Chosha's notes

Welcome back minna! Thank you everyone for your reviews, I'm so glad you guys are liking this. Thank you reviewers: Kristy-chan, Xeno, Willow Evenstar, Inuwolf04, Lily of the Shadow, Cadbury girl, Hitokiri Musei, Crazy Hyper Lady andHitokiriTaijiya.I also hope that those of you who are reading, but not reviewing, are enjoying this too. I won't keep you with my rambles – here is the new chappy, just for you! Hope you read and review!

Disclaimer: Um… Me no own… still.

Last time on Fading Futures

Shinya and Kaoru got Megumi, Ayame and Suzume to go to the Festival, while Kenshin got his own plans underway.

Chapter Fourteen

To Kyoto…Again!

"Come on, come on! We're going to be late! Sanosuke! This is all you're fault!"

The day of the departure had finally arrived, much to everyone's anticipation. The dojo residence had all risen with the sun for last minute preparations, such as Kaoru making sure they all had their train tickets. Megumi, along with Ayame, Suzume and Tsubame (Who Shinya had yet to meet) had arranged to meet them at the train-station in Shinbashi. The train would go from there to Yokohama, where they would be taking the ferry from Yokohama port to the port at Kyoto, where they had arranged to meet up with Misao. However, things hadn't quite gone according to plan and they were now sprinting through the crowds and cutting it very close. Why? Because when Kaoru had got round to informing Sanosuke about the travel arrangements, Sanosuke had looked like the sky was about to cave in. In fact, the rooster-head had done the most hilarious expressions that Shinya was hard-pressed not to laugh in his face.

"What do you mean, we're going by train?!" He exploded. "I thought I told you that you ain't dragging me on no damn train again! We were lucky last time, but I tell ya, we're gonna find ourselves locked in the sewers by tanooki!"

Shinya literally did burst out laughing just then. "Kami! You can't be telling me you're scared of a hunk of metal!" Shinya sniggered.

"It's not natural, I tell ya! You ain't getting' me on no bloody train!"

After that, Sanosuke had refused point blank in moving. It had taken all four of them to drag Sanosuke, kicking and screaming through the gate and one hell of a lot of tugs to prise his fingers from around the gateway. They had all ended up in a large, swirly-eyed heap on the floor. As punishment for 'ruining her best kimono', Kaoru had ordered him to carry all the stuff or she would beat him senseless with a broken as an alternative. Of course, not even Sanosuke was stupid enough to go with the latter option, so now, with a few newly acquired lumps to add to his collection he was toiling with a bag almost as big as he was. As funny as it looked, seeing Sanosuke waddling under the weight, Shinya couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him.

"Did you really need to pack so much, Kaoru?" Shinya panted as they ran.

"It's better to be safe than sorry. You'll be thanking me if another gang of hijackers turned up and try to take over the train again! So, you got a problem, why don't you carry it!" Kaoru snapped, still annoyed Sanosuke had got them late.

"N-no, that's fine!" Shinya said quickly. "Sanosuke's a very strong guy! He's quite capable of doing it on his own!"

"Gee, thanks" Sanosuke said sarcastically.

"Don't you start, you jerk! This is you're fault!" Suddenly, her dark expression lightened slightly. "Look! There's the train!"

Shinya didn't know what he was expecting, but it definitely wasn't this! Through the crowd was a large, jet-black engine, smoke rising from the funnel at the front. It reminded him a little of the steam-train in the Harry Potter films, except for the colours and lack of Hogwarts sign. Behind the engine itself were several carriages with people leaning out the windows talking to the people on the station. Shinya grinned when he spotted Ayame and Suzume hanging out of one of the windows. They were laughing and waving to them. With a last burst of speed they ran and tumbled through the carriage doors, merely seconds before the conductor blew his whistle to tell the drivers to leave. Sitting up, Shinya grinned as he saw Megumi, Ayame and Suzume wave them over to the seats.

The Gumi all seated themselves as near as possible to each other as the train jerked into motion. Shinya glanced around at them, noticing a nervous looking girl with shoulder-length brown hair. He guessed that this must be Tsubame. Yahiko took the seat next to her.

"So, you gonna introduce?" Shinya said mildly.

Kaoru smiled. "This is Tsubame Sanjo. Tsubame-chan, this is Shinya Harada, one of my students. Tsubame here works at the Akebeko." She added.

Shinya grinned. "Reeeeeaaaaally…" Shinya smirked slyly at Yahiko. "So is this why you always seem eager to go to work. You wanted some time alone with you're girlfriend? That is so sweet of you." Tsubame blushed furiously.

Yahiko spluttered. "Sh-shaddup! She's not my girlfriend!"

Shinya laughed then said in a singsong voice, "Yahiko and Tsubame, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G"

"Grrrrrr! Ko-oni I'm gonna…!" Shinya ducked a swipe from the diminutive swordsman and laughed hysterically. Finally he turned to Tsubame, who avoided his eyes, face a deep crimson.

"Sorry," he apologised with a small smile. "The opportunity was to good to pass up. No offence meant - It's just funny to get him wound up. Way to easy to get under his skin." Tsubame giggled a little while Yahiko yelled, "It is not!"

"Sou ka, Yahiko-CHAN?"

"Don't call me CHAN!"

Shinya smirked and leaned back in the chair, his arms spread wide. "I rest my case." Tsubame and Kaoru giggled. Kenshin looked as if he was struggling not to chuckle to save any of what was left of Yahiko's pride.

Shinya was surprised when Sanosuke didn't join in. It was one of his favourite pass-times – tormenting Yahiko with the dreaded 'chan' word. Normally he would be sniggering and tormenting him a little more, ending up with a fuming Yahiko chomping on his hair. But when he turned to look at him, he noticed that he was sitting on the chair in an almost foetal position shivering, while Megumi was staring at him incredulously. Shinya raised an eyebrow. "What's up with him now?"

Kaoru shot him a glare and sighed. "He's superstitious. He thinks the train is moved by ghosts and we're going to be tricked and wake to find ourselves it the sewers."

Shinya and Megumi looked at each other and burst out laughing. "To think Ondori-atama is scared of trains. Ohohoho!" Megumi taunted, earning her a dark glare from said rooster.

"You know it's gotta be wrong somewhere for big tough-guy's like him to be cowering because of a steam train." Sighed Shinya. Kenshin and Kaoru snorted with laughter. "Anyway, why do you think it's called a 'Steam train'? Don't you think if it was run by ghosts, it would have been called a 'ghost train'?"

"No kettle could budge a thing this big!" Snapped Sanosuke. Yahiko merely sighed, murmuring "Here we go again…"

Shinya smirked. "You're delusional. Who said anything about a kettle?"

"Then how the hell does this thing move!"

Shinya sighed. "Well, I suppose you could compare it to a kettle." He admitted. "Have you ever seen a geyser? Well, think of the ones that push out heat in a jet of steam. If you put something onto it, it would be pushed into the air buy the pressure of the steam on it. It's the same on a steam train. The heat from the coal fires in the engine creates a load of steam, which is channelled through to the mechanisms. The way it's made makes the mechanism move because of the steam pressure behind it, which makes the wheels turn. Its something like that anyway." Shinya blinked at everyone staring at him. Crud! What have I said now?

"Wow!" Kaoru said, clearly impressed. "You sure seem to know a lot about steam engines!"

Oh. Crap – better make up something… "Yeah well, I come from Yokohama. Things like that are a little more ordinary now, seeing as that's where the foreign colony is. I had a friend there who used to work with trains. I was always sorta interested, so he used to show me around on 'em 'n stuff."

Everyone seemed to take the answer and even Sanosuke seemed slightly more at ease, though he still jumped a mile every time the train got jostled on the tracks. Shinya sighed, sinking into his seat in relief before looking out the window. The train wasn't going amazingly fast, but Shinya knew he shouldn't have been expecting the speed of a bullet train (besides, they wouldn't be invented for at least several decades). It was going about twenty-five miles-an-hour or there abouts. The tracks were close to the waters edge, the sun shone lazily like tiny diamonds sewn across the surface. In the distance, though it was a little hazy, Shinya could just make out mount Fuji in the distance.

Meanwhile, back in the train, Ayame and Suzume were dozing, their heads resting either side of Megumi's shoulders. Yahiko looked out the window the other side from Shinya. Meanwhile, Kaoru sneaked a glance at Kenshin who was sitting opposite from her. Sword propped up against his shoulder, he was enjoying the view out the windows with a half smile. Kaoru blushed bright red and looked into her lap, fingering the edge of her lavender kimono. She couldn't help but think distractedly of how much she liked the kimono. It was one of her favourite colours. The same as his eyes…Oh not again!

Ever since she had received those flowers from him, Kaoru could hardly keep her eyes of the rurouni, never mind stop thinking about him. Roses, they had been; rich red in colour, the same as Kenshin's thick crimson tresses. It amassed her that he had brought her such beautiful things. Perhaps he did like her too, just like Shinya had said. 'With love…' that's what it had said on the card. Kaoru could feel happiness well up inside her that she hadn't felt in such intensity since it had truly hit her that Kenshin was returning home to Tokyo after the horrors that were Shishio. Shinya, if it wasn't as secret between us two, I think I would kiss you. I know you helped.

She blinked when she realised she was staring at the rurouni again. Worse was the fact that Sanosuke had just caught the subject of her fascination. Turning bright red again, Kaoru looked away sharply.

Kenshin blinked a little at the sharp movement and glanced at the girl across from him from under his bangs. Her face was lit with a rather becoming blush. Her hair was in its usual ponytail, held back by a violet ribbon. The raven tail was swept over her shoulder, where she was fingering the silken locks. He could barely believe it. He had bought her flowers, which had put her in a dreamy, giggling daze for the rest of the day. When he had noticed the reaction, he had been heartened. He felt as if he would be able to tell her exactly what he felt when the time came. He felt a little nervous and excited at the same time. He sort of knew she had been casting him the occasional, dazed glance, which made his heart pound. Suddenly he realised someone was staring at him and it wasn't her. Sanosuke smirked with a raised eyebrow as Kenshin looked to see who it was. Kenshin blushed furiously. Baka! You've been staring at the girl for ages now! No wonder he's giving me that look!

Shinya looked at them out of the corner of his eyes, which sparkled in amusement, a smirk on his face. He couldn't wait for the festival now. Things had been taken out of his hands the moment Kenshin had screwed up the courage to utilise his own plans. Heh, heh! I'm going to enjoy this. He thought with a grin, putting his hands behind his head. He sniggered silently. As they say, 'Let the games begin!'

o0o

Despite Kaoru's warnings about 'coming prepared', the journey had passed relatively quietly – until Yahiko had started an argument with Sanosuke in regards to there being no such thing as ghosts after the train gave a particularly large clatter, sending the older one into hysterics again. It wasn't long before Megumi joined in ("I never thought you were this stupid Ondori" "Like you can talk Kitsune-onna!") while the girls cheered them on. Tsubame blushed furiously at the commotion they were making and the disapproving stares they were getting from the ticket man and passengers. Kenshin and Kaoru sunk down in their seats with embarrassment. Shinya wasn't too bothered and would have loved to join in – taunting Sanosuke had become something of a favourite pass-time. However, he couldn't very well argue there was no such thing as ghosts when he was sort of working for one himself. No, that wouldn't make him a hypocrite, would it? Instead, he had just smirked and laughed at the expressions and arguments until the ticket man came along and gave them a severe talking to. But after a rather long trip, the train finally began to slow down as Yokohama came into sight.

Shinya had only ever been to Yokohama a few times in his life back in his own time, and that had been to visit his Mother's mom during the school holidays. So Shinya had to try not to look at everything at once. Many of the houses were western in style and the streets were even busier than those of Tokyo were. He wished he could go and explore, but that would have contradicted his story of having once lived in Yokohama himself. He was just watching a group of Japanese women having their picture taken by a western man in an old-styled suit when Sanosuke caught up with him. He took one look at the camera and shuddered. "Idiots. It's a tool of the devil. It'll take one year of your life every time you have one taken. It steals your soul!"

Shinya smirked. "I thought you had one taken before? So that's why you looked like you had a pin stuck up your arse on that picture back at the dojo."

Sanosuke grumbled under his breath something about Kaoru forcing him to do it and that it's her fault if the devil has their souls. Shinya just rolled his eyes. Both of them lightened a little when Kaoru was dragging Kenshin through the crowds to look at something on a stall along the way to the port while Kenshin laughed a little. Sanosuke smirked. "Its about time Kenshin started doing somethin' about that." He said. "I was gonna make him see straight about it with my fist if he didn't"

Shinya laughed. "Sometimes I think you really need anger management, Sano."

"What?"

Shinya sighed. "Never mind…"

They watched them a few more seconds until Sanosuke smirked again. "Wanna bet on it?"

"Pardon?"

"Do you wanna bet on when they're gonna get together?"

Shinya thought for a moment before looking over at him slyly. "A bet with you? You're always loosing at gambling. Plus, what would you bet with? You must be I-don't–know-how-much in dept!"

"I have money!" Sanosuke protested loudly.

"Since when? Last time I checked, you don't work, you don't get paid, you freeload off everyone. Oh yeah, did I already mention you're in dept with just about everyone in Tokyo?" Shinya smirked at his expression.

"Am not! Anyway, if you're a chicken…"

Now it was Shinya's turn to be insulted. "Am so not! I was just telling you some advice. One day you're gonna have everyone on your case. I'll play though – if you plan on loosing! I have pretty good luck in this kinda stuff. So, what's the bet then?"

"Okay. I bet ten sen they get together after the festival."

"Feeling that lucky are we? That must be your life's earnings." Shinya laughed at Sanosuke's dark glare. He glanced at the two in front of them. Kaoru was looking giddy with happiness, while Kenshin watched with amusement and tenderness. He smirked again, remembering the package he had spotted Kenshin slipping into his things that he was willing to bet his bokken on was for a certain raven haired Kendo instructor. "Nah – I think during the festival. I bet the same amount that they'll be kissing each other by midnight!" besides, he still had nearly all the money the old priest had given him – he'd hardly used any of it during his stay with the Kenshin-Gumi.

"Deal!"

Shinya smirked again and shook on it. "Deal. Prepare to loose like you did at shogi!"

Before Sanosuke could work up a suitable retort, Kaoru had ran up to join them. "Hey Shinya! You used to live here, right? Do you want to go visit home at all?"

Shinya's mind started racing. Chikusho! He hadn't thought about that! "Erm… well, there isn't much of home to go back to… and, well, there's no one there anyway." He began to settle into a story. " It would just bring up bad memories if I went back now. It hasn't been all that long since… well…"

Kaoru and Kenshin exchanged a glance, sobering up immediately. "I'm sorry, Shinya. That was a little thoughtless of me…"

Shinya flashed her a small smile. "Don't worry about it. Besides," he added, pointing towards the dock, "I think our ride to Kyoto's here!"

To be continued…

Chosha's notes

Just a few thing to note about on this chapter. I actually have no clue how a steam engine works. It was just a speculation I had that I though Shinya could use. It will be of use later. I also made several references to an episode in the anime where they are on a train-trip to Yokohama – episode 22 in the Tokyo arc I believe. Of course, if you have only read the manga, this episode doesn't even happen. So yes – Sanosuke is actually extremely superstitious of trains, photographs etc.

This chapter was something like a bridge to the next one, which I have a few plans for, so I'm sorry if nothing much happened. I really wanted someone to have a bet on the KK thing in the story. At first I wanted to have Yahiko do it, but I thought he was saving up for a sakabato himself out of his earnings (or so he says in the manga), so he wouldn't want to bet it all away. Megumi I just couldn't see doing it just yet – especially since Shinya only just met her so hasn't even told her of the matchmaking episodes. That left good old Sanosuke to fit in the position.

The title of this chapter was actually a play on the Manga episode titles of acts 58 and 59 in volume eight, which is why it is 'To Kyoto-again!'

One last thing - The references to a priest was actually to the priest Shinya helped on his arrival to the past. If you didn't know… wait – if you didn't know, what the heck are you doing reading this chapter! Go back to the start! Ahem… Anyway, if I forgot to mention something that's confusing you, Just review with your question, criticism, praise, whatever, and I'll do my best to set things straight.

Next time on Fading Futures:

Judgements… memories… confessions of a tormented soul. A little danger can change everything… Next episode, Star-crossed past

Ja ne for now! See you next time!

Chosha Kurenai xXx