Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ What Was Lost Is Found ❯ Chapter II ( Chapter 2 )

What Was Lost Is Found
Chapter 2

Darkness to light,
Sunlight to shadows,
an era ends,
a new one emerges.
What was lost is found...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Souzou's grin widended even more as he heard Sanosuke's startled words.

Kenshin relaxed a little and Sanosuke's fist dropped. Souzou stood in front of Sanosuke like a mirage in the desert. He seemed...not real, like an apparition that would disappear in an instant. His idol had died ten years ago, murdered by the dirty government of the Revolution. Now, he was back and standing right before him. It was almost more then Sanosuke could bear. His hands and began to tremble and he stuffed them deep into the pockets of his white pants to hide it.

"Hello, Sanosuke," Souzou said smoothly.

Sanosuke opened his mouth as if to say something back, but no sound came out. He shut it again quickly and cleared his throat. His cheeks and ears flushed pink and he squirmed uncomfortably underneath the piercing gaze of his former teacher.

"You can't have possibly forgotten me, now can you?" Souzou inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"No!" Sanosuke burst out, vehemently. "How could I ever forget you?!"

Souzou raised the other eyebrow, his dark eyes glinting with amusement. Kenshin was looking curiously from one dark-haired man to the other. His purple eyes reflected the confusment mirrored in Sanosuke's. Kaoru, Yahiko, and the girls stood silent where they were, knowing better then to intrude right now.

Sanosuke swallowed and broke his gaze with the former Sekihoutai captain. "You were my teacher, my master. Almost like...almost like a father to me. I could never forget you." He stared at the distant horizon, eyes unfocused and glassy.

Souzou's mouth quirked and he took a step forward. "Sanosuke."

Sanosuke's gaze met his once more, except this time, his eyes were brimming over with tears. He tried to say something, but choked as a tear slipped down his face, leaving its tell-tale silvery trail behind. Souzou reached out to the younger man, and he fell into a stong embrace.

He stood there, tears forming at the corners of his own eyes as he hugged Sanosuke tight as he cried, just as he had done many times before. The others discreetly moved inside, silently, trusting that the man, whoever he was, would take care of Sanosuke.

Sanosuke hugged Souzou hard around his shoulders. "I can't believe...can't believe you're back," he choked out around his tears. "Me and Katsu...we thought...when you didn't come back...you left us...you had been killed." He stopped, choked off once more.

Souzou returned the embrace and replied. "No, no, I didn't leave you! I came back...but you were gone. Katsu also. I have been searching for you these past ten years, hoping beyond all hope that you had somehow survived. I had seen all of my friends and comrades murdered before my eyes. All of them...except for you and Katsu. So I held on to that small sliver of hope, for it was all I had. And I'm glad I did, for I have found you and Katsu once more."

Sanosuke looked up, face and eyes shining. "You've seen Katsu?"

Souzou shrugged. "Briefly. I saw him walking down the road. I don't know where he lives."

Sanosuke grinned, the cocky grin he had kept for over a decade. It tore at Souzou's heart as he remembered that smile on the face of a young, innocent little boy, who had followed him like a loyal puppy where ever he had gone. "I'll take you to him, tomorrow. Boy, won't he be surprised when he sees who comes walking through his door!" Then his face grew serious. "I didn't find Katsu until about five months ago. We were separated when they took you and the rest of the group away, and hadn't seen each other since." He lead the older man to the steps of the dojo and sat down, motioning for Souzou to join him.

Souzou nodded, his eyes bitter and his heart heavy. "If there was any way I could have prevented any of this from happening, I would have done so." His voice came out calm and collected as always, but with a sharper undertone. "I lost you for ten years, but now I've found you again, so I guess that's all that matters." He relaxed and leaned back on his elbows, smiling a little at Sanosuke. "You and Katsu were, rather are, my favorites and now that you are with me once again, my plans can be put into action."

Now it was Sanosuke's turn to raise his eyebrows. "What plans?" he asked, voice heisitant.

An eager light glimmered in Souzou's eyes. "I'm going to rebuild the Sekihoutai, and restore its good name, now and forever. The Sekihoutai will be returned to its former days of glory, protecting the innocent people and helping those who need it most. We will rise above all and help keep the peace of this era, our names shall be known throughout Japan!"

Sanosuke's eyes widened and he sat up, an excited grin on his handsome face. "Yeah!" he shouted. "Your name will be cleared once and for all!"

"So you'll help me?" Souzou asked.

"Of course!" Sanosuke exclaimed. "Did you even have to ask?!"

Souzou grinned. "I guess not."

And the reunited teacher and pupil sat outside, under a darkening sky and talked, recapping all that had happened since the years of the Revolution. Happiness and excitement danced in the air around them, sparking like electricity and creating a perfume more potent then any poison. They talked late into the night, until finally drowsy from the night air and from so many things going through their heads, they retired to beds, Souzou going back to his room, eagerly awaiting the next morning, when they would begin work on their dream.

Sanosuke was so caught up in the excitement, that he only realized he had forgotton to ask Souzou how he had survived when he was already in bed and staring at a darkened ceiling.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sano awoke the next morning to bright sunlight streaming through his closed eyelids. Bright patterns spun and danced on the insides of his eyes and created a swirling whirlpool of color. Moaning, he rolled over and buried his face in the sleeve of his white jacket, before remembering all that had happened last night. With a start, he sat straight up and glanced at the source of the light. It was still early morning. Good. He had been afraif he had slept the day away once again and had missed out on helping Master Sagara find Katsu.

Master Sagara! The events of yesterday came back to him in a flood; washing through his mind he felt slightly dizzy and almost considered laying back down for a while. He wasn't dead, he was back. He wasn't dead, he was back. A little voice at the back of his mind chanted the phrase over and over until it became a monotony that engraved itself upon Sano's brain. The Sekihoutai was going to be rebuilt, his master had returned, and his best friend was found again. The world seemed to be perfect.

Standing up and stretching lazily, Sano felt that he would burst with happiness. He could not remember feeling this kind of optmism since, well, since...he didn't know! Everything was right with the world, and nothing could pull him down. He was walking on clouds, dancing with faries, and singing with mermaids.

Sanosuke was barely aware of his surroundings as he walked out of his room and down the long hallway. Not that he needed to be, for he knew Kaoru's house like the back of his hand. Ever since he had been kicked out of his old residence (for not being able to pay the rent) Kaoru had taken him on as another boarder--"free-loader" as she put it--and given him a room. He helped her out with odd jobs around the dojo, and once in a while ran a few errands for her. All in all, he really didn't do much to deserve a room and food, but he knew Kaoru just didn't have the heart to kick him out.

Stifling a yawn, he breezed out onto the dojo's porch and plopped himself down next to Kaoru, who was sitting there, waiting for Kenshin to finish making breakfast. "Morning, Kaoru," he greeted her.

She looked over at him, startled. "Since when do you get out of bed before the day's half over?" she asked, not unkindly.

He gave her a sassy grin and leaned back on his elbows. "Ever since this morning."

Rolling her eyes, Kaoru ignored what he had said and instead replied, "Master Sagara was here way before you were up. He left a few minutes ago--"

"What?!" Sanosuke yelled, jumping up. "Why? Did he say why he was going?"

"--and said he'd be back in about an hour. He was only going to go and run a few errands, he said," she continued, glaring at him for the rude interruption.

Sitting back down, Sano breathed a sigh of relief. "Breakfast's ready!" Kenshin called over to them, smiling.

Running over, Sanosuke gulped a plate of food, and sat down once more, waiting impatiently for his idol to return so they could begin their mission.