Chapter Two: Splinters of Fire, Dreams of Peace
"It is enough for me to see the birth of a new era in which everyone can live in peace." -Hitokiri Battousai, Rurouni Kenshin Volume 19
"Oi, Kyoko-chan! That hurts!" yelped Sanosuke, wincing.
The small eight-year-old on his shoulder frowned. "Sano-san, you're a big boy and shouldn't cry. It doesn't hurt that bad."
"Yes, it does!" Sano insisted, scowling.
On their way home, Kyoko had insisted on removing a splinter she found in Sanosuke's palm. Using some tweezers she had found in Sanosuke's meager first-aid kit (which he kept in his pocket), Kyoko had taken up the job of pinching out the stubborn piece of wood.
They were now making their way through the City of cities, the capital of the land, where Lord Shishio himself lived in the very heart. Everywhere, save for the castle square, was torn down and tacky, the streets trashy and unkempt. The houses were black and worn-down. Little cheer lived here; even in the looming castle, hatred poisoned the air.
"ITAI!" Sanosuke yelled, stopping altogether. "What the--"
"It's out, now," Kyoko announced, with a victorious grin on her tear-stained face. She held up a rather large fragment of wood for Sanosuke to see.
He made a pained face. "That looks more like a tree than a splinter, Kyoko-chan."
"All the more reason for me to pull it out," Kyoko said in a scolding voice. "And you, being a grown-up, should know better than to leave it in you like that."
Sanosuke rolled his eyes, continuing down the grimy street. "I feel bad for your future husband."
"Well," Kyoko shot back, "I don't envy your future wife, either. With a silly man like you, she'd go crazy having to make sure you stay out of trouble."
Sanosuke blushed slightly, but grinned. He liked Kyoko--she was smart, stubborn, and witty. Though she was several years younger than he, Kyoko could match Sanosuke taunt for taunt.
The only happiness that kept Sano afloat, was that resonating from his kids. No, they weren't his kids, but they lived at his house. Like Kyoko, Sano had saved them from death and misery, and from the Fields. He held his own orphanage, technically.
That was extremely illegal.
Shishio had outlawed all forms of business, including orphanages. If it were ever discovered that Sanosuke was harboring orphans, it would cost him his life. Not to mention his father's.
His father, Sagara Souzou, was kindest person Sano could think of. The many years of working in the Field didn't seem to have affected Souzou at all. And so, since his dad was gaining in age, Sanosuke had him stay home and watch the orphans while he was gone working in the Fields.
Sanosuke worked all day, three extra shifts to provide enough money for food. Feeding six orphans, plus himself and Souzou was a difficult job. He often came home tired, stressed, and sweaty. Yet, he found reason to smile when he was greeted by a crowd of hyper, bouncing kids.
"Are we there yet?" Kyoko asked him, leaning her head against his.
"Almost," Sanosuke replied, smiling tiredly.
It was a bit before the two finally reached the tall, looming building at the end of the street. It was as dark and forbearing as the other cowardly dwellings; no one would guess that it contained illegal persons.
"It looks scary," voiced little Kyoko, grimacing. "Do oni and mononoke live in it?"
Sanosuke grinned. "If you wanna call me a monster, say it to m'face, Kyoko-chan!"
Kyoko giggled. "You're too skinny to be an oni! Oni are big and tall. But you're tall, Sano-san, aren't you? You're not very scary, either, with your spiky hair. Maybe you're the reincarnation of a starving rooster, Sano-san!"
"Nani? A rooster! What's wrong with my hair?" Sanosuke said, pretending to be offended. "I'm not that skinny, ne? Tsk...I see how you are, Kyoko..."
Kyoko promptly stuck out her tongue.
Taking Kyoko from his shoulder, Sanosuke carried her into the building. He jogged up one, two, three deserted flights of stairs, coming at last to the top floor. Sanosuke braced himself, and opened the door.
"SANO-NII!"
Sanosuke clutched the doorframe for support as five small people tackled him in ecstasy. Kyoko squealed, clutching at Sanosuke's jacket as the children burst out in talk.
"Sano-nii, who's that?"
"Did anything exciting happen today?"
"How much did you bring home?"
"Sano-nii, guess what? I found a quarter today!"
"Can we buy chocolate this week?"
"Is that a new sister, Sano-nii?"
Sanosuke grinned wide at the children's glee, and yelled over the commotion, "Maybe I'll sleep in the hallway tonight, ne? I can't get through the door, you monkeys!"
Giggling, the kids dispersed and scuttled inside. Sanosuke, holding onto Kyoko tightly, stepped inside and shut the door. Kyoko had stuck her face into the curve of Sanosuke's chin, embarrassed to be the center of attention of so many kids.
Sagara Souzou stepped into the room. He was in his early forties, with sable hair and soft black eyes. Sanosuke had attained his face shape, nose, and mouth, but he had his late mother's hair color and eyes. Where Sano attained his wild hair was a mystery to all.
"Sano-nii?" a small, mouse-brown haired girl piped. "Who is that?"
"This," replied Sanosuke, lifting Kyoko from his chest and settling her onto the floor, "is Kyoko-chan, your new sister."
"Kyoko-chan!" the kids cried in glee. "Hi, Kyoko-chan!"
Squatting beside Kyoko, Sanosuke took her little hand in his and introduced her to each of the kids. "That's Jiro-chan." He pointed to a raven-haired boy with bright green eyes.
"That's Kiba-chan." Sano gestured to a shy-looking boy, and then to a scrawny boy with broken glasses. "That's Tomo-chan."
Sano then pointed to a spunky girl with brown hair, and a younger female with pigtails. "That's Miyo-chan, and her sister, Ai-chan."
A little silence ensued, before Kyoko raised a hand and said softly, "Hi."
"That's my dad, Kyoko-chan," Sanosuke said, gesturing politely to Souzou. Kyoko met Sagara's eyes, and smiled when she saw the soft kindness in his eyes.
Sanosuke patted Kyoko's back, grinning. He then stood up and stretched. The little kids looked upwards in admiration of Sano's height and muscular form, but they quickly looked away when Sanosuke reopened his eyes.
"Oi, I'm hungry, midgets!" Sanosuke growled, making the children giggle. "Wanna see what I brought? I think we might be able to buy chocolate this week."
"YES!" came the excited reply.
-
Kenshin froze in mid step. Do I smell what I think I smell? he wondered, lifting his nose and smelling. His violet eyes widened in alarm. Kami-sama! Fire? In the forest?
Sprinting off in a flurry, Kenshin glanced up in the trees, horrified to see a tall column of smoke rising into the distance. Doubling his pace, Kenshin ran furiously in the direction of the fire, his eyes beginning to water due to the wind whipping his face.
The smell of burning wood and smoke grew stronger and stronger, until it was almost unbearable. Kenshin coughed, but didn't slow. He had to get to the fire, and put it out, before the entire forest was ablaze!
"AAAAAH!"
Kenshin barely dodged as a man came bulleting out of the bushes, running past him. The wanderer frowned, wondering why he had--"OOF!"
Nearly falling to the ground, Kenshin grabbed a hold of whatever had truly nailed him this time around. He looked into the face of a woman. She was very pretty, but had burn marks on her face and arms.
"What is happening, de gozaru ka?" Kenshin asked softly, using his calm, soothing voice to pacify the lady's terror.
"F-Fire," she stammered, holding tightly onto Kenshin's sleeves. "The town…the T.S.C officers have set it on fire, the doctor…the lady doctor…she's still inside her house, and can't get out…"
"Go on as you may, and may you find happiness to rid your grief," Kenshin gripped the woman's shoulder encouragingly, and darted off again.
He ran with twice the speed of before, bursting soon into a large clearing. Kenshin gagged, pulling up the collar of his cloak so he could breathe. Smoke was heavy and the fire raging; every building in the tiny village was aflame.
I must find the lady doctor's house, Kenshin decided. She needs help.
Kenshin looked about, searching for a building that he could classify being an office. He spotted it immediately--three guards stood outside a home, weapons abroad and wicked smirks.
The first guard was a man. But then Kenshin looked again, and found that he was a woman. But she couldn't be a woman, because her forearms were thick and her jaw manly. Then why was he wearing a womanly kimono? Kenshin was confused and looked to his next opponent.
He was small and unthinkably skinny; a bat-like cloak hung around his shoulders. Next to him was a tall man with strange blonde hair that stuck up at least three feet, like a broom standing on its handle. Numerous swords hung on his back and side.
Mm. Then I'll have to be swift, and get inside to the lady. There's no hope in fighting them and then rescuing the doctor; she'd be dead by then. Kenshin then leapt out of the woods, barreling swiftly towards the flaming hut.
He knew very well that the doctor had committed illegal treatments (rather, any treatment at all). But no one deserves to die because they want to help people, Kenshin thought as his feet pounded softly against the fiery turf.
The soldiers saw him immediately. They each took a battle pose, but gasped in surprise when Kenshin leapt twenty feet in the air, landing in a window and jumping inside.
Kenshin again covered his lips with the hem of his cloak, using his impeccable eyesight to scan the room. Immediately, he found a woman lying unconscious on the floor. Kenshin ran to her, scooped her up, and took an astonishing jump out of the window.
"Hey!" the man who was not a man yelled. "Stop right there, in the name of Shishio-sama!"
The soldiers began to run after Kenshin, who turned and pulled out his sword. They halted, waiting for Kenshin's next move. "Stop right there," Kenshin echoed, "in the name of Kami-sama, de gozaru yo."
"Hmph," the Broom-Head snorted. "Cocky, ain't you?"
"I am simply a rurouni, a samurai with no destination," Kenshin announced. "Fight me, and it will be that last thing you do. Let me go, and live on."
The man who was not a man grinned. "Aren't you the generous one? Do you really think we're to believe that you--"
Everyone screamed as an explosion erupted the earth twenty feet away. Kenshin ducked low to the ground, holding tightly onto the doctor and beginning to run away.
"Hold it!"
Kenshin looked up into the sky in confusion, his eyes widening when he saw the small, weird chap flying in the air. His cape had spread out like wings, using the hot air from the explosion to soar.
The flyer chucked a stick of dynamite at the fleeing rurouni, who leapt and rolled into the forest as an ear-shattering blast occurred.
I've got to get her out of here! Kenshin thought desperately, looking down at the comatose doctor. She was very beautiful, with long raven hair and scarlet lips.
But Kenshin didn't stare; he was alert and on the run, now. He had intended in the first place to lie low, and not cause any trouble; but it seemed that fate had different plans.
"Hyohhh!" Kenshin let loose a war cry to boost his spirit, leaping to his feet with the lady doctor in his arms, and sprinting off into the night.
-
Meanwhile, Sanosuke was trying to persuade the kids that it was bedtime. "C'mon, you guys," he said in a begging tone of voice. "It's eleven o'clock, already! I have to go back to work at five."
"Ohhhhhhhh," the kids whined. "Stay up and play, Sano-nii!"
"Please?" pouted the little girl named Miyo.
Sanosuke ran his fingers through his wild hair, sighing. "Fine, I guess…no chocolate for you, this week…"
That changed the children's mind immediately. They practically shoved Sanosuke into his room, yelling, "'Night, Sano-nii! Good dreams! Don't let the bedbugs bite, Sano-nii! Goodnight!"
They then shut the door for him. Sano listened to their giggling and the scuffling of their bare feet as they walked down the hallway.
Lying down, exhausted, on his futon, Sanosuke didn't even bother to change. Kicking his shoes off, Sanosuke huddled beneath the blankets, and fell asleep.
Though his head was right next to the broken ventilation system, Sano barely heard the chanting voice emanating from it. Down, down, down deep under the abandoned first floor…
"Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more important than food, and the body more than clothes…For where your treasure is, your heart will be also."
And for this reason, Sanosuke's heart would be broken very, very soon.
End of Chapter 2
MadiSano: The words, spoken in italics in Sanosuke's (broken) ventilation system, come from Luke 12:22-23. The text after the three periods comes from Luke 12:34. And no, Jesus doesn't live in Sanosuke's basement. Lol...that'd be weird...but you'll understand in the next chapter! Review, because Revolution & Restoration begins to get interesting in Chapter 3...I weep for you and Sanosuke. Angst is present in Chapter 3...poor Sano. Megumi, too.