Here goes Miko and Kristin's approximate Jump summary/translation. ^_- Bracketed text are 'thought' text... ^_^;

Rurouni Kenshin Act 210: Old Fool

Side text: Who is this carefree old man!?

On the road to Rakuninmura, the sun shines on a slightly hunched person carrying a basket and fishing pole. He appears to be a short, bearded old man, wearing broken glasses, tattered clothing, and a wide-brimmed straw hat. Small, cute, rather Disneyesque birds flutter happily about him as he walks.

Old Guy: HAAAAAA~ *singing, revealing a mouth missing several front teeth* Isn't it nice, isn't it nice, isn't it nice~~ Isn't it.... Hmm?

He pauses as he spots a boy with a shinai and a girl in a ninja outfit ahead of him, about to pass through the gate to the village of outcasts.

Old Guy: Well, well. With them being so young, I don't suppose they are here to join us (read: Rakuninmura)...

Title Page: Rurouni Kenshin - Meiji Kenkaku Romantan -
Act 210: Old Fool - The True Identity of that Man Is a Mystery

Kaoru stands close up, her hands behind her back, smiling with quiet contentment as she gazes off to one side. A breeze toys with her ponytail, the ribbon in her hair, and the long sleeves of her kimono, while fallen leaves scatter past...

Vertical side text: Bright colors come to an end, even precious memories decay into a wash of sepia...

Horizontal side text: Look back on Kaoru's smile... Individual volumes 1-22 sold to great acclaim!! (^_^;)

Yahiko and Misao stand just inside Rakuninmura, poised and ready for action.

Yahiko: Okay! From here on in, we can't be careless! Go in with a fighting spirit!

Misao: Then don't you go charging in!

A crowd of malevolent riffraff appears before them, blocking their path.

Riffraff 1: HEY, HOLD ON!!

Riffraff 2: Hey, all of a sudden!!

Riffraff 3: We won't let you go one step further in from here!!

Riffraff 4: It will destroy our name if we let outsiders come and go freely twice, three times!

Yahiko: *unimpressed* What are you talking about! You think that now, after such a long time, you should give a damn about your names?

Misao: *hands on her hips* Yeah! You're all failures anyway.

Enraged, the riffraff charge.

Riffraff 5: Don't show mercy just 'cause they're kids!!

Riffraff 6: Kick them the hell out of here!!

Yahiko: *rushing forward* Let's go, Misao!!

Misao: *whipping out a fistful of kunai* I told you not to go charging in!!

Riffraff clash with Yahiko and Misao; riffraff go flying in all directions.

Riffraff 7: *sweatdrop* What the hell!?

Riffraff 8: *wide-eyed* These brats are strong!

Yahiko and Misao continue to race forward.

Misao: We don't have time to waste on playing games with failures!

Yahiko: Just charge like this to where Kenshin is! Blast our way through until we avenge Kaoru!!

Riffraff-tachi: *suddenly airborne* YOU THINK WE'D ALLOW YOU TO DO THAT!!

Misao & Yahiko: *staring upward in SD surprise* !?

Fighting sounds: Gufu! Gyan!

The next instant, Yahiko and Misao's heads poke out from beneath a huge dogpile of Rakuninmura residents.

Smug Riffraff: How about that! This is one of the 48 Rakunin techniques, 'Tenraku Jinsei' !! (Ten: turn, change; Raku: fall; Jinsei: life)

Yahiko: What the hell was that!!

Misao: It's not funny at all!!

Smug Riffraff: *steaming* Shut up! Don't mess with us, you brats!

The shadow of a figure wearing a wide-brimmed hat appears behind him; it turns out to be the short old man from the opening scene. His beard and mustache are white; tiny round glasses perch atop a beaked nose, obscuring his eyes. (Imagine someone vaguely along the lines of Gandalf, Jerry Garcia, or Miracle Max. ^_^;)

Old Guy: What are you all having so much fun with?

Smug Riffraff: *surprised* Old Fool!

The old man holds up a bag of loot and hands it over to the crowd of enthusiastic riffraff, who leap up from their dogpile, freeing Yahiko and Misao.

Old Guy: It's been three days since I saw everybody. Here are some cigarette butts from town, so share them amongst yourselves nicely. *looks over at Misao and Yahiko* Are the young ones all right?

Misao and Yahiko blink at this uncanny apparition.

Yahiko: Who are you?

Old Guy: *toothlessly* Things like names I've forgotten a long time ago. Here, I am called 'Old Fool', the nicest old guy around.

As if for emphasis, the cute little birds which were following him earlier hover behind him. Yahiko and Misao stare queasily.

Word behind Yahiko and Misao: Suspicion

Yahiko: *sweatdrop* The nicest guy...?

Misao: *sweatdrop* It's somehow very dubious~~~!

Old Guy: No such thing. Hey, it's like this. Most people in this world would say that a person to whom animals naturally draw near can't be a bad person--

He dances happily as the birds flutter around him.

Small words around Misao: Heaven forbid!

Misao & Yahiko: Don't bring up stuff that has nothing to do with anything!

Old Guy: And young man, young lady, why have you come here, two, even three times?

Yahiko: To see someone. Anything wrong with that?

Old Guy: To see someone ---- ......... Can it be the samurai-san with the katana sealed with chains who came into the 'crowd' just recently?

Yahiko: Yeah, that's Kenshin. Anyway, thanks for your help.

He and Misao turn to leave.

Smug Riffraff: *indignantly* HEY YOU!

Yahiko: So long!

Old Guy: *gazing thoughtfully after Yahiko and Misao* .........

Back at Koguni Clinic, Aoshi is still leaning against the wall. Megumi stands near her desk, having just finished her story.

Megumi: --- and that's all of it... It's what I saw and heard, and even if you asked someone else, you'd get the same story.

Aoshi: ......... *frowning* It makes no sense.

Megumi: *startled* Huh?

Aoshi: Is there anything else, such as physical evidence, lying around?

Megumi: All the evidence has been taken by the police --- Ah, it's not a direct piece of evidence, but that piece of junk that Sanosuke picked up (Iwanbo) should still be in the storeroom at the doujou...

Aoshi: I see. Thanks for your trouble.

Megumi: If you're going back to the doujou, then I'll go with you. For one, you don't know where the key to the storeroom is.

Somewhere in darkness, Kenshin slowly opens his eyes.

Kenshin: (............ ............ It's already enough. I'm tired. Let me sleep like this quietly.)

He sits in the same position as in Rakuninmura: hunched over, head bowed, chained sword cradled against his shoulder. His surroundings, however, have altered. Endless mounds of human skulls and bones litter the landscape.

Kenshin: *still expressionless* (......... So I'm here again.........)

Bones crunch beneath the weight of a footstep nearby.

Voice: Hey.

The new ruler of Hell, aka Shishio Makoto, stands casually in front of Kenshin.

Shishio: What's with this? Look at you.

Kenshin: *barely raising his head* ... How ironic, that you are the one to meet me......... Well, fine. Just take me away now.

Shishio: Don't be stupid. Who the hell is going to take you anywhere? I just came here to laugh at you. *predatory grin* But if you insist, it's fine with me to take you. However, before that, you'll have to acknowledge your defeat. Your sword, your beliefs, your life, your everything... If you can acknowledge that it was all an irreparable mistake ----- ...

Misao: -----MURA!!

Kenshin slowly opens his eyes to see two familiar sets of sandaled feet. Misao and Yahiko stand in front of him, Misao gazing down on him in dismay. She clenches her fists.

Misao: Himura... You... What are you doing in a place like this!

She shouts at him, her eyes fierce with disgust.

Misao: Stand up, Himura! We have to go avenge Kaoru-san!!

Kenshin does not move.

Misao: HIMURA!

Yahiko gestures for Misao to wait, and she falls silent in surprise. He steps forward and kneels down in front of Kenshin. His eyes are clear, his gaze firm.

Yahiko: *to Kenshin* Just stay where you are and listen to me. I am going to go find Yukishiro Enishi. And then, I will absolutely make him make amends for the crime of killing Kaoru. After that, I really don't know. But I think I won't be discouraged, and I will definitely not be lost or anything like that, looking only at what lies ahead, never turning back.

Kenshin's eyes are still lowered, but he appears to hear Yahiko's words.

Yahiko: *calmly, with conviction* And as Kenshin said before, I will become strong by Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu. And like Kenshin had done until now, I will use my sword for the sake of the weak and the ones in pain that I see.

He stands and turns away.

Yahiko: I won't come back here again.

Misao: !

Yahiko looks back one last time, and smiles.

Yahiko: I will be waiting for you at Kamiya Doujou.

He turns and leaves, followed by a surprised Misao.

Kenshin: *raising his head fractionally* (--------......)

Having observed the whole scene, the Old Fool of Rakuninmura now approaches Kenshin. His eyes widen behind his glasses as he seems to recognize the cross scar on the swordsman's cheek. He sits down next to Kenshin, still circled by a pair of fluttering little birds. They sit in silence for a moment.

Old Guy: That seems like a young man who is looking forward to the future. I, well, I've been living here since I was born. But Samurai-san, you are the first one who has fallen here whom a young boy like that from the outside has come to see two, even three times ---

He trails off. Kenshin makes no response.

Old Guy: Whatever the case, it seems just a little too early for you to settle down here.

As she and Yahiko return to Kamiya Doujou, Misao lets off clouds of steam.

Misao: What was that, it's so disgusting! Suuuuuuuuuper disgusting!!

Yahiko: *muttering* Don't say 'super'.

Misao: *frowning fiercely* That can't possibly be Himura! I didn't want to see... Himura like that.

As they draw near to the half-destroyed doujou gate, an indignant shout from within startles them.

Voice: WAIT A MINUTE!!

Misao & Yahiko: !

They dash forward to find Megumi and Aoshi standing in the yard, Megumi flushed and highly agitated, Aoshi unruffled as ever.

Megumi: What are you thinking!? Do you understand just what it is that you're saying?

Yahiko: Megumi!

Misao: What? What is it?

Megumi: *whirling* LISTEN! This brat had the gall to ---

Misao: Don't call Aoshi-sama a 'brat'!

Megumi: Shut up! It's more than enough to call this brat a 'brat'!

Aoshi: *to Yahiko* You help too.

Yahiko: *puff of steam* What is it?

Aoshi: Tonight, we will open up Kamiya Kaoru's grave ---

Yahiko: *in utter shock* !?

*End Act*