Opium Dreams

A mysterious woman arrives in Tokyo . She has the face of an innocent, but behind her peaceful amber eyes lie dark secrets she alone knew...

Man, this is taking too long than I would have wanted. I have an idea what\'s gonna happen but I can\'t seem to find the words. And I\'ve been distracted lately. Anyway, thanx to all who continue to follow. More updates are coming. Pls, be patient. ^_^

\"Eh, Sano-san, where have you been?\" Yahiko asked with a trace of annoyance. \"The whole time you were gone, Raccoon girl insisted I should do all your chores.\"

At that instant, Kaoru walked in carrying a tea tray. She said, \"You know, this teapot is heavy, Yahiko-chan. I wonder if it\'ll make a bump when it falls on your head.\" As she said this, she raised the teapot over the boy\'s head in a threatening gesture.

\"Oh, you heard that,\" Yahiko said lamely.

Kaoru rolled her eyes and sat down. She began serving tea to everybody, including Yahiko, Dr. Genzai, Kino, and Sano. When it was his turn, Sano thanked her and asked, \"Where\'s Kenshin? I thought he had something important to discuss with me?\"

Kaoru waved her hand airily and answered, \"I asked him to go to the market to buy some fish for tonight\'s dinner. Don\'t worry. He\'ll be back before dark.\"

\"And anyway, I think he just wants to speak with about the young woman from yesterday, Zanza,\" Kino added.

\"He wants to talk to me about Megumi?\" Sano asked.

\"That\'s her name?\" Kino queried instead of answering. At Sano\'s nod, he continued, \"By any chance, is her surname \'Takani?\'\"

\"Takani Megumi. That\'s what she told me,\" Sano confirmed.

\"She told you? Have you been with her all this time, Sanosuke-san?\" Kaoru asked in surprise.

A sly grin appeared on Yahiko\'s boyish features when he heard this. He looked at Sano suspiciously and asked, \"Have you two been doing anything funny?\"

...

WHACK!

\"Ouch!\" The kid exclaimed, scratching the back of his head and glaring at Sano who was now calmly sipping his cup of tea.

\"I was hit by a dart yesterday and she helped tend the wound,\" Sano said by way of an explanation.

\"Ah, Takani,\" Dr. Genzai said, his expression one of remembering. Everyone turned to hear what he had to say. \"I thought the name was familiar,\" he continued, \"I once knew a man by that name and I remember he was a very talented healer.\"

\"Oh, so you think they might be related?\" Kaoru asked the old doctor who merely shrugged. She then turned to Sano as though asking for confirmation.

Sano held up his hands and shook his head. \"Hey, don\'t look at me. She didn\'t tell me anything.\"

\"Aha!\" Yahiko pointed an accusing finger at him, the sly grin back on his face. \"So you were doing something funny! I just knew it!\"

WHACK!

\"Ouch!\"

Later that same day...

The sky was beginning to darken. Sano was standing outside the dojo, looking out at the road ahead. He was waiting for Kenshin to arrive, his thoughts burning with questions.

His friend, Kino had gone home a while ago but not before telling him of what had transpired minutes before his arrival at the dojo. It seemed that a person who called himself \'Hongo\' was looking for the Takani woman. This person claimed to be a member of the Oniwabanshuu and fought Kenshin when he refused to give out any information. The red-haired swordsman naturally defeated him but before he could interrogate him any further, a dark ninja -- the one with the rat-like face -- came and took away his comrade.

Why were they looking for her? Sano found himself wondering. What could they want from her? Sano\'s mind was working furiously. He kept thinking about the powdered crystals that Megumi gave him. She had called them \'poppy crystals\' and said that they came from the same plant as the illegal substance.

How did she come upon the powder? Did she make them herself? If she did, then where did she learn how to do it? She didn\'t learn them from the Oniwabanshuu.... Or did she?

Is she an Oniwabanshuu member after all?

** TO BE CONTINUED **