Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ May The Sun Shine Forever ❯ A Rude Awakening ( Chapter 5 )

.:*May The Sun Shine Forever*:.

*Author's Note: Hey! Cassi's baq… baq again…lol! Got two new characters in, well, one's original, the other's not. Unfortunately for me, I've learned the five stages of Authorism.

1. Exhilaration- Author achieves idea and begins typing. Examples: Unnecessary shouts of, "I have an idea! I can type!"

2. Slump- Author slowly starts to crumble and fray. Examples: "I…can't…type.." Writer's block and no ideas are common side effects. Writer WILL be dangerous if provoked. It is a good time to make new friends and stay away from writer. Far away.

3. Denial- Author realizes that all work is just a lousy piece of crap. Examples: "I…suck…" Weeping, moaning, crying, etc. will all be shown in the most excessive forms. Writer will become moody and may become fat if he or she starts to overeat. Buy laxatives. (jk)

4. Rebirth- Writer feels rejuvenated, and starts to slowly become more and more hyper. Ideas begin to fill. Examples: "I…Can…WRITE!" Be prepared for paper shortage in the house for the next few days.

I'm somewhere in stage 4 right now. My parents and my sister are still hiding from stage 3. *cower cower* Hehehe…*

Chapter Five

…Soujiro Seta. Much to the amusement of the younger man, Kenshin leapt to his feet, and stumbled backwards. Unfortunately, in his haste, he did not see where he was going…

"Hah!"

With a spin, Sano crouched, tense, ready to spring.

Seeing no one there, Sano straightened up and ran his fingers through his hair.

After the incident with the music box the day before, the entire Kenshin -gumi( minus Kenshin) had taken to searching dark corners and looking behind their shoulders everywhere they went. Kaoru had discovered the music box in the laundry bin, but it vanished as soon as she tried to call the others. Ayame had been discovered playing with it, but it immediately evaporated, much to her distress. Kaoru quickly came up with an project to take everyone's mind off the current haunting. Everyone was now outside in the garden -to -be, where Kaoru had declared they needed one.

As Sano prepared to go search for more food to ease his hunger pains, he heard a scream rent the air. Without a second thought, he dashed out to where the rest were planting.

"Kenshin…"

"Kaoru? Miss Kaoru? Where..?"

Something about the voice did not ring true. Stumbling blindly through the snow, Kenshin shivered and groped around for anything, anything that could be used as a landmark.

"I'm here.."

"Where?"

Urgency lined his voice as his hands, numbed with snow, stretched out farther.

"I'm here, and I'll always be here."

*CRASH*

"Oro…!"

*CRACK*

"Orooo…."

As Kenshin passed out back into unconsciousness, Soujiro guiltily berated himself.

"Now look what you've done! First you scare the man into tripping over a gravestone, then he knocks himself unconscious for the next day. He finally shows signs of waking up, and how do you decide to act? You pour a bucket of water when you clearly know that it's below freezing."

As he carefully removed the shards of ice from the rurouni's face, a voice sleepily came out from behind him.

"Soujiro -kun? It's still too early for Himura to wake up. Give it a few more hours."

Shifting his feet so that the red -haired man was completely hidden from view, Soujiro hastily tried to hide the pieces of ice that had bounced around the floor.

"Er, yes, I know. I'm just, er, checking up on him. Go back to sleep Kari -chan"

Braving a peek, he turned around to smile an all -too -familiar grin at the other person in the room.

A brown -haired girl of sixteen with a pout pasted on her delicate features frowned back at him.

"Call me Kari -chan again and you die. Besides," she replied haughtily, "I'm practically as old as you are."

Grinning, Soujiro went back to trying to clean off Kenshin's face.

"Whatever."

With a toss of her with her back to him.

"You know," she added, looking back over her shoulder. "I liked you a lot better when you had no emotions. Back then you actually had manners."

Soujiro let out a sigh of relief as she left. He quickly finished wiping off Kenshin's face. Standing up, he rolled his neck out and straighten any tight muscles. Preoccupied with stretching, he didn't see Kari behind him.

With a cry of glee, Kari leapt onto him. Clutching him around the middle, she squeezed hard, causing him to overbalance and collapse with her on his shoulders.

Laughing at his bemused expression, Kari shifted her gaze to the man resting on the floor.

"Hmm?"

Keeping one arm wrapped tightly around his neck (*chokechoke* Kari, you're strangling me!), she picked up a piece of ice with her free hand.

"What's this from?"

When no answer came, Kari looked at Soujiro. Noticing his rapidly coloring face, Kari immediately let go of him. Coughing and panting, Soujiro managed to rasp out,

"Nothing, nothing at all."

Giggling, she pushed away from him and ran back to her room. Rubbing his sore neck, Soujiro leaned back on one elbow. Outside, he saw the trees scrape the skyline with their fantastic branches, white -laden with snow. Birds chirped inside their homes, warm and snug. The last flock of butterflies winged their way south, seeking more suitable climates.

Ever since Shishio's death, Soujiro had been wandering about, although he never strayed more then a few cities away from Kyoto. Something about the city enraptured him, and always drew him back. Now he had a home, which was his, and a friend he had picked up along his travels.

With a deep breath, he tilted his head back. A motion behind him told him that Kenshin was awake. Without turning around, he spoke.

"Mr. Himura, I'm glad to see you're awake."

Kenshin pushed away the blankets and sat up. Seeing the boy was unarmed, he relaxed. Noting the small fragments of ice around him he asked,

"Is there any chance that someone, perhaps, threw a bucket of ice on me while I was asleep?"

Soujiro sweatdropped.

"No, why do you ask?"

"Just wondering."

Setting his hands on the wood floor, Soujiro pushed himself up and brushed off his clothes. Facing Kenshin with a smile, he spoke.

"Well, I'll go and help Kari -kun with the breakfast. We'll be able to talk then, and I'm sure you have as many questions as I do for you, so rest awhile while I go!"

Bowing slightly to the amethyst -eyed man, Soujiro left and walked out.

With many questions running threw his mind, Kenshin picked out the most reoccurring one. What had he been dreaming?

*Author's Note: Oo! Long one! Goody, goody. I still would like some reviews. Reviews are good. Very good. So good they're good. And good means…gooooood.*