OKAY SOMEBODY BETTER REVIEW. This took me forever. Plus nobody's been reviewing. This one's rather long. I try to get as much as I can into it.
Read and review. Please.
I don't Rurouni Kenshin.
It was three days before the arrival of the great demon king. People had mixed feelings and ideas about this king. There were posters and newspaper pictures all over the country with imaginative descriptions of what the king might actually look like.
MARCH MARCH MARCH MARCH MARCH MARCH.
Crowds formed on the sides of the streets Tokyo watching the Cobreinian army carry out its military parade. The soldiers marched in perfect unison with their goose steps. They wore oddly shaped, dark blue or forest green colored, helmets where at the edges of the sides of the headwear were angled at 120 degrees going upward from the ear covers. They wore black or green pull up masks covering half of their faces. The colors of their uniforms were either a field gray with shades of dark blue, or forest green. They also wore a somewhat oddly shaped piece of dark blue body armor covering their torsos.
It was a spectacle for the citizens of Tokyo who witnessed this event. For it wasn't everyday they would see a foreign army, much less a demonic foreign army, parading down their streets of their capital city, filling the air with the sound of their boots coming into contact with the ground and a song from them every now and then, spoken either in English, Japanese or whatever other language they were singing in.
They carried their bayonet attached rifles up against their shoulders and sung their free arms back and forth as they marched down the street, while their bayonets lightly glinted in the sun light. The soldiers formed three, 500 man box formations, 10 feet away from each other.
Kenshin, Kaoru, Sano, and Yahiko were amongst the crowd as they watched the 1500 soldiers, lead by three horsemen, parade vigorously down the street towards the palace turned embassy. Sanosuke reluctantly gave Yahiko a piggy back due to his height, and since he wanted to see the foreign demons.
It was the second time this week that these troops arrived on their coastal borders and marched in a small parade, except first time had at least 700 soldiers. The third group would be arriving in two days time, and was to have 500... larger demons.
MARCH MARCH MARCH MARCH MARCH MARCH MARCH MARCH.
Then for the third time today they started to sing. (Try to imagine the English version of the Soviet National Anthem from Paul Robeson.)
"United forever through the love of what we share,
Towards the land that which we fight for, that land is Cobreiny.
Oh Mother Cobreiny,
You are our beloved haven,
For Demons, for Dräkoens, and for Krêtans.
For we all are God's creation.
Oh Cobreiny, we live for we die for,
We kill for we spare for,
We work for we rest for,
We fight for we make peace for,
We build for we destroy for,
Your ongoing survival.
Long live the mighty Demon race,
Long live its human brethren,
Strong in our friendship tried by fire,
Long may we protect our glorious land and all her peoples,
Long live sacred Cobreiny."
MARCH MARCH MARCH MARCH MARCH MARCH MARCH MARCH.
They sung in great pride with whatever accent they were using. Kaoru, Sano, and Yahiko watched in awe and listened to their patriotic melody. Kenshin could only smile for these foreign demons. He was beginning to understand why these demons and human allies were so willing to fight and die for their country.
"For all times and for each new generation,
Will be given the task,
To keep you strong and healthy for life,
Politically and Socially,
Militarily, Economically, and Morally.
Long live the mighty Demon race,
Long live its human brethren,
Long may our scarlet flag inspire,
Bravery and Glory,
Honor and unwavering National Pride.
As long as Sacred Mother Cobreiny,
Continues to be our beloved haven,
The mighty Demon race has a home,
For all times and for each new generation.
Long live the mighty Demon race,
Long may we risk life and limb,
To protect our land."
MARCH MARCH MARCH MARCH MARCH MARCH.
"Long live sacred Cobreiny."
MARCH MARCH MARCH MARCH MARCH MARCH MARCH MARCH MARCH MARCH.
The troops disappeared as they moved deeper into the city, towards the western outskirts of the capital. An hour went by, and the crowds that had witnessed the small parade, dispersed and went about their daily business.
An hour passed, Kenshin, Kaouru, Yahiko, and Sano were at the Akabeko, where they met up with Aoshi and Misao who already got them a table. Yahiko was telling them the small parade they put on and described how human their bodies looked, despite their uniforms. He also went on about how cool they looked in their uniforms including that armor.
"Oh Lord Aoshi, I wish you would wear body armor like them. It would be like those Western princess stories. I would be the princess watching my knight in shining armor, courageously lead a demon army." Misao stating a dreamingly, compliment about her (A/N: As if) Lord Aoshi.
Kaoru sweat dropped at the highly optimistic comment. Yahiko scoffed at the idea and mumbled, "He would be your gloomy knight in stony armour."
Aoshi, being a cold stone that he is, paid no attention to her compliment as he quietly drank his tea.
Kaoru changed the subject by asking where Omasu and Okon (Ochika) were. Misao told them they went back to Kyoto a couple of hours ago to check on things there. And to make sure Okina wasn't being a pervert. And to see Kenshin's master.
Tae and Tsubame came over to check if everything was alright with the food
As they were eating, Kaoru was sitting next to Kenshin and noticed that he was somewhere else in his mind. She could tell for he was stone silent, rivaling Aoshi at it, he was staring blankly at his rice blow, which he was very slowly eating from, and had barely touched anything else since they started.
Kaoru secretly frowned at him for moment because whenever he was like this it meant something was on his mind, either being the plans for the rest of the day, if something wasn't troubling him, or deeply thinking about... Kyoto.
However she discarded the theory that something troubling was the matter of him being so preoccupied. She set down her food and pushed back the red bangs covering his face and lightly shook her hand in front of his eyes.
His reaction was verbal and it was an, "Oro?"
He looked to his left and saw the young woman wearing the smile that he cherished greatly beaming at him. He looked back at her with his confused child like eyes, and innocent expression.
"I'm sorry Kenshin I just wanted to make sure you were still with us." Kaoru giggled.
Kenshin just looked at her for a few seconds before smiling back at her.
"I'm sorry Miss Kaoru. I guess I was just in my own little world."
"Yeah you have a tendency to do that don't ya Kenshin?" Sano asked taking a sip of some sake.
Kaoru nodded in agreement at the statement, "So what were you thinking about Kenshin? If its not too much ask."
"Yeah what's on your mind Himura?" Misao asked.
"It's nothing really to be concerned about, that it isn't. Its just this whole... Demon race thing. I never had the slightest thought that demons could have a physical existence, let alone have race of them. But lately I have been really curious about this King Forrgon." He said drinking some of his forgotten tea that was already cold.
Before any of them could respond, a familiar figure stood by them looking at them.
"Well well. Took me long enough to find y'all." The person said in a familiar Southern accent.
"Cho?" Kenshin was little surprised.
"Police agent Cho Sawagejo, the Sword Hunter. Howdy Battousai." He smirked with pride with one eye closed.
"Hey broom head." Sanosuke nodded towards him.
"Rooster head." Cho nodded back in a slightly irritated tone.
"Do you care to sit." Kenshin politely asked.
"Nah," He waved his hand, "preciate it though. I already had some lunch at the Wolf Boss's new house." He said referring to Hajime Saitou.
"The Wolf's gotta new den Tokyo huh?" Sanosuke asked himself.
"Yep."
Kenshin then spoke up again, "I'm surprised he even invited you-"
Cho interrupted him and widened his eyes and spoke with shock in his tone, "He didn't."
Kenshin realized his expression, "His wife did."
Cho nodded, "Yeh. And my god, I reckon she has tuh be one 'o the sweetest little thangs I ever seen in my life."
"Is she like Buddha?" Misao asked in astonishment.
"She has to be if she can handle being the Wolf Man's mate! My God he was so calm it was freaky, like 'notha person. Or somethin' possesin' him or somethin'. Anyway 'nough small talk. Got somethin' for ya Battousai." He said pulling out a small wooden box with a letter out of his top.
"It's from King Monster."
Kenshin took the box and read the letter out loud,
'Greetings Mr. Himura. I look forward of becoming acquainted with you and your friends on the 13th of September. Please accept this gift as a token of a potential friendship in the near future. However if this gift creates any offense against you please forgive me for I lack the knowledge if you are a man that refuses alcohol.'
'Sincerely, King Ebenezer Snakeskin Forrgon.'
Kenshin's only comment was, "Well his Kanji is a little bit off." He smiled before handing the letter to Kaoru.
"Wow Himura! You haven't even met this 'King of the Demons' and already he's trying to make friends with you!" Misao exclaimed.
He proceeded to open the box and took out a clear glass bottle, with a yellow labeling on it. He couldn't read it for it was in another language. But luckily there was another note. He unfolded it and read it aloud too,
'Assuming you might be curious, it is a bottle of Scotch Whiskey. A type of alcohol from the European nation of Scotland. Careful drinking this for Whiskey is at least two or three times stronger than that of the alcohol of your country.'
"I'll have to thank the king for this foreign gift when I see him, that I do." He smiled as he placed the bottle back in the box and setting it aside.
Cho left them to their meal and in his place were Tae and Tsubame who came over to check on them see if everything was alright with the food. They also happened to overhear that Kenshin received a gift from the mysterious demon king.
"Well Sir Ken I knew you were a popular guy around these parts. But I never even imagined you would be so popular, that your fame would spread to this new mysterious country." Tae stated.
Kenshin laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head.
Kaoru interjected and pulled out two slips of paper out of one of her kimono's sleeve pockets, "Hey I have some invitations and passes for the day that we meet the king. Here's one for you Tae if you want to come with us. And since Yahiko will be with us there's one for you too Tsubame." She smiled at them.
Tsubame and Yahiko blushed intensely at the comment and all of them except for Aoshi laughed at them.
Kaoru gave them instructions to pack some clothing for they might be staying at the palace for a few nights and something for special occasions and to come by the dojo where some carriages will be waiting to take them just outside of town. The two female restaurant workers gracefully thanked Kaoru for the invites and returned to their work.
Another hour passed and the five of them finished eating. Aoshi paid for the meal and left a nice tip Tae and Tsubame.
-/;($:/$..,?!'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~,,~,~~~~~~~~€£¥*£•=+£€?~|#%*
As they made it to the dojo, Yahiko and Misao ran past them to somewhere else in the premises.
"Oh yes I almost forgot to mention," Kenshin began with a serious look on his face as he walked along with the group inside the dojo's courtyard, "I received a message from Saitou this morning that I did, and it said we have another job to do tonight that we do." He said referring to Himself, Sanosuke, and Aoshi.
Kaoru, hearing this, froze immediately, body and mind. Her only response was, "Kenshin... is this going to become part of your routine?" She asked in a normal tone, but her eyes widened after hearing the news.
Kenshin's features softened as he looked at the girl. It pained him see to her thinking if she's going to be lonely for a long while.
"I'm sorry Miss Kaoru. But I-"
"Alright alright time out." Sanosuke interjected, "Listen Kenshin, why don't you sit this own out? Aoshi and I can take care of this. So why don't you and the little missy spend some time together?" He offered.
"Are you sure you two will be alright without me?" Kenshin said asking the wrong question.
"Kenshin you idiot of course they can it themselves!" Kaoru yelled at Kenshin pulling his ponytail, forcing him to let out an 'oro'.
"I don't think Misao would appreciate you doubting my abilities Battousai." Aoshi quietly said.
Kenshin didn't need hear anymore, "Okay I guess it wouldn't hurt to shirk one of my duties that it wouldn't."
Sanosuke smirked at his friend's comment, "Thats the spirit buddy! And don't worry, if Saitou asks I'll come up with something."
Kenshin smiled at his thug friend showing his gratitude.
'And besides it wouldn't hurt to spend some time with... Kaoru.' He thought to himself.
Kenshin's musings were interrupted by Kaoru's sweet voice calling him, "Kenshin?! Hey Kenshin!"
"Oro? Oh Miss Kaoru." Kenshin realized that the two of the stood alone in the courtyard.
"You need to stop day dreaming so much Kenshin." She scolded him before giggling.
"Where's Aoshi and Sanosuke?"
"Aoshi went to your room to meditate and Sanosuke went to give a pass and invite to Megumi. But now tell me, what do you want tonight?" She asked with a tint of red forming on her cheeks.
"Well there's a play from England being held in town tonight. I considered it the morning after my..." He paused for a moment with a blush forming on hh is face as he scratched the back of his and bit his lip nervously.
Kaoru noticed his hesitation and the redness of his face and was confused by it.
She raised an eyebrow and asked, "The morning after your mission?"
His face grew redder and answered truthfully, "The morning after our last conversation... and when you... kissed me."
After hearing that, it was Kaoru's turn to have her face turn red.
"W-well Kenshin I-I have been w-wanting to ask you for some t-time now i-if you would be w-willing to uhh... you know... start going out with me." Kaoru stuttered her explanation.
Kenshin raised an eyebrow, "Going out?"
"Courting." She answered quietly looking down at the ground.
Kenshin lightly gasped and oh in realization to what she was asking.
Kaoru's blush receded but she kept her eyes on the ground with her hands behind her back and kick the dirt and continued, "We don't have to if you don't want to."
"Alright."
"Alright?" She asked looking up at with wide eyes and a tint of pink forming on her cheeks.
He flashed her with his trademark rurouni smile, "We can give it a shot, that we can. I was just thinking though that we should probably take it slow as possible that we should."
Kaoru smiled gracefully, for she felt she had just made a great achievement in her long over-due relationship with her redhead. She felt as though she finally made a small opening in the wall surrounding his heart or at least shortened the distance between them significantly. But she inwardly reminded herself that it was only a step or two forward, and that neither of them had actually admitted their feelings to each other, but it was a small progression for her to be content with for now.
Kaoru fought the urge to hug him and merely responded, "But lets keep it between us I don't really anyone to get the wrong idea just yet... neither do I want give it to us just yet."
"Agreed." Kenshin smiled.
Kaoru took a deep breath to calm her self and continued speaking, "Well I leave all of the plans for tonight to you Kenshin right now I need to go train Yahiko. Oh and do you think that we could have a little bit of that Western drink called scotch, King Ebenezer gave you?"
He pulled the box containing the whiskey out of his gi and gazed at it, "Hmmm probably not. I'm kinda planning on saving it for later when I meet the king that I am."
She smiled at him, "Okay. Well I better get changed for Yahiko's lessons." She said before taking off to her room. But she stopped when she stopped outside her bedroom and turned to him with a smile and said, "Thank you for agreeing to go out with me Kenshin!" She turned around and entered her room closing the shoji.
Kenshin felt an unfamiliar yet warm feeling in his chest.
'I guess it wouldn't hurt to court her.' He thought and smiled.
The very next morning came and Kenshin and Kaoru's date the previous night went... fairly smooth. Kaoru was sitting on the engawa and was telling, or was forced to by Misao since she was spying on them when the two made their plans that afternoon, to Megumi and the little spying of weasel ninja Misao how it went.
After the play, Kaoru made their date go at a... 'surprising turn'... with some help. Fox ears sprouted from Megumi's head and Misao became giddy, for they were thinking something really heated and intimate happened. She decided to make it a double with Hajime and Tokio Saitou, which in turn made the two women become friends. Megumi and Misao's heads fell anime style out of utter disappointment which was soon replaced by curiosity for this supposed Wolf's mate.
"She was really pretty, though I do feel sorry for Tokio." Kaoru said.
"What sorry she's married to that creep who nearly killed Sanosuke and Sir Ken? I would!" Megumi coldly and sympathetically remarked.
"No! But Tokio apologized for her Hajime's behavior. She just gets really lonely when the government sends her husband on a mission that sometimes lasts for weeks. Months even. And I told her that I know how it feels to be lonely." Kaoru said with sorrow.
"So uhhh... how did Himura and Officer Jerk behave?" Misao asked.
A vein popped up from Kaoru's head and responded with irritation in her voice, "Those two idiots were glaring at each other so much and had their hands on their swords half the time, we had to confiscate their swords for the rest of the night. You should've seen the look on their faces."
She looked up at them and smiled evilly for moment before raising a hand to her cheek and putting on a dreamy facial expression and smile, "But you also should've seen how Kenshin tried to apologize for me stop being angry with him and to get his sword back. He bought me beautiful flowers, two new kimonos, and for the first since he met me, he said that I looked beautiful, twice in fact."
"Oh Kaoru your so lucky that you're soon-to-be man gave you so much attention. I'm so jealous! I should try that on Lord Aoshi." Misao exclaimed.
Megumi raised an eyebrow and asked with amusement in her tone, "I'm assuming you didn't give Sir Ken his sword back until the date was over."
Kaoru nodded.
Fox ears popped up once more, "Good thinking Raccoon Girl. Perhaps next time you'll do that again to convince Sir Ken to give you his 'other' sword." Megumi said mischievously.
Kaoru's face blushed like a tomato after hearing that.
Misao interjected with a sly smile, "Or did you already think about it? Maybe even tried it?"
Kaoru's face grew redder by the second before squeaking out a no before fainting.
The young kendo instructor regained her composure and immediately changed the subject and informed her two friends that she invited Tokio and her family, Tsubame and Tae, for the event. Megumi said that received her invite from Sano, as payment for bandaging his hand after the mission Saitou gave him and Aoshi.
"What I hate about being doctor, is being a doctor for idiots." Megumi complained.
Kaoru and Misao didn't say anything. But an unknown voice did.
"Vell as a doctor ve all haff to put up vith ze most careless patients." The voice was masculine and was laced with a German accent.
The trio turned their heads and saw a man standing in the courtyard. He looked to be in his late 30s, he was at a height of 5'8 and was rather skinny. He had thin brown light brown hair combed to the back. He was wearing a red sweater vest, a black tie, a white long sleeve button up shirt, which were pulled up, brown dress pants and black dress shoes. He stood at least five feet away from the three Japanese women, who looked at him with curiosity.
Kaoru asked the man while trying not to sound rude, "Excuse me, who are you?"
"Ahh mein apologies Fräulein Kamiya. Ich hiesse, my name is Captain-Doctor Frederick Heissler. An old, long time friend of Ebenezer, sent to personally give Herr Himura a short, verbal message." He politely said with a smile and with his hands behind his back.
"Did somebody call my name?" Kenshin asked coming from around the corner of the dojo.
Frederick turned to him widening his smile.
"Oro? A foreigner? Uhh... bon jour?
"Ich spreche nicht Französisch. I do not speak French. I am German." He said extending his hand.
He took his hand and shook it.
"I apologize that I do." He smiled at his own ignorance.
"Mein name is Frederick Heissler, Herr Himura. I temporarily come vith a short message: Inform us how many are in your party, und ve vill send carriages to fit vith ze number. Bring appropriate clothing for ceremonial purposes, und casual clothing zat is nice. Ze nicest casual clothing available for social events outside of ceremonial vones. Zat is all. I must take leave now, I have some vork to do." He turned to leave the area.
THREE DAYS LATER.
The day had finally come. It was early afternoon of the 13th of September. Word came out that Demon King, Ebenezer Snakeskin Forrgon, had arrived in Tokyo the night before yesterday. The news papers said that he met with the Japanese Emperor to discuss plans of compensating those who lost a family member in the skirmishes that took place on foreign soil. That news made Kenshin very happy.
Kenshin sat with Kaoru on the engawa, after cleaning up the house and dojo, waiting for Megumi with Dr. Genzai's granddaughters, and Saitou's family to come over. Tae, Tsubame, Misao, Aoshi, and Yahiko were already to go, packed with clothes for a few days.
"So Miss Kaoru how do you like one of the new kimonos I bought you?" He asked flashing one of his famous smiles.
Kaoru's new kimono had a Prussian blue color, with butterflies and flowers.
Kaoru didn't responded. Instead she leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek. Kaoru pulled back with an innocent smile and a very light shade of red on her face.
Kenshin on the other hand, widened his eyes, oroed, and had a darker shade of red form across his face.
"And how you like your new gi Kenshin?" She asked sweetly.
Kenshin felt... uncomfortable with his new gi. It was dark blue. The same color he wore 10 years prior. But he didn't tell Kaoru, or give any objections outside of the 10 years reason, so not to hurt her feelings.
"I like it a lot Miss Kaoru that I do." He smiled at her.
He noticed that Kaoru tilted her head pushed her cheek upward. He was confused at this gesture. Her sapphire eyes shifted and met his amethyst ones and answered his sun unspoken question, "I find it unfair that you get a kiss on the cheek and I don't. Since I bought it for you, I think it should be your way of saying thank you to me."
He returned the light kiss on her cheek and blushed six shades of red as he pulled back.
Kaoru saw this and frowned, "Now don't tell me that Battousai the Legendary Manslayer is embarrassed about giving a pretty girl like me that he's courting, a little kiss on the cheek now is he?" She teasingly asked pinching his nose.
Just as Kenshin opened his mouth to reply, Yahiko interrupted him, "Hey Kenshin, what are you and Ugly talking about?!" He asked carrying his and Kaoru's bokkens.
"None of your business Yahiko!" His teacher shot back.
"Oh yeah?! Well why are you two holding each others hands?" He teasingly asked.
"Why are you not holding Tsubame's?" She shot back with a teasing smile.
Yahiko and Tsubame looked at each for a couple seconds and looked away, blushing like tomatoes, and Tae teased on how red the two of them were.
Yahiko was wearing his normal clothes. A yellow gi, white shirt, and a green hakama. Tsubame wore a simple yellow kimono and a red obi. Tae wore a lime green kimono and and a dark blue obi.
Aoshi, who was standing like a flag pole with hands in his pockets, wore a deep blue, collarless short-sleeved dress shirt with a goldenrod trim, matching deep blue slacks and shiny black dress shoes and a long, sweeping trench coat of light tan with a ribbed goldenrod interior trim. Something he hadn't wore since Shishio's scorching death.
Misao, who was twirling around Aoshi's twin-sheathed kodachis probably as some act to impress him, wore her ninja outfit.
"Hello we're here!" Megumi called out holding Ayame's and Suzume's hands, while Sanosuke tailed them carrying their bags. Ayame and Suzume wore there regular clothes. Sanosuke wore a black shirt under his white jacket and megumi wore her doctor kimono.
"Watch out Kenshin the Wolf pack is coming." Sanosuke said referring to Saitou, who showed up with his family.
Tokio wore a purple kimono and she had her long black hair pulled up into a bun where some of it stuck out, she held a little boy's hand that seemed to be her son. Saitou wore his usual police uniform and cap. What surprised everyone else, except for Aoshi, is that he was carrying a little girl in his arm and a small bag in the other. Then Kenshin saw another, older child that was familiar. It was Eiji.
(A/N:Okay I gotta wrap this up. I swear to god you better review! I'll eat your kids if you don't! With horseradish and avocado.)
Everyone made their introductions to the Saitou family. Explained Eiji's origins and his connections to Kenshin and Misao in regards to the Shishio case. They complemented Tokio that she had a skilled husband, leaving out the negative parts that she might be aware of already.
She introduced everyone to her 3 year old son Tsutomo. Who surprisingly had his father's antenna bangs and wolfish golden eyes. Akiko was 5 years old, and had both her mother's hair and a little bit of her father's eyes.
The carriages, three large ones, arrived to take them. They set out for the part western, part Japanese palace.
An hour passed and the arrived at the embassy. It wasnt much on the outside. Gray concete walls. There was a row of tall narrow windows arched at the tops and flanked by Greco-Roman style columns, reaching up to the two more rows of windows above only they were smaller.
Okay we're finally done! had to rush the ending. Planing on making a side story for Demonic Peacekeeper. Its only deleted scenes and scenes in the time skips.