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...

Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Takada Kanryuu laughed hysterically as he aimed the gatling gun at Kenshin and the others. One by one, the Oniwabanshuu ninjas fell to the ground. The last to fall was Shinomori Aoshi.

Takada Kanryuu!\" Kenshin shouted, his face filled with rage. He moved quickly, using the lightning-fast stances required of his Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. His body was like a blur as it dashed first to the right, then to the left, before landing right in front of Takada and his monstrous weapon. There was a sharp cutting sound, that of metal against metal, before the Western gun fell apart. Kenshin\'s sword had sliced right through it.

\"Kenshin!\" Sano called. He and Megumi had arrived just at that moment.

\"Sanosuke!\" Kaoru and Yahiko who had been crouching near the wall exclaimed in unison when they spotted his tall figure.

While Sano exchanged words with Kaoru and Yahiko, Megumi stood to the side, staying quiet. She surveyed the room, taking note of the bloodied bodies in the center of the room. She saw that Kenshin was standing in the center of the room, his back turned away from her. And also, she noticed the scattered metal of what had been a gun, a deadly weapon, now destroyed forever. The thin figure of Takada stood near these ruins, staring listlessly ahead.

Megumi stepped towards him, feeling herself detached from her own body. She tried to summon what hatred and rage there was inside her but found that she could not. There was none left but pity and revulsion.

\"Megumi-kun?\" Takada said, softly, hesitantly, finally recognizing the raven-haired woman who stood in front of him. Disbelieving hope colored his voice when he asked, \"Have you come back to me?\"

\"No, Takada-san,\" Megumi replied quietly. \"No, I haven\'t.\"

\"...And that was what happened,\" Kaoru later said, finishing her account of the events that occured only hours before.

They were all sitting comfortably gathered inside the Kamiya Dojo. The whole Kenshin-gumi, save for Kenshin, were there, listening attentively to Kaoru\'s retelling of the story. Dr. Genzai, Kino, and the two children, Ayame and Suzume were also there, curious as to what the whole Oniwabanshuu business was all about.

\"But what of the Okashira? Shinomori Aoshi?\" Kino asked, referring to the leader of the Oniwabanshuu Syndicate.

Kaoru shook her head. \"He was more dead than alive when we left him there...\"

Sano, who was seated a little away from the group, only half-listened to Kaoru\'s story. His attention was instead occupied with the conversation going on outside between Kenshin and Megumi. Finally, when he couldn\'t take it anymore, he stood up and approached the two slowly.

\"...You have a gift, Megumi-dono,\" the red-haired swordsman was saying. \"Use it to better people\'s lives.\"

At these words, Megumi\'s usually cold face appeared to crumple with emotions and her eyes filled with unshed tears. His words had touched her deeply and made her realize for the first time in her life that she had a purpose in this world. Feeling utterly grateful, she said softly, \"Arigato, Ken-san.\"

Sano cleared his throat just then, telling them of his presence. Kenshin looked up and gave one of his enigmatic smiles. Then, he rose to his feet without another word and padded inside the dojo.

\"So,\" Sano began, slipping his hands inside his pants pockets. Megumi did not reply and instead, kept her head low. Sighing, Sano sat beside her and tried to search her features. \"I guess that takes care of the harakiri business, huh?\" He said lamely.

Megumi gazed in the distance. Cold. Silent.

\"Megumi, I-- \"

\"Sanosuke-san,\" Megumi interrupted, her lips pursed tightly as though she was deciding what she would say next. Sano could see that she was distancing herself from him, becoming a stranger once more. \"I cannot-- \"

\"Kitsune,\" Sano interjected, lowering his eyes to shield the pain in their depths. \"I understand,\" he said in a steady voice. \"I heard what Kenshin told you and it\'s sound advice. You should take it.\"

A frown appeared on Megumi\'s smooth brow. \"But I-- \"

\"Don\'t, kitsune,\" Sano said, stopping her words. He shook his head while he gazed at her with a sad smile on his handsome, brown face. \"There are some things better left unsaid.\" He stood up then, slipping his clenched hands inside his pockets once more. \"I think you\'ll be a great doctor, Megumi-san, and Genzai-sensei is a wise teacher.\" He chuckled and continued, \"Hell, I might just be one of your regular patients. Just give me a discount. You know, just for old time\'s sake.\"

If Sano had chosen to look at Megumi right at that moment, he would have glimpsed the naked emotion that came over her face. But as it was, he never knew and he left the dojo without another backward glance.

\"Megumi-san, it\'s time for us to leave,\" Suzume\'s childish voice broke through her thoughts. Megumi turned to the child who was, as usual, accompanied by her sister, Ayame.

She smiled faintly and replied, \"All right.\"

\"Make sure you come back often. You know the Kamiya House is always open to you, Genzai-sensei,\" Kaoru said to the old doctor, then added, \"and you too, Megumi-san. You\'re a part of the family now.\"

\"Arigato,\" Megumi replied.

A part of the family. Kaoru\'s words rang in her head. It had been too long since she had felt like she belonged. Yes. She was indeed a part of the family now. Megumi closed her eyes then in a silent prayer of thanks.

** End **

At last, it\'s finished. Yay! Hope you liked it, people. I know I enjoyed writing it. In fact, I might just even write another one...perhaps a sidestory to Opium Dreams or a completely different set. But I\'m not sure yet. Anyway, thanks so MUCH to all my reviewers and those who really followed the story. You know who you guys are so I need not mention names (besides, I\'m not good with remembering names). Thanks a million! ^_^

Some more A/N: If and when I do get around to writing another Sano/Megumi fic, it\'s going to be a sort of continuation to Opium Dreams. It\'s going to take place like several episodes after the episodes on which this fic is based on. So basically, this fic serves to explain why Sano and Megumi are always fighting in the anime series. They\'re pretending that they don\'t feel anything for each other.