Pain of the Past
Chapter 8
By Hikari Tsuki Chi
Disclaimer: Okay, I know that I don't own RurouKen, and so do you.
Note: I'm alive! I've been working on the Millennium series a lot, and I wasn't really sure what to do next.
Review Responses:
Crewel: I'll try. I try to never make promises that I can't keep.
PnkyBananaJuice: Thanks. There's a big debate about that, so I'm saying kimono because if you watch the episode right after Kenshin meets Misao, she says that he has poor taste in kimono, both in the Japanese and English versions of the episode. I think that it's in the manga too…
Kute Anime Kitty: Thanks!
Chapter 8-Moving Day
"Y'know, I WAS joking when I invited the three of you to move in with me." Kaoru said, removing the last of Megumi's boxes from the backseat of Megumi's car.
"Well, Kenshin doesn't want to let you live the dojo alone, tori-atama is pulling a big brother, and I'm moving in to keep him in line."
Kaoru gave Megumi a wry look. "You want more time with Sanosuke."
"Huh-?" was Megumi's intelligent response.
Noticing her raising blush, Kaoru smirked and said, "You like 'im, don'cha?"
"I do NOT!"
"Oh please, you're ALWAYS checking him out!" Kaoru retorted as she slid the gate to the dojo open. "By the way, where are Sanosuke and Kenshin?"
"Gambling hall, where else? Tori-atama needs money to pay off his rent before moving. And I don't check him out!" Responded Megumi.
"You sure DO frequent the Akabeko, where Sanosuke more often than not mooches meals. Especially around the time HE'S there."
"I concede. I'm in love with him, not that he'll love me back."
Kaoru's proud look turned to one of surprise. "Why wouldn't he love you back?"
"Cuz he thinks that I'm stuck on Kenshin even though Kenshin's only got eyes for you now." Said Megumi, sliding the shouji back that lead to her room in the dojo.
Now it was Kaoru's turn to blush. "You don't know that."
"OI! BUSU! YA HERE?"
Walking out to the gate, Kaoru and Megumi were surprised to find Yahiko standing outside, a suitcase in hand and another on the ground. "Yahiko? What are you doing here?"
He sighed. "Dad's gotten transferred to America. Mom's goin' with him. I had a chance; go with them whose language I can't even speak and lose my friends, or stay with you. They're leaving tomorrow, so they'll be dropping off the stuff from my room tonight."
Kaoru took a moment to sigh. "Good thing there's enough rooms for everyone to have their own. And before you ask, yes there's electricity, plumbing, and central heating and air. Dad wanted this place to be like a home away from home, sort of the starting process for turning this back into a dojo. But after Mom died, that idea kind of bit the dust."
Setting Yahiko up in his room, Kaoru went to help Megumi unpack. "Why'd Sanosuke drag Kenshin to a gambling hall anyway? Sanosuke said that he doesn't gamble."
Megumi rolled her eyes. "It's because of Kenshin's Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu. It lets him predict the outcomes, hence why Sanosuke drags him along when he plays dice."
"What's with the rent thing?"
"He got behind on the rent so his landlord wants it paid in full, even though he's moved out. Turns out that the landlord is the head of Ken-san's department at the university."
"Fujita-sensei? I've heard of him. Didn't he help the police with the fake swords at the museum?"
"Yup."
"Whoa. Guess Saitou's an indicative ki-" Kaoru stopped. "Why did I call Fujita-sensei 'Saitou'?"
"I dunno know." Megumi shrugged.
"Now that I think about it…" Kaoru furrowed her brow in thought. "Fujita-sensei looks a lot like the man I've seen in the scenes that occur around dusk in the training hall."
"Saitou…wasn't Saitou Hajime the leader of the 3rd squad of the Shinsengumi?" pondered Megumi. "Didn't he change his name to Fujita Goro during the Seinan Wars?"
"That could only prove that he's a descendant, not his reincarnation." Kaoru pointed out.
"Ya have to wonder though… But these dreams…these just didn't start up randomly. If only one of us started to have them, maybe, but all four of us? Beyond coincidence."
"Better make that five. I heard Yahiko talking to Tsukayama-kun that he had been having weird dreams. Particularly of the two of them hating each other, which doesn't make sense because those two are very close friends. The only person Yahiko gets along better with is Tsubame-chan."
"Tae-san's niece? The one who helps out at the Akabeko sometimes?"
"That's the one."
"Tadai---ma!"
"Sano get off!"
Running out to the gate, Kaoru and Megumi asked, "What happened to him?"
"In order of occurrence or relevance?" Kenshin asked back, hauling Sanosuke to his room.
"Either way." Shrugged Kaoru.
Megumi went over to 'relieve' Kenshin of his burden. In reality, she just wanted to grate on Sanosuke from his habits.
"Well, he got enough money to pay off Sa-Fujita-sensei, went back to gamble some more, and got drunk. All the while, using me as his chauffer."
Raising an eyebrow at Kenshin's slight slip of tongue, Kaoru asked, "Why didn't just take the bus? No wait he got himself banned… Scratch that, why didn't he just drive himself?"
"NO CAR!" called Sanosuke from his room, sounds of Megumi alternately slapping him upside the head and mixing up 'something'.
"Sano, you don't have a car because you don't have a license because you keep failing the test!" Kenshin called back.
Checking her watch, Kaoru was shocked to discover that it was only 5 PM. "Isn't too early to be drunk?"
"Not for Sano."
Later that night around midnight…
"Kaoru-dono? Can I talk to you?"
Yawning and rubbing her eyes, Kaoru slid open the shouji. "Ken(yawn)shin? What time is it?"
"Midnight. But something is going on in the training hall."
Yawning, she allowed him to lead her to the training hall. Megumi and Yahiko stuck their heads out of the shouji. "What's up?" Yahiko nearly yawned out.
Kaoru jerked her head, telling them to follow.
Sanosuke snored steadily on.
Reaching the training hall, Kenshin slid back the door. Megumi and Yahiko gasped in shock.
It was the same fight as before. "I couldn't sleep so I was walking around. Once I got here, around 11:58, THIS started up. Once it did, I went to get Kaoru." Kenshin explained.
It went on longer than it had when Kaoru and Kenshin had both seen it. Once 12:02 arrived, the scene and its accompanying bloodstains faded. The scene had faded when a woman who resembled Megumi called out "Ken-san!"
They all looked at each other. "What the-"
Growling, Kaoru wondered, "Couldn't they have chosen a day other than moving day!"
End of Chapter 8- Moving Day
Happy I updated? I know I am. I just needed to step away from Millennium II for a while, to double check what I want to do next.
Please proceed to the blue/purple/lavender/periwinkle box in the bottom left-hand corner of your screen.
Shouji: those screens you see in Japanese homes.
Seinan Wars: See Chapter 5 collective glossary