Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Blood and Amber ❯ Story ( Chapter 22 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Bookkbaby84 
Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 10.24.2004 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.6K | Visits: 538 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 10.24.2004 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.6K | Visits: 538 | Status: Completed
Megumi took in a slow breath, careful of how she worded this.
'There are certain things I'll have to leave out- if my family are going to be temporary houseguests- I'm sure they'll want to stay- they can't know everything until they know some people better.....'
"Have you ever heard of Takeda Kanryu?" she asked her family. To her dismay- or some sort of odd relief- they all nodded.
"He was that horrible man that was arrested about a year ago, I believe." her mother said. "What does he have to do with anything?"
"I was working for him." Megumi said in a low voice. Her family froze in shock. "I was his opium maker. I'd process the opium ingrediants he'd obtained for me."
"Megumi...." Kai said, almost drawing away from her. She didn't look up.
"I had been told that I was making medicine to save people. Kanryu told the truth after he killed my master- his first opium-maker. I managed to escape. Kanryu sent people after me, but I managed to my way to a safe haven." She did look up then. "The Kamiya Dojo." She continmued on, though Kaoru frowned.
'She didn't come here until after Kenshin and Sano saved her- is this why she wanted me to be quiet?'
"Ken-san and that tori-atama-"
"-Sanosuke-" her brother supplied dazedly. She nodded. "-they saved my life from those that would have taken me back to Kanryu. They're both very good men- upstanding members of society. They've saved my life, and the lives of many others. Ken-san told me that I shouldn't turn myself into the police, so I could pay for the lives I've taken with my life. He told me to live and become a doctor, so I could save people's lives. He is a very smart and gentle man. The tori-atama saved my life many times."
"Jou-chan! Fox-lady! Brat!" a voice called.
Sanosuke and Kenshin were home.
Kenshin and Sanosuke had walked back home, discussing trivial things- mostly ascertaining that they were still friends. Kenshin had even smiled during the trip home. The secret no longer hung over their heads.
"Oi, Jou-chan! Fox-lady!" Sanosuke called again. "We're back!" Kenshin felt something at the edge of his consciousness. He let the feeling in, sensing three unfamiliar ki's. They weren't angry or in any way indicating that they were about to attack. In fact, they seemed shocked. Kaoru and Megumi-dono's ki's were fine. Yahiko- nothing out of place.
Kaoru jumped up nervously, grabbing Yahiko- he had looked at though he would say something several times throughout the story, but thank Kami he had kept silent!
"Uh.... a delivery from the local restaurant!" she invented, running out the door.
Megumi was now alone with her family.
"Megumi...." he mother said, reaching for her but apparently thinking better of it.
"Do you hate me now?" Megumi said, eyes downcast again. "Will you disown me?" She was shocked when she felt two frail arms envelop her. Her mother was... hugging her?
"You are my only daughter. A Takani wouldn't kill unless she had been forced." Her mother released her, looking warmly into her eyes. "Kaoru-san has forgiven you, and she seems to be an understanding type. She wouldn't forgive you if you had killed on purpose, and besides, you wanted to hand yourself over to the police- you wouldn't do that if you wanted to kill and not be caught." Megumi had taers in her eyes. She hugged her mother tight.
"Arigatou, mama."
Kaoru nearly ran into the two men that resided in the Kamiya Dojo. Kenshin caught her.
"Kaoru, daijabou?" he asked her. She smiled.
"Megumi's family is here. They're talking with her now."
"The fox-lady's.... family?" Sano asked, practically straining the words out of his mouth.
'Would the sainted Takani's take a gangster into their family? And that's if the Fox-lady accepts me. Face it Sano, you're screwed.' He quickly shut down the hentai part of his mind, think about 'Megumi', 'screwed', and himself.
"Yes- Sano? What's wrong?" she asked. He waved her off. She started to shake her head, but noticed that Sanosuke was hurt.
"Sanosuke!" she said loudly, practically yelling at him. "What do you think you are doing, bleeding on my clean floor?!" She put her hands on her hips and stared him in the eye.
"Oh, yeah, can you get the Fox-lady to look at these for me?" he asked offhandedly. Kaoru sighed and nodded.
'That baka- he's always getting into fights.' she thought. 'Megumi-san's going to yell at him again...... and I just cleaned that floor a while ago too!'
Megumi and her family practically jumped when they heard Kaoru shouting.
"-doing, bleeding on my clean floor?!"
"That baka tori-atama!" Megumi said, pushing herself up off the floor quickly. "He's gone and gotten himself hurt again!"
"Sanosuke's gotten himself hurt again?" her mother asked. "Does he do this often? And what did that boy mean by a 'green-eyed' man?"
"I'm sorry, okaa-san." Megumi said, picking up her medicine bag. "But Kaoru can answer those questions. I have to help that baka- for all I know, he's standing up just to prove how tough he is, but he's not too badly hurt, or Kaoru-san wouldn't be yelling at him." She looked over her shoulder. "Ken-san and Kaoru-san can answer any other questions you might have." Megumi walked out of the room, yelling for Kaoru.
"Kaoru! Get Ken-san and talk to my family! I'll help the baka....." Her voice stopped reaching them as she got farther and farther away.
Yahiko sighed.
"They always forget about me." he muttered, looking out the door. Her glanced sideways at Megumi's family.
"I can answer any quick questions you have." he said, crossing his arms in front of his body. "At least until Kenshin and busu get here."
"What kind of a man is Kenshin? Yes, yes, Megumi may say that he's an upstanding member of society, but we don't know much else about him. And what about this 'Sanosuke' person?" Megumi's mother looked directly at him,as though she could see right through him and see if he were lying.
"Well, Kenshin's Japan's number one guy. He's the coolest. I'm going to be able to fight just like him when I'm older!" Yahiko declared. "Sanosuke just mooches off of busu and gambles and drinks, but he helps Kenshin a lot. He's strong too."
"A gambler and a drunk?" Megumi's mother said dubiously. "Gambling is illeagel!" Yahiko just looked at her, as if to say 'so?'.
Just then the door opened, and two people walked in.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Kaoru said, smiling.
"We're very sorry." Kenshin said, bowing slightly. They both sat down, Kenshin placing his sword beside him- always near, but not threatening to the visitors.
"Oh, this is Kenshin." Kaoru said.
"They could probably have guessed that, busu." Yahiko commented from Kenshin's other side.
"Don't call me ugly, Yahiko-CHAN!" Kaoru said.
"Don't call me -CHAN!" Yahiko said, preparing to leap at her.
"Maybe we shouldn't fight in front of Megumi-dono's family?" Kenshin said. Kaoru still bristled, but calmed down. Yahiko sat down again, but he 'hmphed' loudly and crossed his arms.
"Well...... Kenshin, correct?" Megumi's mother asked. Kenshin nodded, looking at her. "What do you do for a living? I noticed that you still have a sword- are you a policeman?"
"No. I live at the dojo and do some work. Kaoru lets me stay here. I am a rurouni, though I don't really wander anymore."
"What's with the katana? Do you fight a lot?" Megumi's older brother asked. Kenshin looked at him.
"My katana can't really hurt anyone. Here, let me show you." Kenshin held the scabbard of the blade out to Kai, the hilt end first. Kai slowly drew the blade out.
"It's reversed." He shoved the katana back inside the sheath. "Why do you still carry around a blade anyways? You can't do anything with it, and it's against the law!" Kenshin looked down at his lap for a moment, then answered carefully.
"I carry this around so that I can- at least- protect the ones around me- the ones I love." He barely managed to avoid looking at Kaoru outright- he just galnced ta her from teh corner of his eye. "I don't need to kill to protect, and I once made a vow never to kill. I carry this to make sure I can uphold that vow and still protect."
"Do you use it often?" Komakai asked. Kenshin hesitated. He knew that Komakai was asking if the dojo was often in danger. He didn't want to lie, but he didn't want to alarm Megumi-dono's family.
"I use it when I must." he said. Vague, but it was the truth.
'There are certain things I'll have to leave out- if my family are going to be temporary houseguests- I'm sure they'll want to stay- they can't know everything until they know some people better.....'
"Have you ever heard of Takeda Kanryu?" she asked her family. To her dismay- or some sort of odd relief- they all nodded.
"He was that horrible man that was arrested about a year ago, I believe." her mother said. "What does he have to do with anything?"
"I was working for him." Megumi said in a low voice. Her family froze in shock. "I was his opium maker. I'd process the opium ingrediants he'd obtained for me."
"Megumi...." Kai said, almost drawing away from her. She didn't look up.
"I had been told that I was making medicine to save people. Kanryu told the truth after he killed my master- his first opium-maker. I managed to escape. Kanryu sent people after me, but I managed to my way to a safe haven." She did look up then. "The Kamiya Dojo." She continmued on, though Kaoru frowned.
'She didn't come here until after Kenshin and Sano saved her- is this why she wanted me to be quiet?'
"Ken-san and that tori-atama-"
"-Sanosuke-" her brother supplied dazedly. She nodded. "-they saved my life from those that would have taken me back to Kanryu. They're both very good men- upstanding members of society. They've saved my life, and the lives of many others. Ken-san told me that I shouldn't turn myself into the police, so I could pay for the lives I've taken with my life. He told me to live and become a doctor, so I could save people's lives. He is a very smart and gentle man. The tori-atama saved my life many times."
"Jou-chan! Fox-lady! Brat!" a voice called.
Sanosuke and Kenshin were home.
Kenshin and Sanosuke had walked back home, discussing trivial things- mostly ascertaining that they were still friends. Kenshin had even smiled during the trip home. The secret no longer hung over their heads.
"Oi, Jou-chan! Fox-lady!" Sanosuke called again. "We're back!" Kenshin felt something at the edge of his consciousness. He let the feeling in, sensing three unfamiliar ki's. They weren't angry or in any way indicating that they were about to attack. In fact, they seemed shocked. Kaoru and Megumi-dono's ki's were fine. Yahiko- nothing out of place.
Kaoru jumped up nervously, grabbing Yahiko- he had looked at though he would say something several times throughout the story, but thank Kami he had kept silent!
"Uh.... a delivery from the local restaurant!" she invented, running out the door.
Megumi was now alone with her family.
"Megumi...." he mother said, reaching for her but apparently thinking better of it.
"Do you hate me now?" Megumi said, eyes downcast again. "Will you disown me?" She was shocked when she felt two frail arms envelop her. Her mother was... hugging her?
"You are my only daughter. A Takani wouldn't kill unless she had been forced." Her mother released her, looking warmly into her eyes. "Kaoru-san has forgiven you, and she seems to be an understanding type. She wouldn't forgive you if you had killed on purpose, and besides, you wanted to hand yourself over to the police- you wouldn't do that if you wanted to kill and not be caught." Megumi had taers in her eyes. She hugged her mother tight.
"Arigatou, mama."
Kaoru nearly ran into the two men that resided in the Kamiya Dojo. Kenshin caught her.
"Kaoru, daijabou?" he asked her. She smiled.
"Megumi's family is here. They're talking with her now."
"The fox-lady's.... family?" Sano asked, practically straining the words out of his mouth.
'Would the sainted Takani's take a gangster into their family? And that's if the Fox-lady accepts me. Face it Sano, you're screwed.' He quickly shut down the hentai part of his mind, think about 'Megumi', 'screwed', and himself.
"Yes- Sano? What's wrong?" she asked. He waved her off. She started to shake her head, but noticed that Sanosuke was hurt.
"Sanosuke!" she said loudly, practically yelling at him. "What do you think you are doing, bleeding on my clean floor?!" She put her hands on her hips and stared him in the eye.
"Oh, yeah, can you get the Fox-lady to look at these for me?" he asked offhandedly. Kaoru sighed and nodded.
'That baka- he's always getting into fights.' she thought. 'Megumi-san's going to yell at him again...... and I just cleaned that floor a while ago too!'
Megumi and her family practically jumped when they heard Kaoru shouting.
"-doing, bleeding on my clean floor?!"
"That baka tori-atama!" Megumi said, pushing herself up off the floor quickly. "He's gone and gotten himself hurt again!"
"Sanosuke's gotten himself hurt again?" her mother asked. "Does he do this often? And what did that boy mean by a 'green-eyed' man?"
"I'm sorry, okaa-san." Megumi said, picking up her medicine bag. "But Kaoru can answer those questions. I have to help that baka- for all I know, he's standing up just to prove how tough he is, but he's not too badly hurt, or Kaoru-san wouldn't be yelling at him." She looked over her shoulder. "Ken-san and Kaoru-san can answer any other questions you might have." Megumi walked out of the room, yelling for Kaoru.
"Kaoru! Get Ken-san and talk to my family! I'll help the baka....." Her voice stopped reaching them as she got farther and farther away.
Yahiko sighed.
"They always forget about me." he muttered, looking out the door. Her glanced sideways at Megumi's family.
"I can answer any quick questions you have." he said, crossing his arms in front of his body. "At least until Kenshin and busu get here."
"What kind of a man is Kenshin? Yes, yes, Megumi may say that he's an upstanding member of society, but we don't know much else about him. And what about this 'Sanosuke' person?" Megumi's mother looked directly at him,as though she could see right through him and see if he were lying.
"Well, Kenshin's Japan's number one guy. He's the coolest. I'm going to be able to fight just like him when I'm older!" Yahiko declared. "Sanosuke just mooches off of busu and gambles and drinks, but he helps Kenshin a lot. He's strong too."
"A gambler and a drunk?" Megumi's mother said dubiously. "Gambling is illeagel!" Yahiko just looked at her, as if to say 'so?'.
Just then the door opened, and two people walked in.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Kaoru said, smiling.
"We're very sorry." Kenshin said, bowing slightly. They both sat down, Kenshin placing his sword beside him- always near, but not threatening to the visitors.
"Oh, this is Kenshin." Kaoru said.
"They could probably have guessed that, busu." Yahiko commented from Kenshin's other side.
"Don't call me ugly, Yahiko-CHAN!" Kaoru said.
"Don't call me -CHAN!" Yahiko said, preparing to leap at her.
"Maybe we shouldn't fight in front of Megumi-dono's family?" Kenshin said. Kaoru still bristled, but calmed down. Yahiko sat down again, but he 'hmphed' loudly and crossed his arms.
"Well...... Kenshin, correct?" Megumi's mother asked. Kenshin nodded, looking at her. "What do you do for a living? I noticed that you still have a sword- are you a policeman?"
"No. I live at the dojo and do some work. Kaoru lets me stay here. I am a rurouni, though I don't really wander anymore."
"What's with the katana? Do you fight a lot?" Megumi's older brother asked. Kenshin looked at him.
"My katana can't really hurt anyone. Here, let me show you." Kenshin held the scabbard of the blade out to Kai, the hilt end first. Kai slowly drew the blade out.
"It's reversed." He shoved the katana back inside the sheath. "Why do you still carry around a blade anyways? You can't do anything with it, and it's against the law!" Kenshin looked down at his lap for a moment, then answered carefully.
"I carry this around so that I can- at least- protect the ones around me- the ones I love." He barely managed to avoid looking at Kaoru outright- he just galnced ta her from teh corner of his eye. "I don't need to kill to protect, and I once made a vow never to kill. I carry this to make sure I can uphold that vow and still protect."
"Do you use it often?" Komakai asked. Kenshin hesitated. He knew that Komakai was asking if the dojo was often in danger. He didn't want to lie, but he didn't want to alarm Megumi-dono's family.
"I use it when I must." he said. Vague, but it was the truth.