Of Tea and Kingdoms
Kenshin closed his eyes and turned his face toward the sun’s gentle rays. A soft breeze blew and he could hear the rustling of the trees around him. The long grass of the clearing whispered as well. It was the perfect afternoon. Peaceful, calm, restful. Times like this were short and far between.
Kenshin’s forehead creased as he felt, more than heard, someone approach. Then a smile lit his face and he opened his eyes.
“Hello, Aoshi.” He didn’t turn to face the man behind him.
The man stopped a few feet away.
“How did you know?” Aoshi was the leader of the Oniwaban group. They were a spy network, and Aoshi was the best, he had never been caught.
“I could sense you.”
Aoshi accepted this with a nod, though he knew Kenshin couldn’t see this.
Kenshin turned to him with a warm smile, “How have you been Aoshi? It’s been some time hasn’t it?”
Aoshi opened his mouth to reply, but a loud raucous in the distance caused him to pause. It sounded as though it were approaching them.
Kenshin’s smile grew wider, “I see you brought the others with you.” He observed.
Aoshi gave a brief nod before turning his head slightly to one side and calling out, “Misao!” his voice was raised to carry, but it was neither sharp nor harsh. He actually sounded somewhat amused.
Misao appeared beside them, “Yes, Lord Aoshi?” her eyes sparkled at the pleasure of just hearing him call her name.
He studied her seriously, “Don’t hurt them too badly.” She nodded and ran off. In the distance they heard her.
“You got off easy this time! Lord Aoshi told me not to hurt you too bad.” She sounded disappointed.
“Ha! And how were you gonna hurt us, weasel girl?” Sano scoffed.
“I’m not a weasel!” she yelled angrily.
“Really?” Sano feigned surprise, “You could have fooled me. How about you, Yahiko?”
“Yeah, definitely.” The boy agreed.
Scuffling ensued once more. Above the sounds of the fight Okina could be heard laughing, and Kaoru was yelling for them to stop. Soon the group was visible through the trees.
Kenshin chuckled, “So,” he returned his attention to Aoshi, “did you have something in mind, or were you just dropping by?” knowing full well that Kyoto was a little far from Tokyo for ‘dropping by’.
Aoshi turned his attention back to his companion, “I believe we once agreed to share some tea. Shall we?”
Kenshin nodded.
“However,” Aoshi eyed the bickering young people once more, “somewhere else would be preferable.”
Kenshin laughed and motioned for Aoshi to follow him. He knew the perfect little tea house.
***
“So, Aoshi, how have you been?” Kenshin swirled his tea in his cup, watching Aoshi casually.
“Actually, I wanted to speak with you about,” Aoshi darted his eyes briefly to one side and then the other, whether scanning their surroundings for listening ears, or out of embarrassment, Kenshin couldn’t be certain. He suspected a little of both. Aoshi brought his gaze back to Kenshin’s, “about Misao.” He finished in a low voice.
Kenshin’s eyes widened, “Misao? Is something wrong?”
“No,” Aoshi shook his head, quick to reassure the other man, “It’s not that at all, it’s just-” he didn’t seem inclined to finish the thought and Kenshin waited patiently. Aoshi watched his tea, “I-”
A crash on the other side of the tea house caught their attention. Kenshin bit back his mild disappointment. Aoshi had been about to confide in him; it would have been an important step on his road to inner peace and truth. It was clearly difficult for him, and now he might never open up again.
“Please! Please! You have to help us! Someone must help us!” Three small creatures stumbled around the tea room. Kenshin had never seen anything like them before. They were small and oddly shaped, like overgrown radishes with large ears and fur.
“What are they?’ Kenshin asked quietly.
Aoshi didn’t respond; he was studying the creatures intently.
Noticing the perusal of the two men the small creatures focused their efforts on Aoshi and Kenshin.
“Please sirs, won’t you help us?” three pairs of large eyes stared up at the swordsmen.
“I believe we should go now.” Aoshi started to stand, but Kenshin placed a hand on his arm, stopping him.
“Wait, we should listen to what they have to say.” Aoshi sat back in his seat. Would he ever get to speak to Kenshin? He was irritated, but he forced himself to remain calm and listen.
“What seems to be the problem?” Kenshin asked seriously, as though it were the most normal thing in the world to be addressing furry radishes.
“They’ve kidnapped the princess! Someone must save her!”
***
Afterwards, Aoshi could never recall just how it had happened, or who had made the decision, but Kenshin and he had ended up agreeing to help the small creatures. They followed them out of the tea house, out of Tokyo, and into a strange forest the likes of which he had never seen before. One of the creatures let out a strange sing song sound and soon they were surrounded by small radishes, all staring up at them with large, shimmering, pleading eyes.
Aoshi fought to maintain his expressionless demeanor. He wasn’t certain if he should melt at their adorable expressions, or laugh at the absurdity of saving the radish princess!
Actually, they weren’t radishes. They said that they were the Kamboree and that a very wicked man had been trying to take over their small kingdom for quite some time now. Aoshi wondered if it were truly a man, or another radish type being. At any rate, he wanted some mineral found in abundance in their land.
And that was it. That was all either man could get out of the small creatures. It was absurd.
It was ridiculous.
And Kenshin wasn’t going to refuse.
Which meant that he couldn’t either.
How bothersome...
Aoshi stifled an uncharacteristic sigh as he prepared to answer before Kenshin had even opened his mouth. “We’ll go.” He spoke calmly, allowing none of his irritation to seep into his voice or expression.
Kenshin turned to him, eyes widened with mild surprise, and then the short swordsman smiled and nodded as though expressing his approval at Aoshi’s choice. For some reason that comforted him, knowing Kenshin was pleased. He wasn’t quite certain why. Perhaps it was because he respected him so much. After all, Kenshin had managed to put aside his past and still remain strong. That was something Aoshi was still struggling to do, although he had made a great deal of progress. After all, a year ago he was still spending his days in the Zen temple. Now he had resumed leadership of the Oniwaban and was just beginning to truly move on with his life.
“Where is your princess being held?” Kenshin asked, addressing the Kamboree with the utmost respect.
“In a horrible prison!” One small creature mourned.
“With high walls,” another chirped.
“Our enemy, he is very cruel, and very evil. He is so much stronger than we!”
As if cued by a conductor neither Kenshin nor Aoshi could see the Kamboree simultaneously started a mournful wailing that nearly made Aoshi cringe in spite of his years of discipline and training.
“Which way?” he asked sharply.
A small radish held out a fuzzy hand pointing toward a little worn path. Aoshi turned and strode down it. It was time to get this over with.
Kenshin smiled and bowed to the small creatures before following.
“You should wait here, that you should.” He told them, “we’ll be back with your princess soon.”
***
“Soon” turned out to be the understatement of the century. Aoshi had been certain that whatever they would face at the end of the path would be no match for Kenshin and himself. However, he had assumed that there would be some amount of effort involved.
It appeared he had assumed incorrectly.
He heard Kenshin stifle a chuckle beside him.
“I do not see what is so amusing.” He stated.
Kenshin shook his head, “Even you must be able to see the humor in this, Aoshi.”
“I see a wasted afternoon.” Was his only response. Kenshin grinned at his sullen companion and stepped forward.
“Well then, shall we?”
Aoshi bit back another exasperated sigh – honestly, where was his control today? - and dutifully followed.
“Would you care to dispatch the villain, Aoshi?” Kenshin offered. Aoshi didn’t even bother to respond. He strode over to the ‘horrible prison’ and the ‘very cruel’, ‘very evil’, ‘strong’ enemy and picked the creature up with a single smooth motion. He found the most difficult part of the whole ordeal, aside from the strain to his dignity, to be enduring the high pitched squeals of the thing.
He supposed to the radish people this enemy was indeed great, for he was easily half again their size. But, as they were only about 18 inches tall, that really wasn’t saying much. As for the impenetrable prison? It was a wooden box, about three feet high, with no lid... He didn’t understand how Kenshin could take this so lightly...
Kenshin smiled, walking over to the box and leaning over it to look at the trembling radish inside.
“Hello princess. We are here to rescue you, that we are.” He slowly lowered a hand into the box, so as not to frighten her. Gently he withdrew her from the box and placed her on the ground, ignoring the feeble shouts of the enraged villain. “You should go home now, that you should.”
The princess looked uncertainly at her nemesis and then at her rescuer.
“Don’t worry, princess, we’ll take care of him.” Kenshin promised. The princess bowed gratefully and ran off toward her people.
Aoshi stoically walked to the box and set this captive inside before turning back toward Tokyo.
Kenshin eyed the box a moment before fixing his gaze on Aoshi’s retreating form. “You’re not going to leave it there, are you?” he questioned.
Aoshi nearly shrugged, “why not? He can’t bother them there. Not that I’m entirely certain that they exist.”
Kenshin smiled, “They are very real for something you aren’t sure exist, that they are.” He pointed out.
“There are no such creatures in the forests surrounding Tokyo, nor have there ever been.” Aoshi replied blandly. “Though I do not recall retiring for the night, nor partaking of alcohol, I do believe this was most likely some sort of dream. Therefore it is not inhumane to leave the creature to his doom.” He turned to look at Kenshin, “Now, will you be returning to Tokyo with me or not?”
Kenshin smiled, giving a last glance at the box before coming up beside Aoshi. “You make a good point, that you do Aoshi. But if this is a dream, than we are sharing it.”
Aoshi looked at him sideways as they began to walk. “There are no radish creatures living in the forests around Tokyo.” He stated once more. And Kenshin agreed with a smile. There certainly were not. But, perhaps, they hadn’t been in the forests surrounding Tokyo. He mentioned this to Aoshi who didn’t respond. After all, what could he say?
***
It was the next day before Aoshi made an attempt to seek Kenshin out once more. And both men seemed reluctant to mention the ‘dream’ about radish people and princesses in boxes. Aoshi had far more important things on his mind, and Kenshin did not want to antagonize him. However, Aoshi found himself unable to put the incident from his mind. It was not like him to dream, and certainly not to dream such absurdities. Also, he did not remember lying down to sleep before the incident, and clearly remembered doing so several hours later. In the end he brought it up merely to stall in bringing up his true topic of conversation – a fact which he would have thought somewhat shameful were he not so thoroughly uncomfortable with his personal dilemma.
He found Kenshin alone at the far end of the dojo. “Kenshin.” He announced his presence although he knew Kenshin sensed his presence.
“Aoshi.” Kenshin nodded.
“Yesterday...”
Kenshin straightened a little with interest, wondering if Aoshi was actually going to confide in him.
“Did we save a kingdom yesterday?”
Kenshin almost frowned with disappointment, but his voice remained level, “yes, Aoshi, I believe we did.”
“A waste of time.” Aoshi noted.
“You think so?”
“Radish people do not live in the forests surrounding Tokyo.” He stated once more, just for the sake of saying it. For there was no denying that there had been radish people in the forest yesterday. Why they were not normally there he did not know; so, to avoid going mad, Aoshi chose simply to ignore it.
Kenshin stood, smiling very slightly, “No, I suppose not.” He agreed, “But it was not a difficult task, and we helped someone.”
Aoshi nodded. Yes, they had helped someone. Though he wasn’t exactly certain how...
“About yesterday...” Kenshin prompted, finally deciding that Aoshi was never going to return to their conversation at the tea house without encouragement. “You wanted to ask me something?”
With great effort Aoshi kept from shifting his weight between his feet.
“Yes, about yesterday... it’s about Misao,” he stumbled just a bit over his words, “As you know, Misao’s birthday is coming soon. She will be turning 18, a very important age. And I was wondering if… if you thought it would be appropriate…” he paused uncomfortably and Kenshin waited patiently. Aoshi drew in a breath, “Should I give her a pink wrap or a blue one as a gift?”
Kenshin froze and then fell to the ground in a face fault. He quickly picked himself up. “That’s it?” he asked in disbelief.
Aoshi quirked a brow, “Of course, what did you think it was?”
Kenshin shook his head, “I do not know, that I most certainly do not.” he said dryly.
“I don’t understand.”
Kenshin composed himself, this discussion was better saved for another time, Aoshi had had enough stress the last twenty four hours. As for the other question...
“Never mind. She already has a pink scarf for her waist, so you should probably buy one to match.”
“Thank you.” Aoshi inclined his head in respect, but he was still keeping an inquisitive eye on Kenshin. What had the man thought he wanted?
Fortunately at that moment they were interrupted by the sounds of arguing nearby.
“Weasel girl!”
“Rooster head!”
“Weasel girl!”
“Rooster head!”
“Sano! You are a grown man! Stop that!”
“Weasel g-”
*WHAP*
“OWWWWW!!! Megumi! What was that for?”
“You’re embarrassing! Act your age!” she scolded, then her voice dropped, “What do I see in that-err” she didn’t finish the sentence.
“What do you see in what?” Sano asked curiously.
*WHAP*
“OWWW! Hey, I didn’t do anything that time! What was that for?”
“Mind your own business!”
Kenshin smiled and clapped Aoshi’s shoulder. “What do you say we go save our own kingdom?”
Aoshi nodded solemnly, but amusement lurked in his ice blue eyes, and that more than anything else gave Kenshin hope – he was healing. “Yes, and I believe we may actually find this enemy a challenge.”
Finis