Disclaimer
I do not own any of the characters from Gundam Wing or Rurouni Kenshin. However I do own the characters I bring into the story as well as the story that I write. Enjoy!
Chapter 2: The Arrival
Summer of the 11th year of the Meiji Era (1878).
Cherry blossoms fell as the warm summer breeze flowed through the air. Five travelers walked along the river side road, heading towards Tokyo. They were five travelers of the oddest sort. There was a man who stood to be about six feet tall with short spiky brown hair and narrow brown eyes. He wore a red bandana on his head and on the white jacket he wore bore the Japanese symbol for bad on the back. Beside him stood a young boy, looking to be around the age of ten. When comparing the height of the child to the tall man next to him he stood to be just below the tall mans chest. The child's big almond eyes looked forward with each step they took with a strong since of pride and honor. Occasionally he would glance back for reassurance that his friend and role model was still there. Behind the tall man and child, walked a woman with dark blue eyes that held both regret and sadness. She stood to be about five feet ten inches tall with waist long black hair that held a greenish tint to it.
Two others followed a few feet behind. A petite woman, standing around five feet six inches with long raven black hair tied up in a ponytail with a pink ribbon tied around it in the shape of a bow. Her pale ivory skin glowed in the setting sun along with orbs of glowing sapphire. Slightly behind her and to her left walked a man no more then a few inches taller then her. He had long red hair tied at the base of his neck, his violet eyes straying every so often to the woman in front of him. His left cheek sported a cross shaped scar. In his belt his katana jingled with each step he took.
As conversation was being held by the three in the front, the petite woman began to speak to the companion beside her. She spoke in her soft kind voice, "It's the first time we've walked together like this in a while, right, Kenshin?" She slightly turned her head waiting for a response only to be met by nothing. Her eyes widen as a look of worry and question crept across her face. She noticed that her red haired friend had stopped and was looking towards the river in deep thought. She turned to her side to look at him and began to speak again. "Kenshin? What's wrong?" she asked.
He quickly replied, "I left and returned to being a wanderer because I was scared of the Battousai within me and because, I didn't want to involve everyone else in the danger…Yet I returned, and am walking with all of you as if it was only natural. It feels a little strange."
"Kenshin…Do you remember this spot?" asked the young woman who turned to face the water's edge.
"Huh?" was his only reply.
"This is the spot where you told me farewell that day, Kenshin." She said as she closed her eyes, tilting her head up towards the setting sun. "Back then, I couldn't think of any words to say to you. So now, I'll say…" she paused for a moment bringing her arm up and extending her small hand towards him. "Kenshin, Welcome home".
His eyes widen with surprise with what she said to him. A heart warming smile played across his lips and this time it was a real smile. He knew now that he had a place to call home. It was as if the heavy burden he carried was lightened for him. He extended his arm and placed his hand into hers. They began to catch up to the others who had stopped and watched the scene. "I am home, that I am".
The wind began to pick up as what little clouds in the sky began to darken. Something was different about this storm. The clouds swirled creating a funnel shape that began to descend from the heaves towards the river next to the companions. Blue lightning crashed all around them, which was quickly followed up by loud claps of thunder. As the clouds came closer they could see a blue light in the center of the funnel.
Kenshin looked to his tall friend and then back to the cloud. "Sano, there's something coming out of that light", he said in a serious tone. "Kaoru-dono, Megumi-dono please get to safety."
"Kenshin! I'm not going anywhere, but by your side. I will be here to help you fight!" the petite woman said in a matter of fact tone.
Not wanting to anger the woman more he nodded and left it at that. He placed his hand on the hilt of his katana ready to face whatever it was that was coming. "Then be ready and do run when I say to Kaoru-dono." She nodded in response and looked for a long enough stick to take the place of her bokken.
The swirling clouds stopped 20 feet above the water. The center of the vortex grew darker as if some sort of hole or portal was opening up. Kenshin stood there searching for the presence he had felt moments ago. Suddenly six bodies fell from the center of the hole falling to the cool water below. Surprised by this unnatural event Kenshin was not sure what to do. The chi from these six individuals was weak and growing weaker. There was a sound of splashing as the bodies hit the water. He waited for the attack to happen, but it never came. He quickly realized that the three of the bodies had not surfaced.
"Sano, Yahiko hurry we need to bring them to shore." He said as he laid his sword to the ground. Quickly he jumped into the water with Yahiko and Sano behind him.
A man with slick black hair tied back with black slanted eyes swam to the side of the river. He crawled to the dry land, panting for air. Every breath he took shook his small body and burned. Mentally he cursed himself for being caught off guard. "Damn that Maxwell", he said mostly to himself as he sat himself up to see where his friends were. No more then twenty feet away he saw a woman with long black hair running to his side. To his left he saw a figure carrying another figure to shore. He could tell by the build of this figure it was Heero and could only guess that he was carrying the Vice Foreign Minster's limp body. Slowly he pushed himself to his feet and started to move towards his friend. With every step he took he slowly began to loose his balance. He knew that his body had taken it's toll during the fall. He also knew that darkness would soon take over, but he still pushed himself. His foot caught its self on a loose rock only bring his body crashing down to the ground. He closed his eyes and put out his hands, bracing himself for impact, but that never came.
"BAKA! Your body is going through shock", came the voice of the long hair woman who was barley holding him up. "If you keep pushing yourself you're body is going to shut down", she lectured.
"Woman, I know how…much…" he stammered before darkness took him.
She took his wrist into her hand, making sure there was still a pulse. Quickly she turned to where the other person was only to meet piercing cobalt color eyes and unruly brown hair. She let out a startled scream before she noticed a woman with long honey blond hair lying in his arms. Her curious look changed when she noticed the large amount of blood on the young girl's jacket. When she reached to help the young man she was only met with the barrel of a gun pointed at her.
"No more a baka then that baka over there", she pointed to his fallen companion. "The girl needs medical attention and I am a doctor. Let me tend to her wounds", stated the one called Megumi.
He gave her a glare that sent shivers down her spine. "If anything happens to her, I will kill you".
She understood. 'This woman must have meant something important to him'. She nodded and pointed to where he could lay the injured woman down. Heero never took his eyes or gun off the woman dressed in strange clothing. It wasn't until his body started to go into shock that he realized that the woman was talking to him in Japanese. The world around him started to spin, unable to keep his balance he fell to his knees. He brought his hands to his head, hoping to make the world stop spinning. It did not help though and before long darkness took over.
Kaoru stood there for a moment, not sure as of what to do. It wasn't until she heard Yahiko saying something to her that he needed her help. "Hey Busu! Could you stop standing there and give me a hand?" asked Yahiko.
She looked at him for a brief moment and noticed him trying to carry what appeared to be a woman with long chestnut colored hair scattered across her face. Kaoru quickly ran to his aid and help drag the unconscious woman to where Megumi was helping another person.
Kenshin swam to where he saw one of the bodies fall. He dove under searching for the body. He came up behind the unconscious body and wrapped his left arm under unconscious form's arms. He used his right arm to bring them to shore. Closely behind him was Sano who was dragging the last body. Kenshin looked towards shore to see what was going on. He saw Megumi holding up one of the people and it sounded like she was giving him a lecture of some sort. He also noticed another person heading towards her, holding another body. Kenshin was almost to the side of the river when he heard Megumi let out a startled screech and noticed the man still carrying the body but also pointing a gun at Megumi.
Kenshin quickly picked up the pace, hoping to get to Megumi in time. When he reached shore he set the body down and ran to his katana. By the time he reached Megumi she was leaning over the body of a woman in blood soaked clothing and the man with the gun was unconscious. "Megumi-dono, are you alright?" asked Kenshin in a worried tone.
"Yes Ken-san. I am going to need help though. We need to get this woman back to the dojo. It is closer then the hospital. There I can treat her. There isn't much time", she said with concern in her voice.
The woman in Yahiko and Kaoru's arms began to stir. They stopped for a moment letting the woman get her bearings. The woman lifted her arm off of Yahiko only to bring it to her head. She gripped the side of her aching head before falling into Kaoru's arms. "Did anyone get the number off that car?" groaned a man's voice from under the mound of chestnut colored hair.
Kaoru's eyes widen when she realized that this was not a woman, but a man. She also realized where is hand had landed. Quickly she pushed him off of her and brought her make shift bokken down on his head. "Do you mind where you place your hands, sir!" she started to yell. She brought her stick down trying to give another good whack.
Kenshin was there faster then she had time to notice. He gripped his hand around the wrist she held the stick and began to speak to her softly, "Kaoru-dono, this one does not think he meant to touch you, that he did not. Please Kaoru-dono he is injured and this one does not think he can take your beatings right now…" He was answered to sound of her fist hitting his head. "Oro".
Kaoru stood there for a brief moment with her arms crossed and a glare on her face that could evenly match Heero's. "Fine! Don't let it happen again", she warned both men.
The man with long hair shuttered before he spoke. "Man she's almost scarier then Heero", he stated as he pointed to the unconscious man lying next to Megumi.
Kenshin stood there giving him a confused look, as if he did not understand everything the young said to him. Duo blinked for a moment before realizing that he did not understand what he was saying. Dou brought his left hand back behind his head, rubbing the lump that hand formed. "Sorry", he said in Japanese.
Kenshin game him a slight nod in reply. "Megumi-dono needs help brining your friends back to the dojo to treat their injuries", said Kenshin.
Duo nodded as he walked over to Trowa. He knelt down beside the unconscious pilot and shook him slightly. "Hey buddy, wake up", said Duo. Trowa did not move. Duo reached into one of the many pouches on his Preventers uniform and pulled out a small white box. He set the box down and opened it and pulled out a small packet of something. He then snapped the packet in half, which gave a small crack. Quickly he placed the packet under unconscious pilot's nose.
"Hey buddy it's good to see you awake! We need your help. Lena needs medical attention and these people are here to help us. I need help carrying Heero, Chang and Quatra. Are you able to walk?" Duo said in English.
Trowa nodded while trying to stand. Once he was stable and on his feet he walked over to where Quatra laid. Silently he bent over and picked up his friend and placed him over his shoulder. Duo did the same with Heero and Sano with Wufie.
Kenshin knelt next to Megumi, who was beside the wounded girl. Carefully he placed his arms under her and lifted her close to him, making sure not to harm her more. Megumi turned to face Yahiko and began to speak, "Yahiko run ahead and get Doctor Gensi and bring him to the dojo. Let him know that this young lady was pierced by something and we need to get it out before infection sets in."
Yahiko nodded and ran off to bring the old doctor back to the dojo with him. The wind started to pick up again and everyone's attention was brought back to the hole of blue like that lay above the river. Earth shaking thunder roared all around them and as quickly as the blue vortex appeared, it had left them in the darkness of night.