Part VIII

     Megumi couldn't believe it.  "Girls, go get your grandfather."  She stared at her hands in surprise, at the cold water in the bucket she hadn't set down.
    She dumped it over her head again.  She'd always noticed a peculiar twinge immediately after dousing no matter how long a delay there was before the actual change before, but now there was no twinge.  Her ankle had healed enough for her to manage by herself, but she didn't notice the pain at all at that precise moment.  She picked up another bucket and poured it over her head.  Still no twinge!  Another bucket of water, just because she could.  "Three's a charm!" she squealed happily as her colleague was dragged in by two excited little girls.
    "It's done?  You found it?"  Genzaisensei lit up almost as much as Megumi had.  "Sugoi!!!  That's wonderful!  We'd better go tell everyone right away!  Get everything together!"  He was all but hopping around, as Megumi half wished she could do.  It wasn't dignified but at this point who cared?
    The old doctor insisted on carrying everything but Megumi herself as they hurried carefully to the dojo.  Genzaisensei knew just how precious his burden was and had his granddaughters stand guard duty on either side of him as Megumi hopped along ahead of him a little way, using her crutches to fairly fly down the road to the dojo with the news and the cure.  At last, at last she had found it!  No more embarrassing moments!
    "Kensan!  Kaoruchan!  Come look!  I've found it!" she cried as she approached the dojo.   "Ryougasan!  Sano!  I've found the cure!"  Megumi glowed as Kenshin swept her up
    Yahiko looked up from his practice.  "You mean I'm off the hook?"
    "Not quite," Kaoru smirked as she let his slip go.  She ran for the gate to let Megumi and her entourage in -- Kenshin had been, of course, buried up to his elbows in laundry when she arrived and was drying his hands.  "Are you absolutely sure?"
    "Of course I'm sure!  Look!"  Megumi balanced on her crutches and leaned over, picked up a bucket of cold water that Kenshin had standing ready for the laundry and upended it over her own head.
    They watched her in silence.  "Where's Sanosuke?"
    "Sanosuke who?"  The tall ex-gangster appeared from inside with Ryouga in tow -- apparently they'd been practicing martial arts without weaponry for both were shirtless and sweaty.
    "Wow do you stink!"  Yahiko backed away from them, holding his nose.
    "Shut up kid."
    "Who you callin a kid?"  Yahiko was chewing on Sanosuke's head in slightly less time than it took to blink.  Sano decided to ignore him.
    "So what's all the fuss about?"
    "Megumidono found a cure!"  Kenshin was beginning to believe as Megumi showed no signs of changing.
    "Ryouga, there's enough for you to take home for four other people here.
    "I think I'll take mine with me when I go home, instead of now."  Ryouga smiled.  "I've waited this long, a little more won't kill me."
    "Kaoru smiled at him.  "You're so strong-willed!  I could never wait that long!"
    "Speaking of waiting, Megumidono..."  Kenshin looked sheepishly at the young doctor.
    "Of course!  Assistant!"  She  smiled haughtily as Genzaisensei waddled up, deliberately playing the role up.
    "Yes, my lady mistress, right here, my lady mistress."  He handed her a large vial full of what looked like any ordinary well water.
    "Kaorusan, glasses if you please?"
    Kaoru nodded and ran inside as Megumi carefully opened the bottle.  "This is for the boys.  The other bottle, assistant!"
    Genzaisensei pulled out the other one, somewhat smaller, with a flourish and a bow as he handed it to his colleague.  "As you wish."
    Ryouga looked carefully.  It wouldn't be that difficult to remember -- the cure for the men came in a squarish bottle while the one for the women had a curvy outline.  He watched Megumi pour a little of each into separate glasses -- one for Kaoru of the female, one each for Kenshin and Sanosuke of the masculine.
    Each downed the liquid and looked around.
    "I don't feel any different."  Sanosuke looked suspicious.
    Megumi didn't answer save to pour cold water over him.
    "Hey!"  Sanosuke blinked.  He was about to keep yelling when it dawned on him.  "I don't feel any different!  I used to get a little twitch, and now it's gone!"
    Kenshin and Kaoru took turns dousing themselves and exclaimed with joyous agreement.
    Yahiko was not going to be left out of this one.  "WATER FIGHT!"
    Within moments, the front yard of the Kamiya Dojo was a mess of mud and laughing participants.  Even the normally dignified doctor Genzai, Megumi on her crutches, and the two little girls discarded all concerns, cavorting around and throwing water indiscriminately at each other.  Megumi did, however, make sure to tightly seal the bottles before getting involved.
    She was dancing around on the crutches as freely as the others when she slipped in the mud.  Kenshin caught her up before she even hit the ground and gazed into her eyes for a moment.  None of the others existed as his lips met hers, caught up in the euphoria of the moment and the feelings that had been building slowly.  The world around them vanished as her arms went around him for support as well as closeness.  Megumi was sure life could not be more perfect as she responded to Kenshin's kiss.
    She was right.  Cold water splashed heavily on them both and they pulled apart, laughing.
    Yahiko held a bucket with one hand and his nose with the other.  "Ew.  At least cold water's still good for something!"
    Even Sanosuke and Kaoru joined in the laughter.