Subject: [KFFDISC] Real Dreams chapter 8 Date: Sat, 29 Dec 2001 06:13:06 +0000 From: "Lee H." Reply-To: kffdisc@nabiki.com To: kffdisc@nabiki.com Disclaimer: RK is the property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, SPE, Shueisha, Fuji TV, Jump Comics, and all their affiliates. No copyright infringement intended. For entertainment purposes only and not monetary, people! REAL DREAMS Chapter Eight By Lee ***** The nameless being turned to face Kenshin, startled. He saw the redhead give a small smile of triumph at this and it made him uneasy. This wasn’t how he imagined it to turn out. Feigning shock, the nameless one said, “Excuse me?” “Sessha said, ‘Aniki’ because that is who you are to sessha.” the redheaded swordsman replied in earnest. “It’s been over twenty years but sessha cannot forget you de gozaru.” The nameless one turned around fully and sighed. Then, he walked slowly towards Kenshin’s position before sitting down cross-leggedly before the redhead. “How long have you known?” he asked Kenshin. Kenshin paused before replying, “Not long ago…” “How…?” It was Kenshin’s turn to sigh. “I don’t know… Demo, since I met you, I knew that there was something familiar about you… Your voice maybe or the way you moved about… Reminds me of the days before… before you were…” Kenshin’s voice choked a bit. “Were killed.” the nameless one finished for the rurouni. He smiled lopsidedly before the two continued on with what at first seemed to be an awkward discussion that later turned into something more when the tension broke. In the end, the two brothers found themselves hugging and backslapping each other, trying to make up for the time lost spent apart. “You know,” Kenshin started, “I missed having an older brother…” His brother smiled and said, “Well, that’s life. You don’t know when death will come but no matter what, don’t give up and enjoy life for what it is than for what it isn’t. I hear you’ve got quite a girl by your side now!” Kenshin blushed. “Orooo…” “Don’t you go ‘Orooo’-ing me, Shinta!” his brother said, calling Kenshin fondly by his original given name. The two brothers laughed and continued to exchange banters. After some time, the nameless one stood up. “Ne, I’ll be back soon, ok? I really have to go do the rest of my job…” Kenshin gave a questioning look. His brother sighed and closed his eyes before replying. “You’re not out of the blues yet, little bro… The trial’s not yet done…” “What is it really for?” Kenshin interrupted. The brother opened his eyes and looked at Kenshin solemnly. “That’s for you to find out and for us to prepare for. I do advise you to do well since I sincerely believe that you deserve the results if you pass.” His body started to disappear by then so he looked at Kenshin again and added, “I’ll be back, I promise. Ganbatte…” With that, Kenshin’s older brother disappeared like the mist rising from the earth in the presence of sunlight and heat. Kenshin was once again left alone to ponder on the upcoming events… whatever they may be. ***** “Aniki…” Kenshin’s lips formed. “ ‘Aniki’ ?!” came Megumi’s voice. She had been checking on Kenshin when the latter said the word. Megumi thought for a moment. Was it her imagination or did the redhead really call for an older brother? Furthermore, is it really possible for him to still have a living relative? Because, if Megumi remembered correctly, Kenshin said that he doesn’t have any living relatives left nor did he ever mention of having any brother. Megumi looked at Kenshin again. After having called for his brother, Kenshin once again looked as if he was back into the dark realm he entered a few weeks back. Megumi shrugged and exited from the room. Outside, she saw Tomoe getting out of the kitchen, ready to call the house’s occupants for dinner. Tomoe also noticed her and the two shared a few moments of eye contact. Megumi thought she saw indecision in the other woman’s eyes although she couldn’t be sure. Then, Tomoe bowed and proceeded into calling everyone’s attention for supper. ‘Hmm… I seem to be getting a little imaginative today…’ Megumi thought as she followed the rest to the dining area. ***** Tomoe had only begun to recover from her encounter with Sano when he appeared suddenly from seemingly nowhere. “Tomoe-kun?” a quiet voice inquired as the silent woman placed the food in serving dishes. Any other individual would have been startled at the unexpected appearance of someone. However, if Tomoe had been startled, she did not show any outward sign that she was. “Hai?” she answered quietly, turning to face the individual who called to her. “It’s all set. The first phase is done.” “The second’s beginning as planned.” she added briefly. “Yes. Have you told them?” the individual said while making a sweeping gesture with his hand, indicating the other occupants of the dojo. “Iie.” Tomoe replied truthfully with only a small hint of regret. “I will in a few minutes.” The other individual gave a small smile. “Good. It’s almost over…” “So it is…” “They’ll be fine, you’ll see.” the other being said before looking like he was departing. “So, I’ll be going now ok? I’ll be in touch… Good luck.” “Ne…” Tomoe asked with a small voice. The being waited. “How is he?” The other individual hesitated for a moment before replying, “He’s all right… A little burned out from the surge of memories but he’s doing all right…” Tomoe’s eyes narrowed fractionally. “And…?” The other being sweatdropped and laughed… sort of. “Ehehe… There’s no use hiding it from you ne?” Silence… “Ehem… And… he recognized me.” Tomoe’s eyes widened a bit. “Sou desu ne?” “Aa… I would have thought that being apart from him for over twenty years would make him forget… but he somehow managed to remember.” The nameless being shrugged his shoulders. “Oh. Before I forget, here’s another set of orders.” he said before a manila envelope appeared on his outstretched right hand. He handed the envelope over to Tomoe. “Take care!” he said before disappearing. Tomoe looked at the spot where the nameless one was standing in for a long time. ‘So, he was finally identified…’ she thought again before carefully opening the seals of the envelope and reading the contents. She paled a little. ‘All this in the short time of the trial?!’ she thought hurriedly. ‘This group must be more than what I expected…’ Tomoe slid the orders back into the envelope and willed it to disappear. ‘Oh well… The next stage is to begin.’ Tomoe stepped out of the kitchen to call for the other occupants for supper. Upon stepping outside, she noticed Megumi coming out of Kenshin’s room. How Tomoe envied the doctor woman! Since Tomoe’s arrival to the dojo, she has peeped into Kenshin’s room only once. Being the courteous guest, she had to control the urge of visiting the room of someone she supposedly doesn’t know. Tomoe bowed to Megumi and proceeded the call for supper. ***** “Yatta! Tomoe-san cooked!” Yahiko said happily as he bounded towards the dining area. “Not like Kaoru’s cooking, Tomoe’s is edible!” he sang happily not noticing Kaoru exiting the room he just passed. THWAP! “Ittai!” Yahiko rubbed his head before turning around to see Kaoru with a shinai. Ever since Kenshin’s sickness, Kaoru had rarely showed spirit. However, Yahiko could tell that his comment sparked a little of the old flame back in his young master’s eyes. Even if his head hurts, he doesn’t mind quite a bit. “Yahiko-CHAN…” “DON’T CALL ME A KID, BUSU!” Kaoru’s eyes turned a shade of red and steam started to appear around her head. “Kisama… [‘you’ that’s said like it’s a curse]” Kaoru said with clenched teeth and a dangerous growl coloring her word. ‘Uh-oh…’ Yahiko thought. ‘Here we go again!’ He had barely enough time to avoid a quick swipe of Kaoru’s shinai before breaking into a run along the hallways. They zoomed by Sano who got plastered to the wall due to the speed the two were chasing each other. ‘K’so…’ was all he could say as the two rounded a corner. “Well, well, well… Aren’t they in high spirits today?” “So, fox, whaddya care?” Sano interjected. “Hmmph!” Megumi said as she flipped her hair to the side. As she passed by Sano, she quickly reached out and proceeded to drag Sano towards the kitchen by his ear. “Ittai! Kitsune! Let go of my ear!!!” Tomoe watched all this with amusement showing in her eyes. ‘They’re so… lively. Oh, Kenshin, what a wonderful and deserving place you found yourself in.’ she found herself thinking about her former husband. ‘I just hope they will be this enthusiastic when they find out the truth.’ Tomoe felt the butterflies in her stomach. She has to act now. Dinner went by quickly with the occupants delighting themselves to the good food that Tomoe cooked. However, Sano still looked suspicious and kept hinting with his eyes that he wanted to know the truth right now. Tomoe pretended to ignore him but his demeanor seemed to make her agitated as well. She was looking for a way to break the news to the group when Kaoru spoke up. “Megumi… How’s…?” Megumi looked affectionately at the younger woman and replied with a small smile, “He’s still fine, Kaoru…” “How can you say he’s fine when all he’s been doing is sleeping?!” Kaoru wailed. Megumi approached Kaoru and started to console the younger woman. “Hai, hai… I’m doing what I can for you lovebirds ok?” At the word ‘lovebirds’, Sano thought he saw Tomoe tense a little. He narrowed his eyes a little. He decided to push a little. “Speakin’ of lovebirds, Tomoe…san, how ‘bout ‘ya? Ever had…” “Sano!” Kaoru and Megumi cried out simultaneously and started to berate him for being very forward and very disrespectful. Tomoe sat slightly shocked. Then, seemingly, she composed herself. ‘Well, this is it…’ “I have…” she said in a small voice before sipping her ocha. [green tea] The fight stopped abruptly and everyone looked at her in shock. “Eh?!” “More than ten years ago… During the Bakumatsu…” Tomoe continued, “I loved a man who I initially came to for revenge for killing someone I… was engaged to.” Tomoe closed her eyes. “However, it all changed and I was…” “Matte…” Sano said, mouth hanging open. In fact, all of them had their mouths open while one thought was racing through their minds. “That sounds just like the story… Kenshin was telling us during the…” “Jinchuu…” Tomoe finished for him, eyes still closed and she sipped more tea. Tomoe appeared calm but to someone with a sharp eyesight will see a slight tremble to her hands. “How did you…” Megumi said quietly. “Masaka… [impossible]” Everyone arrived to the same conclusion but thought it incredulous. ‘Masaka… She can’t be…’ they all thought simultaneously. “Anata wa…” Kaoru said with a shaky voice. “Your surname isn’t Yukimura is it.” It was more of a statement than a question. Tomoe sighed wearily before finally admitting it. “Iie. Minna-san, watakushi wa…” she paused. “Yukishiro… Tomoe.” End of chapter eight. Note: blah blah ^^;; c&c appreciated since I think I made Tomoe ooc… ^^;;; in fact, everyone is ^^;;; oh well… well, that's it from me for now ^^ happy holidays, everyone! Lee ^^x