A Ranma 0.5/Rurouni Kenshin Crossover


The Three-fold God


By Kijin



====*====*====


Chapter 1


====*====*====



He walked across the streets of Nerima with a casual
grace, the gait of a man who knows who is supreme in this
little town. Idly, he strolled around the twists and turn of
the avenues, seemingly without following any sort of directions.
He looked this way and that, at all the curios sold inside
various windows. He caught the eye of many a woman, with them
gazing an admiring glance at his well-built form, and comely
visage. He smiled at their attention, gracing the adoring females
with a winsome smile. Many fainted on the spot. He continued
on his way, unaffected by the havoc he caused among the female
half of the population.

He was searching for something. What, he didn't know.
All he knew was that when he would find it, he would know.
So he walked on, the brilliant lights of downtown Tokyo
flashing in his wake.

"You Hentais! Happo-go-en-Satsu!" cried a squeaky
tone.

A wave of Ki followed the scream, to be absorbed
through a physical focus in the shape of a fifty-yen coin. It
left in its wake a group of men lying weak and spent on the
cold and hard pavement. He smiled as he approached the now
full-grown woman.

"Truly, they are a boorish lot." He commented, borrowing
the phrase from an...acquaintance...of his.

"You!" She exclaimed, spinning around to face him. "It's
way past your curfew! You should be in bed, now!"

"And with whom, may I ask." He replied with aplomb.
"You, I hope? It would be a great *pleasure* then, to be with
the company of one so gifted by the gods with unsurpassed
beauty and grace."

She blinked. He didn't just come on to her, did he?

"Ah yes. Such beautiful, liquid windows to your vibrant
soul. And endless pool of purest ebony, framed by the elegant
rivers of your gossamer tresses. Truly, as sight most wondrous
to behold."

She blushed. She'd never been complimented like this
before life. Most men tended to skip this part and go right
to the groping. Flowery words were not in her admittedly
limited experience with men. She hadn't expected anyone to
pay her the tribute of words, especially not *HIM*.

She frowned in suspicion. "Are you being a delinquent
again?"

"How harshly you judge me so, my Lady!" He took the
opportunity to walk closer to her. "I merely paid homage
to the beauty of one of the wonders of the world, namely,
you. It that so heinous a crime?"

She shivered for a moment, as she felt his indigo
eyes lock onto her own hazel hues. Wait a minute. *Indigo*?
It wasn't supposed to be his eye color, was it?

She turned and walked away nervously. Things were
getting a bit too creepy for her taste. She shuffled
hurriedly out of his immediate vicinity, trying to ignore
the butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

"Perhaps I should accompany you to your domicile. This
hour is filled with dangers from the more incorrigible of
the population. It would only be proper for a young Lady
like yourself to be accompanied by an honorable gentleman.
I humbly offer my services."

'Damn it'. She thought to herself. 'Since when did
he talk like a Renaissance prince?' She considered his offer.
While he might have changed a bit, she doubted if his honor
wasn't intact. He was the single most honorable person she
knew of, not that it meant a great deal in a place like
Nerima.

She relented. "Very well. But don't even think about..."

"I assure you, my lady, I have only the most honorable
of intentions." He interrupted. "I can stay a minimum of a two
feet distance if you fear me to be a lecher."

She stared hard at him for a moment, then walked on.

"Come on. It is late. I have to prepare for classes for
tomorrow."

He smiled to himself. She didn't know it, but she
inevitably fallen deeper inside his entrapment, though by
the end of this night, he doubted if she would protest her
predicament.


====*====*====


As they walked back to her residence, He started to
engage her in casual conversation. The topic ranged from
simple, everyday things, to the varying opinions concerning
the current Government's status. In spite of herself, she
unknowingly began to draw closer towards him, as the
conversation leaned into the realm of the intimate. As they
came closer to her home, she had already held his muscular
arms to her bosoms, gripping the steel hard appendage with
enough force to crush those of lesser men.

She had never felt safer in her life. She felt as if the
world ended and began in the embrace of his arms. If she
could, she would have preferred to remain in this comforting
enclosure forever. She truly understood just now that she had
always been alone, starved for companionship. Now that she
knew how it felt to want and to be wanted in return, she felt
that she could never go back to her previous state of apparent
non-existence. She would do anything to keep feeling this way.
Anything.

All too soon, she heard him declare their arrival. They
stood in front of her apartment building, staring into each
other's eyes.

"As I have promised, a safe passage towards your
home."

She trembled at the throaty tone. It was too seductive
for her own good. She didn't want him to go. She wanted to,
at least, feel him beside her in her room, holding her
tenderly. She wanted to know the warm, male embrace, and
he was most certainly a Man amongst men. She wanted, no,
*desired*, to KNOW him, in the biblical sense of the word.

"I...I...well..." She struggled to blurt out the words,
feeling warm under his eyes. "You know...that...uhm..."

He laid a hand at her shoulder, and she had to force
herself not to brush it with her cheek.

"I understand what you request, Beautiful one." His
tone was light, airy. "You wish for me to stay with you for the
night, do you not?"

She nodded gratefully, thankful that he said what she
could not utter.

"The sanctity of a lady's bedchamber is one I always
hoped I would never sully. The disgrace that it would bring to
both you and me will be disastrous. I cannot, in good
conscience, take advantage of what you offer."

She lowered her head, ashamed at the supposed rebuke.
She wanted nothing more than to disappear into the ground,
unable to face the disappointed expression she was sure to
see.

"But who am I to tell a lady of your stature of the
intricacies of public mores? A beautiful woman has offered
that which is most precious to her. How can I not partake of
the fount of love that she would reveal to me in the fullness
of the night? Who am I to refuse her? Am I not a gentleman,
as I had confessed before?"

Her eyes shone like twin stars.

"You understand, of course, that I could not stay with
you until the morn. I have several...pressing engagements...I
need to attend."

She nodded. Taking his other hand in her own, she pressed
the warm palm against the firmness of her bosom.

"Make me a woman tonight, gentle warrior. Teach me how to
love a man, as a woman should..."

"Of course, Hina-chan..."



====*====*====



Ranma woke up before the sun had peeked out of the
horizon, intent on another day of practice before school. He
estimated that he would have about an hour and a half before
breakfast. He quickly ran outside the Saotome home and placed
himself in the center of the yard.

He sought to find his center before he began his kata,
breathing the air around him deeply. In a few minutes, he
was ready to begin.

He began a series of forms that showed the impressive
control he had over his body. It emphasized grace and
gentleness, one that seemed too slow for the usual chaotic
contortions he reserved for a fight.

It was funny, actually. He'd never remembered learning
this particular form of kata before. But the stances, the
flows...it all felt so familiar. As if bridging a gap between
his body and spirit. No, there was something missing. He ran
back into the Saotome home to get something.

When he came back out, he was carrying a bokken in his
hands. He didn't understand why, but the Kata felt like one
made for the sword. He stepped back into the center of the yard.
That was when he danced.

Smooth, powerful motions of the wooden blade blended
seamlessly with the graceful waves of his body. As he flowed
from one stance to another, a part of his mind that was
previously locked gradually opened, slowly allowing him access
to a hidden part of his psyche. He knew, deep in his heart,
that for everything to be revealed, he had to lose himself on
the Kata's forms.

At one second, he was as graceful and slow as the tides,
moving with exquisite perfection of a master. Then, he
became a flurry of arms and legs, moving at speeds that none
had ever witnessed since the creation of the Martial Arts. He
lost himself in the beauty of the Kata, alternating speeds and
power. He felt so at peace with himself.

That peace shattered at the sound of loud applause.
Startled, he turned quickly to face its source. He found his
Mother standing on the engawa, looking proudly at him with
a huge, beaming smile.

"Ranma-chan!" She exclaimed. "I've never seen anything
so beautiful in my life! The Kata, those forms...everything!
And you used a sword! Where in the world did you learn to do
such a thing? Why, I could have you tested at a Kendo dojo
and have you acknowledged as a Master of Kendo!"

He ducked his head bashfully. He'd never had people
praising him before. "Aw, shucks. It was nothing!"

Her eyes shimmered in pride. "Could you show it to me
again? I'd like to see it once more."

"Well...okay."

Once again, he erupted into the complicated motions
and lost himself in the Kata. His Mother watched approvingly
at the side. Time lost all meaning, and the hidden window
started to open again...

"Kami-sama..." Said a low whisper.

Ranma slowed down, frowning. Who said that?

He saw his Father standing beside his beaming Mother, his
chubby face pale and horrified. Ranma couldn't understand it.
What had gotten his Father all spooked out?

"Boy...where did you learn that Kata?"

He frowned again. "I didn't. All I did was practice a bit
for a while then this Idea came to me. So I took out a bokken,
and improvised a standard unarmed Kata. Or at least, I thought
I did."

His father came down hurriedly to his side, his face
still a pasty white. He stood by him, losing some of his
paleness, to be replaced by utter seriousness.

"Ranma...Son, I want you to promise me something."

The young man was puzzled at his seriousness. It was
more than he'd ever seen him show for a long time.

"Eh? What's the Matter, Oyaji? You feelin' sick or
somethin'?"

Genma didn't even bat an eyelash at his remark. He
continued with his plea.

"Son, If you've never believed me before, if you've
never obeyed me before, then I want you to do this one thing,
above all else. Forget everything else I've said to you, But
heed this!"

"Huh?"

"Ranma, I want you to promise me one thing. Never, ever
use that Kata or anything similar to it, with or without the
bokken. I want you to promise me that!"

"What are you talking about, Oyaji!" He retorted hotly.
"I'm the one who made this Kata, and nobody else is going to
tell me what to or not to do!"

"Genma..." Nodoka tried to intervene.

"No, No-chan. you do not know the story here." He shook
his head. "This is not simply about a Kata. But continuing
to practice it will have dire consequences. My hands are
tied, But this is for your own good, Boy!"

Ranma's ice-blue eyes darkened, startling both his
parents at the sight.

"Don't. Ever. Call. Me. A. Boy. Ever."

"Son," Placated his mother, "I'm sure this can all be
worked out. Why don't we just come to an agreement?"

"I shall only agree to one thing. Ever." He turned his
back on them. "What I desire, I get. There are no other
compromises." He walked away slowly. He needed to eat and
prepare for school.

But before he passed through the wooden doorway,
they could hear him mutter a phrase.

"...so the past comes to nip our heels, once more..."



====*====*====



Kasumi hummed softly to herself as she cleaned one of
the storage rooms in the Tendo home. She rummaged through the
assorted things left behind by the Saotome's, reminiscing the
days when the Duo stayed here as part of their Family. She
smiled sadly at some of the memories.

Akane did not take their leaving very well. After a
few months of observing the interaction of Ranma and his
reluctant Fiancee, Nodoka had declared that The match
between Ranma and Akane was unsuitable. His Mother had
noticed how Akane took their engagement for granted (and
she had to admit, it was wrong of Akane to do so). So, in a
loud voice, she proclaimed that all Engagements to Ranma
had become null and void. Their was a loud protest from the
Tendo and Saotome Patriarchs, but in the end, Nodoka's word
was law.

The two Fathers sought a desperate gamble, saying that
if Ranma wanted the Engagements voided, only then would
they agree. They trusted Ranma's love for Akane would see
them through in this crisis. This drew a cynical snort
from the pony-tailed girl

'Love? Akane didn't deserve Ranma's Love. She never
did, or never should have.' A voice whispered inside.

She shook her head to clear itself of such thoughts.
It wasn't nice to think such thoughts about her baby sister.

'And that was exactly what went wrong, did it? She
was the baby of the family. Everything had been given to
her, never having to struggle to obtain what she wanted. She
was a spoiled little brat who threw temper tantrums at every
little thing that didn't go her way. A *child* totally self
absorbed, who...'

Once again, her mind had deviated from its original
thoughts. She sighed sadly. She should have known from the very
beginning that Akane and Ranma were a volatile match. Regrets
were something she had very little experience in. She tended
to see good in everything, even when it wasn't there. The
Saotome's stay in the Tendo residence had changed her views.

It should been her that was engaged to Ranma. She
is the eldest of the Tendo sisters, after all. Duty demanded
that she meet Family honor, and follow Giri. It should have
been her who became Ranma's fiancée. The woman he saved
every time a prince came to kidnap her, The one he shared
secret smiles with, the one he would stand by all time...

Alas, It was never meant to be. She had thrown her
one chance at happiness and the knowledge of a husband's
love. All because of the fear of the unknown. In retrospect,
the curse didn't seem so bad. In fact, he had gotten a cure
months ago, in an excursion to the Musk fortress. Ranma
asked a favor from Herb, and the Dragon prince was only too
happy to loan him the Chisiuiton, and repay the debt of
honor. He had even invited the pig-tailed boy to visit
sometimes, for a few sparring matches.

There was no time for regret though. She had lost her
one chance, and now Ranma, by virtue of Nodoka's declaration,
become fair game. Women practically hounded him, now. Not
a day passed when at least a dozen girls came to him in
hopes of setting up a date with him, or even marriage
proposals. Even Nabiki chased him now. She idly wondered
if he'd ever had experience with a woman's charms.

'Ojisan's and Otousan's friendship had been severely
strained by the events, but they had been friends for far to
long to give up that relationship. At least they're still
happy...Hello, what's this?'

She was surprised to find a worn leather pack among
the storage boxes. She was even more surprised to find the
name 'Ranma' in English letters scrawled along the sides.
Kasumi knelt down to inspect the long bag closer.

The bag held several lengthy objects, by its shape
alone. Curious, she opened it to take a peek of what was
inside.

What she saw shocked, or least surprised, her. Inside
the Leather pack was a pair of swords, one a traditional
Japanese katana, And a leather choker with a dark crystal set
in the middle. All had the Saotome crest engraved on them.
But the strangest thing was that on the other side of the
hilts on the Katana, and at the choker's buckle, an engraving
of a rearing horse was set in stark relief.

'What does this insignia mean? Ranma's personal sigil?'
She then shrugged off the thought. One thing was sure, though.
She'd have to return it to Ranma.

She came down into the living room, to see her father
sitting on the couch, watching TV. She shuffled closer to his
sprawled form.

"Father, I think the Saotome's may have left something
behind when they left. I think this bag belongs to Ranma."

"Eh? What's that, Kasumi?"

"I think Ranma may have left something. Look, it has
his name on it!"

Soun took a moment to glance at the pack held in his
daughter's hands. "Hmm. It does seem to belong to Ranma."
An idea suddenly sprung. "Well, now! I have great Idea!"

"Oh?" Kasumi inquired. "What is it, father?"

Soun sat up from the couch. "We could invite the
Saotome's for Dinner!" He said excitedly. "That way, we could
return this to him, and then catch up on old times! Why,
Saotome and I could get back to our shogi..."

She listened to her father ramble for a minute, then she
interrupted. "That's very nice, Father. Now, why don't I go
to the Kitchen to prepare the ingredients for tonight's
dinner."

Soun nodded absently. "Yes, yes. I have to go and dust
that old shogi board of ours, then set the..."



====*====*====


Sunday morning. The Sun shone brightly above,
framing a light blue sky. Children played freely, and cheers
filled the air. In all respects, it was a beautiful day, just
right to spend the time with your loved ones. One family,
however, did not share sentiments of the populace.

The Saotome's, Genma and Nodoka, sat in the living
room facing each other. The Saotome family blade lay in
between them. Both held unreadable faces, devoid of any sort
of emotion. The couple had yet to say a word for two hours.

"Genma."

"Hai, anata?"

"Tell me what was that about, Husband. Why did you tell
our Son to desist in such an exercise? Why would you be so
adamant about so little a thing?" She drew a deep breath.

"And the...way my Son acted this day. I had not heard
him speak so formally before. His every actuation, every
facial tic, it was different. What has befallen him?"

Genma sat stonily, face set. He neither spoke nor
flinched from his wife's tone, head still bowed.

"Tell me!" She couldn't restrain herself. "Tell me the
truth, Genma! Did something happen before, that made him act
like this? Does it have something to do with who he is?"

Like a viper, his head snapped up. His eyes burned with
an inner flame, in anger. Nodoka's heart skipped a beat. Those
eyes...

It was the fire she used to see before they had been
married, when Genma was still in his novitiate with Happosai.
The very same thing that drew her to him in the first place.
His eyes now held fiery rage, and she was glad that rage
wasn't directed at her.

"It has EVERYTHING to do with WHO, or WHAT he is!" Genma
thundered. His aura now flared wildly, the reflection of the
raging emotions he felt within. Even Nodoka's iron will could
not help but shrink back at the awesome anger.

Finally, the display died down, replaced with a portly
martial-artist who sat wearily in the floor. He seemed to
heave a great sigh, and started to elucidate his wife on what
she should never have asked.

"No-chan. I love you more than life itself." He began.
"But there are certain things I swore I would never reveal, for
the sake of my Family. Even if it meant my alienation, then I
will still do so in an instant. I have made many mistakes, this
time, I pray it will not cost Ranma's soul."

Tears ran down Her face. What could be so horrible that
her own, admittedly, less than honest husband would deem the
secret more important than his own beloved wife? Was it
because of Ranma?

"Anata," Her tears had not stopped. "Will this, this
mistake cause harm to come to my Son?"

Genma deflated. The sight of his beloved wife crying
was the last thing he wanted to see. "No, No-chan. Hopefully,
it will not. But Ranma must face this on his own. It is his
battle to fight, we can only stand by and watch as spectators.
But I swear to you, on the Family Katana, that no harm will
ever come to you or him."

The Fire returned full-force. "Not while I still hold
the slightest bit of breath in me."

[Rriiinngg! Rriinngg! Riinngg...]


====*====*====


For once in her three-hundred years of existence, Cologne
hoped she would make a big mistake.

Her errant Son-in-law still resisted Shampoo's charms,
and sought to defy Amazon Law. Now matter how much she had
pushed or pulled, Ranma would never willingly come into
Shampoo's arms. He grew to wary of the tricks she had pulled
(and still did). At this rate, he would never be part of the
tribe.

Well, not if SHE can help it.

During her stay in the quaint little Japanese town
called Nerima, she had been exceedingly vexed and confounded
by the pig-tailed martial artist known as Saotome Ranma. While
she did not think him particularly unlucky, the boy attracted
chaos the same way rotten food attracted flies. Though she had
to admit, Ranma was one of, if not, the beautifully visaged
youth she ever saw, it was hardly reason for countless of
females to throw and devote themselves at him. It simply
boggled the mind how women were drawn to him.

And there was his prowess. If she knew a better fighter
at his age and generation, she did not know him. The boy
absorbed the knowledge of fighting techniques like a sponge,
literally soaking up all that he had seen and witnessed,
even if it happened only once. There was simply no end to
his constant improvement.

But there was one thing strange about how he fought.
Each time, unless the foe was blatantly weak in terms of
Nerimian fighting ability, or grossly experienced like
herself, Ranma won always only with a slight margin. It
was as if he fought only with enough force to defeat and
gain a challenger's techniques.

And his fighting style. From what she saw, the boy's
style was chaotic and unrefined, a mark of the Anything-
Goes style. The said style concentrated on the used of
Passions and emotions, incorporating other schools in the
mix. It described how her Son-in-law fought, to a tee.

Yet he had learned the Hiryu Shoten Ha. It was
something she had only tried to show to Ranma, to show the
futility of learning one of the Amazon's secret techniques. A
technique that only three of the best Joketsozuko elders,
including herself, had mastered. The technique required a level
of self-control, ki mastery, and incredible restraint to
subvert the flux of emotions usually running throughout one's
self. Erasing all feelings, to access the raw ki that fueled
the Tornado's immense power. The fastest she had seen anyone
master the technique was a month, set by herself. By all
calculations, his own style and mentality would have rendered
it useless.

But Ranma mastered it in three days.

Now that was when she knew that something was very,
very wrong about him.

So she spent the time seeing how Ranma would react to
events. Cologne saw the defeat of countless of challengers.
From Ryouga, Mousse, Taro, Herb, and finally, The Phoenix
god Saffron. She didn't even want to think of what happened
in Jusendo. All had fallen before him.

A causal glance would reveal that Ranma was an immature,
brash, cocky, generally average teenager. If you could discount
the incredible abilities he had at his disposal. But always,
events would hint that all was not what it seemed with the
pig-tailed boy. Out of all of those that she had met, she could
not predict how he would react to situations. This alone made
him an adversary worthy of her attention.

Which was why she hesitated in proceeding with the plan
that was sure to succeed. This WAS Nerima after all. What
happened rarely in other places was commonplace here,
especially when it concerned a certain blue-eyed Martial
Artist.

She shook her head. Of course she would succeed. No mere
male would ever thwart the Joketsozuko, at least not for long.
Marriage to Shampoo wasn't really what she had in mind. Ranma
would be the perfect breeding stock, to aid in the Amazon's
return to power. He will come to the Tribe, even if She had
to force him at sword point.

"Hibachan have Guests!" Came Shampoo's singsong voice
from below.

Grabbing on her staff, she went down the stairs of the
Nekohanten to greet the Arrivals.

She saw Shampoo standing besides the stairs, waiting
patiently for her descent. On a table sat five huge men,
who cast dark shadows around the deserted Cafe. Each of the
mountains of flesh stood up when she appeared.

"Ahh. So you have come. Just right on schedule."

The apparent leader of the men stepped in front, to
address the Amazon Matriarch.

"Will we have our chance? To destroy him?"

Cologne's face twisted into a grotesque mask, in a
parody of a smile.

"Yes. You will have the chance to crush him. Then we
shall take him back with us to China, where he will live as
a slave and stud stallion to the women of our tribe." She
laughed at her own joke.

The Man frowned. "Will we not kill him?"

"Of course not." She snorted. "There are far worse ways
to humiliate a man. At least in this way, he knows who were the
instrument of his downfall. Be assured, though, that we will
spread the tale of his Conquerors."

"That is most...delightful. We accept." He smiled
cruelly. With a blur of movement, all five men disappeared,
leaving only a cluster of gently falling sakura blossoms.

"Hibachan, those too too scary men won't hurt Airen,
will they?"

"Do not fret, child." She assured the purple haired
girl. "When the time comes, Ranma will be yours."


====*====*====


"What did the Matriarch say?"

"My Lord, the Woman plans to enslave him and turn him
into breeding stock for the Joketsozuko. After we crush him,
of course."

Laughter.

"What irony. He who was once sought after by women will
soon be the their plaything. After all the women that had shared
his bed, this fate seems...fitting. What about his prowess,
then."

"He has become weak, my Lord. Where strength once flowed,
It has been replaced by weaknesses. Even only one of us could
defeat him. He is doomed."

Pause.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. He always had something under his
sleeve. Therefore, I will send Jeremiah and Job with you. They
will accompany your group to provide support, should anything
go astray."

"My Lord! I must admit that for one of his reputation,
extreme measures must be made. But to send two of your
Lieutenants? He is only a boy, far too young..."

Silence.

"I beg your Forgiveness, my Lord. I didn't mean to presume
to..."

"Enough! I have said what need to be said. You now know
what to do. Go, and prepare for the plan."

"Hai!"

Silence. One that stretches for a few minutes.

"Ah. Welcome, my daughter. So, tell me what is thy hearts
desire?"

"You know that I want only one thing. The men you sent,
they will fail."

"Perhaps, perhaps not. If he does return to who he once
was, then maybe, just maybe, he is good enough to become one
of the Enlightened. Then, We can gain the control of the
Shadows. The world will soon learn to fear us."

"In that case, I shall prepare my bedchambers. When
HE comes back, my sheets shall become warm once again."

Disapproval.

"Are our Servants so unreliable in your eyes, Daughter?
Do you doubt the strength they possess?"

Laughter.

"Of course not. I trust their strength and abilities.
But I trust HIS power more."

Pause.

"Mayhap, With HIM in our Ranks, we shall gain that which
we most covet, hhmm?


====*====*====


Cologne rummaged through the seemingly endless piles of
assorted bric-a-brac, Shampoo standing beside her. A few items
were haphazardly thrown away in her haste. She had to prepare
everything just right. It just wouldn't do for her to be late
for her own machinations.

"No...Not this...Can it be...? Maybe...this probably...
Could a gem...the cracked...No..."

She continued her search until she saw what she wanted.

"Ah Hah! I found it!"

Shampoo bounced up and down with joy. "Aiyah! Grandmamma
find Amazon secret treasure!"

Cologne gave the girl a small smile. "Yes child. This
artifact will be the instrument of our success! Soon, Ranma
shall be brought into the tribe!"

"Aiyah! Shampoo sooo happy!"

Cologne laughed, and placed the said artifact on the
table, to rest above a special stand made for such a purpose.

Shampoo leaned nearer to stare at it. "Great grandmamma,
What it called?" She asked, puzzled.

"This, my child," She tried to suppress a wicked grin,
"Are the Gems of Eternity."


====*====*====


Thunder rumbled in the distance. A pair of men shadowed
the walking lady in front them, a boy with a shinai at her side.
The taller of the two men had spiky hair and wore a white dogi
with the kanji for 'Bad' emblazoned at the back, while the
shorter had flame-red hair tied in a loose ponytail and wore
a white Hakama with a red Haori. The redhead had a suspicious
looking katana at his side, but one look at his face assured
most passerby's of his benevolent personality.

Suddenly, the red-haired swordsman stiffened, and stopped
stock-still. This drew the attention of the spiky-haired boy
with the yellow hakama. He frowned at him.

"Oi! What's wrong with you? You coming down with
something?"

"Nothing, nothing, Yahiko. It was just that, for a moment,
I felt something strange. A...foreboding. Of what, I don't
know." He shook his head in puzzlement.

"Yo, Kenshin, you're freaking me out. Why don't we just
go to the Fox lady's clinic, and have her fix you something."

At this time, the girl had noticed their pause, and
the resulting conversation. She drew her own two cents in.

"Maybe you're tired, Kenshin. After all, you did do a
lot of laundry this morning. Perhaps we should hurry back
home and fix you a nice cup of tea." She did NOT want
Megumi to get her claws on Kenshin again.

Kenshin smiled in response. "Thank you, Kaoro-dono. But
it was just a momentary relapse in my senses. I don't really
think its anything serious."

"You sure?" She prodded.

"Very sure. Come on, the tofu's already prepared, but I
have to prepare the Bonito for the Dashi. We can't our dinner
coming in late now, can we?"

Instantly, the other two males perked up at the
swordsman's words. Now, hyped up and ready to go, they could
barely contain themselves.

"What are you waiting for, then," Cried Sanosuke. "Let's
hurry back!" Then he cheered along with Yahiko.

"Idiots..." Kaoru muttered.

Kenshin smiled at the antics of his friends. They were
such big kids. Kaoru saw that smile, and smiled in return.

"They never change, do they?"

"Nope. And I hope that they never do."

But as Kaoru turned away to face the road once more, he
could not help but reminisce about the feeling that struck
him earlier. It had a sense of...familiarity. As if he had
felt that particular emotion before-from himself. This could
have something to do with his past, he surmised.

Kenshin did not like to be kept in the dark. The lack of
Information could easily hurt those closest to him. He'd have
to keep one eye peeled open all the time.

'But I do know one thing,' Of this, he was certain.
'things are soon going to be very 'interesting'...'




====*====*=====



NOTES :


I'm trying to to create a different environment here,
dissimilar to the Canon series. I based it in the idea that
some things are never that simple with the Cursed Martial
artist. What if, just what if, Things are not always as they
seemed? And if the past carried greater weight than most of
them ever imagined?

The Kenshin part happens in the past, just so you know.
This particular story diverges after the affair with Utaro and
the medicine, and the Sanada ninjas. I hope I didn't botch
this work too much.

Another thing. I'm still in sore need of fanfic Ideas, AND
a Title for my first work, the DUAL! xover (MAYDAY!MAYDAY!).
For all the good Samaritans out there, this is my SOS. Help...the
humble Kijin(me!) needs C&C..

Send all C&C to carlopim@yahoo.com . Flames will be used
to fuel the Steam locomotive I keep in my backyard.