Chapter Four:
'Assistance'
By KatDrama
Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape or form own Rurouni Kenshin. I do, however, claim this plot and all my own original characters (Sachi, Sakura, Toshi, Akio, ect.)
Note: for those of you who might have ever read my first fanfic ever "A Star in the Night" you might recognize the names Toshi and Akio, but I assure you, the characters by those names in that story are different than those in this story. I just didn't have time to search for new male Japanese names, so recycled the ones I had.
To Tsukayama Yutaro –
Kon'nichiwa Yutaro-san. I trust things are going well for you in Germany? Have the doctors made any progress on your arm? We miss you very much here at the Kamiya-dojo, and we are all eagerly awaiting the day that you might return to Japan. But sadly this letter is not meant of pleasantries. Yutaro-san, I have a favor that I must ask of you.
You see, a recent friend of mine endowed upon me a task that I cannot complete. She is the daughter of a man I once killed back during the days of the Bakumatsu. For years she lived as a slave to a band of ruthless thieves. I believe it is by fate that we happened to meet on the dusty road that fall day. Some angry men were pursuing her and throwing stones as she ran from town, desperate to escape her captors. Seeing her knocked down by a large stone I took a stand for her and the men fled. Because of injuries she was blind for quite some time, and mysteriously, she also never spoke a word. But when her blindness had worn off and she realized who I was she became quite terrified. After quite an ordeal of trouble she finally settled down, and to my surprise, forgave me for the misery I had caused her. But in exchange for this gift of grace she asked of me one thing. She gave me her father's journal, and asked of me to translate it so that she might learn about her past. The only problem being is that her father's native language was German, the same as the country in which you now reside.
Yutaro-san, if you cannot find it in your power to help me in this task, I ask of you to at least find someone trustworthy that will. The girl who it belongs too has recently...
The pen stopped momentarily, dripping a puddle of black ink unto the crisp paper. A dull red haired man bent over the ink set by the light of a dim lamp as he thought about what word he should use.
...disappeared. We do not know if she is alive or dead, but either way I intend to fulfill the last request that she asked of me. Please, help me to reach that goal.
-Himura Kenshin
Kenshin sighed as he looked at the completed letter. As much as he hated to ask favors he knew that he could not translate Sachi's diary on his own. Biting his lower lip he hesitantly wrapped up the little book that sat beside the ink set in brown paper. He stared at the parcel ponderously, wondering if sending Sachi's diary over seas was her best intention. He sighed. What else could he do? He had no choice. When the ink dried he sealed the letter and wrapped it with the parcel in another layer of paper. Now, maybe now, his heart would let him sleep at night.
--
The arguments and yelling had subsided now. Sachi's heart sank in her chest at every harsh word spoken. She really didn't mean to be a burden to Sakura's already struggling family, but she had no choice. They brought her home when she was unconscious, and now she couldn't leave without their kind help. Sakura's father and three older brothers had come in from the fields late that night. Her father was enraged to learn of the new mouth to feed and body to provide shelter for. In the outside room Sachi could hear him yelling at Sakura, and at the same time hear the girl's crying pleas to let Sachi stay. For all the world Sachi wished she could stand up and walk right out the door and end their need to find a solution to the problem. Just now the father's voice had grown louder and Sakura's cries more fervent before Sachi could hear Sakura running away sobbing in defeat. Sachi held her breathe as heavy footsteps trod the hallway to her room.
A bulky form stood silhouetted through the paper-thin wall. He was tall and burly man, obviously muscular from working the fields. He paused outside her room to catch his breath. Slowing the door inched open. Sachi craned her neck to see what the father of Sakura looked like. His stern face with jutting jaw revealed a mix of grief and tiredness. His dusty brown hair was speckled with dust and grass from the fields, and stood straight on end. A dark blue farmer's kimono with a red sash clung tightly to his massive form. For the first time, the man looked upon the pitiful being his daughter had drug home.
His hardened heart softened a bit as he took in her predicament. She stared back at him, her sky blue eyes seeming to pierce his soul. In those he saw raw curiosity, defiance, and pain all at once. She had the carry of a foreigner, for she was quite large for a member of the female Japanese. She wore the tattered clothing of a man, and beside her lay a katana. (So he thought at the time, but we all know what it really is.) On her body, besides her injuries caused from the flooding river he noticed evidence of battle, old and new. The vertical scar down her left cheek tormented his thoughts.
"So..." He finally spoke.
"You must be Sakura's father?" Sachi asked weakly, suddenly noticing that her voice was becoming a tad horse.
"Hai. I am Akio." He nodded.
The girl smiled slightly, even though he could tell she was under much pain. "I am called Sachi, girl child of bliss, for I smile without knowing why." She chuckled.
Akio's face crinkled with a little laughter too. "Surely you must be, to be smiling when most people would be moping. Tell me, Sachi, what happened to get you in such a poor condition?"
There was a slight pause. "I got swept off of a bridge by floodwaters."
"I meant, how did you get those wounds that had to be inflicted by a sword."
Sachi glared at the man. "That's my personal business, why would you like to know?" She pointed out.
"Because I would want to know if I am housing a convict or killer, or just someone who got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time." Akio sank to the floor and sat cross-legged beside Sachi's mat.
Truly she was a girl of bliss, for her face lit up with a smile. "Definitely caught in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Akio smirk wryly and continued chuckling at his new charge. "So...all we can do is make the best of the situation, neh?"
"It'd be very kind of you to allow me to stay until I am able to go on my way." Sachi admitted.
"Well, judging by your leg that could be a long binding agreement, but we shall hope for the best. Now, lay down again and I shall get you shoulder back in place." Sachi did as she was told and Sakura's father laid perpendicular to her. Grasping her arm firmly with his muscular hands he placed a foot in the pit of her arm. "Brace yourself for a world of pain." Sachi did, but it was not enough to keep her from screaming bloody murder as he jerked hard on her arm, stretching it out straight so it would pop back into the joint, which it did with a loud popping noise.
"Gah!" Sachi's face crinkled from the excruciating pain. She was sure her arm was on fire it hurt so much.
"Told ya." Akio commented nonchalantly as the girl continued to writhe in pain. "Now try to get some sleep. We'll sort out things in the morning." He closed the door behind him.
When he had left the room, tears freely filled Sachi's eyes, blurring her vision. She clung to her arm as the pain continued. She almost laughed. "Sure, whatever you say. I always am able to sleep when I've had a joint popped back into place." But after wearing herself out from crying with pain, she did finally find some comfort in the darkness of slumber.
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A/n: yes peoples, I know what you're thinking. "Short, dumb chapter." I'm really sorry, but it's all my fried brain can come up with now. I'm sorry that it's taken so long to update, but school has been keeping me oober busy right now, and my main priority is concluding my TF story "Jet Blast" but I thought I'd at least better update to alert as to why I haven't been updating for a while. So sorry, all my peoples. Please be patient with me. I'm doing as best as I can with limited time. If you find it in your heart, please review. The more support I receive for a story, the more I feel obligated to update it sooner.
On another note: Yipee! I got RK volume 6 now! I can't wait until I'm able to get/find volume 7 (and soon to be 8)! But, considering that my parents won't let me order them over the internet, and the nearest bookstore that sells them is in a town at least an hour's journey away, that may not be till like...Christmas. But, didja guys know that from now on a new Ruro-Ken volume is going to be released every month until they're all released?! ain't that cool? Course, it's gonna be hard for me to keep up with purchasing the books as they come out, but I'll do my best. So yes, I wrote this chapter right after volume 6, thus the whole Yutaro- how's your arm doing reference, because in volume 6 is when he gets hurt and moves to Germany, so I had that fresh in my mind as I was writing. Okay, I'll stop rambling now. Plz review!!