I'm sure you wouldn't take joy in reading.

Storming out back into the hallway, Sanosuke made his way to his bedroom, opening the door.

Megumi looked up, her previously contented expression muddled by slight annoyance. "Took you long enough," she growled, standing up straight. "Though, I'm not surprised…with all that mud on you, I'm surprised you didn't slip, sink to the bottom of the bath, and drown."

Now why is she being mean? Sanosuke's thoughts shrieked. Why? Why? WHY? I haven't even said anything snotty to her, and…and…and...Idon'tunderstandwhyIcan'tjustfreakingtellherthatshe'shotandIwannagooutwithherand—

"ARRGH! WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH HER?"

Oops. I said that out loud, Sanosuke realized with a blush.

Megumi and Snuggles-san stared at the Rooster-Headed fighter, quite aware of his flushed face and frustration. The only problem was that Megumi couldn't understand why Sanosuke had exploded.

"Sanosuke?" Megumi said, unsure of what to do.

He simply stood there, staring fixedly at the ground. "Ano…I think…I think I need to go to sleep, Megumi. I'm not feeling the best."

Megumi stared at Sanosuke a moment longer, her brow curved in a concerned frown. What's wrong with him? She wondered. He's so serious all of a sudden, after freaking out for no apparent reason…

Taking a few steps up to the fighter, she placed her palm on his forehead, and felt her own with her other hand, checking his temperature.

"I don't got a fever!" Sanosuke snapped, pushing her hand away.

"Then stop acting so weird!" Megumi cried, and Snuggles-san cheeped in union.

Glaring not at Megumi but the fluffy orange alien sitting on her shoulder, Sanosuke asked pointedly, "And where is that—that—that THING stayin' tonight?"

"Well, most certainly not in a cage," Megumi snorted, frowning.

She brushed past the fighter, but she froze when he asked, "What happened to the fish?"

Megumi turned around angrily to meet the curious gaze of Sanosuke. "Sir Kin was…well…he, ah…fell down into a river. Yes. I couldn't reach him."

"Lie," Sanosuke accused.

Glowering, Megumi barked, "Why would you care? It's your fault!"

"There's just the wee slightest bitty chance that might be why I wanna know," Sanosuke replied, raising an eyebrow.

Clenching her fists, Megumi drew herself up to full height and angrily jabbed Sanosuke in the chest. "He was squished to death by another damned falling piece of the sky, okay! That's when I found Snuggles-san!"

Sanosuke simply blinked in surprise, commenting, "Okay…that's…nice. Didn't you find his body…?"

Megumi fell silent for a moment, and then said tonelessly, "No."

"Well, it couldn't justa disappeared," Sanosuke said dryly.

"No kidding, baka!" Megumi snarled. "I don't know, okay? He just—okay, so he did disappear! I have no idea what happened to Sir Kin."

Sanosuke smirked, folding his arms. Megumi restrained herself from slapping him, and said icily, "What are you smiling about?"

"Oh, nothin'," Sanosuke said. She is sorta pretty when she gets all mad like that…

Megumi huffed angrily, turning about on her heel and storming out of the room. Snuggles-san cheeped nervously, turning about to give Sanosuke an uncertain look with his three eyes. Then the door shut with a loud KWAM!

"Hehehe…" Sanosuke chuckled, stretching. Immediate worry crossed his mind, however, when the kenkaya began to think about the note he had found on Megumi's desk.

MadiSano: Aww, poor Sano! Witchy Miss Fox doesn't seem to understand she's got an admirer, herself. But will Megumi's matchmaking plot work out? ...I'll get going on the next chapter, and you should find out for yourself in a few days! Yaaaay! Review, please, and tell me your thoughts.

By all means, make your reviews as long as you want. I like reviews. Like money, I like reviews. I like reviews a lot. So review. Please? Please? Mooooove yer lil' cursor dooooown to the lil' button in the lower lefthand coooorner of the screeeeeen, and click the goooooo button, and--YES! YOU GOTS IT!

Ano...thanks for reading. See ya in a bit! Ja ne!