"Ma-Ma-Ma-Masaka!!" Miki cried, pausing to look back from the ground they had covered, "Look!! The forest is on fire!!" She then grabbed onto Kaoru, who was just realizing it herself. "W-What should we do?!"
"G-g-g-get the hell out of here, that's what!" Kaoru stammered. She started running again, this time, Miki hanging on her back. "A-ano... could you run on your own?? You're kind of heavy..."
"Aa!! Over there!!" Miki called, pointing over her head, "Those guys are from town... what are they doing??!" Kaoru put her down and the two of them went to check it out. "Nee, what is going on?! Can't you see this place is burning down! You've got to get out of here right away!"
"We'd love to if we knew where to go!" sighed one of them, "Some idiot broke the bridge and we can't find the way back to the boats. Not to mention, Shinnosuke is still looking for his sister."
"Jaa... which way did he go?" Kaoru asked, "I'll go find them while you guys head in the direction of the cliffs. I'm sure you can climb down with some rope and then run along shore until you find the boats."
"Demo, Kaoru-san!" Miki gasped, "What about you? You can't possibly go looking for them in this condition! I'll go with you...!"
Kaoru firmly shook her head. "Don't worry about me. I'll find the others and then get to safety right away. Demo, Miki-san, I leave you in charge of getting these guys to the shore in time."
Miki slowly nodded her head. "H-Hai. I understand."
"Hold on a minute!!" exclaimed one of the townsmen, "Who said we needed some women's help?! We're fine on our own!!"
"NANI YO!?" Miki snapped, turning towards them with a scary face, "You guys better move it or else things are going to get ugly!! SAA, MOVE IT ALREADY!!"
"HAI!!" the group of men cried, as she chased them off in the direction to the cliffs. 'Uwah, now we know who's the boss of that couple...'
Kaoru slid to a stop and watched as they disappeared in the woods. Clenching her fists, she lowered her head, the sounds of burning in her ears. 'Kono toki ni... it's just like that time...'
At a safe place on the side of the mountain, Yashiitomo watched the torched forest from a distance, "Hmhmhm... someday surely," he chuckled, his hair blowing into his eyes, "The dream will die..."
* * *
"Haaaa!! Take this!!" Sanosuke growled as he punched two thugs and threw them across the yard into a pile. The remaining few chickened out and ran away, leaving behind their unconscious friends. "And don't come back, ya losers!!"
"Too easy." Yahiko said, resting his shinai onto his shoulder as three other thugs fell at his feet. "Surely, the tough guys are going to show themselves any moment now. What do you gonna do now, Smartass??"
"Dunno. I guess I'll fight them." Sanosuke noted, scratching his head. He then pounded his fists together. "Yoshi!! Where are they!?! I'm ready!!"
"You should have something in your stomachs firsts. It's not healthy if you don't eat." Tsubame replied, she and Tae serving dishes at the outdoor grill, "Yahiko-kun, this is for you."
"A-Arigatou!" he stammered as she handed him a shiskabob. He bashfully shuffled his feet as she prepared him a cup of tea to go along with it. "Tsubame, perhaps you and the others should get out of here... I-I mean, we beat up some of those yakuza, surely they'll be back and angry..."
"D-demo..." she uttered, smiling slightly as she held out the teacup. She could see his face in the reflection of the green tea. "I want to be close by... even if its dangerous... being near Yahiko-kun makes me happy..."
Yahiko went red. "Uwah! Y-Yamero!! Don't say such embarrassing things out loud!!"
"I-It's truth though..."
"Still!!" he gasped, as now Tae and Megumi were listening, "OI! What are you hussies up to!! Nothing going on here! Go back to whatever you were doing!!" he exclaimed, waving his fists at them as they fearfully scurried away. "Cheh, now what was I saying..."
He then realized that Tsubame had ran off as well, hiding with the rest of them. "K-Kowaii yo!!" she stammered.
Megumi picked up a plate and walked up to her pacing husband, who was standing guard. "Sanosuke, you've got to eat. Come over here and join us." she said, walking in front of him so he would stop moving.
"They could come back at anytime." he insisted, his eyes shining with determination, "I can't let them surprise us. We can't let them win Kaoru's dojo."
"It's 'Kaoru' this and 'Kaoru' that!" Megumi sighed, taking hold of his arm and looking into his face. "Sanosuke, tell me what's going on! Do you owe her money or something? Maa, don't bother yourself with that little tanuki-musume."
Sanosuke glared at her, crossing his arms. "No, I don't owe her money... it's always about money... I have an income too... somewhere... soushite, Kaoru is an important person to us all - don't call her names. It ain't right!"
Megumi tilted her head to side, "Usou yo! That's a load of chap... I wonder what you really did. Maa maa, I'll have to ask the tomboy when she gets back. This better be good, because its making you act like a whoose."
"N-Nan da-te!?!" Sanosuke exclaimed, his face all red, "I ain't no whoose! I just defeated over ten men just a moment ago!!" She just chuckled and started to walk away. "Oi! Oi!! Come back here and take that back, Fox!!"
Finally, Megumi managed to get Sanosuke to sit down and have lunch with them. "Everyone enjoying themselves??" Tae asked, serving another bowl of rice, "Demo na, I have to go back to the Akebeko and prepare for the dinner crowd... as exciting as this is, you have to come too, Tsubame-chan."
"H-Hai..." she uttered, getting up and taking off the apron she was wearing, "Ano... I'll see you later, Yahiko-kun, minna."
"Oh! I'll stop by and tell you how it goes." Yahiko replied, "Take care, Tsubame!"
She cheerfully nodded and went to follow Tae out the gate. There was a slight pause. Then, screams. "Nani kore?!" Megumi exclaimed, following Sanosuke and Yahiko to see what happened. They stopped at the gate, to stare in shock, "Ma-masaka!!" she cried, holding onto her husband's arm.
Holding torches, the entire yakuza stood in the road, with the two women as hostage and a giant wooden cannon in their arsonel. "Tae!! Tsubame!!" Yahiko gasped, sweat lining his face, "Don't you dare hurt them!!"
"Eheheh," chuckled the leader, "All you have to do is hand over the dojo."
* * *
"ORO!!" Kenshin could hear the baby crying. Stopping from his aimless run, he took the baby out of his pouch and held him in his arms. "Gomen, Kenji, I-I wasn't thinking, because I was so worried about your Mama, that I forgot about you. Oh, I'm so so sorry..."
He decided to end this hopeless crusade as it looked worse up ahead. He put the baby safely in the front of his gi and slowly started to turn back. 'Kaoru, wherever you are, I hope you're all right...'
"HIMURA!!" Takeru's voice caught him off guard. The young man rushed over and grabbed him by the collar, "What the hell are you thinking?! Bringing the baby here!!? Didn't I tell you to stay over by the boat??!"
"Suman de gozaru yo!" Kenshin gasped, surprised by this reaction. "Look, I'll head back. The baby is all right. Daga, you haven't found the girls yet?"
"Iya, I haven't." Takeru sighed, "Maybe that's why I'm so irritated. Sorry about yelling at you, but I just want to find my wife... she could be anywhere..." As they started to retrace their steps, they noticed some people climbing down the cliff not so far from them. "Oi, you guys! Over here!"
"Takeru!!" Miki happily cried, she and the other relieved to see him, "Aa! Yokkata!! Am I so glad to see you!!"
"Where's Kaoru?!" Kenshin asked as they ran over to the group, Takeru and Miki embracing. He could still hear the baby crying, and he understood Kenji’s feelings. “Please tell me!”
"Kaoru-san went to look for Shinnosuke-san and his sister." Miki explained, "She’s always doing something to help others, but I truly don't think she should stay in this mess. Let’s go back and look for her!"
Kenshin watched as the flames became wilder, his violent eyes became glassy, 'Kaoru...' He took the baby out of his gi and handed him over to Miki, "No, I’ll go! Please stay here and take care of Kenji for me, onegai!”
"Matte, Himura!" Takeru argued, "Even you cannot move around in that blaze! It's too late!"
"NO!" Kenshin snapped, breaking into a run, 'I won't lose her... not when I can do something... anything...!!' Staring ahead into the blurring scene, his eyes slanted, tears escaping the corners. 'It's like that time... I didn't give her up then, I won't give her up now. NEVER!!'
He drew his sword. "DOU RYU SEN!!" The impact cleared a path for him, putting out some small flames, "I'm coming, Kaoru!! Hold on!!"
* * *
It was a complete standstill. Sanosuke, Yahiko, and Megumi stared in surprise as the yakuza looked ready to move in, with a slight advantage. “All you have to do is hand over the dojo, otherwise we’re going to just blow the place up." chuckled the leader.
“T-Teme!!” Sanosuke growled, pounding his fists together, “You leave Kaoru’s dojo outta this! I started it, so I’ll finish it! There’s no way you’re getting past me!!”
“S-Sanosuke?!” Megumi gasped as he stepped up in front of them, in between the cannons and the dojo, “D-Doushite…” she uttered, staring at the back out of his head, the red head band waving in the wind.
‘I don’t know why myself. Why am I doing this? Why am I being such an idiot?!’ Sanosuke thought, as he spread his arms out to act as a shield. ‘Could it be possible… could I … Kaoru… I…’
Kaoru’s smiling face came into mind. Sweat covered his face as this possible truth might cost him his life. “Sou na… there’s no way…” he uttered, heart beating fast as he could see the yakuza starting to light the cannon, aiming it to his abdomen. “Usou… baka me!” he cried, clenching his eyes close.
Suddenly, the smiling face turned scary. “BAKA! What are you doing?!?” hissed a vengeful Kaoru as she mentality gave Sanosuke a good upper cut, “Sanosuke no bakaa!!”
Sanosuke, in real life, fell over onto his back. He stared up at the blue sky in shock as the sound of the cannon being lit caught his ear. “Masaka!!” The cannon fired. “IYAAAA!!”
“HAAAAAAAAAA!!” Yahiko leapt up in the air and attacked the front lines who were busy watching the wooden ball burst through the outer wall of the dojo. Taking down three guys, he yelled over his shoulder, “Sanosuke!! Snap out of it! Now’s our chance!!”
“Oh… right…” Sanosuke stammered, getting on his feet. He dashed into the crowd, tearing it up. ‘What was that all of a sudden…?’ he thought, punching one guy and kicking another. ‘Does this mean…?!’
“Take this!!” Tsubame cried, elbowing her captor in the stomach and escaping, “Tae-san! Let’s get out of here!!”
Tae gave the thug one final whap on the head with her sandal. “I’m right behind you, Tsubame-chan!”
“Heeh! You guys suck!” Yahiko chimed, finishing off five thugs at a time with his kenjutsu. Suddenly the rest of them took out their guns. “Eeep…” he cried, fearfully running behind Sanosuke cover. “Now what!?”
”JOTTO MATTA!” called a voice. Everyone turned and saw two cops and a carriage. “Something tells me this isn’t a normal house-call. What the hell is going on here?!?!”
“Hachi, Kuma…” Sanosuke uttered, “What are you guys doing here?!”
Hachi straighten his hat. “I dunno. Ask her.” The woman then stepped out of the carriage. “S-Shizuka-san?!” Tsubame gasped, standing over with Tae and Megumi.
“I was hoping to visit Kaoru-san, demo I’m afraid I came at an importune time.” Shizuka replied, wearing a dashing Western suit and trench coat, “Are you all busy?”
”Sou ya. Kaoru-chan isn’t even in town…” Tae uttered, “Could you come back at another time??”
Shizuka looked back and forth. “Aa, Fuji-san, it’s nice to see you again. You look healthy. All is well?” she asked the yakuza boss.
Everyone facefaulted. Kuma nervously scratched his head. “Masaka… Onee-san, you know this notorious gangster?!”
“Sou desu. We used to work in the same business firm, that is when he was still living cleanly. Demo ne, everyone has to make a living somehow.” Shizuka explained, turning to the yakuza boss again. “Fuji-san, what brings you to Kamiya dojo?”
”Aa… well… eto…” Fuji stammered, now out of his tough persona as he gazed at the stunningly beautiful woman in front of him. “We were having a fight over who owed this dojo… shikashi, I think we’re just going to call it a day.”
”Honto na no? Are you really leaving so soon?”
“Aa, we’ve already made such a ruckus. Matte na, Shizuka-san.” Fuji cheerfully said, leading his thugs in a retreat.
Shizuka then turned to the others, and with that the crisis had ended. Crumbling to the ground, the Yahiko-gumi sighed in relief. “Aaa… yokkata…” Yahiko uttered. He paused to stare at the giant hole in the wall that led inside and through the dojo. “IYAAAAAAAAAAAA!! Kaoru is still going to kill me!!!”
* * *
Running back towards the flaming forest, Kenshin felt something cold and wet drop on his neck. His footsteps ceasing, he looked up in the sky that had turned a purplish gray. “Yuki de gozaru ka??”
The snowflakes started falling and a cold breeze started to surround him. This abnormal weather made everything seem to stop. Shaking the red hair from his bangs, Kenshin watched as the light snowfall continued… to turn into rain.
From his place on the side of the mountain, Yashiitomo clenched his fist on the hairpin, his eyes closing. 'The dream... that foolish dream...'
Blurred scenes of the past come into mind, the dying flames, the two swordsman facing each other. In the next incident one slashes through the other's chest, watching his comrade collapse to the ground.
"Na... Naze...??"
"My final favor to you, old friend... your beloved, you'll be with her soon..."
The swordsman then sheathed his sword and turned away, to walk off into the rain. 'Even love isn't strong enough... someday surely, dreams fail... dreams die... you shall see it for yourself.'
Kenshin continued to stare up at the sky. “Ame ga…” he stammered, feeling the downpour on him. Soaking, he dropped his hands to his side and looked on ahead. Something was stirring in the bushes. “Sou na…”
Kaoru came out, dragging along an unconscious Shinnosuke. Completely drenched as he was, she tearfully let go of the luggage and ran into his arms. “Kenshin!!” she cried, nuzzling into his shoulder. “I’m so glad to see you…”
Kenshin looked from the dying fires to the woman he was holding. Smiling, he covered his happy face into her wet hair. “Kaoru…”