A.N. - I am so, so, so sorry for having not updated in such a long time. I understand if there are any of you out there who wish to stone me for my actions, or should I say lack there of. I hope there are those of you out there who are loyal enough to still be willing to follow this story to it's conclusion. The only excuse I can offer is that between job changes, my parents separating and my family's recent move from our home of over a decade has left little time for me to focus on writing.

But I've gotten you're various emails, or in Nita Lee's case threats with the bokken, and I'm pleased to announce that I'm back to writing. I just recently rewrote and re-posted my YYH story, and now I'm working on this one. I hope this chapter is sufficient for all of you readers out there.

Two of a Kind

Ch. 16 - An Unexpected Journey

By: Ishimaru Amon

It had started out as a simple thing, his return back to Japan. Ever since he had made the decision and sent the letter to his friends announcing his return, he had been planning to make his re-appearance as inconspicious as possible. The thought that the warrant for his arrest was still being enforced seemed unlikely after the six years that had passed.

But as much of a loose cannon as he was, Sanosuke was no fool and hadn't wanted to take any chances. He'd seen first hand the lengths the Meiji politicians would go to get rid of those they considered hazardous or a threat.

His plan however, had quickly deteriorated as one thing after another presented itself. First, there had been the changes in each of his friend's lives that occurred in his exile, both in and outside of the Kenshin-gumi. While it wasn't a bad thing and had been expected, it did leave him feeling like a stranger, alienated from their respective lives.

And although he had been welcomed back warmly by most, Sano still felt as if he were somewhat meeting his friends for the first time. Kenshin, the former assassin turned wanderer with incredible swords skills, was now a full time father and housekeeper. Kaoru, the hot tempered sword instructor and tomboy, was now a somewhat less tempered sword instructor, wife and mother.

Yahiko, the young brat with a short temper (a trait mirrored by his master) and a wish to be strong, was now a level headed assistant master of a Kendo school. Aoshi, though still a quiet man, seemed calmer and more at peace with himself. Likewise, Misao also seemed virtually unchanged, though there were times when she exhibited a more mature air than he was used to seeing from the genki ninja girl turned woman.

And then there was Megumi, who still seemed unchanged for the most part, still a vixen with a sharp tongue and an equally sharp wit. The only thing he could detect about her was that she seemed more...placid than he could remember. This thought spurred more confusion in him, especially when considering the amount of time they had been spending together. Of course, he wasn't at all confused about how he felt about the situation, as he'd long ago admitted to an attraction toward the fox.

However, despite the current changes in their relationship, he found himself reluctant to explore those changes, and decided that he'd rather let her be the one to define whatever their new relationship was. These thoughts, along with his confusion and the changes in his friend's lives, left him feeling as if he were left out, and unlikely to get back in. It was a little after dawn when Sanosuke found himself dressing into his attire. Chinese-styled replicates of his past white gi with the aku symbol stitched on the back.

The only difference however were the colors of his outfit, as he'd worn his white one the day before. He was now dressed in a dark blue one that had a red stripe running down the outer portion of both pants legs. The aku symbol was also stitched on the back, though it was sown in the same red thread as the stripes were. His customary red headband, also sown in China, was wrapped around his head, completing his look.

After he was finished, he gave one last glance around the room, checking to see if everything was in order and memorizing where everything was. He chuckled to himself as he quietly slid open the door to his room, both amazed and amused at how orderly he was now. It was something that he'd picked up during his travels, and yet another thing added to the list that marked how much he'd changed.

The sky was a grayish blue as the sun had yet to rise upon the horizon. Sano yawned, still not quite used to being up at such an early hour, and normally he wouldn't have. However, a startling revelation from Kaoru the day before had him planning an impromptu trip to a place he didn't think he would ever visit again.

Well, he'd thought about visiting once, just to pay his respects to his mother and to let his father know he was back and still alive.

'I don't think dad'll mind,' he mused, shoving his hands into his pockets. 'Old man shouldn't anyway, seeing as it was his fight that got that warrant out for me anyway.'

Stepping off of the engawa, Sanosuke made his way silently across the yard, exiting through the gate in the back as he was accustomed to doing so many times before. He walked calmly through the wooded area encompassing the back of the dojo, whistling a tune to himself that he'd picked up from his time on boats overseas.

The tune itself served to keep his mind occupied and away from his earlier musings as he made his way through the semi busy streets of Tokyo. The sun by now had fully risen into the sky, bathing the world below in its bright yellow radiance, while shop keepers and the like eventually appeared out onto the streets. Sano soon found the streets growing more and more crowded the further on he walked, cutting through side streets and between buildings as he continued to make his way to the docks at the bay.

He was relieved when he finally made it to his destination, seeing the all too familiar scene of the workers on the docks. Recognizing the scent of the salt-water from the ocean wafting on the morning breeze, he scanned the long wooden boardwalks, searching the small wooden buildings that were aligned along those boardwalks.

Sanosuke strolled casually through the docks, until at last he came upon the boat that he was looking for, the blue crane painted on the side of it in near perfect Chinese writing. This was the ship his contact had mentioned that she would send his belongings on, so he waited and watched while the passenger's of the ship disembarked.

The process didn't take long, as it was mainly a cargo ship, and thus carried less passenger's than normal. As soon as the passengers were safely on dry land, the ship's crew members began unloading the cargo from the lower decks. Sano continued to wait until at last he spotted what he was looking for. Three of the ship's crewmen unsuccessfully trying to force a horse down the ship's plank. The steed thrashed, shaking it's head this way and that, pulling the two men in the opposite direction they were trying to get it to go.

Sanosuke had to shake his head at that, he knew from personal experience the horse was a stubborn ass, and wouldn't do anything it did not want to. It had taken him a while to tame the beast, and even that wasn't a completely successful process, but it was enough to get the horse to trust him enough to listen to him and that was all he really cared about.

Tired of watching both the one sided tug-of-war battle and the men shouting invectives at the horse, Sano gave a high pitched whistle that immediately had the desired effect. The horse immediately paused in it's struggle and looked up in his direction, it's eyes finally falling on that of it's owners. Sanosuke continued his leisurely stroll to the boardwalk, watching as the horse allowed the ship's crewmen to lead it down the walk.

As soon as it cleared the walk, it shook away from the crewmen and made its way to Sano's side, where it butted him in the shoulder with it's head. Sano in turn grinned as he shoved the horse's head away, understanding that the horse was not pleased with having been left behind for so long.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it you fussy bastard." He quipped in response. The horse only snorted, half turning his head away from his owner.

Sanosuke then eyed the rucksack lying strapped across the horse's back. He then began untying the knot, taking in a brief inventory of the bag's contents. As he combed through the items, a set of letters tied in a brown ribbon spilled into view. Arching a brow, he picked the letters up and glanced through the tops of them, and after spotting a familiar name at the tops of the letters, he carefully stuffed them into a pocket of his gi. Hopping up onto the horse's back, he gave it 3 playful slaps on the hind end, clucking as he did.

"Come on Dangan." The horse only gave another twist of it's head, before he spurred onward at a steady pace. Sanosuke made sure to keep the pace of their movement slow, alternating between a trot and a gallop so as not to accidentally hit any of the citizens in the streets.

It was only after he had gotten away from the docks and cleared the busier sections of Tokyo, that he gave another cluck while tapping the horse with his heels. Dangan, emboldened by his master's request, took off down the street they were on, building up speed as he went as Sano led them to the dojo.

---

Kenshin knelt beside the water basin, absent-mindedly listening to Kaoru's instruction of her students as he focused on a load of laundry. His attention was assaulted however, by the sound of horse's hooves tapping along the ground. It was faint, growing louder and louder as the source grew closer, and Kenshin had heard that source enough times to know what it was.

He strode across the yard of the dojo, taking notice of the pause in the noises coming from inside of the dojo. Stopping only for a moment, he listened as Kaoru instructed her students to take a short break. She then exited the training room, her long dark blue hair wrapped in a white ribbon. Misao followed her, apparently having joined her in the training room and watched her instruct her class.

"Do you hear that?" Misao asked, looking out toward the direction of the beating hooves.

Kaoru nodded at her question, also staring out past the gate. Hearing the sounds come to a stop just outside the gate, Kenshin unlocked the latch that secured the door closed. Stepping to the side as he slid the door open, he looked up catching the gaze of a grinning Sanosuke as he strode into the yard on top of his horse.

"Ohayo!" he called out, pulling on the reigns of the animal to bring it to a stop. By now, Megumi had appeared from her room, equally as stunned as Kaoru and Misao to see the animal.

"It's almost noon Sanosuke." Kenshin corrected kindly as he stood in front of the still opened gate.

"Did you have to bring that...that...thing into the yard Sano?" Kaoru exploded, breaking the amusing atmosphere of the scene. Sano jokingly flinched at the question, unable to pass up an opportunity to goad Kaoru's already flaring temper. The horse neighed in response, bucking it's head in response to Kaoru's rant.

"Ouch! Careful Jou-chan, Dangan here has feelings." He reached down playfully ruffling the animal's hair. The horse ducked his head, a low rumbling sound in his chest as he did so.

Kaoru stalked off of the veranda and into the yard, Misao and Megumi at her heels. Her trademark bokken was clutched tightly in her right hand, the wood baring chips here and there in the blade portion of the weapon. Apparent signs of years of use.

"I swear Sano, if that thing causes any damage to my property, I'm going to get a good workout on your head!" She tapped her bokken against her other hand to emphasize her point.

Sano returned her gaze with an unreadable stare, knowing by the look on her face that she meant every word she said. Not wanting to respond to the threat, he turned to see Misao staring at the horse from various angles. She moved around it animatedly, poking it as she did, having never been so close to one before. She cooed over the horse, continuing to poke at it with a finger until the animal finally turned and nipped at her.

This caused a frightened squeal to leave her lips as she jumped backward, before glaring angrily at the horse. Sano chuckled, amused by the girl's antics and her response to the animal's actions. The horse turned it's head away from her as Megumi strode forward. The female doctor reached out slowly, not wanting to startle the animal as she did so. Her soft hand touched the horse's forhead, feeling the surprisingly smooth texture of the animal's hair as she stroked the animal's mane.

This caused Dangan to duck it's head, another low rumbling sound emitting from it's chest. Megumi smirked as she continued petting the horse, seeing out of the corner of her eye the look of surprise on Sano's face.

"Well, this animal certainly seems to have better bathing practices than it's owner, judging from the texture of its hair." The tone of her voice held a teasing humor in it that mostly all had come to know well. It was obvious she was trying to lighten the tense atmosphere by bringing a sense of normalcy back to the group.

And it worked too.

Kaoru couldn't help hiding a giggle behind her hand, as Misao also giggled though not bothering to hide hers. Kenshin simply smiled at the scene, choosing to remain quiet as he was glad to see Kaoru's earlier temper make it's exit. Sanosuke himself chuckled at the statement, also aware of Megumi's intentions and even acknowledging that she had a point. Dangan could be a real prick if he didn't get a chance to wade through some water at least every other day.

"Oi! I'll have you know plenty of chicks dig the masculine look Megitsune." Sano playfully objected.

A silence descended upon the group as the comment had time to sink in. Kaoru and Misao feigned looks of disgust at the mental picture of a laughing Sanosuke surrounded by a harem of young women. Kenshin himself merely shook his head, amazed that Sano would actually let that one slip.

'Bad move Sano.' Kenshin mentally reprimanded.

Sanosuke kept his gaze locked on Megumi, who visibly did not show any signs that his comment had any effect on her. However, the short amount of silence was inevitably broken.

"Well, I would have to say that I should have a look at these women sometime then." Megumi responded as she withdrew her hand from the animal.

"Oh really? And why is that?" Sano demanded as she turned on her heel to walk back toward the house. Pausing in her steps, she turned her head back to look at the group as her fox-ears suddenly sprouted on the top of her head.

"Simple really. Any woman who finds your type of masculinity attractive should immediately have her head examined." Giving her patented laugh, Megumi turned and continued her walk back to the house, taking pleasure in the snickers coming from the others and Sanosuke's truly offended look.

Shaking his head at the familiar bickering, Kenshin turned his attention back towards a still scowling Sanosuke.

"So Sano, planning on traveling are you?" Kenshin called out to his friend. After all, someone with a horse wouldn't be as likely to stay inside the city. Sanosuke turned to him, nodding his head in answer to his friend's question.

"Yeah, got some business out of town and I'd rather not have to spend my time running all the way there and back."

"You mean you're not willing to do things the hard way for once?" Kaoru asked in astonishment. Sano didn't even bother to respond to her question.

"So where are you going?" Misao asked, curious also as to where the rooster would go to next.

"I believe you said you were going to Shinshu right?" Megumi's voice carried from the veranda of the dojo. Everyone looked in her direction to see her medical bag in her hand, and her travel bag on the floor beside her. Sanosuke took one look at her and immediately had a sinking suspicion begin to set in.

'This is not gonna be good.' He thought to himself.

---

The warm afternoon sun continued to shine overhead, warming the dirt road and grass below, as well as the many travelers who walked upon said road. The road was clouded in silence for the most part, broken only by the voice of one of two travelers currently on the road.

"You know you really didn't have to come with me." Sanosuke said aggravated.

Megumi sighed, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes at the comment he had made for the 50th time since they set out on their trip from the dojo. Apparently he and the rest of the group, save for Aoshi and Yahiko who hadn't been present that morning, knew from first glance of her travel case that she was planning on accompanying him. She'd recalled their conversation from the night before about him going to Shinshu, and after giving it some thought she decided it would be in her best interest to tag along. After all, how much trouble could he possibly get himself into if she were in his company?

His following denial of her going with him only gave her further incentive as it seemed to her that there was a reason why he was setting off on this journey that he did not want to make known to anyone, most especially her. However, her adamant refusal at leaving him to his own devices quickly overrode any argument he could've come up with. And if that hadn't been enough, she had seen it fit to remind him that she was the only competent doctor in the city willing to treat him for little to no cost. Another point of hers that had left him glaring at her smirking countenance while grumbling little comments about overbearing women.

Together the two had set out on their journey, leaving Kenshin to go back to his chores and Kaoru back to teaching her class. And although Megumi had tried to avoid conversation by remaining silent for the first portion of their trip, Sano had adamantly refused to let the silence be. Instead he chose to remind her over and over again the reasons why her accompanying him would be a hindrance. A couple of which she was willing to concede he did have a point on, and things that she hadn't bothered to think about before.

Such as the fact that they were now required to travel at a slow pace, even though they were outside of the Tokyo city limits. This was due mainly to the fact that Megumi had not had much experience in riding a horse, and Sanosuke was forced to go at a much slower pace than he was used to. This would seriously inhibit the amount of time Sano had managed to set aside to make the journey. Especially since they would not be able to make it in one day as he had hoped, meaning they would have to stop for the night. And being that she was still busy with trying to keep Gensai-sensei's clinic open while she sought out a new doctor to take it over, it meant she had very little money to spend on renting a room at an inn for the night.

At first she had seriously regretted not taking such things into account, and was even reluctantly willing to admit that she may have indeed inconvenienced him. However, now his constant complaining was beginning to grate on her nerves.

"Enough will you! Your complaining isn't helping the matter any." She snapped, thoroughly exhausted and annoyed. Sano half-turned his head, effectively scowling at her with one eye.

"All I'm sayin is that I'm capable of making this trip on my own! I don't need you holding my hand." Sano retorted, clearly still upset with her earlier performance in front of the group. His statement earned him a sharp smack to the back of his head.

"Funny since you've always managed to mangle your hand at every given opportunity." Her sharp tone let him know of her growing exasperation with his comments.

"Che, you seem ta forget that I was actually helping people most of those times." She arched an eyebrow at him.

"Most of the time?" She questioned. Sanosuke just gave her an inquisitive stare, wondering if she had really forgotten the conversation she'd had with Kaoru regarding his past.

"Yeah, I wasn't always the likable guy you see in front of you ya know." He turned his attention back to the road, focusing on the now setting sun in the distance.

Megumi herself remained quiet at the comment, silently willing to concede his point. Seeing the look on his face, she turned her head to look in the direction that he was staring at, wanting to see what had captured his attention. Only then did it register that the sun was beginning to set upon them.

"We should find a place to rest soon." He stated as he half turned again to meet her gaze.

"Yes, we should." She nodded as her brown eyes locked with his. 'Besides, being on this horse much longer is going to become unbearable.' She added as an afterthought.

Hearing the brief sound of relief in her voice, Sanosuke smirked to himself as he immediately thought of a way to even the score with the onna-sensei.

"Better hang on then Megitsune!" He stated before giving a sudden snap on the reigns of the horse followed by a bellowing "Yah!"

Recognizing his master's command, Dangan responded in kind by increasing his speed, turning the slow trot they had been maintaining since leaving the city into a steady gallop. This sudden change in movement caused a startled Megumi to let out a squeak of surprise, and she reflexively clutched onto the nearest thing, his jacket which fluttered in the wind.

"Wa...Wait Sanosuke!" She yelled, only to be met with Sano's bellowing laughter.

---

The scene outside of the Okamai Inn that evening had been one of comedy to almost all of the guests who had been there to witness it. It was both astonishing and humorous to see a tall, lean man being repeatedly thrashed over the head by a tall, elegant looking woman with a medicine bag. Even the horse the traveling pair arrived on had seemed to enjoy the sight, letting out what appeared to have been a snickering noise at the expense of his master.

Megumi had given him several hits while reprimanding him about his manners when riding with a lady. Sanosuke matched her tone, telling her that whatever he had done had been simply to repay her for being an annoyance. The relative ease with which they bickered with one another had everyone automatically assuming them to be together. This view was even shared amongst the inn's staff, particularly the elder woman who owned and worked there, as she immediately asked Sano if he and his wife would like a room for the night.

At hearing this, Sanosuke turned a teasing grin toward Megumi, only to be met by a glare of discomfort from the woman. The elderly woman hid her giggles behind her hand at the sight, mistakenly taking it to mean that the young man was in the proverbial "dog house" due to whatever had caused the scene from outside. Therefor, she could not help but to show her surprise when Sanosuke requested that they have two separate rooms instead.

Checking her sheet however, she was forced to inform that they had very few rooms left available, due to the number of travelers who were also seeking lodging that evening. At the seeing the reluctant looks on their faces, and feeling a little apologetic for assuming them to be married, she reminded them that a single room would save them money for their journey, and that she would happy to supply them with a screen for privacy if they wished. Admitting that it was better than nothing, Megumi nodded her acceptance and Sano paid the innkeeper, thanking her for her hospitality.

Later on that evening, after they were shown into their room and had settled in, Megumi had gone to bathe in the inn's hot spring. This left Sanosuke with plenty of time to set up the screen that had been provided for them. Stripping off his gi, he sat down by the open window on his side of the room, his futon rolled out beside the wall next to him. Pulling out the set of letters he had retrieved from his rucksack earlier, he carefully unwound the ribbon that bound them together. Unrolling them, he discovered it to be written in Chinese calligraphy.

The first thing that caught his eye however, was the way the characters on the page had been written. It almost seemed...rushed, as if the writer had written them on the spur of the moment. Reading over the information contained in the letters, Sanosuke felt his hands clench them involuntarily. Soon his clenched hands were shaking as well, the anger he was feeling at that point causing a small portion of his killing intent to seep out.

'Kuso!' He thought to himself as he finished up the last portion of the letter.

It had been written by a female acquaintance of Lei Shen's, who served as contact of sorts for him. Because of her work in a brothel, she always had the latest news she would pry from drunkards that not only seemed to aid the Chinaman in his quest to fight the seedy politicians who were picking on the common folk, but also saved his ass quite a few times. It appeared that shortly after he and the Chinaman had parted ways, she had been contacted by Lei Shen, with instructions to find out who had been responsible for hiring the men who had committed that tragedy that had occurred not all that long ago.

According to the letters, she had quickly been able to acquire the information he had asked for, though she had pleaded with him to take time to grieve. It had taken a little over two months time, but after that Lei Shen had resurfaced, immediately setting his sights on the men responsible. And in a method that Sanosuke could only describe as brutally uncharacteristic of his one-time friend, he had not only managed to execute those involved, but had left one of them in a public display. Apparently the sight had been intended as a warning to those who would attempt to follow in their footsteps.

Unfortunately, it had only served to sky rocket his reputation further amongst the Chinese politicians, turning Lei Shen from a local menace to a national terrorist almost overnight. This caused Sanosuke to regret his decision of leaving China so abruptly, especially considering that he felt somewhat responsible for the chain of events that occurred.

Looking up toward the sky, Sano stared blankly at the moon overhead, lost in the storm of his own thoughts.

'Shen, what's happened to you man?' He wondered.

Sanosuke knew that a confrontation between the two was inevitable. Shen had claimed to be searching for Zanza, and Sanosuke knew that once he had set a goal, nothing short of a natural disaster or divine intervention would keep the man from accomplishing it. It was the exact reason how he had earned the nickname of the hunter. You don't exactly receive that kind of reputation without some measure of tenacity.

"Sanosuke, do you have the window open?" Megumi's soft voice carried through the screen, shaking him out of his thoughts. He hadn't even heard her enter the room.

Looking momentarily toward the screen, Sanosuke made a grunting sound before closing it. He listened as the slight ruffling of material signaled Megumi lying down in her own futon. The ruffling continued only for a moment before the candle she had lit on her side of the room was blown out, eliminating all light from the room, with the only exception being the moonlight itself.

"You shouldn't stay up too late toriatama, not if you plan on getting to Shinshu and back on time." Her voice was soft as she uttered the words, and he naturally assumed it was from her being relaxed after having a bath.

"Yeah, yeah, I hear ya," he responded, sliding into his own futon. Settling down onto his back, he folded one arm, using it to cushion the back of his head. Thoughts of the letters and the disturbing images they brought with them still lingered in his mind, and Sano stared up at the night sky once again.

'Che, wonder how you plan to get yourself outta this one?' he thought to himself as sleep slowly but eventually overcame him.

To Be Continued...