From: L X Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin doesn't belong to me. It belongs to its respectful owners . Standard disclaimers apply. SPOILER ALERT: Um...it talks some about Sanosuke's past (childhood). VINDICTIVE SPIRITS by lily-dono -------------------------------- Chapter Two: First Meeting -------------------------------- Kenshin stepped out of the laundry tub and tossed Kaoru a towel. "Gomen nasai de gozaru. I shouldn't have splashed you so much," he said politely while pulling the tie out of his soaked hair. The flame red hair cascaded down to cover his back like a veil. He took all of it in one hand and began to wring some of the soapy water out. Kaoru watched mesmerized. Snapping out of her stupor, she stepped out of the laundry tub, picked some clothing he was washing off of her, and wrapped herself with the towel dispite still wearing the drenched kimono. "No apology necessary, Kenshin. It was my fault. I...er...fell in the tub and started it," she replied. "No. I shouldn't have splashed you back," he replied almost emotionless. 'Kuso. He's blaming himself again!' she thought, then decided to lighten the situation up. "But it was fun, wasn't it? I haven't been in a splashing fight for such a long time! So nostalgic! I should be thanking you," she said cheerfully. She was rewarded promptly with a great big smile from Kenshin. "You should go change. You don't want to catch a cold," he said, wringing the last of the soapy water out his hair. "You should too. Megumi won't be happy when both of us show up with colds," she answered. "Hai!" he replied and started walking inside the dojo. Kaoru put her hand in Kenshin's and smiled up at the inquisitive, confused, violet eyes. He understood immediately and intwined his fingers in those of Kaoru's and walked slowly toward their rooms. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sano Futae no Kiwamied another tree and it crumbled into dust. Anger surged through every part of him and sweat soaked his clothes and bandages. 'How could I be so stupid?' he thought, 'How could I let Fox Lady...no, Megumi go?' Sano scooped up some of the dust from the tree he just destroyed. He let it fall between his fingers. 'I had her and I let her slip past my fingers just like this dust.' He recalled what she had told him earlier. "You space out quite often and you never seem to be you anymore. You just seem to be someone else. Sanosuke, you never act like you used to. You disappear often and I'm tired of waiting up and worrying about you." Then, the words that had hurt the most. "You're not the Sano I knew and fell in love with. You're...you're someone else." 'Fool! She loved you and you let her go!' a little voice his head screamed. He punched another tree. "Megumi doesn't understand," he muttered to himself, "She doesn't understand why I acted like that. I didn't even know I acted like that, but at least I know why." Tears welled up in his brown, ex-ganster eyes. "She doesn't understand what it was like to be Sekihotai. She doesn't understand what it was like to be betrayed, hunted down, and have the people you care about massacred. She doesn't understand what it was like to lose Captain Sagara." At the mention of his beloved mentor's name, the tears streamed down and he collapsed in a heap on the forest ground. "I couldn't help it! How could I?" he screamed to no one in particular, "All the memories came back. I needed to be alone. I need some time to myself. How could I help it that it was the anniversary of Captain Sagara Souzou's death?" He punched a giant crater in the moist forest soil. The tears streamed down his face and fell into the crater, pooling at the bottom. "Taisho...why did you have to die? Why did you push me away? Why couldn't you have taken the plunge with me? Why?" he shook his fist in the air before falling to his knees again. A wind blew past him. It chilled him, but he did nothing to warm himself. The wind died down and a voice whispered sharply, "Sanosuke!" Sano paid no attention to it. He stared at the ground beneath him. The voice got louder. "Sanosuke!" "Megumi. I don't want to talk right now," he replied, not looking up. "Sanosuke of the Sekihotai! You will answer when your captain is speaking to you!" He sharply lifted his head to see the familiar figure of his deceased Captain Sagara. 'Had it been so long that I no longer recognize his voice? No! I vowed I'd always remember! Never would I forget him. Have I kept that vow?" he thought to himself. Tears once again blurred his vision and he rubbed them away. "Captain...Taisho," he managed to croak out. He lept out to hug his captain and to his surprise, he did not pass through his captain. Sano was too overjoyed with happiness that the thought just passed through his mind. "I am happy to see you again," Captain Sagara said. He glanced around at the dusty heaps that used to be trees. "I see that you have learned Futae no Kiwami, after all," he murmured. "Hai, Captain!" Sano replied sharply and saluted. "No, it is not necessary. The Sekihotai is no more. I am no longer Captain. I am just Sagara Souzou," he replied. Sano stared in disbelief. He began to doubt if the man that stood in front of him was really Sagara Souzou. 'Taisho is dead, but how could this be? Did he return?' Sano thought, but he was blinded by the joy that his beloved Captain was back that he dismissed the thought immediately. "So, what has happened in Japan all those years?" Souzou asked, jokingly. Sano smiled. Maybe his captain has been reincarnated on the anniversary of his death. This wasn't a hallucination. He was here for real. Sano sure hoped it was true. He began to tell his captain, friend, and mentor about the recent events and he didn't notice a latent figure in a black, hooded cloak watching. Long, dark violet strands of hair covered amber eyes. The eyes narrowed and began to glow. Sano, who was still busy talking and joking with his Captain, he didn't notice that his captain's eyes were specked with amber and for a very brief moment, glowed a faint red. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kaoru changed out of her wet training clothes into a plain green kimono. It was no special day, no, it was! Today was Yahiko's birthday. 'How could it slip my mind?' Kaoru reprimanded herself. She quickly opened her purse and counted out the money. She had been saving up any extra money and had just enough for a special birthday dinner at the Akabeko and a small cake. She had ordered it in advance and was glad that she had enough to pay Tae entirely. She happily grabbed the purse and tucked it into her obi and ran into Kenshin's room. "Oro!" he yelped as Kaoru caught him just as he was changing into a new, dry hakama. Kaoru and Kenshin both flushed the same color as Kenshin's hair as they both turned away. "G...Gomen nasai, but today's Yahiko's birthday and there's enough for a dinner at the Akabeko," Kaoru began. She took a peek and saw that Kenshin had his blue gi on. She faced Kenshin and finished, "Would you invite Megumi and Dr. Genzai? He's visiting a friend now, but he promised to be back in a few hours. He wouldn't miss Yahiko's birthday. I've written Misao. She has agreed to come. I can't believe I forgot!" "Don't worry. Yahiko'll have a good birthday. I'll go invite Megumi and Dr. Genzai. Ja, Kaoru!" Kenshin took off to the clinic. Kaoru sighed and sat down on Kenshin's futon. She heard a rapping at the gate and got up. It turned out to be Jiya, Misao, and Aoshi! Kaoru was delighted and greeted them all. "Oi Misao! I'm so glad you could make it! You too, Okina. I didn't think you'd come, Aoshi-san," Kaoru said opening the gates for them. "We saw Himura-san run out of the dojo. He ran smack into Aoshi-sama!" Misao giggled. "Oh so he did, huh? I guess Kenshin's getting clumsy," Kaoru giggled as well, "What brings you here, Aoshi?" "I have some business in Tokyo," Aoshi replied emotionless as usual, "Misao, Okina, you know where to find me." He immediately walked off into the woods. "Will Aoshi join us for dinner?" Kaoru asked. "Who knows?" Jiya and Misao both replied. "Come on. Yahiko's working at the Akabeko until 3. We've got to decorate the room at the Akabeko before Yahiko gets off his shift and he can't see it. It's a surprise!" "Okay! I'm up to it! How about you, Jiya?" Misao exclaimed. "Shouldn't Yahiko have his birthday here, at the dojo?" he inquired. "I know, I know, but kami-sama knows I can't cook and I thought that a party with all his friends would be just the thing for him. I got you guys to come the day of his party so he wouldn't suspect anything," Kaoru replied, "Too bad, Yutaro couldn't make it." "Well, we've got lots to do and let's not waste anymore time. Let's get going!" Jiya exclaimed and all three grabbed boxes and walked to the Akabeko. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Megumi..." a soft voice said. Megumi lifted her tearstained face to look at who had called her. The tears blurred her vision, but she saw bright red. "Kenshin?" she croaked. "Hai. Kaoru sent me over to invite you for dinner tonight. It's Yahiko's birthday. Have you seen Sano? He wasn't around this morning," Kenshin began, "Megumi-dono, are you alright?" Megumi lifted her sleeve up to wipe away the tears. "Hai, I'm fine. I don't know where Sano is." "What's wrong? You're soaked. You weren't out in the rain last night, were you?" There was a hint of worry in the rurouni's voice. Megumi said nothing. She closed her eyes for a moment and opened it when she felt someone's arms around her shoulders. "It's ok, please tell me what's wrong," Kenshin asked. Megumi nodded and began to tell her little story. "...so last night, I broke up with that baka roosterhead, and..." Megumi was overcome with tears and her voice was cracking. "Ssh...it's ok, Megumi. I've noticed it too, but give him sometime and he'll be back to his old self," Kenshin said, trying to comfort Megumi. "I hope you're right, Ken-san." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A mile in the forest, within some shady trees, a small whirlwind appeared. When it dissipated, a lone figure in a hooded cloak stood on the forest soil. The figure was a woman. She pushed back her hood to reveal a head of long, silky, dark violet hair. On her pale, heart-shaped face, were two bright amber eyes and a small, scarlet, cherry mouth. With a snap of her fingers, her tent appeared and she tossed her cloak on her futon. She pointed her left index finger at the table, concentrated, and a porcelain urn with Makoto Shishio's ashes appeared. She took his ashes with her everywhere. It had taken her much of her psychic power to retrieve every ash of his burnt body. Kneeling at the urn and clasping her hands together, she began to pray for her beloved, deceased brother. "Shishio-kun, my first step in avenging your death is beginning. Sagara Sanosuke has met the demonic spirit of his beloved Captain and if all goes well, Sanosuke will be dead by his own hand soon. I have yet to bring the possessed spirits to the okashira or the Battousai, but they will meet soon. I, Shishira, have promised to avenge your death, dear brother and I will be sure they die by their own hand so they can never be reincarnated," Shishira paused, "You always cared so much for me. You never let me join you in your battles for conquest fearing I would get hurt. Shishio-kun, I thank you once again for sending me to Katsumi-san to learn to harness my mental powers. Without her training, I would not be able to get demons to take the form of their loved ones. I would not be able to avenge your death." She heard the sound of a twig snapping outside and lept outside. It was a rabbit who had wandered too far from its burrow. Shishira easily ended its life with a simple ki energy blast and began to cook a rabbit stew. "Like the rabbit, I will destroy you. Sagara-san's time is coming to a close and so will yours, Shinomori and Battousai." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Note: Thanks minna for your positive feedback! C&C is very welcome!! Gomen about giving Shishio's sister such a pathetic name (actually, it's a combo between Shishio and Shura). I hope this chapter lived up to any expectations and it doesn't turn up to have a big discrepancy like chapter one. *smiles sheepishly* ___________________________________________________________________ Why pay more to get Web access? 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