A Road Less Traveled
by Tin Mandigma


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This is a Rurouni Kenshin-inspired fanfic
written entirely for entertainment purposes
only. Standard disclaimers apply.

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Part 4: The Unsung

Megumi wiped her brow with an impatient hand
as she scowled at a recalcitrant rice ball
which, at that moment, definitely did not answer
to her definition of a ball. She rolled it
around her hand carefully, muttering under
her breath, but when she placed it back on the
table, it looked as if it had already assumed
angular dimensions. And were those--spikes
sticking out of it?

Her scowl grew even darker. Just great. Now
she was seeing Sano in a rice ball. She
resisted the urge to throw it across the room.
Instead she placed it gently on a tray along
with the rest and hoped that their visitors will
not mind a Sano-shaped rice ball. If anything,
it should enliven their appetites. Megumi smoothed
her floury hands on her apron as she eyed
her surroundings narrowly. The rice was ready.
Bowls and other dining utensils were already stacked
on the table. A host of other dishes were arranged
right beside them, their combined aroma wafting
tantalizingly in the air. Megumi sniffed appreciatively.
After the initial--protest surrounding her surprising
offer, Kenshin had offered to cook the dinner,
Kaoru did likewise but, after much--persuasion,
had to settle for buying the supplies in the 
market along with an expectedly reluctant Yahiko,
Megumi had volunteered to do a general
cleaning of the house while Sano had done
the yard work. She sighed. After his taunting
remarks back at the mansion about foxes putting
their paws before their jaws, he had been
unusually reticent, especially when he was
around her. She wondered if he was still angry
but she hadn't the courage to ask. Megumi's
jaw set in a stubborn angle. Besides, why should
she bother? It's not as if she cared...

The door slid open suddenly, startling her. 

"Daydreaming, Fox?" Sano drawled as he sauntered
into the kitchen, a bag of ripe peaches swinging
from his hand. 

Megumi raised a slender eyebrow. "None of your
business, chicken-head," she said coolly. She
wiped her hands on a rag as she eyed the fruits.
"Where did you get those?"

Sano glanced at her. "I bought them," he answered.
He placed them carefully on a large bowl. "Thought
they should make the dinner more special."

Megumi felt an irrational pang of jealousy that
Sano would put himself out so much for another
woman--a woman old enough to be his great-grandmother,
of course, but still a woman. She pushed down
the thought that Sano may have bought the peaches
for *her* because they were her favorite fruits. 
She frowned. Rubbish. Sano would never do anything 
like that for her. She was aware that Sano was
watching her closely so she opted for the usual
sarcastic reply. "Am I hearing things? You actually
*bought* them?"

Sano's face darkened and, for a moment, Megumi was
afraid that she had gone too far. An apology
was hovering on her lips when Sano laughed, the sound
coming from him with such obvious ease and sincerity
that Megumi stared. "You always know when and where
to get to me, Fox," he murmured. 

Megumi felt a blush rise to her cheeks. She took
a step back into the shadows darkening the
room, hoping that Sano wouldn't notice. "I--well--I--"
she stuttered.

Sano idly chewed on a peach, his gaze never
leaving hers. "I've never met anyone like you."

Megumi forced a short laugh. "That must make
me special," she retorted, her voice catching.

Sano's eyes glinted a rich golden brown in the
firelight. "You are," he said simply.

The danger level in the room rose to ominous
proportions. Megumi raised a trembling hand
to brush a stray strand of hair from her face.
Gods, she was sweating like some nervous
teenager. 'Damn it, Megumi,' she told herself 
sternly. 'Get a grip. It's just Sano.' She took
another step back. "Uh, thanks..." she stammered.

Sano's rejoinder pinned her effectively on
the spot. "If I didn't know better, I'd say
you're nervous, Megumi."

*He* certainly knew how to push the right
buttons. Megumi grew more flustered. "Of
course not!"

Sano laughed again and she wondered
if he heard the loud splat her heart
made on the floor. "Of course not," he
mimicked her. 

To Megumi's alarm, he stepped forward,
holding out his peach. "Do you want some?" 
he asked softly.

"N-n-n-" Damn. Megumi took a shaky breath.
"No-o-o, thanks," she replied with what
she hoped devoutly Sano would take as a smile
and not the grimace of a frightened animal.

He didn't answer as he made his way slowly
towards her. Megumi took a quick step
sideways, effectively putting the length of 
the table between them. "I'm OK. Really," 
she said inanely. If she kept talking, maybe 
Sano would be forced to stop and listen (he
was still polite enough to do that, right?).
Or maybe he'd come up with a remark intended
to shut her up and she'd flare up predictably
and they could go back to their old bickering.
Or something. "Sano," she nattered on, "Aki-san
and the rest will be coming soon."

Sano simply kept walking. "Uh-huh."

"I might eat all the peaches if you--if
you give me that," she burst out ridiculously.

Sano's left eyebrow shot up. "You're that hungry?" 
he asked, his smile widening.

She scowled at him. "Just drop it, Sano," she
muttered.

"I want us to be friends, Megumi," Sano replied
seriously.

That shut her up. For the moment. Megumi opened
her mouth to say something but all that came
out was a big whoosh of breath. 

Sano was coming closer.

She tried again. "But we are friends, Sano," she
replied, her voice unconsciously pleading.

She felt her heart stop when Sano shook his
head sombrely. "Not that way," he said in that
same grave tone.

Megumi's hand fluttered to her throat. "What
do you mean?" she whispered. Her back made
contact with the wooden solid surface of the 
wall. Trapped. Her breath constricted on her chest.

Sano stepped right in front of her. He didn't
make any move to touch her. Instead, he
watched her, his gaze strangely intense.
Megumi was near enough to see the golden
flecks in his eyes take on a decidedly
amber hue as he bent his head ever so slightly
towards hers. 

Megumi froze as she felt his breath, warm,
tangy, smelling of peaches and old leaves,
settle on hers. "I think you know," he sighed.
His face was coming nearer, his nose grazing
hers, his slightly parted lips hovering 
tantalizingly over her own trembling ones.

Almost without volition, Megumi drew closer
to him, her own eyes already closing, ready
to bridge the few inches' gap between them.
'It's just Sano,' something within her screamed.
"Who else?" the words escaped her lips in
a slurred rush and his eyes glinted a deep 
chocolate brown in obvious appreciation. 
Slowly, now, slowly...

Needless to say, the sudden burst of laughter
coming from outside the room was just about
as subtle a mood-destroyer as a tsunami sprung
out of nowhere. 

"That was cool, Kenshin!"

Megumi thought she was going to faint. 
Muttering a curse against noisy brats, Sano
abruptly stepped away from her but not
before she caught a glimpse of the intense
frustration on his face. She looked away
from him as she tucked her hair behind
her ears, trying to gain some semblance
of control. She was aware that Sano was
watching her but she refused to say anything
to break the mounting tension in the room.
She sighed. That was close. Way *too* close.

"Megumi?" Sano murmured softly.

Megumi took another deep breath. 'Let it
go,' she wanted to plead him. 'Forget
it happened.' But one glance at his face
undid her. He looked--vulnerable, as unsure
as she was and it caught her offguard.
"Yeah?" she whispered hoarsely.

Sano made a quick movement towards her.
"I just want to--" he began when Kenshin,
Kaoru and Yahiko walked into the room,
still laughing together.

"Shit," Sano muttered.

Megumi didn't know whether to laugh,
cry or simply scream her head off in 
frustration. This routine was getting
too tiring for her sanity.

"Hey, you guys," Yahiko said as he came
up to them. "Kenshin has this plan to
surprise Aki-chan..." His eyes widened
when he saw Sano's face which, at that
moment, had assumed a very becoming shade
of red. "Sano, are you sick again?" His
eyes glinted mischievously. "Did you 
see a train somewhere?"

"No," Sano growled. "I'm NOT sick."

"But you look awfully--hot," Yahiko continued.
He glanced at Megumi who swallowed as she
wondered what *her* face must look like. Like
a rabbit caught in a death trap, probably.
"And Megumi..." Yahiko said, his lips starting
to twitch.

Kenshin and Kaoru glanced at each other in 
significant silence before Kenshin turned
to speak to an obviously ruffled Sano. 
"Uh, Sano, what..."

Sano glared at him, "We were doing nothing."

"Nothing you shouldn't be doing?" Yahiko
asked innocently.

"Of course not!" Sano yelled.

Kenshin raised his hands soothingly. "Hey,
I was just gonna ask about dinner... Was
it good?"

Sano stared at him as he wondered where
*that* came from. "What?"

Kenshin started to make some very eloquent
hand gestures.

Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Kenshin you idiot," she
muttered. She yanked on his arm and kept it
pinned to his side. "The food, Sano."

"I know that, Jo-chan," Sano muttered.

Yahiko nudged him slyly. "Really?"

"Yahiko!" Kaoru hissed.

After glancing at a still inarticulate Megumi,
Kenshin decided to have a go at salvaging
the situation. "Uh, Sano, why don't you and
Megumi-dono get dressed?" He blushed as soon
as the words came out. "I'm sorry...what I
meant was..."

Kaoru moaned. "Kenshin..."

Megumi cleared her throat. "I--know that, Ken-san."

"Same lines now, huh?" Yahiko quipped.

"Hell," Sano muttered, obviously at the end of his
already tattered rope. He grabbed Megumi's arm.
"Come on, Megumi." 

Megumi blinked at him as he started dragging her
towards the hallway. "Uh..."

Yahiko hooted. "That's my Sano!"

Jaw clenched, cheeks blazing, Sano pushed past
a trying-to-hide-it-but-failing-miserably amused
Kenshin and a wide-eyed Kaoru. Megumi tried to
smile but it was a forced effort especially
when Kenshin made some inane remark about a piece
of fruit sticking on her face as she passed.

"Shut up, Ken-san," she growled uncharitably.

"Whatever you say, Megumi-dono," Kenshin murmured
politely. "Have you and Sano been eating peaches--?"

"Kenshin!" Sano thundered.

As soon as they passed through the doorway leading
to the hallway, however, Kaoru called out, "Take
your time!"

A few choice curse words were her only answer plus
sounds of an obviously rough scuffle.

Kaoru turned to a laughing Kenshin. "Do you think--?"

Kenshin winked at her.


Dinner was a hilarious affair. Akiko had arrived
with Kozue a few minutes after that--encounter
in the kitchen, causing Yahiko to remark casually
when a flustered Sano and Megumi appeared at
the dinner table, "That was quick."

Akiko had turned to regard the squirming couple
sharply before smiling with unholy delight. "What
was, Yahiko-kun?"

"Sano and Megumi's--uumph!" 

Sano bared his teeth in a grimace of a smile
at the chortling Akiko. "Can we change the subject?"

Akiko gave him a limpid look. "But of course,
my darling man."

It may have been the sake. Or maybe he had been
goaded beyond the limits of tolerance of a 
normal guy (which was saying too much, even
for Sano ^^;). Either way, the unfortunate Kozue
soon found herself the target of Sano-fed-up at
his finest. Questions regarding the existence
of ghosts posing like mummies soon rebounded
around the table, causing Kenshin to wince
as Sano made remark after pointed remark about
his encounters with the supernatural--namely,
with a dwarf named Shishio, his wife the fairy
Yumi, and their little elves. 

"Oh, shut up, Sano," retorted an obviously
annoyed Akiko.

"My darling Aki-san," Sano responded suavely,
"I was just trying to impress Kozue-san with
the importance of her role here on earth..."

"Oh, you impressed me, all right," Kozue
interjected dryly. "Such--creativity,
Sanosuke-san."

Sano raised an eyebrow at her (Darn, he
was getting too good at that, Megumi
thought). "Surely not enough to surpass yours,
Kozue-san."

"Sano," Kenshin muttered threateningly.

Akiko bristled. "That's it." She placed
her fan on the table with a loud tap.
"Why don't we finish what we've come
here for, Kozue?" she asked as she glared
at the smug Sano. "Show some idiots here the
difference between truth and trash."

"Of course, Akiko-sama," Kozue said mildly.

"Of course," Sano echoed.

Everyone looked at Megumi who shrugged.
"The room's prepared."


Later, as she stood inside the dark--room,
Megumi wondered if she had made the right
decision in choosing it to be the site 
of what Yahiko had so eagerly referred to
as their 'ghost-hunting adventure.' It had
looked so open and inviting when she had
aired it earlier this morning, its floors
gleaming in rich muted tones highlighted
by the golden rays of the morning sun. Megumi
considered going to another room--her bedroom
or Kaoru's maybe--but discounted the thought
with a wry shake of her head. She doubted if
Akiko and the others would let her go so easily
at such a weak excuse as a vague premonition.
But still--

Brushing her misgivings aside, Megumi smiled
at Akiko who was obviously delighted with
the room. "Well?"

"Just perfect," Akiko murmured. "What do you
think, Kozue?"

Megumi felt the medium's arm brushed hers as
she stepped forward, deeper into the shadows
darkening the inner part of the room. 

"Kozue?" Akiko repeated.

Megumi was surprised when Kozue recoiled
suddenly, nearly slamming into her as she
abruptly pedaled backwards, her movements
jerky and rapid. And afraid. Megumi frowned
as she quickly grabbed the woman's arm
in support. "What's wrong?"

Kozue turned to her and even in the dim
light of the moon breaking through the
open window, Megumi could discern the
other's pale, almost pasty white complexion.
Kozue's arm trembled under her own.

"It's--It's cold here," Kozue bit out the
words with a visible effort. "Ve-very
cold."

Megumi stared at her, a cacophony of confused
thoughts running through her mind.

Kenshin voiced them out for her. "But Kozue-san,"
he said gently, "it's summer. It's been hot
the entire day. And I don't think it's gonna
rain tonight."

"He's right, Kozue," Akiko said. "The night
*is* warm. Especially since it's summer. Are 
you all right?"

"I--" Kozue swallowed. She glanced at Megumi,
her eyes wide and shocked, her entire posture
quite unlike that of the cool poised woman
they had met yesterday. Megumi could swear
that she looked almost ready to break out
into hysterical ramblings.

"This part of the house is kinda drafty,"
Kaoru murmured. She came up to Megumi
and Kozue. "Maybe I should close the windows..."
she offered.

"Nonsense," Akiko retorted. "Better drafty
than stuffy. This'll do just fine. Kozue?"

Kozue took a deep breath before breaking
gently from Megumi's grasp, her face
once again assuming her habitual calm mask.
But before she turned to face Akiko, Megumi
caught the unmistakable flash of fear in
her eyes.

"Are we gonna do this or not?" Sano's voice
cut through the gathering tension in
the room.

Kozue's mouth thinned. She nodded at Akiko.
"I'm ready, Akiko-sama."

Megumi moved towards the center of the
room along with the others but the pale
gleam of the moon in the cloudless night
sky held her gaze captive once again. As she
watched, dark clouds gathered like jealous
lovers and with harsh possession obscured
its cold light. 

Megumi shivered. It *was* getting a bit chilly.


Akiko had asked them to sit on the floor
in a circle and to hold each other's hands.
It was necessary, she said, that Kozue be
able to draw from some source of energy
aside her own. Besides, it would help them
keep out untoward vibrations. Tongue in
cheek, Sano had asked her to clarify that
particular point.

A cold glare was his only answer.

Megumi sat between Kozue and Kaoru. Beside
Kaoru sat Yahiko. Next to Yahiko sat
Sano and then Kenshin. Akiko completed the
circle.

"All right," Akiko murmured. "Now, everyone,
please close your eyes. Try to clear 
your mind. Concentrate on Kozue..."

Megumi heard the woman take a deep 
sigh and she followed with another shaky
one of her own, trying to calm her pounding 
heart, as she waited for what will happen next...

Only for her eyes to fly open in shock
when she felt Kozue's hand grow frighteningly
limp in hers, almost as if the woman had
been dragged to some unimaginable depth
like a drowning swimmer.

She was going into a trance, Megumi realized.

After an interminably long silence, Kozue
began to speak. Megumi started when she
heard her voice--it was deep and booming,
a little scratchy. Probably from age.

Kozue rambled at first, half-coherent mutterings
which were barely recognizable. "Well, now,
ladies 'n gentlemen... I didn't expect this
but I'm honored... yes, greatly honored...
I've never been...but yes...never..."

"Who are you?" Akiko asked calmly.

Kozue let out a large bellow of laughter. 
"You askin' me, ma'am...Damn but I'm
surprised...yes, greatly surprised...
didn't know...that I..."

"Yes?" Akiko prodded gently.

The voice rasped in a painful whisper, "Yutaro...
Morita Yutaro...yes, that's my name...long
time...been long time..."

Someone gasped. Yahiko, Megumi guessed.

"Kami-sama...I know him!" Yahiko burst out.
"The vegetable seller at town. He died
a month ago. Don't you remember, Kenshin?"

"Yahiko--" a choking sound.

"He's come back to haunt us!"

"Maybe you still owe him some cabbages," Sano
quipped. "Didn't know you were the type
to borrow, Kenshin."

"Oro..."

"Will you shut up?" Akiko hissed.

Megumi heard Kaoru giggle beside her. She
squeezed the girl's hand in warning.
Kaoru squeezed back mischievously. Megumi
smiled and shook her head, closing her
eyes, more relaxed this time. She allowed
her mind to drift as Kozue droned on about
Yutaro and the vagaries of vegetable-selling
(he met his death in a cart accident, now
that Megumi recalled it). She thought
about Sano, the way he looked at her earlier,
the blushing silence which hung between
them as they made their way to their separate
rooms after Megumi tripped on him when
she heard Kaoru's last remark in the kitchen,
the near-kiss...

The sound came slowly at first, like
the trickle of thin water running through
a dried stream. It was barely audible,
certainly incoherent, broken words brushing
against each other's ragged edges like
crushed pieces of glass. 

"Don'tnoImhurtscaredstopsomeonetellhimto
stopnotworkingpleasecantstopnohurtlettouch..."

And then it surged forward in an almost
visible show of force, gathering momentum,
growing louder, like a keening shriek of
unbearable anguish, yet keeping the dry
and faltering rasp of disuse, almost as
if the speaker wanted to say more but
couldn't. As if the voice was trapped in
a hollow dank vessel and was only now
finding release.

"dontnostoptouchletmeplease..."

Megumi's throat was tight with fear, her
breath coming out in short shaky gasps.
The tension in the room coiled in an
almost tangible spring of gloom and
she wondered frantically when it will
snap. Kozue's hand trembled even more
in her grasp and Megumi could almost
*feel* the gathering scream in the other
woman's throat.

It was then that Megumi realized that
Kozue had ceased speaking and that
the the words had come from her other
side. From another's voice.

From Kaoru.

Horrified, Megumi grabbed Kaoru's hand
in a tight grip. It was limp, slightly
damp, terrifyingly cold.

The entire room was chilling. No
light penetrated the still widely open
windows to cut through the inky
blackness which surrounded them like
thick smoke. Megumi's shoulders shook
as she closed her eyes, trying to
draw herself in as tightly as possible,
her mind crying prayer after prayer
to make the fear stop.

"NOPLEASEDONTSTOPSTOPPLEASEDONTNOHURTSTOP...!"

Kozue screamed.

Megumi flinched. She heard a muttered curse, 
the quick shuffle of knees scraping the floor, 
the hiss of a lamp abruptly awakened to
share its light. The shadows fled instantly,
replaced by the pale power of fire.

Megumi released her breath in a trembling
sigh when she saw Kenshin standing
near the doorway, the lamp dangling from
his hand, his face pale. His violet
eyes, wide, shocked, painfully uncertain,
stared directly at Kaoru.

He knew, Megumi thought in a daze. Somehow,
he knew.

It took nearly all her remaining courage
to follow his gaze with her own. Towards
the girl who sat so silently beside
her, head bent demurely, midnight
black hair sweeping down to obscure a
delicate face.

Almost instinctively, Megumi's unbroken
hold tightened even more on Kaoru's hand.
As if in response, Kaoru made a slight
movement, the black strands veiling her
shifting slyly, as she raised her head
slowly and turned to Megumi.

Megumi swallowed, suddenly wanting nothing
more than to fling herself away from
this--creature who was and yet she
felt instinctively was *not* Kaoru,
knowing that when Kaoru meets her gaze 
with her own, someone else would
be looking at her through Kaoru's eyes.


End of Part 4